He had taught himself magic. Not ‘he had read from a spellbook and become a magician’, or ‘he self-taught himself after a few lessons’. Vess had mastered the rudiments of magic by waving sticks around as a little Drake boy.
Also, in the army. When the [Recruiter] asked his class, they raised their brows into the sky but issued Vess with an unusual item for a recruit: a wand of [Light Arrow].
Vess could make his pierce at about…one third of the actual damage potential of a regular arrow from a decent bow. The benefit was that he could throw [Light Arrow] by just pointing his wand and concentrate on dodging and moving.
The thought of battle made Vess nervous, but he needed the money, and you got paid by the week. He was hoping for light action, maybe a few levels, but when he heard he’d be rotated to the front, he pretended that was what he wanted.
The army, or at least, his command, set off to a parade and cheers. Vess looked for his sister or parents in the crowd. They said they’d be there, but he didn’t spot them. Gnolls and Drakes lined the streets, waving, shouting, as Velden led the squad out.
They had such a serious attitude that Shain blustered and walked back to complain softly, but didn’t refuse. Vess, for his part, stayed meek and quiet. It seemed to him that Velden knew what he was talking about.
Perhaps that was why Velden took Vess under his wing. It might also have to do with their names…as ‘V’s’, they lined up close together under company musters, so they saw each other more than most.
“Listen, Vess. You’ve got a shield—keep it raised. Until the enemy’s on you, keep it raised. Even if you see the whites of their eyes or whatever—that’s when I see most idiots lower their shields to block. And that’s when the arrows hit you. [Strategists] are bastards. I’m glad we have some on our side, but remember that.”
They were enjoying a hearty meal of Telgas spread after a hard day of marching. Vess’ legs ached from marching in light armor up the hills. He was a proper Luldem boy and had roamed the rocky terrain, but he dug into the gelatin dish with most of the components of a soup dish—solidified.
Vess chewed on the gelatinous meal. It was a popular staple among Hectval and Luldem, part of the Alliance. That was what people called it, although it was properly the Luldem-Drisshia-Hectval alliance. Drisshia, full of smoke and, Vess had heard, foundries from their iron mines, were all about smoked foods. He’d seen some of their units linking up with his, and there were good old jokes about Hectval, [Soldiers] asking if they’d brought the Gnolls to do Hectval’s laundry for them.
Vess chewed on the gelatinous meal. It was a popular staple among Hectval and Luldem, part of the Alliance. That was what people called it, although it was properly the Luldem-Drisshia-Hectval alliance. Drisshia, full of smoke and, Vess had heard, foundries from their iron mines, were all about smoked foods. He’d seen some of their units linking up with his, and there were good old jokes about Hectval, [Soldiers] asking if they’d brought the Gnolls to do Hectval’s laundry for them.
However, it occurred to Vess he didn’t know why the war was going on. Obviously, he knew what everyone was talking about. Liscor, that Liscor, was going to war. They’d sent Antinium and everything. They might be on the news, but they were warmongering bastards who’d kicked out Hectval’s Council or somesuch.
