“That was painful.” Joey sighed, massaging the back of his neck. Caitlin exited the council chambers last and closed the door behind herself. “I’d rather fight three dozen Imperium soldiers again than deal with those inflated egos.”
“Hey!” Alexander frowned. “My grandmother is one of those egos.”
“That doesn’t make it any less inflated.” Caitlin sighed. “I’ll disown you if your druidism turns you into a copy of her.” She adopted a mocking tone. “I’ve been around for two centuries. What I say goes. Bow before me.”
“But she has!” Alexander protested. “She’s dealt with pretty much every kind of enemy there is. The gods, the Void, the Cabal, a bunch of other cults, and also our current allies.”
“The proof that the Imperium had a hand in all of this is undeniable,” Joey replied, rolling his eyes. He leaned against Caitlin. “They spoke in Common Imperium and had strong accents. Organization and skill aren’t things civilians can manage. Them lot were highly trained, but apparently, that’s not enough proof.”
“You heard the ambassador’s report,” Nox said. “Two noble houses and their security forces up and disappeared. One two years ago and another fifteen months later. The Imperium has a bounty out on the key household figures for late taxes, trafficking, and a bunch of murders. The Imperian Inquisitors are on their way. They’ll investigate and question the survivors.”
“Do you really think they’ll give us genuine answers?” Joey chuckled. “If the Imperium is involved, it's in their best interests to ensure the truth never sees the light of day. The bastards will cover everything up and grease palms to shut up everyone they can’t kill. That’s how it always is. I saw the same blighted Hogg’s Dung when Sundarshahar expanded and consumed my home.”
Alexander didn’t have a retort. He fidgeted, eyes drifting to the floor. Unlike Joey and Nox, the Woodsons had lived a reasonably privileged life. They’d been on dangerous journeys to complete the family rites of passage but always had a safety net. They didn’t know the feeling of utter helplessness and to live at the mercy of others.
“You might be right, Joey, but there’s nothing we can do about it right now,” Nox said. “There’s still a chance the Cabal or a cult is involved that the eastern houses fell to them and the displaced soldiers found employment under new masters. I can’t speak for the rest of the council, but I know Dean Woodson has our best interests at heart, as well as the city' best interests at heart. I can’t say the same for Lord Highwater or the new face in there, but Utpal Banerjee is our friend too. He hates the Imperium and will not leave any stone unturned.”
“I hope you’re right,” Joey replied, flashing a half smile. “Any word from Brianna yet?”
Nox nodded. “She appeared just as I was about to depart.” Taking care of April, Leanna, and the other rescued had kept him up until dawn. Ingrid had to shake him awake to make it to the meeting on time. “Brianna got separated from her gophers during a little skirmish and stumbled on a holding sight. The fight left her injured, and she passed out from the blood loss. Her recovery abilities are insane. I think most of us would’ve perished.”
“Speak for yourself,” Caitlin said.
“You’re a Woodson and technically a summoner contracted with Ygg,” Nox said, “I don’t think comparing you to the average mage is particularly fair. Only earth mages have your durability, and very few life mages can achieve your self-healing abilities. As far as I can tell, you’re a unique case who can do both. Sending Brianna off alone was a mistake. I should’ve found people with more experience than Dean Thorpe’s gophers for her.” He paused, glancing over his shoulder to ensure no one had overheard him. “Rest, recovery brews, and a healer’s brew will do the job. I’ve arranged semi-permanent accommodation for her in Knightly Brews. The Galleria made her uncomfortable. Kishan and the others will take good care of her.”
“Smart,” Joey commented. “Given the times, the shop could seriously benefit from extra muscle.”
“And she’s got that in surplus,” Caitlin added. “It's true. I have the elementals and my connection to thank for my strength. Brianna has little but old, incomplete magic, training, and sheer willpower, and I think she deserves a permanent position amongst us.”
Nox nodded. “Reliable. Effective. Powerful. Last night made the value of a good aether warrior more than clear. She was a valuable asset in the Gorgon’s Lair, too. Recruit and invest in talent. That’s what I say.” He turned to Joey. “I need you to look into Lorenzo and set up a meeting.”
“I noticed you didn’t share Wyrd’s information with the deans and council,” Joey said.
“Our dear professor didn’t either. I’d rather investigate the matter myself before making reports. This entire thing feels suspicious and has left me uncomfortable.
----------------------------------------
The rest of the week went by without incident. Everyone returned to their jobs and classes. Unlike the Terrastalia affair, the city didn’t try to conceal the identity of those who helped take down the abduction and murder ring. The student police and guards pointed all fingers at Nox and Joey. The rest of their party also received a decent chunk of the credit. When people found out the Woodsons were involved in saving the city, talk intensified even more. While everyone celebrated, Nox worried about all the new enemies out to put him and his people in the ground.
He didn’t let his concerns get in the way of taking advantage of the increase in fame. More customers than ever walked through the business’ doors, and Nox put on events to help rake in the profits.
The party met with Professor Wolfhammer. His jaw dropped when they provided evidence of taking down the Gorgon dungeon. He expected the party to destroy a rift or, at most, kill a minor boss-class creature from a dungeon. Professor Wolfhammer passed them and also provided the group with special adept delving licenses. The badges featured embellishments Nox didn’t recognize. According to the man, all five of them would enjoy priority entries to dungeons around the continent. Several hunting and delving organizations would also provide them with extra privileges.
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Brianna appeared relieved by the prospect of no longer having to participate in the course. Even though she had suffered several injuries, the recent incidents seemed to have taken a toll on her. She already had a pale complexion like most from the frozen northern wastes, but now she appeared pallid. Nox and Caitlin checked on her, hoping to find some way to help. Both suspected that she had seen or endured something especially traumatic while separated from the student police, but she refused to talk about it. Brianna still seemed keen on staying with the party, so they didn’t push the matter.
“Everyone deserves the right to secrets,” Caitlin told Nox when he pushed the matter. “She’ll tell us when she’s ready.”
Nox believed that every piece of information could potentially help solve the mystery regarding the abduction and ritual murder ring. However, he respected the woman’s boundaries and left the subject alone.
Since Nox had Fifthdays free for the rest of the semester, he met with Dean Woodson and Diya as planned. The pair appreciated his Live Spell Weaving and Finesse Shaping skills, granting him a pass on both courses. The pair joked about Nox joining the university staff as an alternative to delving—he almost had enough qualifications for a degree and the desired title. Nox appreciated their humor and sought advice on his paper for Advanced Mana Theory. Neither educator offered their advice or opinion.
All the additional free time Nox had went to managing his business, Spell Weaving, using everything he had learned from the Oakheart library, and working towards his papers for Advanced Mana Theory and Understanding Binary Systems. The latter didn’t need much work. He was the class’s subject matter, after all. Attendance alone was enough for a pass. Meanwhile, the dissertation necessary for his Wizard qualification and perhaps Scholar Arcanum was a lot more complicated.
Nox had believed he was onto something new. The Imperian aether warrior left him thinking differently. Researching the sub-group of practitioners taught Nox that they learned methods to compact their mana zone and flood it with a spell that became the core of their being. His most recent opponent had done so with some sort of force bubble. Most, like Brianna, stopped there, but the man had learned to manipulate his aura and, therefore, his mana zone. The man’s control wasn’t rudimentary like Nox’s. He didn’t just stretch and extend it but had fine control and could even split it into sections.
Nox checked the library and the guild, and there was no literature on the subject. It meant one of two things. His opponent was a unique case, or the Imperium had magic and techniques they refused to share with the public. Nox made notes on his observations. Using the aether warrior as an example would help make his dissertation more convincing and increase his chances of success. The Imperium wouldn’t be happy to see a protected technique in public, but that was none of his concern.
It felt amazing to finally make substantial progress on the project. The delve and listen fight helped him make significant advances toward passing requirements for Intermediate Manipulation, too. He didn’t stop at a single spell, but two: he prepared two versions around identical skeletons. One was for a demonstration to Professor Liesel Wyrd and registering with the university. He intended to keep the other secret. It was an emergency spell for when the worst happened.
“I’m ready to ascend,” Ingrid told Nox the second Fifthday after April’s rescue. “I’m ready to ascend my star to apprentice.”
“Do you have a spell ready?” Nox asked.
The young woman shook her head. “I was hoping you could help me with that.”
Nox grinned. He fished a stack of parchments from his desk and carefully divided them into four separate piles. “I’ve done a bunch of research and have picked up a few options for you. The first two are perfect for combat but won’t do much else. One will give you stone hands that excel at defense and are great for bludgeoning. The second opts for a more bestial form. The hands won’t be particularly tough, but the claws will rend flesh and muscle. They’re good for grappling, but the meaty digits might prove clumsy.”
Ingrid leafed through the two options, studying the descriptions and diagrams. “Pass. I’m attached to the dexterity and control Mage Hand provides. It's my favorite part of the cantrip.”
“Durga’s Hands,” he said when she picked up the third option. “It's named after a goddess my ancestors worshipped. The hands gain moderate strength and speed. You’ll start off with a limit of eight hands, but subsequent ranks will increase the numbers to ten, twelve, and finally eighteen. The best part of Durga’s Hands is the magically enhanced ability and coordination to wield various weapons and tools. The literature recommends dedicating a planet to conjuring disposable mana weapons.”
“I like the sound of that,” Ingrid said thoughtfully, leafing through the pages. “It fits the kind of thing I like to do and who I want to be. Throwing knives, manipulating wires, ropes, and the kind won’t just limit me to combat.” Finally, she picked up the last bundle. It had the fewest pages. Ingrid frowned. “What’s this? I’m not sure I follow.”
“It's a unique creation of my design.” Nox grinned. “I designed it using elements of my spatial planet. Or my rough understanding of it. It revolves around the concept of spatial locking.”
“Spatial locking?” Ingrid raised an eyebrow. She sounded more interested than confused.
“What’s the biggest weakness of Mage Hand?”
“I don’t know what you deem a weakness. Mage Hands can only exert about half the strength of the casters, get more unstable the further they’re from the caster, and aren’t particularly good for pushing or pulling.”
“Spatial locking is designed to counter most of that.” Nox used the scroll’s spellscript to cast Mage Hand at the edge of his mana zone. The conjured appendage looked no different from the cantrip version. Then he locked it in space. “Try to move it.”
Ingrid poked the hand. Then she pushed, pulled, and struck it. None of her efforts made a difference.
“Imagine what would happen if we put a knife in that hand and put it in the way of someone blindly charging at it.” Nox ended the geostationary element of the spell, moved the hand to be directly above his head but still at the edge of his mana zone, and then locked it to himself. When he moved, the hand moved with him. He hopped, and the hand grabbed a ceiling banister. Nox hung at the apex of his jump even though no visible tether connected him to the surface above.
“You can create barriers and traps, climb, levitate, and do a lot with this. It's something I threw together because it seemed interesting, but I don’t know whether you’ll get much use out of the script. On its own, the spell won’t be potent. However, the applications are limitless and only limited by your creativity.”
“If my star contains spatial magic, could I eventually get something like your Fold Step?”
Nox shrugged. “I don’t know. It's certainly possible.”
Ingrid grabbed the bundle along with Durga’s Hands. “I don’t want to rush into a decision. Give me a few days to make up my mind.”
“Smart.” Nox smiled. “Don’t let the fact that I created one affect your decision in any way. This is your decision, life, and future. If Durga’s Hands aligns more with what you want, that’s what you should pick.”