I stepped into the light.
Warm bands of gold washed over me, enveloping my body in healing energy. My wounds, those endured after a long day dispatching Were-Squirrels, were mended by luminous threads as they weaved through flesh and soul. Revitalized and restored, I was made whole once more.
The light-shower dissipated, lone sparks lingering in the air like fireflies. I fetched my pack, plucked a ripe plum from the branches of a Elyrian Elm, then continued along the forest path. It would be dark soon, and I needed to reach an inn.
As a servant of the Light, I was sent to dispel the darkness, but I couldn’t do that without a proper night’s rest. That might prove difficult tonight — fresh excitement stirred in my belly. I imagined all the wondrous adventures that lay ahead, the people I would help, the sights I’d see. This world was still new to me, and its mysteries a siren’s call.
An upturned root ensnared my foot, and I stumbled. Foolish tree, not knowing where it’s roots should be. I dusted myself off, allowed the brief wave of vertigo to pass. It would take time to accustom myself to the strangeness of this place.
Thin shafts of sunlight filtered lazily through the thick canopy, but it was insufficient for traveling at this hour. I tapped my staff against the ground and the crystal orb perched atop glowed a soft white. My path was clear now, and I trudged onward, grumbling about the impudence of the local flora.
The staff served multiple purposes, offering both a handy walking aid, and being the conduit through which I channeled my Light Magick. It also made for a good thumping-stick in a pinch, which is exactly what happened when that big oaf came stumbling out of the briar.
“Hey!” One of his gauntleted hands reached up to steady his helmet, silencing the gong noise it made, the other raised toward my staff. “Stop, I’m a good guy!”
Fortunately for him, he was clad head-to-foot in full Prestyrium Armour — not even a dent made where I bonked him. A Knight then, and judging by the overly ornate plate mail he wore, one of considerable rank. A Knight of Last Bastion, perhaps, renowned heroes of the realm.
“What were you doing in there?” I demanded, clutching my chest. “Zyur’s Light, I nearly smote you!”
“Apologies, good Light-Weaver,” his deep voice rumbled as he bowed. He removed his helmet, revealing a wide grin and tourmaline green eyes. Scrapes and scratches marred his otherwise handsome face and his hand pressed against a wound on his stomach. “I was clearing out a bandit camp when I was ambushed by a pack of Crawling Thorn-Harpies. Nearly lost my eyes in the scuffle!”
“Oh.” I shrugged. Charisma was not my strongest trait. “Well, looks like you’ve still got them. So… that’s good.”
Stupid.
“Indeed!” His booming laugh tugged at my lips, drawing out a reluctant smile. His eyes traced my silhouette, just as a gust of wind caught my billowing robes and lifted them almost to the height of immodesty. He held me with an intense gaze. “I am most grateful they did not.”
My staff shone a brilliant white, momentarily drawing his attention away. “Um… would you like me to heal you?” I asked, as if the glow were voluntary and not at all tied to my heightened emotions. Times like these, I wished my staff did not have a mind of its own.
“Please.” He knelt, head bowed.
I pressed the staff’s orb to the man’s forehead, working my healing energies through the instrument and into flesh. In a literal flash, the Knight was healed. Just a superficial spell, enough to have him on his way without bleeding out on the forest floor, and not so much that I’d be exhausted and useless after. He stood, smiling. Expectant.
A fist-sized pendant had fallen free from beneath his breastplate, clattering against the polished metal. A clunky thing, and garish; a twisted feather of pink and orange and yellow sealed in amber. The stone flickered as it caught sunlight, the colours shimmering as though the pendant held a tiny plume of flame. Mesmerizing, almost — a trick of the light.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing at the hideous artifact. I’m sure I made a face.
“A lucky charm.” He shrugged. His eyes never left mine. Intense.
Awkward.
“Okay, well… good day to you.” I nodded and scurried off, stowing the obnoxious staff within my robes. The orb’s light shone dimly through the gauzy fabric. Haven’t been in this world one day, and I’m already embarrassing myself.
“Would you like an escort?” He called after me.
“Be well!” The path rounded and I was out of sight.
Curse it all!
I had walked in circles for hours. The only light left in that miserable place came from my staff and the few strands of moonlight that managed to sift through the thick forest ceiling above. That was now the third time I passed the gnarled-up Boona Boona tree and my frustration was rising. I recognized the pattern created by the tiny pink blossoms in its branches: a tiny rose-coloured constellation of Dian Gecht, the Lost Healer. How appropriate.
I leaned in closer, hoping I could divine some clue from this vexing bush. The fragrant blooms held notes of honey and fresh rain. Fresh, earthy. Pleasant, even.
But entirely unhelpful.
Worst-case scenarios flooded my mind. Perhaps I’d be spending my first night in this new land alone in a darkened forest, defenceless and exposed to whatever creatures skulked in the shadows. I’d be done in by poor navigation before my adventure had ever truly begun, the mad wizard I’d been tasked to vanquish never even knowing I’d been here… no, such a shameful fate would be unbearable.
I surveyed the area, looking for a sturdy tree with high branches. Something with a perch high enough that whatever lurked out there would be unable to reach me. I pressed the light of my staff forward, probing the darkness for a safe haven. My breath caught. A pair of eyes stared back at me, giant crimson orbs. Below that, teeth glinting in the light.
So many sharp teeth.
I raised my staff, frantically searching my mind for a shield spell, something to defend myself from… whatever this beast might be. But it was too quick, a streak of black lightning that struck me down in an instant. Giant claws pinned my arms to the ground as its hot breath poured over my face. My weapon clattered out of reach, the orb dimming as it fell away from my touch and retaining only a meager glow — but enough to reveal my foe: a Shadestalker.
Zyur, help me…
In an instant I’d be dead. The stench of its breath, like rancid meat and wet dog, stung my nostrils and all I could do was close my eyes, unable to stare down the face of doom. If only I had been faster, if only I had thought to cast a Coruscating Cleansing spell, but I was trapped and —
The creature howled, its unearthly drone driving deeper into my bones than even its daggerlike claws could reach. It leapt off, and I flinched in expectation of the deathblow to follow. But I was wrenched away by a pair of hands, their grip sure and strong. Pebbles and twigs scraped my back as I was dragged to what I hoped would be safety. I dared open my eyes.
The beast was larger than I’d thought, and it continued to wail as it clutched at its muzzle. An armored hand thrust my staff against my chest and I held it close, staring skyward in confusion. “Hurry, Light-Weaver, get up. Dispel the forest daemon before it recovers!”
A familiar voice. Couldn’t be…
The same hands that snatched me from the brink of death now hauled me to my feet. I glanced at my savior… it was him, the scruffy Knight. He stood in haphazard armour with helmet and pauldrons entirely missing, likely roused from his sleep by the beast’s infernal howling. Jaw was set, resolute; his boyish smile lost to a menacing scowl. His sparkling green eyes held the beast in place.
“The Light!” He shouted.
His urgency roused me from my dazed stupor. I pointed my staff at the Shadestalker just as the creature regained its wits and snarled in our direction. “Luminem Abigo Nox Malignus!”
The crystal orb flared a brilliant white, its flash of energy vaporizing the monster instantly and washing the Knight and me in warm tranquility. Nothing remained of the creature but a pile of ashes and a puff of black smoke that twisted into the air before disappearing into nothingness.
I staggered back, exhaustion hitting me like a blacksmith’s hammer to the chest. Such a high-level spell took great focus and an even greater amount of strength, and without warning I was able to muster only the barest offerings of either. My hand found stability on a strong shoulder, and I let myself be guided back to the Boona Boona tree. I collapsed against the trunk, and exhaled. My staff dimmed.
“You’re powerful,” he said, smiling down at me, his copper hair tousled by the cool night breeze. “Truly you did not need the interference of a lowly Knight. My apologies.” A deep bow.
“Stop that.” I used the sleeve of my robe to wipe the sweat and that creature’s saliva from my brow. My pristine white robe came back yellowed and sticky. I grimaced at the sight and caught the Knight snickering at my soiled garment. I ignored it. “You saved me. I owe you my life.”
“Nonsense, Light-Weaver.” He shook his head, adamant. “The Shadestalker would have been after me soon enough, and he’d have found me quite defenseless against his Dark Magicks. Once again, it is you who has come to the aid of this most grateful Knight.” He knelt. “I am in your debt.”
I stashed the staff, smothering its intensifying glow in the folds of my robe, hoping that the diminished light might make it more difficult to see the burning blush creeping across my cheeks. I cleared my throat. “How did you know I’d be here?”
“Followed you.” The Knight rose, his smile brighter than ever. “You struck me as a traveler unfamiliar with the area, so I feared you might be unaware of the dangers lurking within this forest. I should have realized you were no mere ordinary Light-Weaver.”
I waved the platitudes away. “Well for all my mastery of the Radiant Arts, it has proven quite insufficient in lighting my way out of this place, hasn’t it?”
His laugh, genuine and filled with relief and good humour, did little to set me at ease. In fact, I’m sure my blush intensified.
“Where’s the inn?” I asked, before my face could turn as red as a fresh Royal Beryll’Norai Tomato.
“About 4 hours that way.” The Knight gestured in the direction of the monster, or what remained of him. “Unless you have a steed somewhere…”
“Zyur help us…” My head slumped forward. The thought of another four hours of travel crushed my spirit. “And more of those dreaded Shadestalkers between here and there, no doubt.”
His hand found my shoulder. “You know, you might have better luck if you weren’t waving that glowing rod of yours around, attracting all manner of demonic creatures like moths to the cute little spark.”
Cute? Did he say cute? I stared up at him incredulously. Were those dimples?
“Indeed, it does appear that my flame attracts all manner of unwanted attention,” I offered a smirk of my own, but it was only met with a frown as he pulled his hand away. Oh. No wait, that wasn’t what I meant…!
“I’ve got a tent strung up.” He looked back over his shoulder and pointed off into the darkness. “It’s a little tight, but… perhaps you could cast a ward to keep the lesser evils at bay? We’ll be safe there, more or less, and I can show you to the inn in the morning.”
I nodded quickly. Too quickly I’m sure, but I had resigned myself to being a useless pile of graceless discourse at that point. Or perhaps I was too tired to care.
“What’s your name, traveler?” He held a hand out and I took it, allowing him to pull me into a standing position.
“Ignacius,” I told him, brushing the stray leaves from the hem of my robes before thrusting my hand out for a shake. “Ignacius Praesidium, Warden of Light and apparently helpless traveler. And you, my good Knight?”
The man knocked my hand aside, laughing to himself. Without warning, he pulled me into a warm embrace and I swore I felt one of my ribs crack. Heard it, too. But his smell, like smoke and sweat and sandalwood, made the discomfort soon forgotten.
He released me, bowing deeply before mesmerizing me once more with those curious green eyes. “Well met, Iggy! Ser Jarek, at your service.”
He winked.
We never did make it to the inn. Didn’t need to.
With my wards and his keen senses, we were never caught unawares during the deep hours of darkness. Ser Jarek kept a vigilant watch, insisting I always be first to sleep lest my powers be needed to dispel another Shadestalker, or worse. But in the nights that followed, there were only a small handful of impromptu Magick battles. How they began, I would not know — I would unfailingly be roused only to find the good Knight on the brink of death.
Stubborn fool thought he could do it all himself.
One night, I woke to find him covered in blood, his left arm torn clean off. The madman was actually using his severed appendage as a sort of crude bludgeon, attempting rather unsuccessfully to fend off a pair of Barklings that had managed to steal away his sword.
“I’ve got this, Light-Weaver,” he called out, grunting as one of the twisted tree spirits tore a grisly chunk of flesh from his thigh. “Please don’t trouble yourself!”
Heart pounding, I dispatched the vicious plant creatures with a Dazzling Destruction spell before tending to his grievous wounds. Luckily, he made a full recovery, save for a strange tick that caused him to pinch me at the most inopportune times. To be honest, I’m not sure it was entirely involuntary.
His chivalrous behaviour was sweet, in a way. But stupid. If he weren’t careful, he would get himself killed. And for what? Me, a stranger?
But I found the strangeness of our arrangement soon fading like the morning fog, cast aside by the persistence of his indomitable spirit and that damned vexing smile. Like the cathartic rays of dawn’s first light, I could count on that smile greeting me every morning and cutting through the remnants of whatever nightmares haunted me.
Watching him now, stolen away for a much-needed afternoon nap under the shade of a Viridian Pine, I began to question our arrangement. I couldn’t afford to grow dependent on this man, on anyone. Wardens of Light are solitary creatures for a reason; where we must go, others cannot follow. But he was willing to lay down his life for me, to protect me no matter the cost to himself.
Was I willing to do the same for him? The answer frightened me.
Yes.
I had gained a companion on that fateful evening lost in the forest, a noble champion to assist me on my charged crusade to rid this world of darkness. Ser Jarek was truly a steadfast Knight of impeccable moral fortitude, with combat skills like I’d never seen. Why he had ever decided to take up my quest, knowing full well the dangers to come, I’ll never guess, but I was grateful. His work with sharp blade kept our bodies healthy, and his sharper wit kept our hearts full. And me? I lit the way, with the occasional reattachment of severed limbs when needed.
Ser Jarek rolled over, his snoring growing so loud that birds scattered from the trees as though a very large predator were roaring beneath them. I laughed, pulling the hood of my robes up over my head in a dismal effort to drown out the noise. I didn’t mind. It gave me a chance to appreciate his coppery locks, like the sun at first light. Or to count his freckles that danced and twitched as he thundered through his sleepy song.
A happy sigh crossed my lips. I’m not sure when it happened, or how, but I had grown quite fond of this man’s company. There was something special about him, something that drew me in. Like a moth to the cute little —
I shook my head. Focus.
But I couldn’t. Insidious shadows tugged at my resolve and I couldn’t stop thinking about the day we’d be inevitably forced to part ways.
And that day would come sooner than I expected.
The fight ahead would prove unlike any before it.
Ser Jarek and I had many battles to our name, standing shoulder to shoulder against all creatures of darkness the mad wizard had thrown at us. But it was time to rid this world of the scourge that plagued it. Malefraxus was going to die.
“Iggy, is that him?” Ser Jarek nodded to the raised dais upon which a rather bedraggled figure stood in a black cloak. Around him, dark energies swirled and pooled, consuming the Light with voracious hunger. He was facing away from us at the moment, but I was confident that even were he looking this way, he’d be unable to see us beneath my intricately woven spell of braided Light.
“Shhh,” I whispered, poking Ser Jarek in the soft spot beneath his breastplate. “Keep your voice down. Just because he can’t see us, doesn’t mean he can’t hear us. And let’s see… we climbed the Umbral Tower, each floor filled with ravenous Shadestalkers and various other unholy abominations, and have now reached the top where we’ve found some crazy old man surrounded by weird shadows.”
Ser Jarek simply smiled, his emerald eyes losing none of their lustre to the evil wizard’s magic.
I shook my head and sighed. “Yes, that’s him.”
“You know, for a Weaver of Light to reach this far, I expected someone a little… taller.” Malefraxus turned to us, his eyes like Void Orbs that tugged at our souls. His crooked black smile carved a jagged tear through the desecrated husk of his face, shaded by his dark hood. He strode towards us. “And you’ve brought a friend. How cute.”
“Dammit,” I muttered. “So much for the cloaking spell.”
“Hold, villain!” Ser Jarek strode forth, placing himself in front of me, his polished shield held high and glimmering with enchanted luminescence. “Your insidious machinations will torment this world no more. Ignacius the Lightborn, Warden of Light will be your undoing, and I shall see that no harm comes to him as he delivers justice swift and terrible upon you!”
The dark wizard stared at the proud Knight, standing confident and imposing before him. I, too, couldn’t help but marvel at my companion’s audacity, but perhaps the bluff had paid off?
Nope.
Malefraxus’ raucous laughter boomed throughout the cavernous room, shaking the dusty tomes on their shelves and causing all manner of arcane equipment to clatter about on their tables. He leaned to the side, around Ser Jarek, peering at me with eyes squinted and hands clasped over belly. “Is this dude serious right now?”
For a moment my face burned with embarrassment, though it was soon eclipsed by the cold fury smoldering in my stomach. A righteous fire ignited, growing within me and consuming my senses. That this wretched neophyte magician would dare speak in such a manner to a noble Defender of Light…
“Please,” Malefraxus snorted. “Out.”
With a wave of his gnarled fingers, the mad wizard conjured a pair of shadow tendrils from the ground that wrapped themselves around the waist of Ser Jarek before hurling him against a bookshelf. The ancient furniture collapsed on impact, showering the Knight with splinters and yellowed pages of musty parchment. He groaned, and did not get up.
“You see?” The wizard cackled. “Insignificant. Another light snuffed out by — ”
“Aurum Relagatio!” I held my staff aloft, the orb’s effulgence driving the menacing shadows back to the stinking recesses from whence they came. From above the startled wizard, golden chains appeared, entwining themselves around his wrists and pulling them outward, taut. Malefraxus hovered inches off the ground, suspended by my binding spell.
“You can’t stop this, Lightborn!” He sneered at me. “All must return to the shadows!”
I ignored him, racing over to my fallen companion. “Ser Jarek!”
Another groan. He lifted his head as I reached him, that damnable smile still plastered stubbornly on that gorgeous face. But the smile soon fell away, twisted in an expression of terror that I would’ve never believed could befall so fearless a warrior. The verdant joy in his eyes, his Light, was smothered, clouded over with a crepuscular veneer.
“Iggy…” He reached out to me, pleading. Then he collapsed. His light gone out. Dead.
“What have you done?” I cried, whirling back to face Malefraxus.
Violet smoke spilled from the Voids of his eyes, trailing along the floor before reaching Ser Jarek. The demonic sorcerer laughed, the peals of chaos shaking me to my core and I could only curse myself. He didn’t need his hands, idiot. How foolish. Utter recklessness that got Ser Jarek killed — my cursed pride took him from me. The darkness had claimed yet another and I stood powerless before it.
No.
If the Knight — if my friend — had taught me anything, it was that the Light must shine on despite the shadows that would consume it. I had to fight. His death must not be in vain.
“You’re next, my little firefly.” Malefraxus opened his mouth wide, locked in a silent scream. Thick, violet mists poured from his gaping maw like morning fog rolling over the Celysium Hills.
Ser Jarek’s smile flashed in my mind, and those eyes. His eyes, the green of the first bud of spring, or the endless depths of the sea. His eyes, the colour of life.
“Excutius Penumbro!” I screamed at the last shred of darkness, the last seed of evil on this world. My staff glowed, an iridescent bubble of green light expanding from its orb. “You have no home here, wizard. By Zyur’s Light, I will end you.”
Malefraxus sputtered and coughed, the smoke hissing and writhing like coiled snakes as it touched the edge of the growing sphere of Light. “You can’t stop this!” he cried. The spark of fear at last bringing some illumination to his wretched face. “Light cannot exist without Darkness. Wherever you go, I shall be there, waiting at the edges, unseen. I will — ”
“Is this dude serious right now?”
I turned, my focus wobbling for a moment when I saw him.
Ser Jarek. Restored, full, whole. Beautiful. That radiant smile, those eyes of effervescent jade. He was back.
“But… how?” I stammered.
He fished beneath his armor, held up that ugly pendant he’d kept hidden since I met him so many moons ago. The stone glowed and sparkled, the unmistakable fire within as bright as my Knight’s smile. This was no mere trick of the light.
He winked. “My lucky charm.”
Of course. “A phoenix feather.”
He nodded.
Terrible screams cut our moment short. My spell had swelled, filling the room and reaching the dark wizard. Slowly, his corporeal form disintegrated, whisked away by the swirling Light storm. Soon, all that was left of him were the echoes of tormented screams.
We did it. Victory.
“So, I guess this is it.”
Ser Jarek nodded. “I suppose so.”
I scuffed my shoe, adjusted the fit of my robe. Anything to extend the moment just a little longer.
A curtain of Light shimmered against the rock face, like a golden waterfall. On the other side, a new world. New adventures. A new darkness to face.
This was goodbye.
He took my hand, held it tight. “Iggy, shall we?”
“What? But you… you can’t pass through the veil.”
He held up the pendant. “Lucky charm, remember? Besides its ability to return a hapless warrior from the abyss, this little trinket allows me to pass through worlds.” He winked. “You aren’t getting rid of me that easy.”
Then he kissed me. Sparks flew from my staff and I made no effort to hide it.
And together, we stepped into the light.
>> LEVEL ONE — COMPLETE.
