Chapter 5 Chapter 5
When the horn sounded, all of us knew it was time to leave. We stood up, closing our magic books or stopping our prayers, and walked outside with the tension of young people who haven't been through war but faced a big battle. They all looked at me, who probably seemed drunk, with disdain, but I didn't care. If they knew what I was really planning, they would look at me with a lot more than disdain.
When I walked across the threshold at the door, I felt a little shaky—maybe I had drank too much. It's okay, though. While I was riding the dragon, I’d already learned the basics about this area. According to the king, the necromancer lived on the mountain. From what I saw in the air, if we left this afternoon, it would take ‘til tomorrow night for us to reach the foot of the mountain. There would be no battle until then, and I would be gone from this team by tomorrow night, or a little later.
Someone approached me from behind, supporting me. When I turned around to look, I saw it was a young magician, who was probably sixteen or seventeen years old. He looked like a kid from a certain angle; there was only concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked me.
It was rare to have someone like this young man, so I didn't refuse his good intentions. I smiled and said, “I'm fine. My name is Leiden. What about you?”
“Bulian!”
“How old are you?” I decided to keep talking.
“Seventeen . . . no, eighteen. I wanted to ask you, Mr. Leiden, are you a real magician?”
“Real magician? What do you mean?”
“Ah, please don't be insulted. I just meant if you have a magician’s certification, or have fought or been tested before . . .”
So young and so free of artifice. Maybe I was the only person among them who looked like a real magician, but my age still seemed young compared to the profession. He likely wanted to ask me questions about magic but didn't know if I could answer, hence the questioning.
“Ha, there isn't a certification. I, Laide, never had to get it!” I don't lie and what I said was true. “Leiden" never had to get a certificate or anything else.
My voice was loud and other people also heard me. They turned to watch the two of us, their faces drawn with disrespect. I was proud of my profession, and I did not care about attitude from young people who were easily manipulated by some strident words. They may have been looking down on me, but I felt sad for them. Even though I was wearing an indifferent expression, Bolen blushed.
“I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask about this . . .”
“It's fine. Did you have any questions for me? I don't have any certifications, but I might be able to answer you.”
He blushed even more; he really was very shy.
“I memorized ‘magic bullet’ but when I tried using it, I couldn't . . .” he said in a faint voice.
“I get it.” I understood. As a novice, it's not shameful not to know certain magic tricks, unless if one was in front of one's teacher. Among one's peers, not being able to use magic was hard to accept and it was even harder to ask for help. He still needed answers, so he chose me, who looked the oldest.
“Please, demonstrate for me?”
“Here?”
“Yes, right here. Don't worry, the king has some speeches to make before we leave; there's time.”
A few people stopped to watch us, cementing that blush onto the young man’s face, but he still managed to start working magic on a chair with some medicine, making complicated hand gestures while chanting a mantra.
I didn't hear his mantra.In fact, magicians didn't understand other magicians’ chants either. If he could use magic, he probably would remember the right mantra. Instead, I paid attention to how he did the whole process; usually, seeing which step he stopped at would tell you what was wrong.
When he finished chanting, the flying bullet appeared briefly in his hand before disappearing. Bolen looked at me with a red face, waiting for my reply.
I smiled. I drank a lot, but I could still diagnose what had went wrong. The kid didn't copy down the entire mantra from the magic book—this was typical for incomplete magic.
Just as I was about to give him some guidance, an unusual noise came from outside. Everyone still inside became alarmed. The frantic sounds told everyone that something had occurred.
Everyone inside walked out, including me and Bolen. The sound of metal colliding and screams made us run. There was something unexpected happening—maybe even an attack by the necromancer.
The rows of soldiers outside had now formed a half-circle, confronting a group of cannibal monsters, who numbered at least fifty or so. These cannibals were twice as tall as humans, and easy to spot even though we stood behind the soldiers.
The cannibals were waving giant clubs and threatening any humans who wanted to fight them. I could clearly see the blood on some of the clubs; it seemed as if these cannibals had already caused some damage to the king’s troops.
The soldiers extended their halberds and lances forward, trying to trap these invaders and stopping them from escaping and possibly causing more bloodshed.
We magicians and priests stood behind the soldiers, ready to extend help if needed. The soldiers stood so close together that I couldn’t see what was going on at the frontlines, but I could see a body lying nearby. It was the body of a magician. His entire head was crushed by a cannibal’s club, with red blood and white brain matter pooled together.
How did these cannibals get inside the palace? Just as the question occured to me, so did the answer. The king and the princess, guarded by several soldiers and Yingluo, came out from a side door. They were probably protected during the brief melee earlier and had just now come out during a break in the battle.
That wasn’t the reason he should’ve been afraid, since he’d walked toward the battlefield as soon as he came out, with the soldiers parting to make way. Thanks to his lead, a few of us magicians also walked toward the frontlines.
There was a human standing amongst the cannibals.
To say he was standing wasn’t quite right since he didn’t have legs. His legs disappeared from the bottom of his thighs, and he was propped on a wooden leg and a cane in his hand. He had a head of salt-and-pepper hair, a face that looked as if it was melted by fire, and covered with countless spots. The hand holding the cane was dry and withered. If there was a competition for the most unattractive person, he probably would rank at the top. There was one good thing about his looks, however, as they made his age inscrutable.
His looks were not worth praise, but you could not dismiss the man. He exuded something terrifying; even as far away as I was, I could feel his power, which was mixed with cruelty and desire. If I was not mistaken, this man must be the necromancer threatening this kingdom.
Behind the necromancer was a white and glowing frame, filled with a flowing energy which looked like water waves. This is a space connection, a portal called an “demension door” made by magic. It was the reason and the method by which the cannibals appeared here. To have the “demension door” appear for this long, this necromancer must be super powerful. His legs were likely not lost in battle, but more likely, traded, as a price, for his alliance with dark forces
The cannibals surrounded the necromancer; it was obvious that they answered to him.
“What do you want, Lewis? How did you get off the mountain? I could answer you right now! As long as I live, I will not give the throne to you!”
The king’s firm and determined statement made me admire him. Faced with a strong enemy on his own doorstep, if he seemed slightly weak, then his soldiers would be completely demoralized.
“Ha-ha, no need to act like this! Why make me an enemy? I came with goodwill. Maybe we don’t need to be enemies—we could be in-laws!”
The necromancer’s laughs were filled with a sense of evil, also revealing his yellow-stained teeth, making his ugly face even more horrifying.
“I have a great idea. We can end this pathetic game right now. If you refuse me the throne by force, then we could do this another way. Why don’t you marry your daughter to me? We could live peacefully together, and when you die, I’d get the throne . . .”
This pedophilic necromancer glanced at the young princess as he spoke. He was the most depraved magician I’d ever seen in my life. Even if he was evil, he could still be someone of decent character and standards, but his grotesque inclination made all necromancers look bad.
Chapter 5 Chapter 5
When the horn sounded, all of us knew it was time to leave. We stood up, closing our magic books or stopping our prayers, and walked outside with the tension of young people who haven't been through war but faced a big battle. They all looked at me, who probably seemed drunk, with disdain, but I didn't care. If they knew what I was really planning, they would look at me with a lot more than disdain.
When I walked across the threshold at the door, I felt a little shaky—maybe I had drank too much. It's okay, though. While I was riding the dragon, I’d already learned the basics about this area. According to the king, the necromancer lived on the mountain. From what I saw in the air, if we left this afternoon, it would take ‘til tomorrow night for us to reach the foot of the mountain. There would be no battle until then, and I would be gone from this team by tomorrow night, or a little later.
Someone approached me from behind, supporting me. When I turned around to look, I saw it was a young magician, who was probably sixteen or seventeen years old. He looked like a kid from a certain angle; there was only concern in his eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asked me.
It was rare to have someone like this young man, so I didn't refuse his good intentions. I smiled and said, “I'm fine. My name is Leiden. What about you?”
“Bulian!”
“How old are you?” I decided to keep talking.
“Seventeen . . . no, eighteen. I wanted to ask you, Mr. Leiden, are you a real magician?”
“Real magician? What do you mean?”
“Ah, please don't be insulted. I just meant if you have a magician’s certification, or have fought or been tested before . . .”
So young and so free of artifice. Maybe I was the only person among them who looked like a real magician, but my age still seemed young compared to the profession. He likely wanted to ask me questions about magic but didn't know if I could answer, hence the questioning.
“Ha, there isn't a certification. I, Laide, never had to get it!” I don't lie and what I said was true. “Leiden" never had to get a certificate or anything else.
My voice was loud and other people also heard me. They turned to watch the two of us, their faces drawn with disrespect. I was proud of my profession, and I did not care about attitude from young people who were easily manipulated by some strident words. They may have been looking down on me, but I felt sad for them. Even though I was wearing an indifferent expression, Bolen blushed.
“I'm sorry, I shouldn't ask about this . . .”
“It's fine. Did you have any questions for me? I don't have any certifications, but I might be able to answer you.”
He blushed even more; he really was very shy.
“I memorized ‘magic bullet’ but when I tried using it, I couldn't . . .” he said in a faint voice.
“I get it.” I understood. As a novice, it's not shameful not to know certain magic tricks, unless if one was in front of one's teacher. Among one's peers, not being able to use magic was hard to accept and it was even harder to ask for help. He still needed answers, so he chose me, who looked the oldest.
“Please, demonstrate for me?”
“Here?”
“Yes, right here. Don't worry, the king has some speeches to make before we leave; there's time.”
A few people stopped to watch us, cementing that blush onto the young man’s face, but he still managed to start working magic on a chair with some medicine, making complicated hand gestures while chanting a mantra.
I didn't hear his mantra.In fact, magicians didn't understand other magicians’ chants either. If he could use magic, he probably would remember the right mantra. Instead, I paid attention to how he did the whole process; usually, seeing which step he stopped at would tell you what was wrong.
When he finished chanting, the flying bullet appeared briefly in his hand before disappearing. Bolen looked at me with a red face, waiting for my reply.
I smiled. I drank a lot, but I could still diagnose what had went wrong. The kid didn't copy down the entire mantra from the magic book—this was typical for incomplete magic.
Just as I was about to give him some guidance, an unusual noise came from outside. Everyone still inside became alarmed. The frantic sounds told everyone that something had occurred.
Everyone inside walked out, including me and Bolen. The sound of metal colliding and screams made us run. There was something unexpected happening—maybe even an attack by the necromancer.
The rows of soldiers outside had now formed a half-circle, confronting a group of cannibal monsters, who numbered at least fifty or so. These cannibals were twice as tall as humans, and easy to spot even though we stood behind the soldiers.
The cannibals were waving giant clubs and threatening any humans who wanted to fight them. I could clearly see the blood on some of the clubs; it seemed as if these cannibals had already caused some damage to the king’s troops.
The soldiers extended their halberds and lances forward, trying to trap these invaders and stopping them from escaping and possibly causing more bloodshed.
We magicians and priests stood behind the soldiers, ready to extend help if needed. The soldiers stood so close together that I couldn’t see what was going on at the frontlines, but I could see a body lying nearby. It was the body of a magician. His entire head was crushed by a cannibal’s club, with red blood and white brain matter pooled together.
How did these cannibals get inside the palace? Just as the question occured to me, so did the answer. The king and the princess, guarded by several soldiers and Yingluo, came out from a side door. They were probably protected during the brief melee earlier and had just now come out during a break in the battle.
That wasn’t the reason he should’ve been afraid, since he’d walked toward the battlefield as soon as he came out, with the soldiers parting to make way. Thanks to his lead, a few of us magicians also walked toward the frontlines.
There was a human standing amongst the cannibals.
To say he was standing wasn’t quite right since he didn’t have legs. His legs disappeared from the bottom of his thighs, and he was propped on a wooden leg and a cane in his hand. He had a head of salt-and-pepper hair, a face that looked as if it was melted by fire, and covered with countless spots. The hand holding the cane was dry and withered. If there was a competition for the most unattractive person, he probably would rank at the top. There was one good thing about his looks, however, as they made his age inscrutable.
His looks were not worth praise, but you could not dismiss the man. He exuded something terrifying; even as far away as I was, I could feel his power, which was mixed with cruelty and desire. If I was not mistaken, this man must be the necromancer threatening this kingdom.
Behind the necromancer was a white and glowing frame, filled with a flowing energy which looked like water waves. This is a space connection, a portal called an “demension door” made by magic. It was the reason and the method by which the cannibals appeared here. To have the “demension door” appear for this long, this necromancer must be super powerful. His legs were likely not lost in battle, but more likely, traded, as a price, for his alliance with dark forces
The cannibals surrounded the necromancer; it was obvious that they answered to him.
“What do you want, Lewis? How did you get off the mountain? I could answer you right now! As long as I live, I will not give the throne to you!”
The king’s firm and determined statement made me admire him. Faced with a strong enemy on his own doorstep, if he seemed slightly weak, then his soldiers would be completely demoralized.
“Ha-ha, no need to act like this! Why make me an enemy? I came with goodwill. Maybe we don’t need to be enemies—we could be in-laws!”
The necromancer’s laughs were filled with a sense of evil, also revealing his yellow-stained teeth, making his ugly face even more horrifying.
“I have a great idea. We can end this pathetic game right now. If you refuse me the throne by force, then we could do this another way. Why don’t you marry your daughter to me? We could live peacefully together, and when you die, I’d get the throne . . .”
This pedophilic necromancer glanced at the young princess as he spoke. He was the most depraved magician I’d ever seen in my life. Even if he was evil, he could still be someone of decent character and standards, but his grotesque inclination made all necromancers look bad.
