Ar'Kendrithyst
Author: Arcs
Date: 2024-09-07T09:53:48+00:00

001

Erick lightened his grip on the steering wheel. “All I’m saying is that you can call more often. I missed you at college, and this life you’ve chosen won’t be easy.” A moment passed in silence. Trees whizzed by, but no cars. Theirs was the only vehicle on the highway. “You’re going to be—”

“Dad,” Jane stressed. “Come on. We’ve gone over every bit of this already, including the danger. I’m going into the CIA, and that’s that.” She added, half-whispered, “If they’ll have me.”

Streetlamps pooled yellow glows onto the road, like ponds of light in a 4:00 am mist. The sun was still hours away, but both of them had napped in the backseat as needed. Neither wanted to spend a night at a hotel. They were wide awake, each with their own cheap gas station coffee in their respective cupholders. Erick’s coffee was empty. He almost wanted to stop for more, but that would be yet another unwanted delay. He’d get more when they stopped for breakfast.

Jane relented, “I’ll call whenever I can.”

Erick smiled, glancing over to his daughter. She was all grown up. 22, college graduate, ready for the world. She was also bodyguard certified and boot camp trained, though Erick tried not to think too deeply about that, else—

“As long as you don’t lecture me about my life. Understand?” Jane sipped her coffee. She frowned. It must be cold already. “I might even tell you about some of my crazier days.”

Erick smiled. “I’d like that.” He added, “And of course they’re going to want you!”

“Internships don’t always end in a job offer.”

“And sometimes they do.”

“My record isn’t spotless. I’m not a legacy. I’m only fluent in English.”

“You can speak Russian and Chinese!”

“Mandarin, Dad. And I can barely speak it.”

“That’s more than most! Of course they’ll want you.”

“… I’m scared, Dad.”

Erick nodded, silently.

Jane said, “This is the start of everything it’s… It’s what I’ve wanted for a long time, and I don’t know if I’m going to get the job. I don’t know if I’m good enough.”

“I still think you could have taken that summer elective in China. Immersion has always been the best way to learn a language.”

Jane waved him off. “Taking that semester was never an option. I could have been seen as being compromised by an enemy actor. No. I did it the right way. My record is… mostly spotless.”

“I could’ve gotten those fights purged from your highschool records.”

“It would look weird for the actual black marks to be removed when all other evidence demands I have some marks somewhere.”

“That’s unreasonable— Huh?”

One of the highway lamps was lit all the way from base to tip. Compared to the monotony of the last twenty miles, the light pole was the most conspicuous thing in sight. Erick stared at it as they passed by, not slowing down from eighty miles per hour.

“It’s not unreasonable, Dad. It’s prudent to—”

Eager to change the conversation and feeling that Jane wanted to, too, Erick pointed back toward the light pole. “Did you see that lamp?”

Jane looked back. “Huh.” She stared. The light pole was almost out of sight. “That’s odd.”

Up ahead, two more lamps were thin poles of light instead of the usual light-on-top.

Jane settled back into her seat. “There’s two more?”

“Must be a promotion. Some advertisement.”

They whizzed past the two light poles, one on each side of the highway. They were kinda pretty in an unearthly sort of way, like a waterfall of illumination in the morning mists. But whatever they were for, it wasn’t readily apparent, and the fog was getting thicker. Erick kept his eyes on the road. Jane pulled out her phone. Up ahead, there were more.

Erick said, “There’s more.”

Jane flipped through her phone with one hand, sipping her cold coffee in the other. Erick glanced over. She was googling for an answer. He looked back to the road. Minutes passed. There were a lot more light poles than before.

He said, “A lot more.”

There were more light poles than streetlamps, now. Their forty foot tall glows turned the highway in a diffuse hallway of yellow-white light, fit more for giants than for Jane’s Ford Focus. As he stared, one of the remaining lamps turned into a pole of light. One second it was a lamp, then suddenly the light raced down the pole, illuminating the whole thing.

Maybe they should have spent the night in a hotel. Erick was clearly hallucinating. Maybe he should have let Jane drive when she asked to switch at the last stop.

The car rocked like they hit a rumblestrip on the sides. Jane’s cold coffee went everywhere.

“Jesus Christ, Dad!”

He was already slowing. “I’m still in my lane!” He went slower. Sixty turned to forty. The road got worse as more lamps turned into lightpoles. He slowed to twenty. “What the fuck is happening out there.”

“Just stop, Dad! Fu—” Jane must have seen what he had already seen three times; yet another lamp turned into a light pole. “That’s not right.”

He slowed. Theirs was still the only car on the road, if anyone could call it a road, anymore. It felt like he was driving on gravel, all bumpy and shifty. He stopped the car, and the road probably was gravel, considering the way the car slightly sunk into the ground.

No one cared about the spilled coffee.

Every single lamp in range was a light pole.

Jane took off her seat belt as she rolled down her window. She looked down. “We’re on gravel?”

Erick did not open the window to look down. He could already see the gravel.

“Put it in park—”

Erick was way ahead of her. The car was parked, but not off.

“— I’m getting out.” Jane opened the door and stepped outside. She kicked the ground. “This isn’t a highway anymore. I don’t think it ever was." She lifted her phone, the light of the screen glowing in the mist, turning this way and that. “No signal either.”

She said, “Let’s go back.”

Jane slid back into the car. In moments, Erick had the vehicle turned around, his emergency lights flashing in the dark in case someone was coming up behind him. He would have gotten onto the other opposite bound lane if he could, but it wasn’t there. This gravelly road was the only one in sight.

Jane echoed his thoughts, “We’ll have to go slow and hope no one is on this road besides us.”

After five minutes going fifteen miles per hour on the lonely highway, they hit a pothole, crunching the car down and back up before either of them could react.

“Dad! Holy fu—”

“I was watching for potholes!” He slowed down further. “There wasn’t one!”

Jane pointed. “And now there’s lots!”

She was right. The headlights showed a dry, but damaged stone and dirt path. There were a lot of potholes. The car lurched again. Erick controlled it better this time, but he couldn’t stop the car from suddenly veering to the side. He regained control, but slowed the car to a crawl.

He yelled, “Where did they come from!”

“I don’t know!”

One of the light poles blinked out.

They both cursed. The car sputtered, the engine dying as the car dropped into another pothole. Something crunched into the undercarriage. The wheels started to spin in the dirt.

The ground rumbled.

Fog swept in, heavy and dark. Another light pillar blinked out. Black night flooded the area. Another pillar blinked out. Darkness folded around the car like a dangerous friend. The car engine failed, leaving the warm headlights to flicker into the mist. The headlights flickered once, twice. Gone. Erick and Jane Flatt were alone in the darkness, no light save for the flickering of Jane’s smartphone and two utterly inadequate light pillars each more than sixty feet away.

No one spoke.

Erick cracked a joke. “Do you think we’re dead, or—”

He shut up as a swirl of darkness in front of the car became more than that. It became an unseen monster, only known to Erick by a massive upper and lower jaw filled with softly glowing pearly white teeth, each the size of a person. The teeth were too big. The mouth opened too wide. Something flapped in the gloom, like the sails of a ship snapping in a sudden wind. Then the teeth snapped shut, and if not for the shifting darkness, Erick would have thought the monster gone. But it wasn’t gone at all. It was there. Erick couldn’t see it, but it was certainly there. Something rumbled the air; a minor avalanche, or the monster.

Erick cracked another joke. “Are you getting Jurassic Park vibes yet, Jane?”

Jane quietly rolled up her window, muffling the sounds of outside, then whispered, “Dad.”

Both of them utterly focused on the shifting gloom. It moved around the car. It was big. Easily the size of the light poles. It flicked around the vehicle, all at once and soundless, like the shadow of a cloud, flickering the light from the two remaining light poles as it passed. The darkness stilled in the deeper gloom on Erick’s side of the car, watching them.

Erick cracked another joke. “You remember Jurassic Park, right Jane?”

“What’s Jurassic Park?”

Jane eep’d.

The Darkness asked, so Erick answered, “It’s a book and a movie where some people resurrect some dinosaurs and then the dinosaurs eat them because that is what dinosaurs do.”

Jane punched Erick in the shoulder with all the force of a stiff breeze. She had probably meant to hit harder than that. That was understandable. In a more normal situation, he would have rolled down his window to better communicate with the entity. Neither of them were in top form right now.

“Haha! Dinosaurs would do that!”

“It’s a pretty terrifying movie. Jane here saw it when she was eight years old and couldn’t sleep for a month. In her defense, showing that movie to a child was one of my worse ideas.”

“Dad. Please stop talking to the darkness.”

Erick couldn’t help himself with that perfect of a set up. He started singing, “Hello Darkness my old friend~ I've come to talk to you again~...”

The Darkness shifted as Erick ‘sang’. Erick did not sing well. It was a poor rendition of the original. He sang too fast, he did not hit the right highs or hold certain words for as long as he should have. Simon and Garfunkel would be appalled.

But the Darkness seemed interested. Though, what did Erick know? Not much, for sure. He wasn’t eaten yet, though the day was far from over. It hadn’t even truly begun.

Erick's words failed him as he was halfway through the song. The Darkness stirred as silence grew.

“That cannot be the end of the song.”

“I am utterly terrified and cannot remember the rest.”

“…Take care, then.”

The world split somehow.

The darkness and the Darkness were gone, replaced by fluffy white clouds, a bright, bright sun overhead, and a sudden, whistling drop.

- - -

Red and yellow fast food wrappers hovered through the air. A plaid pillow and an afghan blanket floated above the back seat, while a D&D guidebook held half open, hiding amid the fabrics. The horizon continued to tilt. Gravity was a lost constant, and all Erick could think about were those zero-g plane rides that they used to acclimate astronauts to weightlessness. He always wanted to go on one of those flights.

He looked to Jane. She wasn’t wearing her seatbelt. She was currently floating above her seat, her face pressed against the ceiling.

With the elegance of a freight train passing through a busy neighborhood, Jane announced to the world:

“FUUUUUUCK!”

She ripped at the seat, holding herself down. Fat lot of good it did her. They were spinning and everything was pulling in odd directions.

She announced, “FUCKING HELL WHAT THE FUCK!”

“Are we dead yet?” Erick asked. “Please let me know when it’s over, if you could please.”

Jane’s eyes blazed as she locked sight on her father. Erick knew that look. He was in Deep Shit, and Jane was going to Get Him Out. Well. Better to roll with these sorts of punches. She let out a stream of curses as she tried to unbuckle him from his seat, the curses getting louder as the world continued to tumble.

And then she was stuck to her side of the car, out of her seat, pressing against her door via the spinning of the car. Erick would have been stuck to his door, too, if not for his seatbelt mostly holding him down.

She yelled, “Take off your seatbelt! We could survive a fall, but we won’t survive a crash!”

Erick fumbled with his seatbelt. It was locked in tight. This was a problem.

He really should be more terrified right now.

But he wasn’t.

“I love you, Jane. You be good now.”

Ah. That pissed her right off. That was probably not the Right Thing To Do.

She reached out from her seat on her door like they weren’t in some sort of gravity-based carnival ride from hell. She swiped the knife she kept in the passenger door pocket through Erick’s seatbelt. Erick thought he told her to put that somewhere safer. Good thing she didn’t listen to him.

Erick crashed completely into his door, then kept going. The door had opened somehow. Or maybe the glass broke and he slipped through. He was a bit bloody and—

HOLY SHIT THERE’S THE GROUND.

He promptly flipped back over.

The sky was a much better sight. So blue. So big. So nice.

Falling through the sky does not sound like being in a hurricane, though Erick himself would have made that comparison had he never experienced today’s impromptu skydive. He had been in a hurricane years ago when he went to Florida to help with a hurricane relief effort and promptly got stuck in a second hurricane. This did not sound like that. This was a thousand times worse.

In a sudden rush of disapproval from his beleaguered digestive tract, there went his midnight snack and accompanying coffee, spewing out across the sky with all the grace of a hurggleurkurk and a uhghuuuuooospat.

He felt much better after that. Less on his mind. Less in his body. He had probably pissed himself somewhere in all that, too, but who keeps track of those sorts of things? Certainly not Erick.

With the grace of a drunk cat, he threw an arm out, trying to steady himself on the wind. It was all kind of intuitive. Kinda like holding your hand out of a moving vehicle, feeling the air. With a second hand thrown wide and a bit of control—

Jane was rocketing right toward him, arms at her sides, face forward, eyes squinting from the wind. She brushed into him, and suddenly he was a squid, latching onto his daughter for dear life. She was obviously more skilled at this whole skydiving thing than he knew. She must have done this before. Well, maybe not this exactly. But she had done a lot of dangerous things in her life! It was entirely possible that one of her crazier friends had her practice skydiving in a falling vehicle.

Crazier things had happened!

He looked up. The car wasn’t there.

He really didn’t want to look down again.

Jane yelled, but it was barely more than a whisper compared to the wind.

He yelled, “What!”

She yelled in his ear, “Keep yourself flat! Don’t watch! Don’t land on your head!”

He screamed, “I’m sorry you didn’t get to work for the CIA! I should have been more supportive!”

She said something, but it was too quiet to hear.

She separated from him. He scrambled to get back to her, but it was too late. The ground was vast and unrelenting. It was time to meet his maker.

A second before they hit, there was a chime and the beginning of a long series of messages, all expressing themselves through floating blue boxes that may or may not have been floating in front of his eyes, or possibly only in his head. Making sense of such a thing was beyond him at this point in time.

Unknown Entity detected!

We see you!

Initializing mana integration…

002

The ground was a lot harder than he thought it would be. Good thing the landing was over almost as soon as it began. And hey! His thoughts were still inside of his head. So that was good news.

But he couldn’t move. His eyes were locked forward at the blue expanse above, and at a rather expansive box of text. The whole thing was concerning, but the box was static. Whereas before it was typing lines of text at him, now it was still. He looked the whole thing over. He was not in his comfort zone.

Unknown Entity detected!

We see you!

Initializing mana integration…

Adult <Species: Human> detected!

Welcome to Veird!

Beginning adult <Human> registration.

Scanning…

… Unauthorized metaphysical influences discarded.

… No innate magical traits discovered.

… No historical magical influences discovered.

… No desire for magic discovered.

ERROR.

Higher priority requested.

Higher priority obtained.

Reorienting scan…

No approved influences detected!

Warning! As a <Species: Human>, registration is required to use magic!

Warning! Major physical damage detected!

Warning! You are far below 0 HP!

Warning! You are dying!

Sorry! We are not able to support your life choices at this time!

Consult your local priest or registrar for further assistance.

YOU ARE BARRED FROM MAGIC.

Registration paused. Returning to basic interface.

ERROR! Catastrophic physical damage!

A child’s assistance <Species: Human>: Casting <Greater Treat Wounds>.

You are at 1 HP. You have stabilized.

A child’s assistance <Species: Human>: <The closest registrar has been contacted.>

<Your location is known. Someone is on their way!>

Erick read the whole thing again and again. Eventually, a vague idea of what was happening took hold. He was obviously not on Earth anymore. Or maybe he was dead. Or maybe something else was happening. As his thoughts drifted away from the message, it began to fade. In moments, the blue sky stood unobstructed.

Another message flashed into view.

Special action!

You have survived a near-death experience!

+1 point!

The second message came and went. Somewhere between the two blue boxes he could feel his fingers. He could wiggle his toes. He rolled over—

Fuck no. Not rolling over. Too much pain.

He tilted his head.

Jane was there. She was sitting up, her back to him. She was bloody, but she moved well enough as she looked around, propped up on one arm, the other cradled out of view. She flinched. She crashed back to the dusty brown ground. A thin cloud rolled away from her landing.

She screamed out, raw pain in her voice, “DAD!”

Erick whispered, “I’m here, Jane.”

Immediate, racking hard sobs shook through Jane’s body. She cried out to the sky. If she could cry like that, she was probably okay. A sudden tension relaxed inside Erick. Tears welled, cutting partially clean lines through the blood and dust on his face.

Erick said, “So. That happened.”

Jane’s sob turned into a laugh. Erick laughed with her, but stopped as a twinge spiked through his chest. He groan-coughed. Jane lurched up at his strangled sound, twisting to see him straight on. He waved at her.

“Hello.”

She laughed again. “You look like shit, Dad.”

“Yes,” He agreed. “There’s probably some shit somewhere in this mess.” He coughed. He moved his hands around. He lifted his leg a fraction of an inch. “How the fuck did we survive? How am I not paralyzed everywhere?”

Jane rose to her feet, unsteady. She said, “We can think about that after we get to safety. Take a look around. Looks like a desert, but not like any I’ve ever seen.” She stumbled over to Erick, offering her hand. “Come on.”

“I don’t think I should be moved—”

She crumpled to her knees next to him, poking him.

“Ow. What—”

“I’m testing for broken bones.”

Erick eyed her, giving Jane his best impression of an unimpressed person.

She poked harder, this time with a white glow on her fingers.

“Ow!”

Healed for 5 HP!

“Ow?” Erick tried to sit up. He didn’t get far. He would have fallen back, but Jane’s hands were there to hold him steady and upright. “What was that?”

“I got a point for a special action and spent it on the only healing spell I could. Lesser Rejuvenation.”

Erick stared at her. “What?”

Jane poked him again with another glowing white finger. He healed for 5HP again, but this time the words were more a feeling, not actual words. No blue boxes this time. He felt a lot better. His breath didn’t catch, his bones didn’t ache. Well. Didn’t ache as bad.

“The description says that the spell will transform into Rejuvenation once I matriculate, but I’m not really sure what that means. Probably has to do with this ‘children’s assistance’ thing. You got a point too, didn’t you? For surviving a near death experience.”

“… What?”

“Dad.” She shook her head. “Look around. You’re going to have to think faster than this. We’re in a survival situation and it would be best if we take everything at face value. Including those blue screens.”

“You got those screens, too? I thought I was hallucinating.”

“We’re not hallucinating. We’re not dead. This isn’t Earth.”

Erick looked around. The horizon in all directions was a hazy line of mirages, flickering in the rising heat. Over there, maybe a thousand feet away, were the remains of the car, burning, streaming black smoke into the still sky.

But mostly he focused on the crystals. The largest ones were ten feet tall. Prismatic white, they dotted the brown dirt landscape, countless smaller but no less impressive crystal spikes crowding the main spire. They reminded Erick of desert succulents, but impossibly large and crystal. Maybe they were natural? Smaller crystal succulents crowded the larger ones, but none of the growths took up more space than a minivan. None of the ‘plants’ were within 500 feet of another ‘plant’. Erick would have had to be very unlucky to land on one of those. That would have killed him for sure, even with these ‘child assistance’ messages, whatever they were.

“Right,” he said. “Not Earth. Survival is the goal."

“Yeah.” Jane rose to her feet, bringing him up with her. “Not Earth. Probably ‘Veird’.”

“I’m not convinced we’re not dead.”

“Don’t jinx us. That could still happen. Especially with you singing at the Darkness.” She suddenly shouted, “What the fuck was that, anyway!”

“I panicked. You know me.”

A stranger’s voice said, “Good show. The strange language and the part about the Darkness really helped to bring it all together.”

Erick and Jane watched as a humanoid person stepped onto the ground several yards away. His skin was purple. Horns poked out of his black hair. His clothes were well-made Renaissance Faire shtick, all black leather and white cloth accented in gold. The man stared at them. They stared at him. Then Jane stepped in front of Erick.

He said, “But I don’t believe anything about you.”

Erick whispered, “I would really like it if everyone calmed down.”

The man said, “I would like that as well, but then you people pull this shit, and I have to waste resources to respond to a child in need. Explain yourself.”

Jane yelled, “Who are—”

The man lifted his finger and pointed at the smoking ruins of the car. A thin ball of black and white shot from the man, instantly impacting the car and exploding into white that morphed to yellow, then orange, as it blossomed into a bright red inferno. Heat washed over the desert. The car was still there, but it was even blacker now. It had stopped smoking. Everything flammable must have burned away.

“Who am I? Really?” The purple man said, “I changed my mind.” For the first time, Erick noticed that the man’s words did not match his mouth, like there was some sort of automatic translation happening. “We’re not doing this. I don’t care how you tricked the Script into considering you children and I won’t be a part of your Quiet War. What I am going to do is point you in the direction of the nearest appropriate settlement. But first! A forced matriculation.” The man tapped the air in front of him.

Words appeared.

Welcome to adulthood, Erick Flatt!

Congratulations!

Experience gain unlocked!

Here is your current Status!

The first screen vanished. Another appeared.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 0, Class: None

Exp: 0/100

Class: -/-

Points: 1

HP

11/80

150 per day

MP

160/160

170 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

17

+0

[17]

The screen began to fade. Erick focused on it, and it came back.

“That way.” The man pointed toward the horizon over Erick and Jane’s shoulders. “About two days.” He glanced at the burned out car. He frowned. In a flourish of white and black shadows, two canteens dumped onto the ground in front of him. “Tell your superiors to quit this plot. This is your first and only warning: Messing with the Script is a serious offense.”

He vanished in a glitter of white and black.

Another box appeared.

Registrar Quest Accepted!

FIND THE SETTLEMENT

Mandatory Quest

No reward

Jane swiped her hand through the air. Erick did the same, aiming for the box. The box moved out of his vision at his touch, but it was not solid. He felt nothing as he touched the screen.

Jane said, “Quests!”

Erick watched her, trying to figure out what she was doing. She was obviously using the blue boxes, but how? He wasn’t bad with computers, but he was no gamer like his daughter.

“Status! Hud! That doesn’t work. Hmm. Overlay! Nope. UI! Nope. Menu! Ah ha!”

“Did you notice that that guy’s mouth did not line up with his words?”

“Yeah,” Jane said, swiping at the air. “Probably a translation spell.”

“You’re really rolling with this, aren’t you?”

She smiled. “Yeah. I might be— OH!” She jolted, then pointed to the remains of the car, in the distance. “You have a point! Put it in Mend. We might be able to salvage some stuff if we hurry!”

At that, he had to laugh. “How the fuck would I do that?”

She said, “Say or think this really hard: Menu. Abilities. Search for Spell: Mend. 'Status' works, too. It's a multi-input system, or whatever you would call that.”

Menu. Abilities. Search for Spell: Mend

A series of blue boxes burst then collapsed, except for the last one that stayed open.

[Mend 1], instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a small non-magical, non-complicated object and restore it to its prime.

Purchase [Mend 1] for 1 point? Yes/No

What the hell? Why not.

Yes.

A tiny idea shifted in Erick’s mind. And then he looked down at his torn and disgusting shirt.

“[Mend].”

Fabric shifted, holes mended. Creation from nothing, but maybe not nothing. Something else shifted as Erick cast the spell. Something inside of him was calmer, now. Like there was less of some essential thing. But his shirt was whole.

Jane laughed, loud and happy. Then she poked him with a glowing finger, saying, “[Rejuvenation].” Then she looked up, a flash of worry across her face. She glanced at the canteens sitting on the ground over where the man came and went. “Stay here. I’ll get those. don’t muddy the path between here and there because I have no idea where anything is and I want to keep this track clean, to point us in the direction of the settlement.”

She was already walking over to the canteens before Erick could suggest otherwise. Part of him was worried that the canteens might be trapped, but what did he know about anything? He can apparently cast magic now by just saying a few words. One word, actually.

He focused on his shoes.

[Mend].

The left shoe was a bit torn up from the mile fall through the sky, as most things would be. Now it was back to storebought perfection. You know. Except for all the blood on and inside the shoe. He did the same for his right shoe.

He breathed in and out the desert air, feeling a bit lightheaded.

Status!

Ah. That’s why he was feeling lightheaded.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 0, Class: None

Exp: 30/100

Class: -/-

Points: 0

HP

24/80

150 per day

MP

130/160

170 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

17

+0

[17]

“Dammit, Dad.” Jane demanded his attention, so the status window vanished. Jane was looking at his feet. “Don’t go wasting mana. We don’t know how much we’re going to need. You see those regen rates, yeah? This is not a world of free magic.”

“All I have is [Mend], and I need to use it to level, right? My experience went up 30, so far. So stand still. I’m going to do your shoes, too.”

She sighed, then nodded. Erick leaned down and touched her shoes, quickly spending 20 MP. Now he was woozy. But only a bit. Jane looked concerned, but that was her normal facial expression.

“How much MP do you have?”

“It’s at 110 out of 160.” He smiled, “But I’m at fifty out of a hundred exp for level 1.”

“Yeah. Looks like the base level raises based upon how much MP you spend. Probably works the same for spent HP but that seems like a monumentally bad trade off. Though if this is how weak you get from MP loss, maybe my thinking is wrong.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “[Rejuvenation].”

“13 HP that time.” He felt A LOT better, now. “What changed?”

“No longer a child, apparently. [Rejuvenation]." She poked him with a healing finger again. "Look up the spell sometime, but don’t buy it. [Rejuvenation]." And another poke. "We got other things to worry about and we might need an attack spell. I’ve already got my eye on a few prudent buys. Come on.” She started walking toward the burned out car. “Let’s see if anything is left.” She started walking slow, but then suddenly shouted out in glee as she sprinted forward to pluck a half-buried black square from the dirt. “My phone! And it’s not broken! Fuck yea!”

Phone retrieved, she practically skipped toward the car.

Erick smiled. If she was happy, then he was happy.

Then he remembered his phone. He still felt the familiar weight in his right pocket, but it was not in a familiar shape. He reached in, gingerly, and pulled out a fractured hunk of plastic and glass.

[Mend]?

The plastic barely shifted.

Fuck.

… but the plastic did shift!

Status: Mend.

[Mend 1], instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a small non-magical, non-complicated object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 60/100

I guess it’s only Mend 1. I shouldn’t expect that much from it.

“Dad!” Jane was already at the remains of the car. “Hurry up.”

He jogged to catch up. She was already pulling burned debris out from the twisted hunk of hot metal. A blackened book. A crispy blanket. Erick moved to the other side of what used to be a car and pulled out what he could, careful of the glass and the larger, sharper bits of debris. He didn’t get far before he had to stop.

Something in the trunk caught fire again.

“Fuck!” Jane pulled back from growing heat. “Damn...”

Erick managed to grab a large hunting knife out of the glove box before he had to get away. It was warped, the hilt smashed. It wasn’t the same knife as before. How many of these did she have?

[Mend].

The knife unwarped, the hilt straightened.

Jane yelled an expletive at the sky as black smoke billowed upward, once again. Erick joined her on her side of the bonfire. She was clutching the charcoal’d book and a scrap of fabric. She saw the knife in his hands and smiled.

“Good. You found it.”

He handed it to her. “This isn’t the other one. What happened to that?”

“I have no idea. It’s probably out here somewhere. I was hoping for the larger one, but I’m glad you found any at all.” She looked up at the bright sky. “It’s going to get cold around here at night.” She looked toward the nearest crystal succulent. “I don’t know if those burn, or if we should even try. Something tells me it would be a bad idea to cut them.”

“I still don’t understand how you’re so comfortable at this.”

“I'm not comfortable at all. But this is survival, and I’ve done that before.” She slapped him on the shoulder, saying, “I don’t understand how you started singing at the Darkness! What the fuck was up with that!”

He smiled. “I panicked. But it worked out, didn’t it?”

“I wouldn’t call this ‘working out’.” She swung an arm out, pointing at everything, as she started walking away from the car. “But it’s better than a dragon’s stomach.”

He caught up to her. “That wasn’t really a dragon, was it?”

“Hell yes that was a dragon.” She squeezed the remains of the book and blanket against her chest. Erick couldn’t make out the words on the front cover, but that was clearly a dragon underneath the soot. She whispered, “And it was magnificent.”

Erick almost laughed. That dragon was certainly something. He wouldn’t call it magnificent, though. Pants shittingly terrifying, was more apt.

003

“Status! Reveal.” Jane pushed a blue box toward Erick as they walked. “This is mine.”

Jane Flatt

Human, age: 22

Level 0, Class: None

Exp: 45/100

Class: -/-

Points: 0

HP

78/120

160 per day

MP

108/150

200 per day

Strength

12

+0

12

Vitality

16

+0

16

Willpower

15

+0

15

Focus

20

+0

20

Erick repeated her words, then pushed his status her way.

After a moment, he declared, “I have one more willpower than you!”

Jane threw him a mocking look, then glanced down at their feet to scan their trail. She looked up at the sun then over at the nearest crystal splash, making a minute course correction. She ensured they were still on the correct path every ten minutes. Thanks to that, they probably were still on the right path.

She looked over his status again, then closed the window, saying, “Looks like trekking in the desert takes some constant HP. Let me know if you get low.” She looked at a nearby crystal plant, that was still forty feet away. Neither of them wanted to get anywhere near the probably-deadly flora. “I wonder if those make good tequila.”

Ah. Yeah. They did look like giant crystal agaves.

Erick closed Jane’s status window. “They’re probably poisoned.”

“Or full of spiders. Something has to live out here besides the plants.”

A breeze flowed across the land, setting the sparse crystal growths to tinkling. They had both decided a bit ago that, yes, the crystal agaves were definitely plants. Unless this world had flexible crystals, too. Which was a possibility considering what they’d seen so far. But still, flexible crystal was a long shot of an explanation. They were more likely disguised plants.

Erick almost took a sip from the canteen, but decided against it. That registrar had summoned the canteen with a shoulder strap, so it wasn’t that heavy of a weight to carry around. But it was starting to weigh on him. If the settlement was really two days away, they would need all the water they could get. Though the phrase 'Hydrate or Die' was very true, Erick didn't really feel thirsty.

Jane said, “Good news: Looks like MP refreshes. I gained three back since we landed.”

“You’re taking this so seriously.”

“Because I know you won’t.”

Well that was true. When Erick encountered physical danger he usually laughed it off. He had the same reaction to ridiculous social constructs, like avoiding the gangs who lived in his town. He had been mugged twice because of that, but he had also helped several young gang members get back on their feet and out of their violent lives. For the last few years he had even attended the Quince Fiesta the gang threw every month. He waved to the dealers on the streets, and sometimes they waved back.

… He was going to miss them. Really some of the best beef empanadas in the world at that party.

“You know… There’s help for understanding the Script, if you want it. The command is Menu Help.”

Ah. She had misconstrued his silence. That’s okay, he’d roll with it. He was kinda mad at the blue boxes. Magic was supposed to be mystical! Not this video-gamey nonsense.

“I’m not doing that. This whole magic thing is stupid.”

“It’s crazy to not use the systems given to everyone. You’re no ascetic, Dad.”

“Okay. Well. That’s a different argument entirely, but tabling that for now— I’m not ‘Eight Strength’, or 160 max MP.”

“Your Status says otherwise.”

They walked in silence under the temperate sun. The walk wasn’t as bad as Erick thought it would be. It was dusty and dry, and sandy in a few places, for sure. But it wasn’t ‘desert hot’.

Oh.

He laughed.

“What?”

“No man-made climate change on Veird!”

Jane smiled. “That’s the spirit!” She thrust her huge knife forward, punching the sky. “No more big problems! Only survival!”

“To not dying of dehydration!”

“To cooking a rat over an open fire!”

“To walking away from a skydive!”

“To adventure!”

They laughed together, their voices floating away on the breeze as they walked toward the unknown.

- - - -

Hours passed. The sun was on its way to the horizon. Erick had already [Mend]ed the scrap of blanket twice, bringing it back into existence, and handed it over to Jane. She carried a few other things to be mended inside the thick cloth. The [Mend] on the book went less well. One[Mend] accomplished almost nothing. Books must be complicated objects.

Erick had no idea how far they had gone, though his HP had dipped below half three times. Jane topped him off when he asked, and one time when he didn’t, but they had driven through the night before they landed on Veird. HP did not seem to be a problem, but exhaustion was.

Jane said, “Fuck I’m tired!”

“Let’s stop.”

“Where!” Jane threw her hand wide. “There’s nothing but crystal agave for miles and miles!”

“We should sleep on the blanket while the sun is still up—”

Jane slapped her forehead. “Duh. Of course. Monsters might come out at night. We’ll need to be awake for that. Work out some shifts.”

That was not what Erick meant. “Fuck. You think so?”

“Well yeah. What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I could sleep for 12 hours.”

“… Yeah. That too.” She looked around. She looked up. “This is as good a spot as any.” She stepped to the side of the path, then took out her knife and carved a deep groove into the ground, along the direction they were going, ending the carving in a large arrow “I’d love a compass but this is the best we have.”

“We’re both close to level 1. There might be more points and more survival skills.”

Jane nodded, then stepped away from the path. Erick followed her to a spot similar to all the rest; well away from the agave and in the middle of nowhere. She unwrapped the blanket from around her chest, then set it down, carefully extracting what they had managed to salvage from the crash. The gaming book. Erick’s phone remains. A fried car charger. A piece of a paper coffee cup. A shred of a diet coke bottle, all melted and twisted onto itself. A piece of the windshield. It was more trash than treasure, but it might be worth something in the future. Jane seemed to think that they could use something called a ‘scry’ on the windshield fragment to find the car, if they wanted to. The charger was to make charging the phones easier, if they could somehow manufacture the right electrical current. The cups were for additional water containers, if they found any sources of water out here. Jane was sure that the phones themselves could probably be linked together as communication devices, if maybe they had access to other magics. There were a lot of ‘if’s, but that’s how life was sometimes.

Jane plopped down on her half of the blanket, her face pointed outward. Erick took his position on the other half of the blanket, looking in the other direction. If there were monsters out there, they were well hidden. All Erick saw were tall crystal agaves and lots of flat dirt.

She asked, “What’s your HP at now?”

“22.”

“Fuck! Dad!”

“What? I’m fine.”

Jane poked him in the side.

+13 HP!

+13 HP!

He sat up in time to see her sitting up and poking him with another glow on her fingers, for another 26 HP. Then again. He realized something was different after the third healing poke. He should have noticed right away, but damn was he tired.

“It’s healing twice now?”

“Yeah. [Rejuvenation] got to 2. One extra second of healing per level.”

“You leveled?”

“I did.” She laid back down. “I got two points and about a dozen different ideas of what I want to do with them, so I’m saving ‘em for now.”

Erick laid back down, too. There were no changes either locally or on the horizon.

“Is there a cleaning option in those menus?”

“It’s called Cleanse and I think I’m going to take it, but not right now. You’ve noticed that there has been no wildlife at all ever since we landed, right? Either this land is truly dead, or that Darkness marked us, somehow. Maybe a scent marker? Maybe something else.”

“Ah.”

“Yeah. Like. I know we must smell like food because I don’t even want to talk about what kinda gore slipped out of my pants while we walked. But we really should have been attacked before this.”

“…Right.”

A moment passed.

He asked, “What’s your plan?”

“Teleporting paladin.”

Rolling with the idea, Erick said, “Don’t you have to pledge to a god, or...”

“Maybe. Maybe not. If there’s a god out there that embodies my ideals, I might pledge to them. If that’s how Veird works. I don’t know enough to make a call like that right now, but teleporting is obviously a real thing. We’ve been through at least one teleport, and I'm not sure what I would call our arrival on Veird, but that was sort of like a teleport. That purple dude for sure teleported.”

“That registrar was an asshole.”

“That didn’t bother me. This system, the Script? That’s what bothers me. It seems horribly unbalanced.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Not enough parameters, for one. There’s no way to express the complexities of a person with only four main stats. HP, MP, and the two regens are just direct numerical expressions of the four main stats.”

“Does your healing spell still cost 5 MP at level 2?”

“And that’s another thing! It is still 5 MP, and it adds another tick every level. The most basic damaging spell is 5 MP for 10 damage plus half your Willpower. Now… I don’t know if you can cast twenty damaging spells at the same time for 200 plus ten times your Willpower in damage, but I’ve tried to cast two rejuves at once and it either wasn’t allowed, or I just couldn’t do it. I think there's a global cooldown, or something.”

“Maybe that just means the makers weren’t trying for balance.” He added, "Or balance as we think of balance."

“… Yeah. I guess so. Hmm.”

Erick closed his eyes.

He was almost asleep when Jane huffed.

Jane said, “I can’t sleep like this. I’m setting up a ward.”

“A what?”

“A [Ward].”

The air shifted in a ten foot circle around the blanket, marking the edge of the space with a slight dent in the ground and a glitter in the air. Erick almost sat up, but he was really tired.

Jane said, “An Alarm Ward, first. Then… [Ward].”

The air sparkled again. The same edge of the space took on a red glitter.

Erick almost wanted to touch it, but he wanted to sleep more.

“First one is to let me know if something crosses the edge. The second is to prevent fifty points of damage. They should last for 24 hours, or until dispelled.” She laid down. “And it looks like level 2 requires the same amount of experience for both your skills and your personal level. 200 experience needed.” She whispered, “Good night, Dad.”

Eyes closed, Erick said, “Good night, Jane.”

She whispered, “The second ward was the expensive one. 60 mana. 10 to start, then it’s a point of mana to prevent a point of damage.”

Erick said nothing.

She whispered, “Unbalanced.”

Erick whispered, “Good night, Jane.”

“The sun isn’t even down yet!”

She brought up a good point. He had way more mana than he needed, and most of it would likely be back by the time he woke up, if his sleep wasn’t interrupted. He [Mend]ed his pants and the phone charger. Then he poked Jane in the shoulder with a [Mend], fixing her shirt.

“Hey!”

“Serves you right, poking me with healing.”

Level up!

+2 Ability Points

“Plus two ability points? That’s it?”

“Yeah. Kinda underwhelming.”

Mend has reached level 2!

[Mend 2], instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a small, non-magical, non-complicated object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 0/200

“Mend didn’t change at all.”

Jane snorted. “Needs more levels!”

So many problems.

Erick said, “Fuck. I’m hungry.”

“… Are we going to beg when we get to the settlement? Are you comfortable with that?”

“Shit.” He asked, “Are there any ‘create food’ spells?”

“Look it up!”

“But you already know the answer.”

“… Look it up, Dad.”

Grumbling, Erick thought really hard about Menu, then Abilities, then Search: Create Food. Nothing. Maybe his search was wrong. Summon Food. Create Meal. Delicious Food! Food! Water! Sustenance!

Menus flashed in and out as he Searched, each of them returning the same answer.

Ability not found. Please try again.

“Fuck.”

“Yep,” agreed Jane. “On the plus side, [Cleanse] sounds like it would work on anything edible. Might even turn a crystal agave into food, if they’re actually organic.”

Search: Cleanse.

Cleanse 1, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

“Meters!?”

Jane just laughed.

- - - -

“Ah!!”

Erick shot awake at Jane’s scream.

Jane instantly said, “Sorry, sorry. Nothing happened. Neither ward triggered.”

Crisis averted, Erick stared outward. The sky was black with a billion billion stars adorning the heavens. The slivers of three moons accented the darkness. One small pink, one large grey, and one small white, the moons were fuzzy on their sun-touched edges. They might have had atmospheres.

Jane whispered, “Good news: Apparently when we rest our regen scores turn from ‘per day’ to ‘per hour’. So I added two more wards while you were sleeping. One for warmth when it got cold, another when a big bug landed on me. It didn’t bite, or anything. Just plopped on my pants. I woke up and kicked it away.”

Erick breathed out, staring at the sky.

“… It was the size of a small bird. I don’t know how it got past the damage and the alarm ward.”

“That is good news about the regen rates.”

“Yeah… it is...”

Erick looked over to Jane. She was not doing well. With a short shuffle, he scooted over and wrapped her in his arms. She folded onto him without complaint. Soft sobs came and went as Erick whispered that everything was going to be okay. He was a liar, of course, and she called him on it, but having hope was better than falling to despair.

They laid down, their backs pressed tight against each other, staring out into different darknesses.

- - - -

Morning shone over the horizon, bringing with it a raging thirst and a full bladder.

And full HP and MP.

He was the second to wake, of course. Jane was walking back from somewhere beyond the [Ward] boundary, her arms crossed, hugging herself as though she was freezing. She quickly relaxed as she crossed the [Ward] threshold.

“It’s fucking cold out there!” She thumbed over her shoulder. “You need to go?” She handed him the knife. “Use it to dig, not to bury.”

He took the knife. “I’ve been camping since before you were born.”

She smiled. “Don’t go too far, or get too close to the crystal agaves.”

“Oh? Do you think I should ration my water as well?” he asked, sarcastically, and in a wholly good mannered way.

“Yes. I’ve calculated that one sip per hour should be appropriate,” she responded in kind.

“Thank you, Daughter," he said, smiling.

“Anytime, Father.”

He stepped to the edge of the ward and poked it with a knife. The knife passed through the space with no resistance.

“Thank God.” Jane said, “I thought I would have to take it down for you and then suffer in the cold while I waited. Guess it doesn’t work like that.” She added, "And we're not rationing water."

"Yup." Erick said, "Hydrate or die, as they say."

Erick walked about thirty feet away, dug a hole in the ground, ditched his drawers, and popped a squat. When he was done, he found a nearby stone and used that as toilet paper. It was not his most dignified moment, that’s for sure.

This is intolerable. I’m buying Cleanse as soon as I can.

Their daily routines buried in the desert, Erick and Jane each drank enough water to wet their throats, and not much more. As they broke camp, which amounted to little more than gathering up their few non-pocketable possessions and wrapping them in the blanket, Erick had a thought.

“How big of a bug was it? Did it look edible?”

“It was fat fucker, for sure. Big beetle-thing, all shiny black. Probably fry up real good.”

“Mmm. Fried bug and waffles.”

“Lotsa maple syrup.”

“Can’t forget the homefries.”

“Dee~licious.”

Jane went right to the line in the dirt she carved yesterday. It was still there, untouched. They followed the arrow, making sure they lined up with the correct path, setting off a little bit left of sunrise. One and a half more days go to. Hopefully they’d see something besides crystal agave before then.

- - - -

Erick wished he had not wished to see something besides agave. Agaves are great! Agaves are beautiful!

Agaves did not want to eat them, as far as he knew. The thing chasing them? There was a 90% chance that thing wanted to eat them, and a 100% chance it wanted to murder them.

The Spike Monster crashed through yet another agave, cutting itself on the sharp crystal. Black blood scattered across the desert. The monster hurt itself each time it smashed through an agave instead of run around, like Jane and Erick were forced to do, but it didn’t care. It was ten feet tall, made solely of six long arms that each ended in a five foot black spike, with no visible mouth. It had lifted up from the ground twenty minutes ago and gave chase at a little faster than a jog. They couldn’t outrun the monster, but it either couldn’t, or wouldn’t, catch up.

There was another problem.

“Heal!”

Jane poked him with a [Rejuvenation] as they ran.

Running ate up HP. A lot of HP. But as long as Erick was full, running was easy. This right here? This almost-sprint? Erick could do this all day. He couldn’t have done 10 minutes of this back on Earth.

ROOAAR!

“It has no mouth!” Jane complained, “How is it screaming!”

004

The Claw Monster smashed through another crystal agave, spilling black blood and crystal shards across the brown soil. Aside from the occasional crash into shrubbery, the constant thump-shunking of the monster’s heavy tread had been the predominant noise for the last two hours. That, and the heavy breathing of two worried humans.

“I’m at half mana! This is not sustainable!”

Erick joked, “But we’re making such good time!”

“How are you judging that?” Jane poked him with another [Rejuvenation] for another 26 HP. “You see something new out here? Anything besides desert and crystal?” She poked herself with a [Rejuvenation]. “’Cause I don’t!”

She was right. This was not sustainable. But Erick had ability points and an idea for a way out of this endless run. Hopefully it would work, because with as much damage as that thing was doing to itself, there was no way that a damage spell was the answer.

[Cleanse 1], instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Purchase [Cleanse 1] for 1 ability point? Yes/No

Yes.

[Cleanse]!

A flex of air pulsed directly on top of Erick, lingering against his skin as it went to work. Sweat, blood, dirt, dead skin. All of that turned into nothing, or maybe something else was happening. Erick wasn’t sure of the specifics, but he felt a heck of a lot cleaner.

He focused on Jane’s back.

[Cleanse]!

Watching the spell act on another person gave him a bit more information. The air flexed around Jane like heat rolling up from a hot road, only to linger on her body and clothes, turning dirt and dried gore into a scentless breeze that held thick in the air as it flowed away into nothing.

“What did you do, Dad!”

“A [Cleanse]!”

The thumping-shunking of Spiker changed.

ROOooaar? oar?

“Ha!” Jane laughed.

Neither of them stopped running.

The monster roared in the distance, softer, almost forlorn. The humans did not stop running away. The monster mewed as it lurched forward, then it turned left and thump-shunked out of sight. Still, Erick and Jane ran. Legs pumping, arms swinging. Breathing heavy. Full on HP but not out of danger yet.

Half an hour later, Jane finally said, “That’s far enough.”

She slowed. Neither stopped. Erick kept right beside her, smiling. Running like that was kinda fun. “I haven’t felt this good since I was a teenager.”

Jane smiled. “It’s a good look on you, Dad.” She pointed forward. “That’s a welcome sight, too.”

Something had changed on the horizon! A crystal agave straight ahead was different than all the rest! It was smaller. All the other ones were rather similar in size, and if Erick had to put a bet on it, he’d bet all the rest were exactly the same size. This one was only five feet tall instead of the usual ten.

And then he frowned. “I don’t know if that means anything. Spiker back there destroyed more than a few agaves in the chase. This one might be the fresh growth of a similar historical event.”

Jane pointed forward, slightly higher. “Look again.”

Far, far ahead was something a bit taller than the flat horizon. Whatever it was, it was too far away and past too many crystal agaves to make out through the heat mirage of the desert, but it might have been a wall of some sort. It stuck up from the ground a bit higher than the rest. He wasn’t exactly sure if it was an actual difference, but Jane was sure it was. And she might have been right.

They were almost headed in that direction anyway. With a bit of course correction, they were.

But there was a problem. Honestly, Erick knew this was coming. This problem had already been explained to Erick as to why Jane did not want to purchase or use [Cleanse] until they were out of the desert. The Darkness had obviously marked them somehow. It seemed to piss off, or possibly alert, the Spiker, but that marker was also the only thing keeping the rest of the wildlife of this crystal desert in hiding.

Now that [Cleanse] had worked its magic, it was clear that this desert was not nearly as dead as it seemed. Small motes of long lights, like living streamers, danced in the air, floating on the breeze around the crystal agaves, their glow barely visible in the sun. Scarce bees, or maybe something that filled the same biological niche as the bee, buzzed around, into, and out of the surrounding agaves. A trio of small mammals with crystal spines dashed from one plant to the next. A rolling ball of translucent goo nestled against the base of an agave, among the smaller crystalline growths. There was even life in the desolate spaces between the crystal giants. Thin brown tendrils wafted from the ground here and there, flinching in time to Erick and Jane’s footfalls before vanishing completely as the two of them neared. If those were the sum total of their encounters, this desert marathon might have been a magical experience.

But nope!

“Holy— What is that?”

Glad to know Jane had no idea what it was either.

Directly ahead of them, on the path to whatever-it-was in the distance, there was a monster. What it looked like was a crystal agave, but when the trio of crystal porcupines neared, the agave’s stiff leaves whipped out, spearing the largest porcupine, dragging the body inside while the other two porcupines fled. The not-plant munched and crunched, and then it was still.

Jane whispered, “We probably walked close to multiples of that and we never noticed.”

“No small growths around the base, though. Easy to see through the disguise if you know what to look for, and now we do.”

Jane gave an affirmative grunt, then retook point, walking toward the maybe-wall in the distance, keeping their path well clear of the hidden monster. Erick followed, eyes darting between agave and not-agave, studying the differences between the real plant, and the faker. No bees on the fake one, no smaller growths around the base. Glow worm streamers didn’t seem to mind the monster.

They walked in silence, eyes peeled for disruptions to the ecosystem. They spotted two more agave mimics, as Jane called them, on their journey toward the rise on the horizon. After even a little bit of walking in this direction Erick had to admit that Jane was right about there being something there. It was not a mirage.

Five hours later, they found out what it was. It was a wall.

A really, really, really big wall, with sides that bulged thick at the base and a mostly level top. The whole extraordinary thing was more mountain-sized than city-sized.

“How the hell can you call that a ‘settlement’? That’s metropolis sized! Multi-metropolis sized.”

Jane said, “No outward obvious signs of life. No markings on the wall. There’s a few blocks or bricks missing in a few spaces near the top, like right there. See that? Maybe it’s abandoned. Oh. Or maybe it’s a brand new wall? They have magic. I bet someone could raise a wall like that, no problem.”

“I’m not taking that bet.”

“… Or. The big wall is not our destination.” Jane pointed to the left. “That looks more like a settlement… and I just got quest completion.”

While the large wall dominated the land, to the left there stood another wall, much more reasonably sized. It was still far away, but even from this distance the smaller wall was nothing compared to the larger one. It was an ant to a human, a grape to a grove.

Registrar Quest Complete!

No reward.

“Quest Completed. That’s the settlement.” Erick drank the last drop from his canteen. “Good timing.”

Jane finished off her canteen. Whatever came next, they needed to be in top form.

Well. As ‘top form’ as two very hungry, very thirsty fresh-to-this-world people could be. Erick wasn’t expecting a cheeseburger and a soda, but bread and water might be in the realm of possibilities.

… Hopefully the settlement was friendly.

- - - -

The approach to the settlement took longer than Erick thought it would. As they walked, the reason for that became abundantly clear: The ‘settlement’ wall was frickin’ huge, too. Maybe sixty or a hundred feet tall, with towers that poked out from the main structure here and there, probably to provide vantage points for people defending the wall from ground forces. Erick didn’t know much about castle defense, and even less about city wall defense. It might have been a good design?

But the landscape changed well before they got anywhere near the settlement wall.

They had left the crystal agaves a mile behind and passed some sort of unseen border on their way to the city. Green grass and weeds grew from the brown soil, but those were just the preamble to some of the densest farmland Erick had ever seen. Trees and flowers! Orchards and groves! Rows of carrots, maybe. Trellises of tomatoes, probably. Fields of wheat, oh yes that was definitely wheat, for sure. Apple trees and other fruiting plants, wading ponds of what was probably rice or fish and maybe both. And chickens everywhere. So many chickens. Roosting in the trees, flying onto and off of a warehouse, pecking at the ground between what might have been spicy chilies.

A pair of forty pound cats caught and killed one chicken right in front of Erick and Jane, but the cats rushed off as soon as they appeared, carrying their prize with them into the wheat fields. Was that supposed to happen? Neither of them had any idea, but they hoped that the cats did not attack people.

And there were lots of people. Not humans, but definitely people. If it weren’t for them, Erick would have launched himself right into those pond-farms and drank himself into a stupor.

… And gotten immediately arrested and full of dysentery.

As it was, Erick and Jane held themselves back, sticking to the middle of the road, cautiously watching the various people as they walked toward town. Most people ignored them. And then there was a pair of redscaled people in armor, each of them with two long spears. Erick and Jane froze on the road. The armored people took note of Erick and Jane, but besides a semi-concerned eyebrow raise, they kept walking and talking to themselves. There was some clear draconian heritage there, if Erick’s knowledge of popular Earth fantasy wasn’t wrong. With their obvious disinterest, Erick and Jane both breathed a bit easier. That’s when they started people-watching in earnest. Some of the people even stared at Erick and Jane, but all of them seemed to have work to do.

There were more types of people than the dragon types, but the dragon types were the most prevalent. There were a few purple people with horns here and there. As they walked, there was an orchard tended to by very tall mostly human-looking people. Or at least they looked human from this distance. They might have had green skin. Erick couldn’t really tell. But one thing he could tell was that the different types of people did not mix on the individual farming plots. Was this family style farming? Serfdom? Or something else?

They were closer to the wall, now, but it was still a bit away. That’s when they came to the first real disturbance to their plan of ‘walking up to the town and hoping for the best’.

Four shirtless scaled people, each a different color, waded in a pond, working in sync to take green shoots from floating rafts and plant them under the water’s surface in clear lines. A shorter pink scaled person in shorts and a tight tank top moved in and out of the water, replacing empty plant rafts with fresh baby plants off of a pallet sitting to the side of the pond. She saw Erick and Jane and stopped fast in her tracks. She squealed, spiting out words that caused the farmers to look up. All but one of them didn’t care. That one yelled at the pink girl something that was probably the equivalent of ‘get back to work!’ It certainly wasn’t English. Or any language Erick had ever heard.

The pink girl didn’t get back to work. She dropped the pallet she was carrying and rushed over to Erick and Jane.

“Here we go,” whispered Jane.

“Hellothere! Whoareyou? WhatbringsyoutoSpur? You’rehumans,right?”

“Oh no.” Erick said, “I hope that was her speaking really fast. I didn’t catch a single word.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand your language,” Jane said in her most calming voice. “We’re not from around here. Is there a registrar we could talk to?”

“Fudge!” The girl yelled back to her people, “They can’t speak! What do I do?”

“You do nothing. You get back to work.”

“But Daad!”

“No! Young lady, we’ve got ten fields left to do. If you want to skip out and help them, you’re skipping that party tonight, too.”

The girl tsk’d, then pointed to the open city gates, saying, “Go that way. Ask a guard. Sorry I can’t help you right now.” She pointed up. Huh. There were clouds in the sky. That’s a first. “Weatherwitch says it’s gonna rain and we gotta—”

“Now!” The man in the water stood without any baby plants in his raft, and both his hands on his hips. He wasn’t the only one annoyed at the girl. One of the other farmers was already wading through the water to get to the pallet of baby plants.

The girl pointed toward the town, waving them off as she rushed back to work. She muttered something and the other worker muttered something else. Voices were raised, but quickly turned silent as the machine of farm life resumed operation.

Jane said, “We go to town.”

“I’m ready to help them plant if they’d give us food. Think that would work?”

Jane looked at him for a moment, then started walking toward town, muttering, “I’m not becoming a fucking farmer.”

Erick almost muttered ‘well maybe I am’.

The entrance to the city stood open ahead of them, a thirty foot tall purpose-built hole in the sixty foot stone wall, a pair of iron-bar portcullises rolled halfway up to allow egress. People walked in and out, past two guards that looked bored of their jobs. One of the guards was a blue dragon person, but the other was the most gorgeous man Erick had ever seen. And also the tallest. And also the most slightly green, which wasn’t as offputting as Erick thought it would be.

The man was eight foot tall, muscular, with a jaw that could cut steel and piercing blue eyes. Black hair and strong arms. Those breeches were too tight, and that open flap in his shirt? Exquisite. Erick certainly wasn’t complaining. And Oh My God, there was another beautiful giant in the shadows behind the first one. A woman this time, darker green than the man, with large assets and flowing, sun-kissed hair.

“Jaw off the floor, Dad. They’ve seen us.”

Erick schooled his face as the Most Beautiful Woman walked toward them, a spear in her hand and a swagger in her steps. Oh, wow, those green eyes. Wow.

“What’s a pair of humans coming from the wrong direction want in Spur?”

Erick smiled. “I have no idea what you said, but it sounded lovely.”

“We’re looking for the registrar for a translation spell and some guidance, if possible.” Jane said, “We’re not sure how this all works, but I couldn’t find a translation spell in the Script.”

Beautiful Woman shook her head. As she spoke, tiny lower fangs sometimes appeared. “Ach. What language is that, Ghemm?”

“Fuck if I know.” Gorgeous Man said, “I’m not a polyglot.”

“You’re close, though!”

“Not anything I’ve ever heard, but the sentence structure sounds like it might be similar to ours.” The man shrugged and frowned, revealing larger lower fangs than the woman’s. “What’s more important is that those canteens look like the work of that Incani Registrar on the other side of the forest. I don’t see any magic on them, and I get the feeling that they’re rather low level, so my recommendation is to just send them to Irogh.”

"Does this sound good to you, Jane?”

Jane calmly said, “No idea, but their body language looks fine.”

“I don’t like how the guy is looking at me.” Beautiful Woman said, “You do it.”

“He’s eyeing me, too.” Gorgeous Man spoke to the blue scaled dragon person, “You’re up, Rookie.”

The blue scaled man rose to his feet. Beautiful Woman said something, pointing from Erick and Jane to Bluescale. She repeated her words and Bluescale waved them forward as he began walking into the city. He turned around after a few steps, waving them in again. Message received. Jane and Erick followed Bluescale into the noisy city.

Too many unknown words filled the air, like noise in a school cafeteria. It was disorienting. It was wonderful. A thousand conversations were going on everywhere at once, because this was the marketplace that serviced the farmlands. The crowds! The noises! The smells! The smells alone would have driven Erick crazy, if this was a marketplace on Earth and he had money to spend, but this was somewhere on Veird, and here, for now, the people were the main attraction.

Scaled people of every color of the rainbow and stone, though shades of red were the most common. People with horns and skin from red to blue, though mostly they were shades of purple, like that first registrar. Beautiful giants. So many beautiful giants. What the heck was up with these giants? How was every one of them so perfect? Okay, maybe he shouldn’t stare like that. They noticed the staring. Let’s look at something else. Oh. People made of metal, but shaped like the other types of people, though wearing what looked like clothes made out of their same-color metal skin. There’s a steel dragon person. A dark black, beautiful giant man. A silverish dragon person. What’s up with that?

Erick supposed the city was pretty great, too. But it was standard stuff, really. Here, in the marketplace, there were covered stalls and crowded roads. Past those he saw stone buildings, wide roads, and glass windows. Deeper into the city, past this market stall's part of the marketplace, were people hawking wares on blankets, some with artful three-foot-tall stacks of fruit, some with piles and piles of melons, or grains. Most of the goods he had seen were fruits and grains. There weren’t many meats, but there were definitely some. Those were dried sausages over there. Lots and lots of headless chicken bodies hung up in that stall. They didn’t look prepared in any way. Maybe they were magically preserved? Oh man. Erick was hungry. He was thirsty, too. He would have loved to have an apple. His mouth would have been watering if he had any water to spare. Man, was he thirsty.

Like a gift from god, they rounded a corner and suddenly there was a communal water fountain. Attached to the wall in a shaded alcove, just outside the marketplace, the large fountain poured three streams of perfectly cylindrical water from an upper level basin to a lower basin on the ground. The calm-looking streams of falling water made no noise as then plunged into the lower level of the fountain. Two people were in line, three people were filling containers, but with three streams the line emptied as Erick was watching.

“Excuse me.” Erick caught Bluescales attention, then pointed to the fountain, holding his canteen upside down to show it was empty. “May we?”

Bluescale waved them to the water fountain.

“I didn’t know what I was gonna do if he said no.” Jane rushed to the fountain, immediately filling her canteen. “Yeeeeesssss.”

It took four seconds to fill up his canteen. He drank down half of that, then felt like he could lie down and sleep, right there on the street. But he didn’t, of course. He refilled his canteen, then rejoined Bluescale and Jane. She had kept herself more composed through the whole experience than he had.

“Good water?” Bluescale said, “I know how you feel. I’ve had to go on forest walks, too.”

“Ah. Yes? Maybe.” Erick gestured enthusiastically at the water, smiling and saying, “Very good water.”

The buildings were larger now that they were further from the gate. Grander, too. Most of them had carved pillars, or fresco facades. Some of the outsides even had ‘neon signs’ that were more holograms than visibly connected to any surface, like standard neon would have to be. Though these signs weren’t like the mostly-gaudy nature of neon signage back home. All of the floating, glowing letters here were muted white with black outlines, and had images to go along with the words. That place was obviously a restaurant, with two utensils crossed over a simple plate. Over there was a sword and some variation of what was probably an anvil. Food place again. Clothes. Clothes. Clothes. Food again.

Everyone was wearing really nice clothes the further they got down this street. Three people so far had scanned Erick and Jane up and down in obvious judgment. There were some jewelry shops. Another jewelry shop. That corner storefront was covered in gold, or maybe it was an illusion. If it was an illusion it was a very good illusion.

“I think this is the really nice district.”

Jane silently nodded. Bluescale looked backward, smiling.

They rounded the gold store and walked down a different street. The buildings here were even taller, but the people were few and far between. Trees occupied what was likely incredibly expensive land, creating small parks here and there. Water flowed in bubbling fountains, adding much needed moisture to the air. The desert was far away from this place.

Apartment buildings. Apartment buildings. Some sort of guildhouse. Merchant guildhouse, probably, what with the floating images of coins hovering on the outside of the second floor. Legal businesses over there, for sure. There’s a courthouse, maybe, redscale guard lounging on the big steps. Do all courthouses have huge steps leading up to the building—

We’re going up the courthouse steps.

Erick spoke with awe in his voice. “This is a hundred times nicer than what I expected out of a settlement.”

“Yeah,” said Jane, simply. “But those buildings over there… They’re empty.”

“What?” Erick looked backward. “Oh? That one’s even missing the top few floors, now that I can see it from this angle. And you know? There aren’t that many people. Not enough to account for a courthouse this big.”

Jane whispered, “There’s no one here except for that guard laying on the steps.”

Bluescale guard led them past the redscale guard relaxing on the courthouse steps. The two of them spoke in passing, Redscale waving Bluescale off, Redscale only sparing a momentary glance at Erick and Jane. Up the stairs, between massive pillars holding up the front of the courthouse, they walked into the building. Past a pair of massive stone doors, there was an empty guard station. Bluescale walked right past the empty station. The inside of the building was grey granite floors with black and white inlay, grey marble pillars and arched stone ceilings. Sunlight fell through skylights here and there, but the courthouse would have been dark if not for floating yellow-white light orbs hanging in the archways. Bluescale led them past the center dome. A massive yellow-white light orb hung in the center of this central space. It was obviously a globe. One shining dot on its surface glowed brighter than the rest. Erick wanted to study it, but Bluescale was already moving on.

Jane glanced at the globe, too, but she made sense of it with just that tiny look. “We’re almost in the middle of a continent, but there’s water to the south. Maybe a way to the ocean. We might have ended up there if we took a right perpendicular to our path to this place.”

A flat-grey metal dragonperson was suddenly there, walking forward but with her face down, reading papers. She stopped and looked up, startled at the appearance of three people in her path. Greymetal looked at Erick and Jane, her face twisting. She shouted at Bluescale. Bluescale shouted back. Greymetal said something calmer. Bluescale pointed down the hall to an office with a blue door, very similar in color to the blue boxes of the Script.

Greymetal lit into Bluescale, pointing at Erick and Jane’s canteens. Bluescale lit right back into Greymetal, saying something else, looking pointedly at Erick and Jane. He repeated his words, miming them to drink from their canteens.

Erick and Jane readily complied.

Greymetal frowned. She said something else, then exaggeratedly looked away. She walked away, saying something that was probably unkind, because Bluescale clacked the claws of his left hand together once, like he was trying to make the sound of one hand clapping. Greymetal whipped around at the tiny sound, glaring daggers. Bluescale made the gesture and sound again, right at Greymetal. Greymetal huffed, but walked away.

Those two did not like each other, at all.

Erick and Jane followed Bluescale to the blue door. He knocked. They waited. There was a response from the other side. Bluescale opened the door, saying something to someone, maybe to them, maybe to the person inside the room. A deep voice called out from inside the room, and Bluescale ushered them inside, past the blue door.

Understated opulence was the inspiration for this room. Smooth lines, comfortable furniture, bright lighting. One wall was entirely of three large waist to ceiling glass windows, with the central one open. The room was nice. Then they crossed the threshold of the room, and suddenly it was even nicer because they had stepped into air conditioning.

Erick let out a groan of happiness.

A small laugh escaped from the eight foot tall new Most Handsome Man in the world. He was obviously the registrar, being that he was the only person in this room and he was sitting in a large white chair behind a large white desk. He said something to Bluescale. Bluescale responded. There was an exchange, then Bluescale left the room and closed the door behind him. Erick tried not to stare at the registrar, but that would be asking for too much.

Seriously. What were these people eating? This guy was stacked, and his greying hair only made him look better. Unless there were immortal shenanigans afoot Erick and him might have been of a similar age. If not for the man’s inhuman perfection, Erick would have definitely hit on this dude. Maybe he would anyway. And yet, he was hesitant. Erick was happy with his body. His various lovers over the years had always been happy with him, too, and those that weren’t didn’t leave any lasting impression. Feeling intimidated like this was new.

At least these beautiful people weren’t human.

They probably weren’t human.

Frick. What if they were human? Was Erick ugly as sin?

The man spoke, and even his voice was perfect, though his words did not match his lips. “So you’re the two humans from that crash in the desert that my counterpart warned me about. Mind telling me what’s up… Hmm.”

The man stared at Erick. Then he looked away and typed at the air. He glanced at Erick before returning to whatever invisible screen floated in front of him. He glanced at Erick again.

Now Jane was looking at him, silently demanding to understand what he had done.

He hadn’t done anything! What’s with all these judgmental stares!

“Hmm.” The Most Handsome Man cleared his throat, moving right along. “The leading theory is that you two are outsiders from some part of the Planes that the Script never touched. That happens. Rarely, but it does. If you’d like, we can go ahead and make that your official story.”

“… That’s it?” Jane said, “No. No no. I would like some answers, please, since this is such a common occurrence. We were in the desert for two days— Correction: we were in some dark tunnel, where some dark dragon—”

The man typed at his invisible screen.

“—where some dark dragon decided against eating us only to teleport us way up in the sky, dropping us into the desert. The desert wasn’t so bad, but then a monster with obvious ties to the dark dragon chased us until my dad here cast a pair of [Cleanse] spells. All that was fucking crazy, but what I really want to know is why is your magic system so unbalanced!” She pulled out the D&D book scrap and shoved it at Erick. “[Mend] that more.”

Seeing no reason not to comply…

[Mend], [Mend], [Mend], [Mend], [Mend],—

Damn this was taking a lot of [Mend]s.

[Mend], [Mend], [Mend], [Mend], [Mend].

and… [Mend]!

Okay. A little light headed now. Let’s not faint in the handsome man’s office, please.

While he was [Mend]ing, Jane was going off. “How are we in a world with magic that is so close, yet so far from the game I play in my world?” She took the completed book from Erick’s hands and put it on the registrar’s desk. “How did we get here! How is this system I play games with related to everything?”

The registrar picked up the book. He flipped through a few pages. His eyes went wide, but then he frowned. The air flashed around the book and suddenly there was another copy. He pushed the original back toward Jane who grabbed it and held it against her chest. The man flipped through his copy.

Eventually, the registrar came to a conclusion, “The Script attempts to control all magic entering Veird, and those people who wholly refuse to be controlled are sent back to where they come from, or deleted if return is not possible. There are problems, of course. The only major disruption to the Script is Melemizargo. The Darkness Dragon you claim to have met. A word of warning: don’t mention Melemizargo outside the office of a registrar. People will think you’re tainted. And you probably both were, and still are in some way. Now the real question is how did you think to spend a point on [Cleanse], Mister Flatt?” The man eyed Erick, and it was not a comfortable stare.

“Uh. She thought of that. She’s the gamer, not me. I think magic is kinda ridiculous.”

The man nodded once, slowly.

Jane said, “When that other guy unlocked leveling and menus I started looking up everything I could think of in order to powergame your Script. The games I’ve played before. The usual ways to break a system. I think your healing is way powerful. More so than I thought healing had any right to be.”

The man nodded, assuredly this time. “The Script was designed to stop the abuses of magic which tore Veird apart fourteen hundred years ago in the Sundering. As magic settled down from that catastrophe, the human gods, the dragon lords, and the demon kings, worked together for the first and only time in history in order to change the very nature of magic. The resulting Script removed three specific categories of spells from magic, restricted many more, and empowered the common person to stand up to the abuses and slavery of the Old Wizards. One of the many changes was to take healing out of the hands of the gods and give it to everyone.”

“… Okay. So. Lore is helpful to know.” Jane said, “Makes sense, too. Gotta kill the slavers. Easier to do that when everyone can heal themselves.”

The registrar laughed. “Healing isn’t the half of it. You rarely personally hear of this, but everyone has a story about how a relative knows a guy who knows a guy who got the Class: Slave and was automatically teleported to safety out of some ship’s hold, or some asshole’s mage tower, who then led a Kill Quest against the slaver.” He added, “Except for demons. Those guys have a whole culture surrounding slavery. Demon slaves don’t get the automatic teleport or issued a Kill Quest.”

“Demons?” Erick paled. “Those are real? As in walking around and killing people, kinda real?”

The registrar smiled. “Of course they are! But you’re as likely to see a demon as you would an angel, so I wouldn’t worry too much about those people.”

Erick blanked. Eventually he said, “I’m not really the religious type.”

The man laughed again. “Okay. That seals it.” He typed away at the invisible air, then put both his hands on his desk. “Rozeta’s personal Deep Scan shows you as real humans, but with so many odd things in your bodies that there’s no way you’re not from some other fragment of reality. Your complete lack of knowledge, decorum, and anything approaching the sensibilities of the common veirdling, is what convinced me that you really are outsiders.”

“You’ve been scanning us?” Jane deflated a bit. “Okay?”

“That and a lot more. Well. Not me, personally. Rozeta. Dragon goddess of the Script. She says memories of your caliber are impossible to fake and she wishes you well on Veird.” The registrar frowned, reading from the air. He focused on Jane. “Rozeta would like you to know that you should not pledge yourself to a god until you have lived on Veird for a number of years and seen for yourself who the gods truly are. You are too naive. Hopefully, in a few years, you would have seen her good works, and the works of others, and she would have proven herself as the best choice. If you can prove yourself worthy to receive her favor, she will prove herself more than worthy of your devotion.”

“… I’m going to need time to think about that.”

“Of course.”

Erick asked, “Are we stuck here? Is there a way to get home?”

“You are very stuck. Dimensional magic was locked out by the Script, therefore research into the phenomenon which brought you here is functionally impossible. No one is really sure how outsiders end up on Veird. Maybe a planetary alignment thing. Maybe something more esoteric. Probably something on your end, to be honest. But it’s not like you walked through a portal, right? All the outsider stories are the same: You were gradually pulled here, like crossing a thousand small steps, only to find that you’ve gone the distance of a galaxy before you knew what was happening. It’s the same story for every outsider that manages to live this long.”

Erick deflated at the same time a chill raced down his spine.

‘Live this long’?

Jane spoke before he could. “Live this long?”

“You probably didn’t feel your body shutting down because Jane kept healing you, but as outsiders you’re biologically unfit for life on Veird. But don’t worry. The Script has a standardized outsider care package and the spells have already been cast. [Language Acquisition] and [Bacteria Ecology Transmutation] are the main buffs. They’ll both last for about a month and will make acclimation to Veird much easier. You’re really lucky you didn’t eat anything before you got to me. If you had, you probably wouldn’t have made it. You should be fine now. Maybe don’t try Wrought cuisine. Beyond that, you’ve also—”

Special Reward!

+3 Ability Points

“—gotten a small boost to starting your life on Veird, on account of not getting a proper Matriculation from a non-excitable registrar. That guy didn’t even give you a reward for his mandatory quest. Very unprofessional. Hopefully the extra points takes the sting out of having to spend two points on abilities you might not have wanted.” He leaned back in his chair. “And that brings us to this: I would like to have a real Matriculation with you both, right now, if there are no objections.”

Erick didn’t even know what he would be objecting to, so he just waited for the man to continue.

Jane seemed to have a similar thought process, though according to her focused face she was a lot more invested in this whole experience.

“Congratulations on Matriculation into the Script, Jane and Erick Flatt.” The man smiled, and everything seemed like it was going to be okay. “My name is Irogh. I’m the registrar for this town of Spur, which is the primary adventurer town for the Dead City, Ar’Kendrithyst. Anything you say to me inside or outside of this room is always under the Holy Seal of the Silent Script. This room is also warded in various ways to prevent spying of all kinds, so if you have something important you want to talk to me about and you don’t want others listening in, talk to me here; my door is usually open. With your Matriculation into the Script today, I will assist you in planning your builds to the best of my ability, be you plotting the downfall of a nation, god, demon king, or dragon lord, or if you want to become the best darn farmer on Veird. I am here for you, and your needs.” He looked from Jane to Erick. “Would you two like to Matriculate together, or separately?”

“Together,” Jane said at the same time Erick said, “Downfall of a god?”

Erick quickly added, “Together. Yes.”

“I know you’ve all been in the desert for a while. So—” Irogh waved his hand and simple food appeared. Crackers, cheese, and sliced fruits, piled high and artfully arranged on multiple plates. Three glasses and three large water pitchers also materialized, one pair next to each person. “Please enjoy. We can continue when you are feeling better.”

Not only was Irogh the Most Handsome Man in the world, he was also a joy to listen to and those tiny fangs of his were pretty cool. And there was food! Erick immediately took a plate, moving only slightly slower than Jane. Irogh poured himself some water, waiting for one of them to talk.

Jane spoke first. It was an exhaustive conversation. Most of it went over Erick’s head except the part where Jane decided that she wanted to explore the Dead City with an adventuring squad. Apparently, ‘adventuring’ was going to be a heavy part of her ‘teleporting paladin’ plan. That was worrying, but she was grown and could make her own decision, even if those decisions were about crazy magic...

But now that he was listening to Irogh discuss the finer points of Jane’s plan… If Jane focused on the teleporting side of her build first, she should be able to teleport in a few months. She would probably be safer on Veird than she would have been in the CIA! She would be able to teleport out of danger at will!

Amazing! Wonderful!

She could come home whenever she wanted!

A tear of happiness fell. He brushed it away before Jane noticed, but not before Irogh saw. The Most Handsome Man just smiled, not hinting at what he had seen to Jane.

Erick had no real idea of what he wanted to do on Veird, but he knew he needed money and to be a part of a community again. This town, Spur, seemed nice. It was certainly full of beautiful, helpful people.

And Jane was making plans to live here for the foreseeable future.

With a bit of a back and forth, Jane and Erick decided that both of them would stay in Spur. Irogh assured them that there was plenty of space for them, and that though Spur wasn’t a human town, it would certainly be more welcoming to other worlders than the nearest human city, Frontier.

And then it was Erick’s turn to talk with Irogh.

A lot of what Jane had said stuck with Erick. He really liked Jane’s ideas about auras, but they didn’t seem workable for her. Auras used too much mana. Auras were not a common build for anyone, but if Erick was going to try and make a living in the city, which he was, everyone was always in need of high level [Cleanse]ing and [Mend]ing, and if he could support an actual aura, he could easily find a place for himself in the city.

Not many people built for mage jobs, but Erick could see himself as a mage of some sort, now that it had all been properly explained to him. He didn’t really care to ‘exploit the system’ like Jane seemed to want, or kill things like adventuring demanded, but cleaning and fixing everything around him? He could do that. He already had most of the base stats necessary. 20 Focus was important for future plans, but that could come in as little as a few days.

But needing to cast spells for five to ten hours a day left little room for the stats necessary to survive on Veird. At 8 strength, Erick was already well below the recommended safe level of HP. If he had [Ward] he could make a skin-tight shield for an extra 50 HP per day. He almost bought [Ward] right then, but Irogh kept talking, and other ideas took precedence. Despite the proximity of Ar’Kendrithyst, Spur was a safe city. Monsters rarely got inside the walls and almost everyone had ‘adventurer experience’. Even the most intrepid ‘shadeling’ rarely survived a moment of public exposure.

Three hours after they began their Matriculation, Erick and Jane had individualized plans.

Erick might even have a job! It was supposed to be an easy money maker that would dovetail nicely into his future plans. There was only one problem. Well… One major problem. The job was [Cleanse]ing the sewers of Spur. Monsters lived in the dark. Supposedly, Erick wouldn't need to go into the actual sewers for the specific job that Irogh had recommended, but that didn’t make Erick feel any better about his chances. He bought [Ward].

Jane called him short sighted.

005

“But you have [Ward] and it was great in the desert. No reason not to get it!”

“And now, thanks to Irogh, I realize that purchasing that skill was a mistake. If I use [Ward] more than I have then I’m going to get classes I don’t want, and now is the most important time to cement my future build. I need to be using [Strike] and [Blink] and [Rejuvenation] and train to exhaustion.”

“I don’t like [Strike].”

“HP is not your physical wellbeing. It’s a buffer to damage; a resource exactly like MP.”

“… I don’t want to talk about magic anymore.”

Erick and Jane walked out of the courthouse, into the sun. He held a map of the city of Spur, making sure that they were headed in the right direction. Jane had her own map marked up with directions to the Adventurer’s Guild, but it was in her back pocket, along with her letter of introduction from Irogh. Erick’s letter from Irogh was in his own pocket.

Jane remained quiet for all of ten seconds.

“I want to talk about magic, Dad. You’ve had a slower start than me. I’m already at 20 Focus. It only took one point to buy Concentration for double daily MP regen.” They stepped down onto the road in front of the courthouse and headed right, further into the city. Jane continued, “You need that too, and you can’t get that without first spending 3 points in Focus. That’s all of that special reward and—”

“I’m almost at level 2. I’ll get the points. It’ll be fine. I’m going to be fine.” He turned left at the next intersection. This part of the city had more people than the legal district. A few old whitescales watched Erick and Jane walk by, but went back to playing their boardgames. It was a straight shot from here down to Erick’s destination which was ‘impossible to miss’, so he put away his map. No need to appear like a total tourist to anyone who might be watching. “I’m more worried about you than I am about myself. An adventurer? You’re really going to go out there and kill some wolves?”

The city here was half deserted. The buildings were several stories tall, but there were only four visible people; two giants walking together one way, two redscales walking together the other way. Spur was big, but it wasn’t very full once you got away from the marketplaces.

“They’re shadowolves, Dad. They’re not innocent wildlife displaced by people encroaching on their territory. They’re maneaters that flow out from the Dead City unless they’re culled into manageability.”

The road angled left to accommodate a park. The green space was empty save for trees and a public water fountain that burbled in the center. After the park, the road angled back to the right. Some of the buildings down here were clearly in disrepair. Missing glass in the windows, broken walls, absent upper floors.

“You could hunt slimes in the sewer. That’s supposed to be a good starter mission.”

“Yes. But hunting slimes is a solo endeavor, not a group mission. I need to be a part of the community in order to understand this world, and don’t forget: we’re humans in a non-human town. There are incani around here and they seem to hate humans.”

Jane had tried to change the subject. Erick wasn’t going to let that happen.

“I’m probably going to have to hunt slimes to pay for us tonight. What’s it called? That thing that the slimes have that’s worth—“

Jane rattled off, “Rads. All living things condense rads in the body. Those that don’t -or can’t- constantly expel their rads will turn into monsters. Rads are easiest to see in a slime; they’re part of the slime’s core. Finding them in the entrails of other monsters can be a difficult but rewarding task, since rads are what you use to make enchantments. Because rads are used to both make and renew enchantments, and of course enchantments fade over time, rads define the value of everything else.” She glared at Erick. “Learn the basics, please. Irogh repeated this information several different ways.”

Erick smirked. “I might have to hunt slimes all on my own. I might even have to spend another point on a damage spell. I’m thinking [Force Shrapnel] because it sounds cool. What do you think?”

Jane grumbled, frowning. She said nothing.

Erick continued to tease, “I’m glad that resting turns MP per day into MP per hour. Otherwise those [Mend]s you had me do—”

“You can stop it now. You do you. I’ll do— Look lively. We’ve got trouble ahead.”

“What?” Erick scanned the streets. He understood Jane’s concern. “Them?”

A pair of Incani sitting on a nearby porch stared daggers at Erick and Jane. Erick waved at them. They hopped down from their porch. Jane cursed, saying something unkind about Erick’s willingness to be friendly to obviously dangerous people.

“A pair of humans around here? In Spur? Kinda shifty. Kinda concerning.”

“I agree, Brother. We might have to call the guards. Maybe even the army.”

They moved in tandem, the larger one stepped in front of them, the smaller one moved behind Erick. Another Incani watched from the front of a nearby apartment building, but made no move otherwise. A pair of dragonkin children noticed what was happening and quickly vanished around the corner of a house. In moments, only five visible people were concerned with the confrontation in the street.

And Erick and Jane had stopped walking. That was a mistake. Erick knew he should never have stopped walking, but freezing in the face of obvious danger was practically instinctual. With how Jane looked, though, she didn’t freeze like Erick. She had chosen to stop when Erick had stopped. She was protecting him.

“Hello.” Erick said, “What’s happening, my dudes? Ah. Dudette for you. Sorry about that. Not from around here as I’m sure you’re now aware.”

“They don’t speak the language? Sister! These people need an education.” The larger male incani patted the knife in his belt. “What would they pay us for such a service?”

“Everything in that blanket they’re carrying, for sure.” The smaller woman touched the knife in her belt, eyeing the blanket wrapped around Jane’s chest and shoulder. “Give us the blanket, please?”

Irogh had told them many things about the Script and a few things about the law in Spur. Erick wasn’t worried for Jane. He wasn’t worried for himself. He was worried for these people if they continued on this path. Their body language had them on a crash course in pain.

Erick said, “Please don’t make my daughter hurt you.”

“I’m not going to throw the first punch. Irogh was very clear on how Spur works.”

As the three of them waited for any reason to start a fight, Erick decided to try something else. He calmly walked forward, briefly touching Jane’s shoulder. “Keep walking. I shouldn’t have stopped. That was my mistake.” Erick walked forward. The man did not move out of the way, so Erick stepped clear to the side, nodding at the man, pausing beside the mugger to say to Jane, “I’d like to go now.”

Jane huffed, moving to follow.

The two muggers stayed behind. The male mugger waved to Erick.

Erick replied, “Nice to meet you, too.”

Erick did not run away, but he kept a steady pace. Jane lingered as she followed Erick down the street, her eyes locked on the pair of incani, and the one to the side who remained out of the conflict.

There were no other incidents all the way to the ‘sewerhouse’.

Thank the gods and goddesses for small favors.

- - - -

The sewerhouse was a solid gold two story building with holographic pipes floating around the entirety of the flat, blocky structure. There were no windows on the ground floor and few on the second. Beside the wide-open and well lit entrance were two holographic monsters, one on each side, each looking like jello molds with a golden light in the center. Erick wouldn’t have thought them monsters, because they had no eyes or anything else monstrous, but they were animated. They bounced. They wiggled. That was the first major clue that they were monsters sculpted from light. The second clue came when Jane called out—

“Slimes!” She laughed. “So cute!”

“Those are slimes?”

“Duh!” Jane walked into the open building. “Come on, Dad.”

Ignoring his own lack of monster knowledge, Erick focused on the building instead, saying, “I expected some sort of smell. Maybe a plain brick building? Open water pits, etcetera.” As he stepped into the building, even more oddities appeared. The theme of this place was clearly overstated opulence, and, of course, there was A/C. “I did not expect this.”

Bright lightorbs illuminated a gold-pillared show room floor that only had a single exhibit to showcase: A glass case sitting twenty feet inside the room. But then Erick immediately noticed a massive dragonkin standing to the left, inside the open front room, seven feet away. Erick looked up at the man. The man was silent, except for the singular release of a heavy huff of air through the faceplate of his black, full body armor. The only reason Erick knew he was a dragonkin was because his armor did not cover his fingers or palms; large claws capped the tips of blackscaled fingers.

“Hello, custo— Humans?” A cheery voice cracked out from behind the front counter. A purplescaled woman stood there. She coughed small once, mumbling something. She beckoned them to come to the counter. “Sorry. We don’t get many humans in there. Please don’t mind Savral. He’s a great guy.”

Erick walked forward while Jane kept glancing at the big guy. “Hello. I know you can’t understand me. I can’t understand you, either. I have a letter here for Al—” He pulled out the letter and set it on the counter while Purplescale stood dumbfounded at the words coming out of his mouth. “I was informed that I could work here, using [Cleanse] somehow. I’m not interested in killing slimes, but I understand that might be a part of the job.”

Purplescale frowned but took the letter. She read the cover, then said, “One second.” She called to Blackscale, “Keep an eye out.” She smiled serenely as she rapped a knuckle on a bell sitting on the counter. It made no sound. “He’ll be with you in a moment.”

Jane looked at the bell. She looked at Blackscale as the giant dragonperson moved slightly closer to the door. She looked at Purplescale smiling like an idiot. Erick just mimicked Purplescale's smile, trying to keep calm in a situation that had every indication of rapidly decaying.

Erick said, “Jane. Please relax. If we can’t survive this, we can’t survive Veird.”

“I don’t think they like us.”

“I don’t think they know us and are just being cautious because we’re human.” Erick changed the topic by pointing at the items under the glass. “What do you think these things are? They’re obviously for sale. But why would a sewerhouse be selling crystals? And powder? Do you think these are drugs?”

Jane spared the glass case a glance. “Not drugs. Not sure what those are.”

Purplescale asked, “Are you interested in purchasing some rads today? Or are you selling?”

Blackscale said, “They’re too poor to afford rads, Bacci.”

“I think Blackscale insulted us.”

Erick said, “Probably.”

The echo of heavy footsteps carried on the air from somewhere in the back of the room. “What’s happening, Bacci!” An absolutely enormous man walked up from a hidden staircase, stepping into view. “Humans? How quaint.”

The man was impeccably dressed in something that was a cousin to both a gangster’s pinstripe suit and a sultan’s fancy flowing clothes, and he looked good. Seriously, the giants of Spur were too pretty. He had short black hair, deep black eyes, light brown skin tinted green, and, of course, obvious muscles underneath all those loose clothes. Scars on his face and his hands just added character. A hint of gold near the collar of his neck was the perfect accent to his whole look.

Purplescale handed the giant Erick’s letter of introduction.

This must be Al.

Oh gods, I’m going to have to work with this dude?

“Hello, sir. I understand you—”

The man held up one hand to silence Erick, flipping the wax seal off of the letter with the other. He quickly read it, then read it again. The man smirked at Erick. The letter turned to ash in a puff of red fire. Uhhh. Was that supposed to happen? Was that a good sign, or a bad sign? Irogh had refused to tell them the exact contents of the letter, saying it was better this way. But was it really? Erick supposed he could learn to kill wolves with Jane if he needed to do that in order to live, if this didn’t work out. But he really didn’t want to kill anything.

Al said, “This one might be a new employee for us. The girl might end up an adventurer. The man comes recommended by Irogh, though I’ll have to get him into shape first, of course.” He leaned behind the counter and pulled out a piece of bread, hidden in the cabinet below the display case. He crushed it into crumbs, then scattered the crumbs into two piles on the pristine floor. “[Cleanse].” One of the piles vanished into wisps of air. He gestured to Erick.

Easy test. [Cleanse].

The other pile vanished, same as the first.

“Silent casting? You’re only level one, though, so we have a long way to go.”

“A level one?!” Blackscale blurted. “But he looks so old!”

“Exactly! And he wants to be an aura mage, too. This might be perfect.” Al said, “He doesn’t know the language yet, but he’s had [Language Acquisition] and [Bacteria Ecology Transmutation] cast upon him, so that won’t take long to fix, and those first levels always go fast. Just have to talk around him and he’ll pick up what you’re putting down. As for the low level, he’s an outsider. We’re his first experience with Veird, so let’s make it a good one.”

Purplescale said, “If you say so, Boss Man.”

Jane mumbled, “This is all very confusing.”

“An outsider?” Blackscale said, “Should we keep that under our helmets?”

“It’ll probably get around fast enough, but I don’t want either of you spreading it around. The girl is going to become an adventurer and that’ll out her, for sure. Come with me, Erick Flintt.” Al gestured to follow as he walked back to where he came from in the back of the room. “We’ll get you what you need today. Your status is mostly there.”

Blackscale said, “You got his status?”

Erick turned to Jane. “I guess we’re starting right now. Um. Do you—”

“Yes, I got his status.” Al frowned at Blackscale. “That’s why I destroyed the letter.”

“I’m not going into a sewer, Dad. You go do your thing. Either meet me at the Guild, or I’ll come back here. Hopefully one of us will be able to rent a room and buy food tonight.”

And then Jane was gone, out the door and on her way. It happened so fast Erick had no chance to—

“Coming?” Al waited by the stairs. “Don’t worry about your daughter. This is a safe city! Come, come! Down this way, future mage.” Al’s heavy footfalls carried him out of sight.

Erick followed.

Further inside the sewerhouse, Erick realized that it wasn’t just the front room that was opulent. Thankfully, yellow-white light orbs clung to the ceiling every five feet, shedding bright light, chasing the shadows away. This whole place was as expensive on the inside as it looked on the outside. And for a sewer, the smell was nonexistent, the lighting was plentiful, the ground was clean. Actually, for any business at all, all those things were still true. Down the stairs there were other rooms, a few of them filled with couches and pillows and tables, while others looked like offices for kings, or at least minor lords. The ground and walls were clean, light brown stone, like the walls of the city, but of a nicer texture. Smoother, maybe? Polished, for sure. And the space! So much space. Erick felt like a child in a castle, and even Al’s head was still three feet from the roof. This place had either been built, or rebuilt, with people like Al in mind.

Past that hallway a winding, wide staircase led into the depths. The air was heavy with moisture, but the walls were clean, devoid of moss, mildew, or stains. [Cleanse] was a truly wonderful spell. The spiral staircase ended in a landing overseeing a deep underground river that frothed and seethed far below. Aside from that main torrent down there, a secondary flow of water emptied into the underground river from an unreachable wall on the other side of the cavern.

A thick railing kept Erick apart from the torrential depths, and from worrying too deeply about falling in to that dark river, but some primal part of him still worried at the possibility.

What monsters might live in those ancient waters? Terrifying.

Al patiently waited for him to stop staring at the cavern. When Erick recovered himself, Al kept walking to the left, into a short, hundred foot hallway that ended in a person-made dome room. Five doors occupied the room, all of them metal and each somewhat equidistant from the entrance hallway. One of them a vault door compared to the other four, which were still giant-person-sized. Erick kept right behind Al. Al turned right and opened the nearest door; the vault door drew Erick’s attention, but that was not their destination.

Now this was more of a sewer that Erick was thinking of when he thought ‘sewer’. There was still no smell, though. The main feature of this room was the cesspool that took up most of the space. The other features included a catwalk over the center of the cesspool and a dark barred hallway leading into the rest of the sewers. Very large metal bars blocked anything larger than a mouse from crossing over from the greater sewer into this cesspool room, but holy hell, the yawning darkness beyond those thick metal bars was terrifying. The water that poured from there was… not clean. But honestly not that nasty.

No… it was bad. This was bad.

The light orb hanging in the center of the room was not bright enough.

This was a bad idea.

Before Erick could run away, Al walked across the cesspool’s catwalk to stand in the very center of the circular room, then bade Erick to watch. Erick watched, not sure what his other options were. Air flexed from Al as a massive [Cleanse] tore through the whole area, pulsing deep into the cesspool, all the way through the water to the very edges. The water cleared in seconds. A massive torrent of twisting air held contained to some invisible barrier just bellow the catwalk, dissipating down the cesspool’s outflow. The water that continued to pour into the pool was [Cleanse]d as fast as it poured in, but those twisting tendrils of thick air washed out through vents in the ceiling.

That had to be an aura. It was still active. It was not a one-and-done cast like how Erick had cast [Cleanse] before. And then Al cast another spell while maintaining his aura. It might have been a [Ward]. It probably was a [Ward]. The air certainly glittered like it was warded.

No. Wait. That wasn’t just a [ward] glittering. Sparkles floated out of the water, into the air, only to crash into the space in front of Al like they were falling due to gravity. As Al maintained his [Cleanse] Aura, the [Ward] did the work of gathering the sparkles. In a minute, most of whatever Al was gathering had settled into a shimmering cloud. He pulled out a bowl from a pocket and held it under the sparkling mass. The mass fell into the bowl. Al dismissed the [Ward]. Then he dismissed his aura. The water below began to turn murky again as the inflow resumed dumping dirt into the cesspool.

Al walked over to Erick with the bowl of sparkles. He took a knee to get eye-to-eye with Erick. Erick’s heart beat a bit faster, but he ignored that for now. The bowl was filled with fingernail-sized sparkles amid grains of crystal sand and white powder. Al opened the upper flap of his shirt with a single, sexy move of his fingers. He pulled out a gold chain necklace with a rough-poured gold bar as a centerpiece. The bar was the size of a giant’s pointer finger, but it was still more gold than Erick had ever seen in person, aside from that one trip to the Shipwreck Museum when Jane was ten.

Al held the bar in one hand and the bowl in the other, then pretended to be a balancing scale.

The message was clear.

The bowl and the bar were the same price.

“Haha!” Erick laughed. “That’s a lot of money!”

“You can make a good life for yourself with this job.”

Erick paled. “I understood that.”

Al stood up, smiling. “[Language Acquisition] is a good buff spell. You be learning fast.”

Erick laughed again.

Okay. The job might be shit. But it’s not like Jane’s plan of being arms deep in monster guts is any nicer. This is just picking up the money. But…

Why are there so many sparkles in the sewers?

Why are the sparkles so expensive?

Erick thought about his words, then asked, “Why are sparkles so expensive?”

Some of that might have gotten through. Erick hoped it was enough. It wasn’t, of course. It took five tries and a lot of gestures before Al understood the question.

Al put a cap on the bowl and put it in his pants pocket, saying, “Because you make magic items out of them. Enchanting.”

Not a very clear answer, but Erick was getting there.

Cheers to progress!

But seriously. Did he actually want this job?

There was one question that would make or break this for him. Erick used his hands while he spoke, hoping he was speaking correctly, “How often do you clean these four pools?” He had to ask the question eight different ways. His main breakthrough in communication happened when he made a sun with one hand and arced it over his other arm, held flat, to indicate a day.

Al said, “I clean pool every four days.”

Erick smiled. That was a good answer. What came next was a bad answer.

“I hunt slimes every day.” He picked out one of the largest sparkles in the bowl. “Rad slime bigger than this. You no hunt slimes. Oozes in sewer last few days. Oozes will eat you alive.”

Ah. No hunting for Erick then. That’d be fine.

Al gestured that it was time to go. Erick left the room first. Al closed the door to the cleaned cesspool with a heavy clank. Then it was time for Erick to clean his own cesspool behind a different door. The vault door remained closed at the end of the hallway, and Erick was thankful for that.

When Erick couldn’t manage to clean his whole cesspool at once, Al just laughed, saying something that might have been cheerful disparaging about low levels. Al kept pushing Erick to cast again, and when Erick was finally spent, down to his last fourteen mana, they went back upstairs, back to one of the pillow rooms. Al burst his cleaning aura, then pointed Erick to the couches. Erick gratefully laid down as Al left to go about his business elsewhere.

Erick really, really wanted to nap. His HP had even taken a hit with all that casting. But he had gained some skill in [Cleanse] as well as two base levels, and he had points to spend.

Status.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 3, Class: None

Exp: 90/300

Class: -/-

Points: 7

HP

75/80

150 per day

MP

14/160

170 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

17

+0

[17]

Ward 1, instant, short range, 24 hours

Create a small ward that can have minor effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 + Z MP

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Exp: 0/100

Mend 3, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or small complicated, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 10/300

Cleanse 2, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 80/200

He had 7 points. It was, honestly, a lot of points. They just started to add up. He needed to spend some. It was time to start the plan he had worked out with Irogh.

+3 Focus first… Done.

Then comes the 20 focus double regen ability…

Concentration 1

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.0

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 0/100

And the prerequisite for Aurify… Where is it… There it is!

Mana Shaping 1

Alter AOE in subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 0/100

And now for what Irogh called arguably the most important skill.

… I shouldn’t buy it yet. Look at those downsides.

Meditation 1

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Immobile, blind, deaf, ten minutes to begin.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 0/100

Gotta be honest, Meditation does not look good. Not at level 1. I’ll keep those points in reserve for now.

Status.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 3, Class: None

Exp: 90/300

Class: -/-

Points: 2

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

10/160

400 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Using [Meditation] here was a bad idea. Blindness and deafness in the sewerhouse? With the darkness only a thousand feet away? No thanks. Not to mention the raging underground river which is, FOR SURE, full of monsters. Strangers all around. Slimes. Monsters worse than slimes. There’s metal doors on each pool, but who can trust a door when it comes to monsters?

‘Oozes will eat you alive’.

What the hell is an ‘Oozes’?

006

Erick woke up in a startled second.

He was alone. Drool stuck him to the pillow clutched in his hands. Yellow-white lightorbs cast steady light from the upper corners and center ceiling of this pillow/resting room. The sound of rushing water was far away, but audible. His MP and HP were full. Did that wake him?

Erick stood up and cast a [Cleanse] where he had laid, standing himself in the burst of thick air as it went to work. Eleven more of those and he’d reach spell level 3. He brushed his clothes down. He had already [Mend]ed everything of his and of Jane’s, but maybe, if the pay here was good, he could buy some local clothes soon. He was wearing a traveling outfit when they fell to Veird, and he was still wearing that traveling outfit. Jeans, t-shirt, shoes and socks meant for car rides more than hiking through the desert. Jane was in the same boat.

“I wonder what’s happening with her.”

A giant appeared in the doorway.

“AHHh! Oh.” Erick tried to not look like an idiot. “Sorry.”

Al smiled, saying, “Back to work! You have more mana, yes?” Al beckoned Erick to follow.

“Yes.” Erick followed. “Full on mana.” Then he remembered the one [Cleanse] when he woke. “Uh. Mostly full.”

“Concentration?”

“And Mana Shaping.”

“Mana Shaping we can work on later. [Meditation]?”

“No [Meditation]. Not yet.”

Al nodded. “We get you to level five today. Buy the necessary skills. [Meditation] very important. You work on that on your own until you can meditate without afflictions.”

Erick tried to work out what he was saying. Working on [Meditation] on his own? That sounded about right. Makes sense. But Erick didn’t want to Meditate in the sewerhouse until he thought he was safe to do so.

- - - -

Down the staircase they went, past the terrifying underground river, back through small metal door #2. The trip wasn’t as terrifying the second time. That darkness past the metal bars of the cesspool room, though… That was still terrifying.

Erick dumped 12 [Cleanse 2]s and three [Cleanse 3]s into that cesspool, chunking two and three meter holes into the settling sludge, but the pool itself was something like ten meters across and several meters deep. The water was almost as nasty after his cleanings as it was before. Al didn’t seem to mind that Erick couldn’t clean the whole thing. He just made Erick go back to the pillow room and lay back down. This time, Al left Erick with some bread, cheese, and water, then went across the hallway to his well appointed office and shut the door.

The cheese was strong and so good. Erick would have eaten more, but being at 6 mana was exhausting beyond belief. He laid down.

- - - -

He woke up, startled. His HP and MP were full.

Jane snored on the couch next to him. The little food that he had left on the one plate was completely gone, but there were two plates on the table in the center of the room. Did Al give Jane some food, too? That was really nice of him.

Maybe working here was a good idea. It’s not like it was a full time job, since the pools got cleaned and processed every four days. Maybe that’s how long they took to fill up?

Status: Cleanse.

Cleanse 3, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 50/300

Erick did some quick calculations based on what he knew. Skills only go up to level 10, according to Irogh. So the pool itself was probably exactly ten meter across… Or probably less to account for water depth. That meant a max level [Cleanse] was necessary for this job. He wasn’t sure about how long it would take to get to level 10. Jane would know. He’d ask her later.

Status.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 3, Class: None

Exp: 250/300

Class: -/-

Points: 2

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

160/160

422 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

422 per day? The heck? Oh. Right.

Concentration 2

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.11

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 56/200

I guess it levels based on what actually regenerates? Every MP past my cap must have been lost.

Hmm. And it didn’t give base experience, either. Maybe skills like this get their own exp based on what they do, but my exp doesn’t go up unless I am spending resources? Yet another thing to ask Jane.

Erick looked at Jane. She was sleeping soundly on her couch, her blanket wrapped around her body. The few trinkets left from the car crash were tucked just under her couch.

A blackscaled monster loomed in the doorway.

“HOLY FU—!”

Jane launched to her feet. She immediately calmed, then glared at Erick.

“Calm down! Stupid humans!” said Blackscale, shaking his head. He was out of his armor, wearing a simple dark tunic and dark pants. “I came to invite you to dinner, not get screamed at. Dad wants to talk to you more.”

“Of course.” Jane composed herself. “We would love to have dinner with you all.”

Blackscale spoke to Erick, “And you should spend some mana on [Cleanse]. We’re done for the day.”

Blackscale waited. Jane turned to Erick, and waited.

Erick shot out 15 [Cleanse]s across the room. There was a level up notification in there somewhere, but he ignored it. The room was clean before, and it was still clean now. When he was done, he turned to Jane. “What’s your training regimen like?” He paused. That wasn’t all English, was it?

And then Jane responded in non-english, but every word was understandable, “I got this here—” She pulled a black stone from her pocket. “It’s a piece of hard stone that I can [Strike] with my finger.” She demonstrated by holding the stone in her hand and tapping it with that same thumb. The air cracked at she ‘struck’ the stone. Then she glowed with the power of a [Rejuvenation]. “Then I heal myself, and [Strike] the stone again. There's a global cooldown of a second between each activation of each ability, but that's fine.” Which she did. “It’s all pretty zen, once you get into it.”

Blackscale smirked. “I remember that stage of growth. A friend cast the healing spells on me for me. I’ve focused on other things.”

Jane walked forward. “But why would you not want the option of healing yourself?”

Blackscale laughed, then started walking toward the stairs leading up. Jane followed.

Erick hurried to catch up. He listened to their discussion from his position in the rear, taking in all the new words. Jane must have talked to a lot of people today. Many more than Erick had.

- - - -

Blackscale opened the door and walked in, saying, “They’re here, Dad.”

“Welcome! Welcome, Erick and Jane!” Al appeared in the doorway, waving them inside. “Come in! Come inside to my home!”

“Thank you for your hospitality.”

Erick and Jane walked in and Al nodded.

Now this place was more Erick’s style, but it was all giant sized. Stone flooring and lots of carpets. Warm wood furniture with canvas cushions. Big picture windows. Half of the upper room was open, containing the kitchen and the living room. The other half was a wall with three doors, one of them open and leading to a bathroom.

“Dinner is later, but for now, we have wine! How long will it be, Savral?”

Blackscale, Savral, Al’s son, said, “An hour. Everything is prepared already.”

“You have a nice home,” Jane said.

Erick said, “A really nice home.”

“I enjoy it here. Thank you.” Al pulled the cap off of a black bottle then poured wine into giant-sized goblets. He handed one each to Jane and Erick, then took his own, leaving Savral to pick up his own glass, which he did. “To your health.”

“To your health!”

They all drank at once. Erick was suddenly hit with a sense of vertigo. No, not from the wine. That tasted great, and everyone was smiling. No. The vertigo came from how similar this was to dinner with new friends, or old friends, or any one of the thousands of times he had experienced this exact same interaction, but back on Earth. A sudden pang of homesickness struck. He sighed.

Al frowned. “Is something the matter?”

Erick waved him off. “No. No. Just a sudden homesickness. Usually, I was the one to start these sorts of dinners.”

Al smiled wide. “I look forward to eating a meal in your home one day. But until then, come, come.” He waved them toward the living room part of the common room, to a pair of couches set up across from each other with a coffee table sitting between them. “We can sit and talk while Savral cooks. My son is a great cook, but still no wife! Or husband.”

“Dad.”

“What? It is true enough.” Al said to Erick, “He is too reluctant to commit.”

“Father.”

“Ha ha! I kid, I kid.”

Savral was already cooking and doing his best to ignore his father. There was no wall between the kitchen and the rest of the room, so Savral could participate in the conversation while he prepared dinner. It was a nice design. As for how he was cooking: it looked almost like a normal Earth kitchen. The stove was magical, of course, with summoned flames from a dark metal slab that adjusted the heat from a series of touch-based runes on the edge of the metal slab. Everything else was completely normal. Well-seasoned black woks, black pots, and black pans. Cutting boards and chef knives. Strange-looking vegetables and seasonings, though.

Erick sat down on one end of the couch, Jane the other. Al took the facing couch and brought the wine bottle with him.

Speaking quick, Al went right to business. “So you two are from another reality.”

Jane nearly spat out her wine. Erick did not control his own reaction that well; a bit of drink came out of his mouth without his say so.

Al just pulsed a tiny [Cleanse] and kept right on. “What type of world were you born on? I have known a few outsiders in my time. One was from a reality of what she called ‘spaceships’ and ‘warp drives’. She was not human, though. Close, but pointy eared and unusually skilled in plant magics. She used to call herself an ‘elfin’.” Al shook his head. “Fate was not kind to her. She used that word around a clan of orcols and they murdered her for it.”

Jane held her breath.

Erick couldn’t help but say, “Just casually murder someone? Over a word?”

“Ah. So you come from a kinder world.”

Jane said, “Well. Maybe not. I’m sure there’s a case of someone saying some seemingly innocuous thing around someone else and getting killed for it.”

“You seem like good people.” Al said, “So don’t ever call an orcol an elf. The beauty you see is part of a long history that started with the Sundering, the destruction of all the elves, and the sudden combination of one people and one monster because the Script misfired. The Rage and the Genocide Wars followed, where the Goddess of Beauty was dying because her people were already dead and the only way to save herself and stop the War was by becoming our Goddess of Brutality. To this day, she gives us the tools, but we cull the Rage from ourselves. There are some side effects.”

That was all great to know, but mainly Erick was ecstatic for one specific reason. “Oh, thank god you’re not human!”

Al chuckled, “What?”

“My self-esteem just got a massive boost.”

“Ha!” Savral said, “You thought an orcol a human?”

“I’m not from around here.”

Al just laughed.

Erick was about to speak when Jane spoke first, “We’re from a world— One world, just humans. No magic. Do you know the population of Veird? The size of your planet? It’s hard to judge comparisons.”

Al looked up, humming.

Savral said, “Maybe five hundred million people? Not sure.”

“That doesn’t include the Wrought, either. There’s too many down there and they don’t let any non-wroughts into their cities.” Al said, “Veird is maybe 25,000 krin across? I think that’s right.”

“Krin?”

Jane said, “It’s practically the same thing as a kilometer. They also use a base 10 metric type system.” She turned to Al. “Our Earth is half that size, but with eight billion humans.”

“Crowded!” Al said.

“Yes.” Jane asked. “Were you always a sewermaster?”

“For about 25 years. I used to be an adventurer until Savral’s mother dropped him in my lap.” Al smiled. “I’m happy for the outcome, but I miss travel.” He pointed at Erick. “I hope you skill up fast. I want to take a vacation soon!”

That was a big load to drop in Erick’s lap.

Really?

“Really?” Jane said, “That’s a bit crazy.”

“Don’t get me wrong. The Mage Guild gets very angry if they don’t get their shipments on time. I just want another aura mage that I can trust to do the job and keep the rads flowing so I can leave Spur for a week or two, every so often. I’ve trained up several aura mages over the decades but the last one left for greener pastures over a year ago. I’ve had a standing request with Irogh to point any new aura mages in my direction.”

Erick let that all sink in. Al was primed to let him.

Erick said, “Sounds great to me.”

“YeesS!” Al cheered, sloshing wine. Some spilled on the carpet. A tiny [Cleanse] followed as Al stood up to completely fill everyone’s wine glasses, saying as he did, “Another bottle!”

Erick drank to that. So did Savral.

“How much does this job pay, anyway?” Jane asked, sipping her wine.

Al rummaged around for another black bottle of wine, saying, “We pull an average equivalent 5400 gold from the pools per month, 4100 is immediately deducted by the City of Spur, as is their due.” He opened a new bottle and rejoined them on the couches. “1300 is left. 400 of that goes into sewer maintenance which is handled through daily [Mend] and [Cleanse] quests posted at the Adventurer’s Guild.” He sipped his wine, which was more like taking a huge gulp, then filled his glass before setting the bottle on the coffee table. “Leaving 900 for pay. I take 600 of that since I personally do the magic and the business necessary to control the sewerhouse. 80 goes to Savral, 60 to Bacci. There’s another pair of employees at the other gold building in town, you might have seen it? They both take another 50. That leaves 60 for any part-timer that wants to cast the correct spells, correctly, and who isn’t a liability.”

He looked at Erick. “Can you do the work, or are you a liability until you can?”

Smiling, Erick said, “A liability for sure, but I still want to get paid.”

“Ha!” Al said, “Half pay, provided you do your best to level. If I think you’re slacking, you’re fired. You’ll also need [Ward] at some point in time, but that’s easy to level. [Ward] is also useful to make money outside of this sewerhouse.” Al pointed at the window and down. “See those lights in the streets outside? I made those. Some last for years, but a good warder is never destitute for long. The Mages Guild organizes all that, so talk to them if you want to do some warding.” Al turned serious for a second. “But this job comes first, okay.”

“Of course— But! I need to buy [Ward]?” Erick smiled at Jane. “Jane here thought it was a bad buy.”

“I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about sometimes. It happens.”

Savral and Al laughed. Erick smiled.

The smells of frying meat and grilled veggies filled the air as two earthlings talked with two veirdlings about nothing in particular, and about everything that everyone should know. For instance, Erick and Jane could probably buy a house in the human part of Spur for cheap, maybe four hundred gold, while 1 gold a night was the average price for a decent hotel room. They would spend tonight here at the sewerhouse, though, Al wouldn’t take no for an answer. The resting rooms downstairs were made to be rested in, and if the sound of water bothered them, Al could close the door to the river room

Erick enthusiastically wished for the door to the river room to be closed for the night.

Dinner was great. Fried meats, vegetable stir-fry, and a rice-like grain that was brown and round.

When it came to the topic of killing shadowolves, Erick was widely panned for his pacifist views.

Night had come in full while they ate. Al cleaned up the mess with a simple [Cleanse], leaving the plates and utensils on the table where they had been since before dinner was served. Al bid them to retake the couches for more talking before Jane and Erick went downstairs for the night, so they did.

As Erick sipped his wine, he looked out over the dark city. Sure, there were lights here and there and the streetlight orbs illuminated the roads, but the buildings mostly stood dark against the night sky. Either there was no night life here, or something else was wrong with the city. Erick was leaning toward the second possibility.

Al noticed Erick’s stare. He said, “If you’d listen to any of the wrought who lived through the Great Purge of Spur over a hundred years ago, they would tell you stories about this city being a beacon for all adventurers. A jewel of the crystal forest. A beachhead keeping Ar'Kendrithyst contained. Overpopulated in the extreme.”

Jane sipped her wine.

Erick asked, “A hundred years? And it still hasn’t recovered?”

“It can’t. Fundamentally, Spur will always be weak from now on. The Human city of Frontier was established after the Great Purge, and then the Incani built to the west in response to the Humans.”

Savral spoke up, “You two are the only humans in Spur.”

“Well that’s fun,” Erick said.

Jane added, “Humans are a drag, anyway.”

Savral laughed.

Al said, “When I spoke earlier about you buying a house in the human district for cheap, I meant the former human district. That part of Spur is a ghost town. People have been asking for it to be torn down to make way for parks and permanent farmland, but the Mayor, Silverite, won’t allow it. I hope you two choose to stay in Spur. Maybe you can even revitalize that part of town.”

With a yawn from Jane, the night was over. With compliments to Savral’s cooking and a ‘good night’, Al led them downstairs then rolled a vault door over the entrance to the underground river. How had Erick not noticed that door there before? Maybe he was just too scared. Whatever the case, he felt a lot better about sleeping here for the night. Al pointed out the employee washroom, and pulled out some blankets for both of them, trusting them to find their own accommodations inside the first resting room.

Erick cast 16 [Cleanse]s, making sure Al saw. He did. He smiled. He bid them good night.

Erick hit the pillow and instantly fell asleep.

He woke up later, cast 15 more [Cleanse]s, used the wash room, cast a [Cleanse], then went back to bed. This time he stayed asleep for the rest of the night.

- - - -

In the morning Al brought down breakfast for the three of them. Toast, fruit jam, and hot tea. He gave Erick five gold as an advance on his job as apprentice Aura Mage; 3 gold coins and twenty silver. Erick handed most of it to Jane, who could already spend it on getting them a room at the Guild and opening a Guild bank account. She was going to start hunting in Ar'Kendrithyst with another group of rookies.

When she left, Erick almost broke down and cried. “She’s taken so well to this world, but there are people-eating monsters around every bend in the road.”

“There are.” Al nodded. “But she’s already stronger than most rookies that I’ve ever seen. I checked up on her while you were resting yesterday. I doubt you have anything to worry about.”

Erick looked at him.

He laughed. “What did you expect? That I would allow strangers in my house? I have friends everywhere in this town, and they tell me many things.”

Erick nodded, saying, “That’s sensible. More sensible than I’ve been.”

“You’re almost as bad as I was with Savral! He was much worse than your daughter. Bumbling into slimes. Letting shadowolves surround him. Failing out of the Guild’s close combat course three times. Though your daughter lacks the levels to back up her obvious skill, levels will come with time.” Al asked, “What was she doing before she came here?”

Now it was Erick’s turn to be mysterious. He smiled, and said, “I can’t tell you that.”

“Ha ha!” Al stood. “And that is your right as a father. Come! Let us begin. Have you leveled from yesterday? Assigned your points?”

“Mostly.”

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 4, Class: None

Exp: 420/500

Class: -/-

Points: 4

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

160/160

466 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Cleanse 4, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 220/500

Concentration 4

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.33

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 36/500

I should have bought Concentration when I was at 0% MP or 100% MP. That non-round number is going to bother me, I can already see it happening.

“Very nice. Do you have [Meditation] and Mana Shaping yet?”

“Uh.”

Meditation 1

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Immobile, blind, deaf, ten minutes to begin.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Purchase [Meditation] for 1 point? Yes/No

Yes.

“Yes.”

Keeping a point or two in reserve was already the plan, in case he needed to buy some sort of defense, like [Force Shrapnel].

Force Shrapnel 1, instant, forward cone, 5 mana

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 5 + ½ WIL physical damage.

Purchase [Force Shrapnel] for 1 point? Yes/No

No. Not yet.

Those numbers were pretty low, but as an AOE spell it was eligible for Aurify.

Which would unlock at Mana Shaping 5.

… Which might take a while depending on how the Mana Shaping gains experience.

Mana Shaping 1

Alter spell AOE in subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 0/100

It looks rather expensive.

“We will walk and talk, then.” Al led the way, having already opened the river door earlier. As they descended, Al explained some of the finer points of magic. “Proper Mana Shaping —not just with the skill’s effects— is the start of being a real mage. Everything else you’ve taken, all the spells you have cast, they mean nothing in the shape of true mana mastery.” Al paused, then said, “Ah. Sorry. I forget you are not a youngling.”

“I’m rather new at this, so it’s fine.”

Al nodded, continuing downward. The sounds of the river echoed in the twisting staircase, but Al’s voice stayed above the noise, “The mana costs the Script gives you are approximate costs. [Cleanse] is usually 10 mana, but if you control where the magic happens, it could be more or less expensive. It takes skill, and years of practice to achieve this, so for now, you should be aware of this possibility. Do not try to alter what the skills are enabling you to achieve. Not yet. Just pay the costs and get to a higher level.”

The river room was as loud as ever as they crossed the threshold of the staircase. Below the balcony the torrent of water held the same power as it had yesterday, rushing like a dark frothing snake, traveling faster from left to right than Erick thought he could run.

When they stepped into the left hallway leading to the settling pools, which was a much better name than cesspool, Al resumed talking, “I expect you to spend most of the gold you earn buying some equipment to boost your base stats. Leveling will be easier once you have a Circlet of Willpower, and you have an extra hundred mana to spend.” Al opened up door #1, the leftmost door. He looked inside, then stepped into the room, saying, “They run about ten gold for the cheapest version. Now try using Mana Shaping to [Cleanse] this pool and keep the [Cleanse] focused on the bottom.”

Erick stood near the edge of the dirty, motionless water. He knew how deep the pool was, so he focused on a point out of sight, then thought [Cleanse]. A huge hole of pure water opened up in a perfect sphere, only to be swallowed by muck sliding into the freed space.

“You need to link your Mana Shaping skill with the [Cleanse].”

Right. He did not do that. Whoops.

Mana Shaping.

Hold that thought, focus on a different part of the pool.

Down and out [Cleanse]!

Below the surface of muck, there was a vacancy. The entire underwater surface layer of brown seemed to fall, clouding the water as it went.

Oh god. This is such a nasty job.

“Vomit into the pool if you have to, ha ha!” Al laughed, saying, “This is why I cannot find good help! It is a nasty job, but someone has to do it.”

Seven Shaped [Cleanse]s later, the pool was emptied of muck, but more yet poured into the settling pool from the inflow. One final unshaped [Cleanse] wiped Erick out.

“Now we go back up and you can rest then work on that [Meditation].”

Erick was all too happy to comply.

- - - -

Sitting in the pillow room, Erick wanted to sleep, but Al would not let him.

They both sat on their own couches.

“[Meditation] is one of the most disorienting skills to work on in the beginning. The blindness and deafness are absolute. Some enjoy the experience. I did not. You may start whenever you wish. For now, I will remain here while you meditate.”

Erick frowned. This was not going to be a pleasant experience.

“Focus on the skill. You should feel something click—”

Everything was darkness. Erick screamed into the swallowing abyss but there was no sound.

Al’s hands gripped his shoulders, shaking him awake. He stopped screaming.

Al sat back down, saying, “That was an uncommonly bad reaction.”

“… Fuck.” He said, “I’m going to try again.”

Al nodded.

Erick focused on [Meditation]—

He slipped into darkness. He held his scream inside, like holding the lid on an overflowing pot. He breathed, but he could not hear himself breathe. He waited there in the center of the abyss, either holding himself still or forced to not move, he couldn’t tell.

The darkness shifted.

Erick started humming to himself, and mumbling the same song he sang to the Darkness before.

He felt another shift in the abyss. Something moved. An eye appeared, then looked away. A feeling of amusement flowed across Erick. And then he felt at Rest. Mana started to flow; his mind started to focus again as exhaustion began to ebb away.

When Erick opened his eyes, Al was still there. Laid back on his own couch, one arm behind him, Al’s giant body pulled the fabric of his outfit tight in all the right ways. He smiled.

“Welcome back. You only sang about half the words of your song, but it was still pleasant.”

“Ah. Sorry. Kinda lost it in the darkness. That wasn’t my song; just a song from my world.”

He sat up, asking, “Did you level in anything?”

“… There’s progress.”

007

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 5, Class: None

Exp: 241/800

Class: -/-

Points: 5

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

160/160

466 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Concentration 4

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.33

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 196/500

Mana Shaping 1

Alter spell AOE in subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 70/100

Cleanse 4, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 310/500

Meditation 2

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Immobile, blind, deaf, five minutes to begin.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 51/200

Mend 3, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or small complicated, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 10/300

He also had:

Ward 1, instant, short range, 24 hours

Create a small ward that can have minor effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 + Z MP

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Exp: 0/100

But he hadn’t used that yet.

“A gain in base level, and a gain in Meditation. Meditation experience is base experience?” Erick said, “Shaping those [Cleanse]s for 20 mana gave 10 experience to Shaping and 10 to [Cleanse]. Is that normal?”

“All of that is normal.” Al smiled. “I find your questions astounding, but then I must remind myself that you are not from around here. You don’t expect to spend 20 mana and get 40 experience, do you?”

“I kinda did. Like, I got base experience for Meditation, and that seems odd. Concentration doesn’t give base experience… Wait. Meditation is active. Concentration is passive. That’s the difference.”

Al smiled. “Meditation is active, that is the difference, yes. Meditation is one of the few skills that gains you resources, too. [Second Wind] is the HP equivalent, though that one is vastly different from Meditation in almost every way.”

“What sort of questions did you expect?”

Al rattled off, “What is the purpose of [Cleanse]ing the pools when they fill up again? Why not have a gate over the intake that you can shut? When do you open the big door in the back? What’s with the river opening being right there? What sort of [Ward]s do you have active so that there’s no smell? Where do the pool outflows lead? Why is the sewer system behind the settling pools’ barred inflows not illuminated? Those and a thousand more smaller questions, constantly.”

Erick smiled. “I might not have been born in this world, but I know enough to guess at all that. Except for the vault door. And the light-behind-the-inflow thing, but honestly I would rather not see what’s in the darkness.” Erick shivered. “No thanks.”

Al laughed, loud and booming. He stood. “Come! You, I will show what’s behind the big door.”

“Uh.” Erick said, “But I really should level up these various—”

“Nonsense!” Al quickly added, “Well. Not nonsense.” He hmm’d. “You’re right. There’s only so many hours in the day. Shape some [Cleanse]s into this room. Experiment with it, dumping all your mana. Then you [Meditate] to full, and do it all over again. I will be across the hall in my office. I expect at least three iterations of the whole process. More will be impressive, less is unacceptable.”

Erick nodded. “Sounds fine.”

Al smiled. “Tell me if you still feel that way at the end.”

“What? So you can increase my quota?”

“Ha!” Al nodded, walking away, “Exactly.”

When he was alone, Erick took in the box shape of the room and imagined his [Cleanse] wrapping around the room without touching the middle contents. As he prepared to cast, he concentrated on altering the flow of mana inside of himself.

Shaped [Cleanse]!

His plan did not work. The spell distorted, for sure. Wisps of thickened air touched areas outside of the basic sphere of the spell, but not far outside the sphere, and not where he imagined them touching.

He kept at it, dumping another 140 mana trying to shape the spell properly. He almost collapsed when he hit 0, but he maintained consciousness. The ‘subtle ways’ part of Mana Shaping’s description showed itself as an ironclad rule. While the specifics of shaping were up to him, it was still just a subtle shift in the spell’s original area of effect.

Meditation.

The darkness returned. Shadows swirled in the abyss. An eye opened like a far-away star, to stare into Erick’s soul. A glowing fang flashed, larger than the teeth beside it. The eye closed. Mana flowed around Erick like a warm river.

The first part of the skill was still terrifying, but the second part was nice. Erick felt more in control of himself this time, too.

He opened his eyes. He was alone in the room. HP and MP were both full.

He dumped another 8 shaped [Cleanse]s into the air, trying to feel how the mana moved. Mana Shaping had gone up a level, but rank 2 read ‘better, subtle ways’, instead of just ‘subtle ways’. With all these new levels, it was easier to feel how the potential power of his personal mana transitioned into magic to act upon the outside world, but he knew he knew nothing. He was a man groping in the darkness, touching an elephant and thinking that rough skin was what made an elephant an elephant.

But Meditation was level 3 now. At level 3 there was no pause before the Rest started. Erick went under and the warm river immediately surrounded him. Mana flowed into his body. And, he could still hear the sewerhouse. The river room sounded up the bottom of the spiral staircase, the churning of dark water a gentle echo to Meditation’s warm stream of mana. Erick stayed under until his mana return to full.

He opened his eyes. He cast another 8 shaped [Cleanses], then began another Meditation.

When he came out, he was still alone. He almost immediately started another round of spells when he read Meditation 4…

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 6, Class: None

Exp: 401/1300

Class: -/-

Points: 7

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

160/160

488 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

16

+0

[16]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 50/800

Concentration 5

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.44

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 176/800

Mana Shaping 3

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 10/300

Meditation 4

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Immobile

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 31/500

… But he felt like absolute shit. He wanted to lay down and Rest for real, not Meditation's fake Rest. No. He needed an actual nap. He also needed to know what time it was. He tried to stand.

He fell onto the floor.

Hit for 5 HP damage!

“Ughhhh.” He called out, “Little help here.”

“Coming!” A heavy chair scrapped across the floor in the room across the hallway. Heavy footsteps slapped against stone. Al stood in the door. He was smiling. “How many was that?”

“Three,” Erick said, his face still pressed against the ground.

Al lifted Erick up by the shoulders. “You did well.” He laid Erick on the couch. “Faster than I expected you to get there. I forget that you don’t know anything! Most people space the iterations so the mana exhaustion doesn’t ruin them.”

“What time is it?”

“It’s not even midday. Do you want to keep going?”

“Meditation got to 4, so no blindness. I think I can do it with my eyes open.”

Al nodded. “Yes, you can. A high level of Meditation is a crucial part of becoming a mage, for at the highest level and a nod to the skill, you are always at Rest.” He frowned, sitting down on the other couch. “But don’t meditate like that unless you need the mana. I can go several days in Meditation without seeing the hallucinations, but that’s only because I have Scion of Focus.”

Erick leaned back on the couch as he listened. He said, “Irogh said I needed to invest all my extra points in Focus. Is that true?”

“Are you ready to listen to some math?”

“Hit me.”

Al cocked his head. “Hit you? Are you sure? That seems...”

“It’s just an expression. Sorry. I think if you actually hit me I’d die.”

Al laughed, looking away for a moment. When he looked back, he was composed. “Consider this: More focus is necessary to eventually cast a small spell constantly; to have an aura. This is the goal of all aura mages. But if you only run on 16 Willpower, you will never be able to cast any of the larger spells. With [Mana Shaping] 10, you can make ANY spell into an AOE spell. With this, you can transform a high level [Mend] into a very large aura, and rebuild large swaths of… for example: The Human District of Spur. That costs 510 mana a second, though.”

“That’s a lot.”

“Not really. All of the larger effects cost a lot of mana, all at once. Being an aura mage is not cheap, either, but it’s a constant drain.” He said, “[Cleanse Aura] is a base cost of 36000 mana per hour. With [Clarity] 10 for 50% reduced spell costs, but not choosing [Cleanse] as a Favored Spell for 25% more reduced mana cost, that’s 18,000 mana per hour. With 50 focus and the purchase of Scion of Focus —you can only have one Scion skill— for 4 times base MP regen, in addition to Concentration 10 for yet another 3 times base regen, you have 6000 mana per hour. That’s assuming you’re at Rest with Meditation 10, and thus able to cast while you’re at Rest.

“Thinking about this easier, [Cleanse Aura] under the stated conditions costs 5 mana per second, but you only regen 1.6 mana per second. With 160 max mana, you will bottom out to 0 very quickly. But before you do that calculation, you have to keep in mind the cost for the gravity [Ward] which is the only way you’re going to collect the rads in the settling pool fast enough. That [Ward] is level 8 of the skill and costs 35 base mana, but you need to supplement it with Shaping 3, for another 30 mana, for a total of 65.

“So your mana available for your aura is actually only 95. That’s 19 seconds of [Cleanse Aura].

“It takes 30 to 45 seconds for the gravity [Ward] to empty the pool.

“During those 19 seconds you’re regening, though, so that’s another 31.6 mana, meaning another 6 seconds of use, meaning another 10 mana. Meaning another 2 seconds of use, at which point it’s negligible to continue with that math.

“Take it all together, and you only get 27 seconds of a [Cleanse Aura], which is not enough time for the gravity [Ward] to work.

“But if you had 200 base mana, or even 400 base mana with the double base mana skill at 20 Willpower, then whoa!” Al smiled. “You can hold your aura for as long as you need. Almost 100 seconds! Getting the necessary amount of regen to achieve the same thing is much tougher. A balance is necessary.”

Erick said, “I got some of what you just said.”

Al waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. You have lots of time to understand the demands of this job. The sewer system is designed to make it very difficult for the rads to be stolen before a harvest.”

“Oh. I got that part. But...” Erick thought for a second. “It almost seems like being anything but an aura mage would be the mathematically better choice. Am I wrong?”

Al smiled wider. “Yes! You are wrong! Because a good aura mage can choose who is affected by their aura, and because of that, they’re able to explode a [Fireball Aura] out of themselves while their adventuring party is fighting monsters all around. The beauty of being an Aura Mage is not the ability to do this job, but to do almost any mage job you could ever want.”

“… Because an aura mage can turn any AOE spell into an aura.”

“Now you understand!”

“… Why isn’t every mage an Aura Mage?”

“Because they’re stu—!” Al paused. He frowned. “I lost myself to the math. Other mages have told me why they forgo aura magic and Scion of Focus many, many times.” He said, “You need to be in the middle of the fight to use an aura, and most mages have HP in the low hundreds. A personalized [Ward] helps to supplement your low HP, but you will never stack up to the HP of an actual warrior. Add to that, Scion of Focus quadruples your regen, but Scion of Willpower quadruples your base MP, and since you can only pick one Scion skill, many choose to pick the one that lets them cast four times as many spells, or cast a personal [Ward] that absorbs 4 times as much HP.

“Scion of Willpower is a lot flashier than Scion of Focus. For some people, that’s important.

“As an aside: 6000 MP at 50 Willpower for the base version of a Scion of Willpower is equivalent to a warrior’s Scion of Strength that gives 6000 HP. Fights between mages and warriors are complicated, so we won’t talk about those yet, but it’s good to be aware of possible people you’ll encounter in this world.

“Let’s focus on Willpower versus Focus. Even being generous and assuming that the Willpower Scion also has 50 Focus, that’s only 1500 regen per hour.” Al added, “You’re resting in all of these scenarios, of course.”

“Of course.” Erick was catching about half of the numbers thrown at him. “This written down somewhere?”

“Later. As I was saying, here’s the common way to compare the two Mage Scion skills: Will-Scion and Focus-Scion are stuck in Ar'Kendrithyst. Both of them are constantly harried by enemy forces. Both of them kill enough enemies to stay ahead of the horde. This takes about 10 minutes and costs 1000 mana. These numbers are not imaginary; they’re well documented needs for those going inside the Dead City. Will is down to 5000 MP. Focus is down to 500 MP. Looks bad, right? Wrong. During those ten minutes of fighting Focus regenerated 1000 mana, and is still at their mana cap of 1500 MP. Will is at 5250 MP.

“As you can see, Focus never runs out of mana. Will could have dumped 2000 mana and cleared enough enemies for a larger break. Maybe they could have done something else special. Point is, in most scenarios, Scion of Focus is able to cast spells all day long. Scion of Willpower can cast larger spells, but then they’re spent.

“I need that on paper to understand it all.” Erick breathed deep. “But I am feeling better.”

Al smirked. “Scion of Focus also means no Mana Exhaustion. You can spend 1500 mana on a personal regenerating damage [Ward], and don’t feel bad about it. Spend 1530 mana on aurifying a [Mend] for three seconds, restoring houses or repairing the small magical objects of your adventuring party, and then do that four more times in the next hour. Focus is the best choice, but many people don’t feel that way and I don’t understand them.” He got up, stretching. Erick did not stare too much. “But that’s enough talking. Would you like to continue casting? I said the minimum is three iterations, but any more than six and you’ll be puking your guts out for three days.”

“Time for a break, then. I think I’ll go bother Jane, or look into housing in the Human District.”

Al walked away toward his office. “I’ll have some reading for you when you come back.” He paused and turned around. “Will you be spending the night here?”

“Thank you, but I’ll see what Jane wants to do.”

“Dinner will be at the same time, but we won’t wait for you.”

Erick smiled. “Thank you.”

Al walked into his office, muttering, “Of course, of course.”

Erick almost got up to begin the trek to the Adventurer’s Guild. But...

He had a lot of extra points. Was it necessary to get 20 in Willpower, and unlock the extra MP skill, Discipline, and then buy that skill? No. Nothing about this magic seemed strictly necessary. But it was nice. And it would be even more nice to be able to cast more spells before he needed to Rest.

Did he need to buy this right now? No.

Did he want to? Yes.

So he did.

Discipline 1

Multiply your base MP by 2

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 0/100

His Status looked a lot healthier. He felt healthier, too.

More… expansive. That was probably the correct word. He felt more expansive.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 6, Class: None

Exp: 401/1300

Class: -/-

Points: 2

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

160/400

488 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

… And look at that low MP. It would regenerate over a few hours, but his skills would probably end up with odd experience numbers. Should he meditate right now and solve that issue before it becomes a problem? Yes. Yes he should.

So he did.

By the time he was full, a few other things had leveled and destroyed his idea of keeping to nice, even, round numbers. Looking at the last blue box, he really should have seen this coming.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 6, Class: None

Exp: 663/1300

Class: -/-

Points: 2

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

422/422

488 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Meditation 4

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Immobile

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 293/500

Concentration 5

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.44

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 438/800

Discipline 2

Multiply your base MP by 2.11

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 166/200

‘Multiplies by 2.11’

Nice. But also: Damn.

- - - -

008

“Hello there, old human! How does the day find you?” said the male incani.

“The day found him unlucky for sure, brother,” said the woman incani.

Erick had walked the mostly-straight road heading out from the sewerhouse to the courthouse. In hindsight, he should have taken a different street. Jane probably didn’t walk this way. She would have known better. Erick should have known better too, but everyone he’d met so far had been friendly. Everyone except for the incani. He’d forgotten about them.

So now he was flanked by two horned purple people, each with knives, while a third watched from a porch. It was almost exactly the same situation as before, but this time Erick was their only target.

He slipped into the most welcoming version of himself and rolled with the situation. “The day finds me well. How are you, young whippersnapper?” Erick tried to walk forward, but the man stepped into his path. Erick tried to step the other way, but the man stepped into Erick’s path again. Erick stopped trying to get around the incani. “Are you asking me for a dance, or do you do this to all the old men you meet?”

The man smiled wide. “You’ve learned the language rather quickly.”

“It’s a miracle!” said the woman. “That makes this much simpler.”

“Oh?” Erick gave them their prompts to move the encounter along, “What’s so simple about ‘this’?”

“I’m glad you asked!” The man stepped back, bowing. He stood straight, a smile cracking open his fang-filled mouth. “Since you’re new in town and you’re probably looking for friends—”

“With friends like you, there’s no need for enemies.”

The man’s smile widened.

A sharp pressure touched Erick’s lower back.

Hit for 27!

And then the pressure was gone, the woman had withdrawn her knife and stepped away. A single drop of blood dripped from the first inch of her blade. The smile that blossomed on her face was filled with pure, malicious joy, but it was quickly schooled into a half-crazed smirk.

“He stumbled into your knife rather deeply there, sister.”

“All I did was hold it! He did that all himself!”

“It’s okay. No one would be so excitable as to be upset over such a small tap.”

“But he’s already made so many mistakes, brother.”

“He has, hasn’t he.” The man stared at Erick. “You’re not welcome in Spur, pink piggy, but if you choose to stay, there is a way to make yourself welcome.” He stepped to the side, saying, “We’ll talk later, I’m sure. You can either come back here tomorrow, or we can come calling on you at the sewerhouse. Or we could just talk to your daughter. Either works for our purposes.”

Two spells hit him in quick succession.

Healed for 290!

And then the air thickened, twisting into a heat mirage. Blood vanished into the breeze flowing through the street. Erick almost touched the place where he had been stabbed, but this was not like any situation he had ever been in before. He didn’t want to move too fast.

The man said, “You’re free to go.”

The woman called out, “See you later, pink piggy!”

Erick stepped forward. He walked past the man, and kept going.

He went straight to the courthouse.

- - - -

Normally, Erick would not seek help from the law over a casual gang encounter. As he had never been an officer on any planet, involving the law had always led to an escalation of hostilities that made solving the systemic problems of any community more difficult. So he wasn’t going to the courthouse to snitch.

That’s what he told himself, anyway.

He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing at the courthouse, but he would find out soon enough.

The redscale guard from the other day was on duty, sitting behind his desk. Today was a busy day compared to the last time he was here. Two dragonpeople in suits walked across the center globe room, while another dragonperson spoke to Redscale at the desk, her bright yellow scales the color of the sun. Erick waited his turn with Redscale, but as a moment turned into a minute, Erick realized that the guard’s talk didn’t seem like courthouse business. It was a casual conversation.

And it wasn’t ending.

Erick took a step closer. Redscale eyed him, but continued to talk to Yellowscale.

Erick took another step closer. Yellowscale eyed him.

“Excuse you.” Redscale said, “What are you doing?”

“I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing. But I’d like to know what the usual response is to a person being stabbed on the street.”

“Not even three days and it's Quiet War shit already.” Redscale sighed deeply. “Do you have any evidence?”

“Of course he doesn’t, Taro.” Yellowscale said, “Let me guess. Two incani flanked you while you were alone.”

Erick had thought his mugging a usual mugging, but in light of the Quiet War that the black and white Registrar had spoken of, and now this dude’s mention of it…

Erick did not want to be involved in a war, at all. Hopefully Jane hadn’t run into anything too awful out there. These people didn’t seem to be too worked up over hearing that something had happened to him, so maybe she was fine?

… She was probably fine. She could take care of herself. But Erick needed visual confirmation to be sure she was fine. He wasn’t that worried. She could take care of herself, couldn’t she?

Try not to worry. Try not to worry.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that series of events.” Erick asked, “But what would the response be if I did file a report? … are there reports to file? Complaints to be made? What usually happens in cases like this? I’m not making a report.”

“You’re not… actually filing a report?” Redscale perked up. “No street fight yet.”

“Did they actually harm you? I’m Hera.” Yellowscale, Hera, offered her hand. “Sorry about your poor welcome to Spur.”

Erick shook her hand. “Erick. And there’s no evidence of harm done aside from a hole in my shirt.”

“So no fight happened,” Redscale stressed. “Just to be clear.”

The guard looked both relieved and happy. That was odd.

Hera admonished, “Oh, Taro.” She said to Erick, “Don’t mind him. He has a bet going. Anyway, you seem like a nice enough human, but you’re obviously uninformed, so let me explain some background to you: The Mayor wants all the races to come back to Spur but the humans never returned after the Great Purge. Thus, there are some hundred year old laws that prevent any non-human from purchasing land in the human district. The incani routinely harass every human that looks like they might become a part of Spur. Their goal is to get a human to buy a building and then sell it to any other non-humans. The incani used to force the human to sell to them, specifically, but the Mayor was exiling whole incani families for that nonsense. With this new scam, everyone except the humans benefit from putting property on the open market, so the Mayor is reluctantly forced to accept the outcomes of this scam.”

“It’s a mostly academic fight,” said Redscale, Taro. “Spur is underpopulated anyway. The Incani just don’t like that there’s space set aside for any humans who want some.”

Something didn’t add up. Erick said, “But wasn’t the Great Purge a hundred years ago?” They should have been able to work a scam like this to conclusion long ago.

Hera laughed. “The Mayor is an immortal wrought. Her timescale is different than ours. What’s more surprising is that you didn't get into some huge brawl, with several dead.”

“I bet on ten days till there was a big fight and a stabbing doesn’t count. Especially if he’s not filing a report.” Taro smiled, saying, “If you wait seven more days I’ll split the pot with you.”

“… Irogh said that assaults were dealt with harshly.”

“There’s no stopping you people from fighting,” Taro said. “We exile the surviving incani, but new ones come right back in to maintain the incani presence in Spur.”

Hera said, “Most of you humans know to stay away from Spur, but not you. Why is that?”

Erick frowned. “Is there a way to opt-out of this Quiet War?”

“Ahh,” Hera said, “That explains it.”

As Taro exclaimed, “Pacifists!”

Hera side-eyed Taro. “Even demonstrated pacifists can’t escape the Quiet War.”

“Automatically makes them better than most humans.”

Hera said, “You might be able to work something out if you actually are pacifists, but if you buy and sell a house in the human district then the Mayor will exile you immediately.”

It seemed that Erick and Jane had stepped into some problems by stepping into Spur. Erick couldn’t see an easy solution. Maybe they should move on to the human city? But Erick had already lived for 48 years among other humans. Obviously humans in a fantasy world with magic and monsters would produce a drastically different human society than the one on Earth, but would it? Really?

Erick would have to discuss the problem with Jane. He kinda wanted to stay in Spur. She might not want to. No. Correction. She would definitely not want to. She wanted to explore the world.

Erick was the one that wanted to make a home.

Erick said, “Thanks for the information.”

“Glad to help.” Hera spoke with a smile. “I’m one of the prosecutors around here, so don’t go making trouble for me, but I hope that whatever happens goes in your favor. The Incani Property Scam is one of the few disgusting parts of Spur. We have too many empty houses as it is, we don’t need their brand of racism in what is supposed to be a neutral city.”

Erick smiled. “I used to be a social worker before events brought me here, so I know about keeping the peace and working out problems for the benefit of all. But I’ve never been this close to the war before. It’s a shock, and I am not dealing with it well.”

Hera got a far off look in her eyes. “It’s not great that Spur is technically a part of your frontlines.”

“It’s not that bad, Hera.” Taro said, “Hey, can you go away now, Erick?”

“Of course.” Erick nodded. “Sorry for bringing up bad memories. It was nice to meet you both. Hera, Taro.”

“Sorry… about…” Hera focused again, saying, “Good luck.”

Erick walked out.

Down the courthouse steps, Taro caught up to him, saying, “Hey. Hold up.”

Erick did.

“I didn’t mean to chase you away like that, but… There’s a history. If you’re actually going to be a part of Spur and you’re an avowed pacifist, you should go to the Interfaith Temple. Get some proof of it and then pin it to your shirt. It might not stop the harassment, but it might.”

Erick smiled. “I’ll do that. Thank you, Taro.”

“Down that way.” Taro pointed. “Big white building surrounded by a vineyard. Can’t miss it.”

“Thanks.”

“Sure.”

Erick stepped down onto the street, waving farewell. Taro was already leaving. Hera stood the top of the stairs, her gaze heavy, forlorn. She waved goodbye, a quick motion more perfunctory than sincere, as she followed Taro back inside the courthouse.

- - - -

Higher than most of the buildings in Spur and at least half again as tall as the city walls, the Temple of the Faithful was stark white buttresses, peaked roofs, and bright stained glass, in the center of a green and purple vineyard twice as wide as the Temple itself. Here and there under the sun dappled trellises, there were people. A lot of people, in many different groups under the extensive grapevine canopy. Most of them were Dragonkin. Some of them were the metal people, the Wrought. A smattering were the beautiful giants, the Orcol, and Erick was much more mindful of his wandering eyes than he had been before. The Orcol did not appreciate all of the blessings of their patron god. A few Incani noticed Erick, but then ignored him completely. Here and there, in even rarer numbers than the crowds they were servicing, were people wearing what were probably priest robes.

The Temple was located firmly in a heavily populated part of Spur, too. Getting here was an exercise in dodging crowds and navigating people. As he approached the entrance to the gardens, a redmetal fake-dragonkin was there, wearing his metal flesh like a priest’s robe.

“Welcome to the Interfaith Temple. How can I help you?”

“I’ve heard that I can get a proof of pacifism here and that might help me mitigate the Quiet War from happening to me inside Spur. Is that correct?”

Redmetal’s face scrunched up. “It’s possible.” He looked to people gathering behind Erick, then pointed to the right of the garden, speaking to the new arrivals, “That way for the end of the line, fair farmers.” The newcomers left in the direction the priest pointed, saying ‘thank you’. The priest pointed behind him as he spoke to Erick, “Follow the path right to the main doors. Someone will be able to assist you inside.”

Erick walked along the path, eyeing the groups of people as he went. The soft sound of the wind and the gentle voices of people reciting lines filled the vineyard. Almost all of those gathered here wore simple clothes, most of them with mud or grass stains. All of them were sitting on the grass, or standing around, in groups of ten, with one priest to a group. He even spotted the little pinkscaled girl who spoke to them on the way into Spur. She was sitting in a group with the man from that day, too, while a priest recited lines to the group.

A group buzzed with light, all at once, then went quiet. The participants quietly broke group, bowing to the priest as they went—

Erick was at the main temple door. An older silverscale dragonkin stood there in a nice, plain white dress, as though waiting for him. She supported herself with a cylindrical staff of straight, dark wood, in the firm grip of one hand. The other hand held something, unseen.

Her voice crackled, “Hello, Erick Flatt!” She shoved the unseen thing in her hand into Erick’s hands. It was a silver, four-pointed star. “You’ve come for this, and this you shall have! You are now an avowed pacifist in the eyes of the Temple. Congratulations!” She smiled. “But there’s no quest text to this, so you’ll just have to trust me. By the by, you’re still allowed to smack a brat that knifes you in the street, but maybe when you’ve got a bit more HP, hmm!”

“Uh.” Erick looked at the star pin. It might have been made of silver. “Thanks?”

“Now git! The Old Bastards are telling me that you might be deep in the sewerhouse for the foreseeable future, but it’s your daughter that’s in deep shit.”

“Uh… —Okay!” Erick nodded, smiled, then turned right around, saying, “Thanks!”

“Pin that on your shirt, right now!”

“Right.” Erick did so. “Yes. Thanks again!”

“Go! Go!”

And Erick went. He wasn’t about to dismiss a nebulous warning from this priest. No way.

Up ahead, past the edge of the vineyard and past the redmetal priest, were three unknown incani directly in the middle of Erick’s path. One of them took immediate notice of the pin and pulled the other two away. Erick continued forward. He would have walked right into them, had they not made themselves scarce.

Well that was pretty cool.

Erick thumbed the four-star pin on his chest.

Useful, but I’m not sure how or why it works.

Just like magic!

- - - -

009

The ‘Adventurer's Guildhouse’ was a sprawling campus that took up two city blocks with various shops of all kinds located both inside of the campus and outside, in the surrounding neighborhood. Restaurants of every kind both fast and formal, armorers, blacksmiths, vendors and buyers of monster parts, money changers, alchemists, three general stores of all about the same size, a Mage’s Guildhouse, even more alchemists, one really fancy weapon shop, and a ‘Wayfarer’s Guildhouse’, whatever that was.

But more than half of those businesses were dark inside, the holographic signs that would have glowed their names a distant memory. The only way to tell what had once been, were the faded paint images on some windows. There was a breadbasket on the window of one dark building, with a central counter and shelving for bread in the back. It was probably a bakery. The former restaurants were easy to pick out. The open floorplan and the tables and chairs stacked to the sides of the front rooms were a dead giveaway. As were the armorers and blacksmiths, with images of anvils and swords and shields engraved in the stone facades. But the ring of blacksmiths striking metal was a distant memory. The scents of food from dozens of cultures did not fill the air, though some of the food sellers were doing a brisk business.

Vendors did not hawk their wares to passersby. There were barely any passersby to hawk to. Only one general store was open, but it was the second largest one. The Mage’s Guildhouse had a sign that said... something unreadable, because —Erick just realized— interpreting the images on every sign was easy, but he hadn’t yet learned how to read. Hopefully [Language Acquisition] was still active. He had to find a book!

He’d probably have to have someone read it to him, too.

Lost in that particular thought, Erick made his way to the building that was probably the ‘house’ in ‘Guildhouse’. Three stories tall, with a large gold-lettered sign on the front of the building, a rough looking group of five non-humans walked out though a wide open set of double doors. The incani and dragonkin in the group looked at Erick, but resumed their talk with the rest of their people.

Erick walked into the building. It was air conditioned.

Temperature [Ward]s are great, aren’t they? He really should level that skill.

While Spur’s courthouse was stone elegance, this place was wood lodge chic. Three stories tall, the guildhouse had a bar and restaurant area on two of those stories, and full-sized trees for pillars. A receptionist’s area was done-up like a bank-teller’s, with three, eight foot wide privacy stations and metal bars separating the receptionists from the rabble.

There was a lot of rabble and they weren’t shy about noise. Erick tried to ignore their indiscriminate jeers and shouts from the left side of the guildhouse as he walked over to a receptionist. But the black metal orcol receptionist was staring across the guildhouse, at the rowdy bar.

So he gave the sight a second look. And then a rapid third look.

Jane was squaring off against a very large incani in armor similar to Savral’s, but no hands had been raised, no weapons had been bared. That was good for Jane; she was still unarmored and weaponless. She yelled something, but it was too quiet to be heard over the circling crowd.

The man threw a punch. It was so fast he couldn’t see the movement, he could only feel as his stomach dropped to his feet.

But Jane had moved, too, twisting under the arm, grabbing—

The man kicked out. Jane flew across the room. She smacked into a wooden wall and bounced to the floor.

And then Erick found himself standing between the man and his daughter, yelling, “What the hell are you doing to my—”

A punch like a semi truck was headed for his face. The gauntlet of the fist was steel. It was well cared for. It was also odd that Erick was so focused on the—

The armored Incani was smacked away, like a rag doll kicked by a giant. And what a giant! An orcol woman with short black hair and huge muscles stood where the incani man had once been. How she had gotten there, Erick did not know. But he was thankful, no matter the magic or skill involved. She had just saved his life, and Jane was—

Erick rushed toward his daughter, heedless of the silent crowd.

Jane was trying to stand. Erick helped her to her feet. She was bleeding a bit, but her eyes were focused. There probably wasn’t a concussion— And, she was healing herself now. Gently glowing with her [Rejuvenation], she was going to be okay.

The orcol woman spoke to the crowd, “Fights are fine. No biggie. But that human is wearing a Silver Star. You all know the rules in my Guildhouse. We respect those who denounce the Quiet War.” She turned to the armored man who was just now stumbling out of the plaster, onto his feet. “THERE’S NO WAY YOU DIDN’T SEE THE STAR. You finally, FINALLY, handed me a reason to kick you out of the guild, and I’M GOING TO TAKE IT. GET THE FUCK OUT.

“NOW.”

The now-silent guildhouse echoed with the power of her singular voice.

She glared at three other incani, all huddled together. “Are you going to be a problem?”

“No Ma’am!” “No.” “No way.”

“Good.”

Jane whispered, “You shouldn’t have helped, Dad. Bulgan—”

“Shut up, insolent child.” The orcol woman was suddenly standing four feet away, talking to Jane. “Bulgan would have killed you. He was going to kill you. If not today, then as soon as you stepped into the Dead City. I’m sure he’s done it before, but I could never prove anything.” She turned to Erick and bowed quickly, once. “I’m sorry for what almost happened to you, sir.”

Everyone else stopped, confused as to why the obvious Guildmaster had bowed to Erick. She turned around and glared. The room was back to business as usual, and then her eyes were back on Erick.

“I’m Mog, guildmaster of this house.” She glanced at the Silver Star. “We respect pacifists here. Especially ones apprenticed to Al. He gives us a lot of business every month, and has saved the lives of many rookies down there in the dark.”

Erick smiled wide. “He’s a really good guy, isn’t he! I didn’t know what I expected when I started, but I got more than I bargained for. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mog.”

She waved him off. “Phshh. Just ‘Mog’ is fine. ‘Miss’ feels strange.”

“I’m Erick Flatt, but I guess you already knew that. I’m Jane’s father. Just ‘Erick’ is fine.”

“Yes you are, but Jane never told us you were an avowed Pacifist.”

“I didn’t know he was, either,” said Jane.

“Me either! Events conspired to send me to the Interfaith Temple because I had heard about this star and a priest inside the temple just handed it to me. And then she was speaking of stuff she shouldn’t have known, and telling me I had to get over here as soon as possible.”

“You… Just got it? Today, even? Really?” Mog frowned, glancing to where the injured incani was limping out of the front door. He moved a bit faster. “Oh. Huh.” She asked Erick, “That priest. About you-tall, older dragonkin woman, silver scales, straight wooden staff?”

“Yes! Who is she?”

Mog nodded, like a light had gone off. “Darenka. The gods and otherwise give her specific missions sometimes, but to qualify for a Silver Star you need a Deep Scan and personal validation from Rozeta herself. That usually takes months. Not… whatever you went through to get it.”

“Irogh did a Deep Scan on us both a few days ago, Guildmaster Mog,” said Jane.

“He did? Hmm, That could… Explain… Sooo many little things adding up to form a proper picture.” Mog smiled. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Erick. Please give my best to Al.”

“Of course.”

“Go home for the day, Jane.”

Jane hung her head. “Yes, Guildmaster Mog.”

- - - -

Erick waited till they were out of the guildhouse district to say, “Soooo… Looked like you were being bullied.”

“Like a fucking child!” Jane spat, “I couldn’t do shit, either!” She calmed down, asking, “How the hell did you know about the pacifist thing? I found out about it yesterday but Head Priest Darenka said I’d never qualify.”

They were walking through a market of the Scaled District, produce piled high and organized in open air stalls, people of every color of the rainbow and the earth buying and selling. A few perked up when they noticed that two humans were walking through the street, and at least one person stared directly at the silver star on Erick’s chest. No one made to impede them, but a few milling through the crowd definitely altered course to listen in on Erick and Jane’s conversation.

Erick was sure to speak loud enough for his audience, but not too loud.

“So there I was, walking out of the sewerhouse, headed out to explore the city like any normal person, when those two incani from the other day flanked me on the street...”

Recounting the story took all of five minutes.

“And then I stepped between you and that big incani— What was his— Bulgan! Looked like a real piece of work, that one.”

Jane was both calmer and angrier at the end. If any of the nearby dragonkin had stuck around for the full story, Erick didn’t know.

“Sooo… what happened between Bulgan and you?”

“Nothing on my part.” Jane pointed at what was probably both a bakery and a sandwich shop, according to the holographic sign. It must have been pretty popular, too, according to the number of people walking in and out. “What do you think they have for lunch?”

“… We should buy sandwiches for the guys at the sewerhouse, too.”

They bought a reusable canvas bag for 3 silver to hold eight meat and cheese packed sandwiches. The food itself was 4 silver for all 8; 5 copper apiece. The sandwiches were selling off the shelves as fast as they were getting made by three frantic people behind a large piece of glass. Not long after Jane paid for their order, the shop was sold out for the day. It was not quite noon.

They took a less controversial path to the sewerhouse that Jane knew of, steering well clear of the incani.

But there was a small problem. The path took them through the orcol part of town. Jane didn’t seem to have a problem keeping her eyes under control, but Erick struggled.

Erick vowed to find a different way through Spur, next time.

- - - -

Savral eagerly took his paper-wrapped sandwich. “Thanks!” He flipped back the faceplate of his helmet, a smile spreading on his blackscaled face. “They always sell out before I can get one.”

“All we saw was the crowd.” Erick handed a sandwich to Bacci, asking, “They’re good?”

Bacci took her sandwich. “Monster meat, cured for at least a month. It’s usually boars or saurs from the western forest, but sometimes you get something more exotic. Whatever good meats the adventurers bring to the shops, really.”

Erick took another look at the sandwiches in his hands. Jane took another look, too, but with those wide eyes she was clearly fascinated, not repulsed.

Al’s heavy footsteps carried up the back staircase. “You brought food?”

Erick already had two sandwiches out to hand them to Al. “Uh. Monster meat?”

“Not really!” Al laughed, gladly taking his lunch. “The butchers of Kin Alley don’t add enough of the good stuff to their cuisine, but the filler meat is good and the cheese is the best around.” He gestured to Jane, then to the star on Erick’s chest. “What’s the story there?”

Jane’s face turned red.

Erick smiled. “There are many stories from today! Let me tell you every one of them.”

Jane’s face turned redder.

“Come, come! Let’s take this conversation to the Resting room.”

- - - -

Al finished his two sandwiches and then a third while Erick recounted his day on the town. Jane ate in silence. Afterward, Al asked questions, mainly about the facial features of the muggers and the people who ran away from him outside of the Interfaith Temple.

A silence descended, framed by the sounds of rushing water down below and Erick eating. He almost picked out the slice of strangely colored meat, but it smelled pretty good. It tasted pretty good, too.

“I have failed you as a mentor. I’ve not been proper about warning you of the dangers of the incani. I have also underestimated the incani in front of the sewerhouse. I knew of Bulgan as a real threat, but he keeps his hands clean inside of Spur and Jane would not be allowed into the Dead City for at least a month. Now… I’m not sure of anything.” He paused. He said, “Maybe you should both stay here in my house until you’re at level 10 with some combat experience.”

“I’m almost at 10.”

Erick stared at his daughter. “What?”

She stared at him. “What level are you?”

“6.”

“You could do better, Dad.”

Al guffawed. “And I thought your father was tenacious! Level 2 when he came in! Were you the same?”

“Yeah. But I think my skills might work together better than my father’s.” She pulled out a black stone from her pocket. “[Strike] the stone with one hand and cast [Rejuvenation] on yourself with the other. I’m gaining at least twice as much experience as my father as I'm using both Health and Mana to level.” She looked at Erick, who was trying tapping his thumbs to his fingers, trying to get a feel for the process. She said, “It takes some practice to get going as fast as you can.”

Al said, “A good method. But it leads to problems down the road. Achieving level 9 this way in so short a time is commendable, but you will be a paper dragon on the battlefield.”

“That’s what other people have said, too. And the stone can only withstand a level one version of [Strike], so 10 HP at a time means a lot of [Strikes]. It’s not a fun leveling method.” She put the stone away. “But I’ve trained much more on Earth than a lot of the level 20s at the guild.” She turned to Erick. “That’s what the fight with Bulgan was about. I kept thrashing his level 30 teammates in the training ring and they were getting pissy. But he’s a level 55 Scion of Strength with over 6000 HP. He’s got all the levels and magical combat experience that I do not.”

Al asked, “If you don’t mind, could you explain your build?”

“Uh. Sure. It’s not as rare as I thought it would be, actually. Pretty standard all-rounder with a movement skill. [Rejuvenation] and [Strike]. The 2x-3x base value skills for Strength, Willpower, and Focus. I just got [Blink] and that is a lot more disorienting than I thought it would be.” She smiled wide. “But it’s very, very fun.”

“You must be exhausted.” Al stared at Jane. “You should have experienced both Mana Exhaustion and Health Fatigue. How did you continue to exploit the Script in your condition?”

Jane nodded. “Vomiting from too much healing? Falling down after regenerating too much mana?”

“Yes.”

“Didn’t seem that bad to me. I’ve had worse.” Jane laughed. “Broken bones. Smashed ribs. Blood loss. Gunshot wounds. Stabbings. Ruptured eardrums. Running for days in the desert— not the crystal forest desert. An actual desert. Snake bites. Not to mention common colds, food poisoning, and the flu being four times worse than healing fatigue and mana exhaustion.” She turned to Erick who was about to object to at least two of those confessions. “Sorry for not telling you about some of that.”

Erick focused on the worst offense. “Who the heck shot you!”

She ignored him. “Veird has magical healing. It’s honestly too easy to ignore the problems of over training on this planet. So I ignored them. I asked about long term side effects. Everyone said there was none that they knew of.”

Erick just sighed.

“Ha ha!” Al laughed and eyed Erick. “I should increase your minimum iterations to six per day!”

“I am not my daughter.”

Everyone laughed but Erick. He just ate his sandwich.

After they finished lunch, Al had a proposition. “I would like to see you in action, Jane.”

“What’s your idea?”

Al said, “There have been signs that an ooze is in the sewers, but no one has seen fit to kill the beast.”

“There’s that word again!” Erick said, “What’s an ooze?”

Al answered, “Slimes are always the first monsters to spawn in a magically dense area, like we have in the sewers. Basic slimes only eat dead and rotten things, turning the detritus of life into healthy biological material, and condensing mana into rads. This is a good thing. But when someone improperly dumps magical waste in a place like the sewers, it starts a chain of events where healthy slimes try to eat the magical waste and die due to magical corruption. Someone started this process about ten days ago, but no one caught on to what had happened until the damage was already done.

“Because of that, there were a lot of dead mutated slime bodies rotting in the dark.

“Eventually, you end up with a slime who has developed a taste for other slimes, and for everything else that moves. These monsters are called oozes.

“Oozes are fast, carnivorous pools of acid that blend into their surroundings when they’re not stalking prey. They’re smart, they’re deadly. And we have one in the sewers.”

Jane asked, “How do you kill it?”

“I know how I would kill it, but how would you kill such a monster?”

Jane smiled. “I’d like to find out.”

010

Al had written up all that math for Erick to read, so he decided to go get that, as well as some easy-reader children’s books because Erick couldn’t read. Al admitted he should have realized that. Anyway, the children’s books should be around the house somewhere. Upstairs? Or… In the back of his office! No. That’s not it. The closets in the storage trunks? Maybe. Hard to say. He’d be back when he found them.

Mostly, he needed to leave because Erick all but explicitly said that he needed to have a Discussion with his daughter, so Al made himself scarce.

After Al left, Jane began the ‘Discussion’ by shoving her Status at Erick.

Jane Flatt

Human, age: 22

Level 9, Class: None

Exp: 4605/5500

Class: -/-

Points: 1

HP

554/554

160 per day

MP

510/510

554 per day

Strength

20

+0

20

Vitality

16

+0

16

Willpower

20

+0

20

Focus

20

+0

20

Concentration 8

Multiplies base MP regen by 2.77

Exp: 1911/3400

Strong 8

Multiplies base HP by 2.77

Exp: 889/3400

Discipline 6

Multiplies base MP by 2.55

Exp: 351/1300

Rejuvenation 8, instant, touch, 5 MP

Touch a creature, heal 5 HP + WIL per second per level of Rejuvenation

Exp: 800/3400

Strike 8, 10-35 HP

Level 1: Deal 1.0x damage with your weapon

Level 8: Deal 2x damage, + 1.5x other damage (Please select a damage type!)

Exp: 700/3400

Blink 5, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 25/800

Ward 1, instant, short range, 24 hours, 10 MP + Z

Create a small ward that can have minor effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers.

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Exp: 80/100

“… So you’re capable of taking a hit.” Erick shoved the floating blue boxes away. “Al said an ooze was a pool of acid. Are you going to punch a pool of acid to death?” Erick frowned. “I don’t see that working out for you.”

“You’d be surprised what a punch can do, but no. I wasn’t thinking that. I’m sure I could find a rock somewhere and smash the ooze,” she said, sarcastically. “Rocks have higher base damage than my fists.”

“That isn’t funny!”

“Then stop treating me like I’m a joke, Dad!”

“I’m not treating you—”

“Yes you are.”

“… Then I’m coming with you. I’m going to kill some slimes, too.”

“… Show me your status.”

Erick floated several blue boxes her way. She frowned as she read them.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 6, Class: None

Exp: 663/1300

Class: -/-

Points: 2

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

422/422

488 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Concentration 5

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.44

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 438/800

Discipline 2

Multiply your base MP by 2.11

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 166/200

Meditation 4

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Immobile

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 293/500

Mana Shaping 3

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 10/300

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 50/800

Ward 1, instant, short range, 24 hours

Create a small ward that can have minor effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 + Z MP

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Exp: 0/100

Mend 3, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or a small complicated object, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 10/300

“Dad,” she stressed, like she could not believe the shit she had to deal with.

“Daughter,” he said with the same tone, for much the same reason.

“You don’t have an attack spell!”

“You don’t have a weapon!”

“Fine. Fair. And you could just buy some attack spell right now to shut me up but whatever. You win that round. Still, you only have 80 HP. According to what I’ve read at the guild, the common slime has somewhere between 50 and 300 HP and hits for 30 damage. There was a lot of reading to do, so I didn’t get around to oozes. But… They’re bad, Dad.”

“Good thing you’ll be there.”

She groaned.

“We don’t have to go today. I could get [Ward] up to… whatever level it takes to get the personal ward. That would help, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s level 6, Dad…” She paused. “1900 experience. Like, 5 of your mana bars.”

Erick looked at Jane in a new light. Which, as soon as he realized that he was looking at her in a new light, he knew he shouldn’t have. Jane had always been this way. She was eminently capable, and though she might fail sometimes, it was never a personal failure. If there was a visible obstacle in front of her, she tore at it until it gave way. She was driven. She was strong.

She even had the skill, Strong. That was level 8, too.

Erick needed to let her do her thing. He had known this ever since Jane was 14, when she kicked the shit out of another kid who had the bad luck to pull a knife on her, thinking Jane was an easy target.

And their first injuries on Veird had been a skydive without a parachute. They both survived that.

… But a living pool of acid? Erick did not feel good about Jane’s chances. Or his own chances, for that matter.

Al stuck his head into the room, gauging whether he could come in or not.

He joyfully strode inside. “I found them!” He carried several colorful, thin books in one hand, and thicker books in the other, paired with loose sheets of paper on the top. “These are the starter books, including a few in other languages that you should consider learning while it’s easy.” He set the thin books on the coffee table in the center of the room. “These two are the most mathematically and philosophically accepted arguments regarding Scion of Willpower versus Scion of Focus.” He set those books down, and put the loose papers on top. “This is all the math I was talking about.”

Jane looked at the thinner books. “I thought everyone spoke and read Ecks?”

“They do, until you get to the small villages outside of normal trade routes. Then you got the Gargantual of the Orcols, Draconic of the Dragonkin, Inferni of the Incani and demons, Karstar of the Angels and human nobility. Not to mention regional dialects. There’s Archaic Script, too, which is both the language of the Wrought nobility and enchanting, and which never changes. If you know Ancient Script and you come across an unknown magical item, you’ll know what it’s supposed to do as long as it’s not layered with a fake facade. Some enchanters like to obscure their work.” Al warned, “You can only learn one or two before your [Language Acquisition] wears off. That buff is stressed by quantity more than quality.”

Jane frowned. “I think I have to take up Karstar and Inferni.”

Erick said, “I think I have to kill some slimes.” He picked up the children’s book with a dragonkin, an orcol, and a wrought on the front. “After I learn Ecks.”

Al smiled, then pushed forward a different children’s book. This only had a single redscale dragonkin on the front cover.

Erick happily changed his choice. “I refuse to feel embarrassed. It’s already been established that I can’t read.” He cracked open the book. “Let’s see what Redscale has to say about… tree? And… water? No! Lake. No… pond. Pond? It’s ‘pond’, right?”

Al laughed loud.

“Dad.” Jane said, “It’s an insult to refer to a dragonkin by the color of their scales.”

Al laughed again. “That’s not quite correct. It’s an insult to get the color wrong.”

“Ha! Hear that, Jane? You’re wrong sometimes.”

Jane glared at him

… Okay. She was right. He might have pushed too far.

He offered an olive branch. “I’d like to go into the sewers to hunt the ooze with you, Jane. I can get [Ward] up to 6 and buy some offensive spell, too, so I don’t drag you down. It might take a day. Can you wait till I’m ready, too?”

“I think that is a fine idea!” Al smiled. “And if you train like your daughter, you can get [Ward 6] by tonight. Just in time for a good sleep, to be ready in the morning.” He paused. “You have Discipline now, yes?”

Erick enthusiastically said, “Yup!” but inwardly he was dreading the inevitable Mana Exhaustion.

Al said, “You’ll make a fine mage someday soon, Erick.”

Jane sighed, “Fine,” as she picked up the twin tomes advocating for Willpower over Focus, and Focus over Willpower. “They don’t have these in the Guildhouse. Everyone only cared about Scion of Strength, and the less said about Scion of Vitality, the better.”

Al’s eyes brightened. “Then let me be the one to extol to you the greatness of Scion of Focus, and why it’s so much better than Scion of Willpower.”

“I would like to hear that.” Jane she set the books down beside her on the couch. “Hit me.”

“Your father said the same thing! This expression. I like it. But don’t tell an orcol this, or they’re liable to actually [Strike] you.” Al smiled. “You’d make fast friends, though, so this might be a good thing.”

While they talked to each other, Erick read about Redscale the Explorer, a young man who liked to go around calling out the names of everything in sight. The book was probably designed with [Language Acquisition] in mind, because it didn’t take long before Erick began to understand the play-by-play.

Jane and Al’s discussion was heating up. Al was winning, but Jane was putting up a good fight. It seemed she knew the MP costs of some of the massively expensive spells and was using that as a foothold against Scion of Focus.

Erick mostly ignored them as he continued to read about Redscale. The dragonkin went far and wide, exploring a land full of ‘sheep’ and ‘bees’, and cracks in the ground that let ‘Underworld monsters’ spill out across the land and kill the unsuspecting.

That’s the body of a ‘shadowolf’.

That’s a ‘crystal mimic’, torn to shreds.

That’s a ‘dragon’ ‘corpse’.

And this is how you make ‘monster-meat sausages’.

And this is the ‘marketplace’ where you buy the sausages.

- - - -

Jane was in the second Rest room, learning [Meditation] under Al’s tutelage. She knew she needed the skill, but she also understood how bad the level 1 afflictions would be. She wasn’t willing to put herself in that position of vulnerability inside the Adventurer's Guildhouse. Al and Erick had rapidly agreed that she had made the right choice.

So Erick was left alone in room #1.

And the race was on! Both Erick and Jane were going to get [Ward] to 6, and [Meditation] high enough that it was usable down in the dark.

Erick dumped 400 mana into a [Ward] to prevent 390 damage done to friendlies in the area. As a brilliant white glitter manifested, the world seemed to drop out from under his feet. He managed to stay upright on the couch, but barely. The white glitter soon settled. The majority of the magical disturbance faded, but a ring of white light remained all around Erick, five or six feet from him in all directions. He looked behind him. The magic bubble clipped the edge of the room, leaving a glowing white curve of light halfway up the wall.

Two notices popped up.

Ward level up!

Ward level up!

Ward 3, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a Ward however you wish. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 100/300

That’s going to eventually be a very large text box, isn’t it?

Erick settled into the couch.

[Meditation].

As he stared out across the pillow and couch filled room, mana flowed around him like a warm, gentle river. The skill was much better now that he wasn’t blind and deaf the whole time. He closed his eyes anyway. Briefly, a large white eye stared into his soul, but the eye had never done anything besides be scary. Erick opened his eyes. The large eye blended into the room, then vanished, like a waking dream.

[Meditation] was a lot like looking at a forest and seeing scary things in the trees. Yelling faces and reaching arms. Eyes leering over branches, frightful bodies waiting behind trunks for your eyes to turn in a different direction. [Meditation] was terrifying at first exposure, but now… Now it wasn’t so bad.

He closed his eyes again and the darkness was there, warm and vast.

Almost an hour later, he felt like it was time to get out of the hot tub.

800 base experience; 400 from [Ward], 400 from [Meditation]. 400 passive experience for Concentration and 400 for Discipline. There were some level-ups in there… But am I going to collapse when I stand?

Erick tried to stand. He collapsed, clipping his head on the corner of the coffee table.

50 damage absorbed!

“Ow.”

He wasn’t bleeding, but he thought he should have been bleeding. He probably should have been bleeding a lot. He tried to stand, but nothing happened. His arms were jelly.

“That looked like a critical hit.” Al was there, picking up Erick and laying him back down on the couch. “That’s enough for both of you. The ooze is still four days from emergence. We have time.”

Erick looked up at Al. “For both of us?”

Al smiled. “Your daughter is strong, but even the strongest metals can be over-forged. She’s sleeping. Really sleeping, too. She won’t be up for at least several hours.”

Erick relaxed. “Good.”

“I’ll shut the river door. Sleep well, Erick Flatt.”

“Thank you.” As Al was leaving, Erick turned to say, “I almost forgot to tell you. Guildmaster Mog told me to tell you thank you for all those quests.” Erick laid back down. “She seems almost as nice as you.”

Al left silently, with a smile.

Erick quickly cast a 400 point [Ward] again, before he thought of it as a Bad Idea.

He instantly fell asleep. A small snore soon joined the quiet sound of a far away river and a second snore, echoing out from the Rest room right next door.

Ward level up!

Ward 4, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 200/500

As hours passed, Erick’s exhaustion-snore went away. Erick relaxed into a deep sleep. Another 400 experience added to each of his Concentration and Discipline while he Rested. Those skills were looking good, but they were far from capped.

Concentration 6

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.55

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 438/1300

Discipline 4

Multiply your base MP by 2.33

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 466/500

[Meditation] did not grow as much as it could have grown had he gone through another iteration, but it would probably be enough. It was usable while awake and moving around, now.

Meditation 5

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Slow movement

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 193/800

And another base level!

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 7, Class: None

Exp: 563/2100

Class: -/-

Points: 4

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

466/466

510 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Erick dreamed of levels and numbers, beautiful giants, and monster-meat sausages. It was an awkward dream.

011

Waking to the smell of bacon was like falling through several dreams.

The first dream was a displaced time from over two decades ago, when he had a different person in his bed every night. He was almost always the first one to wake in the morning, and he always made breakfast; bacon, eggs, and toast. But no, he was 48 now. His 20s were long gone. The dream was recognized, and then it faded.

And then came an impression of three months ago, when Jane showed him the letter of acceptance for an internship at the CIA. They had gone out for Sunday breakfast like they had done every week, when she was a little girl; a tradition that they hadn’t done for the last three years; she was at college. Jane loved her bacon growing up, and that day was no different. She got three orders of bacon and one order of toast. Erick was trying to cut back, as per doctor’s orders. Erick got a cheese omelet and home fries. A far cry from when he used to match Jane pound for pound with the bacon. That day was full of sobering moments. He had kept himself together in front of her, but after the joyful hugs were done and she went to bed in her old room, Erick went out to the old treehouse and silently cried for an hour.

He opened his eyes to see a stone ceiling and colorful pillows all around. Al was setting down a tray of something on the coffee table in the middle of the room, but most of Erick was still asleep, and looking at Al… Al was a great guy and basically a supermodel.

Erick wasn’t ready for that kind of dream. He turned to face the wall.

Rushing water sounded up far away stairs.

The sounds of voices all around ended a forgotten dream of darkness.

Erick sat up. Al and Jane were still talking about Scions, but this time there was a large tray of empty plates sitting on the coffee table. One plate of food remained; it had been set aside from the rest, but Erick hadn’t the wherewithal quite yet to understand what kind of food it was.

“Good morning, Dad.”

“Welcome back, Erick.”

Erick sighed deeply. “You two still arguing about the best Scion?”

“Oh, I know the best answer,” Al said. “But your daughter likes to fight.”

“Speaking of. Dad? How far did you get before you crashed?”

Erick looked at his Status, rubbing his eyes, glancing through menus until he found what he was looking for. “Uh. [Ward 4], [Meditation 5].”

Jane smiled. “[Ward 6], [Meditation 6]. Base Level 10.”

With that bit of smugness, Erick took the time to study the remaining tray of food. There was fluffy yellow stuff that was probably eggs, thin bread like a crepe, and long strips of red meat. Breakfast Tortillas, probably. He began making himself one. There wasn’t a whole lot left, but it should be enough to make two wraps.

Jane prodded, “What? No response?”

Erick looked up from wrapping his tortilla. “You’re a monster, Jane.”

She cackled as Al laughed.

Erick asked, “Are we going in the sewers today?”

“Not until you get [Ward 6], Dad.”

And for some reason, Erick was feeling a bit more miffed at the whole existence of magic than usual. It might have been the ‘grinding’ as Jane called it, or maybe the fact that, yes, they did already survive a skydive without a parachute. It could have been the mana exhaustion talking. But the cumulative effect was that Erick’s hesitation regarding killing a known threat in the sewers was, for some reason, nonexistent.

Feeling such a weird ‘killing’ feeling caused him to pause in thought. As the strange feeling overtook him, he had almost instantly blurted out about them going to the sewers right this second. Now, he was not quite sure. He was a pacifist, for sure. But did that pacifism include killer monsters? On Veird, ‘pacifist’ meant something vastly different than on Earth, mostly dealing with how an incani or a human viewed the Quiet War.

No one had the hangups regarding killing monsters that Erick seemed to have. Jane was probably right, that shadowolves should be killed, because otherwise they would kill people. There wasn’t anything to ‘talk out’ with monsters that viewed him as their next meal.

—But he was sure that if he found some monsters that talked, his first instinct wouldn’t be ‘KILL IT!’.

Erick wasn’t about to kill some harmless slimes, though.

That thought led to a different question. “Hey, Al? Why aren’t oozes threats as soon as they spawn? What’s with the 10 day timer?”

Al shook his head, saying, “That timer is only an approximation. The ooze will come out of the sewers when it can’t find slimes around every corner. That is the real timer. But you must understand that Spur is an old city, with the same sewer system for the last three hundred years and a strict allowance for new adventurers to hunt slimes. When an ooze appears—” A bell chimed across the hallway. Al stood up, sighing. “Seems I am needed upstairs.”

Erick said to Jane, “Let’s go kill that ooze, Jane. After I finish this breakfast tortilla.” He almost took a bite of his wrap, but added, “And I find a good damage spell to take.”

Jane smirked. “Sure. But that’s not a breakfast tortilla. It’s a 3pm tortilla. You slept almost all day.”

“… Okay then.” Erick ate his afternoon tortilla. It was pretty good.

Jane pointed to a pair of straight staffs propped up in the corner of the room. “I got us some starter weapons, too. 5 silver apiece. You can get a spear for a gold, but I didn’t want to go down to 1 gold. But with a trip through the sewers, we might be okay for a while. One adult slime core contains one rad and they’re 3 gold on average.”

“I don’t want to kill any slimes if we don’t have to.”

“I’m not going to go out of my way to chase them down, especially when there’s something as dangerous as an ooze prowling the darkness. But we need the money.”

“… Fair enough.”

Al walked into view.

Along with Guildmaster Mog.

He said, “There’s been a change of plans.”

“Al and I are headed in to take care of the oozes, but he seems to think that it would be good experience for you two. I think you would get killed. You should stay here, Jane. Erick.”

Erick paled. “Oozes? Plural?”

Al said, “A rookie squad of four level 15s went in this morning with clearance to tackle the ooze kill quest I posted in the Guildhouse. One returned. She reported that there are at least three oozes. She’s coming with us to claim whatever is left of her friends. Do you wish to come as well? I would not hold it against you if you wish to stay behind.” He pointed upward. “Savral and Bacci are staying here and the sewerhouse is going into lockdown until I return.”

“… Maybe three oozes are too much.” Jane said, “I’ll stay here with my father. Thank you for the warning, Guildmaster Mog. Sewermaster Al.”

“Smart girl.” Mog walked back upstairs.

Al nodded to Jane and Erick. “I’d suggest you stay here while we go into lockdown, but I won’t enforce this suggestion. What do you say?”

“We’ll stay here.” Erick asked, “Do you expect something to actually happen while you’re gone?”

Al laughed. “The Sewerhouse’s rules are well known, so there’s a saying about times like these. ‘Don’t ever think you’re safe, because that’s when the monsters get you.’ But Savral and Bacci can handle most threats.” He almost walked back up, but then he paused and asked, “What attack spell were you thinking of buying, if you were going with us?”

Erick looked over the spells he was thinking about. There was his first choice in [Force Shrapnel].

Force Shrapnel 1, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 5 + ½ WIL damage in a cone

Purchase [Force Shrapnel] for 1 point? Yes/No

But that might not have been the best. There was also [Force Wave]

Force Wave 1, instant, pulse, 15 MP

Pulse a wave of damaging mana from yourself, dealing 15 + ½ WIL physical damage.

Purchase [Force Wave] for 1 point? Yes/No

Maybe he should take the safe, single-target spell. Constant collateral damage seemed like a bad idea.

Force Bolt 1, instant, long range, 5 mana

A bolt of hardened mana unerringly strikes a target, dealing 10 + ½ WIL physical damage.

Purchase [Force Bolt] for 1 point? Yes/No

No, no, no.

Three blue windows rapidly vanished.

“Which one should I take?”

Al glanced toward Mog walking upstairs. “Bolt or Beam. Shrapnel is also a great choice, but it’s only useful when Shaped. The AOE ones are important for Aurify, but— I have to go.” Al walked away.

[Force Beam]?

Force Beam 1, instant, medium range, 25 mana

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 1 second

Purchase [Force Beam] for 1 point? Yes/No

No.

Where are all the fireballs and lighting spells, anyway?

Erick asked, “They’re going to be okay, right?”

“I think I know the rookies Mog mentioned.” Jane was staring off into the distance. “Other people called them ‘slime hunters’, like it was a bad thing. They were the only adventuring party to hunt slimes together, so maybe it was an insult. There were four of them.”

Jane got real quiet. She leaned back on her couch.

Three minutes later Savral and Bacci joined them in the Resting room. Bacci silently cast [Cleanse] and began stacking the cleaned plates off the table, to the side of the room. Erick almost helped her, but she was too fast for him.

“Sewerhouse is in lockdown, so we’re all stuck here for the next few hours.” Savral sat down by Jane, the weight of himself and his armor not even creaking the couch. He set his helmet down on the floor as he set a deck of cards on the cleared coffee table. “Let’s play some cards.”

Bacci sat down by Erick, saying, “No customers all day long, and then this. When it rains it floods.”

Erick asked Bacci, “Are they going to be okay?”

“Those two monsters?” Bacci smiled. Sarcastically, “They’re going to die down there.”

Erick tensed, saying, “Please tell me this is a cultural thing where you say stuff like that to ward it off from actually happening.”

Bacci’s smile faltered. She quickly said, “Yes. Sorry.”

“Entirely my fault.” Erick relaxed. “We have a saying, too. ‘Break a leg’.”

All this time, Savral was handing out cards. They were sized for an orcol’s grip and thickened with some protective coating. Not wax. Savral’s huge claws did not scrape the paper. He finished passing out five cards to each person then separated the remaining cards into three uneven stacks.

Rolling with the circumstances, Jane gathered her cards. “What are we playing?”

“Wizard’s Towers.” Savral said, “Simple rules. I’ll explain.

“We each control five adventurers charged with taking down the towers of the Old Wizards. These are represented by the five cards in our hands. On your turn, you attack one of the towers in front of us by playing one of the cards in your hands. The card you play determines how many floors you can take. You’re always attacking the towers from the top. The game is also known as Wizard’s Dungeons. The goal is not only to tear down the towers, but to attack smartly, because when anyone plays a card another player can match that card exactly to intercept the attack and take not only the attacked floors, but all other cards used in the attack.

“Many cards can take multiple floors at once. For simple rules, these are the cards with numbers 6 or higher. Those cards take two floors at once.

“Whatever floors or other ‘adventurers’ you capture go into your resource pile, including the card you used to attack that floor in the first place. There is no discard pile.

“You can only have 5 cards in your hand at a time, and you can only refill those cards at the end of your turn. You refill from the cards in your resource pile, but only at the end of your own turn. Your resource pile is face down for everyone but you. Your hand is also kept secret at all times. For simple rules, the towers are face down, too.

“You must attack a tower on your turn, if you have any cards in your hand when your turn comes.

“The goal is to get the most resources.

“The game ends when all three towers are destroyed. There are special rules for when the last floor of a tower is taken, but we’re not doing that.

“If your interception takes more than one second, your interception has failed. A proper game of Wizard’s Towers uses a timer, but we’re also not doing that.

“Simple rules,” Erick said, thinking that not much about Wizard’s Towers was at all simple. He picked up his cards. “What’s with the guy in the robe?”

Bacci said, “That’s above 6. The Archetype cards are above 6 in simple rules. Mage, Warrior, Dragon, and Planar.”

Smirking, Savral said, “You can go first, Erick.”

Erick played his 1, taking the single top card from the shortest tower. Jane and Bacci laughed. The tower card was a 9, which Erick put into his hand, the 1 going to his resource pile. Savral grumbled, amused.

Erick said, “You think I’d play that card when you obviously have one?”

“Yeah. It could have happened.”

Savral smiled as Jane played a 7, taking two cards from the tallest tower.

Savral played his Mage. Erick instantly threw down his own Mage, then Bacci played her Mage. Three Mages and two cards from the top of the shortest tower went into Bacci’s resource pile. Savral shrugged.

“All part of the plan,” he said.

- - - -

“How long is an ooze hunt supposed to take?” Erick asked.

They had moved up to the second floor a while ago for Savral to make dinner. The sky shone orange and red to the west. Down south, visible above the far walls of Spur, were the tall brown walls of Ar'Kendrithyst. Stars were appearing in the east, though night was still an hour away. But inside the sewerhouse, bright yellow-white orbs hung in the corners of the room, keeping alive a bright and cheery atmosphere.

Occasionally a flicker of red light appeared in the air outside. Some bug or something had touched Al’s [Ward], but nothing had gotten inside or overly disturbed the protected space. If something had, there would have been a massive burst of red light.

Savral tossed vegetables in the wok, while Jane and Bacci talked about people they had met, in Jane’s case, or people they knew, in Bacci’s case.

Savral said, “Fifteen hours is too long. Five is fast. There’s only so many kilometers of tunnels down there and Dad knows them all.”

“Well here’s another question, then.” Erick asked, “Why are all the damage spells ‘force’ spells? I thought there’d be more...” He flexed his finger in the air, like he was casting magic. “Lightning fingers and flaming fingers. Stuff like that.”

Bacci laughed. “Why would you have expected that?”

“I expected more fireballs and chain lightnings, too,” Jane said.

“What?” Savral added a mostly-liquid sauce to the veggies. Steam billowed from the hot pan. “You expected the Old Wizard spells? For the Script to hand them to you?”

Jane said, “The first magic we saw on Veird was a black and white fireball from the incani registrar from that incani town, Kal’Duresh. I thought he was normal. I realized my mistakes after I spent some time in the guildhouse, reading from the free public library. Dad hasn’t had that opportunity yet.”

Bacci asked, “What did you learn from what you read?”

“To unlock a real damaging spell you need to take the broken down basics that the Script gives you and forge something on your own with relevant skills, like Mana Shaping and Mana Altering.” Jane added, “Apparently it’s very easy to make a bad spell, but if you don’t like what you’ve made you can delete it and try again.”

“Yeah. That’s pretty much the whole story.” Savral pointed to the window. “That lockdown [Ward] is a special spell Dad created. That registrar’s black and white fireball is probably the same.”

Bacci added, “Fireball’s creation is well documented. I don’t know about that black and white one, but ‘Optimal Fireball’ is a high level [Force Bomb] which serves as the base spell, and Mana Altering 5, which transforms force damage into fire damage. A proper Fireball will do something like 150 damage and set fire to everything it touches.”

“Those spells don’t level like the spells you buy with points, either,” Savral said. “You’re stuck with what you’ve made.”

Erick thought out loud, “[Force Bomb] and [Mend]? Mana Shaping to make Mend an AOE spell?”

Bacci and Savral both said, “Uhhh.”

“Nope.”

“Don’t think that works.”

“[Rejuvenation] and [Strike],” said Jane.

Savral asked, “Now what would that accomplish?”

Jane mocked, “You will take your healing and you will like it!”

Savral laughed.

“I don’t think it would work.” Bacci said, “Or it would, and it would be, like, a torture spell. I don’t think you’d like that on the record of your Script.”

“So a non-starter of an idea,” Jane said.

Erick said, “How about—”

The air flashed crimson, a crack tore across Erick’s sight, as Al’s red [Ward] crumbled like the popping of a soap bubble.

Savral leapt into action. “Fuck fuck! Fuck you!” He slammed off the stove and grabbed his helmet, putting it on as he rushed downstairs. As he did that, Bacci yelled, “Everyone downstairs! Right now!” The world flashed yellow. “Secondary ward won’t hold long!”

Jane pulled Erick along. The other three people were already moving before Erick realized he should be moving, but his brain soon caught up. He raced down the stairs, pausing only briefly on the first floor landing to look out across the front room. Blast marks edged the door. Something slammed into the reinforced steel door as glass crashed upstairs and a flash of yellow marked the death of the secondary ward.

They made it to the office and Rest room hallway before Erick asked, “Do we defend here, or—”

Savral kept moving forward, saying, “All this is expendable. We are not. Down the stairs.”

Bacci ran past the open river door, down the stairs to the river room. Erick followed her, Jane followed him, and Savral closed the river door from the river’s side. Down they went, and soon a loud bang reverberated down the stairs. And then another. And another, but the roar of the river was loud down here.

Bacci was at the edge, hugging the railing, pointing down at the dark water. Purple glitter exploded in the air and water crashed against some new obstacle in the torrent. It was a ward. The new obstacle was a ward cast by Bacci. The air exploded in purple glitter again and the river shifted, again, but softer this time.

‘Shh,’ she mimed, with one claw pressed against her lips.

And then she hopped over the railing.

012

Jane picked Erick up like he was a sack of potatoes. She spent two whole seconds eyeing the cylindrical path that Bacci had made down through the dark water, then she leapt. With Erick in her arms. Erick had a few things to say about that, including, but not limited to:

“Glad to know that if all your friends jumped off bridges, you would too.”

“At least you looked before you leapt.”

“Let’s pretend that dampness is water. On an unrelated note: Who wants a [Cleanse]?”

“How the FUCK are you so strong!”

Erick clung to his daughter for dear life. He was not used to this sort of thing. He should probably get used to this sort of thing before this sort of thing killed him. Maybe he should run more. His heart was likely beating too fast to be healthy. Do they have heart attacks on Veird? They must have, right?

Hit for 32 HP!

Jane had held him all the way down to the bottom of the torrent, cradling his head as they landed, but the impact of landing was there. There was no splash. All around them was a ripping, silent darkness, just beyond the purple sphere-edge of a [Ward]. Jane groaned in pain, then glinted white as a heal washed over her. She was still holding Erick.

Bacci whisper-shouted over the roar of the river, “Move!” as she pulled them to the side.

Savral landed right where Erick and Jane had been.

A white light ebbed from Jane as she tried to set Erick to his feet. He did not collapse, but he did find himself sitting on wet stone.

Healed for 25!

Healed for 25!

The [Rejuvenation] light kept ticking off a heal every second. No one said anything. Erick doubted that anything could be heard over the rush of the river above them.

And then Bacci made it worse. She waved her hand above them, dismissing the first ward. Dark water resumed its course, plunging Erick, Savral, Jane, and Bacci into total darkness.

Somehow, it was quieter now. The ever present roar of the sewerhouse thrummed through the stone at their feet, but it was not the same sound as from the surface. The yellow-white light from above had changed, too, replaced by midnight waters all around and barely visible lights above, like distant stars. There was at least twenty feet of water above them. Maybe more. Erick imagined that if enough time passed and his eyes adjusted to the light, it might not actually be so bad down here at the bottom of the river.

But only about 5 seconds had passed since Bacci erased the upward tunnel. More than 5 seconds would have to pass for Erick to feel better about this whole situation.

Jane grabbed his shoulder and he almost screamed. He turned. There was a tunnel leading off into the rock of the riverbed. It was big enough for an orcol and it was dry, because Bacci had put another water ward up, completely voiding the tunnel of water. Savral was already walking inside.

Erick casually stood up and stayed up thanks to Jane, then followed Savral through the tunnel. Jane kept behind him. Bacci took one more look up, and after stepping into the tunnel, dismissed the second purple ward. The river retook its basin with little chagrin, the air bubble that was the warded space annihilated into bubbles like it was never there. The tunnel ward ended right at the river.

Further in the damp tunnel there was a room that had probably always been ‘dry’, but after a small orb of yellow light floated into the air above Bacci, Erick could tell that this room had not seen use in a long while. Bacci threw a [Cleanse] into the space. Green molds and fuzzy growths withered. The space cleared in a second. Even the air smelled cleaner, which shouldn’t have been surprising, but the room smelled fresh. Like a mountain breeze.

Savral said, “We’ll go back out when they’re gone.”

Sudden relief! Erick collapsed to the ground near the wall of the room, his ass hitting hard, wet stone. He said, “I was not expecting this sort of strategy. I thought we’d be dying to fireballs.”

Bacci breathed out. She gasped out a short cry, and then it was over.

“It’s okay, Bacci.” Savral moved to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. She leaned into him. “We’re safe as can be down here.”

“I never thought we’d have to actually use this place!” She shouted, “I thought! …I don’t know what I thought. I’m worried for your father. Both him and Mog, though? They should be okay. I hope.”

Savral said, “They’ll be okay. Even if they’re walking into an ambush, or if the story of the dead rookies is true… Either way, Dad and Guildmaster Mog together are more than a match for… For most anyone.”

Now that he was a bit calmer, Erick could feel the stone vibrate with the force of the nearby river. It was the same reverberation that had always been in the Sewerhouse, though it was certainly closer, now. Erick was… Not used to it, not really.

Which brought up another concern.

Erick said, “I thought there were monsters in the water.”

“There are.” Savral said, “Slimes.”

Bacci pulled away from Savral to sit in the back of the room. Erick felt the ambient mana shift as she began to meditate. After the initial shock was over, she wasn’t worried about anything was she?

Erick stared at the darkness, then started laughing.

Something clicked through the stone. Like a god striking the earth from the heavens, the room shook, but it did not move. Erick’s laugh turned into a small ‘eep’. Jane stood by her father, her hand tense on his shoulder, her nails digging into his skin.

Savral laughed. Bacci giggled. Erick and Jane were dead silent.

Jane regained her voice. “What— What was that?”

“They opened the big door!” Savral laughed out. “They didn’t check for traps?”

So… They weren’t worried. They were laughing. They were okay with this series of events. These facts, half formed in Erick’s mind, caused him to reevaluate his world. The first thing he noticed was that the tempo of the river had changed since the large click. Savral eyed the water down the tunnel, grinning. Erick and Jane eyed the water too. There wasn’t much to see, but…

Water definitely rushed in a different direction than usual. Erick couldn’t see it from here, but he could hear it, as the right-to-left torrent combined with the sounds of… left-to-front, maybe? And something like a waterfall? There was already a smaller waterfall in the river room, but now the waterfall sounded bigger and was audible through the stone all around them.

Bacci breathed out in relief. “Give me a bit, then we can go reset the system. It should be over soon.” She closed her eyes. “Everyone thinks we have a lot of money here, but we never carry that much yellow. I'm glad our emergency training sessions weren’t a waste of time, but I would have preferred to never use this place.”

Savral said, “Honestly. Assholes come in to my house and try to rob and kill us? Serves ‘em right.”

Erick still didn’t know what exactly had happened, but Savral and Bacci looked calmer. Jane was holding it together but she was obviously unhappy, from the tension in her shoulders to the glare in her eyes, to the way her nails pierced the skin of Erick’s shoulder.

Squeezed for 1!

Jane instantly let go, mouthing ‘sorry.’

Erick asked, “How long can we stay here before the air runs out?”

“Runs out?” Savral asked, “Why would it run out?”

“This room is vented?”

“No. That’d be a terrible design. Someone could send an attack through the vent. If the air gets bad enough for you, use a [Cleanse].”

“… Right. Because [Cleanse] obviously restores oxygen to the air. Silly me.”

“Oxygen?”

“… Never mind.”

After a minute of nothing else happening, Jane, arms crossed, said, “I’ve never been down past the river door. I didn’t know there was a river here. Of course I could hear it, but seeing it and then jumping in was...”

Erick nodded. Yeah. That was terrifying.

“Sorry about that, Jane.” Bacci said, “This river freaked me out for the first three years, too. Still does, sometimes. I used to swear there were slithery things in the water, but Al put a grate across the whole river one day just to prove there wasn’t. For three months, the only things we ever caught were slimes.”

Savral said, “The only monsters in these waters are slimes… And probably oozes, now that I think about it. But primarily slimes, and only the ones that climb up into the beginning parts of the sewers. The river here moves too fast and the intake miles below is protected by a meter-thick grate with fist-sized holes. On the other side of that grate is a much larger river; there’s nothing on that side that would want to come through to this side.”

Miles below? Meter-thick grate? Things on the other side? If that was supposed to make Erick feel better about monsters in the water, it did not.

Bacci laughed once, then said, “Because fear is based on logic. How I forget sometimes.”

Savral huffed in annoyance, then leaned on the wall next to Bacci.

He said, “If you went out and killed some monsters maybe you wouldn’t be so—”

Bacci glared at him. Like a smart man, he shut up.

That looked like the beginnings of an old argument where neither person gave any ground but the ground was already so tread it was hard to get truly upset over the whole sordid affair. Erick looked toward Jane. She was calmer now. They had had similar arguments over the years. They were in the middle of one of those arguments right now, about killing monsters.

Erick knew he was wrong in the vast majority of cases. He also knew that—

“Why didn’t we fight?” Jane asked, “How do you know the attackers up top would want to kill us?”

Savral smiled. “I would have liked to have fought them too, but Bacci doesn’t fight and your father doesn’t either. Decisions were made years ago regarding what we’d do in case of an attack and we stuck to those decisions.”

Bacci said, “There are only two historically recorded outcomes to an attack on the sewerhouse. Either everyone who works here dies, or all the attackers do. There is no middleground. That’s why the pay is so good. Us hiding like this is a version of the second outcome.” She stressed. “You might not understand this yet since you’re not from Veird…” She looked at Jane. “Or maybe you’re very familiar with the concept. It’s called the ‘Illusion of Levels’. It’s a famous essay written at the start of the Script that’s still relevant to this day, but you’re already experienced with this, I think. When you were taking down level 25s in the training rings, at what? Level 5?”

“Yeah. Levels 5 through 8.”

“There are no easy fights." Bacci said, "Levels are an illusion. People die through critical hits all the time, no matter their HP or other defenses. The most likely outcome of a fight was Savral and you surviving. In the very best case, Erick —you’re a great guy— but you would hesitate when it came to killing a killer, and—”

A green glow came from the tunnel.

Bacci reacted first. A purple haze filled the air. Savral reacted second. Gleaming black, he moved in front of the tunnel right as a green dot floated into sight, smashing right into Savral. Cloying green mist flowed across black armor, filling the air of the small room. Almost all of Bacci’s purple ward faded as a small blue box scrolled across Erick’s eyes.

147 absorbed!

And then another.

Decay! 21 absorbed!

Decay! 4 damage!

“Erick! [Ward]!” Bacci shouted. “As strong as you can!”

Before she could tell him to make it as strong as he could, he was already casting. Erick dumped 450 mana into a [Ward]. White glitters filled the air.

Decay! 25 absorbed!

Almost a quarter of Erick’s [Ward] faded as everyone in the room took decay damage.

Savral waved his hand through the air. Five drops of light appeared, hovering, quivering. Waiting for something. Two more decay messages came and went. Almost all of Erick’s [Ward] was gone. Sweat broke out across his back and neck as a stab of fear crawled into his mind. The next decay message did not come.

Bacci said, “That was an expensive attack. Tracking, Decay, force bomb base spell. Almost 250 damage to each of us. Didn’t blow up when it touched the water. Maybe 300 mana. 400, badly cast.”

A green glow appeared far down the tunnel, in the water of the river. Two of Savral’s light drops whipped out from their hovering positions, racing down the tunnel to crash into two green flickers. Green explosions of light rocked the dark river, one right after the other.

Erick and Jane tensed.

Bacci calmly said, “900 mana gone. If it’s a Will-Mage we might not need to worry. If it’s a Focus-Mage then we need a different plan.”

Jane muttered, “I’m completely outclassed.”

“Me too,” Erick said. “I need to do better. If we survive.”

“… Yeah.” Jane nodded. “Yeah.” She asked Bacci, “What can I do? I’ve got 530 mana and [Ward] 6.”

Bacci said, “Put a 500 point Ward on top of Savral and both of you start meditating.”

The air blinked white. Erick and Jane both pulled mana into their bodies as they forced themselves into a Rest state, transforming their mana per day recovery into mana per hour.

“Done,” Jane said. “Meditating.”

Bacci stood. “I’ll run out part 2 of the trap.”

Savral stepped aside as Bacci walked forward. Another two of Savral’s light drops shot forward to intercept two more green glows, exploding them inside of the river. Erick guessed that the green mist still appeared, but was instantly washed away. Savral waved his hand again, setting five more light drops into the air, to wait for another attack.

Bacci stood in direct sight of the river, darkness rushing past the edge of her purple water ward four feet away. She raised her arms. Purple light flooded forward, taking shape into a wedge.

Half of the entire dark torrent shifted upward as Bacci’s purple light flickered, then broke, and the river washed down again, back into its basin. Bacci did it again. And then a third time, each repetition lasting a little longer than the one before. After the fifth repetition, she left her ward active for a full minute.

Erick felt the world shake under him, like an earthquake, every time Bacci redirected the flow of the river. With every repetition he felt a little bit smaller.

Bacci lowered her hands. She said, “Two kills. Both after the second ramp. 2% participation for 58000 experience apiece, meaning level 20s. Maybe exactly level 20?”

“I think you’re right.” Savral sighed, “Young idiots.”

All four of them waited for something more to happen.

- - - -

Twenty minutes passed.

Savral said, “They’re gone.”

Bacci agreed, “One way or the other.”

Erick asked, “How do we get out of here?”

“Easily.” Bacci said, “But there’s a chain of events that happens when a place like the sewerhouse is attacked.” She turned to Savral. “What would your father want us to do?”

“Preserve the secrecy of the trap. We go out and chase away any guards that might be snooping.”

“Right. Okay.” Bacci rolled her shoulders, then raised her arms towards the river. “Follow the path, walk up the stairs. I’ll go last.” Purple glitter extended into the water, pushing it aside as the [Ward] made a path to the left. She lowered her arms and stepped into the tunnel through the water. “Should be good.”

Savral took point. He was weaponless, just as he had been at the start of all this, but he had his claws and his armor. Bacci waved Erick and Jane forward into the tunnel with her. Jane walked forward. Erick almost had to be pulled inside, but a pointed glare from Jane set him to rights.

They walked in the darkness, forward through the river. The [Ward] tunnel ended in an upward path. Most of the river rushed to the side, but a lot of it rushed up that path, until Bacci created another [Ward], completely encapsulating the space. Up they went, hands slightly out so they didn’t slip on the stone and fall back down.

The upward path took them through winding tunnels, up, down, then through another twist, finally ending in a great opening with a familiar light on the other side. A huge vault door hung open at the end of the tunnel, into a familiar space beyond. Bacci had to reapply her [Ward] a few times for them to get here, the river hugging the back of the last [Ward] all the way to this point; the main room of the four settling pools. The four smaller metal doors in the room were also open, but two of them had been battered inward hard enough to twist the metal into the frame.

Savral hopped into the main room and cast those five drops of light again before moving off to the side, to the nearest settling room. He looked in the room. He cast some sort of spell, blinking black light into the air that rolled outward, touching walls and continuing to bounce, but seeming to do nothing.

“I don’t see or sense anyone.” Savral frowned. “The Mage Guild isn’t going to be happy.”

“Check the other rooms, Savral.” Bacci stepped into the main room and threw a massive [Cleanse] into the center. She smiled as the air cleared. “That’s a bit better.” She turned around and gestured for Jane and Erick to come forward. “Pop a damage absorbing ward if it looks like we have trouble, Jane.”

Both of them stepped down into the room. The three of them, together, watched Savral move from room to room, closing the doors as he went. When he came to a broken door, he cast [Mend]. Metal untwisted, popping the metal door back into a proper configuration. Savral then closed those doors, too. When all four settling room doors were closed, he moved back to the large vault door. Bacci made a smaller, more localized purple ward over the space that the vault door would occupy when closed. Savral closed the vault door, locking it tight, then [Mended] the whole thing three times. The vault metal moved slighty after the first [Mend], then slightly again after the second. The third [Mend] did nothing.

Bacci dismissed the tunnel [Ward], waited a second, then dismissed the [Ward] over the vault door.

A tap of water hit the other side of the vault door. There were no leaks.

The rest of the night passed in a slowly unwinding terror as no other dangers appeared. The city guards appeared, of course, but Savral was the one charged with giving the official report. Erick and Jane, as they were both guests and new in town, were side-eyed by the guards, but they were not officially questioned. Savral even stepped in when two guards tried to ask unofficial questions, on two different occasions. Bacci resumed her guise of a scared girl.

The city guard took it upon itself to guard the Sewerhouse for the remainder of the night, but they were not allowed inside. Apparently, Jane and Erick’s jaunt into the inner workings of the Sewerhouse was quite an anomaly, and both Savral and Bacci told them so on multiple occasions.

Besides the guards doing their guarding duty, Bacci asked Erick to help her [Cleanse] and [Mend] the various broken parts of the Sewerhouse. The river had gone all the way up out onto the street, though the guards took care of that specific cleanup. During the interior cleanup, it became apparent that Al’s office and the three Rest rooms were ruined by more than just the river. Burn marks decorated a lot of the space. Why the intruders would have bothered fireballing this space, no one had any idea.

While Erick and Bacci cleaned and repaired, Jane and Savral made dinner. When they finished, it was a late dinner, but it was good. They were all alive, and the danger had passed.

The investigators would be out tomorrow to [Scry] and [Witness] Savral’s story for themselves, but for now, it was over.

Al showed up at midnight, angry as a rabid dragon when he saw the city guards standing guard, but his anger quickly dwindled as Savral stepped into view, safe. Al broke into tears, rushing his son and almost crushing the large dragonkin in his orcol arms. It was good that Bacci, Erick, and Jane were alive, too, but none of them mattered to Al as much as Savral mattered.

Al’s anger at seeing what remained of his office, though, that would stick around for a while.

- - - -

013

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 7, Class: None

Exp: 1823/2100

Class: -/-

Points: 4

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

510/510

532 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Concentration 7

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.66

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 48/2100

Discipline 6

Multiply your base MP by 2.55

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 76/1300

Ward 5, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 150/800

Mana Shaping 3

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 10/300

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 170/800

Mend 4, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or small complicated, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 50/500

Meditation 5

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Slow movement

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 543/800

Erick woke up early. He couldn’t sleep. He could only stare at his skills, wondering where he had gone wrong.

One [Ward] last night was all he was good for, and it was eaten by one attack.

No, wait. Not one attack. The [Ward] was eaten by the decay damage of one attack. If it was his [Ward] up there instead of Bacci’s at the beginning, they would have all died.

No. That’s not right either.

He would have died. Just him. Jane has over 500 HP. Savral for sure has more than that. Bacci might, too? No way of knowing and it was rude to ask.

And the enemy threw… Like 5 of those green fireballs. Erick couldn’t remember. It was probably 5. If Savral had cast those drops of light faster, maybe the first green fireball would never have happened. Then Erick would have been completely useless.

“Hey, Dad.” Jane was looking at him from the other couch. “You’re awake too, huh?”

Erick sat up. “I’m awake.”

“I was completely useless.” Jane stared up at the darkened room. There were a lot of things broken in the attack, and the specialized wards that were the light orbs were one of them. Al replaced some of them, but not the one in this room; not yet. “I don’t even have [Mend] or [Cleanse], so I was useless on cleanup, too.”

Erick didn’t want to argue with that. She was right.

No. Wait. She was wrong.

“You saved my life jumping me into that river. I could never have done that on my own.” Erick stressed, “You’re good at this, Jane. This fighting, this protecting. You’re a shield, and you’re damn good at it. You just need some time to adjust to a world with magic and murderers.” He added, “Well. More murderers than Earth. Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not solid on the actual numbers, but I’m pretty sure that earthling bank robbers try not to kill anyone.”

Jane looked at him. She smiled. She whispered, “Thank you, Dad.”

A minute passed in the darkness. Erick thought Jane might want to say something else, so he left space open for her, and he was still concentrating on how to fix his HP. Did he really want to dump almost 7 levels into getting his Strength to 20? He could. But should he?

Unlocking a Scion skill took a base stat of 50. Which meant levels in the 30s, at least, which would be the level of a proper adventurer; someone who goes out into the countryside and rids the world of threats to civilization. Erick did not think that was a realistic goal for him. He didn’t want to go out and kill wolves, no matter how much experience they granted, but he would have to if he didn’t want to be stuck at 18.

Apparently, skills only gave you experience until they hit level 10.

Even if a person only took skills that gained them experience, they’d cap out at level 23.

All of this was explained in the math on the papers Al wrote up. Those had mostly survived the attack, and when Erick [Mend]ed them, he took a minute to read the underlined TL;DRs at the bottom.

Jane had correctly deduced that the numbers behind the Script’s experience requirements was the Fibonacci Sequence. Jane was happy about that —because vindication— but also worried because of massively compounding leveling requirements. Most everyone who was not an adventurer got their necessary skills then dumped points into the base stats to get them to 20, and then budgeted one or two more points for the 2x – 3x HP, MP, or the recovery skills, and then called it a life. Usually sticking to the 20 strength one, or the 20 willpower one. Jane getting three base stats up to 20 and then taking the multiplier skills, all before she was a rookie adventurer, was a path only for those who started off with high numbers in every stat. Which she had.

Or a path for those who got some extra points. Which she also had. Thank you Irogh.

… And that crash in the desert, I guess. In a way.

In an unkind and traumatizing way. Seriously though. I think I might have a thing against heights now. I completely froze at the river room ledge. I had just seen Bacci jump. Why couldn’t I?

Jane said, “What are you thinking about?”

“Numbers and stats and how abysmal my HP is.”

“You can get that up to 12 or 14 Strength without spending points, you know.”

“No. I didn’t know that.” Erick asked, “How?”

“The healers at the Guildhouse thought I might have had monster-meat poisoning because I was trouncing level 25s in the training ring, but they cleared me for combat after an examination. Apparently, one of the big reasons those monster meat sandwiches we bought were so popular is because eating most monsters gives the body a natural, permanent boost in Strength. You just can’t overdo it or you’ll poison yourself, and it only works till 20 strength, though 20 would take decades so most people don’t do that. It works best when you’re below 14 Strength, anyway. Part of the dragonkin culture —of all Veird culture, actually— is adding a little bit of monster meat to children’s meals.”

That was really good news. Erick smiled in the darkness. “Is that 20 Strength how you were able to treat me like a 40 pound sack of potatoes?”

“That was mostly adrenaline.” She laughed, small and happy. “Maybe a bit of it was the 20 Strength.”

“So what you’re saying, is I should go and buy some dragonkin children’s lunchables.”

Jane laughed again, louder this time. “God! Do you remember when I was 12 and you filled the fridge with those things? Those were terrible!”

“I only bought one package of them on a lark, but then you went and grabbed a box every day for a week, rushing out of the door, barely saying ‘hi’ to me as you ran to the bus stop. I thought you loved them.” Erick laughed. “You’re the reason you ended up eating those for a year.”

“I don’t remember that. What I remember is you looking happy stuffing one in my backpack.”

“They were so easy! I was always so tired, too, working two or three jobs before I got that community job.”

“Yeah… I remember that.”

A moment passed.

Erick said, “I would’ve had 15 starter Strength when I was 22.”

Jane laughed.

“I had abs for days! Always in the gym! Maybe even 16 starter Strength.”

Jane laughed louder.

A few second later, a light appeared in the hallway, casting a glow across the entrance to the room.

“Hello? You two awake?” Savral said, “There’s still breakfast if you want some.”

Jane leapt at the chance. “Hell yes I do!”

Erick followed her up the stairs.

- - - -

Breakfast was mostly over by the time Erick and Jane got to the dining room on the second floor. There wasn’t enough to feed an orcol, but there was still plenty left to feed two hungry humans.

As they were eating, Erick said, “I want to get better at this job, but also afford a house of my own for Jane and I. And last night was terrifying. I hope to never be here again for an attack like that. Is this a problem? What happens now?”

Jane watched as Al answered.

“It’s not a problem.” Al smiled faintly as he leaned back in his chair. “Bacci is taking a vacation while the pools replenish and I redo the layout of this place. Savral is going adventuring into Ar’Kendrithyst with some of his friends. The sewerhouse is closed for now. I’ll still pay you for learning the job, of course, either 10 gold per tenday, or 1 gold a day, however you wish.

“But yes, you might want to look into some outside work. The Mage Guild has listings for young mages. Mostly odd jobs around town, like replacing [Ward] lights, mending, and cleansing. [Grow] can always earn you some money or food out on the fields, especially if you Aurify it and can hold that aura for an entire day. Replacing [Ward] lights can earn you some passable money if you have a good eye for color, and if you have some artistic talent then a lighting job might become a nice source of gold.” He quickly added, “You’d have to get [Ward] up to 10 if you want to take those warding jobs. No one wants lights that only last a day.”

Erick said, “Thanks. I’ll look into that, after I finish three iterations.”

Al smiled wider. “Of course.”

Jane looked to Savral. “Do you have space for—”

“Sorry,” he said. “I’m not taking anyone under 20, no matter how good you are.”

Al looked to Jane. “I agree with that assessment. It’s too dangerous.”

Savral added, “Especially without any basic gear. No weapons, no armor, no plus-Base-stat accessories. It’s a thousand gold investment in gear to start adventuring. You should look into joining a party into the Crystal Forest. The monsters there are better than slimes.”

Jane smiled. She nodded. “I’ll look into that.”

“In other news...” Al looked out the window, down toward the street. “The city investigators will be here before noon. I would like it if you two added your stories to my son’s. Be aware that they’ll question you rather hard, but there should be no violence, no matter how much they threaten.”

Erick nodded. “I’ll work through some iterations before they come and then go out to the Mage Guild.”

“Me too,” Jane said. “But the Adventurer’s Guild.”

- - - -

While Jane practiced her craft by throwing out 500 point [Ward]s and then meditating until the investigators showed, Al took Erick around to try Erick’s hand at crafting light [Ward]s. The relevant part of [Ward] for this task came from [Ward 3].

Ward 3, instant, short range, 24 hours,

...

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

...

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

They stood in the front room. The doors to the street were shut and locked, while the room itself was barely lit, save for a single light orb hanging in the front, over where the glass display case was located. The glass case had been found and [Mend]ed last night, but it was empty. The rad dust and individual rads were likely swept out by the river flood that Bacci used to clear the sewerhouse of threats. If the rads weren’t in someone’s pocket or nestled in the cracks of the city outside of the sewerhouse, then there was no telling where they had gone.

“Watch me first, then you can try to do the other ones.”

Al lifted his hands to the ceiling to the left of the closed front door. Mana swirled around him, a dark black glitter the same shade as Savral’s, but the black shifted to yellow. A [Ward] sprang up above his hands like a cradled sun, blossoming into pure white-gold light.

He lowered his hands. “There’s one light. It’s a short one for now. I can do permanent level 10 ones for about 300 mana apiece, but I might be changing up the sewerhouse completely in the coming month.” He looked around. “Go ahead and make anything you wish. Spend all your mana and learn how to make some proper lights. Mana Shaping can help you with this process, so you might use that to get an initial feel for how to shape a special [Ward], but level 3 of [Ward] does not require you to use Mana Shaping to make a perfect special ward. You’ll figure it out.” He stood up straight. “Before I forget. Do you want to be paid daily, or every 10 day?”

Erick thought for a second. “Daily for now would be great.”

Al took his hand and placed ten gold pieces in the center of Erick’s palm.

“Uh?”

He tried to hand it back, but Al refused.

“This is not a perfect, calm job. There is a hazard to working here. Hopefully you won’t have to experience something like that more than once or twice in your career.” He smiled. “Bacci made it five years before she actually had to use the training I demanded of her.”

Erick looked at the gold in his hands, then put it in his pocket. “Thanks, Al.”

“You should look into opening a bank account at the Mage Guild today while you’re there.”

Erick smiled. “I probably will.”

- - - -

“No! Not like that!” Al waved his hand through the malformed purple and blue [Ward]. It moved at his touch. It was not supposed to move at his touch. “Have you never seen the sun?”

“That is literally the 6th specialty [Ward] I have ever made.”

“Bah!” Al shook his head, walking away. “Put up lights wherever. I don’t care.”

“I’m out of mana.”

Al stormed out of the room.

Meditating on his failures and [Meditating] for his MP, Erick watched the flows of mana around him, trying to understand the difference between his 6 horribly misshapen light orbs and Al’s perfect white-gold orb.

He was not understanding much.

180 exp to Mana Shaping and 323 exp to [Ward], though. The ‘varies’ part of [Ward 3] was hard to pin down, but it was easily 50+ mana to make a light ward actually light up, not to mention take the proper shape. That tracked with what Al had said waited at [Ward 10], when compared to his own admission that it took 300 mana to make a good light orb.

Ward X, instant, short range, 24 hours,

...

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

...

Special Wards can be made Permanent. 250 MP + Variable Cost

...

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you wish. Skill level at Mana Manipulation determines final outcome. Variable Cost

The problem was, that this was the first part of the Script that seemed more about ability than numbers. It took skill to shape mana. It also took experience —not Experience— to know how to do what you were trying to accomplish.

Being told how to cook a steak was not as great a teacher as actually cooking the steak yourself.

And you know? Having specialty [Ward]s turn out this way was actually the best thing that had happened to Erick since coming to Veird and witnessing this weird magic system that was way too numerical. Where was the whimsy? Where was the imagination?

Where was the magic?

Well, as it turns out, the magic was always there. Erick just needed to get to the level where he could start mixing and matching the Script through his own personal lens.

His MP returned fast enough.

Erick created many, many more [Wards], going through three more iterations with a distribution of 180 exp to Mana Shaping and 321 exp to [Ward] going down, and 500+ exp in [Meditation] going up.

There were some level ups in there. Erick ignored those. There was a lot of exhaustion; Erick tried to ignore that. And still, he continued. This was really, really fun.

He wasn’t even done, but already the front room was awash in horrible and malformed light orbs, some lime and blue, others orange and purple. Some were red and crimson, swirling and ebbing a violent light. Two were pale blue wisps that shimmered in the air like mirages, casting glows as powerful as any other bright light, but barely visible themselves. Three were almost perfect spheres of white gold, except one was as radiant as a phosphorus burn. That one had to be dispelled immediately. The other two were too dim to ever be useful.

So.

Progress.

Not very good progress, but taken together as a whole, the room was quite—

“This is a mess,” said Savral.

Erick glared at him. “It’s not that bad! I think it’s quite pretty.”

“No way, dude.”

Jane came up the stairs behind him. “Wow, Dad. Looking kinda abstract up in here.”

Next came Al. “Not… Not great. Progress though!”

“I’m getting there!” Erick frowned at his latest specimen. It was a green thing that looked almost like cut glass and glowed like it was radioactive. “This one is kinda pretty. I don’t know how I got it to look like crystal glass, but I like it.”

Jane stood next to him, looking at the green light orb. “Looks like Mountain Dew.”

“It is NOT Mountain Dew. It’s Depression Glass. Like at Grandma’s. You know?”

Jane slapped a fist into her hand. “Oh! It’s glass armor and weapons from The Elder Scrolls!”

Erick said, “I don’t know what that is.”

Savral asked Al, “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?”

“Nope.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Erick changed the subject back to his light orbs. “I’m getting there!” He gestured to the green glass orb. “I want to keep at this kind of orb. I think it’s pretty. What do you think?”

Al stepped closer to the orb. He put his hand through the space. The [Ward] distorted, grains of wardlight clinging to his fingers, like pulling sand up from under the waves of a beach. Slowly, the grains fell back to their place on the green glass orb, but the damage had been done. The illusion of glass had been broken. Al’s fingers left a mark on the [Ward] that could not be healed.

“You broke it,” Erick said.

“I like the idea and the execution.” Al said, “But you still need to learn how to mimic sunlight. Are you still using Mana Shaping in conjunction with the casting of the [Ward]?”

“Yeah.”

“Try it without Mana Shaping. How many iterations are you at?”

Erick looked up. How many had it been? “Four? I think?”

Al’s face broke into a big smile. “Good man! Aurify?”

“Almost.”

“Excellent!”

*Knock Knock*

“Right! Them. The reason we came downstairs.” Savral strode to the front door and opened it wide. “Sorry about that. We got distracted in the front room.”

Two dragonkin in well tailored clothes walked into the sewerhouse, both of them with leather shoulderbags wrapped around their torsos. It was a jarring look, but it seemed like they moved comfortably. Both immediately gawked at the light orbs.

Savral added, “The male human is working on his light orbs.”

“They’re quite…” The bluescale male dragonkin said, “Something.”

Yellowscale said—

“Oh! I know you.” Erick smiled. “Hello, Hera.”

Hera smiled wide at Erick. “Are these yours?”

“This is attempt 1 through 24 of making a light orb. I kinda deviated into art somewhere along the line, and a few were too ugly or too bright so they had to go. I thought you were a prosecutor?”

“I am.” She stepped over to the blue-mirage light orb. She said, “Nearly invisible light. I like it.”

Bluescale grunted at her.

She said, “Right. Right. Let’s get down to it. Felair will be casting [Witness] while I [Scry]. When we’re done we will have some words for you all.” She looked around. “Where is Miss Kygron?”

Savral spoke with an edge to his voice. “Bacci is at her house preparing for a vacation. The sewerhouse is closing for a month and a lot of us are going our separate ways for a while.”

Hera frowned. “This looks bad on her.”

“She didn’t do shit.” Savral said, “No one here did.”

“We’ll determine that for ourselves.” Bluescale said, “Thanks for greeting us —eventually— but you can go away now until we need you. Stand in your corners. Whatever. Just don’t get in the way.”

“Don’t vanish just yet.” Hera said, “I need to see all of your Statuses. You can show me now, or—”

Savral said, “Where’s your warrant.”

“I am with my son on this.” Al stood firm. “I’m going to need to see the warrant before I show you my status, and it will be done in private.”

Hera produced a slip of paper from her shoulderbag then handed it to Al. While he read the paper, Erick wondered at how easy it was to counterfeit things in this world, like coins, or identifications, or government search warrants. Savral and Jane craned their necks to look at the paper in Al’s hands.

Al handed the warrant back to Hera. “Fine. Come to my office when you’re ready to read mine.”

“I’ll be upstairs,” Savral said.

“I’ll be downstairs,” Jane said, and then left, following Al.

“Well here’s mine.” Erick said, “Status: Reveal All.”

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 9, Class: None

Exp: 247/5500

Class: -/-

Points: 8

HP

80/80

150 per day

MP

532/532

532 per day

Strength

8

+0

[8]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Concentration 7

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.66

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 2060/2100

Discipline 7

Multiply your base MP by 2.66

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 788/2100

Ward 6, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 642/1300

Mana Shaping 4

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 430/500

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 170/800

Mend 4, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or small complicated, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 50/500

Meditation 7

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Normal movement, small actions/spells.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 455/2100

Huh. He leveled quite a bit. No wonder [Meditation] felt so much better. He could even cast ‘small spells’ and take ‘small actions’ when meditating, whatever that meant. And look at that [Ward], it was up to 6! He could make a personal [Ward] now. Cool. And he wasn’t feeling quite so bad about spending so much… mana…

Nope. No, that wasn’t true. Mana Exhaustion was creeping on strong. He could use a nap.

He probably wouldn’t get a nap, today.

Hera swiped her hands through the floating blue boxes, dismissing them. She looked at him oddly, then the scales on her face tinted pink. She looked away, saying, “Sorry. Terribly sorry.”

He laughed. “That bad, huh! I’m the one who should be embarrassed, but I’d like to know what is so embarrassing.”

Hera looked like she didn’t want to speak but she couldn’t help herself. She blurted out, “You’re still leveling basic skills?”

“Ahh… Yeah. I’m not from around here. Still getting used to the Script. Human, yes. Extra planar, too. Or something. Irogh said something along those lines.”

“Oh?” Hera’s blush faded. She nodded. “That explains a lot.” She eyed him up and down. “Nothing bad… You are a human, but not like any of the ones I’ve ever met. This explains a lot. Including how easily you got a Silver Star.”

“So what next? Do I… spit in a cup? You touch my forehead and experience the last week of my life? You do a Deep Scan on me, whatever that means.”

“A Deep Scan? … No.” She frowned, like Erick was a child needing guidance. “You really are new to Veird.” She pulled a small glass stone from her shoulder bag. “I’m going to ask you some questions...”

014

“Have you ever ventured into Ar’Kendrithyst to deliver information on Spur’s Incani population to the neighboring town of Frontier, or any other human settlement?”

Hera’s questions had gotten progressively more esoteric as the interview turned from ‘some questions’ into an hour-long interrogation, with more than a few of her inquiries asked in subtly different ways than she had before. When it looked like the interview would take more than two minutes, Erick suggested they move to the couch nearby. Hera agreed. Now it seemed like he was stuck to the couch, forever forced to answer the same damn questions over and over. Erick hoped that his torture would be over soon.

“No. I have never been in Ar’Kendrithyst or delivered information to any humans, anywhere.”

The stone in Hera’s hand glowed pink, meaning that Erick had lied somewhere along the way.

Hera eyed him.

“Uh. I have never been in Ar’Kendrithyst.”

Green stone.

“I have never delivered information to any humans in Frontier.”

Green stone.

“I have never delivered information to any humans anywhere.”

Pink stone—

“OH! Right. I probably delivered a lot of non-Veird information to many humans back on Earth through the years.” He went back to answering Hera’s question, “I have never delivered any information on any incani anywhere to any humans on Veird, except for to my daughter Jane. You know… Because they’re out to kill us.”

Green stone, throughout.

Hera wrote down notes onto a pad of paper she used for the interview. She wrote for a full minute. She straightened her back. “Final question—”

Oh thank god.

“Do you know last night’s Sewerhouse intruders, what they wanted, or anything about them, at all?”

“They attacked fast, but Savral and Bacci responded fast, too. They saved our lives. That’s all I know about what happened last night, except that the attackers used some green fireballs that caused Decay, which I already described to you. And I almost died.” He added, “The intruders might have come for the rads? I honestly don’t know.”

Green stone.

Hera put away her interview equipment, saying, “Thank you for your time, Mister Flatt. If only all my victims were this easy to talk to.”

“Victims?” Erick chuckled. He felt annoyed and angry after an hour of questions, but he wouldn’t call himself a victim. It wasn’t that bad. “You make yourself sound sinister.” But maybe she meant what she said?

“Ah. That’s not what… You’re right.” Hera moved to the back of the room, heading toward the other three interviews she had to give. “I hope Spur treats you better than it has.”

Erick laid down on the couch while Hera walked downstairs. The interview was over!

… Now he had to wait for all the others to finish.

Damn.

He almost fell asleep on the couch, right there and then, but someone cleared their throat across the room. Oh. Right. Bluescale was still there. Wasn’t he in a trance, staring at the ceiling? When did that stop?

Felair said, “[Witness] revealed you’re all innocent of any wrongdoing, and that’s what I’m telling Merit. The Mage Guild is going to bitch, claim you should have defended the Sewerhouse, but they’re idiots. They weren’t here.” He moved toward the back of the room, muttering, “And that fool child needs to [Scry] already but she can’t help gnawing on a secret.”

Erick barely watched as Felair descended the stairs. His eyes were already closed.

Naps are wonderful.

- - - -

Jane poked him awake, saying, “They’re gone and we’re done, Dad. Let’s go get lunch. Al’s buying.”

“I most certainly am!” Al said. “You all did great last night and deserve a reward.”

Erick stomach rumbled. Lunch was a great idea.

Al treated them to a restaurant meal in the Orcol District. The prices were huge. The meal was massive. The people all around him were so beautiful, and so tall, that Erick had to keep his eyes down at the food the whole time. They ate a lot, and it was quite good, but if asked to describe his meal, Erick would have flubbed something about ‘good meat’ and ‘nice atmosphere’.

Al introduced Jane and Erick to several remarkably pretty people. Jane might later recognize whoever they talked to, but Erick could only hope that he hadn’t embarrassed himself by openly staring.

Every single orcol was a physical masterpiece. Beautiful shades of cream-green, to ebony-green, to forest green, with luxurious hair, piercing eyes of every color from red to blue to black, tiny and cute fangs or big and menacing fangs, sharp jaws and firm asses, and muscles and breasts and—

When lunch was over, Erick was thankful that he hadn’t made an ass of himself. Or, if he had, that no one had mentioned his wandering gaze.

It wasn’t till they were one street away from the Sewerhouse that Erick noticed something slightly different in his Status.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 9, Class: None

Exp: 247/5500

Class: -/-

Points: 8

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

532/532

532 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

He checked his notices and— Yup! There it was.

Congratulations!

You have grown Stronger

+1 Strength!

“I got plus 1 Strength from that meal.”

Al laughed loud, patting him on the back, almost sending him sprawling to the ground.

Savral laughed too, saying, “Only took a hundred gold of monster meat.”

Erick paled.

Al just laughed again, saying, “You all survived! Be happy!”

- - - -

“Hey, Jane? Have you seen our cellphones?”

They were back at the sewerhouse, preparing to move on to do their own things for the rest of the day, which mostly meant giving Jane most of the gold Al gave him so she wouldn’t have to immediately go out and risk her life killing monsters. Erick liked it that way.

But he did not like that look she was giving him right now.

Jane stared at him. “You didn’t.”

A chill crept up Erick’s spine. Jane’s eyes were filled with an icy fury.

“I took it… out…” He took his phone out of his pants the night before last, and never put it back on his person. The batteries were dead. It was dead weight. Why would he want to carry it around? Besides, the Sewerhouse was a pretty safe location. “Uh.”

Jane deflated, crashing her ass onto the couch. “You lost it, didn’t you.”

“Neither of us have our wallets either so—”

“Wallets are just paper and IDs that don’t matter! Our phones are actual technology!”

“They’re dead weight! I didn’t even consider that it might be lost until now!”

Erick waited for her to say something. She turned to stare at the wall.

“It’s okay, Dad.” Jane sighed, her fury ebbing away. “I still have mine. It might be dead weight but it’s never left my pocket. I couldn’t find much from home in the wreckage of last night. I had hoped you would keep yours on your person too. There are photos on there. Music. Books and more. But I guess that doesn’t matter.”

Thinking about it like that… That wasn’t a viewpoint Erick considered. He never really took pictures with his phone… Or did anything with it that Jane apparently did.

“I’m sorry, Jane.”

“I hoped to use them to talk to each other, too, someday. Find a spell to utilize whatever was already there… So while I’m off wherever and you’re somewhere else we can still talk to each other. Maybe you’d stay here? Maybe we move to another city? I don’t want to go to Frontier or to any human city, though. Military service is mandatory for humans. So Spur is good. But our phones! I… I had hoped…”

I’m sorry, Jane.

“Oh!” Jane looked up. She smiled wide. She said, “Irogh duplicated my D&D book! He might be able to do that for my cellphone.” Relief washed over her. “He probably won’t, but that’s okay. If the magic exists at all I might be able to duplicate my cellphone on my own some day.” She looked away. “Though ‘duplicate’ doesn’t appear when I search the Script.”

And just like that, Jane was full of joy. Her enthusiasm washed over Erick and he smiled.

Jane muttered, “Too bad I can’t seem to find anything I want in the Script.”

Erick had searched the Script for abilities he might want to use, too, but nothing ever jumped out at him, screaming ‘PICK ME PICK ME’. All of it looked rather bland, truthfully.

There were the basic damage spells in all varieties; beam, cone, missile, expanding wave, etcetera, and of course your telekinesis and your other fantasy mumbo jumbo, like [Conjure Weapon] and [Conjure Armor]. Erick only really knew about all that fantasy junk because Jane loved her D&D, and he wanted to be a part of her life. He wasn’t an expert on the genre at all, but he knew enough to know that some staples were clearly missing from the Script’s searchable database of skills.

Where was [Fly]? Where was [Turn into Toad], or whatever they called it around here? Where was [Create Food] and [Create Water]? Where was [Create Illusion]?

You know… Flying would be pretty cool.

Erick asked, “Have you come across [Fly] somewhere in the script?”

“No.” Jane sighed, loud. “I’m guessing [Fly] is one of the ‘Old Wizard’ spells, and has been reduced to its component parts strewn throughout the Script. Maybe it’s sort of self-[Ward], combined with some other skills. Anti-gravity? I don’t know, Dad.”

“Oh. Right. Combining magic.”

Erick was almost disgusted by magic all over again. It was too formulaic! It was too numerical! But that was how this reality functioned. So Erick played around with the Script for a moment, thinking how to make a good [Fly] spell. Soon, he was poking at a blue box in front of him that read [Telekinesis].

Telekinesis 1, instant, self, 10 MP

Slowly move minor objects around you for 1 minute per level of the spell.

Purchase for 1 point? Yes/No

No.

“How about [Telekinesis] and a personal [Ward]? Not level 1, obviously.”

Jane read the air in front of her. She said, “Might be.” She cocked her head. “1 minute per spell level seems useful, too. Maybe I’ll take [Telekinesis]… after I ask Al.”

“Ask Al about what?” Al poked his head into the room. “I couldn’t help but overhear spell talk.”

Jane said, “[Telekinesis] and a personal [Ward]. Would that make [Fly]?”

Al stepped into the room, moving to the empty couch, saying, “You’d want a personal anti-gravity [Ward] tuned to negate whatever of your own weight you’re comfortable with, as well as a level 10 [Telekinesis]. This is so that you can move quickly and hover without concentrating on holding yourself in a hover. A good version of the spell would cost somewhere between 100 and 150 mana and last 20 or so minutes.”

Erick stepped out of the room, saying, “That’s all great to know. See you later.”

“Before you go!”

Erick stepped back into the room.

Al said, “Before you go, I need to ask you two something. Are you two interested in living in the Sewerhouse? I’m redoing the whole thing and I could add a third floor. It would mean you would be here for any future attacks. I offer this to all of my apprentices when I feel that they have what it takes to go the distance, but they usually turn me down.”

Erick looked to Jane. “Thoughts?”

“Thank you, Al. You’ve been very kind to us. But I want to live off my own power.” Jane stood. “I think… I need to start killing monsters today.”

Damn. So she was going to start today? Erick wasn’t happy about that, but he kept that thought to himself. He said, “Thank you for your hospitality, Al, but I can’t go through an attack like that again.” Erick said, “I agree with what Jane is saying, too.”

“Had to ask.” Al smiled. “But, Jane, don’t go anywhere just yet. Let’s talk magic. Warriors are boring. No one should be a warrior. You should be a Scion of Focus, like your father! I’d even grudgingly accept Scion of Willpower, but warriors are a terrible option. I was so disappointed when Savral chose to go that route.”

Jane sat right back down, ready to debate. “I’m already considering what you’ve said about Scion of Focus, but what I really want to talk about is spell creation. I have ideas for many spells that, as far as I can see, just don’t exist.”

“This is also a good topic.” Al leaned back in his couch, getting comfortable.

As Jane verbalized possible spells and how to get them, Al honed her ideas, not-so-subtly weaving in his own ideas regarding Scion of Focus. Erick quickly decided that the whole thing was ‘too magical for him’ and hiked up the stairs. The rainbow shine of the front room greeted him with the warm glows and vibrant colors of almost two dozen malformed light orbs, but he left that behind too, as he stepped out onto the street. He turned south, headed toward the Mage Guild.

And yes, he was aware of the irony of fleeing a conversation about magic, only to pursue a conversation about magic in a different location.

- - - -

The Mage Guild District was glitter and luxury. Everything was done in grey-brown stone with huge clear windows, with [Ward] lights on every corner illuminating well-tended streets. The Mage’s District was a part of town that was not half-deserted, like the Adventurer’s Guild District, but it was also a quarter the size. There weren’t many people on the street, though the alchemist shops and general stores and magical item emporiums were all active, with people either milling through aisles of herbs, or speaking to people behind counters.

The Mage Guildhouse itself was a building half-again the size of the surrounding buildings, with a tasteful placard of gold script on black metal prominently displayed in front, reading ‘Mage’s Guildhouse; City of Spur’. Two towers composed the majority of the structure, one reaching at least ten stories into the sky, the other barely poking above the slate roofs of the neighborhood. The front double doors stood open, cool air flowing out onto the street, showing an interior that was the same grey-brown stone as the exterior, and the rest of the Mage District. Now that he noticed, the stone here was slightly greyer than most of Spur. Were all the districts made of different stone? That was kinda weird.

Erick ran his fingers through his hair then patted his clothes, hoping that he was—

There were stains on his shirt.

[Cleanse].

A personal burst of thick air washed over Erick, transforming dirt and stains into nothing.

Feeling much better, he walked forward into the Mage Guildhouse.

There were a lot of things to see inside. From the dragonkin children in robes rushing up a staircase, calling out that they were going to be late, to a pair of greybeard orcols poking at magic over a table in the sun, to a ‘bank teller’ area where two paper pushing dragonkin called ‘next!’ to a waiting line of people. There were several people in another ‘lobby-type’ area, with two large wooden placards prominently displayed on a large wall that were absolutely covered in small pieces of paper. This place looked like an active business as well as something of a school.

And right in front of Erick, was the receptionist’s counter. A pair of women sat behind the counter, one an iron-flesh wrought in the shape of an incani with medium-sized backswept horns, the other a purple incani with upturned horns. The actual-incani gave Erick a dirty look as he approached the counter. The wrought frowned at the incani’s reaction, then backhanded the incani’s shoulder in a friendly sort of way.

Erick stepped to the counter. The incani had already put on her most professional face.

“Welcome to the Mage’s Guildhouse, sir. How may I help you?”

“Hello. I’m interested in both a bank account and getting some wardlight work. Or any other jobs you may have? I’m not sure how any of this works; I’ve never had an experience with a mage guild before.”

“Of course. To join the Mage’s Guild and to use our banking services we require a 50 gold—”

The wrought’s playful slap of the incani’s shoulder was less playful this time.

“Ow,” said the incani, not actually hurt, her face full of barely restrained anger.

“Take a break.”

The incani stood up and walked away, huffing as she straightened her back and sauntered out of sight through a doorway.

“Ah. Sorry.” Erick said, “I didn’t mean to offend her?”

“You and your daughter are making quakes, Mister Flatt, yet you haven’t been in town a single tenday.” said the iron-flesh not-incani. “Some would say too many quakes, but those of us who remember Old-Spur welcome the presence of strangers, and keep our judgments private until sufficient evidence has been presented.”

“It’s not my intention to cause problems.”

“We’ll see.” She said, “The bank isn’t here, though. That’s down on Merchant Street.” She pointed out the door. “Head to the Western Gate. Big building, you can’t miss it.” She raised her hands around her. “In this building we deal with schooling and mage work, but mostly schooling. Other than that, we’re pretty much exactly like an adventurer’s guildhouse, but we’re in tune with the interior economic heart of Spur, rather than the more combat oriented, monster jobs you’d find in an adventurer’s guildhouse. When someone wants some intermittent mage work done they come here and post a ‘help wanted’ ad for a single silver, detailing pay and expectations. Usually, the job is completed to satisfaction, following the laws of the surrounding town and the etiquette required of all guild mages. To accept a job, you must be certified to accept that type of work.

“Mending is the easiest of certifications, tied with Cleansing. You only need to have the skill. Lightwork is a common request but it’s hard to break into that scene. Most of the prominent listings from our better clients have artists they contract directly. This includes the public lightwork requests issued by Spur.

Her cavalier attitude turned a bit menacing, in a polite yet firm way. “All itinerant and intermittent mage work in a city with a Mage Guild is handled by the Guild, and requires 1 silver to go through the Mage Guild, one way or another.” She switched emotions. She was all iron smiles as she said, “That’s the basic rundown. Guild signup is 5 silver. This bookwork fee is non-negotiable.

“Would you like to sign up as a guild member? This is the only way you’re allowed to do non-permanent, non-apprentice mage work in this city.”

“Uhh.” Erick shrugged his shoulder, then put on a happy face. “Yes! I do.”

“Very good! My name is Anhelia, nice to meet you.” She glanced down at something behind the counter, then looked over Erick’s shoulder. There was a big clock there, above the entrance door. “You can have a seat in the lobby.” She pressed something under the lip of the counter. “I’ve just rung the intake officer. They’ll be with you shortly.”

Erick nodded. “Thanks.”

He wandered over to the lobby area, but did not get a chance to sit down before an orangescale dragonkin arrived from behind the front desk. The newcomer talked to Anhelia, who pointed out Erick.

Orangescale walked over to Erick, saying, “You?”

“Me!”

“Come on then. I’m Tamarim.” They walked through the lobby, then under an archway that separated the front rooms of the guildhouse from a two story hallway with rooms on each side, and a tall picture window at the end. Tamarim opened the second door on the right, on the first floor. Erick couldn’t see how anyone could access the second floor. “In here.”

Tamarim went in first. Erick followed.

The room was basic stone, twenty by twenty feet, maybe ten feet tall, with a window opposite the entrance. Several simple chairs were stacked in the corner by a short, mobile desk. Tamarim moved the table away from the wall then set down two chairs, one on each side of the table, before pulling out a sheet of paper and a pencil.

Tamarim sat down, ready to write. “Name?”

“Erick Flatt.”

“What certifications are you trying for?”

“Uh. [Mend], [Cleanse], and lightward work, but I’m not very good with lightwards yet, so I’m not sure what sort of qualifications I’m going to need. Or… Where to go from here.”

Tamarim nodded, checking off boxes on his paper, then scribbling something else down.

“What—”

Tamarim said, “The first two I don’t need to certify. If it turns out you’re a liar, then you’re in for a bad time. Though for lightwork, I need to see something. Give me a few of your best and one of your worst.”

“… okay.”

Erick moved toward the center of the room then began casting, exactly how he had a few hours ago, trying to recreate that faux-cut-crystal orb. He burst 20 mana into [Ward] and started Mana Shaping for 30 at the same time, creating the basic structure of his lightward. He poured mana in to the spell in 1 point increments, flowing around a blob of white light, like grains of sand rushing around a glittering sphere cotton candy, pulling stray threads of light into a better form.

A surface formed, hard-looking as glass but soft as an illusion. Still, he poured mana into the [Ward], shaping a dozen cuts in the surface all at the same time, twisting the carving around the whole, leaving behind a pattern of perfect geometry. The color shifted from white, then kept shifting. He thought to hold the color to white, but he knew as soon as he thought to do that, the whole thing would mess up.

Which it did.

65 mana spent, this [Ward] was a failure.

Tamarim asked, “Were you trying for a lumpy pink and orange shadowolf?”

Erick tilted his head at the lightward. “Shadowolves look like that?”

“PFFFT.” Tamarim snorted. “In an unrealistic cute sort of way.”

“No… I was not going for that.”

“Keep going.”

The next orb was a 75 mana perfect glass sphere with cut lines and radiant white light.

But the sphere itself was invisible.

Shit.

“Invisible light source is an interesting choice,” Tamarim said. “Continue?”

The next lightorb was an attempt at a 35 mana [Ward 3], with no Mana Shaping. It was an orb of green sludge that actively dripped onto the ground. The drips vanished after a second. The main sludgeball did not.

“Are you trying for an artistic wardlight license?” Tamarim said, “Because that’s not a thing you can get certified for. You get noticed by patrons and they give you work. That’s how that works.”

Erick grumbled, then tried again.

52 mana, a half-baked idea, and a quarter time spent shaping the mana, produced a fractured crystal of daylight that was like looking at the sun through a splintered mirror.

Tamarim leaned back in his chair. The incani from the front desk was leaning against the doorframe. She sniffed, then walked away. Tamarim, though, he looked interested.

“I like it.” He said, “I like it a lot.” He quickly added, “But nothing I’ve seen qualifies you for lightorb work. Would you like to keep trying?”

“I got more in me than that.”

“I’m sure you do, but if I can’t see you produce three perfect sunlight orbs in a row I’m not qualifying you for lightwork.”

“… Fair. I still got levels to go on [Ward] anyway, so this isn’t a waste of time. Not for me, anyway.”

“Your [Ward] isn’t capped?”

“Only level 6 right now. Why? Does that do anything for me?”

“Probably not.” Tamarim waved toward the empty space in the room. “Keep going?”

“Yes.”

45 mana, most of an end-goal thought, and half crafting time, made a perfect sunlight orb.

“Huh.”

“Very good then,” Tamarim said. “Two more to go.”

45 mana, most of an end-goal thought, and half crafting time, made a blacklight. The sclera of Erick’s eyes shone purple, the white of his shirt glowed purple, even his jeans took on a purple tint.

“Of course,” Erick said. “The exact opposite of what I was going for.”

“Well that’s an odd one. Don’t do another. Just— One minute.” Tamarim left the room.

Erick waited.

Tamarim returned with Anhelia in tow. She glanced at a few of Erick’s lightorbs, but stopped on the fractured sun and the blacklight. She moved from one to the other, not sure which interested her more.

But what interested Erick was that the blacklight turned Anhelia into a glowing purple person.

“Hmm,” she said.

Anhelia walked around, half of her iron body soaking in the sun, the other half fluorescing purple.

“Dismiss the rest, except for these two.”

Erick went and did as she asked. As each competing light source vanished, the effect of the fractured sun and the blacklight increased. Before, she was grey-black with yellow highlights and a purple side. Now she was black with gold highlights and a radiant purple shadow. She looked amazing.

“Okay. These are beautiful.” Anhelia turned to Erick, looking the part of a demonic goddess. “You don’t qualify for lightorb work, but this is good anyway. If you can duplicate any of these lights you’ve just made, you will have people asking for your light orbs across the world. But I don’t think you can, because almost no one can actually make these things. Over the next twenty four hours we will be dissecting these orbs to figure out how you made them. If we can, you will be well compensated.” She frowned. “Don’t get your hopes up. They look like random chance masterpieces. These things happen.”

She turned toward the blacklight orb, her horns shining purple in the light. She sighed.

Tamarim said, “If you wish to continue the examination we will do so in another room.”

“Uh! Yeah. Let’s do that. I still got mana.”

40 mana produced a sunlight orb.

42 mana produced a sunlight orb.

41 mana produced a misty grey orb that screamed. Erick didn’t know how it was screaming. Neither did Tamarim. Light orbs were not supposed to make noise! Erick dismissed that orb as soon as Tamarim pronounced it a failure, which was exactly 10 second too late to stop other people from investigating the room.

Anhelia said, “I don’t know how you did that, but wardlights should not scream.”

“I’m not even capped at the skill. I have no idea how that happened!”

“Okay. So. It’s cute how you think that that is supposed to be an answer to how you caused an impossible thing. But it’s not.” She left the room as quickly as she arrived, saying, “I don’t think that was a [Ward 3] at all!”

Tamarim turned on Erick. “Was that something other than a [Ward 3]?”

“It was a [Ward 3]! I wasn’t even using Mana Shaping for the last lot.” Erick deflated. He wasn’t low on mana, but he was already tired. “I’ve gone through five mana pools today. I’m done.”

Tamarim nodded. “Okay.” He scribbled on the paper he had been writing on, then handed it to Erick. “This is your filled out form. Hand this into one of the receptionists up front and pay your fee, and we can come back to this lightorb certification some other day.” He pointed at the two floating sunlight orbs Erick had managed to make. “You’re very close. You were almost at 3 in a row. You can dismiss them now.”

Erick waved his hand and his certification failures vanished.

- - - -

Erick turned in the paperwork and waited half an hour to be called over to the receptionist. The bronzescale girl behind the counter handed him a silverish metal token that looked like a dogtag, with his name on one side and his guild number on the back. ‘SPR-179b105-1317’ was the only understandable part of the number, the rest of it was a swirling design that flowed around the entirety of the badge.

“The badge costs an extra 3 silver, for a total of 8 silver today,” she said. “Would you like to purchase a chain to turn the token into a necklace? This is an extra 2 silver.”

They always get you with the upcharges, don’t they?

“Sure”, he said, annoyed, but trying not to show it.

He slid the receptionist a gold; she slid him the badge on a thin silver chain.

“The Mend-Cleanse-Light job board is that one over there. You’re only certified for the first two portions of that board.” Bronzescale pointed to a large wooden panel on the side of the lobby, lined roughly into thirds. It was absolutely covered in tiny pieces of paper, affixed to the panel with tiny tacks. Three people were currently reading from the board. Next to that was another wooden panel of roughly the same size. “The one beside the MCL Board is the Esoteric Board. Skills the requester thinks you’re going to need are listed with the most prominent skill first. The whole thing is alphabetical, but most listings this time of year are for [Grow]. Preservation [Ward]s are always popular, too, but not quite popular enough for the MCL Board to become the MCLP Board.” Bronzescale smiled. “Good luck! Welcome to the guild, Erick.”

After perusing the MCL board for a bit, and picking out a job, it was time to open a bank account.

- - - -

Opening a bank account was a non-event, thanks to his Mage Guild membership. Still cost him 1 silver to open the account, though. The Mage Guild liked their silver.

- - - -

015

Erick arrived at the [Mend]+[Cleanse] job full on mana. He knocked on the large front door. Thanks to [Meditation 7] he could walk and regen at the same time, but he was already on his 6th mana bar of the day. He was doing too much. Bed time could not come soon enough… But…

Where would he sleep tonight? Would Al really add a third floor to the Sewerhouse, making space for Jane and Erick? That would be good enough for him, but Jane wanted—

The door opened. The sounds of screaming kids filled the street.

“WHAT!”

The pink dragonkin woman standing in the front door looked chastised as soon as she yelled the word. Red paint marred her face and shirt. Blue paint accented her trousers and hair. Yellow paint was, simply, all over. Her face, her hands, her entire self, had been messed by…

And here came the screaming dragonkin kids themselves, similarly looking like a Jackson Pollock painting, all of them every color of the rainbow, each one with different colored scales. Each of them wearing what had once been nice clothes.

Really nice clothes.

Erick looked around him. He was in a nice part of town. This was a big house. They were rich people.

Ah. Mana Exhaustion. He really shouldn’t walk around like this. He should have noticed the neighborhood before now. Was he dressed properly for this sort of place? No. Not in the least.

“Hume—” She cut herself off, saying, “Welcome to the Atriz house— Stop that, kids.” The screaming kids were pulling at Pinkscale’s clothes. She gently batted them away, speaking over the screams, “Are you from the Mage’s Guild? You really should wear your badge in view.”

“Oh!” Erick pulled out the badge from behind the collar of his shirt. “Sorry about that. I’m Erick Flatt from the Mage’s Guild here for a CL job at the Atriz house. I apologize for my manners and appearance. It’s been a long day. I’m a bit out of it.”

Pinkscale laughed loud. Tears trickled. She stopped herself before she started to cry.

Something happened among the kids and all five of them tore off, back through the house, screaming as they went, playing with each other in some strange, kid-like way. Why did they run away? Did Erick say something he shouldn’t have? Oh, no. Erick was really out of it. He shouldn’t have taken this job—

Pink lady didn’t give him a choice. “Thank all the gods and demons you’re here.” She stretched back, head to the sky. “Please, [Cleanse] me, right now. Big as you can. Grab as much of the house as you can.”

Shaped [Cleanse].

Thick air washed over Pinkscale, evaporating paint, continuing into the rest of the house like a stiff breeze. Unwanted paint footprints vanished from the wooden floor as hand and clawmarks disappeared from the papered walls.

Mana Shaping Level up!

Aurify unlocked!

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 0/10000

If that’s level one, it can’t level like a normal skill. Right?

Pinkscale sighed in relief. “That feels so much better.” She smiled, ushering Erick inside. Erick walked two steps into the house. It was air conditioned, of course. “Wait here while I make this a bit easier. The Guild can never send enough of you guys.” The sounds of screaming, giggling, laughing kids began to return, like a police siren coming up from behind. With her voice a gentle warble, Pinkscale called to them, “Come here, kids! Meet the nice man.”

They screamed and laughed as they came forward.

The lead kid stopped, proclaiming, “He’s a cleaner! Run away!”

“[Cleanse] them, now!” Pinkscale pointed. “Now!”

The kids yelped and rushed to flee.

[Cleanse].

Pinkscale laughed as thick air washed over the kids and that whole section of the house, turning paint into a mirage, dirt into nothing, and screams of laughter into tortured sighs and drawn out ‘why!’s. The kids stopped in their tracks to pull at their clothes.

Pinkscale whipped a hand through the air. The air around the kids warped, a sphere of clear-something trapping them all together.

Silence descended, but the kids were obviously still yelling. All five of them pounded on the surrounding invisible sphere with their tiny fists, clawed at something, doing no damage. Two of them wailed, silent to Erick, as they crashed to their butts.

“Ah! Some quiet!” Pinkscale said, “I’m only allowed to do that for half an hour a day so we gotta hurry.”

One of the kids, Goldscale, had pulled out what was probably a pocketwatch, or something similar. Goldscale kid waggled his finger like a metronome at Pinkscale and Erick, as he held up the probable-watch.

Pinkscale pulled Erick along.

A whirlwind tour of the house demanded 270 mana spent on [Cleanse], 120 on Mana Shaping, and 150 on [Mend]. He had to Meditate for a bit in the middle there to make it all the way through Pinkscale’s CL job.

With ten minutes left on Pinkscale’s [Force Wall] cage, the job was over, the house was clean. She signed Erick’s work order as she begged him to come back tomorrow, preferably after dinner. When everything was done, she dismissed the [Force Wall] surrounding the kids.

Two of them were napping but they were quickly roused by their compatriots to once again terrorize Pinkscale and the rest of the house.

Pinkscale stood in the open doorway. “You were great. Thanks, Mister Flatt.”

“Glad to help.” Erick stood outside. “By the way, what was your name?”

Pinkscale said, “Redalia. Sorry. I thought I told you?”

“You might have.” Erick smiled. “It’s been a long, long day.”

“Don’t I know it. Thankfully, Paint Day is only once a month at the Atriz house. Good bye.”

- - - -

Erick trudged into the Mage’s Guild with his completed job order and handed it to the receptionist.

The Atriz job was worth 3 silver. No tip. They didn’t do tips in Spur, and the receptionist was a bit stiffer after Erick asked. Erick accepted the cash payout to lessen the dent of 1 gold it cost to sign up for the mage guild. Tomorrow he would do several of these jobs and direct deposit it all.

He left the Mage’s Guild feeling lightheaded, exhausted, and hungry.

When he arrived at the Sewerhouse and saw Jane alive, he felt a lot better.

Jane was more than just alive, too. She was highly successful in her first hunt. Where did she hunt? In the sewers, of course. She had found 5 slimes, two with above average cores, and a rusted sword that Al mended to perfection. It was better than her knife!

She had turned the cores into the Adventurer’s Guildhouse for a 1 gold quest completion, 10 gold for the pair of large cores, and 9 gold for the three smaller cores. She had brought a bottle of wine and part of a pig with most of her earnings. How she carried 200 pounds of meat through town was beyond Erick, but 20 Strength had a bit more of an effect than just more HP. Al was already chopping the pig up for dinner. He would be cooking tonight; Savral was out on an adventure in the Dead City.

As they sat down to eat, Erick said, “You did really good, Jane.”

“She did!” Al raised his glass. “To your first hunt!”

Jane raised her glass, first to Al. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Al. Thank you for everything you’ve done for both of us.” She turned to Erick. “And you, Dad. I’m so glad you ended up on Veird with me. If you hadn’t… I think I might have ruined any chance for a good life here, trying to get back home. I love you, Dad.”

Al smiled at both of them, but remained silent as tears began to well in Erick’s eyes.

Erick raised his own glass to clink Jane’s, and Al’s. “I’m glad we survived.”

“To more than survival!” Al shouted, “To the future!”

“To the future!” Jane agreed.

“To the future!” Erick said.

Dinner was great. Wine was delicious.

“Oh yeah. Al? I got Aurify today. That’s a funky looking experience requirement for level 1.”

“What is it?” Jane asked.

Al smiled, then said, “Level 2 Aurify needs 10000 experience. It looks like a lot, but it’s not. You don’t get experience from Aurify, either. There are a few other funky skills like that out there, but I doubt you’ll run into them.”

Jane ‘huh’d.

“Well that’s a shame,” Erick said. “I was hoping for a huge level boosting skill.”

Al laughed. “Everyone would be an aura mage! It’s 1 million experience for level 3, which is the last level, but the final level isn’t that important. It’s only two auras at once. The second level of Aurify is the good one. Aurify 2 lets you chose who is affected by your aura, or not, and doubles the range of your auras. Tripling your range at level 3 doesn’t feel that much different than level 2.”

Jane declared, “Funky skill!”

Erick said, “Now if only casting all this magic didn’t grind me down like a toddler after a snack.”

Al started, “Sci—”

“Scion of Focus means no Mana Exhaustion,” Jane continued, smiling.

Al laughed. Erick chuckled.

Jane said, “I’m scouting housing tomorrow. I want you to come with me, Dad.”

Erick smiled. “I’d like that.”

“But it’s late and all the hotels are too far away! You sleep here tonight.”

“Thanks, Al.”

“Thank you.”

- - - -

Earlier in the day, Al had spent all of 4 seconds Aurifying a Mana Shaped [Mend] for 510 MP per second, inside of his office. Every scrap of paper that had been burned, every fragment of his desk, everything that had been trashed in the attack, was remade in those 4, short seconds.

Part of what Al recreated were the papers and notes he had given Erick.

Erick spent some time after dinner lying on his couch, reading those papers, while Jane snored softly on the couch next to him. They were abbreviated lists, curated by Al, and with a few of his personal notes strewn throughout. One of the lists was of skills that gave a hint as to the greater workings of the Script. He went over that list first.

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Strike 1

Hit for damage + damage

Variable

10 STR

Defend 1

Take a % less HP damage

Variable.

10 STR

Strong 1

2x-3x HP

passive

20 STR

Scion of STR

Quadruples HP, no other effect

passive

50 STR, can only pick one Scion ability

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Second Wind 1

HP recovery per day becomes per minute for 1 minute.

1/2 HP cap level 1, 1/10th cap at level X

10 VIT

Precision 1

Lower HP cost of skills by 5% to 50%, Favored Attack for extra 25% off for 4 selected attacks

passive

10 VIT

Enduring 1

2x-3x natural HP regen

passive

20 VIT

Scion of VIT

4x natural HP regen, no healing fatigue.

passive

50 VIT, can only pick one Scion ability

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Mana Shaping 1

Alter spell AOE

Variable

10 WIL,

Mana Altering 1

Alter spell effects

Variable

10 WIL

Discipline 1

2x-3x MP

passive

20 WIL

Scion of WIL

Quadruples MP, no other effect

passive

50 WIL, can only pick one Scion ability

You need all of these except Scion of Willpower.

Skill

Effect

Cost

Requirements

Meditation 1

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Free.

10 FOC.

Clarity 1

Lower MP cost of all skills by 5% to 50%, Favored Spell for extra 25% off for 4 selected spells

Passive. You need Clarity eventually. Buy after you pick your attack spell.

10 FOC,

Concentration 1

2x-3x natural MP regen

Passive

20 FOC

Scion of FOC

4x natural MP regen, no mana exhaustion.

Passive

50 FOC, can only pick one Scion ability

Clarity was nothing special. Just less MP costs. Cheaper spells were absolutely needed to keep an aura up for long, but Clarity wasn’t important right now. First level gave a Favored Spell, too. He could save up his Favored Spells, but that seemed like a waste.

He glanced at Jane, tucked in to herself, sleeping on top of five pillows and under her blanket.

Maybe I should go hunting slimes with her tomorrow. I still can’t believe that she was out killing monsters and making so much more money than I did. But that’s what risking your life does for you. I’m not about to start killing monsters for money, though.

But if those Incani attack me… Ugh. Not great.

He read Al’s attack spell list. He needed one of those. Probably Shrapnel.

Force Bolt

A bolt of mana unerringly strikes a target for 10 + ½ WIL damage if you can’t aim, take this.

5 MP

Force Shrapnel

Sharpened forward blast of mana for 5 + ½ WIL damage Take this as soon as you can. If you’ve the personal skill, the shrapnel can be Mana Shaped to all strike one target.

Basis of much of an Auramancer’s arsenal.

5 MP

Force Wave

A pulse of rolling mana for 15 + ½ WIL all around you.

15 MP

Force Bomb

Launch a ball of tightly packed mana that explodes on contact

25 MP

Force Beam

A thin beam of piercing, slicing mana Can you aim?

25 MP

Force Trap

A meter-wide trigger mechanism explodes into damage Z

10 MP + Z

Force Crash

Rain AOE destruction from on high. Better than Force Bomb

50 MP

Force Wall

Create a stable, stationary wall of hardened mana.

25 MP

Force Platform

Create a mobile platform of hardened mana that moves with you

25 MP

Conjure weapon

Create an unbreakable weightless weapon

50 MP

Conjure armor

Create unbreakable weightless basic body armor on yourself

50 MP

Conjure item

Create an unbreakable non-specific item

50 MP +variable

Envelop item

Envelop an item in unbreakable mana.

50 MP +variable

Utility spells…

Name

Description

Cost

Cleanse

Remove Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption in an area

10 MP

Mend

Repair objects

10 MP

Prestidigitation

Create small magical effects, Can cook with this and cause lights to attach to your person and walls. Useful, but not recommended.

10 MP

Mage Hand

Move small objects for a time

10 MP

Identify

Discover the properties of an object touch range! Don’t go touching magical objects if you don’t know what they are!

50 MP

Tongues

Speak and Hear in any language Registrar Only. Sad.

25 MP

Create Food and Water

As it says in the name. Registrar Only. Very Sad

variable

Ward

Prevents damage in an area + more

10 MP + variable

Invisibility

Light passes through you, except for your eyes Certain cultures don’t like you to have this, like human and incani. If you do, you are ostracized. Spur is not one of them, but you are required to report that you have this skill. Also, human and incani are the two cultures who use this the most.

100 MP

Blink

Instantly move from one location to another within sight

25 MP

Teleport

You and [hands] number of people reappear in a known location

Must have Blink 10 for Teleport to appear for purchase

250 mana per person

And yet more skills and spells.

Spells, other:

Telekinesis 1

Move a small object with your mind. Might be good. Your choice, of course.

10 MP + variable

Control Item 1

Control a non-living object to move how you want

5 MP + Weight in KG

Fabricate 1

Using provided materials, create an object you know how to create. Supposed to be Registrar Only, but it’s not. Good luck finding a teacher.

50 MP + variable

Duplicate 1

Using provided materials, create a copy of an object. Supposed to be Registrar Only, but it’s not. Good luck finding a teacher.

50 MP + variable

Telepathy 1

Communicate with the minds of people you know. 1 connection available per level. Unwanted connections are harmful to caster.

1 MP per minute + Variable

Conjure Force Elemental

Conjure a non-intelligent monster made of hardened mana to attack your enemies for 1 minute per spell level. Very stupid creature. Hard to make good, but can be done. I have witnessed very impressive summons before.

10 MP level 1

100 MP level 10

Dispel

Uncreate an ongoing magical effect Situational. Hard to say if it’s good or not. Better for Scion of Willpower than Focus

MP of spell you’re trying to Dispel

Induce Emotion

Induce an emotion in yourself and then the target. Restricted by law and by Script. Mind Magic is frowned upon by most cultures, so don’t buy stuff like this

25 MP, minor, 100 MP major.

Find Target

Find a target near you. The basis for many homing spells. EXPENSIVE

5 MP + 5 per square meter searched

Interception

Take an attack meant for another. Jane might like this.

5 MP + 5 MP per meter moved to intercept

Detect Magic

Detect ongoing magical effects Good? Probably.

10 MP, aoe pulse

Grow

Cultivate a single plant, or induce growth in an area. Absolutely necessary for Mage Guild work. Do you need it? Your choice.

5 MP

Stoneshape

Control a minor volume of stone and dirt for 1 minute per spell level. Necessary for construction work

10 MP, same growth as telekinesis

Watershape

``, but water

``

Airshape

``, but air

``

Fireshape

``, but fire None of these create, just control

``

Lightshape

``, but light Useful for fighting in Ar’Kendrithyst, but not directly.

``

Shadowshape

``, but shadow Useful for fighting in Ar’Kendrithyst

``

And then, of course, there were some healing spells, though these came with a message attached at the beginning. Erick didn’t think he was going to get many of these, and certainly not right now.

You can pick one healing spell with no worries, but multiple healing spells require Registrar or priestly approval. Pick carefully, or not at all. I would stick to a high mana personal [Ward]. You’ll see why when you get to [Ward X]

Rejuvenation 1

Touch a creature, heal 5 HP + ½ WIL per second per level of spell. One of the best. Consider it, but you don’t need it.

5 MP

Healing Word

Speak, and heal 25 HP + ½ WIL Very fast casting spell. Most spells take a second or so to activate. You can cast this as fast as you can speak.

10 MP

Healing Beacon

Stationary light orb heals all in range for 10HP per second, per level of the spell, for 1 minute. Heals ALL. Don’t use in combat.

25 MP

Heal

Touch a creature, instantly heal 50% HP Have to have clearance from a god or other similar entity to get this spell. Cannot buy it.

5 MP per 50 healed.

Soothing Light

Instantly put willing target into state of Rest, removes pain.

25 MP

Treat Wounds

Heal long term damage for a single target over the course of a day; restoring limbs, fixing teeth, etc. Restore all HP over 24 hours. Damage breaks effect. Don’t buy. Go to a priest or doctor

50 MP

Mass Treat Wounds

Heal long term damage for all in range over the course of a day; restoring limbs, fixing teeth, etc. Restore all HP over 24 hours. Damage breaks effect. Only a priest or doctor can get this

100 MP

There were entirely too many options. What should he pick? There were thousands of basic spells out there; the ones on these papers were just a part of Al's curated list. There were undoubtedly more attacks than just [Strike], too.

What sort of build was Jane planning? What skills has she bought lately?

…

… Erick bought Mana Altering, Force Shrapnel, and Force Beam, before he could talk himself out of it. And then he bought Clarity, which prompted a Favored Spell, which, thankfully, he could put off selecting.

As hovering boxes appeared and disappeared, Erick had a thought.

I think I made a mistake.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 9, Class: None

Exp: 1713/5500

Class: -/-

Points: 4

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

532/532

554 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Favored Spell waiting!

Concentration 8

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.77

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 1055/3400

Discipline 7

Multiply your base MP by 2.66

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 1886/2100

Clarity 1

Reduces spell MP costs by 5%

Requirements: 10 Focus

Exp: 0/100

Mana Shaping 5

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 140/800

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increases an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 0/10000

Mana Altering 1

Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing Damage

Exp: 0/100

Meditation 7

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Normal movement, small actions/spells.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 926/2100

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 460/800

Mend 4, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or small complicated, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 200/500

Ward 6, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 987/1300

Force Beam 1, instant, medium range, 25 mana

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 1 second

Exp: 0/100

Force Shrapnel 1, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 5 + ½ WIL damage in a cone

Exp: 0/100

Damn. That’s a lot of little boxes.

… I hope I can aim!

016

“As you can see, the previous residents left this home in quite a shamble.”

Jane, Erick, and the housing agent, Xemal, stood at the entrance to a home that was more rubble than house. This was the fourteenth ‘house’ the agent had shown them since the three of them arrived at the Human District two hours ago. All of the houses she showed were in various states of disrepair, all of them right next to other, better looking houses, or apartment buildings, or mansions, that weren’t one wall and three rubble piles. Erick and Jane could never afford one of the mansions, of course, but it would have been nice to look inside.

The problem, Erick unwillingly reflected, was probably the agent.

Xemal was an incani with a perfectly practiced professional personality. She was perky, she was insightful, she was ‘helpful’. She was also something of a terrible person.

Now… Erick didn’t want to be that way, but the facts were adding up.

In one instance, there were two of the exact same house, but one was half rubble. Guess which one Xemal showed them, and which one she refused to go near, or even to allow them to see what the rundown house would look like when they fixed it up. When Jane suggested she take a peek anyway, Xemal not-so-subtly threatened legal action against anyone who ‘trespassed’. As a legal representative of the city, she was obligated to report on any illegal activities she saw, and she was obligated to let the potential offender know that what they were planning was illegal.

And that was another thing!

All Human District property was owned by the City; agents of the court were the only ones allowed to show property to potential buyers. Xemal was the agent the court shoved Jane and Erick’s way, to show them around the district.

Jane was having fun with the whole situation.

Thank god for that, because Erick was infuriated.

“What do you think, Dad? Could be a winner!” Jane pointed at the intact wall. “One wall is all we really need, for now. We could push the rubble together into a pair of nests and sleep under the stars. Cozy!”

“Oh for sure!” Xemal said, “Use a few of the larger rocks as pillows. Maybe throw a blanket over that hole in the ground. This is a good choice.”

“Exactly!” Jane said, “Or we could [Mend] the building.”

Xemal fake-frowned. “You’re going to—”

“Need a permit for that.” Jane smiled. “Of course. How much are those again?”

“Oh they’ll run you about 2000 gold for a house like this.”

“But the house itself is only 500 gold?”

“Yup! Don’t forget the 50% monthly interest on a loan, though. That adds up quick.”

Jane asked, “What’s the approval time on a Mending Permit, again?”

Xemal waved her hand. “Oh~ Only a few months. Not a big deal.”

Something crashed down the street.

Another something crashed, louder than before.

All three stepped around the broken house wall, looking for the source of the noise.

Down the street, three incani were tearing up a building, crashing through stone walls with their bodies, punching out supports with their fists. They were not enthusiastic construction workers tearing apart an old building to make way for something new. They had to be 15, maybe 16 years old. Their clothes were torn up. They were dusty with debris. They laughed the whole time they deconstructed the former home, shouting ‘die piggy’ and honking at the sky.

Jane laughed. “That’s cliché.” She turned to Xemal. “This is just silly. Are you going to report them for vandalism? For trespassing?”

“Who? Those kids having fun? No need to get the guard involved.”

Jane pointed across the street at an intact house. “And if I wanted to see the inside of that?”

“I’d have to report you to the guard.”

“Of course!”

Erick clenched his teeth, whispering, “Of course.”

They must have spent too long in sight of the teenagers, because the rampage stopped. Three sets of feet padded toward Erick and Jane, barely audible below the sounds of a ‘song’.

“Piggy piggy where are you! Piggy piggy run you through!”

They were getting louder. They were closer.

“Piggy piggy don’t you cry! Piggy piggy time to die!”

[Ward].

A 400 point [Ward] popped up around Erick and Jane, clipping a bit into Xemal. She leapt back, declaring the [Ward] an invasion of her space. Erick frowned at her and immediately activated [Meditation].

The first teenager, a young girl with one horn in the middle of her forehead, came full into view, stopping only 15 feet away. She yelled, pointing, “I thought I smelled pigshit!”

“They already warded up!” said the boy, right behind the girl, and then three steps closer to Erick and Jane. “Scared piggies!”

“Scared piggies!” echoed the second girl, right beside the boy.

Jane said, “This is just so offensive. What the fuck, Xemal?”

A blast of sharpened mana erupted from the second girl, splashing across Erick and Jane, each blade ripping a dozen points off of Erick’s [Ward]. Erick was flat out stunned. What the hell? Anger stabbed through his body, but with so many different possible outlets, he didn’t know what to do. Jane had no such problems.

Jane ignored the attack, turning to Xemal, saying, “Are you going to report them now?”

“For a few points off your [Ward]?” teased the boy, laughing.

The other two laughed, the second girl blasting them for a second time, eating 30 points of damage from the [Ward]. And that 30 damage was just the damage that Erick could see. He couldn’t see what damage the attack had done to Jane, but his [Ward] was much dimmer than it was before the girl’s attacks.

Xemal asked, all cheery, “What would I report them for? I didn’t see anything.”

Jane looked at the kids, joyful anger in her eyes. “So if I spanked these kids to 1 HP, but you first, Xemal, because this is obviously a setup, would you still be selectively blind?”

The second girl blasted them with another [Force Shrapnel]. It didn’t hurt. Yet.

No one was laughing anymore. Wind whistled through the half-destroyed neighborhood. The rest of Spur was far away, but only ten streets over. Between Erick and Jane and safety were three purple teenagers with murder in their eyes and mana in their hands.

Xemal broke the silence, saying, “You could down the old man but the daughter would kill you, and I won’t step in to save you. Run along, kids. This is not worth any of our lives.”

Two of the kids matched Erick’s glare.

The one horned girl smirked, putting a hand on the other girl’s shoulder, saying, “Come on.”

The boy left first, followed by the first girl. The girl with the [Force Shrapnel] glared at Erick and Jane as she backed away. The second girl lingered the longest. By the time the other two were two blocks away, she was only thirty feet distant.

For a few seconds, she was alone. That was probably why the shadowolves targeted her.

A shadow the size of a person lunged from the darkened edge of a nearby house, silent and full of white teeth. It raced through the girl’s legs, and she fell to the ground, confused. She only screamed when the second shadow appeared behind her, latching on to her shoulder, trying to drag her away, down a side street.

Erick blinked, frozen, watching the scene in front of him not knowing what to do.

Jane had no such problem.

A clear blue sword appeared in Jane’s right hand. A clear blue shield appeared on her left forearm. She moved in a blink of blue light, and the world moved around her. Forward, she smashed, covering 35 feet in the same instant she donned her weapons.

One wolf went flying; crashed against Jane’s shield. Her sword slipped into the head of the wolf at the girl’s shoulder. The girl screamed again, tears in her eyes, blood on her dusty shirt. The girl blindly cast a [Force Shrapnel] into the air, clipping Jane’s stomach. The spell drew a line in the fabric but not much else. Jane ripped the sword out of the shadowolf, slicing up as she did. Black blood sprayed. That wolf wasn’t ever getting up again.

Two more shadows detached from two more houses.

Jane grabbed the screaming kid and threw her twenty feet down the street to her friends. By this time her friends had turned around and realized something was wrong; they had raced back for the second girl. They were close to where the second girl landed. They grabbed her. The one-horned girl loosed a beam of bright purple that sliced across the battlefield, scoring hits against the three living wolves and Jane’s suddenly raised shield.

Jane laughed—

She kept laughing as she reappeared next to Erick.

The whole event, so far, had taken less than 10 seconds.

She held her sword hand up. Black blood dripped from the weapon. “Did you see that? Killed one instantly—”

The three shadowolves prowled around, circling closer to Erick and Jane.

“—Fricken [Conjure Weapon]! I knew it was a good skill, but damn! 508 damage, critical hit! Slid right in like the wolf wasn’t even there.” Jane flicked the sword, scattering black blood on the ground. She smirked at the space behind Erick. “Our minder is gone.”

Erick turned around. Yup. Xemal was gone. Erick turned back toward the shadowolves. He only saw two now, and one of them was dragging the body of the first wolf off the street.

“Hey, Dad.” Jane calmly walked beside Erick, protecting his left side, her shield at the ready, her sword relaxed in her hands. “I don’t know if this is an incani setup, but we have to be prepared for that. Also, we can’t run. Shadowolves either try to kill you where you stand, or chase you somewhere better. Did you pick a damage spell yet?”

“UHHHhhh—”

“Dad. Calm down. They’re still setting up the attack. I can’t tell how many there are, but there’s at least 4. Are you still meditating? Do you have mana? Did you pick a spell?”

“I did! I did! [Force Beam]. I practiced with it already. I have some mana left. Uh. Clarity leveled some in there. Wow, they’re like tiny Darknesses.”

She spoke in English, maybe to confuse potential listeners, “Here’s the plan. Hit the forward one with your spell, then rush forward. They’ll try to hit us from behind and the sides, but they won’t commit because they think we’re running. Then I attack them and you stay safe. If you can hit the forward wolf in the head, I think you can crit. Think like you’re shooting a gun; if you hit well, you’ll bypass most of his HP shield.”

She hunkered down a tiny bit. “Are you ready?”

HELL NO. I CAN’T MOVE MY LEGS.

“Yes.”

Growls echoed from all sides. Sweat dripped.

Jane smiled.

“Your go, Dad.”

Erick had tried [Force Beam] before now, alone in the river room, shooting the water and hoping no one caught his abysmal failures at working a proper damage spell. Al probably saw him, but Al said nothing. Erick quickly learned at least three things about himself. One, he was bad at magic. Two, he wanted to be better at magic. And Three, he did not like how the Script activated basic magic in the same way for everyone.

He was supposed to activate [Force Beam] with a pointed finger.

That was stupid. He did not like that. He couldn’t aim for shit with a finger. But he could certainly look at the part of the monster he was supposed to hit.

[Force Beam].

A two second long beam of clear white cutting mana pulsed from just in front of his eyes, staying on the shadowolf’s skull as the beast tried to run and dodge. Erick stared at the monster, cleaving the shadow from face to spine, with a bit left over to scar the stone road.

Crit for 350!

Crit for 350!

You have slain Shadowolf C!

90% participation!

+2097 exp

Everyone was too surprised to stick to the plan.

Jane yelled, “Damn, Dad! You splattered tha—!”

A growl and a slap of shadow sounded from behind. He turned. Jane swung her sword at a 200 pound mass of shadows and teeth that she had locked down underneath her clear-blue shield. The wolf slithered out of the pin, escaping Jane’s strike, running away behind a pile of rubble. The shadowolf ambled behind a low wall, barely visible but for flickers of darkness that fluttered above the stone, and then it was gone.

“You didn’t run forward, Dad. That was probably a good thing since they didn’t swarm us like the textbooks said they should have. Walk forward. Slowly. If you see another wolf come for the one you killed, kill it.”

With all of his tenacity, Erick took a step forward, down the street, toward the wolf corpse in the middle of the road. Then he took another. Growls vibrated from the shadowed eves of nearby buildings. Erick stopped as he was about to exit his [Ward].

Jane noticed, and stopped with him.

One wolf stood up from the roof of a house in front of them, maybe a hundred feet away. Another stood up from the roof of the opposite house. Both of them were outside the range of his [Force Beam]. Medium range did not go that far.

Behind him, Jane cursed, then said, “They aren’t going to let us go. Some of your [Ward] is still left so we fight here. Slowly look behind us, Dad.”

Erick did. There were three more shadowolves prowling toward them. Two of the shadowolves were out of range. The last one was ten feet away.

[Force Beam].

The close wolf skittered backward, but not before Erick clipped its face, neck, flank, and the road again.

Crit for 350!

Hit for 35!

You have slain Shadowolf E!

65% participation!

+1514 exp

Jane cheered, “HELL YES!” then vanished in a [Blink].

She reappeared thirty feet away, cleaving a shadowolf’s head from its body. She [Blink]ed back to Erick’s side, just in time for the remaining wolves to descend, all at once.

Erick shot out two more beams. He clipped some wolves, but they were too fast. Like eels in a river, they slipped this way and that, crushing for the kill, jaws wide, growling, snarling. Jane crashed into one, tossing it into a wall. She sliced into another and that wolf collapsed to the ground, two legs severed, left behind to sit on ground like the incani girl’s legs over there in the middle of the street. Jane spun and inserted her sword into the downed wolf’s chest, and then she was moving to the next target. There was a kill message, but Erick didn’t bother to read it and the box vanished as soon as it appeared.

Black blood scattered and wolves raced toward Jane’s feet, but she dodged, sliding her sword into writhing not-flesh, scoring more hits, scattering bodies.

Suddenly, three more wolves were dead and one wolf was leaping right at Erick’s face. Jaws latched around his arm and the monster pulled Erick to the ground.

82 absorbed!

Hit for 24!

Hit for 35!

Hit for 30!

A sword pushed into the monster’s face, and the monster let go. He had almost hit 0 HP.

A rush of white light wrapped around Erick.

Healed for 25!

Jane’s [Rejuvenation] ticked lots more. Erick couldn’t get up in time, the last wolf was coming for him.

[Force Beam].

Like so much shadow, the monster burned under Erick’s withering glare.

Crit for 350!

You have slain Shadowolf G!

25% participation!

+582 exp

All around them were shadowy bodies.

A breeze swirled through the street. There were no more wolves.

And then a yowl echoed from a darkened street, like a horror movie’s rendition of a tiger’s meow. Two cat eyes stared at them from the darkness, both of them bright, bright yellow, but small, like twinkles in the night sky.

The eyes closed and the darkness vanished. Light returned. The sounds of a far away city came back to Erick and Jane’s section of the destroyed Human District. Battle receded, but Erick’s heart kept right on chugging, boom boom boom boom. He stood.

Was it over?

It was over, wasn’t it?

He stared around him, trying to make sense of everything. Nothing was sensible. Everything was fantastical, shouldn’t-be-happening. Crazy and foreign.

Jane moved to one of the monsters and stabbed her sword into the body. She rooted around inside the chest cavity. Black blood got everywhere. What was she doing?

Erick’s voice returned to him. “What are you doing?”

“It’s supposed to be next to the heart in shadowolves but I didn’t expect the insides to be so strange and— Ah ha!” She pulled out a crystal fragment —a rad— its glittering warmth barely visible through the black viscera. “This one’s worth 5 gold!”

Erick promptly vomited up breakfast.

Jane said, “We should hurry and get the rads and get to town.” She looked all around at the carnage. “I don’t think this was a setup, but it might have been. And that shadowcat! Fuck! That’s a level 25 kill quest!”

As Jane went and did what she wanted to do, Erick threw up again. He did not want to throw up again, but this day did not seem to be the kind of day where Erick got to do what Erick wanted to do.

Sometimes life was like that.

There were a few level ups and several completely missed blue boxes, but Erick would deal with that later. They had to get to the nearest guard station as fast as they could. They had killed up to ‘monster G’, meaning 7 kills, but Jane only found 5 bodies, including the first one that had been half-dragged off the street, meaning two bodies had been dragged away by hidden forces. At least two more wolves were hiding in the decrepit Human District, probably a lot more than two, and they were being led by at least one shadowcat.

Erick and Jane did not retrace their steps to the beginning of the Human District; they went straight to the closest part of town, which happened to be a part of the sprawling dragonkin district, which was less of a district and more of the glue that held the rest of Spur together. After the locals stopped screaming and realized what was going on, Erick and Jane found themselves herded toward the nearest guard station.

Just to make sure that any scheming incani didn’t try to contradict the truth, Jane had cut off 5 shadowolf tails, hauling them with her like some macabre trophy. Apparently this was a completely normal way to vet your kills with the Adventurer’s Guild, because the guard took sight of the tails, the black and red blood, and the story of wolves and cats at face value. At the mention of a possible cat, the crowd that had gathered around Erick, Jane, and the guards, started talking louder among themselves.

The next thing Erick and Jane knew they were [Cleanse]d and standing in a courtroom in the courthouse, opposite Xemal and three surly teenagers, one of the teenage girls still missing her feet and having to sit because of it. Standing in the audience behind the incani were two more incani, one of them the bystander for the mugging attacks, the other unknown. Behind Erick and Jane was Al, and strangely enough, Guildmaster Mog. The story of a shadowcat in Spur had spread through the town like wartime news. Mog was here for the official report on what might be a prelude to disaster.

In the lawyer and judge’s area were Hera, Felair, and a shining bright, completely silver wrought in the shape of an aging female dragonkin. The silver wrought was wearing actual clothes like a normal person, instead of her flesh shaped into robes or armor like all the other wrought Erick had ever seen.

She was Silverite. She was the Mayor of Spur. She had been the Mayor for the last 550 years.

She took her seat in the judge’s booth; the rest of the courthouse took their seats at her sufferance.

017

Silverite observed her domain and was unhappy. That’s what Erick felt, anyway. She glared at Xemal. She glared at Jane. She glared at the footless incani girl. After lingering on the girl, she nodded to Hera who had been waiting for a signal. Hera took her truth crystal out from her bag and stood there with the crystal in the palm of her hand, for all to see.

Two of the three teenagers gulped. Xemal almost spoke up, but both Hera and Felair slowly shook their heads at her. She held her tongue.

Silverite asked the footless teenager, “What’s your name?”

The girl spoke up from her seat, “Zimmy Saker, Mayor.”

The truthstone glowed green in Hera’s hand.

Silverite said, “Before we begin, let me remind everyone that these sorts of shenanigans end in exile, all the time. A little fight now and then is not a problem. The Quiet War in my streets is a problem. It is a major problem, and you already know this.” She turned her glare on the child. “Relay to us now the order of events as you recall them, starting with the minutes before you received your first wounds.”

Zimmy tried to speak, “Uh. We were… We saw them and we— we…” tears rolled down her face as she whispered about how she had no one outside of the city, and she couldn’t get exiled.

The male teenager yelled, “We said words at them and they said words at us and we left!”

Silverite’s eyes glanced at the green stone. She returned her eyes to the people in front of her. She spoke, “The problem with the Quiet War is that the loss of life and property it creates, ripples across generations, either to spark into an inferno right then, or to lie dormant until something stirs the flames in some other far corner of the world. I won’t have that spark stir to life in my town, but I also won’t cause unneeded loss, adding to the tinder myself. Zimmy.”

Zimmy looked up.

“I know your family. I know your history. The Sakers have been a part of Spur for a hundred and fifty years. Your father behind you is a valued member of the community. He does some of the best metal work in the city.”

The bystander of the muggings stood up. “Please forgi—”

“Silence,” Silverite’s voice was hard as steel. And then it softened, “To all three children and Mister Saker: you will not be exiled today, but you came close. We will assign the blame for today’s activities due to misplaced fear, and the childrens’ fresh Matriculation clouding their judgment. Please leave the courtroom—”

The kids and the father sagged in relief.

“—and prepare to report for civic duty in the coming weeks, after we deal with these shadowolves. Mister Saker, you too. Don’t think I haven’t heard the stories about you skirting the line of public decency. You will all be restoring parts of the Human District at my leisure. I hope you know [Mend], or it’s hard labor until I decide you’ve had enough.”

The boy almost whined, but Mister Saker clipped him in the back of the head. They all bowed as best they could, then left as fast as they could, Mister Saker carrying his daughter away in his arms. Zimmy curled up against his chest, softly crying. Of all the incani who had shown up to the courthouse, only Xemal and the unnamed incani remained. Xemal sat facing forward, perfectly still, like she was waiting for execution.

Silverite watched the father and the kids leave the room, and the door shut behind them.

She turned to Xemal,

“Stand.”

Xemal stood, and stiffened.

Silverite said, “You’re too good at your job, Xemal. You make this town run better in every possible way, except when it comes to humans, then you’d throw your career, your life, your morals out the window. You should never have been allowed anywhere near two humans looking for property in their district, but you wormed your way into a position of power over them. You knew you should not have done this. I know what happened to you; it was a tragedy. I’m sorry for that. I’d love to exile you for this stunt, but I’m not going to. Not this time.”

Part of Xemal’s perfectly statuesque demeanor cracked with relief. She smiled, but the smile was gone as fast as it had appeared.

“Report on what you saw, Xemal.”

She did.

She reported on the entire fight.

The ENTIRE. FIGHT. She had been watching, invisible, from the sidelines, the whole time. Unable or unwilling to help, she did not say, probably because to do so would out her as a liar, or negligent in her duties as an agent of the city. She spoke with eloquence and poise, in a clear voice that held no room for disagreement. Erick found that every word she said was true compared to what he remembered, and some of her words painted Jane in a good light, but that was likely on purpose. Over the course of Xemal’s report, Erick realized that he had missed a lot of details. Like how Jane had saved his life at least seven times while he wasn’t looking in the right direction. As Xemal’s rendition of events came to a conclusion, Erick concluded that he was a fricken terrible combatant and that he should stay as far away from all fights as humanly possible, from now on.

Erick also concluded that Jane was awesome. But he already knew that.

“… and then the shadowcat made itself known on the sidelines. I cannot attest to why it chose to stay out of the fight, but it is my understanding that they are cowardly masterminds. That might have something to do with how it chose to act.”

The truthstone had been green the whole time.

Silverite said, “I could call you a cowardly mastermind, too, but you were prepared to step in if necessary, right? Hera, cover the stone.”

Hera covered the truth stone.

Xemal said, “Yes. Of course I was.”

“Thank you, Xemal. I’m thankful for your report. Uncover the stone, Hera.”

Hera revealed the green truthstone again.

Silverite turned toward Jane and Erick. “You two have been well behaved so far. One of you even got a Silver Star, almost as soon as you arrived out of the Crystal Forest. Why do you think that is, Mister Flatt? I think it’s because you’re an other-worlder and you have never heard of the Quiet War before you arrived on Veird.”

Xemal gasped, poise broken, shame writ upon her face as her eyes dashed back and forth. Hera could not school away her smile. Neither could Felair, but his smile came with a laugh.

The man in the audience behind Xemal cursed, quietly.

Erick was missing something important. Why was Xemal acting like that? Was it an act? Irogh made ‘outsiders’ seem like a common enough occurrence that no one would really care about his origins. Erick never even tried to hide the fact that he wasn’t born on Veird. Al knew. Savral and Bacci knew. Silverite and her people obviously knew, but that information didn’t get around the office? Was Xemal an outcast among her officemates?

Odd.

Silverite spoke again, this time to Xemal. “You didn’t know that, did you? You went off into battle without your sword. Remember this feeling, the next time the Quiet War clouds your judgment.”

Ah. Maybe she heard a rumor and thought it false.

Xemal turned toward Erick and Jane, bowing deeply, saying, “I’m truly sorry for how I acted! I thought you were human. I had no idea you were truly planar.”

The stone stayed green.

Erick was stunned. Not human?

Jane said, “Planar? Uh? It says ‘human’ on the status.”

Silverite said, “You’re not from Veird. A Deep Scan has proven this to both Irogh and Rozeta—

Xemal retook her seat, more stunned than Erick at being called ‘not human’. The incani behind her cursed again, louder this time.

“—You have no racial history in the Quiet War, and that racial history is what matters to most of the human and incani leadership. Boots on the ground, though… That’s a different story. They’ll see your face and call you human. Don’t go thinking anything has been solved by the actions of today.” She turned her eyes on Xemal. “But there’s a lot of problems that might go away, now that the incani in charge know that you’re not a trueborn Veird-human.”

Xemal said nothing.

“Now for the meat of the meal.” Silverite said, “Jane Flatt. Please describe the shadowcat.”

Jane stood. “It was smaller than a shadowolf, but larger than a common house cat. Maybe. I couldn’t tell exactly. It was covered in living shadow that was thicker than a shadowolf’s shadows. Maybe 20 kilos. Sharp yellow eyes. An echoing growl. The shadows all around it were deeper than normal, out to a space of ten or so meters. Maybe larger? Uh… I think it had multiple tails? Not sure on that last one.”

The green stone stayed green.

Silverite nodded. “Two truth-verified reports are enough for me.” She spoke up, “Guildmaster Mog, consider the kill quest issued. Standard reward unless the situation changes. There will be no more authorized incursions into Ar’Kendrithyst until the shadowcat has been slain and its body shown to me, or you, or to someone else that can verify its death. You know the relevant people.”

She turned to Erick and Jane. “Do you two like it here in Spur?”

Erick didn’t have to think long. He stood, and words came to him. “I do, Mayor. I’d prefer less excitement, but the ease of cleaning and fixing broken things is amazing. And everything is within walking distance! And magic! I’ve never done magic before I came here. But… It’s all very new. I think I could learn to love Spur quite a lot, especially if Jane chooses to stay.”

The truthstone stayed green.

Silverite let a small smile grace her visage. She turned to Jane.

Jane’s answer was different. “Since this world has [Teleport] options I would love for my father to live somewhere safe. Anywhere, really, because I can visit him at any time. But Spur is not safe.”

Xemal said, “I’m so sorry, Ja—”

“Had they killed my father, I would have killed those kids and then you, Xemal. Your deaths would have been a righteous crusade, for you would have been served exactly what you were dealing.” She stared at Xemal. “That is my line in the sand and it is eminently reasonable. Someone kills my dad, I kill them. But since nothing happened, nothing has to happen. I would prefer to keep it this way. I would prefer to not be a part of this Quiet War at all, but I’m not like my father. I’m not above going for the neck when someone comes for mine.”

The stone stayed green the whole time. Erick felt a pit open up in his stomach.

Silverite sighed, saying, “And this is why you did not qualify for a Silver Star.”

“I never expected to receive one. I know what I’m about.”

“You are making this harder on everyone with that attitude.”

“I’d argue that if I didn’t have this attitude, my father would already be dead.”

That was a sobering thought. Erick stared at the green stone, not sure how he felt.

Silverite said, “Very well. That is your line on the ground; let no man cross it, or you.” She breathed in and out, thinking. She said, “You two have proven yourself competent and useful and Al seems to like you. Mog has withheld judgment, but she might have just changed her mind—”

Erick turned to look behind him. Mog was smiling at Jane, then she nodded at him, still smiling. Damn, but orcols are beautiful. He turned back toward Silverite.

“—I want humans back in Spur. I want the Quiet War to go away. But I’m also a realist.” She turned to Xemal. “After the threat of the shadowcat is gone you will issue Erick and Jane a house in the Human District, free of charge. Their choice. Make it easy on them.” Silverite spoke over Xemal’s ‘Yes, Mayor.’ turning to Erick and Jane. “Whatever house you chose will prove if you’re a good match for Spur, or not. If you’re a detriment to my city, you will be removed.” She stood, and the rest of the courtroom stood with her. “Guildmaster Mog. I want to know your plans before you implement them. Meet me in my office by tonight. The Human District is officially under quarantine until the cat and the wolves have been eliminated. You’re all dismissed.”

Silverite left the room through a door behind the judge’s podium.

- - - -

In the afternoon sun, on the giant steps of the white stone courthouse, a flustered Xemal quickly apologized to Erick and Jane, before running off back into the courthouse. What did she say? Erick didn’t know. Neither did Jane.

Mog laughed loud, as she walked toward the Adventurer's District, tears streaming down her face as she laughed again and again. Erick watched her get twenty feet down the road and laugh again.

For their own retreat from the events of the day, Erick and Jane followed Al back to the sewerhouse.

They did not walk through the incani neighborhood.

- - - -

There was a third floor to the gold-colored sewerhouse, that was not gold at all. Above the holographic sewer pipes and gold slimes of the first floor, the second floor was a patchwork of gold wall and grey-brown stone, stretching upward into a pure grey-brown.

“Even if you don’t use it, I’m redoing the whole Sewerhouse, anyway. Two of the Resting rooms are on the third floor.” Al said, “Come and see!”

Erick stared up at the third floor. It looked really nice from the outside. Lots of windows. A little balcony.

“How did you even do this?”

“[Stoneshape] and Aurify. Takes a lot of mental concentration, but if you can do it, you can make most anything you want out of stone.” He added, “Don’t go digging down until you know what you’re doing; get a certification from the Mage Guild. Too many people have died testing out non-existent architecture skills.” Al walked to the door and unlocked it. “Let’s go see!”

The front room had not changed. It was still full of opulence, with the glass case for rads center stage and everything colored gold. The stairway leading up to the second floor was the same. The rushing sound of the river was still there, downstairs, but as they reached the third floor, the constant thrum was considerably less.

Al led them on to the third floor. This new kind of Resting room looked almost exactly the same as Al and Savral’s apartment on the second floor. There was the kitchen, there were the two rooms on the side, there was the living room that wasn’t separate from the kitchen. The pillows and two of the couches from the downstairs Rest rooms were in the living room. Through the open door to a bedroom, Erick saw more pillows, and a couch. The couches were as big as beds, anyway, so that was all good.

Erick smiled. “It looks really nice, Al. I accept. For now.” He added, “Jane does too.”

Jane walked forward through the space, saying, “Of course I do. Thank you, Al.”

Al’s smile beamed wide. “Ah ha! Very good!” He stepped backward. “Explore the space at your leisure. I won’t put up the alarm ward until much later in the day, so— Ah… hmm.” He turned to Erick. “Do you have [Blink], or anything like that? You both can come and go as you wish. I made a landing out there for you for that. But I do put up the alarm [Ward] at night.”

Erick eyed his Status. There were some points left, but there were changes and messages waiting for some downtime, so he quickly bought [Blink] and exited the Script before it all overwhelmed.

“I do now.”

“Good man!” Al turned away, stepping down the stairs. “Good show in the courtroom, today. I’ll make dinner later!”

And then he was gone.

Jane went to a couch and collapsed, exhausted.

Erick went to the nearest room and did the same.

- - - -

He woke to the smell of food. Something spicy and probably meaty. The sun was still high in the sky, outside of the windows of his room. When he stumbled out into the rest of the apartment, he saw Jane cooking in the kitchen with two bags of groceries behind her.

“Nice nap?”

Erick said, “Wonderful nap. What are you cooking?”

“I opened a bank account at the mage guild then went down to the market and found some stuff.” She pushed around some sliced meat in a pot, with green not-chives and some sort of sauce. “Got some sausage; not sure what kind of meat but the samples were delicious. Some onion-like things, bread, some maybe-tomatoes. This and that.” She pointed to the bags behind her and Erick went to investigate. “I also had a nice chat with some farmers about the produce.”

Erick pulled out a bulbous two-foot long white root-thing. There was an unidentifiable fruit, as well as a sweet smelling fruit. And lots of bread. Jane loved bread, so that was no surprise. As he was pulling out stuff, he asked, “What about the produce?”

“[Grow] is a generalized accelerated growing spell, but it can also be used to cultivate a specific outcome. If you do it right, you can create a new kind of real living plant. Like accelerated selective breeding.” Jane smiled. “Like turning this—” she held up a not-chive. “—into a sweet onion. Only without the generations that it took humans on Earth. You could have a viable product in a few months.”

Erick eyed the not-chive. “Really?”

“Yeah. There’s a catch, though. If you do it really wrong and make, like, killer kudzu, you’ll get a god-quest on your head to hunt you down and all of your plants.” She waved her stirring spoon at him, careful not to drip the sauce. “Don’t go making killer-kudzu.” She returned to stirring the pot. “What’s your status like now, anyway?”

Erick ignored the blue boxes at the edge of his sight. “I’ve been ignoring it.”

“Pffpt! Dad!” Jane pointed at the couch in front of her. “Don’t ignore the problem.”

“Jane, but—”

She glared at him.

Erick walked over to the couch and pulled up all the boxes he had been ignoring.

Status.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 10, Class: None

Exp: 2297/8900

Class: -/-

Points: 5

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

554/554

554 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Favored Spell waiting!

Spoiler: Spoiler

Concentration 8

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.77

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 1855/3400

Discipline 8

Multiply your base MP by 2.77

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 586/3400

Clarity 4

Reduces spell costs by 20%

Exp: 200/500

Mana Shaping 5

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 140/800

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 0/10000

Mana Altering 1

Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing Damage

Exp: 0/100

Meditation 7

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Afflicted ailments: Normal movement, small actions/spells.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 1726/2100

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 470/800

Mend 4, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical medium sized object, or small complicated, and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 200/500

Ward 7, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 97/2100

Force Beam 2, instant, medium range, 25 mana

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 2 seconds

Exp: 175/200

Force Shrapnel 2, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 5 + ½ WIL damage in a cone

Exp: 5/200

Blink 1, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 0/100

Clarity’s experience value looked like it operated off of total spell cost, and not some small percentage of whatever it was reducing; it would be easy to level. All the other spells didn’t seem to care about less mana spent, either. Erick was thankful for that. He didn’t want to deal with a whole bunch of tiny numbers everywhere; it was already bad enough.

[Ward] was getting bigger. It was the easiest to level, though. One 500 point [Ward], and boom! 510 experience. Easy peazy, lemon squeezy. Leveling all those DPS spells, though. Ugh. [Force Beam] leveled in 25 point increments, so that wasn’t so bad. [Force Shrapnel] probably wouldn’t be that bad as soon as he practiced it with Aurify.

Looking at his new level 10, Erick felt dirty. He must have gotten almost 5000 experience from that fight, including the spells he cast. Killing things really was the best way to level base level, wasn’t it?

Erick felt like he needed a bath. A nice hot shower. Maybe a hot tub.

… He could make himself a hot tub.

He had never had a hot tub!

He leapt to his feet.

Jane looked ready for anything. “What happened, Dad?”

He turned at her, and with a deep, solemn voice, said, “I could [Stoneshape] a hot tub and then use a temperature [Ward] to make the water hot. It would require zero maintenance because I have [Cleanse]. I have no idea where I would get the water but I could figure that out later! Ahhaha!”

Jane almost threw the wooden spoon at him. Erick could see it in her eyes, that urge, the tension in her grip. But she went back to stirring dinner, or lunch, whatever it was, a smile creeping up on her face. Ah. It had to be lunch. Al said he would make dinner.

She said, “You knooow, Daad~ There’s a bathhouse in the orcol part of—”

“I cannot do that, Jane.”

She laughed loud and happy.

Erick already knew full well there was a bathhouse in the Orcol District.

But when the Most Beautiful People all go somewhere to enjoy a bath, nude, as a cultural thing? Erick felt out of place before he even got to the front door, no matter that there were also dragonkin and incani in the area. Fleeing that place was not one of his proudest moments, but he ran anyway. He ran very fast, and the less Jane knew about all that, the better.

Jane called out, “Hey, Al! Want a late lunch?”

Al’s voice carried up the stairs, “On my way!”

Jane smirked. Erick paused. She was planning something. Oh no. What was she planning?

Al appeared in the doorway then stepped inside, saying, “Smells good!”

“Before we have lunch~ Dad is embarrassed to be seen at the bathhouse, but he wants to go and enjoy a lot of hot water. Is there some cultural thing preventing him, or…?"

Erick almost died right there.

Al answered, laughing as he did so, but Erick was so deep in the throes of embarrassment he couldn’t hear the words around him even if he wanted to. It was decided, without one iota of Erick’s own choice, that Al would take Erick to the bathhouse tomorrow morning, when the crowds are small. ‘There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, but you’ll likely get more than your fair share of stares. Not many humans in Spur!’

Or at least that’s what Erick thought someone said in the middle of their awkward lunch. Of sausages. A lunch of sausages. Thanks for that joke, too, Jane!

018

Erick and Al went to the orcol bathhouse in the beginning of the day.

The less said about that experience, the better.

But there are a few things to say! The whole place took up a whole city block. The architecture was amazing. Huge waterfalls, deep pools, tile everywhere and almost all of it was artistic, or tasteful, and most of the time both. Public pools cooled the weary under huge almost-oak trees, interior spaces were reserved for those desiring simple gym-type baths. This place was fit for a sultan, or a king, but it was filled with normal people.

‘Normal people’. Ha!

When the predominant people were literally blessed by the Goddess of Beauty and Brutality, ‘normal’ was relative. Sure, there were some dragonkin and incani, and even one wrought, but they only accented the people who made this place what it was.

Don’t focus on the people. You’d only stare and make a fool out of yourself.

…Okay. Maybe you can stare at them just a lit—

NOPE. That guy saw you looking.

To not gaze upon perfection? Impossible! Water glistened on perfect skin, like diamonds in the sun.

Don’t look down don’t look down don’t look dow—

Fuck. He’s looking at you. She’s looking at you, too. And you’re looking at them. Everyone is looking at everyone else. This is uncomfortable. That old adage ‘don’t look down in the gym showers’ is as true at 15 as it is at 50. But come on! It’s really hard to ‘not look down’ when the Perfect People are 8 to 9 feet tall, and their ‘looking down’ is your eye level and no one is allowed in the pool areas while wearing clothes.

Okay. Just. Look at…

Look at that architecture… over there? It’s just so… perfectly distracting!

Don’t mind Erick, he’s just dying in the pool. Falling under until no one can see. He was embarrassed for so many reasons, not the least of which was that he was almost fifty years old and skinny dipping in the public pool was supposed to be culturally completely normal. He wasn’t some kid out to get his rocks off! That was just an unfortunate side effect to a communal swim. At least there was no obvious sign that he was enjoying the experience. He wasn’t 15 anymore, thank god.

… The less said about that, the better.

But Al seemed to find the whole thing hilarious, the whole way through. Afterward, he even had some words of encouragement, “We shall go again another day! We must rid you of this embarrassment.”

“Thanks, Buddy.”

And knowing what Al was packing under his clothes? The less said about that, the better.

There will be no elaboration on that front.

- - - -

Erick walked into the Mage’s Guildhouse feeling a lot better than he had in the previous days. [Cleanse] was no substitute for a nice relaxing time in a lot of hot water and a brisk swim in a deep, cool pool. His clothes were [Mend]ed to perfection, his shoes felt good. His jeans fit him better than they had in years. Maybe all the walking around town was good for him. He might not have been 25 anymore, but he was moving around more these days.

Maybe, one day soon, he could use the public pools and not feel completely inadequate.

Ah, but that day was not today. Today was a day for work!

Erick walked over to the Mend-Cleanse-Light Job Board, with a spring in his step and a smile on his face. He waved to Anhelia at the receptionist desk, and she waved back. The guild was busy today, and the board was full, like it was most days. How did it stay so full? Why weren’t these jobs all gone? This was basically free money.

“Hey, Stranger.”

Erick turned. Anhelia was standing beside him. He greeted her, “Hello, Anhelia. How are you today?”

“I’m doing great. I hoped to see you yesterday but you were absent, and wow, has the rumor mill been active about you.” She smiled. “Planar, huh?”

Erick almost frowned. His good mood took a hit, but he had been through rougher situations than… an entire town talking about him and his daughter? Ah. No. He had never been in a situation like this. Was this going to be a problem? No one had given him weird looks on the street.

Okay. Well. Not many people had given him weird looks on the street. About the same number of people as usual, actually.

“As far as I know, I’m human.”

“Well yeah.” Anhelia laughed. “But not one of our humans.” She must have noticed his concerned face, because she tried to wave off his concern. “There’s nothing to worry about with a tiny secret like that. Honestly, I should have known by your clothes alone; it’s not like you ever tried to hide yourself. But there is someone here who would like to apologize to you, if you’d let her.” She pointed back toward the receptionist area. The incani from the other day was hiding behind the door behind the desk. “Her name is Sizzi Zago. She’s the daughter of the Guildmaster, Master Zago. I don’t think you’ve met her yet?”

Ah. The daughter of the guildmaster? He should go accept that apology. He was going to anyway, but that last bit of information made his decision for him. He relaxed and walked over toward the receptionist desk. Sizzi stepped out from behind the door, her face a perfect mask. She walked forward.

Erick held out his hand. “Sorry for getting off on the wrong—”

Sizzi shook his hand one quick time then ran off in the other direction.

Erick stood there, his hand still held out to no one. He slowly retreated, saying, “Uh. Okay?” He turned toward Anhelia. “That was weird.”

She nodded, not smiling. “The incani messed up big time. I only know the barest bit of the vein you struck by coming to Spur, but I’m no rumor mill.” She looked over to the job board. “You should know: ‘destruction’ has been added to the Esoteric Board. Limited time, big pay from the city if you’re good. Nothing if you’re not. If you are good, though, you might be invited back tomorrow. They’re clearing out the human district one building at a time.”

“Clearing the district? Like… leveling the buildings? To the ground?”

“And also digging up the sewer system from below.”

“What spells?”

“Many different ones. And before I forget: we couldn’t figure out how you did that ‘blacklight’ orb, as you called it. So no payout. Sorry.” Her eyes turned hard. “But if you catch wind of wardlight like that in the city, you let me know and we’ll track down whoever might have lied about not knowing how they’re made.” She turned bubbly again, smiling as she sat down at the receptionist’s desk. “You might get a payout then.”

- - - -

Erick did not take a ‘destruction’ job. He had no relevant skills for that.

Though he thought about [Stoneshape] again…

But no. Not today.

- - - -

Two Mend-Cleanse jobs done and two signatures obtained, one of those signatures from the beleaguered Redalia at the Atriz household, Erick arrived at his last job for the day. The day’s last job was at an enchanter’s shop. Erick was expected to spend over a thousand mana mending various things that the owner couldn’t spend the time, or mana, to [Mend]. It had to be done individually, too. No Aurify and Mana Shaping 10 here, not that Erick was capable of that feat anyway, because that might mess up the delicate enchanting on unfinished items.

‘Ulrick’s Unusuals’ was writ in gold upon the air outside of a nice looking, but not too extravagant, shop at the end of Merchant Street, a block from the towering city walls. The shadows were deeper here, but the light orbs were much more plentiful. Erick entered through the front door. A chime announced his entrance.

A voice called out from the back room. “One minute!”

Erick waited, and looked around. The walls of the display room were lined with glass display cases. A double set of waist-high display cases occupied the center of the room. Items occupied those cases, each of the items separated from the next by a foot of space. It was a very repetitive space. This was Erick’s very first ‘magic item shoppe’ and it was almost exactly what he had expected. And yes, the extra ‘pe’ of ‘shoppe’ was entirely necessary, for every single item in this place looked high class and homemade.

There were daggers, chiefly. A lot of daggers. Each of them etched with script, or more accurately, Ancient Script. Erick couldn’t read the Ancient Script, but little plaques in front of each dagger, written in common Ecks, described each dagger’s purpose. A lot of them were simple cutting implements enchanted to never dull, as long as the rad in the hilt remained. A few were firestarting knives; others lit with white light when activated. An array of throwing knives were enchanted to [Blink] back into their provided sheaths. Several of the daggers were casting aids, made to apply specific Mana Alterings to whatever spell was cast using the dagger. A Decay Dagger was priced at 1500 gold, and it was ‘rated up to 50 MP spells, ~50-500 uses’.

That seemed pretty useful. Erick didn’t know about the pricing, though.

Besides daggers, there were wands, all of them made of the same metal and of the same shape. A lot of them were meant as teaching aids; the wands let people play with a spell to see if they liked it, before they bought it with an ability point. Other wands looked like they were more than teaching aids. The wands for [Conjure Armor], [Healing Beacon], and [Treat Wounds], were ornate things, made of thick steel twirled with a lighter material. While the script on those were not visible, the prices were visible.

The prices for everything were printed right there on the plaques, and Erick was beginning to see a pattern.

100G or 200G for a sharp knife, a fire knife, or a light knife. 500G or 1000G for a [Blink] knife. The [Conjure Armor] rod was 1000G; there was only one price on that rod. [Healing Beacon] was 500G. Erick didn’t know about the spell used for the first knives, or why the [Blink] knives were one of two prices, but he looked up [Conjure Armor] and [Healing Beacon] in the Script. 50MP for the first, 25 for the second.

Were the item prices just MP cost x 20? Erick would have to go to other shops to see if that was true, and that formula was obviously untrue for the Decay Dagger. There were probably some market forces at work behind the scenes, too; flat costs for magical items seemed… off, somehow.

But, wow! Money, money, money!

“Sorry about— Ah! A human!” A tealscale dragonkin appeared from the back room wearing comfortable clothes, brown leather gloves, a brown leather apron, and brown leather boots. “Pardon the appearance, my curator is out killing shadowolves so I’m running both sides today. How can I help you?”

Erick held his mage guild badge out at the man. “I’m here about a mending job. I understand it’s a thousand expected mana.”

“Ah. Yes.” Tealscale said, “I’m Ulrick Ulrick, and there’s lots to be done. Come with me.”

Ulrick led the way into the back—

The air popped in the middle of the room. An orcol appeared, covered in wounds. She eyed Erick, then saw Ulrick. In a millisecond, she grabbed a pair of huge rads out of a bag at her side, saying, “I need the [Healing Beacon] and [Treat Wounds] rods, right now!” She slammed the fist-sized glittering rads on the cashier counter, then stuck her hand through the [Healing Beacon] and [Treat Wounds] display case, shattering glass, grabbing the rods in a quick second. “Sorry about your shoppe!”

She vanished as fast as she appeared.

Ulrick pointed to the destroyed display case, “[Mend] that first, please.”

Erick was slow to start. As he moved toward the broken glass case, he asked, “Is that normal?”

Ulrick had already gone into the back and returned, carrying two magic rods with him. “Oh? Hmm? That? Yeah. Too often, but she’s a good customer and the adventuring community takes good care of me. If I was actually robbed there’d be hell to pay and I wouldn’t be footing the bill.”

[Mend].

Thick tendrils of air flowed from broken wood and glass on the floor, dissolving them, as the spell flowed mass and structure back into its original position. After the glass case finalized its repaired form, Ulrick opened the case and replaced the two rods that the orcol had taken.

Ulrick grabbed the two glittering mega-rads from the front counter, muttering about ‘needing to add credit to her account’, and walked into the back. Erick waited for him to return, but Ulrick called out, “The job is back here.”

So Erick went behind the cashier counter.

The backroom was a large workshop, twice as big as the front. There were three well-lit wooden desk-like spaces and one entire wall full of what looked like metal filing cabinets. The rest of the space was open walkway, but not much of it, because almost all of the room was occupied by bins and bins of weapons and scraps. Shredded metal and twisted blades. Bent wands and chips of steel. And several bins of metal cubes, nearer to the desks than the scrap bins.

Ulrick stepped up to the only two empty bins in the room. He said, “No [Cleanse] in this room. Pick any of the filled bins, and [Mend] one item at a time. If it turns into a dagger or a wand— anything besides a block of metal, put it in one bin. If it turns into a metal cube, put it in the other. No Aurify [Mend], because I’m always in the middle of making new items and I don’t want you to mess up my work.” He looked around. He said, “I think that’s it. Got any questions?”

Erick moved to a bin. [Mend]. A bent wand turned into a steel cube. He said, “This is the job? I don’t know much about enchanting… How is all this—” He gestured to the room. “How is this the outcome of writing Ancient Script?”

“What you write often contorts the base material, but sometimes it’s salvageable.” He shrugged. “I don’t expect many non-cubes. The job ends after a thousand mana, but if you do more then I’ll pay more, in thousand mana increments.”

It was then that Erick realized he might have a problem.

Mend 5, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical complicated medium sized object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 80/800

Non-magical.

[Mend] had leveled to 5 earlier in the day, but Erick still couldn’t do magical items.

Erick said, “I don’t have a [Mend] that can do magical items. Is this a problem?”

Ulrick frowned, but then shrugged again. “Not really. What’s your [Mend] at, if you don’t mind?”

“5, leveled earlier today, too.”

“You don’t get magical mending till 10.” He frowned, saying, “I had hoped that the mender they’d send would be 10, but I get what I pay for. Do what you can.”

As Ulrick moved to a wooden desk in the back of the room, Erick went to work. He activated [Meditation], picked up a piece of scrap, and cast [Mend]. Then he did it again. And again. And again.

Cube.

Cube. Cube.

Cube. Cube. Cube.

Cube. Cube. Cube. Cube. Cube.

Cube…

Erick turned trash into workable scrap, many, many times.

- - - -

Erick had to stop. He was low on mana, even with [Meditation] active and Clarity dropping [Mend] from 10 MP to 8 MP, then 7 MP near the end of his first iteration. Clarity 5 should have made [Mend] 7.5 mana, but there were no half-MP costs and the Script rounded up; either 1 MP was the lowest discrete particle of MP, or that’s how the Script chose to enact magic in the world. Erick bet the second one was the correct answer.

But hey! [Mend] leveled. Though nothing had changed this level, so he didn’t even notice when it happened. [Mend] outside of odd levels did not change. What would happen at level 9?

Mend 6, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical complicated medium sized object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 30/1300

[Meditation] leveled, too, before this last job, actually.

Meditation 8

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Normal movement, moderate actions. May attack or defend. Damage done or taken breaks Rest.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 976/3400

[Meditation] felt close to natural, now. Mend felt better, too, but there was still no variation from creating a cube. Though he had only gone through 600ish mana, it spent pretty damn fast once he got going.

He needed another twenty minutes to get going again. He looked over at Ulrick. The tealscale dragonkin had been turning metal cubes into magical items in the back of the workshop for the last thirty minutes.

When the man leaned back in his chair to stare at the ceiling, Erick saw his chance.

He asked, “Ulrick?”

Ulrick turned. “Done already?”

“Not yet. At 600ish, but I’m going to 2000, and then I’m going to stop. I wanted to know if I could watch you while you work, for a bit. I’m Resting right now and I’ve never seen enchanting before.”

Ulrick looked at him for a moment. “Sure. I can show you twice.” Ulrick pointed to a spot on the floor three feet away from him. “Stand there. Don’t talk. Don’t move. I’ll tell you when you can move again; only then you may ask your questions.”

Erick quickly complied.

Ulrick picked a metal cube from a nearby bin and placed it on the table in front of him, in the center of an array of 5 rads worth 3G apiece. He didn’t seem to care about picking a specific cube; he grabbed the one nearest to his hand. With the metal cube in front of him, in the center of the array, and Ulrick sitting still in his seat, the flow of mana around him changed. Erick could see that change with his [Meditation] active, but he didn’t understand the change.

Ulrick stared at the cube, dancing his gloved fingers in the space around the metal. All at once the rads vanished and the cube deformed like a gelatin splashing. The liquid metal folded into itself, stretching into a wand.

Ulrick began to whisper words in a language Erick had never heard before.

“A bit of here, a bit of there, a bit of all of everywhere, close your eyes and you will see, all the places you can be. A bit of here, a bit of there, a bit of all of everywhere, close your eyes and just you think, all the places you can [Blink].”

Ulrick leaned back, letting the magic settle.

The wand glittered then cracked in half. The two split halves twisted around each other.

Ulrick sighed. He tossed the wrecked wand into a nearby trash bin. He opened a small box kept on the far side of the table and pulled out 5 more 3G rads, and placed them on the enchanting array. Another metal cube was placed in the center of the array. The flow of mana changed, and Ulrick began enchanting again.

“A bit of here, a bit of there, a bit of all of everywhere, close your eyes and you will see, all the places you can be. A bit of here, a bit of there, a bit of all of everywhere, close your eyes and just you think, all the places you can [Blink].”

This time the metal stabilized in the air, arcs of teal cascading around the metal form from hilt to tip. The wand slowly fell to the table’s surface, but Ulrick was still focused. Nothing was happening. The ambient mana looked stable. But…

After a minute, Ulrick leaned back, sighing, smiling. He turned to Erick. “Worked that time.” He picked up the wand. “[Blink] wand. One charge, but it can hold 50, which is as good as you can get without spending thousands on better metals.” He set it aside. “I’ll leave the charging for later. Any questions?”

“How do you learn Ancient Script? Was that rhyming and then casting the spell at the end? Is all enchanting like that? What’s with all the little rads?”

Ulrick laughed a little. “You truly haven’t seen this before, have you?” Ulrick stood, then walked the other way, toward the filing cabinets. “I’ll just...” He pulled one out, then shoved it closed. He opened another, but that one wasn’t it either. “Where is...” He looked up, then down. He opened one more— “Ah ha! Found it.” He pulled out a text book. He handed it to Erick. It was a textbook on Ecks to Ancient Script, along with the common laws surrounding the practice, as enforced by the Mage Guild. “Bring it back whenever. It’s an old textbook, but it’s still good.” He looked around. “You won’t be able to finish this all today, anyway. Just get as far as you can.”

While Erick began leafing through the textbook, Ulrick went back to work enchanting metal cubes into… flip flip flip… According to the textbook… Ah!

… 500 gold hunks of metal, according to the textbook’s pricing formula.

Well. Not exactly. A single wand of Blink, fully charged, cost 500 gold, like Erick had theorized. But with a bit more reading, the truth behind that cost was a lot more complicated than the spell MP x 20. Items with only one charge —freshly made magic items— were 1/10th the fully charged price, with partial charges costing—

“So? [Mend]?” Ulrick said, smiling at him.

Erick was back to mostly full MP. He put the book into the shoulderbag Jane had bought him.

Cube.

Cube. Cube.

Cube. Cube. Cube.

Cube. Cube.

Cube…

He hit 1000 mana spent on [Mend], and kept going. He Rested a bit, watched Ulrick make two more [Blink] wands, then went back to [Mend]. Before he hit 2000 mana spent, [Mend] leveled again. It wasn’t much more useful to Erick, but it was nice to see progress.

Mend 7, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical uncomplicated large object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 10/2100

Because of Clarity, he was only spending 7 mana per 10 [Mend] experience gained. It felt nice to go further on the same tank of gas, but also like he was cheating experience. It wasn’t a real problem, though. Erick would hit his experience cap whenever his skills stopped leveling, and that would be that. He didn’t want to get into any monster fights ever again.

He wasn’t sure of the math, but Jane had been sure that he could expect to get to level 14 or 15 without killing monsters, if he spent the rest of his points on base stats. If he bought skills that gave experience, he could go a bit further, but not much.

And another thing! Clarity made getting to 2000 actual mana spent take quite a lot longer! Thankfully he hadn’t put [Mend] as a favored spell, or this job would be impossible.

Or just take a whole lot longer.

Ulrick was walking through the room when Erick finally finished.

“Done!”

“2000 mana?”

“Yup! Maybe a little more.”

Erick wobbled to his feet and pulled the work order out his shoulderbag. Steadying himself on the nearest bin of cubes, he handed the work order to Ulrick, who instead of signing it, pulled a clear stone from his pocket.

“Have you spent at least 2000 mana mending this trash into cubes, and not one of them turned into an item?”

Erick said, “Yes. I have spent over 2000 mana mending stuff into cubes, and not one of them turned into anything other than a cube.”

Green glow.

Ulrick put the stone away and took the paper, signing it big and bold, and twice. He handed the paper back to Erick, as he looked around. Over five trash bins had turned into a little over three cube bins. A far cry from the whole back room. But still, progress.

He said, “You’ve saved me quite a lot of mana and exhaustion. Too bad you already have a teacher or I’d want to swipe you up myself.”

Erick smiled, folding the paper and putting it into his bag. “Al’s a good guy but there’s not much to do after the attack, so it’s odd jobs for now. If this job is still on the board tomorrow, I might come back.”

Ulrick smiled. “You do that.”

Before he ushered himself out of Ulrick’s shoppe, Erick realized he had a question. “Say, Ulrick. I noticed no stat boosting items out there. Are those not worth making? You seem pretty high end, but I just don’t know. Al said I should look into some basic boosting items sooner or later, is why I’m asking.”

Ulrick took a moment to answer. At first he looked maybe-angry, but that quickly changed into gruff determination. “I’ve got an established customer base and I like what I do. There’s money to be made in items like mine and people don’t expect them to last forever. But all those plus Strength and plus Willpower belts and crowns? They always break at the worst possible time, because they always break when they’re stressed.” He waggled his gloved claw. “Mark me, don’t go buying some plus 30 Willpower crown and expect it to last more than 3 or 4 mana pools.” He paused. He relented. “A plus 30 Strength belt, though? That’s useful. For one battle. Maybe two. Enough to save your life, I admit. But no matter what, if you get into basic enchanting, someone is going to die because the item you sold them gave them too much unearned confidence. You don’t want those bodies on your conscience. Enchanting might make you a lot of gold, if you’re good, but that’s not what real enchanting is about. Real enchanting is about saving lives on battlefields you’ll never see.”

Erick thought about that for a moment. It was good advice.

A chime rang from the front room. A voice called, “Hello? Ulrick?”

Erick took that as his cue to leave. He went out into the front room first, then bowed out of the shoppe, saying, “Thanks for the advice, Ulrick.”

Ulrick waved him off, already talking to a pair of dragonkin customers.

Erick turned in his three jobs to the Mage’s Guild; direct deposit, all three. The first two for 4 silver and 5 silver respectively, and the last one for 10 gold, twice. Enchanting gigs were nice, though Erick could already see why they paid out so well, and why the jobs weren’t snatched off of the MCL board as soon as they appeared. It was exhausting work! But he already knew he would go back tomorrow. 10 gold was 10 gold, and 10 gold twice over was even better.

That would happen tomorrow, though; today was done, even if the sun was still in the sky. Erick went to the Sewerhouse and [Blink]ed to the top floor’s landing. Dinner would come around soon enough, but until then, sleep! He glanced at his status before he crashed on the living room couch. One day soon he could ignore the passive skills, but for now, it was nice to see the numbers go up.

Oh. He had gained a base level, too, and… Ouch. Look at that level requirement. At 14400 exp to next level, Erick might already be staring at the mountain.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 11, Class: None

Exp: 610/14400

Class: -/-

Points: 7

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

576/576

576 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Spoiler: Spoiler

Concentration 9

Multiply your base MP regen by 2.88

Requirements: 20 Focus

Exp: 2363/5500

Discipline 9

Multiply your base MP by 2.88

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 1094/5500

Clarity 7

Reduces spell costs by 35%

Exp: 1470/2100

Mana Shaping 5

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 140/800

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 0/10000

Mana Altering 1

Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing Damage

Exp: 0/100

Meditation 8

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Normal movement, moderate actions. May attack or defend. Damage done or taken breaks Rest.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 2689/3400

Cleanse 5, instant, short range, 10 mana.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 710/800

Mend 7, instant, touch, 10 mana

Touch a non-magical uncomplicated large object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 1510/2100

Ward 7, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 97/2100

Force Beam 2, instant, medium range, 25 mana

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 2 seconds

Exp: 175/200

Force Shrapnel 2, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 5 + ½ WIL damage in a cone

Exp: 5/200

Blink 2, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 25/200

Jane was probably already skill-experience capped. That girl of his was driven.

… But whatever! Sleep now! To Rest, to lie down in slumber. Such a wonderful thi...ng…

… z… zz… zzZZzz…

- - - -

He woke to the sounds of people talking downstairs, and the smell of cooking meat. Night had fallen not an hour ago. The sky outside was still vaguely bright. Footsteps touched upon the stone floor.

“Oh good. I was just about to come get you.” Jane walked over to him. “Dinner’s almost ready. Have a good sleep, Dad?”

Erick rolled upright. His eyes didn’t focus.

“Hey?” Jane looked at him. There were two Janes. “Dad?”

He shook his head. “I’m okay. Just out of it.” He stared, and there was only one Jane. “Too much mana spent today… something like 3000? More than that.”

Jane helped him to his feet. “That’s a lot. Savral is back; that’s part of my day. He’s downstairs cooking, actually. His team was recalled. The shadowcat hunt might be a lot worse than anyone thought.”

While Erick had been groggy, ‘worse than anyone thought’ woke him right up.

019

Erick and Jane stepped into Al and Savral’s apartment.

Savral chopped up vegetables before adding them to the skillet. A roast was already in the oven, practically done. He had been cooking a dinner large enough for everyone, including Guildmaster Mog, who was currently sitting in the living room talking with Al. She was looking as good as ever with her short black hair and muscly arms, but she also looked a bit run down. She had seen better days.

She was saying, “It’s just tough, you know?”

Erick said, “Smells great, Savral. Thanks for the invite.”

“It’ll taste great, too,” he said, with a smirk.

Al turned to see Erick. “And the last person arrives!” He almost looked like he could laugh, but there was a pall in the air. “I got a messenger from Ulrick Ulrick a bit ago. He wants to snatch you up.”

Erick smiled. “I think you’re stuck with me, Al. Don’t know if I’ll ever get to Scion of Focus though, not without killing some monsters, and we all know how that almost turned out.” The gloom in the air returned, as almost-smiles turned to flat grimaces. Erick walked toward the living room, Jane following. “I heard today was bad.”

Al frowned, but not at Erick. Mog stilled.

A professional facade overcame Mog. “Six rookies were killed today. All of them over level 20. Seven assistants from the Mage guild lost their lives. The Guard is maintaining the quarantine but that’s about all they can do; the shadowcats are constantly testing our frontlines. Merit is easily holding her own, so I don’t feel an incursion into the rest of Spur is possible, but it’s also not possible to dislodge the shadowcats from their various hideouts without more firepower. I would like to believe that they’ve been living there for a long time, because the alternative is worse. Shadow tunnels are everywhere.” She paused as she broke her facade. She asked Al, “How was that?”

Al said, “Silverite will tear you a new one, but you’ll survive. No one expected multiple cats.”

Mog sighed, and then stood. “I can’t stay for dinner. I have—”

“Now wait a minute.” Al said, “You need to eat, too.”

“I’ll get something on the way. I can’t do this right now. I thought I could, but I can’t.” She turned to Savral. “Thanks for the invite.” She turned to Al. “I’m going back out there.”

Savral said, “Wait wait.” He pulled the roast out of the oven. It was as thick as an orcol thigh and roasted brown. He sliced off an inch thick cut, the knife slipping right through the bone in the center. One quick pluck and Savral pulled out the bone, and with two more quick actions, the dripping meat was soaking two slices of bread on each side. “Here.” He handed the hot sandwich to Mog.

Erick was impressed by both Savral’s speed and also how damn sharp that knife must be.

Mog smiled small, taking the sandwich. “Thanks, Savral.”

“Anytime, Guildmaster.”

Al added, “You stay safe out there, Mog.”

Mog nodded, blowing on the hot sandwich as she stepped down the stairs. In a moment, Erick saw her on the street outside. The sandwich vanished in two bites. A little after that, she was out of sight. Savral let the roast rest on the counter while he tossed vegetables in an oiled skillet, making sure they were caramelized just a bit, but soon, dinner was served.

Ten minutes into dinner, Erick stuck his two-tined fork into a not-potato, and paused. A question had been percolating in his mind since he saw Mog. He asked, “How bad was it?”

Savral instantly argued, “It wasn’t that bad. Yes. People died. Yes. Mog is in some deep shit since this happened inside the city and she and Merit have never gotten along. But if you ask me, the people who died today only died because those people got cocky—” He quickly added, pointing his finger at Erick and then Jane, “But I never said that. Okay?”

“Understood.” Jane asked, “How did people die, anyway? I saw the preparation that went into the operation. It seemed like overkill, but it obviously wasn’t. You guys had maps and plans and routes and sections. It all seemed very professional, like this was not your first time doing this.”

“These sorts of things happen.” Al said, “Spur is only half-populated, so there’s lots of room for monsters to hide. That said, I’m not sure how three cats managed to hide for this long. Or how so many people managed to get themselves killed.”

Savral said, “I only know for sure about one of the teams. Cerulean Sky. They were formed a few months ago and had spent all that time honing their tactics in the Crystal Forest. They should never have gone against a known shadowcat without spending at least a month in Ar’Kendrithyst. Everyone else in the kill squads had that kind of knowledge. Cerulean Sky fucked up. They left their back lines exposed, their mages didn’t have enough HP, they didn’t set up enough wards. The whole team didn’t account for basic Dead City strategy.”

Jane said, “I talked to them in the beginning of the day. They set up multiple fallback points. Everyone did, all over the place, all in accordance with the plans. Every mage I talked to had put on a full strength personal ward hours ahead of time.”

“And that’s the crux of the problem, isn’t it? The plan was fine for one shadowcat. No one is going to fault Mog for that. But when the other two appeared… When was it? Just after noon? Everyone should have changed tactics. We did. Cerulean Sky did not. They expected their defenses to be there waiting for them, but a shadowcat’ll send two wolves to fight against each other in those fallback points, and then there won’t be a fallback point because the wolves hurt each other to kill the emplaced [Ward]. Shadowcats are smart enough to pick their battles; they likely saw that Cerulean Sky was full of untested rookies.” Savral said, “That’s what I heard and saw, anyway. I believe it’s the truth. Not sure what happened to the other teams that lost people… Dark Bloom, though? That team is full of overconfident idiots, but they’ve spent years plundering Ar’Kendrithyst. I don’t know how they lost three mage guild people. No one knows. Zago is furious. There’s going to be an inquiry there, for sure.”

Erick said, “I was thinking about taking a destruction request, but...”

Al instantly said, “I don’t think you should. Shadowcats are smart. A single cat is a 1000g Kill Quest. You don’t even have a fortification destruction skill yet, do you?”

“I’m two thoughts away from [Stoneshape].”

“Even still.” Al shook his head. “Three shadowcats.”

Erick frowned. “If they’re so smart, why aren’t we talking to them?”

Savral held back a laugh. Al glared at Savral. Jane looked curious.

Jane said, “I’d also like to know the answer to that.”

Savral glared at Jane. Then he relented, and said, “Technically we could, but they’d use the opportunity to ambush us. There are two outcomes here: either you join the long and well documented list of people who died talking to the shadows, or they’d use you, and you would end up killing the rest of us. In human culture, talking to monsters is a major crime because it’s usually provable that your interaction has led to at least one death.”

Al added, “The rads inside of their monstrous bodies drive them to eat and grow by either eating other monsters, or eating people. There’s no middle ground. Even people who can’t constantly disperse their own rads will turn into monsters. They’re all people eaters, every last one.”

Erick stared at his meal. He almost lost his appetite, but he was way too hungry and tired to give up a meal. He said, “Well that’s enough about that. I guess I won’t be taking a destruction job.”

Jane let out a long, relieved sigh. She smiled.

Dinner resumed. Erick got through half of his dinner before he called it quits. There was too much food. It was great food, but there was too much. Savral was a great cook.

And then Erick asked about enchanting, questioning what he had seen Ulrick do with a small rhyme and some rads in a magic circle. That started a whole long conversation where Savral hated mandatory item pricing, Al said that the prices had to be that way, and Jane was only interested in how enchanting wasn’t a skill in the Script.

“Yeah!” Erick said, excited. “It’s like it’s real magic.”

Savral phhbtt’d. Al glared at his son.

“What?” Erick said, “You make up some rhymes and out pops an item!”

“Not that simple.” Al said, “Ulrick was using a few skills he didn’t show you. Likely [Metalshape]. Maybe [Control Item], too. Probably a custom tier 2 spell.”

“Maybe. But...” Erick looked out across the room, at the city. Night had fallen. The darkness was broken by light orbs, but overhead hung the vast blackness of the heavens, and in the distance loomed the walls of Ar’Kendrithyst. He asked, “Could you do other magic that way? Like… cast a [Force beam] magic?”

Al and Savral laughed. Jane frowned.

Al said, “Go ahead and try.”

Savral complained, “It’s not the normal way to make a tier 2 spell, but—”

“Not a combination spell.” Erick said, “A new spell entirely.”

Savral smirked. “In that case then good luck with your error messages. I hope—”

“Oh hush, Savral.” Al turned to Erick. “Go ahead.”

“Okay. Let me think.” Erick paused in thought. “Okay. I got it. I’m going to try for a lightning bolt.”

Al gestured toward the window. “Shoot in that direction, please.”

“Hold on.” Savral said, “Describe the spell you’re going for.”

Al huffed, “Let him try whatever he—”

“I don’t need details.” Savral was looking from Erick to the air. “A general idea is good enough.”

Erick said, “A lightning bolt. From the sky. Not that hard to grasp.”

Al laughed. Savral took his eyes off of the blank air to watch Erick. Jane sat back from the table. After a few moments of mouthing the words, making sure they all worked, Erick moved his chair so he could focus on something far away, like the top of that building over there. It was cast in shadow; it seemed deserted.

Al said, “Don’t actually cast a spell. Try to ‘enchant’ the spell out of the Script.”

“Well duh. Otherwise there’s no point.”

“What building are you going for?” Savral asked, with half a smile.

Erick pointed. “That one.”

Jane said, “He doesn’t even have any rads. This isn’t a proper experiment.”

“That building is abandoned. The harpies and owl shifters use the ones closer to the walls, so that one should be a fine target.” Savral said, “And since you’re putting so much effort into this, I’ll help. [Ward].” The air glittered black, a scintillating line of darkness falling around the room. Savral’s absorption [Ward] encompassed all of them. “For safety.”

Jane demanded, “Is anything going to actually happen?”

“Shh,” Al said.

Savral said, “Let him try.”

Erick focused on the dark, empty tower, maybe a thousand yards away. He mouthed the words again, making sure they were something like what he heard Ulrick do. When he was ready, he pointed to the tower, and spoke, “From ground to sky, and cloud to mount, from flash we mouth a subtle count, a strike of three from there to thee, marks the end of ancient trees. From ground to sky, and cloud to mount, from flash we mouth a subtle count, from high to low be now call’t, in this place, a [Lightning Bolt].”

Nothing happened.

And then two things happened.

Erick fainted because his mana dropped to 0.

Lightning struck the tower in the distance.

- - - -

Awakening, Erick experienced a few different events all at once. Firstly, the sun was up. Sunlight streamed in from a nearby window, and it was way too bright. Like a migraine making itself known, Erick knew pain. That pain expanded to fill his entire body, as a deep, deep wrongness flexed across his skin, settling into his bones.

There were also some blue boxes.

Congratulations!

You have created a new Basic Spell. Your spell has been added to your skills for free!

The spell you have created will appear in the Script after a year and a day.

Your spell is the alpha version, and will shift with time and use.

The spell that appears in the Script might be different.

Here is your spell:

Call Lightning 1, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 mana

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <Damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lightning bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Rozeta thanks you for enriching the Script.

+3 ability points.

Good use of the basic underlying nature of the physical world, but let’s try something a bit more original next time, shall we?

—Rozeta, Dragon Goddess of the Script

Erick laid there, reading the boxes in front of him, trying not to move too much, or breathe too deep.

“Ah?” Al’s voice carried from across the room. A book closed. “You’re awake. Here, let me...”

A gentle light enveloped Erick, and the pain lessened. A vice loosened from around his skull. His skin was no longer on fire every time he breathed. He shuddered, and felt better.

Erick groaned, “Is it supposed to hurt this much?” He mentally pushed the boxes away, accepting what they had to say. “Points are nice, though.”

Al laughed. He touched a metal rod to Erick’s leg. A warm glow passed through his body, exactly like before. The pain receded, but did not go away. It was manageable now, though; that was better than nothing. Erick sat up. The rod in Al’s hands looked familiar.

“That’s one of Ulrick’s rods.”

“He does good work. I’ve had this one in my collection for a few years. Hardly ever used it until today, and then ten charges. Poof! How are you feeling?”

“Like I fell out of the sky, but worse.”

“Hungry?” Al got up and moved into the kitchen. “Savral made sandwiches out of last night’s leftovers. You’re probably starving.”

He was starving. Now that Al mentioned it, Erick’s stomach grumbled with hunger. “How long have I been out?” Erick looked outside. A great black stain marred the broken top floor of the tower in the distance. “Uh.”

“Almost a full day. What’s your spell called?”

Erick willed the box to appear and then willed the box to move to Al. It was easier that way.

Al read the box a few times, his eyes wide at first. “Yup. Alpha spell, too.” He added, “Similar to spells already in the Script, though.” He dismissed the box. “I’m surprised Rozeta approved that. Surprised for multiple reasons.” Al pulled out two sandwiches from the cold box and cast a heating [Ward] on the kitchen counter. He slid the sandwiches on a plate into the [Ward]. The bread began to toast as the meat sizzled. “Look up [Lightning] and [Nature’s Fury] in the Mage Guild’s archives the next time you’re there. They’re both tier 3 spells, made by combining basic Script spells into two unique spells, and then combining those into [Lightning] or [Nature’s Fury]. They appear for purchase once you get their prerequisites, like how [Teleport] appears after [Blink] hits 10. If you’re smart enough to understand how [Blink] can be made into [Teleport], you could try to invent [Teleport] yourself and not spend the point, but most people buy that spell outright.” He pulled the sandwiches from the heating [Ward] and walked them over to Erick. “Eat.”

Erick relaxed in front of the steaming food. “What tier is my spell?”

“That’s the thing, isn’t it? Your spell is basic tier, even with that crazy mana cost. Your spell will appear in the Script for purchase by anyone, just like [Force Beam], in a year.” Al added, “Basic spells… They don’t happen. Until they do, and then many things change. Basic Magic classes at the Mage Guild have to adjust their curriculum. People will go to their local registrars and have them delete their entire [Lightning] and [Nature’s fury] skill trees in order to restart with [Call Lightning]. Ocean travel will be a lot less dangerous if people can kill storms using that ‘reduces the duration of natural storms’ bit of your spell. That sort of thing.” He turned toward the window. He stared at the black mark on the tower. “You have to have a fantastic idea of how the spell is supposed to work in order to create a basic spell, and you have to be the first one to get there. For comparison, not a single new Force spell has been added since the beginning of the Script. If you think you’ve made a new Force spell, you just haven’t explored the Script well enough.” Al smirked, then turned to Erick. “How do you think lightning works?”

It took Erick several minutes to comprehend exactly how much he changed the world with an offhand experiment that he never expected to amount to anything. Then he stared at his sandwich. Then he looked through the window, to the black-marked tower, recalling what he knew about lightning, trying to organize it all into a coherent idea.

He said, “Clouds are a mass of positive and negatively charged particles, all jumbled together and generally balanced against each other. Lightning is a phenomenon that occurs when there is an imbalance. When there’s an imbalance, negatively charged particles in clouds fall to the ground in invisible lines of power, seeking to restore net balance by taking a positive charge from the largest source of positive particles: the ground. When the negative line from a cloud gets close enough to the ground, the ground —or something on the ground— responds by sending out its own line of positive particles. When the positive line meets the negative line, all of the charged particles along both parts of the line move very, very fast, in order to reassert balance to the whole system. This is lightning.” Erick looked up. He looked out. He looked to Al, and said, “I think I got that right. Ah. Lightning can also occur between clouds, of course. Anything with two massive differentials in electrical charge, really.”

Al sat there, listening. Quietly listening. When Erick stopped, Al asked, “And you put all of that into that enchanting-like rhyme last night?”

“I tried to.”

“And you did.” Al looked away. He sighed out, “You need to take better care of yourself.”

Erick winced. “What happened after I… crashed?”

“Eat your sandwich.”

Erick began eating his sandwich.

Al held up his rod of healing. “Mostly this rod of [Treat Wounds]. But in the seconds after you collapsed? Jane cast her healing spell on you and when that didn’t work she almost went crazy trying to demand a better healing spell from the Script. Before she could get far with that, Savral had retrieved the rod. We stabilized you, and Jane relaxed a little. She watched over you while you slept, but your main ailment is mana exhaustion, and that takes time to heal.” Al pointed at him with the rod. “You’re still exhausted, you know. That pain you’re feeling? Jane can power through it because she’s young, but it’s going to catch up to her, too. Maybe in a decade, maybe in a year. She’ll burn out, and it won’t be pretty. But you? You’re not young.”

Fuck.

Erick tried to hide the sting from that truth, but he didn’t hide it well. Al’s eyes softened. Al looked away and let a minute pass before turning back to Erick. If there were tears, Al didn’t see them.

Al said, “No more magic for a few days. Creating a new spell takes a huge toll and you were not ready for that expenditure at all.” Al looked out the windows again. “Jane went with Savral and his group this morning to kill some wolves. They’ll be fine. Worry about yourself, so she doesn’t have to. Hera showed up after the kids left, asking questions and getting truthful answers. Mage Guildmaster Zago sent a messenger about three hours after that. You’re required to report for a debriefing by your guild as soon as you’ve recovered. I told them it would be at least two days.”

“… Am I in trouble?”

“There’s a hefty fine for casting magic like that in the city, but Master Zago paid it for you. That was also in the message she sent. She likely expects a detailed report concerning what you did and how you did it. If you tell her what you told me, she will be more than satisfied. I didn’t know you created a basic spell until you showed me the Script for it, so right now, this drama is just a personally amazing thing that you’ve done. The fallout of this will have to wait for another day.” Al paused. He leaned forward. “I know I told you to do a lot or else I’d kick you to the curb, but there’s a balance between moving forward and letting your body heal. You’re doing more than enough.” Al smiled, saying, “Let’s relax a bit, okay?”

Erick nodded as he finished the first sandwich, so he began on the second. He paused after a bite, to ask, “How do you think lightning works, Al?”

Al laughed. He said, “I thought it was concentrated light, exactly how I was taught, and how everyone else at the guilds are taught, but that’s obviously wrong!”

Erick smiled. That would be a laser, Al.

Or maybe a phaser?

The people at the guild didn’t know how my blacklight orb worked, either. Could I make one now, now that I know what to look for? Hows does the light spectrum go again? Shorter wavelength for blue and ultraviolet, which is past blue. Longer wavelengths for red and infrared, which is heat. Could I actually do that? Heat wards are already part of the [Ward] skill… hmm…

Al said, “I see you’re thinking. Plotting. Stop that. No more magic today. Maybe no more magic tomorrow. Jane already promised to hurt me if she returned to find you dead.”

Erick smiled. “That sounds like Jane.”

“Finish your other sandwich. And then!—” Al smiled. “We must visit the beerhalls and get you good and drunk, to celebrate your accomplishment!”

Erick laughed. “Sounds great to me.”

020

He did not get blackout drunk, but there was a need to use the rod of [Treat Wounds] in the morning.

Jane had some words to say about that. Al and Savral both laughed.

And then there was a massive conversation about the spell Erick had created and OH MY GOD, Jane. She could not stop talking about ripple effects and the danger of fame in a world where they knew almost nothing about anything, except apparently enough to do real damage. Erick promised to not talk about science to anyone, unless he had to, which Jane was less than happy about, but the damage of [Call Lightning] had been done. The spell was going to be in the Script, in under a year.

Al and Savral seemed to be okay with the new magic. They were impressed, but they were also okay with it. The <damage> part was somewhat unnerving, but after a bit more discussion, Al and Savral agreed that [Call Lightning] would likely be just another thing to defend against, and if the caster fucked up, they would be dead in the retaliatory strike. At 500 mana, even with Clarity and making it a Favored Spell for 125 mana, Mana Alterings and Shapings would quickly balloon that 125 back up to 500, or more.

[Call Lightning] was just too expensive for common use.

But, apparently, ‘super long range’, to use the local vernacular, meant ‘war spell’, and 2500 MP war spells shifted whole battles.

That was another not-fun conversation.

- - - -

Erick and Al spent the day relaxing in the bathhouse hot tubs and cool pools. This second time in the bathhouse was much better than the first. Erick was too sore to be anything but a blob of a person, relaxing into the water to let his worries drift away. Erick left the bathhouse feeling great, and Al was happy to see that Erick’s second time in the pools was easier than the first.

They stopped to have lunch at a nice place on the way back to the Sewerhouse. Erick paid for the day’s outings and meals, and felt emotionally better as well as physically better. He had started to feel like a sponge, taking Al’s goodwill and never reciprocating, but paying for a day of events helped to balance the scales, if only a little. It was a 5 gold kinda day, but that was okay every once in a while.

A young bluescale messenger waited outside of the Sewerhouse for their return. When the kid saw them, he quickly handed them a wax sealed envelope bearing the impression of Spur’s Mage’s Guild; a stylized crystal agave. Bluescale waited while Erick opened the letter.

Dear Mister Erick Flatt,

Please come to the Guild as soon as you are able. There are events to discuss and your debts to erase.

- Guildmaster Zago

Al read the letter over his shoulder. “She reads pushy, but she’s… She’s actually kinda ruthless, now that I think about it. Do you want to go today? You’re still not healed.”

“Uh...”

Bluescale asked, “Do you have a return message, sir?”

Erick still wasn’t feeling great. He said, “Tomorrow. Please convey my apologies, channeling mana hurts right now. I’ll be there in the afternoon and I’ll tell her everything about what happened.”

“Of course, sir.” Bluescale waited, eminently polite.

He kept waiting.

“Ah.” Erick pulled a silver out of his pocket and handed it to the boy. “Thanks.”

Bluescale smiled, taking the silver piece. He jogged away toward the Mage Guild.

Erick turned to Al. “How about visiting the quarantine? Can we do that?”

“Not unless you’re ready to defend yourself.”

“… We’ll do that tomorrow, too.”

- - - -

Tomorrow came soon enough.

Jane did not want Erick anywhere near the front line, so Erick and Al did what any respectable parent would do; they showed up anyway. They did not go in completely unprepared; that would have earned Erick a severe dressing down and he would have deserved it. So, to prepare, Erick had cast a personal [Ward] earlier, then meditated until all his mana came back. After two days of rest —not just Rest— casting spells was refreshing. Like that first jog after healing from a broken leg, and finding out that you were really healed.

His preparations didn’t seem to matter to Jane, however, who had been in the Rest area when Al and Erick showed. Two city blocks had been flattened near the Human District to create a command center and Rest area —people were calling it the command courtyard— but Jane focused on Al and Erick as soon as they appeared on the other side of the space, almost a full football field away.

How she managed to spot them so fast, Erick would never know. She walked right through a kitchen, where people served food to waiting warriors. She skirted around [Ward]s that were like giant pixelation spheres, occluding everything inside. She ducked under tall tents with people pointing at maps.

She strode right up to Erick.

“What are you doing here? It’s dangerous! The cats are constantly trying to attack this place.”

The Human district was two streets away, but the frontlines were five away; they had checked with one of the patrols in the area before they came to the command courtyard. According to Al, Jane was worried over nothing. According to Jane… Well… one didn’t have to understand human nature very much to understand that Jane was rightly miffed.

“I put on my personal [Ward]. Al’s here.” Erick thumbed toward Al. Al smiled. “We’re in the middle of safety and I wanted to see what was happening. And now that you’re here, you can show me.”

Jane glared.

“I’ve got some mana to kill.” Al looked across the courtyard. Several people took notice of him. “How about I help destroy some buildings? Flatten some rubble. Where’s Savral? Is he with you? Are you with him?” Al must have seen something he needed to see. “Ah! Not Savral, but it’ll do.” He walked into the command courtyard, nodding at the guards posted on the edge. They nodded to him. He glanced backward. “Coming?”

The guards at the edge of the zone never said a word as Jane followed Erick who followed Al into the command courtyard. Al greeted a few people on his path as he walked toward the largest visual disruption sphere in the center of the courtyard. When they reached the space, two guards told him to go right in, if he wanted. Al went in. Erick followed second, but Jane was a close third. She was eager to get in here for some reason.

Beyond the censoring veil of multiple layered [Ward]s that were probably level 2’s ‘Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward’, were several people arguing over a miniature map of the Human District. One of them was Mog.

Mog declared, rather loudly, “We’re not doing that.”

An aged, violet incani with small, upturned horns and white hair, countered, “Let us try it, Mog.”

“We’re not using war magic in the city.” A flat-grey steel dragonkin said, “Do not bring the subject up again.”

The incani woman said, “We could be done by tomorrow if you two could agree to—” She saw Al and Erick. She tossed her hands in the air. “You know what? I’m done with this argument. There’s better things to be doing.” She snapped her finger at Erick. “You. We’re talking. Now.” She pointed to the side, at a seating area inside the larger occlusion ward. Another occlusion ward popped up over the seating area, just large enough to cover the smaller space.

Al nudged Erick forward. “Talk to your guildmaster. Want me to wait for you before I go and destroy whatever they want destroyed?”

Guildmaster Zago walked into the sphere.

“Uh… Yeah. Actually. I do. Thanks, Al.”

“Don’t vanish on me, Dad. I’m taking you home after this.”

Erick almost laughed her off, but Jane had that glare in her eyes. So he said nothing, following Zago into the warded space, thinking of what he could do without worrying Jane. Now that he took a moment to think about it, he really did want to see what sort of ‘destruction’ Al was planning. But first! … Whatever the Master of the Mage’s Guild wanted. If she was already here and she wanted to talk, there was no reason to deny her.

Erick walked through the edge of the visual and audio ward. Zago was sitting in a plush seat. A coffee table centered the space. Erick sat across from her, in an equally plush seat. She eyed him the whole time. It was not a comfortable look, so he eyed her right back. Guildmaster Zago was a handsome white-haired woman, with pale violet skin and horns, and well dressed in a lavender robe. Not a thick robe, like Erick envisioned when he thought ‘wizard’, but a gentle garment that accented the wearer; she could have easily looked like an old lady bundled up against the cold, but she did not. She had a power in her posture, and in her violet eyes.

Guildmaster Zago spoke with voice honed against children, “A [Scry] revealed to us that the lightning that struck that tower was barely unnatural; that it was a spell originating from your location. Subsequent [Scry]s failed to reveal the exact nature of that lightning spell. The Mage’s Guild of Spur would like to know what you invented, exactly.”

Erick was all ready to have a nice discussion about electrical charges and the nature of clouds, but then… That tone. He knew that tone, and it was the tone of authority. He had used it himself a few times against unruly kids, but it wasn’t polite, and sometimes it horribly backfired. Whatever she was going for, it had backfired. Erick found himself set against her, even though he did not want to be.

Well. No. The first thing was probably the incani thing, but that wasn’t his choice either.

In other problems: Erick had done a little research in the past few days regarding spell creation. Not much, because he couldn’t go to the guild as mana exhausted as he was, but Al and Savral and even Jane knew a lot about what happened to people who discovered new spells. Erick had a pretty good idea about what to expect, in a normal case.

Nothing.

Nothing happened because people were making new spells all the time. The new spells were all tier 2 spells or above, however. New basic spells, tier 1, were thought impossible. Everything had already been made that could ever be made. All the secrets of the universe had already been plundered. People just had to take those pieces and put them together how they wanted.

Al’s gravity ward that only picked up rads was one such variation. He didn’t even invent that. It was invented by some guy 1300 years ago, in the early years of the Script. Al just bought the prerequisites and created that special ward using the ‘recipe’ as outlined by the Mage Guild. It took him a few times, but he got the rad-specific gravity ward he wanted. He didn’t have to spend a point to buy it, but he could have. He did spend a point to buy [Teleport], though. Most everyone bought [Teleport].

Savral’s [Interception Bolts], those five droplets of magic that intercepted incoming hostile spells, however, was invented entirely by Savral. He did not like the one produced by the Mage Guild’s recipes. He did not get +3 points from inventing his version of the spell, but he did get the exact spell he wanted.

Aurify was one of the largest contributors to spell creation.

There’s no [Cleanse Aura] in the Script. But there is [Cleanse] and there is Aurify.

People made new spells all the time out of the basic spells of the script. But new basic spells were unheard of. So why was Guildmaster Zago acting all… quiet? Basic spells don’t happen.

Al had said that he did not think anyone would know that Erick had created a Basic Spell until Erick decided to out himself to the world. But after some more discussion, Erick did not believe that. He didn’t think Al was lying, but he also didn’t believe in Al’s version of reality.

[Scry], in the hands of a real talent, would have shown all of Erick’s steps leading up to that bolt striking that tower. Therefore, Guildmaster Zago, who was both the best [Scry]er and most knowledgeable mage in Spur, had to know that Erick had tried for magic that was ‘outside of the Script’, and that he had succeeded.

Or more realistically, someone had spied on him and heard him talking about a Basic Spell at some point in time. Erick didn’t want to be paranoid, but the incani presence in Spur set him on edge.

Hopefully they weren’t watching all the time.

So, with all that taken into account, what was the game here?

Erick asked, “What’s the game here?”

She glared. Her voice shot out, “I don’t know what—”

“Sorry.” Erick said, “Sorry. Didn’t mean it like that. I meant: You know that I invented a basic spell. I know that I invented a basic spell. So… pardon me if I’m more than a little wary when the incani in this town have tried to swindle, kill, mug, and deny me basic decency from day one. I would like to pretend that none of that happened, but it did.”

He gave her space to talk. She said nothing.

Erick said, “Does being planar actually change anything? Was all of that an act, not only by Xemal, but also your daughter? I haven’t been harassed in the last two days, though there’ve been plenty of opportunities. Maybe it wasn’t an act. But I don’t really know.”

Guildmaster Zago said nothing as her face settled into a slight frown.

“Are you… Are you not going to say anyth—”

“I’m thinking.”

Erick sat back in his chair, letting her think. He looked around. These security wards were rather confusing on the outside, but looking out from inside wasn’t that bad. He could almost see what was happening inside the command ward, not ten feet away. Al, probably, was talking to Mog, maybe, and the grey-metal dragonkin, for sure. Jane was there. That was easy enough to understand. She was the only short person in the… Ah. No. That might be another dragonkin. That other one might be Jane. … or maybe that other one was Jane?

Guildmaster Zago asked, “Are you going to continue participating in my guild?”

Erick turned to her. “I’d like to. That’s the plan.”

She nodded. “Attend a basic class or three, at your leisure. Any topic you choose. Anhelia or Sizzi will be able to direct you further. We will continue this discussion at a later date.” She stood up, ready to leave. The privacy ward popped like a soap bubble.

Erick supposed that was good enough for now. He stood up.

Before Guildmaster Zago could get very far, Al called out, “Zago! They approved artillery spells.”

Zago stopped. A sharp, contained glee filled her face. “Really?” She eyed him. “Why?”

Al cocked his head. He asked, “Did you not tell her, Erick?”

“Not… really?”

Zago casually turned toward Erick, saying, “We decided to save the conversation for later.”

“Ah. Well.” Al gestured to an entirely black orcol. Black like living metal black. Black eyes, black fingernails. Black teeth. “Killzone arrived and set Liquid straight.”

The black orcol wrought, Killzone, wrapped a friendly arm around the much shorter steel grey dragonkin wrought, shaking the smaller wrought in a friendly manner, saying, “Shucks, Liquid does her best for everyone and it’s always great, but we had another death today. It’s time to pull out the big spells!” Killzone smiled at Erick, all black teeth and black eyes and black lips, with a twang in his voice. “I can’t wait to see what Erick there invented. Al said it was a basic spell, too! Heck. I might want to buy it next year, if’n it’s a good ‘un.”

Erick glared at Al.

Al shrugged at him.

Fine. Might as well debut in front of everyone, eh?

Zago smiled like a child given candy. Then the smile was gone, and she coughed small into her hand. She said, “May I see the spell beforehand, Mister Flatt?”

He called it up. The spell looked a bit different from two days ago.

Call Lightning 4, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 mana

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lightning bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Exp: 400/500

Specifically, it had gained 1000 experience, like he had cast it twice.

He willed the spell box toward Zago.

She read it. She read it again. She tilted her head. She said, “That’s… expensive.”

Killzone ambled toward them. “What’s it say?”

Zago moved the box to Killzone.

He immediately went, “Ooowee! That’s expensive. But that is a tier one spell. Basic magic. I’d recognize one of those anywhere. Congrats, Mage Erick Flatt.” His eyes glinted darkly. “Let’s go see it in action!”

- - - -

Erick joined Army Captain Killzone, Sewermaster Al, Guildmaster Zago, and several other people he had never met before, on top of one of the tallest buildings closest to the quarantined Human District. It had been prepared for the gathering of bombardment mages only 10 minutes prior, to deny the shadowcats an idea of what was happening. [Force Wall]s and [Wards] had been scattered around the whole thing, shoring it up from possible retaliation, denying entry points and shielding the vulnerable people on top. But if the cats or the wolves got up to the roof anyway, that’s what Killzone was for.

Looking out over the destruction, Erick did not understand how the shadow cats were still alive.

The Human District resembled those wartime photos Erick would sometimes see on the news; demolished buildings, smoking craters, rubble everywhere. Single walls standing tall, like silent gravestones over what had once been a thriving city. The streets of the Human District were barely visible amongst the destruction. All the trees that had existed were long gone, turned to ash or debris, it was hard to say.

As he stared, people moved around him, but Al stayed at his side.

Killzone said, “Can’t rightly see anything from this far away, can ye?”

Erick asked, “No one has telescopes? Why are we up here, then?”

“Tele… scope?” Killzone looked up at the air. “I don’t see that one. Telepathy, telekinesis… No telescope.”

Erick decided. “I need to get [Metalshape] and [Glassshape], don’t I.”

Al said, “Glass shaping is a part of [Stoneshape]. You can even do gemwork if you’re good enough at the skill, though that usually requires a tier 2 spell.”

Erick bought [Stoneshape] right there.

Zago stood to the side, silent, erecting a [Ward] of some sort. It was the second such [Ward] she had done; the first one was already set near the back of the roof, not giving any obvious clue as to its purpose. She finished, and a radiant violet glitter descended around her, before vanishing into the roof at her feet. She moved five feet away and started making another one.

Erick turned back toward the Human District. He asked, “How are the shadowcats still alive?”

Killzone answered, “They hide in shadow. There’s lots of shadow in rubble, and those darn cats target the stoneshapers first. We’re holding the quarantine line, but advancin’ is difficult. You can’t see ‘em now, but wolves lurk under alllll of that.”

Zago announced, “Fourth one is done. Al? Take whichever one you want. Erick? Come take this one right here.” She stepped out of the [Ward] she made. She looked out. “No one needs line of sight, correct?”

“Nope,” Al said.

An incani man, a dragonkin, and an orcol, all said variations of, “No, Ma’am.”

Zago looked at Erick, who had yet to take his spot in the [Ward] she had created. “Is there a problem? You don’t need line of sight, do you? Your spell description did not seem to require such a thing.”

Erick just looked down at the rubbled district. He had a few arguments against killing things, but all he could think of right now, was, “I don’t even have a target—” followed quickly by, “I think I might need line of sight.” He looked up. The sky was empty, like it usually was. “Not sure how this works...”

Zago frowned, then walked over to the leading edge of the roof. She began casting another [Ward], two feet from the edge.

Killzone pointed forward, but spoke to the nearby incani man, his voice strangely devoid of his twangy accent. “Prepare to take down the [Force Wall] for Erick Flatt and reestablish if necessary.”

“Yes, sir, Killzone, sir.”

Killzone nodded to the man, then he turned toward Al, “Just needin’ that signal from Merit, and you can begin at your leisure. Like Erick here said, I’m doubten’ we’ll have many a target before you can flush them out.”

“Done.” Zago stepped aside from her small ward. “In here, Mister Flatt.”

Everyone seemed to look at him.

Okay. Okay. Pep talk time, Erick. You can do this. They’re murderous monsters who have invaded your town. YOUR TOWN. Yes. You live here now. Look at the people around you. Yes. They’re looking at you. You gotta do this, because this is how things are done.

Erick stepped into Zago’s [Ward], and suddenly—

He.

Could.

See.

Everything.

“Frick! No wonder you guys never invented telescopes!”

His eyes weren’t a part of his body anymore. They were everywhere. He could see the pores on his own face. He looked past the walls of Ar’Kendrithyst and saw smokey crystal. He looked down into the Human District and saw shadow under the rubble a thousand feet away. He—

Zago pulled him out from her [Ward], saying, “I cannot believe that you immediately went looking for the monsters.”

Far below, in the center of the Human District, shadows were moving.

“They got spooked!” Killzone lost his twang as he shouted. “Give the signal from our end. Al! Do your thing! Everyone else: positions! Kill the bastards!”

An incani man beside Killzone shot something into the sky. It burst vibrant black. Four more signals followed all around the Human District, like dark fireworks, as Al stepped into Zago’s ‘eyeward’ in the center of the roof. The air shifted around Al.

Zago rushed to her own eyeward as a dragonkin took an eyeward for herself.

Killzone said, “When Al begins— There he goes. Erick? You cast your spell and do what you can.”

Erick was probably supposed to hop back into the eyeward, so he could aim better, but right now all he could do was watch as the ground shifted far, far below, on the edge of the Human District. He couldn’t quite see from—

Erick, feeling like an idiot, hopped back into the eyeward.

Now he could see what was happening down there. Somehow, in fits and spurts, the ground was flexing here and there, in 15 or 20 yard circles. Like some god touching the floor of the city and turning it into airy sand-water; rubble vanished into the ground, and shadows welled upward, into the light. The ground did not stay flexed into water in those small locations for more than half a second, but it provoked a massive reaction from the whole of the district.

Shadows leapt out of vanishing rubble, wolves and more wolves. Like a sea of darkness stepping into the light, the monsters were there. And Spur waited for them. All around the Human District were city guards, adventurers, and Jane too, standing with Savral, all of them prepared to fight the dark tide. The monsters yelled, and the city of Spur answered with a roar of their own, swords slamming against shields; the sound of a battle soon to be joined.

That horde was going to wash over everyone, including Jane.

Erick’s ethical problems against killing monsters vanished like water under a desert sun.

[Call Lightning].

The skill leveled to 5 as the sky darkened, 300 mana evaporating into the air— thank you, Clarity. Flashes skittered in the gloom above. Far below, the wolves howled. And still, the ground pulsed here and there, ridding the Human District of rubble and hiding spots. Whatever Al was doing, he concentrated his magic on the space in front of the quarantine line first, ridding it of ambush spots and exposing wolves to the front line.

And the front line noticed the new targets. Lines of fire, bursts of acid, pillars of light; magic of all kinds exploded in the densest parts of the monster horde. Smaller spells erupted like machine gun fire across the advancing enemy, carving holes in the darkness.

Killzone called out, “Fire at will, Erick.”

Erick picked a target. It was a writhing mass of shadow in the center of the horde.

Tracers of energy arced from the clouds above Erick, searching for its pair rising up in the center of the monster horde. When the two streams of potential met, the sky cracked at the connection. Energy followed paths of least resistance, chaining from one shadow to the next shadow, boiling blood and tensing muscles in ways they were never meant to be used. Bones broke under unnatural stresses. Nervous systems fried.

About 15 death notifications filled Erick’s vision, all of them for shadowolves, all 90%+ participation.

10 more notifications came in the moments after fireballs, and crushing squalls, and green rain, impacted the area near where the lightning had struck. Those were only 30% participation.

Erick struck again.

22 death notifications filled Erick’s vision. All shadowolves. More notifications came as the other bombardment mages followed his attacks.

He struck again.

7 notifications that time. More wolves. More follow up notifications.

The cloud above him was an airy thing, not much mass and not much there. It was still the size of a building, though. So ‘not much there’ was only true when comparing it to an actual thunderstorm. It had one bolt left.

He scanned for another target.

A peculiar nest of shadows stood separate from all the rest, except for tiny tendrils that linked it through the rubble all around. The shadow itself was just off center of an open space; it did not look like it was hiding, but it also didn’t look like a good target.

He stepped out of the eyeward, then stepped back in. He stepped out again, and pointed to the spot he was looking at, with the weird tentacle shadow. “Is that a cat?”

Killzone was right there, beside Erick. He ducked in and out of the eyeward. “It just might be.”

Erick sent the last lightning bolt at the thin mass.

You have slain Shadowcat B!

25% Participation

+794527 exp

Erick almost fell on his ass, but a dragonkin was there to help him stand. Erick muttered, “I got kill credit on a shadowcat. 25% participation. Almost 800000 experience.”

Killzone laughed loud, then asked, “How much damage did you do?”

“Uh.” Erick looked. “None listed.”

Killzone’s joyful mood turned serious. He nodded. He asked, “Got enough mana to do that again?”

Erick began meditating. “I will in a bit.” He looked up. Some of the cloud was still there, but without his spell active, it was dissipating in the winds above the city. Then he looked at his mana. Huh. He was pretty close to another 300 mana. “Three minutes.”

“Pull up the kill credit screen.”

Erick did so, then showed it to Killzone.

Killzone studied the little box. He dismissed it, then turned. “Anyone got another cat spotted?”

Al sighed out of his eyeward, shaking and pale. A pair of dragonkin caught him before he fell. Erick almost rushed over to the orcol, but Al was already collecting himself off of his rescuers, saying he was fine and thank you. No need to worry about him.

Killzone said, “Good work, Al. Battlefield is almost set.”

“I can go again in ten minutes.” Al said, “How’s the frontline doing?”

Killzone demanded, “Report, private.”

An incani in an eyeward said, “Minimal casualties. Horde is probing toward the wall. They might be making a break for it through an unknown tunnel but Merit is there. Mog is shoring up her side opposite Merit. No problem areas reported. Frontline looks stable.”

Al said, “They’re not going through the sewer. I took down the sewer there the other day.”

Zago called out, “I found a cat!”

Killzone turned to Erick. “You’re up again.”

[Call Lightning].

A billowing grey cloud roiled into existence high above Erick, folding in upon itself, gathering charge and casting a gloom across the city. The cloud towered well into the sky, almost to the height of Ar’Kendrithyst’s walls. [Call Lightning] leveled to 6.

Call Lightning 6, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 mana

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lightning bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Exp: 100/1300

But it was the level 5 version of the spell that gathered in the sky above him.

Erick stepped into the eyeward to gaze upon the battle. Jane was doing fine. She wasn’t doing much, either, but she was doing fine back there in the front lines. Ah. Look at that. She saved that person’s life, killing that wolf before the wolf could—

Zago’s voice dominated Erick’s senses. “I’m marking the target now.”

Erick’s sight zoomed across the battlefield to a violet glow among a tangled string of darkness, woven through several downed buildings. Erick would never have noticed the tangly shadow if not for Zago.

Lightning struck. A kill message filled Erick’s vision.

You have slain Shadowcat C!

1% Participation

+31781 exp

Zago called out, “Kill confirmed. Shadowcat C dead.” She added, “I’m getting a [Premonition] that the last cat will not be controlling anything. It will try to run and hide, and I won’t be able to see it.”

Killzone said, “Probably right. Erick. Sweep up as many as you can. Don’t worry about the remaining cat. Help our troops.”

Al stepped back into his eyeward. The ground on the battlefield resumed flattening in spurts and spots, exposing more shadowolves with every remolding of terrain. Erick targeted the exposed monsters, careful to keep his lightning well away from the advancing frontline. He got 45 more kill messages by the time the last bolt from [Call Lightning] was spent, but like the last shadowcat kill, he was stuck at 1% participation.

He was kinda glad for that. He was starting to feel really sick. Not physically… Though maybe there was a bit of that in there. Mostly… Killing was not good. Even if they were monsters. Even if they were killers…

Erick was not cut out for this sort of thing.

He gave one last look to Jane and saw that she was in her element, killing monsters and keeping her people alive, before ducking out of the eyeward. He immediately fell to his knees, knocking away the hands that tried to help him up, rushing to point his head in a good direction before the vomit could come. And out it came. There was no stopping that. He puked until he had nothing left to give. Then he dry heaved, tears streaming down his face.

Oh, god. He was a wreck. This was not a good look for him.

He stood up, activated a quick [Cleanse], and tried to salvage his dignity in the eyes of the several onlookers who were staring at him, probably wondering what the fuck was his problem. Did he have a problem with killing monsters? With helping the city? What could have possibly caused this reaction?

Was he an idiot, or something?

Honestly, probably: Yes.

“Sorry. Not used to death.” Erick said, as he continued to meditate. “Really not used to this sort of thing.” He pointed around, “Prefer not to… Ah. Hmm. You know what? I’m going to meditate and see about getting ready for another one, if you need me.”

Killzone studied Erick the whole time he was going through his emotional and physical breakdown. At the end of it, Killzone said, “Good man,” then promptly went on to dealing with the concerns of the rest of the people on the roof. “How’s it looking, Zago?”

Erick relegated himself to a corner of the roof. He sat down and relaxed, saying hello to an incani and a dragonkin nearby who eyed him a bit too much for it to be normal eyeing. They stayed silent.

That simply would not do.

Erick asked them, “You guys kill lots of monsters?”

The incani frowned. “Yeah. We do.”

The dragonkin said, “The threat to our families will be gone because of people like you. Thank you.”

The incani relented, adding, “What he said.”

Erick felt… Not better. But… better.

. . .

An hour later, Zago announced, “Shadowcat A destroyed. We’re at the cleanup phase. I will begin marking targets now.”

Erick looked over the edge of the roof.

Down below was a mess. The Human District was marred with shadow corpses and people searching to make more corpses, and still Al did his magic, turning rubble into flat ground, flushing out more monsters. But without the cats, there was an observable change in the shadow horde. Some wolves moved like rabid animals, charging lines where there was no hope of success. Others ran, four of them, from a single advancing person. The horde was an unorganized mess, harried by fireballs and [Force Beams] and explosions of every color.

And then Erick saw another spell begin to spread among the shadows. A violet light, gentle yet sharply visible in the sun, outlined shadow after shadow. The spells and attacks from the people of Spur targeted those shadows. Some purple glows tried to hide, to shuffle through the front line and make it to the safety beyond, but those were cut down with extreme force.

Erick saw the purple glows try to escape, and could only think:

These things must hide everywhere. Spur is not safe, at all.

Another thought came.

People live like this?

Gradually, the purple glow outlined every shadow. At about the same rate, shadows fell to the blades and spells of the encircling frontline. Spur closed like a noose around the shadows, and now a different sort of problem appeared.

A spell from one side of the frontlines caught another spell from the other side, splashing magic across people who had strayed forward. But just like that, the potential problem went away, as all magic stopped. People started slaughtering wolves with swords and spears.

When the final wolf was dead, and the purple glow vanished, a cheer went up from the human district. Roars echoed across Spur. The battle had been won.

Erick was impressed by the whole thing, but mostly he was impressed by Al. The Human District was flat, save for a few low walls here and there that Al must have left intact on purpose. What sort of spell was that supposed to be?

He looked over to Al. The man was outside of the eyeward, his light brown-green skin looking lighter than normal. Erick walked over to him.

“So that was impressive.” Erick said, and Al smiled. “What the heck was that? Did you even leave any houses for me to [Mend] back together?”

Al chuckled. “I left some walls down there. You can make something out of one of them.” He stood up a bit straighter, stretching. He breathed deep, his chest expanding, muscles flexing under loose clothing. “Now what you did. That was impressive.”

Killzone suddenly loomed over them, saying, “Yes—”

“Fuck!” Erick took a half step away, holding his chest. He breathed. He calmed. “Sorry.”

Two soldiers chuckled nearby.

Killzone ahem’d, then said, “You killed two cats. By rights, you deserve a portion for the reward from the Kill Quest, twice over. Good work.” He turned to face Zago, who had also walked closer when Erick wasn’t looking. “Anything I should be worried about?”

Guildmaster Zago said, “Not right now, but [Purple Fog] will last for a day and spread to fill the rest of the city in hours. Any living thing with a rad in its body will begin to glow purple. I’m sure we’ll get a few false positives among the populace, so be aware of that and make adjustments as necessary.”

Killzone nodded. “That’s a useful spell. When did you create that?”

“A few years ago. Never had a chance to use it until today.” She looked down at the battlefield. “It requires a defeated monstrous enemy and Irogh has already warned me against extensive use. I’m barely this side of the self-propagating magic ban.”

“Good. I was worried about that.” The twang returned to Killzone’s voice, as he announced, “We’re good ta’ go. Thank y’all for coming and assisting with the defense of the city. Liquid n’ Mog n’ Silverite’ll figure out pay and such in the coming weeks. Whatever they decide. I’m not dealin’ with that.” He nodded, saluting the group with a quick, unprofessional double-tap of his fist on the center of his chest. The sound was like a blacksmith’s hammer striking an anvil. “Later!”

Killzone sauntered off. As he left, his soldiers took down [Force Wall]s from the air around the roof, then followed their captain down the stairs. Wind flowed across Al, Erick, Zago, and a few others. The scent of over three thousand monster corpses came to Erick, but the corpses were fresh.

The smell wasn’t all that much different than a normal day, to be honest.

021

Al and Erick descended the rooftop on their own, but Guildmaster Zago caught up with them on the street. Two other mage guild members flanked the older incani, one a brozescale dragonkin, the other a white-blue wrought in the shape of a dragonkin.

“Hold up.” Guildmaster Zago stepped away from her entourage, saying, “You… You did good magic, today.” She looked like she wanted to keep talking, but she didn’t.

“Thank you. You too.”

“No. That’s...” She seemed to steel herself. Her words came like disease out of a lanced wound, all a jumble and all at once. “Don’t go into Ar’Kendrithyst. Don’t let your daughter go into Ar’Kendrithyst. Bulgan… Bulgan did this. These shadows? He did this. When Mog kicked him out of the guild, Silverite exiled him. He retreated to Kal’Duresh, but within the day they caught him talking to shadows. He was then exiled for consorting with shadows, which led to… There are movements that you are not aware of…” She paused in thought, like she wasn’t sure how much she needed to say. “Bulgan wants to kill you and Jane, very much. I don’t know the full extent of his plots, but he used his contacts inside Spur to bring the shadowcats inside the walls. There is evidence that he is the one who planted magical corruption in the sewers in order to prepare oozes for the arrival of two level 0 humans out of the Crystal Forest, and I’m still not sure how that happened exactly. But since everyone always starts killing monsters in the sewers, it seemed to him to be a safe bet. The two children who tried to mug you when you first arrived were some of his contacts… Until they were involved in the attack on the Sewerhouse.”

Al stood by, fury hidden under a calm facade. Erick barely felt anything over Zago’s words, until the attack on the sewerhouse came up. Then he felt his stomach twist. The rest of her words began to sink in. Erick barely remembered a ‘Bulgan’. He was the giant incani who kicked Jane into a wall and would have punched Erick’s head off, if Mog hadn’t intervened, wasn’t he? Didn’t Jane mention that he was a Scion of Strength with over 6000 HP? Level 50 something? If today’s shadow incursion was because of him, that did not bode well, because if Zago knew about this, then the rest of Spur’s leadership knew about this, and with all these people knowing all these things, something about the battle would have looked different. There would have been people trying to kill Bulgan, or… Something. Was Bulgan in hiding?

Was Killzone waiting on that roof for Bulgan to show?

Was Bulgan waiting down at the battle, to kill Jane?

No. Probably not. From Zago’s story, it seemed like Bulgan wanted to be responsible, but not hold the sword himself, for some reason.

If the problem of Bulgan had been solved, then Erick fully believed that Zago would never have said a single word to Erick about anything, therefore Bulgan was still alive. And he wanted Jane and Erick dead. And Zago needed to tell Erick about all of this, for some reason? Maybe as a gesture of good faith? Something to do with the ‘planar’ designation?

And Guildmaster Zago kept talking.

“Everyone in the attack on the Sewerhouse is now dead. The shadows still living in Spur will be purged by the end of the day; you can count on Killzone and Merit’s soldiers and guards to complete that task. Mog has been systematically destroying the poison Bulgan has allowed into our city, so that’s taken care of, too. But Bulgan himself is nowhere to be seen. He’s not in Spur. He’s not in Kal’Duresh. He’s certainly not in Frontier.” Zago paused. She breathed. She said, “It is my opinion that he has become a Shade in the Dead City.”

Al cursed in some unknown language, full of hard sounds and emotion. The bronzescale and wrought who had been flanking Zago reacted to Zago’s theory with perked eyebrows and stunned expressions. This must be news to them, too.

Zago continued, “The upper echelons of Spur were made aware of Bulgan’s moves after he was denounced as non-incani, but until that first shadowcat showed itself, none of us believed that he would move this far against the people of Spur. I hope I am wrong about him becoming a Shade, but… With the extent of the shadowcat incursion revealed today, I feel I am right.” She breathed. She looked away. “The Quiet War is poison. Sometimes that poison is medicine, making us stronger by providing an enemy, but sometimes it’s just poison.” She paused again. She said, “I have penned a full report on Bulgan’s possible activities and will be amending it today with what I now know. As a show of good faith, would you like a copy?”

She waited for Erick to say something.

He said, “Okay. Thanks for telling me all this. I’ll probably come by the guild tomorrow to see about those basic classes, maybe take a few more odd jobs. I might get a copy then. Thank you for the offer.”

She stared at him. He almost smiled at her, but then thought better. He kept his face neutral. Eventually, Zago nodded and walked away, her minders trailing behind her. Erick held his tongue as she walked well out of sight. When he was sure she was gone, he resumed normal breathing.

Al’s anger overflowed. “Those fucking delinquents! I watched them grow up! I watched all of them grow up! Those oozes killed a trio of rookies who grew up with Savral! FUCKING—” Al smashed a fist into a nearby wall, cracking stone, huffing loud, then huffing softly. He removed his hand from the wall. A smear of blood was left on the grey-brown wall, and on his hand. He breathed out, calmer than before. “Damn… kids… dammit.” He flashed magic at the broken stone and it flowed together, removing evidence that Al had almost punched through the stone. Then he looked down at Erick, and said, “Are… Are you okay?”

Erick thought for a moment. He said, “Not really. But… it is what it is… I need to go get Jane.”

“Yes. I… I need to go get Savral, too.”

Al walked off in what was probably the right direction. Erick followed.

A violet glow heralded a shadowolf poking its head out from behind a small wall.

Al flashed. The wolf disintegrated.

The pair of them walked past where the shadow used to exist. The wolf was a settling pile of ash.

So that just happened.

They eventually made their way to the command courtyard. All around were people in adventuring armor, standing in three lines and talking to each other as the lines progressed toward six people in robes. The six people were paired off into groups of two, one of them holding a green truth crystal while the other wrote on papers on a small table in front of them. When an adventurer got to the front of the line, they showed Script boxes to the pair and the person with the green crystal— Oop. Pink crystal. There’s an argument starting. Now the guards are stepping in— The adventurer is backing off.

Green crystal. Normal operations resumed.

And there’s Jane and Savral!

“There’s Savral and his team.” Al said, “And Jane.”

Erick didn’t know what he expected from Savral’s team, but he certainly did not expect a bird person, a not-human with a mask, and an orcol priest in armor and robes. The orcol was ‘normal’ enough, but a bird-person? That was new. Erick and Al walked right up to them, ignoring the frowns and groans from the people further down the line.

Jane saw him and her eyes lit up. “Dad! Holy fuck!” She almost stepped out of line but Savral pulled her back in, and she let him. “Right. Can’t leave the line but, Dad! That was amazing!”

“This is him? I mean. Obviously.” The masked person said, her white hair— Nope. Her white feathers, glinting in the sunlight. “Human and all. And reaction from Jane. Very rudimentary math there.” She nudged the other feathered person. “You’re up.”

Al moved close to Savral and spoke in whispered tones while the line moved forward one person at a time. Normally, Erick would have focused on Al talking to Savral, but the white feathered person had nudged the sand-colored bird person at Erick, and the sand-feathered person looked like she was holding back something important to say. The woman, girl maybe, wore a practical pair of shorts, to allow her bird-like legs free movement, and a short t-shirt tunic, to allow her winged arms free movement. Her hands were like the fingers of a bat, at the joint right before her long feathers appeared. She clutched a no-nonsense wooden battlestaff in those funky hands.

Her face was human, and it was full of worry.

“Uh.” Erick held out his right hand. “Hello. I’m Erick Flatt. What’s happening?”

Like a dam broke, her words poured out, “Howdidyoudothat?I’mgoingfor[Nature’sFury]butthatlookedlikesuchabetterversionthatyouhavewreckedmyplans!Idon’tknowwhattodonowandJanesaidthatTHATwasabasicspell?Impossible!Pleaseyouhavetotellmehowyoudid—”

“Okay okay!” Erick said, “Uh. Wait." He heard 'basic spell' somewhere in all that. He looked at Jane. "Did you tell people?"

Jane moved forward with the line, saying, “That was pretty fuckin’ flashy, Dad. Everyone started theorizing around me. I don’t know how it started, but people figured it out, because… I kinda lost my poker face. So that’s that.” Then she frowned. She accused, “And you showed people in the command tent! Blame yourself.”

“Right… I did do that.” Erick frowned. He said, “So does everyone have names, or?”

“Ikawa Kali," said the sand-bird person, half shy, half so intensely focused Erick was almost weirded out.

“Gorgush Ammer,” said the bald, green orcol in priest robes and plate mail, almost like Savral’s. He was barely taller than Savral, but he was already massively muscular, with a spear strapped to his back.

“Lanore Oleo,” said the masked, white-feathered person, all nonchalant. Her clothes were normal adventuring stuff, but light weight versions. Mostly cloth with a bit of leather. She had no visible weapons, but then again neither did Savral.

Or Jane. The three of them must use [Conjure Weapon].

The line moved forward. Savral was three people from the front.

Ikawa quickly asked, “What was that spell you did?”

Erick looked from Savral, to Al, to Jane, and decided to just answer the question. He brought out the spell description and willed the blue box toward Ikawa. She focused on the spell, so much that Lanore had to edge her forward when the line moved. Lanore read the spell over Ikawa’s shoulder, but just enough to read it. She did not study it like—

Sand Harpy! That’s what she is!

He knew he had heard Savral mention harpies before—

Wait. Was Lanore the harpy, maybe? She doesn’t look like a harpy…

And then it was Jane’s turn at the front of the line. Savral had finished while Erick wasn’t looking.

Jane willed over a dozen blue boxes into a straight line in the air. She spoke to the wrought writing on the table, beside the dragonkin holding the green stone, “Jane Flatt. 28 kills, ranked from highest to lowest kill participation box.”

The wrought at the desk glanced at the green stone then studied the boxes, writing down some crucial parts of what they were seeing. Then they said, “Your participation has been logged. Next.”

Jane quickly moved out of line. Erick followed her to the side of the command courtyard. In the shade of a building, Savral, Al, Jane, and Erick, waited for the rest of Savral’s team.

“You look a bit stunned, Dad.” Jane explained to him, “The Mage Guild is going to clean up the fight and divvy up the rads and such based on what you contributed to the fight.”

“I got that.” Erick went with the conversation, even though the precision he saw before him was not the reason he was ‘a bit stunned’. “This is so organized, and right after a battle? I expected… I don’t know.”

Savral said, “Something like this hasn’t happened since I was a kid but the people in charge remember how it goes. They’ll be done with this part today. Cleanup in the next two.”

Lanore joined them in the shadow of the building, saying, “They said rads or gold will be available in a ten-day. How true is that?”

Al said, “More like three days. They told you ten days to keep the rush from coming right away.”

“Nice!” Lanore’s eyes brightened, her white feather-hair rising. “I’m going tomorrow.”

“You’ll just piss them off,” Savral said. “I’m going in seven days.”

“Hmm… Maybe I’ll go in seven days, too.”

When the final person in Savral’s team exited the line, Jane, Lanore, and Gogrush wanted to celebrate at a tavern. But Savral said, “We’re going to the Sewerhouse and I’m cooking, but go buy beer. And meat. A lot of people will have leveled today; so hurry.”

Jane eyed Erick, whispering to him, “How much did you level today?”

Erick saw a bunch of blue boxes hovering just outside his vision, waiting for confirmation. He did not answer Jane’s question, and she looked a bit put out by that.

As Gogrush and Lanore called for her to join them, Jane said to Erick, “See you at the sewerhouse. We have lots to discuss.”

Erick couldn’t hide his reaction to that. So he covered for whatever was happening with his face, by saying, “Yes, we do, Jane. Lots and lots. Don’t wander off into Ar’Kendrithyst, okay?”

Jane cocked her head in confusion. Lanore and Gogrush were already down the street. Jane paused, then nodded, and rushed to catch up to Savral’s teammates. Well. Two of Savral’s teammates. The remaining one walked with Al, Savral, and Erick, back to the Sewerhouse, clutching her battlestaff in one wing-claw, looking like she wanted to say something the whole way, but not working up enough courage to actually speak.

- - - -

Erick excused himself upstairs to his and Jane’s apartment. He collapsed face-first onto the living room couch. After a minute of eyes-closed quiet, he opened his eyes and took notice of the blue boxes hovering around him. There were… too many level ups. He almost puked, again. He did not like killing things.

Oh, he could eat meat, for sure. Who doesn’t love a barbecue?

… Maybe he should change his stance on not killing things.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 19, Class: None

Exp: 272312/676500

Class: -/-

Points: 22

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

576/576

600 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Freakin’ level 19.

Erick had thought, rather recently, that 14400 experience to next level was the start of the mountain. Looking at 400000 to level 20 put his previous thoughts into perspective. Damn, but the Fibonacci sequence was brutal. How did people get to high level—

People got to high level by killing monsters.

But how did monsters get to high level? The same way?

That didn’t track. There were way more monsters than people. Erick didn’t see any monstrous spells at the battle, besides the shadowy nature of them all, so they didn’t level based on skills, did they? Erick was missing something foundational—

Wait. Duh. They killed people—

No. That wasn’t it.

Hmm. Well...

Slimes spawned in high concentrations of mana. Were slimes the basis of the monstrous growth cycle, like plankton in the ocean? Did monsters gain levels by eating other monsters? That sort of tracked. That might be the exact answer... But there would need to be millions of slimes everywhere for a ‘plankton theory’ to be true. Erick had not seen those millions out in the desert, so maybe the ‘plankton theory’ was wrong. Erick would have to ask Al. He probably knew the answer.

… Zago definitely knew. He could save his question for her to try and build a rapport, or something.

It’s likely that anyone could answer Erick’s question. A simple fact like the monstrous growth cycle seemed like something that everyone should know, especially of they’re in the business of killing monsters. The only ones who didn’t know must be children, and Erick.

Oh, look at that. Concentration lost its ‘exp’ notification line. A few others were pretty close, too.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Concentration X

Multiply your base MP regen by 3

Requirements: 20 Focus

Discipline 9

Multiply your base MP by 2.88

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Exp: 4531/5500

Clarity 8

Reduces spell costs by 40%

Exp: 2157/3400

Mana Shaping 5

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 140/800

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 0/10000

Mana Altering 1

Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing Damage

Exp: 0/100

Meditation 9

You are at Rest while Meditating.

Normal movement, moderate actions. May attack or defend in small ways.

Damage might not break Rest.

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 616/5500

Cleanse 6, instant, short range, 10 MP.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 50/1300

Mend 7, instant, touch, 10 MP

Touch a non-magical uncomplicated large object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 1510/2100

Ward 7, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you can. Skill at mana manipulation determines final outcome.

Exp: 874/2100

Force Beam 2, instant, medium range, 25 MP

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 2 seconds

Exp: 175/200

Force Shrapnel 2, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 5 + ½ WIL damage in a cone

Exp: 5/200

Blink 2, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 25/200

Call Lightning 6, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lightning bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Exp: 100/1300

Stoneshape 1, 1 minute per level, medium range, 10 MP

Slowly move minor amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape.

Exp: 0/100

Erick kinda wanted to cast another two [Call Lightning]s, just so Discipline would cap out right now, but that would likely attract some unwanted attention.

Eh. He could sit on the roof and Aurify [Force Shrapnel] for a while. With [Meditation] active. And Mana Shape it, and Mana Alter it to something else. Bludgeoning, for now? That would be a good chunk of levels, right there. Hmm.

He had a long way to go to be a real mage, even if Killzone called him one in that weird way.

Killzone was kinda hot, in that southern charm sort of way. And in that Orcol sort of way.

Damn, but why are orcol so… so the way they are?

Ah. Erick already knew the answer to this. Right.

Aloethag, the Goddess of Beauty and Brutality, formerly known as Aloeth, Goddess of Beauty.

Erick rested his eyes until he heard more people than he recognized. Then he sat up. There was a staircase running around outside his windows, leading up to the roof.

And there’s Jane!

Jane slid open the terrace glass door, calling out to Erick to come up to the roof. He went. Al was already up there, transforming part of the space into a barbecue pit and the rest into an outdoor seating area. He had wound a pair of staircases up both sides of the Sewerhouse for ease of public access, and people were already showing up. Jane, Gogrush, and Lanore had brought an entire half of a cow from Market Street, two kegs, and more people, all with their own food. Lanore tapped the first keg as Jane brought out the mugs, and the party started.

This is a great way to end the day of a battle.

Savral lived at the grill, tossing meat patties on heat [Ward]ed iron slates, checking every so often to see that the half a cow was cooking nicely in the pit. He added spices and basted the cow and cooked up even more meat. Beer was handed out like water. People talked about the battle. More strangers showed. More food came in more containers. Al had to extend the side of the building to support more people.

As the sun edged lower in the sky some people got out their instruments and started playing music. Loud and happy. But the sun was still up there, still blazing hot.

Several dozen people all demanded some cloud cover via Erick’s [Call Lightning].

He obliged. Of course. Jane and Al both rushed to say that it might not be a good idea. Bah! What did they know? Well… Probably the law and various other things. But! Clouds! The party watched as the sky filled with crackling white clouds.

But nothing else happened. He wasn’t going to actually throw some lightning. Some people asked for it, but there’s no way that Erick would do such a thing. So nothing happened but some nice shade.

…Aside from the sudden arrival of the city guard, the simultaneous placement of maybe 30 [Ward]s all around the party and nearby streets —and a few thousand more [Ward]s that Erick could not see— all of different colors, several dozen people shouting variations of ‘what the fuck!’, and other assorted events.

Nothing happened but some lazy clouds up above, blocking out sunlight over a good 3/4ths of Spur.

Toward the end of 6 minutes of alternating silence and a call to see some lightning, raindrops began to fall across the city.

The cheer that rose from the party was enough to rock the neighborhood. Everyone asked him to keep casting, even the guards who were half ready to throw him into a cell and let Silverite sort him out.

It took a minute to work up the mana to cast it again, but he did. A gentle rain descended from the growing dark cloud. Small flashes of light and rolling thunders accented the shadowed sky. The party got real quiet. Quiet enough to hear Savral complain about the food getting wet, but in a joking way. Lanore still punched him for it, though. Ikawa just stared at the sky the whole time, feeling the raindrops on her face. More than one person did that, actually, now that Erick looked around.

Oh. Discipline leveled to X. That was cool. 600 base mana felt pretty good.

When the spell ended the cloud lingered until it rained itself out, which only took about a minute. Soon enough, the sun returned to dominate the clear skies over Spur. And then came the people who called themselves farmers, asking Erick if he could come out to the fields tomorrow and do that again.

They’d pay him, of course. How often could he do that? Could he make it last longer?

Erick spent the rest of the party talking to farmers.

It was the farmers who convinced him to buy [Grow]. He was already on the fence about that one, thanks to Jane theorizing about how he could make vegetables from Earth. But then the farmers confirmed Jane’s theorycrafting, and other possibilities. They, and Erick, wondered if he could make a tier 2 spell with [Call Lightning] and [Grow]. Something that could extend the growing season by months, instead of just the time when the underground watertable was at its highest.

Grow 1, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in a sphere of diameter equal to spell level in meters.

Exp: 0/100

Maybe he would become a farmer.

He turned to Jane, “Hey, Jane! Maybe I will become a farmer!”

“That’s nice, Dad. Make me some potatoes.”

022

Erick was not dreaming, because Rozeta, Goddess of the Script, the Ever Moving, the Golden Sky and Gentle Star, had said multiple times now that he was not dreaming. And yet…

“So… I’m… Not? Dreaming?”

Erick was having some trouble. There was just something about standing in the clouds, talking with a four mile long white-gold serpentine dragon, the average thickness of a school bus, that did not lend itself to believability. She was constantly moving, too. Was she right in front of him? Was she twenty miles away? Were her scales the exact color of the clouds? The answer to that last one was ‘sometimes’, and only when the light did not catch on her scales and split into rainbows, or when she glittered gold. Which led to the next question: Were the clouds her? Or what?

She also had the annoying habit of stopping to speak, and moving while she listened. When she stopped to reply, it was often from a direction you weren’t looking. Erick had almost tripped over himself trying to remain face-to-face with her house-sized, catfish-whiskered white visage.

Rozeta sighed and the clouds moved. She spoke, and exasperation tainted her voice, “Please. Can we move on?”

“Sure,” he said, magnanimously. To illustrate this, he reclined on a cloud. It was bit stiff of a cloud, so he reached around and fluffed it up. “That’s better.” He turned to Rozeta, snuggling into the air as he spoke, “What’s this about a dream?”

She eyed him, her giant eyes like miniature suns. “[Call Lightning] is too strong. I’ve gotten complaints from a dozen different relevant entities. Most particularly, a Goddess of Storms from Nergal —that’s the continent across the ocean south of you— has threatened divine action if your spell is allowed to enter the Script. Personally, I think she’s an airhead, but she’s happy and non-disruptive as long as her faithful are the only ones allowed to have actual storm magic. As you can probably guess, your use of the physical laws of the world crossed a deep theological line with her and her people. But. You did use the natural physical laws of this universe, so the magic is going to stay. About the same number of relevant entities want your spell in the Script, but stronger. Or some other variation. The rain-thing makes a lot of people happy so that’s going to stay as well, but the <damage> will not. Do you have a solution? If you do not, then I will have to implement my own solution, and you will not be happy.”

Erick thought for a moment. “It won’t work through a weather [Ward], will it? I kinda thought that was a glaring flaw, but I didn’t really know.”

Rozeta blinked, and the world dimmed for half a second. She slowed along her ever-moving journey. She stopped. “It would have, until now. Enough relevant entities are happy with this solution that I am comfortable pushing this change into the Script. +1 points to Erick Flatt, how about that!” She moved, then spoke from the other half of the sky, “Any questions before I go?”

Erick thought for half a moment. He said, “I want to try making a blacklight orb, but I’m worried about causing radiation. Is radiation a concern, with magic? How are the cancer rates on Veird? Is there a [Cure Cancer], or other cure spells for other long lasting physical ailments? Are there long lasting physical ailments on Veird? Am I in danger of a heart attack like my doctor on Earth was concerned? Speaking of cancer, what about curing aging? Like— telomeres are repetitive chains of nucleotides at the ends of chromosomes that prevent deterioration of DNA caused by cell division, but they fall apart as cells copy and divide. This is one of the main reasons for cancer and aging. Is there a way to restore telomeres using magic?”

Rozeta slowed as Erick spoke, eventually pausing altogether as he asked his last question.

She spoke, “Probably not.”

The dream ended.

Erick awoke on the living room couch. It was barely morning; the sun had yet to crest the walls of Spur. For all of three seconds Erick was not angry. Then he yelled at the ceiling, “That’s a shitty answer!”

“Dad!” Jane yell-groaned from inside her room. “Keep it down. Shit. Fucking hangovers even with fucking healing magic. Fuck.”

Erick checked his recent notifications.

+1 points to Erick Flatt, how about that!

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 19, Class: None

Exp: 273912/676500

Class: -/-

Points: 22

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

600/600

600 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

20

+0

[20]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Back up to 22 points.

22 was way too many extra points. He needed to buy something. Some base stats, for sure. Maybe he should talk to Al, first. Maybe Al was awake? Erick sat up—

Ohh… He should not have sat up so fast. He laid back down and horizontality was almost as bad as near verticality; his head was swimming. He groaned. He slowly sat all the way up this time, it was easier if he went slow, then looked around.

It had been a pretty good party, but if someone would have told him this place held one of the largest parties Spur had seen in several years, he would not have believed them. The place was clean. [Cleanse] probably had much to do with that. It dissolved unwanted trash like cow bones just as well as it rid the world of vomit and other bodily expulsions. [Cleanse] really was one of the best things about Veird. [Mend], too. And HP, now that he thought about it. And magic.

Veird was pretty great. Erick hadn’t felt this fulfilled in…

Well. Helping people on Earth get money from the government and have better homes, helping kids out of gangs and into college. Food drives and Habitat For Humanity whenever he could. All of that was nice. It was fulfilling. He liked his previous life.

But Erick made it fucking RAIN yesterday. How cool was that!

Well. Hmm.

Helping people pay for cancer treatments was one thing. It was one, very, very nice thing, that he had managed to do more than once. Helping people always made him feel better about the world, and it was fulfilling. He liked his life on Earth. But if he could straight up cure cancer on Veird? Wow.

Hmm.

He still didn’t know if cancer existed on Veird. Aging certainly did.

He shook his head.

One thing at a time, Erick. Let’s get out of bed and get ready for the day. Besides, you’re no scientist. All you know is what you’ve read. How about we throw some ideas into the world and see if there’s smarter people out there than us?

Disseminating information was a better idea than experimenting all on his own.

He stood up—

And promptly crashed back on his ass.

He laid down on the living room couch. More sleep was a good idea.

- - - -

A second sleep was a good idea. Erick awoke refreshed and relaxed, sunlight falling across his legs. But he didn’t awaken naturally; he had heard a noise in the kitchen. He leaned up and saw Jane was there, making herself a sandwich out of left over pulled beef. It wasn’t actually beef, though. The animal was close enough that Erick and Jane both didn’t bother with trying to mentally call it anything else. The animal was a cavert, in Ecks, but translated to English, it might as well have been ‘cow’.

Jane saw Erick sit up. “Morning. Want me to make you a sandwich?”

“I would love one. Please. What time is it?”

“Early afternoon.” Jane sliced off more meat from the leftover ‘cow’, saying, “You got a lot of mail, and not all of it on paper. Guildmaster Zago ‘requests your presence’; that came by envelope. Silverite sent Hera over here to ‘say hello’; Silverite seems to be taking a less direct approach to courting your favor. That pinkscale girl we saw when we first arrived came by to deliver messages from the farmer’s council. You remember her? Her father is on the council. You met him last night. I think you met most of them last night.”

Erick recalled last night through a haze of alcohol. “Valok? And… Apogough?”

“Valok. Yeah. Father to Delia. Pinkscale. What’s your plan? Where’re you going first?”

“… I need to talk to you, first. I got some insider information yesterday about the reasons for the shadowcats in Spur.”

“Oh?” Jane had two sandwiches ready to go into a heat [Ward], but she paused, a spark of concern tainted her voice. “What did you hear?”

“You remember Bulgan, right? Well, Guildmaster Zago said...”

By the end of that conversation, Jane promised not to go into Ar’Kendrithyst, for any reason.

Erick’s news helped to put several things into perspective for her, too. Most notably, Savral and his team had been discussing offering her an invite for their next journey into Ar’Kendrithyst, but then, at the party, that invite was rescinded as ‘premature’. That rescission had been followed by phrases like ‘sorry, maybe next time’ and ‘we go in there all the time, missing out on a few trips is not a big deal’.

She was disappointed about her invite vanishing, but now she knew why they couldn’t take her. Jane explained that the Shades had their own society inside Ar’Kendrithyst, like some dark mockery of life. They were the hurricanes of the Dead City; you didn’t fight them, you got the hell out of the way. But Jane and Erick were actual targets to a Shade. Not just fun toys to torment, like what usually happened to adventurers unlucky enough to draw the attention of those monsters.

Maybe Jane would never get to explore Ar’Kendrithyst. That’s what usually happened to people who drew the ire of a Shade, and managed to survive. And whoa! If you killed one? You were on every Shade’s shitlist. Silverite didn’t exile you when that happened, but only because she didn’t have to; everyone else forced you out of town.

- - - -

Erick entered the Mage’s Guildhouse without much fanfare. A few people on his walk to the guild had given him weird looks. They were friendly looks. They were almost like the ones he used to get back home from gang kids, or teachers, or students that knew and approved of him. But it was still odd to see strangers look at him like that. Not to mention that they were either draconic, orcol, wrought, or incani. He still wasn’t used to all the different peoples.

And then, just when he thought he could have a normal day of guildwork, Anhelia, all grey-black iron and smiles, rose from her seat at the receptionist’s desk. She called out, and her voice was amplified to fill the guildhouse, “Welcome, Mage Erick Flatt! Planar Mage of Spur! Caller of Lightning and Bringer of Rain!” As guildmember after guildmember turned to witness Erick at the entrance hall, Anhelia’s voice returned to normal “Though dominion over the sky isn’t that rare.” She smiled wide and happy.

The people in those front rooms of the guildhouse were like iron to Erick’s magnet; the first person to get close was the bronzescale Erick had seen at both Zago’s side and as a receptionist. She spoke quick, “I need to see it,” she said. “Please. Just take the spell out right now.”

Erick did so. Bronzescale read the spell then passed it to another, who passed it to another, then another and another. But by that time, Erick had lost track of who was talking around him.

“How did you come up with the idea?”

“What is lightning to you?”

“There wasn’t rain in the battle, so how did that happen?”

“Was the rain a side effect?”

“How did— Guildmaster Zago!” The speaker, and the rest of the crowd backed away from Erick.

Guildmaster Zago looked through the crowd. She quickly pointed at several people, saying, “You, you, you, you, you. With me.” She turned to Erick. “We’re having a little talk, now. If you please?”

Erick said, “Of course.”

Erick followed Zago up the staircase of the big tower part of the guildhouse. The people she told to follow, followed behind Erick. One of them was Sizzi; he didn’t know the other 4, but Bronzescale was there, as well as the white-wrought. After them came a Crimsonscale man and a rather short orcol woman, maybe only 6 feet tall, with long black hair and seagreen skin.

Zago led them into a small lecture hall with chalkboards and student desks. She pointed toward the middle chalkboard, saying, “Take some moments if you need to, Mage Flatt, but I will understand how you managed to create a basic lightning and storm spell from a simple rhyme done in Ecks. It’s bad enough that you didn’t do your incantation in Ancient Script, but… That’s a problem for the theologians. Not for us, and not for today. Explain to us your understanding of Lightning.” She took a seat at the front of the lecture room. “At your leisure.”

The rest of the designated mages took their seats near the front of the room.

Erick… Did as requested, he supposed. He walked up to the chalkboard, picked up the chalk, and started with electrical charges. This immediately led to Sizzi asking a question, but Zago silenced her, and urged Erick to continue as if nothing had happened.

Erick soon realized he might have to go a bit more basic than ‘what is electrical charge’.

“So… This is an atom...”

- - - -

“… And that’s how you get lightning. The phenomenon of electrical charges is demonstrable on a much smaller scale with, like, if you’re wearing socks and you rub your feet on the carpet, and then you touch something metal, you get a shock. Usually.” Erick had drawn some sock-covered feet on the chalkboard next to some cloudy messes with a bunch of pluses and minuses. He was trying to explain it all and not doing a great job. “That was my first experience with electrical charges as a kid.”

Zago’s purple lips were held in a thin line. She looked to Bronzescale.

Bronzescale said, “Sorry, Mage Flatt… Are you sure about… All of that?”

“Do you have a carpet and some natural fiber clothes? I think I can actually demonstrate this right now.”

“No, no— That’s not it. I’m aware of that phenomenon. But…” She turned to the young orcol. “Krigea?”

Krigea took a nod from Zago as permission to speak. “Uh. Hi. I’m not from around here, so it’s very nice of you to allow me this opportunity. I’m Krigea Gadaroth, a graduate student for natural studies, from Oceanside Arcanaeum overseen by Headmaster Kirginatharp. I’m headed into professorship. To get to the topic: It’s kinda hard to not see the creation of a new basic spell and realize that we’ve had something fundamentally wrong for a very long time.” She pointed at the chalkboard. “I’m sure Guildmaster Zago has some ‘Small Shock’ experimental supplies somewhere—”

“I can go get them,” Bronzescale offered.

“— But I don’t think we need them, since we all seem to have the same experience there.” Krigea shook her head. “Back to the point: There is a disconnect in current lightning magic theory between the Small Shock experiment, [Lightning], and [Nature’s Fury]. You’d think we would have something truly Basic in the electricity vein before now. Like the Small Shock, but bigger. So I can only conclude that everyone must have misunderstood the phenomena, for all these years. I’m sure that part of this disconnect is that those two higher spells are derived from Mana Shaping 7 to Lightning. There has been no base lightning magic before you created [Call Lightning] that was not granted to followers of gods or certain demons, and… I can appreciate those deific forces in my life, but they’re not the most scholarly, and Rozeta never tells anyone how anything works.”

Zago must have seen Erick flinch. She asked, “Something wrong, Mage Flatt?”

“I had a conversation with Rozeta about my [Call Lightning], just this morning.”

The room got very intense. Krigea sat down, looking stunned.

Erick barreled on, trying not to lose focus. “Rozeta said ‘enough relevant entities don’t like your spell’ so it has to be changed. She mentioned a goddess of storms from Nergal who was ‘particularly unhappy’. She also said that ‘a lot of relevant entities like the rain part, so that’ll stay’… Or something to that effect. But the outcome was that [Call Lightning] doesn’t work against a weather [Ward] now.”

Krigea said, “Huh. But weather [Ward]s don’t stop mage lightning.”

“We’d have heard pretty fucking fast if something like that changed!” said Crimsonscale.

White Wrought said, “We must test this, right now.”

“Theory today, Rilas.” Zago said, “Weather [Ward]s have always stopped natural lightning, but with even the smallest amounts of a mage’s mana directing that lightning, a weather [Ward] is turned useless.” A smile spread upon her face. “This seems like a good basic spell, now. It was wildly too powerful before. Now, anyone can defend against it, just like how absorption wards are good against basic spell damage.”

Krigea said, “This spell will still be widely used, just not as much as before.”

“It’ll make more kids take [Ward].” Crimsonscale said, “More kids need to take [Ward]. I don’t know why they all don’t.”

“Because if they’re not a mage they can’t support the 500 point absorption wards everyone expects mages to have," Zago said. “Armies were already routinely using weather [Ward]s anyway, so this makes [Call Lightning] rather weak, but I’m sure that if you were to cast it with a Mana Alteration for Lightning, you could get around this restriction for a few hundred mana more.”

Crimsonscale said, “A 700 mana spell? That’s balanced against [Nature’s Fury], not counting the prerequisites.”

“Quite.” Zago said, “Moving right along~ How about that rain, Mage Flatt?”

Erick admitted, “I have no idea where that came from. I just wanted to make some lightning and the clouds and water are needed to create that lightning. I’m as pleasantly surprised as everyone that the rain is usable all on its own.”

That cause some pause among the group.

Krigea said, “500 mana, long duration, multiple uses… [Call Lightning] is not a basic spell, but it’s the one he was going for, and it is, technically, a basic spell. Something is not right.”

Another silence spread.

Zago said, “I disagree. The natural process described here is purportedly something so normal that everyone, thinking that lightning was something so grand, just couldn’t envision how simple the whole process truly is. The mana cost is a side effect of the necessary space needed to cause this natural process to begin. The duration is the same as for [Stoneshape] and other shaping skills, but there are not unlimited lightning bolts in a single [Call Lightning]. Every bolt called drops the… The ‘electrical charge’ present in the cloud. I think the true nature of this spell is that it creates the cloud and makes it rub up against itself, in some grand game of carpet and sock, with minimal mana spent to actually link the spell with the designated target. The rain is likely a result of throwing your mana into the air to create a watery cloud, and then not using that cloud. That mana in the cloud then decays and the natural result is rain.”

Her words hung in the air.

“Guildmaster Zago, I think you are wrong about that last part.” Krigea said, “There are no known cases of mana decaying into water.”

Zago hummed, then said, “The rain didn’t start until nearly the end of the first spell. The second spell was cast almost immediately, which might have captured some of the previous cloud that had yet to dissipate. This is when the rain really started, but even so, it was not a strong storm. I might not have all the facts yet, Krigea, but the logic is there.”

Krigea looked mollified as she nodded.

Crimsonscale said, “I think Krigea is correct about something being not right, though. Looking at all the other basic spells, [Call Lightning] does not fit. I think there is another gap, here, one that we could exploit to create a whole new set of lightning spells, as long as we think small and personal. Like how there are many different Force spells.”

Erick said, “I wouldn’t do that… I think you’d kill yourself if you tried to personally cast lightning.”

Crimsonscale asked, “And why is that?”

Zago gasped, excited.

Zago said, “Because the exchange of electrical charge is what causes damage! If you cast real lightning from your fingertips, you would also be subject to all the damage you have done.” She announced, “I think we have solved a real mystery here today, gentlemages! The reason why no one has invented real lightning magic without using the Mana Alteration for lightning is because they have, for one reason or another, not accounted for the damage done to themselves by the lightning they seek to control!” She laughed. “The Script knocks you unconscious with error messages if you try improper magic, but it also knocks you out if you try to harm yourself with your own magic. There are thousands of ways to cause error messages, and there’s no way to tell which Script protocol you tripped!” She laughed again, but only her daughter chuckled with her.

Krigea said, “I would accept that explanation. Preliminarily.”

Bronzescale said, “This is all well and good. But I’m going to require Erick to explain everything he said, all over again. Preferably with more detail.”

“Of course!” Zago smiled, saying, “Please, Mage Flatt. Start from the beginning again. We may have questions this time.”

Erick smiled. “Sure. So, this is an atom—“

“Right. That.” Zago cleared her throat, and said, “I got distracted, because you did create a spell and Rozeta has approved it, and all of that wonderful discussion. But infinitesimal magic is forbidden by the Script, so… Did Rozeta mention anything about that? It seems to me that you’re skirting a line. You should have gotten a warning from Irogh, at the very least. Rozeta would have said something about this, if it was a problem. So. Why is this... atom stuff, not a problem?”

Crimsonscale added, “Adding to this: we’ve known for a long time that fire consumes material to create itself, but we cannot make a fire spell by directly exploiting this property. We have to use Mana Altering 5 for Fire, in each and every case of fire spell creation. Can you explain this discrepancy? Why is ‘electricity’ allowed but fire is not?”

“A good addition,” Zago said. “Mage Flatt? Do you have an answer?”

The other people in the room stared at Erick, all of them waiting for an answer.

Erick thought for a moment, about what ‘infinitesimal magic’ could possibly mean—

Atomic magic. She’s talking about atomic magic. So is Crimsonscale.

“Ah! That? Rozeta did not mention anything about this being that sort of problem, but this isn’t really infinitesimal magic, if that is what I think you’re talking about. Electrical charge is the top-most layer of all atoms, and that layer is as changeable as clothes on a person. Electrical charge runs all living bodies and all brains, too, so electrical magic should not be interacting with the infinitesimal layer. Fire breaks down molecules, releasing energy from other molecules to make more fire and so on and so on, in a process that runs until all relevant materials are consumed, but electricity is not fire. They might look the same in some ways, but there is a fundamental difference.”

There was another pause.

Krigea said, “That would explain why lightning damage paralyzes the target.”

Crimsonscale said, “And why fire magic needs to go through Mana Altering 5. Fire seems in direct violation of the Sundering ban on both infinitesimal magic, and self-propagating magic.”

Zago chuckled, “More mysteries solved! Just like that!”

There were a few reluctant nods around the room.

“Okay! So!” Erick went back to the chalkboard, erasing old drawings and making new ones, explaining as he drew, “This is the modern visual representation of an atom. You got the proton and neutrons in the middle, and the electrons in a cloud on the outside. Atoms try to balance themselves with their surroundings to achieve the lowest possible energy state, usually with a net 0 electrical charge. This is a normal hydrogen atom. It always has 1 proton in the middle, 1 electron on the outside, and almost always 0 neutrons. This is an oxygen atom. It always has 8 protons in the middle and usually the same amount of neutrons or a little more, with some electrons on the outside. Hard to know the exact number of electrons there, because electrons are friendly, you see. They move around.

“Electrons are the glue that holds much larger friends together. I know these larger friend groups as molecules. Water is a molecule, one of the most interesting, and it’s composed of 2 hydrogen and 1 oxygen, with each hydrogen sharing its single electron with the oxygen. I’m focusing on water, because water is naturally electrically unbalanced. See the bend I have drawn here? This bend exists because of the nature of electrons. This makes the molecule have a positive charge on the hydrogen side, and a negative charge on the oxygen side, and because of this bend, this natural electrical propensity, a lot of things dissolve in water. Don’t ask me why, I kinda forgot why.

“It’s because of this ability to dissolve things that water is capable of carrying electrical currents, for only with some free electrons from some dissolved solids, can an electrical current move through water without turning that water back into hydrogen… and… Hmm. That part might be too complicated for now. Let’s erase that and talk about that later. For now, let’s focus on the free electrons, floating through space, and how that relates to electrical charge...”

The resulting lecture and conversation took the rest of the day. By the time the sun dipped down to the walls of Spur, everyone was ready to stop. For the day. They’d resume tomorrow in the morning, because that’s what Zago decided, and that was fine with Erick. She didn’t ask if that was okay, but it was. On the walk home, Erick was very glad that he remembered almost all of Jane’s high school and college-level physics homework.

… He probably got some of it wrong.

Shit.

… Oh well!

Ah! Fuck. He told the farmers he would go to the farms today.

Dammit.

Oh well.

Erick arrived at the Sewerhouse just in time for a massive dinner cooked by Savral, in which all of his team attended. They had invited Jane out for a test run in the Crystal Desert tomorrow, and she was eager to go. All of them kept calling it the Crystal Forest, though, for some bizarre reason. Erick still didn’t understand that, and all of Savral’s team didn’t understand why Erick didn’t understand. That was okay, though. Jane was on his side.

Al was on Erick’s side, too, because he didn’t understand the local custom either. He wasn’t originally from Spur. He was originally from ‘all over’. When Erick called him on that nonsense answer, Al just laughed.

- - - -

As Erick closed his eyes on yet another day on Veird, he wondered how magic actually worked.

Where did [Call Lightning]'s rain come from?

What happened to the thick air from a [Cleanse]?

What was mana, exactly?

How was it all connected?

Ahh. That was a good one. Good, mystical thoughts.

Erick didn’t need answers, but it was good to imagine them!

This is what magic should be.

… Sure, Erick was answering questions at the guild about scientific stuff, but that was just science. Science was great. Everyone should know more facts about how the physical world worked. Science lifted man to the moon and killed smallpox and made the internet.

But it wasn’t magic.

023

After breakfast Erick wished Jane and Savral good luck out there in the Crystal Desert, then had a conversation with Al in Al’s living room.

“I need some advice on some math stuff.”

“Hit me.”

Erick smiled. “You know, if you said that to an orcol, they might actually punch you.”

Al smirked.

“So about these mana costs.” Erick said, “It’s going to be 250 mana per cast after I level Clarity to 10. How can I have [Call Lightning] up all the time? The goal is rain, and that only comes from chain-casting. I’m at 20 Focus, 20 Willpower, and I have 22 points to spend.”

“Do you have any Favored Spells left?”

“All of them.”

“Favored Spell is a good option. That would put [Call Lightning] at 125 mana per cast, which means 750 mana per hour, which means 25 Focus, which is a good idea anyway. If you find out you don’t like [Call Lightning] as a Favored Spell, then Irogh can undo that for a grand-Rad, which costs 1000G. It’s a large price, but you might be able to afford it with the reward from those shadowcats. You might even get a grand-Rad as part of your dispensation from the fight.”

Erick thought about all that.

Al frowned a bit, then reluctantly said, “You don’t have to go for Scion of Focus. It’s a great option, but with those sorts of mana costs and the pressure that’s going to be on you to perform this magic… Put another 5 points in Willpower.” Al struggled to say, “Maybe even 10.”

Erick smiled. He said, “I’m still going for Scion of Focus. Mana Exhaustion is horrible.”

Al chuckled. “Good to hear.”

“All of that was good to hear from you, too! I didn’t know I could reassign stuff by paying a registrar.”

“Bah! Don’t count on that. It’s damned expensive and only available once a year. Even small changes cost a grand-Rad. Most people can’t afford Rozeta’s fees or timetables, so they accept Registrar Quests for smaller, more exact changes. Reassigning a Favored Spell would fall under that category. But Registrar Quests are almost worse than the fees. I did one once. Had to go around the world and deal with a dragon.” He smiled. “Savral was an unintended side effect of that quest, though, so it wasn’t all bad.”

Erick wanted to ask how that worked, but it felt impolite to ask where dragonkin come from when one of the parents was a non-dragon. Just… Imagine what that would look like between Al and, like, Rozeta.

… Adoption is an option. Right. Adoption does exist.

Rather than ask about any of that, Erick just smiled. “Registrar Quests are a thing?” Erick said, “I mean… One of those led me to Spur. I shouldn’t be surprised that a registrar quest can do things besides nothing.”

“They can do a lot.” Al nodded. “So? What are you going to do with your points? Have you decided?”

“15 in Focus, 7 backup. Favored spell [Call Lightning]. 35 Focus will be 1050 regen per hour with [Meditation] active. I think it’s a good plan.”

Al smiled. “A good plan.”

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 19, Class: None

Exp: 273912/676500

Class: -/-

Points: 7

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

600/600

1050 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

35

+0

[35]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Call Lightning 6, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell!}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lighting bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Exp: 1100/1300

“Looks like 150 mana right now. Clarity is only 9. Can I sustain… Ah. Nope. I can’t. Not yet. [Call Lightning] is only level 6. It only lasts 6 minutes aaand… that’s too much math for me.”

“You’re close.” Al said, “But before all of that, you need to talk to Silverite and get some clearances before you start raining rain across the city.”

“Right! Of course.”

“Chain-cast it with Aurify to level that as well. Once you get to Aurify 2, the range on [Call Lightning] will double, and that will be a sight to see. You won’t be able to make an actual [Call Lightning Aura] until you get [Call Lightning] to 10. But you’ll hit your daily mana exhaustion limit in a few hours, anyway. A good rule to gauge your limits is to take your daily regen and multiply it by 5, which gives a mage with 35 Focus a little over 5000 mana used before mana exhaustion really takes hold.”

Erick blanked. More Focus meant a higher daily exhaustion cap? That was a thing?

Al must have noticed Erick’s reaction. He winced. “I am sure I told you this. Did I not tell you?”

“No you didn’t freaking tell me!”

“I don’t tell people to wipe their asses either, but I assume—”

“AL. I’m literally not from this planet.”

“Right. That slipped my mind. Honestly did not realize I needed to say something.”

Erick paused. He said, “Don’t worry about it.” He looked out the window. “What are you doing today?”

“Remaking the sewers and streets in the Human District.”

“If you see a mage tower near a farming area, I think I want it.”

Al laughed. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

- - - -

Erick popped into the Mage’s Guild and was immediately directed to the room from yesterday. Everyone from yesterday, along with fifteen new people, were already there, already arguing over the stuff he had drawn on the three chalkboards. Zago arrived shortly after he did and began to organize the rabble.

Erick started his lecture by saying, “I promised the Farmer’s Council I’d see them yesterday, but I was stuck here, and I also need to get clearance from Silverite to use the spell again. So I will talk about what I said yesterday, and then go away for a while, and then come back in the afternoon.”

Zago said, “Sounds agreeable. You may proceed whenever.”

Erick cast [Cleanse] over the chalkboards and ten people yelled how they weren’t done with that.

He gave another lecture, answered ‘why the rain’ with ‘because you can’t have lightning without the sky rubbing against itself, and water is a large part of the sky’, then he told them he’d be back later. He checked the chalkboards for legibility, fixed a few things here and there, then left.

Interclass arguing began before he left the room.

He ducked back in. “Don’t try casting lightning with yourself as one of the electrical sinks. You will die from the charges balancing… Or? It’s just an error message, right? …I don’t know. I wouldn’t chance it.” He left again.

- - - -

Erick arrived at the Courthouse without any problems.

The front guard, the redscale dragonkin Taro, said, “Take a right at the Globe. Offices are all down there. Hera should be in, but if she’s not then someone else can direct you to Silverite. I think she’s here. She moves around a lot. Sorry if you can’t catch her.”

“Thanks, Taro.”

Hera was in her office. So was Silverite. In a minute, Erick was sitting in the Mayor’s office, in front of the silver-wrought ‘dragonkin’ herself. Hera waited off to the side, leaning against a shelf of books, her bright yellow scales like a beacon in the warm space of Silverite’s office. Erick had been inside a few judge’s offices in his time; Silverite’s beat them all. Shelves and shelves of books of all sizes and colors lined one wall. The opposite wall was full of knickknacks; globes, crystals of every color, stone artifacts from archaeological finds, metal and glass contraptions that gently rotated, bells, and photographs. Lots and lots of— not photographs, paintings. Mostly landscapes, but a few portraits here and there. In Erick’s experience, most people preferred large paintings, if they had paintings at all, but Silverite seemed to like miniature versions of grand vistas.

And, of course, there was her desk; a rather normal, large wooden thing, but still solid. Immovable. Her chair seemed normal enough. Maybe a little big, but comfortable looking. Behind her was a grand triple window, with a grove of large oaks just outside, and a fountain in the center of the comfy, green space.

Erick had to say, “You have a really nice office.”

Silverite smiled from her seat. “Thank you, Mage Erick Flatt.”

“You can call me Erick.”

“I would prefer to keep this part professional.”

“Ah.” Erick paused. He said, “Of course, Mayor Silverite.”

“Thank you. How may I help you?”

“I would like dispensation to use [Call Lightning] in the city, for its rain making capability, for the benefit of the farmer’s council. They have expressed interest in extending the growing season outside of the yearly rise in the underground water table and I would like to help them.”

Silverite nodded slightly. “They have come to me with the same desire. I’m willing to grant this ability to you on a provisional basis. There are a few rules.”

Erick said, “Yes.”

“Magic like yours usually has many laws and regulations to prevent abuse and track criminals. Human culture— Apologies. Human culture on Veird, keeps track of these sorts of powerful casters with tattoo magic, while simultaneously locking down any sort of easy learning like what you’re doing at the Mage Guild. We’re not doing any of that, since Spur is an adventuring city, and people with magic like yours live on every corner. I personally know all of the Archmages in Spur. I know most of the mages, too, and if I don’t know them personally, my people do. Abuses of magical and physical power are dealt with very harshly in Spur. We have a very good community here, Mage Flatt. Everyone looks out for everyone else, or else they’re exiled, or worse.”

She left the air open for Erick.

Erick said, “I understand, and hope to comply with your reasonable demands.”

“You don’t even know what my demands are, yet.”

“Still. I’m sure they’ll be reasonable.”

She nodded. “I like to think they are.” She moved a sheet of parchment toward Erick. He picked it up and began to read, while she spoke loud her written requirements. “I’m sure there will be some public complaints regarding my plans, but the idea is that you produce rain on a schedule, and the people of Spur can adjust to the time table. I’m thinking initially every three nights, for two hours at a time. The Farmer’s Council will be the ones directly responsible for deciding the real schedule, but these are my initial thoughts on the matter.

“It never rains in Spur so there might have to be some architectural changes moving forward. This is not your concern. Your spell will alter the environment of Spur, but I doubt we will have to account for a greater environmental shift, like leafy green trees in the Crystal Forest, or unscheduled rains.”

“Is that possible?” Erick asked, concerned that he just reinvented a Global Warming kind of problem. “A permanent change in climate?”

Silverite grinned. “It is good to see your concern for the fallout of your actions, but there are already a few safeguards in the Script to prevent outcomes like climate change. One of the major solutions to this is [Cleanse]. ‘Corruption’ refers to many things. Excess heat, magical pollution, stray spell outcomes, poisonous light. All of that sort of thing.”

Erick smiled wide. “Do you have any idea how valuable a spell like [Cleanse] would be back where I’m from? Immeasurable. Just… Priceless.”

Silverite nodded, smiling. “Back to the subject—”

“Right. Right.”

Erick still wasn’t over how fascinating the [Cleanse] spell actually was, but he forced himself to listen to Silverite anyway.

“—You will be issued two minders. One of them will be with you while you are casting, the other will be out of sight. They will kill you if you attack the people of Spur.”

Silence descended.

“… Will they at least be friendly until they decide to kill me? I mean. I don’t plan on— I know I won’t attack people. I’d prefer not to be surrounded by assholes, though.”

“They will be utterly professional. You will accept this or you will leave my city.”

That was a lie. Blatant and obvious, though neither Silverite or Hera gave it away.

“That’s a false threat. You want me here, but I have basically nothing tying me to Spur besides the fact that I like the place and the people.”

Silverite leveled her shining gaze at Erick. “The only thing special about your magic is how different it is, not how much damage it can do, and we here in Spur have lots of experience with reckless mages. Do you see people throwing fireballs in the street? Shaping buildings into mush, trapping people inside? No. you do not. Do not think yourself above the rest of us, Mage Flatt.”

Erick thought about bringing up Bulgan and the shadowcats, or the mugging and the Sewerhouse assault by those now-dead incani, or all the other small abuses he suffered at the hands of Silverite’s administration. But discretion seemed the better part of valor. He said, “I did not mean it like that.”

“Then please explain yourself.”

Erick said, “There’s a saying where I come from. To get someone to do what you want, you can either use the carrot, or the stick. You can offer something nice and hope that they do what you want. Or you can threaten them. What you just did was threaten. I would appreciate if you could try another method.”

“There’s a saying where I come from. Don’t invite Wizards into your home.”

Hera had maintained a perfectly professional facade until Silverite mentioned Wizards. At that, she gasped small, her yellow scales turning a bit whiter.

“I’m not a Wizard.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“Still.” Erick slid the parchment outlining Silverite’s demands back onto her desk. “Please try another method.”

Silverite breathed. Erick watched her think.

She took the parchment and began casting some small magic over it, shifting ink around, “[Call Lightning] is not [Cleanse]. The side effects of your spell are what we care about, but those don’t come without subjecting ourselves to the possibility that you could literally lightning strike us at any time.

“You will be assigned two bodyguards until such time as I deem they are unnecessary. One of them will be with you, the other will be hidden most of the time. Barring any disastrous revelations with your magic, you will be paid 10G a day for accepting a to-be-determined rain schedule, in addition to being granted the housing of your choice in the Human District. I understand that you wish to experiment with plants, as well? You will be allowed to use your [Call Lightning] in that case, as long as you can keep the storm confined to the Human District as much as possible.

“I would appreciate if you never use the lightning aspect of your magic without clearance from Killzone or Merit, but I understand that [Call Lightning] is one of your most damaging spells. If you are in actual danger and you are required to throw lightning, be aware that you will be required to report why. Any damage to non-aggressive parties will be dealt with extremely harshly.” She slid the parchment toward him.

Erick took the paper. It read exactly how she said, but with a bit more bullet points and a lot more wordy. “Thank you. I accept.”

Silverite stared at him. “You are an unknown entity, Mage Flatt. I hear good things, but time tells all, and not enough time has passed since you came to Spur. Don’t make me regret trusting you.”

“I hope to prove myself as a valuable member of this society. I was to my own; I will be again.”

She nodded. She put her palm to the side, to the air, and Erick felt a tug on the parchment in his hands. A copy curled into her hands. She kept the paper in front of her, saying, “Since we have come to an agreement, this unsigned paper will serve as an informal guideline for what is expected of us both. I won’t be making laws regarding [Call Lightning] until the full extent of this new magic is revealed.” Silverite stood from her chair. “The laws will come, but not today.”

Erick stood.

She said, “Thank you for coming in and allowing this conversation to happen in an agreeable manner. Hera here will be your temporary bodyguard until two volunteers are found. This finding process should only take a few days.”

Erick looked to Hera. She smiled at him.

He said, “I accept.”

“Good Day, Mage Erick Flatt.”

“Good day, Mayor Silverite.”

Erick turned to leave, but then he had another thought. He asked, “I’ve heard some things about Bulgan. Are they true? Do I need to be worried?”

Silverite sighed. “If Bulgan truly has become a Shade, or if he shows himself to you, you have my dispensation to fry that fucker. The damage he would cause outweighs possible repercussions from Ar’Kendrithyst, and based on your ability to fry two shadowcats, this [Call Lightning] might be exactly the ‘stick’ we need to never fear a Great Purge ever again.” She paused, staring off into space for half a moment. Her distraction did not last long. She leveled her glare at Erick. “Do not injure anyone else, or there will be repercussions. Besides the abysmally low possibility of Bulgan making a direct move again, the leaders of the Guard, the Army, and both Guilds, are all aware of the ongoing problem. There is nothing that you, or your daughter, need to either do, or worry about, with regard to Bulgan.”

Erick said, “Thank you.”

“It is the duty of a leader to keep their people safe, Mage Erick Flatt.” Silverite stood up straight. “It is my sincere hope that you continue to prove yourself as one of our people here in Spur. Actual citizenship requires a year of residency, though.”

With a smile this time, Erick repeated, “Thank you.”

He left Silverite’s office.

Hera followed him out of the room.

When he was far enough away from Silverite, he said to Hera, “I feel like I really fucked up somewhere along the line.”

Hera nodded, saying, “Yeah. I can point out several places where you could have done better, if you’d like.” She waved to Taro on the way out of the Courthouse. “Or, you could tell me what problems you think you have created, and I might be able to alleviate some of your concern.”

“That’s basically the same thing.”

“Yup!” She said, “What I did there, was offer you no way out that I didn’t already approve. What you did, was call me on my bullshit, instead of actually attempt to steer the possibilities into a direction you approved. Now, we are at an impasse and you have ceded me authority to dictate how the rest of this conversation is going to go, and this is how I have chosen to go.”

Erick stopped in the middle of the street. He looked at Hera, and said, “I’m not that bad off, am I?”

“Not if you stop teaching those classes this very day!" Hera said, "I used to be apprenticed to Zago. I know all of her tricks, and you skirted some of them, but you fell right into the rest. I still have trouble believing that you actually went and taught a concise, clear lesson. Not even the barest attempt at obfuscation! It’s like you’re begging to be the spark that ignites the Quiet War. Did you even see a single human in that class? I know I didn’t, but you were actually there.”

Erick felt his stomach drop.

Hera noticed. “Good. You are beginning to realize the depths of what you have done.” She sighed. She asked, “Where to? Farmer’s Market, and the Council? You’re going to love and hate Krakina, but I think she’ll be good for you.”

Erick felt heat rise on his face. He said, “Maybe if you assholes wouldn’t solve problems with firepower, then a bit of knowledge wouldn’t be a problem. It could lead to better lives.”

“Oh. Wow. You’re serious.” She said, “Maybe if you were talking about better ways to [Cleanse], you might have a claw to fight with, but you went and added a 500 mana tier 1 war spell to the Script. You fucked up. A lot. This is part of the outcome of your actions, and honestly? It’s going rather well for you, so far. Things could be far, far worse.”

Erick stomped off west, toward the farming district.

Hera followed.

- - - -

The Farmer’s Market was much the same as Erick remembered it the first time. Way too many people buying fresh vegetables and grains from cloth-tent stalls. A few people tried to greet him, to show him some wares, but all Erick could see were greedy eyes and yawning purses, waiting for him to fill them.

Shit. Why did Hera have to talk like that? He knew he was being played by Silverite, but was he being played by everyone? What’s wrong with helping people?

Hera smalltalked to passersby as they went through the market, toward the farms beyond. She seemed to know everyone, and that just pissed Erick off even more. Here she was, saying that he had fucked up by trying to be a part of a community, but she was also being a part of that community with every action she took.

Erick knew he was new to this town, to this world. But he had lived in places like this before; small friendly communities where everyone knew everyone else, but who were suddenly suspicious when you tried to actually move in. He wasn’t welcome, right now, but he had thought he was working toward that goal. Obviously, he was wrong. When the local leaders start talking about murdering you if—

Okay. So Silverite’s precautions were completely reasonable. If Erick murdered someone, even accidentally, he would expect to be murdered back by the locals, or someone else. But just because it was reasonable, didn’t mean that Erick didn’t have a primal, emotional reaction to having his life threatened.

Thinking back to the meeting with Silverite, she had said something he had forgotten.

‘Actual citizenship requires a year of residency’. She meant legally, of course, but in Erick’s experience, it took a year for anyone to socially integrate into a new town. That was not news. Erick already knew this. Silverite was a reasonable person, with reasonable worries, with reasonable threats.

But then Hera had to go and be all like that.

He glanced back at her. She was still talking to random people.

Erick was starting to feel bitter, wondering how much he had been used in the past few days. But, fuck, that was a tiring and alienating way to think about the world. Erick did not want to feel that Hera was using him. He didn’t want to feel used by anyone.

By Zago.

By Silverite.

He didn’t want to have these sorts of dark thoughts, either.

Erick did not want to be the kind of person who was so paranoid about their neighbors that they never left the house. He had helped several people like that in his life. Even if their sort of paranoia was true and helpful on Veird, he did not want to live that kind of life.

So Erick decided to view the past few days through a different lens.

Silverite had hit on Erick’s problem pretty hard. Many other people were capable of more destruction than Erick. Al, for instance, could literally remake the streets and sewers and buildings of an entire city, all by himself. But everyone trusted Al, because Al was a part of Spur. He had been here for a long time already.

Erick was an unknown.

Erick did not want to be an unknown. Part of this change would take time. The rest was up to him.

There would be a few changes going forward. Hera was right about a few things, and one of them was that there were no humans in the classes Zago organized. That was a problem Erick could solve. That was a problem Erick would solve.

Ah. And there’s Valok, father to that Pinkscale girl, member of the Farmer’s Council. He was talking to a rice seller about something. Erick put on a happier face, then walked up to the redscale dragonkin.

Valok noticed him. His demeanor turned icy, a far cry from the warmth he had talking to the rice seller. He said, “You.”

Erick paused. “Me?”

“Ready to work?”

Erick frowned. He felt his anger rise, and if he had not tempered himself against his anger moments ago, he might have said something disastrous. Instead, he said, “Nope. Let’s talk, first.”

Valok grunted, then nodded. “Questions?”

“A concern. I’d like to talk about what sort of plan you want from me. Also, I went to Silverite and she drew up a preliminary schedule. Nightly rains, every few days. That sort of thing.”

Two other people had come up to them while he was talking to Valok. One was the orcol farmer from last night, Apogough. He was also a member of the Farmer’s Council, and had roughly the same status as Valok. The other was a sand harpy. Erick did not know the harpy, but her feathers looked familiar. Erick wasn’t about to mention that, though, it might have been a grave insult for all he knew.

Valok turned to the orcol, smiling, “Apogough!” Then he noticed the sand harpy. His icy demeanor returned. “Krakina,” he said, with a light nod.

Apogough spoke to Valok, but Erick didn’t hear much of that conversation, because the sand-harpy was barreling right at him. Krakina got all up in his face.

Krakina started accusing, “You’re here to take my job, but you have another thing to learn, idiot guildmage! The skies belong to those of us with the skills to fly them, not some upstart hue-man with big ideas and bigger holes in his head!” She yelled, “I have been the WeatherWitch of Spur for the last 35 years, and when I am dead, the job will pass to my granddaughter, and then her granddaughter and more and more, just as it was passed to me from my grandmother!”

Erick stepped back, saying, “I’m not here to take your job.”

“Then leave! You are not wanted! You upset everything! You are a wizard!”

There was quiet enjoyment and some frowns among onlookers, until she called Erick a wizard. Quiet descended. There was a lot of that ‘quiet descended’, now that Erick thought about it. He had been in confrontations that got all quiet before today; he was usually able to defuse those. But it was hard to take the threat of being called a ‘wizard’ seriously. He did not laugh at her threat, here in the middle of Spur’s Market, but in another time and place he would have.

He said, “All I know are a few tricks and I already explained everything to Zago and a few other mages at the guild. Smarter people than I will decide if there’s more to what I said, or if I’m full of shit. But there’s no way to undo all of that. I acted before I thought. One of the consequences to that was explaining myself in the guild.”

Krakina almost had more to say, but she closed her mouth, scrunching her features in both disgust and probably pity, if Erick was reading that right. Krakina said, “You told them… everything? All of it? All the secrets of your weather magic?”

“There wasn’t much to tell! I didn’t think it important to hold back. The only reason I knew anything about this stuff at all was to help a kid with their homework, years ago.”

Krakina frowned deeper. “You are not a wizard. I am sorry for calling you that. But you are stupid! Telling secrets of the world to Zago. That sand-tick! I bet there weren’t any humans in her class, were there?”

“There were not.” Erick frowned. “I’m just now realizing how much damage I might have done.”

Krakina said, “That bloodsucking mage guild has their talons on all knowledge, so it is not surprising that you were sucked into that pit. But you are still not taking my job!”

Erick said, “I don’t want your job. What I want is a place for my daughter to be safe and a life for myself without too much hassle. If I can help other people, then that’s all the better. That’s all I was trying to do with explaining how [Call Lightning] works.”

Krakina narrowed her eyes at him. She said, “Erick Flatt. I will be the first in line to redo my entire build when your spell is added to the wider Script, but you will be long dead by then, killed by a human for failing to pledge your devotion to the angels, or by an incani from the depths of hell. Or a thousand other forces. You are naive! You are a blundering fool and it is painful to watch!”

“It’s been a wake up call for me, too.”

“… painful to watch.” She frowned. “But not unattractive.” She huffed, and left.

“Krakina is a storm all to herself.” Hera asked, “What will you do, when your magic causes a war? What will you do when they come for you?”

Erick said, “I’ll struggle to make sure my daughter survives and likely die to prevent the worst outcomes, like all good fathers. What will you do when war breaks out?”

“That plan has never changed.” Hera said, “I have a city that stands behind me.”

“Maybe I need to get me one of those, too. Does Spur have any vacancies for idiot human mages?”

Hera smirked. “Check back in a few months.”

024

Valok and Apogough walked Erick around the farming area. Hera trailed behind.

They said some words and they sounded nice, but Erick was too entranced by the green all around to really listen. The problem with living inside Spur, is that the city was fundamentally a desert city. There’s green here and there, cultivated specifically to alleviate the browns and tans and greys of the stone buildings, to give a bit of life to the desert. But out here, among the farms? Green as far as he could see. Well. Maybe not that far.

The green extended for maybe a mile or two or three all around. Past that were the tans and browns and occasional crystal agaves of the Crystal Forest. In the distance to the south were the dominant walls of Ar’Kendrithyst, rising from the desert dirt like a mountain range.

Spur was north of Ar’Kendrithyst. Somewhere on the other side of the Dead City, laid Frontier, the human city that the human kingdoms founded after the Great Purge of Spur. Somewhere far to the west of Spur was Kal’Duresh, the incani city that was created in response to Frontier.

Somewhere far, far, far to the south, was the nearest bit of water, an ocean.

And the sky stretched above, an endless vault of blue, lit by a brilliant yellow-white sun.

Cluck Cluck CLUCK.

A chicken raced across Erick’s feet, wildly clucking. A 40 pound cat crashed through exactly where the chicken had come from, but the cat saw Erick, Valok, Apogough, and Hera, and dashed back through some underbrush.

“Damn cats!” Valok said, “They’re supposed to eat the rats. Only the rats!”

“There aren’t enough rats, Valok,” Apogough said, “Another gift from Bulgan for allowing those monsters in our city.”

Erick was almost stunned by that casual revelation of ‘Bulgan’. “You all know about that?”

Valok spit on the ground. “How could we not? All the wives are gossiping.”

Hera chimed in, “And all the men aren’t gossiping enough. Some of you knew how bad he was but never came forward until after the damage had been done. We might could have stopped this.”

“Bah!” Valok glared at Hera. “The Quiet War is a blight and there’s nothing we can do except weather the storm and hope that these two humans being planar is enough.”

Apogough said, “It is not Erick or Jane’s fault that Bulgan went too far. Erick even has a Silver Star, for Rozeta’s sake!” He turned toward the orchards they were walking through. “The apples here will need more [Grow] when we start adding more water to what we pull from the ground.”

“We can afford more mages.” Valok said, “We might be doubling the size of the farm if Erick’s magic can reach that far.” He stopped. He looked around. “This is a good spot. Do it, Erick.”

Erick looked around. They were… Probably in the very middle of the farms. But something didn’t seem right. Valok wasn’t this much of a brusque asshole at the party. What had changed? Was it the alcohol? Maybe Erick not showing up when he was expected… That was probably a good guess.

Erick said, “Hey, Valok. I want to work with you, but I’m going to need some better treatment than this.”

Apogough frowned. Hera smirked, but only the slightest bit.

Valok’s red scales turned redder. He grit his teeth, and said, “A farm is a living, breathing, growing entity. We work on a tight schedule to keep everything here in order. Chaos is the enemy. Everything is timed. From [Grow], to Krakina releasing the water, to the planting and the harvesting. You not showing up on the day you promised to show up fucked over a lot of planning, and today? We are not ready for you. So pardon me if your feelings are hurt. You’ll get treated right when you act right, and not a moment before.”

“… Fair enough.” Erick looked up. “Right here?”

“Right here,” Valok confirmed.

[Ward]. [Call Lightning]. Meditation.

A spark of white light spread around then settled into a [Ward 2: Weather], with a glittering white edge. The sky twisted as clouds sprang into existence. Fluffy white at first, they grew, darkening, blocking out the sun up above, then spreading outward, wide. In the depths of that cloud, Erick’s Meditation made him see shadowy monsters, but he knew they were fake.

And as soon as he realized they were fake, they vanished. Did Focus help with that aspect of Meditation, too? Al had said that he could go days without seeing Meditation hallucinations, and Al had a high Focus. Erick hadn't actually seen Al's Status, but Al's Focus had to be above 50.

A minute passed. The crackling thunderhead had filled out, then stopped. The clouds covered a space maybe two miles in diameter. It didn’t cover all of the farm, but it covered most of it.

Apogough had sat down to stare at the cloud overhead. He asked, “Why the weather [Ward]?”

Erick said, “Rozeta changed the spell. She said many relevant entities liked the rain part of it, but the lightning was too strong. It won’t strike through a weather [Ward] now, and I wanted everyone to feel safe.”

Hera said, “But you can take down your [Ward] at any time and leave us vulnerable, while you [Blink] or such away.”

Erick frowned at her.

“What?” she said, innocently. “You need to be aware of what you’re doing, and while Valok and Apogough would never say or act like what you just said could be construed as a threat, other people would. Incani certainly would.”

Erick reluctantly said, “Right. You’re right.” He turned to the farmers. “Sorry.”

Apogough said, “I have a personal [Ward] on. I’m not worried. Why don’t you have a [Ward] on, though?” He pointed from Hera to Erick. “Seems like you’re in some trouble, and mages usually wear [Ward]s when they’re out and about in Spur. The wolves have been gutted from the city, but there are always more hiding in the dark shadows.”

Valok just stared at the sky, waiting for the rain.

Erick said, “I didn’t think to do it. I’m honestly not used to violence and would prefer all of that as far away from me as possible.”

Apogough said, “This isn’t an orcol town. The people in adventuring towns have a tendency toward violence, and Spur is not much different than the rest.”

Erick sighed. “I believe that.”

“Why are you still here, anyway?” Apogough asked. “Why not journey down to Frontier?”

Erick smiled. He had an answer to that question. “Because I heard that all humans on Veird are required to serve in their military. I’ve known enough cultures like that back where I’m from, to know I want no part of any army, or any culture where the army is such a basic part of life.”

Apogough nodded. “Yeah. I can see that.”

“My daughter doesn’t want to be involved in a war, either. She’s pretty set on killing monsters, though.”

Apogough laughed. Valok looked to Erick for a moment, before returning his gaze to the sky.

Valok sighed, smiling, as the first drops of rain pattered against the roof of Erick’s [Ward]. The first iteration of [Call Lightning] was almost over.

[Call Lightning].

The spell was one level higher for the second casting, level 7 now, and the cloud that sprang forth above filled the space of the previous one and went a bit further. Rain fell gently across the green farms of Spur.

It wasn’t much rain, but it was rain, and Erick had caused it.

The sky rumbled with tiny thunder. Flashes of inner light rimmed the deeper parts of the thunderhead. Valok, Apogough, Hera, and Erick, all stared upward as water rolled around the ward. Eventually, the sky rained itself out.

Before Erick cast another one, Valok said, “That’s enough for today, Erick. We need to check on yields and growth rates and quality of product. Can you come back at the same time tomorrow?”

Apogough added, “A bit later would be better for us. Late afternoon.”

Valok nodded. “Late afternoon, then.”

“Sure. This spot tomorrow, late afternoon.” Erick said, “I’ll be here, on time.”

The farmers nodded and went their separate ways, leaving Erick and Hera to find their own way back.

- - - -

Erick walked into the Mage Guild and Anhelia immediately went to him, saying, “Thank the Script you’re back.” She quickly spoke around him, “Hello, Hera.” She stared at Erick. “They’re in the bigger room, just past the one you used. You need to get up there right now.”

“Okay!” Erick said, with more than enough enthusiasm to cover a sudden growing dread. “On my way.”

An orangescale dragonkin was stationed outside of Erick’s original lecture room. Tamarim. The door had been shut and it looked as though Tamarim was meant to keep people out.

Erick said, “Hello, Tamarim.”

“Mage Flatt! There you are.” Tamarim pointed up. “They’re two floors up. Main Lecture Hall.” He thumbed at the door behind him. “Can’t use this room anymore. Too many people showed up. Some of those people got too enthusiastic and now we have to [Mend] this room back together without destroying the notes you wrote on the board.”

“… I can write them again.”

Tamarim shook his head. “There’s more important things to be doing upstairs than going over old notes. Zago is protecting you with all of her might, but religion made itself involved. Head Priest Darenka is assisting you, too, but she’s mostly making fun of the interlopers.”

Erick looked up the stairs. He cast a personal absorption [Ward], full strength, using 500 mana out of his 600 limit, and kept Meditation running afterward. He said, “I’m going to wait here for a few minutes.”

Tamarim and Hera both nodded.

After a moment, Tamarim asked, “What other spells are you going to invent with electricity?”

Hera intercepted the question, “If he’s smart, none at all. Or, he could gift an idea to someone like Headmaster Kirginatharp at Oceanside Academy. That would be the second smartest option, and could potentially earn him some powerful friends.”

Erick thought about possible new spells. Two ideas popped into his head. One of them extendable to wildly useful, the other maybe more a toy but much flashier. Erick had really no idea which was which without actually seeing them in action, though.

Erick asked, “Would Kirginatharp prefer a flashier one, or a useful one? Granted I don’t know which is which until they’re created.”

Tamarim slowly exhaled. He looked to say something, but then didn’t.

Hera had no problems correcting Erick, “Don’t ever say Headmaster Kirginatharp’s name without using ‘Headmaster’. He hates that. If you wish to speak in shorthand, ‘Headmaster’ is acceptable. And I think he’d prefer the potentially flashier one. You could grant him both, but then he would think you were holding out on him and that would not go well for you. If you truly have two new spells in mind, you must hold one for yourself, yet be prepared to lose both before going into any confrontation with the Headmaster.”

Tamarim hummed noncommittally.

Erick said, “Maybe I have a third one, but it’s so non-useful that I doubt anyone but me would want it.”

Hera frowned. Tamarim hummed noncommittally, again.

“It would be a toy, like [Prestidigitation].”

“Ah.” Tamarim said, “Keep that one. The Headmaster would want something his students could use against monsters.”

Erick stared at the stairs, still meditating. He tried to spend 510 mana on his personal [Ward], for a 500 point barrier, but that is not what actually left his body. Clarity dropped mana costs by 45%, but a personal [Ward] doubled the costs. So what he actually spent was 561 mana, and he felt drained. The [Ward] shimmered white against his skin. It was rather visible; everyone would know he had it on. But Apogough’s words about every mage having a [Ward] on at all times were true; Tamarim had a personal [Ward] active. His was orange, visible on the edges of his scales.

At 600 max mana, with Clarity X for 50% mana costs, he could get close to an effective 600 HP with a personal [Ward], almost as good as a rookie warrior, but that extra ‘health’ could not be healed by healing magic. Since personal absorption [Ward]s did not stack —you could only have one at a time— he would need more Willpower to make a better personal [Ward]. Al had warned Erick about this. Smaller [Ward]s were one downside to forgoing Scion of Willpower.

He was still going for Scion of Focus, though. Mana Exhaustion sucked.

People had been going up and down the staircase all this time, occasionally looking at Erick, Tamarim, and Hera, but one of them, the Guildmaster’s daughter Sizzi, was not just traveling along the staircase to somewhere else. She had come down the stairs for Erick.

“Mage Flatt.” Eloquence filled Sizzi’s voice, “Your presence is requested upstairs.”

Erick’s mana was not full, but it was better than before. Maybe he could delay a little longer.

“Before we go.” Erick asked, “Why the ‘mage’ title? What were the necessary events for me to pass to get that? Are you a mage? Is everyone here a mage? Have I been offending everyone by not using that title before?”

Sizzi side-eyed him. Then she blinked, realized something, then said, “The ‘Mage’ title is earned by those who create a high functioning war spell on their own, or reach spells of the fourth tier. The qualifications for that title will need to change with the addition of your tier 1 war spell to the Script, but for now, and for you, the title holds.” She added, “I am not a mage. Spur has no arcanaeum, so we don’t have many actual mages, but many of the non-mages here could become a mage, if they wanted. Most could create their own war spells with the prerequisites we already have, but we do not, because having war magic means you are required to report for duty in the case of any large scale assault, among other things.”

“Thank you, Sizzi.” Erick’s mana was better. He moved to follow her. “Let’s go.”

Sizzi nodded and led the way upstairs.

Erick could hear the yelling before Sizzi could open the door.

Sizzi opened the door and walked right in.

Erick hesitated.

On the other side were at least thirty people, scattered either in small groups around the large lecture hall, or gathered closer to the chalkboards. Some of them were diligently checking ancient tomes against chalk writing on the blackboards that was not Erick’s, but looked the same.

Almost all of them were talking rather loudly at each other. Some would even call it ‘yelling’.

The people were all different types. Some were dragonkin, mostly reds and blues, but also some metallic colors. Incani populated almost every group. Orcol were here and there; Krigea was writing on a different chalkboard near the front and talking to people sitting in chairs in front of her. All among all the groups, were wrought, like metal facsimiles of the other three races. None of the wrought here wore clothes like Silverite; all of them were dressed in their own skin shaped into clothes.

One woman looked human, but her hair gave her away as something else; it was feathered like Lanore’s. She seemed to be yelling the most, at anyone who would listen.

Aaaaand. Let’s count heads and check for any humans…

Yup. No humans.

And there’s Zago.

And now they all see him. Some stopped talking. Some of them began to yell directly at him. Then the rest began to yell at the rest.

“There he is!”

“Blasphemer!”

“Shut up, sycophant!”

“Theology has no place in magic!”

“Eat a dick, mage!”

“Suck my asshole, hag!”

Erick walked into the room, and Zago put herself right there, next to him. She yelled over the crowd yelling at him, staving off the worst of the verbal assault, but that didn’t stop the woman with the feathered hair.

Feathered woman yelled, “Blasphemer! Usurper! Adulterer!”

‘Adulterer’ was the one that caught Erick offguard. He muttered the word to himself in disbelief.

And then the silver dragonkin priest from the Interfaith Church, Darenka, the one who gave him his Silver Star, stood between them. “Tiza Nindi! You hush! Your Goddess approved the spell!”

Tiza yelled, “Sininindi does what she wants! And so do the rest of us! Erick Flatt has brought dishonor to the sky by demanding it heed his demands!”

Erick had to laugh at that. So he did, but just once. Tiza went bright red in the face. Before she could speak again, he said, “As Sininindi does what she wants, I will too. Get the hell out of here unless you’re here to learn.”

She yelled, “You put yourself above the gods!?”

“Rozeta is also a goddess.”

The woman flickered with lighting.

Darenka descended upon her, saying, “Foolish child. Look around you then get out of here before you do something truly stupid.”

All eyes were on Tiza. Some of those eyes glowed with power. But some of the people stepped toward the feathered woman, as though in support. Gradually, the atmosphere of the room charged. Like the sky preparing to strike—

Zago stepped in to the middle of the room, speaking as she moved, “Mage Flatt is correct. If you are not here to learn then you must leave. We have had enough of your disruptions and arguments. If you have a personal problem with the nature of our world being revealed, then you are on the wrong side of history, Priest Tiza.” She turned toward the feathered woman’s side of the room. It was the smaller of the divide. “Those on the wrong side of history are purged by the rest of us.”

Moments trickled past like the cracking of a glacier. Tiza’s glow faded. She stepped back.

She vanished in a pop of air.

Five other people vanished in similar pops.

Zago sighed, “Gone as quick as they came. I guess I can’t fault them for not acting like proper Storm Priests.” Gentle talking resumed around the room as Zago asked, “Mage Flatt, we have lots of questions. Are you ready to begin again?”

Erick said, “I would love to answer a few, but I’m going to need some human mages in here—”

Zago did her best to not flinch, but Erick saw anger flash across her face.

“—so that this won’t be a spark to a new round of atrocities in the Quiet War, with one side having a massive start on the competition.” He asked, “Do you have any suggestions?”

Zago looked like she might have an aneurysm right then and there—

Krigea spoke up, “I have some suggestions from the Headmaster.”

Zago sighed out, tension leaving her body, pure politeness taking root in her voice, as she said, “I approve of whatever the Headmaster suggests, of course.”

Krigea said, “The Headmaster expresses his thanks.” Her eyes glowed briefly. “They will be arriving now.”

The air popped with the arrival of three new people in the center of the lecture hall floor. All of them looked pretty darn human, from where Erick was standing. Two men and one woman, all in comfortable mage-type clothing, all of them rather young looking. They carried unbound sheets of paper and opened books. If Erick was guessing right, they had just picked up their things and [Teleport]ed right here.

Zago’s face scrunched in disgust. She whispered to Erick, “They were already watching us, you know. Your request was already one of the Headmaster’s demands.”

The humans smiled at him as they took their seats in the lecture halls.

Erick smiled back, then said to Zago, “I’m literally not from here, Guildmaster Zago. I have no idea who is watching at any point in time, so please forgive my ignorance.” He stepped across the lecture hall, then up the small stairs leading up the stage, to the lecturer’s podium and half-filled chalkboards. “And now they can ask questions!”

Zago waved him off, saying, “They were already asking questions through Krigea, too.”

The middle human, a brown-haired green-eyed dude with a medium build, effused, “I just want to say before we begin that you have already unlocked an entirely new branch of ice magic, Mage Erick Flatt. Using your ideas about molecules, I created a new spell just yesterday. All it took was understanding that molecules exist!”

The room erupted into another round of yells.

Zago’s voice boomed, “Hush! Hus— SHUT UP.”

Silence returned.

Zago strained to say, “Please introduce yourself, and describe what you have accomplished.”

The human said, “Eduard Rokva, graduate Ice Mage of Oceanside. I got 1 point from producing the new basic spell, too!” He lifted his hand through the air and a blue box zoomed over to Erick. “It’s nothing compared to your [Call Lightning], but it's a start!”

Frozen Mist 7, instant, 1 minute, medium range, 10 MP

Cool a <small area>, dealing <damage> per second and slowing everything caught in the area for <1 minute>. Creatures leaving the area remain slowed for <1 hour>, or until they achieve sufficient warmth. <Effect increases with multiple castings.> <It is not possible to freeze a target with this spell.>

Erick asked, “It’s all the little alligator mouths that mark it as an alpha spell, right?”

That earned him several weird looks, most notably from Zago, but Erick passed her the blue box and she said, “Ah. Those. Yes, they do.” She passed the spell along. “They exist in a few non-alpha spells, like [Blink], but the historical texts tell us that when you see them on something like ‘damage’, that is the mark of an alpha spell. They are the parts of spells that are subject to change. If you don’t have eyes, like wrought, for instance, their [Blink] does not look like my or your [Blink].”

Erick took a look at his [Blink].

Blink 2, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 150/200

Eduard continued to talk about his spell, “The damage and the slow are nothing compared to the most basic tier 2 cold spell, but something like this starts the tier process at 1, instead of needing to go through Mana Altering first, making those higher spells much cheaper. And more importantly, the options are wider. We don’t even know what these new spells will lead to.” He smiled. “Seems like the sky is a good indication of a possible outcome, if [Call Lightning] is any indication.”

The human woman muttered, “Why did fire have to be blocked by a Sundering ban...”

There were several quiet agreements of the woman’s complaint from around the room.

Erick chuckled, saying, “That’s pretty cool.”

When no one made a peep at his joke, Erick said, “… Get it? ‘Cool’? No? Fine.”

Eduard smiled wide, but did not laugh. No one did, but Zago did grumble as she sat down.

“Right.” Erick moved to the lecturer’s podium. “So! Uh.”

Zago asked, “Can you go over the lecture again, from the top? We can keep the notes on the board in this room. Let’s save the questions for later.”

There were some grumbles, but more than a few ‘Yes, good idea’s and ‘Yes, thank you’s.

Erick paused in thought.

He looked across the room. All eyes were on him. He nodded to Zago, and made a few decisions about the future, right there. He threw a [Cleanse] across the chalkboards, then started drawing.

“So, this is an atom...”

Erick gave the lecture again. He didn’t leave much out. He talked about dissolved solids, and other easy experiments with water. He redrew various things as he went, to make them more legible. A few clarifications were asked for, and Erick gave them, but larger questions were asked to wait till the end. He struggled to give the most complete, well drawn lecture he could have possibly given, considering that he didn’t really know much about anything at all.

Hera sat in the back of the room the whole time, listening. Glaring. Judging.

- - - -

The lecture came to a close. Erick put down his chalk; he had gone through several of them this time. Eight chalkboards were full of information about atoms, and bonds, and electrical charges. There were some heavy disclaimers about molecular bonds; Erick knew he didn’t remember much about how those worked. But he did remember more about water, from the electron structure, to the polarity, to the degree of bend —104.5 degrees!— and all of that was up there. Water was one of the most important molecules to fleshy lifeforms, though he wasn’t sure if wrought cared about water or not.

He did not mention any specific atomic forms except for hydrogen and oxygen, or that the proper way to differentiate atoms from one another was by looking at their proton count. That would be for other people to figure out.

He turned to the audience. Some of them were writing on papers, others were studying the blackboards with intense stares. Others looked lost. Most looked excited. Darenka had stuck around for the lecture; she looked quietly happy.

Erick went to the lecturer’s podium. He put his hand on the sides of the wooden pedestal.

“So that was all of that. And there’s more. I could tell you a lot about a lot. But I have been enlightened about a few things recently that terrify me. Firstly, war. I don’t like war, or want war at my door. Two, I have no door of my own, but I’m hoping to live here in Spur, and Silverite, the Mayor, has said she wants humans back in town. She also does not want the Quiet War anywhere near Spur, so keep that in mind while I say my little piece, here. I’d like to use this opportunity to speak to the rest of the world to help her fill out a bit more of the town, and I’d like to foster an attitude of giving and accepting and what have you. But I don’t have any authority here, and I might have just pissed off Silverite by suggesting any of this.

“And this is me rambling on, trying to get to a point about how life would be great if everyone could be good with each other. All I want is my daughter safe, a nice life in a decent part of the world, and to help the people around me. Spur seems like this sort of place. I hope I haven’t screwed up my chances, here.

“When I created [Call Lightning] and started these lectures, I thought that learning about the physical world might help those around me… I don’t know? Have some more options in life? Learn a bit more and solve a few systemic problems? Like how to make it rain in a desert town. The rain was a very good outcome to a random experiment. I thought more good outcomes like that would come from others having the same experience as I did.

“I thought all this new magic would be good. Now that some time has passed, I have had some time to reflect on my actions. People have told me how the next eruption of the Quiet War is going to be all my fault; how I’m going to be murdered in under a year; how I’m taking people’s jobs and ruining everything. This is not what I wanted. Obviously, I have made some mistakes in the dissemination of knowledge, but to forestall any potential assassins, be aware that lectures like this will never happen again.

Erick closed, saying, “I know I asked some of you to wait for the end of the lecture to ask your questions, but I’m sorry. I won’t be answering any questions. Let’s see what happens with what I’ve already shared, before we move on to anything else.”

Before Erick could take a single step across the lecture stage, or the voices of the crowd could turn loud and demanding, Krigea stood up. She spoke and her voice was not her own. It was a deep, sonorous male voice, full of fire and quakes.

“Greetings, Mage Erick Flatt. I am Headmaster Kirginatharp, speaking to you with the assistance of my lovely graduate student, Krigea. Your words today have a great weight, especially those last ones. I agree with the slow dissemination of knowledge, and much more that you have said besides.” Krigea turned to the humans in the audience, who were staring at her in awe. “Children. Become valued citizens of Spur.”

Several things happened all at once, after that.

Krigea collapsed into her seat. The blond girl rushed over and cast a healing spell. Warm orange light flickered across Krigea’s body, settling into her seagreen skin. Gradually, Krigea woke up. She laughed, whispering ‘that was not pleasant’. The blond human agreed, smiling.

Several people said variations of ‘Fucking hell!’ and ‘But where is the fire, water, air, and stone!’ and ‘I see! I see! Yes! I understand!’.

Some people just slammed their books in outrage.

Some smiled. Happy that this would be the end. Darenka was one of those people.

Hera was standing in the back of the room by this point in time. She was smiling wide, too, but she was also holding a small green stone in her hand. She mouthed the words, ‘green the whole time, eh?’

Action slowed as everyone realized Erick was really done talking. There would be no questions answered today.

And then Zago stood. She moved to the center of the room, and said, “Thank you, Mage Flatt. Upon reflecting, you are probably right. This is more than enough new magic in the world for now. Everyone! We are done here. The classroom will be [Cleanse]d in one hour. Take your final notes now, or never.” She bowed to Erick. She walked up through the amphitheater seating, then out the classroom door.

Sizzi followed Zago out of the room. Two other incani and a few of the rest trailed out, after that.

The rest of the people in the classroom were either stunned, still lost by the science of the lecture, or grumbling. Except for the humans. They had packed up their stuff by now and were all looking at Erick. Krigea was looking at him, too.

Krigea stood up, then said, “Thank you, Mage Flatt, for this opportunity.” She turned to the humans, “Maia, Eduard, Ramizi. The Headmaster wishes you well, and to inform you that Ar’Kendrithyst is not to be taken lightly. Even you three could die in there. He also wishes to tell you that if you are lawfully exiled from Spur by Silverite, you are not welcome in Oceanside.”

Maia, the woman, said, “Well duh. I saw the writing on the wall before I [Teleport]ed here.” She nodded to Erick. “See you around.” She grabbed her book and papers. “Come on. Let’s go find some accommodations. Any place you’d recommend, Mage Flatt?”

“Please, call me Erick.”

Maia smiled. “Erick, then. I’m Maia, then. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

Ramizi said, “Goddesses, it’s going to be so damn hot living here. I’m already sweating.”

“Let’s just go to the Adventurer’s Guildhouse.” Eduard picked up his books and papers. “We can figure out the rest later.” He nodded to Erick, then said, “Erick, then?”

“Yes.” Erick smiled. “Eduard, Maia, and Ramizi?”

“That’s the name!” Ramizi said, “And that was all rather interesting, but holy hell you actually spoke to Rozeta and you asked her to change your spell to be stopped by a weather [Ward]? I don’t know if that was genius, or stupid. You need to test it out with some Mana Alterations and see if you crippled yourself, or not.”

Erick grinned. “I’m not big on killing things so I don’t think it matters much.”

“That’s weird.” Ramizi frowned at him. “You’re weird. See you around.”

The three of them left. So did many others.

Soon, the only ones remaining in the classroom were Erick and Hera, and a few other stragglers, struggling to make sense of the chalkboards, going back and forth over the notes they had taken from the lecture.

Erick asked Hera, “Is Silverite going to hate me for this?”

“What?” Hera laughed. “What?”

“… Fuck. It’s that bad, huh?”

“No way! This is good! She already thinks you and Jane are some of the best things to ever happen to her city.” Hera stressed, “Getting more reasonable humans to join Spur is something she thought might take years, but it only took you a few ten-days to go from a complete unknown, to getting Headmaster-approved adventuring humans pledged to become citizens of Spur. If she isn’t in the middle of a bottle of her finest quicksilver, I’ll be flabbergasted.”

Erick spat out, “I thought she hated me!”

“What?” Hera looked stunned. “‘Hated’? What the fuck? Why?”

“Oh! I don’t know! Casually mentioning murder!”

“… Oh. Oh? Is this…? Hmm… I think this is a misunderstanding. Most likely a cultural difference.” Hera frowned. “Silverite likes both of you. Quite a bit. Sorry. Uh. How… How did you come to that conclusion, anyway? Uh. I… I don’t know what’s going on here.”

Erick frowned. Reluctantly, he admitted that his recent interpretation of events might have been due to cultural misinterpretation. He waved off that concern and asked a different question, “How would she know right now, anyway?”

“… Oh.” Hera frowned. “You don’t know that either! Of course you don’t? I can fix that problem! Okay. So. When you’re meditating, you sometimes see hallucinations, yes? Sometimes, they aren’t hallucinations. Like. Go ahead and meditate right now.”

A sudden chill crept across Erick’s skin. Suddenly, he really, really, did not want to meditate.

Hera put her hands on her hips. “Just do it. I’ll show you. It’s not scary.”

Reluctantly, Erick began Meditation. Now that it was active, he could see maybe a thousand thousand eyes floating all around in the ebbs and swirls of the lecture hall’s ambient mana. Usually, he considered those hallucinations. But maybe they weren’t. Almost all of the eyes were not looking at him, but instead looking at the chalkboards.

A ghostly yellow eye appeared in front of him, between him and Hera, looking almost exactly like Hera’s own open eyes, but bigger. Yellow, slitted like a cat's, and glowing, Hera’s third eye moved around her.

Erick vacillated between terror that the eyes he had seen were real, and the casual conversation that Hera was trying to have with him. He could have either pissed himself or laughed at the whole thing. It was a tossup as to which was going to actually happen.

She said, “This is one of the primary applications of [Scry]. If you know what to look for, you can see these eyes through the other hallucinations.”

Erick laughed. “So that’s what those are!”

“Yeah.” She tilted her head. “You’ve probably had a few of these on you, haven’t you.”

“Oh? Yeah. Not often, but sometimes.”

Erick tried to ‘see through the hallucinations’ right now. Almost all of the eyes in the room vanished, except for maybe a hundred. They were all looking at the chalkboard. A few were looking at him and Hera. One of those eyes was bright silver. Hera pointed to that one.

“We’ll get to the eye problem later. But that’s Silverite. We’re communicating with [Telepathy], right now, but she can see you with this.” Hera said, “She wants you to know that she is very happy with what you have done today, and she apologizes for any miscommunications and offense she might have given.” Hera added, “But you do want to have a war spell active in town, so, like, come on, Erick. No one is comfortable with that hanging over their heads, and she has to think about everyone. And yes, she knows about the weather [Ward] thing. But like Zago and the new human mage said, a bit of Mana Altering and you could do some damage on a whim. Maybe even accidentally.”

“Right. Right.” Erick stared at the silver eye floating in the mana in front of him. “Right. Right.”

But all he could see was the giant shadow in the background, sticking to the edges of his vision.

Watching him.

He asked, “Is there a way to prevent people from spying on me?”

“Right. The eyes you have seen.” Hera said, “There’s an easy solution, there. Just throw your Willpower or Focus at them and they usually pop, but it would be impolite to do such a thing in a place like this. Go ahead, and try to pop mine.”

At that, a lot of Erick's paranoia vanished. He felt better. He focused on the yellow eye, trying to bat it away with his mind.

“For a Focus attack you need to pierce the eye; pop it like a bubble. For a Willpower attack, you smash it. Try again.”

Erick imagined a needle, popping the eye. Hera’s yellow [Scry] eye burst into fragments of magic that drifted away to join the sea of ambient mana.

Hera’s eyes dimmed back to normal yellow. “Good job. So? About the eyes you have seen?”

“I don’t want to talk about that right now. I can figure that out myself, and there usually aren’t eyes by the Sewerhouse. Al probably pops them all and he didn’t want me to freak out. I need to lie down.”

“Then I’ll escort you to the Sewerhouse, and leave you when we get there. Someone else will be there in the morning to bodyguard you in this trial period.” Hera added, “If this keeps up like I think it will, I doubt you’ll have a bodyguard for more than a month.”

Erick nodded, then led the way out of the lecture hall, and out of the Mage’s Guildhouse.

The giant shadow did not follow.

025

Erick met his new bodyguard in the morning on the front porch. His third story front porch. Aside from that awkward start, Poi was a very proper bluescale dragonkin, who was thereafter always, at most, 15 feet away from Erick at all times. With a straight back and no-nonsense attitude, Erick immediately tried to get Poi to smile, or joke, or talk, or anything, except stand at the side like a monolith carved out of sapphire, dressed up like a city guard.

Aside from that, his first day after calling it quits as a teacher was very boring. He mostly stayed inside the apartment and read Ulrick Ulrick’s book on Ancient Script for the Beginner Enchanter. There was some aura practice on the roof, but he didn’t want to wear himself out, so he kept it to one iteration.

He definitely did not miss his date with the farms. He showed up for that appointment an hour ahead of schedule. They were more or less ready for him by then, so Valok told him to let loose, and he did. He cast [Call Lightning] three times in a row. By the third casting, the rain was coming down slightly stronger than before. Maybe twice as hard? The rain was still pretty gentle, but now it came down like a proper Summer shower. Valok had planned on 4 or 5 castings, but the revelation of harder rain by cast 3 meant that Erick was done for the day.

On the way back to the Sewerhouse, Erick stopped at the market to buy some produce from several farmers, but when he went to pay, many of them dropped their prices in half. One nice older greyscale even gave him a bag of not-zucchini for free. Erick paid for the bag, though. The bag was nice, tough canvas. He made a point to overpay on that, and the man just smiled.

Taking mental stock of all the items Erick had ever bought in Spur that included canvas bags, maybe he needed to start carrying around two or three in his shoulderbag at all times.

And then he was home! He cooked dinner for himself and Al one night, and then Al cooked dinner the next. And then the process repeated. Personal [Ward] in the morning, study the Ancient Script book, a bit of aura practice, and then a stop at the farm for some afternoon rains. Cap it all off with dinner with Al, who had been doing his own things all day, too. He was still remaking the sewers and setting the Human District to rights.

The Sewerhouse settling pools were still settling, so that job was still at least 15 days away, and probably more like 20. As it was, Erick was involved in a whole lot of nothing except raising his various skills; mostly numerically, in the form of experience.

Jane would have laughed at him and called it a ‘training montage’ if she was here. She was still in the Crystal Desert, though, still hunting crystal mimics and the occasional rock elemental with Savral and his team, constantly on the lookout for crystal slimes. But thanks to Al having [Telepathy], Erick was able to check in with Jane at night and hear all about her days, while Al checked in with Savral. Erick put [Telepathy] on the short list of spells to get, but [Telepathy] was one of the restricted-by-law skills, because it affected the mind. He could buy it, sure, it was right there in the Script for 1 point, but he probably shouldn’t, not right now.

Jane had a bit of a big revelation though. Jane and Erick had apparently encountered a crystal slime on the trek to Spur, all those tendays ago. Erick remembered now; it was that jelly-like thing that had been nestled at the base of a crystal agave. All crystal slimes were over level 50, but they could sense danger for miles around, so finding one before it left the area was the only hard part. If only they had killed it, which was supposed to be really easy, they would have gotten almost 1.8 billion experience split between the two of them.

That’s when the jokes started. Jane and Erick encountering a crystal slime and not knowing the crystal slime for what it was, was a pretty common occurrence. No one hunted for a crystal slime and then actually got one, but everyone knew a precocious neighbor child who told stories of playing with a crystal slime. Or some rookie adventurer, running from a crystal mimic only to fall on a crystal slime, killing it, then immediately buying up to Scion of Strength. Or someone dying of thirst in the Crystal Forest, only to be led to water by a crystal slime.

Erick started a little argument about killing something that was obviously a good monster, but Al and Savral shut that down pretty hard. ‘There are no good monsters, don’t fool yourself.’ Slimes are as neutral of an existence as possible in the monster kingdom, but they’re mindless, and if one of them found you wounded and unable to move off the ground, there was an even chance of it accidentally smothering you as leaving you alone.

Aside from hearing about Jane’s adventures, Erick didn’t experience much of life outside of his apartment and the Farmer’s Market over the next few days. Al had suggested he lay low for a while, but that was already Erick’s plan. Poi seemed to be fine with guarding Erick in Erick’s apartment, but Erick didn’t really know how Poi felt about anything. The man was unnaturally silent.

So, for three days, Erick stayed away from the Mage’s Guild, generally in the apartment, save for trips to the farms. [Call Lightning] gained 1500 experience a day, since Valok wanted him to cast it three times in a row each time. [Ward] leveled, too, since he was putting on a 510 mana personal [Ward] every day, but the experience gained was counted without Clarity, which had leveled to 10. So every 510 point [Ward] gained him 1020 [Ward] experience. [Ward]’s blue box was getting bigger with every level, but it was only level 9.

Meditation leveled to X in all that casting. That skill read much cleaner, now.

Today was the fourth day since he had given his last lecture and then hidden away from most of Mage society. This afternoon he would return to the Mage Guild, but not before he finished up a few other tasks. One of the tasks he had finished yesterday was reading the Ancient Script book from Ulrick Ulrick, and learning the language. He could now comfortably read and write in Ancient Script. With a little bit of conversing with Al, he could even speak the language. Ancient Script sounded very beep-boopy crick-cracky when Erick spoke it. He didn’t like how it sounded, but it flowed so easily into itself that rhyming was rather simple.

Erick thought that maybe that ability to rhyme was why Ancient Script was widespread in enchanting. Al did not believe that for one second, but it was hard to argue with Erick’s creation of a new spell in Ecks.

When Erick tried to read another one of Al’s language books, it might as well have been Mandarin. [Language Acquisition] had run its course. He’d have to learn new languages the hard way, from now on. Or, he could pay Irogh 1000G and get the buff reapplied.

As for his own magic, Erick wasn’t anywhere near rank 10 with anything and thus able to actually make a real aura skill, but he was plodding forward, making progress. Right now, he was up on the roof of the Sewerhouse, preparing to put in more steps toward that goal.

The sun shone down upon Erick and the rest of Spur. Erick sat on a small jut of stone atop the center of the Sewerhouse. There were no obstacles around him; Al had [Stoneshape]d the roof mostly flat, ridding the space of any evidence there was ever a party up here. Poi waited to the side, as usual, well out of Erick’s area of effect.

Erick centered himself, activating Meditation and preparing a chain of mana connecting three of his skills, to twist what was to come into something else.

Aurify.

Altering: Bludgeoning.

[Force Shrapnel].

Orbs of hardened white mana erupted from Erick, like a hundred billiard balls, all going every direction, spaking and cracking against the stone and each other as they swirled around Erick in a mockery of orbital physics. They crashed in and out, but not against him; this was his aura after all. Erick held his mana open wide, feeding the aura. He could not sustain it for long, only 4 minutes without Meditation, and an extra 30 seconds with Meditation. And that was fine, because 4:30 was already near his limit of personal focus; it was hard to maintain all these spell effects at once.

If his Force Shrapnel was level 10, he could create an actual [Force Shrapnel Aura: Bludgeoning], and not have the spell demand his total concentration. But [Force Shrapnel] wasn’t 10. None of his spells were level 10. [Call Lightning] was close, but it was not there. Not yet.

Erick’s mana gave out. The billiard ball aura vanished like so much spent mana.

He relaxed into the sun, leaning backward, breathing. Just, breathing.

And there’s another 1350ish exp for a few more spells...

Status.

As he stared at his status screen, part of him held a deep regret for not recognizing and killing that crystal slime. His experience had grown, for sure, but it hadn’t noticeably grown since the battle with the shadowcats. Erick was going to be 19 for a very, very long time.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 19, Class: None

Exp: 265281/676500

Class: -/-

Points: 7

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

600/600

1050 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

35

+0

[35]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Spoiler

Concentration X

Multiply your base MP regen by 3

Requirements: 20 Focus

Discipline X

Multiply your base MP by 3

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Clarity X

Reduces spell costs by 50%

Requirements: 10 Focus

Meditation X

Always Resting

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Mana Shaping 5

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 140/800

Aurify 1

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

Exp: 5400/10000

Mana Altering 8

Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing Damage

Force to Light, Blind, Variable Cost

Invisible Force, hard to see, Variable Cost

Force to Thunder, disorient, Variable Cost

Force to Fire, Burn, Variable Cost

Force to Ice, Slow, Variable Cost

Force to Lightning, Paralyze, Variable Cost

Force to Decay, organic damage, Variable Cost x 1.5

Exp: 100/3400

Cleanse 6, instant, short range, 10 MP.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 150/1300

Mend 7, instant, touch, 10 MP

Touch a non-magical uncomplicated large object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 1510/2100

Ward 9, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Create a Large Ward that can have Large Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 35 MP + Z

Create a Ward with another Spell attached to the interior. Spell activation based on Z invested into Ward. 100 MP + Z

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Large Effects: Drain Hostile HP/MP, Gravity Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you wish. Skill level at Mana Manipulation determines final outcome. Variable Cost

Exp: 375/5500

Force Beam 2, instant, medium range, 25 MP

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 2 seconds

Exp: 175/200

Force Shrapnel 8, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 20 + WIL damage in a cone

Exp: 205/3400

Blink 3, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 150/300

Call Lightning 8, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lighting bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Exp: 3200/3400

Stoneshape 1, 1 minute per level, medium range, 10 MP

Slowly move minor amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape.

Exp: 0/100

Grow 1, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in a sphere of diameter equal to spell level in meters.

Exp: 0/100

At least Meditation leveling to X made Resting as easy as flipping a switch in his mind. Now that he knew what to look for in the ambient mana, he popped scrying eyes whenever he saw them, too. The roiling shadows weren’t that scary anymore now that all the eyes were gone.

The shadows were still there, though. Erick had pointed them out to Al one night. Al told him he needed a higher focus, or to not meditate so often.

Erick looked over the new Mana Altering 8.

Force to Decay was probably what made those green fireballs in the Sewerhouse attack.

… Aurify was coming right along.

Erick was kinda scared to try a [Call Lightning] Aura. He felt like he needed to get far, far away from Spur before he started experimenting with his magic in that way. Especially if he started experimenting with [Call Lightning] and stuff like Mana Altering: Decay. Acid Rain would definitely be considered ‘attacking the populace’.

As Erick looked over everything he had to level, and realized that none of it would get him another actual level, he felt disheartened. Sure, he could make tier two spells—

Ah! Right! He wanted to make a [Call Lightning] [Grow] Aura! That would be pretty cool. Too bad Valok didn’t want him today, or he’d work on [Call Lightning] some more. Maybe he should go down to the farms anyway, plying his trade casting [Grow]. He might be stuck at level 19, but there were still goals to be won, and a [Grow] Aura was a good idea, anyway.

Smiling, Erick turned to Poi, “Hey, Poi! Let’s go to the guild!”

“Of course, Mage Flatt.”

Erick ducked back into the apartment and saw the enchanting book Ulrick had lent him. He was supposed to return that to Ulrick… Several days ago. Shit. Erick grabbed the book and put it in his shoulderbag.

And then he looked at his clothes.

He was still wearing the jeans, tee shirt, shoes, and underwear that came with him to Veird. He’d seen what other people wore for shoes and underwear, so maybe he’d keep his and not adopt the local style, but the shirt and jeans? Those could go. He could be a local.

He should do that, today!

Training montage and a clothing montage! Jane would be proud. The only clothing Jane had bought were new shirts and the shoulderbags for both of them. She still liked her jeans. … Erick still liked his jeans, too. And his shirt, for that matter. With [Mend], he could keep these clothes for the rest of his life, if he wanted.

No. Bad idea. It was time for new clothes. Be a local! Buy local clothes!

Get out of the house and get back into society!

He turned to Poi. “Where would I buy some decent working clothes? Kinda like what I have on now?”

“Market Street,” Poi said, resolute to keep his arms-distance demeanor intact.

“To Market Street we go!” Erick patted his shoulderbag. “I can give Ulrick back his book, too.”

Wordlessly, Poi followed Erick out onto the third floor landing. Erick looked down at the street—

[Blink].

—and then he was there. Poi popped into the air five feet behind him.

- - - -

“Ulrick is not in today.” A lovely young pinkscale girl behind the counter said, “Might I be able to help you, Mage Flatt? I’m Soux, Ulrick’s frontgirl and apprentice. Is there something you might be interested in purchasing?”

“Not buying anything right now.” Erick shook his head as he swung his shoulderbag around and pulled out the old textbook. “Can you give this back to Ulrick for me?” He set the book on the counter. “I told him I would return it to him the next day, but everything kinda got difficult after that. I read it all, though! Learned Ancient Script, but then my [Language Acquisition] ran out. Can you tell him ‘thank you, very much’ for me, please?”

Soux slid the book closer to herself. “Of course, Mage Flatt. Is that all?”

“Maybe— Are those [Mend] jobs still up at the guildhouse? I haven’t checked in a while.”

She shook her head. “Apologies, but no. He only posts those when I go out adventuring, or when I need to deal with some unruly shadowolves.” She smiled. “But I’m back now. And two levels higher, too.”

Erick grinned. “Good to hear. Then… Take care, Soux.”

“You too, Mage Flatt. And thank you for the rain.” She bowed. She stood. “Hearing an afternoon shower reminds me of my grandmother’s house in the rainforest mountains, far to the east.”

Erick smiled a bit wider, then nodded, and left the store. Poi kept right behind him, maintaining a respectful 5 to 7 foot distance at all times.

- - - -

Erick stepped up to the counter and set his badge on the marble divide between him and the bank teller, “Hello. I’m here to check on my account. Erick Flatt.”

“Of course. Just need to check authenticity.” The teller was a grey-black wrought dragonkin. Her metallic flesh looked exactly the same as Anhelia’s, the iron-flesh wrought incani at the Mage Guild. She took his badge and passed it over a truthstone, which had been glowing green this entire time, but glittered a brighter green when the badge passed close. She held onto the badge for the moment, asking, “How can I help you, Mage Erick Flatt?”

“Balance check, and probably a withdrawal. Have you guys sorted out the shadowcat money yet?”

“We have indeed.” She wrote down Erick’s badge numbers on a small slip of paper then turned to her assistant, a young male greenscale. She said a few quiet words, then handed him the paper. He ran off. She turned to Erick. “We’ll have your numbers pulled in 30 minutes. Would you like to make a withdrawal before your numbers are validated?”

“No. I guess not. I have enough cash on me for now. I’ll be back later.”

She handed him his badge back. “We shall see you then. Good day, Mage Flatt.”

30 minute wait for a check and withdrawal?

Erick was sorely tempted to try and reinvent the internet and modern banking. But then, he realized, he did not need any of that in his life. Not again. Fuck that noise. He liked the slow life. 30 minutes to check on balances? That was fine with him. He had clothes to buy and… 13 gold to buy them with! That was like 1300 dollars.

He was rich!

… Wasn’t he?

- - - -

Turns out cloth clothes are way expensive. Everything except leather was way more than he wanted to spend; the leather was only cheap because the shadowolves from Bulgan’s shadowcats had been turned into more leather. Erick didn’t want leather.

The problem was that Spur was both a rich town because of the adventuring opportunities of Ar’Kendrithyst, and it was very isolated. There was no cotton in the desert, after all. All fabric had to be imported. Importing wasn’t that bad with [Teleport]; many of the meat sellers actually had their farms far away from Spur itself. But the cotton fields were much, much further away than the cattle ranchers.

A third problem existed in [Mend]. The people who made clothes only made what fashion demanded, or the best damn shirts or pants or whatever, that money could buy.

Erick had to walk away from one store where everything was 14 to 25 gold. The next store was not much better, and the dragonkin vendor could not take his eyes off of Erick’s shoes. Erick’s shoes were synthetic rubber, leather and cloth sneakers. They were the most comfortable shoes he had ever owned, and Erick was not going to sell them for any price, thank you very much.

He found a much nicer store just a bit down the way, run by a nice older orcol woman. She sold him some ‘children’s clothes’ that were simpler than what he had found elsewhere. They were the right price, too. Erick thanked her, and she smiled at him, probably finding it funny that a human was wearing clothes sized for orcol kids. When Erick asked her about that, she said that the other races bought orcol children’s clothes often enough that it wasn’t a real scandal; other races liked simple clothes, too, but not many tailors were willing to work on such throwaways.

He paid her 11 gold, and then walked around for a bit, sporting a nice cream-colored shirt and nice tan pants. His other clothes were in his shoulderbag, save for his shoes and his underwear; he was still wearing those. His Silver Star was displayed prominently on the left side of his chest, over his heart, and his Guild Badge hung from a silver chain around his neck. It felt nice to wear local clothes in Spur, in the sun. Everything felt loose and breezy.

Erick ran a hand through his hair and felt his face. He hadn’t shaved in all his time here on Veird. He was never capable of growing a truly imposing beard, but what he was capable of growing had gotten a bit scraggly in the last few weeks. He used to have black hair, but it had all gone salt-and-pepper in the last few years. A lot of his hair had to be whiter since had gone through several near-death experiences in the last few weeks.

He pulled a bit of his bangs in front of his eyes. Yup, more white hairs among the black. Of course, that could just be his imagination.

His imagination, and his Meditation, had told him there was a giant shadow following him the whole day, but no one else seemed to see the shadow. Erick forced himself to think that his imagination was lying to him.

Maybe it was time for a haircut, and a shave.

But first! The bank!

- - - -

The iron wrought presented Erick with his balance.

1000 gold for one shadowcat, 100 gold for the second cat. 210 gold in various direct deposits in the last little while, and 148 gold from killing shadowolves, with the shadowolf portion available as either gold, or rads.

“1458 gold? I don’t have to work if I don’t want— Ahh. So that’s why the MCL job board is full.”

The receptionist of the Mage Guild bank smiled, saying, “But doing all those MCL jobs does help the community. We get complaints when they’re left to rot, and that’s not fun for any of us.”

“Right. Right.” Erick asked, “What about the grand-rads from the cats? Did something happen to them?”

Her perfectly practiced neutral face returned. “Unfortunately, magic of your caliber destroyed many of the rads from the shadowolves and both grand-rads we expected to recover from two of the shadowcats. Please do keep this in mind when expecting to recover rads from monster corpses in the future.”

“Ahh. Bother. Okay. Good to know. Thank you. I would like to withdraw a hundred gold.”

“Would you like that in rads, or metal?”

Erick thought for a moment.

He’d leave enchanting for another day.

He said, “Gold, please.”

“Of course.” She nodded to her helper, and Greenscale left. In moments, Greenscale returned with a small bag and set it in front of the receptionist. She counted it out in front of Erick, emptying the bag, then she put the coins back in the bag and handed that to him, saying, “100 gold has been deducted from your account. Is that all?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Good day, Mage Flatt.”

Erick put the gold into his shoulderbag, then left the Mage Guild Bank. Poi silently followed at a respectful 5 to 7 feet.

- - - -

After a quick stop at the Sewerhouse to stash most of the money—

Poi interrupted him. “Sir. You have scrying orbs around you right now.”

Erick activated Meditation. Yup. Two eyes were looking at him from several feet away. One was red, the other blue. Erick frowned at them. They vanished, and Erick moved to another part of the house to stash his money.

“Thank you, Poi.”

“My pleasure, sir.”

“Is there any way to stop those, permanently?”

“Not without a lot more effort than is comfortable. Thankfully, the Script makes it very difficult for a [Scry] to hide, if you know what to look for.”

Erick smiled. “Thank you very much, Poi! That was the most you’ve said since you started this gig.”

Poi said nothing.

“Dammit, and now you’re back to silence.”

Poi said nothing, but he did allow himself a smirk.

Erick tried, “Were those [Scry]s just a nuisance, or were they an attack?”

Poi said, “It’s best to discourage theft whenever you can, but in the event of theft, our investigators can [Witness] and [Scry] to find the culprits. But even if we do find the thieves, they’re usually gone from town after a robbery. Not much we can do besides put them on the Guilds’ Watch Lists.”

Erick smiled. He had figured out how to get Poi to talk.

- - - -

Erick, and thus Poi, walked into the Mage’s Guildhouse in the early afternoon.

Anhelia waved him over to the front desk. What could she want? Sizzi was not there. The rest of the guildhouse looked rather slow; not a whole lot of people in this afternoon.

“Hello, Anhelia.”

She smirked. “Hello, Mage Flatt.”

“You can call me Erick, if you want. That title still feels weird to me.”

“Erick, then. So what brings you in today, Erick?” She teased, “More curriculum to disrupt?”

Erick relaxed. This was actually perfect. He said, “Can I buy you a drink somewhere? I’d like to hear a lot more about what has happened in the last few days.”

Poi grumbled behind Erick, but before he could wonder what that was about—

Anhelia smiled wide and stood right up. “I love it! Yes! Let me just find Sizzi; she’s around here somewhere.” The grey-black wrought dashed off behind the counter, into the inner hallways of the Guildhouse. She returned in 17 seconds with a slightly winded Sizzi. “You’ve got the floor, Sizzi!” Anhelia plopped a slightly red faced Sizzi into her receptionist seat, then Anhelia wrapped her arm around Erick’s and guided him out of the Guildhouse, saying, “We’ll be back later!”

Her guidance might have been gentle and loose, but her arm still felt to Erick like holding onto a skyscraper’s I-beam. Anhelia was a very tough woman.

- - - -

Anhelia closed her menu and passed it to the waiter, saying, “And I’ll have an iron bar, thank you.”

Anhelia took them to a little place on the edge of the Mage District, on the second floor of a bakery, overlooking one of the few green spaces in the city. A fountain bubbled down below, while not-oaks shaded everything and a cool breeze flowed down through it all. There were a few others in the tea house, drinking tea and eating bread. Mostly incani, but no other wrought. A few of them eyed Erick, but their glances were simple appraisals; not the glances of people planning harm.

She said, “I love this little bakery and tea shop. The family that runs this place has been in Spur for over 400 years and I’ve only been here for a little longer than that. You’ll love the plum tea and biscuits I had you order; everyone says they do.”

Anhelia smiled, and if her iron flesh wasn’t so perfectly natural looking, if she didn’t move so fluidly, Erick would have thought her one of those street performers who paint themselves all one color and play the part of a statue.

She must have seen him looking. “You’ve never casually talked to a wrought before, have you?”

He felt his face flush. “Ah. Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it!” She laughed. “You can’t offend me. Unless you plan on stiffing me with the bill. That would be pretty offensive.”

Erick chuckled. “Are you that expensive of a date?”

She smirked. “Only if that’s what this is.”

He grinned. She was fun. Erick flirted, “How would that even work?”

Okay. That was some bad flirting. How out of practice was he? A month and at least 8 traumas? That was probably a correct number.

Anhelia smiled. “Some hefty physical fortification spells for you and a rod of [Treat Wounds] at the ready, as per any interracial relations, but especially when it comes to wroughts.”

Erick laughed. “I’m not looking for anything right now, but I expected to pay the bill when I asked you out for a chat.” He asked, conspiratorially, “How much is an iron bar, anyway?”

“Inconsequential~”

Poi frowned from the sidelines. Now what was that about?

But as Anhelia avoided the question, their orders arrived. For her, a plain grey bar of metal served on a doily on a circle of wood, maybe 7”x2”x2”; for him, a small porcelain plate of five purple cookies and a pitcher of purple tea. The waiter presented Anhelia with her order, then filled a small tea cup and presented Erick with his.

Erick asked, “How’s the guild been while I’ve been absent?”

She placed her hands on the iron bar and began pinching it into bite-size pieces, like Erick would have pinched dough to make rolls. He expected the action to make some horrible screeching noises, but the metal became putty in her hands. She finished, then popped one of the bites into her mouth, then swallowed.

She said, “There’s a lot of impurities in the metal you get outside of the major cities, but Spur has always been good about having good iron, among other metals; Silverite has connections to mines all over the world, you see.” She ate another bite, then said, “The guild has a lot of impurities in it, too. Magic as a whole has always had this sort of problem. No one thinks about the physical world, because there’s really no need. Do you know what magic was like before the Script?”

Wherever she was going with this, it sounded thorough. Erick had taken a bite of a cookie, and it was delicious. Sugar, fruit, and chewy cookie; it was wonderful.

He said, “Not much. Haven’t been in many libraries yet.”

“You should spend some tendays in the library.” Anhelia continued, “But anyway, I wasn’t there; none of us were. Wrought might be the oldest living race except for the dragons, but we were created by the Script. And I’m not that old anyway. Anyway, magic used to be a lot more open before the Script. All it took was a strong will and a connection to the manasphere and a wizard could manifest their dreams as reality.”

Conversation ceased at a nearby table of two when Anhelia said the word ‘wizard’.

Anhelia ate another bite of iron. “Then something like 1400 years ago the Old Wizards decided they wanted something else. Maybe they wanted to be gods, maybe they wanted to kill something. No one really knows, but the result was the Sundering. And then Rozeta and a whole bunch of others put the world back together, created two more moons, and wrought magic into the Script. That’s where we Wrought come from. We’re like little pegs holding the Script together, but that doesn’t grant us any abilities beyond what we choose to pursue. Like any normal person.

“That’s history. This is relevant today because the way that the Old Wizards used magic was very, very different from how the world actually works, but a lot of the Old Wizards survived and adapted to the Script, and thus their ways of thinking tainted the new world order, right at the beginning. And this brings us to the impurities in the guild, in arcanaeums all across Veird, and in the casual thinking of the average Mage.

“The old traditions of magic based upon imagination are not wrong. Not exactly. But current magical theory is like language, you see. You can speak a language you call [Stoneshape], and bend the ground to your will, but that’s your interpretation of how the world is, imposed upon the world. [Stoneshape] is a mental construct; it’s not affecting actual ‘stone’, but what the shaper thinks is stone.

“There are safeguards to prevent people from thinking of magic differently and thus abusing magic in ways not intended by the Script, of course, but mostly, magic is a mental construct.

“For example, in the real physical world, the composition of dirt is wildly different from biome to biome. If [Stoneshape] relied on real world physical properties, then a mage would need a dozen different versions of [Stoneshape] in order to function the same way in a deep swamp with half its murky bottom biological, versus a desert with relatively pure quartz sand which, by volume, is mostly air, versus a granite mountain.

“And so we come to the impurities in the magical community. Did you know that Fire, Water, Stone, and Air, are some Big Thoughts in the arcanaeums around the world, and in the Script? There’s even shaping spells for darkness and light. I can tell you right now that many people don’t believe that darkness actually exists, but then we look at a shadowolf and see shadows licking off the body, and that throws all proper experimentation out of the window, because ‘obviously shadows exist, there’s one right there’.

“What you’ve done, is to prove to the magical community that there is some underlying physicality to the world that operates independent of mana. You’ve given the Small Shock experiment a grand stage. You’ve explained why people are creating ice spells all over, but no fire spells, because bursting molecules apart is strictly against the Infinitesimal Ban. And stone spells just don’t work, because, apparently, there’s nothing ‘stone’ about stone, if you get my meaning. Everyone is trying to make air spells into lightning, but no one has succeeded at all, except for you. Probably because everyone still thinks of lightning as a fire spell. Light spells are being made across the world, and dark spells might truly not exist, except to absorb the light.

“You’ve started a revolution in magical thinking, turning this relatively dull part of local history into world history. With a few lectures and the addition of the first basic spell to the Script in a millennium, you have set Spur on the world stage. You’ve shown yourself as a kooky planar human who gave his daughter’s homework to the Headmaster and stumped the old dragon, and everyone else, for the first time in 1300 years.”

Erick had finished three of his cookies by now, and most of his tea.

He ate another cookie. Anhelia ate another bit of iron.

He sipped his tea. He was still thinking.

He said, “If it already works— I mean. If the shaping spells already work, and people already believe in them, then they exist. Social constructs are as valid as physical constructs.”

“You are correct.” Anhelia smiled. “But even if you say that, you can’t unring this bell. Changes are rolling down the mountain, and people must either get out of the way, or ride the waves of history. The only other option is to be crushed.”

The gravity of it all began to weigh on Erick.

“Fuck. How many lives have I ruined?”

“Oh! I’m just being melodramatic.” Anhelia chuckled, “Those societies based around elemental magic are going to be just fine. Mana still turns imagination into reality, and [Stoneshape] is still one of the most useful spells in the world, no matter that there might not be a particle version of the spell. That’s what people are calling your brand of magic, by the way. ‘Particle magic’. Elemental magic has a long and deep history, but now there are new options. Ones where mages can make it rain, Erick.

She repeated, “Rain. At tier 1. How neat is that?”

Erick tried to focus on a better subject. “How much has the rain helped?”

“Farms are booming. Production is up. Krakina is pissed. But she’ll buy [Call Lightning] as soon as she can, and then you’re out of a job because she has much deeper roots here. The Kali family will have a lean farming season, but that’s about it. The whole farming community here is pretty transient, anyway. They come in with the highwater and go back to the eastern mountains for the rest of the year.” She smiled. “Though, if you can make it rain all year long, we might have a whole new Spur on our hands. Everyone is very excited. And just so you know, if anyone is talking about killing you, they aren’t saying it near any of my information sources.”

Erick chose to not focus on people wanting to murder him. “The Kali family, as in Ikawa Kali? The one in Savral’s team?”

“Yup! That’s Krakina’s granddaughter. She’s set to inherit Krakina’s title of WeatherWitch when she comes of age and can drag a storm across the desert to Spur, all by herself.”

Poi stepped closer to Erick. “Sir, you are about to reach your limit of questions based on the money you brought with you to this encounter.”

Erick turned to look at the man. Then he turned back to Anhelia.

“Oh, Poi. Don’t worry about the full price. Whatever he has on him is fine.” Anhelia said, smiling, “I’ve got another ten minutes to kill. Ask anything you’d like, Erick. And I meant what I said earlier; you won’t offend me unless you stiff me on the bill, so don’t leave any questions off the table. I want you to be satisfied when you leave.”

“Sir, I must warn you that Anhelia sells to anyone. Don’t speak what you don’t want known.”

For the second time since he sat down to talk with Anhelia, he realized the gravity of his situation.

Anhelia sighed at Poi.

Erick said, “Thank you, Poi. I do have some questions I’d like answered, since I’m paying for it anyway.”

Anhelia smiled wide, waiting.

“What do the incani think of Jane and I since all this has happened, from Bulgan, to the shadowcats, to particle magic, to getting those three humans moved into Spur?”

Anhelia nodded. “Broadly, you’re fine. Like I said, no one is plotting murder or anything else against you. You’re too valuable. If anything, people are plotting against each other to allow you to ‘live a quiet life and have your daughter safe’, and then they’re going to race to use what other bombs you drop on magical society. The incani, Zago in particular, are rather repentant for what they tried to do. Except for a few discontents you’re mostly considered ‘not human’, and thus not a target of the Quiet War.

“Bulgan is a Shade in the Ar’Kendrithyst. That was confirmed yesterday. He will try to get to you and Jane, but no one knows what will happen there. Will he leave the walls of Ar’Kendrithyst? Maybe. But when Shades move, you notice. When they move to attack, they can’t hide, even at night. Spur can fight back one or two, and since Bulgan is a new Shade, he likely doesn’t have the clout to force all the Shades against you. You might even have some unexpected allies inside Ar'Kendrithyst, but fair warning: Dealing with shadows will get you on everyone's shitlist, no matter what good you can do.

“Only the most paranoid people think we’re in danger of a Great Purge.

“The humans you invited to Spur are being watched. There have been a few altercations, but nothing major. They’re staying on their side of the line you drew and none of the incani are willing to cross that line either. Now that Bulgan is a confirmed Shade, his transgression has put a heavy damper on local incani patriotism.

“And particle magic is proceeding about as good as I said. That Ice Mage has made two new basic spells so far. There’s the tiny cold AOE he showed everyone and a freezing beam spell he invented yesterday. With the addition of another spell that looks similar to another one of the Force spells, a lot of people are experimenting to find the corollaries to the other Force spells.

“You have time for one more question.”

Erick nodded. It took him a second to think. He asked, “Are dragonkin… Al said that Savral is his son. I don’t want to ask if he’s adopted… But… ”

Anhelia laughed. Poi might have frowned, but he was too professional to keep the frown for too long.

“This is your last question?” Anhelia said, “Well—”

“No. Sorry, that would be rude to Al and Savral both. Instead, what are wrought? Are you [Metalshaping] your body from a central core? Or…?”

She smiled. She said, “There’s a book in the guild library called ‘Sex and the Humanoid’. You should look that up.” She finished the final bite of her iron bar, and said, “And that’s our time.”

At her final bite the waiter came over and placed a face down slip of paper on the table, then took away the cleared plates. Erick went to pick it up—

Anhelia said, “Don’t worry about what it says on the paper. Whatever you have on you is fine.”

… Erick looked at the paper.

That was more gold than he was carrying, alright.

He emptied his pockets and his shoulderbag, placing all 55 of his gold on top of the slip of paper. Anhelia smiled gently at the small pile, then put her hand over the gold. All but two pieces slipped into her iron arm; the remaining two left for the waiter.

Erick said, “Thank you very much.”

“Anytime, Mage Flatt.”

Erick left the bakery cafe first. Poi followed.

The plan was to go back to the guild, but now he went to the bank and withdrew another 20 gold.

Then he went to the guild and picked up one of the [Grow] quests from the Esoteric board; they were all the same, so he only needed one. His job and pay would be determined by the Council members on site.

Anhelia waved at him both on the way in, and on the way out. He waved back both times, saying hello, and feeling like he really didn’t know much about anything about Spur. Not yet, anyway.

- - - -

Valok took a look at Erick, with his mage guild badge hanging out around his neck and the paper for a [Grow] job in his hand, and said, “You’re rather dedicated, aren’t you.”

Erick said, “The plan right now is [Call Lightning] and [Grow] combined as a tier two spell, possibly using Aurify for double to triple the range on [Call Lightning]. I’m hesitant to use Aurify on [Call Lightning] though. I’m not sure how the magic would react. [Force Shrapnel] as an Aura was already rather unexpected.”

Valok listened to Erick. Then he thought for a minute.

Valok said, “It won’t work with our current system, which you will be experiencing today. We’ve had to change everything. When you make this spell, we can test it out on the north side of Spur, where the water does not come close to the surface. Other than that, we’d need to… We’d need to do a lot. And you can’t cast this over the city. You want trees and roots and such destroying everything in a mad press to make space for itself?”

Poi said nothing, but he did look a bit closer at Erick.

Erick said, “Uh. I did not think about that.”

Valok nodded. “Plain rain is fine. No need to get fancy. The only thing stopping farm production is water usage. Your experiment has merit, but not for us, not right now.” Valok said, “I’ll take you to Apogough.”

- - - -

Apogough stood by as Erick stood in the middle of an empty plot of land.

Erick held an apple in his hand. He took a bite. It was sweet, well grown with a nice crisp texture and a bright red, thin skin. In his other hand, he had a seed from the same kind of apple tree.

“[Grow] for cultivation is just as important as [Grow] for generalized growth.” Apogough said, “Now that you’ve tasted the apple, think crisp. Think juicy. Think that size of apple. Keep that taste in your mind as you plant the seed and activate [Grow] at the same time, whenever you’re ready.”

Erick took another bite, then held the seed, and thought—

[Grow].

— as he thrust the seed into the fertile soil. He withdrew his hand. The magic had happened. What was supposed to happen next?

Three seconds later, a tiny green shoot poked out from the brown ground. It uncurled into the sunlight, bright green, sprouting more leaves and tiny branches as it reached up, slowly. Slower. It stopped growing.

Apogough said, “Now use [Grow] in a small area for generalized growth.”

“Can I Aurify it?”

“Hmm. Not— Eh. Sure. Go ahead.”

Meditation. Aurify. [Grow].

The sapling began to grow. The apple in Erick’s hand exploded into several tiny plants, falling out of Erick’s hand to then hit the ground, and take root. Startled, his aura—

Apogough said, “Don’t cut off your aura now.”

Erick maintained his aura. Experience in [Grow] and Aurify steadily ticked up.

[Grow] has leveled!

Level 2!

Grow 2, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in a sphere of diameter equal to spell level in meters.

Exp: 5/200

Erick’s aura doubled in size. The ground around him sprouted grasses and weeds, but the saplings rose above the non-food plants. And still they grew. The saplings from the apple were twining together, strangling each other for growth, until one rose above the rest and several thin brown saplings rotted in the presence of their older sibling. The one Erick had cultivated was three feet from the strangler apple, quickly rising tall in Erick’s aura.

They made noise as they grew. The sound was like a creaky door slowly opening and someone pushing a broom across the floor.

Now the trees were both waist high. Shoulder high. 6 feet tall, and growing, branching all the way. Erick backed up as the branches threatened to cage him between the trees. And still they grew.

[Grow] has leveled!

Level 3!

Grow 3, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in a sphere of diameter equal to spell level in meters.

Exp: 5/300

Erick’s aura pulsed larger, and so did the trees. Apples appeared on the tree born from the apple like bright red orbs, but on the tree Erick cultivated, the apples were pink. And still, the apple trees grew taller. Higher, twisting upon each other. Apogough said nothing as he watched the growth. Erick just stepped back a bit further as the trees got even taller.

“Stop!”

Erick stopped. The apple trees relaxed.

A gentle breeze rustled the two-tree orchard as Apogough reached up to a pink apple and plucked it from the branch. He took a knife to the fruit, cutting it into pieces like a scientist dissecting a frog. He pulled off the skin, he rooted through the seed-filled core, he sniffed the white flesh, and then he put a small piece on his tongue.

He tasted. He chewed.

He didn’t die! So that was good news. Erick plucked a pink apple for himself, then looked to Apogough. The orcol nodded, and Erick tasted his apple. It was a pink lady, but much more actually pink. Pink ladies were Erick’s favorite apple, so maybe his mind wandered while he cultivated?

Apogough said, “Your mind wandered while you cultivated, but the outcome is decent. What do you want to call them?”

“Pink ladies.”

Apogough smiled. “A good name.” He pointed down a row of freshly picked apple trees; not a single tree in the whole orchard held a single apple. “Go aurify [Grow] that orchard. Cast until you see an apple fall, then move on; that’s how I judged when these two trees were done. If an apple falls to the ground and you’re not quick about it, that apple will start growing more trees, and that’s just disorganization. We don’t like that. I’ll check in on you in twenty minutes.”

Erick did what he was told. He had used some mana on those first two trees, so he had to pause halfway through the orchard. But quickly enough, he was done. He had used a little over 600 mana.

[Grow] has leveled!

Level 4!

[Grow] has leveled!

Level 5!

Grow 5, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in a sphere of diameter equal to spell level in meters.

Exp: 545/800

But he had gone through all of the orchard! Since everything was organized, and he had used a little over 600 mana to [Grow] a single orchard, it was highly possible that the orchard was designed with a 600 mana limit in mind. Everyone used the same Script, after all, so organizing along Script-defined stats seemed like a natural thing to do.

But Erick didn’t have [Grow] 10 yet, so when Apogough returned, Erick was still putting the final [Grow]s on the last remaining trees.

Apogough said, “Good job! Now I sign off on that paper once, Krakina comes in and does the water while the pickers come and do their thing, and then you can [Grow] it all again. We do this until you can’t go anymore.”

Erick smiled. “I can do this four more times. That was only 670 mana.”

Apogough asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, are you going for Scion of Focus, or Willpower?”

“Focus. I can’t handle Mana Exhaustion.”

“A good choice if you expect to use a lot of mana every da—“

Krakina announced herself by saying, loudly, “You!”

Erick agreed, “Me!”

Krakina bustled right up to him. “Now you’re [Grow]ing, too? Are you not rich enough!”

“I’m technically homeless right now. So yes. I am not rich enough. By the way, I heard good things about your granddaughter out there in the Crystal Desert, killing monsters alongside my daughter.”

Krakina’s sand-colored feathers fluffed a tiny bit, but at mention of her granddaughter, a smile came over her face. “I hear good things about your daughter, too! Very good with a sword. Good with all weapons. Spear, sword, daggers, shields! What do they teach you all where you’re from, to fight with so many different weapons? She is like a whirlwind of variety!”

Erick laughed. “That’s just Jane. She’s been training for this sort of life her whole life. She knew what she wanted to be at a very young age.”

As pickers came into the grove, very few of them actually picked apples by hand. They walked past the trees, and apples floated into crates they towed behind themselves, like kids with little red wagons. Erick watched, trying to figure out how they were—

Apogough said, “It’s [Telekinesis].”

“He knows—” Krakina turned to Erick, eyeing him. “You didn’t know what they were doing?”

Erick smiled. “They were using [Telekinesis], of course!”

Apogough chuckled.

Krakina smirked as she walked away, to the side of the orchard.

With one quick stomp on the ground, in what was probably one specific spot, water burst up from the ground and caught in the air above Krakina. She held it there above her, somehow, the water bubble quickly reaching the size of an elephant.

Apogough said, “She’s using [Watershape].”

“I am not!” Krakina said, “I am using something much better!” She sealed the hole in the ground using some unseen method and walked through the orchard, dipping the water across the ground, letting it soak into the soil. The elephant-size water orb was gone by the time she reached the other side of the orchard. “Done!”

She moved on to the next location.

Apogough said, “Let me see your paper.”

Erick handed it to him. He signed off once, in perfect print, right across the top, leaving lots of room for more signatures later. He handed it back to him, then pointed to a waist high squat pillar near the road, maybe ten feet away.

“When you’re done, sit there. I only knew you were done because I was looking for it, but all the [Grow] mages sit on one of those by the road, so that we know it’s time to come clear their field. See you later.”

Erick stayed where he was until his mana reached full.

Then he went and Aurify’d [Grow], all over his orchard.

This process repeated three more times.

5 signatures was worth 15 silver. It wasn’t a good paying job, but it was necessary.

And hey! He also got a whole bushel of Pink Ladies, a lot of not-potatoes, some not-onions, two bags of not-rice, and even some not-tomatoes, all for free! It wasn’t a good paying job, but there were benefits.

Like [Grow] leveling up to 8.

Grow 8, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in a sphere of diameter equal to spell level in meters.

Exp: 1705/3400

Damn he was tired, and carrying all these vegetables wasn’t exactly easy. But he had help.

He turned to Poi. “How much are you paid every day to follow me around?”

Poi carried three bags of groceries. “Not the 10 gold you’re paid per day, whether you make it rain or not.”

“Oh right. I do get that, don’t I?”

Poi frowned at him.

- - - -

Al made dinner using much of the produce Erick supplied.

Al said, “You should get some meat next time.”

“When rain is capable of making cows grow from thin air, I will be sure to get you one.”

“I accept this as a promise.”

“… I’m not sure you understand how rain works.”

“It makes the grass which feeds the cows which I then eat!”

“That’s not thin air.”

“I should hope not! I want a very fat cow.”

026

The next morning, Erick went to the farms immediately. He chose to forgo leveling his billiard ball aura in order to get more [Grow] in the fields. And with that choice, after 6 rounds of apple growth, and a little more, [Grow] hit 10.

Grow X, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in a sphere of diameter equal to spell level in meters.

Aurify had hit level 2 somewhere in the first [Grow] cycle yesterday. But he didn’t really care about that until [Grow] itself had hit 10; it’s not like Aurify gave experience.

Aurify 2

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

You may choose who or what is affected by your aura.

Doubles the range on an Aurified spell.

Exp: 9700/1000000

And by these powers combined, Erick created a masterpiece, maybe 4 seconds after [Grow] hit 10.

Growth Aura, 5 MP per second.

Induce growth in the plants you choose in a 10m radius around you.

He could opt out of growing the weeds and grasses, now. He could focus on the trees entirely. He wouldn’t get dirty looks from telekinetic pickers forced to drag their carts through high grasses! His new aura was better than he expected.

Part one of his plan to become the world’s best farmer was complete!

And then came another message from the Script.

Congratulations!

You have combined parts of the Script to create your first tier 2 spell!

May your journey into magic be wide and fruitful!

+1 ability points!

But wait, there’s more!

He had only gone through about 4200 mana by that point in the day. Sure, he was tired, but compared to before, this was nothing. And since he was here in the morning, and since Valok, Apogough, and Krakina had decided that they could amp up production a lot more with more water, they had him [Call Lightning] 3 times in a row.

Rain fell across the farms, far and wide, and larger than the day before, because [Call Lightning] had leveled, too.

Call Lightning 9, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lighting bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Exp: 1200/5500

“It might be getting too big,” Apogough said.

Krakina shushed him, “Bah! You’re scared of a little storm like that! I have rounded up thunderheads bigger than Ar’Kendrithyst! This is a little shower at most.”

“Krakina is right,” Valok said. “This isn’t bad. And it’s covering the whole farm.”

“Keeping the water table high,” Krakina said. “Makes bringing up water easier.”

“Production is up.”

“Markets are full.”

“Needs more [Grow] mages, though.”

Erick said, “I’m too tired to keep [Grow]ing today, but [Grow] finally hit 10. Got [Growth Aura] immediately after, too.”

Apogough nodded. “What version did you get? If you can’t designate targets, consider abandoning the spell.”

“I got that one.”

Valok smiled. “Lucky. Took me five tries. Five wasted days. Not a pleasant experience.”

“Do I need to go to Irogh if I don’t like the combined spell I create?”

“Nah.” Apogough said, “Just grab the text box and try crushing it in your mind. But don’t crush your new aura; you might not be able to remake the same one without a lot of trial and error.”

Krakina nodded. “My daughter, bless her soul, did this weird thing with [Stoneshape] and [Telekinesis], trying to get a spell to pull rads out of living monsters. She got the idea from the Mage Guild’s Library, and the spell she made did what she wanted, but it grabbed only the smallest rads. Wasn’t useful on anything past a slime. So she abandoned that spell, then she had to abandon that spell fifty four more times! Nothing she could make was as good as that first attempt. She got powder and fragments every single time!” Krakina lowered her voice, saying to Erick, “Powder isn’t good because all of us have powder inside.” She laughed. “Usually it comes out naturally, though!”

As the rain fizzled out, Valok asked, “You coming back in the afternoon?”

“Sure. Twice a day?”

“For a little while. We’re all pretty enthusiastic about this. We want to see if it’s sustainable.” Valok added, “Thanks for this opportunity, Erick. All of us make much more money here than in many of our homes. A lot of us would prefer to live here permanently, but we can’t because it’s impossible to farm like we normally would.”

Erick looked across the green land. As the rain was stopping, more people were kicking into high gear, casting [Grow] auras and picking plants with [Telekinesis].

Erick asked, “This isn’t normal farming?”

“Heck no!” Krakina said, “We got to gouge those transient adventurers as much as we can! Have you been to the Adventurer’s District lately? I went yesterday. That place is PACKED.”

“Word is getting around that Spur might be a tough life, but it’s getting easier with the rain, and the Headmaster’s call to action has spurred a lot more human visitation.” Apogough smiled. “Even humans from Frontier are coming over to buy our produce. That never happens.”

Erick smiled. That was all really good news. He said, “I’m tapped out. Back in the afternoon?”

“Yes. Same time. Same place.” Valok said.

“See you later.”

“Later!” Krakina said.

Apogough just nodded, and walked away with Valok.

- - - -

Erick got his quests validated, took lunch in a dragonkin cafe, then headed home for a nap. He had gone through 4575 mana by then. Just enough left on his 5250 daily limit to exhaustion to finish up three more rains in the afternoon. He was doing a lot more magic than before; without Clarity X cutting all costs by 50% and Favored Spell cutting [Call Lightning] by another 25%, he’d be in a heap of hurt.

He almost overslept, missing the afternoon rains, but he didn’t; Poi knocked on the door to his room. In minutes they were out of the apartment, on the way to the farms.

Valok and Apogough were waiting for him when he got to the farms.

Three more [Call Lightning]s and the day was done!

Call Lightning 9, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lighting bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Exp: 2700/5500

Erick was near his limit. This was a good thing, because by tomorrow afternoon, after casting [Call Lightning] 6 more times, the spell would hit 10. Then he could try making an aura with both [Call Lightning] and [Grow].

Wouldn’t that be a sight to see!

- - - -

The next morning, Erick arrived at the farms on time for a morning rain.

[Call Lightning]

wait 8 minutes...

[Call Lightning]

wait 8 minutes...

[Call Lightning]

Erick sat on a stone seat someone else had made, under someone else’s weather [Ward]; Valok, Apogough, and Krakina, sat beside him, each in their own seats. Poi stood to the side, ever ready. The seats and [Ward] were there when Erick got there. There were many similar bubbles all over the farm, where people took a break while the rain came down around them, the sky crackling with faint lightning, far above.

Erick said, “[Call Lightning] is going to hit 10 this afternoon, but I need to experiment with it as an Aura to see what I’m working with.” Erick said, “I want to try it out in the desert somewhere. Maybe even get it to 10 right now and see about making a [Grow Rain], or something.”

Poi nodded.

Valok, Apogough, and Krakina looked at each other.

Apogough said, “Ask him, Valok.”

Poi took extreme notice.

Erick, suddenly a bit more wary, said, “Ask me what?”

Valok said, “The Council has been talking among ourselves and our people about our future plans. We came to a preliminary decision last night. We want to try opening some farm land north west of this farm. There’s no water table over there, though. So we’re considering cattle and other livestock, and we need a pasture to feed them. But all of that relies on your participation.”

Oh? That’s all? That was great! That fell pretty much exactly in line with Erick’s plans.

“I accept.” Erick quickly added some caveats. “But I want a cut.”

“Of course you get a cut!” Krakina said, “I’m going to demand a cut, too, when I take back my job.”

“How much money are we talking?” Erick asked, “What’s the plan?”

Valok said, “Your 10 gold a day for the rain will turn into 15. You will be offered a job as an official employee of the City, like Krakina and Al, for example. But your only duty will be the rain. We’ll work out a proper schedule later, but if you keep coming out to the farm like this, then we can work with you instead of assigning a time to cast the rain.”

Apogough said, “We’re thinking of bringing my father in to start the farm. He’s been a cattle rancher for decades, and he already has a connection here in Spur. His plan is 50 cattle to start, and he already has a stock able to arrive as soon as we’re ready. Spur is a very high-mana area, so the cattle’ll grow faster than normal. If they become monstrous, which we think they will, each cow will sell for 300 to 400 gold and reach maturity in three months. If they don’t, then it’s a 10 month timetable, and only 40G to 60G per head. We’re offering you 5% of the profit on meat sales. Meaning anywhere between 2 to 17 gold per cow, for you. Best case scenario, with 50 herd of cattle, you pull in an extra 10G per day.”

Valok said, “The cows will eat a lot of food if they become monstrous. If you can make a [Grow Rain Aura] then we’ll need to recalculate costs, and you will get a bigger cut. Either from meat profits, or from your role as an employee of Spur. Potentially up to 20 gold per day, for now.”

Krakina said, “This is all talk and speculation! We do this proper in the Courthouse under a truthstone if you want to go forward.”

“If the cattle become monstrous, then we can also start selling off the kill rights.” Apogough said, “Monstrous cattle can be anywhere from level 10 to 25.”

Suddenly dismayed, Erick said, “Level 25… cows?”

“Yeah. I once saw a level 30 cow. That thing was terrifying. They let it live for way too long.” Apogough said, “If we start selling the kill rights, then that’s even more money. You’d get 5% of that, too.”

Erick joked, “I could start my own farm and grind out experience all on my own!”

Krakina laughed, but Apogough and Valok frowned.

Valok asked, “Are you interested in that sort of thing? Would you like to be a cattle rancher? That is another option, but we didn’t know how you felt.”

“Heck no!” Erick laughed again. “I’ll get paid by the city and take some profit from being the only one in the world with this magic, and thus the only way you’re ever going to get this operation off of the ground.”

He let that sink in a bit.

Krakina smiled. Valok and Apogough’s frowns vanished, in a business sort of way.

“So let’s make this profitable for everyone because I sure as hell ain’t gonna start a monster ranch on my own.” Erick said, “But I want access to the books to make sure I’m not getting bent over by some big business.”

Valok and Apogough smiled. Krakina laughed.

Apogough said, “We’ll agree to that.”

Erick smiled, adding, “I might want to get in on that monstrous cattle slaying, too. I could use another level 30 kill. That’s what the shadowcats were, right?”

Valok and Apogough looked at him like he had said something strange.

Krakina said, “Participation percentage on your own raised monsters is not great. Very low. Better to sell the rights to the freshly matriculated. Oh! I know.” She pointed toward the desert with a long grey wing feather. “I take you out and you zappy zappy a crystal mimic or three! Can you fly yet?”

“Not yet. But I was—”

“Bah! Making storms before you can fly! Terrible, terrible! Such bad discipline! What is Al doing with you! Do you even have the spells to make a [Fly]?”

Erick smiled to himself, waiting for his turn to speak. When it came, he said, “I was joking about killing the cows. I’ll eat it and participate in their growth, but actually killing them? I can leave that to the kids.” Erick asked, “Where does the participation percentage come from, anyway?”

Valok nodded, saying, “The God of Death doesn’t like people killing monsters they raise, so he drops the participation to 1%. He drops the participation to 1% anytime anyone kills a monster too easily. Even when we sell the kill rights for a monster cow, the buyer has the option to enter a battle ring and kill the cow that way for a chance at a higher percentage.”

Apogough said, “I’ve seen people die in those rings before. Not pretty.”

“A god decides Participation?” Erick said, “I didn’t know that.”

Then he remembered Bacci saying that she got 2% Participation from killing the Sewerhouse intruders.

A sudden spike of dread shot through Erick. Another question came to him, and he almost didn’t want to ask what he needed to know. “Some god in charge is actively choosing that number? That’s horrifying. Do they decide the experience granted by killing people, too? Are people just walking bags of experience?”

Erick looked at Poi. Poi looked rather normal; he didn’t look suddenly wary. If someone asked a question like that around Erick, it would be setting off all sorts of red flags. Alarms would be blaring.

But. Apparently. Erick was the only one feeling a chill in the air.

Krakina chuckled.

Apogough shook his head.

Valok said, “If someone were to attack you first with the intent to kill, then there might be some Participation awarded, if you won. But…” Valok frowned. “No. People aren’t walking ‘bags of experience’.”

Apogough said, “There’s duels. Those grant 100% experience.” He added, “Dueling is illegal in Spur.”

Poi joined the conversation, “There is another exception to this rule. While Phagar, the God of Death, decides the vast majority of Participation, the Abyssal Legion and the Celestial Choir determine the Participation of any fight between a human and an incani.”

Cold welled inside Erick’s chest.

Krakina added, “You’re a Planar though. No Angelic prod at your back, telling you that killing any incani would give you 100% Participation.” She looked toward Spur. “I hope those humans in town are gonna be okay.”

Apogough said, “Silverite had a lock down on Human/Incani fighting for hundreds of years before the Great Purge. Not sure how she managed to do that, but she knows what she’s doing.”

“It’s an evil thing those angels and demons do to the rest of us.” Valok spat on the ground.

Erick’s voice was a squeak, “No kidding.”

A warm breeze blew, the clouds overhead cleared enough for the sun to peek through.

Apogough said, “He didn’t know.”

Poi and Valok frowned.

Krakina said, “I’m sure Spur will be fine. Not your fault that Angels and Demons are assholes. And people make their own choices! Don’t forget that.”

The rest of them nodded, watching the skies clear. Erick watched too, the final seconds of his spell dissipating into a flowing cloud, drifting to pieces on the desert winds.

Erick tried to relax by changing the subject. “Where’s the expansion? I’d like to level [Call Lightning] to 10 and see about creating that [Grow] spell today.”

Valok said, “Yeah. Sure. Krakina?”

“I’ve got time and mana to step into the forest.” Krakina walked out of the weather [Ward], toward the Crystal Desert. “You might be able to zappy zap a mimic, too! Good fortune, if so!”

Valok said, “And, Erick? You can work on your magic and go home for the day. Don’t worry about the afternoon rain. With as much water as I think you’re going to dump over there, the water table under the farm will be full to bursting.”

“Yes yes!” Krakina said, “Let’s go, Erick.”

Erick put on a happy face, stepping to walk beside Krakina, trying not to think about demons and angels incentivizing murder. But he couldn’t stop thinking about it. As they walked past fields of lush wheat, and farmers scything down the golden stalks, Erick asked, “Are angels different from gods?”

“Oh my yes.” Krakina said, “It’s all exceedingly complicated!”

Erick waited for a better answer.

“And?”

Krakina laughed, “And? And I know next to nothing about all of that! I hear it’s all exceedingly complicated, and that’s as much as I poke my nose into the racial wars of other species. I hear dragons are also complicated; they eat each other!” Krakina shivered, her grey feathers puffing up. “War is understandable; people are dumb and angry. But cannibalism! Creepy!”

Erick almost stopped in his tracks. Dragons eat other dragons? What the fuck?

Erick looked at Poi. Not really for confirmation, but because he had a sudden thought about Poi chowing down on some other unfortunate dragonkin.

Poi nodded, saying, “Dragons are cannibals when they can get away with it, yes. But you never see a dragon in their natural form unless they’re monsterized and eating everyone in sight. They’re always [Polymorph]ed as some other species. One of the very few dragons to live openly is the Headmaster of Oceanside Academy, and he only lives that way because he’s as old as the Script and no one messes with him, if they want to stay alive.”

Not why he was looking at Poi, but okay.

As that was sinking in, Erick thought back to the Quiet War and about angels and demons incentivizing war with Participation values.

It was all pretty fucking fucked up, is what it was!

There was a lot of fucked up shit on Veird!

Erick said, “That’s all pretty fucked up.”

Krakina said, enthusiastically, “Oh yes! I agree! But funny enough, dragonkin aren’t cannibals; I was worried about that when I first heard dragons ate each other when I was a hatchling. But dragonkin are probably the least fucked up people on Veird, so Spur is a pretty great place.” She glanced over at Poi, smirking, “Nice to look at, too.”

Poi smiled at that.

Erick looked at Poi. Really looked. He said, “I gotta say, the scales are really pretty.”

Poi smiled a bit wider, and walked with a bit more bounce in his step.

- - - -

Erick, Poi, and Krakina stood under separate weather [Ward]s well outside of the farms, exactly in the middle of where the expansion would be, if everything worked out as everyone hoped. It was a thirty minute hike to get out this far. Walking back might be easier or harder depending on what a lot of rain did to the land around them, and how an Aurified [Call Lightning] operated.

Erick looked across the Crystal Desert, all around them. The nearest crystal agave was a hundred feet that way; the next nearest 200 feet in the other direction. Glow bugs floated in the air.

Aurify.

[Call Lightning].

Nothing seemed to be happening, but. Yes. There was… something. Something small. Four seconds passed. Erick felt the loss of a single mana flowing away, soaking into the wind. A faint, almost invisible fog hung in the air around him. More seconds passed. More mist joined the air.

Krakina said, “The air feels moist, but it’s barely fog.”

Erick felt more mana leave, as slow as before. He was afraid of billowing lightning, filling the land and spreading like a crazy uncontrolled storm, but this was…

Ah. This was still mentally taxing. Like holding a 1 pound dumbbell above his head, he was not about to do this for however long it took to see a response. If this was the aura, then he’d wait until he made an actual aura to see how it operated. He sealed off Aurify and [Call Lightning]. The fog around him remained like a gentle whisper, before the wind carried it away.

Erick looked up.

[Call Lightning]

125 mana left his body, 500 experience added to [Call Lightning], and the sky above darkened with roiling clouds.

[Call Lightning].

The sky roiled deeper, harder. Flashes of light appeared overhead. Thunder rolled across the Crystal Forest. The agave a hundred feet away began to tinkle and crinkle in the wind.

Krakina asked, “Is that two of them at once?”

“I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but yeah. It’s two at once.”

Rain fell across the land, splattering sand at first, but then wetting it down, turning dry dirt into a solid wet mass. Streams appeared in the soil as the rain came down harder.

“Yup!” Erick said, over the noise of the rain. “Right to rain! No need to wait.”

The weather [Ward] stopped the rain from hitting from above, and as Erick watched streams form in the wet sand, it appeared the [Ward] also stopped water flowing in from the side.

Meditation.

There were no shadows or eyes out here except up in the sky, and those were all tricks of the light. [Call Lightning] was one cast away from 10, so it was time to experiment a bit more, now that there were clouds above him to control.

Aurify.

[Call Lightning]

The mist was instant this time, spreading across the land like a fog rolling in, filling in the gaps between the rain and blocking sight past 30 feet. Erick pulled with the second aspect of Aurify, trying to choose who or what was affected by his aura, or not.

Mana flowed out of Erick, 6 mana gone in a second, and the storm yawned open above him. Blue sky appeared in a 50 yard circle of clouds, like a sightless god looking down from above. The storm was pushed to the side. Rain fell everywhere but around the three people and their weather [Ward]s.

Krakina stared at the sky in awe. Poi stared with a perfectly poised face.

Erick pushed again with his aura. 6 more mana flowed, and the sky changed again.

The hole above closed. Dimples appeared in the rest of the storm.

Hmm. That’s not what I wanted.

He tossed mana at the sky through his aura, 60 all in one go. The sky moved. Holes appeared everywhere. That seemed to be the wrong move, because the original spell disrupted. The tiny flashes of lightning ceased as wind began to drag the clouds away. Erick had accidentally killed the [Call Lightning] in the sky; all he had left was his foggy aura.

“Were you trying to do that?” Krakina asked.

“Not really.” Erick brushed a hand at the heavy fog around him. “But the spell is still here.”

“Can you make that fog discharge?”

“I don’t know.”

Erick hummed. As the rain eventually stopped, the fog seemed to be more solid. Slowly, mana flowed out of him, into the fog.

A crackle of light appeared in the depths of the fog, near the ground.

Erick exclaimed, “Oh! I get it!”

The fog was the spell brushing against itself, generating charge, but the process was disrupted by the rain. Now that the rain was gone, the charge was coming back. He had kept a close eye on his mana the whole time, too, so that was another clue as to what was happening with the lightning part of his spell.

He said, “I’m going to try a strike, now.”

Poi said, “Okay!”

Krakina said, “FINALLY!”

Erick willed a bolt into the ground a hundred feet over there—

Craacchhthck-BOOM-OOM-OOM!

The land filled with reverberating lightning as a thousand tiny sparks joined into a crash of power that blanketed the air in a thousand foot sphere, a hundred feet away, surrounding Erick’s [Ward] in a wash of white death. The blast cleared, but lingers of lightning skittered across the ground, rushing up and over Erick’s [Ward] like a sudden infestation of lightning spiders.

Krakina cackled with joy. “Do it again!”

“NO!” Poi and Erick yelled.

As Krakina grumbled and Erick thought he might need to [Cleanse] himself, he ended the spell. Erick tried to relax. He tried to breathe. His nose filled with the orange tang of ozone. It was actually a rather nice smell, but it was overpowering in some primal way.

Two blue boxes appeared, confirming Erick’s hypothesis.

Call Lightning X, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lighting bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Lightning Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the air around you to strike for <damage>. One strike available every 50 MP.

Yup. Just like he thought: He was impatient the first time; he didn’t wait long enough for the spell to charge.

The numbers were roughly close to [Call Lightning], if a bit higher.

Favored Spell carried over to the Aura.

All good things! Terrifying things, but… ‘good’, too, he supposed.

As the fog completely cleared, Erick gazed across the land, and the land was scorched.

Okay. Maybe this wasn’t a good outcome.

Yard and foot long filaments of sandy glass had been blasted out of the ground like iron filings standing up on a magnet. The devastation was larger at the center of the blast, rivaling the size of the nearest crystal agave…

… of which there were none in sight. Erick had fried— Ah! There was one, outside of the blast. Huh. It actually looked just fine. It glowed a bit stronger than usual, though. Hmm.

Poi let out a long, drawn out sigh, audible from over 20 feet away.

“Damn! Look at that!” Krakina shouted, “I’ve never seen anything like that before!”

“Never using that again...” Erick muttered.

The crystal agave sparked.

Erick stared at it. “What’s happening with that?”

Poi said, “It won’t hit us from here.”

Krakina cackled, “I’ve seen those spear people out of the sky! I hope we’re all lucky!”

Uh-oh.

Erick watched as the crystal agave pulsed brighter. Brighter. It was radiant now—

BOOM!

The agave’s crystal spike-leaves flew off in every direction like projectile weapons, as a controlled explosion rocked the plant’s core. A crystal spear shunked into the soil 10 feet from Erick. It still glowed, but that glow faded, and the plant laid still. Erick’s heart beat hard.

“That was close,” Poi said.

“They’re easier to pick up like that,” Krakina said. “Blast the rest of them!”

“NO,” Erick and Poi said at the same time.

“Bahh! No fun!”

“I’m plenty of fun, but all of this…” Erick waved a hand at the spiky, glassed ground all around him. “I’d like my magic to stop making me look like a bad guy, gunning for armageddon.”

Krakina said, “You have no perspective! I might not have seen something like that before, but I have seen impressive acts, and yours doesn’t even punch through a weather [Ward]!”

And I hope it never does.

Erick said, “I’m starting again.”

Krakina shrieked in joy. “Go go go! Do it!”

[Lightning Aura]

Fog returned in sparse drips of mana. Holding his aura open this time was like flipping a switch; the tiny weight on his mind nonexistent. This was much easier than using Aurify.

[Grow].

The land around him did nothing. Erick hummed. Maybe…

[Grow Aura]

The fog vanished as mana dropped out of Erick at a steady rate of 5 every two seconds. He cut that aura fast; he was already kinda low. Meditation brought his mana back up, but not fast enough compared to how he could spend it.

Erick looked to Krakina. “How do you usually combine spells?”

“You cast them both at the same time! Easy.”

“Two auras?”

“Same way.”

… Then what was he doing wrong?

… Maybe the problem was fundamental. There was an easy way to test his hypothesis.

Erick said, “I’m going to try to Mana Alter the [Lightning Aura] into bludgeoning. You two have damage wards up, right?”

Poi and Krakina both instantly popped with different glittering absorption [Ward] light. Krakina’s new [Ward] was pale green; Poi’s was bright blue. Both overlapped.

Poi said, “Careful, Mage Flatt.”

“I know, I know.”

Mana Altering: Bludgeoning

[Lighting Aura]

ERROR!

027

Erick woke under a blue sky; his weather ward faintly visible above.

Two shadows loomed ovehead. As Erick’s eyes regained their ability to focus, one of the shadows resolved into a grey feathered Krakina. The other became a sapphire bluescaled Poi. Poi reached down as Erick reached up, and lifted Erick to his feet. Poi helped Erick remain upright, before stepping away.

Krakina looked him over. “Error message?”

“Yes. Can’t use Mana Altering on [Lightning Aura]. I don’t want to try it with [Call Lightning].”

Krakina frowned. She squinted her eyes at Erick. “Truth?”

“I could try it again, but—”

“Try again!”

Poi said, “I must insist that you try again as well. This is very important.”

Erick looked at Poi. The sapphire dragonkin was as focused as Erick had ever seen him, even more so than when Erick was talking with Anhelia, the information broker of Spur’s Mage Guild. So Erick nodded.

He tried again.

Mana Altering: Bludgeoning

[Lightning Aura]

ERROR!

Poi held Erick upright.

When Erick’s senses returned, he said, “Error, again.”

Poi insisted, “Try something else. Alter to Fire.”

“Are you an idiot!” Krakina slapped Poi on the shoulder with her wingtips. She shouted, “We would all die!”

“We have to know. We’ll go back to the absorption [Ward]s we put up. Erick stays here.” He said to Erick, “Sit down, and try it with Alter to Fire. The Lightning Aura you made is enough for us to know. If you tried this with [Call Lightning] that much mana clashing against an Error would lay you out for days.”

Erick looked into Poi’s eyes, and realized Mana Altering failure was a big deal. Erick already suspected it would be, but seeing Poi’s face really brought home that truth. That truth made Erick happy.

Erick smiled. “If this doesn’t work, that means [Call Lightning] is impressive, but trivial to negate. The aura is easy to negate, too. Just throw a [Call Lightning] up first, and the rain will dissipate any building charge. It’s a perfect counter to itself.”

“… The bigger issue is if you cannot Mana Alter the magic,” Poi stressed.

Erick grinned. “You two want to go back to your [Ward]s now?”

Both of them hurried over to their [Ward]s.

Erick sat down on the ground and stared at the blue sky.

It’s like you answered a prayer I didn’t know I had, Rozeta.

Erick threaded his mana through his skills.

Mana Altering: Force to Fire.

[Lightning Aura]

ERROR!

Erick was already on the ground, so he didn’t fall. He knew what was coming, so he didn’t lose consciousness. In fact, he felt a surge of relief.

He called out, “Error message! Can’t alter to fire!”

“FUCK!” Krakina yelled, at the same time—

—Poi yelled, “YES!”

Erick laughed loud, saying, “You don’t like being my ‘bodyguard’, Poi?”

“Ah!” Poi cleared his throat. “Ah. Sorry, sir. That was not my intent.”

“It’s okay. I’m happy, too. But this is going to make a rain grow aura much more difficult!”

“IT’S IMPOSSIBLE, NOW! How would you even—” Krakina shouted, “FUCKING—”

Krakina continued to shout, transferring from Ecks into some unknown language. As she cursed the sky, Erick reviewed his backup plan to making [Growth Rain]. Maybe it would work, maybe not. Maybe it would lay him out for another three days, but he was going to try anyway.

He relaxed. Poi shushed Krakina in the background. Meditation filled Erick’s vision with shadows as ambient mana trickled into his body. He wasn’t full, but that was okay. He opened his mana, and began:

“A world of wheat, a land of green, a thousand different delicious beans.

"Peaceful rain to grow the land, kingdoms linked hand in hand.

"A world of wheat, a land of green, a thousand different delicious beans.

"Peaceful growth devoid of pain, bloom the land with [Miracle Rain].”

The sky shifted.

Erick collapsed backward as his mana drained to 2. Then it went to 1, then 0.

As consciousness left him, the pitter patter of tiny drops of rain filled his ears.

- - - -

Rozeta’s voice brought Erick back to reality.

… Or as close to reality as this place could be.

“Dear Relevant Entities of the Script, today we have before you a man who some would call Wizard, others Heretic, and still more would call Saint.”

Rozeta’s voice carried on the clouds all around them, but this was not the middle of the skies, and Rozeta was not a four mile long dragon. She was a woman made of white metal, maybe 6 feet tall, wearing a receptionist’s outfit; prim and proper.

Erick stood at the center of a blackened caldera, the edges of the dead volcano hundreds of feet away and scraping upward like daggers. Fluffy white clouds flowed through those obsidian daggers, cutting into the blackened space only to reform as a thin mist around Erick.

A hundred faceless people or more, of all kinds, were in that mist.

Some of them were the mist; half there, half elsewhere.

There were dragonkin and orcols, humans and incani, dragons and other, harder to describe species. A winged maybe-human. A black spot on the world like something was missing. A cube, slowly spinning on one corner. A gentle glowing star, bright silver, attached to nothing, just hovering in the mist. They all talked among themselves, but the words were too quiet to understand.

Four people stood out from the misty crowd.

To his left: A blue-skinned maybe-human woman, but tall like an orcol, 9 feet at least, with long hair billowing backward on some unseen breeze. She wore the torn sails of a ship as a dress that was only held on by the wind.

To his right: A muscular, darker skinned human woman, in a loose, gauze-like dress. She wasn’t obviously an orcol, no fangs or green skin, but she could have passed for one considering her perfect beauty and also 9-foot tall body.

And, of course, in front of him, the only one that looked like a wrought; Rozeta. She was pure white metal in the shape and size of a human woman. Gold glittered upon her skin, but as she moved that gold revealed itself as white.

The last person present was a man. He looked like a grandfather, or someone Erick’s age. He was human and human-sized, wearing black pants and a black tunic. He stood a dozen paces behind Erick.

Rozeta spoke above the murmur of the audience, “Allow me to introduce the primary complaints. We have Sininindi, Goddess of the Storm. She stands against the accused, denouncing him a Wizard and Heretic. We have Atunir, Goddess of Fertility and Field. She stands for the accused, claiming he is a Saint. We have Phagar, God of Death and Time. His is the final judgment.” She turned to Sininindi. “You may level your complaints now.”

Sininindi stepped forward. “This man has introduced a poison into our world. A poison that breaks down the very nature of our reality. It is our duty as tenders to this world to end this man and his daughter, and call upon all of our followers to purge this knowledge of Particle Magic from Veird.”

Atunir stepped forward. “Mana Altering seems to have failed with Erick’s [Lightning Aura]; These strong magics will never be truly devastating spells. [Call Lightning] and [Lightning Aura] destroy each other, and all Particle Magic is stopped by the proper [Ward]. We have solved all of the actual problems with Erick’s Particle Magic before they truly began. All of your complaints are theological, and therefore have no place in today’s judgment.”

“This man’s new spell will ruin your worship, Atunir. How can you not see that?”

“I plan on forcing this man to be my champion, and thus his newest spell is available only through me.”

Until then, Erick was holding his tongue because he didn’t feel like being a red stain on the black caldera. But what tumbled out of his mouth was not some great argument against what they were saying, but the very first thing that came to mind.

He shouted, “I will not be the champion of gods that allow the human and incani war to be incentivized with experience gains!”

Okay. Maybe staying on topic would have been a better idea. That was a weird complaint when it seemed his very life was on the line.

Atunir looked down at him. So did Sininindi.

Atunir ignored him. “He’s a bit ignorant, but that’s not a big deal. He works hard. He does what he can for the people around him. The rest will come with time.”

Sininindi turned to Rozeta. “And what happens when he causes another Sundering, without using magic at all? We’ve all seen his Deep Scan. We have all seen the videos of atomic bombs. He might not know how to make them, but others will figure it out.”

“Fusion and Fission are already part of the Sundering Ban.” Rozeta said, “Even if someone were to refine uranium and then do everything else right, it would still not cause a nuclear reaction.”

That riled Sininindi up. She yelled, “The fact that these forgotten magics have been revealed at all is a problem! We know, they’ll know! I won’t have my oceans ruined by an idiot wizard!”

“You worry for nothing.” Rozeta said, “Nuclear weaponry is impossible, as I have said.”

“She is right, Sininindi.” Phagar stepped forward. “I have checked all my sources. Atomic magic is still Banned.”

Sininindi breathed, and the air moved, smelling of salt. “Fine. Then I suppose I must believe you. But!” Sininindi accused, “He promised not to release new magic into the world, and most of us were okay with his existence after that. I thought everything would be fine. Now he has broken that promise. At the very least, this is cause for concern. I put forth that this concern is enough to end him right now. We should not suffer a wizard to live.”

“But all of his goals are peaceful, Sininindi.” Atunir said, “The lightning spell was a fluke, triggering deep magics that have laid dormant for millennia and that none of us thought existed anymore. The lightning might have attached to him, but we can limit the spread of the rest of this Particle Magic. We could even put [Call Lightning] behind other gates. Like worship of you, if I get—”

A very quick, pronounced ‘NO’ reverberated around the misty caldera.

“I would accept only my worshipers having access to—”

A much louder ‘NO’ echoed across the land.

Sininindi huffed, but then schooled her emotions flat.

Phagar, God of Death and Time, said, “Don’t forget that talk about telomeres and the end of aging. I’m as fair as the next guy, but that would not be fair to those to come. I will not allow immortality back onto Veird.”

Erick was starting to feel very non-concerned with everything happening around him. Why was he even here? They didn’t seem to be including him in this conversation. This was as good a moment as any to interrupt.

Erick spoke to the audience, “You could expand into the rest of your solar system. New worshipers on new ground and all that.”

Every god, goddess, demon, angel, and dragon in the audience stared at him.

Well that was a weird reaction.

“You all… have a solar system?” Erick asked, incredulous. “Right?”

Sininindi declared, “Wizard.”

“Wizard,” Phagar agreed. “And also a Saint, if misguided.”

“My Saint.” Atunir looked down upon him, saying, “Or I walk away and you’re on your own.”

The air tensed.

Erick said, “How about an alternative to all of that.”

Gods and otherwise began to grumble, but Rozeta stepped forward. “What do you have in mind?”

Erick began, “I’d like you to stop dragging me out for shit like this—”

Sininindi stormed, “Then stop adding spells to the Script!”

A round of assents were followed by demands to ‘shut up!’.

Erick continued, “Do you all really not want better lives for your followers? To stay stagnant in this world? What’s wrong with knowing how things work and then using those facts to make magic easier? Granted, I’m probably going too fast with all of this, and [Call Lightning] was way too much, but what’s wrong with some good magic?”

As the audience began to complain, Rozeta spoke, silencing all discontent, “Nothing is wrong with any of that.” Rozeta gestured to everyone in attendance. “We are all simply scared that the Script is changing. Besides the individual variation at tier 2 and higher, the Script has been the same for the last 1241 years, which was the last time someone added a basic spell. And that was after everyone already thought the Script was completed 23 years prior. Obviously, we were all wrong.”

Sininindi asked, “Why not block all Particle Magic? We do not need these complications.”

The crowd grumbled various forms of ‘yes’ and ‘maybe we should’.

Rozeta’s voice rose above them all, “Everyone needs to understand this, because it seems we have forgotten!” Rozeta spoke to the silent gathering, “The Script is a guide and barrier, and mana is a raging ocean. Particle Magic is a vulnerability, a crack in that barrier, and I am not comfortable with this vulnerability remaining. We have two options: We either control this new magic with new barriers and new guides, or we watch it tear the Script apart. Even if we were to wage a Forgotten Campaign against Particle Magic, that will not change the fact that this vulnerability is too deep to add another ban to the Foundations. This problem is fundamental. It is not going away just if civilization forgets.”

Sininindi, Atunir, Phagar, and the rest held silent.

Eventually, Phagar asked, “Do the Sundering Bans still hold?”

“Yes.” Rozeta said, “The Foundations hold strong. For now. Which is why we are here to decide on what to do with Particle Magic, and what to do with Erick Flatt. This is bigger than a fight between gods.”

The silver star in the mists stepped forward, resolving into a pale, lithe human man with small incani horns. The new person wore very little in the way of clothing. Erick felt a spike of nostalgia for his own former 22 year old body.

Rozeta said, “We recognize Koyabez, God of Peace, the Silver Star.”

Erick liked the guy even more, now.

Koyabez spoke, “There’s no danger of this being another Sundering because, while powerful, Particle Magic does not come close to a [Reality Warp], or [Apocalypse]. It only feels big because it follows natural grooves in reality. Particle Magic is, in fact, a self solving problem, if we allow it to be. We’ve already seen what happened when Erick tried to use his [Lightning Aura] on his own [Call Lightning]. One spell killed the other. We can simply alter the Script so that this functionality occurs in all situations of Particle Magic, and thus it will become just another school of magic, like the Shaping spells, or Force spells, or Mental magic.

“We have come a long way since the Sundering. Many of us who were there are no longer here. Many of us who are here were never there. We aren’t here today to fight, but to ensure the survival and solidity of the Script. I feel that the only one true worry of this gathering is in the mind of various Relevant Entities, and their various agendas.”

Mists swirled, and no one said anything.

Sininindi broke the silence, “I have a problem with how easy it is for him to make new magic.”

There was a round of assents across the caldera.

She added, “Even if I accept that he’s pioneering Particle Magic, why is the magic he’s making so incredibly good? That Ice Mage in Spur is barely doing better than the equivalent Force spells. His experience is more normal.”

Rozeta said, “I could point to that meeting with Melemizargo, or the fact that Erick created a new school of magic, or that he thinks of magic very differently than the rest of us, but honestly? I do not know. As far as we’ve been able to work out, he and his daughter came to Veird through some quirk of reality. A tunnel that opened and is now as though it never existed, exactly how it is for most of those like him. There was no rhyme or reason to their arrival; they had no patron pulling them here.

“Atunir might have been closest to the truth. Erick might be ‘loved by the lightning’. That particular magic has roots in the collective mind of Veird as old as the Fey, may they rest in peace, and the Old Magic still blooms here and there in strange Classes or alternatively tiered spells.”

Her words hung on the air. The gathered crowd spoke among themselves.

Sininindi exclaimed, “That’s the answer! Lock the magic behind a new Class. Particle Mage. He hasn’t gotten to level 50, but that’s a formality. I’m willing to lay down my sword for this compromise.”

Atunir yelled, “No! [Miracle Rain] will be a spell for all of my people! I won’t see it locked behind some pitiful generalist Class!”

“Atunir. We’re not doing this dance with you, when we wouldn’t entertain the idea with Sininindi.” Rozeta said, “I’ve already gotten a 73% approval for Sininindi’s suggestion. … 85%. 91%.”

“Do I get a say in any of this?” Erick spoke, “I don’t want this to keep happening every time I make a new spell.”

Phagar stepped around Erick. He asked, “Why are you making new magic? Are the options not enough for you? Until your arrival, I always felt we were rather thorough in growing the Script to its full potential. Your [Call Lightning] is mostly already there; under the name [Nature’s Fury]. I know it wasn’t what you were going for, but there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.”

No one spoke among the crowd. All eyes were on Erick.

“… I arrived on Veird and saw the Script, and thought it nice, but not how I wanted to experience magic. I like the mystical, and I have a problem with such organized arcana.” Erick pointed all around him. “I have a problem with this too. This almost-courtroom setting. It’s all too formal, organized. There’s not enough magic in your magic, though I gather that was what you were going for.” Erick added, “But for what it’s worth, I’m glad that you’ve banned atomic magic.”

Some yelled at him, some smiled. Most held neutral faces.

Phagar chuckled. “Fair answer.” He said to Rozeta. “Make him a new Class. Restrict [Call Lightning] and this growth rain spell behind that prerequisite. And don’t call it [Miracle Rain], for Reality’s sake. No non-divine source is getting any abilities labeled ‘Miracle’.”

Now that Phagar was talking, something bugged Erick about what the God of Death and Time had said much earlier. Something about immortality.

Erick asked, “Aren’t wrought and dragons immortal?”

Phagar laughed. “And don’t I hate it! But you aren’t making anyone else immortal, young man.” He smiled, he frowned. He tilted his head. “I changed my mind. I doubt you’re going to be able to do it with one of those little rhymes, but if you can make someone immortal, I will allow its application in one instance, if only so Rozeta can squash that quirk of the Script.”

Rozeta asked, “Are you sure about that, Phagar?”

The God of Death nodded. “I am.” He added, “It’ll be ageless immortality, though. Not complete immortality. No reviving from a single drop of blood or any of that horrid nonsense.”

Erick thought about watching Jane grow old and instantly changed his mind on immortality.

Erick asked, “What if I just wanted to reverse aging?”

Phagar smiled. “That’s already in the Script. Go look for it.” He looked all around. “Unless there are any objections, we’re done here.”

The mists of the black caldera flowed away, the gathered crowd vanishing with the fog. Atunir slipped away with a frown and a whisper of promises of priestly visitations. Sininindi blew apart like so much storm tossed seafoam, her shipsail dress flying off into the distance. Phagar was gone from one blink to the next.

Koyabez, God of Peace, The Silver Star, lingered. “As long as Angels and Demons and the people who create them exist, the Quiet War will flourish in the loud open spaces, and in the quiet, private hearts of the living. But as for Participation values, Silverite knows the secret to dropping that number to 1%, and she’s already implemented this fix in the land surrounding Spur.

“This fix of hers is one of the reasons why Frontier and Kal’Duresh exist.”

And then he, too, vanished on the mist.

Rozeta and Erick stood in the middle of a black caldera.

He asked, “Am I going to be dragged off like this every time some deity gets a hair up their ass about me trying to make a new spell?”

Rozeta, stunned, stared at Erick for a moment.

Then she burst out laughing.

Erick frowned.

Rozeta collected herself. “Sorry. It’s… This is the best they’ve behaved in a thousand years. I don’t think you understand exactly how much you’ve upset normal affairs. 91% approval for an idea? Literally never happened before. Maybe with all this cooperation they’ll stop sending their followers after each other long enough to see they could be doing better things with their time, and with my time.”

“Better things with my time, too.”

“Quite.” She said, “You’re getting this class and your new spell as soon as you go back. I’ll organize everything on my end, but are there any requests?”

“What’s a Class? I never even thought to care about that part of my Status.”

She smiled. “I like that about you.”

- - - -

Erick grumbled awake. A book closed nearby, while the sun shone across his legs.

He grumbled, “This is a familiar situation.”

Al said, “Jane is pissed. She’d be here in a few hours but she got outvoted by her team.”

Erick sat up on the couch. Al was sitting on his own couch, his book at his side. He frowned at Erick.

“Okay.” Erick said, “I get it. I’m mad too. Probably not why you’re mad, though.”

“Oh? Why do you think I’m mad?”

Erick dodged the question. “How long was I out?”

“Only a few hours, this time. So. Why do you think I’m mad?”

“Reckless endangerment of self and others.” Erick looked at the rod of [Treat Wounds] on the coffee table between them. “Use of limited items. The fact that I’m not young anymore and you warned me about over eagerness. In my defense, I had only spent maybe a thousand mana by that time of day.” He groaned. Soreness stretched through his muscles and needled his skin. The pain wasn’t bad this time, but it wasn’t great, either. “Passing out the first through third time was my fault, but those were tiny. The fourth time... I can truthfully state that the fourth time I passed out was due to godly intervention.”

“… That would explain part of the problem.” Al sighed. “What happened?”

“Had a chat with 5 Relevant Entities of the Script while surrounded by all the rest.”

Al’s frustration turned to surprise. “Fuck!”

“Lots more news than that! Particle Magic is now a separate school of magic, like the Force spells or the Shaping spells. Particle magic and Mana Altering are officially incompatible. Particle spells now have special anti-interactions with other Particle spells. And...” Erick was looking over his Status and skills as he spoke to Al, and... Yup. There it was. “And [Call Lightning] is part of my new Class. Particle Mage.”

Al stared at him like he had grown another head.

Erick said, “I really would like if all the gods and such would not abduct me in the middle of my experiments.” He continued to read his new Status, and spells. “Oh. Wow. I like this spell. Oh! Points! This is tier 3.”

Al stressed, “I need to see.”

Erick smiled at him. “Okay.” He pushed some boxes Al’s way. “What do you think?”

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 19, Particle Mage

Exp: 287621/676500

Class: 6/6

Points: 10

HP

90/90

150 per day

MP

600/600

1050 per day

Strength

9

+0

[9]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

35

+0

[35]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Call Lightning X, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lightning bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Particle Mage Only

Lightning Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the air around you to strike for <damage>. One strike available every 50 MP.

Particle Mage Only

Congratulations!

You have combined parts of the Script to create your first tier 3 spell!

May your journey into magic be wide and fruitful!

+2 ability points!

Exalted Storm Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range

Anoint the land with blessed rain, rapidly growing all <crops and pasture> to <harvest size> and restoring vibrancy to all other <desired> plant life and soil. If used in a <prepared field> <devoid of crops>, highly nutritious beans will sprout after <a full day of rain>.

Particle Mage Only

Particle Mage, 6/6

Your ability to unlock new Particle spells is greatly increased.

If you witness a Particle spell and you understand it, you may unlock that spell for free.

Your ability to affect the Particle spells of others is greatly increased.

Your own Particle spells are less affected by the abilities of non Particle Mages.

Your Particle spells deal more damage.

You take less damage from Particle spells.

<I gave you most of the Force Mage skillset except with a few additions and subtractions and relevant changes. You’ve also gotten the Class unlocked at max level, because I need to witness this new magic unfold. This is all subject to change. ~Rozeta>

Al read the blue boxes hovering in front of him.

Erick watched him read.

Eventually, Al said, “A Class before level 50, and without a Registrar Quest. And fully leveled, too. And you’re the recognized creator of a new branch of magic.” He laughed, loud and happy. “Glad to know you before you become a mover and shaker! Ha ha!” He held up the [Exalted Storm Aura] spell. “And this! A full day of casting to achieve free food! Most casters would need to assign a Favored Spell to it for 900 MP an hour instead of 1800 an hour, but...” Al breathed out. “They’re going to do that. A lot of people are going to spec for Scion of Focus, too. Though... Class requirements… To specialize in magic which is stopped by all wards and itself…” He shook his head. “They’re going to, though. Someone in every kingdom is going to take this class. At least one. Probably two or three to keep the first one in check. This is… This is…”

A voice in the air said, “You’ve changed the world, Archmage Erick Flatt.”

Erick turned. The air shimmered gold, then flattened. Like a video call, a man appeared upon the flat screen of light. He was a human man, maybe in his sixties, wearing formal yellow and white robes like some Chinese emperor. He held a steaming cup of tea, as he sat on a porch, overlooking a craggy ocean shore. He set his cup aside.

Normally, Erick would have launched out of his seat and hid, if a strange spell effect just appeared in front of him. Al did; he was already by the stairs, almost completely hidden. But Erick was quite tired of a lot of today’s shit, and if asked ‘why didn’t you run from the funky spell’, he would have answered with ‘because I didn’t think it was dangerous’. Though the real answer would be that he couldn’t move that fast anymore.

“Greetings, Archmage Erick Flatt.”

Erick knew that voice, but it was much gentler this time. Maybe not running was both the correct choice, and the very incorrect choice.

Erick asked, “Headmaster?”

The man smiled. “That is correct.”

Erick turned to Al. He was watching from the stairs. Al made a shushing motion with his hands.

That was weird.

Erick turned back to the Headmaster. “Uh. To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

“It is I who must owe someone, to have one such as yourself appear in such an otherwise boring part of history. I am sure you have had a trying day, but I simply had to appear to offer my congratulations.”

“Uh. Thanks!” Erick smiled. “Is this where you threaten me? I’d like to hurry this up and take a nap, so if you could, go ahead?”

The Headmaster frowned. Slowly he returned to gentle neutrality. “No. I never would have done that. I had wished to offer you a free enrollment at Oceanside or at any of my arcanaeums around the world; to court your favor in that regard. But I see now that my offer would be taken as something violent. Something that it is not. If you change your mind, the offer is open, but please do not feel that acceptance is necessary for anyone’s wellbeing.” He tilted his head forward in a small bow of courtesy. “Good day, Archmage.”

“Good day, uh, Headmaster.”

The [Video Call], or whatever it was, ended with the magic screen flitzing out like so many glitterbugs scattering to the wind.

Al gradually walked back into the room.

It was time for a joke, and Erick had a good one. “What the fuck, Al? Are you secretly a dragon and you’re scared he’s going to eat you?”

“N—NO! No! Why—” Al composed himself. “Why would you think that?”

… Not where Erick thought that was going to go.

“… Okay.” Erick pointed all over Al. “I’m not stepping into whatever that was, right there.” Erick changed the subject. “I want dinner at that orcol place you took us to. I’m buying. You’re coming. I have to stop by the bank, first.”

Still looking quite a bit uncertain about everything, Al chanced to say, “… Use your Mage Guild badge to charge the bill to your account.”

Erick shouted, “How the hell don’t I know that already! I’ve been carrying around gold all this time! Fucking hell.” He asked, “Do all the shops work on this system?”

Al looked at Erick for several moments.

“No. Just the expensive places.” Al said, “Let’s go. I’m hungry, too.”

- - - -

Erick ate too much. He drank too much. He probably ogled too many orcol asses and tits and biceps and bulges and wow, those faces. Her inviting eyes. The stubbled jaw on that dude. That long hair on her.

But who cared! Not Erick. He was three sheets to the wind and two plates deep —appetizers and then first course!— into monster meat. Monsterized chicken was tonight's featured meat.

Monster chickens! How clucking funny was that!

And then he showed off [Exalted Storm Aura] to the very hot waiter, and the people at the table next to him.

Al wasn’t fast enough to stop him.

The entire restaurant exploded into a great big party after that. Erick wasn’t buying his own food or drinks anymore. Everyone else was buying for him.

Apogough showed up. He started drinking, laughing and celebrating.

Valok showed up with Krakina in tow. They started drinking and laughing. Krakina was pretty damn pissed that she wouldn’t get to play around with [Call Lightning] herself; she was an adamant WeatherWitch. But this meant that she could get a lot more done with her own magic, too. The size of the farms might easily quintuple! She did have to prove the power of her Class, though, now that Erick had one. She showed off [Nature’s Fury], turning the sunset sky into crackling wind. A tornado—

Even the guard was here now! What a fun party.

And there’s Silverite! Everyone else got quiet, except for Erick.

“Oh hey! Silverite!” Erick sloshed his… sixth drink? Maybe his seventh. “Have you heard the news?”

“I have, Archmage Erick Flatt.”

The restaurant erupted in shouts of ‘Archmage!’ for about the fortieth time.

Silverite smiled, and brought out a black bottle. She held it up to the watching crowd, her thumb cracking the cap off the bottle without any apparent effort. “A toast, to a prosperous Spur! Congratulations, Erick!”

She took a swig, and the rest of the restaurant drank with her.

There were some other random events after that, but Erick was on his eighth drink now.

He wouldn’t remember a damn thing in the morning except that he hated hangovers.

028

Erick sat on his seat in the middle of the farm, under a weather [Ward] someone else had provided, on stone seats someone else had conjured. His usual group had expanded by a few members, and the space had been expanded to accommodate the newcomers. Killzone was there, in all his darker than black orcol self. Mog was there, too. She had a habit of smiling at Erick when he wasn’t looking. Silverite sat on the seat closest to him. Valok, Apogough, and Krakina sat in their usual spots. Mage Guildmaster Zago was there, too. She had a smirk that would simply not leave her face. She tried to school her joy away several times, but it always returned because every three seconds she was focusing on a different part of the farm all around them.

And up above, it rained. The spell took ten minutes of misty foggy glows to get up into the sky and start operating properly, but that was a while ago. Silver light had been raining for the last twenty minutes.

[Exalted Storm Aura] was a glowing white cloud that stretched for miles across the sky, heavy with silver that fell out of the cloud as drops of platinum light. Erick watched the rain fall, alongside everyone else. To his meditating sight the cloud was a brilliant roil and the shadows around him were pitiful things, too small to matter. The shadows were nothing compared to the radiance looming above.

And still, mana flowed through Erick, 1 point out every 4 seconds, 1 point in every 3.5 seconds, because:

Exalted Storm Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range ~{Favored Spell}~

Anoint the land with blessed rain, rapidly growing all <crops and pasture> to <harvest size> and restoring vibrancy to all other <desired> plant life and soil. If used in a <prepared field> <devoid of crops>, highly nutritious beans will sprout after <a full day of rain>.

Particle Mage Only

He had made [Exalted Storm Aura] a Favored Spell. Obviously. 900 mana an hour was doable with Meditation and his 1050 regen, but 1800 mana an hour? Not happening for many, many more levels, and Erick probably wasn’t getting any.

Fuck.

He needed that Scion of Focus if he was going to do this for an entire day.

His exhaustion cap was still around 5250.

The movers and shakers of Spur talked among themselves while watching the cloud, the farms, and occasionally Erick, from their dry seats inside a larger than normal weather [Ward].

“A bit slower growth than normal,” Valok said.

Apogough said, “Yeah, but its water and [Grow] and nutrition, all at the same time.”

Valok agreed, “No need to treat the soil with potions every evening.”

“You two! Business business, always business! Just look at it!” Krakina said, “It’s three times the size of [Call Lightning]!”

“It’s only going to get bigger with Aurify 3,” Zago said.

Valok said, “We’ll have a lot less need for growers, but a much, much greater need for pickers.”

“He can’t keep this up all day long, though. Mana Exhaustion,” Apogough said.

“Yes. That is a problem.” Zago said, “Scion of Focus is necessary for the last part of the spell to activate without greatly stressing the caster. You could use some Focus jewelry to artificially extend mental fortitude, but that would be… I think it would be economically unsustainable. I’d have to do a lot of math to be sure.”

Krakina said, “You were going for Scion of Focus, anyway? Erick?”

“Yes.” Erick said, “But I don’t have enough levels yet.”

“And that, too! A Class before 50!” Zago said, “Unprecedented.” She gazed upon the rice paddy in front of her. The plants in the water had filled out to yard tall, thick sprays of green leaves. Those leaves had then begun to peel back, revealing heavy golden grains on long stalks. “The rice has matured… so the water is rising! Fascinating.”

Mog said, “We can get you those levels, Erick. I have good local teams willing to take you anywhere you want. I won’t trust any transients with something this important, no matter how good they might be. I’ll personally escort you into the Crystal Forest myself, too, if that’s what you’d prefer.”

Killzone announced, “You gotta kill some monsters, Archmage. Anyway you cut it, you gotta get those levels and those ability points. You gotta do it fast. Today, if’n you can.”

Erick paled. Murdering monsters still seemed wrong, somehow. Especially after finding out that Shades were shadow monsters with sapience.

Silverite gestured at the whole of the farms. “People are picking apples in the rain, and then those branches grow more apples. This is a never ending harvest. This is a magic that changes nations; it changes everything.” She turned to Erick. “You’re going to get a lot of offers in the coming days and weeks. I vow to protect you—”

“Me too,” Mog said.

“Aye,” Killzone said.

“Of course!” Krakina said.

“Me as well,” Zago said.

“— but this is going to be difficult. You need more understanding of what you have done, as well as more levels to combat those who would see this as an attack.” Silverite continued, “Both professionally and personally I think you should go out and kill some monsters, then take Mog’s training courses. She is very good at helping people learn how to help themselves. Beyond that, 20 Strength and then Strong for 600 HP would go a long, long way to keeping you safe from many different threats. More Willpower would be good for a better personal [Ward], too. Have you hit 10 with that yet?”

“Not yet. Close. Another day or two to [Ward 10].”

Silverite said, “The final level will be very important for you.”

Zago was listening, but also not. She muttered, “This grain is just sitting here.” And then she probably cast [Telekinesis], because all of the matured grain in the rice paddy sliced off at the water’s surface, then floated into the air, bundling together to then float down by Zago to sit in neat stacks. “Look! It’s growing again from the severed stalks! This is amazing.”

A few others, Erick included, leaned over to get a better look at the rice paddy. And yes, Zago was right. The stems she had sliced were regrowing, soaking up drops of platinum water, poking fresh green leaves into the glowing rain.

Silverite brought them all back to attention. “Ah-hem! As I was saying… Erick?”

Everyone looked at him.

Fuck.

Erick was not such a pacifist that he was unwilling to see that he was changing the world a bit too much. There were going to be consequences for his actions; might as well face the music with a better Level. That would probably make Jane happier, too.

Jane was currently not happy.

Al had dropped the local drama upon Savral, Savral’s team, and Jane, with an impromptu morning [Telepathy]. Jane was both very proud, and very, very mad. It was hard to overstate the severity of Erick’s current Jane Situation, so he decided to ignore that problem until they all came back to Spur tomorrow. But ignoring a Situation was never a good idea. He knew that from vast experience.

But killing monsters? That would go a long way to solving many problems.

Jane would still be mad, but she won’t be as mad as she could be.

“Okay. Fine. I guess… I need to do this. So let’s make this easier. What’s the best [Fly], Zago?”

Zago smiled, and said, “It will take several days for you to level the relevant skills. You should just walk out there and kill some mimics today and get what you need for Scion of Focus; finding the mimics would be the only hard part. Then, when you’re ready, you come to the Guild Library and I will help you with anything you need.” She looked across the farm. “You could also invent some more spells to get some ability points. You seem to be rather good at that.”

He could do that, too, couldn’t he? In fact, that seemed like a much better idea than killing monsters.

Erick joked, “I was thinking of inventing a new school of light magic.”

The sound of the rain washed across the farmland.

“That was a joke,” he said.

Zago hummed. “You have a Class Ability in Particle Mage which helps you unlock new spells. Best to stick with that, and unlock whatever you can think to unlock, as soon as you can.”

Right. He did whip that out at the party last night, didn’t he?

Erick said, “You’re right.”

Zago said, “There’s a major rush to discover new spells. If you wait too long you might… You’ll… You’ll probably invent something that no one else has thought to create. However, all of the low hanging fruit will have been picked.”

Mog said, “There are some easy achievements that you could get… Ah. Wait. No. All of the easy achievements are from killing monsters on your own. Uhh. Eat more monster meat?”

“There are several non-combat achievements for an extra point here and there,” Zago said. “Creating a tier 4 spell gives 3 points. Tier 5 gives 4 points. But failing to create the correct tier 4 spell means waiting a full 100 days to try again. Failing at tier 5 is 1000 days of downtime. Failing at tier 6 is 10000. You see the pattern. It’s very punishing, especially for us non-immortals.” She turned to the rain, and said, “But you seem to have created exactly what you wanted with an enchanting rhyme. I have researched this phenomenon extensively over the last several days. I have found that ‘singing out your magic’ has a long tradition in some mage cultures. Particularly in the Songli Highlands, where the people are known for weaving song into almost all of their high-tier Script usage. I have ordered some more books on the subject so that I might try their methods. See what I can do with a song.”

Apogough pointed at the sky. “How are you even doing this? What was your thought process?”

Erick smiled. “It’s magic.”

Zago instantly groaned. “No it’s not!” She added, “Maybe the [Grow] aspect is magic, but you’re also renewing the land. There’s not a single yellow blade of grass or malnourished tomato on any of those vines over there. Your spell is granting vibrancy to the land as well as water and rapid growth. All for 1 mana a second! The sheer efficiency boggles the mind!”

Yellowed grasses?

“I’ve never seen any of those problems before.” Erick looked to Valok. “Have you?”

Valok smiled. “We fertilize the crops at sunset and spread potions at sunrise. Krakina ensures these aspects of the farm are well integrated into the land well before the pickers and growers show. If we didn’t do this, then all of the growth you’ve seen would result in yellowed leaves and withered fruits, as Guildmaster Zago says.”

Krakina pointed toward a trellis of not-tomatoes with a grey wing feather. “They’ve picked that grove four times since you started. Those tomatoes should be withered tiny things by now, but they’re not.”

Zago repeated Apogough’s questions, “How are you doing this? What was your process?”

Erick explained, “The rain is an extension of [Call Lightning]'s rain ability. The [Grow] aspect seems rather normal, if slightly slower than using [Grow] itself. I’m surprised the spell costs as little as it does since [Growth Aura] is so damned expensive. I suspect that might be because [Grow] is very, very magical, and thus probably not that great for plant life, which Valok just confirmed with that bit about potions and fertilizer. When I spoke those words to cast this spell, I concentrated on what a better version of it all would look like, together. I considered nutrients for the plants. I concentrated on nitrogen fixing and how beans are pretty good about enriching the land, though I’m not sure how they do all that, exactly. I do know that nitrogen is a large part of all the air we breathe, though. So I thought about [Grow] working through the nitrogen in the air, fixing it so it’s usable by the plants it rains upon.

“But nitrogen isn’t the only thing plants need to grow. There’s a whole host of other compounds and such needed for proper growth, but a lot of that is also airborne. In fact, there are a lot of plants that can grow on nothing more than the air they breathe and the water that falls on them. Looking over everything today, it all seems rather poetic; all the pieces are there, they just had to be put together. Don’t ask me what nitrogen is or what all the other compounds the plants need; I’m not nearly as knowledgeable about all that as I am about water."

Erick continued, "People probably shouldn’t be standing out in the rain, though, like I said before we started. What’s good for plants isn’t always good for people.”

Platinum rain fell across the farms of Spur, while the leaders of the adventuring town silently listened.

Valok said, “You’re worried over nothing. Spells specifically state if they’re capable of poisoning, and yours does not.”

“We’ll still test all the food with [Cleanse],” Apogough said. “Of course.”

Erick looked at his [Cleanse], saying, “But [Cleanse] doesn’t say poison?”

Cleanse 6, instant, short range, 10 MP.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 270/1300

“Yes it does.” Krakina smirked at him. “Not all toxins are poisons, but all poisons are toxins.”

Huh!

Maybe I'll make tier 4 version of this platinum rain… to automatically cleanse everything afterward?

Ah. Hmm.

Zago spoke, “It occurs to me that a lot of the knowledge of magic we might have had in the past has been lost to the ease of the Script. No one knows anything about ‘nitrogen fixing’, as you have called it, or that this ‘nitrogen’ is in the sky; in the air we breathe. I know how some plants enrich the land for future crops, and some drain the land. About crop rotation to ensure a constant, good product. About the potions and bone fertilizers necessary to keep Spur’s farms in top condition in the growing season; I’ve even helped to create such potions and fertilizers in my younger days.”

Silverite said, “The alchemists and others will be able to transition easily enough into new work; we’re an adventuring town, after all. And we’re growing. Rapidly. I have over fifty teams waiting for approval to enter Ar’Kendrithyst. Dozens are already in the Crystal Forest, searching for crystal slimes and settling for mimics; lots are actually harvesting the agaves themselves. Some are even venturing into the entrances into the Underworld, to the north. The point is, is that people are coming to Spur in record numbers. [Exalted Storm Aura] is now worldwide news. This new magic has already angered a great many people.” She looked across the farm. “You can cut the spell now, Archmage.”

Erick did so. The glowing silver clouds began to wane, to float away on the desert winds. The final drops of [Exalted Storm Aura] fell. Platinum waters soaked into the ground, vanishing from sight, and slowly, the farm stopped growing.

Silverite said, “The people of Spur will be able to adjust to this new ability and whatever complications it brings because that is what adventuring towns do; we adjust. Alchemists can transition to more health potions and mana potions to keep up with adventurer demand, instead of needing to make fertilizer and soil potions. Growers can transition into pickers and planters. But this new magic is dangerous. You have changed the world with this ability. I wish to ensure that you are protected from those who will see this as an attack on their very ways of life. I would like to assign your bodyguards to you as actual bodyguards, full time. Poi has already expressed interest in continuing his appointed duty, if you will have him.”

Erick had no problem instantly saying, “Poi’s a good guy. I'll keep him. And I hear what you’re saying. I don’t plan on venturing anywhere. I will see about making some smaller spells, though. Maybe get Scion of Focus that way.”

“You should also work to get 20 Strength, if just for the HP.”

Erick smiled. “I think I’ll be fine.”

Killzone spoke, and his accent was gone. “My people prevented a threat against your life, last night: A male incani from Kal’Duresh, who, when the guards casually questioned, did not seem right. It was quickly discovered that the man had three blacknight daggers on his person, which are violently poisonous to humans. When he was brought in for formal questioning, it was revealed that he believes that you turned Bulgan to the Shades. As he did nothing except come straight here from Kal’Duresh and went straight for you, we had to let him go. He was an idiot. There are a lot of those in the world, but there are also a lot of smart people, too.” Killzone spoke, and Erick felt cold creep into his chest. “You need allies and we’re them. Please accept our advice with a greater weight than you are. We like you here. We want to keep you here, and happy, and alive. Some mutual protection is expected; it’s part of what makes a community a community. But we don’t want to have to protect you as much as you’re making yourself a target. You need to be able to protect yourself, too. Please make better decisions.”

The rest of the group nodded in their various personal ways.

Erick slowly nodded, saying, "Okay," reeling from what Killzone had said, barely understanding that someone would want to kill him. His throat felt dry, as he said, “That’s enough talking for today.”

Silverite said, “Poi will be along shortly.”

The air felt primed for more bombs to drop.

Erick tried to break the tension, “Am I ever going to meet the invisible second guy?”

Silverite smiled. “You already have.”

“Oh my god that’s almost as annoying as when Rozeta doesn’t answer a question.”

Silverite and Killzone tensed.

Silverite relaxed before staring Erick down. “… Please try not to blaspheme so much. Best not to talk about the gods at all, really.”

“… right. That was probably… Thanks for the advice.” Erick said, "Sorry for being... Uh. I'm not used to any of this. Sorry."

"Not a problem." Silverite gave a short, quick bow. “And, now, to tend to the rest of the day.”

Valok said, “The Farmer’s Council is going to need some time to investigate what you have done to this land, Erick. You can come work if you want, but we’re not going to want rain for three days. We’ll tell you when that changes.”

- - - -

Erick sat in his apartment. Poi stood to the side, at a respectable 10 feet.

Erick turned to the dragonkin. “Glad to see I didn’t chase you off.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Are we both employees of the city, now? I didn’t get a chance to ask anyone that, yet.”

“I have been an employee of Spur for the last seven years. You have been for a little while.”

“What does that mean, though?”

“Your duties are as before. Mine are as a full time bodyguard. Technically you’re a contractor for the army, like I am. Beyond that, we do need to go to the Courthouse and start finalizing what all this means, whenever you feel like going.”

“… I’m not doing that today.”

Poi nodded.

“… Actually. Maybe I am.” Erick got off the couch. “No... Wait. Let’s go look at property— No... Damn.” Erick sat back down. “Jane will want to do that with me. I’ll do all of that tomorrow.”

Five seconds passed.

Erick hopped off the couch, saying, “Nope. I’ll go now.”

Poi nodded, and followed Erick out of the apartment.

- - - -

Xemal stood in front of a perfectly flat field of stone, maybe 20 yards by 20 yards, or somewhere around there. She said, “They’re all almost the same size, since Al came through. He really did a number on this place. You could build practically anything you want on any of them.” She looked over to the neighbors. “They did alright.”

Almost all of the Human District was flat orange and brown stone, except for small walls here and there that Al had left untouched, a few trees and green spaces that had been cultivated, and one nice looking, four story tall mage tower and accompanying house. The house was the home of the three mages the Headmaster had asked to become citizens of Spur. It was a nice looking house. Certainly big enough for three people.

Whoever made their house knew what they were doing. Erick wanted a mage tower like that. It looked right and proper. There was even a small garden around the whole thing.

Wait a second.

A tall tower.

A double peaked round-top house attached directly to the tower.

And greenery all around. Bushy greenery.

Erick asked, “They have to know... Are they aware that their house looks like a dick? And balls?”

Xemal snort-honked a laugh, then said, “Their plans have another tower on the other side, but now that I look I see the rest of it is not up to code.”

“Not my business, I suppose.” Erick pointed to a plot of land with a short wall, maybe 50 yards away. “What did that house look like?”

Xemal peeled her eyes away from the dick house then looked at the wall Erick indicated. She scrunched her face. Realization came. “A tower, I think? Yeah. That’s a mage tower.”

“Oh?”

“You can [Mend] it up, if you’d like. See what you’re working with. If you don’t like it I can get someone to level the ground again.”

Erick took a look at his [Mend].

Mend 7, instant, touch, 10 MP

Touch a non-magical uncomplicated large object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 1510/2100

“What size object does a house count as?”

“Large complicated. You'll want [Mend 9] at the least. It takes several hundred mana to fix a house, anyway. A house of that size might take 2000.”

“… What if I only have [Mend 7].”

“No time to raise your level like the present.” Xemal said, “If that is what you’re going to do, I’ll leave you to it?”

“Yeah. That’s what I’m going to do.”

Xemal bowed. “Good day, Archmage Flatt.” She looked to the dick house. “I have some papers to file.”

Suddenly wary of Xemal kicking up the Quiet War, Erick asked, “Uh? Are you going to…?”

Xemal blanched, her purple skin turning pale. She said, “I learned my lesson. But I can’t let that ...thing... remain!” She pointed. “It’s a giant dick!”

Smirking, Erick said, “Okay. Thanks for your help today, Xemal.”

She nodded then began to walk away, pausing for a moment to laugh at the dick house again.

Erick looked to Poi. “No time to raise my level like the present!”

Poi said nothing. He maintained a respectable 8 to 10 foot distance at all times. He was very good about that. Erick walked a short distance to the short wall and laid hands on the orange stone.

[Mend].

The orange stone flexed outward, gaining height and length. Maybe another foot on all sides. A corner had appeared on one side; this was a corner wall of some sort.

[Mend].

[Mend]. [Mend]. [Mend].

[Mend]. [Mend]. [Mend]. [Mend]. [Mend]. [Mend].

[Mend][Mend][Mend][Mend][Mend][Mend][Mend][Mend][Mend][Mend]...

- - - -

Erick stood in the middle of the bottom floor, of what might one day be a house. A short wall up to his knees rose all around him, showing Erick the foundation and the edges of the building. The first floor looked rather basic. A large open room, a side room, another side room that was probably a porch. That was a bathroom; Erick had mended a stone toilet back into existence. That one might have been a kitchen; maybe a bath. No! That one was a bath. That made that other one a kitchen. All in all, It was a very boxy building. If there was a mage tower here, Erick wasn’t seeing it. A tower would have curved walls, right?

“Poi? Is it supposed to look this basic? It’s [Mend 7], so I guess that might have something to do with it, but… Isn’t a mage tower supposed to have curved walls? Where’s the curve?”

“All buildings in Spur are required to have square-ish foundations.”

Erick looked over at the dick-house. “That house looks rather curved… In multiple locations.”

Poi did not bother to look at the dick house. “There are likely more complaints lodged against that house than for their illegal foundation.” He pointed up at the empty air. “Past the first floor you are allowed to have curved towers. I suspect this house we are in is such a place.”

Erick looked all around him. “How defensible does this foundation look to you?”

Poi looked around. “Three points of entry. Looks like a garden space out there, a front door, and a servants door. Nothing unusual so far. Two staircases, one grand one not… Exterior walls are thick. Very thick. This foundation looks as defensible as any other nice house. You’d need to hire some proper staff to keep this place feeling good, but that’s for another day. You could both host social gatherings and have plenty of guests. You'd have workrooms. In-house servants quarters, too. All of that is likely somewhere in this house, once restored to full.”

With Poi’s evaluation, Erick felt a pang of unwelcome extravagance.

“… is this the sort of house I should be looking for? It all seems rather extravagant.”

“Honestly, yes. With a minimum 20G daily personal intake, you should consider something of this size. Maybe larger." Poi said, "Unless you intend to become a hermit, I foresee you entertaining many people.”

Erick frowned.

He certainly wasn’t going to become a hermit.

He touched the stone wall.

[Mend].

[Mend]. [Mend].

[Mend]. [Mend]. [Mend]…

- - - -

Erick stood away from the house to get a better look at the whole thing and Rest for a while.

The first floor was coming together; the walls had restored themselves up to the second floor, revealing more rooms. A curved mage’s tower was starting to appear out of the southern side of the house and the whole thing was certainly large enough for Jane and Erick, and more people besides. It even had multiple rooms for guests; if Jane wanted to bring home a theoretical adventuring team there was room enough for all of them. There was at least at a third floor, too, since the staircases kept going up. But, right now, the whole thing was reminiscent of a child’s melted sandcastle.

[Mend] had a problem restoring long-gone objects, like a house that had been reduced to a single wall. But it could recreate the stone mass of the house in more or less the correct places. After that, Erick would need to hire a stoneshaper to fill out the detail work. Or, he could do all that himself, too. He had [Stoneshape], after all.

“You know, Poi? I could get used to living in a nice house.” Erick looked back at the dragonkin. He said, “Could you live in a place like this? If you’re going to be my full time guard?”

Poi smiled at Erick, and said, “I could.”

“Where I’m from, I would want to hire you directly.”

“That sounds like a human custom to me, sir. We don’t do it like that around here since that would split loyalties. I’m an employee of the city, and I like it that way. You’re an employee of the city, too.” Poi said, “The citizens are protected, and we are the people who are expected to protect them. With our loyalty defined in this way, we have connections to easily and officially draw upon the assistance necessary to be able to discharge our civic duties when needed.”

Erick scrunched his face. “Okay.” He looked around at the flattened Human District. “Have you met the second guard I’m supposed to have?”

Poi shook his head. “No, I have not.”

“Are they a real person? Or was that a bluff?”

Poi smiled. “They’re real, whoever they are.” He looked to the left. “Silverite doesn’t bluff.”

Erick followed Poi’s sight.

“Hey! It is you!” A short human woman with short yellow hair was walking toward them. “Hey neighbor, Archmage! You moving in?”

It was Maia, from Oceanside. One of the Headmaster’s graduates.

“Hey, Maia.” Erick smiled. “Just checking the place out for now. My daughter is coming back into town tomorrow and we’ll make some sort of decision then.”

“Welcome to the neighborhood, anyway! We saw that rain earlier!” She laughed. “Just when Eduard thought he was hot shit making two spells, all these restrictions came rushing down the Script at him and then you go and solve agriculture. Anywho: Just wanted to say hello. Come on by sometime! We’re the only other house in the neighborhood. You can’t miss it.” She pointed toward her house. “It's the one that looks like a cock!”

Erick snorted a laugh.

Maia smiled. “It won’t look like that for long. We’re just pissing off an old woman with nothing better to do with her time than annoy her new neighbors. You’ll probably meet her soon enough; greyscale by the name of Ratchet.”

That’s an appropriate name for a neighborhood busybody.

Erick smiled, saying, “I accept your invitation. Right now, if you have time.”

Maia clapped her hands in excitement. “Really? Great! Ram made tomato cake yesterday. If you showed up tomorrow, it’d be gone.”

“… those purple fruits that grow on the vines? The savory ones?”

Maia cocked her head. “Yeah?”

Erick smiled. “Sounds great!”

- - - -

‘Tomato Cake’ was pretty damn fantastic. Apparently, not-tomatoes could be treated with a few drops of ‘Sweet Potion’ to turn all of the savory tomatoe-ness into sugar; effectively turning purple not-tomatoes into giant cherries. The taste and consistency was rather close to a cherry cheesecake, in fact, and it might have been one of the most delicious foods Erick had ever eaten.

“He likes your cake, Ramizi,” Maia said, smirking.

“Of course I do! This is fantastic!” Erick said, “How did you make this?”

Erick had arrived at the ‘Human House’, as they called it, and been treated to a whirlwind tour of the place. The three graduates of Oceanside had moved in to Spur over the last several days, bringing with them three libraries of various sizes, a large amount of herbs, vegetables, and fruits, and more arcane equipment than Erick had names for.

There were…

Baubles and trinkets, spin jets and pipettes,

Glass flasks, bronze burners, face masks, pot turners,

Bio reactors, high duty compactors

Freezers and fume hoods, tweezers and chipped wood

Heat disks and cold sinks, small whisks and chain links

Jars of green slime and clocks stopped in time

Bone fertilizer and auto-resizers

Shakers and mixers, plant growth elixirs

Books about runes, and boxes of shrooms

Humidifiers and drawers full of pliers

Wax for more candles and twine to make sandals

A blood centrifuge and damn—!

That motherfucking thing was huge!

That’s where Erick had to stop the tour. What the hell did they need a blood centrifuge that big for? But then Maia and Ramizi set him down for some not-tomato cake and he couldn’t rightly leave before he had cake. That would be rude!

Ramizi said, “I made this cake using that centrifuge you saw. The big big one. Sugar sells well.”

“… It’s not a blood centrifuge?”

Ramizi and Maia laughed.

Maia said, “You can fit four people in that thing! Why— Oh.” She smirked. “We’re not spinning people to death in there. I mean. We did torment those freshmen last year. But they deserved it.”

“Scrying for test answers! Tsk tsk!” Ramizi said, “Should have spun the brats ‘til they puked.”

Erick smiled as he ate his purple not-tomato cake. It was quite good.

“Where are you all adventuring? Jane told me she's just going for levels right now, but what do you actually do out there? ‘Adventuring’?”

“Haven’t been to the Dead City yet, but that’s just an approval away from happening. Mostly we hunt monsters for rads, then use those rads to make things.” Ramizi said, “Monster parts can be used to make things, too, but that’s pretty rare.”

“Monster parts?" Erick said, "I haven't heard that before."

Maia explained, “The shadow that lives on the monsters of Ar’Kendrithyst doesn’t always go away when you kill one of them, if you kill them right and butcher them correctly. You can use that for a lot of minor things, but one of the main uses is to make a full set of armor. It’s damned expensive, but if your entire body is covered by shadow armor, you can ‘eat’ the armor to permanently get the [Shadowalk] skill. It’s like a [Blink] crossed with a weightless [Ward] and a [Magic Mouth] and a host of other smaller effects, but only usable in the shadows. Doesn’t always work out for the person using the armor, though. Sometimes you get inferior versions, like [Shadowblend]. That’s basically a bad [Invisibility].”

Erick immediately saw a problem with shadow abilities. “Wouldn’t using a skill or armor like that in town get you killed? I once saw a guy disintegrate a shadowolf to ash with a single look.”

Ramizi nodded. “Yeah. Don’t [Shadowalk] near Ar’Kendrithyst.”

“That’s a minor restriction.” Maia ate a bite of her own not-tomato cake. “Ar'Kendrithyst is one of only three spots in the entire world with this concentration of shadowmonsters.”

Ramizi said, “Outside of here, shadow abilities probably won’t get you gibbed by some dude with a hardon for murdering shadows, and they’re incredibly useful. Even the most basic ability, [Shadowsight], lets you see in the dark. It’s black and white, but still a fantastic ability.”

“Is a lot of stuff like that? A full set of special armor and you get special abilities?”

Maia hummed, thinking.

Ramizi said, “No. I wouldn’t say so. But you can get a lot of weird abilities if you know where to look.”

Maia scowled. “There’s quite a few, Ram. There’s [Shadowalk], [Fire Body], and all the rest of the elemental Body abilities. [Stone Body] and [Water Body] are the two most useful, and all of them come from a full set of elemental armor, which is used and then gone forever.”

“And the only two you didn’t mention were [Lightwalk] and [Air Body], and that’s literally all of the Body abilities. So no. I wouldn’t say that there are a lot of stuff that you can wear and get abilities from.”

Maia scoffed at him. “Feh!”

Ramizi continued, “You can get a lot of weird abilities if you know where to look. It’s rare, but occasionally you do find strange rads that have crystallized monster skills. To use those rads you have to have the Class: Monster Mage, but you can get a lot of weird skills. The Script for monsters is a lot more open than the Script for people, but it’s all small-time I-desperately-need-to-live shit. Mostly survival stuff and killing-things-smaller-than-you stuff.”

Erick asked, “You can only have one Class, right?”

“Correct,” Maia said.

“Then I guess I’m full on that.”

“About that.” Ramizi, a bit more intense than before, casually said, “Show me your Class, I’ll show you mine.”

Maia punched Ramizi in the arm. “Sorry, Archmage. Ram’s an asshole.”

“What?” Ramizi protested.

Erick smirked. “I could—”

“No.” Maia said, “You really shouldn’t entertain the idea of showing your Class to people. I know you already have, but only because you didn’t know what you were doing.” She glared at Ramizi. “You want to tell him why it’s a bad idea to show off the specifics of your Class?”

Erick said, “It’s not a big deal—”

Ramizi sighed. “It is a big deal.” He said, “Sorry. I should not have asked for that. It’s like asking to know the weaknesses of the person you’re talking with. It’s… It's a very private affair. Or a prelude to violence.”

Erick glanced at Poi. Poi nodded, but remained silent.

Maia said, “I know you’re not from around here, so it might not seem like a big deal to you, but it is a very big deal to show off any part of your Status, and especially your Class.”

Erick hmm’d. He said, “Okay. Well. How about an overview, then? Because I don’t really know what’s so private about the whole thing and I’m interested in knowing some more about what a Class actually does.”

Maia frowned.

Ramizi said, “I’m a Force Mage. All my Force spells are cheaper and they do more HP damage.”

Maia frowned at Ramizi.

He just smiled at her.

Erick said, “Particle Mage. I can invent Particle spells easier—”

The both of them perked up, a lot.

“—and there’s some stuff about ability to affect Particle spells. Have you guys gotten all the memos on Particle magic? You said that a bunch of restrictions came rolling down the Script. But what happened, exactly?”

Maia said, “You’re… You’re just leaving ability points out there for others to take!”

“… That’s the part you focus on? Not what Particle magic actually is?”

“Whatever! I can’t use it. Now about those points! Archmage Flatt, you must—”

“It’s perfectly okay for me to leave points on the table. If other people actually understand what I’m doing, and are expanding upon what I started, then that’s a good thing. No one builds good public works if they don’t allow the public to participate.” Erick was almost going to say some trite comparison to ‘They didn’t build Rome in a day’, but Al could have built ancient Rome in, like, seven days. Probably. “I might be able to build a city all on my own, but I wouldn’t want to live there by myself.”

Maia said, “Your analogy is weird; I can kinda understand what you’re saying. But at the same time, I really, really can’t. You’re not the adventuring type. I’ll be surprised if you ever get past level 35, which means you have, at most—”

Erick smirked. “Now who’s talking about who’s privates?”

Maia shook her head, and continued, “You have at most 32 more ability points in your career, not counting inventions and other achievements. And that’s only if you go out and kill some monsters and get some levels. The thing is, is that you could easily spend all 32 of those points on abilities or spells, but you don’t even have a Scion yet. And only 20 Willpower!” Flustered, she said, “Pardon my forwardness, Archmage, but you’re making a mistake by not making more spells while you can.”

Erick finished the last bite of his not-tomato cake, and said, “Thank you for your concern. I probably will be making more spells, soon. Lord knows my daughter would love me to start thinking like her. But that’s just not who I am. If other people get there before I do, then that means the knowledge is spreading, and that is a good thing.” Erick stood. “Thank you for your hospitality. You two— Three? You three should come over when I finally get a house in the neighborhood. Where is Eduard, anyway?”

Maia sighed, then laid back in her seat. She spoke to the ceiling, “When his new spells got restricted yesterday he tried to push against those restrictions. Error backlash laid him out for the night; he's still recovering in bed.”

Erick winced. “Yet another reason to leave the experimenting to others. Tell Eduard I said hello, and good luck. Good luck to both of you, too.”

“You’re making a mistake, Archmage.”

“It’s my mistake to make.” He added, “And it occurs to me that you said you did not think you could create any fire spells. I think you are wrong. Stop thinking of fire as consuming and destroying. Think of it as particles moving faster, like how cold is particles moving slower.”

Maia went from uncaring acceptance, to completely focused, to realizing what she looked like and settling down a bit. She nodded.

Ramizi said, “Let me escort you out, Archmage.”

“Thank you. You can both call me Erick, you know.”

Ramizi smiled. “Between Mages that’s fine, but you went and invented a school of magic and a whole lotta shit besides. You’re an Archmage, Archmage. Good luck with that.”

- - - -

Erick [Blink]ed up to the third floor of the Sewerhouse. Poi stayed by his side.

Erick walked in to his apartment and sat on the couch. He almost laid down for a nap. But then he didn’t. He stared at the ceiling.

He turned to Poi. “Am I making a mistake?”

“Like you said: It’s yours to make.”

Erick nodded.

Then he got up, and said, “I guess I have mana to spend.”

Poi nodded. “To the roof?”

“To the roof!”

029

Erick had a long way to go before he started experimenting with electricity. He needed targets. He had no targets, except for the single jut of stone in the center of the roof that Al had put there so Erick could practice Aurifying spells.

… He needed to finish Aurifying [Force Shrapnel], now that he thought of it.

But first! [Stoneshape]!

Stoneshape 1, 1 minute per level, medium range, 10 MP

Slowly move minor amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape.

Exp: 0/100

[Stoneshape].

Nothing seemed to happen.

“A bit anti-climactic.”

Poi asked, “Were you expecting a quake?”

“No… Not really. But you understand my apprehension with new magics.”

“Quite.”

Erick focused on the stone roof under his feet. Ah. No. That was a bad idea. He focused instead on the stone seat Al had made. He pushed at the 3 foot tall stone cylinder with [Stoneshape].

Nothing.

No! Wait! There was something. A piece of chipped stone at the base of the cylinder wobbled.

Erick focused on the wobbling chip and it lifted into the air.

“Ah ha!”

Erick moved the chip—

The spell cut. A minute had passed. The chip skipped across the ground.

“‘Minor’ is very small, isn’t it.”

Poi did not answer. Erick didn’t really need an answer, since the answer was self evident.

[Stoneshape].

Erick practiced with the chipped stone. He moved it this way and that. He spun the stone in the air. He struck the stone into the roof, creating more chips. He gathered up the chips—

He crumbled the chips into sand.

Ohhh. Now that was interesting. He floated the sand—

The spell cut.

Mmm.

Aurify.

[Stoneshape].

Erick picked up all the sand, all around him. Ohh. That was impressive. Aurifying [Stoneshape] took a stream of constant mental energy, but the mental energy needed seemed to be directly comparable to the mana it consumed per second. Aurifying [Stoneshape] only took 5 mana a minute, which was an immediate 1 mana, then some small amount of mana per second. That fraction was too small for Erick to bother calculating. Al would probably know. Whatever the number, this was much less effort than a 1 pound dumbbell over his head; he could hold this mental strain for a while. So he did.

Soon, a blue box appeared.

[Stoneshape] has leveled!

Level 2!

Stoneshape 2, 1 minute per level, medium range, 15 MP

Move minor amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape.

Exp: 15/200

As the next round of [Stoneshape] began, Erick felt a difference in the spell. Not only did it cost more, but it moved everything around him faster. The sand and chipped stone moved like water though the air, instead of like molasses. He didn’t have any fine control, but he could move sand in streams and chips in swirls. [Stoneshape] itself felt more like a second sense, too. An earthsense—

No. Not an earthsense. A Veirdsense.

But, as Erick thought about how to translate that to Poi, there was a problem. Ecks didn’t have a word for the ground like English had ‘earth’ back on Earth. The ground was either ‘stone’ or ‘dirt’ or ‘sand’ or some other descriptor. They didn’t pick up a handful of dirt and say ‘hmm, this is good veird’. They would say it was good dirt. The closest to the English equivalent to ‘earth’ would be ‘stone’ in Ecks.

So Erick ignored trying to properly translate his new magical sense, and just said to Poi, “It’s almost like I have a Veirdsense.”

Poi looked at Erick with a strange scrunched expression. “I don’t get it, sir.”

“That’s okay.”

Erick went back to playing in the dirt.

[Stoneshape] has leveled!

Level 3!

Stoneshape 3, 1 minute per level, medium range, 20 MP

Slowly move small amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape.

Exp: 30/300

Now this? This felt good. He stepped, and the stone under his feet flexed. Not very fast, mind you, but fast enough to be felt. Like he was walking on molasses that he could control. ‘Small’ seemed to be a great deal more than ‘minor’.

Wow. Aurify was great. Stoneshape was great. He could see where the skill was going, and it looked highly promising. If he had started on this route instead of that experiment with lightning at dinner…

Everything would have been different, wouldn’t it?

Erick smiled. He had learned long ago not to yearn for the might-have-beens. [Stoneshape] was pretty cool, but lightning was pretty damn cool, too. And so was rain—

Erick had a realization.

“That’s where I get the water for my personal hot tubs! From the sky! Duh!”

Erick played in the stone for a while, but while his stonesense dipped into the ceiling of his apartment, he kept his play to the topmost layer of the roof. [Stoneshape] was a hammer and the world was putty. He picked apart the jut of stone in the middle like a child would destroy a sandcastle; in great big splashes of power, scattering sand and stone into the air. Fine control eluded him, but Erick mostly controlled the fall of stone. With enough material floating around him, he had an idea. He began to smash rocks together, forming irregular stones. That wouldn’t do, so he ground them against each other to shape 9 spheres of various sizes. The largest one was head-sized. The one Erick focused most of his attention on was only fist-sized.

Poi watched as Erick formed Earth’s Solar System.

Erick explained:

“My Very Eager Mother Allegedly Just Served Us Nine Pies.

“This one is Mercury. It’s a tiny red thing, blasted by the Sun, which is me in this scenario.

“This one is Venus. It’s a cloudy average sized planet, where acid rains from the sky and the very air would crush you to stand on the surface.

“This one is Earth. It’s where Jane and I are from. Only humans. No magic. This is the only place with current life in the Solar System. We landed on our moon, Luna, before I was born, and everyone thought we’d have houses up there by now. That never happened.

“This one is Mars. This red planet might have had life in the distant past, along with a breathable atmosphere. Some of us want to send people to Mars to see if we could live there. Seems farfetched to me. But who knows? Personally, I think we should try to live on Luna, first.

“This string of debris is the Asteroid Belt. It might have been a planet in the very distant past, or maybe this is just where the forces of gravity decided to put all the floating junk in the system. I certainly don’t know.

“This big one is Jupiter. A great big gas giant. The largest planet in the Solar System. Something like 1300 Earths could fit inside one Jupiter. It has a perpetual storm we call the Great Red Spot that we’ve never seen stop storming in all our observations. I tried to recreate that storm here on the sphere. See? I think I did okay.

“This is Saturn. A bit smaller than Jupiter, but it’s beautiful because of the giant rings. These giant rings might be from some ancient collision; we don’t really know. But the ring of orbiting ice and stone is constantly grinding itself up; there’s no chance for it to ever reconstitute into a moon.

“This is Uranus. Another gas giant, but smaller than Saturn. Uranus rotates on its side. It’s the only one that does that; it’s a little funky that way.

“This is Neptune. Another gas giant, about the same size as Uranus. Not much that I could tell you about this one. It’s named after an old god of the oceans.

“This little one is Pluto. It’s rather small. Smaller than Earth’s Moon.”

Erick moved the planets more or less on their corrects orbits. He did a terrible job of swinging them around at the correct speeds. They weren’t rightly sized, or correctly distanced. None of the spheres of orange stone matched the actual planets they represented, except maybe Saturn and Jupiter. But while exactitude was lacking, the emotion was there. The Solar System was Erick’s previous home, and something very similar to that old place floated around Erick.

Keeping the spheres orbiting was rather easy, actually. After some adjustments and some rearranging, everything flowed around Erick in a lazy, beautiful, diorama of a far away, eternal dance.

It was too much. Not physically; Erick felt that [Stoneshape] could do a great deal more than this, and especially when he got to a higher level. The spell was only level 4 right now; it had leveled somewhere in making the miniature Solar System.

Stoneshape 4, 1 minute per level, medium range, 25 MP

Move small amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape.

Exp: 35/500

This was too much emotionally.

He gradually gathered the planets and set them to the side. He looked up at the blue sky. Veird’s sun was still hours away from setting in the west. The color of the sky and the stars were close to Earth’s, but the three moons rising in the east were not like Luna at all. One was small and pink. The next was large and grey; almost the same color as Luna. The last moon was small and white.

Where am I? How would I find out where this is?

As if knowing what Erick was thinking, Poi said, “You should consider visiting the Mage Guild Library.”

Erick looked at him.

“No, sir. I am not reading your mind, but humans are easy to read.”

“Ha! I am, am I?”

Poi said nothing.

Erick nodded. “I should visit the library. But not right now. It’s time for some experimentation.”

Erick used [Stoneshape] to pop two spheres of stone out of the roof, then he set those spheres on two chest-high thin pillars about 5 feet apart from each other, on the very edge of the roof. Erick walked to the other side. Poi stayed well clear of whatever Erick was doing. Then he popped a small blue [Ward] around himself.

Erick turned to the stones on their pillars.

He paused.

He turned around and looked down. The ground was awfully far down. “Hmm.” He looked over to the stones he had set up. “Hmm.” Erick walked back over to the two spheres and shoved them back into the roof. “We can do that some other day. Let’s go to the library.” He picked up the Solar System to store in the apartment.

Poi was silently grateful. He did not show his relief in any overt way, but Erick could tell.

Erick didn’t want to accidentally get launched off the roof, either.

- - - -

The library was the smaller tower of the two towered Mage Guildhouse. Books on wooden shelves lined the walls here on the first floor, and as Erick walked into the middle of the library, he looked up through the center of the tower, to at least three more layers similar to the ground floor.

The bookshelves were ten feet tall and made of rich, dark wood. There were dark wood shelves, and even dark wood chairs and tables. Small wardlights sat inside conical metal hoods on the tables, illuminating papers and people at five different desks, each of them studying their own stacks of books. There was space down here for fifteen more students. If there was space in the upper floors for more people, then the library had space for maybe a hundred students at a time.

There had to be at least 100000 books here; maybe a lot more.

Tamarim whispered beside him, “It’s not the largest library in a thousand kilometers, but it’s pretty big. Looking for anything in particular, Archmage? Hehe.”

Erick looked to the orangescale dragonkin. He was smiling. Tamarim wasn’t the first to joke around with Erick’s ‘archmage’ title. Anhelia joked, too, and Erick wanted to like her, but he was still reeling from his first experience with the guild’s information broker.

Erick smiled back, whispering, “What do you have on—”

“SHHhh—it.” The kid who shushed them turned right back around, whispering, “Sorry.”

Erick walked to the side of the room anyway, to what looked like a checkout desk. Tamarim followed then stepped behind the desk.

Erick whispered, “I’m looking for an introduction to cosmology.”

“Pre-Sundering, or modern?”

“Uhh? A comparison? Maybe? And how does your library work?”

“5 silver for a search. If we have what you’re looking for, I will retrieve your book for you and set it down at whichever table you want. You cannot take the books with you; trying to leave the library with a book is a major fine of 5 gold and suspension of library privileges as the librarian deems necessary. Repeated violations increase the fine by 5 gold each time. You may peruse the stacks at your leisure, but any books you take out you must leave out; I will refile them and charge you 1 silver per restocking. We have paper and copy services, those are also 1 silver per page copied. You don’t pay here; we deduct it from your account. Ah! And no food or drink inside the library.” Tamarim said, “All pretty standard stuff, but I know you might not have much experience. Sorry if an unexpected fee crops up later. Almost every normal service or fee is 1 silver, except for search and retrieval.”

“Sounds good to me. So, about that comparison cosmology...”

- - - -

There were several planets in the current Veird cosmology. Did their names matter? Did their positions matter? No, none of that mattered because Erick was instantly caught up in 1400 year old history and the facts of the Sundering.

The pre-Sundering cosmology was well documented. The Old Wizards were either super advanced or super sideways-evolved, because they had explored all of their universe and even terraformed barren planes into verdant lands.

Their ‘universe’ was probably much smaller than Erick’s previous one, though.

Maybe.

Erick still wasn’t sure about all of that.

Pre-Sundering Veird was a planet adrift in a sea of mana with no known end and no known beginning; there was no sun, or moon, or stars, as there were on modern Veird. Instead, there was the Day-light, which post-Sundering would become a part of today’s Sun, the Silver Star, yes, that Silver Star, which would become the large grey moon, and Starlight, which would fall to Veird and elsewhere to become the rads inside monsters.

Normally, Erick would have put all that in the ‘obvious mythology’ box and move on.

But the Old Wizards had actually gone out and visited the Daylight, the Silver Star, and the Starlight, and even collected a Star. One well known starlight still existed; it was on private display at Oceanside Academy and was considered the largest rad on Veird. They used it to charge rare and valuable magical artifacts, but only twice a year and for astronomical fees. As long as they didn’t use it too much it would recharge, just like grand-rads recharged if used sparingly.

The original Veird had originally been one of many Planes in a multiverse of Planes and Demiplanes. Their whole pre-Sundering universe was theoretically within the grasp of any Old Wizard with the desire to move among the Starlight. The Old Wizards only had to cast a [Planeshift], or ride an Astral Ark out across the sky, following currents of mana to destinations well known, or to places yet to be seen.

To the Shadowrealm, to the Wild Places, to the Elemental Plane of Fire or the Maelstrom Sea. To the Fathomless Hells or the Infinite Heavens. To countless worlds, some waiting to be discovered and flush with native life, some waiting for life to return to reclaim the wastelands, some lost forever until the Mana Ocean flowed just right to allow visitors, and some twisted to nefarious or benevolent ends by ancient gods and primeval monsters, but well trod and easy to reach.

Veird wasn’t even the biggest of the previous planes, or the original plane of the Old Wizards; it was simply the most stable and the most populous at the time of the Sundering.

Of the books Erick read, there was a constant theme: proving that the Sundering happened by showing evidence of the previous worlds, peoples, and cultures. Erick quickly realized that he was not looking at a mythology, but a real and well documented history.

There was just so much history lying around on Veird that proved the old cosmology used to exist. Like the Ancient Orrery, maintained by the Monks of Rozeta in the Splinter Mountains. Or the Underworld, and the Deep Artifacts of the Old Cosmology that people occasionally discovered in those dark depths. The fact that the Underworld existed at all was proof of some major historical magical fuckery, though that fact likely only occurred to Erick. The Underworld was at minimum five times the surface area of the Surface, and if that didn’t scream ‘Magic is doing this’ then Erick didn’t know what the fuck was happening with Veird’s plate tectonics. And then there were the stories of the Gods, the Angels, the Demons, and the Dragons. Ask any of the thousands of immortals who were there for the Sundering, who took part in the Old Cosmology, and they’d tell you stories that would leave you weeping.

Because the Sundering had happened, and everything changed.

Veird popped into a universe with real stars, and everyone who was able to help struggled to save whatever they could save.

The Fathomless Hells became the small pink moon, the new home of the Demons. The Infinite Heavens became the small white moon. The former home of the Angels was now a place of dirt and stone. The Silver Star became a real moon, with real mass, and was placed between the Angels and the Demons to prevent those ancient enemies from crashing together and destroying even more of the Old Cosmology.

So, yes, back to Erick’s original question: There are planets in Veird’s solar system. They’re what was left of the Old Cosmology; Planes and Demiplanes, twisted into planets to fit into a new Reality. The Day-lights of every plane that survived, and all of those who didn’t, were taken from those individual planes and combined into one and set as the Sun, upon which all the new planets revolved.

The Mana Ocean survived, too, but now it existed individually on each planet; tiny seas of mana; puddles compared to what came before.

Not every plane survived the Sundering, or the transition into planets. Untold trillions died in the initial cataclysm, and in the roiling aftermaths. Many documents showed that the ‘Infinite Heavens’ and ‘Fathomless Hells’ truly were too large and too populous to have an end. It’s highly likely that many, many, many more died than ‘trillions’.

Countless civilizations were lost.

The Elves, the oceanographers of the Sundered Mana Ocean. The Fey, whose Primal Forests were burned away by elemental fire. The Dwarves, whose underground lives were cut short by planequakes. The Elementassi, the children of elementals and mortals, dead in the first moments of the Script’s trials to repair the damage. The Orcs and the Trolls, a proud people and a monstrous species combined into one and driven to Rage by another failure of the Script. The Alvani, a people born of angel and human, but gone now, their immortal souls forever mourned by parents unable to forget, or forgive.

A universe was killed.

Now Veird wanders in a new universe, unsure of what is coming or where it is going, only that it must go where it goes, and hope that whatever comes is not as bad as what came before.

And that’s too much for me!

Erick closed the book. He set it aside.

“That’s enough existential dread for today.” He turned to Poi. “Holy crap that’s depressing.”

Poi said, “That’s why I stay away from those books, sir.”

“You could have stopped me!”

“With all due respect, I disagree.”

“… You’re right.” Erick looked across the library. He said, “I need a drink. Let’s go find Al.”

- - - -

Erick was on his third stein of beer. It was a thick beer, hearty and good. He drank it while eating from a plate of fried monster chicken strips. The meal came with a delicious pale purple-red not-tomato sauce. Erick would have called it ketchup, but it was not. It was spicy and creamy, and it suited the crunchy fried chicken well.

Al had his own double order in front of him. He was also on his third beer.

By this point, Erick had been moping for a while.

And Al had had enough. “What happened? I thought you’d be happy. Everyone is talking about changing everything to accommodate your new magic. I saw the rain. It was great! Beautiful silver color, too. Perked up the gardens around town.”

Erick frowned. “I read a book about the Sundering today. The cosmology of your solar system. Holy fuck it’s depressing.”

Al sipped his beer. He nodded.

Erick said, “Trillions dead? Worlds gone? Holy crap.”

Al nodded again. “Every so often you get people claiming that it’s all a lie concocted by Rozeta and the gods in order to control people, or some shit like that. But there are people alive today who remember the suffering. Who went through it all.” He sipped his beer. “The naysayers usually get run out of town if they’re normal idiots.”

“… What if they aren’t normal idiots?”

Al sighed sadly. “Fifty years ago…? No. Sixty, I think. Sixty years ago a republic of incani kingdoms far to the west started some nonsense like that. It was just some normal ‘the Script is bad’ sort of thing. But then it went another step. Eventually they ended up with a bunch of low level people who couldn’t take care of themselves without the help of their leveled army and leveled rich. It’s an old story; it’s happened several times throughout Veird’s history.”

“Let me guess. The low leveled people were taken advantage of by those in charge.”

“That was just setting the [Force Trap].” Al ate a bit of chicken and washed it down with beer. “Eventually it got so bad their doctrines were spilling into the rest of the world. That’s when some Ancient Ones —the Headmaster was one of them— they went to the people and showed them a [Memory] of the Sundering. After that some revolutionaries killed their kings and queens and generals and set off a whole chain of back and forth violence. Civil war after civil war. The last war finally died down maybe ten years ago, but the land was a blasted wasteland forty years ago. That’s even what people call it these days, ‘the Wasteland Kingdoms’. Whatever they were, they’re not that now.”

Erick whispered, “Fuck.”

Al nodded. “The Sundering might have happened 1400 years ago, but it’s still the largest event to ever happen in the history of Veird.”

Erick ate a strip of chicken, and started thinking.

He ate his last piece of fried monster chicken and finished his beer.

He ordered another beer and more chicken. And more sauce.

Eventually, Erick said, “Hey, Al? Would helping people like those in the Wasteland Kingdoms with this [Exalted Storm Aura] be a good idea, or a terrible idea?”

Al smiled, gentle and warm. He said, “A terrible idea, until you’re capable of defending yourself from nations.”

Erick nodded. He ate another chicken strip.

Al added, “And it sounds to me like some transient farmers would like to make a permanent home in Spur, if the good weather would hold.”

Erick could have smacked himself. “You’re right! Duh!” He declared, “Think global, act local.”

Special action!

You have grown Stronger!

+1 Strength!

“Hah!”

“What?” Al asked.

“Plus 1 Strength.”

Al chuckled. “Congratulations.”

030

“Dad!” Jane rushed across the road to hug Erick. She buried her head against his shoulder. “I’m so glad to see you.”

Erick embraced his daughter, laughing, saying, “Hi, so-glad-to-see-you. I’m Dad.”

Jane left the hug. “That’s terrible.”

“You ran right into it.”

Erick stood back and looked Jane over. She had gone out wearing cloth, jeans, and a shoulderbag. She had returned wearing the same, but with her hair cut short and her skin a shade darker. And dragging a cart of… stuff? Bumpy stuff covered by a brown cloth. Savral arrived in the same dark armor as he always had, but as Erick looked, his armor dissolved into mana, revealing his normal tunic and pants. Ah!? He was using [Conjure Armor] all this time? Was Jane using that, too?

“What’s in the cart?” Erick immediately followed that question with, “What’s your [Conjure Armor] look like?”

Jane smiled wide, then she transformed.

Solid bands of silverblue laid crisscross around her body, loose and mostly unconnected. Threads of blue light zipped back and forth through the bands, layering across her form, holding the bands together in loose fashion. Soon, Jane was wearing the most plain looking ‘armor’ Erick had ever seen. It was a winter jacket and thick jeans. She had gloves now, but they were just blue gloves; not gauntlets.

What the fuck was this? Living in a fantasy world and this was the best she could do?

All wonder and amazement left Erick like a stale fart. Pfft! Then gone.

Erick complained, “Where’s the spikes! Where’s the wings! Where’s the design!”

“That’s what I said!” Savral laughed loud.

“Looks rather plain,” Al agreed.

Jane got both huffy and smug, saying, “This can take a center stab from a crystal mimic. Savral’s armor can’t do that without crunching in and needing to be reformed.”

Al looked to Savral, and Savral reluctantly nodded.

Erick still wasn’t over the bad design. “It looks hideous, Jane. At least work some embroidery into the design. You can do that, right? Maybe some flowers?”

“Phhbt! I’m not wearing flowers!” Jane moved around as she spoke, “The gambeson has full range of movement, has no weak spots in the joints, it’s breezy and easy to live in, and no one expects it to hold up as good as it does. It’s basically just clothes!”

“She has proven her armor many times over the course of the trip.” Savral pointed to the cart. “Though I’m not sure if those are going to work like you think they will.”

Erick looked to the cart.

Jane dismissed her ‘armor’ then stepped to the cart. She tossed the tarp off, revealing… Bumpy stuff. And a few chopped short crystal agave leaves. The leaves were at least 14 inches wide and twice that long, nearly filling the cart completely. Their sliced portions revealed a fully translucent core. The only color on the leaves was a faint blue tint to the skin, and the bumpy-lumpy blue and a bit of brown lumps at the end of the leaves. The bumps jiggled in the sun. They had to be an animal, of some kind. Not crystal slimes; Al had said what those looked like and these bumpy things were not balls of clear goo with a ‘diamond’ at the center. They were like bluish bean dip on large tortilla chips.

Erick asked, “What are they?”

Jane announced, “Mimics! They’re everywhere out there, on every single agave. The only ones that give experience are the ones large enough to copy an agave all on their own. Those are all around level 30. Did you know the mimics are what keeps the desert a desert? We found an oasis out there and it should have been growing green but mimics were clearing out anything green.”

“… Why do you have them?”

Savral answered, “She has something special in mind, but they have to be eaten alive.”

“They’re alive!?”

Erick rushed closer for a better look. Al frowned, and stayed where he was.

The lumpy bumps were slowly moving. Faster now as time went on. Jane covered them back up with the tarp.

She said, “They don’t like direct sunlight.”

Al narrowed his eyes, “To what end?”

“She wants to become a Monster Mage,” Savral answered.

“Jesus Christ, Savral.” Jane said, “I can answer my own questions.”

Savral smiled, shrugging.

Jane sighed, and said, “Mimics gain [Polymorph] at higher levels. I want [Polymorph]. Since I’m not going to take the chance of talking to a dragon, nor do I want to fight a dragon and eat its heart, I’m going this route.” She looked down at the crate, and said, “They’re toxic like this, but the alchemists in the Adventurer’s District know how to remove the toxins without destroying what I need, like how [Cleanse] would. Lanore turned me on to the idea; A lot of people from around the world come here to get this kind of service performed. I’m not able to get the Class, yet, but I can learn the spell.”

Erick frowned. “What’s [Polymorph]?”

“By Rozeta!” Al huffed out a great billow of annoyance. “How do you not know that?”

Erick looked at him. “I don’t know a lot of the more funny-named spells people have been throwing around in Spur. People kept referring to [Nature’s Fury] but I had no idea what that actually was until a few days ago, and I still don’t know because the guards interrupted Krakina. Do you know about gamma radiation? Or 401ks? Or the difference between a car and a truck?”

Al balked. “Well… No.”

“Gamma radiation has to do with rads, right?” Savral guessed.

Erick said, “Incorrect!”

“Damn.”

Erick turned to Jane. “So? What’s [Polymorph]? Exactly?”

“Transform into monsters!”

Erick frowned. “Gonna need more than that, Jane.”

Al answered more correctly, “Transform into any living creature that you know.” Al said, “The more familiar you are with a creature, the better your transformation. If you don’t know what the hell you’re doing, you hurt yourself with Error messages. Familiarity is usually gained through living with the creatures, or eating the heart and brain of the creatures. Familiarity through observation maintains your mind, which is a bad thing if you’re trying to fly without the instincts of a bird. Familiarity though eating shifts your mind towards that of the new body, which is bad if you transform into some murderous kind of animal and you have a low Willpower. Any Willpower under 25 is considered ‘low’ in the case of [Polymorph].” He added, “It’s a very specialized spell.”

Erick started Al’s monologue with a frown. That frown only deepened as Al kept talking.

Jane said, “I want to explore the entire world, Dad. Swim in the oceans, fly through the skies, see in the dark and live anywhere.” She patted the crate with the mimics. “And [Polymorph] is how I do that. My armor that you think is stupid? It can be altered to fit any body type. [Conjure Weapon] works with natural weapons, too.”

“It’s just weird, Jane. You’re going to hunt monsters and then eat them—” Erick paused. He conceded, “Okay. Now that I said the words, I think it’s better than killing monsters for experience.”

Savral smirked off to the side as he said, “She’s going to do that, too. She wants to get to level 100.”

Al scoffed. “Never happening.”

“What level are you now?” Erick asked.

Jane smiled, then said, “Why don’t we go inside, first?”

- - - -

Jane, Erick, and Al sat in the living room while Savral began chopping up vegetables and meat in the kitchen. Jane was on the edge of her seat with big news and big questions.

Jane started, “What is Scion of Balance, Al?”

Al nodded. “It’s considered the second weakest of the Scions because it requires many more points in Vitality than most are willing or able to commit, as well as giving up the x4 multiplier of the three major Scions in return for only a x2 modifier to all. There are a few cultures that cleave hard into Scion of Balance, though. The wrought in particular are fond of Balance, as well as several orcol cultures, since we usually start with a high Vitality anyway. Scion of Balance also doubles your resistance to Health Fatigue and Mana Exhaustion.”

Erick asked, “Why not tell us about that one, too?”

“Because.” Al huffed, “You should both go for Scion of Focus. Mana Exhaustion is the real killer for mages. All Scion of Balance does is give you, at minimum, 1500 of your HP, MP, and regen statistics. That’s not enough for any of the high-maintenance spells.” He said to Erick, “Like your [Exalted Storm Aura], which is … 15 times 60 times 24… 21600 mana for a full day of rain. At your current 35 focus, that gives you an exhaustion cap of 21000 if you went for Scion of Balance AND you’d need to spend a lot more ability points to get 25 in Strength, Vitality, Willpower, AND Focus, AND all four of the x3 skills.”

“Okay.” Erick said, “That’s… not something I think I want or am capable of. No mana exhaustion would be preferred.”

“Exactly!” Al said.

Jane smiled wide. “I think I have to go for Scion of Balance.”

Al said, “But you won’t have the benefits of high stats! Scion of Strength for 6000 HP! You won’t even die if someone took an axe to your neck. Not to mention having 50 strength; you could punch a juvenile dragon or a very large bear away. Willpower for 6000 Mana? You got yourself a 6000 point absorption [Ward], and that same axe would have the same problem with your same neck. Focus for 6000 Mana regen AND no Exhaustion? You’re a workhorse, able to lift cities from the desert or—” He turned to Erick. “Or turn that desert into farmland!” He digressed, “6000 HP regen isn’t that great, I admit. Scion of Vitality is the weakest of the four Scions.”

“Five Scions,” Jane corrected.

“Fine! Five Scions!”

“And with 1500 mana I can Favored Spell [Ward] for a 3000 point absorption [Ward].”

“Favored Spell on [Ward] is a nice, safe choice. Rather bland, but very safe.” Al said, “But! You could do that with Scion of Willpower for a 12000 point absorption [Ward].”

“Yes.” Jane said, “But those Scions of Willpower [Ward]s regen only 600 an hour, so there’s no point, whereas my 3000 point [Ward] would regenerate 1500 an hour.”

Now Erick was lost. He asked, “Regenerating [Ward]?”

Jane’s mirth vanished. She was six years old and someone had knocked the icecream off of her cone.

Uh oh. She was mad at him, wasn’t she? And Erick had just reminded her that she was mad.

“Dad.” Jane spoke with an undercurrent of anger, “What level is your [Ward]?”

Erick called up the box for [Ward], saw this was a problem he could fix, and dumped all of his mana into a personal [Ward]. The spell was going to level when he got around to casting his daily personal [Ward], anyway!

No slackers here, no sir!

[Ward] has leveled!

Level X!

Damn that box was huge— OH. That’s what Jane was talking about.

Ward X, instant, short range, 24 hours,

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Create a Large Ward that can have Large Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 35 MP + Z

Create a Ward with another Spell attached to the interior. Spell activation based on Z invested into Ward. 100 MP + Z

Your Wards regenerate Z based on your Rested MP regen rate.

Special Wards can be made Permanent. 250 MP + Variable Cost

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Large Effects: Drain Hostile HP/MP, Gravity Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you wish. Skill level at Mana Manipulation determines final outcome. Variable Cost

“I just didn’t read it close enough. It says right here: Your Wards regenerate Z based on your Rested MP regen rate.” Erick nodded, then closed the box. “So you’re going to make [Ward] a Favored Spell? That seems good to me.”

Jane stared at him, her anger fading, relief taking hold. She breathed out. She said, “I think it would be prudent.”

Al added, “Your Rested regen rate. If you were a Scion of Focus, your [Ward] would be up to full in a matter of minutes. And don’t discount the ability to shape a [Ward] with [Force Shrapnel] or other cheap spells inside. You can make some nifty higher tier magic that way. Like this one—” Al pushed a box over to both Erick and Jane.

Blade Barrier, instant, medium range, 5 minutes. 350 MP

Create a freely modifiable large area of vicious force blades that deal 55 damage per second to everything inside, while active. 200 MP spellpool. Drains 5 MP per second while active. Restores 2 MP per second.

Al said, “It restores 2 mana to its pool of 200 every second. And that 55 damage is highly misleading. Against a large creature and a well shaped [Ward], it’s more like a thousand damage a second. Anything that can’t move will die.”

Jane read the spell a few times. She dismissed the box, saying, “That’s something to consider, sure. But I’m not going to be a mage like my father. Besides. Lanore, Gorgush, and Savral all said that it’s easier to obtain stranger Classes when you have Scion of Balance, and Polymage is a strange Class.”

“Polymage?” Erick dismissed Al’s blue box. He felt lost again. Then he latched onto a problem. “You didn’t even tell me Classes existed, Jane. Or any of you. And then I got one shoved at me!”

Jane looked at him. “It’s been in your Status since we got here! You never thought to talk to anyone about those blank lines?”

Erick ignored that fact. “What’s a Polymage? Someone who specializes in [Polymorph]?”

“Broadly, yes,” Jane said.

From over in the kitchen, Savral said, “It’s the official name for Monster Mage. And yes, it’s a weird class. All of the blendy mage and warrior classes are weird and harder to get than usual.”

Al sat back in defeat. “Whatever Scion you pick, or if you pick none, your stats determine what Classes the Registrar will allow you to Quest for.” He narrowed his eyes. “You really want to be a monster mage?”

Jane said, “What I want is to be able to fly, and swim, and explore, and live anywhere and do anything. To go everywhere. To talk to the mermen in the ocean, or the harpies in the mountains. Or any number of people anywhere they might be. Killing and eating monsters is very low on my list, but I don’t want to be scared of anything, either.”

“Adventurers will see you as a monster unless you’re careful.”

“I can be careful.” Jane said, “And I’ll have a 4500 buffer either way. [Ward] every morning!”

Savral repeated, “[Ward] every morning!” like it was some sort of mantra they had formed habits around.

Now Erick was scared. Erick vividly remembered Al blasting that shadowolf to ash. But he couldn’t tell Jane not to be who she wanted to be; to not become the person she wanted to become.

Erick said, “You really need some embroidery or something on your armor, Jane. Something flashy that says, ‘I’m not a monster’.”

“Okay.” Jane relented, “Maybe Polymage, specifically, is not a good idea. I won’t know for a long time. I’m only level 32. But I am buying Scion of Balance. I am a fighter, and a mage. This is who I am.” She looked up in the air, then said, “There we goOoOOoo…” She paused. She said, “That felt weiii…” She laid back and closed her eyes.

Erick stared, stock still, his voice a whisper, “Jane—”

She started snoring.

Savral and Al laughed.

Savral said, “She ran herself ragged out there! I’m surprised she didn’t crash as soon as she sat down.”

Al asked. “How many points do you think she assigned?”

“At least 25. She was waiting to hear what you had to say, but she already knew what she wanted. She’s really good, Dad.” Savral spoke to Erick, “Your daughter is one of the best talents I’ve ever seen. She certainly has the range to make it as a Polymage.”

“Truly, Savral?” Al asked.

Savral said, “Dropping down to almost a third HP and MP here with Scion of Balance is much worse than anything that happened out there. She’s really good.”

Al and Savral joked about making monumental Script decisions in the living room.

But Erick could only watch Jane, as she laid there snoring gently. He looked upon his daughter and knew that she would be alright, but the thought of Jane in danger still scared him. It was a primal fear and well known, etched deep into his very core, born when Jane was a little girl he held in his arms and fed with formula every night, then nurtured by helping her grow into a very strong young woman, and seeing how the world treated strong young women.

The crucible of life turned some people hard, and Jane was one of them.

Erick’s fear for Jane had grown from those simpler times on Earth, to become a multifaceted terror on Veird. He had always managed to push the terror away with denial and wilful ignorance, but sometimes fear reared out of the darkness with flashing white teeth and burning white eyes. He couldn’t conveniently forget his fears today, not at this moment, as it mutated into something even more horrible.

Of Jane, dying as a monster on the end of some idiot’s sword.

Of Jane, falling from the sky as her wings gave out.

Of Jane forgetting who she is, and becoming a beast.

Of Jane reveling in the murder of monsters first, and then people.

Of Jane deciding that a person needed to die for what they had done, or did not do.

Because that was the real darkness; the real fear. Erick had known, ever since Jane held a knife at a kid’s throat in highschool, that she was capable of murder if she deemed it necessary. She wasn’t psychotic; not by a long shot. She was very simply, a very moral person, in the way that a soldier has morals, or that a country has morals.

What would happen when Jane’s morals caused her to take a life?

What would happen if it was Erick’s own death, or murder, that precipitated Jane’s fall from grace?

Dark humor sprang forth an answer:

You won’t have to live with the consequences.

He laughed to himself, and Jane blinked open her eyes. Not even 5 minutes had passed.

Erick put on a smile, and said, “You feeling okay, Sleeping Beauty?”

She stretched. She yawned. She said, “I think so. I… I actually feel really good.”

“That’s that doubled Fatigue and Exhaustion resistance.” Al said, “You’ve been burning the candle from both ends, haven’t you?”

“I have!” Jane yawned again, then said, “We have that expression, too. Kinda nice hearing it on a different world.” She smiled, then said, “So…? How about some show and tell! Come on, Dad. I want to see how much you’ve progressed.”

Al held up his hand. “One second.” A burst of sparkles flowed outward, and soon, the windows and the whole room were obscured, probably with [Ward] Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption. Erick felt he was getting better at identifying the spells around him, and maybe he actually was. Al said, “There. Shouldn’t be showing your status out in the open, Jane.”

Erick looked to the obscured window. “I wonder if Poi will dislike that.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice your personal bodyguard, Dad. But first things first. Here.”

Jane shoved a bunch of floating boxes his way. Al read over Erick’s shoulder.

She asked, “Where’s yours?”

“Right.” Erick gently pressed his Status toward her. “Now don’t get mad at me until I’ve had a chance to read all of this.”

It might take a while.

Jane Flatt

Human, age: 22

Level 32, Class: None

Exp: 110034012 / 352457800

Class: -/-

Points: 6

HP

742/1500

1055 per day

MP

781/1500

1500 per day

Strength

25

+0

25

Vitality

25

+0

25

Willpower

25

+0

25

Focus

25

+0

25

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Scion of Balance

Doubles HP, HP regen, MP, and MP regen.

Doubles resistance to Healing Fatigue

Doubles resistance to Mana Exhaustion

Requirements: Strong, Enduring, Discipline, Concentration

Requirements: 25 Strength, 25 Vitality, 25 Willpower, 25 Focus

Spoiler: Spoiler

Strong X

Multiplies base HP by 3

Requirements: 20 Strength

Enduring 2

Multiples base HP regen by 2.11

Requirements: 20 Vitality

Exp: 42/200

Discipline X

Multiplies base MP by 3

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Concentration X

Multiplies base MP regen by 3

Requirements: 20 Focus

Meditation X

Always Resting

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Clarity X

Reduces spell costs by 50%

Requirements: 10 Focus

Rejuvenation X, instant, touch, 5 MP

Touch a creature, heal 5 HP + 2x WIL per second per level of Rejuvenation

Invisible Rejuvenation, instant, touch, 5 MP

Touch a creature, heal 5 HP + 2x WIL per second for 10 seconds

Strike X, 10-40 HP

Level 1: Deal 1.0x damage with your weapon

Level X: Deal 2x damage, + 2x <Piercing Force> damage

Blink X, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Teleport X, instant, 250 MP per person

You and <hands> number of people appear in a known location, max 1000km distance.

Interception X, instant, close range, 5MP + 5MP per 10 meters moved

Instantly move to intercept an attack meant for another. Lasts 1 minute or until used.

Conjure Weapon X, instant, 50 MP + Variable

Create a nigh unbreakable weightless weapon. Lasts as long as held, or 1 minute per level not held.

Conjure Armor X, instant, 50 MP + Variable

Create weightless armor of whatever design you can create. Lasts until catastrophic damage.

Conjure Item X, instant, 50 MP + Variable

Create an item of up to large size. Skill with mana manipulation determines final creation. Lasts until suffering 50 points of damage.

Ward X, instant, short range, 24 hours, ~{Favored Spell}~

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Create a Large Ward that can have Large Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 35 MP + Z

Create a Ward with another Spell attached to the interior. Spell activation based on Z invested into Ward. 100 MP + Z

Your Wards regenerate Z based on your Rested MP regen rate.

Special Wards can be made Permanent. 250 MP + Variable Cost

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Large Effects: Drain Hostile HP/MP, Gravity Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you wish. Skill level at Mana Manipulation determines final outcome. Variable Cost

Mana Shaping X

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Alter AOE in better, major ways, 100 MP + spellcost

Alter AOE in better, extreme ways, 300 MP + spellcost

Change any spell into an AOE spell, or freely alter the AOE of any AOE spell, 500 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Mana Altering X

Bludgeon, Slash, or Piercing Damage

Force to Light, Blinding, Variable Cost

Invisible Force, Variable Cost

Force to Thunder, Disorient, Variable Cost

Force to Fire, Burn, Variable Cost

Force to Ice, Slow, Variable Cost

Force to Lightning, Paralyze, Variable Cost

Force to Decay, organic damage, Variable Cost x1.5

Chain, Variable Cost x2

Combine Effects, Variable Cost x3

Generate new effects. Variable Cost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Aurify 2

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

You may choose who or what is affected by your aura.

Doubles the range on an Aurified spell.

Exp: 150901/1000000

Cleanse X, instant, short range, 10 MP.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Mend X, instant, touch, 10 MP

Touch a complicated large object, or a small common magical item, and restore it to its prime.

Force Shrapnel X, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 25 + WIL damage in a cone

Invisible Shard Aura, 4 MP per second

A storm of invisible blades surrounds you, dealing 25 + WIL damage.

Radiant Shard Aura, 4 MP per second

A storm of brilliant blades surrounds you, dealing 25 + WIL damage, driving back the darkness and blinding those who would raise their weapons against you.

Telekinesis X, medium range

Move large objects around you for 5 minutes per level of the spell. Fine control. 100 MP

Quickly move large objects around you for 1 minute per level of the spell. Fine control. 50 MP

Scry X, instant, super long range. 10 MP + Variable

Conjure a quick sensor to see a place you have been or have seen

Defend X, 1/10th HP cap

Take 50% less damage for 1 minute, cannot take more than 90% of your HP in damage in 1 hit.

Silent Movement X, 1 HP per meter moved

All actions are muffled.

Swift Movement X, 1 HP per second

Move faster.

Erick finally said, “Wow.” He dismissed the boxes. “You did a LOT out there, didn’t you?”

“I haven’t showed you my Status since well before the Crystal Forest.” Jane smiled, saying, “You’re the one that did a lot while I was out there, Mister Particle Mage.”

Erick joked, “That’s Archmage, to you, young lady.”

Jane scoffed. “I heard… but really, Dad?”

Savral almost scoffed too, but then he stopped; he had looked to Al for confirmation and found it.

Al said, “Normally you’d need to create a tier 9 spell, but creating a whole school of magic is a good workaround to that requirement. Even the Headmaster called him an Archmage, so I think he qualifies for the title.”

Jane nodded slowly, saying, “Tell me everything.”

Al took down the obscuring [Ward]. Poi was outside on the porch, not directly looking inside, but the corners of his eyes were visible. He nodded at Erick through the window, then resumed guarding from the outside.

Jane looked at the sapphire dragonkin. “Starting with him. What’s all that about?”

And so Erick began talking about the previous days. A lot had happened to Spur in the time Jane and Savral had been exploring and plundering the Crystal Forest.

- - - -

By the time lunch was ready, Jane had begun her story of the last several days in the Crystal Forest.

It involved a lot of monster murdering and corpse dismembering.

Erick almost lost his appetite, but Savral knew how to cook; Erick didn't want to put down his not-fork. Jane switched focus to the experience of being in a team with Savral, Lanore, Gorgush, and Ikawa, when she saw she was losing Erick. Erick was thankful for the change of topic. Apparently, Jane really liked being in a team, and Savral liked having her there; so did everyone else.

They might head out to the Underworld next, but that was a trip for the unknown future. The Sewerhouse was almost ready to reopen and Bacci was back in town from her vacation. The team was going their separate ways for the immediate future. Gorgush and Ikawa were talking about creating little gardens; most of the people in town were talking about making small gardens, or working to help the farms expand.

It might be months until the team gets together for another adventure.

“And you never found the Black Spiker?” Erick asked. “Not a single sign, even?”

Jane shook her head. “Wherever the Black Spiker could be, it wasn’t out where we were.”

“We kept a lookout.” Savral said, “Whatever it was, it was likely some monster from Ar’Kendrithyst, fallen or dumped off of the wall and struggling to survive in the Forest. The Shades are always experimenting and dumping failures out every now and then. Almost none of them survive for long in the constant sunlight.”

“Speaking of!” Jane’s eyes lit up. “I need to see Ar’Kendrithyst for myself. I know you don’t want to go right now, Savral, but I need to see the city.”

A cold yawning chasm opened up in Erick’s heart. He stilled, rather than lash out. That would have been disastrous. But Jane had heard the stories of the danger lurking inside the Dead City, probably more stories than Erick had. How could she consider going in there when she was on a Shade’s shitlist?

But Erick said nothing. Not yet; not while cold and anger swirled inside.

“You can’t go.” Savral said, “Once you’re on a Shade’s kill list, you’ve entered into the greater drama of the Dead City. Some of them would want to kill you; others help you. No group would take you because the smart adventurers are all about killing the monsters and getting rads and then getting the fuck out of there before the Shades notice them.”

Jane nodded. “So what? I’ll go on my own if I have to. Maybe even taunt Bulgan into a fight. Kill him and get myself off their kill list. That’s an easy solution.”

Al spoke, stopping Erick and Savral from jumping to speak, “Do not think you have the power to kill a Shade, Jane Flatt. Some of those monsters are ancient. Even the youngest have killed more stupid adventurers than you have slain monsters these past days. Especially do not forget that the reprisal for murdering one of their own is far greater than you have the ability to stop.”

“That’s why it won’t be a murder; It’ll be a duel to the death.” Jane stared, saying, “If these ‘Shades’ are anything like who Bulgan was before, then I know I can cut a swath through at least one of them without the rest swarming.” As she spoke, her eyes began to glow blue. “Besides! Do you want someone like Bulgan growing to full power inside there? Someone who knows enough about Spur and the rest of the towns around here to call the Wrath of Darkness down upon us all? Right now he’s plotting to murder all of Spur, and especially Frontier! All he needs is time to prepare to strike. I don’t plan to give him that time! Do you?”

Savral made an objection. Al backed up his son. Jane rebutted their complaints, her eyes glowing the whole time. Somewhere in the argument Jane had stood up, and so had Savral. Erick held himself back, unsure how to stop her from getting herself killed.

In a lull in the argument, Erick broke his silence, “I don’t want to see you die, Jane.” He couldn’t stop her, but maybe he could limit some of her more dangerous tendencies. “Promise me that you won’t do this until you’re absolutely sure that you’re doing the correct thing.”

Jane stared, blue light slowly leaving her brown eyes. She nodded. She said, “Of course, Dad. I wasn’t going in there tomorrow. Maybe not for years.” She looked to Al and Savral. “But the problem of Bulgan is not going to go away.”

Silence stretched.

Erick got up, and went to the door to the porch. Poi was still out there.

Erick opened the door, and said, “Hey, Poi. Sorry if I’m not doing this right. Do you want to come inside?”

“No thank you, sir. I’m perfectly fine out here.”

“Ah. Okay. Let me ask a different way. As a person in Spur’s army, please come inside and give me your appraisal of my daughter’s plan to lure Bulgan out with a duel challenge, and what it would mean if she won, or if she lost. Just… A general risk assessment. Is this a bad idea? Or a good idea? Also!” He tried to smile and knew he failed. “Please come meet my daughter.”

Poi looked over Erick’s shoulder, at Jane. She stood away from the table.

Jane frowned at Poi.

Poi walked past Erick, into the apartment, saying, “Greetings, Jane Flatt. I am a bodyguard assigned to your father. There have been a few attempts on his life so far, but we estimate there will be many more, and that eventually the whole of Spur will need to be involved to defend your father. Though that is a worst case scenario that we have in place for many citizens; not just your father.”

Jane blanched.

Erick almost blanched too. The whole of Spur? When did that happen?

But that didn’t matter. Jane looked to be cycling up for another round of well-reasoned arguments.

Erick started before she could, “I’m going to learn some defensive spells and get some levels. I’ve already decided to take Mog’s classes, though I have no idea what those are, or what it all means. But Poi and the rest of them are already taking good care of me.”

He waited for Jane to say something, but she did not. She nodded with the professionalism of a soldier.

Poi began, “Your idea has merit. We have had to kill off problematic Shades before, but it is not something that is done on a whim, or without proper preparation. Bulgan is indeed one such Shade that we would like to see dead. He has been making enemies and allies inside the Dead City. He is gearing up for something. We believe that it is a push against Frontier’s adventuring community, and then against the city itself. Only then will he come for Spur, but he will come. Of that we have no doubt.”

Savral and Al cursed.

Poi continued, “If you were to challenge him right now you would die. But also, a challenge from you would likely be the only way we could draw him, and only him, out into the open. I’ve already briefed Killzone about your idea. He approves of your basic idea. But you need experience in the actual city before anyone would agree to you poking the dragon’s nest of Ar’Kendrithyst.”

Erick asked, “You already briefed Killzone?”

“Yes, sir. I almost always have [Scry] and [Telepathy] active, as well as a few other low cost threat assessment skills. Briefing my superiors about potential dangers to Spur is a necessary duty of any soldier.”

Jane said, “Did you know you have a spy in your employ, Dad?”

“I am not a spy, young mistress. I am a soldier in Spur’s Army, just like your father, and it is my duty to protect the citizens of this fair city from the Dead City.”

Erick lied. “Of course I knew. That’s why I asked for his opinion. I just didn’t think it would happen this fast.”

Savral, Al, and Jane all eyed him.

“… What!”

Savral and Al said nothing.

Jane said, “Well. Fine. Whatever.” Jane turned toward Savral. “Your team is done adventuring, for now, right? You wouldn’t want to go in there with me?”

“Absolutely not.” Savral said, “You’re good, Jane. You really are. But the locals only antagonize the city so much; we know when to stop. As a matter of fact. If this is your plan, and Killzone has already given you preliminary approval, you need to move out of the Sewerhouse. Today. Both of you.”

Al immediately disagreed, “What! No. They— Okay. Jane probably should, but Erick doesn’t have to go.”

“Jane should go, but I shouldn’t?” Erik felt a pang of hurt at that. “Really?”

Jane was furious.

“Fuckin’ fine!” Jane said, “Let’s go, Dad. Right now. Fuck you too, Savral.”

“By Rozeta!” Savral paced, pointing south to Ar’Kendrithyst, saying, “You just don’t get it, do you? You’re talking about poking the Dead City, and the Dead City always pokes back. We run the adventurers who are stupid enough to antagonize the Shades out of town. That’s why there’s an approval process to enter the city. I’ve seen Shades chase fools down crystal boulevards and spray them across ten city blocks. I’ve seen Ar’Kendrithyst’s walls turn dark with a Shade’s black eyes, and giant mouths call out the names of those they’re willing to leave the city to collect. I’ve even seen shadowspiders clamber through the streets of Spur, taking a Shade’s vengeance out on some stupid out-of-towner foolish enough to talk to the wrong shadows. You saw the shadowcats, and then fought against them! We’re not untouchable.”

Jane stood mollified. She said, “You’re right. That was unkind of me. I’m sorry. But I’m still going to kill Bulgan if I ever see him. I won’t rest easy until I know that I’m leaving my father somewhere safe, and as long as Bulgan is alive, Spur is extra unsafe.”

“Then you need to leave the Sewerhouse. I won’t put my father in danger, either.”

Jane moved toward the door. “You’re right. Neither of you have any part in this, and it would be wrong of me to involve you.” She bowed deeply to Al. “Thank you for your hospitality, Sewermaster Al Noraki. Savral Noraki.” She stood tall. “It was an absolute pleasure to live under your roof, Al, and to adventure with you, Savral.” She sniffed. She turned and walked out to the porch, then [Blink]ed out of sight.

Erick was still in the apartment. He turned to Al—

Al said, “You should go with your daughter. You’re going to that house you’re working on in the Human District, right? It’s a good choice. Do you mind if I come stay a few days and help you put it together right?”

Erick felt warmth unfold inside of his stomach, chasing the cold away.

Erick said, “I’d like that, a whole lot. And I’m still your apprentice! You still gotta show me how the Sewerhouse works so I can give you a vacation some time.”

Al smiled, warmth filling eyes so dark green they were almost black. “Yeah. I do, don’t I?”

“I’ll see you later.”

- - - -

Three seconds after walking onto the porch, Erick turned around.

“Shit. I forgot everything. Uh. I’ll just… Uh…”

He began walking around, gathering up the small things he had accumulated so far. Another set of clothes. Jane’s stuff she left in her room. Neither of them had much to show. Jane had already stored all of the irreplaceables in the Mage Guild Bank, like her phone and her charger and other earthly possessions. There wasn’t much in the apartment besides—

Erick looked at the planets he had set on holders on the wall.

Al said, “I’ll bring those to you.”

Erick turned to him. “Thank you, Al.”

- - - -

Erick [Blink]ed onto the ground next to Jane. She was waiting by her cart. Erick gently placed their stuff on the part without the moving lumps.

Jane’s face was red, but if there had been tears, she had rubbed them away already.

She said, “The Adventurer’s Guild’s hotel is a gold a night, but they’re worth it and I have the money.”

Erick smiled, turning north east toward the Human District. “I started [Mend]ing a house yesterday. Didn’t think we’d need it so soon, but after we spend a few thousand more mana to fix it up all the way, we can sleep there. And hey! I got [Stoneshape] to fix the smaller problems that might arise. We’ll [Ward] ourselves up, anyway. We’ll be fine.”

Erick looked at his daughter, and she looked away, to the south, to the mountainous walls of the Dead City.

Jane whispered, “[Ward] every night~” like it was a mantra she had formed habits around.

- - - -

The Human District was as flat as before, save for Erick’s melted sandcastle house, and the not-a-dick mages’ house. Theirs was a boxy structure, now, with two square towers on either side and a three tiered house in the middle, with porches and verandas up past the first floor.

“Nice house over there.” Jane said, “Ours is the stone pile, isn’t it.”

“You are quite correct! Our neighbors are pretty nice people. I told you about them? The three mages from Oceanside?”

Jane pulled her cart behind her as the both of them went to the pile of orange rock walls.

Erick said, “The neighbors are all alchemist adventurers. Or maybe just Ramizi. Maybe they could help with your [Polymorph] problem—” Erick was about to say more, but then he remembered that the Mage Trio was raring to go into Ar’Kendrithyst. So instead he said, “I visited them yesterday. They served not-tomato cake, and it was as good as cherry cheesecake. Maybe better.”

Jane smiled. “Sounds nice.”

Erick and Jane trundled up to their property. The orange pile looked most the same as it did before.

She said, “This is pretty big, Dad. You sure about this?”

Erick looked Jane. “I think I am. I’m going to be entertaining guests and if I don’t have space for you and all your adventuring buddies, then what good is anywhere I choose?”

Jane held back, silent and staring at the orange stone. She breathed in, then out, deep, calming breaths. She said, “You’re right. This is going to be good. And it’s free! So the price is right.”

“There’s taxes, I’m sure.” Erick said, “Those’ll be a kick in the nards.”

Jane snorted. She dropped the handle on her cart, and said, “Let’s get to [Mend]ing!”

Erick walked over to the nearest wall and began turning the orange wall into a slightly taller orange wall. “Al said he’d be around sometime to help fix it all up and stay a few days, too. I’ll ask him about his [Ward]ing schemes, then.”

Jane [Mend]ed as she replied, “I’m sorry about that, Dad. I shouldn’t have blown up at Savral. Or Al.”

“I don’t think you hurt me, at all. I can live wherever. But you certainly kicked your own future’s ass.”

She nodded. She stopped.

Erick continued to [Mend], keeping Jane in the corner of his eye.

She smiled wide, and looked up at the orange stone. “I could do that! Right.”

Erick stopped. “Do what?”

“I’ll show you.”

She walked through where the front door would have been, and stood in the middle of the front room. Erick began meditating. He saw the flows of mana all around her, curling into—

Jane radiated power that washed around the house, spilling through reforming walls and up through recreated ceilings. Mana flowed out of her, all around, freely touching upon what was not there and bringing orange stone back into where it had once been, long ago.

In 6 seconds, the house was back to most of its former glory.

One large tower facing south toward Ar’Kendrithyst. A shorter tower on the north side of the house, only two stories tall. A multi-tiered house with verandas and porches stretched between the towers, taller toward the southern side. It was almost the same style as the Mage Trio’s house, if a bit bigger, and partially melted here and there in the smaller details.

Jane breathed hard from the front room.

Erick asked, “What the fuck was that!”

Jane laughed loud, then said, “[Mend] as an AOE spell with Mana Shaping X, Aurified, and a smaller application of Mana Shaping to focus the spell on the walls. Even made a tier 2 spell out of it.” She pushed a blue box Erick’s way. “Looks good, yeah?”

Mend Structure Aura, long range, 550 MP per second

Restore a very large, very complicated, non-magical structure to its prime. Time since the structure was destroyed may alter final results. This spell automatically adjusts its area of effect and range to maximize its ability to repair.

Erick smiled. “You’re a lot better at this world’s magic than I am.”

Jane laughed. “Whatever you say, Archmage!”

“You’re right!” Erick acted smug. “I noticed you don’t have any tier 3 spells. Such a slacker! You’re missing out on 2 ability points.”

“Shit. You’re right.” Jane played along. “All bow down before the master archmage!”

“Thank you, thank you. I accept oaths of loyalty and bribes of coffee.”

Suddenly serious, Jane said, “I need you to [Grow] me coffee, Dad.”

“Oh my GODS yes. I need coffee too. I have a long mental list and coffee is on that list.”

“I’m still waiting on those potatoes, too. I wasn’t kidding about that.”

Erick looked up at the house, then to the left, at a flat orange surface large enough for many various things. “We have room for a garden. Gonna have to turn that stone into dirt, though. Not sure about how that works.” Erick turned to Poi. “Any ideas?”

“The sewers are 10 meters down; everything else is rocky soil except for the first 3 meters below the city’s surface. That space is solid stone and already plumbed to wick water away from the city and into the sewers. [Stoneshape] in the streets or past 1 meter depth is illegal, but you are able to turn the stone in your front yard to sand, and then enrich that sand into soil however you feel you can. You can buy compost or soil from the Farmer’s Market to speed up the process. I would suggest adding a drain to whatever growing field you choose to create, especially if you’re going to rain for a whole day.”

“Thank you, Poi.” Erick said, “Hear that?”

Jane called out from somewhere inside, “Can’t hear you! Exploring!”

Erick decided to go explore his new house, too.

An hour later Al showed up and helped Erick and Jane fix the little melted bits that remained from Jane’s new spell. Al was impressed, though. As a generalized reconstruction spell, Jane’s spell was one of the better ones Al had seen. She could hire herself out for multiple gold a day with that spell, if she wanted. Some adventurer in town was always damaging something somewhere, after all.

As Al worked, Erick was falling in love with his new house.

Ceilings tall enough for an orcol, amenities sized for humans, all the ambiance of stone. Orange and yellow stone walls, all bright and happy. This was the best interior of house he had ever owned. Al even did a little plumbing, though there was no turning any of it off; water pressure kept water flowing up from down below, through two fountains and down the drains. One fountain in the kitchen, the other in what would become the garden area. Al even adjusted the front yard for a garden. It was sand right now, but that would change with a trip to the Farmer’s Market.

Standing outside, Erick just stared at the exterior of the house for a while.

He was in love. After a lot more fussing from Jane, she was in love, too.

Jane wanted ‘Victorian Architecture’. Al had never heard of ‘Victorian Architecture’. Eventually Al had given up trying to understand Jane and just did what he knew how to do; he was an accredited Stonemage after all. He had done houses in every popular style of the last hundred years. ‘Victorian’ was kind of like ‘Newood’. Whatever it was or wasn’t, the style Al chose was close enough to what Jane wanted that she was happy, and therefore Erick was happy. Al wasn’t exactly happy; Jane kept asking him to fix small details.

But the style was good for rainy climates!

Al was happier when Erick said he was buying dinner.

Jane insisted that no, she was buying dinner. She had found two thousand, three hundred and fifty gold in rads, out in the desert. She was flush with cash… for now. Gaining the [Polymorph] skill would likely cost her 1500G.

031

Erick’s first night in his stone house was a lot easier after Al installed proper bathroom fixtures. Having a working toilet, even if it was just a raised hole in the ground with water running across the bottom, was a good thing. No sink or shower, though. Only [Cleanse]. That was probably the hardest thing to adjust to, when it came to living in Spur.

In other, non desert cities, there might be cisterns in every building, or fresh water pumped in from reservoirs; Spur only had extra running water 3 months out of the year. Al would have to go around town and shut off three out of every four water sources in 45 days, when the underground water table usually dropped.

But that was a problem for the future. The people in the Courthouse were already thinking of extra ways to capture Erick’s rain. Reservoirs were already being built; Al had worked on a few of them, in fact.

The next morning everyone went their separate ways. Jane to her guild to do some adventurey stuff and buy kitchen things. Al back to work. Erick went to the Mage guild for some odd jobs and to meet more of the locals. Watching Jane whip out that big [Mend] spell lit a fire in him; his own [Mend] was still almost a thousand casts from level 10.

Erick's jobs took him to the Atriz Household, where the pinkscale nanny Redalia was all too happy to receive him. She was more reserved than normal, and her five charges were the same; they were screaming, playing, until Erick showed up, then they were silent, hiding around corners and peeking out when Erick wasn’t looking. Erick [Cleanse]d their house, and [Mend]ed several broken toys.

Eventually, Redalia confessed, “I cannot believe that you are still doing these jobs, Archmage.”

Erick smiled. “How else would I get to know my neighbors?”

“Still… Thank you for your assistance.” Redalia glanced behind her. Her kids were quietly staring at Erick from around a door. Redalia whispered behind a raised hand, “I don’t have to use The Cage when you’re here. It’s a nice change.”

His jobs took him to new neighbors. To people he had seen on the streets but never spoken to.

His jobs took him to people he knew, but did not know where they lived. Like Anhelia’s house, which was in a mixed district of dragonkin and incani. She welcomed him with a smile and a tray of purple plum cookies, and the task of [Mend]ing a sitting room with glass antique cases that a client had destroyed in anger. She tipped him an extra gold.

Everyone wanted to talk, to chat, to shoot the shit. It was nice. Erick felt like he was really a part of the town. But everyone wanted to know why he was still doing these jobs.

“There’s a lot of jobs on those boards! Someone has to do them.”

“Well that’s alright, I suppose. Here: I just finished making these cakes/pies/cookies, have some.”

Erick didn’t need to eat lunch after his morning of indulgence. Instead, he went straight to the woodworkers in town to buy some furniture. Sleeping on beds Jane made from [Conjure Item] was alright, for a short while, but it was not a long term solution. He needed more kitchen stuff, too, but Jane was going after all that, except for the stove. Al had gifted Erick the stove they had used in their apartment.

Erick wandered down to the working side of the city, near the east gate. Over here the buildings were much larger; the space necessary for larger industries like metal working and furniture making. Erick soon found what he was looking for: A warehouse kind of store with wooden furniture displayed on the outside and half of its land dedicated to [Grow]ing specific strains of trees.

In the middle of the woodworkers store, Erick felt a pang of happiness. He did not realize how happy he would be buying new furniture. There were beds and chairs and tables and everything else to get! And the process they used to make the furniture was also quite captivating. Erick watched workers [Grow] trees and then chop them down, to slice them into planks with metal tools and bring the whole thing together with [Woodshape], which was a tier 2 spell combining [Watershape] and [Grow].

A greenscale man walked over to Erick. “How can I help you, Archmage Flatt?”

“I have no idea! This is all quite fascinating to watch!” Erick paused. He said, “No. Wait. Yes. I came here for furniture. How does that work? I see you have wares for sale, but I’m looking to outfit a whole house.”

“New place? Never been furnished?”

Erick smirked. “The rumor mill is well informed.”

“It’s not that large of a town.” Greenscale smiled, then said, “Either you can pick out what you want and the guys will deliver it to you, or we can come and check the place out and give you an estimate for the whole property. We do everything, from cabinets to beds to sofas to bookcases; any wooden furniture you could possibly want.”

“How much for two— No. Three bedrooms. Three beds like that one.” Erick pointed at a king sized bed, well made, thick and sturdy, like the orcol-furniture at Al’s place. “And some dressers like that one. Probably just six pieces of furniture right now.”

“35 G per bedroom set, which includes a bed like that, one of those dressers, some tables of assorted sizes that can either remain tables or become simple writing desks, and your choice of bookshelves or shelves. Mattresses and other cloth products are not included. Would you be interested in a dining room set, too?”

Seemed expensive, but reasonable. Better than clothing prices on Market Street. He was buying nice furniture, after all. How much did a mattress cost, though?

Erick said, “I am interested in a dining room set, but I don’t see anything I like except your beds and dressers. I’m going to shop around and be back later.”

Greenscale countered, “32 G per bedroom set. Dining room set for 30; draw up any design you want. My people can work with you on site through all the pieces you purchase. You won’t get a better deal in Spur, or a faster job done. We can do the whole thing in a week and move everything there ourselves.”

Erick glanced toward Poi.

Poi nodded, oh so little that it was hard to tell he nodded at all.

Erick told Greenscale, “Sold.”

Greenscale smiled wide. “Half up front, half upon completion.”

Erick scrunched his face. “Is that normal?”

Poi said, “Yes, sir.”

Greenscale moved toward the cashier’s desk, saying, “I can draw up the paperwork right now.”

Erik followed him to the register. “Where would I find mattresses and such?”

“We work with them, all the time.” Greenscale pointed out the front door, to across the street. “The mattresses in the store here are theirs; they have more products you might like.”

Erick smiled wide. “Very good!”

- - - -

Erick spent way too much money.

And then he turned to Poi, and said, “I forgot to buy your stuff.”

“No need, sir. I can furnish my own living quarters; I already have various things I can bring to your home from the barracks.”

“Really?” Erick said, “I feel like I’m using you. It’s not a good feeling.”

“Speaking of, sir. We should drop by both the Farmer’s Council and the Courthouse to finalize some details on your terms of employment.”

Erick grumbled. “You think I’m being used, too.”

“In the same way any responsible member of society is used by the rest of us.”

“Hmm. Well. I suppose that’s not bad, then.”

Erick headed toward the Courthouse.

- - - -

Erick read through the contract for the third time. It wasn’t very long; only three pages of normal sized script. But it was hand written, like all of the books and papers and everything else he had seen on all his time on Veird, and Hera’s handwriting was a bit… loopy. Nice to look at; hard to read.

He set the contract down. He said, “Let me make sure I am understanding all of this correctly: I get paid 20G per day, and then 5% of the taxes gathered from farmland rentals, paid monthly. I am expected to provide 24 hours of rain per tenday week, however the Farmer’s Council decides to split the hours. Meat sales are different, as we don’t know if they’ll be monstrous or not. If they are monstrous, then I will be getting 5% of the profit of all monster meat sales raised on the farms— The deal I already worked out with the Farmer’s Council. If the meat is not monstrous, then that whole system will be scrapped, and all I get is 5% of the farmland tax.”

Hera and Silverite sat across the table.

On his side of the table, Erick sat with Al.

Erick had swung by the Sewerhouse and asked Al to come along, and reading these terms, it was a good thing he did. Al didn’t speak, but he didn’t need to; Erick saw the annoyance written on his brown-green orcol face.

He asked, “How much in taxes does the current growing season generate? How much is 5%, each quarter?”

Hera looked over some paperwork in front of her, and said, “Spur rents 10 by 10 plots of land for 1 silver per day in the water season to anyone who wants a plot of land and proves themselves able to utilize that land for the benefit of the city. The Farmer’s Council currently owns all 922 farm contracts, and they pay Spur 92 gold each day for that privilege, or roughly 8300 gold per water season.

“They make about 20 times that amount, or something like 160000 gold, divided however they divide it among all of their roughly 300 people. For three months of back breaking work, each of those people makes 550 gold on average, or 6 gold per day. But the cost for itinerant farmers to live in Spur is roughly 2 gold a day. So the average take is 380 gold per 3 month season, per person.” Hera paused.

Hera said, “But that’s for the farmers. For you, right now, 5% of Spur’s farmland rental taxes, paid monthly, would be 138 gold. With the expansion of the farms expected to add 5 more 9 square kilometer blocks of farmland, for…” She read over her notes. “A total of about 5400 ten by ten plots, or 540 gold per day in taxes, for a 30 day 5% cut of … 810 gold.” Hera looked up from the papers, and smiled. She quickly added, “As long as things work out like we think they’ll work out, you will get an additional 810 gold per month in addition to the guaranteed 600 you get from the 20G daily pay… in addition to whatever monster meat deals might occur outside of the scope of this contract.”

Erick sat back for a moment.

“Those are certainly a lot of numbers. Thank you for them. But.” Erick said, “I don’t know what sort of deals most of the people get around Spur, but this offer seems a bit low considering I have been working in the Sewerhouse for a while. I know how much that public office creates, and Al’s cut is 25%. 5% in farmland taxes? For 3 more quarters of growing season? How about 25%.”

Silverite said, “You have to understand that Al does—”

“40%” Erick replied.

Silverite said, “What you have to understand, is that you will be devaluing a great deal of that work. Many people will—”

“Fif—”

“No. Archmage Flatt.” Determination steeled Silverite’s voice, “Do not test me on this. Please. Let me finish.”

Maybe he was pushing too hard? Erick nodded, letting Silverite have the floor.

“Thank you.” Silverite continued, softer than before. “If this works, we are going to transition into something more sustainable. What you have to understand, is that you are simultaneously creating a great opportunity, as well as devaluing a current way of life. And I mean that very literally. The 810 gold per month Hera stated is based on current operations. The 1 silver price for a plot of land will likely drop to 5 copper, or less, meaning you would get an extra 400G per month.

“The harvests will come slower and more methodical, with active harvests occurring only during your rain, instead of ripping everything we can out of the land, though I’m sure some of that will still happen. If Spur can become a year round breadbasket of the area, trade routes will open. We’re not the only city out here in the Crystal Forest. Not only are Frontier and Kal’Duresh looking to purchase food, so are many other places. Like Vindin to the far north, and Outpost to the north west.

“We will be transitioning into something better for everyone, and a much higher population. This means Spur will need money to pay people in the Courthouse and the Army, and especially in the Guard. Don’t forget: we’re going to need to protect all that new land out there. Monsters crawl out of the Forest all the time. Spur is expanding, Archmage. This is going to take a lot of money and we are going to get most of this money from farmland revenue, until we can transition to a more stable adventuring-based economy. Please don’t butcher the golden chicken, looking for eggs that aren’t there yet.

“And don’t forget: This entire system might not work. This is a very unstable proposition, because it all depends on one person. This all depends on you.”

Erick looked at Al. He wasn’t frowning anymore. Al nodded.

Erick said, “I hear what you’re saying. 10%”

Silverite countered, “7% and no more.” She added, “And keep this close to your heart: if people come here and try to set up a life and you fail them, I won’t be able to save you from a mob of angry farmers. I’ll try, but I won’t be able to. No one will.”

“… Deal.”

Erick held out his hand. Silverite shook it, as Hera made adjustments to the contract.

Silverite signed first. Erick signed second.

Silverite sat back, gently smiling. “Thank you for coming to Spur, Erick. This old city is going to see some major changes going forward. So take care of yourself!”

“Thank you, Silverite.” Erick paused, realizing there was something else to ask Silverite. “Do you know about the [Polymorph] spell? My daughter is thinking about becoming a Polymage.”

She hummed in silent thought.

Erick added, “She took Scion of Balance yesterday, if that makes a difference.”

“Scion of Balance makes a major difference.” Silverite nodded, saying, “Advise her to put all her extra points into Willpower from now on. Polymage is a good Class, if you can navigate the troubles of changing your body into monstrous forms. 25 Willpower is the minimum safe number, but 30 to 35 is a much better range. Does she already have [Polymorph]?”

“I’ll tell her that.” Erick smiled. “And no, she does not. She captured some juvenile mimics from the Forest and she’s taking them to an alchemist, but I’m not sure what happens past that point.”

“I’m sure she can find the relevant people in the Adventurer’s District. How is Poi working out for you?”

Poi was outside of the room right now.

Erick said, “He’s great. Already picked out a room in the house.”

“Would you be opposed to a few more guards stationed in your home?”

Erick felt a chill. “… Do I need them?”

“Only if you want them. Poi was stationed in and out of Ar’Kendrithyst for the last several years; there are more like him who would prefer to have some quiet downtime outside of the Dead City, and yet remain employed in the Army, without having to reposition to the Guard during their leave.”

“I’ll think about it.” Erick stood. “Timetable for rain is still up to the Council, correct?”

“Correct. Good day, Erick.”

“Good day to you, too.”

Erick collected Poi in the hallway, and together with Al, they left the Courthouse.

- - - -

Halfway down the Courthouse steps, Erick asked Poi, “Do you have any friends that would like a… a vacation? I guess? In my house? Silverite put forth that some other soldiers would like some downtime without having to transition out of the Army.”

Poi smiled. “I know several people who would appreciate such ‘time off’.”

“Not too many, though.” Erick frowned. “This is all kinda weird for me and Silverite suggesting I needed more guards is kinda freaking me out.”

“I understand, sir.”

Al nudged Erick. “You’re going to be as rich as me! Stop worrying and enjoy it all, already.”

Erick tried to smile. But instead, he said, “I get the distinct feeling that the one incident Killzone told me about was the only incident that was palatable enough to tell me about.”

Al laughed, then slapped Erick on the back. “You worry too much! But we can do some [Ward] work and get you some of the better [Ward]s. Maybe this will make you feel better? And if not: there is always beer!”

Erick chuckled. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”

Poi remained silent.

- - - -

The three of them stood outside of Erick’s house, in the vast, open stone fields of the Human District.

Several glittering white spherical [Ward]s were scattered around, alongside several glittering no-color [Ward]s. Al tossed a stone into his no-color [Ward]. The stone caught on gravity and flowed around the spherical space, bobbing back and forth through the air, eventually settling into a hover in the middle of the sphere.

Al tossed a stone into the white [Ward].

The stone bounced right back out.

Al did not yell, but he did speak loudly, “I do not understand how you are this bad at [Ward]ing. I don’t understand how anyone is this bad. This is basic spellwork.”

“I’m feeling some deja vu, aren’t you?”

Al went silent, staring at Erick. Al walked away.

Erick didn’t try to stop Al. He went back to his [Ward] work. Meditation kept his mana higher than it would have been; Clarity ensured the whole endeavor was a lot cheaper than otherwise.

Ward X, instant, short range, 24 hours

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Create a Large Ward that can have Large Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 35 MP + Z

Create a Ward with another Spell attached to the interior. Spell activation based on Z invested into Ward. 100 MP + Z

Your Wards regenerate Z based on your Rested MP regen rate.

Special Wards can be made Permanent. 250 MP + Variable Cost

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Large Effects: Drain Hostile HP/MP, Gravity Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you wish. Skill level at Mana Manipulation determines final outcome. Variable Cost

It truly was an ungodly large blue box.

Erick dismissed the box and went back to trying to making a proper [Gravity Ward]. [Gravity Ward] was a weird kind of magic, and that made Erick hesitant. Usually, when he tried to do weird magic, it worked out for him. It usually worked out too well.

The problem with [Gravity Ward] is that he didn’t want to accidentally create a miniature black hole.

Erick whispered a small prayer to Rozeta, “Rozeta, if you can hear this, I do not want to create a black hole. Do not let this happen.”

[Gravity Ward].

A glittering white sphere appeared in front of Erick. He waited. He watched.

Success! No black hole!

Erick picked up a stone and tossed it into the sphere.

It fell through the sphere and clattered against the ground. Nothing else happened. He threw another stone into the sphere. More clattering. Again, nothing. More stones indicated that the [Gravity Ward] might look like it was there, but it wasn’t actually doing anything at all.

Hmm.

[Gravity Ward].

He tossed a stone into the new [Gravity Ward]. This one caught on something and gently fell up, then hit the top of the [Ward] and fell back down. The stone proceeded to roll across the edge of the spherical [Ward] until clattering back to the ground.

Erick chuckled.

Al was angry that Erick couldn’t work a proper [Gravity Ward]. Possibly more angry than he had been when Erick failed at lightwarding, weeks ago, the day after the attack on the Sewerhouse.

Erick couldn’t work [Gravity Ward] properly, but magic was still truly wondrous. He had cast both of his most recent [Gravity Ward]s with the basic idea of ‘pulling everything toward the center’. Whatever changed from the first to the second, or through the 7 he had made previous, was beyond Erick. He thought he had done every single one the same, but apparently he hadn’t.

Thankfully, though, nothing like a black hole had formed. That would have been terrifying. The whole [Gravity Ward] experience was kinda terrifying enough as it was.

Maybe he should move on to something else for a little while. He hadn’t tried wardlights any time recently. Those had been fun. Now he had [Ward X] and a whole lot more experience with magic. Maybe this time would be different?

Now… How did this go? Have an idea and flash out 50 mana, quick as a whip?

[Special Ward].

A brilliant white, head-sized orb appeared in front of Erick, spilling radiance across the orange and yellow stone ground. Erick smiled at the lightward. It worked. It worked, perfectly.

[Special Ward].

Another brilliant white lightorb appeared. Good. Good. Let’s try for something slightly different.

[Special Ward].

A brilliant sunlight orb appeared, a replica of the sun above, done in miniature. Erick looked as close as he could without blinding himself, but could swear that there were eddies of yellow-orange light on the lightward’s surface, and maybe even miniature solar flares.

[Special Ward].

Another sunlight orb.

[Special Ward].

Another sunlight orb.

“Ha ha! I got it!”

… And now for something slightly more different. Erick focused on the same process, but smashed the idea with a shattering hammer at the last moment.

A shattered sunorb appeared, fractal at the edges and glittering sunlight in all directions as it gently moved around itself, like some kind of crazy three dimensional kaleidoscope. It was even better than the one he had accidentally made during his failed lightwarder test; this one moved upon itself!

“I love it.” Erick said, “This is amazing. Good job, Magic.”

One more test to go. Erick focused the color blue, then took a mental step to the left, away from the reds and yellows, toward the shorter wavelengths of light, just past the visible.

[Special Ward].

A pale blue orb appeared, misty and insubstantial. He looked at his tunic; no glow. Erick realized the problem. The sun was high in the sky—

“No wait! No problem at all.”

[Stoneshape].

Erick pulled up a clump of stone and formed it into a thin sheet, dense enough to block the sun, wide enough to block a lot of light. One clump didn’t go very far. So he brought up four clumps and turned them into more stone sheets. He held them around himself and the blue orb, blocking out a lot of the sun.

“Success!” Erick cackled with laughter, “I did it!”

His off-white tunic was glowing in the light of the blacklight orb. Erick pushed the stone sheets into the ground and stepped away from his blacklight orb. And then he scratched his head.

It could be a fluke.

He looked at the lightwards he had made. Every orb came out exactly how he wanted. But to be sure, he created another blacklight orb, and another fractured sun ‘orb’. They appeared, exactly how Erick wanted them to appear.

Something had changed. It was a lot easier to make the kinds of lightwards he wanted. Maybe it was all the practice he had gotten in with his daily personal absorption [Ward]. Maybe it was the fact that [Ward] had reached level 10. Something had changed, and Erick had no idea what.

“Whatever! It’s magic! Magic can be mysterious. It can have secrets.”

Erick liked it that way.

[Gravity Ward].

Erick threw a stone into the fresh [Ward]. It lazily caught on some hidden current and drifted toward the center, to rest there. To outside observers it looked like it was hovering, but to the rock, it probably seemed at rest.

Ah!

That’s a better way to think about it. No black holes here. Just higher potential energy on the edge of the [Ward], and 0 potential energy in the center. Let’s not touch any thoughts of ‘gravitons’ or ‘the higgs particle’.

[Gravity Ward].

This time the rock he threw ‘fell’ straight to the center of the gravity ward, and after wobbling for a bit, stayed there, looking to all outside observers like it was hovering.

“Cool.” Erick said, “Now Al said to try with a Mana Shaping to bring the ‘center’ of the well to a point easy to reach from outside of the [Gravity Ward]. I also need to be able to designate specific objects.”

Erick watched the flow of mana, imagining it catching only what he wanted caught, and bringing those objects to a point at the edge of a warped [Ward]. Mana moved through the air as Erick began to cast.

Mana Shaping.

[Gravity Ward].

A cone with a rounded bottom appeared, the cone point pointed at Erick. Erick walked to the side, studying the space with Meditation active. Streamers of mana were flowing through the weird cone [Ward] and stopping at the point.

Erick picked up a stone and tossed it into the [Ward]. The stone hit the edge and flowed through the space well enough, but it started whipping around as it got closer to the cone’s point. It flung out of the [Gravity Ward] well before it reached 0 potential energy.

Erick looked at his mana. He was kinda low. If he had Scion of Focus, he would already be full; he wouldn’t need to stop to Rest. But he had enough mana left for two more spells. Maybe he could solve his [Gravity Ward] problem now that he knew what to aim for.

Erick experimented with cutting the personal gravity of everything in the space to a lot less than what they actually had, to make them practically weightless, so that they moved slow enough to not fling themselves out of the [Ward]. He combined this with the differences in potential energy from the outside edge to designated sink, to be as little as possible, so that there would be no stones or anything whipping around.

[Gravity ward].

Erick threw a stone into the [Ward]. The stone caught, and slowly flowed down to the designated catch at the side of the [Gravity Ward]. But something didn’t feel right. He had to test this [Gravity Ward] with other objects, but all he had were rocks. He had to improvise.

Haoock—ptew!

Erick spat into the [Ward]. His loogie caught, and sunk down to the gravity sink.

“Ah. Not exactly what I wanted.”

That [Gravity Ward] worked out well enough, but it caught everything, and thus it was a failure.

And with that thought, Erick created the next [Gravity Ward] with the idea of focusing on decreasing the mass of everything with a specific gravity, like only light things turned near-weightless, or only heavy stone turned near-weightless, and thus only those specific things were slowly drawn to the designated 0 potential energy well in the [Ward].

[Gravity Ward].

A blue box appeared.

Gravity Strainer, instant, medium range, 65 mana, 1 hour duration.

Conjure a large, freely moldable space where specific objects turn near-weightless and fall to a designated point.

“Ah ha!” Erick said, “I got it, Poi! [Gravity Strainer].”

Poi said, “Very good, sir.”

Erick threw a stone into the [Ward] he had just created. The stone floated to the sink.

He hocked another loogie into the space, and his spit just fell right through.

“Success!” Erick paused. “Ah. Hmm.”

He realized he was still missing something else to complete his apprenticeship with Al. His [Cleanse Aura]. But his [Cleanse] wasn’t even 10 yet.

… It wasn’t even level 8 yet. It was almost there, but not quite. [Mend] wasn’t even 10 yet; it was only 8.

… He could work both of those later.

Right now, he had to go shove [Gravity Strainer] in Al’s face. Bad at [Ward] work? Bah! Look at that fractured sun lightorb. Look at that blacklight orb. Look at this [Gravity Strainer]! Bad at magic? Bah! Al was a bad teacher!

… Erick was probably a bad student, too, so… There’s that.

- - - -

Erick sat down on a stone stool, on one side of a stone table. Al sat on the other side.

Al stared at Erick’s spell. He had been making adjustments to the kitchen when Erick walked in; creating counters and a cold box, a dining table, making the sink a bit bigger and sturdier, a hood for the range and a stone oven space to put a heating [Ward] inside. Now he was just reading Erick’s spell over a few times.

Eventually Al dismissed the spell, saying, “This is the best version of the spell you could possibly have gotten. People try for years and never achieve this. Mine only works on rads because that’s what I was going for. Your spell can do anything.”

Erick whipped out a shattered sun lightward, saying, “And I figured out how to make these things. And this, too!” He whipped out a blacklight orb. Inside of the house, even with smaller light orbs in the corner of the stone room, the blacklight made Erick’s shirt glow. “I’m going to take them to the Mage’s Guild and see who wants to buy one. Anhelia expressed great interest. Ah. I need to get lightward certified, first.”

Al laughed. “You’re really motivated, aren’t you?

A sudden bout of melancholy struck.

“Yeah. I am.” Erick said, “It’s all because Jane’s… Rather more motivated than I thought possible. I didn’t expect her to take [Cleanse] and [Mend], too, and then surpass me so easily. She whipped that reconstruction spell out with practically no effort—” He paused. He said, “Ah. No. That’s wrong. She earned that herself. Not like she unlocked [Mend] at level 10, or Mana Shaping at 10, either. I’m just a bit jealous, is all. And I worry that I won’t be able to keep up with her… That she’s leaving. That she won’t be safe out there on her own.”

“Like how she constantly worries about you?” Al smirked. “It’s kind of cute, really.”

Erick scoffed. “She’s going where I can never follow. I’ve made as much peace with that as I feel is possible. I just didn’t expect her to jump up to level 32. And now she’s talking about turning into monsters? It’s all a bit much, Al.”

Al shook his head. He said, “The early levels are easy. Crystal Mimics are all around level 30. The way levels work is that it’s very easy to get to a plateau because certain monsters are naturally certain levels, but very hard to get much higher than that. Jane likely killed one mimic in the beginning, and if she did it herself, jumped all the way up to 24.” Al looked at Erick. “For your own concerns, you only need to kill two or three Mimics to be a lot safer than you are.”

“I might not be as safe as you, or Jane, but I certainly feel a lot better these days, even with all this craziness with the rain and Particle Magic.” Erick looked to the door of the kitchen. “Having Poi around helps.”

Al smiled. “I remember you jumping in fright all the time!”

“Ugh. Yes. Thank god that’s… Mostly gone.”

Al laughed.

Erick almost laughed, but then he had a thought.

He had a thought, which may or may not have been a very important thought. Maybe there was a real reason his magic was weird in the beginning, and worked out a lot better when he was playing around with stuff he knew, like lightning.

“What?” Al asked, “You’re thinking about something.”

“I am thinking about something.”

There was a simple enough test for Erick’s growing hypothesis.

[Special Ward].

A perfectly formed, tiny sun appeared on top of the table, exactly how Erick envisioned. Even the tiny solar prominence were beautifully crafted, arcing away from the tiny sun.

Now for the test.

Erick thought of Jane dying as a monster, of Jane and him both exiled from Spur and left to wander the deadly desert, of assassins' knives in the dark. Of his magic causing horrible destruction.

A cold terror bloomed in his chest.

[Special Ward].

A malformed ball of yellow and purple light flickered back and forth.

Erick breathed a few times, ridding himself of the worst of his cloying fears.

“Hey, Al. Say something nice to me.”

Al laughed. “You have beautiful eyes.”

Erick felt his face flush as fear evaporated under a much more fun emotion: lust.

[Special Ward].

A brilliant sunlight orb appeared.

It worked!

Erick said, “You have nice eyes, too, Al. And fangs. I didn’t think those would be hot, but they are!”

Al laughed, happy. He pointed toward the newest orb. “What was that about?”

“Fear is the mind killer. Apparently.”

Al scrunched his face. “Is it?”

“Maybe not for you, which —if that’s true— is about as unfair as how handsome your whole face is, even scrunched up like that.”

Al smiled.

Erick pointed to the failed lightward, and said, “It’s all rather evident, isn’t it? The first time I tried making lightwards was the day after the attack on the Sewerhouse. I was pretty fearful then. It’s rather easy to call up that fear, even today. With this test I just proved that, for me, at least, magic works better when I'm emotionally primed to work that magic.” Erick added, “It certainly helps that while some things are still terrifying, magic is not one of them. It never was. It’s all rather… beautiful.” Erick looked at Al. “Very beautiful.”

Al smiled. He stood. “Want to see how the Sewerhouse restructure is progressing?”

Erick stood. “Yes.”

- - - -

Poi waited outside the Sewerhouse for Erick and Al to return to the surface.

Erick followed Al down into the depths, the roaring river a reminder of more fearful times. But when Erick arrived at the river room, it was well lit, with light orbs inside the water, too. The river still churned and roared, but it wasn’t a tenth as scary as before.

Thinking about it, practicing magic this close to something that had terrified him, had likely played a great role in mutating his early attempts at magic. He would have to bring up this theory with Zago, or someone else; Al didn’t seem to think it was true.

Erick followed Al past the river room, to a circular room with ten doors. It appeared even Al was planning for the city to expand. The huge vault door wasn’t present, though.

“What happened to the huge vault door?”

Al smiled. “This iteration is a lot more complicated than the old one, though the basic principle still holds. This design was one of the originals; all others came after. Savral and Bacci will know the correct way, but for now, we can just poke into one of them.” Al opened the second nearest door. “All of the correct ones look like this, now.”

On the other side of the door was a short staircase leading down. Light orbs showed the way.

Erick followed Al to a settling pool a few stories down. It looked similar to the pools from before. A wide cavern, maybe 20 yards across, with dirty water rushing into a hemispherical pool maybe 15 yards across and half that deep. A stretch of stone arced over the water; if someone were to cast a [Cleanse Aura] in the middle, they would hit the entire pool.

But the sewer intake this time was a simple tunnel, 1 yard wide. The outflows were hidden below the sides of the rim walkway. The water itself was murky, like always, but there was much less substance to it than the full settling pools Erick had seen before. A layer of [Ward] kept any smells on the other side of an invisible barrier; the air around Erick only smelled of river water, and that smell had followed them from the previous room.

This was all nice to see; the Sewerhouse would once again be open for business. But this wasn’t what he expected when Al suggested to ‘Show Erick the new Sewerhouse’. Erick thought there had been some sort of connection between them. He smiled to himself, and realized that he’d have to be a lot more direct in the future.

Al pointed to the walkway over the water, and said, “Go try out your new spell.”

Aurify.

[Cleanse].

[Cleanse] ticked up to level 8 after three seconds, which was a good thing, because Erick wasn’t going to hit the whole pool on [Cleanse 7].

The water in front of Erick cleared, thick not-air exploding from the pool to catch upon the [Ward] above the water, to then flow away down the outflow. 5 Mana a second was pretty easy considering he had 600 mana. Still, it was a drain, and 5 mana a second was a hefty dumbbell; much more than [Force Shrapnel]’s 5 mana every 2 seconds. Still, he maintained. He stepped onto the walkway, holding onto the rail. He walked to the center, over the pool. [Cleanse 8] would normally hit an 8 yard sphere, but Aurify 2 ‘doubled’ that range.

The point was, that Erick was thankful that his 16 yard diameter [Cleanse] touched every part of the settling pool, as soon as he settled into his spot in the middle of the space. He looked down. The water was crystal clear; pure. Erick smiled.

Rain was a big deal to Spur, but if [Cleanse] ever made it back to Earth…

[Cleanse] on Earth would cause catastrophic environmental damage, because no one would care about the environment anymore, and also solve so, so many problems. Like toxic waste, and CO2 emissions, and pharmaceuticals in the ocean.

Erick looked down at the pure water. Magic was wonderful.

[Gravity Strainer: Rad].

The air flexed as a series of gravity tunnels conjured up from the water, like wheat growing to harvest size, their points all joined together in front of Erick’s outstretched hand. Tiny glittering rads flowed up from that water.

A stone bowl appeared at Erick’s side. He looked over, Al had [Stoneshaped] him a bowl. Erick took the bowl and held it under the gravity tunnels, just in time for a stream of powdered crystal and tiny rads to fall into the orange vessel.

After a few more seconds, the rads and dust stopped coming. Erick cut the [Gravity Strainer] first. Once he was sure that was gone, he cut his [Cleanse]. The world swam around him for a brief second, but he held on tight to the railing, and the stone bowl. He blinked. He turned to Al, holding the bowl.

“Success!” he said.

“Success!” Al agreed.

Erick looked at his [Cleanse].

Still only level 8.

Cleanse 8, instant, short range, 10 MP.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Exp: 640/3400

He could pop that out to level 10 by the end of the day, maybe, if he focused on nothing but that. He had done similar stretches with [Grow].

Erick walked over to Al and handed him the bowl.

Al took the bowl, saying, “Too bad you cannot become a Stonemage. I could leave this whole job to you.”

Erick laughed. “You’re not going anywhere on me, are you?”

Al smiled. “No. But it’s always good to have a backup. I approve of you taking more soldiers into your home. The Army is full of strong young men and women.”

Erick sighed. “I wonder how much they aren’t telling me. Maybe I am a bit weak compared to the rest of you, but I can handle truths. At least I think I can.”

“You wear yourself clearly and the people of Spur are all accustomed to fighting monsters; they see that you are not comfortable like they are.” Al said, “But you did not flinch once on the walk down to these dark depths. You are growing.”

Erick laughed. “Maybe I am.”

Erick followed Al out of the room.

Al closed the door behind them, saying, “Mog’s classes will be good for you.”

“Yeah.” Erick nodded. “I gotta go take some of those, too.”

They walked up staircases, but Al stopped just before the river room. He turned to Erick.

Al said, “I don’t do relationships, not since my… I don’t do relationships. I still wish to keep you as a friend, and I hope that you can be content with the same.”

Erick froze. He quickly thawed. He chuckled, saying, “That’s fine. I like you as a friend, too.” He teased, “I’m sorry if I’ve ogled you overmuch.”

Al laughed. “You can ogle all you want.” He flexed a massive arm, and winked at Erick. “We orcol are supremely beautiful creatures. Some of us do not like this fact, but I am not one of them.”

Al was an 8 and a half foot tall muscular man with brown green skin, rugged features, whose flowing desert sultan mobster clothes did not leave much to the imagination. All orcol were like him, in their own unearthly rugged ways. Some flaunted it, others hid it, and right now Al was flaunting. Erick's heart beat hard, and for a brief moment, his hormones surged like a teenager's.

Erick tried not to stare overmuch. He changed the subject, “It has to be magic, right? Orcol always give me funny looks when I look. I try not to stare, but it’s impossible.”

Al put down his arm. He smiled. “It’s the Touch of Aloethag, the Goddess of Beauty and Brutality. We know when people are watching.”

Erick lamented, “All these beautiful people and I can’t look at a single one.”

Al laughed again, loud and boisterous.

- - - -

At the top of the stairs, Al paused again.

He turned to Erick. “If you still feel this way, we might have a date once you reach level 50.”

Erick scoffed, “Level 50!”

Al quickly turned away, adding, “And not before.” He went stock still. He said, “I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget I even said that. We are not ever dating.”

Erick joked, “I don’t knoooow~! Women and men might be throwing themselves at my feet, soon enough. Level 50 might be waiting too long~”

Al looked at him, trying to suppress a smile. “We are never dating, but if you hit level 50 and you still have no one, I might still be here.”

“Why level 50 though?”

A veil of sorrow seemed to fall across Al. He spoke, his voice full of pain, “You burn too brightly, and I am scared of loss.”

Ah.

That was a sobering thought.

Erick nodded, and said, “I understand.”

- - - -

Back home, by himself, Erick began working toward a clearer future.

Poi was there, of course, but he didn’t really count. He just watched out for threats and probably gossiped with his fellow army buddies with [Telepathy], or something.

Anywho! Erick began working toward a clearer, better future, by first leveling all his magic.

[Cleanse] popped to level X after entirely too much mana. Holy shit, he had been neglecting his own future. He was almost at his 5250 cap for the day; he hadn’t been paying much attention to the actual amount of mana he had been spending, but he felt that familiar sluggishness in his bones near the end of leveling [Cleanse]. Exhaustion was coming.

And then, with one more expenditure, a blue box appeared.

Cleanse Aura, short range, 10 MP per second.

Continuously purge all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption in a 10m sphere centered on you.

Aurify 2 jumped [Cleanse Aura] from 10m to 20m, though that number wasn’t represented in the actual box. There were a lot of things about spells that weren’t reflected in their boxy descriptions. Like [Cleanse], for instance, also cleaned the air, restoring oxygen and doing a whole bunch of other stuff, probably even purging cancer from the body, for all Erick knew. Cancer was a corruption, wasn’t it? Or was it a disease?

Erick asked Poi, “Do you guys have cancer on Veird?”

“What is ‘cancer’, sir?”

“Ah…” How to explain it… Erick tried, “When there are tumors or growths in the body that are not the result of some monster, but just what happens to people, usually as they’re growing older.”

Poi thought for a moment. He looked in the air.

He said, “Cancer does exist sometimes, but [Cleanse] purges that from the body. You only ever find this strange corruption in certain cultures who choose not to use [Cleanse], but those kinds of cultures abhor the Script entirely. You occasionally find people with this affliction in the Wasteland Kingdoms to the far west. Sometimes they travel here, or to Kal’Duresh, to seek a [Cleanse] from anyone who will not care to trace them back to their Kingdoms.”

“… Cancer. Growths inside the body. You’re sure?”

Poi looked into the air. After a moment, he spoke. “Growths inside organ tissue and bones are the most common, though breast tissue is also high on that list. If there is a growth in the brain it is much harder to treat, because the void left from that vanished growth might collapse the surrounding brain tissue. This outcome is usually more dangerous than the ‘brain tumor’ itself. If the person survives, there are almost always personality shifts.”

Erick started laughing, and he didn’t stop until he couldn’t laugh anymore; tears streamed down his face and his sides hurt. Breathing was hard, but still the laughter came. The entire time Poi was half concerned, half weirded out, trying to get Erick to stop laughing, and asking him if he was okay.

Eventually, Erick said, “I’m fine, Poi! Truly! I’m fine.” He sighed out, giggled once more, then said, “My mother died of malignant breast cancer, years and years ago. I hardly knew my father, but he died of bone cancer well before that. And here’s the kicker! I’m at their age, the age when they died, right now. It should be my turn to up and die on my daughter. But it’s not! Because I’m here, where you can cure cancer with a [Cleanse].” He looked at Poi. “Do you know how much of a relief it is to know that I won’t die of cancer? Of that slow death that robs you of everything and leaves you shitting out the poison the doctors give you, to try and kill the growths inside of you and not kill you at the same time?” Erick laughed again.

Poi said, “I’m sorry, sir. It sounds like your home was a rough place.”

Erick waved him off. “Just different terrors, I suppose. Here, you have to worry about monsters gobbling you up in the middle of the night.” Erick smirked. “But at least you can stab the monsters of Veird to death, or slice them apart with a spell.”

“Almost always, sir.”

- - - -

It was getting late in the day. Dinner needed to be made, but the cold box Al had created was empty. Erick would need to get in the habit of putting a [Cold Ward] in there every morning and evening, but for now, the emptiness was the main problem.

Erick went to the market and got everything he might need for dinner tonight, and for tomorrow. He also got seeds for various vegetables, enough meat to feed ten, a great big iron pot to cook it all in. He was going to make dinner for days, though with Al over it might only last two. Erick also bought two large chef's knives and ordered ten huge burlap sacks of soil. He paid a runner a gold to deliver it all to his house.

Erick followed the cart home. While the runner set the bags of soil by the sandy garden space, Erick started making dinner with strange cuts of red meat, strange herbs, and strange vegetables. He tasted everything before he put it in the pot, of course. He also made sure to chunk the meat and sear it on all sides. When the initial cooking was done, he popped a [Temperature Ward] into the oven space, setting it to what he felt was maybe 350, and placed the pot inside the [Heat Ward].

Even cooking was easy on Veird! He should do this every night.

… Maybe he would.

He looked to the cooking iron pot. Hopefully everything would turn out okay. He had included some bitter herbs that didn’t taste that great, but Poi had suggested Erick put them in. They probably tasted better once cooked.

- - - -

Jane showed up with more food and a whole lot of other things besides. Utensils, plates, knives, pans, pots, tea kettles, cups, bowls. Everything anyone could ever want in a kitchen, she bought then organized in the open stone cabinets. She had even planned on cooking dinner, but she was too late! Erick was already on the job, and the stew was starting to smell good.

Al showed up before sundown, carrying a keg of beer.

Savral came with him, carrying a tray of cookies, followed by Lanore, Gorgush, and Ikawa, each of them carrying something of a housewarming gift. While Savral and Jane exchanged apologies, everyone else dumped their gifts on Erick, which he gratefully accepted. Blankets, bed sheets, pillows, and cushions. A lot of soft things, which was nice. Lanore even gifted him a flower vase, and all four of the adventurers offered to help paint the exterior or interior with permanent [Special Wards].

“You can do that?” Erick asked, admiring a huge blue blanket Ikawa gave him. “This is so soft. Thank you, Ikawa.”

She gushed, “I wove that pillar thread myself!”

Al asked, “You didn’t think I put real gold on the outside of the Sewerhouse, did you, Erick?”

“I thought it was paint! Not a [Special Ward].” Erick ran a hand over the soft objects Savral’s team had gotten them. “It’s all so lovely. Thank you all, for all of this.” He looked toward the kitchen. He turned back toward his house guests. “I made dinner for 10 people, so let’s eat.”

Gorgush rumbled, “Smells great! I’m hungry.”

It even tasted great, to no one’s surprise except Erick’s. He was not sure everything he put in there was going to work out, but it did! And Savral and Jane were talking again, too. Erick did not think that their fight was over, but at least they were civil.

- - - -

The next morning, Erick went to the Mage’s Guildhouse.

He spoke to Sizzi at the front desk, “Guildmaster Zago said to come by when I wanted to learn the prerequisites to the [Fly] spell. That’s what I’m here for.”

Sizzi nodded. She paused. She said, “Her laboratory is at the top of the main tower stairs, Archmage. She has time for you now.”

“Thank you, Sizzi.”

032

Erick eventually reached a landing at the top of the grey stone stairs. Chairs had been set out like in a small waiting room, while a desk sat in front of an open door. In the other direction was the exterior wall and a great big picture window, giving a wide view of the south. The city of Spur spread out before Erick, and above the grey and orange and yellow stone, loomed the mountainous walls of Ar’Kendrithyst, far in the distance.

“Eh-hem.”

Erick turned around. Bluescale, Zago’s messenger kid, stood in the doorway to Zago’s laboratory.

Bluescale said, “She’ll see you now,” then took his space at the desk.

“Thanks,” Erick said, as he walked through the open door.

Poi stayed behind. The door remained open.

Zago’s laboratory took up almost the entirety of the top floor of the guildhouse’s larger tower, and though they called it a ‘laboratory’, the room was half as much an office as anything else. Yellow and teal were the dominant colors of the rugs, the drapes, and the fabric cushions of comfy looking chairs. The room was rather similar to Silverite’s office, with collections of books on shelves and doodads everywhere they could fit. But there were also tables set with magic circles, and spiny magic orbs that hovered in one corner of the spacious, greystone room. Two cats, one black one white, lounged in the sun next to a window.

A great many chalkboards on rolling stands had been scattered around the room, some around tables and full of arcane symbols, some layered against a wall. Zago stood in front of one of the chalkboards right now, but it was a big metal chalkboard; not a thing made of slate like most of the rest of the boards. Dozens of small pieces of paper had been attached to the metal with what were likely magnets, in a grid that could have contained a hundred such papers.

Guildmaster Zago noticed Erick. “Archmage Flatt.” She was floating a book in front of her, but she moved that to a nearby table, setting it on top of several other open books. “Good to see you.” She gestured toward the metal board. “Care to see how many new spells have been discovered, so far?”

Erick was suddenly very interested in that metal chalkboard. He walked over.

Minor

Small

Medium

Large

Very large

S. L. R.

Force Bolt

Someone x2

Someone x1

Someone x1

F. Shrapnel

Someone x2

Someone x2

Someone x1

F. Wave

Someone x3

Someone x1

Someone x3

F. Bomb

Someone x1

Someone x3

Someone x2

F. Beam

Someone x2

Someone x2

Someone x1

F. Trap

F. Crash

Someone x2

Someone x1

Someone x1

F. Wall

Someone x3

Someone x2

Someone x1

F. Platform

Conjure Item

Someone x2

Someone x1

Someone x1

C. Weapon

Someone x1

Someone x1

Someone x1

C. Armor

Someone x2

Someone x1

Someone x1

Stoneshape

Impossible?

Watershape

Headmaster

Headmaster

Headmaster

Flatt?

Airshape

Impossible?

Fireshape

Maia

Maia

Maia

Lightshape

Impossible?

Shadowshape

Impossible?

Cold

Eduard

Eduard

Eduard

Hot

Maia

Maia

Eduard

Electric

Zago

Zago

Zago

Flatt?

!Metalshape!

Someone x15

Erick studied the board for a while. The ‘someones’ were actual names, but there was no way in hell Erick would remember any of them. He did take note of some of the names, though. Zago, Maia, Eduard, and the Headmaster were all up there. He was up there too, as the only name on the right hand side of the board, and in two different places.

Now that he was looking… What was [Call Lightning]? It could have been advanced [Watershape] for sure, but also [Airshape]. But the last line on the board, ‘electric’, was probably the proper place for [Call Lightning]. But that still didn’t seem right. Now that he really considered everything in front of him, Erick knew he wouldn’t have put his spell on this board.

Erick said, “Particle Magic doesn’t follow the style of the other schools. This doesn’t make sense.”

“Yes, I agree.” Zago said, “This system is wholly inadequate, but it's the one being used around the world right now, for those of us in this exploding community. The inadequacies of this system showed themselves early, when people started inventing multiples for the same category. Metalshape in particular is prolific, like we had no real understanding of metal at all! It’s almost criminal how much we did not know.”

A lot of particles are metallic, so that made sense to Erick. If only they had a periodic table instead of this mess, they’d have a much easier time.

… But wouldn’t interacting with individual particles be against the Infinitesimal Ban? Erick would have to save that question for later; Zago still had more to say.

Zago pointed to the minor [Metalshape] box, saying, “All of the new [Metalshape] spells seem to be about refining metals out of ore in a way that is much easier than using [Metalshape]. The new spells don’t seem capable of much more than that, but with a basic understanding of particles as discrete objects, getting the tier two spell [Goldshape] out of [Metalshape] is so much easier than before. But someone went and invented [Gold Grab]. Basic, tier 1 Particle spell. I expect that to be made illegal; possibly even registrar restricted, like [Create Food and Water]. After [Gold Grab] happened, [Silver Grab] and [Platinum Grab] were quickly invented. Thank the Demons none of that happened here.”

“I would think targeting a specific atom like gold would be against the Infinitesimal Ban.”

Zago paused. She hummed. She said, “It’s possible that all of the ‘atoms’ of gold are in fact ‘molecules’?” Zago paused again. She turned and wrote something in a book beside her. She said “These new spells could actually be missing a fair bit of gold. Maybe if we used some sort of mechanical process to make the gold individualized… That could solve these looming currency problems?” She didn’t sound very sure of herself. “Maybe.”

Erick saw people inventing new spells, and for the first time, felt a strange worry. “Are you concerned about using up the magic?”

Zago turned and looked at Erick funny. She paused. “Oh? You’re serious?” She looked at the board. She paused. “No. I don’t think it’s possible to ‘use up’ the magic. Mana can neither be created, nor destroyed, only change shape and function.” Zago explained, “That’s something we’ve tested so many times, it’s in Introduction to Magic, 101. Principles of Magic. The major proof of this can be validated in any antirhine chamber, which any accredited arcanaeum possesses. With all of manasphere cut off, save for what is inside the chamber, a person inside casts [Cleanse], or any other non-destructive spell, as much as they are capable. The level of ambient mana in the chamber never drops. The record is 1 year inside. This concern you have is irrelevant, because we know for a fact that mana does not ‘get used up’.”

“I’ve never heard of ‘antirhine’. Is it a very heavy grey metal, ductile and malleable? Soft, in its pure form?”

Zago stared at him, “… You know what antirhine is. What it actually is.”

Erick smirked, then changed the subject. “So mana is a particle. Like water. It never goes away, only changes form.”

Zago dropped a piece of paper she had been holding. She stared at the board.

She laughed, then picked up her paper, saying, “You gave me a fright. Ah. No. Mana is not a Particle particle. You cannot hold a cup of mana, but mana exists in the cup you’re holding. It might be a Particle, but not one capable of interaction outside of magic.” She smiled. She paused. “That’s an interesting concept, though.” She paused. She exclaimed, “That’s how antirhine is able to block mana!” She scribbled down a quick note on the book beside her. “Interesting theory, Archmage Flatt!”

Erick smiled. He had tried to hide something from Zago, but instead revealed something else.

Erick returned to the board. “Has no one unlocked Particle Mage yet? I assume that’s why everything Large and above is still blank.”

“You are correct.” Zago stepped to his side. “The Class, like the spells you invented, won’t be available for another year. The rest of us might be plundering the ability points on the lower rungs, but you have an entire year to create the stuff at the top.”

Erick poked Zago’s name on the Electric line. “I see that.”

Zago smiled at him, her violet face briefly turning a shade darker. She gave a run down on the spells she had invented. “[Small Shock], pretty much exactly like the experiment. Minimal personal damage but that can be negated with a personal [Weather Ward]. [Electric Link], designate two close targets and they both shock each other for minimal damage whenever they’re two or less meters apart. That one’s a good one. So many applications for crowd control. [Shocking Curse], designate a medium range target and for the next 10 minutes they take damage from moving. [Weather Wards] negate all electric effects, but everyone picks a damage absorption [Ward] unless you’re flying somewhere, and unless you’re a Wardmage, you can only have one personal [Ward] at a time. Of course none of that matters against monsters. The vast majority of them don’t have [Ward]s. And it’s cheap enough to throw a [Weather Ward] at your feet and dismiss it if you’re forced to move.”

Erick had been thinking about a spell like [Electric Link]. That’s why he had created those two stone spheres on the roof of the Sewerhouse. If he hadn’t chickened out, would he have created the spell before Zago?

“When did you make [Electric Link]? I was thinking of the same thing.”

“The night after your first lecture.”

Erick laughed. “Truly?”

“Yes.” Zago said, “Some of my contacts— Overzealous spies that I have already told to stop, really… They reported that you attempted something with two stone orbs on the Sewerhouse a few days ago. Sorry. It would not have worked. I got there first. [Electric Link] was the very first one I tried to make. I only went and did [Small Shock] for another ability point.”

“I’m not mad.” Erick looked up at the empty half of the board. “I can just take the smaller spells of others and do them myself on a much larger scale, for 3 ability points for each one.”

Zago stared at Erick.

“Yes!” She laughed loud and sudden, throwing her head back to let it all out. “You can do that! I did not expect that from you.”

"Everyone has surprises sometimes." Erick smiled as he gazed upon the half filled side of the board. “And that still leaves other people to learn more about the universe Veird has been in for the last 1400 years.”

“And it’s just so very different, isn’t it?” Zago said, “All of these Particle spells are vastly cheaper than normal spells, too. In my opinion, that is the big game changer. And! There might be just as many variations of Particle Spells as there are with Mana Altering and the Force spells. This is like doubling the Force school of magic. There are drawbacks to Particle spells mainly of the [Ward] variety, and the fact that each spell only does one thing.” She explained, “That’s actually the largest drawback to Particle Magic. Each spell only does one thing, but each spell still requires 1 point to buy, whereas you can make variations for every occasion by spending 2 points with [Force Bolt] and Mana Altering, for example. But you can’t use Mana Altering with any Particle spell.”

“Mana Shaping still works.”

She conceded, “Mana Shaping still works, of course. I foresee Particle Magic becoming a highly popular branch of magic, but in the way that most things are popular; Some delve deep into a subject, while the rest of us just dabble.”

That was good enough a segue as any. Erick said, “Speaking of combining spells and popular magic. How about that [Fly]?”

“Right!” Zago walked over to her desk. “I have a few books for you.”

Erick followed her.

She set down three thin books in front of Erick with the titles facing him. [Fly] and You, The Skies Beckon, and Nuebus’s Guide to the Major Variations of [Fly]. The last one was colorful, like a child’s book. Erick picked that one up. It even had pictures.

It was still written by hand, though. At least the guy had good handwriting—

I need to invent the printing press.

… Or maybe they already have something better?

“How are your books made? One at a time, or several at once?” Erick inspected the book’s construction. It looked rather handmade, with threaded pages and glued bindings, and a tooled leather cover. “Where do they come from?”

“Several at once, usually. A derivation of [Mage Hand] in most cases. Some are [Duplicate]ed, though that spell is heavily guarded by larger Mage Guilds than this one. We order our books from libraries and bookbinders all over. The closest books come from the mostly human Greensoil Republic to the East where many of our farmers hail. There’s also Portal, the largest ocean port for all of the Crystal Forest. They’re almost directly south from here, spread out on the coast, servicing all trade on the Letri Ocean. And then there's the worldwide Arcanaeum Consortium. They have offices in basically every major city everywhere. Spur used to have an arcanaeum, back before the Great Purge.”

“No mass production in any of those places?”

Zago looked at him. She said, “Not hundreds at a time, if that’s what you mean.”

Erick indicated the books. “So what’re all these books about?”

Zago grinned, then picked up the nearest to her, The Skies Beckon. “I’m fond of this one.” She turned to a marked page, then flipped the book toward Erick. “I feel that this is the best [Fly], but someone like Krakina with her own wings would disagree. I urge you to seek multiple opinions.”

Erick set down his book and picked up Zago’s.

The recipe looked fairly simple. [Airshape] and [Weightless Ward] leveled to 10 and combined for [Soar], which was great for overland travel; not delicate aerial positioning. Then came [Weightless Ward] and [Telekinesis] to create [Precise Positioning], which was exactly as the name implied. Then, those two tier 2 spells together would create [Precise Flight].

A good version of the spell would look something like this:

Precise Flight, 10 minutes, 240 MP

Fly quickly and precisely through the air, unaffected by the wind.

Or:

Precise Flight, 50 minutes, 340 MP

Fly precisely through the air, unaffected by the wind.

Erick saw a problem. “All of these use [Weightless Ward]. Does that mean no [Absorption Ward] at the same time as [Fly]?”

“Yes. That is a downside to the spell. There are some varieties that don’t require a [Weightless Ward], but those feel clunky. There are some workarounds… But I wouldn’t recommend them. For example, you could enchant a pair of boots or something with [Precise Flight], but that gets hideously expensive unless you’re an adventurer with…” She thought. She said, “With 170 gold in rads to spend every time you want a 50 minute flight.” She waved her hand, adding, “And magical items outside of spell wands are a deathtrap, anyway. Save your money for a rod of [Greater Treat Wounds] and then keep that rod somewhere you can [Teleport] to when needed. And don’t use a flight spell anywhere you expect to be in combat; it’s a small enough restriction to work around.”

Erick looked over the books. “Can I take these books home for a while?”

Zago pushed the books toward him. “Absolutely. You might even find something in there you like better.”

- - - -

Erick found Krakina in the farms. Valok was with her.

“And the rainmaker returns!” Krakina said, “You don’t need to be here today?” She turned to Valok. “[Grow] requests still up at the guild?”

“Nope.” Valok said. “All [Telekinesis] quests, now, and none posted until tomorrow.”

“I’m actually here to talk to you, Krakina—”

“Me?” Krakina puffed up, smiling. “Yes yes?”

“— What’s the best way to fly?”

“[Airshape] [Telekinesis] no [Weightless Ward],” she answered immediately. “You need your [Absorption Ward] and everything feels loopy when Veird no longer pulls you toward her. It will take personal skill to use this sort of [Fly].”

“… Would I need wings to use that sort of [Fly]?”

“I can’t help if you were born wrong!” Krakina huffed, “Go away. You’re not needed today. Come back tomorrow! We’re working on the fields now.”

Erick looked across the farms. Some people were clearing crystal agaves far away, while others tilled the land into the soil, flipping weeds and unwanted growth into the ground to serve as fertilizer for what was to come.

Erick said, “I can’t help if I was born wrong, either.” Erick stared out over the fields. Some people were opening up what might have been rice paddies by digging out long trenches, then throwing seed down behind them. “Looks good out there.”

Valok said, “We understand we’ll get 24 hours every tenday. We intend to use two 4 hour days, then eight 2 hour days for this next cycle. So 4 hours tomorrow. All in the morning. We want to fill those trenches there with enough water to have rice paddies and we won’t be using any underground water at all. We want to see if this is feasible in the dry season.” He added. “But we may only be capable of two hours in the morning. If we have to break, we’ll break then, then we’ll have a Rest until everyone recovers their mana and come back to the fields in the afternoon. Can we count on that?”

Valok may have said ‘that’, but what he was really asking was ‘Can we count on you?’.

“I’ll be here after breakfast.”

“We’ll be set up and waiting.” Valok nodded. “See you then.”

- - - -

Erick got back home and sat on a stone chair set Al had made in the living room, under a window. He set the books in front of him on a table, also made by Al, and began reading.

Broadly, there were three categories of ‘good’ flight spells.

All the ‘great flight spells’ used [Weightless Ward], but Erick immediately shot down all of those. He wasn’t going into any sort of battle without a good [Absorption Ward] active. He only had a hundred HP.

The second category of good flight spells avoided giving up [Absorption Ward] by using [Force Platform], which was a disk of hovering hardened mana that moved with you, that you controlled. If you combined [Force Platform] with [Airshape] you could fly pretty fast, and have rather good control. [Force Platform] flight was cheaper and lasted a lot longer that the rest of the options, but had the downside of the user possibly falling off the platform, or having the platform shot out from under them. The books complained that a [Fly] made out of [Force Platform] would always feel horribly unnatural compared to one based on [Weightless Ward].

But Erick could see himself riding a motorbike across the skies.

And the last category of flight spells were pure [Airshape] variants. These all relied on the caster already having wings. Dragons, harpies, and owl shifters could use these variants; everyone else was shit outta luck.

Erick might have been able to make something with particle magic, but messing with gravity…

Just, no.

[Weightless Ward] probably got around the problem of people flying off the planet because of magical mystical reasons. Actually removing the background gravity field from a person, and especially from himself, seemed like an idea no sane person would touch.

But maybe there was some particle magic he could do.

Superconductors.

Once attached to magnetic lines of force, superconductors stayed on that track.

How to make a track?

Uh. What is a superconductor, exactly?

Oh dammit. That’s too much. I don’t know anything about all that.

Wait. Maybe I don’t need to know anything about all that. Maybe the work has already been done for me.

Force Platform 1, instant, 10 minutes per level, 50 kilograms per level. 25 MP

Create a stable floating platform of hardened mana. You may move this platform around at will.

Purchase Force Platform 1 for one ability point? Yes/No

No.

“Poi? Do you know how a [Force Platform] works? Or a [Force Wall]? What is ‘Force’?”

“Not exactly, sir. I can conjure a [Force Wall] if you would like to poke at it.”

“Yes. Let’s—” Erick paused. He would have to explain to some people if he were to start throwing lightning bolts at a [Force Wall] in the Human District. He didn’t want to do that. But there might be a workaround to that problem, too. “Were you there at the shadowcat fight, Poi?”

“I was not, sir, but I might be able to answer anyway.”

“Did the [Force Walls] around the bombardment tower move when I shot those lightning bolts?”

Poi looked away. He paused. He said, “No, sir. They did not. We would have noticed something like that.”

“Do [Force Walls] ever move in response to anything? In response to attacks that miss them?”

“Nope. They break in response to direct attacks. They do not move in response to missed shots.”

Erick hummed at nothing in particular, then asked a longshot question, “Do you know if a [Force Platform] moves in response to anything Mana Altered into Lightning? What about a different Force spell, like a Bolt or Shrapnel?”

Poi looked up. He said, “Force does not move in response to anything but the caster’s desires.”

“Damn. There goes that idea. Who are you talking to anyway?”

“Killzone, primarily.”

“Can you tell him ‘thank you’?”

“He says ‘No problem-o, Archmage-o’.”

Erick looked up [Airshape] and [Telekinesis].

Airshape 1, 1 minute per level, medium range, 10 MP

Slowly move minor amounts of air around you for 1 minute per level of Airshape.

Purchase Airshape 1 for one ability point? Yes/No

Telekinesis 1, 1 minute per level, medium range, 10 MP

Slowly move minor objects around you for 1 minute per level of Telekinesis.

Purchase Telekinesis 1 for one ability point? Yes/No

Yes. Yes.

Might as well try making the spell and see if I like it.

Wait a second.

Zago mentioned boots of flight.

Flying boots are enchanted spells like [Precise Flight], but those spells used [Weightless Ward]. So that means you could use an item with a [Weightless Ward] and it wouldn’t nullify your own [Absorption Ward], right?

“Poi. Can you use Boots of Flight and an [Absorption Ward] at the same time?”

“Of course, sir, but I would advise against considering magical items. They always fail when you need them to work. We try to keep most magical items like that from being sold around here, but some adventurers still like them.”

Erick shook his head. “That wasn’t why I asked that.”

“Very good, sir. Thank you for not making my job difficult, sir.”

Erick frowned at Poi then stood up from the stone chair and went into the kitchen. He got a wooden spoon. Focusing on the end of the spoon, he cast a tiny spell.

[Absorption Ward]

A glitter of white settled around the bowl of the spoon in the shape of a sphere. Erick waved the spoon around, and the [Ward] waved around with it.

… What.

The.

Fuck.

Erick felt like an absolute idiot.

He could cast his flight spell on something else and give everything in the sphere weightlessness.

… Everything of a certain size half weight. Not weightlessness.

He quickly looked through the books.

Yup! There it was! Under group flight.

Group Precise Flight, 50 minutes, 300 MP

Designate a person or an object. The controller of a designated object becomes the designated person for the purposes of this spell. The designated person and all others they choose in a large area fly precisely through the air, unaffected by the wind.

Tier 3 spell. Doable.

Erick looked at his spoon. He dismissed the [Absorption Ward] and did something else.

[Special Ward].

A blacklight orb appeared on the spoon. Erick picked up the spoon and moved it around.

Erick still felt like the world’s most absolute idiot. He really should have known he could move [Ward]s around before now. How did he not know this? Why was this ONLY NOW being revealed to him, and only through his own experimentation?

He turned to Poi. “Did you know you can place [Ward]s on objects and the [Ward] will move with the object?”

“Of course, sir, but objects like that are easily torn away from the user in any fight against any competent force. We don’t do that around here; too many people have died to a [Violent Telekinesis] from a Shade, or one of the other monsters in the Dead City. Never set a [Ward] on a movable object; they will be stripped from you. This is one of the first things we warn adventurers against, and one of the primary killers of people inexperienced with the Dead City.”

Erick eyed him. “Really?”

“And artists don’t put [Permanent Special Ward]s on objects, because those objects can be stolen.” Poi shook his head. “We don’t use mobile [Ward]s around here for many different reasons. ‘No mobile [Ward]s of any kind’ is actually a local tenet of both the Adventurer's and Mage’s Guilds.”

Erick still felt like an idiot, but at least it was good to know he wasn’t alone. He said, “You can continue to do that. I’ll be doing it this way so I can also have an [Absorption Ward] at the same time.”

Poi sighed. He said, “Please attach such a flight [Ward] to your undergarments, or something... Anything really hard to steal, sir.”

“Of course! That’s only good sense!”

“And be aware that anyone looking with Meditation will be able to see that your undergarments are imbued with magic.”

“… You can do that?”

Erick looked at Poi with Meditation on. There wasn’t much different about him. Maybe there was a glow… Nope.

“I don’t believe you.”

Poi let out a long suffering sigh. “Look at the entirety of the manasphere. For the cheap spells I have on right now, you should still be able to see a bend in the local currents. For a more expensive spell, you will see eddies and sinks.”

Now that he knew what to look for, Poi was right. There was a slight flowing stability around Poi, when compared to the rest of the mana flows.

Erick grunted. “Okay. I believe you.”

“Active magic is easy to see; you need [Detect Magic] to see magical items. Even so, one of the primary ways murders happen amongst adventurers is to rip their magical items away and then kill them. Ripping away that wooden spoon you’ve just [Ward]ed would be child’s play to any competent assassin.”

“… That’s depressing.”

“An assassin could also cast [Dispel Magic] around a person, killing all active spells except force spells, magical items, and personal [Wards], or at the very least, severely decreasing spell duration. A flight spell on your undergarments would fall under this category, and thus be subject to hostile dispelling. Personal [Ward]s are naturally twice as hard to dispel as anything else you could dispel.”

Poi was making several good arguments.

But Erick had a foolproof counter argument. “I’ll take all that under advisement, and stay far, far away from any hostile people.”

“… Please don’t make my job harder than it is, sir.”

“I’ll try not to!”

- - - -

There wasn’t much to do for the rest of the day but to level his magic, working his way toward [Group Precise Flight]. Once he had that, he’d go out into the Crystal Desert and find a monster and…

… And kill it.

Ugh.

Erick shivered.

Then he remembered Jane, all gung-ho, shooting for the stars, and probably able to get there.

And monsters killed people, dammit! Fuck the monsters!

He could kill a monster. He would kill a monster. Maybe even several monsters.

And fly around in magical underpants!

Ha ha!

- - - -

With only today remaining until he began working at the Farms, where anywhere from 1800 to 3600 of his mana would have to be set aside for [Exalted Storm Aura], Erick had a choice to make.

He could finish leveling [Mend], which would be the entire day’s mana supply.

He could level [Mend] and Mana Shaping, which would level neither to full, but get him further along on both.

Or he could start prepping for [Fly] with all of those prerequisites. Like [Telekinesis].

… [Telekinesis] was pure sex. He had to go with that way. He was eventually going to go all ways—
har har

—but for now! Moving shit with his mind seemed too cool to pass up!

And plus! [Telekinesis] is what the farmers used to pick and plow their fields. And Erick had a field. Well. It wasn’t a field right now. Right now it was mostly just a kid’s sandbox. A very large sandbox, but still, it was his! He was the kid in this situation. And he had new toys to play with!

Erick stood in front of the 15 yard by 20 yard sandy lot that was to be his garden. Ten burlap sacks of soil sat to the side. Two blue boxes hovered in front of him, waiting for him to decide how he wanted to do this.

Telekinesis 1, 1 minute per level, medium range, 10 MP

Slowly move minor objects around you for 1 minute per level of Telekinesis.

Exp: 0/100

Mana Shaping 5

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 140/800

Time to level some skills.

Oh! And Aurify, too. Cost per second should be low enough.

Aurify.

Mana Shaping.

[Telekinesis].

All around Erick, the manasphere shifted, and to his Meditation enhanced sight, he could see exactly how those shifts occurred. Here and there, whenever he focused on a spot, the mana shifted, and he felt the pressure of the shift—

The spell cut.

1 minute was not very long at all. Erick had a feeling of deja vu, leveling his magic the slow way. He had done this sort of thing with Stoneshape just the other day. Well. There was an easy solution to shorten this training time. It took an instant to activate the magic, and he couldn't seem to cast faster than once a second, but that was fine.

[Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis]. [Telekinesis].

[Telekinesis] has leveled!

Level 2!

15 mana per cast this time. Exact same progression as [Stoneshape], too. [Airshape] would probably follow this same progression. All Shaping spells probably followed the same progression. Erick decided to plow ahead until he got a workable version of [Telekinesis].

[Telekinesis]. x14!

[Telekinesis] has leveled!

Level 3!

That only cost 100 mana. And now the spell was 20 mana per cast, or 10 with Clarity. It would be 150 mana to get to the next level. Erick decided to go for it.

[Telekinesis]. x15!

[Telekinesis] has leveled!

Level 4!

Telekinesis 4, 1 minute per level, medium range, 25 MP

Move small objects around you for 1 minute per level of the spell.

Exp: 5/500

Erick did some quick math. It would be 250 mana to get to the next level. Maybe. He wasn’t that great at math. But 25 went into 500, 20 times, and 20 was the number of casts to get to the next level. 20 times 25 was then 500, but divided by 2, gave him 250 mana. Yes. 250 mana. His mana pool could handle that.

He looked out at the manasphere. It was rather turbulent from casting all these spells, but Jane had leveled like this in the first days of arriving on Veird. She did that thing where she struck that rock and healed herself with [Rejuvenation] before the spell was done working. This was, if not responsible magic, then at least necessary. Erick felt a little bit weird about powerleveling, like he was wasting something, but mana didn’t get ‘used up’; Erick was just a part of the mana cycle, and right now, he was a very fast part.

[Telekinesis]. x20!

[Telekinesis] has leveled!

Level 5!

Telekinesis 5, 1 minute per level, medium range, 30 MP

Slowly move medium objects around you for 1 minute per level of the spell.

Exp: 5/800

Erick’s mana pool was well below half. Now, it was time to see how this spell worked, for real.

[Telekinesis].

Erick had another sense, like proprioception, but wider, that included everything in whatever small space he focused upon. He could feel the ground with a pressure he controlled. He moved the pressure around, feeling the stone, then running his not-fingers through the sand. The sand moved in front of him like someone had stuck their fingers in to make furrows in the dirt. Erick ‘reached’ over to the bags of soil and ‘wrapped his hands’ around the bag.

It wouldn’t budge. He wasn’t strong enough.

“Too heavy for a medium obje— Wait.”

Aurify.

Mana Shaping.

[Telekinesis].

Erick felt the world around him with a thousand small feelers. He felt himself, and that was odd. He looked to Poi—

Poi was standing outside of his range. Poi smiled.

Erick laughed, then went back to the bags of soil. He still couldn’t pick up the bag, but he did pick up a knife and slice the bag open, from five feet away. As soil spilled out from the bag, he grabbed at it in clumps; a hundred tiny hands making short work of a heavy load. He emptied the bag, dragging out the contents, throwing dirt into the sand pit. He emptied another bag, then another. Then two at once, two hundred tiny hands scattering soil across the sand. He emptied the final bags, and then looked at his mana. It was slowly rising; Meditation was winning out over the tiny drain of Aurified, Shaped, [Telekinesis].

Erick laughed. This was amazing!

He dug into the sand, mixing soil into the orange grit. The hands weren’t strong enough to mix very deep, but they didn’t have to mix that deep, they just had to spread everything around in more or less the correct locations. With hundreds of tiny hands, there was more than enough power in each one to do whatever Erick wanted.

Erick looked at the emptied bags. He needed more soil. The garden was too sandy right now…

How to fix that… Hmm…

He could try to [Grow] clover out of one of those grass seeds he bought from the market. Clover was supposed to be a good ground cover and biomass crop. Erick might be able to make something like that. After he got the clover growing, he could [Exalted Storm Aura] with Mana Shaping to make it rain only over his house.

Actually! The Farmer’s Council had already solved one of Erick’s problem!

Erick used his [Telekinesis] to pick up a seed packet—

His hundred hand technique shredded the packet, spilling seeds across the orange rock ground. He grumbled, then dismissed the spell as he walked over to the seeds. He picked up the shredded packet. It was for apple seeds. Meh. Apples. Erick physically rummaged around, looking for—

He found it! A packet of Ground Grass. Ground Grass was a short hardy grass the Farmer’s council planted on the farms when the season was over that eventually took over the whole place, because Ground Grass was the only thing that could survive the harsh desert life. It also happened to be a small thing that generated a lot of biomass. When the farmers came back for the water season they could [Grow] the Ground Grass to a heavy density and then till it back into the soil, making a sort of ‘green manure’ to feed all the growth yet to come.

Erick manually opened the packet and walked out onto his garden, spreading tiny seeds as he walked.

He put the rest of the seeds away, using Aurify and [Telekinesis] much more carefully this time. Without Mana Shaping the spell felt a little clumsy, so he wouldn’t use this version of the spell again, but it was enough to put the seeds away inside the house.

Erick cut his [Telekinesis] and threw a [Weather Ward] out beside the garden, then looked up at the blue, empty sky, judging how controlled he would have to make his next spell. Poi moved into Erick’s [Weather Ward] with him. Erick looked up, and focused on what he wanted.

Mana Shaping

[Exalted Storm Aura].

Mist flowed out of the manasphere around Erick, like a fog rolling into reality, and then up. White clouds spun up around Erick, racing into the sky to hold above in a rough column shape. Silver light flashed inside the white, as a cloud spread for a wispy hundred yards around, and a thousand fluffy yards up.

Silver light cascaded down through cloud, a rolling grumble following the light, like a chain reaction ending in a muted thunder.

Like a god had opened up a spigot in the sky, down came the rain.

Poi and Erick watched as platinum rain came straight down, upon the house and the garden, to soak into the ground, and for a hundred yards around. Orange stone and sand turned brown in the presence of water; soil turned black. Tiny green shoots of spreading growth began to tumble up from the sandy soil, twisting into flat, horizontal leaves, in small spots at first, then slowly over the entire garden. Erick watched. Minutes passed, rain fell, and green growth spread. The world seemed to turn just a bit nicer, just a bit easier, as a slow green carpet grew across a small part of Veird.

Soon, the entire garden was covered in dense green horizontal leaves, stacked dozens deep, from the very surface of the garden, to several inches above. Erick cut the rain. The thunderhead flowed away on the wind.

Poi said, “That really is quite miraculous, sir.”

Erick laughed. “They wouldn’t let me call it [Miracle Rain].”

Poi smiled.

Erick turned on Aurify, Mana Shaping, and [Telekinesis], and tried to become a lawnmower, but apparently cutting grasses was too much for [Telekinesis 5]. Instead, Erick acted the part of a kid pulling up weeds and then punching them down as far as he could punch. It worked out well enough, considering he had a maybe two hundred ‘hands’ with which to pull and punch. It did take a good half an hour to set the garden to rights, though.

He knew he should have left it to compost…

… But playing in the sandy dirt was quite fun!

He threw out another [Exalted Rain Aura] and punched the growth back down again.

By the time he finished playing around, the ground was equal parts green manure, soil, and sand. The resulting pile of stuff stood a foot taller than the surrounding orange rock, and would have spilled outside of the designated garden if not for Erick [Stoneshape]ing a foot tall, foot wide lip to keep it all contained.

He would leave it to compost from there.

The most surprising thing about the whole experience was that no one showed up, wondering about the giant pillar of rain.

- - - -

Erick arrived at the farms bright and early. Compared to four days ago, the farms of today were much, much larger, and much more barren. Countless [Weather Ward]s sparkled in every color, all around the brown, freshly tilled grounds. He couldn’t even see the edge anymore, and zero crystal agaves grew in the distance. The orchards were still there, and so were the vines of not-tomatoes and many other vining plants, but all the grasses had been tilled into the soil, probably using much the same methods as Erick used yesterday in his own garden.

And everywhere, there were people, watching as Erick walked down the center road, to the center of the farms. He had to walk past where he usually sat; the farm had been expanded by a lot.

Poi walked beside and a little behind Erick.

And as Erick walked, people took notice; some of them moved in the direction he traveled. Not too long later, Erick finally saw the new center of the farms. A small gazebo of stone had been raised in the middle. That must be Erick's destination; it looked a bit crowded already.

Erick walked forward. As he got closer he saw Krakina, Valok, Apogough, Killzone, the silverscale Head Priestess Darenka, and a new bright orangescale woman, bustling around the gazebo in last minute preparations. About ten other people whom Erick did not know operated outside of the stone gazebo. Most of the extra people were wearing priestly robes. Some were setting up incense burners; a sweet smell already wafting upward on the wind. Others organized life-sized statues on top of waist high pillars, making sure they faced whatever correct way they were supposed to face; some looking inward to the stone gazebo, others to the east, or the west, or straight at Ar’Kendrithyst. Some statues faced the sky.

As Erick paused a fair distance from the gazebo, dozens of others were were already waiting at roughly the same distance, not alongside Erick, but well away from what looked to be a holy place, in a stretch of land that seemed made to be stood upon by an audience. Some of the people in today’s audience were obviously farmers, wearing rough spun clothes made to take a beating. Others were dressed in their Sunday Best; greyscales and older orcol women wearing big, fancy hats, men in suits but some in robes. Some incani wore decorations on their horns, while the wrought had their metal flesh done up in facsimiles of fancy clothes similar to their neighbors’.

In the center of the gathering, at the gazebo, Krakina and Killzone took notice of Erick first.

Poi whispered, “We should move inside of the Ring of Gods, sir.”

Erick looked at the statues again.

So that’s what they were.

To the right of the road to the gazebo was obviously Koyabez, the Silver Star and God of Peace; even in sculpture he wore nothing save an artistic loincloth. His tiny horns were framed by stone waves of hair.

And there’s Rozeta on the other side of the road, done up like a grey metal wrought receptionist, the only sculpture that was obviously metal instead of stone.

Erick did not recognize the rest, because he began walking forward after a polite, yet firm, whispered ‘sir’ from Poi.

As Erick approached the gazebo, he did recognize one more sculpture; the largest one. Toward the back of the gazebo, this largest sculpture took up a great deal more space than any of the others.

She was a sturdy woman with a gentle smile, twice as tall as the rest. Instead of standing on a waist-high stone pillar, the woman stood surrounded by stone versions of all the grains and fruits and vegetables and eating animals that Erick had ever seen in all his time on Veird, and many that he hadn’t. Her left hand rested on the head of an obviously happy not-cow, her right hand lowered to the viewer and holding a round fruit.

Erick knew who she was. She was Atunir, Goddess of Fertility and Field.

Erick’s worldview shifted a few degrees. He had thought ‘gazebo’ when he saw the structure from afar, but being here, now, he had a much better description for what had been created at the center of Spur’s farms.

It was a temple; an 8 pillared open air temple to a goddess of the harvest, with people scattered outside, waiting for Mass to begin, and for Erick to arrive.

Erick approached.

Head Priestess Darenka moved to the top of the temple steps. Krakina, Apogough and Valok took their place to the left, while Killzone and Orangescale stood to the right.

Everyone was silent.

Erick almost made a joke, but that would have been disrespectful. This looked like a very big deal to these people. Erick had tried to be more respectful about religious matters ever since Silverite had chastised him. He often failed to be respectful, but he wouldn’t fail this time.

Erick stopped at the bottom of the stairs.

Darenka smiled at him, nodding at him to stay there for now.

She spoke to the crowd, and her words carried.

“We’re all here because we all gotta eat, and this is gonna be great. New ways of harvesting! All you idiots out there take note! I kicked a few divine asses to get this whole thing lined up proper, and I am quite capable of kicking non-divine asses, too. We’re doing this right. We’re doing this correctly. Now bow your heads and pray to whatever fool in the heavens you know does you best.”

Erick stood dumbstruck.

Darenka coughed once, cleared her throat, and spoke to everyone, across the whole farm, “We pray to you, in the bad times and the good, we bring you our hopes and our dreams, and you bring us comfort in the cold dark, and laugh with us in the warm light. You teach us to rise above ourselves, to goad us into positive growth, and fruitful change. We ask you now to join us in this momentous occasion, to share in the joy of a harvest, and to help us ensure that the future we have chosen is a bright one, full of joy, full of family, and with a healthy, happy community. Praise be.”

That sounded like a much more normal sermon.

Erick said a silent prayer to both Rozeta and Koyabez…

And then to Atunir.

Rejoice!

Atunir accepts you as her Champ—

The box vanished before it could finish its message. Another box popped up.

It’s better for everyone if we pretend that never happened. ~Rozeta

The second box vanished as soon as Erick read the thing, and when he looked in his recent notifications, there was nothing there.

Pretend like it never happened, eh? Sure! Why not.

Darenka spoke to Erick, “Do you have any words you’d like to say?”

Erick shook his head. If he was going to say anything, it would be a joke at someone’s expense, and that seemed like a momentously bad idea.

Darekna smiled. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Erick asked, “Can I come inside, first?”

“Ah!” Darenka moved aside, “Of course!”

He whispered, “So no ill effects of rain on people?”

She whispered, “The gods launched a Deep Scan of the spell because some of them don’t like the others having nice things; if they had found anything, they would have said, and we would not be here today.”

Erick felt a surge of relief. He bowed to Darenka. “Thank you. And thank them, too.”

Erick turned on [Exalted Storm Aura] and began walking up the temple stairs. Clouds manifested across the land, like fog rising from nothing, to rise on unseen winds into the sky high above. Erick placed his left foot onto the staircase and slowly made his way up the five steps to the temple floor.

By the time he reached the top, platinum rain drops were already falling across the farms.

Erick turned around; he was just under the eave of the temple roof. Rain was falling across the brown fields in drips and drops. The audience watched as the ground turned wet and green shoots began to grow. The apple orchards turned lush, as pinpricks of red began to bloom into full sized apples. Water soaked into rice paddies, and green grasses poked upward. After a while water began to fill those paddies, and grasses turned into more than they were before, gold grains spilling out of green stalks like Midas himself touching the harvest.

Tomatoes dripped from trellises. Grapes weighed down vines. Wheat waved in the silver light of the storm. Pasture grew to foot tall greens, ready for the cows to come. Chickens explored the growing lands; more than a few were eaten by prowling cats.

And people were harvesting. [Telekinesis] was widely employed by both farmers and people in nice clothes.

Erick turned to Valok, Krakina, and Apogough. “You three organized this rather well.”

Krakina smiled wide. “Of course we did!”

Valok said, “This was good timing, Erick.”

“Don’t lie, Valok!” Apogough laughed, then mocked, “He was ready to go find you.”

“I said I’d be here.”

Valok grumbled, “I’m glad you are. Now. If you’ll excuse me, I have jobs to oversee.” He bowed to both Darenka and the statue of Atunir, before swiftly vacating the temple.

Krakina and Apogough followed him.

The crowd began to disperse when the Farmer’s Council started to move away from the temple.

Erick just watched, feeding mana into [Exalted Storm Aura].

Darenka stepped up to Erick, saying, “Atunir is making a big stink at me. What’d you do?”

“Best if the whole thing is forgotten. I’m not exactly opposed to what she wants, but I’m not too crazy about the whole thing either, especially if she wants to make this spell hers.”

“Ah! So it’s like that.” Darenka agreed, “Your magic didn’t come from her; it’s not hers to take. We give the gods much of ourselves, and they give us much of them, but there is a limit to decency. But… Best to be seen saying a prayer to her every so often, anyway. It makes her happy, and her worship does provide food to anyone in need, as well as care for children.”

Erick had no objections to that. He gently smiled, saying, “Sounds good to me.”

Darenka stepped off down the stairs, through the rain, calling as she went, “Good luck, Archmage Flatt!”

Killzone approached with Orangescale beside him. Orangescale was a strong looking woman wearing the casual generic armor of a city guard, but much more well made and maintained than the armors he had usually seen guards wearing.

Killzone said, “This is Guardmaster Merit, Archmage Flatt.”

Merit gave a quick bow, then said, “Nice to finally meet you.” Her voice was warm like strong honey. Erick felt instantly at ease. “The city guard is stretched thin, but we’ll survive. And grow.” She looked across the farms, then up. “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

Erick followed her gaze. [Exalted Storm Aura] was as wide as ever; from Erick’s raised position, he saw that platinum rain was falling over the whole of the farm. Rain was even falling outside of the current boundary.

Merit asked Killzone, “Spare any more people?”

Killzone said, “Can’t do that, Merit. The Shades are equally afraid and joyous that Spur is growing. I’d be concerned, but word is that they’re more happy than afraid. More people for them to try to kill.”

Erick shivered. Killzone noticed.

Killzone stressed, “To try to kill, Archmage Flatt. They enjoy their cat and mouse games just as much as the next genocidal megalomaniac mostly trapped in a prison with other megalomaniacs.”

That was a lot to unpack.

Erick turned to Merit. “Nice to meet you, too.” Very seriously, he asked both of them, “Is this here a problem?”

Killzone said, “Not for me. Or for you. Got two army grunts headed your way for a ‘vacation’, as well. Should be there tomorrow, if’n that’s okay.”

“That’s okay. I’m also working on a [Fly] spell, just so you know, so I’m gonna get out there and kill a few dozen mimics, pretty soon.”

Killzone and Merit both seemed to relax.

Merit said, “The Guard is fine, and Spur will be, too. We’re hiring more people as more people are moving to Spur; we’ll be at capacity in a few weeks as long as the vetting process doesn’t turn up anything too crazy, and if the weather holds,” Merit said with a smirk. “We can handle the adjustment.” She asked, “Are you doing well?”

Erick looked out across the farm. Platinum rain fell, crops grew, and people harvested as fast as they could. This was a lot of food. This was going to change Spur into something else. Everyone seemed to be happy with the change, though. Erick was happy, too, now that he took a moment to think, and evaluate.

A home with his daughter. Food in his belly. A good place to live with a nice community, and problems he could solve. Magic was wonderful, and every day he discovered something new and amazing.

He looked south. The walls of Ar'Kendrithyst were a dark mountain range, looming in the distance, covering the horizon. Darkness lived in there, and occasionally spilled out into the world, but there was always a darkness on the horizon, no matter where he lived. That fact would never change; only the specific circumstances.

Erick said, “I think I’m going to be more than fine.”

- - - -

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 19, Class: Particle Mage

Exp: 312811/676500

Class: 6/6

Points: 6

HP

100/100

150 per day

MP

600/600

1050 per day

Strength

10

+0

[10]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

35

+0

[35]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Spoiler

Discipline X

Multiply your base MP by 3

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Concentration X

Multiply your base MP regen by 3

Requirements: 20 Focus

Clarity X

Reduces spell costs by 50%

Requirements: 10 Focus

Meditation X

Always Resting

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Mana Shaping 6

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Alter AOE in major ways, 100 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 940/1300

Aurify 2

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

You may choose who or what is affected by your aura.

Doubles the range on an Aurified spell.

Exp: 28934/1000000

Mana Altering 8

Bludgeoning, Slashing, or Piercing Damage

Force to Light, Blind, Variable Cost

Invisible Force, hard to see, Variable Cost

Force to Thunder, disorient, Variable Cost

Force to Fire, Burn, Variable Cost

Force to Ice, Slow, Variable Cost

Force to Lightning, Paralyze, Variable Cost

Force to Decay, organic damage, Variable Cost x 1.5

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Exp: 100/3500

Cleanse X, instant, short range, 10 MP.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Cleanse Aura, short range, 10 MP per second.

Continuously purge all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption in a 10m sphere centered on you.

Mend 8, instant, touch, 10 MP

Touch a non-magical uncomplicated large object and restore it to its prime.

Exp: 880/3400

Ward X, instant, short range, 24 hours

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Create a Large Ward that can have Large Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 35 MP + Z

Create a Ward with another Spell attached to the interior. Spell activation based on Z invested into Ward. 100 MP + Z

Your Wards regenerate Z based on your Rested MP regen rate.

Special Wards can be made Permanent. 250 MP + Variable Cost

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Large Effects: Drain Hostile HP/MP, Gravity Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you wish. Skill level at Mana Manipulation determines final outcome. Variable Cost

Gravity Strainer, instant, medium range, 65 mana, 1 hour duration.

Conjure a large, freely moldable space where specific objects turn near-weightless and fall to a designated point.

Force Beam 2, instant, medium range, 25 MP

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 2 seconds

Exp: 175/200

Force Shrapnel 8, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 20 + WIL damage in a cone

Exp: 205/3500

Blink 5, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 50/800

Stoneshape 5, 1 minute per level, medium range, 30 MP

Slowly move medium amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape, OR gain fine control over minor amounts of stone and sand.

Exp: 285/800

Grow X, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in an area equal to spell level in meters.

Growth Aura, 5 MP per second.

Induce growth in the plants you choose in a 10m radius around you.

Telekinesis 7, 1 minute per level, medium range, 40 MP

Slowly move large objects around you for 1 minute per level of the spell.

Exp: 1600/2100

Airshape 1, 1 minute per level, medium range, 10 MP

Slowly move minor amounts of air around you for 1 minute per level of Airshape.

Exp: 0/100

Call Lightning X, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lighting bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Particle Mage Only

Lightning Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the air around you to strike for <damage>. One strike available every 50 MP.

Particle Mage Only

Exalted Storm Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range ~{Favored Spell}~

Anoint the land with blessed rain, rapidly growing all <crops and pasture> to <harvest size> and restoring vibrancy to all other <desired> plant life and soil. If used in a <prepared field> <devoid of crops>, highly nutritious beans will sprout after <a full day of rain>.

Particle Mage Only

Particle Mage

Your ability to unlock new Particle spells is greatly increased.

If you witness a Particle spell and you understand it, you may unlock that spell for free.

Your ability to affect the Particle spells of others is greatly increased.

Your own Particle spells are less affected by the abilities of non Particle Mages

Your Particle spells deal more damage

You take less damage from Particle spells.

<I gave you most of the Force Mage skillset except with a few additions and subtractions and relevant changes. You’ve also gotten the Class unlocked at max level, because I need to see how this all works out. This is all subject to change. ~Rozeta>

033

Erick hung out in the temple with Poi, letting his [Exalted Storm Aura] wash across the land. The two of them were the only people under any sort of cover; everyone else in the fields were either working in the rain, under a personal [Weather Ward], or just letting the rain wash over their bodies.

Wary of what Darenka had said about his spell, Erick still stepped into the platinum rain for a moment. It felt like water; it tasted like water. Pure water, too, with a hint of ‘light’, which Erick still couldn’t make sense of even after tasting the water several times.

He quickly came to a decision: This was great. He loved this. It was nice to sit and watch the rain for a while, but he couldn’t do much except pop the various scrying orbs that wandered into his vision. Quite simply: this was boring. He’d better damn well get to Scion of Focus faster; not only would it remove mana exhaustion, but it would allow him to extensively train his magic during this time.

He was spending 1 mana every 4 seconds, but gaining 1 mana every 3.5 seconds; he couldn’t powerlevel his spells, like Jane would have put it, like he had done with [Grow] and [Cleanse] and [Telekinesis]. But he could do some smaller spells, spaced out further.

So aside from [Scry] eye popping whenever Erick saw one, he cast [Stoneshape 5] enough to get that up to level 6.

Stoneshape 6, 1 minute per level, medium range, 35 MP

Move medium amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of Stoneshape, OR gain fine control over small amounts of stone and sand.

Exp: 25/1300

Once it was up to 6 he played with the second half of the spell, making miniature sculptures of various scenes in the fields. He made lots of tiny farmers. Several dozen small trees, maybe only a foot tall. Then he moved on to vegetables and fruits he remembered from Earth. Zucchinis, eggplants, squash, durians, dragonfruit. He moved on from there to cows and horses, tractors and cars. He quickly scrapped the tractors and cars, and went back to manual farming stuff; he was going to leave this stuff near the big shrine to Atunir in back of the temple. He didn’t want to leave any facsimiles of technology in a space dedicated to field and fertility. It just seemed wrong.

… Field and fertility.

Erick turned toward the great statue of Atunir. … Leaving her a dildo would probably be a bad idea. Atunir’s fertility aspect didn’t seem to be paired with images of genitalia, like how it was for Earth cultures.

And so, Erick made miniature people and objects on a desk of stone, for four hours. Valok, or anyone else, didn’t come to get Erick after two hours, but Valok and Krakina did come at the end of four hours. Valok looked uniquely happy; he was even smiling, which was a rare event on the gruff no-nonsense redscale. Krakina looked like a teenager holding in a sugar rush, her grey feathers flexing out every so often.

Valok walked up the stairs toward Erick, saying, “We’re ready for you to stop. Thanks for going strong the whole morning.”

“Alrighty then!” Erick stood and stepped away from his desk. He stretched, and turned off [Exalted Storm Aura]. Like taking off a pair of pants after a long day at the office, Erick felt relieved. He yawned. He asked, “Same time tomorrow?”

Krakina jittered as she said, “Yes! This was a good time! GREAT TIME! Everyone is very happy! Work in morning, count money in the evening!” She giggled. “So much counting!”

Erick smiled. “How much did you manage to harvest?”

“Two days normal harvest!” Krakina spread her wings wide as she cackled, “Multiplied by 5 farms! AhHH hah haH haH haH!”

She laughed like an old witch. Erick loved it.

Valok said, “We’re having lunch. We—”

“We can SHIP EVERYWHERE! To Frontier! To Kal’Duresh! To Vindin and Outpost! Fuck Portal’s tradelock!” Krakina hugged herself, practically singing, “We are rich! Gold! Lovely gold!”

“—we want you to come, Erick. To lunch.” Valok turned on Krakina, “And stop that. The costs of bulk transport are gonna—”

“RICH! RICH, I SAY!” Krakina spat out, “Do not impede my enjoyment, Valok, you old fool!”

Gradually, the rain stopped falling, the clouds above having emptied themselves across the land. Desert winds blew across the green fields, and as Erick looked upon the fields and saw the tired, happy workers, he was happy too. He also saw their massive loads of grain and huge carts of apples and bushels and bushels of not-tomatoes and not-carrots, and everything else they had managed to harvest.

Erick was happy for them because they were obviously happy, but what the hell were they going to do with all the food? Where did they put it all? Were there secret warehouses in Spur he didn’t know about? Did they ‘ship it out’ right away? They had to ship it out right away, right? But where were the ships?

It had to be [Teleport] ‘shipping’, right?

All good questions, but Erick was hungry, and the farmers seemed to know what they were about; that side of this farming business was not Erick’s concern.

“Let’s go eat!” Erick said, “Where we going?”

Krakina leapt in, “We are going to get piss drunk in a bar! You! Me! Drinking contest!”

Erick laughed. “What are we betting?”

“I bet you I can drink you under the table, is what I’m betting!”

Valok smiled, flashing white fangs. “Apogough is already cooking. I’m sure he’ll have beer. I understand your daughter is already there, waiting for you along with her friends, and Sewermaster Al.”

“I’ll be ready in a minute.” Erick went over to his miniatures, and activated [Stoneshape] to pick them up. “Just one more thing to do.”

He floated the miniatures through the air, tiny farmers and tiny cows, life sized dragonfruit and tiny apple trees; all of them went to the massive statue of Atunir, the Goddess of Field and Fertility. Since there were already a great deal of stone fruits and harvests as a part of the statue’s base, Erick set the fruits he had made among the harvests, but kept the people and smaller trees apart. He set those just outside of the main structure, on a small lip of stone around the sculpture. With a tiny push of [Stoneshape] he attached them to the statue.

When he was done, he stepped back, then closed his eyes and bowed his head to the goddess. He made a small, indistinct prayer; nothing too specific, just a feeling of warmth and a hope for good harvests. When he was done he lifted his head and turned around. Valok and Krakina were there behind him, saying their own silent prayers. Erick moved aside, then waited for them by the short temple stairs. Valok finished first. He audibly breathed in, then turned around to Erick. Krakina finished up her prayer with a quick curtsy.

The three of them left the temple behind, talking to each other about the day’s harvest on their way back to town. Poi followed, maintaining a respectable 5 to 7 foot distance.

The rest of Erick’s day went rather normally.

- - - -

The day of the people spying on him was already in the shitter.

Look now, a ways away, over the fields away from town, to the edge of the farm. Right before green became brown, on a bit of flat land undisturbed by grasses or weeds or anything else, there was a disturbance in the air. Most anyone looking would have seen nothing; that was the point of standing on nearly barren ground.

Merit, the orangescale Guardmaster of Spur was not just anyone.

She appeared out of nowhere, directly behind the disturbance.

The Disturbance almost shat itself.

Merit spoke, in her deep, handsome voice, “Howdy, stranger.”

The Disturbance dropped to the ground.

“What say you drop the [Invisibility] and we can have a Nice Little Chat.”

The Disturbance complied, revealing a skinny young human boy, barely 16. Merit almost felt sorry for him, but he did have several parasitic needles stashed on his body, and likely the spells to drive them straight through any [Ward]. He would have been a classic assassin, if he lived to see his 20s.

Merit said, “Strip naked, please, then after some questions, you’re free to go get lost in the Forest.”

The boy instantly complied, quickly stripping down to bare skin.

“And the needles in your hair, and in your mouth, too.”

The boy spat out his last ditch poisons and pulled the parasitic needles out from their secured ties in the hair on the back of his head. The dried critters burned to ash the second they left the boy's fingers. He couldn't even tell what spell Merit used.

“I’d shave you, too, just for a bit more humiliation, but your masters will probably have enough of that to give you when you get back.” Merit asked, “Who are your masters?”

The boy said, “The Green Circle.”

“Are you going back to them?”

“I’d like to, ma’am.”

“Will they send you back here?”

“No, ma’am. I was just on reconnaissance, not on a mission, and I’ve seen what I needed to see.”

Merit nodded. “Thank you for being much more cooperative than your friend.”

The boy broke out in a cold sweat. “May— May I please know my associate’s fate?”

With a practiced motion, Merit reached for a loop on the backside of her belt, bringing a severed hand into the light of day. It was a human man’s hand, from someone in their 50s who had done delicate but difficult jobs their whole life. She tossed the hand at the boy’s feet. A dark green jade ring adorned the ring finger.

The boy reached for the hand, but could not bring himself to pick up the dead flesh. He whispered, “Master...” A dampness clouded his eyes.

“He was caught parasitizing food in the Flatt Estate and in his new garden. That was smart of your former master; Erick [Cleanse]s that place rather damn regularly. Still didn’t work, because we’re here, but it was a smart move. A lot of you types are moving on from the cheap poisons, but it won’t help you, because, like I said, the Guard is here and Spur knows all your tricks.” Merit looked across the farms, and felt great. “I have a message I’d like delivered.”

The boy reached down to the hand. With a smooth, detatched motion, he plucked the ring from the finger. He stood tall, staring into Merit’s bright orange eyes. “I’m listening.”

Merit nodded. “We like taking care of people who cannot take care of themselves. That’s what it means to be an adventurer, after all. We’re here, on the front lines of the greatest danger on the surface of the continent, keeping the Shades in check, making life easier for people like those in your Greensoil Republic. And we got lucky. A fantastic person from another world walked into our town. He decided he wanted to stay, and thus he become one of the many swords we raise against the Shades. He might be a bit naive and indirect sword, but I severely doubt Erick Flatt will remain this way for long.” Merit paused. She asked, “Did you know that volcanoes are a function of Particles?”

The boy paled.

Merit continued. “I was surprised myself. They teach you certain things in school, and then you learn that no, that was wrong, this is how the world really works.” She explained, “You know Maia, the girl from Oceanside Academy —who you would also make an enemy if you continue along this path— you know her? Just the other day she made this spell that turns rock into lava. I thought lava was rock with elemental fire inside, and that’s sort of true, from a certain angle, but also fundamentally not. The thing about Maia is that she already has [Lavashape], so she can swing that lava around like nobody’s business. Now, for Erick? An S.L.R version of Maia’s spell is one rhyme away, and if push comes to shove, we can protect him long enough for him to turn your world to ash.” Merit asked, “Do you understand? Did you get all that?”

The boy said, “Yes, ma’am.”

Merit took a big step to the left. She extended her right arm toward the Crystal Forest. “Run along now.”

The boy ran, and kept running.

When his heart stopped pounding and his fear waned low, far away from Spur, he stood still, and stared at the wide blue sky. In the wide open spaces between crystal agaves and what was probably a crystal mimic, since there were no bugs around that one, the boy slipped the band of green jade around his own ring finger. He stared at that ring for a long time, until he didn’t.

In a wisp of air, the boy vanished, his [Teleport] carrying him far to the east, far from the growing town of Spur, far from the towering walls of Ar’Kendrithyst.

034

Today was Erick’s third day at the farms, and his and Jane’s 30th day on Veird.

30 days was a full month, by the local calendar. All the months were 30 days long. One year lasted exactly 370 days, or 12 months, with one tenday ‘week’ of Festival in the middle of winter. It made sense that their years and months were all perfect; the gods and otherwise had crafted Veird from the corpses of the previous worlds, after all. Currently, Spur was in the middle of spring, and the snows of the far away northern mountains and Crystal Forest were steadily melting, sending water both deep down into the Underworld, and under the sands of the Crystal Forest. He knew all of this not only because he had picked it up over the last few weeks, but also because someone had left a farmer’s almanac in the temple.

Erick was learning a lot of little facts about Veird because of that book. Not only about the timetables of local events, but also [Grow] techniques and ways to ensure that whatever you created could not propagate without natural pollinators, or [Grow]; no one wanted a Kill and Exterminate Quest issued against them by a god or otherwise.

Bees and flowers and seeds were the preferred method of natural propagation, and honey was always great to have. Someone had even brought in some bees to one of the plots of land near the middle of the farm. They were thumb sized bugs that buzzed hard and flew far.

The bees seemed ambivalent to the platinum rain.

The cows a kilometer north loved the rain, though. Erick could hear their happy moos from his spot in the temple, reading with his back against a pillar and his butt on a bench. They kept mooing and Erick kept reading.

They mooed louder. And louder? What—
mooOOOO!

That one was a cow scream. Erick leapt up and out of his seat only seconds after Poi went on high alert.

Erick asked, “What is it?”

As fast as Poi alerted, he calmed. He said, “Mimics attacking from the Forest, but the guards are already on it. Should have raised a wall... yesterday…” Poi paused. He said, “Killzone says they’re not going to raise a wall at all. As long as the area looks undefended, the Shades don’t care. Right now this whole farm looks like a great big target, and… Killzone says that makes them complacent.”

Erick looked at Poi. He didn’t know the man very well, but he knew enough to know when Poi’s professionalism was strained. Erick asked, “You don’t agree?”

Poi remained silent.

“You’re allowed to disagree with your commanding officer.” Erick added, “At least privately.”

Poi said, “Killzone has been at this job for a lot, lot longer than I. He has done well in organizing the army that contains the Shades. He knows the enemy. He knows how they react to certain stimuli.” Poi sighed. “This just means that the Adventurer’s Guild needs to point more adventurers at the mimics. They shouldn’t have been able to muster a mob this close to town.” Poi paused. He said, “It’s possible that they have seen the green and have come to rip it out of the ground, in force.”

Erick asked, “If the crystal mimics clear out everything green, is the whole continent a desert?”

“No, sir.” Poi said, “Only this part of Glaquin is a Crystal Forest.” Poi looked over at the book in Erick’s hands. “Is there no map in that farmer’s almanac?”

The cows had stopped bleating by now. They resumed gently mooing at the rain. Whatever had happened, it was over.

Erick answered, “A political map, and not a very good one.” He turned to the map and stared at the thin black lines and tiny dots. He said, “I’m having trouble with the vastness of this place.”

Spur was located in the lower middle half of a desert, roughly 6000 km from East to West and 4500 km from North to South, with major variations due to the various mountain ranges that surrounded the Crystal Forest. In the whole desert there were only half a dozen markers for cities, while just past the Mondariska mountains to the East, there laid a civilization called the Greensoil Republic, which occupied about the same geographical size as the Crystal Forest, with hundreds of smaller cities and several larger ones, and probably countless unnamed towns strewn throughout. To the West, past another set of mountains and nestled between two ranges, were the Wasteland Kingdoms; a much smaller place, only a thousand kilometers wide, but 3500 km from North to South.

The almanac only covered a quarter of the continent of Glaquin, which was 1 of 4 such massive continents on a planet that was half water. The rest of the continent was largely unexplored, ancient forest. That did not make much sense, considering Earth was almost completely known, and the humans of Earth had done all their exploring without magic that allowed them to fly and dig and survive practically anywhere.

But looking at the distance gauges on the maps and with a bit of mental math, the fact that Glaquin was mostly unexplored began to make some sense.

The Crystal Forest was about 27 million square kilometers large. The Greensoil Republic was 25 million.

Africa, back on Earth, occupied 30 million square kilometers.

“This map doesn’t go into any real detail.” Erick confessed, “And I’m still having trouble understanding the size of Veird. I think your planet is at least twice, no... four times as big as Earth? Probably larger.” Erick was still digesting all that information. He paused. He said, “And the map is political. I don't see forests or otherwise on this map.”

Poi nodded. “The surrounding mountains keep the crystal mimics contained because they don’t like the cold and the mountains are very tall. The only gap in the circle is at the Wasteland Kingdoms; those incani keep the mimics out of their lands as best they can. And the coast, of course. Mimics can't swim. Beyond that are the forests and the grasslands and the cultural and architectural remains of people who failed to hold back the monsters.”

“… So this entire land is a desert because of those guys...”

“Correct, sir. It’s my understanding that people tried extermination campaigns long ago, but mimics either hide or breed, so you can understand how they failed.”

“… And they’re killing our attempts to keep this land a farmland.”

“Also correct, sir. I doubt they’ll get far, though. We can defend against even the largest Monster March, provided they’re just crystal mimics.” Poi looked up. He turned to Erick, and said, “It’s noon. You’ve done almost two and a half hours, so far.”

“Right.” Erick stopped feeding mana to his [Exalted Storm Aura] and set down the farmer’s almanac where he found it. “Time to finish this, too.”

[Telekinesis].

[Telekinesis] has leveled!

Level X!

Telekinesis X, medium range

Move large objects around you for 5 minutes per level of the spell. Fine control. 100 MP

Quickly move large objects around you for 1 minute per level of the spell. Fine control. 50 MP

Erick dismissed the spell, and began working on [Airshape] as he stepped down the temple steps, walking home, with Poi slightly behind and to the left.

- - - -

[Airshape] has leveled!

Level 6!

Airshape 6, 1 minute per level, medium range, 35 MP

Move medium amounts of air around you for 1 minute per level of Airshape, OR gain fine control over small amounts of air.

Exp: 25/1300

His mana was pretty low now, and he hadn’t even made it back to town.

Aurify.

Mana Shaping.

[Airshape].

Erick breathed, and Reality breathed with him. He felt the eddies in the air, the evaporating moisture from his rain, and the gentle respiration of the plants near him.

“Sir,” Poi said. “We are in public.”

Erick cut the spell. A few of the farmers around him were giving him a wider berth than normal; some of them were still collecting the lasts of the short day’s harvests, while others did not step onto the road as Erick walked their way.

Erick nodded, said “Sorry about that,” and kept on walking.

Erick went right home, [Cleanse Aura]d himself for a few seconds inside, making sure to clip the bathroom and his bedroom, then curled up on his nice new bed. The movers had installed the beds yesterday while Erick was at the farms and Jane was home. The rest of the furniture would be coming soon enough.

- - - -

Erick woke up an hour later, full on mana, just in time to greet Al and Jane coming through the front door. After making all of them sandwiches from a leftover roast, Erick grabbed a rod of [Treat Wounds] he had bought from Ulrick Ulrick and handed it to Jane. She frowned, but nodded. All of them moved into the back yard. It was time to make some magic!

Erick turned to Al and Jane. “Thanks for spotting me.”

He popped a large [Weather Ward] across all of them, and Poi. Then he popped a [Temperature Ward], too, to keep the area at a nice and cool 75ish Fahrenheit.

He began, “A—

“Are you… Are you just going to start? Just like that? The [Ward]s are good, but...” Al looked out across the flat Human District. “You shouldn’t do this so openly.”

“Jesus Christ, Dad.” Jane had been holding in her displeasure, but it was coming out now. She quickly said, “You have [Stoneshape]. Put up some walls.”

“Uhhh.” Erick winced. “I don’t think walls are a good idea.”

“Should I put up some walls?” Al frowned. “Or perhaps we should move into the Forest?” He pointed at the city wall. “It’s not a far walk.”

“No no no.” Erick thought. He said. “Put up a very very large visual distortion [Ward]. That would be better.”

Al nodded.

The air glittered with light, then all around, maybe fifty feet away in all directions, a bubble appeared, and the world outside that bubble turned a bit fuzzy.

Erick asked, “Poi? We’re clear?”

“We have been for an hour now, sir.”

“Thank you. It should stay in the sky. If not, that’s what the [Temperature Ward] is for.” He paused. He pointed at the city wall. “Just so we’re clear… There’s nothing over the wall, way over in that direction, right?”

Everyone stared at him.

Poi announced, “We are now ordered to vacate the city, and to do all this out there. Killzone is coming and will meet us in the designated location.”

Erick frowned.

- - - -

North of Spur, Erick, Jane, Al, Poi, and Killzone stood under several different [Wards], along with Zago, who had arrived in the middle of setting up, running across the sands, yelling, ‘Wait for me!’.

Erick gazed across the land. There were a few agaves and a lot of tiny creatures out there, but this spell shouldn’t hit any of them. Erick had done his research in the Mage Guild’s library; if this spell worked, it wouldn’t affect any of them.

But… if there were crystal mimics out there…

Erick gazed at the sky, and opened himself to the manasphere. Meditation felt like second nature; it felt right, it felt good. Meditation felt like a connection to something much greater than himself. He was a little part of a great, great system, like a diver at the bottom of a tropical ocean, staring up at a vast weight of warm life overhead.

Erick spoke to that vastness now, and it rushed to hear him speak.

“A cleansing wind to sear the land of all corruption, damn the damned~

“Of breath of life and death I sing, to all who fear to hear the ring~

“Of cleansing wind to sear the land of all corruption, damn the damned~

“Out life comes, slithering, in this domain of [Withering].”

The manasphere shifted; 500 mana ripped out of Erick.

He fell backward into Jane’s arms. She jabbed him with the glowing rod of [Treat Wounds]. Erick managed to stay awake, sitting on the ground. Jane applied another hit of [Treat Wounds].

Nothing much happened beyond the visual distortion [Ward], out in the desert. The air was a bit thicker here and there, like someone had thrown a low powered [Cleanse] across an exceedingly large area. But that was it. If they were outside of Zago’s [Distortion Ward], they might have seen something more than a general impression of the new spell.

Zago asked, “What did—”

Monsters screamed in the desert.

A notification appeared.

You have slain Crystal Mimic A!

95% participation!

+20693935 exp

Then another.

You have slain Crystal Mimic C!

95% participation!

+20693935 exp

And another.

You have slain Crystal Mimic B!

95% participation!

+33483491 exp

A few more notifications popped. Erick recognized two of them.

Congratulations!

You have created a new Basic Spell. Your spell has been added to your skills for free!

The spell you have created will appear in the Script after a year and a day.

Your spell is the alpha version, and will shift with time and use.

The spell that appears in the Script might be different.

Here is your spell:

Withering 1, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP

Purge all water from all monsters in super large area, dealing <damage> every second. Cleanse the land around every monster killed in this way.

Particle Mage Only.

Rozeta thanks you for enriching the Script.

+3 ability points.

I like this one a whole lot. Good Job, Erick. ~Rozeta

There were some leveling notices, too, but he’d deal with those later.

“Help me to my feet, Jane. You can dismiss the visual distortion, Zago. It’s over.”

Jane easily pulled him upright as Zago dropped the distortion [Ward], revealing the northern deserts in all their sandy flatness, and the faint twirl of thick air still wafting across the land; If Erick wasn’t looking for the remnants of his spell, he would have thought it a heat mirage.

Erick pulled out [Withering] and handed the spell’s blue box to Zago and Killzone, then he handed out more copies to Al and Jane. Zago read her copy a few times. Killzone read his once and smiled wide, before dismissing the box. Jane seemed to frown a little, while Al chuckled, both of them summarily vanishing the boxes Erick gave them. Zago held on to hers until Erick spoke.

Erick said, “It’s a spell that targets anything with a 10 or more mana rad inside its body, then purges all liquid water from those targeted creatures. Supremely simple. Highly useful for killing monsters, and nothing else. This is about as comfortable as I am with killing.”

“I’m glad we came out here,” Killzone stressed. “Rads accumulating in intestinal pockets is a more common ailment than you’d think, Archmage.”

“I read that in the library, which is why I focused on rads worth 10 mana or more. [Withering] should ignore almost anyone with minor rad poisoning. But besides that, this spell wasn’t the one I planned on casting inside the city. That one would have stayed in the air.”

Killzone smiled, nodding. “Then this is a mighty good spell you got here. I feel privileged to have witnessed the first cast of [Withering].”

“I’m guessing a [Weather Ward] would stop it.” Erick said, “But the point is, is that you shouldn’t need to use a [Weather Ward] for almost all applications of this spell.”

Zago finally spoke, “There’s an even chance that Headmaster will be absolutely livid that you invented his spell out from under him, or relieved that you chose to go this particular direction. You’ve created something… Something very good for the world.”

“Aye.” Al said, “This was good, Erick.”

“I wholly agree.” Killzone looked out across the land. “But did you manage to kill those monsters out there? Or did the spell end before that?”

“I got notifications for 3 mimics. A, B, and C.” Erick said, “I’m going to wait for my mana to come back then go see what they look like. I… I don’t think this was a kind death.” Erick gazed at the Crystal Forest. “Not sure where they dropped, either. [Withering] seems to cover a lot of ground.”

Killzone exclaimed, “It certainly does!”

Zago asked, “Are you going to try for another spell today?”

Erick shook his head. “No. This…” He sighed. “This was a toll.”

Zago and Al frowned. Jane sighed at Erick.

Kilzone spoke softly, without malice, “Crystal mimics are a blight. There is no end to them. You could fly across the land with this as an aura and still not make a dent in the never ending horde.” Killzone said, “Or maybe you could. It’s okay to kill the bad things, you know. They would kill you if you gave them a chance.” Killzone gestured at the desert. “This whole Crystal Forest is them trying to kill everyone except themselves.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to enjoy kill—”

“Shu—!” Killzone spoke a bit louder, more animated. “Those fu— Those monsters kill people every year. The shadowcats— We succeeded in killing them, but...” All mirth vanished from Killzone. “They killed 7 young adventurers. Did you know that?”

Erick said, “I thought—”

“You don’t think! That’s the prob—!” Killzone stopped himself. He calmed. Authority filled his voice, “I expect to see you learning with the other rookies in a few days when Mog’s monthly class restarts. Be there. You need to learn of the dangers a spell like yours can negate from this world.”

A breeze flowed across the Crystal Forest, kicking up scattered sand.

“You’re completely right, Killzone. Sorry.” Erick said, “I intend to be at those classes.”

Killzone relaxed. “Good. Good.” He asked, “How are the new guys working out?”

The new guys were one middle aged orcol woman named Teressa, and one young redscale named Rats. Rats had a real name, but he went by ‘Rats’. Teressa was twice as silent as Poi and constantly in armor, like she was some silent war golem waiting for orders. They were both off… somewhere. Doing something. Erick wasn’t exactly sure. They had worked out the schedule for guarding Erick on their own; when they weren’t around him, they were doing whatever they wanted to do.

“Well. As far as I know. One is usually at the house, one beside me, the other… not sure where.” Erick said, “And that’s fine.”

Killzone nodded. He said, “Then I’m off. Good luck with Mog’s classes, Archmage.”

Killzone vanished in a black blip.

Erick turned to Jane. “Want to search for monster corpses with me?”

“Yes.” Jane smiled. “I do want to search for monster corpses with you.”

Zago said, “One moment.”

She glittered violet as she pointed into the desert. Three pillars of dark purple smoke began to rise off in the distance.

“The smoke won’t last long. But you should be able to find the bodies before it wears out; targeting rads is a difficult skill, but one supremely necessary for any growing mage, and especially for an Archmage.” Zago bowed. “I shall take my leave, Archmage.”

“Thank you. For the smoke.”

Zago smiled. “No trouble at all. Thank you for letting me witness history.”

Zago vanished in a crash of purple light.

Erick sighed out, “I really need to get [Teleport]. That looks convenient.”

Al laughed. “You make yourself weak if you [Teleport] everywhere! Those two just have too many duties to attend.” He gestured toward the desert. “Come! Let us walk the sands and find your bounty.” He started walking toward the closest purple pillar. “It looks rather close!”

It looked far to Erick, but he didn’t complain.

They walked in silence.

A lot of things were currently bothering Erick, but one stood out from the rest.

Erick asked, “Jane? Al? Am I being too much of a pacifist? I think I upset Killzone.”

“Yes.” Jane answered, instantly. “You have this power to make the world better. Use it.”

He expected that answer from Jane. The only major stress in Erick’s relationship with his daughter had always been, and would probably always be, Erick’s pacifist nature.

Al took more than 0 seconds to formulate his answer. “It is a good thing to realize that violence begets violence, but monsters… Anything with a rad inside of it… They’re not capable of anything except violence.”

Erick asked, “Do they peacefully raise young? Do they communicate with each other? Do they see people arriving with swords and decide that they have to fight for their lives? Are the monsters monsters because you force them to be monsters? Or… what?”

Al walked across the sands, silent again.

They arrived at the first corpse. It looked like crystal agave ten foot tall with all the water removed; a withered crystalline succulent that had cracked open under internal pressure, so dried out that the flesh that hadn’t turned to powder had instead turned solid and blue. The crystal mimic had turned into massive sapphires, scattered across the sand.

Among the rubble there were lumps of blue-brown gunk, gently pulsing, trying to move. Juveniles. Barely able to live on their own, because of him, because of a spell he—

“Dad.” Jane said, “I know what you’re thinking, and you're wrong. These things are not innocent babies left abandoned by a mother you killed. They are the juvenile form of a plague.” She stepped across the broken corpse, moving straight to the middle of the body with a [Conjured Weapon] in the shape of a mining pickaxe. With a quick strike against the largest lump, Jane split the monster’s hardened center in half, revealing a glittering rad to the light. “Hell. These things attack all life that is not them or the natural agaves. They are not part of an ecosystem. They are monsters who destroy the land to suit their own needs, without regard for the lives they displace.”

Erick sighed. “Jane… please.”

“Dad.” Jane grabbed the rad from the corpse. She stared at Erick. “Please.”

Erick stayed silent.

On the way to the next corpse, Al spoke, “Your daughter is correct. Rads drive monsters insane as soon as the rads attach to the heart. There have been studies where people have tried removing rads without killing the monster… Some of them have succeeded. What results is an empty body, without a soul, without a mind. As soon as the rad reaches the heart, the soul is consumed and whatever was is no more.”

“… Is the rad a monster’s soul?”

Jane shouted, “That’s your takeaway?! Fucking hell!”

“I’m trying to understand, Jane!”

Al spoke, “Rads are crystallized magic which is poisonous to all living things. They’re naturally expelled by all people and all animals. But this is not the case for monsters. Monsters are born with rads inside of them. For us, rads are only a problem after they’ve torn through the digestive tract and traveled to the heart. Once they attach to the heart, they consume the soul and transform the brain.” Al stressed, “Monsters are born with rads already inside of them. They cannot be saved, they can only be exterminated. Erick. This fixation you have with believing that monsters are not monsters… It is foolish in the extreme; it makes you look like a fool.”

Erick asked, “What if you were to take the rad out of the body without killing them?”

“This has been done. The result is a living corpse, unable to do anything except drool and shit.” Al went on, “And if you’re thinking of starting with two living corpses, and breeding young to remove the rad at the stage of conception, or some other variation of a theme, know that this has already been done a thousand different ways. The result is yet another living corpse. These experiments have been done many, many times before, by people much more learned than I.”

They arrived at the second crystal mimic.

Al pointed to the shattered blue corpse. “This is a kinder fate than most. You killed it within seconds, without damaging the environment. You even [Cleanse]d the remains! There are toxic monsters out there that most adventurers cannot fight, who use poisonous magics and corrupt the land. Go to the Wasteland Kingdoms and see the truth for yourself, if you must. Witness the corruption of toxic monsters left unchecked by naive young minds. Journey to Oceanside and see the experiments they still perform, for the sake of people like you and the occasional uneducated noble, to inform you that which the rest of us already know.”

Erick stared at the blue gems of a corpse.

Al said, “Most monsters are not evil. They kill. They corrupt. This is their unalterable nature. If you want to give them your pity then you are welcome to do so, for kindness is more beautiful than green land in the Crystal Forest. But know this: mercy for monsters means death for us all.”

Jane swung her pickaxe against the solid corpse. A glittering rad tumbled out from hard blue flesh.

Erick looked toward Spur, then beyond, to Ar’Kendrithyst, as they walked toward the third corpse.

Al and Jane followed his gaze, but said nothing.

Poi said, “Those monsters are evil. They were all people, once upon a time. They each inserted a rad into their body and let it consume them, their transformation from person to monster guided by the Cult of the Dark Dragon, Melemizargo. If those creatures had their way, your [Withering] would be turned around to affect only those without rads inside. The Shades would spill out from their half-prison and sing the Song of Melemizargo to the rest of the world, corrupting people into shadeling worshipers bent on helping their masters.” He added, “Luckily, even if they did manage to corrupt your spell into their own version, we can pop a [Weather Ward] to prevent its use against us.”

They arrived at the third corpse, and Jane did much like she did before. When she was done and the crystal mimic was nothing but blue litter, she handed all three rads to Erick.

He looked at them. Really looked at them.

Each of them was the same size, roughly worth 10 mana, or 5 gold, depending on if you were to use them in enchanting, or as currency. They were each a clear whitish, pointed ovoid crystal, which a jeweler on Earth would have called a marquise cut. Unnaturally faceted, unnaturally brilliant, they glittered with unnatural light.

But what was ‘unnatural’ in a world of monsters?

Erick thought.

… Monsters are natural, but so is arsenic, and death, and pain, and sorrow.

He looked across the Crystal Forest, to the north, the west, and the east. He picked the direction with the most agaves, though any direction he picked would likely end up with the same result. In the end, he chose northwest, and northeast.

[Withering].

Air shifted in front of him as mana slipped out, following channels it had already burned in the Script, and in his body. He turned.

[Withering].

Another 250 mana slipped away.

The air shifted in an 180 degree arc of land, north of the city, hitting maybe four square miles. Maybe less, maybe more. The effect was not immediate. But here and there, Erick witnessed heavy twists of wind, slipping into the sky like dust devils. [Withering] was a spell that killed, pure and simple. Erick had created it for this reason; he would use it to ensure his world was a bit brighter, even if it meant putting down monsters. He just expected to use it as a last resort, not as a tool to wield against an unending horde.

Notifications rolled in. Erick noticed them, and put them away. He did not turn away from the death he had caused, not today, not ever again. He turned to a stunned Jane, a sad smiling Al, and a proud Poi.

Erick walked toward the city. The other dead mimics and their rads could stay wherever they fell; he was done harvesting corpses. Maybe in death, their bodies could nourish the land in ways they prevented their entire lives.

- - - -

Erick laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, and at various boxes.

After the first [Withering], the subsequent two had slain 6 of one level of monster, probably level 30, according to what people had told him about mimics, and 5 level 31s. All of them were for 95% Participation. Phagar, the God of Death and Time, must have approved of his spell.

Erick stared at his new Status box.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 31, Class: Particle Mage

Exp: 15104040/217830900

Class: 6/6

Points: 33

HP

100/100

150 per day

MP

600/600

1050 per day

Strength

10

+0

[10]

Vitality

15

+0

[15]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

35

+0

[35]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

10 points into Strength. 1 point for Strong.

… 5 points in Vitality. 1 point in Enduring.

Erick paused. He felt… Considerably different. Like he was… a teenager again?

Whoop there’s an erection! Ha ha! What the fuck?

Erick laughed at nothing in particular.

But then gloom returned and everything calmed down a bit. This must be why everyone at the Adventurer’s Guild likes Scion of Strength. Or maybe it’s the Vitality. It has to be the Vitality. Pornstars would go for Scion of Vitality, wouldn’t they? Well bully for them, Erick felt better about himself, but he had a long way left to go.

16 points left. Just enough for the big one.

Erick threw 15 points at his Focus, then bought Scion of Focus.

He slipped outside of himself.

- - - -

He opened his eyes and saw clouds.

“The Five Scions are a special category of skills, because we designed them that way.” Rozeta, the Dragon Goddess of the Script spoke from one side of Erick. She was a four mile long dragon again, gleaming prismatic and golden white, in an endless blue sky filled with fluffy clouds. She had stopped speaking to zip around the sky, or maybe she zipped around the sky because she had stopped speaking. When she spoke again, she was in front of Erick, her house-sized head large enough to see the entirety, but not close enough to threaten. “50 points in any one stat, or 25 in all of them; these are investments. These are seeds planted for a future harvest, unlike taking a skill to acquire immediate power. Tell me: What are you investing for, Erick Flatt? What do you hope to reap?”

She was speaking of hope, but Erick's thoughts went straight to fear.

He knew exactly what he did not want. He did not want to see his daughter die. He did not want to cause a black hole. He did not want to kill anyone. He didn’t even want to kill monsters, but he was starting to make peace with that necessity.

But Rozata was speaking of hope, and Erick couldn’t help but eventually think about what he did want to happen in his life.

He also knew he didn’t want to be governed by fear. Fear had made him fuck up his magic. Fear had driven a wedge between him and his daughter. The fear of other people for Erick had caused them to guard Erick like he was a fragile egg, able to be cracked under the least amount of pressure.

Killzone, Jane, Al, Poi, and probably a great many other people… They had all looked upon Erick and seen a weak person; someone to be protected.

Jane had taken it upon herself when she was younger to protect her father, seeing clearly at a very young age the same facts that everyone saw.

But the way Erick saw it, the way life had been on Earth...

Erick made a life out of helping people…

Other people had taken it upon themselves to help Erick.

This was normal. This was civilization. Erick had always considered this the best possible version of life. But there was a disparity, right now. On Spur, Erick was failing his own responsibilities to the social contract.

Erick realized a truth.

Jane was leaving him because she couldn’t be around him anymore. She had protected him for too long, and seen that he was all too willing to get himself into trouble, just as much as he was unwilling to ensure that he made it out the other side intact. On Earth, this had not been a major threat, no matter what Jane’s personal opinions declared. But on Spur, this was a problem. The people of Spur would likely leave him behind, too, if he didn’t step up to the plate.

Jane was right. She was wrong, but she was also right. Erick always had a handle on the local gangs and problems on Earth. He knew who to talk to to solve the problems in his neighborhood, he knew how to help the gang kids that needed help; sometimes that help came from inside the gangs themselves. He knew how to talk his way into extra medical care for his poor clients. He knew who and how to threaten to get the court to back off from others who were already trying to be better people.

But… On Veird, all of that was useless.

Because Erick had forgotten a basic fact about life.

You cannot help others when you are powerless.

Right now, other people were helping Erick, but that would not last.

Because, right now, Erick was powerless.

Right now, he needed actual, willingness to kill, anti-assassin, knowing your neighbors and counting on them, power. He needed to clear the Crystal Forest around Spur. He needed to turn the land green. He needed to hold his fate in his own hands, and then help everyone around him.

He needed to not be a burden.

Rozeta had not moved the entire time Erick thought.

She said, “You have found your fields and readied the soil. You have planted the seeds just in time for the first rains of the season. I hope your garden blooms brightly, Erick Flatt.”

- - - -

Erick awoke to blue boxes.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 31, Class: Particle Mage

Exp: 15104040/217830900

Class: 6/6

Points: 0

HP

444/444

444 per day

MP

600/600

6000 per day

Strength

20

+0

[20]

Vitality

20

+0

[20]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

50

+0

[50]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Strong 3

Multiply your base HP by 2.22

Requirements: 20 Strength

Exp: 44/300

Enduring 3

Multiply your base HP regen by 2.22

Requirements: 20 Vitality

Exp: 44/300

Scion of Focus

Multiply your base MP regen by 4

Immune to Mana Exhaustion

Requirements: 50 in Focus

Erick also awoke to Jane sitting in a chair at the foot of his bed, reading. She noticed him. She put her book to the side. She looked at Erick, in that resigned, quiet way a person gets when they’ve had enough and they’re going to inform you of the decisions they’ve made regarding you.

Erick waited for her to speak.

“I’m very jealous.” Jane sighed. “[Withering] is a perfect spell, and if I hadn’t been so absorbed in my own messes, I… I’m not sure what’s different about us, Dad...”

Okay. Maybe Erick had read that wrong. This didn’t seem like she was mad at Erick, but maybe at herself? That was a possibility. … Erick had never seen Jane angry at herself. This was a new experience.

Jane continued. “I tried making some magic of my own. Light based spells. Photons and all that. Didn’t work. So I threw myself at this [Polymorph] spell idea… The alchemists fucked up the potion, which is normal, so I have to go out there and kill more and collect more… Gold and specimens and rads and all of that… But in the meantime, you revolutionized fighting monsters. You went about it a lot differently than I would have.” She paused. “I’m just… what I’m trying to say is that I’m very jealous. And I don’t know how to handle this. It’s really weird and I don’t like it.”

Erick sat up in bed.

Jane sighed.

Erick said, “What about your cellphone? Weren’t you going to do something with that?”

“That’s why I got [Scry]. But if your phone is out there, it’s out of my sight, and [Scry] doesn’t work like I want it to work. At the same time I was trying all that, I was also working on a version of [Mend] that would restore electronics to full charge. Also didn’t work.” Jane sighed. “I think my problem is fundamental. I’m not sure where I’ve gone wrong. How do you do it?”

Erick considered.

“Have you felt the manasphere? Really felt it?”

Jane looked around. “Yeah. I’m looking at it right now. Nothing… seems special about it, but if you’re trying to sell me some mumbo jumbo horse shit about some mystical—” Jane paused. Exasperated, she mumbled, “That’s exactly that, isn’t it?”

Erick laid out a theory he had been holding close to his heart. “Magic is alive and the Script is a chain. I’m not judging what the gods and everyone else had to do to survive coming in to this reality, but what I’m saying is that magic is a lot more than what you think it is. Magic is alive, and I think monsters are magic’s way of fighting back against the Script, in the only way it knows how to fight; primal and full of emotion.”

“What you just described is one of the major tenets of the Cult of Melemizargo, and while most decry all of that as untrue, it certainly seems true. At least factually. But facts are messy things, Dad. Facts aren’t always true, especially when it comes to 1400 year old facts.”

Whatever Erick had expected from his big revelation, it was not that!

Erick was too stunned to think very clearly. Erick scoffed. “Name one fact that isn’t true!”

Jane explained, “Back on Earth, movies were grossing more and more every year. Some would have said that it’s a fact that movies today are better than they used to be, because it’s a fact they’re making more and more money than ever before. But it’s also a fact that the population of Earth is increasing, and that inflation exists. Which one is a truer fact? They’re all relevant. They’re all true.” Jane concluded, “But some facts are more true than others.”

Erick scoffed again. “Name another.”

“Violet exists on the edge of blue, but violet is not purple. Purple doesn’t really exist. It only exists in your head because your eyes have three color receptors, and through some funky brainy way, the brain is tricked into combining light from both far ends of the spectrum into what we see as purple. Our eyes tell us that purple exists in the world around us; this is a fact. Purple doesn’t actually exist; this is another fact. Both are true, and they directly contradict each other. One of them is more true than the other though, in my opinion.”

“You always were so factual.”

“Because I like order.” Jane said, “Took me a while to realize order isn’t very ordered, though.” She looked at Erick. “Have you had any other realizations today?”

Ah! Now she goes to the part where she’s rightfully mad at me. Clever.

But two can play at this game.

Erick joked at her complaints, “Yeah. With Vitality and Strength at 20, and with the relevant skills, I want to hit up the local red light district. Does Spur have one of those?”

“Gross.”

Erick laughed again, then said, “How about this then: The Script is unbalanced to reward people with better bodies with investments into Strength and Vitality, while Willpower and Focus do nothing but allow more magic.”

“True; they did that because magic broke their universe, because warriors were powerless in the face of unlimited magical power.”

Erick confessed, “Okay. So. That makes sense, when you put it like that.”

Jane waited, frowning.

Erick sighed. He said, “I have realized two things: You can’t help others from the bottom of a hole, and I’m at a bottom of a hole. I’m sorry, Jane. I’m going to start clearing monsters from around the farm, starting tomorrow. Helping out the guard and keep the farms safe; that sort of thing.” Erick said, “I just got Scion of Focus, so I’m going to burn through all my skills tonight, leveling them to 10. Then it’s time for the flight spell, and maybe another Particle spell. Don’t know if I’ll get that far tonight, though.”

Jane slowly smiled. She relaxed.

“Do you want some help with your magic?” Erick teased, “It’ll be like highschool again!”

“No thanks.” Jane stood. “I’m going to start dinner. Are you going to do a [Strike] and healing spell rotation like I did to raise your Strong and Enduring to 10? Do you have a healing spell yet?”

“Ugh! No. None of that. Can’t I just, like… hit myself, or something?”

“[Swift Movement] and a healing spell is also an option. Moving fast feels amazing, and is incredibly useful. You should consider a healing spell. I like [Rejuvenation].”

“… I’m out of points— And my [Ward]s regenerate 6000 points per hour! Why do I need a healing spell?”

“Invent another spell! You need a healing spell, Dad. If not for you then for those around you. Go to the Interfaith Church and do some research.”

“Fine fine! But!” Erick teased, “Speaking of inventing magic: Where’s your tier 3 spell!”

“… It’s a work in progress.” Jane walked out of the room, saying, “I’m working on dinner, right now! You go work on your magic!”

Erick followed her out of the room. Teressa, the large orcol woman in grey armor, was seated in her chair at the end of the hallway. She stood up when Erick came out, then followed him down the stairs and outside the house, maintaining a respectable 5 to 7 foot distance the whole time. All of Killzone’s people seemed to be all about that respectable distance; it probably had something to do with [Interception].

Outside of the house, in the stone yard, Erick cast magic.

It took him half an hour, but [Stoneshape] hit 10.

In the next thirty minutes, [Airshape] hit 10, too.

The whole time he had been using Mana Shaping. That hit 10, as well.

Dinner came, and went. Erick stepped back outside and kept training. Next, came [Force Shrapnel: Bludgeoning Aura]. That quickly hit 10, along with Mana Altering, and produced, funnily enough, [Billiard Ball Aura].

The sun was beginning to set by then. Erick went inside and grabbed a wooden spoon from the kitchen. In the dining room, he started breaking it with his newfound strength, over and over, casting [Mend] to set the spoon to rights each time. Getting that spell up to 10 was a damned slog, but he did it!

Al showed up after dark, just to see if Erick was okay. Erick showed Al his Status, and Al smiled wide.

“Scion of Focus?”

“I did, Al. And it feels great.” Erick smiled. “I think I’ve spent dozens of thousands of mana since I woke up. I’m not quite sure, but I am sure that magic is wonderful. I’m very glad you pushed me toward Focus.”

“I am glad you took my advice!” Al chuckled. “You did well out there, today. [Withering] is being discussed all over town. People want to see it in action.”

“I need to get that up to 10, too. Then a [Withering Aura] and a flight around across the land outside of the farms, after I invent my flight spell. Gotta drive back the monsters. That sort of thing.”

Al smiled softly. He nodded. He said, “This is a good look on you. Not just the Focus, but you went for Strength and Vitality, too. This was a good decision.”

“Strength and Vitality is a good feeling! I’m getting erections every 10 minutes. I haven’t felt this good in 25 years.”

Al laughed, wide and happy. “We need to go drinking! I will be your spotter and we shall get you a proper bed warmer for these cold Forest nights.”

Erick laughed.

- - - -

Al helped Erick set up the nightly [Alarm Ward]s around the house, then set up some final [Absorption Ward]s of his own. Al left with a promise from Erick to go drinking tomorrow.

Erick was drained by the time he went to bed, but he wasn’t Exhausted. He still had [Force Beam] and [Blink] to level to 10, but those weren’t that important right now. He’d make his [Mend Aura] and [Group Precise Flight] tomorrow, too. Heck! He still had to actually play with all of the spells he had leveled, both to get a feel for how they worked, and because magic was damn cool.

Ohh! [Thousand Hands Aura] made from [Telekinesis] and stuff. That sounds like a good one.

Erick looked over his Status before going to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a wonderful day.

Spoiler: Spoiler

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 31, Class: Particle Mage

Exp: 15170962/217830900

Class: 6/6

Points: 0

HP

444/444

444 per day

MP

600/600

6000 per day

Strength

20

+0

[20]

Vitality

20

+0

[20]

Willpower

20

+0

[20]

Focus

50

+0

[50]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Scion of Focus

Multiply your base MP regen by 4

Immune to Mana Exhaustion

Requirements: 50 in Focus

Strong 3

Multiply your base HP by 2.22

Requirements: 20 Strength

Exp: 96/300

Enduring 3

Multiply your base HP regen by 2.22

Requirements: 20 Vitality

Exp: 96/300

Discipline X

Multiply your base MP by 3

Requirements: 20 Willpower

Concentration X

Multiply your base MP regen by 3

Requirements: 20 Focus

Clarity X

Reduces spell costs by 50%

Requirements: 10 Focus

Meditation X

Always Resting

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Mana Shaping X

Alter spell AOE in better, subtle ways, 10 MP + spellcost

Alter spell AOE in better, moderate ways, 30 MP + spellcost

Aurify Unlocked

Alter AOE in better, major ways, 100 MP + spellcost

Alter AOE in better, extreme ways, 300 MP + spellcost

Change any spell into an AOE spell, or freely alter the AOE of any AOE spell, 500 MP + spellcost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Aurify 2

Transform an AOE spell into a semi-permanent effect surrounding yourself, based upon the parameters of the Aurified spell. Increase an instantaneous spell to a 1 second duration in order to create an aura.

Able to support 1 aura at a time.

You may choose who or what is affected by your aura.

Doubles the range on an Aurified spell.

Exp: 68294/1000000

Mana Altering X

Bludgeon, Slash, or Piercing Damage

Force to Light, Blinding, Variable Cost

Invisible Force, Variable Cost

Force to Thunder, Disorient, Variable Cost

Force to Fire, Burn, Variable Cost

Force to Ice, Slow, Variable Cost

Force to Lightning, Paralyze, Variable Cost

Force to Decay, organic damage, Variable Cost x1.5

Chain, Variable Cost x2

Combine Effects, Variable Cost x3

Generate new effects. Variable Cost

Requirements: 10 Willpower

Cleanse X, instant, short range, 10 MP.

Purge an area equal to the level of the spell in meters of all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption.

Cleanse Aura, short range, 10 MP per second.

Continuously purge all Toxins, Disease, Filth, and Corruption in a 10m sphere centered on you.

Mend X, instant, touch, 10 mana.

Touch a complicated large object, or a small common magical item, and restore it to its prime.

Ward X, instant, short range, 24 hours

Create a Small Ward that can have Minor Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 10 MP + Z

Create a Small Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 15 MP + Z

Create a Special Ward. Variable Cost

Create a Medium Ward that can have Small Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 20 MP + Z

Create a Medium Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 25 MP + Z

Personal Ward: Any Ward of any type can be made Personal, to move with you. Original Cost x2

Create a Large Ward that can have Medium Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 30 MP + Z

Create a Large Ward that can have Large Effects, or prevent Z damage from attackers. 35 MP + Z

Create a Ward with another Spell attached to the interior. Spell activation based on Z invested into Ward. 100 MP + Z

Your Wards regenerate Z based on your Rested MP regen rate.

Special Wards can be made Permanent. 250 MP + Variable Cost

Minor Effects: Bug Ward, Temperature Ward, Alarm Ward

Small Effects: Visual Disruption, Audio Disruption, Weather Ward

Medium Effects: Area Hostile Visual Disruption, Area Hostile Audio Disruption

Large Effects: Drain Hostile HP/MP, Gravity Ward

Special Ward: Eschew all other effects in order to shape, color, and illuminate a ward however you wish. Skill level at Mana Manipulation determines final outcome. Variable Cost

Gravity Strainer, instant, medium range, 65 mana, 1 hour duration.

Conjure a large, freely moldable space where specific objects turn near-weightless and fall to a designated point.

Force Beam 2, instant, medium range, 25 MP

A piercing, slicing beam of hardened mana that deals 25 + ½ WIL damage for 2 seconds

Exp: 175/200

Force Shrapnel X, instant, short cone, 5 MP

Sharpened forward blast of mana that deals 25 + WIL damage in a cone

Billiard Ball Aura, short range, 5 MP per second

Crashing balls of mana bounce erratically, inflicting 25 + WIL damage per hit.

Blink 5, instant, 25 MP

Instantly move from your location to another within <sight>, max range 10m per level of Blink

Exp: 50/800

Stoneshape X, medium range

Move large amounts of stone and sand around you for 5 minutes per level of the spell. Fine control. 100 MP

Quickly move large amounts of stone and sand around you for 1 minute per level of the spell. Fine control. 50 MP

Grow X, instant, touch or close range, 5 MP

Cultivate a single plant, or induce plant growth in an area equal to spell level in meters.

Growth Aura, 5 MP per second.

Induce growth in the plants you choose in a 10m radius around you.

Telekinesis X, medium range

Move large objects around you for 5 minutes per level of the spell. Fine control. 100 MP

Quickly move large objects around you for 1 minute per level of the spell. Fine control. 50 MP

Airshape X, medium range

Move large amounts of air around you for 5 minutes per level of the spell. Fine control. 100 MP

Quickly move large amounts air around you for 1 minute per level of the spell. Fine control. 50 MP

Particle Mage:

Call Lightning X, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the sky to strike an area or object of your choice for <damage>. If used in an active lightning storm, Call Lightning’s duration is as long as the natural storm. Every lighting bolt called reduces the duration of Call Lightning by 1 minute, or a natural storm by <undetermined>.

Particle Mage Only

Lightning Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range ~{Favored Spell}~

Prepare the air around you to strike for <damage>. One strike available every 50 MP.

Particle Mage Only

Exalted Storm Aura, 1 MP per second, super long range ~{Favored Spell}~

Anoint the land with blessed rain, rapidly growing all <crops and pasture> to <harvest size> and restoring vibrancy to all other <desired> plant life and soil. If used in a <prepared field> <devoid of crops>, highly nutritious beans will sprout after <a full day of rain>.

Particle Mage Only

Withering 5, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP

Purge all water from all monsters in super large area, dealing <damage> every second, then Cleanse the land around every monster purged in this way.

Particle Mage Only.

Exp: 400/800

Particle Mage

Your ability to unlock new Particle spells is greatly increased.

If you witness a Particle spell and you understand it, you may unlock that spell for free.

Your ability to affect the Particle spells of others is greatly increased.

Your own Particle spells are less affected by the abilities of non Particle Mages

Your Particle spells deal more damage

You take less damage from Particle spells.

<I gave you most of the Force Mage skillset except with a few additions and subtractions and relevant changes. You’ve also gotten the Class unlocked at max level, because I need to see how this all works out. This is all subject to change. ~Rozeta>

- - - -

BreeEEE! BreeEEE! BreeEEE!

An [Alarm Ward] blared. Erick shot up out of bed, his feet landing on the cold stone floor. Night hung heavy outside and inside his room. There had been a lightorb in his room. What happened to the light?

Mana Shaping.

[Special Ward].

A string of lights sprung out from every edge of his room, and every other edge of his entire stone house, inside and out, like immaculately placed Christmas lights suddenly switched on.

Except for in one upper corner of his bedroom, by the window, where the lightorb had been.

An eight foot wide spider made of darkness waited there, seven long legs latched into the stone, one long leg touching the [Alarm Ward] of the closed window, triggering the spell again and again.

Mana Shaping

[Wither—

The spider vanished faster than the speed of thought.

Erick rushed out of his room, screaming, “Where the fuck is everyone!”

035

Erick stumbled out of his room, screaming, “Where the fuck is everyone!”

Strips of lightorb gripped the edges of everywhere, shining sunlight onto orange stone.

And a body. Large, grey armor, Teressa. No head. Red blood everywhere. Head must be somewhere—

Two bodies. Bluescaled Poi, surrounded by his own lake of red.

Poi was dead.

Erick screamed, “JANE!” He ran through the hall—

Poi coughed and Erick rounded on him.

His rod of [Treat Wounds]! Erick rushed back into his room and grabbed the rod from the dresser beside his bed. He raced back to Poi and slammed a charge of [Treat Wounds] into the dragonkin, who coughed out something far too quiet for Erick to hear. Erick hit him with another charge.

Poi gasped, “He— Heal Teressa!”

Erick did as he was told, even though Teressa had no head.

Teressa’s head began to regro-OLY SHIT that’s creepy! Erick had to hold back a barf.

Jane.

Erick dashed to Jane’s room.

She wasn’t there. The bed was rumpled. The window was open—

The window was torn open, off its stone hinges. Erick rushed through the room to the window, sticking his head out into the night. The light of his lightward had covered a great deal of the house, shining bright sunlight into the darkness, like he had strung the place up for Christmas.

There was nothing out there, save for the normal lights of the far away city, and the flat land of the Human District.

Poi lurched into the doorway. “They came too fast—”

“How long since they took her?” Erick spat out, “Are you in contact with the Army?”

“Shadowvenom blocks many mag—”

“GUESS.”

Poi forced himself to stand a bit straighter. “Based on my blood pool… 3 minutes. Maybe less. They should have tried to taunt you and they wouldn’t have done that unless they were sure of their escape. What did they s—?”

Erick didn’t answer; he didn’t have the time to answer. He was furious. Anger was a poison, and it was all consuming. Erick moved as fast as his body would allow.

Aurify.

Mana Shaping X.

[Airshape X].

[Telekinesis X].

A brand new spell popped out.

Flight of a Thousand Hands Aura, 1 MP per second, medium range

Gain complete, quick control over a large amount of air and a thousand arms of intent. Take flight, if you are able!

Instinct gripped Erick as he gripped the windowsill with a hundred invisible arms. He launched himself out of Jane’s room, leaving Poi behind, looking for a trail, holding on a thousand pockets of air with a thousand unseen hands, racing two stories above the ground.

A very distant part of him flew across the land in wonder, marveling at magic.

A very present part of him was beyond anger.

The [Alarm Ward] on the house had been silent, and keyed to everyone. He fixed this oversight now with another [Alarm Ward] and raced through it, triggering a blaring warning in his own voice.

“Shadowspiders in the City! Shadowspiders in the City!”

The alarm repeated, loud and vibrating. Having been triggered, it would run out of energy soon enough, but the message had been delivered. The Oceanside Mage’s house lit up. Out in the rest of the city, lightorbs bloomed in the night.

Erick saw a shadow slip over the northern wall, carrying a bundle, the dark silhouette limned by silver-pink moonlight. Anger turned to hate, as Erick said a prayer of thanks to whoever was the goddess of chance, as he raced across the land, picking up speed.

[Special Ward].

A massive spotlight of brilliant white light sprang into existence 50 feet up, illuminating the northeast wall of the city. Two spiders were climbing up the wall, their stark spindly forms like black etchings against orange brown stone.

Mana Shaping

[Withering].

300 mana flowed through Erick as he splashed his [Withering] against the spiders far ahead, wrapping the spell up and over the wall, then letting it flop and adhere to the other side in a mile-wide semicircle.

Two spiders winked out, falling into their own shadows. Not dead; [Shadowalk]ed away, probably.

A visual alarm came up from the wall, two hundred yards left of where the spiders had been climbing. Someone was there and lighting [Special Ward]s of their own. Orange globe things; Erick didn’t know what they were supposed to mean, exactly.

Erick felt a tingle on his mind.

Killzone’s voice came though, ‘Erick. Are you there?’

This is [Telepathy]? They took Jane. They’re still here.

Erick was at the wall. There were no signs of spiders, but how would there be? They didn’t seem to leave web trails wherever they had walked; they weren’t slugs. Erick flew up and over the city wall, his thousand hands finding the tiniest of purchases, and when they didn’t find a spot to hold on to, they gripped air and that worked well enough. Erick flung himself over the wall.

Three half-moons shone down upon a dark land studded with ten foot tall gems.

You have slain Shadowspider F!

35% Participation!

+84552359 exp

Far below, a thousand feet from the wall, was Jane. She was wielding a shield of light and pulling a sword covered in dark ichor out of a dark dead thing. Erick spread his aura wide to glide across the distance.

“Jane!”

She turned to see him fly in. “Dad!”

She laughed as Erick touched down, throwing her sword and shield to the desert sands. They raced into each other’s arms.

“Are you hurt!?”

“I couldn’t cast anything until your spell dried out the webs!”

“You’re safe? You’re good? You—”

“I’m good. I’m good.” She gasped. “Is everyone else—”

“They’re fine.” Erick hugged Jane tight. “I don’t know how I didn’t wake—”

“It happened fast. I woke up in webs halfway out of the window.” Jane hugged tight.

She shook a little, and Erick held her tighter. He was probably shaking a little, too. Erick stood there, holding Jane until both of them stopped shaking.

She sighed out, and Erick sighed with her.

Jane pulled away, asking, “How did the [Alarm Ward]s fail?”

“The only reason I woke up...” Erick breathed deep, then said, “I woke up because one of them purposefully triggered the [Alarm Ward] by my window. They must be able to see the [Ward]. I thought Al and I had hidden them better, but… I think I need to get a [Solid Ward], or whatever you call it. Bacci and Al both have one, but they can only have one [solid ward] at a time… It was on my to-do list.”

“Mine, too.” Jane looked her father up and down. “That’s a handy spell you got there, Dad.”

Erick chuckled, the terror of the last minutes evaporating. He breathed out, and said, “It kinda just… Seemed natural.” Erick focused on his FoaTH Aura, silently laughing that the acronym was at least intelligible. The air shifted around him. His thousand hands touched upon the soil, the air, and the corpse of the spider. Eww, that felt nasty. “Uh. Should we take it with us?”

Jane smiled at him, and then at the spider corpse. “Yes. Absolutely. Be careful with it, too. See that flickering shadow? No one kills these things. They’re worth a lot of money.”

Erick was immediately faced with an oddity. “That’s… corruption, isn’t it? It didn’t [Cleanse]?”

“That’s shadowstuff; not corruption. And I killed it. So it didn’t [Cleanse].” She chuckled. “I had some help, of course, but I got the kill.”

Erick smiled as he inspected the monster. There were flickering shadows around the joints, the spinnerets, and the fangs. So that’s what he was feeling with his aura. Eww. Shadowstuff looked like dark fire, but it felt like he was like sticking his hand in a bowl of cold, slimy macaroni, like the ones Erick set out every year at the rec center for the neighborhood kids’ Halloween party. But worse. Shadowstuff was definitely worse than cold, slimy macaroni. Though it wasn’t corruption! That was good to know.

He picked it up without complaint.

“You look really weird right now, Dad.”

Erick looked at himself. Nothing seemed that strange, but with Meditation active, he saw the streamers of intent that connected him, in some vague airy sort of way, to a thousand clumps of controlled air and force in the shape of tiny human hands.

Erick said, “Let’s go home. I can carry you, too.”

Jane smiled in the light of the moon. “I love you, Dad.”

Erick picked her up like she was a kid again, in the crooks of magical arms that were and were not his own. He held her in a seated position on his right. On his left he held the spider. He pushed himself into the air, and with a few hundred telekinetic hands, made his way over to the wall and up, into the spotlight he had created—

Killzone blinked into existence on the wall beside them.

Jane shouted, “FU— oh.”

Erick’s telekinetic arms were almost upon Killzone, but he pulled his punch; Killzone noticed, but didn’t seem to care. After Erick’s heart stopped pounding, he just glared at the man. The solid black orcol-shaped wrought seemed content to let Erick figure out the rest of his response. Eventually, Erick decided to set Jane and the spider down on the three yard wide walkway that was the top of the city wall.

“Howdy,” Killzone said. He pointed at the spider. “That’s going to be a problem. Who actually killed it?”

Jane said, “I did. What are you talking about? Problem?” She almost turned angry, but Erick could tell she was holding it in. “They attacked. We defended.” She corrected, “Dad defended. He gave me the opportunity to counterattack.”

Killzone spoke with authority. “That’s one of Tania’s spiders. She lent them out to Bulgan six days ago.” He said, “Don’t get me wrong. It’s good that you didn’t get captured; that would have been a bad day for everyone. But you might’ve tipped a power balance over to Bulgan’s side. Tania might kill Bulgan, or she might ally with him. The politics of the Dead City are on a precipice and the whole thing could crash one direction or the other. Whatever the case, I’ll need to inform Frontier that they might be receiving some pain.” His voice turned heavy, “I’m sorry my people couldn’t defend against some spiders.”

Erick’s anger returned. He barely kept the rage out of his voice, “What would happen if I flew into the air and cast [Withering] into their city?”

Jane stared at Erick. Erick kept his eyes on Killzone.

“If they didn’t shoot you out of the sky?” Killzone spoke without passion. “They would retaliate in force. Your new magics would likely help a great deal, but Spur would fall. There’s no question about that. Thousands would die. We could kill 4 out of the known 38 Shades and empty the city of many shadows. Those of us who survived the attack would be able to venture deep into the Dead City, clearing out those who remained. In seven months, we would either have the head of every Shade on pikes atop the gates of Spur, or Spur would be a pile of stone.” He added. “I am comfortable with this risk.”

Erick’s anger gutted low; a raging fire turned to cold embers.

Killzone said, “But you are not comfortable with this risk. And that is fine. Choose your battles, Archmage. Grow stronger. Strong enough to kill those that need killing.” He turned to the spider corpse, and Jane. “If you’re going for Polymage, you need to eat that spider, Jane. The whole thing; shadowstuff and all, within 2 days. If you don’t have enough gold, the spider should have a grand-rad inside the belly area.”

Jane nodded. “Thank you, Captain Killzone.”

Killzone turned back to Erick. “Thank you for saving Teressa.”

“How is she alive after that?!” Erick blurted.

“It’s the troll heritage. She’ll be odd, for a while, but she’s gone through this before. The Shades like to pluck orcol heads off if they can; orcol are rather impressionable after recovering from that trauma. If she wants out of her ‘vacation’, please let her.”

And that was enough. Erick was done with excitement, tonight.

“That’s enough insanity for one night.” Erick said, “I’m ready to go home.” He picked up the spider corpse and waited for Jane to be ready. She was. He picked her up. “See ya, Killzone.”

“Later, Archmage.”

Erick turned off his spotlight [Ward] on his way to the house; his [Alarm Ward] about spiders in the city didn’t need to be removed, it had blared and then died all on its own.

- - - -

Hours had passed. Erick found himself unable to sleep, and now sitting at the kitchen table.

“I want a cup of coffee,” Erick said.

“Oh my gosh!” Teressa beamed, from her own nearby seat, “What is coffee?”

The mage trio and a few others had come over to see what was wrong, but they had left hours ago. Jane discovered that Ramizi had made [Polymorph] potions for each of him, Maia, and Eduard. She quickly haggled out a deal, and handed him the spider’s grand-rad, but would not part with the corpse itself, even after they offered her 10,000 gold. They were all gone now, back to their homes. Jane had even gone back to sleep, after making sure the spider was in both a [Preservation Ward] and a [Cold Ward].

And Erick was left with a very bubbly Teressa. He couldn’t sleep. He was still jittery. Sitting there with Teressa was rather awkward, though. She was quite different after recovering from headlessness. She was a gorgeous green woman with short golden hair, a bright smile, and emerald eyes. She refused to wear her armor, and she wanted to know everything. Erick had been answering her questions for a while, now. She was a good distraction from his own dark thoughts.

“Coffee is a bitter-sweet drink made from the dried and roasted beans of the coffee tree. You don’t have it on Veird; it’s from Earth, and I miss it terribly.”

“Oh! That’s so sad! You should [Grow] yourself some.”

“It’s on the list to [Grow].”

“What else is on your list?”

“Potatoes. A starchy root vegetable. Corn, a great feed crop for animals and people. Uh. Pineapple! Right. Pineapple is on the list.”

“What’s a pineapple?”

“Fruit that tastes like sunshine.”

“Oh! I want a pineapple! Can you make me one?”

“I’ll try, Teressa.”

Rats was also awake and nearby, bustling in the kitchen. He hadn’t been in the house during the attack; Killzone found him in some young woman’s bed halfway across town. Right now, the young redscale was making breakfast, trying to make up for his absence in any way he could. The man still looked as terrified now as he was when Killzone unceremoniously dumped him in the front foyer.

“Breakfast will be ready soon!” Rats said, his voice vibrating with tension.

Erick said, “You don’t have to make breakfast right now. Sunrise is still hours away.”

“I can make breakfast again at that time!” Rats tried to chuckle, but it came out as tiny screeches. “We have to be ready for the day! Always ready!”

He tried to stifle a sob, but Erick still heard him.

Teressa chimed, “What’s ‘day’?

“It’s when Veird turns to face the sun, and light pours across the land.” Erick looked around. He asked, “Anyone know where Poi is?”

“I know!” Teressa smiled wide.

Erick waited.

Erick asked, “Where is he?”

“He’s out talking to Killzone!”

Rats dropped about five plates and a pan of his egg rice, muttering curses before the pan and plates crashed against the stone floor, then yelling curses as they hit. The whole tumble took less than a second, but Erick saw that it broke Rats all over again. Rats tried to hide his tears, but he couldn't.

“Oh! Fun words!” Teressa asked, “What do they mean?”

“Expressions of displeasure.” Erick stood and walked over to help Rats.

Rats was kneeling in the mess, staring at scattered rice and fluffy egg and broken stoneware. Erick flashed a [Mend] with Mana Shaping X. Plates flowed together; the chipped floor where the pan had crashed restored itself. Another flash of [Cleanse Aura] cleaned up the mess, and wiped away the tears streaming down Rats’ face.

Erick knelt down to gather up the plates, the pan, and then when those were on the counter, he knelt next to Rats, and said, “You’re okay. We’re okay. Right now, we’re fine. You did nothing wrong.”

“Please don’t…” Rats breathed hard. He said, “I did many things wrong… sir.”

“We both fucked up quite a bit, but that’s okay. We’ll do better.”

Rats looked up at Erick. “You did more than any of us. If it weren’t for you...” He looked to Teressa, who was humming some nonsense song as she played in the table spices. “If it weren’t for you, we’d have suffered grave losses tonight. I’m sorry I wasn’t… I wasn’t here.”

Erick held his hand out to Rats. “I tried to run away from my duty, too. But I’m here now, and so are you.” He smiled as Rats took his hand. “So up, up!” Erick pulled the man upright, 20 Strength making Rats as light as a feather. “We’re okay. And we’re going to do better. You and I are both going to do better.”

Rats nodded. A tear fell from his face, but he rubbed it away, and went back to making breakfast with a fresh set of eggs and another pot of water for more rice.

Erick went back to the table and sat with Teressa.

Teressa asked, “What’s running down his face?”

“Just some tears, Teressa. They’re an emotional response to… heightened emotions.”

Rats laughed, and this time it sounded real.

Erick made plans in his head until breakfast was ready, answering Teressa as needed, then he ate, making small talk with Teressa and Rats. Jane woke up just in time for Poi to walk in the front door. While those two talked over the remaining eggs and rice, Erick made more plans. He cleared a few things with Killzone, via Poi, and then it was time to start the day. The sun still hadn’t risen, but it was time to start the day, anyway.

The first thing he did was go into the garden, and by the light of a few [Special Ward]s, he used [Grow] to create some caffeinated, bitter-sweet coffee facsimiles, out of some tea-bush seeds. Ain’t nobody got time for coffee seed drying or roasting, and Erick wasn’t sure of that whole process, anyway. He wasn’t even sure if he could get caffeine out of [Grow]. This whole thing was a grand experiment, so tea transformed into not-coffee would be good enough.

As the bush grew, Erick plucked the fresh green shoots with his flight aura, then he took those leaves and muddled them inside a mortar and pestle he conjured out of the ground with [Stoneshape]. The crushed leaf mush went into a pot of hot water, and soon, Erick had a cup of not-coffee in his hands. A [Cleanse] indicated the concoction was not toxic —no thick air came up from it— so he drank some down.

He had made a bitter tea. It was not coffee. So he started again, this time roasting the leaves in a [Temperature Ward] first. The result this time tasted almost exactly like coffee. He had two cups. Jane had three. They savored the drink, sitting on the second floor porch, watching the sun come up over the city walls, half an hour after it had come up over the horizon.

As their 31st day of life on Veird dawned, Erick felt a familiar caffeine rush. He gave Jane a hug goodbye, then headed out to the farms.

Poi followed close behind. Teressa and Rats came too, but Rats was only in charge of keeping Teressa out of too much trouble. Erick smiled at them; it was kinda funny to watch a 5 foot 5 inch redscale dragonkin try to keep up with an 8 foot tall orcol, as that orcol went everywhere, investigating everything.

- - - -

A major part of the new farms were four massive silos and three large warehouses, each with enormous threshers. They were built just out of town, a few hundred feet from the walls. Roads had been carved throughout the whole farmland that led to these granaries. The geographical center of the farms might have been the temple, but this was where everything happened.

Erick strolled up to the granaries. After some directions from a farmer he didn’t know, Erick found Krakina and Apogough talking over some raw wheat.

“We can take the loss—”

“Sell to other people! Portal does not deserve our bounty!”

“We can’t do that, Krakina. We’re contracted—”

“They are breaking the contract first!”

“Eh-hem.”

Apogough and Krakina turned. They stared at him like they were trying to decide if he was a hallucination, or not.

Erick asked, “Is something wrong?”

Apogough said, “I can’t believe you’re here, after what happened.”

—At the same time Krakina threw her arms wide and rushed Erick in a hug, saying, “You are unhurt! We have heard! Spiders! Awful beasties. Clambering through our city like they have power over us.” She broke away. “I am so glad you are safe. And you even killed one! Marvelous.”

“Was anyone hurt?” Apogough asked.

“Yes.” Erick turned to see Teressa picking apart some wheat. “Decapitated. But recovering. I did not know you can do that.”

Apogough and Krakina looked past Erick.

“No. Not everyone.” Apogough said, “She looks okay, though. Standard inquisitiveness… Any physical problems?”

“Not that I’m aware. So. Are the mimics around here a problem today? I’ve got a new spell that I want to use to kill about a thousand of them. A show of force, as it were. One that is also useful.”

Apogough and Krakina frowned, silently thinking.

Poi said, “Silverite has agreed with Killzone’s judgment that a show of force is both necessary and desired. We are informing you of what will happen, and if you have any suggestions, we might listen, but this is not us requesting your permission.”

Erick frowned, but said, “What he said, but nicer. Sorry.”

Valok had walked into the warehouse somewhere in the middle of all that.

Valok said, “We can organize a retaliation instead of a harvest, today, if the powers that be decide we need to do that. Mimics got into the eastern fields last night. They managed to push half a mile in before the guards caught on.”

“The fields are too big to defend every night.” Apogough said, “We might have to give up the ground that we can, and deal with the damage in the morning. You don’t have to do this, Erick.”

“You’re wrong.” Erick said, “We’re going to kill every mimic for at least three miles in every direction. In one hour.” He turned to Krakina, “I got a flight spell, too.”

Valok and Apogough went silent.

Krakina put on a brave face, saying, “Let us see this new flight spell, and this new [Withering]!”

- - - -

In the desolate lands directly north of the farm, Krakina took to the air with the practiced ease of a WeatherWitch. She looked for all to see like she simply chose to switch from walking, to hovering, to sitting back in the air, her wings extended, gently keeping herself in whatever part of the sky she wanted. Poi took flight next. One second he was on the ground, the next he was in the air, precisely, exactly.

Erick activated [Flight of a Thousand Hands Aura]. He gripped the very air and hovered high, 10 yards up, 20, 30, higher still. Fifty yards into the sky, Erick kept pace with an advancing Krakina.

“Ha ha! You fly strange! But you fly well!” Krakina’s words carried to Erick’s ears on the desert winds. “Ha ha! I wish you would have created this flight thing before you created [Withering]. I wanted to take you out to see your [Call Lightning] fry some mimics! Whatever your new spell looks like, it cannot be as good as lightning!”

“It gets the job done.”

“So does walking everywhere! But flying is so much better! Ha ha!”

Erick ‘flew’ forward, hearing Krakina’s words but focusing on the land below.

Flying was amazing, now that he had a moment to appreciate the view, and the pure freedom of the skies.

The greens and browns and blue standing water of the farm extended all below Erick, like a splash of life on an otherwise dead land. But it wasn’t dead. From up here, Spur was a termite mound, studded with colorful people, in the center of a vast country of sand and blue-white crystal spikes. To the south was Ar’Kendrithyst, and they were probably watching him right now. Erick had spotted two [Scry] orbs, both of them white surrounded by black, and popped them both.

Erick turned to the lands north of the farm. He breathed. He prayed. He Shaped a [Withering], dropping a ten foot tall, three square mile blanket of death, that edged the farms and extended off into the distance. Erick paid attention to where it stopped; that would be the line to drop the next one.

This whole scenario was strangely similar to his first experiment of Shaping [Cleanse] into the bottom of the Sewerhouse’s settling pools.

Fourteen notifications popped. Erick, Poi, and Krakina watched the land sputter up thick air here and there. [Withering] leveled to 6. 6 minutes was way overkill; 1 minute inside a [Withering] was more than enough to kill a crystal mimic.

The breeze blew across the land, through the sky, and across Krakina, Poi, and Erick, but it did not move them; all of them had [Airshape] in their flight spells. Poi looked excited, like someone was laying out presents for him for Christmas. Krakina… Krakina looked much less enthusiastic.

“Did anything happen?” she asked.

“Yes. 14 mimics died. Look for the thick air, like you get from a [Cleanse].”

“… oh.”

Erick Shaped another [Withering], dropping the spell directly north of the previous one. More notifications popped as more thick air joined the breeze, but most of the spell’s effects were too far away to witness.

Erick said, “That’s about 6 square mi— 15 square kilometers, cleared of mimics.” He pointed left, to the west. “I’m moving that way and doing the same thing, as mana allows.”

Krakina turned to him. She had nothing to say, but her eyes glinted with fear. She nodded.

“[Withering] is keyed to only affect anything with a 10 mana rad or more, inside of them. It doesn’t work on people.”

Krakina faked a smile, and nodded. But she didn’t say anything. That’s how Erick knew it was a fake smile.

By the time Erick had cast [Withering] number 12, the last of the set, directly facing Ar’Kendrithyst, he had spent over 3600 mana on [Withering], 1800 on [Flight of a Thousand Hands Aura], and taken about an hour to do the whole thing. He had covered 90 square kilometers with [Withering]. 112 adult mimics, and nothing else, lay dead at his hand, each of the mimics counting for 95% Participation. Phagar, the God of Death and Time, seemed to approve.

Krakina did not. She wasn’t talking. She wasn’t laughing. She was scared.

Erick didn’t approve, either, but what he had done was necessary. Erick went to the temple in the middle of the garden, turned on [Exalted Storm Aura], and checked out his Status. His numbers had certainly gone up, but no matter how much he tried to [Cleanse] himself, he still felt dirty.

He put 5 points into Willpower, then closed the screen and waited for his mana to fill. It didn’t take long; not with 50 Focus and Scion of Focus. Erick renewed his [Personal Absorption Ward], this time for 730 damage.

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 35, Class: Particle Mage

Exp: 860893359/1493035200

Class: 6/6

Points: 3

HP

444/444

444

MP

750/750

6000 per day

Strength

20

+0

[20]

Vitality

20

+0

[20]

Willpower

25

+0

[25]

Focus

50

+0

[50]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

Withering 8, 1 minute per level, super long range, 500 MP

Purge all water from all monsters in super large area, dealing <damage> every second. Cleanse the land around every monster killed in this way.

Particle Mage Only.

Exp: 2200/3400

Search: Swift Movement.

Swift Movement 1, 5 HP per second

Move faster.

Purchase Swift Movement for 1 point? Yes/No

Yes.

Erick did not buy a healing spell. Instead, he just used [Swift Movement] as much as his Meditation induced Rest state would allow; Resting also turned HP regen per day into per hour.

But he didn’t move much. All he did was stare out onto the green fields, watching the platinum rain…

This was enough stress right now.

- - - -

Valok said, “Hey, Erick.”

“Hello. What’s up?”

“You can have a day off. A few days, even.”

Erick sighed. “Is Krakina scared of me?”

“Yes.” Valok said, “But this is not about that. We want to try for a full day of rain. If we need to use next week’s timetable to do it, we will.”

“Okay.” He tried to joke, “But I expect some entertainment!”

“… We can see about getting some… Dancers? Books?”

Erick wanted to laugh that off, but he couldn’t. “Sorry, Valok. That was a joke. I can entertain myself. When do you want to do this?”

“In four days. We’ll expand the farms a bit and feed the cows and water the plants the old way. Then you come and we do a full day of rain.”

“So why did just you come to tell me this?”

“… Krakina is high strung and Apogough is keeping her company.”

“Was there something wrong with killing mimics? They’re a plague, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. They are.” Valok turned and walked away.

Great.

“Put it on the schedule, Poi! Four days, then I get to find some way to stay awake for 24 hours. Good thing I invented coffee-tea. 'Coftea'? Maybe..." Erick said, "If the monsters are watching then they’ll probably attack then.”

“Affirmative, sir.”

- - - -

Erick begged Al off of their night of drinking.

So, Al brought a keg and they got drunk together at Erick’s house. Al spent the night in the guest room.

It was a much better night than the one that came before.

036

The next morning, Erick strolled toward the Adventurer’s District, but couldn’t get within four blocks without hitting walking traffic. He scuffled though a thin road with a bakery and a dozen people pushing to buy bread. He bypassed an alchemist's shop with too many customers, taking a side street through a more open neighborhood, but even that road was crowded. It was only after he passed a large building with lightwards proclaiming it the ‘Wayfarer’s Guild’, that the crowd seemed to thin, like he had passed a bottleneck. That made sense, since the ‘Wayfarer’s Guild’ controlled the only sanctioned [Teleport] services in the city; he would need to avoid this path tomorrow.

It was hard to imagine people teleporting in every morning, but there was a clear dearth in crowd density after he passed the Wayfarer’s Guildhouse, and all of the people nearby shared one characteristic: They were all young; smaller than normal incani, short orcols, short dragonkin. All of them were barely into their 20s, or still in their teens? Hard to say, except that they were obviously young, both in stature and in cheerful exuberance, or restrained ‘above it all’-ness; Erick had certainly seen enough of that last one to know what it looked like, no matter the species. There were no wrought that weren’t full sized adults, but who could guess at a wrought's actual age? Certainly not Erick.

Erick turned to Poi after they passed the bottleneck. “Why do so many young people [Teleport] into the city every day? Or is this just today?”

“Spending the night in Spur is considered a great risk.”

Erick frowned at the dragonkin. “Really?”

“You’ve been here for a while… Do you not agree?”

Erick quickly decided that, yes, it was dangerous to spend the night in Spur.

Had he really been this blind before last night? Before he decided to [Withering] the land of mimics? Before he invented [Call Lightning] and before he fought off those wolves with Jane, and then the shadowcats? Before the local incani declared him ‘planar’?

… Looking back, he had been blind for a lot of that, actually. Jane had been in danger everywhere she went, and so had he. He had been blind for a long time. He wanted to believe the best in people, and almost everyone around him had proven him right. But Spur was not just a city of adventurers, it was smack dab in the middle of countless, unending monsters.

Erick said, “Life here is exceptionally dangerous. But if you can handle it, you grow up fast. Or at least learn some nice life lessons.”

Poi smiled, then schooled his expression away. He nodded.

“Has there been a response from the Dead City about yesterday’s mimic culling?”

Poi shook his head. “Not a peep, sir.”

Erick nodded, then looked up. They had arrived at the Adventurer’s District, and it had changed.

People, everywhere, easily double the expanded crowds at the Farmer’s Market, but the roads were more than wide enough to handle the new traffic. Fresh coats of [Special Ward] had turned the stone of the district into every color of the rainbow, with the most prevalent colors being lighter yellows and rust reds. By far the biggest change were four huge trees that had been [Grow]n at the corners of the Guildhouse’s central property. The new trees towered fifteen stories tall with perfectly straight 8 foot wide trunks, and wide, tangling canopies. They were majestic, they were beautiful, and as Erick looked up, he saw a harpy fall and take flight from the nearest tree.

“Oh thank god.” Erick looked up at the rest of the trees, and saw more people. “Those look like such a security risk, but if people are actually using them… that’s okay.”

Poi said, “Many peoples are partial to trees. Despite the risk, these trees are going to stay.”

Erick navigated the crowds to step across the threshold from street to Guildhouse property, passing through an environmental [Ward] of some kind, into a whole new part of the city. Like stepping into a northern forest, the air was cool and a little damp, the sky covered by a gently shifting canopy, dappling the grass and flowers with sunlight. Ahead, the massive doors to the guildhouse stood wide open, people already streaming in and out, going about their business.

Jane came here every day, but Erick hadn’t been here in a month. The place had changed from a run down high-society wilderness log-warehouse, into a bustling, occupied, high-society wilderness log-mansion, hotel, and training ground. People walked in and out of the main building, almost all of them heavily armored and in groups. A few were loners. Some of them looked over slips of paper, then turned to walk a different direction.

A brownscale beside the nearest tree spoke out, his voice carrying on the air to the whole guildhouse, “[Teleport] service to the northern entrance to the Underworld will be departing in thirty minutes. Please report to the North West Tree for departure. This is the only announcement; the caravan is already departing.”

Brownscale was already surrounded by several people, but at his announcement, more people started coming out of the guildhouse to walk his way. He organized seven of the nearest people into linking hands with him. They vanished in [Teleport] blip.

Erick said, “That’s a lot of mana. And trust.”

“Fork is a well known Wayfarer,” Mog said.

Erick turned to see Mog standing beside him. She looked much the same as the last time he had seen the orcol; massive, muscular, with short black hair and bright eyes. Smiling wide, she said, “He’s not quite as much of a rising star as you, but he’s a fixture in Spur. Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild, Archmage Flatt.”

A few people had noticed him by now, standing to the side of the path. With the guildmaster at his side, those casual glances became gazes of recognition.

Erick said, “Hello, Guildmaster Mog.”

“Please, call me Mog. I respect those who are able to step out of the wars of this world.” She added, “A casual relationship would also go a long way to letting others know that we disapprove of the Quiet War.”

Erick smiled. “I’d prefer Erick, too, but I think you already know that and you’re teasing me.”

“Erick,” Mog giggled. The large, strong woman actually giggled, and Erick found her incredibly endearing. She asked, “Monthly lessons start today; did you come to try your hand at the adventuring lifestyle? Perhaps get an adventurer badge, to go with the mage one around your neck?”

A bit of mirth left Erick, but he tried to hold on to that good feeling. He said, “I’m here to get my ass kicked in the training ring, or whatever it is you do. Jane doesn’t really tell me these things after a lifetime of me asking not to know; I’d love to be a pacifist, but I’m learning that monsters deserve no mercy.”

Mog’s eyes brightened, almost glowing in the sunlight. Her pale green face turned a shade darker, before she turned toward the guildhouse, and said, “Monsters deserve no mercy, this is true.” She added, “I heard what you did around the farms yesterday; [Withering] is fantastic.” She turned to him, smirking. “My kids are already complaining: ‘Why’d he have to kill the close ones?’ ‘Those were our kills!’. It’s all quite funny. I think you should go around the entirety of Spur, next, not just the farms.”

Erick paled.

Slowly, he said, “[Withering] works against monsters… But… It’ll affect anyone with a rad inside.”

A breeze blew. Mog studied Erick.

She said, “I’ll make sure people know.”

“Thank you.”

Mog stared outward.

She spoke, “Every powerful mage I have ever known has a story where they made a mistake and accidentally killed someone with a monster-only spell, or threw a fireball too close to the front lines. But if I was surrounded by monsters and you were there to help, I would expect you to trust me enough to cast the spell anyway, and know that I have [Ward], and my own healing spells.”

Erick felt a sudden rush of both relief and… something nicer.

He said, “Thank you. For that.”

“What [Ward] is used against [Withering], anyway?”

“Weather, I think. I intended it that way, but I haven’t actually tested the spell against a [Ward].”

She harrumphed, then said, “It’s good to worry, but too much thinking has killed almost as many rookies as too little. Spur is an adventuring town, long known to the rest of civilization as a dangerous place, and recently propped back on to the world stage because of your new magic. People coming here know to expect the unexpected.” Mog smiled, adding, “And almost all of my rookies are either working on [Ward] right now, or adventuring with someone they trust who already has it. Don’t fill your head with the wrong sorts of worries. There’s plenty enough to concern yourself with already.”

“You’re quite right.”

“Of course I am!” She laughed. “I wouldn’t be the guildmaster if I was wrong all the time. Let’s get you to those classes.”

- - - -

Erick felt vastly out of place. His feeling was not just a feeling, either; it was reality. He was out of place. If it were possible, he should have gone through these classes at 17, not 48. Everyone else around him was 17 or 18, though there were a few 20-somethings in the lineup on his side of the sandy, open aired gym. No wroughts, though. Just dragonkin, incani, and orcols. On the other side were two 30-somethings, one an incani man named Draz who was every part a drill instructor, and a silent bluescale woman who stayed by the wall.

Everyone was wearing normal clothes, all looking of roughly the same worth, though there were a few people with expensive embroidery or shiny leather boots and gauntlets. A few of his fellow students looked his way, then quickly averted their eyes when he caught them staring. A few others openly wondered at the identity of ‘the old human’; those ones were quickly smacked by their conversational partner, and quietly informed about the ‘old human with the Silver Star’.

Draz shouted, “Attention, Rookies! You have cleared your own nations or citystates’ rules to become a proper adventurer! You have journeyed far from home, seeking fortune in the Crystal Forest, where our monsters are plentiful and Ar’Kendrithyst is full of fortune waiting to be seized out from under the eyes of the Shades. But you fucked up! You didn’t know the basic rules of adventuring in the Forest, or in the Dead City!—”

Erick had an ‘oh shit’ moment, as he realized he never read Spur’s Rules of Adventuring anywhere.

“Luckily, you were caught before you became a problem! You were caught before someone died! Now, your ability to take missions has been revoked, because YOU WILL KILL SOMEONE IF YOU KEEP ACTING LIKE YOU ARE!”

Draz took a breath, then calmly said, “We’re starting from the bottom.” He flicked a finger up, and a tiny white orb with the number ‘5’ appeared in front of Erick. “Find your partner. We’re doing Stances.”

People groaned.

“And if I hear another complaint, another groan, a murmur of insubordination, you fail this class, and you have to wait till next month to try for recertification.”

Erick was in the right class; this was where Mog put him. Recertification must also mean entry-level.

A few people grabbed the orbs in front of them; the orbs were solid light. Must be a special type of [Special Ward]. Erick grabbed his number 5-white, and rather instantly found his partner. Erick knew his partner, because she was the girl who had cast [Force Shrapnel] at his face and then got her legs ripped out from under her by shadowolves. She did not look happy, holding onto her own 5-white orb.

“Zimmy Saker, right?” Erick asked.

She whispered something.

“Sorry? I didn’t catch—”

“I’M SORRY.”

A few people looked their way, but quickly returned to their own pursuits.

Erick said, “I accept your apology.” He looked around. People were still finding their partners. “What happens now?”

Zimmy muttered, “They put us in … and … … then … …”

“Sorry? Didn’t catch—”

“We stance at each other and then more stuff.”

“… I know what I mean when I hear ‘stance’, but what do you mean?”

She didn’t get to answer, because Draz shouted, “You’ve found your partner. Separate with your partner, away from every other group. Fill the room. Go go.”

Erick followed Zimmy across the room to a middle ground.

Draz called out, “A mimic is attacking. What do you do?”

The paired people around the room moved, and all Erick could do was watch.

Some pairs popped [Ward]s. Others popped armor and weapons. Several popped lights in their arms, or in the air. Erick did nothing. He was lost. Zimmy was not; she popped on armor, likely using [Conjure Armor]. Her armor was proper fantasy armor, too, with horned skulls over her shoulders and elsewhere, and with a helmet that covered most of her face but let her large violet horns protrude from two holes in the top; Erick approved.

Draz turned to Erick, one of the few people who had done nothing. He stared at Erick for a long half-second, then turned to face a young greenscale who had also done nothing.

Draz spoke at the girl. “The mimic has now gored you to death.”

“With all due respect, sir, I am ready exactly like this.”

He yelled, “I didn’t ask if you were fucking ready! I asked for a stance! An actual response! Now display something!”

“… I don’t have [Prestidigitation], sir.”

“Cast a [Special Ward].”

“… I don’t have the mana to do lightwards like Stancing would require, sir.”

“What DO you have?”

“High damaging area spells, sir.”

“Congratulations, you are now gored to death by a mimic.” Draz spoke to the room, “Stancing is about quick thinking and displayed response. This is basic, this is level 0. This is one week after Matriculation. Now, everyone: Stance with your partner and don’t lie; you’re only doing yourself a disservice.”

The other groups started talking amongst themselves, one saying something and the other responding in a small way.

Zimmy said, “I stab you in your neck,” as she conjured a small dagger and shook it back and forth.

Roughly brought back to the moment, Erick could only respond with a delayed, “… What?”

Zimmy frowned. She sighed. “I say a thing, prove that I have the capability, and you try to counter it by proving your own capability. It’s a mind game. You can only use an ability once, unless you can use it multiple ways.”

“Oh?” Erick smiled. He had gotten most of that from observation, but the actual rules made it sound fun. He blipped on [Flight of a Thousand Hands Aura], keeping the hands close to his body. “I pick you up and set you aside.”

Zimmy’s frown deepened. “Call.”

“… Wha—? Oh! You don’t believe me?”

“… It doesn’t look that impressive.”

“Are you looking with Meditation?”

“Yeah. Duh.”

“Okay. Uh. Here—”

Erick gently picked her up with a few dozen hands and set her a foot to the left. She sputtered a complaint the second she was moved, but not very loudly. When she was back on the ground, she sighed.

“Okay. Fine. I guess you won that round.” She muttered, “This isn’t fair.” Quieter, she mumbled, “I get a fucking archmage.”

Erick laughed. “I matriculated last month, too.”

“Yeah! Well. Your weird ideas certainly helped you get ahead. What the fuck am I supposed to do against an archmage?”

A few neighbors had looked over at Erick and Zimmy by now, but with that outburst, all of them took a small step away.

Erick smiled. “I don’t know? Try to have fun with it? I’ve played this game before, but much, much differently. One person would say a thing, anything at all, and the next would say something that conquered that thing, back and forth until one person duplicated an answer, or was stuck in a corner.”

“Phhhph! What’s the point of that!” She dissolved her [Conjure Armor], then said, “If you can’t prove you’re capable, what’s the point?”

“To have fun.” Erick added, “We don’t have monsters where I’m from.”

She muttered, “Lucky bastard.”

Erick said, “I’ll go next. [Call lightning]. I’m not actually going to show that, though.”

Zimmy stilled. She quickly relaxed, and said, “We’re in a building. Under trees.”

“Good! So then, [Force Shrapnel] Aura.”

Zimmy waited. “Well?”

“I’m not going to do that either. Why don’t we just trust each other’s capability?”

“Fine! [Blink] behind you and stab you.”

“700 point [Personal Ward].” Erick poked one hand against the other, ticking a point of damage from his white [Ward], revealing its existence; he had gotten much better at making it mostly invisible in the last week. “Does that mean I’m on the defensive, now?”

Zimmy frowned. “This is basic stancing.”

“Oh! So there’s advanced versions?”

“Yeah. But…” Zimmy shook her head. “And I can’t deal with that! 700 points? Damn.”

“Sure you can. [Force Beam] to the head? I crit a shadowolf one time for 350 damage that way.”

“… I don’t have [Force Beam].”

“Shaped [Force Shrapnel]?”

“… Shaped [Force Shrapnel]…” She looked away, muttering, “To the head.”

“There you go! You got it!” Erick spoke a bit softer, “Though this is mightily uncomfortable to talk about hitting each other.”

“… Yeah.” She breathed. She said, “My cous— Never mind.” She stared at Erick. “Let’s start from the top.”

Erick smiled. “Okay.”

“[Blink] at you and attack.”

“Handy Aura and slap you away.”

“Shaped Shrapnel.”

“[Blink] behind you and attack with a few hands…”

“Decay [Strike].” Her dagger glinted green. “It stops [Ward] regeneration and healing for about 4 seconds.”

“It does? Then I fly up with a handy aura.” Erick lifted a foot off the ground.

“I wait you out, keeping up with [Swift Movement] or [Blink].”

“Scion of Focus.”

“Phhhfh!” Zimmy dissolved her dagger. “I’m done.”

Erick frowned. “Why?”

“I can’t deal with that kind of flight, and if it’s an aura it doesn’t matter if I [Dispel]. You just cast it again. Or you could wait me out any number of ways.” She looked over at Draz. “And I think—”

Draz yelled, “SWITCH! Random seed.”

Zimmy said, “Just pick someone.” As she was walking away, she muttered, “I’m sorry about my cousins. They were real assholes.”

Erick watched Zimmy go. He had known there was some connection between her and the two that attacked the Sewerhouse. He hadn’t known they were cousins. Erick felt a pang of grief—

The greenscale who got chewed out by Draz appear before him.

“Hello, Archmage Flatt.” Greenscale bowed. “I’m Kiri.” She smiled full of teeth, and said, “Want to go ~theoretical~ with me?”

Erick laughed. “You’re much too young for me.”

She blushed, her cheeks turning deeper green. She sputtered, “I mean… Stancing without displays.”

“Sure. [Handy Aura] you away.”

“Call.”

“You ask for theoretical and then you call?” Erick gently picked her up and moved her a foot away, saying, “Not very sporting of you.”

“… You shouldn’t have been able to move me.”

“Why?”

“Because I have [Dispelling Aura] on.”

Erick looked at her with Meditation. There was something funky just beside her skin, like a gap in the manasphere. Huh. Odd.

“I do have a thousand of these hands and your aura looks rather thin. Can you use that at the same time as a [Personal Ward]?”

“… No. I just thought… Never mind. Let’s go strictly theoretical.”

“Sure. Handy Aura to move you away.”

“[Blink] out of range, [Invisible].”

“Invisibility Purge. [Force Beam].”

“… You have [Invisibility Purge]?”

“We’re just theoretical, aren’t we?” Erick added with a smile, “Careful now, I’m starting to get suspicious that this is not simple Stancing.”

Kiri paled, but quickly recovered. She stated, “… If you must know: I’m taking the tragedy of my forced recertification by pushing faux combat with an archmage. This never happens, and I am taking advantage in every way I can. I apologize for pushing too far.”

“Sure. We’ll go with that. So? What’s your response? [Invisibility Purge], and… [Fireball].”

“[Reflection].”

“[Blink], [Call Lightning].”

She smiled. “[Weather Ward].”

“On the ground or…?”

“On myself.”

“[Decay Tracking Force Beam].”

“… That’s a bit overkill, don’t you think?”

“Yes. I do think that.”

Kiri frowned.

They began again. Erick mostly stuck to what he had, but added enough variation to throw Kiri off and win a few more rounds. When it came time to switch, no one wanted to go to Erick; he was having fun with Kiri anyway, so Kiri gladly stayed. Eventually, she started winning, especially when Erick stuck to what he had. He wracked his brain for combinations of Force spells and Mana Alterings, but more often than not, met her absolute defenses and counterattacks. She did have one glaring weakness though: her flight spell was tied to her [Ward]. But as for himself? So many weaknesses. For starters, he just didn't have enough magic, and he wasn't fluent in magical combat either way. In a straight up fight between him and any other person on Kiri’s level, he would lose. The only way for him to win would be to run away and attack another day, or to rely on others to give him openings.

Which was why adventurers traveled in parties, so Erick didn’t feel too behind-the-curve; he didn’t need to be able to do everything himself.

Stancing didn’t seem to have much value when Erick began, but it showed its worth quickly enough.

After an hour of Stancing, Draz began the actual physical combat lessons; no spells allowed. Erick thought the term ‘lessons’ rather loose. Draz didn’t do much more than tell people to pick a spot, whereupon the people beat each other up for the rest of the day. Erick and Kiri both used staves, but Erick was the one who ended up with his face in the sand 9 times out of 10. Draz did come by and help once or twice, though. Those were the only times Erick won, and only because Kiri let it happen.

The damage from Kiri’s staff would occasionally cleave the whole way through Erick’s [Ward], and if that didn't give Erick enough of a fright the first time it happened: hitting 0 canceled the [Ward]. He had to recast it every time that happened, which began to happen with alarming frequency. More than once, a strike —not a [Strike]— got through both a full strength [Ward] and a few dozen HP. Kiri was pulling her strikes; she knew exactly how far to go, how strong to hit, to get through 800 points of damage.

Erick was reminded of what Bacci had said, weeks ago: ‘HP is an illusion; never trust it.’

The class broke for lunch, then came back together for more sparring. Draz mixed up some of the groups, re-pairing people as necessary, but he didn’t switch Erick or Kiri away from one another.

Erick ended the day with his face in the sand, and very, very sore.

But not dirty! Thank you, [Cleanse].

Goddamn, he loved that spell. Best spell ever.

After dinner, and because he saw exactly how much he needed [Teleport] thanks to the day’s Stancing, he leveled [Blink] to 10, then bought [Teleport]. [Blink] and [Teleport] were an odd pair of spells; linked to each other, but both tier 1 and you couldn’t buy the second without the first, there were a few other spells paired in this way, but not many. [Strike] had the most variants. Thanks to the day’s Stancing, he discovered [Blood Strike], which was vampiric in nature, and [Delayed Strike], which was as the name implied. There was also [Ward Strike], which did double damage to [Ward]s, and [Mercy Strike], which would do normal damage, but always leave 1 to 10 of the enemy’s HP remaining. Kiri never visibly showed any of those skills in the actual sparring, though, which led Erick to believe that Kiri was also lying a bit in the Stancing portion of the day. Or maybe Erick just didn't recognize [Strike] for what it was.

That second option was probably more correct.

[Strike] was a really weird attack, anyway. A warrior could use it against anyone with just a tap of their finger, but it would do damage based upon the full force of the weapon used, applied in the most damaging way upon whatever surface they struck. Using [Strike] with the lightest tap of a finger, against a person’s arm, would be like driving that finger ramrod straight against that arm, with the full force of a person’s whole Strength score.

[Strike] was a strange attack.

… Reflecting on his lack of skill, after dinner, Erick went ahead and leveled [Force Beam] to 10, and used [Swift Movement] as his HP would allow. [Force Beam] got to 10, and Erick discovered he could use multiple beams at once; this was why people used their fingers to point the beams, not their eyes. This was so they could fire and maintain five to ten beams at once.

[Swift Movement] leveled, but lagged behind.

With Jane’s help, Erick started really working on [Swift Movement]. The skill got a bit higher, but when Jane’s healing spells started to heal for less, and Erick started to feel a bit dumb, that was the start of Health Fatigue. It was time to stop.

Jane put Erick to bed just before midnight, kissing his forehead.

“Good night, Dad. I love you.”

“I’m proud of you, Jane. To do all this at 600 HP? It’s a… a word for … something. It’s inspiriting!”

Jane smiled. “I’m proud of you, too.”

- - - -

The next day, the recertification group was missing several people. In the same room as before, but much more open, Erick proceeded to get his ass handed to him by Kiri for the rest of the day.

By the time he made it home, Jane had a surprise waiting for him in the kitchen: She had learned [Polymorph] from Ramizi’s potion and cleared the center of the room. She promptly turned into a bear, but not a very good one. She was a great big, kinda funky, human-ish bear, with a great big mouth and sharp teeth and a fuzzy little bum with a cute tiny tail, with human feet and tiny little button ears that flicked back and forth. She was a cross between something very cute and very terrifying, and the whole effect was pure insanity. Erick laughed. Jane sat her cute furry bum on the stone floor while Erick laughed himself out.

Finally, Erick said, “Don’t you remember what a bear looks like!?”

“Ra raah ra roO.”

Erick laughed and laughed.

Jane ignored him and clawed the shadowspider into the center of the kitchen. Erick vomited at the first crunch. He rushed out of the room on the second.

When he returned an hour later, Jane was a giant black spider who had weaved a message in black spider silk on the side of the room.

‘It worked!’ read the message, along with, ‘Doo dee doo I’m a big ol’ spider, very very big.’

Erick vomited again. Jane turned to see him.

She was terrifying.

Erick asked, “What’s your Willpower, Jane?”

Jane-spider spoke in a crackling, chittering voice, “30, right now. Points go into Willpower from now on, like you said.”

Keeping his multiple terrors at bay, Erick said, “Good. Good. Now stop this, please.” Erick looked over to see who he could blame. He saw Teressa, standing in the back of the room, still not wearing her armor but more herself than she was the day before. She didn’t deserve what Erick was going to to do her. “Teressa is getting scared.”

Teressa immediately stared daggers at Erick, who just mouthed ‘Sorry’, as Jane turned to face her.

Teressa took the bullet, saying, “Yes, ma’am. Very scary.”

Jane reverted to human, quickly grabbing her nearby towel and wrapping it around herself. “Sorry, Teressa. I should be more aware about holding a form like that within a thousand miles of Spur. And… Your recent trauma.”

“Don’t worry about it, ma’am.”

Erick mouthed, ‘Thank you.’

- - - -

There were even fewer people at the Adventurer’s Guildhouse recertification course on Erick's third day. They had started with 30, but they were down to 15. Kiri and Zimmy were still there, though.

Draz said, “Another day of Stancing and Sparring. Have at it.”

For as simple as the instructor’s regimen was, Erick had never gone through basic training or anything like it before; he felt he was learning quite a lot. Everyone else who failed to show had probably had enough of Draz’s monotonous exercises; Kiri confirmed as much when the class broke for a Rest between the Stancing and the Sparring.

“Of course it’s designed more as a punishment than instruction.” Kiri said, “There’s more places to farm mimics than Spur, but people need to show they know their stuff before they’re allowed inside Ar’Kendrithyst. I hear Frontier is a lot more lax about letting people enter from their side, but that’s only because they don’t have the Spur’s presence and power in the Dead City.”

Erick had heard some of that before, but it was interesting to hear an outsider’s perspective. “How much of a presence does Spur have?”

Kiri said, “I’ve heard they control a whole city block. A few square kilometers. The army fights the daily fights, but they evacuate when the Shades come around. Killzone stays. I hear Killzone has killed any Shade that ever attacked Spur’s Forward Base, even hunting them back to their own lairs.” She added, “He’s carved out his own niche in the Dead City, using the blood and bones of Shades to keep it under his control, when necessary.” She asked, “What have you heard?”

“The residents go in and kill monsters, rip out rads, and then get the hell out of there. Only transient adventurers go in further to look for treasure… I hear the Shades like to kill the shadowmonsters for their rads, too, then use those to enchant some pretty horrific things. But if you’re going to steal from a Shade you can only do it once; if the Shades don’t kill you, you better not come back to Spur.”

“I’ve heard that, too.”

Draz shouted, “Rest over! Time to spar!”

Erick grabbed his training staff, then moved to the sands, saying, “En garde!”

“… What’s that mean?” Kiri grabbed her own staff and moved to join him.

“A phrase to signify the raising of weapons and the joining of battle.”

Kiri smiled. “En garde!”

Erick was promptly flipped onto the floor.

He muffled into the sand, “I really should be using [Swift Movement] all the time.”

“Of course you should! And you should get a healing spell.”

Erick got back up. “Not yet.”

“Why the heck not?”

“… I have a specific reason for this, and that is all I am going to say on the subject.”

Kiri’s eyes glinted in the way that they did when she spotted a hidden truth. She had many of these moments the last two days, but this one was definitely the most prominent. Erick would have abandoned her as a partner if she ever pushed a subject, but every time, she backed off, giving a little nod; whatever subject Erick said ‘no’ to, became taboo.

Erick was starting to like Kiri; she was a bubbly, happy girl, driven to succeed, well versed in both magic and physical combat, and as understated as she could be without being a doormat.

Erick asked, “Where are you from, anyway?”

“Greensoil Republic. Tower Academy town. I came out here to—”

Draz interrupted, “Too much talking, not enough hitting.”

Kiri leveled her staff, nodded, and said, “En garde.”

Erick moved swiftly, his HP draining 1 point every second and more, as exertion demanded. He stepped to the side and pushed Kiri’s staff away. Kiri pulled her staff. She stepped to the side, swinging it wide. Erick blocked—

His staff snapped where Kiri struck; her staff clipping through to hit him in the thigh, sending him to the ground and carving deep into his [Ward]. Hundreds of points vanished, just like that, but they were already coming back thanks to [Ward X]'s regeneration ability.

Erick sighed out against the sand. He got up. He [Mend]ed his staff. He went back to Kiri and started the spar again.

Rinse, repeat, over and over again.

Somewhere in the middle of the afternoon, she stopped, and said, “You’re really bad at this. I expected some improvement. You’re getting the forms down a bit, but… You’re not executing them well. At all.”

Erick got up from the ground, again. He wasn’t surprised that he was this bad at sparring; he was surprised he was physically capable of sparring at all. He wasn’t young; but he wasn’t really in pain, either. Sure, there were bruises and blood, and broken calluses on his hands, but that kind of pain was normal, expected pain. There were no aching bones or sprained wrists, or a back that refused to bend properly, or knees that just ached for no reason at all. He wasn’t getting much better at this whole fighting thing, but he wasn’t in pain either. As he stood there, ready for another spar, he felt great.

Emotionally, he was winded; no one gets flattened to the floor by a person half their age for three days and doesn’t feel a bit inadequate. But physically? He was fine. He wasn’t good at this, not by a long shot, but he was physically capable, and that made Erick get back up, every time.

Erick said, “I think… I could do this all day.”

“Yes, well… Doing this all day and getting better at it are two different things.”

“Then I’ll do [Swift Movement], and you don’t.”

Kiri smirked. “Okay.”

Erick ended the spar on the floor again, but it took Kiri ten minutes to accomplish.

Erick stood. “Again.”

And again, and again, and again.

When the day was done, Erick said to Kiri, “I won’t be here tomorrow.”

“Everyone’s talking about it. A full day a rain, eh?”

“Yeah. The farms are prepared for a great harvest. A lot of people have tilled their own plots of land to see what kind of beans sprout. I won’t do this often; this might be the only time it happens.”

Kiri nodded. “How does it work, anyway?”

“A lot of nutrients plants need are already in the air. The spell converts those into usable form, and then provides everything needed for a good [Grow].”

“That’s what I’ve heard. I thought there might have been more to it.”

Erick smiled wide. “Of course there is. A lot more.”

“Such as?”

“A lot of magic.”

Kiri harrumphed.

037

Erick had gone to bed early and woken up with the sun. No attacks came in the middle of the night; the day was already better than what Erick had expected. Jane made coffee-tea, and however she had done it, she had accomplished a brew much better than Erick’s attempts.

“Big day,” Jane said, sipping her coffee on the veranda. The sun had yet to rise above the city walls, but already the sky was awash in golds and reds. “Are you prepared?”

“Should be.” Erick refilled his cup from the pot nearby. “Are you going to join me?”

“Yes. Some of it. Most of it, actually.” She held her coffee. “Mog asked a lot of people to be there, mostly on the sidelines. I was going to be there anyway. Something is going to happen, for sure.”

Erick smiled. “You haven’t been out to the farms for a rain yet, have you?”

“I’ve met everyone, but no. I haven’t been there for a rain.”

Erick drank his coffee-tea. Gazing at the hot green liquid, he said, “I hope there’s some non-sacrilegious way to take a piss out there.”

Jane chuckled.

She went quiet.

She said, “I felt like you were going to get yourself killed until a few days ago when you went and destroyed those mimics. Then you rescued me from the spiders, and went on to kill a hundred mimics around the farm… Now you’re getting beat up every day at the Guild. But you’re also getting up every time.”

Erick joked, “That’s making news, eh?”

“It is! And… It’s…” She blurted out, “It’s nice. Okay? It’s nice to know that you’re here. I didn’t think you were really here-here, seeing what I was seeing, until… Until very recently.”

Erick set his coffee down. He listened.

“You have this trusting nature and I didn’t… I’ve never respected it. Especially lately.” She blurted, “Thank the gods we were labeled ‘planar’ or else… I don’t think the incani would have stopped with the attack on the Sewerhouse. One of us would have died and I don’t know which would have been worse. You leaving me, or me leaving you. I’m just…”

Erick felt his eyes cloud, but he held back. Jane wasn’t done.

“I’m glad that didn’t happen. I’m glad you killed those mimics. You always used to talk about the social contract when I was a girl, about helping your neighbors as a way to help yourself; that expecting a return was failing to understand that the contract is never about getting a return. It’s about faith.” She sniffled. “I’m really glad to see your faith hasn’t been misplaced—” She looked over to Poi standing at the side. “Guards are still weird to me, but I’m glad they’re here. I’m also glad to see that you’ve stepped up to your end of the social contract.” She smiled, looking away from Erick, at the rising sun. “I hope I can keep up with you.”

Erick watched the sky, listening to Jane.

He said, “Life on Veird isn't that different from Earth.”

Jane sipped her coffee, then nodded, saying, “Sure… There’s monsters and gods and everything else. But. We’re just closer to the front lines on Veird. It’s a luxury to be able to fight over school funding and zoning; here, luxury is carved out of the desert with blood and sweat, then served up on the dinner table.”

Erick nodded.

Jane and Erick both watched the brightening sky.

- - - -

The temple was the same as before; massive, 8 pillared, with a statue of Atunir in the back. The only change to the center of the farms was a small, four walled, no-roofed hut with a hole in the bottom, located just outside of the Ring of Gods. As far as bathrooms went, Erick had seen worse. At least the room was stone and sturdy.

The farms themselves looked a lot dirtier than the last time Erick had seen them. Most of the land had been tilled under, but the small grasses in front of Erick were yellow. Erick pointed out the yellowing to Valok.

Erick said, "They were perfectly healthy before, weren’t they? Shouldn’t some water still be in the soil, or did they really dry out this fast?”

Apogough answered, “That’s [Grow] fatigue, not drying. We tilled and planted new crops in every field, but it looks like we missed some weeds.”

“Look here, now.” Valok pointed toward the temple. A few young dragonkin were hanging out; one of them was Pinkscale, Valok’s daughter. “We got runners for anything you want. If you don’t ask for them, they’ve been instructed to stay away and not make much noise.”

Erick looked to the temple, then looked beyond, to Ar’Kendrithyst.

Apogough asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m just waiting for the drama to start. I’m expecting fireballs, but I’m also expecting to be surprised.”

Valok, Apogough, and Poi, joined Erick in looking at the walls of the Dead City.

Poi said, “We have contingencies in place. If there are interruptions, then there are interruptions. This experiment will be cut short upon first violence. Hopefully, nothing happens, but we are prepared for many possible events.”

Erick nodded. “Then I guess… We’re ready?”

“Ready,” Valok said.

“Whenever you are,” Apogough said.

Krakina was not there. Erick felt a bit sad at that.

But the show must go on.

Erick said a prayer to the gods, then—

[Exalted Storm Aura].

Fog rolled in, then up. Clouds began to roil, spreading across the farms, then a bit further. Muted thunder echoed across the Crystal Forest as silver light coalesced in the sky. Platinum rain fell. Yellowed grasses perked right up, turning green, but no further; they weren’t proper targets for Erick’s magic. Apple trees, wheat fields, rice paddies, vines of fruits and bushes of spicy peppers; every crop began to [Grow], as every waterway began to fill. The cows joyfully mooed in the gentle rain as their pasture turned lush, vibrant, and tasty.

Erick moved out of the rain and in to the temple. He went to his bench and took a book out of his shoulderbag. It was one of several novels he had borrowed from Zago after he returned her books on flying, and showed off his unusual aura.

She had said his [Flight of a Thousand Hands Aura] was a good flight spell, and quite similar to the usual one already in the Script; but no one bought that version of [Fly]. Upon reading the description, Erick could see why they didn’t, and why neither Zago nor her books recommend the option.

Intentioned Flight Aura, 10 MP a second, short range.

Grip yourself and the air with your mind. Fly at walking speed.

10 mana a second for walking speed? Utter shit. How could someone even make that, when the base costs for [Airshape X], [Telekinesis X], and Mana Shaping X, added up to 600 base cost every 10 minutes? Even the most basic version of Erick’s Handy Aura shouldn't have added up to 10 mana a second.

Zago had no explanation for the inflated costs, but just that ‘sometimes it’s like that’. Erick either got really lucky, or maybe his understanding of the spell was different than current understanding, which both of them agreed was probably the case.

Erick listened to the rain, and went back to his borrowed book. The light in the temple was a bit dim for reading, so Erick cast three light orbs into the air, each at a varying height and distance. Together, they gave off some good, varied reading light.

Jane showed up shortly after the rain started. She settled into the bench across the temple from Erick, then took out her own books. They looked new, or possibly freshly [Mend]ed. That was odd.

“Did you buy those?”

Jane held up her book. The title was in some foreign language. “Political history of the Crystal Forest. Bought it yesterday down in Portal.”

Suddenly stricken between loss, and anger, Erick asked, “… You went to another town?”

Jane’s eyes went wide. She schooled her expression. “Yeah. I did.”

“And you didn’t invite me!”

Suddenly serious, Jane said, “You can’t go anywhere without your guards.”

Erick was more than a little mad, but he got over it. He sighed. He said, “Maybe I should get [Polymorph] and take a trip incognito, too.”

Jane shook her head. “Sorry, Dad. I tried transforming into other people. Can’t be done without looking like a toddler’s clay sculpture. I mean, you can— The books in the Mage Guild’s Library say you can, but you gotta eat a person to take their form. I’m not doing that.”

“That’s disturbing and wow! Nasty.”

“Yeah.” She asked, “Want me to pick you up something the next time I’m there? I’ve only been twice.”

“Books on mechanical engineering. I want to make a typewriter and a printing press.”

“I think they already have those. I could buy you a typewriter, if you want. Don’t know about a printing press, though.” She smirked, asking, “You want to write a thesis and nail it to a church door somewhere? Distribute some leaflets?”

“Phhbt! No.” Erick held up his book. “What I want is books written in legible block text.”

"... And how would you do that?"

"I'm not sure. Take a book written by hand, and feed it through some sort of magic? That's my working theory."

"Quite a working theory."

Erick grunted, then went back to reading.

Not much happened except for some reading, and some harvesting.

Erick’s story was about a dragonkin on the high seas who—

A field to the south exploded in darkness. Poi rushed to Erick’s side. Jane moved to Erick’s other side. Mog materialized in front of the temple, and the farmers in the fields abandoned whatever they were doing to either run away or materialize armor around their bodies. The kids in the temple ran away, quietly, surely. Erick never stopped the rain; he wasn’t about to let some singular explosion stop him.

A voice carried on the air, “Hello, denizens of this turd-of-a-city, this steaming pile of poor architecture north of our great Kendrithyst!” The explosion had passed; dust and debris were washed out of the air by platinum rain. In the middle of a field two hundred feet away, where wheat had been growing, there was a non-distinct man made of shadow, but thin; stretched out in the arms and legs. He raised a hand at the walls of the Dead City behind him. “Prepare to receive the words of my master!”

Erick waited for someone else to kill the Shade. “That’s a Shade, right?” When no one did, or answered him, he asked Mog, “Want me to [Withering] him?”

“No. That’s not a Shade. You’d know if you saw a Shade.” Mog stepped closer to Erick. “They love their drama. Don’t interrupt yet.”

The great mountainous walls of the Dead City, seven miles away, shifted in hue, the brown and white and grey and orange stone drifting through to black, to grey, to dark brown.

Mog whispered, “That’s a Shade.”

Erick stared.

A deepness took hold in the black on the Dead City’s walls, like someone punching a hole into darkness, and in that darkness there bloomed a white light. One light at first, then two, horizontal from each other, thousands of feet apart, dozens of feet wide. Spur was seven miles away from Ar’Kendrithyst, but the thing that dominated the walls was still intelligible, even through the glowing rain and the vast distance. White expanded, filling with black; the whites were eyes, staring across the land and down at Spur. They were the same kinds of [Scry] eyes Erick had seen before, and so very similar to the very first eye he had seen in the darkness of his first Meditation. But the eyes on the wall were massive; If the walls were a mile high, then those eyes were thousands of feet tall.

Below those eyes there formed a crack of utter darkness; a window to an abyss. The crack moved; a pulsewave of sound blasted out across the sands of the Crystal Forest, to crash against Spur, and the farms.

“Tania greets you, mortal ants! Bow and be spared, stand and be severed.”

22 points of damage ticked off Erick’s [Ward], but not a single person bowed. The people of Spur, having secured and readied themselves, stood tall, chins up, facing the darkness with eyes wide open and mettle in their souls.

Erick muttered, “Oh thank god.”

“Did you think we would ever bow to them?” Mog asked, a smile on her face.

“I didn’t think I'd see a giant face yelling at me for 22 points of damage, either!”

Mog smiled wide at him. “She’s going to want something. Likely from you. But—”

Silverite’s voice carried on the air. “What do you want, Tania Webwalker, Foul Shade of the Dead City?”

Her voice came from above! Erick moved out of the temple, into the rain. Yup. Silverite was standing atop the temple, feet firmly planted on the domed roof, waiting for Tania’s response.

“To gobble you all up, of course! But I am willing to trade for something lesser. The living body of one Jane Flatt, delivered to me, giftwrapped in platinum slave chains. For this small trifle I am willing to spare your hovels and your selves.”

As Tania’s voice ticked for a dozens points here, thirty points there, Erick felt his stomach drop. He felt cold. Tania was going to take Jane. Silverite would let it happen. Maybe even sanction—

“Fuck off, Tania.” Silverite shouted.

Erick never should have doubted Silverite, not even for a second.

The darkened walls of Ar’Kendrithyst rumbled as Tania’s great maw opened and shut. The rumble was low at first, but quickly rose, loud enough to hear like far away demolition, loud enough to drive fear into the hearts of all who listened. Laughter. She was laughing. A sudden peal of joy, louder than her chuckle, came out like an avalanche, thunderous and strong, rolling across the land, a visual wave of pressure heralding its arrival. Rain bent, clouds shredded. Erick felt the temple stones crack and his bones shudder.

386 points of damage rocked across his [Personal Ward].

Erick felt an entirely different sort of drop in his stomach. He was in real danger. He looked right. Jane looked fine. She looked ready for anything. He looked left. Mog looked ready for anything, and also relaxed. All across the fields, people were looking his way; looking at Silverite and Mog, and probably him, too.

He should relax. People were staring, their own [Ward]s either flickering against their skin, or against their domed [Ward]s. Erick tried to relax, knew he failed to be relaxed, but kept trying anyway. Breathing came a bit hard, but as Tania’s laughter struck for another hundred damage, Erick realized he could do something.

… Might be able to do something.

First, he turned off his [Exalted Storm Aura].

Then, he began:

“The air doth still, and vibrate not.

“A cry goes up, but travels till

“it cannot move, save breath and stop.

“A time for rest, put down the quill

“I beg of you, now [Standstill].”

250 mana ripped out of Erick. Out of 750, 250 was nothing, but it still felt awful. Mog caught him as he went to one knee. Poi jabbed him with a rod of [Treat Wounds]. He felt much better as a set of familiar boxes appeared. Some free points from Rozeta, thankfully, as well as the spell description, which showed that he had accomplished what he set out to accomplish.

Stillness 1, instant, 1 hour per level, super long range, 250 mana.

Drop all <sound> to the level of a <speaking voice> in a super large area for 1 hour.

No ‘Particle Mage Only’, either!

Erick laughed, painfully, as he showed Mog the box, and said, “Thank you, Poi.”

Poi just nodded, then stepped back.

Mog smiled as she held Erick and [Stillness]’s blue box, saying, “That’s gonna take some of the wind from their sails.”

Silverite looked down from atop the temple. “Please stop helping, Erick,” She gazed south, and frowned. “You made her mad.”

Mog complained, “She’s already said her piece, Silverite. You know what always comes next.”

Silverite grumbled, steeling her gaze at the Dead City.

The rain rained itself out, but the air still held some strange solidness. Seven miles away, Tania’s great mouth opened wide. Sound poured out like a bomb, rolling across the land, only to hit thick air, striking with a force that transformed into huge pops of white light, a chain of detonations cascading across the edge of [Stillness]. Tania’s voice was much quieter than before.

“Take that down this instant!”

Silverite yelled, “Fuck you, Tania,” producing her own sonoluminescence reaction; like pops of brief light all around her. She whipped her hands through the air, trying and failing to brush the popping light away.

Erick would have laughed if not for what the shadowman in the fields said next.

“Prepare for bombardment, foolish mortals.”

He vanished in a puff of black.

Silverite said, “Preamble done. Erick. Don’t do anything unless it’s to— Ah. [Withering] that, please.”

Mog saw what Erick could not. “Oh yeah." She pointed. "That needs a [Withering].”

Erick stepped up the temple steps to get a better view. Mog guided him up the stairs, but he hadn’t created a big spell; he was more or less okay. He was not okay when he saw what Mog was pointing at.

A section of Ar’Kendrithyst’s walls, a very tiny portion near the bottom, had opened.

Correction. Three tiny holes had opened. Darkness swamped out to cover the Crystal Forest. From this distance, those ‘tiny holes’ had to be hundreds of feet tall. Whatever was coming out, was the same size as those doors, but along with those monsters came a thin blanket of black, churning up dust as it raced forward, ahead of its larger fellow dark soldiers.

Shaped [Withering].

Shaped [Withering].

Erick dropped two five-foot tall sections of death across the land, covering much of the seven miles separating Spur from the Dead City, the area of effect extending well outside of the direct path from there to Spur. But mostly, he concentrated on covering all the land directly outside of the portals.

Kill notifications started rolling in. Crystal Mimics, of course, as well as other monsters.

Tania started laughing again, which was only slightly confusing; she was an obviously unhinged megalomaniac who could see that her monsters were dying and her noisy attack was nullified. What was highly confusing, was what she did next. Pinpricks of black dropped from the tops of the walls, scattering into the advancing horde, blowing them up like confetti scattered to the wind.

She was killing her own army?

“What the fuck is she doing?” Mog asked.

Good thing Erick wasn’t the only one confused.

Silverite answered, “This wasn’t about us. It never was. She turned on Bulgan.” She leapt down from the temple roof. “What kill notifications are you getting, Erick?”

Thousands of notifications burned across his eyes, but he focused on one, then another, then dismissed the rest, and said, “Wolves. Mimics. There’s one cat.” Another notification popped. “And… Giant?”

Mog said, “Those would be the big ones.”

“She’s clearing out Bulgan’s amassed forces.” Silverite said, “Wolves are easy to control with a few cats and cats attach themselves to Shades like ticks. Giants come next; they’re just a show of power away from winning them to your side.”

Tania, or her people, rained destruction down upon the tide of darkness leaving the city.

And Erick couldn’t see a damned thing. All he saw was a general impression of darkness across the land. Where was Zago when you needed her? Wait! Jane had [Scry]!

Erick turned to Jane, “What do you see, Jane? With [Scry]?”

She said, “Wolves. Some very tall monsters; Giants. So glad we’re not fighting those. I can’t see any cats. They must have run? All I see are… The monsters are just… dying. Thousands of them. Running forward and dying, drying out into husks that are then trampled by the ones still to come, who then die themselves. Where’s Bulgan?”

Silverite said. “Killzone is informing me that Bulgan is attacking Frontier right now.”

Erick immediately said, “I need to help them. I have [Teleport].”

“We already are helping them.” Silverite said, “But. You’re right.” She turned to Mog. “Take him to a good spot in the sky, drop a [Withering], and get out.” She looked to the air, “I’ve just informed their leadership that help is coming and to prepare [Weather Ward]s.”

Mog held out her hand. “Ready? In and out. Turn on your flight aura, we’re popping into the sky.”

Everything was happening so fast. Erick took a moment to think. He didn’t think long. He activated his Handy Aura and took Mog’s thumb; her hand wrapped completely around his.

The world shifted.

Erick and Mog popped into the air high, high above a stone city much like Spur, but smaller, with no farms. The buildings were taller, too. The walls—

Darkness was inside the city; black dots in the streets were attacking other dots wearing brighter clothes. Blots of color bloomed here and there as the defenders sought to destroy the monstrous tide with [Fireball]s and [Force Crash]es and other bright spells. But the place was infested; like fleas in a catlady’s house, or poppy seeds on a bagel, and rat turds in the attic. Here and there, there were dark giants, ripping apart buildings with their bare hands, kicking in walls with their feet, burying people in debris. [Ward]s popped, and people died.

Erick looked toward Ar’Kendrithyst; streamers of monsters poured in from the north. The walls of the Dead City looked much the same from this angle, but there was no face on this side, instead, there was a dark wind, between the human city and Ar’Kendrithyst, heading for Frontier, and also the size of Frontier.

The dark wind was racing, hellbent on destruction, kicking up showers of sand, thumping the air with the sound of massive footsteps, running forward with three giants inside the windy darkness, each of them smaller than the dark figure in the center of the attack formation.

Erick had to help. But…

There’s no way Frontier was ready with [Weather Ward]s.

Mog said, “Bulgan has seen us. Cast your spell where you feel is best. We need to leave.”

The dark wind on the path to Frontier was the same size as Frontier, and it was racing closer. A whistling sliced the air; Mog yanked Erick a hundred yards left, just in time to avoid a non-existent blot on reality a hundred feet wide. Like an invisible meteor, the attack missed Erick and Mog, but the air it displaced still made a sound like a close call with death. If Mog wasn’t here, Erick would have died.

Erick breathed. In and out. He breathed hard. He decided.

Shaped [Withering].

A twenty foot tall [Withering] occupied the city, and some of the lands beyond, covering up to the second story of most houses and a little bit beyond.

Shaped [Withering].

A ten foot layer of death stretched over the invading forces, and all of Bulgan’s path, clipping into the dark, monstrous wind. Giants tripped, Bulgan yelled, a blast of force—

The world shifted again, and Erick was on the temple steps. Desert winds had pushed aside the last remnants of his [Exalted Storm Aura], revealing green fields and an entranced audience.

Ahead of him, Tania destroyed Bulgan’s forces, while Spur watched.

A hundred miles away, monsters died.

Erick prayed his [Withering] didn’t kill anyone it wasn’t supposed to kill. But when a notification for Human A, 1% Participation, came rolling in, he couldn’t do anything but stare at the fleeting clouds. When Human B, 1%, came in, he was already numb to the world.

Silverite was beside him. Mog and Jane, too. Jane sat holding Erick, and he was glad for her company. Jane and Mog and Silverite talked, but Erick couldn’t hear their words, all he could do was stare at the kill boxes for Human A, and Human B.

A and B! How about that. Not even a name.

How…

How awful.

After a while, twenty minutes, maybe an hour, long after Tania finished off the rest of Bulgan’s forces and yelled some inane threat, Silverite’s voice carried on the air, “Spur has repelled the attack, and Frontier has routed their horde. Bulgan flees back to Ar’Kendrithyst.” White bubbles popped around her face.

The farmers, and all of Spur had been watching this entire time; from behind walls, from under [Ward]s. Now, they cheered, and the sound was still subject to Erick’s [Stillness]. Popping bubbles of light filled the land like tiny firecrackers. He would have laughed, but instead he just dismissed the spell, and the sounds of a cheering city rolled across the land.

Erick tried to feel good about the battle, but he couldn’t.

“A few monsters got through Erick’s [Withering] and Tania’s cleanup,” Mog said. She had been directing the adventurer response from Erick’s side all this while. “But my kids killed them all. A few hundred wolves and three giants. Nothing much.”

“Dad.” Jane put a hand on Erick’s shoulder. “Talk to me.”

“Two humans dead, Jane. I did that. I murdered them.”

Jane moved her hands in front of Erick’s eyes. “Put them away, Dad. Now.”

Erick willed the boxes away, but he knew he would pick them up again later.

He asked Silverite. “Is Frontier saying anything?”

Silverite stood strong, and said, “Frontier was already infested with shadowcats; they’re lucky they didn’t get routed in the first minutes of the fight. The final death counts will come in the following days, but they lost thousands. They would have lost one hundred thousand, if you didn’t drop that [Withering] on the city. 2 people dead is a tactical loss that any commander would be happy to hear, Archmage Flatt.” She looked out across the Crystal Forest. “I expected at least a thousand deaths in Spur whenever Bulgan got it into his foul head to attack, but you’re incredible. You turned back two tides of darkness, and even nullified a Shade’s [Force wave].” She stared at Erick. “Prepare yourself. You’re our new deterrent.”

“Ohhh.” Erick felt something break inside. “Don’t… Don’t say that.”

038 - End of Book 1

Erick Flatt

Human, age 48

Level 36, Class: Particle Mage

Exp: 2197527594/2415781700

Class: 6/6

Points: 6

HP

576/576

576

MP

750/750

6000 per day

Strength

20

+0

[20]

Vitality

20

+0

[20]

Willpower

25

+0

[25]

Focus

50

+0

[50]

Favored Spell waiting!

Favored Spell waiting!

For all those death notifications, Erick had only gained one level.

That felt appropriate.

Jane said, “Dad. Speak to me.”

Erick was still inside the temple. The battle was over, and people had arrived to see and speak to him, but he couldn’t bring himself to say more than a few words.

He said, “What.”

“I’m worried, Dad.”

Joylessly, Erick said, “Hi Worried, I’m Dad.”

“You’ve said that joke twice, now. Last time I was ‘Concerned’. I’m still concerned, but also worried.”

“You’re a lot of people.”

Silverite stepped into view. “I want you to [Withering] Spur. All of it. From the sewer to the towers.”

Erick snapped to attention. He screamed, “FUCK YOU! I’M NOT KILLING ANYONE ELSE!”

[Teleport].

Erick landed in the sand, seven hundred kilometers north of where he was, the max distance his [Teleport 7] could take him. He looked around. Nothing near him. All the crystal agaves were real ones; not mimics.

No. Wait. That one was a mimic.

Erick lifted into the air with his Handy Aura, [Stoneshape]d a clump of sand into a stone, then cast [Weather Ward] on that stone. He floated high above the immobile mimic, then dropped the stone. The mimic was now inside of a faintly white, glittering [Weather Ward]. It twitched toward the stone, but stopped, slowly returning to ‘hiding’.

Erick dropped a [Withering] directly beside the mimic, putting himself and the monster in the sphere of the spell’s influence.

Nothing happened to either of them.

The [Weather Ward] stopped the [Withering], exactly how Erick had intended. Erick waited the [Withering] out, watching as the magic dissipated from the air. He flew down close enough to cancel the [Weather Ward] on the stone, then flew away to find a clear spot to land, well away from everything else. The mimic did not move to follow, or do anything else, besides pretend to be a crystal agave.

Once Erick was sure he was safe in the middle of nowhere, he set down on the sand and had a great big cry. Bawling, snot nosed, horrific and nasty. Tears flowed and everything hurt. The tears stopped, but only for a little while, then they started again; more tears, more pain. He laid back on the dirt, staring at the sky, letting his tears flow freely down the sides of his face.

He Rested with Meditation, feeling the ocean of mana above him, watching the currents, and watching for [Scry] eyes. There were lots of currents, but no eyes. No giant shadow, either. He hadn’t seen that thing in several days.

When everything started to hurt less, ten, twenty minutes later, he breathed, he [Cleanse]d, he stood up. He Handy Aura’d into the air, then he [Teleport]ed back, into the air above the farms.

Silverite, Mog, Poi, and Jane were still there at the temple, waiting for him. Everyone else was gone; off to wherever they needed to be.

Erick set down between the metal statue of Rozeta and the stone statue of Koyabez.

Silverite walked toward him. Mog stayed behind at the temple with Jane.

Erick breathed.

Silverite waited.

Erick said, “I am ready to flush out Spur.”

Silverite nodded, saying, “Thank you, Archmage.”

“Of course, Mayor.”

“I have already spoken to the people, the doctors, and the priests. Everyone who thinks they might have intestinal rads has been located and secured. [Weather Ward]s have been provided for anyone who is wary, or the people have provided their own. Spur is ready.”

“I have just confirmed with a bit of experimenting out in the Forest that, yes, [Weather Ward]s do block [Withering]. So if you give me the order, I will [Withering] Spur, right now.”

Silverite said, “Then you have your order. Do it, Archmage.”

Erick nodded. He took to the skies, flying above the walls of Spur, above the people. They watched him fly overhead; some of them ducked into [Wards], some stood out in the open, cheering. Some scrambled under cover, hiding as Erick flew overhead. He raised his head and looked forward as he flew toward a central tower, the same one he had struck with lightning weeks ago. The tower still bore the black marks from his lightning; it was still uninhabited and half dilapidated, too, one wall gone, one wall collapsed, the roof looking like it had never been there in the first place.

He passed the tower, and went down to a street he had seen in passing, but never really traveled. The usual crowd on the street parted for him. Erick was ashamed that they felt the need to step aside, as he walked toward the public entrance to the sewer.

The sewer entrance was an arch of stone and two guard booths, with five guards out of their booths. The guards on duty must have known he was coming, because they held back a crowd of complaining people who were angry that they were removed from hunting slimes. But as Erick stepped toward the entrance, the crowd went silent.

The sewer entrance ahead was a slow descent into the bowels of the city, 20 feet wide and lined with light orbs. He had never been down there, but he knew enough of the layout to know that there was only one way to do this properly.

Mana Shaping X.

[Withering].

Like an invisible tsunami released, [Withering] flooded through the sewer entrance, racing through the dark tunnels underneath the city, floating above the waters, settling against stone, filling in every nook and cranny like some giant intangible slime monster. The spell filled the sewers completely; nigh-invisible [Withering] ooze started to spill upward, through storm drains and up into Spur, through every possible entrance it could find.

Notifications for slimes appeared first.

Shadowolves came second.

Erick looked all around him, judging distance, waiting a few minutes for his mana to get back up to 500.

Mana Shaping X.

[Withering].

Another near-invisible tsunami exploded through Spur, joining the first still oozing up from the sewers. Erick’s second [Withering] filled up the city to the tops of the walls, then climbed up the towers, clinging its thick-aired, intangible self onto every building and across every surface. It washed across [Weather Ward]s, unable to penetrate, but touched everything else.

Shadowolves died.

Two shadowcats perished.

Erick said, “Two shadowcats, eh?”

The crowd around him got a lot quieter.

A guard asked, “Shadowcats, sir?”

“Yeah. Two of them. I’m not sure where, though. People will be finding shadow bodies for days.” Erick roughly counted up the boxes. “Looks like… 20 slimes. I thought they only had small rads in them? Maybe 400 wolves. Hard to tell. Two cats.”

The crowd murmured.

“Four hundred!”

“That’s… a lot.”

“Gods protect us!”

Erick waited.

The spells began to unravel.

The second spell flowed downward, as the first one vanished, slipping into the sewers like so much thick air. Then it, too, began to unravel.

Erick said, “That’s it. No more wolves or cats in Spur, unless someone protected them in a [Weather Ward], or they killed people to get into a [Ward].”

Erick nodded goodbye to the stunned guards, turned on his Handy Aura, and flew away, across the city, back to his home in the Human District.

Silverite, Jane, Teressa and Rats, were all waiting for him. Poi, who had been following him through the air this whole time, except when Erick had [Teleport]ed away, silently touched down behind him.

Silverite asked, “Final count?”

“20 slimes, 400 to 500 wolves; I’m not counting all those boxes. 2 cats.” He paused, then looked at his previous notifications. “And so, so many wolves in the attack. Thousands. Multiple thousands. And then… 10 giants. Some more Participation than others. Most are at 15%. Two more cats. Two humans.”

Silverite said, “Thank you, Archmage. I would like to call upon you to perform this service occasionally.”

“Of course, Mayor. I’m glad to help.”

She nodded. “Valok would like me to inform you that he has rescheduled the full day of rain for tomorrow. If you are able, the farmers would appreciate your acceptance of their request.”

“Of course, Mayor. I’ll be there.”

“Thank you, Archmage.” She breathed. She said, “Thank you, Erick.”

Erick tried to smile. He couldn’t. He just nodded. “Anytime.”

“If you’d like someone to talk to, my office is always open. I’m not always in there, but someone can find me easily enough.”

Erick remembered something important.

But what Silverite had said was important, too. Erick said, “Thanks, Silverite. I’ll swing by tomorrow— Ah. No. Raining tomorrow.” Erick looked at the ground. He looked up. “I’m going to make some board games and look for players tomorrow, if you want to join me in the temple.”

She smiled, her silver scaled skin flawless perfection; her eyes, also solid silver. She said, “I would like that, very much.” She bowed, “Good day, Erick.”

“Good day, Silverite.”

Silverite walked away, across the flat orange stone of the Human District.

Erick went directly to Jane and wrapped her in his arms. She was stiff for a moment, but then she wasn’t. Silent tears rolled down Erick’s face and touched Jane’s shoulder, soaking into her shirt.

She said, “It’s okay, Dad.”

“It’s no—”

“Yes.” Jane’s voice was solid titanium steel. “It’s okay. It was necessary. Because of your actions the outcome of Bulgan’s attack was a thousand times better than what it could have been.” She broke the hug and held Erick by his shoulders, and said, “I went to Frontier. They’re damaged, but they’re alive. You did good.”

Erick wasn’t about to argue with her.

Poi said, “She’s right, sir.”

Teressa grunted, “Losses are inevitable. Wins are not. Take the win.”

Rats said, “What she said.”

Erick sighed. They were right, but he was suddenly, very, very tired. It wasn’t even noon, but he needed to sleep. He nodded to Jane, Teressa, Poi and Rats, then went in the house. He [Cleanse]d himself and plopped into bed. Sleep was not immediate; he didn’t think he could actually sleep, staring at a pair of blue boxes that he knew were going to haunt him for years to come.

Sleep eventually came, though. Sleep always eventually comes.

- - - -

A shove and a voice woke him up.

“Wake up, asshole!”

“Yeah! Wake up!”

Erick opened his eyes to clouds.

Fuck-a-duck, he was not in the mood for a Rozeta dream.

“Go away.” Erick said, “I’m tired and terrible and would like to wallow in my own self pity, thanks.”

“Too fuckin’ bad!”

A slap came out from the left, clipping Erick across the face. Erick looked around. Where did that fist come from? All he saw were clouds.

“If you must resort to physical violence, then do so methodically.” Rozeta’s draconic form flew through clouds, whispering, “Calm and focused; concentrate on the now.”

Erick tried that—

Another slap came from the right.

“Not you! She’s talking to us!” The palm belonged to a tall pale woman with brown hair. “Good! You can see us now.”

There was a tall woman, and a shorter man. Both of them looked browned by the sun, like they had spent years in the desert. The woman looked older, far older than Erick. Wrinkles lined her face, her muscles had withered with years. The man…

The man was a boy. A boy still in his teens.

Erick blinked, and they were both 20-somethings.

The woman said, “Holy Heavens! He’s more than half my age! You’d think he’d know this crap by now.”

“But he doesn’t,” said the man, eyes full of sorrow. “I didn’t know until I died. Some people will never know; some people never have a chance to learn.”

“Who are you?”

The woman said, “An old biddy who lived well past her prime. I spent the last minutes of my life protecting my granddaughter from wolves while my insides poured out of me.”

The boy said, “A kid who couldn’t move much, on an adventure with my father and my sisters. My life is over, but he’s going to blame himself all the way till the bitter end.”

The people he had killed?

Oh. No. Erick could not handle this. He had to run, he had to—

The world rippled.

“Don’t you get gone yet!” The woman latched on to Erick, digging her nails into his shoulders. “I got something to say to you!”

“Me too,” said the man.

“I’m pissed as all hell!”

“I hate you, a little bit.”

“But that was then.”

“This is now. And now, we see a lot more than we saw before.”

“Thank you,” said the woman.

“Thank you,” said the boy.

“Because of you, my granddaughter is safe from wolves.”

“Because of you, my father was able to save my sisters.”

“You saved our futures.”

“You saved our families.”

“Even though you didn’t save us—”

“—You still saved everyone else.”

“And that’s enough.”

“That’s more than enough.”

The woman and man faded, slowly at first, then all at once.

Erick was suddenly very, very alone in the sky.

Rozeta’s voice carried on the wind, “Hundreds of thousands of Warriors Against the Dark would have joined these two in death, if not for you, Erick Flatt.”

The Dragon Goddess of the Script appeared, as a long winding dragon, directly before Erick.

She spoke, “Do not fret and fear for those who go before; for you are here, and now. There are much more pressing needs for ones such as yourself.”

Erick yelled, “Of course there are more pressing needs! I need to be stronger, to keep my daughter safe. I need to be quicker, to act sooner, because I know people died while I was stuck thinking. I need to be smarter, so I’m not stuck thinking so often! I’m just having difficulty, you know? Accepting the mortal condition, and all that shit. Fuck! I don’t need a pep talk. I need time to come to grips with what I already know.”

Rozeta looked down upon him. In a flash, she was person-sized, and wrought-bodied. She stood next to him in the clouds.

She asked, “Time is easy, up here. Time is harsh, down there. I can give you as much time as you need, but I can’t give you eternity. You still have a part to play in mortal affairs.”

Erick almost laughed, but instead, he just laid back on the clouds, and said, “Thank you.”

Rozeta said nothing. She just sat next to Erick, as Erick stared at the drifting clouds.

Time passed.

Maybe, a lot of time passed.

Erick asked, “Are souls real?”

Rozeta nodded. “Yes.”

- - - -

Erick woke up.

His room was empty, but sunlight came straight down through his window, while the smells of spices and meats drifted up from downstairs. He sighed out, laid there for a bit, then rubbed out moisture from his eyes and got up.

Al and Jane were there for a lunch that Savral had cooked. Erick had missed Savral’s cooking. He was really good with the local spices in a way that Erick and Jane were both still learning. There were some platitudes laid out for Erick, by everyone, though he could tell that Jane was holding back; mostly watching him for signs of breakage.

Sure, he was breaking, but sometimes that was a good thing.

After lunch, Al and Savral left with an invite to come to the farms tomorrow, then Erick [Stoneshape]d a boulder from the flat ground outside and floated it inside, to the south tower; his tower. He made three board games; chess, checkers, and the one that took him the longest: not-scrabble. He had no idea how many of each letter to make, or how many points they were worth, or how the board even looked. Was it 20 x 20? No. That didn’t look right. 21 x 21? That seemed better. 21 x 21 it was; the middle row was perfect for the starting star and the triple word scores.

21x21 was a big board, though.

Oh well. Should be fine.

The sizes for chess and checkers were much easier to remember: just line up all the pieces for chess and that’s the size of the board for both games. Castle x 2, Knight x 2, Bishop x 2, King and Queen, and then 8 Pawns, per side.

When he finished that and set them aside, he went out, and at Poi’s direction, he found what he was looking for in a general store on Merchant’s Row: Cards for Wizard’s Towers. He had liked the games he played with Bacci and Savral and Jane in the Sewerhouse, before they were attacked. As he looked at the thick paper card box, scrawled with ‘Wizard's Towers’ in fancy script, he chuckled. For such a bad word to be used so openly, this card game was a little scandalous, wasn’t it? He bought the cards from an exceedingly polite man behind the counter, and put them in his shoulder bag.

Then Erick went to the Courthouse, since it was on the way back home. He waved hello to Taro, the redscale guard at the front. Taro was busy with some people off the street, so he just waved Erick through a pair of guards stationed further in the Courthouse. Taro went back to talking to the people off the street; occasionally instructing a fresh-faced orcol recruit standing behind the guard station, behind Taro, on proper procedure.

Erick nodded to the two guards as he walked past them, and they nodded back. Erick had never seen any more guards in the Courthouse except for Taro and a few others; these two didn’t look new, but where they were stationed was certainly new.

At the floating, lightward globe of Veird in the center of the Courthouse, Erick looked right, toward the public offices and Silverite’s office. Then he turned left.

The solid blue door of Irogh’s office was already open.

When Erick approached, Irogh’s voice called out, “Come on in, Erick.”

He turned to Poi. “Please stay out here.”

“Of course.”

Poi moved to the side of the blue door, and stood, waiting. Erick walked inside, then shut the door. It clicked; the blue of the surface gently glowing for a brief second.

Irogh was much the same as Erick remembered; an exceedingly handsome man. But after living in Spur for over a month, Irogh was no longer the Most Handsome Man in the world. Sure, that short sleeved shirt did amazing things as it bunched up around his shoulders and his chest… And his arms. And that stubble was great—

“How can I help you?” He gestured toward the seats. “Please. Have a seat.”

“Sorry. That touch of the goddess is still very entrancing.” Erick joked, “And 20 vitality is doing a number on my physical responses. I feel like a darn teenager.”

Irogh laughed. “Don’t trouble yourself with such a concern.” He smiled. “There are much bigger shadows out there to concentrate on.”

Erick took a seat.

He breathed.

He thought.

Irogh waited, patiently.

Eventually, Erick said, “I want to kill every single Shade and empty Ar’Kendrithyst of shadows, but most importantly, I want to kill Bulgan —any Shade at all, really— the next time they attack, or show their face. Utterly, ruthlessly. Dead and gone forevermore. I’ll give up the idea of fighting inside Ar’Kendrithyst for the ability to murder any Shade that steps out of the Dead City. How should I proceed?”

Irogh smiled gently, then he started talking.

“Firstly, you must know that Shades are trapped, not by any spell or any power, but because that’s where all the other Shades live, for Ar’Kendrithyst is a trophy; the brightest jewel in Melemizargo’s dark crown. Kendrithyst was the first and largest wrought city to ever fall to the Dark Dragon. When the Dead City surfaced from the Underworld 950 years ago, the Shades— the priesthood of the Dark Dragon, they rushed to claim it, and they succeeded. Save for a very, very small section overseen by Killzone, the city is the Shades', utterly and completely, and it is massive.

“Ar’Kendrithyst is 140 kilometers wide with an average 50 kilometer depth, but it goes a lot deeper; the line between the Underworld and the Dead City is not always obvious. Inside the city, there are districts ten times the size of Spur, and those are the small ones. Bridges are everywhere, buildings are dozens of kilometers tall. There are still locations inside the Dead City unseen by mortal eyes and unknown by mortal minds, for nearly a thousand years. Finding a Shade when they don’t want to be found is almost impossible, for they look nothing like how they appeared on the walls, or the dark wind attacking Frontier.

“The manifestations you saw today were due to an ability called [Avatar of Melemizargo]. Killing an Avatar would kill the Shade, but the caster can abandon their ability at a moment’s thought, returning to their bodies inside the city. And inside the city, they are much, much more dangerous, because they have all their powers as an Avatar of the Dark God, but in their original, person-sized, bodies.

“[Withering], without modifiers, covers about 1 cubic kilometer. The dead city occupies almost a million cubic kilometers. If you wish to cull the city of shadows, you will need to get much, much stronger, or figure out some new way to use [Withering], or some other spell, because every Shade still has access to all the magic they had in life.

“All of them have [Ward].” Irogh added, “And now they know to use it.”

Irogh went silent, waiting for Erick to speak.

Eventually, Erick said, “All of these are problems to overcome; please help me do so.”

Irogh nodded. “Certainly.”

They talked for hours.

- - - -

END OF BOOK 1

Table of Contents

- 001
- 002
- 003
- 004
- 005
- 006
- 007
- 008
- 009
- 010
- 011
- 012
- 013
- 014
- 015
- 016
- 017
- 018
- 019
- 020
- 021
- 022
- 023
- 024
- 025
- 026
- 027
- 028
- 029
- 030
- 031
- 032
- 033
- 034
- 035
- 036
- 037
- 038 - End of Book 1