They have traveled far. So far that the air no longer has the chill to it Novi is used to from the north. Instead, it is warm and salty here out at sea. Novi hates it. The longboat they are sailing on offers little privacy, as everyone is packed together. The sun and warmth make it difficult to focus and the heat only becomes more problematic when she uses magic. Whenever she casts a spell, it warms the flesh it is channeled through. A welcome side effect in the snowy mountains or dark forests, but here under the hot sun it makes Novi feel like her magic is baking her from the inside. The long clothes she’s wearing don’t help either. While she would much rather run around naked in this heat, her precious white skin would burn like fire by the end of the day. So she is forced to wear long robes that cover almost every part of her body.

Not only are they uncomfortable and difficult to move in, they are also soaked in her own sweat and the water that splashes over the side of the ship. At least it’s not as bad as running around in winter clothes or armor. Luckily, the back part of the boat has a large cloth tent spanned above it that protects them from the baking sun. Here she can at least take off the hood.

She is one of only two healers in this house, the other one being an old woman. She is skilled, but the strain of using magic weighs on her harder than on Novi. It’s understandable that she doesn’t want to use her abilities on simple ailments Novi can easily heal. The advantage of knowing the Lore of Life, and of being one of the few available who do, comes with its own special treatments and disadvantages.

Sweat drips from Novi’s forearms as she heals the burns on her fellow elf’s leg. Their house got into a short skirmish with a warship a few hours ago. They figured the ship to be part of the Confederation war fleet and originally intended to avoid it. None of them really know how to fight at sea, and a battle with a heavily armed ship like that one would likely only end with both their ships sinking. Still, the ship decided engaging them was a good idea and began firing their bolt throwers at them. The shot was extremely well aimed, and the pot filled with avalanche fire hit their longboat dead center. Several of them were showered in the burning oil, and had Irven, a scholar of frost, not reacted as fast as he did, the flames would have consumed their sail. After that first hit, they retaliated by hurling spells at the other ship, which disengaged after a fireball lit up their main sail and the ropes supporting it. Even though the elves’ boat didn’t suffer any serious damage, several of them got bad burns.

The elf’s face is contorted in pain, but it quickly relaxes as Novi’s magic flows through the burned flesh. She doesn’t have the strength to fully heal the wound, but she can remove the pain. Moving her hands over the inflamed skin reminds her of just how much she hates fire. Both the alchemical and magical kind. The wounds it inflicts are usually shallow, but incredibly painful and difficult to heal. The heat isn’t helping either. Of course, she hates lightning even more.

 

By the time she’s done, she’s gleaming with sweat. Her hands feel stiff and sticky as she stops channeling the healing spell.

“Thanks!” the man says. The burns on his leg are still there, but they no longer look fresh.

“No… problem,” Novi wheezes. The other healer has taken care of the one with the worst burns, but patching up four others has exhausted Novi.

The elf nods and stands up. He takes a few steps away and sits down on one of the rowing benches.

Novi leans over the side of the boat and submerges her hands in the sea. Even though it’s saltwater, it feels cool. Slowly, the cold penetrates her hand. She misses the frigid north, the snow, and the fact that her life-sight actually works there. Here, the heat swallows the warmth of other creatures. Too bad they won’t see the dark forests for another few years.

The magic has left her drained and tired. She’s not sure how long she just sits there with her hands in the water, but as she does, she can feel her strength regenerating.

Her trance is interrupted by a yell: “Dragon!”

She snaps upright, adrenaline suppressing her exhaustion. The massive red creature is still a good distance away, but the monstrosity is impossible to miss. It's coming straight at them.

Novi yells, “By the gods. What is one of these things doing so far from shore?”

“Who cares? You guys have magic. Shoot it down,” the elf from Lorma says.

“No!” the Patriarch of House Lorthan yells. “Calm down, everybody. We have nothing to fear.”

Novi looks up at the red dragon with a mixture of interest and fear. As it circles above them, she notices a golden collar around its neck. Another thing she notices is that it's wearing a harness. As they continue rowing towards the shore, the dragon accompanies them for a while. Eventually, it seems to get bored and flies away.

Turning to their Patriarch, Novi asks, “What was that thing doing?”

“Most likely making sure that we’re not hostile. The Master is the paranoid kind.”

“Who?” Novi asks.

“The Master. He’s a master forge witch, and a disciple of Eorr. He has a fort nearby. He and his pirates control these waters and we’re going to make a stop there to restock our supplies and sell some of the goods we brought from the north.”

 

Novi rests while the others row closer to shore. The fort, or Dark Heart Lookout as it is called, is built right next to the sea. It’s a very simple building, made from the same white sandstone as the cliffs surrounding it. Thin bushes use the small amounts of soil and dust to cover the top of the cliffs in a patchwork of green. The side of the fort facing the water has a wooden dock attached to it, with a single ship using one of four spots on the piers. While both the fort and port look poorly built, the ship is a work of art. Most likely of Confederate construction, it is a beauty to behold, even for someone who doesn’t really know anything about ships, like Novi.

They row closer to the wooden pier until they’re close enough to toss the two waiting human workers their lines. The two have dark skin and are wearing nothing but pants and beautiful golden collars around their necks. Novi notices two other people on the docks. One is a kobold wearing purple robes and a golden crown. His entire body is covered in knives and talismans, giving him a dangerous, yet comical look. The other person is an elf. His white skin tells her that he is a fellow high elf, but it has turned from pale white to an odd gray. At least in Novi’s eyes. He’s dressed in long, fine robes and his only weapon is a dagger on his belt.

Once their ship is secure, the kobold says, “There are my favorite elves.”

Novi is taken aback. His accent is heavy, but he speaks the northern tongue well. What surprises her is his shrill voice. Even for a kobold, his voice sounds high pitched, which is only accented by the fact that he seems to be yelling everything. If she weren’t so surprised, she would have laughed.

The Patriarch stands up. “Novi, Denik, Hada. Come with me.” They climb onto the docks.

As Fohr tries to follow his wife, the Patriarch says, “Fohr, prepare our goods to be unloaded.” Then he shakes the kobold’s hand and says, “And here I thought I could surprise you.”

A smile cracks the kobold’s mouth. “You know these are OUR waters. Nothing moves without OUR notice. MY eyes in the sky make sure of that.” The small fur ball’s shrill voice and the way he raises it on some words makes him sound like an evil clown.

The Patriarch says, “It’s good to see you again. Where’s Hancock?”

The kobold smirks. “He is somewhere in the fort.”

The Patriarch nods and turns towards the high elf. “Ferando. How are you?”

The elf smiles. “I think I have gained a basic understanding of enchanting. Once we are done here, I want to return north with you.”

“We’ll discuss that later.”

Sensing that their Patriarch wants to change the subject, Novi asks the kobold, “So you’re the Master?”

“Dominator of dragons and men… or a dragon for now, GENIUS enchanter, priest of the lord of domination and commander of this fort.” He bows, causing the various weapons attached to his body to jingle. “Though you may call me the Master for short. And you are new to this crew. What is your name?”

With a smile on her face, she answers, “I’m Novi.” For some reason, she already likes the little guy. His comically evil manner is both hilarious and endearing. A bit like a child, though he’s probably older than she is.

“Novi. A sneaky name. Let me guess. You are of the Lore of LIGHT.”

Novi chuckles. “No. I practice the Lore of Life.”

“Uhhhhhh.” He claps his hands together, though his furry paws make no sound. “I like that. Paralysis and the ability to drain the life of your enemies. Very good stuff. I see a few other new faces as well. Come. Let me show you my BASTION OF EVIL.” He turns towards his fort and throws his arms apart.

“Novi, Hada, Denik. Come on,” the Patriarch calls the three newest members of his house. He leans closer to them. While the kobold is distracted he says, “I know he’s hilarious, but try not to laugh. He takes himself very seriously. All right, Master. Start the tour.”

“Indeed I will. You two.” He points at the two humans. “My minions. Help our guests unload their ILL-GOTTEN gains!”

He turns back to them. “The first stop of our tour is right here. MY docks. That over there is MY ship, the Dominator. With it, me and my captain DOMINATE the seas.” Then he turns and walks towards the fort.

Novi turns to Hada. She’s grinning ear to ear.

The Master has the same jumpy walk all other kobolds have, and every time he takes a step, the weapons covering his body jingle, like little bells.

As they leave the dock, Novi falls behind to talk to Ferando. Before she can say anything he asks, “You’re new to House Lorthan. How did you join?”

“I married Fohr. I wanted to ask you something. About enchanting. The humans in the Confederation banned it and we never really used it. I know that our elemental magic releases energy, and enchanting is when you put it into an object, but other than that, I don’t even really know what it does. Are the stories true that it’s evil magic? That it’s an affront to the natural order?” Novi asks quietly.

The other elf pauses for a second, then quickly leans closer. “That little idiot over there is a devout follower of Eorr. He is convinced that he can place souls in objects to power the enchantments, but that’s not how it works. I did some research – do you know any spells that can bring someone back from the dead?”

“I know how to bring someone back as long as no more than a few minutes have passed. Though if you intend to kill yourself for an experiment, you should know that there’s always a good chance the spell will fail. Also, I’ve personally never had the pleasure of dying, but those who did described waking back up as the worst thing they have ever experienced. The only comfortable option might be the spell Final Stand, but I’m not even close to skilled enough to use that and… you know. That one is supposed to turn the tide of a battle and vaporizes the caster, so…”

“No, no. I’ve already had the distinct pleasure of being revivified and I can attest that it was the worst experience of my life...” The man’s eyes lose focus and his expression sinks. After a short pause he continues, “Where was I? Ah yes, a creature that has been sacrificed for an enchantment can be brought back without doing anything to the enchanted weapon. This ancient experiment proves that souls are not bound when the body is drained of energy for an enchantment. As for the reason why witchcraft was never properly used by us, it’s simple. Elemental magic is superior to enchanting in every way. Our Patriarch left me here to learn it, but I doubt it will be useful. It’s even harder than normal magic, while normal magic is much more powerful. That and normal elemental magic can be properly used without needing to sacrifice people.”

“We often take prisoners,” Novi whispers back.

“I consider a Golden Invocation a far better use of prisoners.”

Novi scowls. “You don’t need sacrifices to perform that magic.”

“You don’t need them for powerful enchantments either, but killing lower creatures is far more convenient than gathering five wizards to create a burning sword. I assume it’s the same thing with an invocation.”

As they reach the gate to the fort, the shrill voice of the Master cuts their conversation short: “This is my fort.”

They walk through the gate and enter a sort of courtyard. There’s a stable to their left. A large building takes up the entire wall to their right and a large tower-like building stands ahead of them. The stones are rough and the walls not entirely smooth. It gives the entire construction a very unprofessional look. On top of the tower-like keep, Novi notices another human man. Like the ones at the dock, his skin is dark, but unlike them, he’s dressed in long robes and a hood that protects him from the sun. He sees that Novi has noticed him, but doesn’t seem too bothered by it. His eyes flick to the side as the Master starts talking. Novi sees the man roll his eyes. Then he disappears.

“Anyway, to MY left you can see MY stables. I don’t actually own any horses or other mounts, but my patrons appreciate having a place to put theirs. Also, that’s where I keep the animals for sacrificing. To MY right, you can see MY House of Pleasures. If you want to have a drink or need someone to spend the night with, I got you covered. I even bought a great singer from some pirates last year. A real talent with a voice to rival a merman. I can go get him if you want some entertainment while you drink that journey away.”

Denik quickly says, “Alcohol always makes me vomit, but I could go for some meat. And hearing something other than a sea shanty would be nice too.”

“YOU are in luck, because I murdered a pig just this morning to create an exploding arrow. You there!” he yells at a woman sweeping the courtyard. “Tell the cook to prepare some food.”

The woman nods and runs off.

“Now where was I? Ah, yes—”

He's interrupted by a male voice: “I see you are showing the savages the fort.” The dark-skinned man in fine clothes quietly closes the keep door behind him.

“Everyone. This is my captain. Hancock. HE makes sure I have everything I need for my EVIL designs,” the kobold says.

The human turns to the elven Patriarch. “If I remember, you are the leader, correct? I have a proposition that your… gang might be interested in.”

The elf grins. “Let's hear it then.” The man beckons him into the keep and they both enter.

Once the two are gone the kobold says, “Please excuse my captain. He takes his job very seriously, as he should. Now, where was I? Ah yes, MY tavern. You've come at a bad time though. Now that the harvests are in, it’s prime raiding season. Most ships are too busy to sell their things here, but in a few days this place will be more alive than any city. Now to continue this tour, I'm going to show you my workshop, or as I like to call it, the DREAD FORGE!”

They follow the little guy into the keep. He leads them up a flight of stairs into a room packed with equipment, from plants to tools used to work metal. Everything seems to be haphazardly thrown together, but in the corner, Novi spots something interesting: a cage filled with about a dozen tiny humanoids not much bigger than a hand. The kobold leads the elves through the chaos and past the wing-less fairies, out another door. They are now on a platform on the outer wall. A smithy has been set up here, but what draws Novi's attention is the bloodstained altar next to it.

While she assumes this is where the kobold makes his sacrifices, she wants to know more. “You use sacrifices for your magic?” she asks.

“Of course. How else would I create objects carrying the most EVIL of enchantments?”

“How does it work?”

The kobold smiles. “Sacrifices – I prefer dark elves or humans, but fairies are good for those smaller things – are secured on the altar. Then an assistant stabs them in the heart, and as they die I draw their soul out with their blood. It is then infused into whatever object I want to enchant. A very cruel and evil process, I assure you. Once they are fused into the object, the soul is tortured every time the item is charged or discharged. We then feed the corpses to the dragon or make them into food, depending on how hungry I am.” The kobold cackles maniacally.

Novi feels a laugh bubbling up inside her. She manages to catch it, but not before a snicker escapes her lips.

The kobold, obviously thinking she is laughing with him, not at him, says, “Yes. The pain of others is hilarious, isn’t it?”

“Quite. Tell me more about the EVIL you do.” To her left, she sees Hada suppress a giggle.

An almost childlike glee lifts the small kobold’s face. “OF COURSE! As you have already noticed, that there is my Altar of Power. That is my Forge of Dreadful Creation and that is my table of Dark Infusion. Now let's get to the highlight of this tour.” He takes a small bronze horn from his belt and blows into it. It makes a shrill sound.

They wait a bit until the dragon finally soars above them. It flies in a circle, then lands on the wall. Its wings toss up dust and the wind it creates almost knocks Novi and the others off their feet. The creature roars, then settles down. With its wings tucked against its body, the monster looks a good deal smaller, but from head to tail it's still as long as their boat.

The dragon's gaze falls upon them. Even though Novi is relatively sure the creature won’t hurt them, she's terrified of the fire-breathing monster. This is the closest she's ever been to one of these majestic creatures.

“Rurr grar druuur!" The dragon opens its mouth and roars in a controlled manner.

“They are from the north,” the kobold replies. For a moment Novi things he’s talking to them, but his eyes are fixed on the dragon.

Hada says, “That thing can understand us? I thought only white dragons were smart enough for that.”

The dragon's eyes snap onto her. Before the kobold can say anything, the dragon replies, “Hrawr grliap groooar braaaaa.” The growling and snarling he uses to communicate causes him to slowly open his mouth. It reveals a large set of teeth, as well as a large fleshy tongue.

The kobold laughs. “He says that if you insult his intelligence again he will eat you.”

“Can I… can I touch… you?” Novi asks. The creature both fascinates and terrifies her.

Its eyes focus on her. After a moment, it moves its head forward. Novi's heart is pounding as she moves her hand to touch its head. She expected it to feel like touching a brush, but the dark red fur that covers its body is surprisingly soft and silky. A bit like very short hair. She moves her hand over the side of his head until the dragon recoils. He rises to his full height, spreads his wings and takes off. The sudden blast of air from its wings causes Novi to lose her balance and fall. Her eyes follow the majestic monster as it rises into the sky.

The kobold walks up next to her. “I love dragons. They have a certain elegance and beauty to them that only a creature that can burn down a whole town can possess. Don’t you think?”