Chapter 103: It Never Hurts To Be Prepared |
The auditor and her apprentice were both subjects of concern. Lukas set a clone on the pair while having Mira teach him psychic defense exercises. It was a good excuse to spend time with her, which didn’t set off Xander or Liesel’s alarm bells.
“That Morph is a character, isn’t he?” Mira commented, drawing on a piece of parchment. Her fingers moved with the precision and grace of a practised professional. It looked like a machine was printing the spellform on paper. “I don’t know why Liesel puts up with his attitude.”
“He’s good at what he does.” Lukas shrugged. “When you have something that others can’t provide, you can afford to misbehave.”
“I can’t believe Xander wants to poach him.”
Lukas suppressed a smile. It was precisely what he wanted for Morph: to jump ship from the Frozen Phoenix to the Aquila guild. There was nothing more to achieve from the former, and Xander appeared correct. A guild that needed so much external support to survive was as good as dead. Given Morph’s observations and pillow talk with Leisel, it was inevitable.
“Here you go,” Mira said, pushing the parchment toward Lukas. “I kept it as simple as possible.”
“Done already? Really?”
“You could say I did this for a living.” The woman failed to conceal her pride.
“Have you made any progress with the silver of black flames?” Lukas asked.
Lukas nodded. “I had more clones probe it during the night. Nothing new to add, not until Leisel reports the auditor’s findings, at least. But I got a glimpse at what we probably need to destroy. It's a giant mass of flesh covered in eyes. It almost looked like a heart. The clone dispelled itself to avoid detection, so I don’t know what kind of defences it had. But the thing was big.”
“We both need to prepare,” Mira said, preparing the parchment she had prepared for Lukas. “Memorize and practise. But if push comes to shove, you can destroy it to activate the spell for a minute or as long as you can hold onto the spellform and feed it magic.” She stood and marched toward the door. “The better you understand the spell, the longer it will be.”
“Where are you off to?” Lukas asked.
“Bath and meditation. I’m still trying to get a handle on the silver flames without fortification magic. The clearer my head, the better.” Mira blew him a kiss before leaving his room. The gesture appeared more playful than flirtatious.
She might be prettier and more fun than Leisel, but that’s no excuse. Behave and stay away.
The Psychic Protection spell didn’t use any attuned magic, much to Lukas’s surprise. It used pure arcane energy to create a pulsing field around one’s head. The spellform intrigued Lukas because of how it changed the frequency of the pulses at irregular intervals, looking almost like a random-number generator. He didn’t need an explanation for reasoning. It was meant to disrupt the incoming psychic attacks and prevent the source from countering.
Lukas started by visualizing the spellform floating in the air above the paper and sending magic through the circuit. The script did most of the work for him. The challenge would be memorizing it with so little time and holding it in his mind's eye. Lukas had grown used to only burning the simplest of magic into his brain. All of the magic he used was intent-driven, which built on fundamental arcane techniques, their applications, or basic spells.
“Memorize this,” Lukas said, handing the parchment off to a Spellweaver before summoning another to help with the task, before beginning preparations of his own.
The room came alive with soft crackling and a gentle hum as a Lightningfire sphere as big as Lukas’s fist formed, floating in front of him. Silence followed as he enveloped it in the sound magic he had filtered out of the storm energy. The clones and he hadn’t yet used the magic in battle, but he had sent a few clones further upriver to run tests.
Unlike lightning, the spheres didn’t follow the path of least resistance, which meant Lukas didn’t need absolute control of the environment or ionize the air beforehand—Esther didn’t use the exact terminology, but apparently, certain wizard spells prepared the local atmosphere before releasing lightning. Lightningfire consumed the same energy as Stormfire but came with more mental strain. Spellweaver helped to counter the issue. Lukas had channelling the same amount of magic into a Shadowsteel lance while infusing it with lightning. The spell fell apart.
When weaving together individual spells and energy to create something more powerful, it was vital to strike an equilibrium. Lukas would need to create much bigger and denser Shadowsteel constructs to make it work. Size and weight, in turn, increased arcane projection needs where Lukas and the clones were severely lacking.
Lukas prepared a total of five Lightningfire spheres and set them to orbit him. Thanks to the clones’ endless practice, they were perfectly stable. The atmospheric magic around Reistein was dense enough to maintain the sound magic shells that kept them silent and together. He was proud of the progress and didn’t mind showing off.
Sorcerers might not be versatile. Our spells aren’t overly complicated. But the few things we can do, we do well and hit hard.
It was true. Penelope had spoken the words when teaching him how to manifest and use the flame spheres. They were an excellent foundation for not just fire, but all energy-based magic that didn’t create something solid. The shape was stable and easy to maintain, and could easily be controlled for a variety of purposes or turned into more.
It would have to do until Lukas figured out how to create Coil or Rail guns. The greatest challenge in his path was materials. Steel and iron were easily available but far from ideal. Their resistance was too high, resulting in far too much energy lost as heat. Lukas needed a reliable source of copper or silver. He had his eyes on a few essences in the Shadow Seekers’ guild store, but the shopkeeper didn’t trust him enough to sell to him yet. The tier-three badge hadn’t helped. Lukas hoped to have a word with Ogden after he returned. The chapter master was likely to help, especially if he came back with adequate information regarding the Frozen Phoenix or evidence of a Voidling.
Intelligence regarding the auditor was bound to win Lukas points. From what he understood, Mind Mages were strictly regulated in the Schwarzberg Kingdom and under the Union because of how much of a security threat they posed. If the two Frozen Phoenix members weren’t officially declared, there would be hell to pay. Lukas didn’t think that was the case since Leisel had mentioned their existence openly during the meeting. However, there was also the chance she intended to have all of their memories corrected during the return journey.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
Mind Magic had always terrified Lukas. He stayed away from most users except for Minarv because he didn’t trust its functions. The concept of meddling with another’s mind also disgusted him. It felt creepy and like a violation, hence he’d never been compelled to learn it except as a means of psychic protection.
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“You’re not Flukas!” The Stalker protested. “I’m Flukas.”
“No, I’m Flukas.” The Stormtrooper frowned, putting his hands on his hips. “That’s why El-Prime made me extra handsome and gave me Thunderstorm’s Eye.” He nodded at the five Lightningfire spheres orbiting him. El-Prime had personally created and transferred them to him. “I’m supposed to use The Calm Before and be all badass when it's time to fight.”
“You’re both wrong,” the mage with Spellweaver said nonchalantly. He withdrew Shade’s Mantle. “I’m Flukas. El-Prime said so. You’re to provide me with cover when we go in.”
“Oh.” His companions’ shoulders drooped simultaneously. “Where is El-Prime?” One of them asked. “Is he not joining us?”
“He’s pretending to be another Stalker,” Flukas replied, nodding at a nearby roof where a lone shadowy figure stood. The sun hadn’t completely set, and the silhouette was just about visible from the correct angle. “He’s focusing on the Psychic Protection. We’re not going to get through this without looking at the Hearts’ eyes. If the psychic overload gets too much, dispel yourself. The spell should filter the feedback so he gets our memories without the pain.”
“The keyword being should,” the Stormtrooper said.
“Exactly. So we don’t directly look at the Heart unless necessary.”
“Isn’t this fun?” the Stalker grumbled. “So, is he not helping at all?”
“El-Prime saw someone going up into the first floor,” Flukas replied. “He’s going to investigate. There is a chance that one or more of these villagers might be communing with the Heart and might have graduated into genuine cultists. If they start a ritual, someone needs to stop him.”
“Morph is helping us down below, isn’t he?” The Stormtrooper asked, crossing his arms. “Is it smart to go in with just one clone for backup?”
“He has two. The workshop can make do without protection for the time being. If push comes to shove, El-Prime can always dispel Eins and Zwei and summon two more of us. It's risky, but these cultists should be weak. He’ll be fine. It's much safer than dealing with the Heart, and we all know he isn’t the kind to sit in the inn and do nothing.”
“You really are Flukas,” the Stalker stated, words dripping with scorn. “He told me none of that.”
“It’s safe to assume that Spellweaver mages will get to be Flukas,” the Stormtrooper said, sounding annoyed. “It has the most arcane versatility and is closest to the next tier.” He paused, glancing at the approaching fighter. “Our bodyguard is here.”
“You ready?” Flukas asked, flashing a fake nervous smile.
Haima nodded, lifting his oversized weapon over his shoulder. It appeared denser and more compact than usual, like he had modified it to fight in cramped quarters. “As ready as I’ll ever be. I’m not looking forward to the headache. Mira gave me a spell, but I’m no mage. The scrolls will have to do when things get crazy.”
It seemed Xander had the woman scribe spellscrolls for all party members, especially the close-range fighters. Flukas had spotted Morph pocketing a couple. El-Prime had refused to share, but he had the spellform memorized and was ready to activate when the time came.
“I watch your back and you watch mine.”
“You can pretend to need me all you want, but I know you don’t,” Haima stated, nodding at the clones wrapped in Shade’s Mantle. “They’re more than capable of doing the job. I know it, and you know it. The weapons they whip out of thin air from time to time are almost as terrifying as Jotun’s Tooth.” The man patted his weapon. Flukas wasn’t sure whether the hammer earned its name after the last battle or had always been so. “I wasn’t supposed to say the name out loud.” Haima appeared embarrassed for the first time since they had met. “I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.”
“Was it stolen from the Frost Giants?” Flukas asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.
Haima shook his head. “Of course, not. The warbeasts would’ve come for me if that were the case.”
“The name can’t be a coincidence.”
“I named it after the last shard I used,” Haima admitted. “It was in the same ice wall that contained the supposed Voidling. We found it, following the shard’s arcane presence. The diviners called it the Shard of Jotun.”
“What does it do?” Flukas asked, eyes wide. El-Prime would appreciate the information. He couldn’t help but wonder if the Frozen Phoenix had found more items and relics tied to the not-so-mythical race. It would explain the attack. “What pillar did you merge it with?”
“This is between us, right?” Haima asked. “Leisel wouldn’t be bedding you if you weren’t trustworthy.”
“Of course. I know how to keep a secret.” It was clear that Haima was desperate for someone to talk to. His guild member believed in hierarchy too much to engage him in anything more than mission-related discussions or small talk, and Xander was far too loyal to the Aquila guild to trust. “Leisel brought me along because I know how to be discreet.”
“I put it in my Heart pillar, hoping for cold resistance, but that was just a minor part of the ability. My strength, toughness, and sensitivity to magic increased threefold, even though it's just tier-one. More importantly, my heart now produces life magic. I need a Mind shard that will help me use it and the right essence to take it to tier two.”
“That’s incredible,” Flukas said after thinking about it for a moment. “If I find the right essence to help you upgrade that ability, would you trade for the Essence of Quickness in your pocket?”
Haima’s eyes widened, and his free hand jumped to his right coat pocket. “How did you find out about it?” He demanded. “Not even Leisel knows about that.”
“I’ve been practising arcane detection and divination.” Flukas grinned. “Consider it a means for expanding my abilities as a Sneak. A golem saw you carve it out of a warbeast and pocket it. It's not nice hiding such things from the party.” He pulled a glass sphere out of the journal’s Hidden Compartment, making it look like a magic trick. “Essence of Currents. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to control the flow of the life magic, direct it to the right parts of your body for reinforcement or healing?”
“I need to have this appraised first,” Haima said, clutching his pocket. “Essence of Quickness. That should make me faster, right?”
“It’s up to you. Do you want speed or enhanced healing? It’s the one thing that Morph and Xander have that you don’t, and are, as a result, lagging.”
“How do I know you’re not conning me? I’m not sure I can trust you.”
“But you can trust me with information regarding the Shard of Jotun?” Flukas asked. “Contradictory statements, don’t you think?”
Haima eyed the Essence of Currents greedily, pulling his own glass sphere from his pockets. Its contents resembled mercury but were luminescent, sloshing inside the transparent walls.
“I’ll need you to cover for me during the journey back,” Haima said. “I’d like to ascend as soon as the job is complete.”
“Of course. What are friends for?”
“It’s a deal then.”
Flukas’s heart pounded as they made the trade. He didn’t know how El-Prime would react to it. The truth was, he had seen the essence sphere minutes ago while sneaking around. Haima was admiring it like a fool when he thought no one was watching. Flukas had lied to the man. Inspector’s Compendium had called it something completely different. He reconfirmed the analysis with the journal, and the exact three words appeared on the pages.
Essence of Quicksilver
A whistle, much like the local birds, came from above. The tone and pitch were correct, but the tune wasn’t.
“That’s the signal,” Flukas said, placing the Essence of Quicksilver in the journal’s Hidden Compartment. “Time to head in.”
“Let’s go,” Haima replied, pocketing the Essence of Currents before falling into an offensive stance. “Open the door. I’ll head in first.”
“It's better if a golem does it,” Flukas said, but the words fell on deaf ears. As soon as the Stormtrooper opened the heavy wooden door, the man rushed in.
