Allanther

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 33

I found Alred snoring in a bed, filthy and surrounded by bottles of wine. Some bottles were empty, and others were half-full. I could see a couple had been flung at a wall and shattered. The one still grasped in his hand was tilted and slowly making a puddle on the bed, one which the man slept through unnoticed.

My former assistant looked drained. As if all the vitality in his body had been pulled away by a parasite. I stroked my beard in thought as I took in these sights, only interrup...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 32

I didn’t know what to expect when I stepped through the gateway behind Alred’s three apprentices, but we entered into a long hall inside a building made entirely of quartz. Around the walls, I could see other portals, larger than the one I crossed opening and closing as they allowed all sorts of people and animals to cross. Most were coming through, bringing people and goods who formed into a herd that headed out in one direction—an empty space that appeared as though an entire wall had...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Interlude 3 of 3 - Loralie

I watched Nemon leave the laboratory with a smile, one that turned bitter when he left. Grena and Pyl were both continued on in their discussion of the mirror, questions that the wizard had brought up to push them in a new direction. I almost allowed myself to be baited into it as well, the artifact we had created was as interesting as it was novel. I snorted and shook my head.

He was so arrogant and self-centered. I spent weeks working from dawn to dusk on altering that curse and he ha...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 31

Inside Pyl’s laboratory, I was surprised to see that both Loralie and the other witch, Grena, were already present. He had redesigned nearly the entire room after our last meeting here, and I was pleasantly surprised at the level of organization I saw. The bones had all been sorted into different bins, stacked atop one another with clear labels. The death crystals were also sorted by size, with stone shelves cut into the alcove that had been created. He had a small library of tomes and scro...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 30

For four days I searched the doorways of Lightning magic from the comfort of a couch and with a glass of wine in hand. I knew how I appeared to the others, a wizard sipping wine and gazing blankly as if I had no concerns at all. I found and learned several powerful spells, though whoever had created them had given them presumptuous names. 

[Heaven’s Descent] was a fifth-tier spell that called nearly three dozen lightning strikes to hit the earth. It wasn’t the ideal spell, as i...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 29

I awoke mid-morning feeling more well-rested than I had in weeks. My decision to rest before pursuing the next Authority was a good one. The fact that I hadn’t taken off my pants upon arrival and actually slept with them on was proof enough of that. It only took me moments to change from my travel attire to a more comfortable cotton robe dyed to a solid blue and patterned with defensive runes. It was something I had commissioned to adventure in. The runes only provided a small modicum of pr...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 28

My tower was a welcome sight as I flew towards it. I hadn’t come directly home, but instead had flown in several circles and changed my wardrobe midair. It wasn’t my finest moment to do so, even hidden inside a cloud, and the lack of propriety had left my cheeks burning with shame. Still, I feared something from that horrid jungle country might be able to track me by scent alone, and had an air elemental carry my travel robe all the way to the western mountains. 

I had made a q...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Interlude 2 of 3 - The First Prince

The sun shining off the tall gates of Sena City was a welcoming sight, despite my grievance in returning. Home would always be home, and the Castle Sena had long been that, but I didn’t look forward to returning. Castle life had made me soft, I realized that now. The perfumed sheets and eager servant girls inspired laziness compared to the furs and whores I suffered during the war. I was no longer bitter about the change in lifestyle, and now looked forward to staring down at my many brothe...

Poll - Second Magical Authority

As you read in the last chapter, Nemon's feeling the pressure. He'll need to select his next magical authority soon. Options are below!  

A comment option with enough likes might break into the ones I have here.

(Or - if you just think of something funny (and not R rated), feel free to share!)

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 27

Of course, he bounced right off my defensive wards. If I fell to every physical attack that came my way, then I would have long ago perished. It would take a creature the size of the hydra broodmother or larger to strike me through my wards. Cyrus, the vampiric gnome, looked more surprised at his own actions than he did that he bounced off my wards. The wee little fellow glanced down at his hands in shock, as if they had acted on their own. 

That, of course, was the last time I loo...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 26

It wasn’t difficult to defeat the animated weapons and shields so that I could land at the opening of the cave. A few strikes of low-level lightning bolts shattered the copper into smoldering pieces. Most dungeons I had entered had a hall or foyer that was devoid of traps or enemies, usually with some sort of warning. This one didn’t, but I simply assumed that it was due to my spell cutting the dungeon in half. 

It made me curious as to what might happen to the other half. Were...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 25

The fools didn’t wait until I was done. I was only mildly disappointed. I had hoped for more wisdom. Instead, they attacked as soon as it seemed I was in the midst of crafting the spell. Likely, they hoped for a magical backlash that would render me defenseless. 

Yet, when I saw the look on their faces, it had been sufficient notice to prepare my spell in a way that tied off the spellcraft while casting. I wouldn’t need to monitor it. The manaflow was directed directly from my ...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 24

I raced through the air back the way I came with such speed that the land blurred beneath me as I traveled. Only the change in greenery that marked the Tervan capital brought me back from the state of panic I had allowed myself to fall into. I hovered there for a moment catching my breath and looking down on the city from above.

The last time I had felt anything close to fear like this was when I returned from my experiments over the canyon of hydra. Then, my body had reacted without my...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 23

In my excitement, I had flown northeast for more than an hour before I stopped. Belatedly, I remembered my intention to head south into Tervan and lift some of the jungle people’s towns or villages onto plateaus. My return south was circuitous as I traveled outside the area I had found the alchemist rather than experience any awkwardness that might come should he see me again.

It was almost morning when I arrived at the shattered lands and saw the thick jungle from where I had flown, ...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 22

Though his last words had granted him my undivided attention, I forced my face into as neutral expression as I could manage. Of course, I suspected another trap or perhaps an assassin, I was certain that there were very few who knew of my interest in such pursuits. Regardless of whether he was an assassin or not, I was too tempted by the offer to depart.

“Oh?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could manage.

Thankfully, the alchemist didn’t seem to notice anything and had already ...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 21

Night had fallen by the time I departed. The two gargoyles that had accompanied me so far, stopped in their circling of the tower to fly by either side.  I rose into the sky and headed immediately westwards. The maps I had told me I was headed through the lands of Baron Pulk and further west were the lands of Count Hirkley.  

Baron Pulk had been one of the nobles at the Duchess’s ball who had requested I lift his villages and towns, though he had also told me that many of th...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 20

As I departed my tower, I didn’t see the Prince and his entourage still on the cliffs. It was a mild relief to know that among the young man’s people was someone intelligent enough to see them down from such a minor height. A part of me had feared that the Prince surrounded himself with others of his intellect and they were in the midst of starving from a height that warrior classes should have been able to jump down from.

The Prince’s absence did remind me of the two missives the...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Interlude 1 of 3 - Baron Froom

I sat at the edge of her bed, listening to her shuddering breaths, but I had a hard time looking at my love. Instead, I found myself staring at my hands. Once strong and full of life, now they were wrinkled and spotted. I hadn’t looked at my hands in a long, long time.  Really looked, with intent. Now that I was, I realized that they weren’t familiar anymore. 

It was a part of life to age, I knew that. Yet, it had always been something in the back of my mind as I pursued t...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 19

Three days passed by in a blur of excited experimenting. I berated myself for being annoyed at the interruption in my plans, as the inspiration I felt from seeing such a powerful monster was more than enough to replace whatever tiny ideas I had beforehand. Feelings of impatience were something I still struggled with often, despite my relative age.

The first experiments with petrification that I tried were all dismal failures, unfortunately. Breaking off a limb and repairing it back usin...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 18

I had just seen the young woman out and was six steps down the stairwell when I heard her scream. I stopped mid-step, and my foot hovered in the air as I considered my next course of action. Of course, I should go see what she was screaming about. Yet, in my heart, I simply wanted to keep walking down the stairwell to reach the laboratory I hadn’t set foot inside for several weeks. It called to me, as new ideas for experiments swirled in the back of my mind, like words on the tip of my tong...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 17

I didn’t know whether I should have felt guilty for petrifying Orwell.  My smile was enough for him to realize that he should take his place along the wall for petrification, but the only thing he said was a whispered ‘how did he know?’ said so softly I knew it wasn’t intended for me. That made me confident in my assumption that he wasn’t what he claimed to be.  

In fact, I wasn’t certain exactly who he was. He could have been a spy, an assassin, a thief—I wasn�...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 16

The several days of my trip back to my tower were ones of quiet contemplation.  I stopped to raise more than fourteen different towns and villages along the way, but none took anywhere close to the power I used to lift the City of Eiston. I also raided three different dungeons for their dungeon cores. 

Only one was of the same size as the one I had taken from the Mirktallean mage, but I could use the smaller to experiment with before the bigger.  

The concept of hav...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 15

I nodded in response to his statement.  The man wouldn’t have sought me out here above the city, if he didn’t believe it was needed. 

That didn’t stop my current tasking, though.  I had already mentally modified the spell so that it could raise not only the town but the terraced hills around it.  It would take the majority of the mana available from my tower, and half of my own to complete.  In any other circumstances, I would feel wary enough to double my...

New book available for pre-order!

For those of you who don't know, I have another story called An Old Man's Journey that I've been working on getting published.  It's been a long time coming, but it's finally close to ready.

Blurb:

At the end of his life, Charles was left with one question: What was it all for?

After his tour of duty and an unremarkable post-Army business career, Charles spent his twilight years watching old movies and waiting for his grandkids to call. H...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 10

I scowled as I put on my robe, a white, silken thing with elaborate metallic frills that chimed when I moved. It was a gift from a lady I had courted once, a memento of easier times when I had fewer responsibilities.  A glance at the mirror in my room showed me that I looked as weary as I felt.  The efforts of the past week had taken a toll, and I had only today to see to a number of things before I prepared to travel.

I sighed as I took one last sip of wine from the goblet an...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 14

Before the mage made three steps towards the door, the Duchess’s commanding voice rang out, “If you leave this room, I’ll have your head on a pike.”

The bloodmage stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the Duchess. His face turned slowly to look back at her.

She gave him a vicious smile, “You aren’t in Tervan. My citizens would cheer your death.”

“Great and honorable Douchess,” he began through clenched teeth, though he didn’t move from where he stoo...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 13

The tables were laden with all sorts of delectable treats that I hadn’t seen since I moved from Sena City.  I directed the servant stationed there to load my platter with such joys as boiled Birktoni snails, candied yams, and fried clams fished from Laxton Bay.    The aromas mixed together in a way that made my mouth water, and each was presented in such a fashion as if the cook were not just making food but art.  

I also had four different rare vintages to ch...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 12

I stood at the entrance to the dungeon doing my best to contain the urge to stare in amazement. 

I had seen a lot of things in my long life, but this was a reminder that I had not seen it all.  Of course, I couldn’t let the emotion show on my face. 

Beside me, Philipe stood as well. 

Every few seconds he’d glance nervously at me and then return his gaze to the sight that captivated us both.

Past the barrier into the dungeon, in its main circular...

Wizard's Tower - Arc 3 - Chapter 11

“You came to my tower for entertainment?  You were not tasked with delivering a message? No one sent you to me?” I asked in disbelief. I ran my hand through my beard and the metal hanging from my robe’s sleeve chimed lightly.  I glanced at the servant and guard behind them, but their stony faces gave no hint of mirth. I looked to my left and right, but none of my council seemed any less bewildered than I felt.

The child scoffed before answering.  He had a thin body ...

Arc 3 interlude options

I will only be doing three interludes this arc, but you all get to choose!