The Gifts of this New Reality

Gus, the noble familiar, brushed up against Nicolas and gave him a somber glance, confidence in his eyes. Aside from a few scuffles with other young wizards at the Yellow Wizard Haven, Nicolas had never had to consider combat to this extent. He realized that this new world was far more cutthroat than his last. Collecting himself, thanks to Gus' intervention, he planted his feet firmly on the ground and acted quickly.

"If this is how you three want to treat a newcomer, then I'll have no choice but to reciprocate!" he declared.

The three turned around. "Recipro-what now?" the first thug chimed in.

"Let me pass over the bridge so I can get to where I'm going, or I'll be forced to physically restrain you."

The three laughed as they drew their swords and approached. Nicolas responded with an incredibly swift channeling of the magic he had learned in his old world. Water began to climb the hills of the desert sands from the riverbed beneath the bridge toward the three thugs. Simultaneously, the sands around them began to shift and collect. Upon impact of the two natural forces, the group was encased in a giant ball of mud, leaving only their faces exposed. For a moment, Nicolas was in awe. His magical prowess was noticeably more significant; it radiated through him. It was much easier to channel his magical attunement in this new world than it had been in the past.

He smirked as he approached the three distraught thugs encased in clay.

"Now you're going to tell me what lies to the northwest of this bridge," he said, asserting his presence.

"Once this sand dries up, we're going to kill you and your stupid pet," one thug said.

Spitting in Nicolas' face, the third thug chimed in. "Yeah, and we're going to make you watch us eat the damn thing before we give you the same treatment."

This aggravated Nicolas to no extent, something quite unfamiliar to him. Peering down under the bridge where the water of the ravine met the desert sands, he noticed some plant life near the pile of bodies at the river bed.

'Do I feel righteous in doing this' He weighed the options of eliminating these thugs, for good or leaving.
'Why do I want to do this?' he considered knowing he'd never actually killed much of anything in his life albeit a few pests in his various rooms at the keep.

He peered around to see if there were any onlookers, minus a few birds in the sky, no one to console with. The black scar once again caught his eye, this time, erasing his anxieties about the situation at hand.

'....ok' he muttered. Gus stared at him concerned, unsure as to who or what he was agreeing with.

Making his way down to the riverside, he noticed the plants were emitting the same kind of magical presence they had given off during the day when his reality had shifted. He began to harvest them from the ground, admiring the life essence they radiated. He looked over to the black mass that had splintered the earth again, realizing how expansive it was. For a moment, he was drawn to it, seeking some kind of approval or validation about what he was planning to do.

He slowly walked back up the hill, laughing almost maniacally. The three thugs cursed and shouted at him every step of the way. !

"What the hell are you doing?" one of the thugs asked, beginning to panic.

Nicolas began planting some of the river foliage into each of the mud balls that encased the three.

"Ah, desert ferns. Being in such an arid climate, their roots are quite intricate. They'll dig as deep as they can to get the nutrients they need."

He began to channel a growth spell he had learned so much about from the tomes a Green Wizard had left behind at the keep, causing the plants to grow exponentially. The thugs all began to writhe in pain as the roots penetrated their bodies in their mud prisons, satiating themselves on their innards.

"You won't be moving much longer, let alone getting to me or Gus. May your souls find peace." he said, walking away without even turning in there direction.

For some reason he wanted to watch them suffer, but he decided to fight it. He considered most people would want those who would eat their companions to suffer, but this felt different. Nicolas stepped onto the desert sands on the other side of the bridge. Looking at the city to his right, he saw a sign: GOBLIN TOWN. He then looked farther east behind him and saw the outskirts of the black pulsating mass. Comparing it to the forest that neighbored it, Nicolas could tell it spanned for miles. Again, it pulled him in, and he could almost discern a whisper coming from it. Having happened so many times already, he was able to discern the different state of mind and shake himself out of it rather quickly. He then glanced back at the three thugs, who were now silent. A smug half-smile broke out on his face.

"Gus, let's avoid the city, I don't think we're coming back here again," Nicolas said, pondering what was causing such an organic interest in such a disgusting feature of the Earth.

He noticed a crossroads far off on the horizon. He hadn't read much about what lay north of the bay in his old world, not that much of what he had read outside of magic seemed to apply anyway. Perhaps there would be a more civilized collective they could speak with in that direction.

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