Carter, the Dark Magician of the Eight

"Why don't we steal a few things." Gror inspected a few items on the tables.

"Like what? What here could be useful to you?"

"I don't know, some of these unbroken jars. A lot of things seem missing, I'm sure they won't trace it to us."

Rolas shook her head, "I don't recommend it, I wouldn't put it past them to leave some kind of tracing magic to all of these things."

"Fine, then let's just leave and take Terry with us."

Rolas got ready to climb back up by creating holes in the tunnel to climb but Page created his bubbles, surprising her that he could do it but also angering her at the same time. They got up and out of the tunnel after some bickering and expected to move Terry to Rolas' house, but they were met with an unwelcome scene. A wizened old man with pitch-black hair draping his face from his hair to his beard stood waiting for them. Three fully armored men with purple gems strategically placed around the armor and magic spears stood around him.

The wizened old man boldly said, "follow me."

"Why?"

"No questions. We will resort to force."

The soldiers all pointed their magic spears at them, channeling a purple mist from the gems to the tips.

"Guys, do you think we're able to bust outta this?" Zeeth asked, staring at the soldiers.

"If we really try," Page started.

"No, of course not! They are all fully armed and the man in the middle is Carter! He'll blast you to bits in a second!" Rolas argued, 'are these children crazy?' she thought.

"Zeeth, if you really try we can escape, but not beat them all right now. I just don't recommend it, they will have to back up."

"Page, you are crazy, you don't understand their power."

"No, they don't understand our power, but you know theirs. But I am saying I still suggest going with them."

"Then let's go." Zeeth piled up a few molten rocks, cautious that they might attack anyway. All his past betrayals really got to him, changing his personality. "Wait, what about Terry?"

Carter told his men, "leave the Trickling Tree here to siphon the black magic residue. Then take it to our chambers for harvesting."

Gror clenched his fists, close to pulling out his electric sword, "don't you dare hurt Terry. You take a single piece off him and I will kill you all."

But Page pulled his arm and led him out before he could try and fight. Carter had them wisped away in a black fog, transporting them to a little grey room. He immediately asked, "what did you see down there. How did you find it, why were you there? Answer me now or I will snap your necks off."

"We were just going to our warehouse to check on Terry and found a tunnel with a huge amount of black magic residue spewing out so we went to check it, out of curiosity and found that. We didn't kill anyone down there or mess anything up. And when we saw the destroyed room we left."

Carter looked at the wall behind them, looking for some kind of signal. He looked back, satisfied with their answer, and said, "did you take anything."

"No."

"What were you going to do with the knowledge of the area."

"I don't know, but we weren't about to spread knowledge."

He looked around and noticed the back of Zeeth's hand. "Boy, come with me."

He led Zeeth out of the room and asked, "did you really have no intention of spreading this knowledge or causing harm?"

"Yes, we were just curious."

Carter's eyes glowed a bit green as they squited and said, "I see you're part of the Vasaleus."

Zeeth was taken aback but he recovered, thinking, 'he's in Vasaleus too? should I tell him? yeah, its better if i do.'

"Yeah, me and Page," he replied.

"Page? The son of Tarud?" Carter was equally surprised at hearing the name of the son of such a famous merchant.

"Yeah, the person on the very left. We're both part of it. Are you too?"

"Yes, I am one of The Eight, black magician Carter."

"Woah, that's the second one I've met. You must be really strong, Emma sounded super strong."

"Yes, Esmeralda. She is strong, but her old age is getting to her. I keep recommending some anti-aging magical herbs but she refuses. Says potions are the devil's creation to pull people to hell. Are any others from Valhalla?"

"No, just me and Page in my knowledge. Also, Esmeralda sounds a lot like Kezmerald, the man she said had gone to fight some monk monster."

"Yes, the crazy monster of the east mountain held by the monks. Kezmerald is her son."

"Really? Her son died??"

Carter opened the door, calling out Page.

When he came out Zeeth excitedly told him, "Page, Carter is one of the Eight! And Kezmerald is Emma's son who died, which is crazy. You can let us go, right, Carter?"

"Well, yes. But not because you are from Valhalla, but because I have determined that you are not lying about what you have done. Being from Valhalla won't save you if you had been lying to any of my questions."

"One of the Eight? Ah, yes. That must be an amazing position to hold, I congratulate you."

"Thank you. Well, you can all leave. Because you're from Valhalla, I won't make you sign any annoying contracts. I'm sure you both understand the importance of keeping secrets so make sure not to tell anyone about this."

"Yes, sir!" Zeeth enthusiastically yelled.

"Page, do you think you could get your father to come here sometime? I would like to buy some more exotic herbs from around the world."

"I actually have lost most contact with him, but if I ever meet him I will let him know. I'm traveling on my own to make a name for myself."

"I see. I respect that, good luck on your journeys. Well, you may all leave if you wish."

"What about Terry?"

"Terry? Ah, the Trickling Tree? You may have it back, but may I ask where you found it?"

"We bought a seed a while ago and brought it in."

"Alright. I'll move us back to the warehouse, take the Trickling Tree out, we will need to restrict the area for investigations." they walked back in the room, explained to the other two that they could leave but had to take Terry out and were brought back like how they had been brought in, the cold black wisp covering and sending them away.

Terry was still siphoning the residue while three soldiers tried to pick it up. 7 more were walking around to prevent people from getting near. A few people were murmuring, exchanging rumors about what they thought happened, "I heard there was a big fight over the Trickling Tree in the middle."

"I thought some kids threw a bomb in the warehouse to see what would happen."

"No, I heard there was a secret farm growing illegal Haze Furns."

Carter stopped the three and had Zeeth tell him where he wanted it moved, "behind a dumpling store just up the hill."

"The Black Dumpling? I love that place, I know where it is."

The black wisp brought them all to the back of the dumpling store. Terry finally stopped siphoning with a lack of black magic to change and was brought back into her underground room.

She gave them all a few drips of the dark vision potion Page told her. This was the first time they had seen her room clearly, she had a bunch of wooden boxes overfilled with different herbs, bottles, and strange items.

"You live here alone? That must feel so scary all the time, you have a dead body over there." Gror said. And sure enough, a skinny, pale body was laid out on a table.

"Whose body is that?"

"None of your business, we're here to protect the tree and make the potion. Now learn black magic so we can make this root useful, Terry's roots are still too white."

"Why don't you get some friends too? Then you can teach them magic and have more people attack it."

"They're probably busy with their own thing," she said, trying to pick things off the floor.

"Wait." Gror let out.

"What?"

"You don't have any friends?"

"What? Of course, I do!"

"Then name one friend."

"Mel..er. Meler."

"Last name?"

"Nisle."

"Meler Nisle. You know, it sounds an awful lot like Melanis, and it took you a while to say, you sure you didn't make that up?"

"No, her parents named her after the city. I just haven't met her in a while."

"Where does she live?"

"Melanis, of course."

"What magic does she use?"

"Dar- I mean light magic."

"In Melanis?"

"Yup."

"Can I meet her?"

"Er, she's probably busy with her studies, she's still a student."

"Let me get this straight, you're friends with a student here in Melanis that uses light magic and is named Meler Nisle."

"Yes." Gror stared hard at the fidgeting Solas as she kept trying to think on her feet.

"What school does she go to?"

"The one nearby, J. Granor School of Witchery."

"Um, last time I checked, there wasn't a school like that here."

"What do you know about Melanis."

"Gror, stop. We need her help, it doesn't matter if she doesn't have friends."