Author's Note: Disclaimer: I do not own Wizard101 or any spells or enemies mentioned here. Miguel Spellblade is one of my characters.
I obviously took literary liberties with all of the characters and the spells. Look at this as a re-imagining of what the action could be like.
I call this a compendium because I cannot guarantee I will not want to write another short adventure, for the same character or another one of mine. These stories may not necessarily be in chronological order either. It's just a bunch of short stories lumped into one place because I cannot say how many I would wish to write.
Enjoy, and don't hesitate to review. Thank you.
The Adventurum: A Compendium of Adventures in the Spiral
Intermission
The sun was setting on Firecat Alley now, canvassing the sky with oranges, yellows, and reds that radiated around the Fire Globe Theatre, lending it an emblazoned aura. Basking in its radiance was a school-aged boy, garbed in a brown whimsical coat with a royal purple trim. A musketeer's hat of similar colors topped his head, with a large, resplendent feather that shuddered in the breeze. A darkly tanned, likely Hispanic face looked down from beneath the hat, framed by black hair that fell to his shoulders, reined in by a small tie at the nape of his neck.
The boy was looking at a small vial held in his left hand. Gretta Darkkettle had said this potion would end the fire elves' curse, but he had his doubts. His Marleybonian upbringing had rooted a disbelief in curses and magic within him, but attending Ravenwood was slowly chipping away at those beliefs, particularly in general magic. The boy looked to his wooden staff, the light red orb trapped between two golden lightning symbols. The sounds of fire elves fighting other wizards made him inhale deeply. Curses or no, knocking out a leader always stalled an offensive strategy, and the fire elves had to be stopped. Pocketing the vial, he pushed open the doors and stopped at the top of the theatre stairs.
"Saludos, señor Swiftarrow," the boy wizard began, "I am Miguel Spellblade, a student wizard of Ravenwood. I come to you peacefully." Gracefully Miguel bowed with the air of a king's court wizard.
"Don't you know it's rude to interrupt a performance?" The diminutive Prince Alicane Swiftarrow snapped from the stage in a high-pitched voice. A magma man turned to set its flaming eyes on the intruder, which made for a menacing gaze.
"I beg your pardon?" Miguel rose from the bow perplexed. The theatre was empty, except for the three of them. However, there were prop mountains and houses on the stage. "I had no intention of interrupting a rehearsal, or any-"
"No matter wizard," Alicane cut him off abruptly with a sharp tone, hopping from the stage to the yard and taking his bow from his shoulders, "for you are just in time. This is your final act!"
"Mierda." Miguel muttered as he hastily spun to the left, an arrow piercing the door beside him. Facing Alicane on the other side of a wood column with his staff in both hands he pointed it over the railing, crackling with energy. Adrenaline pumping, he wasted no time in sending a bolt of lightning at the fire elf. It connected instantly, sending the prince spinning into the front row benches.
A moment later hot lava splashed over the wizard as a chunk of magma thrown by the magma man exploded on the railing. The air around him sizzled and he retreated from the intense heat. By now Alicane had recovered from the initial attack and was etching a glowing Fire symbol in the air, red light dancing around him.
When the symbol burst in a bloom of flame, the air in the center of the theatre ignited and rapidly grew into a stream of withering flame. The blaze solidified into an orange cobra that landed on the ground and coiled, glaring at Miguel. The lightning-tipped tail lashed out and a gout of flame rushed at Miguel, wrapping around the banister and columns to reach him. He ran towards the left stage stairwell, orange specks of light coruscating around him as he spun his staff over his head. The wave of fire singed the air around him, reddening his skin as the orange Balance symbol formed and burst when he brought down the staff.
"Scorpion!" A portal opened above the benches in front of him, a scorpion twice his size falling out of it and cracking wood as it landed. Miguel leaped onto the back of the creature as the flamesnake turned to smoke and evaporated.
The scorpion screeched and charged down the benches toward Alicane, Miguel crouched on its back. As it reached the theatre floor the sorcerer jumped from the arachnid, rolling onto the stage. The scorpion carried on unfazed and slammed its pincers into the startled elf, sending Alicane flying into the benches and bouncing to higher rows. Miguel came to a stop behind a prop mountain as the scorpion disintegrated into sand, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing.
"This went sour fast." Miguel mumbled, etching a Balance symbol with his hand. Three orbs of light pulsed around him as the elemental shield was cast; one red, one blue, and one violet. Just as he finished the shield, wood scorched beside him and a chunk of black blazing rock flew past his right. Miguel looked at the char-edged hole left by the projectile, small flames licking at the wood. It was a miracle the magma man missed; it was a miracle the place hadn't caught fire since the flamesnake.
Place must be fire proof. But Miguel wasn't, and that magma man was an obstacle to curing the prince. Even if the fire elf was knocked out, he couldn't cure him without taking out that thing. And as the mountaintop to his left was seared off by another hurled chunk of magma, Miguel knew time was running out; his aim was improving.
Mind set, Miguel left his cover to stand in the middle of the stage, magical energies whirling around him as he twirled the staff above his head, Balance symbol shining to life. The magma man was etching a Fire symbol in the air with his ebony knife, but Miguel slammed the butt of his staff into the stage and finished first.
"Locust swarm!" Miguel called out, Balance symbol flaring. The magma man's own magical symbol turned to ashes, falling to the floor, which was rippling like a desert mirage. The wooden planks became sand, which began to swirl about like a whirlpool at the magma man's feet. The fiery man retreated as an ancient krok statue rose from the tempest of sand, revealing only the upper reptilian snout. But then it rose and tipped back, exposing the crevice that replaced the lower jaw. A swarm of insects spilled out from the statue, rushing at the magma man.
But the heat exuded by the magma man set the insects on fire, the cloud of bugs becoming a blaze that surrounded him. The ancient statue sank back into the sand as they burned, heating the cooled magma of his body. Alicane picked himself up from the benches in time to see the magma man melt into the floor, a molten pile of reheated magma. The ebony hat floated softly into the hot sludge, bursting into flame when it landed. Alicane growled, ruby light dancing around him as the Fire symbol formed.
"Sunbird, make him pay!" The spell burst before him, and four lines of fire burned across the floor to join into one brilliant blaze from which the Sunbird burst out, like a phoenix reborn. Miguel ran behind a prop house, casting another spell as he went.
The sunbird squawked with delight, enjoying the chase. It swooped over the stage, spewing fire over the prop, which quickly burned to cinders. The red orb floating around Miguel flared and burst, the fire shield redirecting the flames around the sorcerer, who was sparkling with white light from a Balanceblade. However, the shield was weak, and could not hold off the intense heat; Miguel crouched with his arms up to protect his face, sweat beading his brow as he felt his skin begin to blister.
When the sunbird and its flames finally dissipated, Miguel rose slowly, surprising the fire elf. Smirking, the wizard raised his staff again.
"Perdón, señor, but I don't think you're fit for the part." Miguel remarked as a Storm symbol crackled into existence before him, violet light sparking around him and mixing with the white sparkles. He brought the staff down to cast the spell, only to have the Storm symbol pop and sizzle, turning black and falling to ashes disappointingly. Miguel paled.
"Nice try, wizard." Alicane remarked with a squeaky voice that somehow still managed to be wicked. The fire elf prince fired an arrow at Miguel, before somersaulting into the air and landing on the theatre floor with a roll, sending off two more flaming arrows at the wizard with a cackle. Miguel ran across the stage, the first two missing him barely and the third one catching the cape of his coat, pinning him to a prop house across the stage from the now smoldering other one.
"Seriously?" Miguel snapped, as the fire elf laughed at him. Yellow light was surrounding the elf, a Myth symbol forming before him. "And this was my good coat too." He sighed as he ripped himself away from the prop, tearing the cape. The Myth spell popped to life, and a cloud of teal light shimmered in the air before the stage. It was there for but a moment, and then a bat the size of Miguel burst out, damaged wings flapping and thick red tongue lolling out. Miguel ran for the left stage stairs once more, hearing the blood bat inhaling grotesquely.
Miguel was running up the stairs when he was splattered from behind by a glob of something, knocking him to the ground. The wizard slid down the stairs as he rolled over to glare at Alicane, slick with green slime. He raised his hands, shaking off some of the goop with a shudder and grimace of disgust. Alicane grinned wickedly, drawing another arrow; Miguel rose and narrowed his eyes.
The arrow whizzed through the air and the sorcerer dropped to his knees, the arrow clipping his feather. As Miguel rose again he brought his hands up over himself, orange light beginning to coruscate around him. With a broad sweeping motion his arms were flung down to his sides as the Balance symbol etched itself in the air. He crossed his arms over his chest, hands flat and eyes glaring at Alicane, then violently swung them out, the Balance symbol exploding forth.
"Scorpion!" Miguel snarled the word, arms remaining extended from his sides as the portal swirled to life above him, the scorpion rocketing out of it. The giant arachnid skid across the floor before stepping back, tail poised threateningly at the fire elf. The white lights that had been dancing around Miguel since the casting of the Balanceblade spun through the air towards the scorpion, twirling over its armored tail. The stinger shot forward and a stream of poisonous liquid sprayed at Alicane, the bright white lights dissolving into the liquid. When it made contact the result was explosive, sending the elf careening through the air into the railing at the top of the seats, which he met with a remarkably loud thud for one so small. Alicane groaned and fell from the banister to the bench below as the scorpion turned to dust.
Shaking off more slime, Miguel walked towards Alicane's prone form, pulling the vial from his pocket. Amazingly, it had not shattered during the altercation. Alicane was still unconscious when the sorcerer reached him, and Miguel knelt beside the fire elf lying on the bench, opening the vial. He gently propped up the prince's head, speaking soft encouragements as he poured the potion down the elf's throat.
The prince shuddered violently, nearly falling off the bench if not for Miguel holding him there. After a minute he fell still then sighed, a dark wisp of smoke leaving his parted lips.
"Wha… What happened?" Alicane finally muttered softly, his eyes opening to show a relieved Miguel a less crazed visage.
"You attacked me, Your Highness, when I entered the theatre." Miguel replied respectfully. The elf's tone had changed; it was less edged now.
"Why… Why would I… Do that?" The fire elf wondered, trying to sit up. Miguel placed a hand on his small chest, however, firmly urging him back down.
"Your Highness, you have just received quite a beating, if I may say so myself." Miguel remarked politely. "Allow yourself some rest." He neglected to consider his own burns, or the slime he was now smearing on the prince by accident.
"Yes, yes of course. Well done wizard." Alicane replied, patting Miguel's arm. He closed his eyes again, breathing slowly. A short time later he opened them swiftly, trying to get up again. "I… I remember! I was cursed… as were all my people…" Alicane exclaimed as Miguel relented and helped him to sit up. "Did Private Quinn send you?" Alicane looked up at the wizard who now sat beside him, covered in slime.
"Yes, Your Highness." Miguel affirmed.
"Tell him his arrow saved me, as mine once did him." Alicane ordered -couldn't expect a request from a prince- as he looked at the floor. "The curse…" Alicane looked at his hands, "I can feel the effects of the curse weakening."
"That is splendid to hear, Your Highness." Miguel remarked honestly, though he was wiping off slime as he said it. "I feel it would be best if the Banshee's curse could be prevented, lest it happen again, Your Highness."
"Yes, of course." Alicane nodded, looking to the wizard. "Now that we know it was a Banshee's curse, we will guard against it." The fire elf slowly raised himself to a standing position on the bench, coming to Miguel's neck when the wizard finally stood.
"Tell Private Quinn also that we owe him a debt of gratitude."
"I will Your Highness." Miguel bowed, curt and less elegant than the one before due to limited space.
"And thank you, Miguel Spellblade, for freeing all of us!" Alicane exclaimed, reaching out a child-sized hand for the wizard, who took it cordially and shook it firmly.
"My sincerest apologies for the damage to the theatre." Miguel added as they broke the handshake.
"Worry not, wizard. 'Tis easy to fix." Alicane waved off the matter. "And my sincerest apologies for what I have done to you." Miguel shrugged.
"You get used to it, Your Highness. Just doing my duty to Wizard City." Miguel walked down the stairs to the stage yard, picking up his slime covered staff with a grimace.
"Thank you once more, Miguel Spellblade." Alicane stated as the sorcerer made for the door, which still had an arrow sticking out.
"De nada, Your Highness." Miguel replied, bowing elegantly once more before turning around, ripping the arrow out from the door, and tossing it to the prince with a smile. Then he turned back to the door and left to treat his burns; and get cleaned up.
All in a day's work; and he had one heck of a day.