Those Poor Manders! (Tomb of the Beguiler summary, then something else)

(This was LONG overdue.)

 

While I was running around doing errands for Abigail Doolittle, one of the officers told me that the clockworks were running amuck at Kensignton Park. That reminded me of something... I had promised that purple Mander in the Well of Spirits room in Krokotopia that I would help find out what was making his fellows crazy! I slapped myself for not taking care of it sooner so I went to Krokotopia to rescue the Manders from the Tomb of the Beguiler.

 

I found a guy called Angel who was willing to help me, as Christina was a bit busy. He was also a sorcerer as well. There were several tunnels which had puzzle locks but Angel figured them out.

 

Ngozi gets Reckt. :p

The battles were tough but eventually we rescued the Manders. I don't want to remember that place - it was horrible. Maybe in a future time...

I finished up some jobs for the police in Marleybone, even rescuing a cop from the clutches of the O'Leary gang, and after talking to Officer Anderson, I got a summons from my professor. I groaned. What now? I decided to humor him - he can be grouchy at times. (Yes, she hit Level 38, and you know what THAT means! ^_^)

I was not pleased by the threat he made.  "Tell me you're joking," I said angrily.

"Yes, I'm kidding," muttered Cyrus. "But this next test will challenge you. You must prepare a ritual to summon your next minion. You wil need mandrake root which I have not seen in a long time. Perhaps Ambrose can help you out."

I was about to say something about having found mandrake in Grizzleheim, but I decided not to irritate him, excused myself and headed to the Headmaster's office.

Sure enough, there was no mandrake in Wizard City. "I've seen some in Grizzleheim," I said, telling about the potion of fate I helped make in Savarstaad Pass.

Ambrose shook his head. "No, that mandrake is too weak - to summon a myth minion, you must use mandrake so fresh it screams bloody murder when you unroot it!"

"Ouch!" I said, covering my ears and already feeling the pain of hearing such a loud scream.

"I believe some of that mandrake can be found in Mooshu," said Ambrose. "You might want to talk to a shopkeeper called Sonosuke."

"But I can't go there yet," I said. "Can't you give me another Spiral Key there?"

"Aren't you investigation Malistaire's business in Marleybone?" asked Ambrose. "Once you have assured that the Krokonomicon is safe in my hands, then you can have the key to Mooshu. That place is very dangerous for a young wizard like you."

I grunted in disgust as I glared at the Spiral Door. Just then, Christina emerged from it. "Hey carrot fairy!" she said, smiling. "You look miserable!"

I quickly explained my situation. She smiled. "I'll take you to Moo. Just get on my cart, but don't tell Ambrose or I'll lose my Spiral Key privileges for a month!"

I was stunned. She could take me to Mooshu? I didn't question it. I mounted her cart and she rushed through the Spiral Door....

And I was here, in Mooshu. I gaped and turned to see the beauty. It was so much unlike Marleybone.

"Thank you," I said to Christina.

She clapped. "Don't mention it! But make sure you get your business done and call me wen you need to go. I'll wait in the market place for you." She left.

I found Samoosuke and asked him how he knew Ambrose. "Ah, Ambrose and the Emperor go back long ago," said the shopkeeper with a smile. "If you seek wild mandrake, you can ask Angoro in Kishibe Village, he knows where it grows wild."

"Thanks," I said, bowing respectfully. "By the way... do you know about someone called Toshio?"

"The crafter?" asked Samoosuke. "Yes, he and his assistant linger by the gate to Hamatsu Village."

I immediately continued my crafting quest with Toshio, who offered to teach me another technique to craft three items at once... once I had created a pair of Seal of the Seraphim. I sighed. I knew that I was not able to return here to him but I nodded and got the recipe from him. I shuddered at the large amount of Black Lotus I'd need for these rings.

I explored the area with the giant statue and sighed. I didn't even know where Kishibe Village was! I saw a giant clay bell with a ringer log. I got curious and hit the toppled bell with my wand...

And found myself somewhere completely new, standing before a goat-man. He greeted me kindly.

"Wait, what is wrong?" I asked.

"A vile bandit called Kurogaso has invaded my home and driven me out," sighed the goat. "And I had just picked some fresh mandrake too..."

I lit up. "If I drive this creep out, can I have a root? I need one that screams bloody murder."

"Of course," said Angoro. "I am deaf so they can't hurt my ears... and before you ask why I can talk to you while I am deaf, I am a monk and can sense your words with my mind." He smiled.

I went into the tower and found the vile hog bandits. "I don't care if you are a war-monger, freak," I said. "Some of your fellow porcines..."

 

"Would like to talk to you about that." The ninja pigs obliterated the two's consciousnesses and I tied them up and opened a bag. I screamed as loud as the mandrake roots inside and covered one ear as I stuff the first one I grabbed from the bag and stuffed it into my pack, then quickly shut the bag.

(This guy isn't tough at all - he has 1800 HP and is Ice and his mook is Balance and has 660 HP, slightly more than the Ice Spiders in Savarstaad Pass. Come on, you should have learned Pierce and Shatter by now, Kuro's Tower Shields shouldn't scare you. Sierra used her amulet Trap, regular Trap, Mindy's Blade and regular blade and enchanted the Pigs with TC Monstrous and she owned him for almost double damage. :p)

When I emerged, I was assaulted by Christina, who was furious. "We are going NOW," she said, grabbing me and porting back to her house. "How did you run off like that? I thought you promised to get the info and come back, not run off to Kishibe Village!"

"That's where I was?" I asked. "I'm sorry. But at least I got the Mandrake."

Chris softened and shook her head. "What am I gonna do with you, carrot fairy?" She smiled. "At least you're still alive. Ravenwood would have had my head if they found out that I had taken you to Mooshu and you had died there and had to be recalled back. Just finish your silly quest." She left.

I think he knew I had slipped by protocol to get to Mooshu, but he won't report me to Ambrose. ^_^

I showed the mandrake to Cyrus, who told me to infuse it with living energy by going back to Krokotopia. "Not there, it's so hot," I muttered, not wanting to go back to where I had to deal with Ngozi.

"Yes, it is hot and inhospitable," said my professor. "Speak with the tree called Niles."

"A lot of people complain about him," I said, smiling. "But those are the ones who decide to quit studying Myth magic. I'm slowly getting to know him. But I need some help about getting Living Energy for a mandrake root."

"I see," said Niles. He concentrated. "Yes, the best place is the Well of Spirits."

I groaned audibly.

My headache compounded when I infused the screaming root into the well and it started yelling wods at me. I gagged it and put it back in my bag, then returned to Cyrus.

Cyrus directed met to Ivan to find the spot to do the ritual. I swapped tales with him before he did his voodoo - I remembered when he created the Mythblade spell for me. "Still using it," I said, smiling.

I performed the ritual on the bridge in Triton Avenue, much to the dismay of rookie wizards trying to use the bridge to get to the upper level of the street as a huge minotaur emerged and praised me. He gave me words of power and then cast his axe at me and I felt the wind rush by my face. (Oh, and the dang root was consumed in the casting, thank goodness!)

But as I got the spell card (which summons a minion that worked like Grace's, protecting me from enemy attacks) I began to get an ulcer at what the spirit had told me... dark times ahead that not even Cyrus could solo? If he's the strongest Myth wizard in Ravenwood, what sort of evil was coming? Then I recalled Christina's prophecy and my ulcer grew big. I needed a nap and some aspirin...

Stupid mandrake root! (Sierra gets Minotaur Minion, her final minion spell. It requires three pips, but summons a 700 HP minotaur that casts Taunt, Tower Shield and Sprite. It can also cast Mythblade, Myth Trap and do a physical attack rarely.)

[To be continued...]