Arcane Era 2: Rise of the Combat Mage: An Isekai light novel Page 2

  With a final elegant yet forceful flap of her wings, Danica glided across the land’s surface before bringing us to a landing in a grassy field. Seconds later, her bright red wings faded into ether and Efray’s grip finally loosened, once again allowing blood to flow into my extremities.

  “What a rush!” Erin said as she leapt away, nearly doing a cartwheel due to all of the adrenaline still pumping through her veins. I knew then that if she ever developed a flying technique, she’d never come down.

  After collecting ourselves, the four of us began our trek down the river’s bank. According to Danica, the closest village was little more than an hour’s walk away, and by all the dead gods was I looking forward to it. I hadn’t said anything to the others (you know, appearances and all) but sleeping on the ground really was an absolute shit show.

  Sure enough, after making our way down the river bank and cutting through a rather thorny thicket, the village came into sight. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’d gotten my hopes up a bit about visiting this place. I mean, there really wasn’t anything remarkable about a small riverside village… but the reception that mages received when they visited places like these was always stellar, like a hero returning home. And Hell, why not? I deserved a bit of-

  “Something’s wrong.” Efray’s words interrupted my thoughts, her worried tone sending a shiver down my spine.

  Immediately, I began to inspect the small village from afar… and something was indeed wrong. The people of the village, still small from this distance, appeared to be in disarray. Many were fleeing for the river while others attempted to take refuge inside their riverside huts, pleading for help from gods that would never come. But what were they fleeing from?

  It took me but only a few seconds to find the source. Dashing out of the nearby tree line was a cluster of creatures I definitely hadn’t encountered before. They trudged along on two legs with bodies built like humanoids, but they sure as Hell weren’t humans. Azure and violet skin, almost scaly in nature, covered their bodies like natural armor. Their hands sported claws rather than simple fingernails and their mouths were elongated, built to fit rows of pointy teeth. Some wore war paint, and others fashioned bones to different parts of their bodies. And were those tails? Gods, these things almost looked like lizard men, and from the way they moved it seemed they had the strength and agility to spare.

  “Ravebeasts,” Danica uttered. “They’re swarming the village! But out here… it-it doesn’t make sense!”

  “Let’s worry about that after,” I replied as arcane energy began to flood into my palms. “It’s time to see if all this training’s paid off.”

  Erin smiled wide and took my side, drawing her sword as an array of dazzling light danced across her blade. “Let’s do this.”

  Efray’s paleness seemed to fade as she raised a fist into the air. “Yes, let’s save the village!”

  Danica

  Arcane Augmenter

  2

  Riverside Village Waltz

  The screams of the villagers were the first things I heard as we closed in on the riverside villa. They were the desperate kind, the kind born of fear… the kind that made my dragon’s blood boil.

  But no matter, salvation had arrived in the form of my flames.

  Immediately, I began to channel arcane energy into my legs, propelling me towards the riverside village at supernatural speeds. A few of the ravebeasts quickly caught wind of my approach and turned their focus, taking aim at me as I closed in.

  Idiots.

  I hardened my focus as the first of the lizard-like beasts stepped into range, allowing my arcana to flow out of my legs and into my right arm. An instant later a ball of flame and force energy formed in my hand, detonating as I pressed my palm into the creature’s chest.

  This time it was the howls of the ravebeast that filled my ears as the creature was quite literally blown off its feet, its scaly chest now a smoldering mess. A second beast noticed my preoccupation with its brethren and tried to lunge in for a sneaky blow. Instead, it was left in pieces as Erin stepped in and delivered a devastating tri-cut, removing both its arms and then its head with her glowing blade.

  With the immediate threats down, my gaze shifted several paces away. There, one of the village women cried out in distress as a pair of reptilian ravebeasts latched onto either one of her arms, their teeth rapidly heading towards her bare neck.

  “Lance, do someth-“ Efray started to shout.

  “Got it!” I interrupted, raising my palms up to chest height as my spellbook materialized at my side. Force energy surged into my hands as I pointed my index and middle fingers, drawing the energy to a point. Then I added a little flame and…

  Spell: [Dragon Shot]

  The condensed balls of arcane energy scorched the air itself as they left my hands, finding their mark on the two ravebeasts and obliterating their heads with pinpoint accuracy. Guess all that practice really was paying off.

  The woman, now spattered with blood, gave me a nervous smile as the creatures fell dead at her sides. I returned her look with a wink then turned my gaze back to the village, an aura of confidence and arcana swirling around my form.

  And I was going to need it.

  The dozen or so ravebeasts that had emerged from the tree-line were no longer hellbent on ravaging the small village. No, instead they’d turned their attention to me. And gods, did they look ravenous.

  “Ravebeasts are attracted to arcana,” Danica said in a hurried voice as she pressed her hands into my back. “And they’ve just got a big whiff of yours.”

  Ah, that made sense. Back at stargazer outpost the ravebeast attack had felt like an unprovoked assault. But with all of the arcanists stationed there, it was no wonder the creature came charging in.

  “Now get ready,” Danica continued, drawing my attention back to the task at hand, to the mini horde of lizard-like creatures barreling in my direction. “And don’t waste this.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but that warm feeling of her arcane power flooding into my back was all the answer I needed. I grinned widely as I stepped away from the augmenter, her arcane steroid now churning through my veins like a magic drug.

  And now… now it was time to slay some ravebeasts.

  Flames kindled in my palm as the first of the beasts reached me, its body more thin and wiry than its scaly counterparts. I watched as the creature’s legs coiled, its body tensing for a lunging blow. And as it sprung forward, I threw a perfectly timed right cross, knocking out most of its teeth and sending its body in a tailspin.

  Two more ravebeasts approached from either side but I didn’t flinch, my crimson eyes now flaring with energy as my draconic instincts took over. My left snapped forward as one of the beasts waded in, closing over its maw before it could attempt a bite. As the second charged in, I latched onto the first beast with my other hand and swung the bastard by its jaw, using it like a scaly bat to drive both of the monsters into the dirt.

  Ravebeasts began to flood in now from all directions, swarming like the ravenous lizards that they were. Erin immediately saw the threat and stepped in to cover my flank, her blade gleaming with arcane light. I generated some energy of my own until my hands glowed like embers…

  And then, we went to work.

  Fire erupted from my fists as they connected with one of the creatures, simultaneously connecting with either side of its head and cracking its skull. Another leapt in but its neck was snapped back by a mighty uppercut, a third driven into the dirt by a clubbing blow.

  As I kicked away the carcass and attempted to reset my stance, I felt a sting of pain in my left forearm. One of the beasts, a bit more nimbler than the others, had slipped past my defenses and clamped down on my arm…. Or at least, it had tried to. Thin red lines had formed on my flesh where the creature’s teeth had scraped against my skin. But rather than bite down, the creature had been hoisted into the air and constricted by a shadowy tendril, courtesy of Efray.

  With a grin, I
set my focus on the final wave of approaching ravebeasts. My hands came together as force energy coalesced into the form of a curved blade, the flame in my hands coating the weapon with a fiery edge. To my surprise, the blade that I’d forged was far more refined than the last time I’d attempted this spell, its power pulsing like the beat of a dragon’s heart. Quickly, I raised the weapon in a traditional fighting stance, manipulating the very air around me as I allowed the arcana in me to build… and when those bastard beasts were in range, I unleashed Hell.

  Moments later, I stood amidst piles of mangled ravebeast bodies, their blood spattered across my forged blade and crimson garb. To be honest, it felt good to finally let loose a bit after all of the meditation I’d done. It felt freeing, like a dragon taking flight on its sinewy wings after months of hibernation (man, something about this blood flowing through my veins really had me buying into the dragon analogies). Apparently, the people of the village had seen it too, because as soon as the threat was gone they began filtering out of their hiding holes.

  “It’s safe now!” I shouted as my grip released on the [dragon fang blade], allowing the weapon to dissolve into ether.

  Slowly, murmurs of “mages” began to circulate as the villagers gathered around our small group, their gazes offering praise for our heroics. I merely smiled back, unable to help myself from playing the part of the stoic savior. Well, that is until someone caught my eye.

  Emerging from the rear of the crowd was a sight that nearly took my breath away. Standing at nearly my height was a woman that radiated a sort of wild, untamed beauty. She had alluring emerald eyes that complimenhed her dark tanned skin and unkempt, dusky brown hair. Oh, and did I mention that Her slim body was adorned in very, very little? Golden bracelets dangled loosely on her wrists and another piece of gold hung loosely from her navel. However, the beaded top that did almost nothing to conceal her breasts had quickly drawn my attention. Gods, was she glorious.

  “Welcome mage,” the woman said, eyes directly on me and accent hanging thick on her tongue. “Let me be the first to say that my people are greatly indebted for your help in eradicating the arcanids.”

  Arcanids, another term for ravebeasts used mostly in the outer lands. It was a term I’d learned during one of my study sessions with Efray. This was the first time I’d heard it spoken out in the wild though.

  “No problem,” I replied, exuding a bit of bravado as I wiped scaly particles away from my tunic.

  “I must say, I didn’t expect you here quite so soon. Though, your timing was impeccable.”

  My eyes widened. “Wait, did you say you were.. excepting me?”

  The woman nodded, but it was Danica who spoke first, her arms now folded over her chest. “Of course, she was expecting us. She’s a seer, after all. She sees everything.”

  My head whipped around to Danica. “Wait, you know her?!”

  “Danica knows me well,” the exotic woman answered, a wry smile now forming on her face. “Now come, we have much to discuss young dragon.”

  Dragon? Dragon?! That means she not only knew Danica but knew about my forbidden lineage. Gods, what was I supposed to do? The only thing I could do, really. I shared a quick gaze at my companions, then I nodded and followed the woman into the village.

  ****

  Ezrielle

  Back in Arcwind, Ezrielle had her own hands full as the construction of the village’s defenses continued. The first defensive wall around the city had been built before Lance had left, but the second inner wall had a ways to go before its construction was complete. Ezrielle would not fail though… that just wasn’t in her repertoire.

  The arcane weaver remained stoic with her arms crossed across her tight body and her long, auburn braid dangling down by her waist. Clinging to her muscled form was a set of white, tight-fitting robes. She found that the garb was far easier to practice arcana in than the more traditional loose-fitting robes. Unfortunately, it had also drawn the prying eyes of some of the villager’s newest members.

  In front of her, a group of ex-bandits hacked away at a group of large trees outside the village, cutting at the thick conifers that would eventually be used to help construct the wall. Not all of the men wanted to play along though.

  “How long do we gotta fuckin do this before we get some grub?” a brutish man named Garil spat, placing his hands on his hips. The man next to him, a red-headed fellow named Jerrick let out a sigh. “Just keep goin man, we’ll eat soon enough.”

  “No,” Garil growled, lifting his hatchet to eye level and pointing it at Ezrielle. “I wanna know when this bitch is gonna feed us.”

  Ezrielle felt a knot beginning to grow in her stomach, but she refused to show the man any sign of weakness. Lance and the others were counting on her, and she insisted that she couldn’t handle things at home. She did not intend to let any of them down.

  “You’ll eat once Bruno is finished cooking and no sooner,” Ez replied. “And you’ll eat well… but until then we have work to do.”

  Garil shook his head dismissively and began walking in Ezrielle’s direction, drawing wide-eyed looks from the other ex-bandits. However, the arcane weaver held her ground.

  “You a slaver now, girl?” he asked, closing in on her by the second.

  “I’m not,” she replied. “I work just as hard as any in this village. When a child gets an ailment, I cure it. When one of your brethren hurts himself, I am the one to heal his wounds. Each of us has a part to play here. That’s what a community is.”

  Garil stepped close enough that Ezrielle could smell his putrid breath. “And what if I don’t wanna be part of your fucking community?”

  She narrowed her gaze at the man. “Then you can leave.”

  A sudden silence befell the wooded area outside of Arcwind as the other ex-bandits watched with heightened interest. Until now, the men had respected the weaver and her orders, fearful of what might happen when Lance would return. But Garil had grown bold. He was testing her, and if she let him win then the quiet control she had over the village would most certainly be in jeopardy.

  “You have one more opportunity to back away…” Ezrielle warned.

  “Or what?” As Garil spoke, he lifted one of his calloused hands and placed it on her shoulder, a sure-fire show of dominance…

  And a sure-fire mistake.

  Ezrielle’s eyes immediately filled with arcane light as her spellbook manifested at her side. A mere second later, she placed her hand on Garil’s forearm and unleashed a secret spell that she’d uncovered during her studies, a spell that she’d been keeping in her back pocket for just such an occasion.

  Spell: [Unmake]

  Suddenly, a wave of energy passed through Garil. An instant later the man began to scream as long-healed wounds began to reopen across his body. Scars reverted to fresh wounds, skin split into nasty cuts and burns began to re-manifest themselves as the spell reached its completion.

  Garil’s screams changed to whimpers as the man fell to the ground, cradling his body as his lifeblood began to spill out across the grass. Ezrielle stepped over him, letting his suffering continue as she addressed the others.

  “Does anyone else have any other grievances they wish to share?”

  Jerrick was the first to respond, shaking his head energetically. “No Miss A’canist. None at all.”

  “Good,” Ezrielle muttered. “Now finish up. Bruno is making sweet rolls to reward you for all your hard work.” A little sugar was always good after such saltiness.

  Several of the men grinned at that and went back to work, hacking at their respective trees, fresh beads of sweat now dripping from their brows.

  Ezrielle had to work at hiding her smile. Yeah, she had this…. Lance could take all the time he needed.

  3

  Visions of Future’s Past

  Selenia All-seeing, seer of Oracle. That was the name of the beauty who now sat directly across from me, her emerald eyes staring directly into the depths of my soul. As we had approached the
small hut that I now sat in, Danica had whispered what she could into my ear.

  “This woman is Selenia. She was a student with me years ago at the Arcanist’s Guild in Caradoon.”

  “And?” I had whispered, hoping for a bit more.

  “And,” Danica had continued. “A very rare power awakened inside of her. Some of the nobles in the guild wanted to exploit her for that power, so she defected and apparently built a home here in this backwoods village.”

  “Sort of like you,” I replied.

  Danica’s eyes widened for the briefest of seconds before quickly narrowing. She wasn’t going to divulge on that particular subject any further, but that expression had told me enough… another glimpse into the mystery that was Danica.

  “So, what’s this power you speak of?” I asked, returning to the matter at hand.

  “She’s a seer,” Danica replied. “She has what we arcanists call… future sight.”

  That was the last thing the augmenter told me before we reached the seer’s hut, a humble little home at the village’s rear. Initially, the woman invited us into her little home but raised her hand as the others attempted to enter.

  “This is for the eyes and ears of the dragon only. You mustn’t let your arcana influence what must be seen by him and only him.”

  “Wait, what d’ya mean?” I asked.

  Selenia’s emerald eyes flickered with arcane light. “Your arrival here was foreseen, as is our meeting. That is who I am… a seer, a deliverer of messages, the one who opens eyes that have been long shut. I show visions of what was, what is, and what will be, dragon. And I do it just as the gods have intended.”

  “Wait, I thought the gods were dead?”

  Selenia snickered. “Nothing in Oracle is ever truly dead, not even the old gods…”

  How insightful.