Fantasy The Clueless Wizard (Completed)

[ArcticFox]

Kogan met her halfway up the stairs to the battlements. Despite saying his spot was on the ground with the infantry, as soon as the retreat was retreated and the soldiers were dismissed for the day, he hurried up to Arden. When he saw her, he let out a breath of relief.

"Good, you are still breathing." He said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I saw them aim at your spot specifically, those damn bastards. I know whose head I'm bringing you first." He said with a growl. But he was smiling, in a good mood after the victory that day.

--

It was the middle of the night when the bell on Arden's Tower rang. She was greeted by a very worried-looking soldier.

"There's been an attempt on the King's life. The palace is secured and he is safe, but the assassin is still loose in the city. You may be his secondary target."

There was no doubt that it was Shade. The assassin had infiltrated the city and the palace before. The royal guards have worked hard to counter any future assassination attempts made within the palace. With King Tobias safe, the only other targets would be herself… and General Aldo.

- Rush to the barracks alone.
- Rush to the barracks with Kogan.
- Stay in the safety of your Tower.

 

[Yokai]

》Rush to the barracks alone.

When the tower bell rung in the middle of the night Arden knew that something bad must have happened. Hearing that the King had survived another assassination attempt -- he must be getting sick of those -- was a massive relief. Even if it was short lived.

"General Aldo!" Arden breathed and immediately sprinted for the barracks. A telepathic call was sent out to Teddy but whether her companion was asleep or not would remain to be seen. She simply did not have time to rush back upstairs for Kogan. Her biggest concern was getting there as quickly as possible; Arden wasn't much of a fighter but she could heal the General had he already been attacked. And honestly? There was no way that he was allowed to just leave her in command of the army.

Unless Shade had the Apple, of course. Then she was most definitely running into the arms of a trap.

 

[ArcticFox]

Her bear came rushing out of the tower in the adorable awkward way that bears did. He nuzzled Arden when he arrived and they together they went to look for the General.

Many people might assume the barracks were the most secure buildings in the city, since they were filled with soldiers and militia. Unfortunately, most of the troops were sound asleep and unprepared when she arrived. The alarm was sounded and this was quickly remedied.

She saw Jace in the main room of the barracks as she made her way to the officer's quarters. He quickly joined her without a word.

Most of Blackcliffe's army leaders were waking up, clutching their swords as they passed through the main hall. She saw a pair of guards banging on General Aldo's door.

- Burn down the door.
- Slam your shoulder against it.
- Let Teddy deal with the door.
- Let Jace handle it.
- Command the guards to open the door.

 

[Yokai]

》Let Teddy deal with the door.

That was not a good sign. Shade was rather terrifying to be just flying around the city without a care in the world. If she didn't know how loyal he was to the Yrantan Empire then she'd try to charm him into an alliance. Of course, he'd also murdered the Queen and tried twice now to murder the King. So, that wasn't a very good plan.

Standing in front of General Aldo's door she could only hope that he was still alive.

"Teddy?" Arden asked, stepping aside for the bear to get a run up at the door. Bears were notoriously strong and heavy; if anybody was going to break through it would be him. Burning down the door would take too long and it could end up being of a nuisance than a help.

 

[ArcticFox]

Teddy heeded her command, barrelling towards the door and shattering it in a dozen pieces, making a good bear-sized hole in it. Arden stepped through splinters and dust as she entered the room.

Everything slowed down as she took in the scene. Shade was standing next to an empty window with his hand outstretched. She could see the knife in midair as it raced toward the general, who was struggling to draw his sword.

She deduced two things immediately. The blade had a green tint on it, which told her that it had been poisoned - and the general was distracted and won't be getting out of the way in time. Getting hit with that blade could mean certain death if the poison was strong enough. And Shade was not an amateur.

- Sacrifice yourself by stepping in front of the general.
- Sacrifice Teddy and send him in front of the general.
- Call out a warning.
- Just watch it happen.

 

[Yokai]

》Sacrifice Teddy and send him in front of the general.

Everything happened so quickly that it passed by in a blur of mere seconds.

Her first thought upon entering the room was that General Aldo was going to die and that he would be more than instrumental in Blackcliffe's victory. His death would certainly change the tide of the battle. Arden's first instinct was to throw herself in front of the blade but, unfortunately, she doubted she'd survive such an encounter. Instead she sent Teddy forwards to block the knife, hoping that the poison was intended for a human metabolism and a much lighter weight. Because she couldn't be responsible for his death. She really, really couldn't be responsible for killing someone she cared about.

 

[ArcticFox]

Teddy rushed blindly ahead listening to his master's command. But, the bear was big and strong, yet not fast enough.

The blade flew past him and sunk deeply into General Aldo’s chest. He dropped the sword in his hands and reached for the dagger's hilt with a confused look on his face.

"Too late, Arden." Shade said, clipping his climbing harness to the rope that was dangling outside the window.

- Quickly heal the general.
- Quickly cast the fire spell on Shade.
- Let Shade go.

 

[Yokai]

》Quickly heal the General.

Shade's escape was overshadowed by the immediate concern of General Aldo's last moments. Arden threw herself forward, attempting to undo the damage that had been done. She had healed Tobias all those weeks back, but this was completely different. Shade had used poison and he had to have known that she would try to heal him.

"Ssh, everything is okay," Arden comforted Aldo, hands pressed over the wound in his chest as she fought back tears. "Everything is going to be just fine."

 

[ArcticFox]

Arden's healing spell was strong, but not strong enough to stop the poison. Shade smiled at her as he slipped out the window. The two guards and Jace stepped into the room and rushed to the general to help him, but it was too late.

The death of General Aldo was a vicious blow to the strength of the Blackcliffe army. Although another officer was given the position, the new general wasn't as talented as the previous one had been.

--

The siege continued and the food stores begun to dwindle. Emperor Cassius changed tactics and tried to starve the city into submission. Days passed without any assault on the walls.

--

Late one afternoon, Arden heard some shouting from her soldiers. Instead of another assault upon the city walls, however, she saw a lone woman walking slowly forward with the white flag of parley over her head. It looked like the Emperor wished to talk.

The messenger strode bravely into the throne room to meet with her and King Tobias. The messenger was wearing many golden chains and large rings on her fingers.

"My name is Raella." She says.

Four guards and Kogan were present. The guards watched the woman carefully, keeping their hands on the hilts of their swords to prevent any treachery.

"Emperor Cassius demands your immediate surrender." Raella said. Then she turned and looks directly at Arden. "The Emperor offers you a choice. You must kill King Tobias now and open the front gates. If you do so, you will be given an exalted position among the Yrantan Empire. After all, you already killed for the Emperor once."

King Tobias smiled broadly at this, feeling completely safe in Arden's presence. The demand was so outrageous that it was hardly taken seriously by anyone in the room.

- Refuse to do it.
- Agree to do it.
- Urge the messenger to find a peaceful solution to the war.
- Say nothing, but plan to get out of Blackcliffe.

 

[Yokai]

》 Urge the messenger to find a peaceful solution to the war.

"It wasn't your Emperor that I killed for," Arden reminded the messenger, her lips pulled down into a dissatisfied frown. Felaren had been killed in an effort to save Alexei, not to please Cassius or to secure an alliance. "And I refuse to do anything that will harm my King." She added that more for Tobias' sake than the messengers. Surely, from the grin on his face, he knew that she wouldn't attempt such a thing?

"You cannot win this war," Arden said, gaze leveled onto Raella as she mulled over her next words. Peace was often hard fought but if they could come to a diplomatic agreement then she would choose diplomacy over fighting any day. "Even if your army takes Blackcliffe and somehow survives this battle, I can promise that there will be not enough of you left to defend against the Hoofborn. I will make sure of that."

If Blackcliffe was to fall then Arden would ensure that Yranta followed.

"I urge you to find a peaceful solution to this war and to convince your Emperor to back down."

 

[ArcticFox]

Her words caused the messenger and King Tobias to fall silent. The war between Blackcliffe and Yranta was much closer than anyone had expected. The victor wasn’t clear and both rulers seemed willing to consider a backup plan.

"I will speak to the emperor." King Tobias said.

"I will inform Emperor Cassius." Raella responded.

--

The meeting between the two leaders was set up for the very next day. A grand tent was erected just outside of the city walls. The construction was done by a dozen soldiers, six from each nation. The erecting of the tent took longer than it should because each side spent more time watching the other than they spent working.

The King asked Arden to join him as they walked out to the tent. As a spiritual adviser, Mel came along with them. This was the first time after her trip that Arden saw him. The elf did not offer a greeting and seemed to avert his eyes on purpose every time she looked his way.

She could feel her magic stop working just as she entered the structure. Emperor Cassius waited inside, smiling as they entered.

- Offer him something in exchange for peace.
- Tell him to let you live in isolation and have the rest of the world.
- Tell him that you can coexist.

 

[Yokai]

》Offer him something in exchange for peace.

Desperately Arden had tried to catch Mel's eye but failed as the elf was quick to avert his gaze. Perhaps she should have gone to him sooner? The uncomfortable tension between them was almost palpable and she realised that her initial avoidance must have hurt him. That was a painful thought; Mel was a gentle person, he definitely didn't deserve that.

Standing in the tent she couldn't help but breathe a mental sigh as they took their places. Emperor Cassius looked just as smug as usual and, coupled with her newfound absence of magic, it made her a little annoyed. Things needed to go well here for the war to be concluded or for the foundations of peace to be set. She just didn't know how to go about peace negotiations.

"Emperor Cassius," Arden greeted. "I see you're looking well." Literally everyone in this world was hot, she had accepted this fate now. The tortuous fate of being attracted to everyone. Such a sad world.

"I think both sides are well aware that this battle was more than you initially bargained for. The Yrantan Empire and Blackcliffe can coexist peacefully together, we don't need to fight. This war can be called off," Arden suggested, carefully fishing for something that the Emperor could want in return. "In doing so I would offer my services as a Wizard to both Blackcliffe and Yranta, seeing as your own tower was recently destroyed."

 

[ArcticFox]

"That's very noble of you." Emperor Cassius said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But we need access to the sea. It’s the only usable port and we must have it."

King Tobias didn’t sit down. Instead, he stared boldly at the Emperor.

"I can give you two docks." He said firmly. "And a single road leading out of my city. In return, we will redraw our northern border so that we own more farmland. This stretch of land that will reach to the sea will be Yranta and the land on both sides of it will be Traethia. You will have access to the sea, but we will limit the number of soldiers that you may bring into this corridor. And you will stay out of my kingdom."

"My people were warriors before we joined the Yrantan Empire." Emperor Cassius said proudly as he raised his chin, standing up. "Peace has never been something we've understood. We have always been conquerors."

"The last of the warrior kings." King Tobias said softly.

"Yes." The Emperor nodded. "This peace, it is distasteful. My grandfather became ruler by force of arms. To simply concede to another nation, it seems weak. To end a war without a fight, it seems cowardly. King Tobias, I challenge you to a duel. Fight me and I may agree to your peace. Show me that you are someone worthy of joining!"

- Stop it.
- Let the King fight.
- Offer to fight instead.

 

[Yokai]

》Stop it.

"You do not want peace, you want war!" Arden declared, stepping closer to King Tobias as if to shield him from the fight. Dark eyes glared out at the Emperor as if she could burn him through sight. Without her magic she wasn't much of a warrior but that didn't mean she would just let him attack. "It would not be conceding it would be an alliance. And if you think it's cowardly to end a war because you care about the lives of your people, then it is no surprise that you're the last of the warrior kings."

 

[ArcticFox]

When Arden's words finally got through, the warrior slumped his shoulders and sighed.

"Alas, you are probably right. The old ways are dying. That might even be a good thing - war is difficult and peace might be worth pursuing." He sat back down at the table to resume the discussion. "You have a good Wizard, King Tobias. A loyal one, you should take care of her."

"I am." King Adam nodded to one of the servants, who unrolled a map of Blackcliffe and the surrounding area to continue the negotiations.

Some time was spent as the details of the dock’s usage was formally described. Emperor Cassius and King Tobias agreed to nearly everything until it came to the drawing of the northern border. Hours passed and the peace talks became strained. Suddenly everything was hanging in the balance and both rulers appeared ready to give up.

- Say the terms are fair for both sides.
- Say that they will need to compromise.
- Ask Mel for his opinion.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask Mel for his opinion.

Negotiations continued and Arden backed down, her hackles lowered once more. She had been geared for another fight but the talk of peace was a breath of fresh air. They all had people that they wished to spare from this war. Emperor Cassius had shown before that he was honourable and kept his promises, though she wondered how long that peace would hold.

Personally, however, she still didn't understand the politics and territory disputes. While Arden could see the basics and the motivations, the exact placement of a border seemed less significant to her. Which was why, when the talks had gone on for such a long amount of time and the tension had grown to be almost unbearable, she turned to Mel.

"It seems like they need to discuss a compromise," Arden said to him quietly, her attention fully focused onto Mel. "What do you think of the situation?"

 

[ArcticFox]

The priest had been uncharacteristically quiet up to this point. With Arden's leave to speak, it was as though a floodgate has been opened.

Mel explained and discussed each aspect of the agreement that had been made so far. And not only to Arden, he turned to the two rulers and spoke out loud. They listened as the priest talked about the religious implications and illustrated how each person was morally responsible to follow the god's wishes as the deities speak to them within their own hearts. This new view of religion caused the Emperor to listen carefully.

Once Mel finished the Emperor, to the dismay of everyone present, burst out laughing. "Your priest has some different ideas." He said, still grinning. "Everyone knows that the gods walk the world and mete justice in a very physical way. You are one strange priest." He shook his head. "But, it only shows me that we are all different. Maybe you are onto something here, King Tobias."

The Emperor stood up again, and all eyes followed him. He walked toward the tent flap, moving it out of the way with his gauntleted hand.

"I agree to your terms. You have my word." Then his stern gaze focused on Arden. "Wizard, I expect you to travel to Yriss every month to make good on your offer. There is a lot for you to do."

- Answer.

 

[Yokai]

》Answer.

Wow, had Mel been holding that back this entire time? And Arden thought that she could talk.

Still, it was nice to see the elf speaking up and exercising his talent for oration. Arden had been worried that the peace talk would come this far only to fall at the last hurdle, thankfully she was proven incorrect. Instead it seemed that Emperor Cassius had agreed to their terms and, unbelievably, that the fight was over. His stern look was rebuked with a bright and genuine smile.

"Of course," Arden nodded, still smiling as dark eyes crinkled at the corners. Once a month sounded like a lot of travelling, but she could live with that. It was a small price for peace and it meant that she'd actually get to see the world around her. "I don't know what happened to the Wizards of Yriss but I'm happy to assist in whatever way that I can."

 

[ArcticFox]

The peace talks ended and King Tobias let out a relieved breath when the Emperor left the tent. Despite his occasionally rash nature, he was not a man of conflict.

"It is over." He said, giving Arden a genuinely relieved smile as he patted her back fondly. "Thank you, Wizard. We couldn't have done this without you."

--

And just like that, the very next day, Yrantan army was packing to leave. Tents were being brought down, siege engines destroyed and camps stripped. The Emperor left a small party of his most trusted soldiers and emissaries, lead by Raella, to oversee that King Tobias came through on his word.

"I can't believe that you ended the war just like that." Kogan met her on the square, still in his armour. "I did not get to fight anyone." He sounded disappointed.

- Answer.

 

[Yokai]

》Answer.

"Good! That's means I don't have to fight the Emperor with my bare hands to keep you away from him," Arden laughed, even though she meant every word of it. That unfortunately said a lot about the lengths she'd have gone to in order to keep Blackcliffe -- and certain people inside of it -- safe. Knowing that Kogan would no longer be fighting in the battle, that he wasn't in any actual danger anymore, was a huge weight off her shoulders.

"Also, I hope you know that I'm going to hold this over everyone's heads forever," Arden continued lightly, giving Kogan's armoured chest a poke. She was still smiling brightly. "I just talked us out of a war, Kogan. Good luck ever winning an argument against me!"

 

[ArcticFox]

"Ugh." Kogan let out a growl. "Is it too late to continue the war? Maybe if I stormed into their camp and really badly offended the Emperor?" He said, stepping up to Arden and ruffling her hair. "No, you did good, Arden. You saved a lot of people today."

"Wizard!" A cheery voice made her turn around, but before she could respond, hands wrapped around her and someone was choking her with a hug. "You are amazing! Just as I told everyone that you would be!" Jace laughed.

"Strange, I remember you saying how she looked very incompetent when we first escorted her out of the forest." Alexei said, approaching behind the cheerful elf.

"That's not true! I said clumsy!" Jace said, letting go of Arden. "So, we are all alive. I never counted on that."

"Thank you, Arden." The knight bowed his head. "It is good we found you in the forest all those months ago. I never would have guessed that Emperor Cassius could be talked down. But, I guess you do talk a lot." He smiled fondly.

- Answer.

 

[Yokai]

》Answer.

"Actually, Jace, you just ogled my naked body and then called me crazy~" Arden corrected them both with an easy laugh, remembering her initial hysteria at being dropped into this world. Wait, she was still kind of hysterical. Some things never change.

When Jace released her she turned instead to throw herself at Alexei, bringing him into a suffocating hug. Well, as suffocating as she could manage considering the height difference. She was a normal height back on earth, completely average, and yet she felt like an infant here.

"And that's rich coming from you," Arden grinned, latching onto Alexei. "You talked my ear off during the trip to Yriss. Sometimes I can still hear you talking about the scenery in my dreams and I wake up in a cold sweat!" She giggled.

When she leaned back her expression had softened slightly and she stepped away to give the two men a warm smile. "Still, I'm glad it was you two that found me, and I'm really glad that you're both still alive."

 

[ArcticFox]

"I didn't realise I was such a bore." Alexei said as if offended, but he hugged her fondly nonetheless.

"And I didn't realise I did any ogling." Jace frowned. "But, hey, I'm glad you are alive too. It would be a shame to lose a good looking Wizard." He winked.

"Elf. One more word." Kogan interrupted suddenly. He was fuming.

"Oh, didn't realise you two..." Jace pointed at the orc and Arden, then grinned. "Wonder what's it like."

And then he bolted, since Kogan gave chase. Alexei watched them go, shaking his head, but laughing still.

--

Days passed by and Blackcliffe was slowly returning to normal. King Tobias kept his word and allowed access to Yrantans and in exchange Yrantans did not try to impose any more authority than they had. All seemed to be going smooth.

Arden's social life flourished. Jace and Alexei visited her frequently and usually dragged her and Kogan out to a tavern. Not that the orc needed much dragging either way.

She did not encounter Revy once after that Festival, but soon after the peace was made, news of a new criminal gang with a redheaded woman in leather, started spreading. Though, the gang did not seem to do much but pestering an occasional noble and opening a new gambling house every week.

--

One day, while Arden was in her Tower's library, a certain undead visitor came knocking. Tazz leaned against a bookshelf, inspecting Arden with interest.

"So, you've driven off the conquerors, you managed to get a dragon as a pet, and you are still here? Why? Why don't you just mount your flying companion and get out of here? The world is yours to see and conquer. Or... do you want to go back to your own realm?"

- Say you want to stay.
- Say you want to see the world.
- Say you want to go home.

 

[Yokai]

》Say you want to stay.

Life after the war fell into a quiet sense of autonomy, it was peaceful and surprisingly comfortable. Arden spent time with the people she loved, returned to her magical studies, and managed to get some decent sleep for once. Teddy and Nightwing lingered on the fringes of her mind, a gentle reassurance that she was safe and that this peace was real.

All in all, she wasn't surprised when Tazz finally showed up in her library. Though, her question did make the brunette smile and close her book.

"Why would I leave?" Arden shrugged, slender fingers picking at a loose thread on her shirt. "I've spent my entire life looking for somewhere to belong and I've found that here. I wouldn't give it up, not even for the chance to return to my own world." That was probably the best way to describe how she had been feeling these past few days, and that sense of belonging was enough to harden her resolve.

"I'll see this world in due time. Maybe when everything is stable in Blackcliffe and Yriss. And when I've perfected an immortality spell, of course." Arden snorted and then she leveled Tazz with a bright smile. "But, honestly? I'm pretty content with this."

The End
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