Zerine woke the next day to find the room empty. To her delight, there was a stack of books on the bedside table. To make the day even better, she could move her arms, albeit not to the extent she could reach the books. She scowled. The books were just out of reach.
“Not getting away that easy books,” she muttered.
To make the books taunting even worse, she couldn’t really move the rest of her body to make grabbing the books easier.
“Dammit,” she muttered, her arm moving back to her side.
She glanced back at the top book, Energy Control an Alchemist’s Perspective.
“Hmm, Gods, it’s just sitting there!” she muttered. “Fine.”
Her hand reached towards the book as she consecrated. Ambient magic answered her will as it weaved around the top book and pulled it to her hand. It felt strangely easier than the last time she had done it, but she wrote it off as it being a little while sense the last time, she had done such a thing. Eagerly, she dove into the pages.
Chapter one was just the normal intro you would find in a textbook, with tantalizing hints to what the book will contain. Now, chapter two discussed some interesting things she hadn’t thought about before.
“The most common of ambient magic techniques involves direct touch. This is but one aspect of controlling energy. In alchemy, one's mixing bowl or cauldron acts as an extension to one’s body and by extension one’s soul. Willpower and a keen focus are acquired too…” Zerine kept reading.
The chapter discussed how the basic ambient magic technique could be adjusted to make mixing bowls, cauldrons, and transmutation crystals into mediums of one’s willpower to control the energies. The thing was, though, if all of it was willpower and sensing the energy, then…her gaze went to the books on the bedside table. Then why did all the major techniques she read about ambient magic start with picturing energy from her hand like weaving a string?
“I think I’m right,” she muttered, still looking at the books.
She focused on the energy she could sense. Her magical senses had greatly improved over the years, thanks to Varino and the dragons working on it with her constantly. Her senses were still limited to a sphere roughly the size of the room in every direction.
The energy she was focusing on was around the top book on the stack. She envisioned weaving the energy similar to what she normally did, starting from her hands, but added what she did when embedding her will into an object like her knives. Essentially, what she was doing was extending her will to the book, making that the medium to enact her will to weave the ambient magic around it.
“Lift dammit,” she muttered.
Her eyes narrowed glaring at the book. Sweat beaded on her brow. Then the book wobbled, but stopped.
“Nooo,” she half snarled. “Rise!”
She redoubled her effort, gripping the bed sheets with both hands. This book would rise. All her thoughts were dedicated to this one thing.
Rise!
The book wobbled again. This time, she made more invisible strands wrap around the book.
Rise!
The wobble steadied, then the book rose, lifting a few inches into the air.
“Zerine!” came a shocked shout.
***
Raith had felt when Zerine woke as a pulse of energy came from a crystal she had tied to the arrays around her bed. She had been busy helping a group of adventurers that got attacked by a swarm of some squid-like monsters that had manifested near their vessels. Luckily, she was practically done by the time she was alerted to Zerine being awake.
When she got to Zerine’s room, she expected to find a still groggy girl. Not…someone practicing ambient magic. A book was floating a few inches in the air, while Zerine was gritting her teeth with a fierce grin that spread from ear to ear.
Why would she be grinning like that? It’s just sim-ple, Raith thought, but her eyes went wide.
“Zerine!” she nearly shouted in shock.
Zerine let out a squeak, and the book fell.
“Are you crazy straining yourself in your condition!?” Raith wondered, sitting next to Zerine’s bed.
“S-sorry,” Zerine replied, not meeting Raith’s gaze.
Raith sighed, pinching the bridge of nose.
“First off,” Raith sighed again, “do you have any idea what you just did?”
“Umm,” Zerine fidgeted.
Fidgeting is a good sign that her body is improving, Ratih noted.
“A new harder ambient magic technique,” Zerine said sheepishly.
Raith face palmed.
“You did it without even knowing. Gooood Gods, this family is full of monsters. Your brother is nuts at his magic and training. Then we have Estel who has four affinities and is scary fast at learning. Next, we have Varino and Gods, she is like a tiny version of your mother and thats terrifying enough. Then we have you! Gods what are you going to be like when you get your crest!?” Raith said, then started to laugh.
“Umm, Raith?” Zerine asked, confused.
What did I do? Zerine thought. All she knew was that she tried something that worked out.
“Umbra, memory crystal please, for the love of god,” Ratih said, still laughing.
Umbra’s shadowy figure appeared and handed Raith a crystal, which she placed on to her forehead giggling.
“Hi Zerine, what Raith failed to explain before she went off on a tangent,” Umbra said, crossing his shadowy arms, “what you technically did isn’t something normal for,” Umbra paused, searching for words.
“Absolutely no one without a crest, that is for certain,” Raith said with a huge grin. She was holding another crystal that was shining purple.
“What are you doing? And can you just come out and say it?” Zerine wondered.
“Ooh, little old me is telling your mother because your father is out of range of our communication crystals,” Raith said with a smirk as Zerine winced. “You're only going to get praised and a mild scolding from her, while you're in trouble with your healer.”
Zerine winced again, “sorry.”
Raith waved her apology aside.
“What you did was the most advanced form of ambient magic there is. You didn’t start the magic from your body to the magic, but a place then told the magic what to do. If what you normally do at its peak is considered moderate to advanced ambient magic, what you just did would be considered master level. Most don’t learn what you did because what you were doing up until now is good enough for a majority of tasks. Because why choose a more difficult path to master when your normal way works just as well?” Raith said, folding her arms.
Zerine looked up at the ceiling, tapping her cheek.
“Hey look at that. Your arms are moving today, too. That reminds me, time for medicine,” Raith said, pulling the usual elixir and pill.
After she had downed the elixir, which for once she could drink without help, Ava walk in with an excited Varino who flew in on cloud.
“Congrats Zerine. Also, why, oh Gods, why would try this when you are still recovering?” Ava asked, taking another seat next to her bed.
“A moment of inspiration. I had to follow through,” Zerine said sheepishly.
“At least you're honest,” Raith said.
“Zerine, can you use your normal ambient technique and pull a book from the bookshelf?” Ava wondered.
Zerine glanced to Raith, who nodded. She held a hand toward the bookshelf and focused. A few moments later, a book flew to her hands.
Ava raised an eyebrow.
“Did that look easier for her to do, or is that just me?” she thought to Raith.
“I agree. It looked easier for her effort wise, but still took the same amount of time,” Ratih thought back.
“Hmm, no more using ambient magic alright, not till you can walk around, you hear me?” Ava said.
Zerine nodded. Varino looked from Zerine to te book in her hands then to the alchemy book that Zerine had been reading before. She began reading some pages.
“Great point, let's see how your legs are doing,” Ratih said.
With Ava and Varino as encouragement, Zerine took slow, shaky steps. After a few minutes of work, Zerine was at her limit, so they helped her back into the bed. They left Zerine to her reading, and playing some games with Willow and Umbra, while a disappointed Varino was coaxed back to her training with Ava.
***
The next day saw Zerine slowly walking around, with Raith staying close. As they carefully went down the stairs that led to the dining hall, Naro with Neil in toe appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Neil had shown up after classes with some items for Zerine from Ai, but she had been with Raith. Zerine had warmed up to Neil mostly because Varino told her about him and how he was nice, fun, and good at making explosions with his fire affinity. Zerine knew to trust a spirit’s intuition, which was similar to her own instinct. Granted, she still wasn’t sure why explosions qualified him to be trusted, but she just went with it.
“See, she is up and about,” Naro said to Neil.
Raith rolled er eyes to Zerine, who stifled a giggle.
“Why are you two not training?” Raith wondered as they reached the bottoms of the stairs.
“Varino blew up our magic training area, so Shiya had us come back while she, Varino, and Markilo cleaned up,” Naro said.
“Is she alright?” Zerine wondered. She was thankful that Raith used some sort of solution that kept her clean.
Doubly thankful, Raith convinced me to wear fresh clothes, she thought.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
“Yeah, Varino is fine,” Neil said.
There were more people bustling about than normal, Zerine noted, as their group headed to the courtyard.
“I didn’t even know a spirit could sneeze, but she did and, boom!” Naro said excitedly, gesticulating an explosion with his arms.
“They don’t. Unless there was a spike of their affinity or ambient magic,” Raith said thoughtfully.
“Why is everyone running around getting ready for something?” Zerine wondered.
“Oh, there is going to be a party tonight!” Naro said.
“Mom and Dad didn’t say anything about one. Are you sure?” Zerine asked as they entered the courtyard.
“You two can practice with these targets. Zerine take a seat and rest,” Raith said before Naro could answer.
She waved her hands, and several magical targets appeared, along with two chairs. Zerine and Ratih sat as Naro and Neil started their magical practice where they left off.
“Who is coming to this party?” Zerine wondered, knowing Raith knew.
“Hmm, you’ll have to sign a magical contract for that info,” Raith said with a growing smile as Zerine just stared at her.
“Your serious!” Zerine said incredulously after a moment.
“Yep!” Raith said cheerfully.
“Mom is the prime contractor, or is it both dad and Mom?” Zerine wondered.
“For the most powerful magical contract, the power of the individual creating it matters, sooo your mom.”
Zerine sighed. “I guess I will get to sign that when she gets back from the capital. That brings up a question. How can I sign one without a crest?”
“Hey Neil, focus on how you're channeling your magical energy when you use that conjuration technique. You can manifest it faster if you focus on how, you channel the energy,” Raith called to Neil. “As for your question, magical contracts are what we call them, but they are really soul contracts. That’s why the power of the one who creates it matters. The more advanced you are, the more powerful of a soul you have. The more powerful soul you have, the stronger you can create a contract. That’s why gold-rank mages are used for contract creation the most. You can, of course, create them at lower advancements, which will still force an individual to follow the contract. But the contract can be broken easier, and the backlash will be less than if it was created by a silver or gold-rank mage. There are even some contracts created by ascendents or Iridesium-rank mages, and those are some scary powerful and secret contracts.”
“Huh, I really should start looking more into actual magic. I just like the logical aspects of magical arrays, runes, rituals, and sigils. I don’t get that channeling thing or the four basic techniques,” Zerine said, watching as Neil conjured a spear of light.
“You have a lot on your plate already. You have alchemy and that new ambient technique, not to mention your other training on top of that. Don’t needlessly add more to it. Anything you read won’t make sense till you have your crest and magic, anyway. Better you learn it fresh without any preconceived notions that could get in the way later,” Raith said.
“Oh, good point. Can I pract-”
“No, we are going to see how long you can stay awake without straining yourself with ambient magic today.”
Zerine sighed.
***
Ava returned with plenty of time before the party. She headed towards where she sensed the children were congregated. When she entered the room, she froze.
Zerine had stacks of papers around her and was sitting on a cushion. All the household's children were present with the addition of Neil. They were all discussing classes and class work.
“Estel, you did great. Your array design is efficient. You can show the others, only if you explain why things work as they do and don’t give away all the answers, either. As for you Neil, your arrays are alright, but if you were to actually make them, you would waste a lot of magic to make it work.”
Neil groaned, “these require us to make efficient ones.”
“Yep, so you're going to need to look at them again. Look back at the chapter with confluence runes and sigils, which should help guide you the right direction,” Zerine replied. She handed him a sheet of papers.
“How do you know so much?” Shara wondered, handing over papers to Zerine.
“Hmm, what else am I supposed to do in class when they discuss magic that I don’t understand and can’t do?” Zerine replied, looking over the papers.
“At least it paid off. You have a great understanding of arrays and ritual magic,” Naro said, handing his class work over.
“True, but once you read or make enough of these, you start to see patterns, and these are all very logical in nature, unlike magic itself. But a crest any time now would make things more fun,” she said and smiled.
“Hey good fixes Shara. Can you explain to Naro why yours are better than his? His fixes are in the right direction, but not quite, and don’t give him the answers,” Zerine said with a grin as Naro groaned.
“Sure can!” Shara replied, leading Naro to where they had been sitting.
Ava scanned the room, watching as Estel taught the other children her age and from the same classes, while Shara made Naro start over again and explain his reasoning, and Neil glared at his papers as he worked.
“I’m glad you all are working together on class work, but I have to have you all join a magical contract. if you want to join the party tonight that is. Sorry Neil, only the household can attend, but your family has an open invitation for the end of the intersection celebration here. Tonight is just a special one-time thing.”
Neil smiled, “Naro said as much. I’m just surprised there is a contract with this one. Must be some impressive peopl-”
Ava smiled, “You're gonna have to sign one too. To ensure you don’t discuss the party at all. Sorry, but we just don’t want to deal with any nobles complaining about not being included.”
Neil nodded, “I understand.”
With a wave of her hands, glowing purple text appeared in front of everyone in the room.
“Place your hand on the text and accept it. The magic will do the rest,” Ava said.
Everyone followed her instructions, creating brief flashes of purple all around the room as the contracts were formed.
“I’ll leave you all to your work. Zerine, if you feel tired, let-”
“Umbra has a clone in my shadow. Raith will know,” Zerine interrupted, looking over more papers.
"That's good, just take it easy alight," Ava said.
"I won't push myself. I won't to make it through the party after all," Zerine replied.
***
Once the red and orange light of the sun was setting, it lit the emerald sky, creating vibrant streaks of yellows and purples, the guests started to arrive. Over the span of a few minutes, guests appeared via direct teleportation into the courtyard, where they would then head into the main dining room. The room had been cleared to make it an open hall with scattered tables and chairs with one long table along the wall that was laden with food and drinks.
Zerine had, at first, thought nothing seemed to demand a contract, but when she got a fruit drink and turned back to the room, her mouth fell open. Colorful Insect-like wings protruded out of the backs of many of the guests.
Fairies!? Zerine thought in shock.
Then there was a set of squeaks and calls as a riot of hatching dragons flew into the room. The group of dragons had scales of all shades of blue, green and even silver that sparkled in the light of the glow stones. There were cheerful exclamations as the riot flew around the space. The children cheered as the riot flew towards the large cluster of young fairies and Naro, with some of the other children near his age.
Will the fairies understand the hatchlings? I just came from talking to them and I didn’t see wings, so they can hide their wings? These thoughts and more race through Zerine’s mind.
Familiar calls made her put her cup down as three dragons flew towards her.
“Terri, Octra, and Fulgur, you're here!” Zerine said, opening her arms.
Three surprisingly small dragons flew into her chest, making delighted squeaks.
“I’m so glad you're here! I didn’t know you could change your size like this,” Zerine said as three small heads nuzzled her cheeks.
Terrinixis' gaze Zerine a flat look. Zerine giggled.
“Right, never underestimate dragons,” Zerine said, which got a chuff in agreement.
Octra and Fulgur started sniffing her, then moved out of her arms and moved over her body.
“That tickles and I didn’t know you could do this either,” Zerine said, trying to hold back laughter as Fulgur moved down her back and Octra moved from her side to her back.
Terri cued softly, startling Zerine. Terri had never made a sound like that before, but her meaning was still clear from the impressions her instinct told her. They were worried about her.
“I’m getting better. I’ve been up for around four hours, which is better than the day before.”
Terri made worried cueing sounds again, then rested her head on Zerine’s shoulders.
“Varino only told you bits and pieces about it. But I-I don’t remember what happened after teleporting away. It was probably bad, though. Raith had to regenerate a limb or something, which is why I’ve been so weak.”
That got startled squeaks from all three dragons, who sniffed Zerine more intently.
“I’m fine, really. Should we join the others? Varino is somewhere around-” almost on cue. A bubbling laugh above them made all four look up.
Varino flying on a cloud playing with several elemental spirits. One was a doll sized figure, composed of fire, while another was made from green color wisps almost like wind. The last was a glowing silver light that created an outline of a person. As they watched, Willow joined the game, the wisp’s glowing orb flying playfully with them.
“Varino will catch up. Introduce me to the other hatchlings and maybe we can playa game or two,” Zerine said.
Excited squeaks came from the three. Fulgur and Octra jumped off and grew a little more in size, while Terri stayed small and in her arms.
“I take that as a yes,” Zerine said and followed the two dragons. “Oh, my drink!”
Zerine held her hand out, and after a moment the cup flew to her hands. Terri’s eyes were wide starring at Zerine.
“Ha, I can surprise a dragon. My ambient magic control has grown. Maybe whatever I went through that night helped me,” Zerine said.
Terri chuffed, but sniffed her drink curiously but shook her head.
“We can find something you like to drink. But let’s go!”
***
Falkor watched his hatchlings and Callahan's eldest head towards the large group of children.
“Is she the one you have been fascinated by?” one of his kin asked, watching Zerine.
“Hmm, more intrigued than facilitated. But once you gain in power, you’ll pick up on things I see,” Falkor replied. “I must say hello to the leaders of fairies. Oh, and don’t attempt to spar with the two-legs, Cal and Ava will be displeased and probably utterly destroy you.”
“But the fairies are fair game?”
Falkor sighed, “just enjoy the night, no need to show off.”
***
As the party continued, Ava monitored Zerine off and on. For the most part, she was doing better than Ava had expected. Zerine was talking to a group of fairies, dragons, and some spirits that were someone's familiars. Varino was sitting on her left shoulder with Falkor’s eldest resting on the other.
“Your eldest, is rather a particular one,” Marigold commented. Her green and gold wings shifted as she turned back to look to at Zerine.
“How so?” Ava wondered.
“No crest and yet she can talk to spirits and dragons. Then her fate is a tangle mess of…well I suppose you know Liliana,” Marigold said, turning to Liliana.
“I…do. But a partial awakening explains her strange… what did you all call it?” Liliana wondered.
“She has instincts that give her impressions on what they are saying. I don’t really know how it works and I doubt she does either,” Ava said.
“Huh, fascinating,” Marigold said. “I’m just shocked that she just stumbled on advanced ambient magic control.”
Liliana frowned, “when did that happen Ava?”
Ava explained Zerine a little experiment.
“What the hell! That is not what I expected to be the inspiration for such a leap,” Marigold said.
“Yeah, that is what Raith’s reaction was too,” Ava said with a shrug.
“Good lord, a family of monsters. Estel is going to be an amazing mage from what I have seen and what Raith told me,” Marigold said.
Ava smiled, “yeah, I can’t wait to see where her path will take her.” Liliana opened her mouth. “Not an invitation. Maybe another time.”
“Fine, I’ll just echo what Marigold said, but will add, Naro will be just as impressive and maybe Zerine.”
Ava smiled to herself. At least Liliana acknowledged Zerine was here. But she knew it was fleeting and that Liliana truly didn’t care. Her focus was solely on her youngest daughter, who was the other mage born with four affinities in their kingdom.
Ava looked around and spotted the only other child with sapphire blue hair with tips that shifted to teal. Being two years younger than Zerine meant, Petra was shorter than Zerine, but they look nearly identical apart from minor details and of course her crest. Petra’s crest had made her Celarian eyes that would normally match her hair color turn to pools of sapphire with no pupils. Her eyes had shifting intricate patterns of electric blue on the eyes. Ava knew just by looking at the crest that Petra’s magic would be powerful, and she had great potential. Crests normally didn’t change unless the individual’s connection to magic was so powerful that the ambient magic affected the crest.
“Your daughter will be just as amazing,” Ava said.
Liliana smiled proudly.
“Just you wait and see her magic. It’ll amaze you,” she said.
***
“Cal, the dragon riders would like one of their foremost members to pay a visit,” Falkor remarked.
“After the intersection, sure. When that happens, I won’t have to worry about gold-rank or higher monsters manifesting,” Callahan replied.
“Maybe they want a new member or two,” Falkor said, his gaze glancing towards Estel and Zerine, who were surrounded by hatchlings and fairies.
“No, Zerine doesn’t have a crest and Estel is waaay too young. Give it till she is nearing her sixteenth birthday. I will have to explain lots of things about it anyway, because after this, there is going to be a storm of questions for myself and Ava.”
Falkor laughed.
“Yep, Estel and Zerine won’t let you or Ava get away till their curiosity is sated. I’m glad Terrinixis convinced me to set this up. Seeing some old fairy friends is nice, and I’m glad Zerine is doing better. Making some of yours and Ava's secrets come out is just a bonus.”
Callahan’s smiled, but it but faltered for a moment.
“Zerine was in bad shape. It was bad Falkor, really bad. Did you see anything in her future?” he whispered, looking down at his cup.
“It’s a mess of many paths and…not a particularly good ones, sorry,” Falkor said.
“Shit,” Callahan sighed.
Falkor patted his shoulder, “fate is fickle. Just because all the impression Liliana and I get are bad ones doesn’t mean those are the only options. Especially with how fate has shifted over the past few years, options maybe hidden. Divinations and fate might as well be an obscure, tangled mess that only gets worse lately. And to be honest, anyone who relies on it can go fuck off because fate breakers exist and so do fate obscuring skills, so what is the point on relying on something that can change with one choice or action? Zerine is hardworking, smart, and those instincts she has will come in handy.”
“That is true,” Callahan still sounding uncertain.
“Come on, it’s a party. Cheer up! I know, let’s play a drinking game,” Falkor said, which got a chuckle from Callahan.
***
As it got later, Zerine became weaker and weaker. Soon she found herself lying on a couch with Terri, Fulgur, and Octra curled up on her chest. The dragon’s warmth helping fight back shivers from her body struggling to keep her going.
“Alright Zerine, say good night to your new friends and then it’s off to rest,” Raith said.
“I-” Zerine yawned. “Crap, you’re right,” Zerine said.
“Hmm, aren’t I normally,” Raith teased, which got a giggle out of Zerine.
The dragon cued, but nuzzled her as she gave them the best hug she could do, which was far weaker than the one she had given them when they first arrived. Zerine moved with help from Raith, said a few more farewells before the two vanished in a swirl of darkness.