A moat of light coming through the window landed on Kadin just below his ear. He didn’t notice, as he slept soundly but as time passed the moat moved along his face and finally landed on his closed eyes which groggily brought him awake. He could hear towns people out on the streets but judging by the light he had slept for a few hours. As he pushed himself up he could feel his body scream in protest, his arms and shoulders were sore from the fight, his legs and back felt as if they had aged by about a hundred years from the long ride and his mind felt on the verge of just giving up due to the amount of magic he had used the last few days. But he still forced himself towards the door down to the shop – he knew there was a potion store nearby too so he could go there and get a rejuvenation potion, They were expensive and would spoil in a couple of hours so they were not something you can take as provisions – even the process of making them required a good alchemy setup. As he trudge down the stairs he heard movement in the back rooms of the store, he assumed it would just be either an undercover member of the guild or a store employee – but given all the attacks and ambushes he had suffered on his trip he did ready a weapon and get into a defensive stance as he stepped into the warehouse. Where he seen a skinny old bald man hunched over a walking stick with a dark blue vest over a light white shirt and a prim pair of matching trousers the buttons going down the middle of the vest was a set of gold trimmed buttons. He turned towards Kadin as Kadin entered the room and despite his obvious age his eyes were still sharp – he looked familiar to Kadin but he couldn’t quite place it .. he may have been a member of the guild while Kadin was in training, his thoughts reinforced when the old man snorted

“You! You’re a Mithril rank?” he said giving Kadin a very obvious once over. Kadin finished scanning the warehouse before he answered

“I am.” To which the old man replied

“Bit jumping for someone of your rank arnt you?.”

“A lot of people have been trying to kill me recently.” Kadin answered to which the old man snorted again and said

“That’s part of the job! Young one.” Then went on

“Anyway, the names Roy Bertman.” The old man said and held out his hand, and that’s when it hit Kadin. He was also a Mithril rank , Mithril rank one for the whole time Kadin was in training, he stayed as rank one longer than anyone else in the guilds history – he always refused promotion to Orichalcum, and he had retired not long before Kadin graduated. Kadin hurried over and took the offered hand and said

“It’s a genuine honour to meet you!”

To which Roy replied.

“unless you be a fair maiden spare me the honeyed words.” Kadin couldn’t help but grin at his reply.

There was something playing on Kadin’s mind though the guild ranking system went from Green to Blue to red to Black, to silver, to gold, to mithril, to Oricalcum. Kadin was still young and his progression through the ranks of the guild hadn’t been record setting it was exceptionally fast, so Roy shouldn’t be as decrepit as he looked. Unfortunately, it looked like Roy could read minds as he seen Kadin looked and then snapped

“Go on then – ask your question!”

Seeing no point in denying it as it would have been insulting to Roy to do so Kadin asked

“What happened to you?”

“The same reason you are here I’d wager. I assume you felt the magical surge a few days ago?”

Roy asked in return

“No, I am tracking a bounty he…” Kadin trailed off as realisation hit him then he said

“The necromancer..”

At which point Roy snorted again and said

“Colourful name – his real name is Norman Richards…yeah…. a lot less intimidating now isn’t it?” Roy asked seeing the look on Kadin’s face

“How do you know him?” Kadin asked.

“He tried to join the guild, years ago; no real talent or strength, though he did have some interesting insights in life magic … there was something off about him – however as he was wanting to join as an adult and as a mage he was tested – he passed, and was giving his final interview with Sorcery, who took one look at him and told him to leave - she sensed his greed and lack of morals.. she said he was trying to find immortality and thought by joining he would learn the secrets from the guild.

Looks like he has found a way to figure it out – I felt a massive surge of magic a couple of days ago within the town so I went to investigate and who did I find? He was young and strong, still not great at combat, but he tried to kill a captive, as I saved her, she turned around and attacked me – that Norman his chance, Black tendrils came from his hands and latched on to me … they started pulling my life force away.. a few seconds more and that would have been me I was just able to get out of it by exploding the ground at my feet, but after that he teleported away and left me … like this.” Roy finished holding his arm out while gesturing to himself.

“How..err, what… uuhh..” Kadin stammered looking for the words but Roy went on

“That’s my problem to deal with – So are you saying you didn’t feel the magical flair?”

“I didn’t, no” Kadin answered

Roy just shook his head at that then he went on and said

“But you are tracking him – yes??”

“I am – he kidnapped a child and he is heading to the blasted lands..”

“Then why haven’t you caught him yet?” Roy interrupted

“He has been doing something to the people as he passes – more and more of them are like the townspeople outside almost zombie like – but stronger.”

“Yeah I heard … I couldn’t do anything as I was trying to get my strength back .. but word is near half the town went crazy at the same time.”

“Well that and the fact that my horse disappeared slowed down my journey, plus I think he could be trying to attack me mentally – I have been having weird dream and feeling very run down after a night’s sleep.. do you know is there any way to protect against mental attacks like that?”

“Aye, there is a talisman that you can wear that will boost your mental resistance.. hold on a sec.” Roy said as he started going through some of the shelfs in the warehouse after a bit of rummaging, he pulled something out of a box on the shelf and handed it over to Kadin then went on.

“Like I said that’ll only boost your resistance, I don’t have something that will fully block mental attacks.”

Kadin had a look at it, it was a simple black leather cord the held something that looked like a small dragons tooth, a stained ivory item about as long and as wide as his thumb coming down to a rounded point. Kadin put it on and tucked it under his armour – he didn’t feel any different – but then he suddenly remembered the communication mirror and asked Roy where it was. Roy pointed him to the small office by the stairs to the spare rooms.

“Great, Thanks!” Kadin said as he hurried over to it. He opened the door and went inside. It was a small office with a desk with some odds and ends on it a filled book case and a small enchanters stand and a tall thin table squeezed into the corner. The room felt very cramped but Kadin could see the mirror on a shelf on the table there were a few other items on different shelfs, but he paid them no mind as he grabbed the mirror and sat at the desk with it in front of him. He channelled a little magic into his guild seal and from there pushed it into the mirror, as he did this a list of words shimmered then appeared on the mirror, the words were a light transparent red and they listed the other mirrors that were connected to this one, there were only seven listed contacts there at the larger towns around the kingdom, Kadin selected Velendale at the guild headquarters. As he did this the words shimmered and vanished, Kadin could see his own reflection shimmer away and reform into the face of a child. Well not quite the face was of a early to mid-teen. He had a messy mop of black hair, he had light hazel eyes and a nose that looked a bit too big for his face, a student that was most likely being punished for some infraction or other (most common ones being students roaming the halls of the teachers or other guild members areas of the building). He let out what could only be described as a squeal as he seen he wasn’t looking at his own reflection then belatedly added

“Yes… Can I help you?” while flushing red from embarrassment.

“I am Kadin Banto Mithril seven, can you send a runner to find Aurora Blacklight please? – ohh and you are??”.

“I am Simon, I am a fourth year student here, but its just me I have to go and get whoever is called for, I don’t have anyone to help.”

This caused a bit of concern and Kadin asked

“Why – has something happened?”

“ooohh – eemh No – its just my punishment … I don’t think they expected anyone to call though.”

“Well can you go and get Aurora for me please.”

“ehh, emmm – she is mean. She will give me an even bigger punishment if I interrupt her again.”

“just tell her its Kadin and I need to speak to her you will be fine.” Simon still red quickly nodded his head and ran out of Kadins view. He figured he would have a little time to wait so he got to the door and stuck his head out into the warehouse and asked Roy if he could send one of his employees to get a new horse ready, Kadin knew that Roy wouldn’t be here by himself as there is normally a main caretaker and at least two backups in each of the guilds safe house locations.

“sure thing young un’ you’ll be heading north I assume? Also do you need more provisions??”

Rather than shout across the room Kadin walked out and spoke to him.

“Yes please..I need to catch up to the necromancer.”

“Norman” Roy interrupted then Kadin went on and said

“ There is a horse I left out by the gates that has some things on it – but nothing urgent. If it can be retrieved feel free to sell it on or whatever… I uh did ride it pretty hard so it may still need a bit of time to recover.”

Roy nodded and waved his hand as he started working his way to the front room, while Kadin went back to the office as he opened the office door he could hear shouting.

“YOU! You really wasted my time again!! Is doing this for the next week not enough for you?!? It looks like you want to do this forever!!”

“Nooo… I ehh I swear it really was a call for you.”

Kadin hurried back to the desk and quickly shouted.

“Aurora! I am here!” as he jumped to the desk frantically waving his hands to get her attention. As she saw him – her look of annoyance on her face was replaced with a bright smile and she said.

“Kadin! – so hows the adventure going? Made it to the blasted lands yet?... ohh hold on:” As she quickly glanced to the side and said

“Right you- out you go … and next time don’t make Kadin wait so long….” As a timid response of

“Ohh – ok, thank you teacher.” Followed by the sound of a door closing and then she turned back to the mirror with a happy twinkle in her eyes, so Kadin asked

“You are really going hard on the young ones aren’t you? With what you did when we were there I thought you wouldn’t be as strict?”

“ They have to learn… its all fun to mess around – but there will need to be consequence … and besides with all that I got – of course I am going to dish it all back out … all things need balance.

Anyway what’s up .. I assume you didn’t call to talk about teaching methods? Also Sorcery said she felt something pretty big happen up that way a couple of days ago was that you? … she was tempted to go there herself but its your bounty and she trusts you to handle it.”

“Well” Kadin started then he explained again about what happened and then finished up on the fight at the town then finally about his new pendant to fortify his mind. Aurora burst out laughing at that point and when Kadin looked confused she said

“Just put your hood up on the cloak, it has defensive enchantments to stop people tracking your movements or attacking your mind … I told you all this when I upgraded it for you.. Remember?!?!”

Kadin thought back and he did remember Aurora upgrading his cloak from the standard guild one … but he had mainly been focused on it’s physical defences and the fact that it could recharge itself from the air … standard guild cloaks need you to put in mana every day to power the enchantments.

“Well..” Kadin tried to reply and went on “You did so much to it … the better shield, the recharge the increased storage space..”

“So you just focused on the big flashy stuff?” she asked while starting to pout then went on

“Next time I will just make your cloak glow and flash all the time that should suit you better!”

Kadin knew She was teasing him – but he still felt guilty, so he quickly pulled out the two soul gems he got from the spiders and said

“But look I did get you something… soul gems.” As he held out his hands with the two little green gems, and as expected Auroras attitude totally changed and she said

“Ooohh … leme see! leme see!”

Then as she looked she went on “ohh a nature one and a venom one that pretty cool!”

“I thought they were both the same.” Kadin said as he looked at the 2 little green gems …. They looked almost identical, but then she answered him.

“No see the one on your right.. it has sharper edges and is a little more pointy .. that’s venom!

So yeah – you just need to get me three or four more them and we are all good!”

“People don’t drop them .. and that’s most of what’s been attacking me.”

“Well when you get done with your contract you will be close to or in the blasted lands … just wonder about there for a bit and you can get me more… anyway I gotta go – I am in the middle of teaching a class.” She got up to leave then hesitated, Kadin seen her look concerned again and turn back he thought she was going to say something but she thought better of it and just quickly added.

“unless – do you need anything else?”

“No – I am good … I was just looking for any ideas you had for mental defence … but I am all set now.” He finished and pulled up the hood of his cloak. Thinking back on it the only times he had a good and decent night’s sleep was when he had put the hood of his cloak up, or just crashed while still wearing it … and he began to feel foolish for not realising sooner, then Auroras voice brought him too saying

“Well see ya when you get back .. and remember to bring me more stuff!” she smiled and waved at him before heading out of the frame. Kadin also thought that his new horse should be ready now and should set out he had time to make up.