Nerves had seeped into the hearts of the men that Alexei and Harold had chosen to take with them into the underground sanctum of the Proto Lord the moment they took their first steps into the tunnel system that the creature had made its home. They all looked to be strong and full of heart, but Alexei could sense it. The fear was electric and it was all he could do not to get caught up in the worry himself. Instead, he drew his staff and allowed it to shift forms into that of a magery wand, perfect to be used in enclosed situations and easier to maneuver with so many bodies around. With a flex of his will, Alexei summoned a ball of light at the tip of the wand and sent it out ahead of the group. It illuminated the dank depths of the tunnel that they were slowly descending into. Once upon a time, Alexei could have imagined the tunnel being used for mining and most likely to serve as a lower down access port to the well that he had originally sensed the malaise of the Proto Lord seep
After his last encounter with the Proto Lord Alexei had never wanted to hear the hoarse croaking laughter of the creature ever again. Now that he had the hairs on the back of his neck and his arms were all standing to attention and every fiber of his being was telling him to flee, run as far away as he could, and never look back. But he couldn’t do any of that. He had a mission to complete, people to save, and a kingdom to protect. “Show yourself, Proto Lord!” Alexei called out, his staff held defensively in preparation to ward off any attacks, “I’m not the man you faced before, I’ll take you out myself this time.” “So you say,” The Proto Lord wheezed from somewhere in the dark, “And yet you still bring so many users of the Power Divine to fight alongside you. So many snacks for me to feast upon.”That was the final straw for Alexei. With a pulse of arcane power, Alexei slammed his staff down onto the ground. A sphere of light erupted out from where he stood, a magery spell desi
A wild wind swept through the empty streets of Alandria.It howled past the adventurers guild and shook the trinket and magical wares stalls in their housings.To the untrained eye, the city would seem abandoned. Wiped out by the encroaching scourge that had taken the lives of so many others.But to those that knew the customs of the Drasini Kingdom, the truth was far more exciting.The wind wound on, converging through the waterway streets on the island town square where the ceremony was well underway.The Initiates sat in a wide semi-circle, their robed bodies swaying with the wind as the administrar at the centre finished his chant.The people of the city watched from windows and balconies with bated breath as the first of the Initiates rose up from their kneeling position.These Initiates would go on to become the Vanguard. The first line of defence in the coming battle. Like many Initiates from across the Kingdom, they would likely be dead by the end of the year.The Initiate set
Alexei didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, he was overjoyed that he didn't have to go and fight on the front lines. Like every other Initiate, he had heard the stories of the death and destruction that happened out on the front. It was said that 90% of all Initiates didn't survive the first few days of their first tour, as the forces that the Demon Lord had amassed were just too powerful to be overcome by most people's weapons and abilities. If he had been sent out to fight he would have been one of that 90% statistic for sure. On the other hand, though, Alexei was distraught. He had been chosen to come to the city as the best fighter of anyone in his village. Though considering how small his village was, maybe that hadn't quite been the achievement he had thought at the time. Either way, being chosen to join the Royal Defence Corps had been an honor, both for his family and his town. If he returned there now… No, he couldn't return there. That was out of the question e
With his bag of coins weighing his pocket down, and his heavy heart weighing down his chest, Alexei pulled up his hood and stalked through the dark streets of Alandria.In the middle of the day, the city was one of the marvels of the Drasini kingdom.Built in the middle of a vast lake Alandria was Drasini's floating fiefdom, controlled by the Archduke Kartra as a vassal of the Drasini Kingdom's royal decree.While most cities had dirt lining their city's roads where carts could freely be pulled by terra-drakes Alandria had waterways where boats would ferry goods and people too and fro.With the sunlight glinting off the waters and people bustling about it was one of the most beautiful places in all of the kingdom.In the quiet of the night, it was instead an ominous and foreboding place.The water of the lake lapped gently at the underside of the pontoons that made up the city and the boats that were tied to their moorings.Moonlight glinted on the still surface, serving as the only i
While small and dingy on the outside, The Trout's Gills was surprisingly large when it came to the accommodation section of the building.Finding Garrick, however, was a simple task.All Alexei needed to do was follow his ears and his nose.Down at the end of the corridor, a solitary light glimmered out of a door, and behind it, he could smell a fish stew bubbling away atop a stove.There was no doubt in his mind that this was the location of Garrick.As a member of the Initiates Alexei had been taught manners and respect with strict punishments if they weren't given, so instead of storming into the kitchen that Garrick was working in Alexei politely knocked.Then he waited…And waited some more…Eventually, when he felt that he really had waited enough time, he knocked on the door a second time.There was still no response from within the kitchen.With a huff, Alexei resolved to just enter the kitchen anyway, what was the worst that could happen?Fortunately, after months upon months
Alexei woke up to the sounds of the hustle and bustle of the city and the smell of sizzling bacon and sausages.In the isolation of the Academy waking up was usually a sudden affair, the bells would ring and a simple porridge would be served for breakfast.Today, Alexei was allowed to drift lazily out of his sleep.He stretched out under the slightly scratchy covers of his bed and let out a colossal yawn.It felt wrong in all the best ways, and while he knew that there was a lot to get done over the course of the day he was content at that moment to lose himself in the smells and sounds of the morning.Before long, though, Alexei was up and out of bed and fully dressed in the same commoner clothes he had been wearing the night before.There really was a lot to get done.While he had been given a bag of coin from the Academy to help see him on his way, that wasn't going to last forever.In other words, he was going to have to figure out a way to make a living.The usual course of actio
Alexei did, of course, have a game plan that he was determined to follow.For a start, staying in the city for any extended length of time was probably a bad idea.While he hadn't been the most well-known initiate of his class he was still an initiate, and much like the barkeep had said the night before, he was at least somewhat recognisable.Staying in the city would only make him a target. He wouldn't be able to find any work after his disgrace, either.No, he'd only stay for one or two nights at the very most. Long enough for him to take care of a few things.After realising that he could make almost unlimited water it occurred to Alexei that there were many people in certain areas that would pay hand over fist for a steady and unlimited supply of the stuff.Towns in areas that simply didn't have enough water to go around.Farms in areas of drought that needed to save their crops.He could very easily make a living by exploiting areas like that.To do that, though, at the very leas