Soon after Elly left, Jahora walked into The Tree’s Root with confusion furrowing her brow.
“Where was she going?” she asked.
Helbram leaned back, “She had a revelation and decided now was the best time to act upon it. I suspect we will be seeing the results of that soon,” he motioned to the now empty seat across from him.
The mage hopped into the chair and glanced over Elly’s notes with a deductive look in her eye, “So she made a breakthrough here, did she?”
“Of sorts,” Helbram said, “I will let her hash out the details with you later.”
Jahora smiled, “No doubt, she is quite animated when she makes any sort of discovery,” her smile twisted into a smirk, “It’s quite adorable, really, even if it does have her cursing to herself as she hashes away at her research in the late hours of the night.”
“Of that, I have no doubt, but we will leave her to her own devices for the time being. How was Aria when you dropped her off?”
“It went well. Camilla will keep a good eye on them and I suspect Felix will refrain from being too far away from his home for the time being.” The Mage pressed her lips thin, “I am more concerned with what to do when Aria returns and wishes to practice again.”
“I may have a solution to that,” Helbram said.
He went over his earlier discussion with Elly and told Jahora his plan.
She rubbed her chin , “I would say that she is too young to process such ideas, but given her nature as a Shade that may just work. I shall leave it to you then, since you are the one that will train with her next.”
Helbram nodded, “Indeed, but in the meantime I would actually like to discuss something with you.”
“Oh? And what would that be?”
“Your magic.”
The Mage tilted her head, “What of it?”
“Well, it was not so long ago that you managed to develop a Third Circle. I was wondering if that has led to any differences in your spells- beyond their potency, of course.”
Jahora drummed her fingers against the table, “Honestly, no. I had thought that perhaps I would be capable of developing more complicated incantations but the Third Circle has only given me a boost in my spells’ might. While that is certainly appreciated, I do feel like I’ve hit a wall in some regard.”
“I know your background is mostly in Artificery, but have you had formal training in traditional spellcraft?” Helbram asked.
“Just the basics,” Jahora admitted, “Spellcraft and Artificery may both utilize Runic Script, but how they do so can vary greatly. Perhaps that is the difference.”
“It could be, you did tell me that Artificers use multiple Runic Scripts in order to engrave their enchantments, but Spellcraft typically focuses only on one, correct?”
“Yes and, like all things, a singular focus tends to provide a deeper breadth of knowledge of a particular subject as opposed to a more widespread comprehension,” she snorted, “perhaps it is foolish to call myself a Mage, in that case…”
“Nonsense, I have met many a Mage in my travels and you would stand shoulder to shoulder with them from talent alone. Perhaps what we need to do is to find a way for you to better express your abilities,” Helbram suggested. “Much like how Elly uses her dances for her own version of Weaving.”
Jahora looked at him with a curious expression, “That might be possible, but if I may ask, what brought this up?”
“Well, as I told Elly I have been doing some reflection as of late,” he explained, “Not necessarily of my own abilities but of all of yours instead. I have already spoken to Elly about what she may improve and, if you would hear me out, I would like to suggest something that may suit your skillset better.”
Jahora smiled, “Of course, Helbram.”
“Well, to follow my train of thought, out of the four of us you are the one that is the least mobile,” Helbram said, “Leaf has been trained to move through complicated areas with ease since birth and is an Awoken in addition to that. Elly’s style of Weaving lends itself to greater mobility, and her abilities as her movements and spells can enhance her physically to some degree.”
“While my spellcasting requires me to stay in place or slow down in some way,” Jahora said, “Well, that and I have short legs - which are brilliant for sprinting, mind you.”
Helbram chuckled, “Of course they are.”
“And what of you? What keeps our warrior so mobile?”
“Bullheadedness and a lack of sense,” he said with a smirk, “but, back to you… I believe that rather than trying to develop some method to increase your speed we should instead lean in the other direction for the time being.”
“You mean become stationary instead? That is a bold strategy.”
“True, but I believe that your abilities tend to lend themselves more to fortification rather than mobility, and as such we should not try to revise your process but instead refine it.”
Jahora leaned in, interest clear in her eyes, “I’m listening.”
“First, do you mind if I use a blank page from your notebook?”
The Mage pulled the journal strapped to her hip and handed it to Helbram, “So long as your handwriting is clean, I do have standards.”
Helbram shook his head and flipped to an empty spot in her notebook. Using her pencil, he drew a large dot at the center of the page. “You are no doubt familiar with wards, correct?”
Jahora nodded.
“Well, my idea is thus:” he drew three circles around the dot, each larger and farther away than the last, “You set up three wards and utilize those to create a ‘fortress’ around yourself. This will allow you more time to set up your spells without needing to worry about avoiding other attacks.”
Jahora scratched her cheek, “That may work, in theory, but wards take quite a bit of time to set up properly.”
“They do, but the ones I am suggesting should be more… temporary in nature. They would not have the longevity nor the resilience of one that is traditionally used, but they would still grant higher than average protection.”
The Mage furrowed her brow as she processed his idea, “That may be feasible, but wards require a constant flow of Aether to maintain. Doing so actively would be possible, but it would take most of my concentration. I could link the spells to the environment in order for them to draw the power directly, but to do so requires time that is not so readily available in combat.”
“If we speak in terms of traditional spellcraft, then yes,” Helbram said.
Jahora looked at him with confusion, but waited for him to continue.
“Well, as you just said, spellcraft tends to utilize one type of Runic Script due how easy it is to use and to be more in depth with. However, that does not necessarily rule out the use of multiple Scripts in constructing a spell,” he tapped the circles on the page, “say you were to construct this ward not as a traditional spell, but rather more like the enchantments that an Artificer may place upon a magical item. You could structure it in such a way that it may be possible to make up for the problems you are expecting. Since it is a spell, it would have to be something you would commit to memory rather than an object, but, if it is formulated properly and you are proficient enough in its execution…”
“Then I would be able to shorten the time required to cast them and reduce the struggle to maintain them.” She clicked her teeth as she took both her notebook and pencil from Helbram. Around the outermost circle she drew a series of runes that looked like waves crashing upon each other, “If I were to use Free Script to Transpose and draw in energy, then link it to a layer written in Orthodox…” she drew runes composed of rigid, straight lines drawn over and and branching out from one another, “...to make the energy’s form more concrete, I would be able to make the innermost ward out of Standard,” she drew blocky runes around the dot at the center of the diagram, “which could be used to…” an excited light flashed over Jahora’s eyes, “I may be able to come up with something here.”
“I never had a doubt,” Helbram said with a smile, “you will most likely go beyond my initial concept anyhow.”
“Well, if you are going to set the expectation, then I have no choice but to meet it.” she pressed her lips thin as she looked over the drawing, “However, I will need some time…”
“I can take care of that,” Helbram stood up from his chair, “I shall train Aria further while you and Elly are refining your spellcraft. We need to go over some new movements anyhow.”
“That will be good for her. I think she enjoys those lessons more than magic lately.”
“Of course,” Helbram smirked, “I am far more entertaining after all.”
The Mage shot him an dubious look, “I doubt it, you could never match my energy.”
“Perhaps not, but you are in the unfortunate position of lacking the flawless wit that one such as I possesses.”
Jahora rolled her eyes, “Sure, maybe your wit will deign to leave me alone for a spell or two? If only to organize my thoughts without such blinding intelligence drawing my attention.”
He chuckled, “That, I can do, just let me clear the table for you…”
Helbram picked up the empty plates around the Mage as she studied the diagram further. He kept as silent as possible as he slipped into the kitchen. It was smaller compared to the ones of other taverns, but given the size of The Tree’s Root itself that was not much of a surprise. What always took Helbram off guard, however, was the diversity of scents that would waft into his nose when he took a step inside. There were the usual herbs like lavender or even rosemary that were common to the Freemarks and even parts of the Six Kingdoms, but hints of amberroot from the Pravatan Nations and even firespice from the East slipped through such smells. They were scents he normally caught in the docks of trade cities, but were unexpected within the cramped corners of a tavern’s kitchen. Given that there was a spice rack that took up half a wall, he supposed that he shouldn’t have been so surprised.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Pius was at the sink towards the side of the room, standing over its basin as he washed his utensils and a small pile of dishes that Helbram’s party could claim sole responsibility for. It was because of this that Helbram slipped around the large work table at the center of the kitchen with a tinge of guilt on his expression.
“Apologies for adding to the workload,” he said as he laid the dishes next to the sink.
“Don’t worry about it,” Pius smiled, “It was either that or apply yet another coat of polish to the counter out of boredom, and I think the wood has had enough of that.”
“Just a bit,” Helbram said, “Any further and I would be able to see my own reflection. Not the best sight when being drunk, I admit.”
The tavernkeep chuckled, “Now you’re just being humble… but I see that the worry of the last few days has lessened,” he picked up another plate and ran it under the faucet, “That’s good.”
Helbram ran a hand through his hair, “Yes… apologies if I have been a bit detached as of late.”
“We all have our moments,” Pius said, “but, you do remind me of the commander.”
“How so?”
“The way you both bear the weight on your shoulders… it’s similar,” he met Helbram’s eyes with an unflinching gaze, “I only ask that you try to be more open about your troubles with your companions. I couldn’t tell you how troublesome it is to get anything out of Felix.”
Helbram looked away from the tavernkeep, “That, I am afraid, is something I cannot do… the burdens of my past are mine alone to deal with.” He stepped back, “They will have to settle with dealing with my other proclivities for the time being.”
Pius shook his head, “Truly similar… well you seem better for the time being, and I am glad for it. If you do need someone to talk to, then I am all ears. I may call myself a tavernkeep but I’ve yet to experience the ‘listen to a drunkard woes’ part of the profession.”
Helbram snickered, “And you will need to wait a while longer for such an experience, though I suspect my companions and I won’t say no to a hardy dinner.”
The tavernkeep wiped down his knife, “That can be arranged, so long as you let me stretch my skills a bit,” he motioned to the spice rack, “all these flavors and you lot decide to eat the most basic of meals.”
“We will have to rectify that error then,” Helbram said with a slight bow, “It will be the chef’s choice tonight.”
Pius’s eyes widened in excitement and he flourished his knife, “I will have to get started at once then.”
Helbram turned to leave and gave the man a wave, “I shall leave you to it.”
When he returned to the main hall he saw that Jahora was still lost within her notebook and that Leaf and Merida had returned. He caught the archer’s eye briefly, but his companion looked away quickly before walking towards the rooms. Helbram furrowed his brow at that, but pushed it to the back of his mind before turning to Merida.
“You both are back early.”
The Druid shrugged off her cloak and sighed, “We have found a possible way to track the stag, but decided to return early,” she motioned to her eyes, “Leaf’s senses are still trying to adjust to their new sensitivities and if he pushed them any further he would be having more than a mild headache right now.”
Helbram gave her a questioning look, “Is it that difficult for him to adapt to?”
Merida’s mouth twisted into a frown, “I believe it’s more that what’s new is clashing with what he already knows.
“A lot of that is going on right now…” he muttered.
The Druid did not appear to notice his comment, “Wardens typically take in every single detail around them at once, but from the way that Leaf was showing me, he takes things in one at a time. A fine way to focus, but hard to do when you are trying to get used to your senses firing at every little change. He tries to force his old ways ahead of his senses, and the resulting clash can cause much unnecessary strain.”
“I assume that you told him this and he told you to piss off?”
She snorted, “In a way; it was much more politely said.”
“Oh? Well there is a shocker.” He started to walk towards the rooms, “Let me talk to him for a moment. We can discuss the finer details of today later over dinner.”
The Druid nodded and made her way to the counter as Pius emerged from the kitchen. Their resulting discussion faded into the background as Helbram entered his room. Leaf was already waiting for him, an urgency to his posture that gave Helbram pause.
“I need you to come with me.” The archer spoke in a tone that did not give Helbram much room to reject.
He narrowed his eyes at his companion, but stepped to the side and motioned to the door, “After you then.”
Leaf walked out of the room with a clear purpose behind his steps. Helbram could feel the small hum of energy around the archer as he passed by, and he started to realize what was most likely bothering the man so much. He followed after Leaf without saying a word, and as they walked through the main hall of the tavern he held a hand up to the others, signaling for them to keep away for the time being.
Both of the men walked out of The Tree’s Root and wrapped around the building towards the stables. No words were exchanged between the two of them as Leaf sifted through the wagon. He emerged from the vehicle with three wooden swords and tossed one at Helbram. It was one that was the same size as Helbram's own blade while the ones in the archer’s hands were the size of shortswords. They were training weapons usually reserved for when they wanted to spar without armor, but from the focus in Leaf’s eyes, Helbram suspected that the man aimed to do something beyond mere practice. When the warrior took his stance, his suspicions were confirmed.
Leaf lunged down the length of the alley, his body a blur as a red aura flowed from his body. Despite such speed, Helbram deflected the archer’s opening strike and stepped to the side to avoid the follow up. Undeterred, Leaf kept up the assault, pivoting on his feet to swing at Helbram’s side. The warrior caught the blow with his sword, catching it in a bind as they cracked together. The archer’s blow was carried by his enhanced strength and Helbram felt the shock of its impact pulse through his body. He twisted his own sword down to catch Leaf’s in a bind with his crossguard. The Awoken swung his other blade at Helbram’s exposed flank as that happened, but the warrior interrupted the blow by catching Leaf’s wrist with his free hand. Strong as he was, he knew it was not enough to match the power of an attack enhanced by Ether directly. To compensate, Helbram widened his stance as he caught the blow, letting the shock of its impact spread through him more evenly.
He pushed Leaf away with a kick to his chest and motioned for his companion to make another attack. With a growl, the archer launched into a flurry of blows that were all enhanced by his red Ether. Helbram deflected them all, keeping himself moving so that his Awoken opponent could never have a moment of leverage over him. Any binds or moments where their swords caught one another lasted less than half a breath as the warrior pushed aside and danced around Leaf with practiced precision. Over the last couple of nights Helbram had fought Leaf within his dreams countless times. At this point, he knew his friends abilities almost as much as his own, and it was with this knowledge that the warrior continued to avoid or block each blow that Leaf tried to land.
He repelled Leaf away by landing a strike against the archer’s shoulder. When his opponent hopped back to create distance between them, the warrior switched his stance by keeping one hand on the handle and placing his other halfway down the “blade” of the wooden sword. He shifted one foot back to make his frame more narrow to Leaf’s view and met his companion’s eyes with a steady gaze.
“If you are trying to prove a point, would it not be more prudent to use all you have?”
The archer scowled and looked crouched down. The aura radiating off of him grew in size, nearly double of what it was previously, before Leaf kicked off of the ground. He closed the distance between him and Helbram in less than heartbeat, but Helbram already knew what move his companion would do. He stepped in, avoiding Leaf’s first stab as he caught the archer’s follow up blow with his sword. Using Leaf’s momentum against him, Helbram clasped onto both his sword and his opponents and threw his shoulder down, pulling Leaf from his charge and slamming him into the ground. The impact loosened the archer’s grip just enough for Helbram to rip the sword from his hand. Using his advantaged position, Helbram twisted Leaf’s arm behind him to keep him pinned to the ground to prevent him from using his other hand to counter. Even with his Ether enhanced strength, the Awoken was unable to find the leverage needed to push himself from the ground, and he groaned in pain as Helbram tweaked his arm to keep him in place.
“If you are trying to assert superior strength, it helps to win,” Helbram said. He kept his voice steady to hide the strain that his muscles were feeling as they fought to keep his opponent pinned.
“I wasn’ tryin’ to-” Leaf’s body went slack as he stopped struggling. “That wasn’ what I was doin’.”
Helbram sighed, then let go of Leaf. He picked up the archer’s training sword and flipped it in his hand, “You were trying to overpower me, were you not? To defeat me handily and show the difference between our strengths?”
Leaf ground his teeth, “Yes, but it wasn’ to show that I’m better than you or anythin’ like that…”
“You thought it would be the only way for me to see sense. To seek the help that you believe that I need.”
“You do need it, Helbram. I was speakin’ with Merida and she says-”
“That my condition may cause the Ether within me to corrode my body?”
Leaf’s eyes widened as Helbram spoke, “You knew?!”
“Back at Southsheer… the Sword spoke of something similar.”
“Then why didn’ you say anythin’?!”
“Because we have no way of determining if that is actually true or not.” Helbram started to walk back and forth, “the only word of it that we have is either speculation or from a sentient weapon desperate to take control over me. Consider me skeptical of such things for the time being.”
“But what if it is true?”
“Then we will have to find a way to deal with it. I am also sure you have realized that I have not tried to cultivate nor use Ether in quite some time. So, as long as we keep that in mind, I think we are clear to continue on as we have.”
“Helbram, how are you so casual about this?” Leaf asked, a mix of urgency and confusion in his voice.
“Would you rather have me worry about it everyday? Would you have me bask in despair of something that I cannot possibly control?”
“No, but some concern for yourself would be good to see!” Leaf shouted, “You’ll pace a godsdamned trench into the ground for someone else but when it comes to you we might as well be talking about the weather! Why… why do you not seem to care?” He clenched his fist and pressed it against the dirt.
Helbram took in his friend’s dejected appearance and knelt down in front of him as he slipped both the training swords he held to one hand. He placed his free hand on Leaf’s shoulder and gave him a smile. “Because I have friends like you to do that for me in spades, and in return the best I can do is to make sure that I return such kindness in full.”
“What kindness, I can’t do anythin’ for ya.”
“Yet the thought is there, and that alone gives me the strength to keep pushing on. Besides, I would say that I have gotten quite a bit stronger since we first met.” He stood up and held a hand out to Leaf.
The archer scoffed, but took the warrior’s hand and pulled himself up. “You’re right, that sword arm of yours grows keener by the day.”
“And yours needs much more work,” Helbram said with a smirk. He held out the short training sword to Leaf, “we cannot be going around with our Awoken getting defeated by the powerless, can we?”
“Powerless he says…” Leaf snatched the sword from Helbram’s grip and frowned, “If the stag has a way to cure you, will you take it?”
“Of course,” the warrior said, “but, as tempting that thought is to entertain, it is something that lays ahead in the future. The same can be said of my possible fate. If we focus too much on that then we will lose sight of what we need to do now, which is finding the stag and curing Camilla of her illness. Can I count on you to focus on that for the time being?”
The archer sighed, but nodded.
Helbram smiled, “Good, because I am told your lack of focus has been leading to some flaws in your Technique.”
Leaf pressed his lips thin, “I admit that I let worry get in the way, but that is not the full reason. I can focus just fine it's just… everythin’ else that pulls me away from it.”
Helbram rubbed his chin, “You mean your newfound sensitivities flood you with too much information to process?”
“Somethin’ like that. I’ll be focusing hard on something, but then a twig snaps and my reflexes automatically react to it. Maybe that’s convenient in a fight but is a right pain in my arse when I’m tryin’ to track somethin’. My father taught me a few tricks to help my focus in the past but… well it’s hard to keep them up when even my own thoughts pull my attention nowadays.”
“I see. Well, for the time being I am telling you to not worry about me and focus on what we need to do now, as for aiding in focus…” Helbram scratched his chin, “If the Technique of the Wardens is mastery over their senses, would it not be possible to push your sensitivities with them the other way?”
“You mean dull them instead of sharpenin’ them?”
“Yes, at least for the time being. If you need to focus on something visually you can try to lessen the amount that you hear and even feel. You may even be able to stagger your senses instead of experiencing them all at once so you can better process them.”
Leaf closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side with a groan. “Why the hells didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you were too concerned about other things,” Helbram said. “Looking too far ahead can often make us miss the solutions right in front of us.” He held a fist out to Leaf. “So, let us make an effort to not miss such things in the future, shall we?”
His companion gave him a dubious look, indicating that he was not fully done with talking about Helbram’s condition, but he tapped his fist against his.
“Fine, we shall.”