Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (153/?) Revised Version 1

(Author’s Note: Hey guys! So as I mentioned in the Author’s Note of Chapter 152, Chapter 153 is now essentially composed of the entire cave encounter scenes, leading all the way up to the Ignalius encounter at the end of the chapter! Moreover, I also wanted to use this chapter to really clarify Ignalius’ attacks at the end of it, and also to build up and fully divulge the whole Cheese Merchant dilemma to Thalmin, as part of the buildup to the action of Emma and Thalmin’s battle with Ignalius and co in Chapter 154! :D By the end of this one, I added like a good 1400-ish words from the original, so I really hope it adds to the action of this scene, as well as the buildup to the encounter with Ignalius and co ^^; Also, just to note, this will be considered the first draft for Chapter 153. The reason being, that my editor still isn’t back just yet, so this is purely my edits and additions this time around! ^^; So next week you can expect a fully edited version of Chapters 152 and 153! :D) 

The Nexus. Near the Geographic Center of the North Rythian Forests. Just Outside the Dragon’s Lair. Local Time: 2130 Hours.

Emma

We stood ready. Or more accurately, we sat ready atop of our respective mounts, despite not really feeling it.

With Ignalius’ under-strengthened scouting party flanking either side of us, we were poised to enter the moment the Shatorealmer finished his inspection of the surprisingly perfect archway that constituted the newly-opened cave entrance.

The bat was quick to fly around, tapping and knocking on several key points of the entrance, pressing his ear against the rockface as he did so, before giving Ignalius the go-ahead with a deferent nod.

“Structure is sound. Scouting party, move in!” She screeched out.

We entered without much fanfare, as I observed the tons upon tons of rock that’d been shattered into neatly cut rhomboids, each having slid neatly sideways, finding themselves nestled off to the side.

The whole drilling operation was, admittedly, a pretty theatrical affair; especially the moment the rocks slid apart in what could only be described as an opening credits moment.

Though just as theatric was the dark void that loomed within.

But thankfully… Thalmin and I both had solutions for this expected encumbrance.

[NVG STATUS: ACTIVE]

Ignalius' compatriots, meanwhile, seemed to have to make do with torches; albeit admittedly enchanted ones that more resembled flashlights.

The motley crew of elves, baxi, and satyrs followed Greer’s commands as they carefully moved into what the EVI was quickly rendering before my HUD-filled eyes.

What stood before me… made me briefly understand what it was cave divers risked their lives for in their death-defying adventures. Brief, being the operative word here. Because in front of me was a cavern so… cavernous, that it at first reminded me of some sort of a massive amphitheatre, or the inside of a silo, or even some sort of a reactor with how many stalactites poked down from the ceiling — resembling control rods in varying states of descent.

There was an undeniable natural beauty to this place, and were I a rock nerd or geologist, I bet I’d be absolutely out of my mind at the whole scene.

Alas, this wasn’t a sight seeing trip, as the EVI was quick to remind me.

We rode in slowly, trailing behind the forward group, as visible elements of the cave were quickly being mapped and charted.

The entrance we started off from quickly descended into a sharp decline down into the depths of said ‘amphitheater’, resembling the grand foyer to some subterranean hall. 

From there, we arrived at a round cavernous clearing, with no obstructions all the way up to the stalactite-lined roof of the cave.

Though it was here that we were met with our first real challenge.

“E-erm, Chief Greer? Which way do we go from here?” A particularly skittish baxi questioned, her tail curling up around her legs, and her ears flat against her skull.

“I count three tunnels—” The dwarf began.

“Four.” Only for Thalmin to interrupt him, confirming that he truly was on my level, at least when it came to sensors.

“There’s one half-hidden behind a pile of loose stones over there.” He gestured, much to the dwarf’s annoyance.

“Right right, four’s four.” He acknowledged under a disparaging breath. “Alright then lads, we’ll split up into three parties—”

“No.” Thalmin urged. “Splitting up — as a friend once so colorfully described — is the worst thing you can do in these situations. Moreover, I think that that—” He paused, pointing to the half-obstructed entrance. “—is probably where we should be looking.”

“That?!” The dwarf guffawed. “Tell me, Dreadwolf… would you have my men digging around rubble all night? I’ll have you know we’re not some second-rate manual laborers!” He bellowed out, garnering a series of nods and nervous affirmations from the group.

“Do you want to get out of here alive or not?” Thalmin countered bluntly.

This managed to jolt the rowdy band of mercs to attention. Their expressions darkened as Thalmin’s thunderous warnings echoed throughout the cavern’s vast stone chambers; each would-be spelunker looking warily for a flag to rally to.

But that flag, unfortunately, proved to be too stubborn to bend.

“Do as you will, freelancers. My men and I will be searching through the more obvious passages.” The dwarf spat back stubbornly. 

“Amethyst dragons thrive in uncompromising terrain.” Thalmin stubbornly defied. “Or did you forget we had to blow a hole to get into its—”

“Enough!” The dwarf interjected. “Enough. There’s a reason why the Captain assigned me to lead this expedition.” He paused, making an effort to gesture towards himself. “A cave is a dwarf’s domain, or were you so sheltered that you forgot that we are the preeminent authorities on this particular subject?” Greer was quick to draw the line in the sand, crossing his arms as his men gathered behind him. “And as with any cave, I can assure you that every path will eventually converge upon each other.” He spoke with a smarmy self-assured grin, before gesturing for his men to split up. “You can waste your time dilly-dallying in front of that blocked off passage. Meanwhile, we’ll sneak at it from behind.” The dwarf added as he turned his back on Thalmin, raising a hand and gesturing back to the prince flippantly. “Until then, good luck.”

Thalmin allowed the dwarf to eventually walk out of sight, before turning towards me with a frustrated snarl.

“Dwarven heritage, psshht. Not a lick of subterranean twang in that topside dwelling accent.” He growled. “No self-respecting dwarf would refuse an opportunity to dig into unknown tunnels. What a complete mockery of dwarven heritage—”

[Alert! Minor Seismic Activity Detected!]

“Thalmin.” I spoke through Thalmin’s work-in-progress earpiece.

“Yeah?” 

“It’s close.” I warned. “Real close.”

=====

Dragon’s Lair. ‘West’ Wing. Local Time: 2145 Hours.

Uthril the Daring

The boss had ordered us to split up between the three passages.

Fine by me.

All we had to do was run after all.

And if there was one thing Uthril was good at, it was—

Ggrrrr…

“Erm, Lipo, you hungry or somethin?” I turned to my Satyr partner, only to find him frozen in place.

“Erm, Lipo? You alright there bud—”

“Run.” He whispered out under a stuttered breath.

“Eh? Lipo, buddy, you aren’t even pointing your torch at the dark—”

I lifted my torch to shine behind Lipo’s ear, hoping to find just more bare rock—

…

But what I saw instead was my own shocked expression, reflected back at me through a single slitted eye.

My whole body ran cold.

Then, I screamed.

“RUUUUUUUU—”

CHOMP-CRUNCH!

=====

Dragon’s Lair. ‘North’ Wing. Local Time: 2147 Hours.

Ganthril the Disparaging

“And then I said: oh no no no, this cheese is far too intense for me! Because frankly, I couldn’t care less for the stinky ones. Now hard ones, yeah, that’s much better. Way less funky and much more—”

“Ganthril, shut up for a mo…” The elf moved to close my maw shut, causing me to jump back, slapping his hand away.

“What the hell, Arlin? Don’t you dare fucking touch my snou—”

“I said, shut the fuck up!” Arlin seethed, as he began shining his flashlight in all directions. “I thought I heard something.”

“Something like what, Arlin? Oh, let’s hear it again for the superior elven ears and your ability to sense way, way more than my poor, scaled, earless head ever coul—”

Crunch.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

…

My heart stopped, as my eyes shot every which way, peering back and forth at the long and uninterrupted passage, but finding nothing.

“W-where the fuck is that coming from?!” I shouted, to which Arlin could only respond with a face of a dead man.

“The walls. It’s coming through the wa—”

CRASH!

SNNAAARRLLLLLLL!

CHOMP!

=====

Dragon’s Lair. ‘South’ Wing. Local Time: 2150 Hours.

Greer the Brave

“Oh, let’s start digging through this blocked off tunnel. Heh, who does he think he is? Telling a dwarf how to navigate through caves?!” I chuckled boisterously, turning back to see my small troupe nodding in equal measures.

“Yeah, the way I see it, Dreadwolf’s just some rich kid playing adventurer. I give him two minutes before he folds. Too scared to be alone in the dark no doubt. He’s probably crying up a storm now while clinging to his little golem bodyguard!” My second in command scoffed.

“You see it too, don’tcha? I betcha those scars aren’t even real! I tell you, these rich adjacent realm merchant houses need to start raising their brats to do what they’re bred to do — sell wares. Don’t give them flighty ideas of traveling the realms or worse yet adventuring through the Nexus. I swear, ever since that damned book was published, we’re seeing more and more of these spoiled brats coming out of the wetwork and marring our good name as mercenaries!”

“Hear, hear, boss!”

However, no sooner were those words uttered did our new greenhorn Baxi raise her tongue. “E-er, ss-sirs, I think I hear—”

“What’s that? Speak up! Can’t hear ya over yer trembling tail!” I shouted back boisterously.

“I think I hear—”

“Louder, girl!”

“I THINK I HEAR SOMETHING COMING, SIR!” She yelled out, her eyes filled with genuine fear.

Though frankly, all I saw was yet another annoying anxiety-ridden episode of the nerves.

“Well I don’t hear nothin.” I shrugged. “Do you, Puri?”

“Nah, boss. Must’ve been the wind or somethin—”

“There is no wind in caves!” The Baxi interjected, her voice growing more manic by the second. “I… I can’t stay here, I can feel it coming! You have to believe me! The Captain chose me for a reason, I can feel things—”

“Yeah, suuuure you do.” I turned to dismiss her, before shooing her away. “Get lost then, but know I’ll dock yer pay if you decide to dismiss yourse—”

The Baxi had turned heel and sped off before I could finish my sentence.

“Ugh. These greenhorns are somethin’ else, Puri. Honestly, I’m considering an early retirement because of this crap…” I groaned in frustration, only to be met with an uncharacteristic silence.

“Puri? Ya good, there, mate?” I turned back, only to find the elf standing completely still while staring down an off-shoot corridor. “Whatcha find down the—”

I stopped mid stride as my boots squelched against a thick liquid oozing across the floor.

I raised my axe, and with another hand, shot off a beam of light into the dark passage Puri was facing.

SNORT!

CRUNCH CRUNCH!

P-THOOOOTH!

Clink! Clink!

My eyes widened in disbelief, then horror, at the gear the beast had spat in front of both me and Puri.

Chainmail, swords, daggers, and even coin.

All… bearing the Captain’s insignia.

“Damn you—!”

CHOMP!

CRUNCH!

=====

Dragon’s Lair. Central Cavern ‘Foyer’. Local Time: 2153 Hours.

Katiya the Coward

I ran.

I ran faster than I ever did in my life.

Faster than when I fled the family farm.

Faster than when I fled that burning ship.

Faster than when I’d met the Duke, Duchess, and—

THWUMP!

I ran face first into dreadwolf. My heart racing as I turned up to face what was potentially the child of a noble who could’ve so easily also be rid of me as easily as—

“Whoah whoah whoah. What’s going on?” The lupinor questioned.

“I— I—. There was! Ah. Ahhhhh! DRAGON! DRAGON COMING! THE DRAGON’S COMING, SER DREADWOLF!” I screamed.

“Okay.” Was Dreadwolf’s only reply, as he nodded once towards his golem, who’d since produced what I could only describe as a modified lance.

“This is going to be tricky…” Dreadwolf sighed out, turning to his fancy pocket clock. “The team topside needs about five more minutes to assemble the trap. How far did you say this dragon was—”

ROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRR!!!

“Nevermind. Alright, we’ll have to buy time, then we’ll head on out. So for now…” Dreadwolf paused, moving up to mount his terrifying kelpie, before lending a hand down towards me. “... you’re riding with me.”

I felt my heart pound hard against my chest, either out of shock, fear, or something else entirely.

But before I could process anything—

CRASH!

ROOOOOAAAAAAAARRRR!!!

—the dragon arrived.

“Wrap your arms around my waist. This is going to be a bumpy ride.” He commanded, and I obliged without hesitation.

From there, I could only watch as chaos incarnate unfolded.

The lupinor-golem pair worked in tandem, starting slowly at first by encircling the dragon that’d found itself in the middle of the cavern.

Slowly, methodically, and unnervingly, they traced a circle around the beast; the gem-encrusted creature snorting soot from either nostril, its head craning left and right, as if taking the time to decide who to go for first.

Seconds swung by slowly, until—

ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!

—the dragon went for the golem.

What unfolded next was a true dance of the dragons, as the beast surged forwards… only to be thwarted by two opposing elements.

The element of speed at the whirring of the golem’s bitreader, and the element of surprise at the daring attacks by Dreadwolf’s kelpie.

Tendrils of seaweed lashed out at the dragon, reaching for one of its limbs as it bound and tugged, forcing the creature to stumble in its step resulting in it tumbling head over heels into one of the passageways.

Echoes of its crash echoed for a second, then another, before as abruptly as a reprieve had settled was the peace shattered by another charge towards the golem.

This time, the kelpie took initiative, trailing path upon path of watery grime across the smooth rock surfaces of the cave floor. I couldn’t process why it was doing this, until memory of my unfortunate stint as a tavern server hit me.

Dreadwolf was attempting to corral the dragon into even more stumbles and falls.

This caused me to grip the lupinor’s waist even tighter, my breath hitching as the dragon seemed just as distracted by the golem as its master, before finally, it fell into the lanes of slippery muck and grime.

…

But nothing happened.

Despite the kelpie’s best efforts, this effort failed, as the dragon surged forwards, now moving back to chasing the golem left, right, and center, all across the cave until they were finally once again facing each other down at opposite ends of the cavern.

The kelpie stood still, as Dreadwolf seemed to utter some unknown commands to his ‘expensive bodyguard’.

The dragon crouched down, and so did the golem as it ‘lowered’ itself tighter onto the blue and white bi-treader.

Snarls echoed from one side of the cavern.

Whilst high-pitched otherworldly whiiiiirrrrs resonated from the other.

No one flinched.

Not even dreadwolf himself.

As the tension in the cavernous space could be shattered by a pindrop.

Then, and without warning—

THOOMP. THOOMP. THOOMP.

Whiiiiiiirrrrrrrr~

—they left their starting lines.

I watched as the bi-treader surged forwards, rushing head-on towards the dragon, lance firmly positioned forward as if ready to joust the beast.

Then, at the last possible second lights brighter than the sun itself pierced through the unyielding dark, blinding the dragon, and even me.

Eventually, my eyes adjusted, as I watched the golem seizing this second of disorientation to its advantage.

It surged leftwards, dodging a headbut from the beast, as it soon became clear its target wasn’t the beast at all… but a rocky ramp with which to—

“NOW!” Dreadwolf yelled, the kelpie’s tendrils shooting to once again distract the dragon, disorienting it further and allowing for the golem to ramp off that rocky outcropping unimpeded, flying high into the air… before landing on the dragon itself.

From there, the golem swooshed its bitreader sideways, as if to stop and gain purchase, before then abruptly abandoning it mid-stride. 

What happened next… was something no one would ever believe, as the golem ran forwards, its heels gripping into the dragon’s back even as it started to sway back and forth, until finally… it leaped towards an amethyst-rich patch of its back, grabbing what appeared to be an artifice lodged firmly within.

“Got it?!” Dreadwolf yelled, receiving a nod but not much else from the golem as it tried its darndest to remain on top of the raging beast.

“Right, it’s time we go—”

ROOOAAAAARRRRR!

The dragon bellowed out once more, now racing for the cave entrance.

“HOLD ON!”

=====

Dragon’s Lair. Central Cavern ‘Foyer’ en Route to Cave Entrance. Local Time: 2159 Hours.

Emma

“HOLD ON!” Thalmin yelled, as I did everything possible and within my power to keep myself lodged on the dragon’s back.

I crawled forwards, gripping crystal after crystal for purchase until I finally found myself perched near the nape of its neck, sitting in what I could only describe in a perfect dragon rider’s position… though without any of the control that should’ve naturally come with it.

It was at that point that I knew that I was just there for the ride, as I gripped onto two crystals firmly, doing everything in my power not to let go, until finally—

“THERE IT IS, RELEASE, RELEASE!” I heard Ignalius yelling, realizing that this was my stop.

Without a second’s hesitation, I promptly let go, landing with two feet and a fisted thump against the rock in what could only be described as my third superhero pose of the night.

The first, being the sideways motorcycle slide down the dragon’s back, was a solid moment I’d saved for posterity. Though the second — the sand worm climb — was up for debate.

It took a moment for me to reorient myself, and a second more for the EVI to assess the extent of any injuries or damage sustained.

[All systems nominal.]

Following which, I finally breathed a sigh of relief, as I leaned against the cave entrance; awaiting the return of both the V4c and Thalmin.

However, I wouldn’t let an opportunity such as this slip me by, as I walked confidently towards the now-downed and wrapped dragon, if only to chastise it with a few choice words.

“Bad, dragon!” I yelled under a muted mic.

=====

Dragon’s Lair. Cave Entrance. Local Time: 2159 Hours.

Thalmin

I’d made sure to grab the spoils of Emma’s travails. 

One, being the bitreader, and the other… being a sizable crystal she’d managed to snap off the beast on her ride to the cave entrance.

A bit of assurance, in case the Captain leaves us high and dry. I thought to myself, as I turned to the Baxi girl just as we were about half way from the cave entrance. “You alright back there?”

“Y-yes.” She responded nervously.

“You know… merc life doesn’t seem to suit you, nor would adventuring for that matter. Have you ever considered doing anything else?”

“I… I’ve tried… a lot of things, S-Ser Dreadwolf. B-but it ne-never works out…” She spoke dourly.

“You should get out of this before you get hurt. At least, away from this dysfunctional troupe I mean.” I advised sternly, before letting out another sigh. “I know that’s easier said than done, but I can at least point you in the right direction.”

I didn’t know what was going through the Baxi’s mind, but what I did feel was her swooshing tail causing Aquastride some annoyance.

“Er, stop that please. Aquastride’s not entirely broken in yet. She… doesn’t like guests on her back, so I wouldn’t move much back there.”

“Ah! E-er, sorry Ser Dreadwolf.” The Baxi responded with a nervous affirmation, before going silent once more.

“Listen, how about you have a bite to eat to calm your nerves.” I offered, pulling out one of those cheese and cracker morsels from earlier. “There, I didn’t touch mine, so—”

“I can’t.” She shook her head firmly.

“Oh? Never heard of a Baxi who was allergic to milk.”

“It’s not that, Ser Dreadwolf. It’s… I don’t…” The would-be ‘merc’ trailed off, her gaze shifting to the side, as if unwilling to divulge what should’ve been a simple explanation.

“I won’t get offended if you refuse, you know.” I offered.

“I-it’s not—” She stopped herself, before finally letting out a sigh, her eyes locking onto my own as I turned back to face her. “Back in my village, we have a cardinal rule. Do not eat from the dead.” 

Those few words caused me to stop Aquastride in my tracks, my attention now firmly locked onto the Baxi.

“What are you saying?”

“I… well… the cheese was not part of our original rations. It was… procured, acquired by Bona Vacantia.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Vacant goods? From a dead man?”

“Y-yes Ser Dreadwolf. My mast—, Er, the Captain found a merchant’s cart full of cheeses during his flight down to scout ahead. He said the dragon probably attacked him. B-but I didn’t see any fire, so maybe it was bandits, but I… I don’t know. All I know is that I’m probably a bit too picky for a greenhorn to be turning down such treats—”

“Was the merchant a kobold?” I asked bluntly.

“I think so?”

“Scale color?” I snapped back.

“Brown, Ser Dreadwolf.” 

I felt my gut twist for a moment, as I clenched my fists tight around Aquastride’s reins.

“Is… something the matter, Ser Dreadwolf?”

“No.” I responded bluntly. “Let’s… just get this whole thing done.”

There was no doubt in my mind as to precisely what had happened.

This was outside of the Amethyst Dragon’s behavioral motives, and there was likewise not a bandit to be seen out in the open roads, especially not in the short time frame between our departure from the cheese merchant. Which left only one suspect in this entire debacle.

I felt a seething, simmering rage boiling within, as I hopped off of Aquastride. A feeling which only intensified while I offered a hand to help the poor Baxi girl down from the passenger seat.

“Did you catch that, Emma?” I spoke under a carefully positioned spell of silence bubble, relaying my findings through the strange conch wrapped around my ear.

“Yes.” Was Emma’s only reply. Though the tone of its delivery was more than enough to fill in what was lacking in words.

CLAP! 

CLAP!

CLAP!

“A wondrous performance! Truly!” Ignalius beamed out, clasping his hands while gesturing towards the squirming and silent dragon. “Your golem is truly something else, Dreadwolf. Quite a remarkable find! Though yourself, having survived an encounter with a dragon? My my my, I think we have a new Dragon-tier adventurer on our hands!” 

“A job’s a job, Captain.” I sighed out in exhaustion, allowing the wariness to mask the seething indignancy within. “Now comes your end of the bargain.” 

“Oh, of course.” The elf acknowledged, as he turned to the Shatorealmer, who promptly snapped a crystal from the incapacitated dragon, before throwing it in my direction.

“If ya want more, give me some time, I’m still securing the catch.” The Shatorealmer offered.

To which I gave no response in kind.

Instead of relief washing over me, I found my guard hardening. The most difficult lesson in royal decorum — one that Thacea had made to look so effortless — was now showing its usefulness in spades as I maintained that stoic visage; not once letting the fires within flicker to the surface. I watched, silently, as the Nexian made his way towards his awaiting alicorn at the foot of the hill, every fiber in me waiting for what was to happen next.

I could feel myself yearning for justice.

But Emma’s cautious words prior to this, her call for no bloodshed, still held true.

The mission had to come first.

We couldn’t draw more suspicion if we didn’t need to.

Though… part of me wished there could at least be ‘just cause’ for the righting of wrongs, here and now.

“You know… I did say that I met two freelancers — one if you don’t count the golem — along this journey.” He began in his signature singsong voice, almost playfully so. “I didn’t mention whether or not they survived the dragon encounter.” He quickly added, before raising a wand in our direction.

“LOSANTIA!”

=====

Dragon’s Lair. Cave Entrance. Local Time: 2200 Hours.

Thalmin

And there it was.

The call of hubris.

I watched as time slowed to a crawl, and a wave of pure, channeled mana surged forwards towards the both of us.

There was no question what it was.

The fool even needed to focus his attack by using the spoken word as a crutch, not to mention the wand in his hand as a literal compensator for his weak magics.

The pure magical attack slammed into our position as a tidal wave would against rocky shores, as the impact was without a doubt… spectacular.

Blinding waves of reverberating mana rippled against the manastreams, making it difficult for any chosen one or non-mage to see the immediate effects of this attack.

To Ignalius and his men, these first few seconds would’ve looked indistinguishable from a successful assault, a complete obliteration of manafields and aura alike, leading to a violent end by harmonization, or mana sickness, or perhaps even a forceful untethering by the sheer force of said attack.

Indeed, the ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ from these lowlives proved that the ensuing seconds was yet another spectacular display of complete and utter dominance from their dear Captain.

But then, the fantasy faded.

And in its wake… was the harsh realities of a mage scorned.

=====

Dragon’s Lair. Cave Entrance. Local Time: 2200 Hours.

Emma

I knew it.

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 350% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

I fucking knew it.

The next few seconds proved critical, as a beam of concentrated mana surged forwards, poised for the both of us.

The prince stood still, and so did I, and even Aquastride as I observed an equal and opposite rise of background mana radiation—

ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 400% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS

—but this time, from Thalmin’s end.

The EVI’s wand imaging systems practically fried in an instant, as what had been weather-vane like visualizations turned into utter static at the chaos of the two pure-magic spells crashing against one another.

It took a second for the ‘dust’ to settle, but in that second, I’d wasted no time in warming up my counteroffensive.

One which was days in the making.

KA-THUNK!

[RAILGUN CHARGE NOMINAL. CHARGE CAPACITY 100%.]

WHIIIIIIRRRRRRRR!

With the external mics still turned off, but broadcasting solely to Thalmin’s earpiece, I spoke with a reluctant malice.

“Hey, Iggy. I cast: gun.”