The Hedge Wizard 2: A LitRPG/GameLit Adventure Read online

  THE HEDGE WIZARD 2

  ©2022 ALEX MAHER

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  Print and eBook formatting by Steve Beaulieu. Artwork provided by Fernando Granea.

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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead is coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  ALSO IN SERIES:

  Book One

  Book Two

  Book Three

  To Nan, who still hasn’t received a copy of Book 1. My bad!

  CONTENTS

  1. Troll Hunt

  2. No More Secrets

  3. Blessings and Magic

  4. Sheercliff City

  5. Next Stop, Magic Shop

  6. Accidental Thievery

  7. A Favour from the Countess

  8. Bloodshadow

  9. Burden of Legacy

  10. The Haunted Town

  11. The Witch of Fishers Lake

  12. A Steaming Pot of Soulbrew

  13. A Discussion Between Wizards

  14. No Free Lunch

  15. Test of the Four Wizarding Attributes

  16. Mysteries of the Soul

  17. Differing Brilliance

  18. Spirits and Sparring

  19. Battling a Druid

  20. What an Academy Wizard Can Do

  21. Direction of Training

  22. Truth

  23. An Unexpected Encounter

  24. A ‘Gentleman’s’ Challenge

  25. Warlock

  26. Monsters of Lakewood

  27. The Darker Side of Adventuring

  28. Bloody Trail

  29. Almost to Plan

  30. Silver Amid Bones

  31. A Different Kind of Bait

  32. The Power of Blood

  33. Ceremony of the Dead

  34. Skander

  35. Hestia’s Star

  36. Suppression

  37. No Good Reasons

  38. Predator’s Intent

  39. A Wizard Worth Their Staff

  40. Essence of Another Realm

  41. Gateways

  42. The Truth of Fishers Lake

  43. Second Rank Wizard

  44. Summoning

  45. Before the Storm

  46. Town Defence

  47. The Oncoming Shadow

  48. Overwhelming Force

  49. Failure

  50. The Feasting Hall

  51. Cracked to the Core

  52. Arrival of Reinforcements

  53. The White Flame

  54. Treasury

  55. Dead Lands

  56. Knight of Honour

  57. The Remnant Realm

  58. Dive of Faith

  59. A Change of Plan

  60. Negotiations

  61. Sprung Trap

  62. Risks a Wizard Takes

  63. Drowning of the Deep

  64. A Way Out

  65. Warlock’s Wrath

  66. Controlling the Storm

  67. Lessons

  68. Click

  Thank you for reading The Hedge Wizard 2

  Afterword

  Groups

  LitRPG

  ONE

  TROLL HUNT

  There was nothing like a troll hunt to wake you up in the morning, or so Hump had thought. So far, the not-so-stirring outing consisted of camping atop a small slope overlooking its cave. And thanks to the rains the day before, he had a wet arse from sitting on the damp ground. There was nothing for it though. Celaine was ceaselessly pounding in the lessons that every Dragon Keeper must know—an endless bombardment she’d engaged in for the two weeks since they left Bledsbury.

  Today, that lesson focused on developing an empathic connection with the hatchling. Or, as Bud had so aptly put it, ‘Egg Bonding.’

  “Wolf dragons are pack animals,” Celaine explained. “They’re extremely sociable creatures and it starts in the egg. In the same way we talk to unborn babies, they connect with their hatchlings and share with them their emotions, and images of the outside world. If you can’t manage it, the hatchling won’t know how it should behave.”

  He understood the point, it just didn’t make it any easier.

  Hump sat with the wolf dragon egg in his lap, doing his best to focus on egg bonding instead of the troll cave barely a dozen metres away. He absorbed himself in the warmth of the egg in his hands, the sharp but smooth scales, the faint pulse of life and essence within. Hump directed his own essence toward it, surrounding the egg and letting its power mingle with his own.

  Celaine had told him to imagine an experience he could remember vividly; to focus on the smells and sounds, the colours, and the emotions he’d felt. Choosing a subject was easy. He remembered nothing more vividly than the moment he shared in the memories of the wolf dragon mother. They were imprinted as firmly in his mind as she was on his soul. The sensation of plummeting through the sky toward the forest, the wolf dragon pack at his side. The thrill, the warm, earthy scent of fresh soil and vegetation, the squawk of the birds as they fled in fear.

  He held that in his mind for a few minutes, channelling his thoughts toward the egg just as he would his essence. Surrounding it in his mind and willing it to accept them. And he got nothing. No answer. No hint that the egg was anything more than a stone filled with essence. Hump opened his eyes and let out a frustrated breath.

  “It’s not working,” Hump snapped. “Are you sure I’m doing it right?”

  “Well obviously you’re not,” Celaine said. “Otherwise, it would be working. It should come naturally. You need to feel the hatchling.” She pushed her hands through the air in a slow, and extremely irritating, motion. “Open yourself to it.”

  Hump glared at her. While she was dressed for a fight—a worn green cloak over her leathers and a light chainmail vest poking out from beneath a green top; her boots were of good leather and nearly tall enough to reach her knees—here he was, mentally coaxing a deaf dragon to acknowledge him.

  “That’s what I’m doing!” Hump snapped. “Are you sure you’re telling me right?”

  Celaine frowned. “There’s no use getting angry at me. I’m just relaying the lessons I’ve heard a thousand times. You’re the one that can’t do it.”

  “Gods’ mercy.” Hump thumped his head against the tree at his back.

  “For some
one with such a poor view of the gods,” Bud said, “you certainly beseech their name a lot.”

  Hump turned his glare on the knight. “I’m just that desperate,” he growled.

  Bud grinned. “Sorry. You can do this!”

  Hump sighed. The knight was sitting up against a tree at the edge of the outcrop, keeping watch over the cave so he and Celaine could train. Bud wasn’t much good as a scout. His rusty chainmail armour made him as close to a great big, shining lump of metal as one could get out in a forest. Fortunately, Hump had set up a Hidden Fire veil around the camp the night before. It should keep him hidden long enough for their ambush to work.

  “Just relax,” Celaine said. “Come on. Try it one more time. Take your time and it will come. I’ve never known of a Dragon Keeper that couldn’t figure it out.”

  “Great, I guess I’m just an idiot,” Hump said.

  Celaine rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say that!”

  “Sure you didn’t, but you’ve been thinking it. It’s been two weeks and there’s been zero progress. I might as well be talking to a bloody rock.”

  Celaine leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees and massaging her head. “Did you argue with your master like this whenever you couldn’t do something?”

  “Never had that problem,” Hump retorted.

  Celaine scoffed.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Hump said.

  “Nothing. You’re just so modest I was lost for words.”

  “Stop arguing!” Bud shushed them in a harsh whisper, his attention locked on the clearing below.

  “She started it,” Hump grumbled.

  “Actually, this time it was you.” Bud jabbed a finger toward the bottom of the slope. “And it’s time to end it. The troll’s here.”

  Hump and Celaine shared a look. Hump quickly returned the egg to its pouch, and together they crawled over to Bud’s side on all fours. Hump inwardly cursed the wet cold now soaking his knees.

  Down below, the forest troll lumbered out from amongst the trees. The creature stood half again as tall as Bud, and about as bulky as the scaled brutes they’d faced in the dungeon. Its thick skin was leather brown, and green mossy hair covered it in patches. At the right angle, it could be mistaken for a rotted tree. From this one, it was just a stinking mass of angry muscle and teeth. It dragged an entire cow behind it, which did nothing to help Hump’s confidence.

  But the job paid six silvers, which wasn’t half bad for a couple days’ work.

  They’d taken on the quest at Kelwoth, a small village mostly made up of farmers. The troll had moved in roughly a month ago and had been killing their cattle. The men of the village already attempted to hunt it down themselves, but it hadn’t gone well.

  Trolls were dangerous in a fair fight, even for a party of adventurers. To the inexperienced… well, the villagers lost one man and another was badly wounded. Hump counted that as lucky. Their regeneration in combination with their strength made for a deadly foe. Suffice it to say, the villagers hadn’t been too enthusiastic about leaving the job to three ‘kids.’

  “Celaine, you ready?” Hump asked.

  Celaine slid her bow from her shoulder and gently nocked an arrow.

  “One clean shot through the eye,” Hump said. “Nice and easy, and we can get back to the village without a fuss.”

  “I know what I’m doing, Hump. Let me concentrate.”

  Hump drew a deep breath and pressed his lips together, forcing himself not to say anything.

  The troll stomped closer to its cave, then stopped just outside, sniffing the air. Hump licked his lips. Technically, his veil should prevent it from detecting them, though it was far from a flawless veil, and he was pushing the limits of its design.

  Celaine stood, drawing her arrow back, eyes fixed on the troll below. Her body went as taut as the bowstring itself, and essence stirred. It streamed from her in faint green trails of smoke, barely visible in the overcast forest. The arrow glinted silver, and Hump felt power at its core. The troll must have sensed it too, as its head snapped around to face them.

  Too late. The bowstring thwacked; the arrow pierced through the air in a silver flash, and thudded into the troll’s eye.

  It reeled, letting loose an ear-piercing screech, dropping the cow and flailing wildly at the arrow in its eye. Yanking the shaft free, a glob of flesh came with it, and its pained howls echoed through the forest. Then the remaining eye settled on them. Heaving a breath, it roared, spittle and blood spraying from its mouth.

  “It’s not dead!” Bud said urgently, rising to his feet and drawing his sword.

  “Shit,” Celaine said. She slid another arrow onto the string and loosed it, piercing the troll through its collar, just below the throat. A second arrow was buried beside it a moment later, then another. The troll didn’t even bother pulling them free.

  It charged. Long, heavy strides pounding up the slope toward them.

  “Well, you can’t say I missed,” Celaine said. “Time for plan B.”

  “Bud, go left,” Hump said. “I’ll blast it, Celaine will shoot it in the other eye, then get in close and finish the job. It won’t put up much of a fight if it can’t see.”

  “Got it,” Bud said, already racing to the left, his armour chinking. A chill permeated the air as the knight began to channel Heart of Frostfire, enhancing his speed and strength.

  Hump willed his essence into his staff, and the power flooded from him. The reaction was nothing like before; his essence moved at the slightest push, gushing from his core and into his staff. The runes along the shaft flared, and essence filled the focus until it shone with bright blue light. He levelled his staff at the nearing troll.

  “Blast!” Hump barked. A wave of blue essence exploded from the focus. Try as he might to direct it at the troll’s chest, his power burst through his restraints, filling the air between them and completely encompassing the troll from view. It tore up the ground, sending rocks and shrubbery flying. A chill lanced through Hump at the sudden loss of so much essence.

  The troll staggered back, nearly falling down the slope, barely keeping its balance. It wasn’t down, but it was vulnerable.

  Celaine shot another arrow, catching the beast just beneath its remaining eye, where it dangled loosely from its cheek. The troll screamed and whirled, pulling at the arrow, then lost its footing. The giant creature crashed to the ground and rolled down the slope.

  Bud charged in from the side, the air shimmering with a cold blue chill around him. Ice crusted the ground at his feet as he ran. The troll scrambled onto its knees and swiped at him, but the knight stepped to the side and brought his sword down on the arm. The blade blazed with Frostfire as it carved through scaled hide and bone, severing the limb at the elbow. Crystals of ice formed along the wound, expanding within the flesh until shards of ice poked through its skin.

  The troll shrieked, lashing out at Bud with its claw in a frenzied rage. Bud dodged and raised his sword to finish the job, when a boulder hurtled through the air toward him.

  “Bud!” Hump roared.

  The knight glanced up, eyes widening. He threw himself to the side just before the boulder smashed the ground where he had just been with a mighty thump.

  Another troll charged into view, bellowing a roar.

  “They never mentioned a second troll!” Bud shouted. He hurried to his feet, dodging around a tree as the wounded troll scrambled after him on all fours—well, threes.

  “Finish it off,” Celaine said, already running down the slope. “I’ll hold off the other one.”

  “Be careful,” Hump called after her.

  “When am I not,” she retorted, loosing an arrow into the second beast, cutting its roar short.

  The first troll floundered to its feet and turned its disorientated eye on Bud. Hump opened what used to be his potion pouch and pulled out a handful of sharp rocks. Gathering his will, he channelled essence through his hand, filling them. Empowered, he threw them. “Rockshot!”
r />   A dozen or so rocks shot forward, trailing bronze light, and peppered the troll's back. It fell to its knees, raking at its back with a clawed hand. Bud lunged, shining streaks of cold light radiating from him. Empowered by Kelisia’s blessing, he raced across the distance, sword swinging at his side. The blade carved a line through the troll’s neck.

  For a moment, nothing happened. Then slowly, its head toppled from its neck and hit the ground with a thump. Its body slumped, then fell beside it.

  The other troll let loose a roar that made Hump’s heart stop.

  “Watch out!” Celaine shouted.

  It was upon them so fast Hump had hardly turned, but Bud charged to meet it. He jabbed, and the troll caught the sword, screaming as Frostfire froze its hand solid. Still, it didn’t stop. It kicked Bud in the chest and sent him flying.

  Before it could give chase, an arrow struck it from behind the knee, piercing all the way through until the arrowhead stuck out through the kneecap. Its leg gave out, and it tripped, collapsing to the ground.

  “Celaine, get out of the way!” Hump shouted, gathering his essence for another Blast spell, this time infusing it with fire essence. The runes smouldered. The focus blazed red. Hump levelled his staff as the troll struggled to rise and snarled, “Fire Blast!”