Chapter 4: Chapter 4

When the dreams began, he would wake with a start. Each felling blow against his dream self sent a jolt into his very being, startling him awake with a spike of panic. He would be in a cold sweat, his hands trembling violently as he would grasp at the sharp pain that formed in his chest.

Now? That flare of panic had faded into a smoldering resignation, his cold sweat dried to goosebumps along his arms, and that dagger driven into his heart degraded to a dull ache. Rather than his eyes snapping awake, they instead slowly opened as the familiar sensation washed over him. He looked at his hand briefly, noting the small shake in his finger, prompting a sigh from his lips.

He stood up from his corner of the wagon, noting the lingering darkness of the night sky outside. Jahora was still asleep, her breaths gentler than before. Her blanket had slipped from her shoulders, and Helbram wrapped the sheet over the gnome before stepping outside. He grabbed the claymore he’d taken from the battlefield on the way out, keeping his shield strapped to his back.

Leaf stood outside at the clearing’s perimeter, his head on a constant, slow swivel as he examined the forest. As Helbram’s feet touched the forest floor, the half elf’s ears perked up and he turned towards him.

“A bit early, don’t you think?” he said.

He looked up at the night sky, taking a note of the twin moons above, “You would be correct, but I can’t sleep very well at the moment.”

Leaf examined him briefly before shrugging, “Well it is to my benefit. I could do with a few more winks.”

He walked towards the wagon, stopping as he got to Helbram and placing a hand on his shoulder, “If you do find yourself nodding off, come and get me. It does us no good if you’re dragging your feet for the rest of the day.”

Helbram snorted, “Noted, but you have nothing to worry about. If there is anything I am confident about, it is my stamina.”

Leaf grinned, “For some reason, I have no problem believing that.”

He gave a wave as he made his way to the wagon, leaving Helbram alone outside.

The occasional animal cry or movement within the trees would break the silence that sat around him, but within the force field the forest was still, filled with a pressure that grew thicker by the minute. His eyes scanned the treeline, vision obscured by the shadows that lay within the forest’s depths. Sight would not serve him well this night, but he was not without a few tricks. 

He took in a breath and focused, attempting to visualize the core of Ether at his center. A simple task, he’d been told so countless times, but he could not help but feel he’d been lied to. Despite his focus, finding his Core felt as if he was feeling for something in the dark, and tonight it always seemed to slip his grasp. When he finally did find it, he could only frown at the sensation. He knew the Ether he possessed was miniscule, paltry drops to the oceans he’d seen demonstrated before, but acceptance of that did not stop the sting he felt everytime he found it. He shook off his disappointment, sparse or not it still had its uses.

Like before, he directed the Ether, visualizing a small circuit that trailed from his Core to his ears. Once the Ether reached its destination, the silence lifted off of him like a blanket, and he could once again hear the few remaining sounds of the forest as if they were right next to him. If anyone was to approach, he would be able to hear them from quite a distance away.

The effort drained most of his own Ether, but a drop of it remained for him to manipulate. He toyed with it, moving it to his fingers, the chill of the night air biting deeper into their tips as he did so. He pulled it back, but the chill lingered as the Ether responded to his will. It moved with a delayed response, lagging and trailing like sap on a winter’s day. He imagined a circuit from his fingers to his Core and from his Core a path to the palm of his opposite hand. It took the Ether several seconds to respond, but when it finally reached the center of his hand it exploded outwards, a small burst of white light that produced only a brief puff of air.

He laughed, “Oh Helbram, why could you not be born with just a bit more Ether to start with?”

The armored man stood up, laying his sword and shield against a tree and drawing the claymore from its sheath. It was a tall blade, equalling a foot shorter than his height and possessing a width suited more to cutting than stabbing, which he preferred. He gripped the handle with both hands, settling into a neutral guard position.

“It has been quite some time since I’ve had to use one of these, hopefully I haven’t lost my touch…” he said.

He started simple, first with a few vertical cuts, then a few horizontal strikes.

“Remember son, the key to mastery is first understanding of the basics.”

His father’s words echoed into his mind.

“And if you understand the basics…”

“Then mastery is just a matter of time,” he finished, allowing himself a smile as the sword felt more at home in his hands.

 He started to link his movements together, letting old muscle memory take over as he slipped into a practice form. The strikes became smoother, cleaner, and with his Ether bolstered ears he could hear the sharpness of his swings grow as the sword cut through the air. It took little time for the claymore to start to feel like an extension of himself. Not to the extent that his sword and shield had felt, but enough to where he would feel comfortable wielding it in battle should the need arise.

But, there was more to his practice than remembrance. He allowed instinct to take care of the movements, flowing from strike to strike against an imaginary opponent as he directed his mind back to his Ether. As he swung his weapon, he directed Ether to his hands, the small drop once again hesitating to respond to his will. When it eventually did reach his hands, he was already three strikes ahead of when he planned to harness it. He did not possess the overwhelming amount to keep a constant flow of energy through his weapon, and thus had to settle for releasing the Ether in one quick burst to enhance each strike. Except, his control remained lacking.

He swung the claymore in an upward strike, forcing Ether into the blade as he did so, but the motion was already completed by the time the energy found its way into the sword, releasing as a weak puff of force as his weapon hung in the air. Unperturbed, he readied himself again and adjusted his stance to a high guard.

“Just have to adjust the timing is all…”

Helbram started to move again, channeling his Ether into the blade three strikes before he intended to release it. This time the Ether released too early, triggering at the beginning of his attack instead of at the apex, dissipating into the air like a mist as the slash finished.

He grit his teeth and readied himself again.

For an hour his attempts continued, for an hour his attempts failed. There was no set timing to when his Ether would release. Sometimes it would be late, other times it would be early. Only a few times did the timing come close to what he’d intended, but he knew that was only blind luck. Even in the cold night air he could feel the sweat forming at his brow, his arms feeling heavy as the latest of his attempts generated another weak puff of air.

Helbram slipped back into a neutral guard. Instinct pulled at him to make another attempt, but his hands did not move. He looked up at the night sky and took in a deep breath. A scream was forming at his throat, but he bit it back. He raised the sword, hands trembling as he started to channel Ether once again. It moved, a slow crawl as it always did. Would it be early this time? Would it be late? Would the gods grant him some boon to ensure that at least one swing this night would strike true?

The answer never came. Instead, Helbram stabbed the claymore into the ground and stormed off.

He found himself at the clearings perimeter, looking out into the darkness as a tremble built in his hands. He slammed a fist into a tree, producing a rain of dead leaves and acorns, one of which struck his helmet with a resounding ring. A laugh left his lips, and he took in a deep breath of the cold air, holding it for a moment. When he let it go, the trembling in his hands stopped and he raised his visor to wipe the sweat from his face.

“Time Helbram, just a matter of time.”

A hollow phrase, spoken out of habit, providing no comfort other than routine.

At the very least his exercise was not without any merit. Should the need arise to use the claymore, he would at least be able to wield it without issue, though he still preferred the safety of his sword and shield. Carrying both the claymore and his usual weapons into combat was a different issue. Keeping all the weapons strapped to him was not practical, and switching between them in the midst of combat even more so. If he could manage to switch between them both instantaneously…

He looked back at the sword, and let out a slow breath, “Could I withstand more disappointment tonight?”

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he gathered what remained of his resolve and stepped towards the blade.

“Come now Helbram, just like the Mage Knights of Helios,” He scoffed, “The Mage Knights of Helios, the hells am I saying?”

He stood in front of the sword, the sounds of the forest ever present in his mind as he tried to center himself. 

Like before, he started by taking in a breath, but rather than focus his attention inwards he directed it outwards. A breeze passed by as he did, and he felt a spark in the air as gooseflesh spread across his skin. He reached towards the spark, feeling warmth in his hand as Aether concentrated at his palm. It was only a small amount, a mere wisp to the amount he saw Jahora gather so easily, but for his intended spell it would be enough.

“I may not be a wizard, but a storage spell should be a relatively simple affair…”

He focused his thoughts to the Aether in his palm, pressing his hands together as he made an attempt to mold it to his will. An attempt that failed, for no matter how hard he pressed against the ambient energy it would not move. He grit his teeth and concentrated once more, picturing only a small part of the spell he wanted in his mind. Part of the Aether started to move, forming the corner of a glyph. He repeated this process for the remaining corners, taking minutes to do so each time. Sweat beaded against his brow once more, but the glyph remained stable in his palm. He could not contain his smile as he looked at it.

This time it would work, it had to.

He reached for the claymore, wrapping his hand, and the glyph, around its handle and released the spell. A streak of pale light trailed down the sword, disappearing into the ground as it reached its tip. Nothing followed, indicating that he had suc-

The handle of the blade burst with light, repelling his hand. His fingers felt hot as they snapped back, followed by a slow, sharp pain that crawled up his arm. Numbness trailed after it, leaving his hand shaking no matter how hard he clenched his fist. He bit back the groan that was forming at his lips and fell to his knees. His hand continued to tremble and no amount of gripping could make it stop. He struck the ground and fell silent, the sounds of the forest swallowing him as he looked to the sky.

 

__

 

Day bled into the air, casting away the night’s shadows as rays of light peaked through the canopy above. Leaf emerged from the wagon the same time as Jahora, his eyes glancing about as soon as he left the illusion. Jahora stifled a yawn as best as she could, but had to rub her eyes as she proceeded into the clearing with a dazed look.

Helbram sat at the edge of the clearing, the claymore still embedded into the ground.

Leaf eyed it with curiosity before shrugging and moving up to meet with the armored man.

“I take it all is well and good then?” he said, “Can’t say that I envied your position, this damned forest is quieter than an orphan’s funeral.”

Helbram cut him a glance, but the half elf ignored him.

“Well aside from you swinging your sword around, of course,” He grinned, “I suppose even our stoic knight was getting antsy.”

“I am no -”

“Yes yes, you are no knight, but you’re armored and have a good sword arm, I’m going to call a spade a spade, and you can’t stop me.”

Helbram laughed, “Fair enough, did you get enough rest?”

“Aye, though I’m not so sure our wee friend did,” the half elf grinned as he spoke.

Jahora yawned, “I can hear you, you know?” she stretched, letting out a groan, “Mornings will continue to the subject of my ire.”

“Yours and many others,” Helbram said, “but time is of the essence, we need to decide on a plan.”

Leaf and Jahora nodded at that. They gathered near the wagon, rations in hand but hardly touched.

“There are two options as far as I can tell,” Helbram began, “either we remain where we are and hope for this situation to resolve by itself, or we take a more active role in solving our problem.”

“I vote the former,” Jahora took a bite of dried fruit, “we have no idea of what the numbers of the bandits are, and we are too small a number to make any difference regardless.”

“She does have a point,” Leaf said, “while they still fight like bandits they are far more organized than your typical gang, getting involved without a clue is just asking to get gutted.”

“That is correct, but we do have to consider the possibility that help may not arrive,” Helbram said, “we are in the outskirts of the Freemarks, towns are sparse, and military strength even more so. Silverglen may be a day's travel away but they hardly have enough military strength to manage themselves, not to mention getting through the barrier that would be keeping them out.”

“That is true…” Jahora said, “and if that Thaumaturge… what was his name again?”

“Marlin,” Leaf said.

“Yes, Marlin, if he truly is on their side then I suspect that he was going around to the neighboring towns to gather up anyone that could be a threat…”

“Aye, and deliver them on a silver platter, the little shite.”

Helbram nodded, “They were also aiming to capture rather than kill last night… whatever it is they’re doing they need men to do it.”

“Perhaps they found something in the mines?” Jahora suggested, “the use of this barrier is not only to keep people out, but keep them in as well.”

“And they don’t want anyone else knowing about it,” Leaf said.

“Exactly.”

“Hmmmm… then it would be too hasty to make a decision right now,” Helbram declared, “What we need right now is information.”

Jahora and Leaf nodded.

“Then let us get to it, shall we?”

 

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Their trek through the forest was done in silence. Leaf guided them, shifting branches and vegetation as best he could to cover their tracks. He left small marks near the roots of some trees, sometimes a simple scratch, other times an arrow or a different shape. At times the half elf would venture off on his own, leaving marks on trees off of their path in branching patterns. His bow never left his grip, and when he was not busy navigating the woods his free hand was never too far from his quiver.

Jahora stood in the middle of their formation, her small size barely disturbing the forest floor as she walked. A journal was in her hand, scribbling down the marks that Leaf had made, but only the ones that would guide them back to their camp. Even as she did this Helbram could feel the familiar buzz of Aether gathered around her, ready to be unleashed at a moment’s notice.

Helbram took up the rear, keeping his attention to their surroundings with his Ether-enhanced hearing. He proved to have the most difficulty navigating the forest due to his larger stature, and while his armor did not make much noise with his practiced movements his footsteps still left too deep an impression on the forest floor. A few branches snagged on his plate as they walked, which earned him a glare and some mutterings from Leaf as the half elf tried to hide evidence of their travels. His shield never left his hand.

When they reached the main road, they elected to stay within the trees, keeping the road at the edge of their sight to guide them to Goldshire. Shortly after they set on their new course, Leaf stopped and held up hand.

“I see movement in the distance, we’d best hide,” he said.

Helbram and Jahora agreed, and took cover along with Leaf against some trees as a group of four bandits walked into clear view on the main road. They marched with an orc at the head of their formation, weapons resting in their hands but posture relaxed. Only the orc was armored, adorned in leather that covered his chest and arms. He kept a watchful eye to the trees, but the rest of his group walked in at a relaxed pace. The smallest of a group, a dwarf, wielded a crossbow as his weapon of choice and the orc wielded a larger battle axe while the two men with them were only armed with short swords. Sounds of conversation echoed into the forest from their position.

“What’s the point of this anyways?” one of the men spat, “With the bloody barrier up no one’s around to mess with us.”

“So you think,” the orc said, “but the commander wants to make sure. A few managed to slip away last night.”

“So what? Do you think they can make any difference? Most of the ‘adventurers’ last night pissed themselves the moment we screamed in their faces,” the bandit snickered.

“And some took quite a few men to bring down. Has the commander led us awry so far?”

“You are right there, I certainly appreciate having some more hands to help us with the mines.”

The rest of their conversation became unintelligible as they disappeared into the distance.

“Commander? Bit of an odd title to assign a gang leader…” Helbram mused.

“Well whoever they are, they’re enough to keep the cutthroats in line at least,” Leaf said.

“And they’re using those that were captured last night for work in the mines. If only we knew for what…” Jahora tapped her chin, “Bah, best not to overthink it until we know more.”

“Agreed, let us proceed, shall we?”

Multiple patrols dotted the main road. Some continued on as the ones before, but others wandered off into the forest. To their fortune, none ever walked in their direction, and in time the group managed to reach Goldshire undetected.

Unlike the open perimeter of Silverglen, the first thing to greet them upon reaching Goldshire was the walls around its border. Most of it was comprised of wood; logs that had been long chopped from the surrounding forest, but there were bits and pieces of the wall that had been replaced with a sturdier build, one fashioned out of stone and pieces of metal. This was most evident in the town’s gate, an arch of stone over a large door made from wood and metal that was manned by multiple guards. The terrain had begun to rise as they approached the town, the forest canopy thinning enough to reveal the heights of the Golden Peak, a solitary mountain that reached far into the sky. Goldshire was nestled against the mountain, and while its wall offered protection it was easy to see clear over it from the hills that surrounded the town.

Most of the town’s buildings were made of wood but reinforced with stone, with flat roofs that were easy to add additional floors to, which appeared to be common practice as many of the buildings were at least 2 stories tall. The skeletons of buildings had begun to sprout along the cliff face in the distance, presumably where the mine was located. A column of light rose up into the sky near this area, though its source remained obscured.

“Shite, can’t see much from this distance,” Leaf pulled a spyglass from his satchel and peered through it, “Too much cover, but the streets are mostly empty as far as I can see.”

“The town is most likely under some sort of martial law, and I can’t imagine many would want to be wandering the streets with bandits in charge,” Helbram said, “We should move along the border, see if we can’t get a better view of the mines.”

“Aye, and stick to the trees, sentries man the walls.”

The group followed Leaf’s advice, eyes and ears searching for any sign of movement around them or within the town’s walls.

“It does make you wonder,” Jahora said, “The bandits can’t have a force that large, couldn’t the townspeople just rise up and overwhelm them with numbers?”

“I’d imagine that most townspeople aren’t too keen on dying,” Leaf said.

“Indeed; they’re most likely hoping that the bandits just take care of their business and leave,” Helbram said, “An instinct that may pay off, depending on what we find.”

The three managed to maintain their elevated position as they coasted around to the east side of the village, giving them a clear view of the mine’s entrance, which roared with activity. Leaf peered from around the trees, spyglass raised.

“Well, that’s definitely where they’ve holed themselves up. Gods, there are so many of them.”

He tossed the spyglass to Helbram, “Take a look for yourself.”

Helbram raised his visor and peered into the telescope, confirming the half elf’s words. He’d expected the bandits to be in some form of celebration, gorging themselves upon spoils ripped straight from the town’s coffers. He was half right; many of the bandits were helping themselves to the town’s food, but not in the raucous manner that he’d predicted. They ate in what appeared to be relative silence from what his ears could pick up, and some of those that were not eating were sparring with one another, displaying practiced movements beyond that of the typical brigand. Those that were not eating or sparring gathered around the mine’s entrance, standing guard over the steady line of people that moved in and out of the mine. Most wore the simple garb of villagers, but he’d recognized a few of the fledgling adventurers from the caravan as well, the fresh fear in their eyes noticeable amongst the crowd of jaded faces. 

“That is certainly a lot.”

“Aye, I don’t know that we’re going to do much against that number.”

“They’re moving so many rocks out… whatever it is that they’re digging for must be valuable if they're going at it with such haste.”

“Do you mind if I look?” The purple in Jahora’s eyes glowed in the forest shade as she asked.

Helbram handed her the spyglass and let her peer towards the mine.

“That’s strange… they look just like normal rocks but they’re practically bleeding Aether… hold on.”

She took off, moving along the perimeter, tripping a few times as she kept the spyglass fixed to her eye. Leaf scratched his head but followed, already settling into a routine of hiding the gnome’s tracks. She finally stopped, her vision directed towards a building right in front of the mine. It had no roof, allowing the pillar of light to reach to the sky unimpeded

“Gods it's almost blinding to look at,” Jahora said, squinting as she peered forwards, “There is only one thing that could be channeling that much Aether…”

“And that would be?” Leaf asked.

“A Ruhian artifact. Would make the most sense if they’re making a barrier this big.”

“I can only assume they know how to use it thanks to the Thaumaturge on their side,” Helbram surmised, “While that explains that, there is hardly anything we can do about it at the moment. Is there anything else you can discern from the rocks they’re moving?”

“From what I can tell, the Aether coming from the artifact and the rocks appears to be the same. Also, the amount that is radiating from the stone would only be possible if it were saturated in Aether for a long period of time…”

“Well, they’ve been sitting next to a bleeding magical artifact for Gods knows how long,” Leaf said, “That would probably do the trick.”

“True, and if they’re continuing to mine then that means…”

“There is more to uncover,” Helbram concluded.

As he did, a flash of light burst from the mine, spewing smoke and stone from its depths. Both miners and bandits near the entrance were knocked from their feet by the wave of force that followed, rumbling the pieces of rock that lay in their carts. Silence followed, blanketing the forest just like the night before. Helbram moved to say something, but as he opened his mouth another flash interrupted him

Even without the spyglass, he could see the minecarts in the distance flaring with a pale blue light, shaking as the rocks trembled violently within them. They began to burst soon after, at first individually, creating loud cracks like thunder as they splintered and scattered over the men around them. Then, they started to explode all together, releasing torrents of Aether that shattered the carts, blasting the men around them off of their feet and back. Screams erupted soon after, cries of pain and panic from bandit and miner alike as those unaffected from the blast only ran further from it’s source. Jahora stumbled back, her eyes now fixed to the mountain itself as shock washe across her face.

“The mountain, i-its glowing,” she said.

Helbram and Leaf followed her gaze, but no evidence of light could be found.

Jahora shook her head, “Sorry, it caught me off guard. What I mean to say is that the mountain surged with Aether momentarily, much like the rocks did just now.”

Leaf let out a sigh of relief, “All Father’s balls, you had me thinking the mountain was about to blow.”

Jahora remained silent. Her brow was furrowed, gaze fixed to the ground as she was lost in thought. Helbram took the spyglass from her hands and peered back at the chaos surrounding the mines.

A haze of dust had settled over the mine’s entrance, with people slowly making their way away from the explosion site. Helbram grit his teeth as he saw the bandits helping their own, leaving the injured miners on the ground with bits of metal and rock embedded into their bodies. Some laid completely still, vacant expressions staring off into a distance they could no longer look away from.

A small glint of light appeared from the Mine’s entrance, revealing itself to be a transparent sphere that covered the small frame of a robed halfling. As the sphere dropped Marlin’s gaunt face was in clear display, a look of irritation across his features as he walked by the bodies that lay around him. He was speaking, but even with Helbram’s enhanced hearing he could not make out what the halfling was saying, only that it was being spoken to someone who had yet to emerge from the dust. When they did, the armored man cursed.

“What is it?” Leaf asked.

“Quetali.”

“Ah, Shite.”

The first thing that struck Helbram was the man’s size. Even at a distance Helbram knew the Quetali was at least a head taller than him and the man’s wide frame only emphasized that difference. Two of the Quetali’s four arms were crossed over his torso while the others brushed the dust from his shoulders and the crown of horns that protruded from his head of long white hair. Even covered in dust the man’s dark red skin stood in stark contrast to his surroundings. His chest was bare, but unmarred from the chaos around him. Four swords were strapped to his waist and back, never far from his hands.

The Quetali ignored the halfling before him and cast an unamused glace around his surroundings with his yellow eyes. He started to shout, and while Helbram could not make out what was being said he saw the bandits move to his words immediately.

“It appears he’s their commander.”

Leaf groaned, “As if this couldn’t get any worse… let me see.”

Helbram tossed the half elf the spy glass.

“Alright, let’s… Mellisandra’s tits he’s bloody massive, the hells is one of them doing so far from the Broken Lands?”

“I couldn’t tell you, but we should get out of here.. there’s a lot we need to discuss.”

___

 

“Ok so let’s take proper stock of the situation,” Leaf said as he paced around their camp. He kept his voice quiet and his steps light, but there was a certain spring to them that told Helbram the man couldn’t sit still, and he couldn’t blame him.

“We have a legion of bandits led by a bloody Quetali of all things occupying a town with fairly rock solid defenses, using our adventuring friends to mine some Ruhian bullshite that is more temperamental than a hog in heat.”

“You have about the right of it,” Helbam said.

“So our plan is to stay put right? Because we’d be pissing against the wind if we tried fighting something like that.”

“I’m not too sure if sitting still is an option either…” Jahora said, her brow still furrowed in thought.

“What do you mean?” Helbram asked.

“As you know, right after that first flash of light… the mountain itself began to radiate with a flood of Aether the likes of which I’ve never seen. It faded soon after, but the glow was very much like the one the rocks had before they exploded. I could just be overthinking things but if that glow persists…”

“Oh come on!” Leaf snapped, “Do you honestly believe that a bloody mountain is going to blow up on us?”

As he finished, the ground began to tremble, shaking the loose leaves from the trees around them and sending any surrounding wildlife fleeing, some running into the barrier in a panic. Even through the canopy they could all see the Golden Peak in the distance suffused with light, its shine dwarfing the pillar that shot into the air next to it. The glow soon vanished, taking the tremors below them with it.

“Well, shite,” Leaf spat.

“Agreed, as hard pressed as I am to admit it, inaction is now the less favorable choice. We need a plan, and quickly, lest we get our arses blown straight to the five hells.”

Leaf sighed, but joined Helbram and Jahora. He was silent with a resigned look on his face, but nodded.

“So, what did you have in mind?”

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