Chapter 85: 83
The world stood still, time stood still. The sounds and sensations disappeared, only the cold remained, grabbing my mind with its claws. Snow, wind, even the sun - none of this touched me at the moment. Thoughts jumped from one thing to another, like locusts devouring everything. Intuition sounded the alarm bell, warning me of the danger that threatened me if I chose the wrong line of behavior.
I stood and looked at the goblin on the floor, who was watching me with a sparkle in his eyes. Mischief, carelessness, and also gloating seemed to be incompatible feelings, but this was exactly the cocktail splashing in his eyes. Standing opposite each other, we each thought about our own things, but our thoughts revolved around one topic. Only we stood on different sides of the border, different vectors, different points of view, but the theme was the same.
Slightly squeezing the dagger through the fabric in which it was wrapped, I turned my gaze to the rest of the sentient beings who were also present here. As soon as I looked at them, a realization appeared in my mind. They knew about the professor's plans, and if they didn't go there, they at least guessed.
In each glance there was only concentration mixed with expectation, and from some there was a hint of anticipation. It's as if they were in a theater production and are waiting for reconnaissance of the production, but this is not theater. All emotions were like water in a river that washed over me. I felt their desires, as well as their feelings, while realizing that they would support their leader.
No one will take my side, even if it is amorphous. Everyone has their own goals, desires and ideals. Why do they care about the fate of a petty magician? But a lot depends on my words at the moment. However, I have already decided for myself.
Mentally shrugging my shoulders, I looked at the goblin again. The hand holding the blade relaxed slightly, which was not hidden from the goblin's eyes. There was an air of approval in my emotions, as well as joy from a well-played game.
- I understood you. What should I do? — Throwing away unnecessary thoughts, he asked Flitwick.
Lifting his upper lip, thereby showing a row of sharp teeth, the professor answered with a smile:
"At the moment, nothing, just wait until Og and Susan transfer the "volunteer"," turning to the designated persons, he nodded to them. Nodding in response, Pora separated from our squad and headed deeper into the snowy territories. "Well, now, you can ask the questions that interest you," the half-goblin said, turning his gaze back to me.
She shook her head from side to side and replied:
- I need to think about everything. If you have any questions, I know who to turn to," he smiled at the professor with the corner of his lips.
"A smart choice," the professor grinned. He waved his hand at me and went towards the dragonite. - You can rest a little. I think in fifteen to twenty minutes they will cope.
Having followed the dwarf's figure a little more, I sat down on a chair that I had transfigured from snow. Having made myself comfortable, I plunged into meditation, without ceasing to monitor the situation around me.
I was killed. I don't know when, I don't know why, but Filius led me to this topic. An assassin, or rather a magical assassin. What's behind these conclusions? Everything here is quite simple, although at first glance it may seem far-fetched.
The first and most important thing is the dagger. Holding it in my hands, I managed to admire the ligature of runes and spells that were woven into the very structure of the metal. You can't do this on your knee, especially at the table for a short time. So the half-goblin had him from the very beginning. Why would a grandmaster of enchantments, and, moreover, an excellent user of a short blade, need this dagger? And no, not as a replacement if lost. As I managed to find out, each bladed weapon is tied to its owner. I don't know if it's in every detachment, but definitely in ours. Therefore, he brought it here specifically, specifically for "something." Well, now it's clear why.
The second is the invisa technique. This is more of my guess, but it is quite possible that the professor initially wanted to teach me a different technique. Why did you change the plan? I have the circumstances, but it's never too late to learn something else. True, he also gave me a grand gift.
Well, third. All this we will love was agreed upon with the teacher. Why? She couldn't help but know about the cancellation of the metamorph's form when passing through the veil. Flitwick is her close friend, and the squad was not surprised at the sight of my true appearance. Not even one negative emotion slipped through. Agree, this is strange, because if one of the squad members hides his identity, then at least there should have been interest. But he was not there, just like with the words of the professor.
It is quite possible that this whole trip and crossing the border was done for only one purpose - to educate me. But this is only true if the teacher still has power over the squad. After all, it is she who I must help in the future, and if I don't help, I won't be able to know about it. If this is true, then I should ask another question: who can't the teacher kill, that she needed someone else like me to do this?
Now to the "offer" itself to the goblin half, becoming an assassin. His words, especially the emotions at that moment, left me absolutely no choice. I don't know what he would have done if I hadn't agreed, but definitely nothing good. Perhaps at the beginning I would have tried to persuade him, but I don't know for sure.
From all this, I had another question: what else did the teacher tell him? If she mentioned my "gift" as a seer, then the situation becomes much more complicated. Although, perhaps it's my paranoia that went wild.
Taking a tired breath, I tried to focus on the psi that was flowing through my mind. Since you have time, why not practice. Moreover, psi has shown its usefulness in such a situation. The inability to track, a certain universality, as well as a fairly large "reserve" of this energy. All this makes me once again rethink all my training plans. Eh, I wish I had five more hours a day, or better yet ten.
Well, okay, enough idle thoughts. It's time to train. In this situation, I can't do anything, but I put a note in my memory. Unfortunately, the old relationship will no longer be the same.
Closing his eyes, he once again abstracted himself from the outside world.
*****
The waiting, and with it, the training, dragged on. About forty minutes later, the figures of our companions appeared on the horizon. For a long time, however, time was not wasted. Every minute, even second, spent on training will be another brick in the foundation of my power. Sooner or later I will be taken into account, and situations like today will become less and less. This is the only reason why you can immerse yourself in training.
Opening my eyes, I began to peer towards the horizon, from behind which figures began to appear. There was a lot more. Changing my eyes, I peered even harder.
Our companions were accompanied by golems with something on their backs, as well as several dead men controlled by a necromancer. In total, their number exceeded one dozen.
Gradually they became closer and closer, which made it possible to see even more details. Finally, ten minutes later they arrived.
"Phew," the dwarf wiped away the imaginary sweat. "I would rather destroy a hundred of these dead people than try to catch them like wild animals," he complained to us, taking another sip from his bottle.
"It's hard work to bring in the dead," the necromancer said coldly to the gnome. - Well, yes, what could be more difficult than swaddling motionless dead people, and then loading them onto golems.
"Pha," poor Og choked on his drink at her words. Clearing his throat, he looked at her with wet eyes. - This…
"Forget it," Crystal waved her hand. "The task is completed," she told the half-goblin. - In total there are ten draugr. I think it will be enough for the first practice," the necromancer made a report without changing the degree of advice in her voice.
- Well done. "Now be so kind as to order them to lie on their stomachs," Flitwick praised her, and then gave her a new instruction.
Outwardly, Susan did not change at all, but all the dead, one by one, lay down in a row on the ground. The picture of a dozen draugr lying down in an even row looked so surreal that Og could not stand it and choked again.
Raising the bottle in front of him, he first looked at it, then at the dead, at the bottle, the dead, the bottle...
"Hmm... well," he whispered barely audibly and hid his treasure with an elusive movement.
"Calder," after waiting for the dead to smile, the half-goblin turned to me. "If you'd be kind, come over, and don't forget the dagger."
Getting up from my usual place, I slowly walked towards him. In his hands he held a dagger that glittered on the account, reflecting the rays of the bright sun. Having approached closely, he stopped near the professor, handing him a dagger with the handle forward.
Grabbing the dagger, the half goblin raised it in front of him. Looking at the dance of light on the tip, Flitwick said:
- What do you think this is?
"Enchanted, silver dagger," he shrugged. "It's possible it's just covered with silver, but since it's an artifact, it's unlikely."
"Hah," he stretched his lips in a toothy smile. - It's obvious. Let me ask the question differently: are you familiar with this silver dagger?
I shake my head negatively. How could I know this? At least I haven't seen anything like this mentioned in books.
"This dagger, as well as others like it, are a replica of twenty daggers bearing the proud name: "The Terror of the Magician." Even if this, and the replica and the strength in it, Merlin is about twenty percent of the original, but he copes with his task perfectly well," throwing the knife into the air, he intercepted it with his left hand. — The Mage's Horror — mithril daggers that can deprive even an Archmage of his magical gift.
The words spoken shocked me. To deprive of a gift, not to seal, which means either to "take away" or to destroy. Just thinking about this "soul" begins to tremble. If someone deprived me of my gift, then I would be horrified at a minimum, and at maximum... Now it's clear why they were called that.
"I see you're into it," the half-goblin nodded to his thoughts. — The original artifacts were created by an unknown master and were so complex that it is not possible to reproduce their properties. True, not everything is as rosy as it might seem at first glance.
Turning his gaze to the draugr, the professor asked me a question:
— Why do draugr exist?
"The charm of those who raised them," but seeing another question in the eyes of the half-goblin, he added. - Due to mana.
- Right. Where does mana come from? For ordinary draugr - from absorbed victims, or from Liches. For those who have preserved their souls, it is from their gift.
I nodded. It's logical, but now it becomes more clear why draugr who have retained their souls are so dangerous. Their souls continue to function, supplying the dead body with mana.
"This dagger can also deprive a magician of mana, but it will work on magicians up to the level of a grandmaster, or on the dead," grabbing the knife with the blade down, the professor looked at me. — The Mage's horror pierced most of the spells, as well as armor, which is why there was almost no salvation from them. He's not capable of that. However, sharply lowering his hand, he hit the dead man in the head.
- R-a-a-A! - the dead man screamed and began to twitch. The limbs lived their own lives, but he did not plan to die. Even in magical terms, there were no prerequisites for this.
- As you can see, he is not dead. And this is another, final weakness of the Horror Mage. To destroy mana, you need to hit it exactly in the chest, between the lungs, almost touching the heart," having said these words, Flitwick once again lowered the dagger. Like a hot knife through butter, the metal pierced the flesh of the dead man.
This time there was no roar. The twitching stopped, the body froze, and then began to slowly disintegrate from the point of impact, until, eventually, it crumbled into dust in the wind.
Picking up the dagger and handing it to me, the half goblin grinned:
- Go for it. Now it's your turn," he waved his hand towards the dead. - You will have plenty of practice.
Grabbing a knife, he went towards the next dead man. Approaching him, he squatted down next to him.
Raising my hand to the top, I sharply lower it to the bottom, observing everyone with magical vision. The dagger's blade made a hole in the aura, through which the tendrils of the spell penetrated inside. A second later they returned back, and it was as if they heard a small ringing sound, like broken glass.
The aura disappeared in an instant, and the body, no longer supported by mana, began to crumble.
"With one blow, without a doubt," the professor said in surprise. "Once again I am convinced that you are not as simple as you want to seem," an interested grin stuck to your face. - Well, continue. You'll have a lot of practice," Flitwick grinned bloodthirstyly.
Straightening up, he headed towards the next dead man. Death won't surprise me, but my hands stopped shaking a long time ago.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone