CHAPTER 30
We stood at the base of the mage’s tower in awe. This thing was enormous and beautiful. We almost fell on our ass trying to see the top. They engraved intricate glyphs and symbols in the stone, from top to bottom. A large wooden door appeared to be the only entryway inside the monstrosity. I slammed my fist on the door as hard as I could without damaging it.
“They may not let us in. There could be all kinds of top secret shit going on in there,” I said.
Koshiro ripped her shirt, causing her cleavage to increase by a factor of ten. “Hopefully, this will help to get us in.”
I shook my head and laughed. “You’re a mess.”
The sounds of an intricate locking mechanism on the other side of the door pulled my attention from Koshiro’s chest. The door unlocked and slowly opened inward. It sounded like the hinges on the door hadn’t been moved in years. “Those hinges need some good ole WD-40.”
Koshiro gave me the stink eye look. “WD-40? Is that a spell?”
“No, it’s just a spray that you use to make metal stuff move more smoothly. It will get rid of these squeaks and shit.”
“Ah, interesting. They could definitely use some of that.”
A man in a purple robe stood in the entryway with one of his hands behind his back. He had a long white beard along with pointy ears. I guessed he was some sort of elven race. He wore sandals and had a wooden staff with a red crystal attached to the top. He looked exactly how I pictured a real life wizard would look. I expected him to say, “You shall not pass.”
“What business do you have at the legendary Broadburn Mage Tower? Rarely do we have visitors. Are you here to attack? If so, you will be destroyed easily. Turn back and live, come forward and die,” the wizard’s voice thundered.
I held both of my hands up. “No, we’re not here to attack at all. We come in peace.”
Koshiro held up her index finger and leaned forward. “However, if my Chad wanted to attack, you would be in deep shit. I’m just saying.”
The wizard’s eyes glowed white and the red crystal on his staff pulsed.
“Whoa, whoa, wait. Don’t mind her, she’s just… very protective of me.”
The wizard’s eyes and staff returned to normal immediately. “What is your business here?”
“Well, you may not be able to help, but a friend said there was a possibility that you could.”
“If you will not tell me your business, I’m going to shut this door and never open it to you again. Get to the point.”
“Sure. I was brought here from the planet Earth by the Nine.”
The wizard’s eyes widened.
“I want to send a message to my family on Earth. I want them to know that I’m okay. I mean, I just disappeared all of a sudden. There’s no way they’ll ever know what happened and they’re going to suffer for the rest of their lives, not knowing what happened to me. I was told that someone in this tower might be able to send a message to my parents letting them know that I’m okay. I want to give them closure so they can move on with their lives. My friend said this tower served as a mana antenna or something which would help in getting that message to my parents. I have money, and I’m willing to pay you for your trouble. Is this something you could help me with?”
“Hmm, this can be done, but it can only be done by one mage here, Ezekiel Grulke. He is one of the strongest mages on the planet, and he oversees the tower here.”
“Awesome. Can I speak with him?”
“No.”
“And why the fuck not?” Koshiro growled.
I rolled my eyes. “Koshiro, please let me handle this. Don’t be rude.”
I turned my gaze back toward the magic guy. “I’m sorry. She’s very… passionate. Why won’t Ezekiel help us?”
“He isn’t here. He’s on a quest, thousands of miles away, and will not return for a month. You are welcome to come back then and ask. I’m not sure if he will agree or not, but you can try.”
“There’s no one else?”
“I could help you if I had access to the sacred mana boost potions here. They would increase my intelligence and magic power temporarily. I would have the power long enough to send this message for you. However, Ezekiel is the only mage here that has access. So unless you have one of these potions, I cannot help you.”
“Can these potions be purchased in a shop in Broadburn, perhaps?”
The bearded man shook his head. “No, these are potions created by Ezekiel himself.”
“Dammit,” I said under my breath.
“My Chad is a genius level cook. Can he prepare a type of food that will give you the boost you need?” Koshiro asked.
“That’s a good idea,” I acknowledged.
“Perhaps. I don’t have a recipe, so you would have to locate one. If you can provide me with this food, I will help you for the fee of twenty-five thousand credits.”
“Twenty-five thousand credits to just send a message? That’s nuts!” Koshiro shouted.
The wizard chuckled. “This is a very complex spell. You want me to send a message across the multiverse? That isn’t cheap.”
“Koshiro, it’s fine,” I said as I looked through my vast recipe inventory.
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“Well, it’s your money, so whatever.”
“If you’ll excuse me, sir, I’m looking through my recipes to find something. I’ve been stocking my inventory with tons of ingredients. I’d strolled around Summerstar to every shop and purchased one of everything. Hopefully, I have what I need.”
The wizard just nodded to show his acceptance.
“What’s your name, by the way? I’m Koshiro and this is Chad.”
“My name is Bernard. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Koshiro replied with a smile.
It took me a few moments to find a section where I could locate boosts. I scrolled until I reached a section for intelligence boosts.
“Outstanding, I found something.”
“Chad’s so smart, Bernard.”
“I’m sure he is ma’am,” the wizard said nonchalantly.
“Bernard, I’ve found a tea that will boost your intelligence 25% for 90 seconds. Will that work?”
“Yes, that is more than enough. I can’t believe you can do this.”
“The name is Frosliorgus Tea. Let me see if I have the ingredients in my inventory,” I beamed.
Frosliorgus Tea (25% Intelligence Boost for 90 Seconds)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 thin slices of ginger
2 cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon of frosliorgus
1 cup water
I shook my head. “Shit! I don’t have the most important ingredient, frosliorgus. That’s frustrating.”
“Frosliorgus, you say? You can find that nearby in the wild,” Bernard interjected.
“Really, that’s great. Where?”
“It grows near the summit of Grandomeer Mountain just east of here,” Bernard stepped out of the door and pointed toward a gigantic mountain nearby.
“Oh, I see. I forgot that my interface will tell me where this stuff can be found. It even shows me what it looks like. It’s a small blue flower with a white tip on the petals. That should stand out. So I guess I’ll go and pick the amount I need and head on back.”
Koshiro wrinkled her nose and put her hands on her hips. “You’ll go? We’ll go. I’m not letting you go by yourself.”
“I agree with Chad, my dear. Grandomeer is not a safe place to be. There are many dangers. Frosliorgus is fed on by owlbears. Vile necromancers use it in some of their evil concoctions. There’s always the chance that you will not find any. I wish you luck. When you provide me with the tea, I will send your message at once for the twenty-five thousand credits. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. Your kitsune companion can stay here and await your return, if you like.”
“I’m not staying here. I’m going with you, Chad.”
“Bernard says it’s dangerous. It’s probably a good idea for you to stay behind.”
Koshiro stomped her foot and gnashed her teeth. “I’m a healer. You might need me. This isn’t a discussion. I’m going and that’s final. Got it?”
Bernard chuckled. “She is a feisty one.”
“You have no idea,” I replied.
“Well, let’s get a move on,” Koshiro commanded as she marched away.
“Ma’am, may I suggest you go east toward the enormous mountain over there?” Bernard smirked.
“Oh yeah. I meant to go the wrong way. I wanted to see if you guys were paying attention.”
I shook my head and smiled as I began walking east. “Thank you Bernard. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Thanks for your help.”
“Of course, good luck and safe travels,” the wizard replied, then shut the heavy wooden door.
“I can’t believe you were actually going to go alone. Did one of those pirates hit you in the head with something? Like I said before, wherever you go… i go. That’s never going to be negotiable.”
“You’re too good to me, Koshiro.”