Excerpt from Introduction to Metal Essence in Combat.

  A great example of a master of metal essence user is Lord Lirien Highsong who is a sound and stone user alongside metal. Essences in general are most effective when used in a combination spell. Lirien is adept at the use of metal, sound and stone, an unusual combination. Normally people will have metal and sound but having all three and being able to use them effectively is unusual.

  Unlike a classic metal user, where metal would be enhanced with stone essence or used as a primary attack method, Lirien uses metal as an enhancement to his sound attacks. This has proven to greatly amplify his normal form and has revolutionised the use of metal in combatants. Prior to his innovation a hundred years ago, most people didn’t believe that metal could be used as an enhancement but simply as the base of an attack.

  Since this discovery, many more essence users have been able to develop new combat spells inspired by his innovation. The method of combining these essences is now known as the Steel Song.

  As the group was ready to leave the lab, Jake used a little of his essence to ignite the potion he had made and the room instantly became brighter. He held it out in front of him and Flair opened the lab door.

  The light pushed back the darkness in the hallway and she moved outside. After a moment, she gestured for them to follow him.

  They retraced their steps from the earlier trip and it was noticeable that the light from the potion wasn’t as strong as the light that Drak had created. It flickered a bit and seemed to dim a little. But it worked and meant that they could give Drak a break.

  As they walked, Jake could see some of the shadow creatures pressing against the bubble of light he had created with the potion. But unlike their earlier experience, the creatures seemed to have lost some of their vigor. Whatever these creatures were, they didn’t seem as brave or as strong as they did earlier.

  Silt waved one hand, pushing back the shadow creatures even further with a sharp burst of fire. She studied where they had vanished for a moment then shrugged, also clearly surprised at how easily they had been repelled.

  “Is it me, or are these creatures acting as if they were running out of essence or something?” Drak asked.

  “Yes, they don’t seem to be as fierce as earlier,” Flair confirmed. "But I don’t suppose it is an essence issue. Maybe they are just focused elsewhere.”

  “Or it could be a ruse,” Silt added, her hand still held ready to send more fire if the creatures returned.

  Drak gave a startled shout and Jake spun to see what was wrong with his friend, fearing Silt’s words could have already come true. But instead, he was shocked to see a Myphler sitting on Drak’s shoulder. The same Myphler that had helped them in the maintenance tunnels.

  Both Flair and Silt spun around, ready for action.

  “I see you still have your pet,” Silt said, shaking her head.

  “Why is there a Myphler on your shoulder?” Flair asked frowning.

  Drak shrugged. “I’m not really sure, but he’s really cute. Why would you hurt something that looks like this?” he added, gesturing to the creature.

  The creature realised it was the centre of attention and tried to hide around the back of his neck. Then it gave a little wave.

  Flair lowered her hand, shaking her head. Silt gave a shrug and flicked her hand towards the wall to disperse the flames she had prepared when she thought Drak was being attacked.

  They continued along the hallway and reached the stairs leading back down to the ground floor. As they got closer, the sounds of fighting could be heard. It sounded far away but with the darkness and acoustic deadening, Jake realised it could be much closer.

  “What’s that?” Drak said.

  Everyone stopped, trying to better hear what was going on.

  “This might be why those creatures weren’t interested in us,” Flair said. “We need to move with extreme caution.” She moved to the front of the group and headed down the stairs.

  Jake followed after Silt with Drak at the rear.

  At the bottom of the stairs, the dome of light could be seen and the shifting shadows inside it were visible but what was causing them wasn’t clear.

  “Guys, I think we are being surrounded,” Drak commented quietly.

  The shadow creatures were back and were pressing in on them. Silt started using her fire to push them back while Drak forgot about being tired and used his light essence. Jake uncorked another light potion that created a mist he threw towards the nearest creature. The effect was similar to throwing acid, causing the creature to disperse.

  Silt switched to her electricity and ice while Flair covered the other side. “Drak, use your light to push forward, we need to be careful not to harm anyone on the other side of that light dome. Alchemist, watch behind us!”

  Jake turned his back on them and used another potion. He also used his water essence and controlled the liquid to use it almost like a whip to flicker from one side of the hall to the other, keeping the shadow creatures at bay. It has a similar effect to the light potion, causing them to disperse. But with each pass of the whip, the effect seemed to be reduced as if the creatures were adapting to the water in a way they didn’t manage with the light.

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  Abruptly he felt a tingling sensation and was back inside the light dome. He turned around to see what was happening.

  In the centre of the room, a group of people was clustered. Around them was a range of people using essences to keep the shadow creatures back from the edges of the dome. Some looked like military types, but others looked like people who simply had the right type of essence for the situation.

  In the chaos, Jake suddenly realised that a fireball from one of the essence users was heading straight toward Drak. He cried out for his friend to duck but Silt saw what was happening. She gestured to some discarded ice on the floor from her attacks on the shadow creatures and quickly turned it back into water before returning it to an ice form as a shield. The fireball hit it with a loud fizzling sound and the ice vanished but so did the fireball.

  “Thanks,” Drak said, lowering his hands that he’d raised in front of his face instinctively.

  They closed in on the centre of the room where the defenders were throwing everything at the shadow creatures.

  A loud thunderclap shook the room and they turned to see Silt’s father. He was high in the room and was floating down towards the floor. While still above the heads of the defenders, a spray of metal rods flew out from his hands toward the creatures. Drak flinched, feeling the sound-based attack as it spread across the room.

  But the effect was instantaneous and all of the shadow creatures vanished.

  Lirien landed on the floor in the centre of the room with a sharp metallic sound. He looked around, searching for Arctorian, who had been left in charge of protecting the guests.

  “What happened?” Lirien asked sternly. “Where’s Arctorian?”

  There was an uncomfortable silence across the room. A few people moved slightly and a prone figure could be seen. He was breathing but unconscious.

  “What happened?” Lirien asked again, anger in his voice.

  “There was a little incident, someone hit him by accident,” someone said.

  He sighed. “Can anyone wake him up?”

  Jake raised his hand. “I have something that will work.”

  Lirien looked at Jake for a moment before looking around to room as if to see if there were any other offers of help. When no-one else said anything, he turned back to the Jake and waved him forward. “Very well, wake him up.”

  Jake crossed to where the man was lying. He pulled out a healing potion and controlled the liquid with his water essence. Hating what he had to do but having no option, he pushed the potion liquid up the unconscious man’s nostrils.

  Arctorian’s reaction was instantaneous. His eyes snapped open wide and he grabbed his face. He gave a wail and shook his head. Then after a couple of seconds, he looked at Jake and clearly knew what had happened.

  “Thank you,” he said, with a nod towards Jake.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Lirien demanded as the military man stood up, still a little unsteady.

  “I’m not sure,” Arctorian replied, rubbing the back of his head.

  “You were attacked, apparently,” Lirien said. “By one of these people.”

  Arctorian looked at the group of people around him, his expression dark. “What in the nine hells?”

  No-one spoke up to offer more explanation.

  The pressure in the room seemed to increase and Jake noticed a tang of metal entering his mouth. His ears had a strange faint ringing noise, as if metal was being struck by metal. He realised that this was Lirien.

  “It was my fault!” a man shouted, holding his hands up. “I’m so sorry, it was an accident.”

  Lirien clicked his fingers and the man passed out, falling to the floor in a pile. “Useless people are not going to help us here,” Lirien said, shaking his head.

  He turned to Flair next. “Do you have the potions?” he demanded.

  “We need one final ingredient to finish it that wasn’t present in the alchemist lab,” she replied. “The alchemist said that the ingredient would be kept somewhere secure due to its nature and Miss Highsong said this would likely be the basement or somewhere only you have access to.”

  “What is it that you need?” Lirien asked.

  “Night sky lily,” she replied.

  “Ah, I think where that may be. But we need to discuss something first,” he replied. “Arctorian, Flair, step over here, please.”

  Jake watched the three as a sound bubble was erected around them.

  “Can you hear what they are saying?” Silt asked.

  Drak shook his head. “No.”

  “You’re a sound mage,” she said, frowning.

  “Yep, but he’s better,” Drak replied, gesturing towards her father.

  While no-one could tell what was being said, gestures and body language that could be seen from inside the sound bubble meant it was clear there were arguments. After about ten minutes, the bubble dispersed and the three returned to the main group.

  “You two,” Lirien said, gesturing towards Jake and Drak. “Over here.”

  Jake glanced at Silt, seeing her expression darken but headed towards where Lirien had gestured. Drak followed but so did Silt.

  Lirien gave Silt a look that was hard to judge, then turned his attention to Jake. “Alchemist, how confident are you at identifying this plant?”

  “I know what I’m looking for and what I need to do with it,” Jake replied.

  “I hope you do,” Lirien said. “Your limited abilities may be needed further after this. And you, Dragonkin, you seem to be the only spare light mage so you can be useful.”

  Silt gave a pointed cough and stared at her father.

  “Symphony,” he said, using her full name for the first time that Jake had heard. “I don’t require your skills.” His tone indicated that he didn’t think much of her skills.

  She glared at him. “I don’t care, I live here just the same as you and you can’t tell me what to do,” she replied. “And I’ve fought these creatures three times now.”

  “This is an emergency and I very much have the right to tell you to stay here,” Lirien said sharply.

  “Technically, I’m the second-highest noble here,” she replied flatly.

  He glared at her for a few moments. “Technically.”

  “That’s right,” she replied, meeting his glare.

  He sighed. “Very well, you may come along but don’t get in my way. Arctorian will also be accompanying us.”

  He strode towards the edge of the light dome then gestured for Drak to light up the way. Drak created a light ball and stepped back into the darkness with Lirien behind him.

  “Follow me,” Lirien said and started walking in the opposite direction to the stairs they had used earlier.

  They walked for a couple of minutes and reached a metal platform. He gestured for them to stand on it and raised one hand. The metallic tang in the air returned and Jake felt himself moving upwards. Lirien used his metal essence to lift the platform up and move them toward the upper levels of the house.

  The platform stopped and Drak’s light showed they were now in a large study. The room was dominated by a large, elaborate desk in front of an equally elaborate fireplace, both made from some type of dark wood.

  Lirien stepped off the platform. “Be ready for combat,” he said softly.