Under the Light of the World at War: Early Chapter 57

“What do you think? Impressive huh?” Mama asked, looking proud as we looked over the grounds.

Forty or so Elves were gathered together, training. Some were young, although none as young as me, and some were obviously much older, but age hardly slowed an Elf until they got into their twilight centuries. 

The bows were pulled back and fired, arrows often hitting dead center, although some were obviously still learning.

Others were running around, yelled at to keep moving by their drill instructors, and another group were kneeling in front of another Ranger, as she spoke. Teaching. 

“Looks like they are training hard.” I offered, but I wasn’t that impressed. Some of the Elves were obviously giving it their all, but some were obviously half assing it. 

“You can join if you want? They are doing some tactics training over there. Want to sit in?”

“Not really.” I denied, looking over all of them, it was obvious that learning this would be useful, but not applicable most of the time. “They don’t wear armor, and most of them are learning ranged tactics. I’ll be fighting on the front line.” I pointed out.

“You could fight at range. It’s better! Safer.”

“It’s not really for me. Sorry Mama.” I offered, and she slumped a bit. The call of the Sword and Board was too strong. I would never be a Ranger. 

“Hmph! My little daughter is so stubborn.”

“I come by it naturally.” I said instantly back and then grinned as Mama looked at me realizing I was calling her stubborn.

She was both happy that I was comparing myself to her, and irritated. 

“My daughter could do with being a little less stubborn.”

“Sorry.”

“No you’re not.” She grumbled at me, but instead of standing there she tugged me along, arm over my shoulders as she guided me around the field. 

So this was the new Rangers Head Quarters inside Silvermoon. Space was becoming a premium, so this much given to the Rangers was definitely a sign of favor from the Royal Family. 

We entered the main tower, connected to the grounds, and I saw a few people were working on things. But Mama led me past them and up the stairs, and there it was much fancier, although it was seemingly bare of most of the stuff that would normally adorn the walls.

Ah right, this was probably some noble house or something before this. 

The Rangers had obviously cleaned up most of the junk while turning it into a headquarters. 

And while there were still some fancy tables in the main room once up the stairs, the tables were full of maps, papers, basically war stuff.

“Talanas.” Mama called out, and I perked up despite myself.

Talanas Windrunner. He was a tall man, bright gold hair shone mostly short, although it was wild and untamed, but in a good looking way.

“Felomin? What are you doing here? You’re on leave.”

“I’m pregnant Talanas, not incapable. I figure if nothing else, I can come help out.” Mama argued, rolling her eyes at the man's instinct to protect her.

The fact he sent her a look. “Considering you were fighting on the front lines like that, I’m not exactly leaving your well being in your own hands. And who is this?” He asked, changing the subject just in time as Mama looked like she was going to smack him.

“My Daughter, Alah’Dorah. I was showing her the Ranger training… She’s dedicated to preparing herself to fight the Trolls as well, although she wishes to fight more like a Spell Breaker.”

“Oh? A dedicated youngling? That’s always good to hear. Although the Spell Breakers don’t accept members so easily, if you go through the training we’ll fight beside you young Alah’Dorah.”

“I’m not very good with a bow, sorry. I’m better with a sword and shield, and Magic. You’ll fight beside me on the front lines if this war lasts more than a couple more years though.” I said and he looked me over for a moment before his face shifted into a smile.

“Spitfire isn’t she? Reminds me of her mother.”

“Hmph!”

“Well, if everything works out young Alah’Dorah, what you said won’t come to pass, and we’ll push the Trolls back.”

I didn’t say anything, because he wasn’t saying the truth, but hope.

It would be rude to quash that. Instead my eyes wandered and locked on something special.

“Is that… Thas’Dorah.”

“Hah! You aren’t the first to have their eyes drawn to it. It is. The Bow gifted to me by the King.”

The Artifact, the weapon of the Ranger General. Thas’Dorah, the Legacy of the Windrunners. Stupid name, just because only the Windrunners had been given. Nepotism wasn’t a good look. Either way. 

It was powerful, I could tell just from looking at it. The power practically wafted from the bow…

“So why is there only one?” I asked, as Talanas had done me the honor of shifting the bow from his back to show it off to me.

“Is one not enough?” He asked, half laughing and I shook my head. 

“It’s powerful. Empowered by the Sunwell, and it gives you a lot more punch. That’s good… So why not make more? The top Rangers alongside the Ranger General get one or something?”

“Dorah.” Mama shushed me, pulling me into her side, and looking apologetic at Talanas, but instead of being offended, the man’s smile grew.

“Well Alah’Dorah, that was the exact question I had for the King not long after I was given the weapon, and I realized how powerful it was. A hundred of these could push the Trolls back without a doubt. Unfortunately, there is only one.”

“Ah. So there is a limit. The Sunwell?” I asked, and he smirked. “It seems so. The Sunwell refused to bless any other bows. So there is only one Thas’Dorah.”

“Then all you can do is use it well.” I said, throwing away the idea of a hundred Thas’Dorah. A shame. That would have been a funny situation for the Scourge to run into in a few millenia. 

“I will. And I will use all the Rangers that join us well alongside it. Felomin, of course we could use extra hands. But you’ll only get light duty, and don’t even think about suiting up.”

Mama rolled her eyes at Talanas’s words. Annoyed at his overprotectiveness. 

“She’ll be careful, or else.” I agreed, and Mama startled at what I said barked out a laugh before she reached over and tugged on my cheeks.

“Oh will I huh?”

“Yea-!” I mumbled despite her stretching my cheek.

“Okay. I’ll keep it light. But I can yell at Rangers to run faster, or at least teach some archery. You had some that needed more time.”

“Always. Time is the one thing we are running out of. Not something we are used to.” He said, running a hand through his hair. “Training is slow.”

“Sounds like you need someone to save some time.” I said, and while I wasn’t interested in the training itself so much… I looked at Mama. “Should I help?”

“Oh? You want to get involved?” Mama asked, her smile spreading proudly, and I shrugged. 

“I might as well. It’s good practice. I can cast Power Word: Fortitude on the ones running around. It’ll give them a boost of stamina to let them push themselves harder.”

“That would be useful.” He looked from me to Mama and she nodded. And then he smiled. “Then the Rangers will appreciate any help you can give us Alah’Dorah.”

“Well I got your healing taken care of then. At least while I’m here.” I mumbled, and he nodded. 

Soon Mama pulled me away and we headed down to the field. While she moved to the Archery range, I sighed and waited for the trainees to come running past.

“Fortitude.” I spoke, intoning the word and casting the buff on the first trainee, causing them to jolt a bit as their tired running evened out. Then I cast it again, and again, working on trying to catch every person. 

I had to jog along with them as I got each one. The teacher simply nodded as he seemed to understand what I was doing without a word, and soon he was pushing his trainees even harder. 

I ran alongside them, easily keeping pace, these weren’t hardened Rangers, but lazy trainees, and I had more stamina then them.

Doing so, let me cast a few more spells. Healing a few Trainees that looked like they were reaching their physical limit regardless of Stamina, and just keeping pace without a word.

I was getting some weird looks, but I just kept going.

Stamina. Stamina was still my limiting factor, and something I needed to overcome.

I might need to just pray to Elune and the Light at this point, nothing I’d found had properly satisfied what I was looking for. Restoring the exhaustion that long work would do, just wasn’t something Healing Spells seemed to do naturally. 

But there had to be some way.

—---

Visiting the Ranger Training was soon added into my schedule, mostly so I could spend time with Mama as she was getting dedicated to it.

But I still did everything else. 

Master Illianar still grumbled that I was only coming by every fourth or so day, but the work I put in when I was there was certainly something he wasn’t complaining about.

Meniel also pouted at me, as she kept wanting me to stay at the Healing Hall longer, to join more officially, but that wasn’t for me. Although healing and teaching at the Healing Hall was… Pleasant outside of the whole grinding thing.

Helping people was nice.

Yet, every day felt a little different from before. 

I looked up, I was heading to check on Chocobo Too today, but it was raining, only the rain wasn’t reaching us.

Above us, the rain came down, pelting onto the Ban’dinoriel, and then stopping. It left the sky looking murky, water flowing over glass almost. A reminder that nothing was normal anymore.

As I walked along the roads, which were now always busy no matter what time of day, I kept glancing up at the sky.

I hadn’t had any inspiration divine or otherwise from Elune. I’d kept praying every night, using the time to refine my Divine Strength, but the problem I was trying to solve was still far away.

So all I could do was keep moving forward. Someday. Someday I'll get the answer to my problem.

Of course I wasn’t the only one moving forward. A horn rang out as I crossed one of the main streets and I stopped stepping back to stay on the sidewalk.

The gate opened, and instantly I could hear it. 

Fighting. The sound of Arcane, blasting, screams of rage from distant Trolls, and the twang of bows. 

Then the sound of claws on stone.

Hawkstriders came surging into the city, on each of them a Ranger, Guard, or even the Elite Spellbreakers, and there amongst them was the King.

He held in one hand Felo’melorn, and in the other the head of a Troll, its neck cauterized as he held both to the sky.

Instantly those that saw it roared clapping and shouting congratulations at the King.

Oh! Grunkle was there too. I only recognized him because his enchanted shield stood out a bit. Each Spellbreaker seemed to have their own slight style differences in their shields and armor.

I guess it fit for the true elites that they were. 

The rest of the army, some on foot having been holding the gate against any charge, fell back, and the large gate closed, once more resealing the impenetrable barrier. 

The entire force marched through the streets to the cries of the citizens. Even I cheered for them, considering what they had just done.

The surprise raids were the only real way to attack we had. 

Using some method, the King and his forces would sneak out, attack, and then charge back. The gate would open and they would flee inside before the Trolls could gather their numbers. 

They were probably only killing dozens, during the raids, and of course losses on our side would be catastrophic, but I think the King was doing it to keep up morale as much as to kill some Trolls.

Twice or sometimes thrice a day the horn would go out over the city telling the citizens the King had returned from a raid.

It was uplifting even to me.

But I knew it was a show. We couldn’t break the trolls as we were. We needed more. Hopefully the King would reach out to the humans soon.

Heck. I didn’t even know if the humans had finished solidifying under Thoradin yet. The timeline was messy and I hardly remembered the exact things.

Either way. I would prepare, and our people would survive.

I moved on once the assault force moved on, crossed the road and hurried to the Ranch area. The Rancher that owned the space had just as many changes as the rest of the city now. 

Some of his fields were now converted into small farm plots, and citizens from the city were paid to work them. Luckily Hawkstriders were still valuable, so Chocobo Too and her family were fine. 

I reached their field and relaxed as I watched the Hawkstriders running around. Most of them were looking up, seemingly confused at the sight of the shield, the sound of rain without the water. 

Even Chocobo was out, she was looking up into the sky looking concerned. 

“Chocobo!” I called out, and while she probably didn’t recognize her name, she did recognize my voice. She came wandering over. Chirping a bit in greeting as she eyed me up, seemingly deciding if she wanted to come closer, but I conjured a muffin, and that got her moving, snagging the treat out of my hands and munching it. 

Then a moment later I jerked my hands back as Chocobo Too came out of nowhere having been hiding behind her mother, running directly under her, and then jerking her head straight up to snap at the chance of a muffin, or just to eat my hand, either or.

“Aaaa!” She demanded, only to get smashed into the dirt a moment later as Chocobo hadn’t liked her snapping near her face. 

“Aaaak!” Chocobo snapped wings flaring and snapping her beak down.

For a moment Chocobo Too actually looked cowed, until she then chirped, got up like nothing had happened and then started crowing at me for a treat.

I gave her a muffin, which had Chocobo glaring at me, and I made another for her.

Then Chocobo Too, despite still swapping her muffin, started croaking for another one, and nearly choking.

These bird brains.

I spent some time with the two of them, but Chocobo, seemingly satisfied that everything was fine, eventually turned around and walked back into the little hut that was her brooding room.

Probably to go warm her eggs some more. Seriously, that bird wanted to do nothing but brood.

“I guess it’s just you and me ChooToo.”

“Aaa!” I rolled my eyes. She was already full. 

—--

“Elune, I know you’re up there, even if I can’t see you.” I prayed looking up into the sky. The shield was practically glowing with how much rain was coming down on it. The storm that had moved in was cool, to see from the other side of a shield, even if the humidity had gotten intense over the afternoon. The lack of moving air and humidity was making it muggy. 

At least the Trolls would be dealing with a full on storm right now.

Either way Elune was completely hidden by the clouds, but I still went up before bed and prayed.

“I wish to fight, to protect my people, to protect my world. But I’m still just a mortal. In order to become a hero I need to be tireless. To be more than just another Knight, or Soldier. Please, I need your guidance.” I whispered, closing my eyes as I focused on the Sparks inside me, and the Mana flowing through me.

I’d been gathering Sparks all day, a handful of them now rested inside me, and I was as full up on Mana as I could get. 

Should I make a Seal? Something that… Drained Stamina from my enemies? It was certainly a potential path, but I didn’t know of any Paladin ability like that.

Did I make an Aura? Endurance Aura was a thing, but that was more a Shaman sort of thing. 

Did I make a spell? None that I knew of would solve the issue of my body being mortal. Of my physical body having a limit, when I needed to surpass any such limit.

I needed… I needed to fight, and keep fighting, and keep fighting even beyond that!

I felt something in me twist, the sparks thrumming in time. 

There could be no tiredness in a battle to protect. I had to become unshakable. Unstoppable. I gathered my Mana and slammed it into the sparks, each one exploding with Light, growing as they drained Mana as they grew into a bonfire inside me.

It was almost painful to hold so much Light inside me, the sparks acting like embers creating a furnace. 

Then because I knew I couldn’t just beg the light, I had to do something else. I gripped all the power inside me.

Squeezing it as tight as I could, holding all that power in place. Yet what was I supposed to do next?

Then I remembered the Healing Halls. 

If I wasn’t sure what to do, then shift my thinking and I could use mnemonics for that!

“Burn away tiredness.” I whispered, still kneeling praying as the power raged against my control.

“Burn away fear.” I felt the Light pulse in time, something was happening.

“Burn away hesitation.”

“Burn… Burn away weakness.”

I felt it. Something was happening, and my grip on the Light was shifting naturally. 

I let it. Holding the light differently, a shifting grip. A spell.

I was forming a spell!

Yet, at the last step it jolted like… Like I was a step away.

No!

I opened my eyes, my body was coated in a light Flame made from Light. I realized I wasn’t seeing just some spell effect, but the Light inside me, slipping out of my body because I couldn’t keep it contained well enough. 

It was raw and unfiltered, and yet…

It flowed out of me, burning away exactly what I wanted it to. 

Tiredness. Weakness. My energy flowing out of me, forming over me, and strengthening me. Protection through my own energy?

“Inner Fire.” I whispered, and the flames flared up, like I’d thrown gasoline on them. Naming it made it real, turned it from an accident into a thing.

And it solidified. 

The flames flared down, still glowing brightly over my skin like fire just the barest hint of the spell active. 

[Spell Learned: Inner Fire]

But that just gave armor, and sometimes a bit of extra attack!? It was a Priest spell… Something about the Dalarans originally discovering it?

Yet… And yet! 

My body wasn’t just protected by the magic, it was coming from within me. The Spirit empowering the flesh. 

My own Fighting Spirit, empowering my body, and my Fighting Spirit couldn’t grow tired like my muscles could.

I clenched my fist. I didn’t feel tired. 

Despite a full day of exercise, despite getting close to bedtime, despite burning through most of my Mana and just going through quite the ordeal keeping the power contained. My body felt ready for a fight.

I felt restored in a way that Healing Magic didn’t. 

The Inner Fire burning away the tiredness, readying me to fight more.

“Haaaaah!” I yelled into the sky arms raised, I’d done it! A solution! With this tiredness was gone, and the biggest weakness as a Paladin might just be solved!

“Hah!?” I jolted at the shout as I looked over. El’Tela was glaring at me from the door, the one that was up on the roof that I had never seen her use. “You had better have a good reason to be yelling at the top of your lungs so late!”

“I-uhhh… I found a new spell?”

Her eyes narrowed, and I swallowed. “Well?”

“It restores stamina? Err well. Makes you not tired anymore?”

“Oh? Show me.” She demanded as she came out, wearing a night robe of all things. I nodded, and took a breath, I had the Mana for it, the spell was a big of a hog though.

“Inner Fire.” I intoned, throwing a palm towards her, and the fire that burst from her skin for a moment before settling down flared up. By the end it was like she had a light glow in her chest, as it flowed out over her skin like water. 

She looked at herself, examining the effect no doubt, her hands opening and closing. 

“This spell… You came up with it?”

“Well it’s more… You try really hard believing it’ll work and throw stuff out until something happens.”

“Sounds like nonsense.”

“Sounds like Light Magic.:”

“Hmph… I feel better.” She said, and to my surprise she stood up right, she often was sort of hunched over and yet as she rose to her full height I realized she was… Tall. 

El’Tela was taller than most High Elves by quite a bit.

“This spell… Is quite pleasant.”

“It’s made so I never get tired when fighting… I’ll be able to fight at full strength for as long as the battle continues.”

“Hmph.” She looked at me, and smiled that little smile she sometimes had, the one that told me she was proud of me. “Well your interest in the Light has always been aggravating, but… It seems there are some useful factors in a different magic source. It seems the spell only lasts about a minute?”

“Oh yeah.” I whispered, feeling my own cast end, leaving me once more fireless. Thankfully my tiredness didn’t return. So it did work as a way to heal the worst of exhaustion. 

“Well, can you make it last longer? Or perhaps, you only need a short burst?”

“Both. A long lasting version that I can cast when I have the chance. As it does give other benefits, and another that is only for a few moments to wash away tiredness.”

“Good. Even if you are using the Light you are still thinking like a Mage. Well… Get to it.” She demanded standing there looking at me, and I realized…

“Yes Grandma.” I sighed, I was gonna be up late training wasn’t I?