Chapter 45: Trapped in Darkness
As I drifted deeper into my thoughts, I found myself calling out. "Aruzhan" As I looked around the earthy scent of wet grass as a cool breeze brushed gently against my skin. In the distance, a snow-capped mountain loomed, and its majestic presence seemed to bring a sense of peace to the otherwise unfamiliar landscape.
As I began walking towards a new and unfamiliar building that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, I couldn't help but notice the rapid changes around me. The once-silver grass and tall redwood trees were now giving way to a more swamp-like terrain, with a greenish tint and a spongy texture underfoot. Yet, amidst the changes, some parts of the land remained unchanged, providing a sense of familiarity and comfort.
As I walked, I noticed new trees and plants that were never there before, which reminded me of the plants I had studied during my time in the mages guild. As I picked one up it vanished from my hand and reappeared back from where I plucked it. So, it wasn't something I could gather. The air was alive with the sounds of chirping birds and croaking frogs, adding to the serene atmosphere that seemed to envelop me. The building appeared to be a part of a large tree, whose roots were spreading out. they were as large as the one I had seen in that vision when I first met Alawion.
The tree seemed to pulse with life, its bark shimmering with a soft golden light. As I approached, the door, crafted from intricately woven vines and glowing with a gentle, inviting warmth, swung open silently. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of herbs and incense, and soft, golden light filtered through the canopy above, casting intricate patterns on the wooden floor.
In the center of the room, a figure sat cross-legged, As I drew closer, I could see that it was Aruzhan, her long, silver hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight. She looked up, her eyes sparkling. "this is amazing" she gestured to everything around her.
"What caused it all to change?" I asked as I moved and touched some of the furniture and sat on what seemed to be a bed made of thick leaves.
"Do you remember the being I was singing too? the one made of nature?" She asked and I nodded. "Well as you trained more of your druidic magic the land began to change, small things at first but soon it planted itself and turned into this. " she finished explaining while moving to stand up.
"I know of your plan to deal with the necromancers and I stand with you on this. dead bodies should remain dead. And I ask that you refrain from using such magic as Im sure it would create a problem in our body." this grabbed my attain as I rose off the cozy bed and looked at her.
"what do you mean?"
"Well, druidic magic focuses on life and nature, and in ways it has a connection to the school of restoration. Necromancy is the perversion of that and not the fun kind you love so much. This being that is inside of you that we are currently in is alive and can leave us. if it so choices. well, at least that's what it told me."
"Wait you can speak to it?" my confusion was probably apparent as she giggled and laughed. "Yes, I can speak to it as well as the great wolf that roams the redwood forests. Everything that is added to you be it a blessing or a curse will manifest in this ever-growing mindscape." She turned her head towards two flowers that were blooming outside the window near the lake. They were the ones that appeared as tattoos on my crouch.
"And this place grows every time I level up?" She nodded to my question. "So, it seems, though I'm not sure if there are more means to it than just that." She shrugged as she turned and walked towards the back door that seemed to lead to the lake. While I followed, "Does this mean that once I wake Ill level up again?"
"Probably, on a side note would you be willing to find me seeds?
'uhh sure but why would you need them?"
"well, I've learned that while I am unable to take things that naturally appear here, I can grow things that you have in your inventory. So I've been experimenting with making potions since you had some leftover from your classes.' she finished as it dawned on me where my Supples had gone and the reason, I had gotten in trouble that day.
"So what your saying is that you can help me grind exp by doing things here?" she nodded to my question. "Oh that's perfect, so have you made any potions?"
"well they are not really usable" She admitted as she pulled one out and handed it to me, As I checked its description and learned it was a failure. "Ah, so you need more practice that's all right, since my skills are your skills and vice versa."
"Be careful out there, remember if you die, We "she stretched her arms out to gesture to everything. "die as well."
"Yeah, I'll do my best not too" I smiled and kissed her forehead. " See you next time derp."
LEVEL UP
[information on the discord]
Beyond increasing my magic by 20 there wasn't really anything else I could do for now.
The sun had barely risen over the horizon when I woke, the early morning light filtering through the window. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I stretched and glanced over at Awalion, who was already up and preparing for the day ahead.
"Morning, Ellehish," she greeted me with a warm smile, her voice bright despite the early hour. "Ready for our big day?"
I nodded, pushing back the covers and swinging my legs out of bed. "As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, though the truth was I couldn't shake the nervous fluttering in my stomach. Today would mark the beginning of our mission to confront the Necromancer threat, and I didn't have enough to upgrade my gear so that wasn't helping.
After a quick breakfast, we made our way to the designated meeting spot where members of both the Mages Guild and the Fighters Guild were already gathering. Grommash was there, along with a handful of seasoned fighters, their expressions determined as they exchanged greetings and swapped stories of past battles.
"Morning, Ellehish," Grommash greeted me with a nod as we approached. "Are you ready for this?" Frerelie was standing next to Gergs. They seemed to be talking.
"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, echoing my earlier sentiment. "What's the plan?"
Grommash gestured towards a map spread out on a nearby table, indicating our target—an abandoned mine a bit of a ways away, that the Necromancers had taken as their base of operations.
As I approached the table, I noticed a few familiar faces among the crowd. Frerelie was standing next to Gergs, the two of them engrossed in conversation. They seemed to be discussing something important.
Frerelie glanced up, her expression serious. "We've been tracking the Necromancers for weeks," she explained, her voice low. "They've set up their base in an abandoned mine not far from here. It's a perfect spot for them remote, and easy to defend, close to a graveyard, and with the number of people going missing in the area it has given them more people to work with."
Gergs nodded in agreement, his brow furrowed with concern. "We'll approach the mine as a group," he said, his voice gruff. "No splitting up this time. We'll hit them hard and fast, catch them off guard, and take them down before they even know what hit them."
It was a simple plan, but effective. With any luck, we would be able to take the Necromancers by surprise.
"Sounds good to me, so When do we leave?"
Gergs glanced at the sun, which was fully above the horizon. "We leave now," he declared, his voice ringing with authority. "The sooner we take out those Necromancers, the better."
With a nod from Gergs, we set out towards the abandoned mine, the early morning mist hanging low over the landscape. The journey was uneventful, the silence broken only by the sound of our footsteps and the occasional murmur of conversation.
As we neared our destination, the abandoned mine loomed into view, its dark entrance gaping like the mouth of a beast. I felt a shiver run down my spine as we approached, the sense of foreboding growing stronger with each step.
Gergs signaled for us to stop, his expression serious. "Alright, listen up," he began, his voice low. "We don't know what we're going to find in there, so be prepared for anything. Stick together, and watch each other's backs. We're going in hard and fast, so stay sharp. Mages to the middle"
With a collective nod, we moved forward, there weapons at the ready and our senses on high alert. While I and the other mages were ready to use our spells.
The entrance to the mine yawned wide, swallowing us into its dark depths. The air grew heavy and oppressive as we ventured further in, the faint light from outside fading away until we were enveloped in total darkness.
Gergs led the way, his sword drawn, followed closely by the other members of the Fighters Guild. Awalion and I remained in the middle, our hands crackling with arcane energy, ready to unleash our spells at a moment's notice.
The tunnel stretched out before us, its walls slick with moisture and the sound of dripping water echoing through the darkness. I could feel the tension in the air, a palpable sense of danger that hung over us like a shroud.
Suddenly, without warning, the tunnel ahead of us erupted into chaos. The ground trembled beneath our feet as the walls shook with the force of an explosion. Rocks and debris rained down from the ceiling, forcing us to duck and cover to avoid being crushed.
As the dust settled, we found ourselves facing a horde of undead, their lifeless eyes glowing with a malevolent light. Skeletons armed with rusted swords and decayed corpses twisted and contorted with dark magic surged toward us, their ragged breaths filling the air with the stench of death.
Gergs and the other fighters sprang into action, meeting the undead horde head on. Swords clashed against bone, and axes cleaved through rotten flesh as the battle raged on.
Awalion and I unleashed our spells, using sun fire as the light of the spell aluminates the darkness as we fought to hold back the tide of undead. The smell of burning flesh was in the air But for every foe we struck down, two more seemed to take its place.
The tunnel had become a battlefield, the air thick with the sound of steel on steel and the anguished cries of the undead. I used my magic to summon Forest Dedra while I kept spamming Sunfire.
Just when it seemed like we might be overwhelmed, I heard a sound that chilled me to the bone—a soul gem being filled with the essence of the fallen. along with the sound of Alawion grunting and a body hitting the floor.
As the sound echoed through the tunnel, I turned to look.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone