The whole family was up bright and early for our trip to the market. As promised, each brother was budgeted to ten Draks, one of which being ten Skrats, and the remaining twenty-four would be for me and the parents to spend. They brought their own money, but my offer still stood. As luck would have it, we managed to get there before it became busy and were able to make some choice purchases for our party. My guesses from the day before were accurate, as Mibata had purchased a pack of foreign spices, Tokols had bought what might be the contents of an entire liquor cabinet, and Humey had bought cheese and freshly baked bread.

Their personal purchases were definitely surprising. Our resident artist had gotten himself a few jars of paint and a brush to work them with, as well as a pair of oversized trousers and a pair of blue metal bangles. The troublemaker of our group had gotten a sewing kit, a set of dice, an enchanted buckler, and three different hats. Mibata was the most subtle, and had purchased a few more books, a set of writing quills with a matching ink pot, and a set of throwing daggers.

Our parents were much more reserved with their spending. Bahruk bought enough supplies to restock our larder and not much else. Juaki was excited to browse and offer me suggestions on what I would look best in, but only bought herself a few sweets and a satchel.

I struggled with picking anything that wasn't already in someone else's baskets or boxes. I could get some clothes, but wouldn't that just make me stand out? The number of kobolds wearing clothes was few, and seemed limited to the elders and the merchants. Basically anyone who might have to deal with non-kobolds in a diplomatic way.

Well, if Tok has an interest in sewing, maybe he would like to make me something as practice. A small rainbow of cloth bolts was my first purchase, and I still had more to spend. Humey wants to cook, so I nabbed a simple prep table and some lumber to make an actual cooking station in our kitchen, and the leftovers would make an excellent target for Mibata. I'll buy some books of my own to bring us up to a full dozen. I can't remember what else I started buying after that, only that my sack of coins was pathetically light after my binge. I had to borrow a push cart for all of our stuff, and it took all of us working as a conveyor belt to get it all in the door of our home.

Since we were expecting Tuleni soon, the vast majority of our goods were haphazardly piled in the dorm. My bed was entirely eclipsed by the colorful mound, and it was my own fault for buying it. Well no matter, we had better things to busy our hands with than sorting all of that, such as feeding our gluttonous guest-to-be.

Our newest addition of a prep table had turned the wall outside of the hidden room into a kitchen area. The water barrel, which I now knew was refilled at a tap that was accessible on every floor, was pushed beside the seamless door and acted as an anchor for the table. Atop the walnut colored surface was a mountain of things to pick through and taste test, but for the moment the others had begun sorting it while Humey and I discussed potential recipes. He especially wanted to use the bread and cheese together, but as luck would have it I already knew that and had just the idea.

One of my purchases that vaguely registered was two pots, one big and one small. The small one is going to be for the cheese, and the big one is going to be for meatballs. Oh yeah, it's time for fondue. I've never made fondue myself, but food dipped in cheese is good no matter which world you live in. I explained how this was going to work to my brother, and he nearly shot out of his seat at the idea.

By the end of the cooking rampage that had befallen the new kitchen, there was barely anywhere in the entire den that could hold all of this food. Every manner of vegetable had been spiced and grilled, the entire beef slab was turned into spheres, and the bread was toasted in small triangles. Humey and I shared a high five, er, four as we gazed upon the fruit of our labors. This was a lot of food, more than last time, but luckily it seemed that our celebratory exchange had conjured the giant green grandma a mere second after. I would make a comment about how she was late, but she might be a wizard, and wizards are never late.

If I could say it, I would say that dinner was a complete success. Turns out that dipping things in cheese makes kobolds go wild, myself included. All of us were in a bit of a food coma for a while after, but we were all enjoying each other's company. Turns out that one of Tokols' new books was a big book of fables and legends, and he was having a blast telling the story of a band of knights traveling the land in search of a missing king. He had an excellent narrating voice, and would give such personality to the characters.

Once everyone had processed the bulk of their dinner, Tuleni beckoned for all of us kids to stand in front of her. From under her green cloak she produced a wand that reeked of magic the likes of which I had never met. It was pervasive, as if it were seeping into the walls and floor around it. She smiled and swept the magic stick across our lineup.

"Which first?"

I was cautious regarding magic I was unfamiliar with, and as much love and trust Tuleni had from me, there was still hesitation in my heart. Mibata was not in any way holding back.

"Tuleni. I wish to know what my element is, and the reason for my ever-depleted mana source.”

With a warm smile she whipped the wand towards him, and the magic it commanded surged forth towards him only to pass through him like a phantom. The wave of mana danced along his scales and plucked at every fiber of his being before returning within the wooden housing it had come from with a swirling path. A few moments passed where Tuleni gripped the wand in both hands in front of her crocodilian nose.

“Yes, very good. Mibata having transmutation magic, casting without knowledge. Boy, not fill head thoughts about durability. Empty mind, embrace calm. Only then magic replenish.”

Mibata nodded and closed his eyes as he mouthed the word “calm” repeatedly. Eventually his scales began to lose their sheen, and mana that was once stationary and beyond my perception began to flow back towards his core. With a deep breath he released the tension he had been holding, and for a moment I thought he might fall to his knees. The light from his core was dim, but it was steadily pulling in new mana from the air around him.

While Mibata was still recovering, the green mage turned her instrument on Humey while his attention was elsewhere. Just as before, the magic from the wand would pass through him, but instead of playing with his scales it was dancing around his core in a vortex.

“Yes, true dragon fire, burning even stone easily. Sensing also strong physical magics. Strong muscles, burning fire, just like Juaki.”

A dopey smile spread over his snake face when he was compared to his mother. It was no secret that he was a momma’s boy, but taking after her in such a way made him the pinnacle of exuberance.

Tokols was next for his scanning by the power of the wand. The magic swirled around him for a while longer than the others, and seemed to focus primarily on his head. Tuleni let out a soft gasp when she meditated with the device.

“Counter magics, nullification spells, anti element, barrier magic also. Juaki explain, Tuleni lacking words.”

Mom stepped up beside her while taking the wand in a similar stick-to-nose position.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“She’s right. Tokols, your essence is made entirely to combat other magics: barriers, silence, blindness, counter, redirect and reflect, even dispel for most common elements. They’re still in their lesser size, but you have every kind of mage hunting ability I can think of. This is incredible!”

Tokols looked to Tuleni with a question in mind.

“That’s awesome, but I want to know why we’ve been having these weird problems with our abilities. I know you’re going to check Kay next, but I don’t want to randomly go deaf or blind everybody in the next minute.”

A reaffirming hand was placed on his shoulder as our grandmother explained.

“Relax, young boy. Magic needs practice, your body needs using magics, learn where magic belongs, when magic belongs, why magic belongs. Once learned, never misfire spell again. Worry nothing today, Tuleni strong healer, capture weak spells easy. Shush now, Tuleni been eager about blue one.”

It was my turn now, and every ounce of my conscious mind was telling me that something bad was going to happen if I let my magic be scanned. There was a feeling of something in the shape of a chain straining to break loose, but at this moment I was not willing to pay it any mind. Tuleni stood before me and aimed the gnarled branch at me before unleashing the strange magic pulse. I braced for the impact, only to see the magic bounce off of me. Tuleni scowled as she looked at the wand in disappointment.

“Tuleni should have known. Kayrux, what spell casting now?”

What do you mean, I’m not casting any spell? She answered before I could tilt my head to the side as a question.

“Confused? Look within, inside source. Something happening, yes?”

I did as instructed and looked at the beating heart of my magic. There wasn’t anything different that I could tell, it was the same pulsing form of energy as usual. Wait, since when was it covered in limit runes? I broadened my sense of the source and was astonished to see that an impossibly complex chain of limit runes had been formed around my magic, and I could tell from the structure of the design that I was the one who made it. I had been subconsciously thinking all day that I needed to “limit” my magic, but I hadn’t been consciously making this.

Tuleni prodded at me with her blade-like claw.

“Seeing what Tuleni means? Whatever spell Kayrux casting, blocking wand magics. Remove, safe here, Tuleni guarantee.”

I suppose she is right. Looking back at the rune chain spiraling around my magic with the intent to dismantle it, I conjured the mental image of the limiters having a channel to feed the runoff mana back into the core before snipping the intake. As expected, the imaginary runes bled out, and all of the power they had stored dripped peacefully back into the well from which it was drawn. Without power the runes faded as I wished, and a second check confirmed that none had escaped.

I opened my eyes and gave a nod for the healer to try again. This time, the magic flowed through me, but I could sense that it was facing some kind of resistance, almost like two sheets of sandpaper being pushed against each other. It was an entirely uncomfortable sensation that made me nauseous, but I kept the contents of my stomach where they belonged.

Tuleni meditated with the wand once more, but the look on her face was a kind of worry I had never seen her wear.

“Not element, just pure mana. Unbelievable source, more magic than possible. Magic resistance high, almost block wand. Where known spells? Kayrux, need know. How casting spells?”

I was just as worried as her because it seemed that I was breaking the rules of magic or something along that vein. I chalked down my answer, but she scowled at the slate.

“Juaki, read this. Tuleni cannot.”

Damnit granny, how the hell do you get to be an ancient super healer kobold and never learn how to read? Luck for me, mom can, and doesn’t abbreviate anything I want said.

“She says: I make the shape of a rune in my mind, with instructions for how it should behave. I only did this once while in the workshop as I tried to make a thunder rune of my own design. It worked, but when I tried to stop it the rune changed on its own and fired some kind of beam into the wall. The spell I was using earlier was a chain of limit runes, but I did not consciously make it.”

The old woman leaned forward, her eyes boring their gaze into me.

“Madness. Never heard such wildness. Kayrux uses magic different, unthinkable method. Tuleni lives ninetieth year soon, seen many wonders across world, none compare Kayrux. Perhaps demonstrate gives answers. Look, Tuleni show own magic.”

The lines of mana in her arms began to glow as she cupped her hands before her. A shimmering light rose from the palms of her hands to coalesce in the air between us as a glowing orb as big around as a basketball. This was her unused magic, pulled directly from her source for all to see. Her breathing became labored as she struggled to maintain the display.

“Tuleni magic powerful, compare elders find equal. Kayrux, copy Tuleni.”

I recognized what she was doing that I failed to understand. She had her mana lines open, but kept a route available for the mana to flow back into her core. I didn’t do that with my attempt, instead I just opened up the tap and let the rune take all of the mana it wanted, and when I shut it off it just dumped the mana out with the electrons. My method of casting was different, but I skipped a core principle in my method.

Alright, she wants to see my mana, I’ll do so safely. First is a limit rune to keep the flow under control. I’ll make it variable, so I can change the flow rate as needed. Next I will make a rune that will just hold mana where I want it to, and I’ll shape it to stay within a certain distance of my hands. Another limiter after that for safety, and a rune that will work like a switch to dump the mana back into my core. Last, I’ll add some mana bleed lines that join up with the main return line, and a limiter on that so I don’t accidentally hurt myself. Alright, that looks good, it’s time to test it out.

Carefully, I opened the line of mana so it could feed the imaginary runes in my mind. The switch was set to off, and it was doing exactly what I hoped it would. The suggestion to change made it open, and the limiters began to fill with mana, only letting a small trickle through as I ordered them to. Into the collector it went, and there it stayed until I was comfortable with allowing it to flow to my hands. One last limiter to pass through, and even there I could feel the energy pushing its way through my shoulders, down to my elbows, hitching at my wrist, and now waiting in my palms. Here we go.

I opened my eyes as the final limiter opened, and was astonished to see a trickle of mana rising from my fingertips and forming a mass in the air in front of me. It was holding at the size of a tangerine, and I could feel the mana flowing back at the rate I had fixed it to. Gauging by eye, I would say that the system was cutting my output down to 5% for the single line I had in use, but the source was eager to open up the dozens of lines available. No, we’re going to figure this out incrementally, and our next step is 10%. The orb rippled, then swelled to the size of a soccer ball. The return limiter adjusted to the new output, and the mass regained stability.

Tuleni was already impressed, but I felt that I could safely go a step further. 20% output, and that runaway feeling was beginning to creep into my mind. The runes were jittering as if they were wanting to change like before, but my willpower kept them in line. This was starting to ache, but I knew it was because I was forcing the imaginary runes to comply. The soccer ball was gone, and in its place I was now looking into the glowing jumbo beach ball hovering just above my head. Though I couldn’t see it, I could feel that it was skimming the ceiling.

“Magnificent! Kayrux magic enormous! Amazing power, please return within.”

I knew better than to try and force it to shut down again, so this time I slowly dialed the primary limit rune back until I was sure it was safe to close the tap. The hovering ball of deadly energy in front of me faded back into the stream of mana pouring back into my hands, up my arms, and into the space just beside my heart. Once the entire process of draining the leftover mana from the runes was done I opted to dismantle the array, for fear of accidentally switching it on at an inopportune moment.

Tuleni stepped forward and prodded me with those menacing claws, her focus being on the center of my torso and the joints of my arms.

“Incredible child. Move mountain mana, barely even notice. Oceans worth magic, limitless. Control precise, though untrained. Mind runes. Never heard such thing, though Kayrux seem able. Study power, grow strong.”

With that she turned to Bahruk and muttered that a celebratory drink was needed. I wasn’t in the mood for any alcohol. She was right that I felt no strain from putting that much power forth. One open valve at a fifth of its flow rate was enough to make the whole room feel like a powder keg, and the energy expended was nothing. Going full blast with just one valve would probably destroy this whole mountain. Just what the hell am I?

I silently went back to the dorm and curled up in the center pit, and was soon joined by Mibata. He said nothing, just sat with me as my inner thoughts swirled in angry storms. I was afraid of the danger I posed to my family. That fear pushed me to rationalize and make a plan. I need two things: non-magical solutions and mastery of this untamed power. Until I have my lab ready I must rely on the latter*, and before I can do so safely I would need some place to train. I wonder what it takes to go into the depths.