MAGIC UNDER THE FOREST
"Nothing is impossible. Several months ago, we never dreamt of becoming a dukedom", Hagar told the master who nodded in appreciation.
"It is good for young people to dream", Orol said to me.
"Duke Orol, there is no need for the young master to audition for the apprenticeship of the Conjurer's Court. He was granted the courtesy title of Earl by the prince of Tarah city. He qualifies as an apprentice conjurer by his title alone", Camliden suddenly advised the Duke of Kaleon.
"Is that so?" Orol asked.
"I believe he may be right", Hagar replied to him.
"So, I don't need the audition after all?" I asked them.
"No need", Camliden replied to me.
"Damn, I was thinking about being tested", I complained to myself.
-----
After obtaining the land in the east forests of Tarah city, we quickly established a camp there, to start the work of surveying and construction.
"This construction job will take years to complete", Ratatouille said to us as we looked at the vast forest before us.
"When Sara brings her drones and machines over here the job will be completed in months", I told them.
"There is a problem. Our surveyors have been attacked by deadly creatures quite frequently, slowing our progress", Camliden said to us.
"Rumble…rumble…rumble"
Suddenly, about a dozen predatory wolves rushed toward us. These weren't ordinary creatures but extremely deadly ones. They had tough armor growing on their skin and fangs that could pierce our strongest shields.
"These wild creatures could be ranked as almost legendary, it is difficult for us to stop them without a whole squadron of militia", Camliden said to us worriedly about the pack of wolves.
Suddenly, one of the creatures that attacked us, the biggest one among the pack, was lifted into the air by magical chains. Before the creature could free itself, a powerful beam of energy struck its body, disintegrating its armor and skin.
"Golden Chains of Greed and Restrain"
"Lance of Drakul"
The other creatures saw how their leader was killed so easily, so they retreated. Even Camliden's jaws dropped as he saw the killing of the deadly predator so easily by us.
"Did you kill these creatures so easily?" Camliden asked us but we did not reply to him about that.
"We have dealt with much deadlier creeps than those", Chash told him to his surprise.
"Is there a reason why these deadly predators would attack this place so frequently? It's a waste of my time staying here to fight with them," Ratatouille asked and complained to us.
"Do you think there is a reason causing the wild animals to attack us in the east forests?" Camliden asked him.
"Usually, deadly predators prefer their own territory and space. A lot of space. There must be a reason so many powerful creatures will gather in this forest, especially in this area", I replied to him.
"I don't understand", Camliden asked me.
"In the Kalydon Confederates, the conjurers there created a magic arraye that would attract powerful wild creatures to gravitate to a certain location where they would be killed en masse by their knights and conjurers. That would reduce the population of these deadly predators from thriving in other places where people live", I explained to him.
"Do you suspect there is such a magic arraye here?" Chash asked me.
"That is possible, since Tarah city is the seat of the Conjurer Court, the powerful conjurers could easily defeat any incoming animal hordes coming to the city. That will make the kingdom safer against deadly predators", Meera explained to us on my behalf.
"No wonder the Conjurer's Court's Missions Guild posted so many missions to hunt creatures in the east forests of Tarah city", Camliden said to us in acknowledgment.
"What magic can attract deadly predators to come to this forest?" Cassandra asked us.
"Sara has gone to check on this and she would be coming back soon", Rinna told us.
After a while, Sara returned.
"I found the cause of the animal hordes coming here", Sara told us.
"Really, what caused the animal horde?" I asked her.
"There is something under this bloody forest that attracts the animals to come here. It is calling them to come here from hundreds of kilometers away or further", Sara told us.
"So, it is true? There really is such an animal calling magic in this forest," Chash asked us.
"We need to get under there to know for sure", Sara said to us.
"You said under the ground, how deep?" I asked her.
"Damn deep", she replied to me.
"I'll get a team of workers to dig under the ground", Camliden said to us.
"That is not bloody necessary", Sara replied to him.
Soon, the air around us swirled into a tornado, pulling everything into its center as it swooped toward the ground, drilling itself into the earth.
"Tornado Hammer"
----
Rocks and dirt danced skyward in a mesmerizing display as the tornado bore into the earth. With each passing moment, more mass ascended, sculpting a growing crater in the ground.
Yet, the tornado harbored ambitions beyond merely fashioning a crater. It sought to birth an abyss within the earth. The ceaseless swirling drew more earth into the heavens.
After what felt like an eternity, the tornado relinquished its tumultuous grip, leaving behind an immense void in the landscape. Intriguingly, we ventured beneath the newly opened earth, discovering a surprising hollowness beneath the surface.
The enchanted tornado had carved a tunnel into the ground, leading us to an unforeseen revelation.
Beneath the surface, a subterranean temple emerged, guarded by a colossal gate adorned with thousands of jewels. The gems, with their diverse colors and gleams, mirrored the constellations of the magical templar skies within the temple.
-----
"What the hell is this place?" Sara asked us.
"Is this another one of the religious sites in Tarah city?" Chash asked us.
"This doesn't look like any of our temples or the Church's. The markings have no religious significance", Meera told us about the markings on the enormous gate.
"From the jewels on the gate, this is a mimic of the templar constellations. Whatever this place is, it is related to the magic of templars", I said to them.