“Not all relics are ancient.

It’s true. Many originate from an age prior to the godfall. In fact, some outdate the gods, turning tyrannical and attempting to enslave humankind. Many are born from the divine, sharing their gifts with loyal followers, too.

Several relics have only surfaced in modern history because of the high number of planeswalkers settling or traveling through our realm.

How much do we really know about the Ratras? Why have so many unique and powerful artifacts, alchemical inventions, and unique pieces of spellwork come from this one obscure clan of mages?

Is it possible they brought their knowledge from other dimensions? Perhaps their alien minds work in ways we can’t begin to conceive.

I know this sounds like the ravings of a jealous artisanal mage and conspiracy theorist, but just think about it. How can one obscure clan have this much of an impact on so many fields of arcane innovation?”

—Akash Das, Expert Alchemist, Head of Alchemy, Woodson University

The biggest change Nox felt when he stirred was the return of sensation to his left arm. All of his fingertips stung, and the skin on his forearm felt raw. It was uncomfortable but still a welcome change after a year of feeling nothing but mana-burn discomforts. He tried flexing his fingers and rotating his wrist, but bindings kept them in place. The rest of his limbs felt bound, too.

“Hold your horses, Baba.” Mou’s soothing words spoke through the darkness. “We restrained you for your safety. Give me a moment. Alright?”

It took her a quarter of an hour to free Nox, and it frustrated him that she didn’t start with his eyes. His heart raced as he waited. Alchemical brews and healing magic had him bursting with energy. It felt as if he had consumed an excess of Sprinter’s High and Stamina restoration brews. Nox’s eyes hurt when the facebindings and eye-tape came off. He didn’t understand the need for them but didn’t question the professionals. Instead, he urged his eyes to adjust so he could study Mou and Sapna’s work.

New skin covered Nox’s left forearm. It had the freshness of new growth over a wound and appeared half a shade lighter than his natural complexion. He expected that to change with time. The long triangular pyramids grew out of his flesh and arm on the top and underside of his forearms. The wider end started at the edge of his original mana burn scars and then tapered toward his wrist. Runic tattoos banded his arm, connecting the two sets of metal pieces.

“We used the aether ink you produced,” Mou stated. “It was annoyingly better quality than mine. They’ll fade in a week or two. That should be enough time for the artificial mana channels to solidify.”

“Can I test it?” Nox asked. He struggled to contain his giddiness. He could already feel mana from his star flowing through the new channels. It was only a trickle, and the past year’s discomforts didn’t plague him. Yet.

“Not yet,” Sapna said, appearing from behind a screen. “I know we repurposed a training room, but let the minions carry the delicate equipment out first.” She raised her volume for the latter half of the sentence and waved at the assistants to hurry up. “Does it still feel like you have lightning trapped in the limb?”

Nox shook his head. “It’s strange. I can tell the mana isn’t using natural channels, but it's at least flowing.” He cast Mage Hand with his right and pushed it as far from his person as possible. His mana zone hadn’t grown. On the bright side, he hadn’t lost any volume either. It still extended four-feet from his extremities as it did after he developed his second star. “My mana zone also feels decent.”

“You didn’t have doubts about my work, did you?” Sapna narrowed her eyes. “Seriously, though. Wait a couple of minutes before running your tests. I don’t want your arm blowing up and causing a chain reaction.”

“That’s not a serious concern, is it?” Mou asked, concerned eyes studying her nephew’s arm. She poked and prodded both of his palms with a pair of narrow tweezers. “How does sensitivity compare?”

“The left is half as sensitive as the right, but it's still better than nothing.” Nox turned to the older Ratra woman. “This is amazing. I don’t even care if the bow works. The normal mana flow and being able to feel things is already enough.”

Sapna waved at him dismissively and packed the last of her tools into a case. She handed it to an apprentice before finally giving Nox her full attention. “You’re good to test it now.” Sapna handed Nox a manual. “The activation should be no different from the original Ratra Bow’s activation. Flow mana through the fragments on your outside arm first.”

When Nox obeyed, a gauntlet of hardened mana manifested, covering everything from his elbow to his knuckles. Nox smashed his fist into the trolley that once carried Sapna’s tools. The metal crumpled around the impact point, and Nox felt none of the force. A raised triangular section grew out of the gauntlet’s top. Unlike the pyramids planted in Nox’s flesh, it started with the narrow section near the elbow and expanded as it approached the hand. It had two openings: one at the halfway point and another just above the wrist.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“You can load essence glass through here,” Sapna pointed at the hole halfway along the raised section. “The barrel won’t fit full-length arrows, but you could shape it into crossbow bolts or similar projectiles. The manual will teach you how to modify the manifestation to suit your needs. Pulse energy through the pyramids on your outer arm to fire the essence glass or an ordinary mana projectile.” Sapna nodded at a mannequins lining the far wall. “Go on. Test it.”

Nox did as instructed without essence glass. His first star and added planets still hadn’t recovered. So, he couldn’t cast Crystalize Essence or Shape the material. Now that he could channel mana without any discomfort, Nox had ideas of how to fix the Temporal Sphere star so its gravity wouldn’t suck up the rest of the system’s mana.

Mana swelled in the runes, gathered around the elbow, flowed through the triangular pyramid, and then burst from the barrel. The arcane energy adopted a roughly triangular shape as it blurred forward. It missed the mannequins and exploded in a flash of pale blue light. The impact left a darkened patch on the wall and cracked the bricks. The runes around it flared, and the damage repaired itself.

“It’s almost as powerful as an empowered mana arrow from the old bow,” Nox commented. “The arcane energy doesn’t feel as concentrated. So, I have doubts regarding the range and penetrative power. But I like the freedom to modify the projectile and spread. A quick, short-range blast can be great if foes get too close. But—”

“Hold your horses, Grand Nephew.” Sapna interrupted. “Now, close your fist and channel energy into the pyramid along your inner arms.”

Nox’s mouth fell agape as he obeyed. A composite bow extended from his fist. Each arm was only two feet long, and a faint mana string connected them. Pulling it conjured a mana arrow so perfect it looked like one of Dean Woodson’s hard-light constructs. She had put on a demonstration for Joey on Caitlin’s request.

The projectile hit the targetted mannequin at its thickest and densest section—the middle of the chest—and penetrated all the way through the body. Nox had them constructed to have the same durability as a journeyman aether warrior. He didn’t expect them to inflict much damage to Caitlin’s Adept-ranked wood elemental armor. However, he was sure things would be different if she were still a Journeyman.

“Excellent! Now you can’t complain about being a support monkey after Advanced Dungeon Combat.” Sapna studied the mana flow closely as he cast more arrows. “The manual will teach you different activation sequences and rune chains. I’m sure a mage as creative as you can come up with custom combinations to meet whatever function you desire.”

“Was that a compliment?” Nox asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I heard it, too,” Mou said, eyes wide. “I think the old bat is sick or dying.”

“I’m just exhausted after monitoring your vitals and the runes for three days straight!” Sapna exclaimed. “Blighted, ungrateful dolts.”

“All jokes aside, Aunty Sapna, this is amazing,” Nox stated, studying the manameter reading that appeared on the gauntlet’s underside. It was a lot more detailed and less cluttered than the version provided by the university. He still carried the device Dean Woodson had gifted him. It had other functions and also served as his University identification.

Crystalize Essence | Essence Animation

1/132 | 1/29

Essence Shaping | Arrow

1/56 | 1/13

Temporal Sphere

193/220

Spatial Familiar | Spatial Storage

39/39 | 17/17

“The mana drain is significantly greater than the old bow’s, but I can’t complain,” Nox stated. “The power and versatility make it worth it.”

“The original Ratra’s Bow had a limiter on it, so it didn’t overdraw from the user’s mana system. This has no such limitations since I had to integrate it with your circuits. Your widened channels have also adversely affected your mana control. I expect the weapon to drain less for manifestation and firing as you get used to it.”

“How are you not more famous?” Mou asked after Nox released the gauntlet. His star reabsorbed a third of the mana used for the manifestation. She studied the triangular pyramid closely, running her fingers from where all the sides met down the elongated edge to the point. “This is genius work, Sapna.”

“I’d never be able to create this or Ratra’s Bow from scratch,” Sapna replied. “It's easy to modify someone else's creation. Creating the same from scratch is far beyond my capabilities.”

“It’s still strange you’re not better known,” Nox stated.

“This is the first time since my teens I’ve stayed in the same place for a year and run a shop. I prioritize custom jobs and contracts that let me work from the shadows.” She turned to Mou. “You probably don’t remember since you were still a baby and your brother a toddler, but there was a case of cities and states on both continents forcing Ratras into servitude. They had comfortable lives but were essentially prisoners. It was safer for us to remain hidden and to work in secrecy. Since the Cabal is back, it might be smart to do so again.”

“Are you scared they’ll come after us?” Mou asked. “Should I be worried for my children?”

Sapna shook her head. “It’s panicking superpowers you need to look out for. Since we’re technically supplying the City of Ygg and Trade Empire, we’re technically safe. Although, I’d remain wary of the Imperium’s agents.

“Let's run some more tests,” Sapna said after a period of uncomfortable silence. “I’m keen to figure out the kinks so I can recreate lesser versions of the bow. A tool for giving defensive and control mages offensive power is bound to make us a good deal of money.”

“Us?” Nox raised an eyebrow.

“Of course. We’re family. We pool our resources for maximum profit and growth.”

“I like the sound of that,” he said and returned to playing with his new toy.