Mark of the Fool 5: A Progression Fantasy Epic, page 1
MARK OF THE FOOL 5
©2023 J.M. CLARKE
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Also by J.M. Clarke
Mark of the Fool
Book One
Book Two
Book Three
Book Four
Book Five
Book Six
Check out the series here:
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Contents
1. A “Triumphant” Return
2. Just Communication
3. Confounding the Confounding Variables
4. Ancient Rituals and New Applications
5. The Origin of Affinities
6. The Changing Flame
7. Redundancies
8. Convenience
9. One Person’s Entrance…
10. …is Another’s Wall
11. Uldar’s Guidance
12. Usurpers
13. The Challenges of Faith
14. Challenged Beliefs and Alternate Plans
15. Suppositions and Stories
16. Heroic Tricks and Divine Gifts
17. Convictions
18. The Next Stage
19. The Witch’s Suggestion
20. The Teleportation Shuffle
21. Ransom and Descent
22. The Dangers of Crymlyn Swamp
23. The Dead Aeld
24. The Elder Witch
25. A Running Battle
26. The Demons and Witches
27. The Baby on the Mushroom
28. The Patrol
29. They Which Come From Beneath
30. Painting with the Colours of Horror
31. An Interrogation Professor Jules Wouldn’t Like Very Much
32. The Bait in the Skull Pits
33. The Battle of the Skull Pits
34. The Infiltration of the Demonic Camp
35. Goading
36. The Crack
37. The Unmasking
38. Roiling Chaos
39. The War-Spear
40. A Surprise Strike by Morning Light
41. Ffion’s Touch
42. Looking to Question the Source
43. Rewards Under a Grim Sky
44. A Rude Breakthrough
45. A Uniting Force
46. The Catching of One Off Guard
47. Alex’s Sickness
48. A Man of Culture… and Planning
49. A Fortified Cavern
50. A Confluence of Luck
51. Links in the Chain of Destiny
52. The Hidden Gateway
53. Reaping the Harvest
54. The Varied View of Death
55. The Ghosts of Faith and Gods
56. Reunions and the Refusal of Pettiness
57. Isolde’s Shame
58. The Petrifier
59. The Confounding Secrets of the Swords
60. Seeing Things as They Are
61. Dancing for Three
62. Hostile Negotiations
63. An Almost Empty Dungeon
64. Bargaining From a Seat of Power
65. The Wake of Pronouncement
66. The Coming Storm
67. Tapestries of Past Victories
68. What Brews in the Dark Beneath the World
69. Hungry Stone
70. Theresa’s Battle in the Dark
71. Defences in the Blizzard
72. A Battle in the White
73. Blazing Desperation
74. Seeing as They Are
75. The Twinblade
76. Awakening and Arrival
77. The Battle on Two Fronts and the Stalker’s Summoning
78. Unable to Scream
79. Change
80. Racing the Explosion
81. To Make the End of Battle
82. The Exploring of Change and a New Battle Brewing
83. Father
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Chapter 1
A “Triumphant” Return
Alex Roth and the guard had been making their way to the encampment for some time. The forest was close to disappearing behind the rolling hills. A handful of surveyors who’d accompanied Ripp to investigate the fire and explosion were headed back to camp with them, but the majority had gone to the burned-out windmill. There’d be lots of monster remains waiting for them.
“A horde of monsters right under our noses?” Ripp gaped. “Just hiding in that old windmill?”
“Yeah, I think they were using tunnels to hide from our patrols. And they were just outside our territory too.”
“They were clever alright, hiding right outside our borders like they did. It seems they knew our land stops right before the forest.”
“They probably did. They had birds watching us all times of the day and night.”
“Birds? What kind of birds?”
“Regular birds, like crows and owls and such. Just local birds that one wouldn’t really notice.”
“So, they had spies hiding in plain sight, the tricky bastards.”
“Yeah, well they won’t be watching anyone anymore,” Alex said.
The swiftling threw a glance over his shoulder at the imposing forest receding in the distance.
It would be a long, late night.
Alex had the clawed monster all trussed up and was dragging it behind him on a makeshift sled. There was no way he would have left it near the windmill to become scavenger food; that corpse might have a valuable story to tell.
“You know, I think I’ve passed near that windmill close to half a dozen times.” Ripp stopped and pulled out a map of Greymoor, tapping the diagram. “Never saw nothing… Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten closer than half a mile. Not close enough to see this thing.”
He inclined his chin to the aeld tree comfortably nestled in Claygon’s arms. The golem stepped softly in the midst of the party—or as softly as a giant clay construct that weighed thousands could—swaying his arms to ease the impact on the sapling.
Surveyors were throwing uncertain looks at the tree. One apprehensively passed her hand back and forth through the green-golden light, and little sparkles danced off the aeld, like it was amused, adding to its well of emotions.
Nerves. Anxiety. Giddiness. Excitement. Curiosity. Fear. Amusement.
All bubbled from the sapling as it bobbed along in Claygon’s hands, reminding Alex of Brutus when he was a pup. He remembered those countryside excursions the Lus would take them on to the mill, or to see the sights in the next town over. He, Selina, Brutus, Theresa, and two of her brothers would ride in the back of the wagon. The cerberus pup would bound around the back of the cart, barking at birds, sniffing the air, and excitedly following every sight with all six eyes. His tail would be wagging so enthusiastically, he’d almost topple over. Yet, he’d always return to his master’s side—pressing against her for reassurance—whenever a flock of birds burst from a thicket, or a farmer’s bellow echoed through the hills.
He was curious and young. New to the world and its sights and sounds.
And youth brought both excitement and apprehension.
So it was with the tree, Alex supposed.
He hoped it would be comfortable in its new home.
“The aeld tree only came to be there recently,” Alex said. “It’s… it’s a long story. Maybe it can wait until morning?”
“Wouldn’t be so sure about that,” Ripp said. “There were a few awake in the encampment when we left. Not everyone heard the blast, but it was loud enough it got a few people up and moving.”
“Right…” Alex said. “Well, hopefully, there won’t be too many questions tonight. I’d love to see my bed.”
“We’ll hope that happens for ya,” Ripp said.
At first, it looked like he’d get away clean.
The front gates opened quietly, and though
A few guards patrolling the interior of the wall peppered the young wizard with questions, but he held up his hands.
“Friends, everything’s been resolved. I’ll tell you more in the morning,” he said wearily. “It feels like it’s been a night and a half, and I just want to—”
“Mr. Roth!”
Professor Jules’ voice shattered the peace along with all Alex’s hopes of crawling into bed. The straightforward and mighty alchemy professor marched out of the sea of tents, her robes in disarray, her hair wild and eyes wilder.
“What is that!” She pointed to the aeld, which gave off a short burst of fear.
“Professor, Professor!” the young wizard hissed. “Not so loud, you’ll scare it.”
“Scare what exac—” Her voice dropped to a whisper as she strode up to him, his golem, and the glowing tree. She squinted, peering up at the sapling in Claygon’s hands. “Is that an aeld tree?”
“Uh, yeah…” Alex said.
“Why do you have an aeld tree, Mr. Roth?”
“Well, do you remember that report my survey team made at the end of summer… right after we got to Greymoor?”
“Oh by every lord that ever wore a crown! Could you be any vaguer? I have a lot to think about!” Professor Jules crossed her arms. “Refresh my memory.”
Alex reminded her of their encounter with the Crich-Tulaghs, blue annis hag, Gwyllain, and the promise the asrai had made.
“I see… and how does that translate to you getting such a tree in the middle of the night?”
“Well…” Alex explained the events of the evening, and with every word, Jules’ eyebrows rose higher.
“You did what?” she whispered.
“Uh… well, I uh…” Alex stuttered. “I uh…”
“Uh-huh,” she said impatiently. “Say it again. Slowly. Like you’re explaining something to a child. A dull child. And listen to yourself when you do, very carefully.”
“I uh… well, I went for a walk.”
“Yes?”
“Then, I… I met Gwyllain.”
“And Gwyllain is who?”
“The asrai fae… that my team saved.”
“Right, so you met an asrai fae when you were out for a walk in the middle of the night.”
“Yeeeeah…” he said slowly.
“And then?”
“I went with Gwyllain and Claygon to the forest just outside Greymoor.”
“Right.”
“And then I summoned a bunch of monsters.”
“Right…”
“And uh… we fought… a small army of monsters.”
“You, your summoned creatures, and the asrai you’d met? …Only once.”
“Y… yeah. Wait, no. Claygon was there too.”
“Right, and you fought an army of monsters, a Hive-queen, a pair of hags… by yourselves. In the middle of the night. Miles away from help.”
“Well, you know… that’s not,” Alex coughed. “I mean, that’s one way of putting i—”
“And then you started an immense fire,” she continued. “In the middle of the forest… by yourself. And you put it out with a bigger fire?”
“Yeah, that uh… you summed it all up pretty well.”
“Are you out of your mind?” she hissed, stepping forward so she was less than a foot away from him. “You could’ve gotten yourself murdered in the fields like someone’s prey!”
“I had my training, Professor,” Alex defended himself.
“And you also had plenty of people to help here. That is why the university organises expeditions, not solo quests. Leave such things for knights-errant and other fools!”
Alex’s lip twitched. One day, she’d understand the irony in that statement. “I assessed the situation, Professor, just like Baelin taught me. And just like you taught me. I had plenty of resources: I was fresh, and my mana was fully charged. I had Claygon with me. Meanwhile, my friends were exhausted from the day’s battle and my cabal’s mana had run completely dry. Completely.”
“There are others in our camp.”
“Yes, Professor,” Alex said. “But most of them were exhausted or were recharging their mana. And… this wasn’t really part of the expedition’s mandate. How would it look to the university’s board if they found out I convinced expedition members—who have no other connection to me—to go out on a potentially dangerous side-mission for my purposes? Plus, I could’ve been on a time limit and… this might be out of line, but I’ve been trained for combat. I did what I thought was best.”
“Oh dear, you’re starting to sound like Baelin.” Professor Jules gave him an unhappy look. “I suppose you do raise some valid points, though, and I can see that you did give this some thought, at least. But… in future, could you avoid doing such things alone, especially in the dark of night?”
“Yeah, if I can avoid it,” Alex said.
She peered at him for a long moment. “What’s done is done, but remember, Mr. Roth, safety first, always.”
He considered what she’d said.
“I know, Professor, but with all respect, the world isn’t always a safe place. I’m never reckless and I think that’s a way of keeping myself safe.”
She muttered something about Baelin and corrupting influences before her eyes lit up.
“By the way, what is that you’re dragging behind you?”
Alex thought fast. ‘Keep the details limited.’
“It’s this really interesting-looking monster that I don’t remember seeing in the Thameish bestiary. Look at its claws, just those alone would be worth studying, I think. It might be rare, so I brought it back so scavengers wouldn’t get it.”
She looked it over, all smiles.
“I’ll have it taken to the research tent.” She rubbed her hands together, turning back to the aeld tree. “Hello there, little fellow. Welcome to Generasi territory. I hope Mr. Roth takes the very best care of you.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that, and some other things I left out. But for now, would it be alright if I plant the tree here, right in the middle of camp? I think it’d be a boon for everyone.”
“Of course you can, that’ll be a good thing. I suppose it would be wrong to badger you for more details right this second. You look like wild bulls trampled you. We can talk tomorrow, Mr. Roth. You can just leave the specimen right there.”
“Right, thanks, Professor.” Alex left the clawed cadaver, and he and Claygon made their way toward his tent.
Behind him, muffled muttering came from Professor Jules: “The reports about this are going to be… wait, are they even necessary? He did act on his own after all, and—”
She quickly strode through the tents, heading in a different direction.
Alex stealthily picked his way through camp, trying not to awaken anyone. His pace was slow and steady, with Claygon trying his best to be stealthy, and failing with every step. Alex was thinking about the morning, certain it’d be filled with questions from his friends and others, so the longer he could delay them, the better. Ahead, his tent waited, calling to him like heavenly bells.
