Fantasy The Clueless Wizard (Completed)

[Yokai]

》Ask him to dance.

It was a strangely comfortable atmosphere for a first date. Perhaps it was the amazing food or the genuinely interesting conversation, but Arden never felt bored. Instead she listened to Mel's explanations and occasionally prompted him with questions or comparisons to her own world. And when the music grew louder Arden took that moment to process the remaining heaviness of her food before leaning forward in her seat. She didn't want a stitch after all.

"Tell me," She began casually, fighting back an excited smile. "Do you dance, Mel?" Arden asked. This definitely wasn't her typical ballet music but she just enjoyed dance in general. And the bard seemed to really be getting into the music now.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Uh, no, thank you." Mel said with a shake of his head. "I don't like dancing. Although, I can tell you about a dozen different dance styles…" He opened his mouth to continue talking.

- Dance without him.
- Stay and talk to Mel.
- Insist on dancing together.

 

[Yokai]

》Dance without him.

Arden couldn't say that she was surprised; Mel didn't seem like the type to enjoy dancing, though she'd been prepared to be proven otherwise.

"Oh?" Arden interjected before he could continue speaking, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Well then, can you identify this type of dance for me?" She asked, slipping off her boots to leave them propped up beside Watson. Barefoot ballet wasn't recommended but it would be easier without her boots. Also, as long as she didn't dance like this too often then there'd be no lasting damage. It'd just hurt her toes sometimes. Boots aside Arden swished away onto to the 'dance floor'. It'd been so long since she'd last enjoyed herself like this, over two weeks now since she arrived. Whether or not Mel joined her the young wizard was going to indulge herself.

The music wasn't perfect but it had soul and Arden had always danced better to a happy tune. It was one of the few times that she felt in complete control of her body and it was exhilarating. Most of her confidence came from years of ballet but the rest came from the fact that Arden wasn't dancing for anyone else other than herself.

 

[ArcticFox]

Mel opened his mouth to speak, but proved to be left speechless as she removed her boots and got up to dance. He watched her elegant movements, mouth still slightly open, eyes widened in awe. And he was not the only one. Other patrons of the inn all turned toward their dancing Wizard and soon enough the bard strummed the flute with more energy than before as the people clapped with the rhythm. Some would later say that it was magic that drove them to be captivated by her dance like that, but Mel knew the truth. There was no magic present there, only beauty.

Mel paid for the meal as they were done with their dinner, but in silence this time. Together, they walked out of the tavern and into the fresh, night air. The ever-present salty smell of the sea got stronger as they walk. The lanterns were lit, but unlike the bright streetlights of Arden's home, they didn't block out the bright stars overhead.

"That's the Demon of Daria." Mel said, pointing up at the cluster of stars. "See the eyes and nose - looks too fragile to be a demon, right? That's because they were human first. It's an interesting story…"

As Mel spoke and pointed to another constellation in the story, he stepped close enough for Arden to feel his warm breath on her cheek. He paused in his narration as he noticed how close they were now standing. His dark eyes sparkled with intelligence, shining in the lamplight, a blush was spreading over his cheeks.

- Kiss him.
- Wait for him to make the first move.
- Discourage making the date any more romantic.

 

[Yokai]

》Kiss him.

Arden stared up at arched black skies, the bright-white constellations reflected back into the darkness of her eyes. It had never occurred to the wizard that she was currently standing underneath unfamiliar stars. She listened to Mel's stories with an enraptured expression. No matter what world she found herself in, it seemed that people were forever destined to weave tales about the stars. It also seemed like dancing had quieted that restless energy of hers and made her more introspective than usual.

The pause in conversation roused Arden from her thoughts as she had fallen back into the trap of her memories once more. She startled minutely at how close the two had drifted without her even noticing. Unlike Kogan -- whom she was sometimes hyper-aware of -- it was easy to fall into Mel's gravity without her paying attention. An uncommon feat. Dark eyes flickered down to his lips, a flame of both uncertainty and curiosity catching in her chest. "May I...?" Arden whispered in askance. It just felt natural to simply close that distance between them.

 

[ArcticFox]

Mel didn't seem surprised. He kissed her back immediately. He was a good kisser. Perhaps it had something to do with all the talking he did? His arms wrapped around Arden and he pressed himself against her.

When the kiss ended, he didn't step away. Instead, he smiled, some newfound confidence driving all the insecurity away from his expression.

"I enjoyed this night with you." He said. "Taking to you, watching you dance, kissing you... It made me feel like a teenager again."

- Say you'd like to do it again.
- Invite him into the Tower.
- Say you should leave it at that.

 

[Yokai]

》Say you'd like to do it again.

That was a surprisingly apt description of how Arden was currently feeling as she blinked at Mel with dazed eyes. Heat had flushed her cheeks and she barely resisted the urge to duck out of his view. Arden hadn't felt so flustered by a kiss since she was a teenager. Still, she didn't lower her arms from where they'd wound themselves loosely around his neck. Instead she smiled at him.

"If you would like, and if you aren't too busy, then maybe we should do this again?" Arden prompted gently. Careful not to overstep her boundaries. Again, dating seemed big and scary and too soon but... she definitely wanted this. Being around Mel, listening to him talk and explain the world around them with passionate eyes. It was comforting. Kissing him was definitely an experience too.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I was just about to ask you that same thing." Mel smiled again. Then he moved away from her, looking down the street to see if anyone was around. "Now, lets go back to our usual selves. A priest and a Wizard. If the guards saw us kissing in the street, they would never let us live it down." He chuckled, but still he kept very close to her as they walked in the direction of the Tower.

--

"Wizard!" A voice called from outside Arden's Tower. "Wizard! We are under attack!" Jace was ringing her bell with urgency.

She looked across the city and saw flames.

"There's a fricking dragon out there and it says it will torch Blackcliffe unless you come out to greet it!" The elf continued.

- Go with Jace.
- Barricade yourself in the tower.

 

[Yokai]

》Go with Jace.

Under attack...? Arden rubbed the drowsiness from her eyes and gazed out the window, only to be met by flames. It seemed that Smaug had come to Blackcliffe and had already torched the place. She was down the stairs in an instant, boots haphazardly tugged on and shirt untucked from black trousers. Her cloak billowed behind her as she stepped through the portal.

"What do you mean a dragon!?" Arden demanded, Watson clutched tightly in one hand. She had no idea what such a creature wanted from her but she had no intention of cowering in her tower. "Take me there, quickly!" Hopefully it wasn't interested in a wizard flavoured snack.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I don't know! It just swooped in, torched a warehouse in the docks and asked for you! We didn't really want to ask any questions!" Jace responded.

They ran through the city, meeting frightened people along the way. Crowds of them were rushing away from the docks, while smaller groups of guards marched toward the docks, weapons at the ready.

The closer they came the stronger was the scent of the smoke. Flames were licking the skies as one big building had crumbled down, its beams burning. It would spread to the nearby warehouses too and then eventually to the residential homes. It was a dangerous situation for the whole city. And in the middle of it all, stood a dragon.

"See, I said I will be civil as soon as you bring the Wizard out to me. And I'm judging that is she." It talked in a very human-like voice, distinctly female. It raised its front talon and pointed at Arden. "No one else wears such silly outfits."

- Greet the dragon politely.
- Greet it rudely.
- Threaten it.
- Attack it.

 

[Yokai]

》Greet the dragon politely.

And yep, that was definitely a talking dragon. Arden's life was such a mess at this point that she should really stop being so surprised. Instead she merely slowed her approach, Watson firmly at her side.

"Oh?" Arden questioned and tried not to be taken aback on the matter of her outfit. She was trying to maintain an facade of calm. "I'd like to think my outfit is very pirate-chic." She commented casually and tried to avoid staring at the scary claw pointed in her direction. It was time to see if she could charm a dragon; probably not but it was always better to be polite, correct?

"But yes, I am the wizard and my name is Arden," She introduced herself politely, dipping her head in respect before looking up with her best friendly smile. Happy thoughts Arden, happy thoughts. "How may I help you?"

 

[ArcticFox]

"I'm going to take you with me and you are going to fix the screw ups of your kind." The dragon said, lowering its head down, two red eyes watching Arden very intently.

The guards had formed a wall in front of Arden, their spears out. In the next moment, Kogan ran up to her from behind, placing a hand on her shoulder protectively, while Jace stood on her other side, bow taut.

"The Wizard is not going anywhere with you." Kogan growled, staring down the dragon.

"Ugh, someone remove the filthy orc please." The dragon exhaled steam through its nostrils.

Kogan was visibly fuming beside Arden.

- Attack the dragon.
- Let others protect you.
- Go with the dragon.

 

[Yokai]

》Go with the dragon.

"Fix the screw ups of my kind?" Arden repeated slowly as her eyes narrowed in assessment. This was a difficult situation; either she went with the dragon or there'd be an all-out fight. While Arden trusted that the guards were equipped for battle she didn't want to test their odds against a literal fire-breathing dragon.

"You'll have to fill me in on the specifics of those screw ups," Arden said, more decisively now as she reached up to pat Kogan's hand reassuringly. She flashed him a smile that displayed far more courage than she actually felt and then attempted to slip past the guards. "But I will assist in whatever way that I can... with the assurance of my return." If Arden died after all then her corpse would be the new spawning site of the next wizard. It'd be difficult if that was in a dragon's stomach.

 

[ArcticFox]

"If you do your job, I'll do mine, and return you here without a scratch." The dragon said.

"You can't go with it. It's a dragon! They are not at all trustworthy!" Jace warned.

"And elves are? Pah!" The dragon made a disgusted sound. "Please, my word is worth more than all of your kind."

Kogan did not remove his hand from Arden's shoulder and Jace did not let go of his bow, but the dragon did not give them any more time to talk it through. Taking Arden's acceptance as final, it flapped its large wings, making the guards shield their eyes from the flames and ash that rose. In that distraction, the dragon flew up in the air, as light as a sparrow, one huge talon wrapping around Arden's torso and picking her up like a ragdoll.

She heard shouts from down below and a couple of arrows whizzed past her ear, until someone warned about hitting the Kingdom's Wizard, and the guards lowered their weapons. The dragon let out a noise that could have been laughter as it rose higher in the air and then away from Blackcliffe and toward the mountain ridge.

Arden wasn't held uncomfortably, although she couldn't do much but take a hold of the dragon's talon as the ground got further and further away. The wind picked up so high above, or perhaps it was due to the flapping of the beast's wings, and she could feel its bite on her exposed skin. The dragon was leading her toward the highest peak, its ridges covered in snow, despite the warm weather in the lower reaches.

- Ask about your destination.
- Ask about your "job".
- Ask the dragon's name.
- Ask something else.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask about your "job".

As Arden stared down at the rapidly distorting and shrinking figures of Blackcliffe she couldn't help but think that is was a good thing she wasn't afraid of heights. Holding onto the dragon's talon for dear life she attempted to hide her face in the collar of her crimson cloak. The bite of the cold was painful and left her cheeks flushed with colour. Thankfully the only exposed skin she had was that of her hands and face. Also, if she was lucky, this wouldn't be a long flight.

After a few moments, and once her heart had stopped pounding so ferociously against her ribs, she decided to speak up again.

"Excuse me, Dragon!?" Arden shouted over the noise in her ears. "Could you tell me exactly what this job is now? I'd like to know what I'm supposed to be fixing!" She repeated, genuinely curious about how she could possibly assist a literal dragon. Weren't they supposed to be these big, scary, independent creatures? Arden wondered but instead found herself distracted and a little uneasy by the direction in which they were moving. Those mountains looked cold and Arden wasn't exactly dressed for snowy weather.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I have a name, Wizard, and I prefer you use it." The dragon said, sounding offended. "I am Shiala. And I'm honestly quite surprised you do not know of me. Others before you did. Even the sullen one. I was just about to bring him here when he disappeared." It sighed, air clouding in front of its snout. "A long time ago, seventy years to be exact, a Wizard came to my lair to steal my eggs. They are golden, you know, and being a little conniving goblin, or some similar sort, she could not keep her hands off of gold. And then they say that dragons are greedy. Preposterous."

Arden could see the peaks clear below her now. The dragon paused in its telling to swoop down with a few sharp turns, avoiding the cliffs. It hovered in the air for a moment, releasing Arden on her own two feet. She was now standing on a snowy mountain, at the mouth of a large cave.

The dragon dropped next to her then, and moved slowly into the cave, continuing the story.

"See, I discovered that sneaky Wizard and was just about to eat her when she cast a spell. She collapsed half of my home in and managed to get away. But, that's not the worst of it."

They walked inside the cave, lit up with blue crystals from the inside. At the center of it was a nest made out of branches and cloth and inside it, three golden eggs.

"My babies still did not hatch." The dragon announced, voice now sorrowful. "It takes decades for us dragons to be born into this world, yes, but not seven of them. That Wizard did something to them, I am sure." It hissed. "And now you are going to fix it."

- Accept.
- Refuse.
- Make up an excuse.
- Try running away.

 

[Yokai]

》Accept.

As she ventured over to the nest Arden peered down at the three clustered eggs with genuine interest in her dark eyes. The cave itself was gorgeous, the crystals casting a soft blue glow over the golden eggs. She certainly hadn't expected this to be the reason that the dragon -- sorry, Shiala -- ended up coming all the way to Blackcliffe.

"Why would anyone try to steal someone's unborn children?" Arden muttered to herself, expression painted with disgust for her fellow wizard's actions. Even for the golden shell it still seemed like such a cruel act to rob another. Taking someone's belongings? Sure, sometimes people got desperate and Arden understood that. But taking someone's literal offspring? That was just unacceptable.

"Alright. I'll try my best," Arden said as she looked up to flash the mother dragon a reassuring grin. "This definitely isn't my area of expertise but if I can reverse whatever that other wizard did, then I will." She turned back to properly analyse the eggs, much more serious and concentrated now that she understood the stakes. "Could I touch one, please? My healing abilities aren't phenomenal but I could try and find out what the problem is that's stopping them from hatching."

 

[ArcticFox]

"Thank you, Wizard." Shiala said. "You can touch them, just be careful." The dragon allowed, but still it followed Arden's every move intently.

When Arden placed a palm against the golden shell of one egg, she felt its warmth. Like putting a hand on a radiator, the egg had that pleasant heat that made the chills on Arden's skin subside just a little bit. She could not discern the exact spell that was cast on the eggs, however. But, she did feel something. Magic was used on them definitely, and familiar magic it was. One of the spells from the Tower's books no doubt. The dragon was telling the truth.

After a couple of moments of concentration Arden was able to discern the nature of the spell. It was a particularly strong glamour. Someone had made the baby dragons believe that they were not yet supposed to hatch. Arden did not have sufficient glamour knowledge to reverse this spell yet. But, the eggs could be hatched forcefully too. The dragons inside were already developed enough after so much time, no doubt about it. If the shells could be broken... Yet, she did not know the consequences of forcefully hatching them, or if the mother would allow it.

And there was another thing... a spell was not supposed to last past the death of its caster, unless it was imbued into an artefact. This meant that either this spell was particularly powerful, or its caster was still somehow alive, which could not be possible, because then neither her nor Thomas would have been summoned to Traethia.

- Go home and study glamour.
- Crack the eggs.
- Ask about the thief.
- Go home and find the records of the thief Wizard.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask about the thief.

“They are alive and appear to be healthy,” Arden reported back, glancing over to the mother dragon with a comforting smile. The most important thing in this situation was the welfare of the baby dragons, first and foremost. “Though… it appears that this other wizard has put a strong glamour in place to convince them not to hatch.” She continued, expression thoughtful as her brow furrowed.

There was no way that another wizard could still be out there, surely? But for the glamour to hold for so long… it was extremely powerful. Arden didn’t know whether it’d be possible for her to break such a spell. It’d take her a while to improve her own glamour abilities at the very least.

“I know the basics of glamour magic but not enough to undo this,” Arden began to explain the situation as gently as she knew how. “It would take me a few days but I could study more and then return to try again...” She paused, a little anxious to suggest the second option to a protective, and rightly so, mother. “...That being said you could manually break them out as they’re ready to hatch now. But that should be your choice, not mine.

“I would also like to know anything else you can offer on this other wizard, if I may? This spell is extremely powerful if it has extended past their death.”

 

[ArcticFox]

"No!" Shiala roared, nostrils flaring. "Don't you dare bring any weapon close to my babies!" It stepped in front of the eggs protectively, flapping its wings once and sending dust in Arden's eyes.

After a moment the dragon settled, but it was clear that doing anything physical to the eggs would not result in anything pleasant.

"The thieving Wizard was a small green creature. She looked like a goblin to me, with those malevolent eyes and filed teeth." The dragon looked as it if had shivered. "She snuck into my home, hoping to steal away with my eggs undetected, but I am not such a sound sleeper. The nerve of that creature!"

If Arden wanted more information about her predecessor, she would have better luck searching the Tower's library or asking Mel about it.

- Go home and study glamour.
- Go home and find the records of the thief Wizard.
- Get Mel to help.
- Crack the eggs.

 

[Yokai]

》Go home and study the glamour.

Immediately Arden backed off, furiously blinking the dust from her eyes as she dabbed at them with her sleeve. She scowled at the dragon -- though she understood her motives that didn't mean she appreciated the treatment. It took a moment for her to school her expression into something less irate. Just because she didn't like Shiala personally that didn't mean she wouldn't help her. She was violent, inherently racist, and manipulative but her children didn't deserve to suffer for that. Arden sighed.

"Then you'll need to return me to Blackcliffe so that I can study more on glamour magic," Arden said instead, mouth pressed into a firm line. "Then you can come back in a few days time once I've become more powerful." It was as good a plan as any. Once the eggs hatched she'd really need to ask Mel about this other wizard.

 

[ArcticFox]

After a moment of contemplation, Shiala agreed to that proposition. She returned Arden to the city, dropping her in front of the gates, while the scared guards watched with mistrust. When she passed into the city, she could hear an occasional whisper of awe, how their Wizard tamed a dragon. The rumours would spread soon. All would be good had Shiala not promised to torch another building in three days, if Arden does not make any progress by then.

Three days was too little time for anything. If she concentrated all her powers on learning the spell, Arden would be able to somehow, barely, get her glamour level to the point where she would be able to understand the spell cast on the eggs. Even if she managed that, she still would need to actually make out the exact spell cast and find a counter for it. Shiala would not like the delay that this would cause, but there were not many other options.

Arden could eventually seek out Mel's help or try finding the name and locating the journal of the thieving Wizard. Perhaps she had written something about the spell in it, as Wizards did keep a close note of their progress. This would allow her to bypass the tedious studies, however it was not granted that she would be able to locate the journal at all.

- Focus on studying.
- Search for the journal.
- Ask Mel about the Wizard.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask Mel about the Wizard.

Three days definitely wasn't enough time to solve the dragon's problem; Arden would have to cram some study time in. God, it was like exams all over again. She shuddered to recall the world before. At least houses wouldn't catch on fire if she failed her exams, though she did have to face her parents back then. Regardless, Arden's time was limited. So, she had to come up with a game plan. And this was her 'super-amazing-100%-fool-proof-three-step' game plan:

Step 1. Hunt down Mel and ask about the weird goblin Wizard.
Step 2. See if she can coerce him into finding any journals pertaining to said Wizard.
Step 3. Spend the rest of her time studying her ass off until she became a glamour master.

Like she said, fool proof... right? Honestly she kind of liked the challenge -- which was probably bad considering there were actual stakes involved.

 

[ArcticFox]

Mel waited for her at the Tower's portal, along with Kogan and Jace. All three of them looked to be worried, though some showed it more than others. Mel, for example, wrapped her up in a tight hug, and then thoroughly examined her for any visible injuries. Finally satisfied to see that she was in once piece, he let her go to actually listen to her words.

"A goblin Wizard? She does sound familiar." He mused. "I'm sure I can help you locate the journal."

Jace left them to their business, reporting that the fires had been doused, though a family was left homeless and another one lost their livelihood - the warehouse that was first struck. Thankfully, there were no casualties, which had to account for something. If the dragon decided that Arden wasn't quick enough, she could expect more similar trouble.

Kogan followed the two of them into the tower, where he immediately went into the kitchens. Apparently he was angry at Arden for making him get out of bed so early and miss breakfast on top of it all. He wouldn't show if openly, but there was relief in his eyes when he quite roughly patted her back.

"I think the Wizard the dragon was referring to is Tazz. It must be her, she is the only goblin Wizard I've met and you say it had happened seventy years ago." Mel said as he walked through the tall shelves filled with books. "Here." He took out a dark leather-bound book with silver trimmings and handed it to Arden. "That's Tazz's journal."

- Read the journal.
- Ask about the Wizard.
- Ask about goblins.
- Ask something else.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask about the Wizard.

Arden laughed off their concern and pretended like she wasn't enjoying the blatant worry shown by Mel. She definitely wasn't blushing. Though she definitely did pout at Kogan's rough handling once they'd entered the tower, trailing after Mel with a pout. Honestly! Even the dragon had been more gentle with her! For all his talk about fragile humans he seemed to forget that she was one.

As they entered the library she found herself instantly grateful for having asked for Mel's help. When he presented her with the book she pressed a teasing kiss to his cheek as she plucked the journal from his grasp.

"Thank you~" Arden hummed as she idly flicked through the journal before she paused and glanced up questioningly. "Wait! You knew her? Would you mind telling me what she was like and what happened to her, please?"