After a short battle, the darkness showed no sign of receding. Chloe scanned the beast again.

  Creature: Hand of Darkness (Lv 23)

  HP: 1,372

  Resistances: No information available

  Weaknesses: No information available

  “How have we only taken a quarter of its health?” she wheezed, her stamina getting lower as she fought the seemingly endless fight.

  “We need more light,” Veronica said. “Surely that’s the answer. It’s like we’re shining a torch into the night sky at the moment. Let’s light this mother up.”

  “How?” Gideon shouted. He looked more worn out than before. Even Tag’s chest rose and fell rapidly as his pace began to slow down. In the last few minutes, he had decided to pair up with Blueballs, the two of them grunting and just about keeping the darkness at bay.

  “I’ve got a plan,” Chloe said, realizing that she would have to invest every bit of confidence in her 15% proficiency in experimental magicks in order to make this work.

  Ben saw something move in the shadow, tiny yellow fireflies appearing now. “Whatever it is, can we do it soon? It looks like it’s giving birth.”

  Several shadow demons appeared now, hopping threateningly from the belly of the beast. Talbot and Jessie screamed as they were lifted into the air, the darkness shaking triumphantly with what seemed like laughter. The tendrils whipped them forward, this time not keeping them suspended as they flew into the inky pool in the center of the altar.

  Their bodies disappeared, sinking into its depths. Tag whirled, placed his fingers on the edge of the basin, and stared into its depths.

  “There are people down there. Way down at the bottom.”

  “You can see through that stuff?” Veronica asked. She lighted away two tendrils that had caught her midriff. “What skills have you got?”

  Chloe felt the panic but wouldn’t let it take hold. She ran over to Tag, deflecting a tendril with her sword as she grabbed his hammer, the item hovering above his head.

  “What’re you—”

  He stopped when he saw the hammer begin to shine a bright white. When Chloe released it, it seemed to weigh less than before. He grinned and smashed it down on a coil of darkness, and the thing hissed and receded.

  “Niiiice…”

  Chloe worked her way toward Ben, repeating the process and infusing his arrows with magic. She called for Gideon to keep tossing her potions along the way, since keeping the weapons infused with light was taking its toll.

  “Decaru, can’t you do anything to help?” Chloe asked. She scanned the creature again and saw that more of its health was gone now, the number decreasing far more quickly.

  Demons came at them from every angle as the Hand of Darkness began to panic. Whatever this beast of darkness was, it wasn’t going to go down without a fight.

  Decaru swirled around, whipping in big circles, the darkness held at bay only for the brief moments he was within close proximity. The others managed to pick off demon after demon, but they were all just distractions from the main belly of the beast.

  “Aim for its heart!” Ben pointed at an area where a lumpy mass of shadow throbbed.

  “This thing has a heart?” Veronica called back.

  Chloe squinted, unable to see what Ben was seeing. He had more acute vision than she did, sure, but was this really going to work?

  And then Chloe yelled in surprise as she took down yet another demon. Her body suddenly rose, surrounded by a golden glow as the bells tolled. She laughed, the feeling of leveling up elating and freeing—a moment of joy in the throes of horror.

  “Finally!” she shouted, laughter in her voice. “Finally!”

  “See what happens when you actually fight monsters?” Ben winked. Not that Chloe saw; she was still riding her little golden cloud.

  After she came back down, she was buzzing with excitement. Her MP, HP, and stamina had all been restored, and she surveyed the scene with new eyes.

  “Okay, KF. Over to you, baby.”

  Bring it on…

  Chloe relaxed her body as KieraFreya took hold. She was aware of her movement; it was weird having no control over her own muscles. She would occasionally duck her head as KieraFreya launched Chloe into action, using the tendrils as platforms as she charged higher and higher into the air, but that was really all.

  Bright white arrows fired past her, thunking into the shadow’s bulbous body. She could hear the others attacking the demons and the tendrils, doing their best to keep them at bay, a more difficult feat now that two of their party were down.

  “Now, Chloe,” KieraFreya said in a voice that was surprisingly calm, given the situation.

  She didn’t have to think. Chloe took over control of her arms, manipulating her hands to create Deic Light. The beam came in a thick blast that illuminated the shadow and pushed back and melted anything it touched.

  There was an almighty squeal as Chloe watched its health drain, a satisfied smile on her face.

  The Hand of Darkness summoned a final effort, all tendrils retreating to grasp for Chloe. She heard a wicked chuckle, and in the darkness, saw the face of the imp staring at her, all bright eyes and sharp teeth. He howled with laughter, bending his efforts on taking Chloe down…

  But it was too late. Chloe felt the shadowy platform beneath her begin to disintegrate, fading into nothingness as she began to fall through the air, her light trained on the shadow all the while.

  “Brace yourself,” KieraFreya whispered.

  Chloe did, closing her eyes as she waited to hit the floor. Stone on the coccyx—a nasty combination, even with muted pain.

  Instead of stone Chloe, felt soft arms cradling her, sinking, then holding her firmly. She smelled the scent of wet animal and was pleased to see toffet towering above her. Concern laced his eyes.

  “I’m fine,” Chloe wheezed, unaware how out of breath she was. She reached a hand to Blueballs’ cheek. “Thank you.”

  The toffet nodded and lowered her to her feet. The others crowded around her, hugging and high-fiving. Chloe laughed, begging for a bit of breathing space so she could rest while secretly loving the affection.

  Only Veronica stood back. Her face was hard to read, but Chloe was sure she could see respect in those eyes. Veronica nodded to the inky pool.

  “The others,” Chloe said. She ran over to join Veronica, her hands finding the edge of the basin as she stared deep inside.

  The inky water had disappeared. Instead, there was nothing but a short drop to a pit below the shrine floor. Talbot and Jessie, along with several mages, stared up at her.

  “I guess Fukmos struck again,” Veronica said off-handedly.

  Chloe murmured her agreement, then wracked her brain to work out how she was going to get all of these people out.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Arizona clapped her hands excitedly. Sillick looked less impressed, standing behind them with his arms folded and his face passive.

  Chloe and Gideon beamed. The others stood beside the pair, marveling at Arizona’s office. They had received the notification the moment they had informed Arizona what had happened, with Talbot glowing and going up a level in front of them all.

  Quest complete: Opposite of Gods

  You’ve conquered the darkness, banished the demons back into the shadows, and found the mages! Is there anything you can’t do?

  Difficulty: 6/10

  Rewards: 5,000 exp

  “Thank you,” Arizona said before vanishing and appearing on the other side of the desk. She hugged them each in turn, planting kisses on their cheeks. After every hug, she would poof in a cloud of smoke and appear in front of the next. “I can’t believe you did it. You found them.”

  The mages had returned to the academy in a bit of a daze. They were underfed and dehydrated, having been down in the pit for several days. They were taken in by concerned friends, who led them to the food hall to replenish their strength and then off to bed for a nights’ (actually, a day’s) rest.

  Blueballs growled, his head scraping the ceiling. The mages had been concerned at first by the hulking beast but had calmed considerably when Tag told them of the help he had provided in freeing them from the Hand of Darkness. Jessie had used the cloak once more, and the mages had encircled him and hidden his feet as they made their way back to the academy.

  They were made comfortable at the academy, reveling in the glow of their victory. They accompanied the other mages to the food hall—many of them enjoying their breakfast with little idea of what had happened the night before—and ate heartily with Arizona and Sillick.

  Halfway through their meal, Chloe spied a wizened old man with a stocky body and a wizard’s hat sitting at a front table, enjoying a cup of something warm with his fellow staff members.

  “I thought you said wizard hats were old-school?” Chloe said to Arizona.

  “I did,” she replied between mouthfuls. “He’s old. This is a school.”

  Chloe laughed; her cheeks were rosy from the warmth of the room. “Who is he?”

  “The Head of the Academy. Horace Rhinestone. A man wise beyond his years.”

  “Beyond his years? He hardly looks young.”

  “Looks don’t mean a lot when magic is involved,” Arizona explained.

  Chloe nodded before turning her attention back to her own table. She glanced at her party, enjoying their food at the table. Blueballs sat on the end of the table, looking confusedly at a knife and fork that had been placed before him before lowering his head and scooping his meat into his mouth. Decaru had flitted back into the city on business of his own. She felt a glow of pride at her comrades, but couldn’t help but feel like something was missing.

  “You miss her, don’t you?” Gideon whispered, elbowing Chloe’s side. “Veronica, I mean.”

  “I know who you mean,” Chloe snapped back playfully.

  Gideon and Ben—especially Ben— had tried to convince Veronica to stay with them. She had proven herself a worthy fighter, and the added bonus that she was a cleric would definitely have provided a new spark to their team.

  But Veronica had shrugged, saying she wouldn’t even consider it until Chloe admitted she wanted her company. Chloe, in her stubbornness, and not able to shake away the annoyance at Veronica’s cockiness, had declined at first. As Veronica had been about to split off into the city to find her other friends, Chloe had grumbled the words, causing Veronica to turn back.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “You should be.” Chloe grinned.

  “What did you say?”

  “I said, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if you...y’know...joined us? We could use someone like you.”

  Veronica had theatrically considered the offer, rubbing her chin and staring at the sky. “Well, that’s awfully kind of you. But no.” She laughed. “I just wanted you to admit you needed me, battle mage.”

  And with that, she was off, leaving Chloe in a cloud of her own embarrassment and frustration.

  Now, though, she really wished Veronica had stayed. The only reason they had gotten off to a bad start was that they were so similar. They rubbed each other the wrong way, but that didn’t mean that she didn’t enjoy it and wouldn’t have appreciated her talents.

  Chloe pulled up the contract in her vision, the timer indicating that there were eight hours remaining until it expired. It was her last tie to Veronica before all was severed and done.

  “She can go screw herself,” Chloe said, folding her arms. “What did she even do out there, anyway?”

  “Helped us greatly,” Gideon replied. He wanted to press, but didn’t, sensing that Chloe was finished with the subject.

  After a full breakfast, they were invited back into Arizona’s office, where they spoke at length about the Hand of Darkness and where it might have come from. Chloe mentioned the face she had seen and the legend of Fukmos Veronica had told them.

  “Sounds like a fun guy,” Arizona mused.

  “No, a mushroom is a fungi,” Ben replied, slapping his knee.

  There was a titter of laughter, but definitely not the amount Ben had hoped for.

  “How did he even get out?” Chloe asked. “If he’s a god, then surely he should be…somewhere godly. Doing godly things?”

  “You mean like pulling down other gods’ pants and sticking his tongue out?” Talbot replied.

  Jessie played with her thumbs. “Unless he’s come down here for another purpose?”

  “What’s that?” Chloe retorted. “To spew Hands of Darkness and give birth to shadow demons? What even was that, anyway? It was like a pulsing, darkened meringue when it’s still raw!”

  She looked at Arizona, assuming she was the wisest among them.

  Before Arizona could open her mouth, Talbot answered. “An amoeba of some kind? A nest, maybe? Strange, though. You hardly see nests with any kind of sentience, but this one definitely had an agenda.”

  “Close,” Arizona said. “I’ve heard of these types of things before. They’re called ‘dreyda’ in the old tongue, hives created by gods as a kind of passage from the etheric into our world. Dreyda are nests of a sort, although their presence is hardly ever a good thing. Where there is one, more are prone to follow.”

  “Well, it makes sense why it would appear in a shrine,” Gideon added.

  Arizona nodded. “Although we celebrate now, we must remain vigilant. The worst may be past, but it never hurts to be careful.”

  They all nodded, lost in their own thoughts of the dreyda and the connection with the gods.

  A short time later, after Jessie had yawned and Blueballs had fallen asleep on the floor, they said their goodbyes to Arizona and Sillick, but not before Arizona had one more surprise to give.

  “Here. These are for you,” she said, handing Chloe and Gideon small pins to place on their chest.

  Updated title: Mage of the Academy

  You are officially a member of the Mages’ Academy. Thanks to your hard work and demonstration of your magicks, you can now enter the academy any time you like, taking advantage of its many rooms and wonders.

  Sport this pin with pride to show your allegiance to the Mages’ Academy of Killink View. Others will respect you. Discounts may now be received at apothecary and magic stores.

  Chloe pumped her fist. “Yeah!” she shouted, taking the badge and going to pin it on her top.

  She paused, realizing that there was no way the pin was going to go through solid metal armor.

  “Er, I’ll maybe just pocket it,” Chloe said, blushing as Arizona chuckled.

  “It’ll make no difference to you, anyway” Sillick grumbled. “You know you don’t get the benefits, right?”

  “What?”

  Chloe looked back through the notification, heart sinking when she saw it.

  NOTE: This pin does not negate any effects of class choice. E.g., A cleric will be held in true reverence among academy colleagues.

  Son of a… Chloe thought.

  Arizona shrugged. “Sorry, Chloe. Even I can’t undo thousands of years of mistrust and lore.”

  Chloe told her not to mention it, looking at Gideon with jealous eyes as he pinned his to his robe. “Look. It fits!”

  They made their way back into the city, the streets beginning to wake up as people strolled around. Carts rolled through, wheels clicking on the cobblestones, the smell of baking and other less enticing smells filled the air.

  After all the time they had spent out in the wilds and in the smaller and more obscure towns and cities, Chloe realized she had begun to enjoy Killink View. It gave her everything she had ever expected from a town that reminded her of medieval times, and she strolled through the city with her head held high.

  “Fish! Fresh fish for sale!” a tall, skinny man at a market stall shouted over the thickening crowds.

  “Fresh pomsley juice, buy one, get one free!” another shouted.

  Chloe decided to buy some pomsley juice. Paying the seller 2 bronze coins, she sipped from the bottle. The taste was sweet. It wasn’t like the drinks she went for normally, but there was something in there she definitely liked. She nodded in approval, took a few big glugs, then corked the bottle and saved the rest for later.

  They navigated the rest of the way back to the Twisted Spire tavern, Blueballs trudging behind them under Jessie’s cloak, praying no one saw his feet as they trailed along.

  As they entered the tavern, a sharp blast of wind fluttered the cloak, revealing the toffet’s hairy legs as they took to the stairs to their room.

  “Oi!” a voice called from behind them. It was Kershaw, the landlord. “Where do you think you’re taking that thing?”

  Chloe’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, come on. I promise you won’t hear a peep out of it.”

  “No wild animals in my tavern. Isn’t the sign clear enough on the door?”

  Chloe told Jessie to remove the cloak, and Kershaw’s eyes grew wide as he looked up at the creature.

  “Look. He’s harmless,” Jessie said, stroking the toffet’s back. “He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  Blueballs yawned, sleepy eyes on Kershaw.

  “I don’t care. I don’t have many rules, but no animals is one of them. They stink, they’re noisy, and they’re not good for business.”

  “Well, that’s funny,” Chloe replied. “Because he’s been living upstairs for the best part of a week, and have you noticed your business declining?”

  Kershaw’s mouth flapped in stunned silence.

  “How about this,” Chloe offered. “If there’s any damage or problems whatsoever, we’ll not only pay you recompense, but we’ll get out of your hair immediately?”

  Kershaw considered it, eyes fixed on Blueballs.

  He nodded with a grimace. “So be it. He breaks anything, triple damages.”

  Chloe gave a thumbs-up. “Gotcha.”

  Blueballs fell asleep right after they reached the room, and Jessie took a bed nearby. She promised to watch over the toffet while the others went about their tasks, and soon they were all back outside on the street.