Magic
Chapter 12
They traveled the next day and set up camp. They all went outside to do their business, except for little Johanna. "This is the part I hate about camping," Johanna told Kate and Alexis and made a face.
"It does take some getting used to," Kate admitted.
"Is that the Evermoors over there?" Johanna pointed.
Kate nodded. "That's it. Pray we get through the area without encountering Trolls."
"I've got my vials." Johanna showed her one of them.
"Good, keep them on you for at least two days. It'll take us that long to pass through the area." Kate hugged her mom. "I'm so glad you're here."
"I really was dead?" Johanna asked, still having a difficult time believing it.
"Yes, you really were. What was it like? Being dead?" Kate finally asked her.
"I... I don't know. I don't remember a thing. It was like I was alive one day and the next, somewhere else. It took me a little while to make it home. Boy, was that a shock when I got there and Jim told me I was dead. I didn't believe him, of course. Then you showed up," Johanna said while they walked. "There was nothing, Katie. I can't tell you what it was like to be dead. To me, it was like it never happened. I remember someone stabbing me, but that was it."
They walked back and went to bed.
Then they got up and went outside, all but little Johanna and Alexis, who were still inside the tent, sound asleep. They were doing their business. "Babe, what is that?" Kate asked him, though she knew what it was.
"Trolls, lots of Trolls. It looks like an army of them," Rick replied grimly.
"They're heading this way," Kate said, her concern evident.
"I don't think they have spotted us yet," Rick told them. "Damn it! I take it back, we have been spotted. Here they come, every last one of them."
Kate waited until they were within range and cast Fireball. Rick did the same, and they all watched as two fireballs erupted simultaneously. They overlapped a little; where they did, they killed those within the overlap.
"I count 20 Trolls and four War Trolls," Rick told them.
Kate cast another Fireball while they were still at a distance. "Katie?" Johanna had seen a small red ball leave her daughter's fingers, go out, and blow up. That was a shock to her. But she readied herself to throw her potion; so did Jim and Rick.
They were still at a distance, so Kate cast another Fireball and watched it explode amongst them. It didn't stop any of them, but she didn't expect it to.
They were within range of throwing a potion vial; Rick threw his, as did Johanna and Jim. All three vials exploded in a fireball. As luck would have it, none of them overlapped each other.
Just as they were about to throw their second vial, two fireballs erupted, and Rick knew it wasn't them or that Kate did it. Those two fireballs killed several of them.
Kate cast another Fireball, and Rick, Jim, and Johanna each threw their vials. Those were Jim's and Johanna's last vials. Rick had others, but he couldn't hand any to them. It wouldn't matter anyway; they would be on them by then.
The combined fireballs did a lot of damage and killed a few of them, but still, they came. Then, another two fireballs erupted from nowhere, or so it seemed. It killed lots of them, but not the four War Trolls and two usual trolls.
Rick and Kate each cast Mirror Image before they reached them. They watched as the four War Trolls split up, and they attacked them. As luck would have it, they each struck an image, which promptly vanished. Rick cast Burning Hands and made a fan out of it, striking his two War Trolls and one of the other Trolls. Kate cast Disintegrate and watched as a War Troll vanished.
Suddenly, arrows came in, and they all hit a Troll. In addition, they saw two Magic Missile spells comprised of three stars, each striking a Troll. That killed one War Troll and one Troll, leaving just one War Troll still alive. That Troll swung his sword, and as luck would have it, he hit the human Kate. She cried out in pain. Rick cast his Magic Missile, which killed the remaining War Troll.
Johanna quickly came to Kate's aid and checked her wound. It was nasty-looking. Rick retreated into the tent and came out with two things. One was oil, which he poured over all the Trolls and lit them on fire.
Then he went over to Kate and used the Wand twice on her. Johanna ran her hand over the wound area, amazed to find it all healed. They found themselves surrounded by Wood Elves before she could ask how. And they all had their bows out and pointed at them.
One of them stepped forward and said something. "I don't speak Elvish," Rick told them.
"Neither do I," Kate added. Then she remembered she had a Comprehend Languages spell, so she cast it.
"He wants to know who we are," Kate told them. "I'm Kate, and these are my parents and my husband. We thank you for the help against the Trolls."
"He says we will come with them. I don't think he's asking us to come, Rick. It's more of an order," Kate said.
"Let me get my children out of the tent first, please, then take the tent down," Kate asked the Wood Elf.
Kate glanced at Rick. "He's surprised to learn we have children inside the tent. I think he's going to let us collect our stuff."
"All right." Rick raised his hands; he went into the tent and came out with his backpack and little Johanna. They went inside the tent, one by one, and came out wearing their coats and backpacks and carrying Alexis. They took down the tent and went with the Wood Elves.
"They're Elves, real live Elves," Johanna whispered to Jim, who walked beside her. "No kidding. But we're prisoners." Jim looked at the Elves close to him; they had their bows out with arrows nocked and ready.
Meanwhile, Kate talked to the leader while her spell still functioned.
They arrived at the home of the Wood Elves. "WOW!" Jim and Johanna said at the same time. What they saw was astonishing.
"Talk about the ultimate tree houses." Rick was amazed.
"They told us to wait here," Kate told her family. "I think my spell is about to run out."
They watched as a pair of Wood Elves showed up and said something. "Yep, my spell has run out." So Kate cast it again.
She listened to what they said. "Yes, the Trolls are our enemies. We've fought several of them and killed our share."
"They say the Trolls have been attacking them, trying to find the Grandfather Tree. They defend the tree. It was the largest force the Trolls have sent to date," Kate told her family.
"We're happy to have helped defend the Grandfather Tree."
"What's a Grandfather Tree?" Johanna whispered, asking Rick.
"It's believed to be an elder form of treant, which appeared as a monstrously large, gnarled oak tree located deep in the heart of the High Forest," Rick whispered back to her.
"Oh, what's a treant?" Johanna whispered to him. But before he could answer her, Kate had something to tell them.
"We have an invitation to a meal to celebrate the defeat of the Trolls and the defense of the Grandfather Tree."
They watched as the guards lowered their weapons and went about their business.
"Treants are walking, talking trees. It's believed they have magical powers, allowing them to animate plants and call upon woodland creatures, using them either as protectors or messengers," Rick explained to her.
"Oh… Really?" Johanna wasn't sure she believed him.
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They attended a feast, and Kate had to cast the spell again to be able to talk to them.
It became late, eventually. The family was allowed to set up their tent and spend the night.
They went outside and looked for a place to do their business come morning. They found one and returned to their tent. "I'm betting you're 13th level now," Rick told her.
"Really?" Kate was happy for that.
"You've gained the ability to know a fourth, fifth, and sixth-level spell. You can cast another fifth-level and sixth-level spell. As well as another four skill points with a maximum of 16 skill points," Rick said.
Kate smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I know just where to put those skill points, too. They're going into my Craft skill. I can make even better beer."
That surprised Johanna. "You make beer?"
Kate nodded. "Uh-huh. I even have my own store and sell beer. Except I can only make one batch at a time since I only have one kettle. I can't afford a second one yet."
They broke camp, and Kate had to cast the spell again. "We're being given an escort out of the forest. Also, they are giving us the gold, silver, and copper pieces from the dead Trolls, in addition to their magical weapons. They are three 1 and one 3."
"Please tell them thank you," Rick asked her.
"I already have, babe."
They were escorted out of the forest, told something no one understood, and left.
"We're past the Evermoors." Rick was both amazed and relieved.
"No more Trolls?" Kate asked him.
Rick shrugged. "It looks like it. But it took us the entire day to do it. I suggest we stop and set up camp."
They ate trail rations except for Jim and Johanna, who ate an MRE. They shared their MRE with Alexis while Kate tended to little Johanna.
"You're still breastfeeding her?" Johanna questioned her.
Kate nodded. "It's a matter of space. The backpacks are larger on the inside than the outside, but it's limited, still. I'll switch to a puree of something when we get home."
Johanna decided to change the subject. "What can you tell us about Silverymoon, Katie?
"It's very pretty. It's a walled city; the cost is a copper piece each to enter it. It has cobblestone streets that go up and down. Every place has plants hanging over the edge from planter boxes. Ours are probably dead by now, though. Most of them have flowers.
"The houses are each painted a different color. Ours is a faint lime green. It has a shop – my store – on the ground level. There is an open-concept living, dining, and kitchen on the next level and two bedrooms on the top level. It's nice. Our entire row of homes is similar. We live in the southwest section of the city. The back of our home is up against a canal. The northern half is in five sections. You have to cross an invisible bridge to reach the southern half."
Johanna stared at her in disbelief. "An invisible bridge?"
Kate nodded. "It's a poor design, but you get used to it."
"It sounds like quite a city," Johanna offered.
"Oh, it is. You just wait and see," Kate told her. "We should be there in about two days."
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"Here it is," Kate announced. "Silverymoon."
"It truly is a walled city," Jim exclaimed, having not believed it. "So how do we get in?"
"Watch and learn, Dad, watch and learn." Kate went to the gate, got in line, and paid them two copper pieces. One was for her and one for little Johanna.
"Here are your copper pieces." Rick gave them each one before he and Alexis got in line and paid theirs.
Jim and Johanna each paid a copper piece, and they were in. Johanna looked around. "So, where are the cobblestone streets and the flowers?"
"This is the south end. It's the home of schools and magic shops. We live on the north end." Kate guided them to the invisible bridge, and she, Rick, and Alexis walked straight across it.
Jim's jaw dropped. "I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it."
"I guess we'll try it." Hand in hand, Johanna and Jim crossed the bridge carefully and slowly, getting passed by others heading their way and the opposite way. Jim shook his head. "That was weird."
"Follow us closely. We'll soon be going through the warehouse district. Don't want you to get lost," Kate told them.
"Look, Jim, old-fashioned cargo ships," Johanna pointed out. "They're complete with sails and everything."
They crossed another bridge. This one, like the last one, wasn't invisible.
"Now this is more like it. Cobblestone streets, plants hanging from window boxes, and painted houses." Johanna sighed, enjoying what she saw. She and Jim were following them but were busy looking around as they went.
"This is us," Kate announced.
Johanna read the sign. "CASTLE BEER."
"That's my store. We live above it." Carrying baby Johanna, Kate went up the stairs followed by Rick and Alexis. Finally, Jim and Johanna went up the stairs and entered the house.
"This is interesting," Johanna commented.
"I have to go downstairs and start a batch of my beer. But first, I'll get rid of this stuff." Still holding the baby, she went upstairs as did Rick and Alexis.
Jim and Johanna looked around. They saw the dining room, living room/play space for Alexis, and guessed the kitchen which was pretty much one large fireplace.
"Now that is a big fireplace," Jim commented. He took off his backpack, set it aside, and took his coat off. Johanna followed his lead.
Kate came down the stairs, then went down another set of stairs, and Johanna followed her.
Johanna looked around and saw bags, boxes, crates, and a lone kettle. "So this is where you make your beer."
"Yep, this is it." Kate made sure the kettle was empty and clean before she began adding stuff to it.
"Interesting." Johanna watched as she added things to the kettle, then fired it up by putting wood under it.
"I'll have to come down and add more wood, but I should have a batch to sell tomorrow. I'm open from 1 pm to 1 am. A little after lunch to late at night," Kate clarified.
Johanna turned to look at Katie. "You don't do it alone, do you?"
"No, I have hired help. The first one will show up to open and be replaced with another one until I close. Then I do it all over again. I make good money. My beer is popular. Most beer around here is more of a soup than true beer. I'm the only one who makes it like this," Kate told her. "And now that I'm 13th level, I have more skill points to add to my Craft skill."
She went back upstairs with Johanna right behind her.
"Where do we sleep?" Johanna inquired.
"Rick is going to see if he can buy another tent just like the one that got us here. Until then, you'll use the one we came in and we'll put it…" Kate had to look around, "over there. We'll make room for the tent. Alexis is using our old tent. They both keep a constant temperature inside, making it a comfortable place."
"I wondered about that but didn't say anything. That was magic?" Jim asked her.
"Yep, that was magic. The spells I cast and the spells Rick cast, the potions you threw? All of that was magic. Once I find out the cost of school, you can attend one of them and learn to be anything you want. A Ranger, Cleric, Druid, Rogue, Monk, Wizard, or Sorceress, like me. I'm a Sorceress."
"I don't know about that, Katie. I'm too old for school and I don't even know what those are," Johanna told her.
"You're never too old for school, Mom. And I'll teach you what they are. You have to adapt to this realm. Doing that means learning what each of those are. Don't worry about it now. Just relax and get used to living here."
"What's this over here, Katie?" Jim asked. "It looks like some kind of a lab."
"That? It's Rick's lab, where he makes potions like the ones you threw that turned into fireballs. I wonder if he made it to the 10th level?" Kate forgot to ask him about that.
"Levels are how much power you have achieved," Kate explained. "I'm 13th level now; Rick is a 7th-level Wizard and a 9th-level Master Alchemist. If I can learn to be a Sorceress, you can learn to be something. Don't discount it so easily."
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Rick returned with another Wizard's Tent. It was the same size tent as the other one on the outside and 20 by 20 on the inside. They set it up in the corner of the room; Jim and Johanna moved in and set themselves up.
Hungry, they came out looking for something to eat. "I'll go to the market and buy something," Rick offered.
"Need some help?" Jim asked him.
Rick shrugged. "Not really, but you're welcome to come along. You can see the market first hand."
Johanna looked over at Kate. "What is the market?"
"It's an open market where they sell practically anything and everything: fresh seafood, meat, vegetables, even jewelry. If you can think of it, then it's probably sold there. The place is filled with these little carts all over the place. It can be a maze on some days. You should see it. If you hurry, you can catch up to Rick and Dad. Just go outside and turn left."
Johanna shook her head. "That's all right; another day. I want to see how you cook in this…kitchen."
"It's different," Kate admitted. "We grill on an open fire. We make soup in the pot, lots and lots of soups. It depends on what's fresh that day. We usually have leftovers when we do.
"You'll get used to it. We don't have electricity, so there's no dishwasher, clothes washer, or dryer. Nor any microwave, oven, or hospital. Instead, we have Temples with Clerics. Alexis catches a cold, and we give her a Cure Light Wounds potion and a Cure Disease potion, curing it almost instantly."
"Like that wand did for your wound?" Johanna asked her.
Kate nodded. "Something like that. We use a lot of magic here to compensate for the lack of electricity, among other things. At first, you don't believe it. But it's true."
"And these abilities? What that's all about?" Johanna queried. "Ranger and the others."
"I thought you would never ask, Mom."