The Hedge Wizard

A chill ran down Hump’s spine as he gazed across the craggy outcrops surrounding the portal plateau, creating a maze of chasms and sharp rock formations. Jagged stone jutted out of the ground in spiky pillars, piercing in all directions like the teeth of a colossal beast. To the left, a burst of flame spat out from a long, fiery crack through a barren hill. Ominous red light poured out from within, casting many eerie shadows on the nearby rocks, moving like writhing tendrils. The air shimmered with heat.

All around the plateau, Hump saw signs of the imp lord’s presence—twisted statues, grotesque carvings, and symbols of demonic magic etched into its black stones. Yet he saw none of the illusions it was known for. That made Hump nervous. If this were the imp lord’s domain, surely there would be signs of its magic. Or perhaps he simply did not have the skill to notice them.

Activating his Spirit Sight he searched for anything out of the ordinary, but the chaotic essence of the dungeon was so thick here that it obscured his vision. He scowled as his head started to throb. Squinting, he tried to gaze through the fog and search for signs of magic. The runes of the plateau gleamed with it—there was a good chance one of these detected portal activations or intruders. As the pain in his head grew too much, he deactivated the ability. He would need to spend some time getting used to the essence density here.

There was a lot to get used to. The dirt here was a dry brown, almost sand. In the distance, an island of stone floated in the sky. Hump had heard of floating isles in their world, usually natural phenomena suspended by essence or held in place with powerful magnetism, but he had never heard of such a thing in a dungeon. Sharp, angular rocks protruded from beneath it, and a stream of red liquid poured from its edge to the land below, cascading like a gruesome waterfall. At first, Hump thought it was blood, his mind racing to tales of demons and their cruel domains. Logic told him it was more likely essence water produced by the dungeon, either glowing with its chaotic power or reflecting the red of the sky. The sheer volume of the waterfall was what truly shocked him, a testament to the strength of the Infernal Halls.

“I’ve visited nicer places,” Hump said quietly. “A little too red for me.”

Bud stood at his side. “Ominous, isn’t it?”

Hump nodded. “Definitely ominous, and a little monotonous. There’s not enough colour.”

“And it’s rather gnarly, wouldn’t you say?” Dylan said, looking around. “Where do we even go?”

“Doesn’t get much more gnarly than all these jagged rocks,” Bud said.

Nisha doesn’t seem to mind at least,” Hump said, smiling as he reached down and stroked her back. The little dragon didn’t move, her wide eyes fixed on the fellspawn, ready for a fight. There was no fear in her, just eagerness.

“What are you three muttering about?” Emilia asked.

“We’re just admiring the scenery,” Bud said.

“Well admire it quietly,” she whispered. “We’re supposed to be stealthy.”

“I do not like the look of that,” Celaine said, pointing behind them.

Hump’s eyes went to the wall of shadow that stretched along the edge of the dungeon, a vast abyss of nothingness. Somehow along it, they would find the grand gate that guarded the entrance to the Infernal Halls, along with the fort that guarded it—their objective. Wherever it was, it was beyond Hump’s sight. Crags and chasms obscured the path directly before them, and beyond that he picked out a forest of twisted red trees. To the left of the forest, blue light shone from the still waters of a serene lake, small enough that it appeared nestled into the forest.

Standing there, amidst the oblivious slave demons and the twisted beauty of the foreboding landscape, it was easy to believe he had stepped into another world entirely. The thought of somehow destroying it seemed suddenly far off. General Korteg led thousands of soldiers to defeat it, yet while it had seemed grand when viewed through Marian’s blessing, now all Hump could wonder was whether it would be enough.

Anara broke him from his thoughts. “Everyone is here. Is there anything to report or are you all ready to continue.”

Hump gave his affirmation along with the others.

“How are you holding up, Raya?” Anara asked.

“I can maintain my veil for another few minutes,” the spear dancer answered. “I suggest we move off the plateau by then unless you want to fight all these creatures.”

“I second that.” Hump pointed at the runes that marked the plateau stones. “I suspect that these runes have alerted someone to our presence. The imp lord may already be on the hunt.”

“Let them come!” Tamsin said. “Scampering around under veils has never been my way of doing things.”

“The time for a fight will certainly come,” Anara said. “For now, we must be patient.” She pointed along the wall of shadow, past the forest of red trees in the distance. “Our objective lies that way, and we have many miles to travel if we are to make it in time. It’s time for us to move out. Celaine, if you would take the lead.”

Celaine stepped ahead without hesitation. “No problem.”

Steeling his resolve, Hump tightened his grip on his staff and followed Anara down the plateau and toward the forest. With every step, their chance to turn back diminished, until finally they were amongst the rocky outcrops and the portal was out of sight behind them.

***

Celaine held up a hand, calling for them to stop. “Orbs ahead.”

Hump peered up at the nearby pillars of rock, searching the cracks for what she saw but finding nothing. Activating his Spirit Sight briefly, he detected essence fluctuations around them, but failed to identify a source, let alone a way through. His eyes strained against the magic saturating the dungeon and he dismissed the power. Perhaps given time he could find a path forward, but his role for now was one of defence. If they were ambushed, he needed to raise a Shield over the entire party and buy them enough time to get organised.

“I see them too,” Faelor said, looking up at Hump’s side. “I’m amazed you could spot them.”

“They’re everywhere,” Celaine said, pointing ahead of them. “It’s hard to miss.”

Teff laughed at her side. “Once again, I am envious of your eyes, Celaine. I cannot see them, so I shall leave them to you.”

“What are we dealing with?” Anara asked.

“Magical orbs embedded in the stone,” Celaine said. “They look like the ones Drexel described to us in the briefing.”

Drexel had warned them of orbs that could detect essence signatures in their vicinity. Once triggered, they would explode in a wave of heat. For a squad of this strength, Hump doubted the explosion itself would cause significant harm, but its power would give away their position. If the demons were hunting them, it wouldn’t take long for them to be found.

“Is there a path through?” Anara asked, scanning the many paths through the rocky rock pillars.

Celaine shook her head. “I don’t think so, but I should be able to clear one.”

Celaine placed an arrow on her bow and took aim at a rock directly in their path ahead. She loosed it, the arrow blurring forward. There was a sharp crack, and shards of stone crumbled to the ground ahead of Hump.

“They won’t be a problem,” Celaine said. “Stay close to me.”

“Excellent shot,” Faelor said. “That’s quite an arm you have too.”

Celaine smiled as she strode on ahead with determination, leading them onward.

As they walked, Hump’s eyes flicked to the sky. Dark, swirling clouds wisped across the crimson expanse, void of any sun, moon, or stars. The constant, stagnant red light was sickening. It made him feel tired, as if he were walking through some unending night. In the distance, a flock of winged creatures wept swiftly across the horizon, flying away from Hump and the others, their shadows rippling over the jagged landscape.

They passed more traps as they went, Celaine expertly weaving through them, guiding the squad safely. Hump’s heart pounded as he heard a growl nearby. Eyes glinted in the shadows. Nisha immediately whirled on it, snarling back fiercely.

“Wait,” Isabella said. “I sense no threat.”

Teff breathed deeply. “I don’t smell a monster either.”

“An illusion, huh?” Marian said. “I’ll check it out.”

Before anyone could argue, the Chosen of Vesta hopped into the air, a portal opening in the ground beneath her. A moment later, she appeared amongst the shadows, a blade of pure purple energy in her hand, illuminating the rocky ground as she carved the monster in half. Its form dissipated into nothing. Marian looked around briefly, then hopped back, appearing from the same portal in the ground.

She smiled sweetly. “All clear.”

“Don’t take risks, Marian,” Owen said. “We approach these things together.”

“Oh don’t be so boring! All this skulking around is getting tiresome.”

“Agreed,” Tamsin said.

“Would you like me to attach a calming flower to you both?” Anara asked tightly. “I assure you, time will fly by.”

The two women looked at her then shook their heads.

Anara smiled. “Good.”

At one point, their own shadows came alive, grasping at their feet and trying to drag them into the ground. Hump could disrupt them, but it was a waste of essence against such relentless attacks. Especially when Bud’s Heart of Frostfire aura dispelled them so easily. They stuck close to the knight as they progressed, his divine power burning away the shadows and allowing them to press onward.

They were almost out when Isabella’s voice rang out. “Danger!”

Too late.

A massive spike shot out of the rock ahead, hurtling toward them. Hump’s heart lurched as he prepared a Shield, but Celaine was too far ahead for him to reach in time. In an instant, Theron appeared before her, his arms outstretched. The spike impaled his lavish robes, piercing straight through his chest until it protruded from his back. He grunted, blood gushing from his mouth and splattering over the spike.

All of them watched in stunned silence.

Celaine’s eyes were wide with horror. “I’m so sorry. I should have seen it.”

Hump’s heart hammered as he realised that they’d lost a member of their squad as quickly as that, only for Theron to form a blade out of his blood and chop through the spike. He gripped the end that was left in him and yanked it from his body.

The lanky man turned to her with a bloodied smile. “No worries, little lady,” he managed to say, his voice surprisingly steady. “It’s what I’m here for. You’re doing excellently.” He licked the blood from his lips as his chest healed before Hump’s eyes, the wound closing seamlessly, as if manifesting out of nowhere. “This was hardly enough to hurt me.”

Even the hole in his robes repaired itself, until it was as if he’d never been struck at all.

“Do you need a heal?” Isabella asked, though she hardly sounded concerned.

Theron stuck out his tongue, revealing blood-stained teeth. “As if.”

Hump marvelled at the man’s resilience, but now wasn’t the time for questions. He knew the man to be some sort of magical tank, but such durability was beyond anything he’d seen before. Even Chosen of Emirai would struggle to survive an injury like that, let alone shrug it off.

Despite Theron’s easy-going nature, Celaine seemed on edge after that. There were no more accidents as they escaped the crags. Not one step wrong. She hardly said a word as she guided them out, her eyes unblinking, missing nothing until finally they were in the forest.

The trees loomed with gnarled branches that twisted and curled like skeletal fingers, their shadows stretching menacingly across the forest floor. The red leaves rustled, creating a sound like whispering voices. As they ventured deeper into the forest, the oppressive atmosphere weighed heavily on Hump, forcing him to press back with his essence to keep its sickening power from afflicting him. Others relied on their own methods, purifying the air with blessings, while those that lacked such capabilities like Teff and Tamsin were protected by Dylan’s Nature’s Spring.

The little light that reached them through the dense canopy cast everything in a blood-red glow. Plants gleamed with it, and shone with the essence of the dungeon, their roots pulsing rhythmically as they syphoned power from the ground. Hump waved a hand over a flower, watching as it shifted to follow him, its mouthy petals seemingly drawn to either his blood or essence.

“If only there was time to study them,” Soren said, his voice filled with wonder as he admired another of the predatory plants that latched onto his gold-plated hand, its thorny teeth probing the metal.

“Why would you want to?” Dylan asked, his voice filled with disgust. “This place is revolting.” He swung his quarterstaff, smashing apart a plant that crept too close, leaving its petals crushed and drooping over the ground. “There is nothing good to find here.”

“Do not be so quick to judge, druid,” Soren replied. “Sometimes only poison can cure a poison.”

They progressed quickly, crossing miles in a matter of hours, soon reaching the lake Hump had viewed from afar. Up close, the blue of its waters was even more mesmerising, like something straight out of a painting, calling for Hump to swim in it. The surface was so perfect that it felt unreal, a deceptive calm in the midst of chaos. No doubt demons waited within if anyone dared to do such a thing, hungry for any prey they could find. The faint magic in its presence was almost intoxicating. A weaker mind may have been drawn into its depths, but none amongst them would be fooled by it.

“This is the last thing I expected in the Infernal Halls,” Tamsin said. “Where’s all the fire? The carnage?”

“It gets its namesake from the demon lord’s castle and his many minions,” Anara said. “But there is a whole world in here, albeit a twisted one.” The druid gently touched the leaf of one of the demonic trees, a sorrowful expression on her face. She fed the tree a little of her essence, watching as the leaf briefly turned green before the red surged back in, overpowering the change almost instantly.

“I think the mist is moving,” Celaine said, her eyes fixed on the lake.

Hump’s gaze followed her, scanning the surface of the water. After a few seconds, he saw it too—a subtle shift. The mist was thickening, rising higher over the lake and slowly creeping up its banks and toward them. They started to back away, only for the mist to rush. Suddenly, it was all around them, a thick fog of nothingness.

“Damn it,” Len said, the barrier Sorcerer filling his wand with essence. “Now what?”

“Have we been noticed?” Marcela asked, her hand gripping the hilt of her blade.

“Something dangerous is out there,” Isabella said, her voice low and tense. “I can sense a dreadful intent.”

“Blessings!” Anara commanded. “Form up into your respective parties. I want a square formation.”

Auras rose around Hump, empowering him and shrouding him in their protective might. He took his position at the centre of the formation, along with Celaine and the other ranged combatants. Bud, Dylan, and Emilia formed a protective line ahead of him, while the other parties formed their sides of the square. They stared out into the mist, searching. Whispering voices came from within, growing louder and more insistent.

No, that was Anara. Hump saw her lips moving but he couldn’t make out the words.

“Celaine, can you hear me?” She didn’t even look at him.

The mist thickened further, and then she was gone, not even a shadow of her form remaining. His heart hammered as he activated Spirit Sight, the forms of his companions suddenly becoming clear. They radiated essence, still holding their position, albeit looking around confused.

He reached out for her, grabbing her shoulder. “Celaine?”

“I can hear you,” she said, her voice normal now. “I think we’re in another illusion. I can’t see the source.”

There was a terrified scream—Bud.

“Run!” he heard Bud’s desperate shout. “Run, Hump! Run!”

Yet looking ahead of him, Bud still stood there. Before Hump could reach for the knight, he sprang forward, sword radiating Frostfire as he charged straight toward the lake.