Oldhollow and the Seaworm of Gallus Page 4

  A few days later, the ship ported in Oldhollow at the docks as the group disembarked. They made sure to release the animals and people held captive, saving the ogres and trolls to be released from their binds in a different area. Making their way to the tavern, Sav opened the door and found the place trashed. Letting out a sigh, she said, “This is going to take a hit on the funds - not to mention repairs and replacement furniture. Damn you, Norris.” Marcendes put a hand on her shoulder, started reciting an incantation, and held a hand up. As if time were reversing, the smashed tables and chairs mended themselves, floating and coming together, returning to how they were prior to the group’s departure and capture.

  Sav’s eyes went wide, her mouth agape before she finally uttered, “Marcendes, thank you so much. Wow. This will save me lots of time and effort.”

  Marcendes smiled and replied, “Any friend of my daughter’s is a friend of mine. Now, how about we sit down and discuss the matter of things to come?” The group all took chairs around a larger round table as Marcendes pulled out a black and orange coloured bombardier beetle. Taking a drag off the noxious spray from the beetle, Marcendes exhaled a sweet-smelling purple smoke, one that caught the attention of the others.

  “What is this?” Neo asked, perplexed by the smoke.

  “Wizard’s treat; an old trick taught to me long ago by an old friend,” Marcendes replied with a wink.

  Clearing his throat, the wizard then said, “We are in a grave time. The dam from the seaworm of Gallus came to be. The golem managed to take a good amount of their numbers out but, once incubated fully, they’ll overtake it and stop it in its tracks. We’ve now a crisis: an untold amount of seaworms, just like that of Gallus which started it all.” Marcendes took a long drag from his beetle, exhaling the mellow, sweet smoke before resuming his explanation. “From here, we’re going to need to gather allies. To take on an army, such is the need to bolster our numbers to rightly combat this new opposition.”

  “Does that mean we could effectively be at war with these seaworms?” Sav asked, growing worry falling across her face. Marcendes nodded slowly to drive home his intent of how grave things were.

  “Indeed, Sav. I plan to head to Bondross to make a request there. It’s a warrior tribe town there, one that would greatly aid us. Perhaps they can lend us the aid of their troops for an upcoming battle. They’ve been at war with another country for some time now, though, and I fear this growing crisis may fall on us alone to handle.”

  “Father, would it be possible to create our own army? Much like the golem you made?” Gracie asked.

  Marcendes took another puff of his beetle and replied to his daughter, “It’s an option, but may require more time than we have to stand the numbers up. Any form of sentient creation and enchanting takes quite a bit of time to do. I don’t have the capability to create that many numbers so quickly to deal with this threat.”

  “What about Cackle Crag Caverns near the south?” Sav asked. Looking to Gracie, she continued, “I ask not only with the intent of perhaps recruiting them, but also having Gracie learn there as well.”

  Gracie looked to Sav in wonder as Marcendes smiled and replied, “Ah, the school built on an ancient burial ground for the most powerful fallen witches. I see you know of the school.”

  Sav nodded and said, “I teach apprentice witches there in secret - that much in between running the tavern. It’s a school of magic, Gracie is of age, and she has the innate aptitude for what we do there.”

  Marcendes nodded and agreed, “Indeed, it is. Perhaps it’s time for Gracie to come into her magical abilities. I must make my rounds to other places, as well as go before the wizard’s council to make my case for numbers, but I can send someone to help with the school.”

  Sav chimed in and said, “Then I can help to teach and aid in her schooling. I may not be the most proficient witch out there, but it would still aid Gracie in her teachings.”

  Marcendes nodded and replied, “Then I can offer my contact to aid you down the line. Sav, guide her in her teachings at the school. Become stronger with her. We will need all the help we can get along the way.”

  Neo joined in, “We can aid in recruiting for building an army, as well. Back home in Gorobow, lots of the warriors would aid in the efforts.”

  Marcendes’ face lit with recognition at the name as he spoke, “Ah yes, Gorobow, home of the animal warriors! They’d be a welcome addition.” Taking another puff off his beetle, he continued, “Very well. Here is what we should do:

  Sav, Gracie - head for the Cackle Crag school in the southern caves. I will send my ally there in days to come after making my rounds in Bondross. After, I must head south to Emberia to hold council with all the wizards there. Neo, Bailey: make your way to Gorobow and recruit as many warriors to the cause as you can. This is going to be a critical team effort if we’re to combat this rising problem.”

  The others all nodded in agreement as Sav said, “It’s settled, then. Let us begin our departure by first light.”

  Elsewhere across the sea, a large Hen Harrier was in flight with a seaworm, limp and lifeless, in its claws. The worm’s mouth was hanging wide open, revealing a human body clad in black robes. It slowly wriggled through and slid out of the mouth of the seaworm. Falling to the night waters, he immediately cast a spell to slow his fall and guard his body from the freezing waters below. Splashing into the sea, he made his way to the surface and drew breath.

  Looking around, he smiled and thought aloud, “Until next time, Marcendes. I’ll settle that score with you later - especially for my ruby golem, Zelkov.”

  Chapter 6 Cackle Crag School

  In the caverns of Cackle Crag, a secret door sealed by magic glyphs opened to reveal a descending set of steps down into its hollows. A witch made her way down to a grand hall, lit by magic crystals and torches to reveal a sizeable infrastructure of stone and man-made designs. The sounds of bustle, magic spells being cast, and the chatter of witches permeated the place with resounding echoes. Finally, she arrived at the group that was awaiting her.

  The walls inside the network of caves were encrusted with diamonds and emeralds that sparkled from the light. The floors had a smooth finish that ran throughout, coated in solid gold which had emblems and symbols engraved into the floor.

  The ceilings were high with tall archways that lead off to different rooms. All around the caves various exotic flowers and plants grew, some poisonous and some that snapped at you as you walked by them. Surprisingly, most of the rooms in the caves let in a lot of light which warmed up the rooms within, other parts were dark and cold which had extra torches and fires burning.

  The young girl in a forest green cloak was beside her instructor as the instructor looked to her class of a hundred and said, “Class, this is Gracie. She will be joining us in our school to learn against the growing threat that’s now upon us. As you all have been warned, the seaworm crisis is now reality and we need as many of you ready to fight if we’re to have any chance to repel them. Now then, let’s get to learning the next spell.”

  The instructor ended up leading the group of young witches down the right hall under the archways to one of the casting areas to practice as Gracie took in the sights of Cackle Crag which was quite a sight to behold. Wooden benches were around certain passageways as beautiful, intricate archways were carved out of stone. The passage opened into a wide room of sorts, an atrium with various etchings and pictures on the walls.

  The instructor halted in her tracks and said to the group, “Welcome to Cackle Crag, witches. All one hundred of you will get familiar with this place for the upcoming days. The awakening of the seaworm of Gallus has come to pass, and with that, his army has been raised. Our time is limited so we must prepare as best as we can. To all of you that joined on to learn magic, get ready to elevate your abilities to new levels. Also! I will warn you to not go too far into one of the spaces here. There’s a massive spider web that is home to an unfavorable sight, should you happen across it. I
f you stare into the water droplets from it, you’ll see the faces of the fallen witches that will try to entice you into it. Do NOT go to it.”

  The witches all understood and nodded. Gracie took time to meet a few of them, then spent the rest of the day wandering around the school to better get familiarized with Cackle Crag itself. The seaworm’s army was no doubt preparing and Gracie had to commit to doing the same on her end if she were to hope that she could aid the free folk of the realm and have any chance in stopping them. She thought of her father, hoping he found allies in seeking council with the warrior tribe of Bondross, and of Neo and Bailey seeking help in their homeland of Gorobow and wanted nothing more than to reunite with them again.

  Weeks had passed for the group. As another witch made her way down one of the passageways, a group of witches were heard casting spells, with one shouting over the others, “No! That was incorrect! Try it again.”

  Walking into the room, there were a group of witches, all different ages and races watching the one in a black top and orange bottom chastising a younger one, wearing a forest green cloak.

  “I’m sorry, I’ll try again!” the young one squeaked as the one giving instruction forcefully beckoned her to get up and try again.

  The witch that made her way down the stairs joined the group of the others watching and asked, “So, Gracie is still struggling with her magic, huh?”

  “Yeah, it’s been like this for a few weeks now,” the one next to her replied.

  “Say, Keira? What do you think would happen if I showed her how to cast it properly?”

  The witch with shoulder length brown hair and a cheeky smile let a mischievous grin take over her face as the witch next to her replied, “Oh Fedexa, you’re a mean one.”

  “Instructor Sav, what does the spell do again?” Fedexa asked as she began subtly moving her hands, preparing to cast the spell herself.

  Sav looked to the others and explained, “The slime spell is one of the simpler ones, yet effective when done properly. It starts by coating the enemy and floor, making for poor footing, and blinding the enemy: this will help deter some of the enemy when we take them on.”

  Fedexa then asked, “Oh, like this, right?” As she did, she said the words to the spell and a green goop appeared over Gracie’s head, dropping from the ceiling, and splashing all over her. The class laughed fervently and jested at the sight until Gracie’s hood came down from the slime and revealed her full face.

  “Hey! That girl’s a half-elf! What’s a mixed blood doing in here struggling with magic? Aren’t elves supposed to be good at this?” Keira cried out as the others joined in the ridiculing. Gracie covered her ears, sunk her head and ran out of the casting area, fighting back tears.

  Sav, not pleased with what she saw, used a small cantrip to raise her voice and boomed, “ENOUGH! SILENCE, ALL OF YOU!” The spell worked as the witches all immediately fell silent.

  Gracie found a quiet area off to the left passageway from the main hall, put her hands to her face and wept. A clatter of footsteps got her attention as she looked up and saw a llama in a cloak approach her. She had a pair of glasses on and yellow fur as she approached the young witch.

  “Who…are you?” Gracie asked, sniffling and wiping a tear away.

  “I’m Mrs. Lors, the new instructor sent by your father to aid you all in learning your magic,” the llama said back in a kind, motherly voice.

  “Oh. Well, I’m Gracie, and here to learn. Though I’m not particularly good at it.”

  “Now, there’s no need to get upset like that,” Mrs. Lors said as she sat next to Gracie. “Magic can be difficult to grasp and master.”

  “But the other girls pick on me! Plus harass me because I’m a half-elf.”

  “Which means that you can show them all.”

  Gracie looked to Mrs. Lors and said, “What do you mean?”

  “Child, you have the latent ability for magic in your blood. Your father is a great wizard that I’ve known for years. He worked hard to get his magic to where it is, and with Sav as your teacher, I’ve no doubt you’ll learn. Don’t let the others dissuade you. Shine brighter than them all and show them how it’s done. Your father wanted me to pass on his technique of still breath to you.”

  “Still breath?”

  “Yes. It’s a technique that helps calm the mind and body to make casting much easier. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, release for four, and hold for four. Do it repeatedly to steady your breathing and poise for much easier casting.”

  Gracie started breathing like Mrs. Lors did and within the first minute, felt much calmer, more peaceful and able to focus. She cried with a smile, “Mrs. Lors, it’s working!”

  While the two were talking, Keira made her way down near the room to grab some items. While doing so, she heard the voices of Mrs. Lors and Gracie talking and listened in.

  Gracie wiped her eyes and said, “I just want the other witches to like me. I don’t want them to fall to the seaworm. I nearly lost Sav, Neo and Bailey to them: he’s dangerous!”

  Keira gasped quietly upon the last thing Gracie said.

  She thought to herself, “Could this be true? Did Gracie get involved with Instructor Sav when the seaworm reawakened?” She held doubt until she saw Sav walk in the room.

  “I know the incident at Frostfall was rough. You won’t fail, though. Gracie, why not use your father’s staff as a focus? He did gift you with it to use here. Perhaps it’ll be a better focus than the emerald on your necklace,” Sav said, handing her a wooden staff. It was exquisitely crafted, wrapped in green leather with an emerald jewel embedded at the tip.

  Gracie happily took the staff and felt a slight wave of calm come over her. The staff lightened her spirits as Sav said, “Return to the atrium when you’re ready. You will learn yet,” before departing. Keira held in a gasp and felt a knot form in her stomach as she realized what Gracie had said was true. A wash of regret came over her for the weeks of harassment she had been a part of on Fedexa’s mean-spirited antics.

  Hours later, Gracie returned with the staff and began practicing the spell again. This time, using the technique Mrs. Lors taught her with the staff, Gracie casted a perfect slime spell with ease, a green puddle of slime forming in mid-air and splashing on the ground. The crowd applauded as Sav said, “There you go! Well done!”

  Fedexa snorted and replied, “Oh, the half-elf can cast now, huh? I wonder how a sparks spell will fancy her.”

  Casting with her hands and speaking the chant, Fedexa sent a ball of sparks her way. Gracie saw the flash of light heading towards her and instinctively pointed the staff at it, having seen her father do it before. Absorbing the spell, she then shot it back at Fedexa, blasting her off her feet and leaving her hair a frazzled mess. The students all laughed at Fedexa as Keira nodded, having gained respect for the young witch.

  A few of the girls snarled at her, one crying out, “She’s just some nobody half-elf who couldn’t do a single spell right until now! Is she even worth bringing into the fray for this upcoming crisis?”

  Gracie hung her head in shame again as a voice responded, “Enough! She is! She’s one of the people that was at the incident of Frostfall and the awakening!” Everyone turned to see it was Keira, now red in the face.

  Fedexa got up and flabbergasted, asked, “Are you serious? You’re siding with that half-elf disgrace?”

  “Gracie has probably seen far more in the last few months than most of you have seen in your life. She was there at the awakening, had to rescue her friends, even Instructor Sav!”

  The group gasped as Mrs. Lors came bounding into the room. Hearing all of the clamour, she said, “It’s true, witches. Keira speaks the truth. Gracie had endured her share of hardship before coming here. Were it not for her, Sav may not even be here. Be grateful we have such a brave soul within our ranks.”

  Sav looked on and smiled, not wanting to say something out of looking like she was playing favourites. Instead, she let Gracie’s deeds speak f
or herself with Keira and Mrs. Lors doing the talking. The group of witches looked at each other, at first in surprise, then in shame as they looked back to Gracie. Their faces all showed remorse for how they’d all been to her of late as Keira walked up to her.

  “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been to you. That wasn’t right of me, or Fedexa, or any of us. I couldn’t help but hear when you were talking to Mrs. Lors while going to retrieve herbs. I heard about the traversing of the valley, making your way through the swamps, and the battle on the ship.”

  Keira smiled and paused, then said, “If I’m going to be battling these seaworms later on, then I’d like to do it with you at my back.”

  Gracie nodded and replied, “I’d be happy to have you with me too. All of you. Together, I’ve no doubt we can do our best in stopping the army. Besides, you all are great at magic! I’m just still learning myself but would love to learn more with all of you.”

  The other girls all started to gather around to offer their apologies as well, and Gracie’s face lit up with kindness as she did nothing but offer words of forgiveness and encouragement to take the time to rally together to better prepare. Sav and Mrs. Lors both watched, feeling more at ease their ranks just grew closer.

  As the weeks passed on, Gracie’s ability grew not only from what she learned, but from the aid she received from her fellow witches. In turn, she shared her own knowledge of field stealth and survival that she used during her prior travels. Not exactly part of the magic curricula, she knew, but it would help down the line in field expeditions. Keira and Gracie particularly grew close with the days passing by and reached a point of proficiency to where the two could team up and cast spells in tandem with one another, doubling the effectiveness.

  In mock duels, some of the other witches more tactically inclined happily showed Gracie how to better defend, counter or ward spells cast her way. The skills of the group continued to grow as one, and it wasn’t too long after that the girls began to practice group casting in teams of four, making the potency of their spells even more fearsome.