"Low Level" Mage

by Knight of Crows


Chapter 8.

Manus POV

I swear to the Gods if this bastard has even researched more like what they've done already, I'm destroying this place and everything in it! I can't even bring myself to care about the value these ruins of the Ancients have to mages, better they be destroyed than used so a necromancer can abuse their gift and desecrate them any more than they already have. As I continued along the path my familiars were carving out, I started drawing a rune on the back of my hand using some of my blood. I didn't cut deep enough to leave a scar, just provide enough blood is all. Dark mages have a natural resistance to curses, like how the body fights illnesses, our magic defends us naturally. This is just a precaution for the more serious curses.

"Manus! What has gotten into you??!!" Luna asked as the group caught up.

"Oh, I'm just a little pissed that someone decided to rob graves, defile corpses, mindlessly slaughter several creatures, desecrate these ruins, abuse their power, and was probably getting ready to go on a killing spree across the country." I listed the reasons for my anger.

"We feel the sa-" She tried to say.

"Not to the extent I do. I swear to Exolvuntur, if they've tried a blasphemous ascension, I'm going to lose it!" I interrupted.

"'Blasphemous ascension'?" The first guard asked.

"World and magic differences. Not getting anything else out of me." I told him.

Eventually, we reached a door that looked like it had a glowing tree carved into it. Behind it was a massive room with several benches lined up, leading to a set of stairs and an altar with some kind of round object on it. There was someone wearing white hooded robes standing in front of the altar with their hands out and they-he was chanting something. I tried to shoot him with lightning, but my magic just fizzled out.

"I was wondering when you would arrive." He turned around and lowered his hood. A middle aged gray unicorn with black and brown hair and dark pits around his light green glowing eyes greeted us. "You made quick work of my pets on your way here, too bad your magic won't work here now."

"So you have delved that far into dark magic and necromancy." I said, trying to control myself.

"A fellow practitioner perhaps? Why would you serve those who would see you burn for studying magic?" He asked as I looked around for more undead.

"They're my only ticket home." I took a second to look around for any magic suppressing runes, but the second I did, one of the guards got too eager to finish the job and flew towards the necromancer. He was shot out of the air with a paralysis spell, barely missing both the necromancer and the altar. No, his body just locked up.

"A rigor mortis curse?" I asked. He looked at me surprised.

"Well that just confirms it! You-"

"I'm nothing like you and others who abuse their gift." I finally found the rune, it was on the ceiling. A rune like this is probably a level 3 or 4 suppression rune. I should be able to power through it with Forbidden Sun.

"I'm only trying to bring justice against this country for casting me out so long ago. Is that so wrong?" He asked as he lit his horn again.

"Necromancy is legal and a God given gift where I'm from, but even they would still put you to death for everything you've done. Let me guess, you simply wanted to learn because it was something you didn't know, or you wanted to learn how to combat it, but got yourself exiled when you were found out? Maybe you casted a death curse in self defense?" I asked as I tried focusing fire magic into my hand.

"Our art is legal where you're from?" He asked, hoping I would tell him. Also, I still need the incantation apparently.

"Arva iacent cineres me expectant semitas contritio. Fiat voluntas tua nulla salus invenitur in eis in Oculis ad Caelum. Solis Saevire!" The spell formed in my hand and I launched it up towards the ceiling, destroying the rune and collapsing several parts of the ceiling.

"... Disappointing." He shot me faster than I could react and I fell, my body locked up completely as he teleported me near him. I was still able to look around, so I wasn't missing anything while I waited a minute for the rune and my magic to fight off the curse. The other two guards flew towards him, but... He has bones shaped like blades sticking out of his arms and extending towards his hand... That's not something I recognize. He blocked their assault and shot them both with a different spell before throwing them towards Luna.

"This is the end for you!" Luna shot a continuous stream of magic at him, but he kept teleporting everywhere, eventually going to the first guard and used him as a shield.

"You're too soft. You won't sacrifice him even if it will kill me too." He taunted her before speaking to his hostage. "You will serve a higher purpose." He said as his eyes and horn glowed brightly, the guard was released and charged at Luna, mindlessly attacking her and the other guards.

"An insanity/ frenzy curse? If that's the best he can do besides rigor mortis, then curses aren't an issue." I thought as I regained my ability to move.

"Can you all kill your friend? Or will you become my puppets? I could use some capable meat bags considering how you've destroyed my work. Perhaps I could use you instead for the ritual, alicorn." He said, not happy about the situation.

"Ritual?" I stood up while his back was turned to me and looked at the altar. There was an egg on a pillow surrounded by candles and more runes next to a sacrificial knife of sorts and a book. A quick skim through the book and another inspection on the egg confirmed his intent and pissed me off. He was planning to use an unhatched phoenix as a sacrifice in a blasphemous ascension, but Luna coming into the picture would've either made the phoenix pointless or using both would've help with the ritual. I closed the book and formed an ash dagger in my hand and thrusted it into his back, forming more ash spikes at different lengths and directions inside his body.

"What??!! How??!!" He choked as he coughed up a bit of blood while trying to look back at me.

"You think a low level curse like that would put me out? You don't know the first think about dark magic, but you certainly know how to piss me off! Have fun when you meet Exolvuntur, Venari, and Ardente Veritas, tell them Manus sent you before they send you screaming into the underworld!" I growled before setting the dagger ablaze and letting the flames finish him as he screamed in agony. I went to the still frenzied guard and casted a paralysis curse on him before dispelling the frenzy. As I turned to retrieve the egg, both of the other guards put their swords to the side of my neck.

"That was dark magic you just used, we're placing you under arrest. Come along quietly." The female tried to order me.

"You think your princesses didn't already know? Besides, if it weren't for me, you would all be dead and the country would be forced into a war with probably one of the most powerful liches in existence. The least you can do is thank me and not threaten me for an act worthy of the highest rewards most kingdoms can offer back home." I told her plainly.

"He speaks the truth regarding his magic, under certain conditions, he is permitted to use dark magic. Now I trust the three of you will keep this revelation to yourselves." Luna ordered them in my defense. I walked back to the altar and retrieved the egg and burned the necromancer's notes.

"Sssshhhssshhh, it's alright, you're safe now." I whispered to the egg as I began to pour a very small amount of the dark element with the occasional dose of flame. I would deal with the bodies in the other rooms, but I'm prioritizing the egg now.

"What's with the egg and why are you holding it like your life depends on it?" The female guard asked.

"They're considered sacred where I'm from, embodiments of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. A collaborative creation of Exolvuntur and several other Gods, and that bastard was going to use it in his attempt to become a lich! The constantly renewing life force of a nigh immortal creature would've definitely done it." I explained as I started walking past them towards the exit.

"Our work here is done, we can alert the local law enforcements of Appleoosa and Dodge Junction when we returned to town." Luna came up to me and signalled her guards to stay a short distance behind us. "Why are you pouring magic into the egg?"

"The base element of a phoenix is fire as was agreed upon by the Gods, but if a mage finds an egg, they can change the element with the right applications of magic, another agreement between the Gods. It's as much a means of 'welcoming' it into the family as it is a privilege. I don't think I've ever seen something more beautiful than a cryophoenix on a snowy winter night under Seres's moon. Now let's hurry along, I don't want to stay here any longer after what almost happened." I hurried along, ready to put this day behind me.