Chapter 137 – One warlock is already enough trouble

“Why, how is that possible?” Jace looked over at the jubilant crowd and said casually, “You couldn’t have beat me easier, forget how we sparred outside the gates?”

“I mean you use your full strength.” Grid added.

Jace’s eyes flicked back, knowing what Grider meant by “full power.”

The dwarf continued, “If we have some distance before we start fighting, I don’t think I can stop you before you finish casting your magic, the level at which you cast your spells …… Anyway, once I let you recite the spell, I’ll either get confused and totally disoriented like that panther, or I’ll be stunned all of a sudden and won’t be able to move in place. Either way, you’ll have plenty of time to give me a slash.”

“You can throw your axe or sword while I’m chanting.” Jace said.

“Yeah.” Grid said, “Indeed, but that means it’s up to luck, Jace. I gave up the chance to close in on you quickly for the one wish that I could hit you with a thrown weapon. A miss would mean my failure, and even if I succeeded, it wouldn’t mean your failure.”

“What does that mean? It means that now I can only gamble if I want to defeat you. Don’t forget that I only have one eye, so I have to guess at distances. And you’ve always been a good dodger of offense, whether it’s against swords or anything else, even by dwarven standards, and I know your level. I don’t see myself getting lucky with this one.”

Jace looked into Grid’s eyes, what were those eyes? He couldn’t make it out. But he had a vague hunch, especially considering Grid’s earlier mention of wanting to find some sort of magical spell to learn, was he aiming for the Shadow power again? Did he want to become a black iron dwarf?

“I don’t really want to discuss the contrast between us.” Jess said, “Why don’t we get something to eat?”

“Don’t talk about anything else.” Grider pressed his voice, “I didn’t say I didn’t like it, Jace. You’ve grown faster than I could have imagined, and I’ve been watching you for the past two months since you learned Shadow magic, but I haven’t noticed any change in you either. You’re still the same Jace, and maybe there really are a lot of people in this world like you who can overcome the depravity and whatnot that comes with Shadow magic, and maybe the legend of Grim Batteau was overblown from the beginning ……”

“The legends of Grimbator are not exaggerated.” Jace interrupted the Dwarf and said, “I put a lot of time and effort into restraining the negative effects the Shadow had on me, Grid, don’t make it sound so easy. I spend long hours every day remembering my previous thoughts, recalling my previous emotions, thinking about the need to be angry, thinking about the need to be jealous, the need to create unnecessary desires, just because I am afraid that these are not something that I have spontaneously created, but are brought on by the Shadow. If I succumb to these things, I may never go back to the past, that is, become a Sesso you don’t recognize.”

He didn’t exaggerate his fears one bit, because knowing what happened to the contrarians, he didn’t want to be one of them.

And because of that, he was able to grow in a little bit of training and self-suggestion, and even when the panther was staring at him, his muscles tensed and ready to lash out he was able to keep his composure and recite the spell with the same precision as he had thought it out beforehand.

He didn’t want fear, or anger, or anxiety or crankiness, just a desperate attempt to maintain his original self.

Grid’s eyes flickered and he said, “Look at you, talking as if you know more about Grimbletto.”

“I may know a little more than you think.” Jace couldn’t help himself.

He now had the feeling that Grid was really somewhat attracted to Shadow magic, but of course, it could just be a simple emotion like envy or something like that.

Perhaps more frighteningly, and what Jace had considered, was that the Shadow energy surrounding him had influenced Grid in his long time together, giving him an unnatural yearning for the power of the Shadow, but hopefully that wasn’t the case.

“Well.” Grid said, “I’ve never been to Grimbalto either, it’s just a fabled city in the mountains to me as well, you could have looked up the history in the library in Stormwind, it’s not like it’s a big deal to know more about it than I do. It’s a bit serious now, isn’t it? We defeated a vicious brute and two of us weren’t hurt much, that should have been something to celebrate, but now we’re here talking about demoralizing stuff, it’s really …… the wine is all gone, I’ll go and find someone to buy some more, don’t you think it’s really a waste of conversation to just have a dry chat like that?”

The dwarf laughed and patted Jace’s shoulder fearfully as he stood up and walked towards the other side of the stateroom. When he returned, Jace coughed to clear his throat and asked, “Are you trying to learn black magic?”

Grid sighed and said, “I don’t know.”

“Damn.” Jace leaned over and tugged on Grid’s beard forcing him to look at himself, “It’s only a year or two now until the war is over, Grid. What kind of world is Azeroth? There are people here who can die and still be alive, and there are people who are alive but are no different from being dead; there are people who can move their fingers and destroy a city inhabited by tens of thousands of people in a matter of minutes; there are people who can make thousands of armies unconditionally submit to his will alone without even having to say a word; there are people who can destroy a race, or even a civilization, with a few words; there are people who can hibernate for tens of thousands of years in deep waters or desert depths for tens of thousands of years, some can manipulate everyone’s dreams, and some can split an entire planet with a single sword!”

“Now you’re only blind in one eye, and two years has made you give up hope of a cure? Is healing this eye harder than blowing up the ancient continent of Kalimdor? Maybe there’s a mage in Dalaran who can magically build you a new eye? Maybe it’s easier for him than building a crab bread!”

Grid was tugged by Jace’s beard and his lips were forced to collide as he said, “I didn’t realize you hated the Shadow so much.”

“Maybe I just know that much more about the Shadow than you do.” Jace continued, “Anyway, don’t make such fateful decisions on the fly, Grid. Let’s try to cure your problem first, at least for now we have many, many possibilities we haven’t tried, magic or elfin, go to your death on these safer methods first before you consider your ideas that come out of nowhere, okay?”

“I got my throat nearly ripped out listening to you fuck that panther, so it’s not too much to ask that you listen to me for once without risk, is it?”

Grid nodded vigorously.

Realizing he’d been agitated enough, Jace let go and sat back in his seat, taking a sip of his beer and the little if any taste of alcohol calmed him a little.