D20 Modern: Shadow Tides Rising Chapter 2
Hello. Here's Chapter 2.
In the following week after the incident I found myself looking over the book for hours at a time, not leaving my apartment, ignoring calls and letting the answering machine take my calls. I found myself able to read some of the pages. They detailed a thing that could only be magic. I was gaining understanding just by looking through the book. Every symbol I saw I gained knowledge of. I was quickly getting through the book with ridiculous speed.
Finally, I got to the point where I was ready to prepare a spell. On the morning exactly two weeks after my birthday I followed a little ritual from the book. I now had a few basic utility spells prepared. I also had a pair of spells called Magic Missile (go figure) and Mage Armor (I thought it wise as I was never very physically strong or good with combat).
It happened while I was on a subway to my job as a computer program writer. I stepped onto the vacant subway. I walked over to the end of the car when I heard an odd noise from behind me. I spun to find a short man dressed in a trench coat. His face was hidden behind a wide brimmed hat. He drew a knife. "Gimme yer stuff" he said in the dumbest voice I had ever heard. I looked at him. He came up to a little over my waste. Getting mugged by a midget; man, the first day I come out of my apartment in days and this is the thanks I get?! I thought angrily. He was suddenly flanked by a pair of guys dressed like him who were about his height.
"And if I refuse?" I asked cockily. With no one around I knew I could rely on my new found magic powers.
"Then we'll 'ave ta kell ya!" he said, his partners moving forward. I wasn't sure who they were, but if they were willing to kill over pocket change...
I rose my right hand and spoke with all the force I could muster "Get away from me or you'll regret it." Nothing like a field test right? They continued toward me, laughing in a rather high pitched voice. I spoke the finishing phrase and did the hand motions for a Lightning Ball cantrip (a cantrip is a basic spell. They are usually only good for utility but I was saving my other spells for later). There was a small light that grew from the end of my hand and rocketed at the one on the left. He was shocked rather badly and knocked to the floor, his hat falling from his head. It revealed a gruesome face that not even a mother could love. "Goblins?" I thought aloud.
"Huh?!" the one on the right yelled.
"He's a mage! Let's get out o' here!" yelled the one in the middle, grabbing his fallen companion. All three took off out the door and I ran after them. They ran around the corner of the wall. I ran around it, finding that the goblins had disappeared. I stood there, confused. What were goblins doing in the modern world? I thought. And how had they disappeared? It didn't make sense; not that me being able to cast spells did either. I turned to the Subway, pondering what had just happened. I turned just in time to see the end off the subway disappear at the end of the tunnel. "Great" I muttered.
Then I remembered something. June Owens, one of my friends that came to my party a few weeks back, lived just a few blocks away. I ran down the blocks, closing the distance between me and her apartment, hoping she hadn't left for her nursing job. I finally reached her apartment and went in, taking the elevator to the fourth floor. I glanced down at my watch. I was going to be late, and if she was still here she would be late too. I ran down the hall and knocked on the door to her apartment, cursing myself for choosing to take the subway today. I heard a voice from inside.
"Just a minute" came the feminine voice. I heard the doorknob click and the bolt was still in place. A face peaked out from between the door and the wall. It was June. I waved weakly. She slammed it, unbolted the door, and flung it back open.
"Where were you?!" she exclaimed.
"I..." I barely got out before being cut off by her.
"We called, we came over, where were you?" she repeated.
"Like I was trying to say, I was home."
"You were where!?" she yelled. "We even all came over and you don't come to the door?!" She was extremely angry.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down."
"Calm down?!" she said yelling again. "You disappear for two whole weeks and you tell me to calm down?! I was worried that you were dead or something!"
I cocked an eyebrow and said "You were worried about me?"
She blushed slightly, barely noticeably, and then spoke without yelling "Of course I was."
I smiled and then said "So, the reason I dropped by was that I missed my subway and need a ride to the office."
"That's why you dropped by?!" she yelled again.
"Shh." I said, covering her mouth. "I'll explain on the way. And if I'm not mistaken, your late for work, aren't you?"
Her eyes went wide suddenly as she gasped. "I'm late! I forgot!" She pushed by me, locking her door and grabbing my wrist, headed for the elevator. I followed silently, her dragging me down to the parking lot and into the passenger side of her car. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't anything spectacular either. She buckled up, me following, and before I knew it we were off to my office. "You were going to tell me why you disappeared?" she asked irritably. She definitely wasn't late very often.
"Yes, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you" I said seriously.
"Try me" she said angrily.
I sighed. "Well, it started on my birthday..."
Hello. Here's Chapter 2.
In the following week after the incident I found myself looking over the book for hours at a time, not leaving my apartment, ignoring calls and letting the answering machine take my calls. I found myself able to read some of the pages. They detailed a thing that could only be magic. I was gaining understanding just by looking through the book. Every symbol I saw I gained knowledge of. I was quickly getting through the book with ridiculous speed.
Finally, I got to the point where I was ready to prepare a spell. On the morning exactly two weeks after my birthday I followed a little ritual from the book. I now had a few basic utility spells prepared. I also had a pair of spells called Magic Missile (go figure) and Mage Armor (I thought it wise as I was never very physically strong or good with combat).
It happened while I was on a subway to my job as a computer program writer. I stepped onto the vacant subway. I walked over to the end of the car when I heard an odd noise from behind me. I spun to find a short man dressed in a trench coat. His face was hidden behind a wide brimmed hat. He drew a knife. "Gimme yer stuff" he said in the dumbest voice I had ever heard. I looked at him. He came up to a little over my waste. Getting mugged by a midget; man, the first day I come out of my apartment in days and this is the thanks I get?! I thought angrily. He was suddenly flanked by a pair of guys dressed like him who were about his height.
"And if I refuse?" I asked cockily. With no one around I knew I could rely on my new found magic powers.
"Then we'll 'ave ta kell ya!" he said, his partners moving forward. I wasn't sure who they were, but if they were willing to kill over pocket change...
I rose my right hand and spoke with all the force I could muster "Get away from me or you'll regret it." Nothing like a field test right? They continued toward me, laughing in a rather high pitched voice. I spoke the finishing phrase and did the hand motions for a Lightning Ball cantrip (a cantrip is a basic spell. They are usually only good for utility but I was saving my other spells for later). There was a small light that grew from the end of my hand and rocketed at the one on the left. He was shocked rather badly and knocked to the floor, his hat falling from his head. It revealed a gruesome face that not even a mother could love. "Goblins?" I thought aloud.
"Huh?!" the one on the right yelled.
"He's a mage! Let's get out o' here!" yelled the one in the middle, grabbing his fallen companion. All three took off out the door and I ran after them. They ran around the corner of the wall. I ran around it, finding that the goblins had disappeared. I stood there, confused. What were goblins doing in the modern world? I thought. And how had they disappeared? It didn't make sense; not that me being able to cast spells did either. I turned to the Subway, pondering what had just happened. I turned just in time to see the end off the subway disappear at the end of the tunnel. "Great" I muttered.
Then I remembered something. June Owens, one of my friends that came to my party a few weeks back, lived just a few blocks away. I ran down the blocks, closing the distance between me and her apartment, hoping she hadn't left for her nursing job. I finally reached her apartment and went in, taking the elevator to the fourth floor. I glanced down at my watch. I was going to be late, and if she was still here she would be late too. I ran down the hall and knocked on the door to her apartment, cursing myself for choosing to take the subway today. I heard a voice from inside.
"Just a minute" came the feminine voice. I heard the doorknob click and the bolt was still in place. A face peaked out from between the door and the wall. It was June. I waved weakly. She slammed it, unbolted the door, and flung it back open.
"Where were you?!" she exclaimed.
"I..." I barely got out before being cut off by her.
"We called, we came over, where were you?" she repeated.
"Like I was trying to say, I was home."
"You were where!?" she yelled. "We even all came over and you don't come to the door?!" She was extremely angry.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Calm down."
"Calm down?!" she said yelling again. "You disappear for two whole weeks and you tell me to calm down?! I was worried that you were dead or something!"
I cocked an eyebrow and said "You were worried about me?"
She blushed slightly, barely noticeably, and then spoke without yelling "Of course I was."
I smiled and then said "So, the reason I dropped by was that I missed my subway and need a ride to the office."
"That's why you dropped by?!" she yelled again.
"Shh." I said, covering her mouth. "I'll explain on the way. And if I'm not mistaken, your late for work, aren't you?"
Her eyes went wide suddenly as she gasped. "I'm late! I forgot!" She pushed by me, locking her door and grabbing my wrist, headed for the elevator. I followed silently, her dragging me down to the parking lot and into the passenger side of her car. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't anything spectacular either. She buckled up, me following, and before I knew it we were off to my office. "You were going to tell me why you disappeared?" she asked irritably. She definitely wasn't late very often.
"Yes, but you wouldn't believe me if I told you" I said seriously.
"Try me" she said angrily.
I sighed. "Well, it started on my birthday..."
