Lost Mages 2: A Progression Fantasy

Lost Mages 2 A Progression Fantasy DB King & Shawn Whitney Copyright © 2023 by DB King All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. v001 DB King Facebook Group Want more books about magic using main characters? Grab recommendations and be with folks who share your love for magical books! Join the Facebook group Support DB King on Patreon & Hang out on Discord! Read books before they’re on Amazon, see exclusive artwork, and check out sneak peeks into the writing process on DB King’s Patreon. Become a Patron today at: https://geni.us/DBKing-Patreon Hang out with me on Discord Free progression Fantasy Novel! Join my email newsletter to receive a free ebook of the progression fantasy novel, Hellion Mage. Contents DB King Facebook Group Support DB King on Patreon & Hang out on Discord! Free progression Fantasy Novel! Contents Series by DB King Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 DB King Facebook Group Support DB King on Patreon! Series by DB King Apocalypse Knights Crafter’s Fate Death’s Chosen Dragon Magus Dungeon of Evolution Elemental Mastery Fatehaven Farm Grimoires of London Kensei Mage’s Path Night Guild Ranger’s Magic Shinobi Rising Spellweaver Codex: Elder Mage Chronicles Summoner’s Shadow The Last Magus The Lost Mages War Wizard World End Chapter 1 The fires of hell sear the soul. And yet it is a miracle of human senses that even this is something to which they can grow accustomed. They had been wandering the underworld for over ten days since their audience with A’tiniti to restore their allegiance to him as their patron demon. At least, it seemed like ten days. There were no days and nights in the underworld, just the unending flickering of the flames. Finally, more painful than the soul-burning heat of the lava flows became the endless monotony of the landscape. For days on end, they never seemed to move forward. Nor backward. Nor sideways. Nothing changed, and the only way that they knew they were going anywhere was the exhaustion that finally overtook them and told them to sleep. They had seen the occasional palace or ancient temple in the far-off distance, across unpassable lakes of molten. It offered them no physical relief but at least kept them from going mad. They also discovered that creatures lived in the lava and that they could be captured and even eaten to stave off hunger. Though, the taste and texture almost made it not worth it. “It’s like eating decaying flesh cooked in goat urine,” Bone Claw complained. “I would prefer to be back in the slaughterhouse, stealing pig’s balls for my dinner.” “I would prefer you were there as well,” Razor replied, tired of his constant complaining. Zhe found Bone Claw’s complaints annoying as well, but they were, at least, something to break up the unending sameness. Undoubtedly complaining kept Bone Claw sane, but it also probably kept the rest of them sane as well. Nonetheless, it was most definitely annoying. “Tell me again the plan,” Garotte asked Zhe on the tenth day as they set out. “We’ve heard the plan a hundred times,” Bone Claw groaned. “What I want to know is why A’tiniti has forced us to travel on foot through all the levels of hell in order to leave this place.” “We’ve heard your theories on that a hundred and fifty times by my count,” Razor replied. “All of them have to do with the relation of our patron’s anus to his brain, which I believe to be both inaccurate and torturous to listen to.” Toro laughed. “Everyone calm down,” Zhe said calmly, then turned to Bone Claw. “This is a test, Pierre. That is clear. And so, we must endure.” Zhe then turned to Garotte, to respond to her. “With our full powers restored…” “And you, given new ones while we were not…” Bone Claw added. “You are like a flea in my undergarments, biting at my private parts,” Toro cut in and laughed, then turned to Raquel. “Pardon my crudeness, child.” “I appreciate any humor in the current situation,” she said with a shrug. “Even one that evokes such a disturbing image.” “When we arrive back in T’iru Midiri,” Zhe continued, ignoring the constant interruptions, “we must travel to the capital and seek an audience with King Najashi.” “To castrate him,” Razor suggested and held up a dagger. “No,” Zhe said calmly. It was like trying to explain something to children. “We must ensure that, when he discovers we have left our places of exile to fight Malgent’s invasion, he doesn’t kill our families. Once we have liberated our people from the Dragon Builders and the Iron Boatmen, we can discuss what to do with Najashi’s genitals.” “According to Toro, we have a flea amongst us who likes to bite in such places,” Raquel said and looked sidelong at Toro, who burst into another round of laughter, holding his belly. “Gods, this child is the best, Zhe. Where did you find her?” “In the pantry of a creature that, unfortunately, missed its lunch that day,” Bone Claw muttered. “If we can convince Najashi to unite with us to free T’iru Midiri,” Zhe reminded them for the hundredth time, “in order to save his throne and likely his neck, then we can take the army of the kingdom into battle against Malgent.” “We have been gone for almost a month,” Razor reminded Zhe. “There is a greater than fifty-fifty chance that T’iru Midiri has collapsed politically and Najashi has surrendered. He isn’t known for throwing himself into equal battles, preferring