Fantasy The Clueless Wizard (Completed)

[Yokai]

》Spending time with one of the people she knew: Kogan.

Learning magic and being a general wizard was great -- understatement of the year -- but Arden still needed human interaction. She was a natural extrovert and needed to do something more socially rewarding to fill her time. Considering that she hardly left the tower, except to do her job, Arden mainly focused her attentions on Kogan. It wasn't like she really had the time to seek out others and, having ultimately tarnished her relationship with Percy, she hadn't sought him out again. Also, teasing the prickly orc was fun! She didn't overstep the boundaries and attempt to kiss him again -- truly her love life was crying out -- but it was grounding to have somebody honest -- sometimes brutally so -- to talk to.

 

[ArcticFox]

That day she found Kogan asleep on a divan in one of the many rooms of the Towers. He had been spending most of his time doing just this. Sleeping, eating, and repeating. He was not doing much of a job as a personal bodyguard, but then again Arden didn't really go out of the Tower, so she did not need much guarding.

It was apparent that the Orc was lazing around simply since he had nothing else to do. And a bored bodyguard was not a good thing to have.

- Let him sleep.
- Wake him up and suggest an activity.

 

[Yokai]

》Wake him up and suggest an activity.

For a moment Arden debated leaving the guard to his dreams because despite being bored he looked content enough to doze. But, if she was being honest with herself, she also wanted some attention after having spent the day studying. Which was the main motivator behind her crouching beside him and gently patting his cheek.

"Kogan~" Arden hummed, purposefully lowering her voice to a seductive drawl. "Don't you want to play with your boss?" She grinned, all feline amusement and cheek that turned into genuine excitement. "Y'know, you should teach me some cool offensive moves! I know you're just dying to get your hands on me and beat me up." Which was probably true, being trained by Kogan sounded like a nightmare. But hey, they both needed the entertainment!

 

[ArcticFox]

Kogan growled as she patter his cheek, swatting at her hand as if it were a fly. Then, when she persisted, he opened one eye slowly, watching her as she spoke.

"The way you describe it, it does not sound like training at all." He said, opening the other eye too, his gaze now focused, but he was still not making a move to stand up. "What is it you want... boss? Do you really want me to toss you around the room and possibly break a few bones, or do you want me to toss you onto the bed and destroy only your clothes?"

- Answer.

 

[Yokai]

》Answer.

Arden actually had the decency to look surprised by the offer, her usually flirtatious expression briefly unsettled before she smoothed it out again. The flash of panic, of equally black eyes and hard fingers against skin now buried under another false smile. She hadn't expected Kogan to call her bluff and the possibility of reciprocated interest made her anxious. But it wasn't the good kind. Luckily, she was good at pushing people away.

"Oh?" Arden questioned, expression back to its customary cheek though her eyes were distant now. "I thought we already established that you weren't an escort for hire?" She deflected, humor falling only slightly flat as she leaned away and rocked back up to her feet.

"I was actually asking for you to train me," Arden admitted after a brief pause, hand coming up to rest at the juncture of her neck. "Y'know... give me some pointers that'd be useful in a physical fight." She shrugged lightly.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I'm not." Kogan groaned as he sat up and stretched his huge muscular arms upward with a yawn. "I'm just very bored." He added with a shrug. "Well, it's your funeral, Wizard. Let's do it."

The Orc rose up to tower over Arden, then with a smirk moved to the side, still turned toward her as he motioned at her to come at him.

"Let's see what you can do first. I'm guessing not much, those arms of yours look very scrawny."

- Attack him.
- Ask to be shown a few moves first.
- Give up on the training.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask to be shown a few moves first.

Arden visibly relaxed at the orc's concession, the topic easily dropped as the teasing tilt returned to her smile. She took a small step backward when Kogan finally stood up, only mildly surprised that they were going to do this right here and now. His mention of her scrawny arms -- an apt description, if unfortunate -- made her pout.

"Be nice! I am a ballerina not a boxer!" She huffed, momentarily distracted as she placed Watson aside; didn't want her beloved stick getting hurt. "And aren't you supposed to show me some cool moves first? I'm a complete noob when it comes to fighting, I don't know anything. Imagine you're fighting a three legged fawn... in fact, don't imagine because you basically are." Arden grinned without a hint of bashfulness.

 

[ArcticFox]

"A what?" Kogan watched her with an eyebrow raised. "Your words make no sense most of the time." He shook his head and then approached her. "Alright, I'll show you a move..." He spoke as if he wanted to teach her, but there was a mischievous grin on his face.

But it was too late to say no now. Kogan was next to Arden in a step, picking her up by an arm and a hand and flinging her across the room. Thankfully there was a bed on the opposite side on which she landed, otherwise she would have been properly injured.

"Now, I'm gonna show you how to counter that throw." The orc said through a smirk.

--

The training with Kogan was very violent. The orc did not have much understanding and he certainly did not pull his punches. Arden was bruised and scraped, but she could always cast her healing magic on herself to make it all better. The training did make her sore days after, even with the healing, but she also felt the muscles in her arms and legs grow tauter. And she learned a couple defensive moves, so she'd be able to get out of a potential scrape.

--

With the remainder of her time, Arden was able to help out the most important of her own petitioners, feeling like she held court of her own now.

At one point while browsing through the library she read the journal of a wizard who had a very short tenure. The wizard only stayed in Blackcliffe for a week before being killed by a poorly cast spell. The lesson to be cautious with her magic was clear.

--

"Queen Larissa requests your presence immediately, dear." Miss Jacqueline announced one day. Perhaps another problem has arisen.

- Go meet the Queen alone.
- Go meet the Queen with Kogan.
- Meet the Queen later.

 

[Yokai]

》Go meet the Queen with Kogan.

"Huh?" Arden said eloquently, looking up from where she'd thoroughly zoned out. The distant remnants of her thoughts disappeared in a puff of smoke and she blinked rapidly to clear her mind completely. Whatever she'd been reminiscing about passed without deliberation and a bright smile was turned onto Miss Jacqueline.

"The Queen wants to see me, does she?" Arden repeated, casually cracking her back as she stretched out in a feline manner. It would be nice to get out of the tower and into the fresh air for once. Being cooped up inside was probably bad for her health and even Arden could admit to getting stir-crazy. "Kogan, you wanna come along for the trip?" She asked, already headed toward the portal with Watson in hand. Arden's cloak swished dramatically behind her; after a week with the article of clothing she could definitely see the appeal. Everything she did felt that much more majestic.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Yeah, fine." Kogan said, following her through the portal. The orc looked eager to stretch his legs.

--

All of the guards and servants bowed deeply as Arden entered the palace. As the wizard of Traethia, she was treated like a noble by those who worked for the Queen. If only everyone at school could see her now.

She and Kogan were led into a beautiful private garden. Queen Larissa sat upon a bench under a blossoming tree, drinking from a small silver flask of strong-smelling liquor.

"Queens need a break every once in a while." She said, raising her flask as a greeting. "This is your new bodyguard, right? I remember you, you were in my guard once. How are you two getting along?" She asked, looking at Arden.

- Answer.

 

[Yokai]

》Answer.

The scene in which they discovered the Queen looked as she'd been pulled straight from a movie. Arden's breath briefly caught in her chest at the sight of the beautiful woman beneath the blossoms. The silvered flask in her hand -- rather than disrupt the illusion -- only added to her sheer attractiveness. A wide, friendly smile broke out across the wizard's face as she raised her hand in greeting.

"I suspect that Queens need a break more than others~" Arden agreed lightly, recalling the winding line of the throne room. At the mention of her body-guard her gaze flickered over her companion and she shrugged noncommittally.

"Kogan is fine," Arden allowed, giving a put-upon sigh as she gazed up at the orc. "He's scorned my feelings, however, and I shall never recover. But don't worry! I'm sure my charming personality will eventually win him over." She winked in the direction of the Queen and settled down on the bench beside her, Watson settled between her knees.

 

[ArcticFox]

"I cannot imagine a man or a woman that would be able to resist your charm." The Queen smiled back, moving aside for her to sit.

"Really..." Kogan only muttered, rolling his eyes and then slightly bowing in the Queen's direction before he turned away to explore the garden, leaving them alone.

"We've uncovered another Yrantan plot. This could be that same spy that damaged our fishing boats, but it's also possible that there are more spies than we thought. It's clear they hope to weaken us before the actual invasion."

The Queen's voice grew serious then, as she took a sip from her flask and sighed. Her eyes were glossy but alert.

"We're at a difficult time in our history. You, our Wizard, are new and I, the Queen, am young. To make things even worse, my brother is being a constant pain at all times. Wizard, I fear that his envy will turn him against me at some point." The Queen's gaze focused on Arden, for a moment sheer vulnerability visible on her face, but that moment passed and she took another sip from the flask before continuing. "We've noticed some odd activity in the sewers. Get someone to watch your back and investigate it."

She stood up then, not allowing Arden any questions, perhaps too tired to respond to them at that moment. Arden was dismissed.

- Get Kogan to help.
- Get Alexei to help.
- Get Jace to help.
- Get Mel to help.

 

[Yokai]

》Get Kogan to help.

A slender hand moved up to cup the back of her neck as Arden winced, the Queen's honesty was appreciated but also brutal. Hopefully Prince Tobias was more intelligent than he appeared; going against his sister wasn't just treason but idiocy (at least in Arden's humble opinion which she carefully kept to herself). While she didn't want to deal with feuding siblings and their claims to the throne Arden knew where she'd stand if it was brought to question. The Prince had made his stance on wizards very clear.

"Consider it done," Arden assured Queen Larissa as she stood up from the bench, prepared to move again. "Kogan, we're leaving!" She called out across the gardens and immediately headed for the exit. It was simply easier to just take the orc than to find Alexei and bring him along instead. Besides, this should hopefully keep Kogan entertained for the day.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Thanks." Kogan said with another eye-roll. "I could have spent the day playing cards or drinking in a tavern, but instead, you want me to slop around through the sewers with you. Sounds like fun."

The sewers on Blackcliffe were ancient and enormous, but one of the Queen's guards gave them more specific directions towards the area where the suspicious behavior was seen. They went to the indicated grate and Arden stood back as Kogan lifted the cover free. One of the Queen's guards handed Arden a lantern before the descent into the smelly darkness below.

- Go first.
- Let Kogan go first.

 

[Yokai]

》Go first.

Arden stared down into dark, stinking abyss and wondered what her life had come to. She was about to descend into a sewer out of her own free will, and when she accepted the lantern it was with a pained expression. An entire week into a fantasy land where she had the ability to use magic and she was about to wade around in poo. Arden sighed.

"You know... if the handsome, gentleman knight were here he'd offer to go first," Arden said mournfully, suddenly regretting not having taken the extra time to find Alexei. From Kogan's earlier comment she expected he was thinking something along the same lines. Except less complimentary and more rude. "Well, down we go." She muttered and pulled the collar of her crimson cloak over her nose before descending down.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Too bad there's no gentlemen around then." Kogan said as he descended.

The sewer tunnels were large enough for Arden to walk through without having to duck her head, but the orc was not having the same luck. He was bent over and cursing, making their progress very unstealthy. The water in the center was about knee deep, but they were able to walk along the sides and keep their boots dry.

They followed the left and right turns as they were told. Occasionally Arden saw other grates overhead leading back to the street. It would be easy to become lost in the maze of pipes, especially if she followed some of the smaller, branching tunnels.

Suddenly, there was a noise ahead and Kogan stopped in his tracks, alert.

- Ask Kogan if he has any weapons.
- Clutch your staff tightly.
- Listen carefully.
- Stand silently behind Kogan.

 

[Yokai]

》Listen carefully.

Arden's sympathy for the orc was dampened by her own distaste for their environment and she kept her cloak firmly tucked over her nose. Though the sheer amount of noise he made hindered any attempts at stealth she still moved quietly. It was hard to listen for any obvious noises beyond him but she tried regardless. There was a reason they were down there after all, she didn't want them coming down here to go to waste.

At the sound of something ahead Arden went completely still in her tracks, frozen for a split second before taking a careful step backward. Ears pricked for more she listened intently; hoping to hear something that could give them a good indication of what sort of 'odd behavior' the Queen was alluding to. It was vague at best and honestly, Arden could only hope that they were following the right track.

 

[ArcticFox]

"You shouldn't have come here." A voice said as three men stepped out of the shadows.

"Thugs." Kogan rumbled, stepping next to Arden protectively.

Without waiting for a response, one of the men flipped his dagger in the air so that he was holding it by the blade. Then he threw it at Arden.

- Deflect the dagger with your staff.
- Try to catch the dagger.
- Dodge the dagger.
- Rely on Kogan to help.

 

[Yokai]

》Deflect the dagger with your staff.

There was nothing vague or obscure in the manner that the three thugs approached them. They almost appeared to materialize out of the murky darkness and Arden barely had enough to time to question the cleanliness of their meeting place. Honestly? A literal sewer? She also didn't have enough time to think of some soothing words to calm the situation. Instead there was the glint of a blade in the dim light -- Arden's lizard brain jolted at the sight of a dagger -- as she attempted to bat the offending item aside with Watson. It was a purely instinctual move and one that had sprouted from her iron tight grip on the staff.

 

[ArcticFox]

Arden swung the staff and knocked the dagger out of the air, causing it to splash into the disgusting water in the middle of the tunnel.

The other thief stepped forward and swung his sword at Kogan, who moved aside and delivered a hard punch with his fist. They immediately begun to exchange blows, but Arden could see it won't matter. The third thief slipped behind Kogan with the intention of stabbing him in the back.

Suddenly, the potential back-stabber fell to the ground in a heap after getting stabbed in the back himself!

The thief who threw the dagger took a step away when he saw the tables were turned. With the newcomer's help, Kogan delivered another punch at thief he was fighting while the dagger-thrower fleed, abandoning his companions.

Arden turned toward the man who just helped them as Kogan watched warily. To her surprise, she saw it was one of the thieves who tried to rob Percival. And underneath the hood on the thief's face she now saw a shock of red hair and obviously female features.

Underneath the cloak she was wearing leather armour with many straps and buckles that didn't impede her quick and agile movements.

- Ask if she is going to attack as well.
- Thank her for helping.
- Attack her.

 

[Yokai]

》Thank her for helping.

This time instead of her own life Arden saw Kogan's life flash before her eyes. Back to the first time he had said wizards sucked, then when she kissed him almost straight after, also when he told her that wizards suck again, then the more recent time when he propositioned her and then proceeded to thoroughly beat her up. A valuable companion undoubtedly.

So, when he was inevitably rescued by their mysterious -- but kind of hot? -- saviour Arden breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The genuine panic she'd felt for Kogan was probably indigestion and sinus problems from all these... smells.

"I... believe we've met?" Arden ventured carefully, pasting on her best charismatic smile and aiming for disarmingly attractive. Hopefully the woman wouldn't remember her threatening the two bandits and then coercing them into letting Percival go. "Thank you for helping us." Arden's fingers twitched toward Kogan as if tempted to check that he hadn't gotten himself injured. She ruthlessly squashed it down: now wasn't really the time.

 

[ArcticFox]

"You're welcome." She said with a grin. "These scumbags are always trying to take over our tunnels."

"What do you mean, 'your' tunnels? These sewers belong to the Queen." Kogan said with the same unfriendly expression he wore with everyone. He did not look to be injured.

"I've never had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty." The thief said with another grin. "She doesn't come down here, but I've been roaming these tunnels for years."

She leaned against one of the walls. "I'm Revy. You're here for the barrels, right?"

- Say yes.
- Ask about the barrels.
- Evade the question.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask about the barrels.

"Nice to meet you, Revy!" Arden beamed because if Kogan wasn't going to be the charming and polite one in this situation then that meant it fell to her. Arden take the wheel -- she was an awful driver. Ignoring the orc's surly expression, and the thief's mention of ownership over these tunnels, Arden latched onto the mention of barrels. Honestly she felt pretty out of her depth. It was annoying that they hadn't been given more information before coming into the sewers but hey! They dealt with what they got.

"We were sent down to investigate suspicious behaviour that's been happening around this area," Arden admitted, hand coming up to cup the back of her neck with an almost bashful smile. "So, yeah, sure. Show us your barrels... but why?" Show us your barrels sounded like a weird innuendo and Arden tried not to snort or laugh at her own lack of tact.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Here's the thing." Revy said. "The Blue Star thugs are idiots to start a war with the crown. So I'm here to help you. Pardon my petty crimes, and I'll help."

Kogan thought for a moment before continuing. "I'm sure that can be arranged. If you're wanted for murder, the deal is off. Otherwise, I'm sure the Queen can forgive a few cut purses. Take us to these barrels."

Revy nodded at these words and started walking.

She led them to one of the branching tunnels as Kogan followed very close to Arden. It was easy to see that Revy was very comfortable in the close confines of the sewer system.

"I'm a Shadow Cat." Revy said as they walked. "We're one of a dozen gangs in Blackcliffe. The Blue Stars have been trying to take these tunnels for the last few months. I think that's why it took us so long to notice the barrels."

- Ask about the barrels again.
- Ask about Revy.
- Ask Kogan his opinion.

 

[Yokai]

》Ask about the barrels again.

Claustrophobia was pushed firmly aside as they ventured deeper into the winding maze of the sewer system. Arden felt the natural buzz of apprehension tingle beneath her skin but it was manageable. The curvature of the walls didn't sit too low and she still didn't need to duck her head. It also helped that Kogan was essentially plastered to her side; whether that was linked to Revy's possibly suspicious intentions or the fact that he was suddenly taking his role as bodyguard seriously, Arden didn't know.

Revy appeared to know these tunnels extremely well with her willingness to cooperate hinged on some rival gang. Even Blackcliffe had an underbelly -- Arden was just surprised at how hidden and how deep that underbelly went. Also, what on earth were these barrels she was talking about? It seemed like they were about to find out.

"It's better to have friends than enemies," Arden agreed lightly with Revy's conclusion on the Blue Stars. It was pointless to antagonize the Queen when you could simply slip beneath her radar. "What's the importance of these barrels, then?" She tried again. "Do they belong to the Blue Stars or is someone else bringing them in?" It'd be a smart cover, using a territory war to smuggle in supplies.