Breaking Hearts and Stealing Spells [Completed]

[Binkleheimer]

The story of how one Blood Knight tries his hardest to not get stomped by mages.

Spoiler:

Prologue: Getting Stomped and Motivated: Completed
Finding a Trainer: Completed
Learning to Arcane: In Progress
Learning to Handle It: N/A
Relearning to Fight: N/A
Giving Mages the Bird: N/A

Warning:

Spoiler:

Some things may contain sillyness and references.
Also, the prologue was all done ICly and is thus simply copied from Elephant log

Prologue: How Del learned the hard way that he just can't win.

Spoiler:

Del is riding his horse on the bridge. Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Kimee keeps her ears open to the slightest hint of movement, a small rune stone grasped in a large withered hand. She brings her fist to her lips and whispers to the stone, and a bright violet light peeks between her fingers, illuminating her aged face.
Del stops at the fork in the road, eyeing each path. He is rather tempted to investigate the tower. However, he is due back to Silvermoon. He has tough decisions.
Kimee narrows her eyes and turns her head to look over her shoulder at the sound of a horse walking down the stone road.
“I hate this place. Every path looks like a bad choice. Ugh,” Del grumbled as he rubs his eyes.
Kimee wills her skeletal mage to begin charging frost energies within its crystal core, and she does the same in her free hand.
Del is completely oblivious to any impending danger. He's too busy pondering which path to take. It's actually a wonder he's still alive out here.
Kimee holds out her fist, now glowing a bright blue with frost, and as she does so too does her skeletal mage. Without a word, they both release their power at the unsuspecting Elf!
Del is thrown off his horse, both bolts of frost exploding against him and sending his horse into a frenzy. It runs off into the distance, leaving a dazed and slightly frozen Del on the ground.
The skeletal mage begins to channel again, and Kimee only stands back, continuing her spell on the rune stone.
Del rises to his feet and hits his right arm with his other, trying to break off the ice. He turns to see the undead mage channeling, also spotting the small gnome, "Miss! Watch out!" He slowly stumbles forward, reaching for his blade.
Kimee quirks a brow, her fist still glowing violet before her face, casting her grotesque features in a dancing shadow. The skeletal mage behind her, however, silently holds out his hand once more to release yet another bolt of frost!
Del is blasted square in the chest, frost starting to cover his armor body. He shivers as he draws his sword in one hand and charges a holy spell in the other.
Kimee raises her violet fist and slams it downward at her side, where a large, round portal appears with a faint image of dirt and piles of bones swirling within it. The mage behind her continues his relentless assault, however.
Del is blasted once more by the relentless frost bolts, his body slowly becoming frosted over. He yells in rage and unleashes a blast of holy energy at the undead mage.
The Coldwraith has no real way to think for himself to dodge, and Kimee is too busy with the portal to force it to, and so the blast of light ignites the construct's body in holy flame, burning to ash within seconds.
Kimee looks up from the sound, and shoots a glare at the Elf. "...that was expensive." She holds out a hand, and a small crystal floats gently into her palm.
Del stumbles forward, body still stiff and covered by the frost. His blade drops to the ground as he holds a hand out to Kimee, "Ma'am, are you okay?"
[Del]: ...Expensive?
Kimee pockets the crystal and tilts her head up a bit to look down her nose at the Elf. "...quite," she says, and holds her palm out to the Elf, where small beads of a violet light come out of nowhere toward the center and gather into a larger orb.
Del grips his blade tentatively as he looks at the gnome. He tilts his head, giving her a questioning look before looking at the pile of ash. Finally putting two and two together, he attempts to move out of the way of whatever is coming next.
Kimee slowly moves her arm to keep her palm in the Elf's general direction before letting the shadow energies loose on him!
Del is blasted backwards by the blast of shadow. His body hits the ground with a large thud. With a groan, he slowly rises and tries to consecrate the ground below him.
Kimee's eyes narrow at the sight and sidesteps casually through the portal. "We'll... be seeing you," she says in a cold whisper, the portal slowly fading as the end of her robes slip through.
Del breathes shallowly as he falls to the ground, shivering, "F-f-f**k..." He curls up slightly, trying to warm himself.
---
Del limps into the Ghostlands, still shivering and trembling from the earlier assault.
Del eyes the spires of the gate and sighs a breath of relief.
Reigen is hunched over, holding what looks to be some sort of purple gem. She seems to be muttering to it, and responding to it. Inside the gem is the image of a man, banging against the side.
Del looks into the distance at the hunched over figure. He waves at her, "Hail! Are you alright?"
Reigen looks over to Del slowly, "Have you come to add your voice to my head?"
[Reigen]: Like all the others...screaming...whispering...waiting for me in the abyss?
Del raises an eyebrow at Reigen, "No... I merely... came in from the Plaguelands..." He backs away slowly.
[Reigen]: Or perhaps are you lost minded, like me.
[Reigen]: Do you follow the light?
Del tilts his head curiously, slowly reaching for his blade, "I am a Blood Knight of Silvermoon."
Reigen holds her head and starts to shriek. "NO, NO! Not again...but...red is so pretty...blood is so good..."
[Reigen]: Blood Knight...fitting!
Del unsheathes his sword, letting the blade droop, "Ma'am, are you okay?"
[Reigen]: I am Reigen of the Lost Minded, fall before me, let me hear you SCREAM!
Del raises his blade at the ready, his body tensing up.
Reigen starts to giggle madly; both her hands become covered with an icy mist. She thrusts them out at him, sending a larger bolt of ice to his body.
[Reigen]: Murder is all I know! Reigen Talah'malanore...heartless death strider...
Del tries to roll to the side, but the bolt of ice slams into his left shoulder. His left arm and shoulder is covered by a layer of ice. With a growl, he charges forward.
Reigen stomps her foot to the ground, a shield of ice comes up between her and Del. She starts to hum a happy tune, content with the wall.
Del strikes at the wall of ice, his attacks weak due to his frozen arm. His breaths are labored from the combination of the earlier assault and this one.
Reigen watches the ice start to break, the flicks it with her finger, causing it to shatter, and fly at the Blood Knight.
Del yells in pain as the shards of ice cut into him and throw him back. He slams into the hard ground, his blade skidding across the floor.
Reigen removes her left glove, her mechanical arm showing. Replacing the normal finger tips are sharp claws, stained red. "So weak...such a shame...you're rather handsome..."
[Reigen]: Let's see what magic can do to you...because all are defenseless against it!
Reigen giggles and starts to coax ice up his legs and arms, trying to hold him to the floor.
Del reaches out at her with his right hand, stopping only inches from her leg as the ice covers it. He struggles fruitlessly as his limbs are held in place by the ice.
[Reigen]: So...weak...
Reigen kneels down.
Reigen holds his face with her clawed hand, "Your kind...wounded me....drove me away..." She starts to dig her claws into his cheeks.
Reigen reaches up with her other hand, pulling down the mask.
Del struggles against her as the claws pierce his cheeks, "We don't harm the innocent." He continues to struggle against the icy bonds to no avail.
[Reigen]: Blood Knights are so stuck up...they refuse to see beyond their own eyes...
Reigen leans down and licks the blood from his cheeks, her claws moving to the side of his neck and biting in.
Del sneers as her metal claws dig into his neck as well. He winces slightly when she licks his bloody cheek, "Disgusting..."
[Reigen]: What...don't you think I'm beautiful?
Reigen grins wide, hovering her hand above his chest, then sending out small spikes of ice, not enough to horrible hurt, but enough to price armor and skin and cause pain.
[Reigen]: You know...pain can feel wonderful if you focused on a good feeling at the same time...
Del tenses up as his skin is pierced once more. He snarls loudly at Reigen, "You are far from beautiful, you scarred monster." He spits at her face, snarling.
Reigen's eyes widen in what seems to be horror, "Scarred monster...no...NO!" She backs away from him and covers her eyes, "Not a monster...NOT A MONSTER!"
[Reigen]: But wait...yes...everyone calls me a monster...it must be TRUE!
Del struggles against the ice, trying to use this brief respite to his advantage.
Reigen uncovers her face and looks down at him, the smiles wide, blood stains on her lips , then starts to chant. Soon after calling up a pillar of fire underneath him. The ice would melt at that point.
Del yells in agony as the flame strike hits him, writhing on the ground. He quickly rolls out of it and against Reigen's feet. His armor was red in spots and his tabard scorched.
Reigen looks down at him, eyes wide in a combination of horror and fascination, "Hurting people feels so good..." She then again starts with the freezing, this time to cover his whole body, excluding his head.
Del was helpless to stop it. Slowly, the ice covered his body, holding him to the ground. Only his head remained free, allowing him to see what would happen next.
Reigen whistles and calls her wolf over, it knees down and she starts to tie a rope around the blood knight, attaching him to the wolf.
[Reigen]: I have something to show you!
Del is dragged along in his ice cocoon.
Reigen smiles as she approaches the other frozen elf; this one, judging from the dust, has been there a while.
[Reigen]: A light user sent that one after me...It was an easy kill in defense...
Del lazily turns his head to look at the frozen body before letting it collapse on the soft ground.
Reigen looks at the statue, then tips it over, once it hits the ground, it shatters into many pieces.
[Reigen]: The fun is putting it back together!
Del could only wince at the sound, expecting the same fate himself. Slowly, his limbs start going numb.
Reigen kneels down.
Reigen leans forward and gives him a slight kiss on the lips, "I want to hear you beg for your life....beg for how helpless you are against magic..."
Del winces at the kiss and softly sobs. He looks up at Reigen, eyeing her with pure hate, "I... I want to live... Magic... Magic is far superior..."
[Reigen]: Call me your mistress, beg for mercy...
[Del]: ...Spare me... My mistress... Let this lowly maggot... lives....
[Reigen]: Good boy...
Reigen pulls her mask back up and stands slowly, the ice around him begins to melt, "Go get your sword...weakling."
[Reigen]: Remember today how your swords mean nothing against magic.
Reigen whistles sharply, a large wolf comes lumbering to her side; she quickly pulls herself over and sits on top of the beast.
[Reigen]: By the way, what is your name?
Del just lies there, helplessly. He didn't want to try and move at all. He could only curl up, shivering.
[Del]: S-soo....cold....
[Reigen]: Name, please?
[Del]: D-Del... D-Del Delamore.
Reigen nods slowly, she looks to a piece of wood on the ground and tosses a ball of fire at it, igniting it. "Have that for warmth." She turns, and leaves.

Prologue: Del finally listens to Navi his comrades.

Spoiler:

Edrandri casts a quick glance about before she slides out of the saddle to land with a rattling thud next to the Charger.
Del shivers slightly. He is covered in burns, with claw-like puncture wounds on his cheeks and chest.
Edrandri exchanges a few brief words with one of the Guardians. Her eyes widen and he motions towards the main chamber of the semi-collapsed in. Edrandri turns straight on her heels and stomps inside. "Knight Delamore!" she calls out, looking around.
Del lets out a weak moan. He then curls up slightly, shivering and wincing with every movement.
Edrandri turns her attention to the moan and hurries over. Her armor rattles disturbingly around her with the hurried, somewhat clumsy movements. She eyes him over quickly while crouching next to him.
Del opens an eye and looks at Edrandri, "C-champion... Daneir.... Sorry I didn't... report back in..." He smiles faintly, letting out a hacking cough.
Edrandri narrowed her eyes somewhat and released some of the bindings on her armor, tossing aside shoulder pads, faceguard, shield, sword and gauntlets. "Quiet." she muttered, climbing up next to him and dropping on her knees.
Del says no more. He just lays there, semi-curled and shivering. His clothes and armor are visibly ruined.
Edrandri reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder to gently pull it back to lead him to lay on his back.
Del winces sharply as he is laid on his back. He lets out a soft whimper.
Edrandri retracts her hand to rub it against her other while thoughtfully glancing over him, inspecting his injuries. "... Huh. I need to get rid of your shirt. Help me a bit." she says, reaching out to begin removing it.
Del offers no resistance as she removes his shirt. His torso is badly burned, with blisters starting to show. On his chest is a ring of like puncture wounds.
Edrandri frowns upon inspecting his wounds. She balls up the ruined shirt and sets it aside for the moment, flattening her hands out and hovering them above his chest, palms facing down. A gentle, golden glow wrapped around her hands and treads of golden light fell from her hands onto his skin, beginning to crawl across it and finding their way to his wounds. The threads seemed to pulsate as she channeled energy through them.
Del shivers and winces. However, his breathing starts to normalize and his body slowly relaxes as his various wounds are sealed and the burns lessened.
Edrandri lowers her hands closer to his chest, almost touching it. The glow grows stronger the more energy she channels and the threads spread further across his body, seeming to dive underneath his armor to wrap themselves around his every last limb.
The threads inside his wounds would sew them together on the surface first before mending the flesh underneath and destroying malign bacteria.
Del coughs slightly as the rest of his wounds are handled. He turns and opens his eyes, looking at Edrandri, "Ugh... My head..." His body is no longer covered in various blisters and signs of minor frostbite. In their place are the various red marks of
minor burns. Del only sighs and shakes his head.
Edrandri lets out a deep sigh as the threads withdraw from Del when she feels done with his body. She retracts on hand and slides the other up to his forehead, firmly pressing her palm against it. Del would feel a gentle pulse against his forehead, which would cause a semi-pleasant and gentle vibrating sensation in his head.
Del closes his eyes, unsure of how to respond to this. With a faint sigh, he looks up at Edrandri and sighs, "I'm sorry I failed to report back in."
Edrandri doesn't respond, but instead gives him a firm stare and asks a question instead; "What happened?"
Del coughs lightly, "I was heading down to Light's Hope Chapel... On a routine patrol. On my way back, I was attacked by a skeletal mage... and a gnome. Possibly a necromancer. After taking a few frost bolts to the chest, I managed to kill the undead mage. The gnome, however, had blasted me with a shadowy bolt or so... I laid there for a few hours before limping back to the Ghostlands... Where I was attacked by a female Sin'Dorei named... Reigen... She froze me and tortured me... However... she let me go... I limped back here and just laid here till you found me." He coughs slightly, fighting back some tears.
Edrandri listened to his little tale, all the while staring ahead towards the door. There seemed to be something going on outside, but she paid it no notice. Once Del was finished, she lowered her gaze back down to him. "Take someone with you. Always take someone with you. From now on, I trust you will." she speaks, shifting her position to sit on her bum next to him, instead. Her hand remains on his forehead, for now. Her palm is still pulsating gently.
Del nods, "I will then... Though... I was so... useless against them. It was no challenge. They practically mopped the floor with me, no contest." He sighs at his failures.
04:20:06 Edrandri nods her head slowly, still gazing forward in an absent-minded manner. She rubs her thumb gently against the base of Del's nose before turning her attention to him and stroking down his forehead and hair. "Anyone other than another magic used would've felt the same way, I'd bet."
Del sighs, "No, I never got to hit either of them. The only reason I managed to destroy the undead mage was because the gnome was too busy opening a portal. I should have been able to land a few blows at the very least."
Edrandri shrugs meaningly. "Magic users are adept at taking on their opponents at a distance. How did you fight?"
Del shrugs, "Horribly. They kept jumping me at a distance. So, I tried to close that distance."
Edrandri shakes her head slowly. "I do believe you would've fared better if you used holy spells in return, or if you shielded yourself somehow and retreated to where you could request aid if they would pursue."
Del lays there silently, contemplating her words and the events of today.
Edrandri absent-mindedly strokes his forehead and hair, turning her attention forward towards the wall again.
Del looks at Edrandri, sighing, "I suppose I should learn the arts of the shield... even though I preferred two handed fighting."
Edrandri nods slowly. "You should at least learn the necessity of a tactical retreat once in a while. And protection, of course." she replied, turning her attention back to him with a snide grin. "A large sword is clumsy against single opponents but invaluable against masses."
Del nods, "I suppose. I guess I'll go down the path of the protector instead of the avenger."
Edrandri raises her other hand and sticks a finger up pointedly. "Mind, you still shouldn't go alone on patrols. Just like any other person puts themself in potential danger when venturing alone into dangerous areas like this, so do you. It's common sense, you know." she states, still stroking his forehead and hair. She probably didn't realize it yet. Oh well.
Del chuckles and coughs lightly, "I know you like my hair and all, but must you stroke it?" He smiles faintly and then sighs, "I would have, but no one was available and I was hurrying to get the patrol done with."
Edrandri blinks her eyes and glances at her hand. Well, now she realized it. But instead of just retracting it, she puffed her chest out and huffed, sticking her fingers into his hair and ruffling it instead.
Del chuckles as his hair is ruffled, "Enjoying yourself?"
Edrandri smirks, amused. "Yup. It's been too long since the last time I did that." she says, finally pulling her hand away.
Del nods, "I suppose so. Well... I guess it's time for me to head back to Silvermoon and get myself some new gear."
Edrandri quirks a brow. "Well then. Can you make it back on your own or do you need company? Perhaps a ride, even?"
Del chuckles weakly, "I suppose a ride would be nice right about now. Especially since I lost Brass in the Plaguelands."
Edrandri blinks her eyes, rising slowly to her feet. "What happened to him?"
Del slowly picks himself up, wobbling on his feet a bit, "When I got attacked the first time, I was hit by two frost bolts. The damn horse ran off like a coward."
Edrandri steps down from the broken table and begins equipping her discarded gear again. "We'll see to that later. It shouldn't be too hard to get a hold of a new horse, I think. Otherwise, you'll be stuck in Silvermoon for a while unless you really feel like walking."
Del nods and slowly limps off the table, "It works for the smaller patrols."
Edrandri blinks again and glances over Del for a moment. His naked chest, particularly. Then, she removes her cloak and hands it to him. "Wrap this around you until we get to the city. Otherwise you'll just get cold."
Del chuckles and wraps the cloak around him, "Thanks."
Edrandri nods, giving him a thumb up before stepping aside and holding an arm out. "Do you need help walking?"
Del shakes his head, "No... I've got it." He stumbles a little when he walks, but is otherwise fine.
Edrandri nods and turns, beginning to walk out. She occasionally pauses her stride to let him catch up.
Edrandri patted the waiting Charger on his neck, looking to Del. "You'll sit behind me. Do you need help up?"
Del looks at the horse and tries to climb up himself.
Edrandri blinks, giving help despite not receiving an answer!
---
Del grumbles as he limps slightly to the bar, "Give me a wine, red."
Algus glances at Del, eyeing him up and down. "Someone...run into a bit of trouble?"
Del looks over at Algus, "In the form of a necromancer and then a psychotic mage."
[Algus]: Ah...I hope that both have been put into order...right?
Del coughs.
[Del]: No. And it angers me greatly.
[Algus]: Ah...well...I think it's best the Champions were informed...it's not good news knowing a necromancer is running around.
[Del]: Champion Daneir knows. She had to retrieve me from Tranquillien when I didn't report back in from patrol.
[Algus]: I see...Then let's hope a swift response will come off.
[Del]: Unfortunately, the necromancer's location is... unknown. She stepped through a portal in the Plaguelands.
[Algus]: What race is this necromancer?
[Del]: Gnome.
[Algus]: I see, pesky things...
Del takes his glass of wine that has been sitting there, taking a small sip before downing it, "Damn Alliance, allowing a necromancer to run free."
[Algus]: Indeed...I would of thought they would have kept a tight watch on them.
[Del]: But, they don't.
[Algus]: Then let's hope the gnome returns...so that someone can stop instead of letting it run around.
Del looks at his empty wine glass, "Hopefully I'll be better prepared next time."
[Algus]: Indeed Sir Knight, indeed.
[Del]: My only regret was how poorly I performed in the fight against the necromancer. That and the fact I lost my horse.
[Algus]: I see...let's hope that the necromancer gets their comeuppance...
[Del]: Indeed.
Del looks at the bartender, sliding his glass over, "I need a damn refill."
Algus sighs slightly as he drains his wine. "Although...I'm envious that you actually had something to do Sir Knight."
Del takes a sip and then downs his recently refilled glass, "Oh? You're envious I was nearly killed by a necromancer and her skeletal mage? And then a psychotic Sin'Dorei mage afterwards?"
[Algus]: Well, more actually something to do...it's...annoying being an adept...just training.
[Del]: Adept, one day, you'll look back at all this and be thankful you were in training. Some days, you'll wish you were back in it.
Algus peers at Del. "Why would you say that?".
Del sighs and looks at his empty glass. He rubs his tired eyes, "It'll take too long to properly explain. It is something you have to experience."
Algus sighs. "I see.”
[Del]: Especially after losing to things you should be able to crush easily.
Del clenches a fist, grumbling.
[Algus]: That's just a stain on your pride...I suppose...
He notices there isn't room so he makes his way to the other chair.
Del looks over at Algus, "Not when it costs you your horse, most of your armor and your favored weapon."
[Algus]: And becoming an Adept again won't change that...you wouldn't have any of those things as an Adept.
[Del]: I had my sword.
[Algus]: Well then...perhaps you should of practiced more against magic then?
Del rubs his chin, "Yes... Maybe that's what I needed..."
Algus perks an eyebrow. "I would of thought a Knight would have been able to do that anyway."
[Del]: Protect against magic? Not as well as you think.
[Algus]: I suppose...
[Del]: In fact... Hmm...
Del keeps his hand on his chin.
Algus tilts his head. "Something tells me I have sparked an idea in your head Sir Knight."
[Del]: Possibly, Adept. You may have reminded me of something I should have thought of long ago.
[Algus]: And that is Sir Knight?
Del slides a few coins across the counter to pay for his drinks. He turns to leave, "That I've been doing it all wrong."
Algus perks an eyebrow, before sighing and looking at the bar side. "Another glass of red..." before tossing a coin on the table.

Del's Journal

Spoiler:

Journal entry #1:
Spell Breakers.
That's what I'm looking for.
It's been in plain view the entire time; I don't know how I couldn't have seen in. They're our most elite of mage-hunters. They were invaluable to Silvermoon during the Third War, and they will be invaluable to me. Ever since my defeat at the hands of the gnomish necromancer and the one who calls herself Reigen, I have been… rather pissed. Never before have I felt such a stinging pain, both physically and to my pride.
I will change all of that. I have realized that what I've been doing has been all wrong. What do I need to fear from the warriors and other melee combatants? Nothing! Never have I felt such a fear as I have at the hands of the two spell casters. Never before have I felt so damn helpless. Never will I again. I intend to fix this.
Thanks to Adept Algus. He reminded me of something I had long forgotten. Unknowingly, he reminded me of the sore fact that we Blood Knights have very few to no defenses against magic. I intend to send in a commendation to Edrandri about that, but now… I must locate a spell breaker. I must convince him or her to train me. Then… Then I will find that necromancer… and that mage.
I will make them pay. Dearly.

[Binkleheimer]

The story of how one Blood Knight tries his hardest to not get stomped by mages.

Spoiler:

Prologue: Getting Stomped and Motivated: Completed
Finding a Trainer: Completed
Learning to Arcane: In Progress
Learning to Handle It: N/A
Relearning to Fight: N/A
Giving Mages the Bird: N/A

Part 1:: Del runs into his teacher.

Spoiler:

Del narrows his eyes as he looks at the Sanctum. He then looks at a list in his hands and nods. With a content sigh, he steps closer to the Sanctum, "Hello? I heard there may be a Spell Breaker master here..." Nara looks to her left, the book in her hand coming to close with a loud snap, and quirks a brow at the approaching Elf. "Need something?" She slides the text back into the shelf without taking her eyes off of him. The Blood Knight eyes Nara. He bows his head, "I seek a trainer, ma'am." The Spell Breaker's eyes go to Del's tabard, then back up to his own. "A drastic change of careers," she says boredly, and turns to face him. Del nods slightly, "Maybe so, maybe not. Unlike the newer knights, I learned the ways of the Light by... leeching it, ma'am. I seek to be a Spell Breaker to better myself... As being a Blood Knight has failed." He gestures to his heavily scorched tabard.

The haughty woman's mouth curls into a condescending smirk. "If you come here looking for training, surely you've brought something to offer." Del nods and kneels before Nara, "I bring many things... My honor as a Knight... My hate for the necromancer that defeated me... My pride... But if none of those interest you, I do possess some gold." He looks up slightly, eyeing Nara warily. She looks down her nose at him with a scowl as if she's just been forced to swallow a rather nasty spoonful of medicine. "Necromancer that defeated you? Our Blood Knights excel against such things. Surely you jest." Del eyes her coldly, "We excel when we have the first strike. We excel when we aren't caught off-guard. We -excel- when it is one caster and a meleeing undead facing us. You rarely hear about those that fail against necromancers for one reason..."

“They rarely make it back alive.”

Nara raises her right brow slowly, but remains perfectly still otherwise. "Gold will do."

“ How much will suffice, ma'am?”

“ That would depend on how long it takes you to grasp the art.”

“I plan on doing this quickly, ma'am.”

Nara taps her chin, “I would say your work is half done due to your training as a Knight. You will learn no fancy portal spells or firebolts from me. Our role is strictly to disable enemy magi.” Del stands straight, seemingly sucking up, “I simply desire to learn the fabled arts of the Spell Breaker. I want to watch as the enemy magi's spell bounce harmlessly off me. I want to show them the folly of summoning around me. I wish to disable them. What can you teach me, ma'am?” Nara continues, not paying much attention to the Blood Knight, “I can show you how to remove whatever enchantments a magi possesses for your own benefit or those of your allies. I can show you how to weaken a magi beyond merely physically with each strike of your blade. And a bunch of other nifty tricks.” She shrugs. Del nods and looks at her, "Can you show me how to turn their pets against them? Can you show me the secret to spell immunity?" Nara rotates her hand lazily a few times. "Right, right, that's all a part of the curriculum. When will you be ready?"

“Right now.”

Nara grins smugly, “My my, how eager we are.” Del nods grimly, "Only because there are necromancers and psychotic mages running loose out there. The sooner I can handle them, the sooner they can be dealt with." Nara claps half-heartedly, “Good. A spar is in order, then. And none of your Paladin tricks. You'll be losing your skill as you progress, so you may as well stop using them now.” Del nods at her and looks at his scorched tabard. With a sigh, he slowly removes it and tosses it aside, "I suppose you don't want it." Nara blinks. "What would I want with that?" The man shrugs, “A trophy, I presume.” Nara wrinkles her nose and walks out the building, “Hmph.” Del follows Nara quietly. After walking about thirty feet, Nara stops, “Here will do.” She then draws her blade, giving it a fancy twirl before gripping it tightly a few inches from her face and perpendicular to the ground. Del nods and opens his pack, pulling out a small curved blade. He twirls it a bit and assumes a fighting stance.

Nara looks past the blade to Del, a smirk forming at the corner of her lips as she lowers her blade and slowly approaches him. Del takes a step forward and brings his blade low, swinging upwards at Nara. He keeps his eyes locked on her at all times. The way he holds and swings his blade tells he is unfamiliar with it and its usage. Nara brings her own blade downward as his comes up, stopping its movement. A graceful rotation of her wrists in a counter-clockwise direction pushes Del's blade back down and around to his left. Del grunts as his blade is pushed aside. Instinctively, he grabs at the hilt with his other hand and brings it around to bear. Nara brings her own diagonally to her right, and she takes a short leap backwards as she does. Bending forward slightly, she eyes Del with a grin. Del lets go of the blade with his left hand, twirling it a bit, "You're toying with me, aren't you?" He crouches low, raising his blade as if to strike. Nara narrows her eyes at him. "Naturally," she says in a bored tone, and then rushes toward him, her blade twirling off to her side then thrusts forward. Del snaps his blade at hers. His inexperienced grip and the twirling motion of her blade caused his to fly off to the side. Her blade still hit him in the side, shocking him. He blinks and gasps, feeling a bit drained, "W-what was that?"

Nara stands back, her blade pointed diagonally toward the ground off to her side. "I can see now why this necromancer had such an easy time with you." She grins down at him. Del steadies himself, glaring at Nara, "I had a different weapon then. Besides, it was two mages on one. How else would I have handled her?" Nara blinks, “A different weapon?” Del snorts derisively at her, “A two-handed blade. My favored fighting style.” Nara smirks. "Charming," she says boredly, then immediately and without warning dashes forward and aims a kick to Del's chin. Del blinks as she kicks him in the chin, giving him another shock-like sensation and leaving him a little more drained, "Gah! What is that?" Del also stumbles back and falls down. Nara looks down at him and tries to hide the fact that the impact hurt her toes perhaps more than Del's chin. "Did I not say I could make your blade harm a magi beyond physically? You really should pay attention when a lady speaks." Del shudders slightly, rubbing his aching chin, "I did. But i didn't expect it to work when you kick me!" Nara chuckles, “Oh right, any offensive attack may have this effect. Anyway, I think this will do for now.” The bemused woman hides her wince as she flexes her toes. They snap back into position.

Del rubs his chin once more and slowly stands, "Ah... I see. I assume I'll report here tomorrow?" Nara nods. "But before you go, there are a few texts I want you to study on the fundamentals of countering the arcane." She then adds, “Or rather, that I will give you to study.” Del nods and follows, wondering what he will see. Nara runs a finger along the spines of the texts before her, muttering to herself all the while. Del eyes her patiently, wondering what heavy tomes he will have to read through. Nara removes a single text and turns to walk toward Del. "This will do." She holds the large book out to him, “And if you're not keeping to your studies, I will know of it.” Del takes the book and looks over it. He reads the cover and then flips through a few pages, "Where should I start?" Nara blinks. "...at the first page." The Blood Knight chuckles, "Of course." He puts the book away in his pack, "And when shall we next meet, ma'am?" The woman sighs, “As soon as you've finished studying the first chapter. How's that? I will show you how to put the theory into practice once that's done.” Del nods and bows to Nara, "Indeed. Then, I shall return once it is complete." Nara chuckles at Del, “Good. Now go see to that jaw of yours. It'd be a shame for such a handsome face to be permanently disfigured on your first day of training.” Del snickers and rubs his chin a bit, "I shall then. Farewell for now, Miss...?" The Spell Breaker taps her chin, “Ah, Dawnblade. Nara Dawnblade.” Del bows, "Then I shall see you once it is done, Miss Dawnblade. I am Del Delamore." Nara holds out her arms, her hands hanging limply, and flicks her wrists upward a few times. "Go on." She grins. Del nods and takes his leave.

Del's Journal

Spoiler:

Journal entry #2:
This... book.
Ugh.
It's like reading how to eat... in gnomish. I can't make heads or tails of what I'm supposed to do.
Never mind... The damn thing was apparently upside down. As a condescending magister pointed out to me.
Suddenly, the book makes a lot more sense.
And suddenly I question why I never became a spell breaker. Ugh, it all makes so much sense. Already, with my finely tuned combat training and soon this anti-magic training, I will be unstoppable. Maybe.
Once I finish with this book, I will head back to the Ghostlands... To that Sanctum and train under that insufferable Spell Breaker.
Hopefully, it all goes well.

On a side note, I found out that by becoming a Spell Breaker, I will no longer be a Blood Knight. In fact, it seems I will lose all my Light-stolengiven powers.
Well, one thing for another. Easy come easy go, eh?

[Binkleheimer]

The story of how one Blood Knight tries his hardest to not get stomped by mages.

Spoiler:

Prologue: Getting Stomped and Motivated: Completed
Finding a Trainer: Completed
Learning to Arcane: In Progress (Learned: FEEDBACK)
Learning to Handle It: N/A
Relearning to Fight: N/A
Giving Mages the Bird: N/A

Part 2:: Burn Baby, BURN!

Spoiler:

Del strolls into the Sanctum, book in hand, looking about curiously. Nara quirks a brow as she sees movement from the corners of her eyes, "Ah, mister Delamore, a pleasure to finally see you again." The man nods, pulling a peice of paper out of the book. He walks over to Nara, holding it out, "Indeed it is, ma'am. The high-ups finally approved my request to train. They said my... character profile was perfect. So to speak." Nara snaps the book she had been reading over shut and slides it into place while looking at Del. "Huh..." She snatches the paper and looks it over quickly before handing it back to him. "I trust you did the reading during this time." Del nods, tapping the book, "Of course. Read the entire thing. I know my counters from my silences and my bubbles from by barriers." Nara grins. "Then you shouldn't find this next lesson too difficult." She walks by with a lazy wave of her hand. "Come." The Spell Breaker strolls out of the Sanctum.

Del follows Nara outside, "Oh? What will I learn?" Nara turns. "The most basic of Spellbreaker abilities. Chapter one... feedback." She holds up her arm, showing the back of her hand to Del. "Grab ahold of my wrist, mister Delamore." Del narrows his eyes and steps forward, reaching to grab Nara's wrist. The woman nods. "Now let's see how much of the chapter you understood." Del blinks and narrows his eyes. He squeezes her wrist, "Like that?" The woman nods slowly. "Yes... but try to drain me of my mana." She smirks, head tilted to one side. Del nods and taps into his innate blood Elf ability of stealing mana. He has to focus as he taps that mana; something he hasn't done in a while since the loss of the Naaru. However, he has to trouble slowly draining the mana. Nara feels a little something leaving her, but stretches out her fingers and balls her hand into a fist. "Continue, mister Delamore." Del shrugs and keeps tapping that mana. Somewheres, a little two pops up over an icon. Nara tilts her head back a bit and nods. "You may let go."The Blood Knight releases her wrist, "So... what is the purpose of that?" He raises an eyebrow at Nara.

[Del glares at the first chapter of the book. It talked a lot about Feedback, how only two races in the world could become a Spell Breaker for one important reason: Mana tapping. But why did the book put so much emphasis on it? Mana tapping drains mana. Feedback burns it. The elf just stares at the book, eyeing the word “Feedback.” He taps his chin. Something didn't seem right about the word itself.]

Nara grabs her wrist and rubs it gently, flexing it in her grip. "Just testing, mister Delamore. Now then," she brings her hands behind her back. "Feedback, you will find, is remarkably similar to what you just did, only you will be able to have the slightest touch of flesh or blade have the same effect. What we will do now is see how well you can do this." She nods and heads inside. "I'll be a moment." Del turns around, blinking. He eyes Nara as she strolls out, fully armored, "Nice get up." Nara rotates her glaive in her hand, fingers moving quickly to do so, while eyeing Del with a smirk. "Are you ready, mister Delamore?" Del narrows his eyes, drawing his sword and shield, "Of course. Unless you start hurling fireballs."

“You've already forgotten what I told you on day one, it seems.”

“This is going to hurt?”

Nara rolls her shoulders. "It may... a feeling I'm sure you are no stranger to." She brings up her shield just barely seeing over it, and holds her glaive up at her side, spinning slowly. Del brings up his shield, twirling his sword about. Still unused to the weight and twirlyness of it, he drops his blade, "Well... f**k me." Nara blinks and stops spinning the blade. If this were an anime, she'd be on the floor with her feet straight up in the air. "Mister Delamore, pick up your weapon," she says in a tone that suggests amusement. Del coughs and picks up his sword, twirling it, "Right. Ehm... Shall we continue?" A giant anime sweat bead rolls down his head. Nara nods and immediately charges forward, glaive spinning quickly and seems to bend to one side as she gets within range so that her outstretched blade would spin at an angle at Del but miss her entirely. The man brings his shield to bear, her glaive smashing it down and away from him. With a pained grunt, he swings at her body. Nara rotates her hips to her right to stop the blade, and does, but the weight pushes her to the side a bit. Her footing becomes unstable momentarily as she uses the push as an opportunity to walk around Del for a better angle.

Del brings his shield up, spinning his blade slowly and hoping for an oppurtunity. Nara does a full spin to her right and stretches her arm out toward Del, spinning glaive raised somewhat higher than before, moving dangerously close to Del's plated chest. The man tries to block with his shield, but fails. The blade hits his chest. While the hit itself didn't hurt, the burning mana did, "Gah!" Nara takes a few steps back afterward, aided by the recoil from the impact, and brings her shield just under her eyes once more. "You're holding back, mister Delamore." Del narrows his eyes, bringing his shield up, "Of course I am. This is merely a training spar." Nara narrows her eyes as well. "That simply will not do," she charges him again and raises her shield up on her right side and tries to backhand Del with it. The Knight snarls and responds by slamming his shield against hers. They hold, a burning sensation of losing mana in his arm courses through him. He then swings down at her.

[That's because the damn thing means to loop it back. The mana doesn't really leave the person's body. In fact… The mana will stop at the entry point, riled and activated. And since it has no wheres to go or be used, it burns up. Thus, harming the target. But how does it link to Mana tap? Del thinks back on what he realized and facepalms. Feedback doesn't relate to Mana tap. It is Mana tap. However, due to the lack of focus and stability, all it does it shift the mana and aggravate it. What seems like moments lasts less than a thousandth of a second.]

Nara 's robe and leg is cut despite her trying to turn around toward Del's left to avoid it. A faint burning on the spot causes her to smirk, but she takes a defensive position again. Del twirls his blade some more, crouching low as he brings his shield back up to bear. The woman narrows her eyes at him. "Will you be on the defensive for the duration of your training, mister Delamore?" She grins and runs toward him again, jumping up and kicking his shield with both boots. Del is kicked in the shield! He grunts in pain as more mana is burned from his bored, his shield skipping off the stones, "Not... anymore it seems." The Knight wobbles a bit and lunges at Nara. Nara had used Del's shield as a platform to flip backwards onto her feet. While in the air, he had charged her, and she didn't have any time to get her footing when Del had already lunged at her, throwing her off balance. Del twirls his blade some more, keeping up with Nara. He's on the offensive now! He strikes at her legs, intent on knocking her over.


Nara had no wish whatsoever to have her legs cut clean off, and so from her already somewhat-crouched position, she falls onto her back and lifts her legs just enough to avoid the blade, her shield over her chest now. Del furiously strikes at her shield, intent on just beating her up. He balls up his left hand into a fist and throws a punch. Nara keeps her shield steady, but each strike causes it to bounce off her helmet from the weakening in her body. Her shield arm burns her and the strain on her face would be obvious were it not for her helmet. She just lies there waiting for him to tire. Del stops, breathing heavily. He had been striking the shield for an odd ten minutes now. He backs up, nudging Nara with his foot, "You.... okay?"Nara simply nods, but then her face contorts in rage and hooks her right foot behind Del's left ankle and pulls to try to make him fall.

Del falls.

Nara lets out a sigh and goes limp on the floor, her shield still over her chest. "That's enough... for now... mister Delamore..." she pants. Del shakes his head, rising, "You okay? Something wrong?" He tilts his head, eyebrow raised. Nara closes her eyes, still breathing rather heavily. "Just drained is all..." She smirks. "Well, I'd say you know feedback well enough, hmm?" She lets out a soft laugh and then sighs. Del blinks and looks at his sword, shrugging, "Well... read the book enough. Figured it was some kind of... modified mana tap, so to speak."

[It is.]

Nara raises her brows and frowns. She nods and shrugs her shoulders a bit. "Yeah, that sums it up rather well."Del narrows his eyes, "There is no logical explanation, is there." Nara heaves her shield over and it falls at her side. "For what?" Del sighs, "The feedback thing. You know, burning mana and all that." Nara raises her brows. "Oh, well no, you're right, it -is- a modified mana tap, so to speak. This is why you'll find no Spellbreakers among any race but Sin'dorei and Quel'dorei."Del nods, "Ah, I get it. Alright. Anything else?" Nara lies back comfortably, her hands laying gently on her abdomen. "Reread chapter two for next time." Del nods, "Alright, I will." Nara offers Del a lazy wave. "Go on, get out of here. And take care, mister Delamore." Del nods and bows, "You too, Miss Dawnblade." Nara eventually gets up and heads back inside, setting her armor and weaponry away before fixing herself up in the mirror. Del nods and strolls off to Tranquillen, pulling out his book and reading chapter two.

[Del is still an idiot for walking alone in the Ghostlands. No wonder he lost to those spell casters.]

Del's Journal

Spoiler:

Journal entry #3:
Well, it seems I can now burn mana, by just hitting them. Which is wonderful! I can't wait to test it out. Doesn't have to be lethal though. Maybe employ myself as an interrogator of the wizards or something?

Bah, it matters not. Now… to read the second chapter… I now need to learn how to Spell Steal. The book says it is the ability to take any positive magical enhancement or “buff” from an enemy and bestow it on me or an ally. Furthermore, it can take a curse or negative magical ailment from me or an ally and place it on an enemy. It seems to cover a LARGE array of things that can be stolen.

I'm loving it.

[Binkleheimer]

The story of how one Blood Knight tries his hardest to not get stomped by mages.
Part 3: Grand Theft Arcana

Spoiler:

The fallen leaves stirred under the hooves of the elf's steed as they rode through the Ghostlands. They came to a stop as they neared the worn and beaten Sanctum, a now familiar sight to Del, “Whoa there Brass.” The horse snorted, idly stepping in place as his rider dismounted. Del just smiled as he overlooked the dilapidated building, “Time to see what I will learn today.” He was greeted by the haughty face of Nara as he walked up to the entrance, “Welcome back, Mister Delamore.” Her tone was filled with a kind of wicked joy as she quietly tucks a small envelope into the folds of her robes. The trainer crossed her arms as she watched the Spell Breaker apprentice approaches. Del bows low, “Hello there, Miss Dawnblade. I have returned for my training.” Under his arm sat his book, something he had been extensively reading for the past few days. The teacher eyed him, her eyes drifting between the book and Del's grinning face, “I assumed as much. Now then, you may breathe easy knowing today will not be combat-oriented.” The trainee did his best to stifle his laughter before giving Nara as slight nod, “You mean you get to breathe easy.” The woman just quirked a brow and pinched the bridge of her nose as she pointed to the area in front of the sanctum, “Just out there as before, Mister Delamore. You partner will be out here shortly.”

Out from the piles of books and magical apparatuses of the Sanctum looked a young female magister. She only gave Del a small nod before quietly shuffling towards Nara, “Ah, apologies for taking so long, my lady…” The mousy magister hid behind Nara, peeking out at Del expectantly. The elder Spell Breaker just rolled her eyes, “Mister Delamore, this is Miss Dawnarrow. She will be assisting me for the duration of your training.” Del nodded, “I see. I take it she's a magister then?” All he got in return was a curt nod, “Quite. Valinna! Stop being so anti-social and come join us.” Nara's words were followed by a rough pull and shove, pushing the timid woman in front of Del and causing her to trip. The Spell Breaker rolled her eyes, “Now, the spell we will be learning is known as ‘Spell Steal'. It's a somewhat difficult spell to learn, but it is vital on the battlefield and makes those with our talents invaluable.” The plated hands grasped the shoulders of the magister, pulling her to her feet, “Ma'am.” Valinna gave a weak smile and nod, “My lord.”

“Right, so… I need to strip any magical enchantment or enhancement from her and bestow it upon myself?”

“Yes, Mister Delamore.”

“Oh.”

Valinna stifled a small chuckle as she moves her hands in a circular fashion, muttering a soft incantation. A thin layer of frost covers her body, lowering the temperate outside of the layer but not within. She relaxes and gives Del a small smile, almost taunting him in some way as she continues to hold the enchantment. The teacher peered at Del as she sat down on the steps, a small smirk crossing her face, “Good luck, Mister Delamore.” The trainee only gave a short nod and a confident smile. He extends his arm, making it parallel with the ground, his palm facing Valinna, “MINE!” The two women blinked and looked around. The magister gave a light cough as she tried to stifle her laughter. Del frowned, trying to remember what the book told. The man stared at Valinna for a moment, still grasping at the enchantment in vain. A soft sigh escaped Del's lips as he just glared at Valinna.

For some reason, the book keeps emphasizing mana tap. “Most spells seem to be a bizarre variant of the blood elven ability. Spell steal is no exception. Granted, a magister of the arcane can easily cast it, but that is by incantation. The Spell Steal of Spell Breakers is something that is built in. It isn't exactly learned as so much as it is unlocked. However, this isn't something just any blood elf can do. This requires a formal training in spell casting of any type. Be it in the holy arts or arcane, the only thing that matters is the flow of mana. Once that is mastered, the rest is easy.” Del looks up from the book, his face scrunched up in concentration, “I don't get it.”

Del grumbled as he continued to eye the magister and her offending enchantment. He started thinking back on the book and what it said. For going the useless parts, he remembered what it said about the blood elven ability to mana tap. The man pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand and returned his gaze back to Valinna. “Try again, Mister Delamore.” A faint cough is heard from the student as his hand is clenched. Faint tendrils of mana reach out to Valinna, going over her body as they latch on to her eyes, fingertips and palms. Mana is slowly drained from her body, feeding into Del. With a smirk, he shifts his attention towards her enchantment, searching for the flow of mana in her body, looking for where it breaks off. Subtly, the tendrils start to form a pattern about her body, a faint image of a shield. The man could only smirk as he knew he found the enchantment and the mana flow relating to it. There was still resistance. The magister narrowed her eyes as she tried to shift the flow of mana and hold the spell to herself. It was all for naught. No matter what she tried, the tendrils held the flow in place, causing pain to the woman as she tried to resist. Del narrowed his eyes as well, focusing harder. The tendrils remained locked as they began to draw, not the mana from the woman, but the mana of the spell itself. A soft gasp emitted from Valinna's lips as she felt the enchantment ripped from her body. Her trained eye could see it following the path of tendrils, condensing in Del's hand. Valinna let out a soft whimper as she tried to fight back, trying to pull the spell back to herself. Del let out a snarl, “Give… me…the shield…” His outstretched hand closed into a fist, pulling back the tendrils forcefully, the spell with them. Valinna could only cry as she stumbled back, rubbing her aching head. The armored man blinked and looked at his fist, a faint blue light emitted from the gaps in his grasp.

The blood knight opened his hand and looked at the shimmering orb of mana in his hand. He stared in wonder at it, amazed he was able to actually do it. With a faint smile, he waved his hand over him, letting the condensed spell fall over him. A cheerful sigh escaped his lips as nothing happened. Everyone blinked. Nara looked at Del and then to Valinna. Her brow quirked as she began to eye Del curiously. The confused man coughed lightly, “I don't have the spell on me, do I?” The fully-fledged Spell Breaker shook her head slowly, a faint grin forming along her lip. Valinna, now kneeling on the ground from the magical assault , clears her throat, “You're… thinking… too much…”

“Ah…”

“Just let it go… I did the hard part. Let it feed of off your mana now…”

“That's enough, Miss Dawnarrow. Let the boy think.”

“Apologies, my Lady…”

“Wait… I have the enchantment on me?”

“You are holding it, yes, just stop thinking about what to do with it and let it run on its own.”

Del blinked a few times and looked at his hands. He could see the shimmer of arcane energy skip across his fingertips. It gave off a slightly chilled aura, showing that he did indeed hold the enchantment within his grasp. It seemed to be waiting to be released, waiting to be bestowed upon him. The man stopped thinking about it. He no longer tried to hold it and keep it for himself; he just released it, letting it run its course. Almost instantly, a small layer of magical frost covered his armor, lowering the temperature around him. Del could only smile at his success, “So… is there anything else to this little spell?” Valinna smiled and spoke in a rather matter-of-fact tone, “Well, there's always…” She soon trailed off as she looked into the glaring eyes of Nara Dawnblade. The teacher smirked, “Miss Dawnarrow, if you please. Now, Mister Delamore, you are to bestow the enchantment upon me. Do as you did before, but make sure the enchantment does not come into contact with yourself.” Valinna had already bestowed another shield of frost on herself, knowing exactly what was to happen. As before, Del extended his hand, the tendrils of mana extending from his finger tips to steal the enchantment from Valinna. Much to Nara's displeasure, Valinna offered no visible or magical resistance to Del, allowing him
to take the spell with ease. As the tendrils started to pull back with their prize, Del instead shifted them towards Nara, allowing them to grasp onto her and divert the enchantment to her. The Spell Breaker master smiled as she felt the air around her chill, knowing that Del had succeeded in this simple variation, “Well done, Mister Delamore.”

Valinna quickly hurried inside the Sanctum and only moments after, a young elven man was forced outside against all his protests. The young man bowed, “I am Keyal Duskstar, Grand Warlock of Silvermoon!” He seemed to have a permanent sneer slapped onto his face as he crossed his arms. Del raised an eyebrow at Nara as she began to chuckle, “You'll have to excuse him, Mister Delamore. He always seems to be in a bad mood. Probably due to no one believing the claims of a lowly apprentice.” Keyal snorted at Nara and glared at Del. He raised his hands and started to contort his fingers in painful shapes, muttering words of power. A dark haze fell over Del, slowly sapping any energy and willpower he had out of him. The trainee blinked and reeled as he tried to gain his bearing. After shaking his head, he focused on Keyal, glaring at the elf that cursed him. The trainee placed his plated hand to his forehead, rubbing it gently as he searched for the curse. The tendrils of mana moved over his body, locking onto the curse and trying to tear it off. However, the warlock put up much resistance, uttering his words louder. Weakened and being drained, Del found it hard to pull the curse off himself. So, he did the only thing he could think of. He walked forward and punched the warlock in the throat. The man gagged and fell to his knees as the fist connected and then the mana was burned. He could feel the heat and loss of mana in his throat, making it hard to breath. But still, he focused on Del, intent on making him collapse under the curse. He was rewarded with a fist and then a boot to the face. The warlock lost focus as he felt more of his precious mana being burned away, grabbing at his burning face and screaming in pain. Del seized the chance and tore the curse of off himself and throwing it at the warlock. Keyal passed out from the assault and curse, flopping to the ground limply. Del fell to his knees, rubbing his eyes, “I hate warlocks.” With that, he grabbed the man by his leg and dragged him over to Nara, “Well? Anything else?”

The woman shook her head, “No, that is all. And, you may drop him now.” Keyal hit the cobbled floor with a grunt. Del nodded and turned to get back on his horse, “Now, if you'll excuse me, ma'am, I have some work to do.” Nara held up a hand, “Wait… First let me give you a symbol of your advancement and status.” From the depths of her armored robe, she pulled out a small box and held it out to Del, “Here. No longer are you merely an apprentice, you are now a Journeyman of the Spell Breakers. This ring will identify you as one of us. Wear it with pride.” Plated fingers took the box from her hands and opened it to reveal a small gold and ruby ring, emblazoned with the crest of Silvermoon. A faint smile crossed Del's lips, “I'll be back later for the training. And I know, read the next chapter.”

Spell Steal Learned

[Binkleheimer]

The story of how one Blood Knight tries his hardest to not get stomped by mages.

Interlude: Testing the spells or How Del beats up a pathetic Wretched.

Spoiler:

As soon as Del arrived back at Silvermoon City, he heard news of a public execution. Apparently, from what he gathered, a traitor to Silvermoon and the Horde was going to be killed. Knowing how these things work, he knew Champion Daneir would be there, giving him the perfect opportunity to resign from the order. The Light no longer answered his call, something he found very strange. Then again, he only used the Light to smite and exorcise people, so the trade-off was minimal. Champion Daneir would not be pleased however; she would be losing one of her Knights. Del was right. Daneir was anything but pleased at the loss of Del. However, the Spell Breaker Journeyman had to; he was no longer a Blood Knight in any way. Del wasn't blind to her sorrow, however, so he did the one thing he figured would cheer her up. He kissed her.

He was right. It did cheer him up; it also earned him a harsh slap. He could still feel the sting as he looked at the Blood Knight notice board. One thing that caught his eye was a warrant for the capture of a former Magister, now a Warlock. The blood elf had gone rogue, killed a couple of his students as well as some other crimes. Del was pleased at this warrant; it gave him a chance to test out his new abilities. The warlock was last seen fleeing Eversong Forest and heading into the Ghostlands. With a faint smile, the ex-Blood Knight grabbed his gear and headed out.

He arrived at the town of Tranquillen rather quickly. As he dismounted, he called over one of the guards, “I am looking for the whereabouts of a one Ex-Magister Felbender.” The guard looked up and nodded, “We were wondering when the Blood Knights would send someone. Now, there have been reports from our scouts about some strange things going down at the Sanctum of the Moon. We haven't had much time to check or send anyone else. That may be your best bet.” Del gave a slight nod to the guard, “Thanks for the info, sir. I'll start heading there now.”

Thanks to a map, Del came across the ruined Sanctum. What was normally overrun by arcane elementals was quiet and barren. The man drew his blade, cautiously stalking forward. All around the sanctum were small piles and traces of arcane dust. It was largely clear, save for a few skittering arcane infused creatures in the shadows. Del ignored them, focusing on a small trail of blood and arcane on the ground. He knelt by it, dipping his fingers into it and looking over the shimmering blood, “Hmm… This doesn't seem right.” With a slight frown, the elf proceeded to follow the trail of blood.

Off in the woods, a hunched over Wretched sat, holding a squirming mana wyrm. It snarled and licked its grayed lips as it drew the arcane energies out of the beast, killing it. The Wretched seemed to be in ecstasy for a moment before its lust for mana kicked in again, “Must… feed!” IT furiously scratched at its face, whimpering as it rapidly went into withdrawals. Then, it spotted Del, following the trail of blood. The Wretched took a moment to look at its cut arm and chuckled evilly. It thought itself lucky to have Del run into him. The poor bastard.

The man was immediately assaulted by a curse of agony. Pain wracked his body as he gritted his teeth, “Fel dammit!” Del turned and glared at the Wretched, watching its hands move in bizarre patterns. The former blood knight snarled and began to pull the curse off him. The mana started to condense in his hand as he felt the magical curse slowly fall off of him. The Wretched however, didn't understand what was happening and tried to apply a curse of weakness. His momentary snap in concentration gave Del all the time he needed to tear the curse off him and throw it on the Wretched. The creature never saw it coming. It hit the ground, writhing in agony, “Pain! Hurt! Make it stop! Make it stoooop!” Del chuckled, still wincing in pain, “Ex-Magister Felbender, I assume? You are under arrest. Now, come pea…” The Wretched was able to focus long enough to place another curse on Del, this time one of weakness. The training Spell Breaker snarled at the pathetic attack and ripped it of his body. He stared at the condensed mana in his hand. He could feel the spell's effects as it rested there. With a smile, he threw it at the Wretched, sapping the strength from its body. The monster slumped onto the ground, writhing in pain as an armored shadow loomed over it, the sound of cracking knuckles could be heard, “Former Magister Felbender, you are hereby charged with the reckless consorting with demons, sexual solicitation of a demon, illegal selling of fel, unlicensed selling of Fel weed, being a damn Wretched, failure to pay magical dues, murder of a Blood Knight, extortion, resisting arrest twice, assault on a Spell Breaker and being so damned ugly. How do you plead?” A whimper was all that Del could hear. The man grinned wickedly, “Glad to hear you wish to resist further.” A plated fist slammed into the Wretched's face, causing it to shriek in pain as it could feel its precious mana fade. Del just laughed as he proceeded to brutalize the doubly cursed Wretched, watching it slip into unconsciousness from the assault.

Del felt proud at himself for what he did. He was able to tear the curses off him, beat down a Wretched Warlock and earn whatever bounty was on its head. With a nod, he grabbed some rope from his pack, tying it up, gagging it and dragging it back to Tranquillien and ultimately Silvermoon City.

[Binkleheimer]

Del almost gets stomped by his teacher.

Part 4: Keep your demon under control, pl0x. Kthxbai.

Spoiler:

The fel guard roared as it chased down the fleeing elf, swinging its axe at him. The man barely avoided being killed as he rolled to the side, bringing up his sword and shield. With a snarl, he extended a hand, tendrils of mana reaching out to grasp the fel guard to no avail, “Damn it!” The training spell breaker was having trouble with this spell. He stared the fel guard down as it faced him, ready to charge.

“Hold.”

The demon stopped and stood there idly, glaring at Del Delamore. The man was panting, wiping his brow. He had been at it for hours, still he couldn't catch it. For his ineptness, he received a swift smack against the head, “You are to sever the bond between master and summoned. This is no different than the other spells or times we did this. Why is it so hard?” The speaker stepped in front of him, peering at him from her helmet. Del could only give an exasperated sigh, “The demon, has a magical resistance. I can't find the bond. Look, can't I try this on an elemental of some kind? May-“ His insolence was met with another slap, “NO! I mean, you will learn on the hardest thing out here, a summoned demon. Try again. This time, it won't be attacking you.” The training spell breaker nodded in relief and stared at the demon. The main problem he had wasn't just that the demon was resistant to his magic but that it was controlled by Nara, who lovingly tore it from the summoner. The woman was toying with him.

He wasn't sure where the bond actually stood, but all evidence pointed towards the demon. He had gotten close once before, but his teacher decided to cheat and have the demon swing at his face. The man frowned and kept his eyes on the demon. His new tabard billowed in the wind, the crest of Silvermoon proudly displayed. The man pulls off his helmet, throwing it aside to get a better view of the situation. His hair billows slightly. The fel guard snorts at him, shaking the felsteel axe at the trainee. Del just frowns. He extends his hand once more, extending the tendrils of mana. The Fel guard watches as they grasp at him, searching for the bond. Behind Del, the original summoner rolls his eyes, “Oh, for f**k's sake! Go for a binding! Learn his name through the mana and he will be yours.” Nara gives the summoner an evil glare, reducing the man to a whimper. It was too late, Del already knew, in a way, of what he had to achieve. He just had to manage to pull it off.

“Kill.”

The Fel guard roared and charged the trainee. Del snarled and began to break out in a run, “This isn't helping!” The demon roared and charged at Del, the axe swinging over the man's head. Del hit the ground and rolled to the side, extending a hand. The tendrils of mana shot forth and began to wrap around the demon. The fel guard snarled and swiped at them to no effect. The man clenched his outstretched hand into a fist, causing the tendrils to penetrate the demon, fighting past the magical resistance. The fel guard locked up and struggled against the piercing tendrils. They probed the demon's mind, searching for the valued name. The demon clutched its head, roaring as it tried to remove the tendrils. It couldn't. They tore through the demon's mind, searching for its name and the bond. Finally, Del found it. The spell breaker broke the bond between Nara and the Fel guard and roared at the demon, “Bow before me, Lukthun. Serve your new master!” The demon stood there, frozen for a moment, before it blinked, “Yes… Master.” Del could only grin as he pointed at Nara, “Kill.” The demon turned and roared. But before it could charge, Nara clapped her hands and blasted the demon with a bolt of arcane energy, “BEGONE!” Lukthun was unsummoned in a flash of purple light, blinding Del for a moment. The trainee and teacher stared at each other before Nara snapped her fingers, “Keyal, summon up another demon. Mister Delamore is going to do this again and again.” Del groaned and readied himself as Nara continued, “You may have learned the spell, but your form and tact is sloppy.” A slight chuckle escaped her lips as Lukthun walked out of the portal, glaring at Del.

“And don't go easy on him this time.”

Control Magic learned.

OOC Notes:

Spoiler:

Yea, I know this is shorter than usual. Quite frankly, I got tired of rewriting it after the second crash and memory wipe. So, I had it all happen effectively mid fight and all that.
And it still sucks.

[Binkleheimer]

Del goes out to get a new shield
Part 5: Into the Wilds of Northrend.

Spoiler:

It was the standard, autumn day in Eversong Forest. Del Delamore was riding his horse down the roads of said enchanted forest. As of late, he had been thinking about how to acquire a new shield. Granted, he could just use the worn and beaten on he has been using, but that would be too easy. “Besides, the damn thing is tiny. Everyone knows spellbreakers carry tower shields,” the man muttered to himself and everyone in general. As a result, he had been spending the past couple of weeks organizing the materials, to no avail. Hours of searching, trying to play the auction house and looking for a blacksmith were fruitless. So, he decided to resort to plan B: Go out and mine some metal himself. There were only two problems with his plan. He didn't know how to mine and he lacked the wilderness survival expertise to actually find veins of the metal and handle whatever lurks in the forests. This didn't bother Del any as he figured if he just swung a pick at some mineral veins, he'd get something eventually. The latter was simple, he'd bring an ally.

The one he found was Aelyne Cor'Thenal, a Blood Knight in the service of Silvermoon. To Del, it seemed like a bright idea to bring her along. He convinced her to join him on a small expedition to Northrend to mine out some of the mineral known as Cobalt. She agreed to join him without any real hesitation. After some conversation, they decided that heading to Vengeance Landing in Howling Fjord was a good place to start. The two parted ways, heading out to gather some essential supplies for a venture into the wilds. It took them a couple hours, but they eventually met at the Orb of Translocation in Silvermoon, a device that would make their trip far easier. The clammy air of Tirisfal Glades greeted them as they used the orb. Del shivered slightly at the feel of the death and decay. The two elves made their way to the zeppelin towers, quickly booking and boarding a flight to Northrend. They wanted to leave the rotted place as soon as they could.

The trip to the frozen land took a few days. On the third day, they finally stopped the Forsaken warships patrolling the icy waters and then the shoreline with a small Forsaken town sitting on it like a festering sore. As the ship docked, the two elves looked up at the sky and admired the Aurora Borealis. “What kind of things live here,” the Blood Knight asked. Del had to think for a moment, “Undead, Vyrkul and the Alliance, it seems.”

“Vyrkul?”

“Like humans. Only bigger, dumber and stronger.”

“Oh, I see.”

Aelyne clears her throat. "No match for a blood knight and a spell breaker."

“Actually, they're stronger than Tauren.”

Del and Aelyne looked at each other, thinking on how smart it would be to go further. After a resigned shrug, they went on their way for some last minute preparations. The spellbreaker made a quick stop to buy a crude map, one he could barely read and fail to understand. It seemed like a good idea. He could still make out the general shape of the continent. Soon, the two elves left the Forsaken hold, only to be attacked by a couple lurking worgs. The first worg leapt from the shadows of the forest at Del, only to meet the wood and steel of his shield. The spellbreaker spun and cleaved its jaw in two. Aelyne was behind him, using her holy might to rend a worg in half. Still, more worgs advanced on them. Del pointed towards the elevator and began to run, “Move!” The Blood Knight moved ahead of Del as he hung back to defend her. Another worg got close to the spellbreaker, only to have a steel blade rend its skull. As the duo rode the elevator to the top, they looked down to watch the worgs disperse into the forest, lying in wait to ambush the next group of hapless adventurers. They were cut up and bruised, nothing serious to note, a fate that could have been far worse.

With a resigned sigh, they rested at a Forsaken camp near the top, giving Del time to look over the map he bought. It was illegible and chaotic. He couldn't make out any names and there were stains all over. He frowned slightly as he began to trace out a quick route. Aelyne looked over and quirked an eyebrow. Del kept peering over the map, "I found a good mining spot. However, we will have to head over to this place called... the Dragonblight." Aelyne took a deep breath, “That sounds imposing... and I thought you said it was in the Howling Fjord...” The man looked up for a moment, “According to the map, there is a good quarry in the Dragonblight. Besides, I'm sure all the quarries here are already taken… By Alliance.” Before the blood knight could even get a glimpse of the map, Del had already rolled it up and tucked it away. The two head off along the road. Aelyne was busy looking in awe at the surrounding area, Del was too busy looking for blue veins, outcroppings or anything that looks like it could be mined.

Eventually, the duo came across a fork in the road and a weathered signpost. The sign pointed to the various keeps and locations in the Fjord that the road led to, most of them hostile. Aelyne peered up at the sign, studying it for a moment, “Which way do we go?” The man gave it a moment to think, looking around at the area, “I was planning on cutting across North.” His words were met with a slight nod, “Then let us continue.” Their walk through the forest was largely uneventful. Granted, they took care to avoid the Vyrkul and local wildlife when they could. After much grumbling and trouble, they came across a quarry. With some slight hope, they scurried up to it, only to see Alliance and Scourge forces engaged in battle. The blood knight and spellbreaker blinked and backed away, not wanting to deal with either group at the moment. With resigned sighs and more grumbles, they kept going north, heading towards the Grizzly Hills. As before, Del kept his eye out for anything that could be a mineral vein. In the distance, a small blue vein shimmered, catching the man's eye. With a hint of greed, he rushed forward, pulling out a small, silvery pick and eyeing the vein. Aelyne, conversely, approached it carefully. Del eyed the small vein curiously, “I believe this is cobalt.”

“It's so blue.”

“That's why they call it cobalt.”

“Oh.” Aelyne blushed slightly at her comments, and his responses. Del was too focused on the vein to notice. He had no idea what he was doing. With a grumble, he began to swing at the vein, breaking the rocks with his pick. It took him a bit, but he finally got the vein mined out, causing a small pile of blue rocks to rest underneath the cavity. The noise from the mining brought some unwanted attention though. Off in the distance, two vyrkul had spotted them and began to make their way over. Aelyne, being more cautious and perceptive, spotted the advancing vyrkul and immediately dropped to the ground, pulling Del with her, “Down and be quiet!” The man hit the ground with a thud, dropping his pick in the pile of blue rocks. He could only blink and look at Aelyne questioningly when one of the Vyrkul roared and shouted. With a groan, Del sprung back up, grabbing Aelyne and throwing her forward, “Move!” She broke off into a run as a vyrkul came from behind, swinging his axe at Del. The weathered weapon slammed into Del's shield, throwing him off balance as he made a mad dash away from the giant human. The two elves continued to flee from the vyrkul, dashing between the trees to avoid thrown axes and incoming arrows. Del was the first to reach the Cliffside. Unlike Aelyne, he saw it and was able to stop and gain his balance before sliding down it. Aelyne, however, fell off the cliff and landed on the ground with a loud thud. Del suffered a blow to the head, denting his helmet horribly. With a groan, the man blacked out.

He awoke soon enough, his head throbbing. The vyrkul had left them, less interested in them and more interested in what he left behind. The spell breaker slowly rose to his feet and yanked off his ruined helmet, throwing it to the side. He looked over at Aelyne, who was resting against the cliff side, her faceguard in hand. He blinked once, “You… okay? Nasty fall we took there.” She nodded, “I… think so. I don't think… I broke anything.” She took an offered hand from Del, pulling herself up with a wince. The spell breaker shook his head and looked around. They were stuck on a small ledge on the side of the cliff. Luckily, the cliff was jagged with many more of the smaller ledges all around. Del took his time to look at each ledge. There was one he could hop down to get on a path to the coast. However, it was higher than the one he fell off of. Granted, he fell. With a sigh, the man pushed himself off the ledge and slowly slid down the cliff face, using the jagged wall for gripping. It wasn't hard for him. Aelyne, on the other hand, fell down the cliff and onto the waiting Del. They rolled down the path, both falling off the small ledges at different points. As before, Del was slightly uninjured. His companion was the one who suffered. She laid on the ground, unconscious.

The spell breaker let out a soft sigh as he unslung his worn shield and pulled her onto it. He slid her arms through the loops and began to look through his bag, finding some rope. The man could only stare at it for a good minute before blinking. Without another thought, he tied it around the shield straps, allowing him to pull her around. Thus, the tired spell breaker began pulling her along and into the Grizzly Hills. The trek was uneventful until he got closer to Venture Bay and the small river that separated it. He stared at the small river. It wasn't too big, but it still posed a major problem. Luckily, there were rocks nearby. With a groan, he hoisted Aelyne on his back and began to step on the slippery rocks. As before, he proved dexterous enough not to fall. He reached the other side with no problem, dropping his unconscious companion to the ground with a thud. Venture Bay was quiet, showing signs of constant battle. The spell breaker began to drag along his companion once more, keeping an eye out for any Alliance forces. Off in the distance, he could hear the faint sounds of battle. The spell breaker kept pulling Aelyne along until he ran into an abandoned shredder. Being quite desperate, he hooked the downed Blood Knight to the back of the machine and climbed into the tiny cockpit. It was a goblin device, meaning it had twenty buttons for explosions, but very few for actual movement. The red-blue configuration was very helpful.

After little thinking and some minor effort, the elf got it running. The machine lumbered clumsily forward and towards the other bank. Unfortunately, he was spotted. A gnomish battlemage blinked on top of the machine, bashing Del in the face with his staff. The shredder lurched forward came to a stop. Del blinked as the mage started to conjure up a sphere of fire. With a snarl, the spell breaker drove his fist into the gnome's groin, interrupting the spell casting and causing the small man to pass out from the pain of getting hit in the jewels and then being mana burned there. The spell breaker wiped the blood from his now broken nose and pushed the machine forward, stepping on the downed mage. He made a satisfying crunch. The shredder reached the other side of the bank without any further trouble. Crossing the small river went fairly well, until it stepped on a soft spot and tripped.

Del was thrown on the bank as the machine hit the ground. Seeing his source of easy transportation was gone, he began to unlatch Aelyne and pull her off to the side. It was starting to grow dark and much colder. Grumbling, the man collected some logs and scooped up some oil from the downed shredder. It didn't take long for him to get a fire going. He leaned against a large rock, starting into the crude fire. Aelyne was nearby, still unconscious and carefully wrapped in her cloak and the various blankers. Del just shivered and pulled his cloak to him tighter, trying to stay warm. He began to drift off to sleep, unaware that a Horde outpost was nearby.

[Binkleheimer]

Del goes out to get a new shield
Part 6: I'm blue, da ba dee da ba die!

Spoiler:

Del was lost. Unlike being lost in Silvermoon, he was now in the cold, hellish wasteland that is the Dragonblight. To make matters worse, he was still carrying Aelyne along, carefully wrapped in a few blankets and her cloak. Eventually, he came across a rather large skeleton of a dragon, the massive skull providing some cover against the biting winds. As he trudged on closer to it, a shadow passed over him. He looked up in the sky, expecting a drake. He saw nothing. He shook his head, assuming he was merely delusional. Luckily for his sanity, he wasn't. The wyrven hit the ground with a slight roar, causing Del to fall back against the dragon skull. He blinked at the creature as its rider spoke to him, “Are you kidnapping someone?” The half-dead man shook his head as his teeth clattered, “N-no…w-was here… t-to… m-mine c-c-cobalt…” He stood back up and pulled the downed woman to the skull and rested her against it. With her out of the way, he turned to look back at the rider. She was strapped to the wyrven, with her right leg wrapped and splinted and her right arm hanging limply. The man shook his head, “C-cold… must be… a-affecting my… m-mind…”

“Is it?”

Del offered no response as he slumped back against the dragon skull, shivering violently as the harsh wind blew against him. Reigen looked down on him and held out her fake left arm, focusing her mana to cause it to explode in fire, “Why are you even out here?” Almost immediately, the fire on her arm was spell stolen. She had offered no resistance to Del as he did so, allowing him to steal the enchantment from her and bestow it on himself. Clouds of steam rose in the air as Del sighed in relief.

“The wastelands of Dragonblight are rather tranquil in the afternoon, don't you think?”

Reigen blinks and looks around, “Yea, it's wonderful…” Del only nodded and enjoyed the new feeling of warmth, not thinking about the possible dangers. Lightfoot steps were heard moving around them. The female mage looked at Del nervously, “Do you have any friends out here?” The man didn't respond, he was too focused on the warmth. A tall man clad in blue, flowing robes faded into existance unnervingly close to Del. He smiled. The spell breaker looked up and snarled, “G-go... away... high elf... I don't wish... to be tormented... by your kind..." The man just waved dismissively to Del. "I'm not here to torment you, mage-killer." He speaks and turned his attention to Reigen, staring at her appraisingly. He was treated with a weak wave from the woman and a grumble from the mage-killer. The new elf clasped his hands together and smiled widely, "I might be here to deal with you, however." His words were laced with a certain hate as he skiped one step closer in a rather effeminate manner, "You're in my territory."

“Er...I'm sorry? I was sorta just...flying around when I saw the "Mage-killer" having a little trouble.”

"What? What do you mean... "your" territory?"

“...He's a hermit? How are you not freezing your arse off?”

The man skipped another step closer. His smile widened the closer he got and the air around him crackled momentarily with a troubling amount of arcane energy. "-My- territory." Before either of the two sin'dorei could respond, the crackle of energy intensified and focused into a magical ice, grabbing hold of anything attached to the ground. Del responded immediately by spell stealing the icy enchantment off of him and hurling it at the drake. The spell bounced off an invisible barrier, causing the “elf” to snarl at Del. He leapt into the air at a surprising speed and took on his true form with a bellowing shriek. They were going up against a blue drake. Reigen shouted something at Del. He didn't hear it, he was too focused on stealing the ice from the wyrven and throwing it at the drake. The spell bounced harmlessly off the drake's scales, still protected by an invisible barrier. It shrieked and lunged down at Reigen, its claws gripping her and tearing her off the wyrven. She cried out in pain and hurled a bolt of fire at the drake's eyes. It, like all other spells before it, were harmlessly deflected by the invisible barrier.

The spell breaker leapt up and quickly scrambled up the skull, using it as a boost to get him close enough to the aerial drake. His blade sliced across the dragon's chin. The blade's bite already hurt, the feedback was going beyond it. The drake's body was wracked with pain as his mana was torn and burned. In response, it digs its claws into Reigen, arcanely forcing mana out of the woman. She cried out in agony. The drake grinned and batted its wings furiously, creating a powerful gust that blasted Del back and into the skeletal spine. He shuddered and wheezed as the air was knocked out of him. With a loud snarl, he inhaled sharply, “That… is… m-my… MAGE!” He reached out and began to steal the barrier from the drake. It never expected it; it had no idea how to stop it. The drake was too unfocused, unable to withstand the spell breaker. The monster roared in fear and anger, “Why haven't you slain her, Mage-killer!?” It pounded Reigen into the ground, digging its claws into her. She cried out, “I-idot...one of us...has gotta get outta he-” She was cut short as the drake pressed down on her, causing more blood to pour out and taint the white snow, “P...please go...”

Del slowly rose, his blade limp as he bestowed the barrier onto Reigen, "S-she... is... MINE..." He limped forward a bit, before lunging to stab the drake in its eye, "I... w-will... when... t-the...time is...RIGHT." The drake was caught off-guard, expecting the man to have passed out or given up by now. The blade bit into its eye, causing an explosion of pain as more of the drake's mana was burned. The half blinded drake hissed in pain and snapped its jaws at Del. The man instinctively tried to block with his left arm, forgetting his shield was under Aelyne. The razor teeth pierced his mail armor, cutting upon his shoulder and mangling the arm. He fell to his knees as his blood poured out. He gasped and looked up at the mocking drake. It pressed down on Reigen some more, crushing her bones. She cried out and blood filled her mouth, “Heroes...are the first to...die ya'know.” Del rose to his feet and kept his blade to his side. The drake smiled wickedly and pressed down further on Reigen, forcing the life from her body. She cried out one last time before releasing her last breath, “Dael'ar…” The spell breaker could only look on at his failure to stop the drake. It just lifted her body and threw it to the side. The drake grinned and landed on the ground. It was battered, but in a better condition than the bleeding spell breaker.

“You need a shield, mage-killer.”

The man looked up and blinked at the dragon, “Wha?” He stumbled back and placed his hand on his torn shoulder. The drake smiled and advanced further, “Maybe then, you could have stopped me and killed the mage yourself.” It brought its maw close to Del, biting the air mockingly. The man looked up at the maw and into what he thought would be his death. A large shadow passed over them, accompanied by a loud roar. The blue drake pulled back and hissed at the sky, quickly scrambling off and flying away. Del just fell against the skull one last time as he blacked out.

His cheek pressed against the cold stone floor of Wyrmrest Temple. That was the first thing Del felt as he stirred. He blinked and looked up at a rather burly human with fiery red hair. The human stood over Del, his flowing robes doing little to hide his massive frame, “I see you have finally awoken, young one. You have had the misfortune of running into one of my young charges out in the Wastes. I am sorry to hear of your friend's death. Allow us to amend these wrongs.” Del blinked and rose to his feet. His left shoulder was fine now, though the armor was still torn where the drake bit down. He looked up at the burly human and then around the temple. Nearby laid Aelyne, now healed and just sleeping off her ordeal. Across the room rested the body of Reigen, torn and maimed from the drake's savage attack. The elf sighed and looked down at the ground. The human patted Del on the shoulder, “Do not worry about her, we will tend to her.” The human stepped back and pulled forward the high elf from before. Del looked up to see the scarred face of the shape-shifted drake. The spell breaker smirked at his handiwork. The high elf was missing his left eye and a thick scar ran from his chin to his cheek. The red haired man slapped the “elf” on the back, “Step forward boy and make amends for what you've done.” The high elf bowed his head slightly, “I'm sorry.” He then held up a small green bag and opened it. From it, he pulled out a rather large blue shield. It had a series of arcane runes on them with a large yellow gem in the center, “It is one of the Barricades of Eternity. It'll help you with your spell casting as… it serves as a focal point for what you and our kind do best…”

“Kill mages.”

Del looked up as he took the shield and grinned, “I thank you, blue one. I will be sure to use it as it is meant to be used.”

Barricade of Eternity found!

[Binkleheimer]

How the magical insectoid menace was crushed and Del got his sword.
Part 7: Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

Spoiler:

Del was back at the Sanctum in the Ghostlands. The building was still in its eternal state of disrepair: books lying everywhere, vines crawling up the building, and the bugs seeming to have started their own school of the arcane. The spell breaker stared down at the bugs as they sat around a book, shooting small sparks of magic from their tiny limbs. It seemed the arcane corruption had begun to influence the bugs. Whatever progress they made was promptly ended under the plated boot of Nara Dawnblade. The class of 6:00 never got to see the full extent of their power, or how far arcane corruption can go.

That out of the way, the spell breaker looked up into the haughty face of his teacher. Her eyes looked over him in distaste, “Your armor is in ruin, your blade is melted and you have been missing for weeks. Why?” The trainee looked up and unslung the covered shield from his back. The haughty woman eyed it a bit before pulling off the silk covering, “Interesting shield you possess there. It isn't elven or dwarven. I can only assume draconic or a variant of it.” She looked up at him, frowning slightly, “You have been missing for weeks to aquire some draconic shield? I can only assume that you were foolish enough to march up to some blue dragon and demand this shield. Or did you head over to Coldarra and hunt the dragonkin for one? Maybe, you gained the trust of a red and with it, assaulted a bastion of blue drakes and minions, taking this as your prize.” Del blinked and looked at her, “Yes, that's completely how I got this shield. I gained the trust of the Reds and helped lead an assault on a group of blue drakes, a dragon and many dragonkin. After a long epic battle, I finally managed to achieve the goal. For my valorous service, I was awarded this shield.” The man couldn't help but strike a heroic pose at his words, as false as they were. In truth, he got the shield after a chain of events that occurred due to his stupidity. Nara didn't know that and bought what he said as the only logical explanation of why he had the shield.

Nara tapped her chin and smiled, “Well, let me give you your blade. I was going to have you start with a training blade, but with a feat that mighty? You deserve the blade of a full spell breaker.” The woman bowed and stepped back into the Sanctum, going to retrieve the weapon. Del could only stand and blink. It was too easy. There was no way the woman would give him the blade without some kind of strings attached. There had to be a catch. There was none. She walked back out moments later, carrying a silvery double bladed glaive. It shimmered in the afternoon light as she held it out to Del, “Here, this is. This is our most feared weapon. The blades are made of truesilver, the handle mithril. The truesilver enhances your Feedback and other spells. For such feats of bravery, you truly deserve this sword.” The man takes the blade and blinks, “W-well… thanks. I'll use it with pride.” He just stared at the beautiful blade, awestruck. The haughty woman smiled once more and bowed, “I advise that you leave and train with it. We will resume your training soon.” She bid him farewell and walked back into the Sanctum. Conversely, the spell breaker just stood still, blinking. The valuable sword was still in his hand and she seemed to believe him. Before he would even try to test his luck, the man got on his horse and headed off to Silvermoon.

Spell Breaker sword acquired?

[Binkleheimer]

How I learned to stop casting and hate the magic
Part 8: You are now entering the Anti-Magicalized Zone.

Spoiler:

As usual, Del stood in front of the Arcane Sanctum in the Ghostlands. He looked around to see a small bustling roach city. They seemed to be rather advanced at this point, having small wires running between each book house. The spellbreaker peered at each house and could hear what sounded like an electrical lute playing. A few shelves up, he could see a strange turning metal platform; on it, rested a needle shaped metal object, covered in tiny roach skull and cross bones. A trefoil was presented under each skull and crossbones. The man blinked at this contraption, unsure of what to make of it. Before he could touch it, the entire bookshelf exploded from the force of a summoned infernal. The blast threw Del back into Nara's arms. He could only blink at the devastation as the infernal went on a rampage, smashing the roach city to bits. From across the room, a similar needle like object zipped past Del's ear, exploding against the infernal. The small mushroom cloud barely phased the large creature as it went on to smash the other book case. The spellbreaker trainee looked at the devastation and then to Nara, “What is going on here?” The trainer sighed, “It seems the arcane corruption has heightened the roaches' intellect. That, or…” She turned back to come cowering apprentices, glaring, “SOMEONE IS PLAYING WITH ARCANE INTELLECT AGAIN.” Coughing slightly, she adjusted her collar, “In any event, this is the third time we've literally bombed them back to the stone. We would add in the age part as the roaches like to screech at us but we're not too sure if they're back in the Stone Age again or in their odd… Road Fighter stage.” Del blinked dumbly as the roaches seemed to drive around in small steam tanks. One stood out as being really adept, probably due to the enchanted one-armed, leather jacket. Like his magical predecessors from last post, he was still no match for the underside of Nara's boot.

The man was essentially ushered out of the smoking building as the apprentices and magisters went about repairing it, consuming lumber and gold in the process. Straightening himself out, he turns to Nara, “I am to learn how to create an anti-magic shell and field today?” His teacher clapped her hands together and smiled, “Indeed, Sir Delamore. This marks you nearing the end of your training and with the time it has taken you to come back here, I am sure you've been studying long.” Del blinked and coughed lightly, “Yea… Yes. Yes, I have.” The woman smirked at the man, “Good. Just in case you haven't… There is no real difference between the shell and field. The only thing that separates them is how far you extend it. Of course, the larger the field is, the harder it is to hold it and the more mana it consumes. Very rarely will you need the actual field and even then, you might need it for no more than a moment or two… Usually. The anti-magic shell stops all magical attacks and prevents the effects of magical weapons as long as you hold it. For instance, a fireball will merely dissipate against the barrier. An icebolt will simply evaporate. Holy magic? Nullified. Shadow magic? Nullified. Anything magical is useless inside the shell or field. And no, it cannot be dispelled by a priest or shaman. It's anti-magic.” The man nods as he listens intently to Nara, glad she took the time to explain it all to him. He took his place in front of as she twirled her blade and uttered a few words of power. An egg-shaped shell of greenish energy formed around her. The man blinked and shivered as she extended her hands, the shell growing larger and more circular as it encompassed the area around him. His breath slowed as he felt the flow of arcane around him stop, “Amazing.”

Del blinked and looked at the walls of the bubble. It shimmered lightly, now giving off a purplish color. Hesitantly, he reached out and tried to touch it, only to have his hand just pass through, “It does nothing to physical attacks?” Nara chuckled lightly, a bead of sweat running down her forehead, “Of course not. It only stops magic. That's it.” Del nodded and looked at Nara. Grinning, he walked over to her and back handed her. The only response he got from her was that of her glare. The man blinked and looked at his hand, “Feedback doesn't work?” Nara's eyes narrowed, “It's a magical attack, idiot. You can still hit people outside the bubble or shell and have it work, but inside? Not a chance.” Not even mana drain will work… On either side.” With a grunt, Nara clapped her hands together, causing the field to fade. Instantly, the area hummed lightly with arcane energy. Nodding once, she pointed at Del, “Now then, I want you to find a focal point. Be it your sword or shield, I do not care. This item will be the source of your ability.” Nodding, Del peered at his sword and shield. Both were good choices but each had a distinct disadvantage. Melee opponents loved to tear his shield off, though the runes on its face would greatly aid in his casting. Conversely, he never lost his grip on his glaive, but the lack of runes would hinder him. It didn't take him long, “The shield shall be my focal point.” Nara gave him a curt nod and sat down on the cool grass, “Good. Now, lay it on the floor and let's begin.”

Del peered at each rune on the face of his shield and ran a finger along each in a circle, listening to Nara explain the amplifying power of each one and the focal gem in the center. Del gave her a slight nod; it seemed the one who gave him this gift was more perceptive about Del's profession than the spellbreaker though. Slowly, Nara stood up, pulling Del up with her, “Now, we begin. I want you to clear your mind and just recite the words of power. Even without your focal point, you'll be able to summon a small, if not full, shell.” Del peered at his shield and held his hands together. Taking a deep breath, the man chants softly, uttering the same few words of power over and over. Nothing happened save a harsh slap from Nara, “Your mind is not clear. Empty it. Stop thinking about whatever hole you will be filling tonight and focus on the task at hand!” Del blinked and blushed a little. He let out a light cough and adjusted his collar. He inhaled sharply and cracked his knuckles. Holding up a hand, he exhaled sharply, uttering the words of power. A faint green light flickered in for a moment before fading. A smirk crossed Nara's face, “Again, but with more force.”

Hours later, Del was only able to summon a small anti-magic bubble. He was showing signs of exhaustion as he slumped against the tree, his armor resting in a neat pile as he shook his drenched clothes, “Gah… I've been at this for hours and can only get a tiny bubble. What good does that do me in combat?” Nara grinned at him and pulled him to his feet, “Again.” Grumbling, the man clapped his hands together and shouted the words of power, pulling them apart as a bit larger orb formed between his hands. He stood there, hands shifted to his side as if he was casting an offensive spell. Nara could only laugh at his stance, “You fool! You are not casting an offensive spell, but one of defense! How you are casting it is hindering your ability. Besides, that would be impractical if you have your blade and shield in hand. Did you forget about the shield? Your focal point? That is why the shell is tiny… That and your stance.” Del blinked and looked over at his hands. The orb flickered and crackled some as he fought to keep it going. With a sigh, let go of his focused and caused it to fade away, “Right then.” He took a different stance: His feet close together and his hands at his side. With the nod of his instructor, he clapped his hands together and shouted the words of power once more before pulling his hands back to his side, his palms facing forward. The bubble was considerably larger this time, nearly half his body height in diameter. It floated and seemed to envelop part of him. However, its size still took its toll on him, quickly fading as he fell to his knees, breathing heavily. Nara seemed to approve of his progress. Not by her words, but by the fact she forced a mana potion down his throat, “Good. Now grab your shield and try again.”

The trainee gave her a curt nod and rose to his feet, readying his shield. It felt different this time. Largely due to the fact he had a heavy weight on his arm. But now, he could feel his mana flow move through the shield, seeming to collect at the gem and hold for a moment. It was interesting. As before, he took the defensive casting stance again. His hands clapped for as long as he could say the words before pulling them apart. A green field of anti-magic exploded around him, covering his entire body as it flowed from his shield runic circle. The man laughed at the sight of his success. The shell held around him, pulsating with energy, seeming to hold its own now. With a nods from Nara, he moved his hands outwards, focusing on expanding it. The shell expanded to a radius of five feet outwards, covering Nara as well. She smirked at the strained spellbreaker, watching his focus falter as his mana was rapidly drained by the field. Soon, he fell to his knees and eventually to the floor. Nara chuckled at the fallen man as she lifted him up, “I'm impressed. You lasted longer than most who try this the first time.”

AMS and AMZ learned!

[Binkleheimer]

The mana stops all around the world.
Part 9: Time is Mana

Spoiler:

Del Delamore, now a fully-fledged spell breaker stood in the Court of the Sun, looking up at Sunfury Spire. His eyed flicked from side to side as he studied the massive structure and the area around it. Finally, his gaze rested on the squad of spell breakers guarding the entrance. With a smirk, he patted his chest, “No. This isn't for me. I know where my loyalties lie.” He gave the spire one last look before turning away and heading towards Farstrider Square and the Blood Knight Headquarters. As he stepped inside, he took a sharp breathe and exhaled slowly, “It's good to be home.”

As he neared the local commander, he reached into his armor and pulled out a small envelope. The blood knight peered at Del and then to the envelope, “What is this?” As he took it and opened it to read, Del grinned, “Sir Del Delamore, Former Blood Knight and now Spell Breaker. I am here to serve Silvermoon City and the Blood Knight Order.” The commander blinked and looked at Del, “What? I thought your kind would be working for the Magisters. What brings someone like you to this Order?” Del's grin only widened, “I hate mages.”

The armor smith nodded at Del as she pressed the dark iron metal of Del's armor to his chest, “Hmm… This should do well.” Stepping back, she unstrapped the chest piece and laid it on the work bench. Going to work, she began to work on the armor, “Dark iron, huh? I thought you would prefer something redder. Isn't that what you Spell breakers like more?” Del looked over and chuckled, “It matches my tabard better. No reason to go into battle without a stylish look.”

Finally, the spell breaker stood in front Edrandri, grinning wickedly as he handed her a letter. He brushed some lint off his tabard, adjusting the thing slightly so the red crest of the Blood Knights showed better. His shoulder guards obscured his vision slightly, but remained the general spell breaker look. As Edrandri read the letter she sighed and put it on the desk, “Well, Sir Delamore… It seems I will be dealing with you in the workplace once more. I welcome you back to the Order as a Spell Breaker. You will be given the same privileges and responsibilities of that equal to a Master. However, you will not hold the authority of one. You will be considered a special agent, our ace to say the least. You are dismissed.” Del saluted and began to walk away, as he adjusted his gauntlets; he stopped and sniffed the air, “I smell magic in the air.”

Done.