Origin (Land of the Elementals Book 3), page 17
The dwarf, who Karria presumed to be Hord, nodded hesitantly before turning back to the other two.
“There is no need for yelling,” the gremlin said with a sigh. “We will fetch you a map and arrange an armed escort, though I see little point in going after him. Lord Arbor is nearly a week away by horse, so you would be better served to —”
“Just get me the map,” Karria said. “And I don’t need any guards. I can take care of myself.”
“My lady, please. We would be utterly devastated if something were to happen to you while you were out alone. If you would only —”
“Get me a map. Now!” Karria snapped, feeling her temper beginning to rise as the man who looked like some sort of butler spoke.
She knew she probably sounded like a spoiled, petulant child, but she was well past caring. Arbor was supposed to be here. She was supposed to be having a reunion with her brother right now. But, instead of that, she was facing down a bunch of stiff worrywarts insisting she remain here. Karria could take care of herself, and traveling the distance was almost laughable, especially with her constructs.
The only thing standing in her way now were these two, so she believed she was well within her rights to be a bit petulant.
“Please, try and calm down,” the gremlin said. “We can fetch you a map, but we must insist on an escort.”
“She’ll agree to an escort,” Kya said quickly. “Please just bring her the map.”
The gremlin’s eyes flicked to her, noting the pointed ears. Karria might have imagined it, but she could have sworn the gremlin’s eyes narrowed, ever so slightly, at the sight of her friend. It was such a fleeting display of emotion, though, that she couldn’t be sure if it had actually happened.
“Just go along with it,” Kya whispered, placing a hand on her arm. “You can always leave them behind once you have the map.”
Karria felt waves of calm washing over her as Kya worked her magic, soothing her agitation and allowing her to think more clearly.
“Fine,” she agreed, after a few moments of silence. “Get us the map, and we’ll agree to your terms.”
“That is very wise of you,” the gremlin said, bowing once at the waist before turning to head into the manor.
“Is there anything we can fetch you in the meantime, my lady?” asked the butler. “Food, drink, perhaps a new set of clothes?”
“I’m fine,” Karria said, crossing her arms.
“Would you care for a seat, then?” the butler asked. “Perhaps a nice—”
“I said that I’m fine,” Karria interrupted.
If the butler was offended by her rude behavior, he didn’t allow it to show. His face remained a blank mask as he once again bowed at the waist.
“As you wish, my lady,” he said with another bow, then settled into place and waited in silence.
At some point during their heated debate, Akkard and Hord had moved off to the side and were now talking in lowered tones. It was clear by the way Hord’s brows were furrowing ever deeper that Akkard was relaying all that had happened since his escape from Heart, as well as the whole ‘being overthrown’ thing.
Though Karria would have liked to join in on their conversation, right now, there was only one thing on her mind — finding Arbor. From the way it sounded, he was in danger and was facing off against a serious threat. She would be damned if she weren’t there to help him this time, even if it meant raising hell.
20
“Well, that doesn’t look good,” Arbor said, watching the smoke curling from the distant volcano as his coach thundered down the road.
It had taken them over four days to reach the village of Nibia, and each day that had passed had made Arbor feel more and more nervous. From what he’d been told about volcanoes, it sounded like they would not simply erupt at a moment’s notice and that it took quite a bit of time, even with the acceleration caused by the Magma-Tiger.
“What’s all that black stuff floating in the sky?” Grak asked, peering toward the horizon.
“That would be ash,” Prudence replied. “It is a common enough occurrence in volcanic regions, but is hardly a good sign.”
“How much longer do you think we have?” Arbor asked, watching the smoke curling and roiling.
“The villagers and soldiers will likely have to evacuate within a few hours if the smoke continues to stream out. While not particularly harmful in small quantities, the ash from volcanoes has been known to suffocate entire towns or even cities in the past. By this point, I would say that only Mages of the Wrecker Class or above can safely approach the volcano.”
Prudence seemed to shift in her seat for a moment before continuing.
“That, unfortunately, would mean that I am unable to go in with you, my lord, as I am only a Destructor Class Mage.”
“Seriously?” Arbor asked, eyeing the woman up and down. “Based on how strong you are, I could have been sure you were a Destructor, at the very least.”
Prudence gave him a small smile.
“My Magic, while quite potent, is only considered above average. In fact, in my class at the academy, I wasn’t even the most powerful Mage. The reason I was able to take the top spot was because of my dedication to hand-to-hand and weapons training, as well as pushing myself to the limits of what my body could endure.
“I am at the very peak of what I can accomplish as far as magic is concerned, and no matter how hard I try, I will never unlock another Tier. I have known as much for quite some time. Still, I can assure you that it will not hinder our training, nor will it diminish my ability to serve.”
Arbor nodded slowly, though he had to wonder about that. Once, he’d had the opportunity to look into another Mage’s Origin. It had been Ramona, who was one of the Co-founders of the Defiants and was now his prisoner. He’d taken a peek inside her Origin and discovered that he had the ability to increase her power. He couldn’t help but wonder if the same would hold true for Prudence.
But he’d learned from his mistakes. He’d boosted Ramona the first time they’d met and had then spent months being attacked by elven assassins. Despite the fact that he was now fairly certain it hadn’t been her who’d sent them, there was still that small trickle of doubt in the back of his mind. Having Prudence along in this fight might have been useful, but he wasn’t sure about her just yet, despite her showing nothing but loyalty. Perhaps when this was all over, he could spend more time getting to know her and eventually do it.
She knew he had two Origins and what they could do, but only in the capacity of combat. There were aspects of his magic that even he didn’t fully understand, let alone have the ability to control. Prudence may very well have some insights if she were as learned as she seemed. But, for now, he was reserving judgment.
“Will I be able to come along?” Grak asked, her brows furrowing.
“I don’t see why not,” Arbor replied. “Sure, we don’t know your Classification, but you have Ice-Elemental magic. I’m sure you’ll do fine in there.”
“Ice doesn’t really hold up well against fire or heat,” Grak replied.
Prudence took the opportunity to cut in then.
“If you will excuse my interruption, I believe you misunderstand the Magma-Tiger’s abilities. The Magma-Tiger does not control heat, nor does it control fire. The Tiger has the ability to manipulate molten stone as it sees fit. It gains strength from bathing in it, absorbing its power into itself, and the more of it there is, the stronger it becomes. As soon as that volcano erupts, it will leave. Once exposed to the open air, the molten stone cools rapidly, weakening the Tiger’s ability to control it.
“Now, it can manipulate the magma in its vicinity, as well as expel it from its body. But it is incapable of increasing heat or spraying fire. So, in your case, Ice-Elemental magic is likely one of the best defenses against such a beast.”
“Can we just have Grak go in and freeze all the magma?” Arbor asked.
“You can try,” Prudence replied. “But the Tiger won’t simply sit there as you do it. Remember, while it can’t create magma of its own, it does absorb its power. Consequentially, it likely has vast stores within its body. The environment will also be less than friendly to both of you, as it will be quite hot inside and the area will be full of molten stone.”
“Wait…So is my magic useful or not?” Grak asked, clearly confused.
“It is, and it isn’t,” Prudence replied. “Your ice is a perfect match under ideal conditions. But with all the magma, heat, and power that the Tiger has undoubtedly built up, it would probably be the victor in a straight brawl. Luckily for you, Lord Arbor will be fighting as well. While he distracts the beast, you can work on lowering the temperature and solidifying the molten stone.”
“If there’s no more magma for the Tiger to use, we’ll be removing its major advantage,” Arbor said.
“Precisely. Please do remember that the Tiger likely has plenty in reserve as well. Even without the terrain working in its favor, it will pose quite a significant threat. I believe you’ve already faced two of the Mythic Cats, the Roc-Jaguar and the Azure-Leopard. Like the others, this one boasts a massive defense and powerful offense, but also differs greatly in other aspects.
“It is not as fast as the Leopard, nor does it have the same penetrating power of the Jaguar, but it has more raw power than both of them combined. If you have the choice between attacking or dodging, I recommend dodging every time. This is not a beast you want to face head-on.”
“How is it that you know so much about the Mythic Cats?” Grak asked.
“Part of my studies at the academy involved magic beasts and the dangers they pose,” Prudence explained. “I’m quite surprised that this is the third Mythic Cat that you’ll be facing, as most are never so unfortunate as to even see a single one in their lifetime.”
“I guess that means we…” Arbor trailed off as the coach came to a sudden and jarring halt.
He shared a look with Grak, before moving forward and pulling back the slider between him and the driver.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, peering out through the small window.
The driver, a lanky man in his early forties, was pulling hard on the horses’ reins, trying to calm them as they reared and plunged.
“I’m sorry, my lord!” yelled the coachman. “The horses have been a bit skittish over the last few minutes. I think they can sense the danger and are refusing to approach any closer.”
Arbor peered down the road, then up to the volcano. They weren’t far, perhaps a few miles out, and from here, he could probably reach the village faster if he were to go on foot.
“That’s fine,” Arbor said. “Turn the coach around and take them back a bit. These horses were expensive, and I don’t want them to injure themselves.”
“As you wish, my lord!” said the coachman, straining with the reins as he pulled them to one side.
“So nice to see how concerned you are for your money,” Grak said dryly as Arbor stood and began pulling down his armor from the rack above.
“Please, my lord, allow me,” Prudence said, already half-rising from her seat.
“It’s fine, Prudence,” Arbor said, dropping the armor pieces to the ground. “I’ve already got them.”
“Do you require assistance in…”
“No. Thank you,” Arbor said quickly, already sliding his arms into his green and brown breastplate and tightening the straps.
He’d actually had to have them replaced, as the old ones no longer closed tightly enough over his ever-growing muscles. Hord had done a wonderful job of making these, and the breastplate embossed with the roaring head of the Jaguar fit snugly and comfortably. He was about to bend to lift the bracers, but Prudence was already holding them out to him.
Arbor let out a grunt of thanks, taking the gleaming new pieces of Mythicallium armor that Hord had forged for him from the claws and bones of the Azure-Leopard. The bracers were a beautiful blue color, made up of individual plates that would shift and twist along with his movements.
Even better, these bracers crooked at the elbow, traveling all the way up to his shoulders, instead of merely covering his forearms. The shimmering blue metal fit snugly, and a series of clasps pulled them tightly to his arms. They actually fit more like giant gloves than armor, and a single strap leading from the shoulder crossed his chest to keep the shoulder-pauldron section from slipping.
The armor was a bit thicker up there as well, and a series of smaller, lighter-blue plates extended a few inches, sloping to deflect any downward blows. The other piece was a little harder to get on, but Arbor managed it without Prudence’s help, pulling the straps tight and flexing his fingers to test how they felt.
The bracers started at the wrists, leaving his hands free. Arbor had allocated just enough metal for a single new section of armor, wishing to save the rest for future use. However, there had been enough scrap pieces left over for Hord to forge him a single gauntlet or upgrade his glaive.
Arbor had opted to just make the bracers, donning regular mail-backed gloves instead. He felt a bit of pressure from his legs then and looked down to see Prudence strapping his steel greaves on. He was annoyed, as he had specifically told her he could do it alone, but time was of the essence right now, and he could ill-afford to waste it.
He reached for his weapons, pulling them down as Prudence tightened the straps and made sure they sat comfortably. His cleaver, made of the metallic orange metal from the Sunburst-Bear, was strapped to his waist. The glaive, now modified with some of the metal from the Azure-Leopard, was slung over his shoulder. Arbor didn’t unsheathe it just yet, knowing that there would be plenty of time once the fight began.
Grak, who’d stepped out to don her armor, came back in a moment later. Hers were far less flashy than his own and were made up of steel scales and plates. The Mythicallium was too precious to spend freely, and even though Arbor had offered, Grak had insisted he keep all of it for himself.
“You ready to go?” she asked, eyeing Prudence as she pulled the last strap tight.
“Yup,” Arbor replied.
“Great. How are you going to carry me? Because if you say your back, then you’re going to have to move that…”
“I will carry you,” Prudence said, interrupting her. “It is hardly fitting for one of Lord Arbor’s station to be reduced to a mere beast of burden. I am capable of keeping pace with him, even while carrying something heavy.”
Grak’s cheeks flushed a dark red, and she bristled in indignation. Seeing that this had the potential to escalate quickly, Arbor moved to intervene.
“Great. Prudence can carry you, so I don’t have to move my weapons. Let’s…”
A loud rumbling boom reached them then, shaking the entire coach and everything within. The horses let out frightened whinnies, plunging against their reins and fighting to run even farther. Arbor turned to the horizon and saw the volcano spewing out gigantic clouds of choking ash. An ominous red glow surrounded its rim, signifying that it was close to erupting.
“Take the horses down the road,” Arbor ordered as he jumped from the coach. “Get them as far as you need to for them to be calm.”
He didn’t wait for an affirmative, nor did he turn to address Prudence or Grak. The village was in danger now, and every wasted moment was one in which casualties could be rampant. His feet dug into the ground, his steel-soled boots – a recommendation of Hord’s – leaving furrows as he allowed his Perception magic to build. He launched himself forward, pumping power into his arms and legs.
The world around him seemed to blur for a moment before his perception sped up to match his speed, and he was soon rocketing toward the village at nearly forty miles per hour. It wasn’t his top speed by any means, but he could maintain it without straining himself too far. His breastplate could take the full strain of his magic for two minutes, but that had a limit and would need to recharge after he used it.
His new bracers had a special skill of their own and would be extremely useful in his upcoming fight. It was almost as though Hord had known he’d be facing one of these monstrous beasts again. Either that or Hord’s intuition was so good that it was almost prophetic.
Like the breastplate, the enchantment would only last for two minutes, and once used, it would take twelve hours to activate it again. But, in the midst of a hectic battle, two minutes was often more than enough, especially with an enchantment as good as the one that had been worked into the bracers.
When activated, Arbor would be cloaked in a thin shield designed to deflect magic. According to Hord, it should be able to deflect pretty much any type, but he warned him that physical attacks would still damage him. This was one of the best options Arbor had, especially seeing as only his upper body was clad in Mythicallium armor, while his lower body was woefully unprotected.
Still, as soon as this Tiger was defeated, Arbor would have yet more Mythicallium to add to his collection, and he knew exactly what he’d be asking Hord to forge him next. Arbor’s arms flexed as he pumped them faster, speeding up his run as the volcano rumbled again, spewing yet more ash into the air. The village was rapidly approaching now, and even from here, he could hear the screams. The villagers needed his help, and as their ruler, it was his job to save them.
21
Arbor came pounding into the village just a couple of minutes later, his footsteps slightly muffled by the layer of gray already blanketing the dirt paths. People were running about, snatching their possessions and children. The sense of panic in the air was nearly palpable. His eyes flicked about, looking for his soldiers. He finally spotted them, trying to wrangle a group of particularly stubborn old men and women. He was surprised that there were so many old people in this village, but another rumble from the volcano got him back on task.
Prudence came to a skidding halt beside him then, her chest heaving lightly and tan fur retreating into her skin. It seemed she’d used some sort of aspect to help her speed, but judging by the way she was breathing, the run hadn’t been nearly as easy on her as it had on him. Grak, who was clinging to her back, dropped to the ground, her boots covered in the ash that was falling quicker by the minute.
