Magic Gone Awry – A Slaughter at the Arcane College
Mage Hunters investigate a gruesome murder scene involving four young wizards
Magic is a powerful tool. Without proper training or knowledge, it can spell disaster not only for the spellcaster, but for the people around them. This is a harsh lesson to the elementalist students who foolishly tried to control a primal elemental.
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A gruesome scene was painted in the sanctum, with blood and viscera oozing from the cold stone walls. Spikes protruded from the cracked floors, their tips coated in layers of blood. The air stank of iron, organs, and ozone. The fear and static of this horrific scene caused hairs to stick out among the guards struggling to maintain their constitution. It was an absolute bloodbath – even the most wicked among the death cult could not mirror this brutal artistry.
Four sheets covered the remains of the victims, hiding their desecrated bodies from the stupefied onlookers, held back a distance at the entryway. The crowd made way as Tychon and two of his fellow mage hunters finally arrived at the scene. Not even the seasoned among them were able to hold back a reaction. “Gods, how horrible!” The half-elf mage, Tira, averted her eyes, carefully stepping around as to not stain her robes in the scarlet pools.
“What an absolute shitshow,” the human rogue Horner commented, his boots formed a trail of the red essence as they followed their leader.
The three approached the guardsmen standing before the bodies, “Hey. Tychon with the Mage Hunters,” the half-breed presented his badge of authority – straight and to the point. The quicker they get this over with, the less time they need to spend in this terrible scene. “What happened here?”
“Thank ye for joining us lad,” a stout dwarven man greeted them, “I’m Captain Ironflask,” he offered his hand with a grip like a treant. “As for… this, it seems some sort of magic ritual went wrong. According to the lassie over there, these students were trying to summon an elemental.” He gestured towards a human woman sitting against a clean spot on the wall, cowering her heard under her arms. “She’s awfully in a sour mood as you can tell, so if you got questions for her ya best be easy lad.”
“Is she the only witness?” Horner questioned.
“As far as we could tell, yea.”
“Alright, I’ll go talk to her,” he rotated his shoulder before Tychon grabbed him.
“You should let Tira approach first,” Tychon rebuked in a stoic tone, yet one that discerned Horner’s unpleasant attitude. He stood cold as Tira walked past before they approached from behind.
They could all hear the sobbing of the blonde-haired woman, hiding her face away in her mage robes. Tira gently loomed, extending a hand forward, and gifting a gentle voice, “Hello, I’m Tira, with the Mage Hunters. Are you alright?”
The girl sniffed, and gave a shaky sigh. “Y-yeah. No I’m not hurt or anything…” she wiped her face with her sleeve before turning her wet face upward. She was torn, as anyone rightfully should be after witnessing such a gory scene. The girl saw the extended hand, and hesitated.
“You don’t have to get up,” Tira assured. The student remained silent for a long moment before she asked, “may I sit with you?” The lady nodded.
A long, sincere conversation followed with the distraught student named Kayla. For a moment, they escaped the dire scene before them as they discussed their common background of elemental wizardry. Few are proficient enough to teach the ways around the gift, even with elemental magic. The two naturally shared the same professor. However, Kayla explained her grief, her history with one of the students who was brutally eviscerated – her lover. It was only for a few years, but Kayla knew he was the right one.
Compounding Kayla’s grief, Tira had unsettling memories stir within as she explained her complex history of wizardry, grueling experiences shared between many aspirants when it comes to the ungifted. The damsel confessed, “My friends were right. I should have never come to the arcane college, and I should have never messed with this damned gift!”
***
An eight-year-old girl held a gleeful look of fascination on her face, waving her hands in front of a fountain as orbs of water floated before her. A spirit of wonder flooded her heart as she made the orbs dance in the air, mystically and ethereally tied to the motions of her fingers. Entranced in this newfound feat of magic, she failed to pay attention to a shadow that loomed over her. “Tira!” A human woman exclaimed. Suddenly a loud smack echoed throughout the park. The water droplets fell back in place into the fountain. The young girl was left with a hot red mark on her cheek, with a wide-eyed gaze of shock. “Don’t make me catch you do that ever again!” the woman scolded, and forcibly dragged the young half-elf away. Tears swelled, but somehow knew not to cry, holding back the pain and humiliation she felt after the crushing rebuke of her step-mother. She even felt the eyes of onlookers judging her as she was dragged along. “I will not be raising a filthy slinger!”
It was a lonely life for the young girl, not only scorned by her adoptive mother, but even avoided by her peers. Normally for children of this age, school would have been the best opportunity to meet new lifelong friends. However, the rumors of her gift reached all the children, and caused many complications and drama. In hallways, she frequently heard gossip behind her back.
“Her? She has the gift.”
“Don’t make her mad, or she’ll turn your skin inside-out.”
“Or she’ll make you bleed lava from your eyeballs!”
She was feared for her power, as are many who’ve been granted the gift – and reasonably so. The ability to shape reality at will was alien to the majority of the kingdom of St. Celestine, and the bountiful examples of crimes committed with magic left a lot to be desired. Even the construction of the Arcane College faced outcry. A beautiful and majestic power was sadly tainted by the hands of petty thieves and wicked murderers.
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Horner’s foot tapped as he interrupted the conversation between the two ladies, snapping Tira out of her mind. “Can you explain what exactly happened here?” An air of impatience left his breath. The matter at hand had to be addressed, despite the disapproved brow from Tychon.
“Yeah – of course. My classmates… they thought of some breakthrough to summon a primal elemental.” Tira was visibly taken aback, “I know I know it sounds crazy and dangerous… and it was sadly. But they were so convinced with their theory they just went ahead and tried and… Oh heavens...!” As she held back her sobbing, Tira patted her on the back expressing her support.
“It takes risks to innovate,” Tychon spoke up. “As a former professor of counter magic here at the college, I know that better than anyone.” He knelt down before her with a solemn gaze.
“I’m not in trouble… am I?”
“No of course not. What you and the others did was commendable. However, safeguards are always required. We thank you for helping us understand what we’re dealing with.”
“Excuse me,” a new voice was heard from the crowd, interrupting their interview as he addressed the guards. “May I have a word with the Mage Hunters? I’m professor Maudlin, and I think I could help.” It was the familiar elven man, wearing a red rob.
Tira raised her head. “Maudlin? That’s our old teacher!” Kayla raised her head up, but lowered back down to face the stones beneath her.
“Oh yeah, I remember him.” Tychon added, “You can let him in!” he called to the guards.
The professor walked in, looking around at the disastrous scene before him. His vibrant green eyes then landed on the four covered bodies. “Whose students are they? May I?” Tychon responded with a gesture. Professor Maudlin immediately regretted peeking into one of the sheets. “They’re mine… Oh heavens. I think I’m going to be sick,” the professor turned, swiftly averting his eyes, stumbling away as the gruesome imagery of the dislocated jaw, the gaping stomach wound into his bowels, and the black-charred limbs struck him like a bull.
“Easy now, Eizlan,” Tychon called his first name, extending a hand on his shoulder.
It took the man a minute to regain his constitution, no small feat for civilians. “I’m okay… I’m okay.” He straightened. “Tychon, Tira,” he finally acknowledged, “I prayed to meet you under better circumstances. This is absolutely terrible.” He sombered, shaking his head.
“You know anything about this ritual?” Horner asked.
“I don’t know…” the man stalled, rubbing his temple as he gazed at the concealed corpses, “…what they were thinking. Oh, it pains me to see them like this.” He then squared up and added, “This primal elemental must still be loose. We need to dealt with immediately. If you’ll accept my aid, I generously wish to offer it.”
“If anyone knows how to properly dispose of it, it would be you.” Tychon responded, “very well. And hey, maybe you can teach your old student here a new lesson.” The half-elf mage bowed her head.
“Thank you for your aid, professor,” she added.
However, Horner winced in disagreement. He planted his palm against Tychon’s shoulder, “before we track it down, can I speak to you?” Tychon tentatively agreed to step aside privately. With discretion, Horner kept his voice low, “hey look, we really should not be enlisting aid from civilians and endangering their lives.”
Tychon sighed, “Horner, I understand how you feel. While I’d rather not risk any civilians, Eizlan is a competent elementalist with years of experience. He knows what he’s doing.”
Horner rebuked, “if something happens to him, it falls on us. That’s the last thing we need for the Mage Hunters guild.” Since the founding of their guild, there’s been great tension among the populace. Both the gifted and the ungifted critics have been at odds, and Tychon’s guild has been careful not to stoke the flames while enforcing the law of the land. Horner’s point is sound, as any harm to the professor could tarnish the reputation of this young guild. Whatever complications that may follow after, no one could tell.
Tychon slowly turned to walk off as he responded, “then we won’t let anything happen to him.”
A strategy was forged thanks to the professor’s experience. However, materials were needed. With haste, they explored the library for scrolls, and the vault for potions and other magical items – a majority of which forged and generously donated by brilliant graduates to help enrich the school’s education. Once their preparation was completed, Tychon and Horner took charge leading the party through a series of corridors as his magic infused eyes followed a trail of elemental light only visible to him. The two carried a large arcane lockbox – empty, but unwieldy. A trail of ice, cooled magma, and water rendered the magic sense redundant. Thankfully they ran into no students during their trek, nor signs of blood or conflict, in part thanks to the lockdown order that was commanded. The trail lead them deep down a spiral stairwell. The air became cool and moist, and the gushing noise of the waterfalls loudened as they ventured deeper.
The party found themselves at the entrance of the college’s massive reservoir, enclosed by a wide arcing series of waterfalls. Stone walkways extended at either side. Two inches of clear water filled the area between the pathways, as a submerged well darkened the center. Various metallic apparatuses spread throughout the open chamber, serving as training targets for the student magi. The reservoir was deceptively lonely, as the massive lake appeared still. The trail of stray elements stained the clear waters in a line towards the inner well.
“I see it,” Tychon warned, setting down the box behind him. His glowing eyes caught the profuse essences hidden within the depths, tendrils of brilliant, chaotic colors. “It’s lurking deep within the center well. We’ll have to coax it out.”
“I’ll stir it out with a lightning bolt,” Tira suggested, “whenever you’re all ready.”
“Are your blades enchanted?” Professor Maudlin questioned, “If not, they’ll just bounce right off – here.” With a hand extended, Tychon and Horner brought their tools of war forward.
“Elements, wild, heed my call. With the vicious bite of the tundra bears… enchant this weapon as a freezing fang!” Tychon’s claymore morphed icy blue, with an arctic mist flowing like a haunting ghost.
“And with the grace of the mighty phoenix, embalm these blades with your eternal flames!” Horner, with his dagger and his short sword, erupted in a passionate fire.
“Now,” the professor continued, “normal elementals typically absorb their element. But primal elementals are unstable and can only absorb one element at a time. Strike for a point that isn’t of fire or ice.”
Following his ritual, he unraveled one of the scrolls. Tychon and Horner prepped as well, downing magical tinctures that offered elemental resistance. With the final preparations, they nodded to Tyra, giving her permission. The half-elf unsheathed an ornate black wand. With a séance, she conjured a cackling series of electric stands, bouncing between her palm and the tip of her implement. She carefully studied her aim as the lightning surged through her arms, and then focused at the stub. With a steady aim, she waved her left hand, and the bolt near-instantly struck the center of the well with a deafening crackle.
Like a well-oiled machine, Tychon and Horner made their move, sprinting across the shallow water towards opposite sides. Bubbles emerged on the surface of the inner well, following a deep, bassy tone. Clouds of steam formed, and a head of flames and magma rose out from its depths. Its body was patched together of varying elements as the professor hinted, slowly fading from stones to magma, to fire and lighting, to ice and water – like a patchwork zombie. It had no legs, but instead a whirlwind of storm clouds kept the creature perfectly upright, twisting and winding like a snake’s tail.
Tychon made the first move, hopping on the edge of the well with perfect balance, landing a strike on the massive creature. Up close, he could see it over twice his height. Carving his icy blade across its stones, he captured its attention, and he walked away from the well before lobbing a pouch full of white arcane dust towards the monster.
With one fist of flame, and another of lightning, they came crashing down towards the mage hunter, but he narrowly rolled out of the way. A plume of storming hot and electric elements erupted from the shallow waters in an arc. Horner came from behind with his flaming tools, landing a perfect assault with a backstab and an upward slash through a patch of sand and soot.
Suddenly, its wounds shifted to water, and expelled a hot blast of scalding water against the human, launching him several yards away. The burning pain caught him off guard, but thanks to the tincture, he stood back up with minimal harm.
This opened up Tychon to extend his hand forward, calling forth “Dispel!” With the arcane powder enhancing the potency, the roaring chaotic elements of the primal quelled. Even the winds levitating it caused the beast to stumble. “Now, Eizlan!”
Meanwhile, the professor and Tyra were both channeling separate spell scrolls. Thanks to the efforts of the two warriors, the mages unleashed their plan. “Restrain!” Tira called. Like a gravitational pull, the monster’s arms locked inward. The elemental fell onto its stomach.
The professor’s incantation, however, was more complex, and required just a few more seconds. The monster, however, was not giving up so readily. It wriggled, and echoed a guttural deep groan.
“Banish!” A bright mauve light enveloped the beast, shining brightly as the spell attempted to release it into another plane.
But it was too late. Tychon’s nullification ended prematurely, and Tyra’s spell was resisted. The light of the banishment spell evaporated, and the creature stood back upright – proving its formidable resistance. It roared with fury, raising its now muck and water arms into the air. Suddenly, all the water Tychon and Horner stood on turned to a thick mud. They tried to move, but their feet were caught in the earthy sludge. Tychon had no chance to doge as the massive fist came crashing for him. While braced, the powerful stony hand sent him crashing into one of the training apparatuses, causing it to shatter from the hinges. Horner narrowly got his boot out of the mud, however, he had nowhere to run safely to. Thankfully with Tira’s quick thinking, and with her magic, she was able to transmute the mud into solid, packed dirt, blessing him with a new ground to stand on.
It was an intense dance – a battle as chaotic as the nature of this beast. It was difficult to tell if any progress has been made given how often it kept shifting in its elements. Tychon and Horner brawled with the monstrosity. Keeping its attention was a chore, as the beast had some awareness of the two mages being a greater threat. Despite the mounting injuries, the orc-elf sustained while protecting Horner and the others, his bloodlust still guided his enchanted sword. The elemental crashed a storm of ice shards, boulders, and even molten rock, while their blades chipped away little by little.
However, with its arms of roaring flames extended upward, the professor warned, “Quick! Fall back!” Without questioning, the two warriors ran in haste towards the stone platform. Eizlan raised a wide barrier as the dirt and mud flooring suddenly ignited in a brilliant blaze. Tychon and Horner narrowly escaped to safety as the ravine was transmuted into a harrowing lake of fire.
“Great… now what?” Horner complained.
“Tira,” the elven wizard called, “I have to concentrate on the barrier. You need to redirect the waterfalls to pour into the center.”
“But that’s too much water! I won’t be able to control it all!”
“You’re an outstanding student. I know what you’re capable of.”
“Better do something fast!” Horner warned as the elemental rushed for them.
With quick thinking, and an act of courage, Tychon raised a hand and channeled a spell. His body covered in a yellow aura, and he shot forward like a cheetah towards the beast. With swift feet, he kicked off the flaming hot ground, and with the aid of the tincture he consumed, he minimized the damage as best he could, and the searing pain did not distract him from guiding his chilled blade against the elemental.
Tira had to act fast for her leader’s sake. Her eyes shifted left and right and an idea stirred. She snatched one of the scrolls from the professor’s case. “Patron of the seas, rise!” she called with a hastened ritual, costing the scroll to be burned by arcane feedback. Before her, an azure circle glowed, and from it an amorphous aquatic blob rose, one as big as Tychon. She pointed, silently commanding the water elemental to run clockwise towards the outer edge of the arena. She ran the opposite direction, and with her wand pointed at the surrounding waterfall, the mana flowed and guided the waterfall away from the wall and into the center. Her summoned water elemental mirrored her magic and movement, and with their combined efforts the flamed evaporated in steam as fresh water flooded the reservoir once again.
With the blinding flames quelled, Tychon spotted an opening in the creature’s body. But it turned before even he could react with his arcane haste. “Horner, center-right!” he called for his aid. The elemental’s fists, now of sand and stone, came crashing down on the two. The half-orc sprinted with lightning speed as he grabbed Eizlan, lifting him with ease as they narrowly dodged the strike. The fists that slammed down ruptured the flooring as sharp stony spears rose from the ground that the half-orc kicked off of, retreating the professor to safety. Horner’s reflexes landed his feet on one of these thorns as well, and used the momentum to launc himself towards the monster. With a spin of his torso in mid-air, he landed a cut with his ignited blade against the icy frame, and followed through plunging his dagger deep inside with his left hand in one smooth motion. With a final strike, he hammered the pommel of his short sword against the dagger, and he felt the loud cracking of glass against his bones. The elemental stumbled backward with its bassy groan, and finally toppled over.
Horner landed on a knee, panting heavily. Tychon set the professor down as he fell likewise as the exhaustion and wounds finally burdened him. “Heavens,” the professor gently aided him mid-fall. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Tychon looked ahead and saw a glowing, chaotic light from the corpse of the monster. “Hey, what’s going on?”
The professor turned, and his eyes widened, “The core…!” he left Tychon, grabbed the large box, and ran towards it. Tira and her water elemental met him in the middle. “Tira, help me with the core. Quick!” She used her magic to shift the stones to clear an opening for the core – a large glassy orb shifting in violent hues. The cracks of it spewed a rainbow of smoke. The professor adorned a pair of gloves to protect himself from its searing hot and freezing cold touch, and with help of the water elemental, they lifted the heavy orb, they placed it into the lockbox before sealing it away.
With this raging elemental defeated, the four would love to celebrate in their victory, if not for the damage caused to the reservoir, the looming threat of the arcane artifact currently sealed within the magical box, and of course, the inevitable confrontation with the Grand Wizard.
The blonde-haired human kept her head down as she inched towards the gate. She was fully ready to put this path behind her after some soul-searching following the tragedy of her classmates. It was not an easy decision, for years of knowledge and work was invested in her arcane studies. Her choice would suddenly be questioned when a voice called out to her, “Hey, wait!” She paused, and slowly turned, only to find the half-elf mage hunter who she confided with earlier that day. Tira was covered in dust as she approached, offering words of encouragement, “hey, I understand if you still want to quit. Many times, I did too. But before you decide to leave, know this. You can still do a lot of good with magic.” She placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to alleviate the girl’s stress. A soft smile from Kayla seems to hint a desire to continue, in spite of the trauma she witnessed.
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