Rampage, p.23
Rampage, page 23
part #1 of Land of the Elementals Series
They were forced once again to dismount, this time to fight eight more. They managed to kill them all, but Arbor was beginning to feel the pain of overusing his magic. They rode on in silence, pushing their horses as fast as they could go, all the while hoping not to encounter more of the creatures.
They were only two miles from the camp and Arbor could now see the small outcropping of rock that marked the rebel camp boundary.
“We’re almost there,” he called out, looking back at the other two.
His heart nearly stopped when he saw what was coming up behind them. He’d been keeping his vision enhanced since they’d run into the second pack, so he could clearly make out what was coming for them. Twenty-two ravenous monsters were coming up quickly from the rear.
He heard Grak shout a warning and looked to his right. Another pack of fourteen was coming from that direction. Hord came up beside him as he slowed the horse’s frantic pace a little. Hord’s mouth was set in a thin line and he looked grim.
“What should we do?” Arbor asked as Grak came up along his other side. “I don’t think we can take that many.”
“Neither do I,” Hord agreed. “I say we just ride like hell and hope we make it.”
Arbor didn’t have a better plan, and Grak didn’t seem to have anything to add.
“I guess we’re going with your plan then,” Arbor said, then kicked his horse in the ribs and shouted.
His horse took off, Hord and Grak close behind him as they ran for their lives. The outcropping of rock was coming up fast now. Just a few more seconds and, there! Just as that thought crossed his mind, they flew past the outcropping and into the rebel’s area of control.
He pulled his horse to a stop and the other two came up beside him, their horse’s sides heaving. He looked around, trying to find an obvious entrance, but nothing stood out to him.
“Where is the entrance?” Arbor asked, panicking a little now.
He looked back. They’d managed to put a little distance between themselves and the lizards, but they were coming up fast. He estimated five minutes before they would be on top of them.
They quickly dismounted as they began to search for an entrance. Arbor could see the Great Salt Lake off to their left and hurried that way. The air smelled strange here, and Arbor guessed it had something to do with the water. He cast about frantically, as he knew their time was limited.
He looked over his shoulder. The lizards were much closer now, and judging by their numbers, a few more packs had joined the other two. He ran back over to Grak and Hord, who were now frozen in terror, staring at the oncoming horde of monsters.
“I can’t find an entrance anywhere!” he yelled as he ran up alongside them.
He counted more than fifty of the ugly brutes approaching and knew they were probably going to die. He thought of his family, of his sister, of the promise he had made. He could not afford to die here! He had too many people counting on him.
“You two get behind me!” Arbor called out. When they didn’t move fast enough, he grabbed them both and yanked them back.
“I’m going to try something. If it works, we might still get out of this in one piece.”
Hord looked skeptical, but Grak gave him a nod of encouragement, doing as he said.
He drew his glaive, then took a deep breath and tapped into his armor’s enchantment. He’d found that there was a specific way to activate it. He didn’t know exactly how much time he would have, so he needed to be quick. Once the enchantment timer ran out, he wouldn’t be able to use it for another twelve hours.
The lizards were only about a mile out at this point, their hissing and screeching audible at this distance and getting louder.
He took another deep breath to calm his racing heart and concentrated. The Core at his center thrummed, and the streams coming off him were flooded with magic, pumping power through his body. He really had to give it to Hord’s workmanship. He didn’t feel even a twinge of discomfort.
He concentrated all of his magic into his legs and arms. He could feel the power building, and his body actually began vibrating with the amount of energy running through it. There was a limit, though, imposed by him still being at Tier 2, and before long, he felt himself come up against it as he couldn’t draw out anymore. By that point, both Grak and Hord had run back a good few hundred feet, so he didn’t need to worry about them getting in the way.
Holding his glaive tightly, he slowed his perception down. He would be moving very quickly, so he needed to be able to see what he was doing.
The mass of lizards were only a hundred yards away by now. Arbor widened his stance. Filling his lungs, he let loose a cry of defiance. Then he threw himself at the oncoming horde.
To anyone watching, it would seem like an explosion hit the pack of lizards, sending their body parts scattering in all directions. They would be shocked to learn that this was the work of just one man.
Arbor sprang forward, his slowed perception allowing his mind to keep up with his massively charged body. Holding the glaive out in front of him, he hit the oncoming creatures with grim determination. His glaive whirled into motion as he hacked and slashed his way through the horde of monsters.
He spun his glaive and swung hard, cleaving three lizards in half with a single blow. Leaping forward fifty feet, he impaled another, and ripping the blade free, he cut the heads off two more. Ducking the slashing claws of a lizard, he impaled the spiked end into its eye. Then he kicked another, cracking its skull and sending it flying.
He went on a literal rampage, hacking and slashing his way through the monsters before they could so much as react. By the time he reached the other side of the pack and turned to face them once more, he could see that he’d already killed more than half.
He grinned a bloody grin, his armor coated in rancid green blood and viscera. Less than half were left. With his armor taking all the strain, he should easily be able to handle this many.
That was, of course, where things went horribly wrong.
Arbor screamed in pain as the enchantment wore off. His muscles suddenly spasmed, then began tearing themselves apart at a prodigious rate. Steam began pouring off him in waves as his skin blistered, and his body tried to vent the excess heat. He gritted his teeth as his vision began to blur, and he stumbled as another muscle in his leg tore.
There were at least twenty of the lizards left, but his body would only hold out for a few more seconds. He pushed through the pain and concentrated all the magic he could into his arms.
This was it. He only had enough strength left for one more attack. He would just have to pour as much power as he could into his arms and hope he could cut through enough of the lizards to give Grak and Hord a chance.
The lizards moved in on him as one, sensing he was almost finished and eager to claim their meal. He poured more magic into his arms, the blue Core at his center somehow continually supplying more for him to use. He gritted his teeth one last time as the lizards came into striking range.
Then he felt it.
Something was different than it had been just moments before. His magic was different somehow. He was momentarily filled with doubt as the lizards opened their gaping maws, now only a few feet from his face.
Could he really do it? Was he strong enough? Another voice inside him screamed at his hesitation. There was no time to think! He needed to act now, or he would die.
His doubt overcome, he pulled his blade back and took a massive swing, roaring in pain as he felt his right arm snap like a twig, the strain on his body too great. He forced the movement through, cutting into the first of the lizards. Then unexpectedly, he felt the magic he’d poured into his arms leave his body and flow into his blade.
The magic left the glaive with a resounding boom, and a pure white flash of power lit up the night sky. Arbor swayed in place for a moment, the glaive dropping from his nerveless fingers. He tried to take a step forward but fell to the ground, his bloody and aching legs no longer able to support his weight.
As he hit the ground, his concentration finally slipped, forcing him to release his magic. The fire in his body abated slightly as he did so, but not by much. His eyes began closing, and he quickly forced them back open and blinked a few times trying to clear the spots from his vision.
He ached all over. His arm was on fire, and the rest of his body felt as though he’d been run over by a bunch of horses. He could vaguely see someone running over to him now, but his vision was too fuzzy to make out who it was. He tried to rise, but an excruciating pain shot through his body, and he mercifully blacked out.
30
Karria looked up at the large walls looming before her. She and Kya were nearing the school grounds for the first day back after the holiday, and she was more than a little nervous. The wall was made of solid stone and stood roughly twenty feet tall. She could see an open gate where a few other students were entering and fell a thrill of fear and excitement.
She looked over at Kya and saw the other girl looked just as nervous.
“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Karria said, forcing a smile onto her face and giving Kya’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
“Yeah, it’ll be fine,” Kya said as she stepped towards the gate.
She sounded as though she were trying to convince herself as much as her, but Karria couldn’t fault her for that. After all, she had just as much reason to be nervous as she did.
They approached the entrance to the grounds, and an older elf holding a sheaf of papers stopped them there.
“Names?” she asked curtly, giving them a once over.
If she was surprised to see a human standing there, she didn’t show it. They gave their names, and after a few seconds of rifling through the stack of papers, she let them pass.
They walked through the gate and emerged onto the main path. Karria gawked, open-mouthed, at the massive grounds sprawled out in front of her. The grounds spread as far as she could see in all directions, with the exception being the wall stretching out to either side of them. When she looked to her left, she could see a bunch of trees with the expected golden leaves, and to her right, the grounds were open grassland. Looking down the main path ahead, she could see it leading to an open square with five buildings surrounding it. There were many smaller paths branching off the main one, some leading into the trees, while others wound through the open grounds.
“We’re here a little early,” Kya said, snapping her out of her gawking. “I figured I’d show you my favorite spot before more of the students arrive.”
Karria looked around as they began walking down the path, taking everything in. Now that they were closer, she could see that the open courtyard in the center of the buildings had a bunch of tables and benches around the perimeter. A large fountain stood in the center of the courtyard, where two elves stood proudly, both holding a book and leaning in as if to read. Unlike the grassy area they were in, the courtyard was made entirely of cobblestone.
Instead of heading to one of the buildings as Karria had been expecting, Kya led her down a smaller side path and into the copse of trees. Karria could hear birds chirping overhead as they walked and could soon hear the sound of running water.
After a few more minutes, they emerged out of the trees and into a small clearing. A large pond sat in the center with water fountaining up from its center, creating a pleasant splashing sound. Ducks paddled around on the pond’s surface, and Karria could see small flashes of silver as fish flitted about under the surface.
She marveled at the peace and serenity she felt standing there. Closing her eyes, she could imagine that she was back home and Arbor was working only a few feet away.
“Come on, we’re almost there,” Kya called out, grabbing her hand and leading her to a shaded area right near the pond.
There was a small table perched right at the water’s edge, and the two of them sat.
“This place is beautiful,” Karria said, once they’d settled into their seats.
“This is the only place in the entire school I can come to escape all the teasing and bullying,” Kya said, looking out over the pond with a sad smile on her face.
Karria felt a little awkward to be intruding on Kya’s secret hiding place. She squirmed a little in her seat until Kya seemed to snap out of her melancholy.
She looked over at her with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to become all gloomy. It’s just a little hard being back here after a holiday.”
“Don’t worry about it!” Karria was quick to reassure her. “I’m your friend, remember? You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”
Kya gave her a grateful look, and Karria cast about for something to take her friend’s mind off her gloomy thoughts.
“What can you tell me about the school?”
She immediately regretted asking that question as Kya’s face fell once again. She was about to tell her that she could forget about it, when Kya began speaking.
“As you saw, when you came into the grounds, there are five buildings in total. Each building, moving from left to right, are for the different age groups. The first building on the left is for thirteen and fourteen-year-olds’, or the first and second years. We’ll be in the second from the left, in the third- and fourth-years’ building.”
Karria frowned at that.
“I’m not going to be fifteen for another two months, though. Isn’t that going to be a problem?”
Kya laughed here, her previous sour mood finally lifting.
“No, not at all! If you will be turning that age at any point during the school year, you will be in that age group. I, for example, only turned fifteen two months ago, but school began four months ago.”
Karria thought about it for a minute and then nodded her understanding. Then she began to worry again.
“How will I know what to do? I’m starting so late in the year.”
“There’s no need to worry. We always begin something new after a holiday, and if you have any questions, don’t be embarrassed to ask. Remember, this is a school, and questions are rarely discouraged.”
Karria smiled at that, feeling a little better now about keeping up with her class. Kya continued her explanation about the school.
“There are currently four different classes in our building — two for our year, and two for the year above us. There are four professors in total, and they rotate between classrooms for a total of four, hour and a half long lessons per day. That’s a total of six hours of class time.”
“We have classes for six hours in a row?” Karria blanched at that.
There was no way she could sit still for that long.
“Don’t worry about that,” Kya said with a giggle. “We get breaks to stretch our legs and eat lunch. There is a twenty-minute break between classes, and we get an hour for lunch after the second class.”
Karria thought about that. So, if they started at the eighth hour every morning, that would mean that they wouldn’t leave until the sixteenth hour. When she mentioned this, Kya nodded.
“Yes, it does seem like an awfully long time to spend here each day, but the time goes by quickly. We don’t have school every day. We have the seventh and first day of every week off, and we also get to leave early on the sixth.”
“So, we only have four full days, and what, one half day?” Karria asked.
“Exactly! Now, the four classes are as follows. We have magic control as our first class, next is magic theory, followed by magic history. After magic history, the last class is divided. There are a few of us that can already use our magic, so for us, it’s practical magic use. For the ones who can’t yet use their magic, it’s more magic control.”
“I’m really confused right now,” Karria said with a small laugh. “I didn’t understand a thing you just said.”
“Magic control,” Kya began with a roll of her eyes. “Is where we learn to feel the flow of our magic from our origins and learn to direct it at will. It’s basically a lecture followed by a whole lot of silence and groans of frustration.”
Here she lowered her voice a little, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.
“I open my eyes every so often to peek, and it looks like the lot of them are constipated, it’s all I can do not to burst out laughing!”
Kya giggled here, and Karria joined in, imagining an entire classroom of people with their faces scrunched up as though needing to use the bathroom.
“Magic theory,” Kya continued, still giggling a little. “Is where we learn of the different applications of magic and how they can help in our daily lives, as well as what types of magic there may be, that we have yet to discover. Magic history is pretty self-explanatory. We learn the history behind magic, where it came from, and great mages of the past.
“The last class is the most fun. Here we get to actually use our magic. There are only three students in this class out of the twenty-six of our year. The two classes are combined for this one. One teacher takes the smaller class and teaches practical magic use, while the other watches the rest sit with scrunched up faces.”
Kya began laughing again, and Karria joined in. The two of them were nearly falling from their seats in hysterics as they pictured the scene once more.
“Wow, that is a lot to take in!” Karria said once she’d calmed down sufficiently enough to speak.
“I know that you will be having a private tutor, and I’m guessing that she’ll be taking you during the last class. You’re really lucky, by the way,” Kya said, with a wistful sigh.
“I overheard the king and queen discussing that Professor Palmine hasn’t taught anyone personally in over twenty years!”
“Who is she exactly?” Karria asked, curious about the cranky elf woman.
“She teaches one class in the school, the oldest advance class.”
“What’s an advanced class?”
“After you leave the third- and fourth-year building, the classes are re-done. Those who have stronger magic – Tier 3 and above – and can actually use it are placed into the advanced class. Those that have less useful magic or those that still cannot externalize it are sent to the other. This class usually leaves after they finish their sixth year.
