In his sleep, Raymond was again transported to the starry mindscape. "This never gets old" He said to himself, in awe at the beauty of the universe.
"Hello Raymond, you're enjoying your new body I see." Raymond perked up.
This time the Voice sounded different from its usual robotic tone. It sounded more feminine, amused even.
"I am." Raymond replied. "Very much so, you have brought me some great companions. This life is turning out quite different from what I expected."
"Raymond, I did not bring anyone to you. You have all woven your own fates. I can only see the strings, I cannot manipulate them directly."
"I see." Raymond silently took note of the wording used. "I thank you nonetheless"
"I came to you to give you a reward. You have earned the loyalty of several people in your new world. You have grown quite the little family for yourself in a short amount of time.
I will bestow on you the Mantle of Leadership. From this moment on, the more your family grows, the stronger you will become, and as your power grows, so will theirs."
Raymond felt a warmth wash over his entire body. He instantly knew this would be a great boon in the coming days.
In his mind, he could feel four distinct presences. Somehow he already knew these were "links of loyalty" and threw them he would be able to sense if any one he was bonded with was in danger.
He knew immediately who three of them belonged to. Samantha, Alecia, and Nikki each held a special place in raymonds heart already. It wasn't immediately apparent who the fourth one belonged to.
It was something he would have to explore later.
"Also, your "relaxation time" has earned you some rewards. First you have gained Danger Sense. You will be able to perceive threats coming from any direction, within a radius of fifty feet."
"Second, I have designed a user interface for your magic. You gained quite a few spells that you have not explored, from the grimoire that Lilith gave you.
The interface will appear as a translucent screen, that only you can see, and will allow you to instantly cast any spell you have access to. Just select the spell with your mind, no need to shout the name like some sort of cartoon character."
Raymond laughed, he always found that part of shows a little cheesy.
"That is all for now Raymond. Continue your journey. Your mission remains."
The trio woke with the morning light. Their bodies felt energised and well rested, but something in the air set them on edge.
The sky was completely overcast with dark, foreboding clouds. A light fog had rolled in from the mountains.
There was an eerie stillness that covered them like a wet blanket. No birds sang, no trees rustled, no insects stirred, it was like the world was holding its breath.
Nikki sniffed the air. "I don't like this. Something's off, it doesn't smell right. And it's too quiet."
Alecia looked around warily. "I have a bad feeling about this" she grumbled, bow in hand.
"Let's get moving." Raymond got dressed quickly as did the two ladies.
Just before they could turn to leave, they heard the sharp hiss and crackle of electricity in the air. They froze as a glassy oblong ring materialized in the air in front of them, like a mirror hanging on a wall that wasn't there.
The image of a beautiful young elf woman appeared in the ring. Raymond recognized the woman immediately.
"Sammie! What magic is this?"
"Ray! Thank the Dragons, I'm so glad you're ok! Lilith developed a spell that let us talk over long distances. It takes a lot of mana so we don't have much…wait, who are these women with you?"
Raymond was about to stutter out an explanation when he heard Lilith's voice in the background.
"Just give him the message, I can't hold this very long!"
Sammie glared at Lilith off screen then at Raymond. "I guess you'll explain later." irritation dripped from her voice.
"Listen, our scouts report that the Necro-king's force are surrounding Britannia's capital. They are cutting off evacuation routes. Also, it's not undead this time. It's demons. You have to get there quickly."
Her face softened as she added, "and please be careful."
With that the magic ring fizzled and popped out of existence. He looked at his two companions, their mouths agape with shock.
"By the Dragons!" They said in unison.
"Well you heard the lady, we gotta move! Alecia, fly up and scout ahead, be our eyes in the sky! Nikki, let's test the limits of that shadow step ability!"
They both nodded with a grunt and took off. Alecia rocketed off the ground with one mighty flap of her wings.
Nikki stepped into her shadow and reemerged several dozen yards ahead of them. Raymond focused on the spell and was able to replicate the movement perfectly.
Nikki was surprised by how easily Raymond was able to follow her, but that was not the time to ask questions.
The pair took up an offset formation and began to leap-from up the mountain. Every so often, Alecia would swoop down and give them information on beasts and natural obstacles in their path.
Moving like this cut down a trip that would have taken a day into a couple hours. They only rested once to drink mana and stamina potions before continuing.
Raymond instructed Alecia to scout the surrounding area and meet them inside. He and Nikki shadow stepped right in front of a gate guard to get permission to enter.
When the guard saw Raymond's massive form appear in front of him out of nowhere, he screamed and fainted. Ray and Nikki tried and failed to suppress a laugh.
After a few minutes the captain of the gate guard came out to meet Raymond. Cpt Marcus was a bear of an elf. Scars on his face and arms told tales of many hard fought battles.
He eyed Raymond with his trademark permanent scowl. He rubbed a hand over his short rough beard, snorted and spat.
"Who are you supposed to be?"
Raymond raised an eyebrow but tried to remain respectful. "My name is Raymond. I was sent from Americus to help with the invasion. I need to speak with the King."
"Americus was supposed to be sending some powerful mage. You don't look like no mage."
Raymond looked at the man with a blank stare. He rolled his eyes and turned toward Nikky. He nodded his head toward the city. Nikki smirked understanding.
The next second they both shadow stepped behind the captain and kept walking.
While Captain Marcus was panicking trying to figure out where they went, Ray got directions from a different guard to the King.
King Edward of Britannia has set up a temporary command center in the middle of the capital. He was there with the general of his army, planning escape routes and rally points for the evacuation.
He knew he didn't have much time, or many fighters, but protecting the scholars and their research was his top priority.
The reports said the Necro-king's forces were approaching from the west, up the mountain pass. That meant he could send refugees east and south while his mages and soldiers made their stand.
However short that stand might be.
Just then, one of the soldiers guarding his tent came in and bowed low.
"I beg your pardon Sire."
"What is Sergent?" The King was already exhausted. Noone had slept in the last twenty-four hours.
"The mage from Americus is here, he requested to speak with you."
"Send him in."
King Edward flopped down in a chair. With everything else, that last thing he wanted to do was indulge some needy foreign mage.
His eyes widened when a massive man walked in with a wolfkin companion. Not only was this man physically imposing, but he could feel the power radiating off of him.
Even his general took a step back from the man.
"My liege, My name is Raymond. I come with an urgent message from Americus." His voice was deep and smooth like violin music.
"Well met, Sir Raymond. Please, speak."
"Do not evacuate the city. Scouts report the Necro-king's arm is moving to surround the city. My own recon efforts confirm this fact. Anyone leaving the city will be killed."
"What?" The King jumped to his feet. "Don't evacuate?. So what am I supposed to do, tell my people to sit tight and wait to be slaughtered?"
"Not at all, Sire. My recon has identified several underground structures in your city. Bunkers, cellars, dungeons, archives, send your non combatants there with a guard. My team and I will deal with the threat above ground."
"How exactly did you come by this 'recon'?" This time the General spoke up, suddenly suspicious of Raymonds intentions.
Before Raymond could answer, there was an incredible explosion, followed by the sound of screams and running, from outside the tent.