Fantasy The Clueless Wizard (Completed)

[Yokai]

》Cast a spell.

Well, that was intimidating and kinda hot. Arden actually almost blanched at that thought and momentarily did some serious self-reflection as they continued up the stairs. Her life was more of a mess than she'd originally thought.

After the realisation that Felaren probably possessed multiple magical artefacts Arden had been growing increasingly nervous for this encounter. The elf had almost successfully killed her companions and herself once, she really didn’t want to give him the chance to try again.

Also, there was the very real fear that if he spoke to her -- that if he tried to explain himself -- then Arden would be swayed. And she could not let that happen. Not when Alexei’s life was on the line and she still had some sort of surprise edge. With that in mind Arden didn’t so much as announce her presence as conjure a big ol’ fireball and blast it directly at the elf.

 

[ArcticFox]

The fire struck him all at once. He tried to use the rod but was unable to hit her as the flames burned his fingers and eyes.

"Remind me not to piss you off." Kogan said, staring at the burned down elf in front of them.

More guards arrived when Felaren's body fell to the ground. They showed their lack of loyalty by running away instead of fighting. With no master to give them a reward, they had no desire to fight.

Kogan picked up the rod and handed it to Arden with a shrug. It was the weapon that paralysed her two companions in the tower. It had some weight to it and it was made of a metal she couldn't identify. This was a powerful weapon and it now belongs to her.

"Back to the palace?" The orc asked.

- Go back.
- Go to Blackcliffe.

 

[Yokai]

》Go back.

Arden’s shoulders sagged as all the previous tension and adrenaline of the fight was washed away by the mere sight of Felaren’s charred corpse. For some reason she had expected more, had hoped for more, instead this just felt like premeditated and cold-blooded murder. God, he hadn’t even stood a chance. Kogan’s blasé comment left a bad taste in her mouth and she gingerly accepted the metal rod from him with a guilty frown.

“I thought he’d -- ” Dodge? Fight back? “-- I didn’t want to give him the chance to…” Arden trailed off, unable to form her feelings into a coherent sentence. Instead she carefully tucked the metal rod away within the confines of her cloak and nodded to Kogan. “Yeah, let’s go and get back Alexei.”

As long as she kept telling herself that this was all for him, that she’d just murdered a man for somebody she deeply cared about, maybe she could learn to live with that bad taste in her mouth.

 

[ArcticFox]

"So Felaren is dead." Emperor Cassius said in a soft voice. "Yes, I had spies watching the estate. You upheld your side of the deal. Here is the amulet, as promised. Your friend is free to leave."

A servant stepped forward with a silver tray, presenting Arden with the Amulet of Planeswalking. A door opened from the side and Shade walked into the throne room. He was pushing someone along ahead of him. The person had a hood over their head and their hands were tied.

Shade removed the hood to reveal Alexei who squinted at the daylight.

"Unharmed as promised." Emperor Cassius said. "My word is my bond. The time for talk is over. Go back to your kingdom and prepare for war. I'm bringing everything I have and Blackcliffe will be crushed to dust. Now leave."

And that was it. No room to negotiate, just a cold proclamation of war. The guards levelled their pikes at them and advanced. Arden, Kogan and Alexei had no choice but to back away and leave the palace.

The suspicious nature of the people of the Yrantan Empire made them avoid eye contact with everyone. This aided Arden's group once again as nobody confronted them, allowing them to reach the outskirts of the city without trouble.

Alexei was very thankful that she and Kogan risked their lives to save him. So much so that he gave them both bear hugs, making Kogan grumble. The idea of spending the rest of his life in a Yrantan dungeon was scary enough to give even the experienced knight nightmares for many nights to come.

Before they left for home, however, they still had some time for a bit of sabotage in and around Yriss. The war was inevitable after all.

- Scout the city and take note of the troops.
- Use your staff to batter the city with lightning.
- Poison the city's water.
- Burn as much of the city and troops as you can.
- Leave the city without doing anything.

 

[Yokai]

》Scout the city and take note of the troops.

Unlike Kogan -- whose grumbling hadn't fooled anyone -- Alexei's bear hug managed to elicit equal enthusiasm from Arden who also planted a delighted kiss upon his cheek. She'd been very concerned that the knight had been injured or traumatized, seeing that he was healthy and alive was more than enough to lift her spirits. It took a while for her to stop beaming at him and for the reality of their position to kick in.

They were going to have to do something about Yranta's forces. Arden's memory was still fresh with the scent of Felaren's burning flesh and she wasn't a huge fan of repeating that. Instead she tentatively offered the idea of scouting out their forces and troops, something to give Blackcliffe an edge at least. The Emperor had the apple of Discord; no doubt he'd use that in the coming battle.

 

[ArcticFox]

Every piece of information was useful. They were able to count the barracks, study the soldiers' equipment and get a feel for how many troops will be sent against Blackcliffe. It would be better if they could get closer, but without magic that would allow them to travel unseen, studying the soldiers from a distance was the best they could do.

After they have recorded everything, Arden's group got back on their horses leaving Yriss for good. The knowledge they have gleaned will give Blackcliffe a great advantage.

--

Arden left the capital city far behind and rode back toward Traethia's borders. The inevitable war was following closely on her heels. Every night, after a day full of riding, she was able to read the magical text she took from the tower. Although she didn't know enough about the familiar spell to fully use the book, she still learned a lot.

The new spell allowed her to create a bond that had many interesting advantages. Unfortunately, the spell would be limited and it wouldn't allow her to bind something as powerful as a dragon or an orrok, but having a wolf companion or something similar was more than realistic enough. And there were plenty of animals in the forests and plains they rode through.

- Bind a wolf.
- Bind a horse.
- Bind a lynx.
- Bind a hawk.
- Bind a bear.

 

[Yokai]

》Bind a bear.

Their visit into the city of Yriss had stolen something from Arden that she couldn't quite identify. It had solidified the image of war in her mind and planted a seed of doubt that would undoubtedly grow overtime. Instead of one amulet she now bore two around the vulnerable length of her throat, Felaren's metal rod tucked safely away within the confines of her cloak. These two new artefacts should have inspired a sense of confidence or security, instead she just felt supremely uneasy about the war on their heels.

The book of binding offered some solace from her own anxieties, it made her feel like she was doing something productive with her time. Arden spent long nights beside the fire studying the texts and frowning in befuddlement. She would need to study more on the magic -- she always needed to study more and she always felt pressed for time -- but for now she needed to figure out what animal to bind to her.

"So, I've been thinking," Arden opened with one day while they were riding. She flashed her companions her best attempt at a winning smile; the one she used when she wanted something or was trying to charm an enemy out of a fight... which hasn't worked yet but she lives in hope! "I want to find and bind a bear." And she definitely didn't make that decision based upon the fact that bears are adorable killing machines.

 

[ArcticFox]

"So, we are going bear hunting now?" Kogan raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Are you sure you know how to do it?" Alexei asked.

Seemed that neither of her companions were confident of her abilities, but that shouldn't stop Arden! They left the horses at the side of the road, venturing further into the forest. Finding a bear was not a difficult task, they were quite common in that area.

And soon enough they saw one, a large dark bear, scratching its back against a tree, completely unaware of a creeping Wizard. The spell was long and complicated, but when it was done, Arden could "feel" the bear. For the first time, she sensed the presence of another being inside her mind. The bear had gained quite a bit of intelligence with the spell. It would never be able to speak, but it would understand her commands with ease. It was a male bear as well. And he would need a name.

- Name the bear.

 

[Yokai]

》Name the bear.

Arden, inordinately proud of herself for having proven her two companions wrong, grinned widely and placed her hands on her hips. This fluffy, and quite frankly adorable, bear was now her companion and partner in crime. Sorry Watson you've been replaced by a creature that Arden can talk to without feeling too looney. Bears were such underrated creatures, they were strong and protective and their ears were so tiny...

But yeah; mission successfully completed!

"I'm going to call you Teddy Roosepelt!" Arden declared brightly, dark eyes crinkled at the corners and delight unmasked. "Teddy for short." She snorted. What could she say? Arden was an original mastermind who was great with names.

 

[ArcticFox]

Teddy growled, making Kogan and Alexei flinch and step back urgently. He seemed to like his new name. Now bound to Arden, the big bear moved toward her, affectionately rubbing his huge head against her arm.

"Well, I really shouldn't be surprised by anything coming from you, Wizard." Kogan shook his head.

--

Their return trip found them angling much further east than they had gone during their first time travelling through the country. Instead of skirting the edge of the blasted wastelands and passing many of the slave-labour farms again, they found themselves journeying through the less-populated lands of the far west. Several weeks later, they saw something strange.

Their first clue that something was wrong came when they heard a distant chattering sound echoing from the other side of a fast-flowing river. They have crossed rivers on their journey before, but as they approached this one, Arden saw fresh timbers in the mud on both sides of it. Someone had built a large and sturdy bridge but had torn it down a short time later.

- Dismount and swim across.
- Stay mounted and swim across.
- Walk along the water's edge to try finding a shallow spot.

 

[Yokai]

》Dismount and swim across.

"Well, that looks like a bad idea." Arden commented cheerfully as she swung one leg over the other side of her saddle and dismounted from her mount. Head tilted to the side she appraised the water strewn timber and puffed out a low breath. The water was moving fast here and if she didn't swim across the short channel quickly then she'd be swept too far down river. That didn't seem fun at all.

But risking the horses to the current didn't seem like a great idea either. Teddy could swim -- bears were diverse creatures! -- but the horses held their supplies and would most likely struggle. Or, at least Kogan Jr. would. Arden gave her pony a sympathetic pat.

"You best sit, erm, stand this one out, Junior." Arden soothed, moving to secure the little pony to the nearest stable object so that he wouldn't bolt. It was time to take a leisurely dip. Though she loved swimming, something told her she wasn't going to enjoy this.

 

[ArcticFox]

Although the current took them downstream, they had no trouble swimming across. Arden's horse swam easily beside her, finding it much easier without her on his back. Kogan, Alexei, their horses and Arden's bear also swam alongside her. They were all soaking wet by the time they reached the other side.

The chattering sound got louder as they swam to the other shore. Then Arden started hearing the battering of hooves against the ground. The sound was getting closer and as they dried off on the opposite shore, a cloud of dust approached them from the horizon.

Only when they got very close, she could see them for what they were. Not horses, but centaurs.

"Hoofborn." Alexei said in confused voice. "They dwell on the desert plains, away from other civilisations. Something strange is happening here."

The hoofborn had surrounded them completely now, their pikes held up, though they did not look very friendly as they started at the group with their dark eyes.

- Greet them.
- Say you are passing through.
- Ask them what's going on.

 

[Yokai]

》Greet them.

The crimson material of Arden's cloak was slowly released from where she'd been wringing out the river water. Her hands were raised instinctively in surrender or to show that she meant no harm. The thing was -- they were standing in front of a group of fucking centaurs, as in; the land equivalent to mermaids. She wasn't even surprised anymore.

Okay, she just had to play it cool and not make any bad horse puns. At least, not while they were pointing sharp pointy things in their direction. Right. Yeah. Good.

"Um, hi!" Arden greeted, visibly confused as she took a slow step backwards but managing to muster a friendly smile. "I'm sorry if we disturbed you? I'm Arden, we didn't mean to upset you by... uh, doing whatever we did."

 

[ArcticFox]

All of the hoofborn appeared to ignore them, although they continued to stare, standing in a circle around the group. Arden didn't know if they could even speak.

Soon enough more hoofborn started appearing from the hills, hundreds of them, whole herds. They were all armed and armoured. The group around Arden whinnied, raising their spears up as if greeting the oncoming herds. Then, one of them stepped forward, addressing Arden specifically.

"I see that you're from Blackcliffe." The centaur said in a clear voice. "I'm sorry for your loss. Your herd must be sacrificed for the Hoofborns' continued survival."

"Why do we keep running into crazy people?" Kogan scowled. "You are cursed, boss."

- Ask what does he mean.
- Ask where are they going.
- Ask who are they.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask what does he mean.

Dark brows shot up in mild surprise when one of the centaur stepped forward and spoke in a clear voice. From the silence they'd initially received she'd come to the conclusion they must just speak horse and she was going to have to communicate some other way. But no, apparently they were waiting for a translator or a leader figure. Arden's brows then promptly furrowed because wait, what?

"Um? I... don't understand what that means," Arden replied slowly, head tilted to the side in question, she'd long since dropped her hands. "What do you mean you're going to kill my herd?" From what she could gather it sounded like these centaurs were going to march on Blackcliffe, they certainly looked like an army after all. And wasn't that ironic. Hey, if they waited a few weeks maybe they could fight the Yrantans for them!

 

[ArcticFox]

The talking hoofborn trotted around Arden. He seemed to be studying her with curiosity. The other hoofborn moved away from the group to rejoin the big herd some hundred meters away.

"The emperor of the Yranta said that he will burn down our homes, kill our leaders and enslave our calves. So we made a deal. We'll awake the Cyclone and bring him to your city and the Yratans will leave us alone. This way, we don't have to fight anyone. We can live peacefully in our homes."

- Tell them that you can't allow that.
- Ask them to join you against Yranta.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask them to join you against Yranta.

Ugh, figures that Cassius would have threatened them already.

"You'd still be responsible for the fall of Blackcliffe and the death of thousands," Arden replied, eyes narrowed slightly because that must have been pretty evident. Hiding behind a big scary -- uh, whatever this thing was -- didn't mean that they weren't the ones still pulling the trigger. "Whether this Cyclone does the work for you or not, you're still responsible." Watson was pulled closer to her side at that comment and she looked thoughtful.

"You... could help us fight back the Yrantan Empire," Arden began cautiously, though she doubted they'd take the offer. He said they didn't want to fight and if they wanted to be cowards, saving their own skin then... Arden could sympathise with that. She didn't agree with it but she understood it. "We've just come from Yranta and you've heard from Cassius himself; they aren't the most morally sound of Empires. Slavery is pretty commonplace there and I don't know how long you think you'd be exempt from that. Or, why you think they'd stop with just Blackcliffe."

 

[ArcticFox]

"You are few. The Yrantans are many." The hoofborn responded. "I choose to side with the many."

He whipped his tail and raised his spear, his horse legs digging into the ground. Then he simply turned away from Arden and joined the others as they drove the herd forward.

"The Hoofborn are strange." Alexei said. "They don't have the same values as us. They have no problem being selfish and caring only for themselves. You'll need to impress them with power if you want to get their attention."

- Use your fire spell to set fire to the surroundings.
- Use your staff to summon a great storm.
- Leave them and continue to Blackcliffe.

 

[Yokai]

》Use your fire spell to set fire to the surroundings.

Panic flashed bright and white across the forefront of Arden's mind as the hoofborn reared back and then turned, rejoining the main herd. Alexei's words offered a small comfort but it was just that, small. Because impressing the hoofborn would require magic and most likely, a particular spell she'd been hesitant to use again. The scent of charred flesh made an unwelcome appearance and Arden tried not to flinch at the memory.

"Impress them?" Arden repeated softly then sucked in a quiet but deep breath. No need to show her anxieties. "Alright, yeah sure. I can do that!" She continued slowly reassuring herself, bottom teeth sinking into her bottom lip. Though she didn't need to, Arden closed her eyes as she focused on conjuring a firestorm to light the trees up.

 

[ArcticFox]

The hoofborn didn't stop her from casting. She sent several volleys of fire at the already scorched grass and an occasional tree and they lit up with ease.

After the fire had made half a circle around the herds and panicked most of the riders, one of the hoofborn raised his hands.

"Enough!"

A large group of the warriors surrounded Arden and her companions. One of them leaned casually toward Arden.

"We won't fight you. This was not in the deal. Perhaps we have misjudged you., but don't think that we are foolish." He said. "We all know that the Yrantanswill demand more and more from us. We are simply bartering for the opportunity to decide when we will fight them. Do we send the Cyclone and allow the Emperor to become complacent so we can fight them at a later date? Or do we keep the Cyclone away from Blackcliffe and fight the Yrantans after they have destroyed you? These are our options. Why should we risk their wrath now instead of later?"

- Attempt to persuade them through reason.
- Attempt to persuade them through charm.
- Attempt to intimidate them.

 

[Yokai]

》Attempt to persuade them through reason.

Thank God.

Arden pulled back her magic, the warmth of the flames felt more comforting than cruel this time. The hoofborn were back and they looked less than impressed, in fact they looked more annoyed. She barely repressed a sheepish smile at the group of warriors. It felt so childish, showing off in an attempt to catch and hold their attention. Even if it had worked.

"Those aren't your only options," Arden tried, aiming for charismatic as she smoothed out her expression into something friendly and approachable. "Working together gives us the best chance of defeating the Yrantan Empire. Doing as your told will only enslave you to their cause and waiting for the destruction of Blackcliffe... well, it's still just your herd against an entire Empire. Even if they're wounded Cassius doesn't take kindly to people who break their promises."

Maybe a sweeter approach?

"Blackcliffe isn't Yranta, we don't want to betray you or take your lands or harm your children. We want to be allies." And yeah, she was talking a bit big there because Arden definitely didn't speak for all Blackcliffe.

 

[ArcticFox]

"You are right." One of the centaurs said. "Yranta may have many, but we have many more."

The hoofborn then galloped to stand around them, some curious, but most of them looking determined. around you. This pause continued for several minutes. Suddenly, they all raised their spears and swords and bows up, letting out a blood curdling war cry. Then, they turned around as one, turning the herd north.

One of the hoofborn stepped away from the herd and walked toward Arden with its head down in thought.

"We will not do as the Yrantans have asked." He said as he lifted his head to look her in the eyes. "We will keep the Cyclone away from Blackcliffe. We choose to believe in you. We will not fight Yrantan yet, but at least I will not fight you either."

- Thank them.
- Ask about the Cyclone.
- Plead for an alliance against Yranta.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask about the Cyclone.

Nice! Arden mentally high-fived herself for somehow charming Blackcliffe out of another mess -- she was beginning to suspect that she wasn't the one attracting trouble, it was just her newfound home. That was a nice revelation, though, that isn't to say she jumped a little at the sudden war cry that interrupted her hypothesis because that was terrifying. Arden wondered how they managed to do that with their voice boxes, and did they practice the synchronization? When one of the centaurs approached her she quickly schooled her expression back to normal.

"Thank you," Arden agreed easily, much too relieved at the option of not having to fight an army of horse people. "And I shall keep my wily, magical ways away from your herd." That seemed like a good deal to her; though she couldn't help her curiosity... "If you don't mind me asking; what is this Cyclone?"

 

[ArcticFox]

"It is our deity. A great spirit of chaos and conflict. We hope that you never get a chance too see it."

The hoofborn nodded then in farewell and returned to the others as they herd galloped out of view. With the threat dealt with, there was nothing else left to say. Arden, Kogan, and Alexei continued on to Blackcliffe with their mounts.

--

After many weeks of hard travel, they finally arrive back in Blackcliffe. Arden could see that King Tobias has been busy since she had been gone. New walls and deep ditches surrounded the city, and the soldiers who were standing at all of the key intersections greeted them as they entered.

Royal guards escorted her immediately to the palace, where King Tobias rushed forward to hear about her journey.

Alexei headed for the barracks to visit with some of his knight buddies.

Kogan patted her companionably on the back before leaving. He did tell her he will wait for her in the main square.

"The Sphere of Annihilation." King Tobias asked the moment they were alone. "Do you have it?"

- Explain what happened.
- Say it's no longer a problem.
- Say that the Yrantans don't have it either.

 

[Yokai]

》Explain what happened.

It was a weird feeling returning to Blackcliffe knowing that she brought a war with her. The Yrantan Empire would be upon them soon enough and Arden couldn't help but stare at the little houses, stores, and stalls, that they passed by. What would this place look like in the middle of a war?

Stepping back inside the palace Arden was genuinely pleased to see the King, lips immediately pulled back into a bright smile. She wasn't scared of Tobias anymore, she seen more frightening things than young kings on old thrones. Arden wondered whether she looked different to the people, she was leaner and though she'd always been quite slender, it was more pronounced now. Dark brown hair was tinted auburn from the constant sun and was long enough to be tucked safely beneath the collar of her crimson cloak. Mostly Arden figured that she looked older, more tanned, and battle weary.

"We... entered the wizard tower of Yriss to try and find the sphere when we first arrived. Unfortunately that opened the doorway to two other individuals; Shade and Felaren. The latter of which was some wizard wannabe who tried to use the Sphere of Annihilation to destroy us," Arden began, offering a loose one shouldered shrug as her eyes grew distant in memory. It hurt to remember her decision that almost left Alexei dead. "We managed to escape and the tower contained the force of the Sphere but as a result both were destroyed in the blast. Shade captured Alexei and I killed Felaren for his safe return." She chewed on her bottom lip, she wasn't sure how King Tobias would react to that.

"I was given the Amulet that was promised to Thomas and... well, they have the golden apple of Discord. Which effectively nullifies my magic..." Arden grimaced slightly. "But I don't think they have any other magical artefacts, at least that I know of."

But Arden did; she had Watson, two amulets, a book of necromancy, the metal rod, and Teddy. Okay, Teddy wasn't a magical artefact of great power but he was adorable and surprisingly soft.

"Also, we totally snooped around their troops."