Caleb edged his way a little further down behind the ridge. He looked over to King Nevin in astonishment.

“What was that you said?” he asked. “That the magical ability of your family skips generations, and usually lands with the female members?”

“That’s unfortunately so,” Nevin sighed. “Lili was always a difficult child. Refusing to listen to her elders, refusing to learn the arts that a good little girl should, like weaving or playing the harp. We’ve had words over the years. A few months ago, when she turned eighteen, she manifested her wizardly powers. Things went downhill rapidly from there.”

“And she kidnapped your pet dragon.”

“She’s more than a pet!” Nevin declared, offended. “That dragon is a key part of my kingdom! As for Lili, my little princess...well, let’s just say, I wish that I’d gotten her that damned pony back when she was twelve.”

“That’s very touching,” Caleb said wryly. “What set this latest tiff? It has to have been pretty bad for her to go...I don’t know, rogue wizard on you?”

“Does it really matter? She refused to abide by her father. She pilfered rum from the cellar, invited young men to woo her, and even got two of my knights to fight each other to the death for her amusement! I told her that if she didn’t follow my rules, she wouldn’t be allowed under my roof anymore!”

Caleb let out a breath as he absorbed those words. Words he’d heard years ago, long before he’d become a seaborne courier for Prince Snow. Long before he’d been shot and awoken in this new world.

He put his feelings aside with some effort. Instead, he forced himself to focus on the problem at hand.

“I can see why you haven’t just rushed in to take her with your men,” he said. “They’ll get torched or crispy-fried in good order.”

“That’s right. I’m hoping that someone with a little more larceny in his veins–”

“–a pirate, in other words.”

“Well, someone who might be a little more sneaky and underhanded could get close to her.”

“All right, but then what, Sire?” Caleb gestured towards Tavia and Shaw. “My friends have a half-dozen ways each to kill her either at a distance or up close. But to take her unharmed, when she can use fireballs and lightning?”

“Perhaps we could wait until she goes to sleep,” Tavia ventured. “Or until she decides to take a meal. Or answer a call of nature.”

“Mayhap, but that smacks of dishonor,” Shaw complained. “I mislike waiting for a foe to assume a compromising position. Nay, we should attack immediately, ‘lest we lose the element of surprise!”

“I fail to see how getting ‘crispy fried’, as our Captain puts it, is a better option,” Tavia shot back, with a snort and flare of her nostrils. “Any risk of dishonor shall be mitigated by the fact that we are on a rescue mission.”

Nevin cleared his throat.

“It is irrelevant, in any case,” he informed them. “Lili shall not sleep, nor she shall not let her guard down in any of the normal human ways. The building down there is an ancient structure we call an altilium. It continuously replenishes magical energy. As a side effect, it eliminates the need for sleep, for food, for water and...well, you know...”

“It eliminates the need to eliminate,” Caleb said, understanding. “Well, that’s just great. At least it explains why I’ve felt so ‘charged up’ ever since we’ve arrived.”

“I as well,” Tavia said. “It feels like the ends of my mane are standing on end.”

“Hmph,” Shaw groused. “Mine own fur and feathers do not feel atingle.”

Interesting, Caleb observed. Both the griffin drake and unicorn mare are magical creatures, but only the one which would wield magic felt the effects of the magic tower battery.

“There is a way to capture her unharmed,” the King pointed out. “So long as you can get close to her.”

“How close?” Caleb crossed his arms. “Closer than shouting, obviously.”

Nevin dug into a pocket inside his voluminous purple cloak. He came up with a little gold ring. A bright, faceted emerald gleamed atop the golden band. The gem itself was inscribed with a wizardly mark akin to the one Tavia bore on her right shoulder.

“Merely get close enough to slip this on her,” he explained. “This enchanted gem shall bypass all of her magic and make her fall asleep for a minute or two.”

Caleb took the ring gingerly and rubbed his chin.

“Okay. Questions, your Majesty. What if the gem just touches her skin? Or if I toss it to her and she holds it?”

“I’ve been told that it does not work that way. Of course, you are free to experiment, if you want to bet your life upon it.”

“Yeah, I’d prefer not. What if we just keep taking the ring off and putting it back on every minute? Will that keep her asleep?”

“I’m told that this ring is a single charge only, but that is no matter,” Nevin shrugged. “As long as Lili is bound and gagged, she cannot manifest her powers. Once you deliver her and the dragon she’s kidnapped to my palace, we shall handle things from that point. So with that, we shall take our leave and allow you the room to work.”

“One moment, Sire,” Caleb said quickly. “If any of your knights have a supply of rope and cloth in their saddlebags, it would come in handy. And I could use one of their swords and shields.”

Nevin hesitated. “Remember I need my daughter – and my dragon! – completely unharmed.”

“I remember, your Majesty,” Caleb assured him. “I may need a weapon for a different task.”

With that, the Gilarskans gave them a spare set of clothes and a length of thin rope in a canvas knapsack. Reluctantly, one of the knights set down his longsword and kite-shaped shield. Nevin bid them good luck, leaving them with the spare horse for the trip back.

Caleb waited until the sound of their hoofbeats faded into the forest green before turning to his friends.

“All right,” he said. “We’re not going to go charging in there, but I do want to move as soon as possible. There’s an opportunity so long as Lili’s out walking the tower, practicing her spellcraft. We have some advantages here.”

“Aye, speed and strength!” Shaw declared. He raked the ground with his fore talons. “I could fly thee out to the tower in a handful of seconds. A swat of one paw should knock thy errant princess down, allowing thee to slip the ring on a finger.”

“Too risky,” Tavia disagreed. “You’re fast, my griffin friend, but not that fast. Especially when encumbered with a rider. I saw the speed at which Nevin’s daughter can cast her spells. She’ll be able to nail you twice, if not thrice, before you get close enough.”

“Unfortunately, I agree with her,” Caleb said. “Tavia, can you gift me the same protection that you’ve given Shaw?”

“Of course.”

Tavia lowered her head, touching her horn to his shoulder. Her horn glowed soft gold. Caleb gasped as he felt an electric shock run through his body. Then he squinted at he brought up his stats once more.

Existing Buff / Debuffs:

Innate Charisma increased 7%.

Magical stamina increased 200%.

Received Temporary Paladin-Specific Defensive Enhancement:

50% Resistance to wounds from all distance and bladed weapons.

33% Resistance to crushing, burning, freezing, and acidic damage.

25% Resistance to mind control and most poisons.

15% Resistance to any exposure to disease.

“Kirren willing, this will be help,” she added. “It shall render you slightly more proof against burns, but it shall not assist you with lightning.”

Caleb let out a breath. “Fifty-fifty chance what she uses. But I’ll take what I can get.”

With that, he set aside his cutlass and tucked the enchanted ring in a pocket. He shouldered the knapsack and then picked up the Gilarskan sword and shield. He then called up his list of currently active spells under the Craft with Iron field.

Craft with Iron Spells available for individuals ranked up through Level Twelve:

Magnetize Needle Locate Metal Shard Hold Metal Shard Mend Forge Crack, Minor Extend Forge Crack, Minor Sense Metallic Weapon’s Qualities Sense Value of Coinage Change Metal Object’s Buoyancy Heat Dispersion

He spotted the spell he wanted and activated it.

Sense Metallic Weapon’s Qualities

To his relief, the spell worked on both the longsword and the shield. In an instant, little screens popped up above the items.

Weapon Type: Standard Longsword.

Quality of Metal: Average quality carbon steel. Average quality compared to other weapons. 0% additional resistance to non-recoverable bending or shattering.

Magical Qualities: None.

Additional Notes: None.

Weapon Type: Cavalry Kite-Shaped Shield

Quality of Metal: Slightly above average quality carbon steel. Average quality compared to other weapons. 10% additional resistance to non-recoverable bending or shattering.

Magical Qualities: None.

Additional Notes: Gilded edging is made of gold foil, increasing its market value by 10%. However, item is substandard in that its dimensions are too short by fourteen inches; ideally, this type of shield should cover the space between a horse's neck and its rider's thigh. This design is not recommended for the standard cavalryman.

Good thing I don’t plan to go charging at anyone with this thing. At least, not on horseback.

Satisfied that the items were at least made of metal, Caleb called up a second spell.

Heat Dispersion

Sword and shield glowed faintly for a second. He hefted them a second time, but they felt no different than before.

“That’ll protect me a little more,” he said, “At least with some luck.”

“I sense that you have a plan,” Tavia observed. “Hopefully it plays to the so-called advantages we have here.”

Caleb held up two fingers. “Those would be distraction. And persuasion.”

She frowned. “You must be joking.”

“Not at all.” He gestured towards the direction of the keep. “I’ve got to make it from the edge of the forest over to one of those ground-floor windows. It’s about a thirty-yard run over open ground that I’ve got to cover. Both you and Shaw should be able to cause enough of a distraction for the time I need.”

“And what about those iron bars?”

“Badly rusted, particularly at the base.” He hefted the longsword. “A good strong lever should be able to bust a couple of them out. Especially if I have my Extend Forge Crack spell handy.”

“Thy plan is a heroic one so far,” Shaw rumbled. “Indeed, if it succeeds, you shall be able to access the interior of the keep. Canst thou break enough bars or open the door so that we can join thee?”

“Maybe, but that’s time I won’t have,” Caleb admitted. “On top of that, it’s going to be tight quarters in there. Might be too tight for anyone larger than a human. And besides, you’re forgetting the second of our advantages.”

“Thou dost refer to persuasion?” The griffin fairly spat the word. “I regret my former words. Thy plan is less heroic and more harebrained.”

“So I used to think,” Tavia said appraisingly. “Yet Caleb’s convinced me there is more method than madness to his plans. What do we need to do in order to distract Lili Nevin?”

Caleb smiled. “Simple. You both just play to type.”

Unicorn and griffin listened carefully as he explained what he wanted them to do.