At Dawn

Appearances are often deceiving.

At Dawn

I waited in the living room with Gilbert and Alex, going over the events in my mind. Simon touched me without revealing himself, so I already knew that they failed to acquire the earring.

Donna locked herself in my room to tend to her injuries. To my surprise, Alex offered his help but the small mage refused.

First to arrive were Rolo and Livius. As they materialized through a shimmer of light, I noticed the various artifacts Rolo was carrying. I raised an eyebrow as if surprised, my gaze shifting to his eyes. Rolo gave me a wicked smile when he was sure Livius wasn't looking. I sighed inwardly, hoping the Sorcerer Lord would never realize that Rolo had ripped him off.

"Had a good time at the auction, Rolo?" I asked, unable to hide my amusement.

"Absolutely," he replied, his grin growing wider.

Livius, unaware of our silent exchange, chattered. "We acquired some interesting items. Rolo has quite the eye for unusual pieces."

"Unusual is one word for it," I muttered, glancing at the junks.

Before we could discuss further, Iris arrived, slipping into the room with her usual grace. She looked around, ensuring everyone was present before she began to speak.

"I've gathered some valuable intel," Iris said, her voice calm and steady. "The earring has been passed to a mage named Derel. He is a master of teleportation, and he uses it so efficiently that tailing him is almost impossible. He's not an easy target to find."

"Great," Alex muttered. "A teleporting expert. Just what we needed."

Iris continued, "Derel is a member of the Inner Circle of Magic, but he's a grey mage and rarely appears there. He keeps to himself, leading a peaceful life."

Livius frowned thoughtfully. "Derel is known for his fear of other mages. He's a bit of a scaredy cat. What he values most is protection. If we can offer him something that guarantees his safety, we might persuade him to part with the earring."

I nodded. "So, we need to find something equally valuable to the earring that would appeal to his need for protection."

Livius tapped his chin thoughtfully, "Actually, I have just the thing. It's an artifact that Derel has wanted for a long time. It's called the Aegis Amulet."

"My Lord, you can't..." Iris breathed but Livius waved her off.

"The Aegis Amulet?" Rolo asked, intrigued.

Livius nodded. "It's a unique protection artifact, powerful enough to protect a city for a whole year. But if its power is concentrated, it can protect someone from all kinds of magic for much longer. It's capable of creating an impenetrable barrier that can repel any magical attack."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you have this artifact?"

"Yes," Livius confirmed. "I've been using it to protect my home where my disciples reside. But for this mission, it's worth parting with it."

That could work. If Derel values his safety above all else, the Aegis Amulet would be irresistible.

Alex spoke up. "So, we simply offer the amulet in exchange for the earring?"

He seemed to like this idea.

"Precisely," Livius said. "We arrange a meeting with Derel, offer him the Aegis Amulet, and secure the earring before it gets into necromancer's hands."

"Reaching Derel isn't straightforward," the Sorcerer Lord explained. "He uses unique means to communicate, ensuring his security and privacy. Fortunately, we have a bit of a history, and I've got a direct line to him."

Livius walked over to a small table where he had placed a peculiar artifact: an intricate, crystalline sphere with swirling patterns within. He held it up for everyone to see.

"This is the Orb of Whispering Winds," Livius said. "It's a powerful communication artifact rarely used. Derel and I have used this in the past for secure communications."

He placed the orb on the table and began to pour his magic in it. The patterns within the orb began to glow, swirling faster as the magic grew more intense. Livius then took out a small vial of silver dust and sprinkled it over the orb. The dust shimmered and merged with the orb's light, creating a brilliant display.

Livius took a deep breath and spoke into the orb.

"Derel of the Inner Circle, this is Livius, Sorcerer Lord. I seek an audience regarding a matter of mutual benefit."

The orb's light dimmed momentarily, and then a faint, ethereal voice echoed from within sounding amused. "Livius, I thought you will reach out to me soon, but you are much quicker than expected."

"We have something you desire," Livius continued, his tone measured and calm. "The Aegis Amulet. In exchange, we require the earring you currently possess."

There was a long pause before Derel responded. "The Aegis Amulet... Prove it."

Livius reached into his robes and pulled out the Aegis Amulet. Holding it up to the orb, he let its powerful aura flow into the communication channel. The amulet glowed with a radiant light, its power unmistakable.

"Is this proof enough?" Livius asked a hint of challenge in his voice.

The orb flickered, and Derel's voice returned, now tinged with eagerness. "Yes, I recognize it. Where and when?"

Livius smiled. "Tomorrow at dawn, in the abandoned warehouse near the old docks."

"Agreed," Derel said. "But know this, Livius. If this is a trick..."

He left the end of the threat hanging in the air.

Livius nodded. "Understood. See you at dawn."

The orb's light faded, and the room fell silent. Livius turned to face the group, a satisfied look on his face.

"Great," I said, feeling the tension in the room ease slightly. "Let's finalize our plan and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day."

As we dispersed to make our final preparations, I couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter with Derel would be anything but straightforward.

After that the mages had left, and the house was enveloped in a serene quietness. Everyone had retired to their rooms, seeking the comfort of sleep after the day's excitement.

Rolo sat hunched over his desk, surrounded by the artifacts he had acquired. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he muttered to himself, examining each item with a fervent curiosity.

I lay in my bed in the next room, tossing and turning, unable to drift off due to the constant murmuring and the faint sound of pages turning. Fucking sleep, you rascal.

After another half an hour, I finally gave up on sleep with a sigh. I rose from my bed, threw on a shirt, and walked over to Rolo's room. The door was slightly ajar, and the soft light spilled into the hallway.

"Rolo," I called out quietly, stepping into the room. "It's late. You need to get some rest. I need to get some rest."

Rolo looked up, startled, but his face quickly broke into a wide smile. "Shay, look at this!" He held up the ancient compass, its gem glowing faintly. "This compass points erratically and sometimes stops in seemingly random directions. I think it could be a magical navigation tool, maybe leading to hidden locations!"

He pointed to a couple of carvings in the metal. "Look, these runes are ancient! I don't have a perfect translation yet, but I am close!"

I paused for a moment, watching the kid with a mix of feelings, emotions I couldn't quite name. Have I ever seen him so happy and enthusiastic? I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.

"You need to sleep. You'll be no good to anyone if you exhaust yourself."

I could see the reluctance in his eyes. Stubborn gremlin kid.

I sighed. "Alright, but let's take a break. Come to the kitchen with me. We'll have a mug of cocoa."

Rolo's face lit up, and he followed me out of the room. We walked quietly through the dark house, the only sounds of our footsteps on the wooden floor. In the kitchen, I set about making cocoa, the familiar ritual bringing a sense of calm.

As we sipped our mugs, I turned to Rolo. "Are you thinking about leaving with the Sorcerer Lord?"

Rolo looked dumbfounded, nearly spilling his drink. "How do you know about that?"

I shrugged, trying to hide the fact that Simon had been tailing him. "Livius mentioned it to me."

Rolo contemplated for a moment, staring into his mug. "It would be a great opportunity, if not the greatest, for me," he admitted. "But I won't go."

This answer surprised me. "Why not? You seemed so excited about the auction, about learning."

Rolo looked up, meeting my gaze. "Because I don't want a master."

I was taken aback by the resolve in Rolo's voice. "You don't?"

Rolo shook his head. "No. I want to learn, to grow, but on my own terms. I've had too many people try to control me, to use me for their own purposes."

I felt a strange, unnamed emotion again. Was it relief?

Rolo smiled, a genuine smile that made my mood sour. "Were you worried?"

"Absolutely not," I shook my head.

He giggled like a silly kid. Like actually a kid his age. "Thanks, Shay."

I grumbled under my nose. I wouldn't even miss you, little shit!

We sat in comfortable silence for a while, finishing our cocoa. Finally, I stood up, stretching. "Alright, it's really time for bed now. You can get back to your artifacts in the morning."

Rolo nodded, looking sleepy from the cocoa. "I will."

We walked back to our rooms, the house quiet and peaceful once more. I watched as Rolo entered his room. Maybe it wasn't really that bad if he wouldn't go with the Sorcerer Lord just yet.

(...)

We arrived at the meeting spot just as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon. The abandoned warehouse loomed ahead, its broken windows and decaying walls a stark contrast to the serene morning. We moved cautiously, taking up strategic positions around the area.

Livius and I stood at the front, the Aegis Amulet secure in a small chest. The rest of the team spread out, ready for any surprises. As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the fog, a faint shimmer appeared near the warehouse entrance. Derel had arrived.

Tall and imposing, dressed in his simple brown robe, Derel's eyes darted around nervously. He stepped forward, and we moved to meet him. He did not even acknowledge me. 

"Livius," Derel said, his voice echoing slightly in the empty space. "Do you have the amulet?"

Livius nodded, opening the chest to reveal the Aegis Amulet. Its powerful aura filled the air, and Derel's eyes widened with unmistakable greed.

"Do you have the earring?" Livius asked, his tone firm.

Derel reached into his robe and pulled out a small, ornate box. Opening it, he revealed the earring, its intricate design catching the light.

"Let's make the exchange," Livius urged.

Derel hesitated for a moment, then nodded. The tension was palpable as we made the trade. As soon as the earring was in our possession, Derel clutched the amulet to his chest, a look of immense relief washing over his face.

"Pleasure doing business with you," Livius said, his voice laced with irony.

Derel nodded curtly and vanished, teleporting away in an instant. We stood there for a moment, the weight of the mission's success settling in.

"Iris, come and examine the earring," Livius commanded and the girls received the box.

When she touched the delicate earring with one of her pale fingers, her blue eyes seemed to lit up with magic. At that moment, a strangely familiar feeling came over me, the eerie feeling I always felt when seeing seers use their powers. However, I felt the tingling sensation of magic on my skin as well.

"It's the real deal," she stated.

But then, as it happens, all hell broke loose. Something felt off. I felt a sudden, eerie silence before everything shattered. The atmosphere twisted, and a malevolent presence filled the air. It grew heavy, and the once-quiet warehouse began to hum with magical energy.

Suddenly, Donna's form flickered, and the warehouse walls began to waver, as if reality itself were distorting.

"What the—" Gilbert started, but was cut off as Donna's shape shimmered, then split into multiple overlapping images. Each one was an illusion, but none of them seemed real. The air crackled with dark energy.

"Illusions," Livius muttered, his expression darkening.

The images of Donna dissolved, revealing a tall, hooded figure cloaked in shadow. The necromancer stood before us, his eyes glowing with an eerie light.

Everything seemed to click into place with a sudden clarity that shocked me. It was as if I had awoken from a dream, a haze lifting from my mind. I remembered now — all the subtle cues, the moments that felt slightly off about Donna, everything that my instincts had quietly noted but my conscious mind had dismissed as if hypnotized to do so. It was as if the magic had veiled these truths in an almost imperceptible illusion, but now my mind felt clear, sharp, and focused.

The realization hit me like a truck. Fuck. Fuck. Fucking fuck.

The necromancer moved with an unsettling grace, his hands weaving through the air to cast a series of spells. Shadows twisted and coiled around him, forming into grotesque creatures that lunged at us. I parried a spectral sword, the cold bite of its blade sending a shiver through me.

"Regroup," Livius shouted. Iris stood behind him, clutching the box as if her life depended on it. "Protect Iris."

However, the command did not seem to be so effective in the heat of the fight.

Livius unleashed a torrent of fire, burning through the shadowy minions, but they reformed almost instantly. "These are no ordinary illusions," he shouted. "They have substance!"

Alex surged forward, his movements swift and precise. He landed punches on the shadowy figures, each strike dispersing them momentarily before they reformed.

Rolo stood beside me, his eyes wide but focused.

"Break his concentration," he said. "If we can disrupt his magic, the illusions will fall."

Gilbert exploded the air around the necromancer, but the vibrations of the air only passed through an illusion. The real necromancer appeared behind him, a dagger of darkness poised to strike. For a moment, the necromancer seemed to hesitate and the dagger dissolved into darkness.

Before I could react, the necromancer's hand touched Gilbert's head. Instantly, Gilbert screamed in terror, clutching his head as if plagued by invisible demons. His eyes darted wildly, seeing horrors that only he could perceive. Then with an agonized shriek, he fainted.

Livius shouted, "Don't let him touch you! Even with wards around your mind, if he gets close enough, he can breach them!"

Rolo's eyes widened in realization. "No, he can..."

But the necromancer's touch had already sent a chill through the air, suffusing the surroundings with an oppressive darkness. The warehouse seemed to warp and twist, shadows lengthening and merging with reality. I felt a heavy weight press down on my chest as if the very air had turned against me.

On the verge of my consciousness, I could hear that Livius began chanting a counter-spell.

Rolo stepped forward, his expression focused. "Absolutio."

With a swift incantation, Rolo summoned a burst of energy, aiming to disrupt the necromancer's focus. It surged from him like a tempest, a whirlwind of power that crackled through the air with an electric intensity. The force of it seemed to ripple through the warehouse, stirring the very fabric of reality. A gust of wind whipped around him, tousling his dark hair as if caught in a storm. His disturbingly green eyes seemed to glow with an unnerving intensity, radiating with magic.

The burst of magic cascaded toward the necromancer. Shadows recoiled momentarily, bending away from the forceful surge of Rolo's wild, untamed magic.

Livius momentarily glanced at Rolo in surprise.

The warehouse echoed with the clash of magical energies. Livius' counter-spell worked well with Rolo's disruptive burst.

The necromancer, shrouded in darkness and seemingly unaffected by the turmoil around him, fixed his gaze on Rolo. There was a brief pause in the necromancer's movements, and as if a flicker of acknowledgment that crossed his shadowed features. It was as if he sensed the potential threat in Rolo's power, not for its current magnitude, but for what it could become in the future. Rolo posed no immediate danger at this moment, but the necromancer seemed to recognize a force that could mature into a formidable adversary over time.

Then his lips curled into a faint, mocking smile. With a flick of his fingers, he unleashed a wave of darkness, pushing back against Rolo's magic with almost casual ease. I watched as Rolo's body trembled, his strength waning.

Every part of me wanted to attack. Every part of me was shaking from holding back the monster.

Remember, to defeat the necromancer, you must first let him win.

If he judges you too strong, he will kill each and every one of you instantly. It would be too great of a risk to let you live. So don't you dare die recklessly, foolish child.

With a chilling calmness, the necromancer's presence seemed to swell. His dark aura expanded, absorbing and deflecting the onslaught of magic directed at him. Shadows thickened, coalescing into sinister forms that lunged forward like hungry predators.

"Keep pushing!" Livius shouted over the roar of magic. 

Rolo gritted his teeth, pouring more magic out. The air crackled with tension, each heartbeat echoing in the charged atmosphere. His hands trembled with effort, yet he held his ground, channeling his resolve into the magic that surged from within him.

Wait, I thought trying to calm the beast. It's not your time yet.

The necromancer's eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a faint smile as if amused by his efforts. With a flick of his fingers, he sent a wave of darkness toward him, pushing back against Rolo's magic. When it seemed like Rolo's body would collapse, Alex got to him.

Sensing Rolo's faltering state, Alex sprang into action. The wolf closed the distance in a blur of motion. He reached out, allowing Rolo to lean against him for support. Alex's sturdy frame shielded Rolo from the brunt of the necromancer's attack, absorbing the dark energy with a deep growl of determination.

"Stay with me, Rolo," Alex urged, his voice laced with concern as he steadied the kid. Rolo leaned heavily on him, his breathing ragged from the exertion of so much magic.

Livius, sensing the urgency of the situation, intensified his incantations but it was no use.

The necromancer's dark magic intensified, overwhelming their defenses with a relentless surge of shadowy energy. Livius chanted desperately, his voice strained with the effort to counteract the necromancer's power. But the shadows persisted, their forms twisting and growing stronger with each passing moment.

Rolo, drained from his earlier burst of magic, faltered under the onslaught. He collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath as darkness crept into the edges of his consciousness.

Alex stood protectively over Rolo, his stance unwavering despite the fatigue evident in his eyes. He shielded Rolo with his own body, absorbing the brunt of the necromancer's assault. But even Alex's strength had its limits, and the relentless darkness began to wear him down.

He gripped Rolo's shoulders firmly, trying to anchor him in the tumultuous storm of magic. Rolo slumped against Alex, his breathing shallow and uneven. His eyes, once filled with determination, were now closed.

Then Alex, despite his best efforts to resist the necromancer's magic, succumbed to the overwhelming fatigue. He staggered, his grip on Rolo loosening as they both fell to the ground. I wanted to get to them. I desperately wanted to get to them but for some reason, my body did not respond to me. I couldn't move. My limbs felt like lead, my vision blurred by the overwhelming pressure. I couldn't move. I could only watch, helpless, as the darkness closed in.

I instinctively fought against the encroaching darkness, my senses dulled by the overwhelming pressure in the air. I glanced at Livius. His face a mask of strained concentration. His magic flickered, his spell a thin thread against the storm of darkness. I saw the fatigue in his eyes, the realization that we were losing.

I clenched my fists.

As my strength finally gave out, I whispered hoarsely, "Livius... we can't..." But my words dissolved into the void as unconsciousness claimed me. 

The world went black, engulfed in a suffocating silence as we all succumbed to the necromancer's malevolent magic.

The darkness was absolute.