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17. A Keep in Another World
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“Oh yeah, I forgot about this first part,” said Wexel scratching his head, “It's uh, an enchantment. Most people already know about it, like me, but I forgot.”
“You… forgot?” said Bea deadpan.
*I'd sigh if I could, or rather face palm, but I had my suspicions about the floor already.*
I started back up the stairs we came from.
“Aye yes, follow the bird.” said Wexel.
Lyra and Bea begrudgingly continued back up without complaining and once we reached the top, they began going down again, only this time, the door at the bottom of the stairs was marked with a number 2.
They pushed the door open to reveal a different floor layout and things hopping around! Upon further inspection it looked to be blob slimes and knife rabbits. Both low level monsters. The blob slimes vary in colors and were about the size of a decent watermelon. Knife rabbits are just slightly bigger standing rabbits, close to an average german shepard in size, but with metal claws and a blade horn like a unicorn.
“Now we're talking!” said Bea excitedly taking out her hatchet.
“Remember after a kill, a monster will drop it's core and we can collect and sell those back at the guild. It won't be much for these, but enough of ‘em will earn a meal and maybe a bed,” explained Wexel.
“Right. Well, I need to practice ice magic, so I'll focus on that for now. There looks like plenty of enemies to go around, so we can split up for now and just call out if help is needed.” said Lyra.
“Sounds good boss.” Wexel said trotting off left and taking his sword and shield off his back.
Bea nodded and headed to the right and I followed Lyra as she went forward. In front of her stood a slime. It wasn't doing anything, just sitting there. Lyra tried to summon ice magic, but water spewed out from her palm into a small puddle.
*Hmmm. She has a knack for magic in general and obviously knows how to do it. But for me, I had to break things into steps. Maybe that can work for her too.*
“Quack!” I squawked to get her attention and she turned to me.
“Duc?”
I closed my eyes and focused in my mind. A ball of water appeared before me and I began putting pressure on it, condensing it, and then just thought cold. I cascaded it forward as it broke into shards on the ground.
“I see. Instead of trying to start by just creating ice, start with water and work my way up instead.”
Lyra tried the same process a few times and managed to make ice once, but couldn't move it. The water froze and fell to the ground.
*Now she's forgetting to utilize wind magic as well. She's thrown her dagger with it before, so I know she knows how.*
I flapped my wing causing a gust to blow her hair back.
“Wind? Oh… It really is a lot of steps.” said Lyra trying to regain her confidence and try again.
She created the water then condensed and cooled it, becoming frozen, and finally shot it forward at the slime. Unfortunately, Lyra still missed, “I did it! Just need more practice.”
“Quack!” I said, nodding in agreement.
Before we knew it, the floor was empty of monsters and it was time to descend further. The group ultimately decided that getting to Floor 10's rest area and exiting was best for our first session.
We managed to clear all the floors and at a decent pace too. Each floor had more monsters and more species, like my old hunting specialty, goblins. But really there was nothing difficult. Lyra had exhausted her mana by the time we got to the 7th Floor or so and started fighting with her dagger. Meaning, on future ventures, she'll have to take that into account as well.
By the time we portal-ed out, we had collected about 500 low level monster cores! Not bad for a first run. Except when we turned it in at the guild, we barely made enough silver to continue our living arrangements which was at an inn for adventurers adjacent to the guild building.
“I want to talk to Maynard again. Maybe she'll have some magic tips that will help me,” said Lyra.
“Yeah, and I want to ask about those proficiency tests again.” agreed Bea.
“Ah, youse can go ahead. I'll just sit here and drink. Sounds like a better experience to me,” chuckled Wexel settling in at a table.
I followed the girls back up to Maynard's office. They knocked and she let us in.
“Back so soon?” she asked.
“Well… we were, I was, hoping you'd give me some advice.” sputtered Lyra.
“Advice?”
“Well, you are pretty important here and a mage. I assume you know a bit more.”
“I'm not a teacher if that's what you're looking for.” said Maynard sternly.
“Oh no. I've done schooling in magic, combat, and probably anything else you can think of.”
“Well, out with it. What's your question?” demanded Maynard.
“Just, it'd be easier to show you,” said Lyra as she put her hand out towards the wall.
She did her step by step routine to get to ice and shoot it at the wall causing a small dent. She huffed for a second.
“I assume you've been dungeoning all day. Magic power has to restore. You just need rest,” explained Maynard.
“No, that's the thing. Even when I was at full power, that was nearly the best I could do. If I'm supposed to be an ice mage, shouldn't it be easier?”
“Oh, I see. Yes. The power is definitely there. The test doesn't lie. What you need is a focus. Something to channel your magic through, like a staff or a wand that usually contains a gemstone of your preferred affinity.”
“I see. Okay, I'll have to look at that next. Thank you very much,” said Lyra bowing, “I'm gonna go do that resting now.”
She wobbled a little bit out of the room and Bea nodded and waved. I decided to sick around to learn about the tests as well.
“Now what about you human?” questioned Maynard.
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End Part 17
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Author's Notes #8
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Do you feel it? Can you feel the excitement with what's to come?! Getting to expand on this magical world that started so small-scale has really been an opportunity to explore other fantasy worlds and what I like about them. This has led to certain little things that I wanted to make special or specific to my world, like magic guild cards, that maybe you wouldn't see elsewhere. It also feels good to info dump casually instead of exposition after exposition with it just being a conversation among colleagues and friends who just want to inform.
That in itself, is going to lead into rules of the world that I'll have to remember to follow. BUT the fun in that is figuring out how to come up with challenges for our characters against the world using those rules. And, believe it or not, some of that may come as a surprise even to me!
𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅭𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅭𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅹
Duck Fact #8: It's true that ducks are very social in nature and that if they don't grow up with a flock they're more than likely not going to survive or survive well as they look out for eachother intensively. BUT believe it or not, if a duck is raised with a group of chickens and not a flock of ducks, it will think it's a chicken instead!
𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅭𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅭𓅹𓅹𓅹𓅹
⋆༺𓆩The.Fellow𓆪༻⋆
ns13.59.22.238da2
