Chapter 4

Chapter 4 [Kidnapped!?]

After a few hours it’s about time to wake everyone up. I decide to wake up Celegnir last. This turned out to be a good choice considering how long it took for me to wake up Neneth and Bryner. Neneth Helped waking up Bryner…

Neneth: just a bit longer (muttering in sleep)

Malvazar: Come on its morning already.

Neneth: Do I have to.

Malvazar: Yep.

Neneth: Why’s everyone else still asleep…

Malvazar: I tried waking Bryner up first; however it proved harder than I thought.

Neneth sleepily crawls over to Bryner and started casting magic, after the incantation a ball of water formed covering Bryners head. After about 5 Seconds Bryners eyes pop open and he quickly sits up out of the water ball, coughing furiously.

Bryner: (cough!) (Cough!) … What the hell are you doing trying to kill me!

Neneth: tsk…

Bryner: Mal, Neneth was seriously trying to drown me in my sleep!

Malvazar: It’s good to see you’re awake now Bryner.

Bryner: Celegnir! Neneth tried to kill me!

Celegnir gets up rubbing his eyes and turns to Bryner with a confused look.

Celegnir: Is that a bad thing?

Bryner: really what is with everyone!

Malvazar: we’re just kidding Bryner no one tried to kill you. Neneth was just helping me wake you up.

Bryner: Is this true Neneth?

Bryner looks optimistically at Neneth.

Neneth: I was trying to kill you…

Neneth replied with a straight face looking at Bryner.

Bryner: Why! Neneth Why!

Seems like the usual Bryner, Neneth comedy routine this morning…

Anyway after everyone drunk some of the water Neneth made us we all set out back on the road. I decided it would be best if I could inform only Celegnir about what happened last night for now, since it would be hard to explain how I hid everyone.

Bryner: By the way Neneth why do you hide your staff in cloth?

Neneth: It’s because father went overboard with the staff…

Celegnir: Because the other elf king daughters the same age are enrolling, the elf king Rirospen took it as an opportunity to show off his wealth to the other elf kings.

Malvazar: so it’s hidden to avoid targeting or theft?

Neneth: Yeah it would’ve made life easier if he just gave me a normal staff…

Bryner: That only makes me more curious.

Neneth: I won’t show you until after we get to the magus academy since it will be a pain to wrap it up again…

Bryner: aww.

It doesn’t look like there will be much opportunity to talk to Celegnir alone. It’s already been a few hours and I should inform someone of what happened last night. I guess I will have to tell everyone, I can just omit the part about me using earth magic to hide us and come up with more details if they ask further.

Malvazar: By the way there’s something I should mention.

Celegnir: What is it?

Malvazar: it’s about last night.

Neneth: Last night?

Malvazar: yeah some people came along looking for somebody.

Bryners slowed his pace, his face looks pale. It seems likely it could have been him they were looking for after all.

Bryner: what happened?

Malvazar: I put out the fire and tried to hide our presence. It seems they didn’t notice us.

Bryner takes a sigh of relief.

Celegnir: Do you think they could be after the princess?

Malvazar: It seems unlikely it sounded like –

Before I could finish what I was saying a small spherical metallic object rolls in front of us.

Celegnir and Malvazar: What’s tha-?

Before Celegnir and I could finish our sentence the ball made a small click sound, smoke then exploded out of the ball.

Celegnir: (Cough) Princess!

Neneth: Celegnir whe-where (Cough) a-are y-y-you (Cough)…

Malvazar: Celegnir what’s wrong why are you collapsing?

Everyone seems to be coughing quite vigorously; Celegnir slowly collapses to the floor. I can’t see Neneth or Bryner. Should I use my magic? But then Bryner and Neneth would notice. I’m reluctant but in the end I decided that the first tier wind spell strong breeze was best, as it would avoid too much suspicion if found out. I cast the spell chantlessly…

The smoke clears but both Neneth and Bryner are nowhere to be seen. Celegnir collapsed to the floor.

Malvazar: Celegnir wake up Neneth and Bryner are gone!

Celegnir: …

I try to wake Celegnir up but it proves to no avail. I check his pulse and he seems to be alive. Looks likely that what was used was sleeping gas. Neneth and Bryner should be in much the same state.

I wonder why I wasn’t affected by the sleeping gas. Well I guess there are more important things to think about now.

If it was the two men from last night then it’s likely they are travelling by horseback. If that’s the case I won’t be able to catch up to them on foot. Should I use magic to catch up to them? This path is regularly used it’s not unthinkable that I am spotted somehow along the way. Also there’s the matter with Celegnir. I can’t just leave him here, I don’t know how long the sleeping gas lasts and even if they’re rank D monsters if Celegnir is sleeping then he’s easy prey for them…

Malvazar: What should I do I wonder?

I position Celegnir near the side of the road, I try waking him up but he is really zonked out. I’ve been trying to wake him for a couple hours now. Horseback is much faster than a carriage so it’s possible that they could be nearing the capital by now. Once they get inside it’s going to be hard finding them.

I guess if I want to get to them in time, I’m going to have to use some magic. I really wanted to try and avoid using much magic since I’ve only just come to this world, but I guess there’s no choice.

I cast the spell <<higher barrier>> on Celegnir. That should last for a day or so, this is a 3^rd tier spell so it’s likely to draw some suspicion if noticed, it can’t be helped.

How do I get to the others in time? I can’t really fly as that would be really conspicuous. I can only teleport to places I can see or have been, plus it’s a high tier space manipulation magic so if there are people around the target location it would be bad.

I guess haste is the best choice…

I cast <<greater haste>> on myself and head into the forest. I plan to follow the road while keeping cover in the trees so I shouldn’t be too noticeable when passing people on the way.

Malvazar: ok that should be enough, guess I should head out.

I write a letter explaining the situation to Celegnir and place it in his pocket ready for when he wakes up. After placing the two dropped staffs next to him I then continue into the tree line and start walking.

Even though it’s hard for me to tell since to myself I feel as if I’m just moving at normal speed, but I think I should be travelling at a speed something like 5 times the speed of those on horseback. It’s tricky to say if I will make it in time before they get inside the city.

I walk for a couple days. Of course to everyone else not even an hour has gone by, this is due to the time distortion caused by the spell .The spell does not normally last this long however this can be simply solved via casting it multiple times on me before it runs out. This would normally be unthinkable due to the long incantation time of the spell, however because I can chant this spell chantlessly it’s made possible.

I’m tired due to not getting any sleep since camping with the others. Hopefully I will arrive soon; I see a clearing up ahead. I undo the greater haste and walk out of the forest into the clearing. I can see the capital clearly. It looks like it’s a good hour walk away. Damn I didn’t know that there would be a huge clearing around the capital city.

Malvazar: what do I do now?

I can see what looks like the culprits nearing the City gates. If I use magic to slow their movements to a high enough degree that I could catch up to them, it would be very noticeable. Similarly if I speed myself up I would draw too much attention to myself. Is there nothing I can do?

Malvazar: perhaps there is one thing I could try.

If I can’t get to them before they enter the city. I will just have to find them after. I cast the tier 4 arcane spell <<drain mana>>. When casting the drain mana spell the user creates a small thread made of the user’s mana connecting the user and the targets mana supply. The user then gives this thread a “mana flow” causing the targets mana supply to send mana to the user.

However if I set the mana flow to zero I would effectively have a mana thread between the target and the user. Because the thread is made of the users mana, if the thread extends it will deplete the users’ mana. The same could be said when the thread contracts, the user will have some mana inflow based on the mana density of the thread. Using this to my advantage I can track what direction my target is in relative to myself. Additionally if I make note of how much mana was expended in the original creation of the thread I can get an exact value of their position.

Malvazar: good I established a link.

Since the target was quite the distance away it required a great deal of mana control to get the thread to reach the target, but it seems all the practise I have had with mana manipulation I was able to complete the task without too much difficulty. I will also establish a link with the second culprit since there’s the chance they might separate upon reaching the capital.

Malvazar: Looks like the experiment was a success.

The link attaches and I follow the path to the capital.

While I’m walking I can’t help but think about how huge the capital is. I mean I knew it would be bigger than Sunshire, but to think it was this much bigger…

The size of the capital is incomparable with Sunshire. Sunshire looked like it would accommodate a few thousand people so I was surprised at its size. But now looking at the capital I feel how vast the world really is. My heart is beating fast, just thinking about it. The City of Beginnings I wonder how many people reside there. From the size it could accommodate hundreds of thousands people…

Malvazar: It truly is magnificent.

When I remember the isolated world I used to live in, tears fall from my eyes beyond my control.

It all feels so unreal almost like a dream, one I refuse to wake up from. Nothing is going to obstruct me from going where I want to go. I refuse to be trapped in such a empty lonely place again…

Woman: Why do you cry boy?

I turn to my side to see a young woman, looking like she’s in her mid-twenties looks at me with eyes of confusion. Her attire seemed peculiar in comparison with the clothes I have seen thus far since arriving in this world. She wore a black pointed cloth hat, and a large black cloak. I get an odd premonition when looking at her, her looks has similarities with the witches depicted in the books I read.

Malvazar: Are you perhaps a witch?

The woman looks at me with an astonished expression.

Woman: You mean you don’t know?

Malvazar: Is that a yes?

Woman: interesting.

She leans towards me as if she were trying to evaluate me. She looks me up and down while circling me. Could I have been discovered! No calm down I don’t think I have done anything to warrant such suspicion. Maybe this is some kind of special greeting I have not heard about.

Woman: This Robe? No that’s impossible… (Muttering under her breath)

She seems to have finished her examination and steps away while correcting her posture. Sweat is running down my forehead as I stay in anticipation of her result.

Woman: Boy?

Malvazar: (gulp)

Woman: you have yet to answer my question.

What question? Shit I forgot what she asked…

Woman: Why do you cry?

Ah right I almost forgot.

Malvazar: Because of all those people.

Woman: and that makes you sad?

Malvazar: No it makes me happy.

Woman: so those were tears of joy?

Malvazar: yes.

I look her in the eyes as to assure her what I speak is the truth. I feel like she is not someone I should be hesitant around.

Woman: you believe there being lots of people is a good thing?

Malvazar: I believe it is the best thing.

Woman: interesting, why do you feel so?

Malvazar: There is nothing worse than being alone.

The woman looks towards the sky and a faint smile can be seen across her face.

Woman: (laughs quietly) Perhaps what you say is true.

She continues to look towards the sky whilst speaking.

Woman: boy what is your name?

Malvazar: Malvazar.

Woman: I am the Witch Catherine. Perhaps we will meet again sometime.

As she says that her feet leave the ground and she flies towards the capital off into the distance.

So she was a witch! Somehow I get the feeling I am going to regret meeting her…

I try to forget about our meeting as I continue to walk towards the capital. After all there are more important things to worry about at the moment. I must catch those culprits before anything bad happens to Bryner and Neneth.

As I continue walking more paths connect together and it’s slowly getting more crowded and noisy. I can see various traders, merchants and adventurers coming in from all around. Like some huge pilgrimage they all converge at the city gates. After a little while I finally arrive at the City of Beginnings.