Rhendal struggled to comprehend Lord Liam. Since Lightning Lords were special beings, they generally would not awaken naturally, nor come into their powers so late in life. Magical affinities existed within the body and soul at birth, generally awakening during late childhood or early puberty alongside a mage’s body. Rarely did a caster awaken outside of that timeframe, but those oddballs were never able to attain a mastery of their powers. Similar to growing a third or fourth arm after puberty, the limb would never move fluidly, it would always be a clumsy appendage flailing about.
Baron Green’s magic never stirred, remaining dormant well into his twenties. A fact Rhendal knew because he had been the expert to assess Baron Green’s magic over the decades.
Many experiments had been requested, and no expense was withheld from Rhendal’s assessment. Ascertaining with perfect certainty that Green had a modest affinity for wind and fire magicks. Dual affinities were a rarity among commoners, but were common amongst the nobility. With the wind and fire combination reigning supreme.
Magical affinity and the ability to pass that affinity onto your children was required to maintain a noble household. Prodigies and irregulars rose and fell with the generations, but only after your line had produced magical heirs for three generations was one elevated to the nobility.
Shame followed Baron Green’s inability to wield magic, and was likely the reason he first picked up a bottle. Nobility stemmed from power, making Baron Green a rare dude, one who could pass on his affinity, while being unable to wield it. Had it not been for his specific wind and fire combination, then King Aldric would have disinherited him, stripping him of all lands and titles. For two score years the man drank and philandered with married women, seeking an early grave.
Yet, Rhendal could not overcome what his eyes beheld. Lightning Lord Liam had just healed a slave. The very same woman he now held in his arms. Rhendall scratched his head, looking from the baron to the broken collar and back again. Nothing was making any sense at all.
Slave collars were made in a variety of ways, though the vast majority of manufacturing methods involved enchantments from the earth affinity in tandem with either the dark or holy affinities, since those were needed to bind the soul of a slave to the metal of the collar. Draining the collar, no, breaking its enchantments took a mage of impossible strength, at least doubling the initial enchanter’s levels. Rhendal himself could not have performed such a feat, not without a magic circle and weeks of preparation; and he had once been the hidden grandmaster of dark magi.
Rhendal focused his mana and activated one of his sage skills [analysis].
Name: William Ethan Green
Title: Baron of Greenwood
Class: Father of Therun Perun Taloc’s heir
Affinities: Lightning / Fire / Wind / Life
[Error]
Skill level insufficient to complete analysis
Rhendal’s mouth fell open, he was familiar with the last line, but he hadn’t seen that error in decades! It generally appeared when he appraised someone with a far higher level, or the target had a talent for concealment. As a level ten sage of darkness and a level seven sage of fire, he was a Paragon of wizardry. Yet Lord Liam surpassed him?
Seventeen levels once placed him at the peak of human society; he was among a few dozen people who managed to defy their humanity and break into the double digits. Rhendal’s power might have waned in his retirement, but even if he lost two levels from each class he would still possess enough levels to identify any newly-awoken mage. Though that was not what had surprised him the most.
What in the holy lightning does “Father of Therun Perun Taloc’s Heir” mean? That’s unlike any class I’ve ever heard of! It should say champion, or sage, or warrior, or artisan, not whose daddy he is going to be! It’s utter nonsense, gibberish!
Wait… could Liam be God himself? That makes even less sense! If he was Taloc then my God-given talents would have no effect without his permission. Green’s class should be ‘Noble’ like it originally was… Did this new soul erase his old class and supplant it with a new one?
Thousands of thoughts raced through his brain, competing to explain the inexplicable. Current magic theories varied wildly, but they all agreed on a magical system revolving around four cardinal magicks. These magicks mirrored the compass, with
water in the north,
wind to the east,
fire in the south,
earth to the west.
Similarly to the directional compass the magical compass has four intermediary directions. One such element was the healing or life affinity, positioned equally between water and earth or northwest, the most common of the four elements. Lightning lay in the position of true opposition from life, one hundred and eighty degrees away, pointing southeast. Equally distanced between fire and wind. Without exception, mages with multiple affinities had them for elements adjacent to each other.
For example Earth could pair with water or fire but never wind, and vice versa. While water could pair with earth or wind but never fire, and vice versa. Elements of opposing affinities could never exist within the same mage. Not even the Lightning God, Therun Taloc could heal, it just wasn’t possible.
Rhendal rubbed his eyes as he watched Nyota breathe freely. Mind racing as he tried to process the miracle in front of him.
There was no mistake, Nyota’s broken throat had been made whole, even some of her burns were gone. Liam had indeed healed Nyota. For this reason Rhendal had to be sure, ignoring the tabboo, he appraised Nyota, mentally apologizing for the breach of her privacy by reading no further than her affinities.
Name: Nyota - -
Title: Monarch
Class: Eclipsiarch
Affinities: Life / Earth / Water / Lightning
What? A second mage with opposing affinities? Rhendal glared at the couple, lost as his understanding of the world was rewritten. More than fifty years of his life had been spent totally devoted to the study of magic, and here was a discovery that challenged his fundamental understanding. It would have been less disturbing if he discovered a place where gravity sent you flying into space, at least then he could portal home.
Arlet shouted orders and the militia escorted the group into a nearby home, protecting their lord and saint with their lives, food and drink were brought for them, little more than a few crumbs of bread and water. They did not refuse, despite Liam’s hesitation. Unpleasant words had hacked through his hesitation, “If you die, we all die.”
He forced the food down after that. The church would still be there after Nyota recovered her breath, or the mana to heal more of her bruised neck.
They, no he, Rhendal, was being foolish. He should have portaled them home already, immediately after the green giants succumbed to their magic. Why did I allow Lord Green to talk me into coming here…? Thought Rhendal, answering the question in a second. Age brought weakness of body, a humbling lesson of frailty and one that Rhendal did not forget.
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We are still here because I was arrogant, I thought nothing unexpected would happen, or that we would have to hunt for hours before finding a single beast. My lack of preparation almost got us all killed.
Rhendal shook his head, knowing that ten lifetimes would not be enough to repent for allowing a Lightning Lord to die. They were rare beings, heralds of change blessed by the finger of Therun Taloc to wield his own lightning. Humans were naturally inclined towards earth and water affinities. So much so that roughly eighty percent of mages possessed either the earth or water affinities. While less than thirty percent had the affinity for Fire. This discrepancy intrigued mages worldwide, causing many spirited debates.
Presently most colleges had settled on a few main sources, firstly humanity was not made of fire and thus had a lower affinity. Secondly fire was the hardest to control. Oftentimes a young fire mage would learn of his fire affinity by burning down his home or engulfing his family in flames. Rhendal shivered at the memory of when his own magic had awakened, he had been lucky and killed only someone who deserved to die. Despite the justification, it haunted him, creeping into his dreams. However, lightning was rarer still, as a combined element a potential Lightning Lord had to wield both fire and the rarest of the four cardinal elements, wind.
In fact, wind was too rare for humans to measure, with the college’s wind magi representing less than five percent of all students and professors. So few mages used the wind affinity that it lacked the necessary population to self sustain and had to be combined with the other schools, most commonly with the college of fire. Though this only led to more secrecy and confinement, until no human scholars truly knew what a wind mage was, or what they could do. Not even the wind magi.
Which is most likely why Baron Green had escaped punishment for so long, no one wanted to weaken the nobility by depriving the crown of a future wind mage. He might be scum, but his child would carry at least one of his rare affinities. Consequently providing an avenue for another house to depose Baron Green and enhance their own lineage.
Yet, Lord Liam shattered every rule. He was a Lightning Lord first, without any ability to use fire or wind, in fact, he had used healing as his secondary element. Rhendal stroked his beard, wondering what other impossibilities Lord Liam might bring into reality. A plan began to form in Rhendal’s mind, wondering what would happen if a Lightning Lord was able to expand his affinities. Four affinities was considered the maximium, but if Liam added a fifth… Would it be the affinity of darkness and shadows —Rhendal’s own— or the affinity of Holy Light —the priesthood’s favorite—.
“No, that will come after we teach him fire, and wind… If we can…” Muttered Rhendal.
He wished there was a wind grandmaster available for consultation, but that was a rank never achieved by humanity. Only the elves possessed enough wind magi to create a culture that could pass on their knowledge. Fat chance getting an elf to Greenwood. Ha! We don’t even have a way to request their aid.
Rhendal removed his hat to cool off his brain, giving his head a scritch for good measure. Four elemental affinities made Liam a canidate for the throne, but to use healing and lightning in the breadth of a moment… That would spark a civil war among the nobles. As a single man, Baron Green could be married into the royal family, solving any questions of succession, but if he so clearly outmatched them… They would need to marry into his lineage, a princess marrying into a Baron’s lineage.
Unthinkable.
Although, the baron did say he was an imposter of sorts, suggesting he had somehow swapped souls with the true lord. Rhendal’s heart beat faster.
This needed to be documented. Whatever was going on would rewrite the laws of magic and their foundational principles. Slipping the collar into his satchel he silently swore to himself. He would become Lord Liam’s shadow, recording every spell and his daily progress.
“Baron Green, how did you heal her? Lightning and healing are generally considered to be in opposition.” He asked, hinting that Liam may have done something unusual.
Liam met the sage’s gaze, Nyota’s hand firmly in his own.
“Opposition? You above all others know how neglected my study of magic is. As for healing, once I remembered her chant the mana just sorta flowed. It was easy.”
Rhendal fought to keep his jaw off the floor. Lord Liam had broken the laws of magic and all he had to say was “It was easy”!
—
“Arlet, find the man with the bone sticking out of his arm and bring him to me.” Liam asked.
Within a minute the man was sitting across the table from Liam, his broken arm resting on the wood while Liam examined him. Dirt was already getting into the wound, and no one had bothered to set or bandage his arm. If the man survived without an infection he would be lucky to only lose the arm.
Liam raised his hands and started to chant, only for Rhendal to interrupt him.
“You’ve passed out once already from mana exhaustion, you will not have recovered enough mana to heal this wound with magic alone.”
“Oh…” Said Liam, knowing the sage was right. I know that, so why did I try and do it anyways? Thought Liam, rubbing his temples. “I’m not thinking clearly… Too much has happened today… So many dead.” Said Liam, giving voice to his inner thoughts.
Nyota placed a hand on Liam’s shoulder.
“Don’t overexert yourself my lord. Arlet, can you set his arm?”
“Yes m’lady.”
The champion called another knight and together they set the man’s broken bone, stretching his arm til the bone slipped backwards, retracting into the skin and aligning with its other half. The injured man shouted in pain, crying out as his bone jarred into place. Then swore loudly enough to provoke a glare from Arlet.
Liam intervened, he was too tired to care about manners. Placing his hands on either side of the break he began reciting the incantation of healing. Inside of his mind he pictured the bone aligning itself and calcifying the break, then the adjacent skin, tendons, and muscles moving into their anatomically correct positions. The bone wiggled apart then fused together, tendons and ligaments reconnected with the bone. But before his magic could seal the wound it fizzled away, leaving him with an empty feeling.
“Why can’t I heal him?” Said Liam.
“Have patience! This is the first day you have ever healed anyone is it not?” Asked Rhendal, drawing strange looks from the militia around them.
“Yes, but what does that matter? My mana isn’t depleted yet, I have at least one more bolt in me–” Lamented Liam.
“Healing is not your main affinity! This is common enough for mere mortals Lord Green.” Said Rhendal, one eyebrow raised. “We must work to build our affinities with practice and repeated castings. Even then, every mage has a primary affinity, and lesser affinities. Thus you will never be able to heal with the same force your lightning commands.”
“Thank you m’lord! You have already done more than I could have hoped for!” Said the man, leaning forward into a shallow bow.
Liam watched as the crowd cleared, his heart crushed by his inability to ease the suffering of more. Med school was only a means to an end, the technical knowledge required to reach his true goal, helping people. Healing them, or enabling the incurable to live their lives without undue suffering was why he had wanted to be a doctor in the first place. The driving purpose that pushed him through the many late nights, or granted him the strength to ignore naysayers, those who told him medical school would be too difficult or that the life of a doctor was too much work.
“You should not heal so freely, Lord Liam. Lightning affinity should prevent you from using any form of heal-”
“I would rather die. Those who come to me in need of healing will be healed. You speak of affinities. I can increase my affinity by casting spells right?”
Liam stood and exited the hut, walking back through the village until he found one of the decapitated orcs. When one came into sight he raised his hand and shot the smallest lightning bolt he could manage at the orc. Not intending to damage the body, he only wished to test the depths of his mana, and finding that there was a little more power within him. An idea occurred to Liam, using his mutated hand he touched Nyota’s neck, reciting the incantation of healing. Nothing happened.
“What is the point of having this power if I cannot use it!” Shouted Liam.
“Baron Liam.” Said Rhendal, gaining his attention with use of his real name. “You are indeed correct about ignoring your studies if you think anyone in this world could do more, each lightning bolt you hurl is a miracle. To have healing on top...” He shook his head, rubbing his eyebrows with one hand before speaking again.
“God himself cannot heal with the same hand he hurls lightning.” Whispered Rhendal.
“Oh, oooohhhh… crap.”
“Uhm, yes, feces would be cleaner than the miracle you have wrought here. Best not use those two powers so freely unless you wish others to theorize on your origins.” Chided Rhendal.
Liam winced.
Then swallowed, they still needed to get to the church, mustering what little strength remained in his limbs, he wrapped an arm around Nyota’s waist, turning and aiming her at the cathedral a block away. Once she –and the townsfolk– were safely within the cathedral he would be able to relax. And hopefully recover some mana.
I should remember the date of the day I mastered my lightning, killed some orcs, won my first duel –I killed someone– to free Nyota… Maybe I should not remember this day.
Heir Blackwood was dead. When that butcher’s bill came due, he doubted his life would be enough to pay it. He needed to sit down and think, consult Baron Green’s memories, and then work through the problem. The church would be the best place to do so, unless there was another unwelcome surprise…