Chapter 48 A Foreboding Future - end of book 2 (Patreon)

Filler goes here.

Nathan stood over Taeol’s corpse, looking down at the slumped figure. In death, the archmage seemed unthreatening, pathetic. Just a lump of meat replacing a man of ambition and power.

Also a greedy coward willing to dominate people to get what he wanted.

As Nathan’s Rage died, his eyes roamed over Taeol’s rich robes and the many rings on his fingers. He shook himself and got quickly to his feet, hastening back towards Stella.

The Heirs are more important than anything Taeol was carrying. I’d break anything valuable anyways.

Stella groaned as Nathan approached, her eyes slitted against the pain as she held a balled-up portion of her robe against her freely bleeding nose. She squinted up at Nathan, seemingly at a loss for words.

He stared back, similarly having trouble processing what had just happened. It was only a second before he broke through the impasse. “Where are the others?”

“Down…” Stella’s voice rasped and she pointed towards one side of the courtyard, at the door underneath the balcony that she and Taeol had been standing on when Nathan had first entered.

The door had been broken open by one of the paving stones launched during the fight. Nathan almost ran off to find the rest of the Heirs, but then saw Stella’s hesitant attempts to stand.

I’m not leaving her here - that’s tempting fate too much. Enchanted robes be damned, she’s coming with me.

Nathan scooped the small mage up, again amazed at how light she was. The enchantments in her robes immediately started fragmenting, and Nathan did his best to draw back his antimagic as he sprinted towards the door.

It didn’t fully work - his newfound control and ability to project the Talent let him retract it some. But it wasn’t far enough to entirely remove the effect of his antimagic. After all, the new talent said “Magic items will degrade from being near you.” A few of the enchantments worked into the robe began to fray despite his best efforts.

Stella was whimpering in his arms, squirming around what appeared to be the mother of all migraines that was exacerbated with each bump. She forced her attention into giving him directions down a series of stairs before calling out “Trap. Trap.” She loosely pointed at an upcoming door.

Nathan set Stella down gently against the wall before carefully approaching the door. It took a moment, but he was able to pick up a very faint magical field woven into the doorframe. Upon opening, the spell would send some kind of signal farther into the room.

While he couldn’t tell what would receive the trap’s alert, he could clearly sense the connection it would travel along. Nathan furrowed his brow and carefully manipulated his antimagic into a spike, stabbing the immaterial blade through the door.

Not sure if this’ll work - can my aura penetrate solid objects?

The answer appeared to be yes. The aura went through the door and the magical wire snapped. When Nathan pushed on the door he felt the spell activate - but the signal went nowhere. The door also went nowhere; it was locked without a visible keyhole.

Let’s just see about that.

Nathan backed up a few steps and then accelerated to throw his entire weight against the obstacle. The door didn’t fly open, but the metal bar holding it closed bent with a screech. Another bash forced the mangled piece of metal out of the bracket, and the door swung wide.

Inside the next room were a set of five enchanted stockades. Two were empty. The other three held Aarl, Khachi, and Sarah, all stripped naked.

Attending them was a golem made of tan stone, who had been holding a bowl of water up to Aarl’s face. All three of the captured Heirs seemed dazed and confused, though their heads had turned towards Nathan and the noise he’d made entering the room.

Golden light swept over Khachi’s body and his face twisted into a snarl. Then the stockade’s magic activated and a shock ran through the wolfman’s body.

Nathan’s Rage flared to life and he started towards his friends, but the golem dropped the bowl and jumped towards him. With his new skills Nathan could sense the core embedded in its chest. It seemed to be the power source of the magical construct, animating and directing the enchanted stone.

He struck the charging humanoid as it approached, stabbing his antimagic directly into its core. The tight ball of magic fragmented and tore, and hundreds of Stamina flowed into Nathan as he smoothly sidestepped the golem’s sudden stagger.

The animated statue fell, slamming into the ground with a grinding crunch. One of its arms snapped off, and all motion stopped as the magic inside it sputtered and faded.

I think that golem core was once a person. Goddamn Giantsrest.

Nathan took a moment to study the room, looking for more magical traps. There was an enchantment on the back wall that seemed like it would launch a fireball at anybody opening the door unauthorized. Nathan broke it first, then hastened to the stockades holding  the remaining Heirs. He took another moment to investigate the enchanted wooden structures to be sure they didn’t hold a trap that would kill the occupants. There didn’t seem to be any kind of failsafe, though they were magically locked.

Nathan ruined the enchantments in moments, ripping apart the wooden structures one by one and guiding the Heirs to slump against the nearby wall. They seemed woozy and dazed, but otherwise fine.

He didn’t stick around to check in on them, instead going to retrieve Stella. He brought her into the room, setting her down against a wall. She seemed even more limp now, barely capable of opening her eyes to acknowledge that they’d found their friends.

As Nathan stood, he turned towards a series of wooden bins along the back wall emanating familiar magic.

Nathan strode over, throwing open the bins to find all of the gear that had been stripped off the Heirs. He started grabbing clothes and tossing them to their owners. He spoke up as he did. “We need to move. Sorry to push you, but all of Halsmet will come down on us unless we get out of here now.”

Khachi was the first to get up. He threw wide his arms and growled, a deep and furious note. “We are free. Stand, and by my power be granted strength.” Golden magic billowed away from the [Divine Justicar], and Sarah and Aarl both got to their feet, pulling on clothes and coming over to collect their gear.

It looked like none of their bags had even been unpacked. The Heirs moved quickly, grabbing everything in mere seconds.

“Nathan, how…” Sarah spoke thickly, having trouble finding words.

“We’ll talk later. For now, get everything and go. Aarl, grab Stella.” He responded, already checking the hallway to be sure it was still empty.

Aarl grunted in affirmation as his new armor flowed over his body. He slung a few packs over his shoulder and moved over to pick up Stella, who didn’t seem to have benefited much from Khachi’s spell.

Khachi hurriedly packed his armor into his dimensional bag and they left the room.

Nathan led the Heirs up the stairs and into the courtyard at a jog. They paused on seeing the devastated space, but Nathan waved them forward. He led Khachi over to Taoel’s body.

“Can you grab this? I don’t want to take the time to search him, and taking the body might confuse Giantsrest.”

The big wolfman didn’t respond, merely leaning down to grab Taoel’s body and slinging it over his shoulder.

Then they went to the gate, which had been sealed with magic after Nathan entered. That didn’t pose a problem with Nathan’s new Talent Development, and the Heirs spilled out into the street. The corpses of the slave soldiers were still strewn around the gate where Nathan and Faline had left them. There were also new corpses off to the side, where a patrol of slave soldiers and a single slavemaster looked to have been stabbed to death.

Nathan looked around for his accomplice, but didn’t see her. He called out. “Faline?”

She materialized from the shadow of the wall, already reaching into her bag. “Freedom and Brightness, Nathan. I wouldn’t have believed this in prophecy. Now put these on and follow me.”

She threw a set of baggy robes to each of the Heirs in turn, then transformed herself into the green-robed enslavement mage disguise. The robes were huge - enough that they could completely cover Khachi and the burden he carried, much less Aarl and Stella.

The Heirs gaped at her for a second, and Khachi looked to Nathan. “Faline’s here - how did this happen?”

“Silence. Follow” Faline’s voice was imperious and commanding, and Nathan saw the Heirs bristle at her tone.

But he bowed his own head and walked after the leader of the Assassins of Gemore, and after a moment his teammates shut up and followed.

An alarm bell started ringing across the city as they turned onto another street, though the streets were entirely empty. The sound was piercing and impossible to ignore, but Faline kept her head high and led them onwards without changing her pace or posture.

The group was two more streets along when a blue-robed mage turned the corner ahead. The figure was followed by a dozen elites and almost a hundred slave-soldiers with bows. Nathan saw Aarl tense under his robe, and laid a restraining hand on his friend’s arm as Faline angled them to the side of the road.

“Crurn, did your eyes pick out the trouble?” The blue-robed mage had stopped the column and was addressing Faline directly.

I guess that’s her disguise? Did she kill Crurn and take his place, or is this a long-standing alter-ago?

Faline’s disguised form shook his head. “Nothing, though I heard sounds of  fighting from the second mansion. Also heard Archmage Taeol’s got new slaves, not yet broken. Think they got loose?”

The other mage snorted and rolled his eyes. “Giants save us from distracted Archmages. Exea will want a full accounting of every mage’s activities this day. Even if she’s currently buried in oiled pleasure slaves.” Then he shook himself. “And I am her fist regardless. I’ll check with you for details later, Crurn.”

Faline nodded and they clasped forearms before the other mage hurriedly directed his party towards the mansion they’d so recently left.

Then she strode imperiously down streets which seemed miraculously clear of traffic. The bell still tolled across the city, and Nathan saw slaves evacuating the streets as guards spilled out in force. Faline took them on a slightly roundabout path, slipping through an alley and a small storehouse to bypass the guards that separated the inner from outer cities.

Once they reached the regimented ranks of square buildings, Nathan could tell the Heirs were flagging. Whatever burst of energy Khachi had given them was clearly fading - their second wind was running out. Stella was unconscious in Aarl’s arms, though it was hard to tell beneath the swaddling cloak.

There were still patrols of slave soldiers wandering around, most led by a slavemaster. They took one look at Faline’s green robe and bowed, letting her pass unchallenged.

She led the Heirs back into the slums, though Nathan noticed a slavemaster watching them with a puzzled look on his face as they turned into the section of the city made of crude buildings and stinking of human waste.

But nobody followed them, and after several twists and turns Faline led them back to the safehouse she’d brought Nathan to when he first came into the city. She ushered them all inside before taking a careful look around and shutting the door to the safehouse.

Nathan took a moment to just look around at the Heirs as they tiredly stripped off the concealing robes. He let out a massive sigh of relief, releasing some of the tension that had consumed him ever since last night, when Badud had kidnapped his friends.

{You have leveled up to level 144! Congratulations, you have killed Archmage Taeol dho Droxol of Giantsrest, and rescued your teammates from his control!}

Wow. Killing somebody powerful is worth a lot of levels. 25 of them, Damn.

Faline became a slim woman once more, glancing up at her own notification. Her eyebrows vaulted upwards in surprise. “You killed the archmage.” Then she noticed Khachi laying down the orange-robed body and her eyebrows finished the climb to her hairline. “And that’s his body. No one knows he’s dead yet?”

Nathan shrugged. “Nobody else was around. He made Stella fight me, but I broke the spell and then we killed him. We freed the others and got out.”

The dark-haired assassin walked over to Taeol’s corpse, bending down to finger the rich orange robe he was wearing. Then she looked around at the rest of the Heirs and their shattered expressions. She sighed and stood. “Go, sleep. All of you. Rest now in safety. None will disturb you, for this place is protected.”

She ushered the Heirs into the bedroom. Stella was already out cold, and Aarl simply laid her on the broad bed. Khachi cast a few basic healing spells on her, then practically collapsed next to her.

Aarl and Sarah didn’t last much longer, falling onto the bed in various states of disrobement. Nathan moved to join them, but Faline held out her arm and quietly closed the door in front of him.

The assassin turned to Nathan, eyes intent. “Come, we must talk.” She sauntered over to the table, gesturing for Nathan to join her. “I am free of regret for the Heirs' rescue. But Giantsrest will learn the truth of Taeol’s demise, and the Ascendent Academy will want revenge. We risk the destruction of Gemore.”

She studied him for a moment longer, pulling out a flask and rolling it between her fingers before taking a pull. “What will you do now?” She set the flask down on the table in front of the empty seat for him.

Taeol is dead, but Giantsrest will threaten Gemore and the Heirs forever. I swore to myself to tear them down - and I meant it.

Nathan hesitated before walking over to the empty seat and picking up the vessel, looking over at the door where the Heirs were resting. “I want to get the Heirs back to Gemore. Then I’ll come back, and we’ll fight them together. If you’ll have me.” He took a sip of the fiery liquor, appreciating the smooth burn as he sat down.

“Your loyalty burns bright.” Faline cocked her head, studying him. “It will be difficult to leave this city now. The gates are already closed, and the other archmages will deploy their magic to find those who killed one of their number. They will find and check every living thing outside the city walls for fifty miles. And on top of that, then the Questor will get involved. Taeol was his student?”

“Yes.” Nathan felt resigned as he nodded. “Badud pitted me against Taeol to train him and helped kidnap the Heirs to force the issue. He said that he’d consider me a rival if I defeated Taeol. And…” Nathan glanced at the corpse in the corner of the room.

I didn’t really think about the fact that winning against Taeol would mean Badud would consider me a personal rival. Shit.

Faline traced her finger across the tabletop. “You’ve taught him that you will respond to a threat against your team. They will never be safe from him now.”

He took another pull from the flask, delaying the moment when he’d have to face up to reality. The reality where one of the most powerful men on the continent would be coming for Nathan and his friends. When he lowered the flask, he looked beseechingly at Faline. “What do I do? Can you help me and the Heirs escape Badud?”

She gave him a sad smile. “You are in the dragon’s lair now, Nathan. You cannot retreat. You must take the initiative. Hurt and distract your foe, so he does not come for what you hold dear.”

How do I do that? I don’t know what would actually hurt Badud. I can’t win against him. Not yet.

Faline wasn’t done. “You decry the philosophy of Giantsrest, their enslavement of others. And you hated Taeol for what he did to you.” The beautiful woman pursed her lips and looked Nathan up and down.

“But do you truly hate them? Or has your revenge on Taeol quelled your passion? Are your principles true as blood, or will they diffuse like smoke?” She leaned over the table toward him. “I wish a fire in your bones fit to overcome prophecy. I wish to see those gleaming spires cast to the ground. Will you live up to your vows, Nathan of Earth?”

Nathan’s anger swelled as Faline spoke, though it wasn’t directed at the killer across the table from him. “I do hate them. For everything they are, for what they do to people.” His fists clenched on the table, thinking over all of the enslaved he’d seen in this city alone, all the people dehumanized into mindless servants.

Faline smiled at his hard tone, a gleam in her eye. “All you have done thus far is react - defensively. You protect the Heirs, and Gemore. But you cannot be a perfect defender. You must attack. If you wait for provocation, Giantsrest will take what you seek to protect and force you to destroy it yourself.

“Even your killing has not been born of hatred.” Her expression was fierce, teeth sharp in her mouth.

“They have earned depthless hatred a dozen times over. I can show you. We can cleanse the evils of Giantsrest and work our way through that dragon’s lair until you have levels enough to match Badud blow for blow.”

She leaned in to whisper in Nathan’s ear. “Join me Nathan. And I will teach you the Insight to a second class. It will be easy for you. Then, we will carve our way through Giantsrest, putting an end to their atrocities.”

{Overall Status:

{Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 1

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 6

Talent 3: High-tier Slow Fall 9

Class: Implacable Antimage level 144

Class skills:

Deepened Stamina: 3515/4650

Antimage’s Impassivity

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Improved Antimagic

Strenuous Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 6

High-tier Earnestness 9

High-tier Sprinting 2

Magical Perception 3

High-tier Notice 5

High-tier Identify 6

High-tier Dodging Footwork 5

High-tier Enhanced Memory 8

Mid-tier Lecturing 8

High-tier Tumbling 3}

End of Book 2!

Author's Note:

Phew, those last five chapters were hard to get right. I'm going to pause Patreon starting Wednesday (to give the Royal Road people time to sign up) and take a month off. My next post will be May 10th. It might be the prologue for book 3 and the notification I'm taking another month off.

Cheers, and let me know how you liked the ending! Next book is taking a bit of a turn, for sure.