Magnus: Mountain Pass
When you are not welcome, go anyway
Kitty Cluster!
A trio of boys snuggled up together, some more snuggled than others, but still together!
Heads up to new readers:
This story is part of a series. Luckily, you can read the whole Magnus series for free!
…Time for this week’s story…
Magnus: Mountain Pass
A door taller than ten men carved into a rocky mountainside awaited Magnus and his Marauders after their trek through the forest. Eranor deciphered the text written on the wall. The large text high up welcomed giants, bidding them to knock for entry. Smaller text closer to the ground warned: “Humans not welcome.”
“Nastor, are you sure this is where they’ve gone?” Magnus asked.
“Without a doubt. Their muddy tracks head straight for the doors, but they end here.” Nastor pointed at the ground, several meters away from the doors.
Magnus shared quizzical looks with his commanders. After their silent exchange, Magnus looked to Eranor and motioned toward the doors.
“I suppose we have no other option.” Eranor recited an incantation. A magic hand knocked on the heavy stone doors, then vanished. After a few tense moments, there was a loud thud, then a heavy creak, and the massive stone doors opened. On the other side was an armor-clad cyclops. Two more guards stood by each door. Behind him, a fourth cyclops clad in robes and jewelry stood stoically, holding a staff.
“Humans are not allowed,” the guard’s deep voice rumbled. “Be gone, or die.”
“Good day, cyclops.” Magnus smiled and waved. “I understand we are not welcome in your fine mountain. We were hoping you could help us with something?”
“Help… you?” Puzzled, the guard turned to the others behind him, who could only shrug. “Explain.”
“We’ve been tracking a small contingent of humans through the forest. Their tracks go straight toward your doors, then they vanish. Is there any way they could have passed through these doors in the last few days?” Magnus pointed to the tracks, then toward the entryway.
The skeptical guard leaned over to examine the tracks. “Thundarron.” The guard moved aside, and the mage behind him stepped forward. Without a word, he waved his staff and the tracks lit up. In disbelief, he shook his head, then pointed his staff at Magnus. A warm wind passed over Magnus, then nothing.
“He speaks truth.” Thundarron leaned forward to examine Magnus. With a grumble, he raised his eyebrow and pointed at him. “That, around your neck. Where did you get it?”
From beneath his armor, Magnus pulled the trinket he received from the forest spirits and held it up for Thundarron. “This? It was a gift. The people we’re hunting hurt the forest. We healed it, and I received this.”
Thundarron stood upright and sighed, then scratched his head. He looked to the other guards, then turned to Magnus and his Marauders. “Humans blessed by earth spirits, you may pass. Cause trouble, and die.”
“Very gracious. We thank you for your hospitality.” Magnus bowed. Thundarron waved his staff once more, and another warm wind swept through their ranks. “What was that?”
“You will not be bothered.” The guards moved aside and watched Magnus and his Marauders pass through their gates. The doors thundered shut behind them.
The underground passage opened into a vast, gargantuan stone city. Glowing plants provided illumination, making it as bright as the day outside. Many cyclops stopped to watch the humans passing through. None of them bothered Magnus’s group, but they did whisper amongst themselves, each one equally confused. Magnus and his men stuck to the walls to avoid being crushed or getting in the way. It wasn’t long before earth spirits resembling cute animals sprouted from the stone and plants around them, beckoning them to follow.
The spirits led them to a city garden and into an opening in a large rock. Smaller, more normal-sized plants sprouted there. Like a big cave, the enclosed space was perfect for a large group of humans. Teeming with earth spirits, happy nymphs welcomed them. Then, they parted, and a beautiful female nymph wrapped in light cloth and flowers approached them.
“Good evening, humans.” Her voice was heavenly. “For your past deeds, you are welcome to rest here. Outside, the moon is high, and it will take several days for you to pass through this city. We will guide you and provide you with safe places to rest.”
“Thank you,” Magnus said, bedazzled by the nymph. “We truly appreciate your assistance.”
The beautiful nymph departed, and other earth spirits showed Magnus and his men where they could rest, eat, drink, and relieve themselves. Some Marauders made requests and were guided by different earth spirits to fulfill them. They were waited on hand and foot as if they were royalty. To Magnus, it felt like home. To many of the marauders, it was an exquisite and humbling experience.
On the second night, they stayed at a similar alcove in another garden. A river ran through the cavernous space, and they arrived early in the evening, giving them more downtime. After a couple of hours there, Eranor approached Magnus and handed him a leather sack with a drawstring for its large opening.
“Thanks to this reprieve, I finally got to make these. Here. It’s an endless satchel,” Eranor said. “You can put pretty much anything in there. It’s enchanted, so you can always find it. I placed the same enchantment on the gift I left inside.”
“That’s so kind, thank you, Eranor,” Magnus said happily. “What’s inside?”
“See for yourself.”
Magnus reached into the seemingly empty bag and pulled from it a thick leather-bound book with a blue gem on the front cover. “A spellbook?”
“I’ve already put some basic spells and tools in there for you. I included the spells you’ve learned recently as well,” Eranor explained as Magnus flipped through the pages.
“Is this a spell to walk on water?” Magnus said excitedly.
“I thought it might come in handy, or you’d at least have fun with it.”
“I’m going to try this one right now! Thank you, Eranor,” Magnus gleefully hugged Eranor, then hurried away.
“Enjoy yourself, Prince Magnus.” Eranor smiled, touched by Magnus’s gratitude.
Magnus hurried to the river and followed it to a pond with space to run around. He cast the spell, then stepped carefully onto the water. Indeed, his foot did not sink. He took another step, then trotted along, finally bursting into a sprint, sliding to a stop. It was as easy to hold his grip as it was to slide, and he had control over how he interacted with the water. Once, he slid into a tree branch and fell. The fall was soft, like landing on a bed. Nearby laughter caught his attention. Not far away, sitting next to the pond with a notebook, was Nastor.
“Don’t worry, my Prince, I won’t tell a soul,” he chuckled.
“Oh, I don’t mind. What are you up to?” Magnus joined him.
“Just sketching.”
“What are you making? May I see?”
“Of course.” Nastor handed him the book. While Magnus examined the drawings, Nastor explained. “Ye’ see, I get a tattoo to mark great moments in my life. My time here with you has been my greatest adventure yet, so I’ve been drawing my next tattoo. I think the one on the bottom right there is my favorite.”
The page was covered in small sketches, a few drawn in greater detail. Nastor’s favorite was a large M, partially enclosed in a circle with a spike sprouting from the four cardinal directions. It was bold yet simple. Magnus nodded in approval.
“You’re going to tattoo this on yourself?”
“Indeed. I asked Eranor to make me some ink. You can use magic, but unless you use real ink, the tattoo will disappear if you’re struck with a cleansing spell.”
“Nastor, I’d be honored if I could get this tattoo as well.” Magnus handed back the notebook.
“My Prince, I’m the one who would be honored.”
Magnus and Nastor requested more ink. The news spread like wildfire, and soon, every Marauder agreed to get the tattoo. They called it the Mark of the Marauder. Magnus added the spells to make ink and apply tattoos to his new spellbook so he could help and personally apply the tattoos to his commanders.
The next day’s march through the mountain was a joyous one. Morale was the best it had ever been. Because of their cheerful mood, they didn’t notice when the earth spirits guiding them stopped appearing. Before they realized anything was wrong, the roar of battle was upon them. Sudden battlecries were all the warning they had to draw their weapons and defend themselves.
Thankfully, it was all the warning they needed. The Marauders were fighting back before they knew what was happening. Metal swords dinged against each other, and mages cast spells to defend the Marauder ranks from enemy casters. The enemy had the element of surprise, but the Marauders were more fearsome fighters. They cut through the ambushing humans, and soon the enemy called for assistance.
Ground rumbling, Magnus looked in the direction of the paces coming their way. A limping cyclops turned the corner and spotted Magnus. This same cyclops once stood before Magnus when he was rescuing his sister, and it was time for a rematch.
“Still alive? Well, let’s put an end to that.” Magnus charged at the cyclops, sword in hand, manatu securely strapped to his other arm.
The cyclops charged, swinging a club at the ground. Magnus held his arm high, creating a magic shield that bounced the club away. The cyclops stumbled back.
Magnus capitalized, casting some quick spells to boost his strength and agility, then leapt at the massive, armored oaf. The cyclops held his club in front of him to stop Magnus, but a fiery whip erupted from Magnus’s left arm. He slashed it ahead of him, slicing clean through the club. He kicked the severed head of the club at the ogre, landing on the top of the handle. Without missing a beat, Magnus leapt from the handle and slashed his flaming whip across the cyclops’s face.
Closing its eye to protect itself from the whip, the cyclops opened it in time to see Magnus diving at its eye, stabbing it with his sword. The cyclops cried out in pain, wailing and stumbling back. Magnus jumped off the cyclops’s face as it fell backward. Magnus landed gracefully and backed away, checking his flank. The fighting had ceased. Everyone had turned to see the defeated cyclops crying in pain.
“Halt!” Another cyclops boomed from nearby. Four cyclopian guards approached the humans from all sides, their weapons drawn. “Humans are not allowed here.” From around the corner, another cyclops approached. This one wore robes and carried a staff.
“Some of these humans carry a blessing. Thundarron,” the cyclopian mage called. A moment later, a flash of light and strong wind preceded the arrival of Thunarron.
“I said if you cause trouble, you die.” Thundarron eyed Magnus.
“The humans we’ve been hunting, some of them found us. Look, my men all carry this symbol on their bodies.” Magnus removed his leather chestplate and pulled his shirt aside to display a Mark of the Marauder on his left breast. “Those who attacked us do not. He was sneaking them in.” Magnus pointed at the cyclops still writhing in pain.
Thundarron examined the area, then cast a spell in the cyclopian tongue. Magnus’s tattoo illuminated, and then he and his men were teleported behind Thundarron.
“Those humans are trespassers. He is a traitor,” Thundarron said.
The guards wasted no time, squishing the human trespassers beneath their feet and clubs as they screamed and ran. When they finished, they pulled the traitorous cyclops to his feet. Still cradling his face, he was carried away.
“Gratitude for finding the traitor. Be on your journey.” Thundarron vanished, and the other cyclops left.
The world around them grew quiet again. After recuperating and mending injuries, Magnus and his Marauders carried on. The earth spirits returned, guiding them out of the mountain. After five days of darkness, they stepped into the light, the sun shining high above them. After a prayer to thank the earth spirits, they continued on their journey.