Pushing past the inn patrons as we rush to our room we go into Gareth’s. I already have the materials needed for the ritual in my backpack. Two rare white gems like crystalised starlight. One of two components is needed for a ritual. Stealing these had been tricky but the time-consuming task had been gradually over months taking a little of the second component at a time.

A finely grounded powder from a black gem, there had to be enough to create a circle big enough to fit a person. That required more than one gem. In actuality, I had five white gems but only enough black powder for two rituals. It was risky but I did it every day for our future.

Gareth this better payoff.

The materials alone are worth more than a farmer makes in ten years. Not only are our funds being cut but also our ritual materials. The same materials that right now are our biggest investment for our future plans.

We don’t have access to more black powder anymore. The product is carefully and secretively controlled by the council of mages. Stealing it once when the opportunity was available was risky now it would be suicidal.

Why did I agree to Gareth’s will? It matters to him, and for Gareth, I am here to the end. I would give him the world if it was in my palm. He is all that is left in mine. Focus.

The ritual ring is rather simple to set up the white gem in the centre of a circle of black powder. The hard part was the ritual itself it takes a lot of magical and mental control to do a ritual.

Considering the rarity of the materials practical practice wasn’t an option. Most of the teaching is theory and the occasional observation.

My palms start to sweat and I notice my breathing becoming uneven.

I have only done a ritual once to prove I had an adept depth of knowledge in ritual work. Novice knowledge was not worth wasting material over according to my teacher at the time.

I set the rings a few metres apart as I am finishing the second ring I command…

"Place them in the rings."

Gareth complies with due haste placing one of the two sickly slave girls into each ring. The smaller one sits up awake and Gareth positions the taller one as best as he can so she can be in the ritual ring independent of his help.

The taller one breath starts to become shallower and her moans louder but fainter with each passing moment. The smaller one goes to leave her circle for her help.

"Stop." I command my voice low and tone severe.

"Please, hurry and help my sister!" the smaller one implores.

"Silence, obey my commands. And she will live." I promise while drinking in her presence.

The furry black cat ears that stick out, shoulder-length hair and tail more blue than black that sways with her fearful trembling while her desperation is honed to a point in her pleading blue eyes. A body ravaged with poor health and dressed in chains that bind her wrist and ankles.

She goes to speak but a flicker of understanding passes over her eyes. What it is I don’t know but the choice she made I suspect is momentous.

"She is dying, isn’t she?" I ask turning my gaze to Gareth.

"Yes. We have to hurry. My adept augmentation healing is keeping her alive but without expert-level fine-tuning, I cannot destroy the sickness as soon as I run out of mana she will die shortly afterwards. We need to make the good health augmentation permanent and the others to give her a chance of recovery."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"So be it. I will start with her." The first part of the ritual is to have all those who are weaving magic for the ritual to have body contact with the person who is incepting the ritual.

As such Gareth holds my left hand firmly while I start the ritual by sending a beam of mana at the white gem using the inception spell with my right hand.

The first of two ritual spells I know.

The only other ritual spell was the coven.

The white gem is consumed and a blue circle is formed inside the black powder ring. "The situation is dire, do as you must we can only augment." I explain to Gareth. Who nods already aware without me saying it.

He begins weaving his augmentations unto the girl. The ritual materials pay for any mana costs so participants can use any spell viable for a ritual once without cost. In our case, the only viable spells class we can use are augmentations by Gareth.

I turn to look at the smaller girl while she was looking at her sister in concern at my movement her focus is solely on me. Time to give her the chance, display my willingness to trust her.

"During the ritual, we are vulnerable. At the point when Gareth is done with his augmentation of your sister, she will be as healthy as we can make her and much more powerful. Gareth and I will be weak. You will know when this moment arrives. Do as you will. Remember the choice is yours. This is the weight of freedom." I finish my warning and command the smallest sister.

All the while maintaining the ritual and allowing Gareth’s spells to work in the ritual and not just fizzle into nothing.

Gareth has nearly finished his augmentation of the tallest sister: strength, speed, senses, beauty, health, reflexes, stamina, agility, flexibility. The novice augmentation spells.

At an adept level, it allows him to heal himself and others. However, this is more focused on wounds and broken bones it is less healing than speeding up the natural body process at the cost of mana. It is effective at curing sickness as it can help stabilise the person.

I end the ritual and watch as the black powder is consumed and the blue circle fades.

I am alive.

Good, I may be a little paranoid.

The other one sits patiently waiting for her turn a look of wonder as she sees her sister’s condition.

The taller sister is by no means recovered, the sickness still infecting her body yet with Gareth's healing augmentation still working as well as the health augmentation working full time she is stable.

Over time any trace will be eradicated and any damage will heal. For now, with the first ritual over Gareth lets go of my hand and taking bread out of his backpack feeds the tallest sister.

I examine the tallest sister as Gareth feeds her and notice that the beauty augmentation along with the other augmentation had greatly improved her surface appearance which had been poor from the ravaging of poor health and underfed.

My eyes are drawn to her heavy, heaving breasts but I focus my attention across her body to a state of indifference.

Already her skin looks healthier, she needs food, water and a lot of rest. Perhaps specialist medication as well. Her hair is black but is long stretching down to her lower back.

I gaze into her eyes, a soft hazel.

She must be at least near my height with long limbs she looks lanky likely due to being underfed throughout her life. A thin figure held as beautiful by nobles, all I see is suffering. I suppose my opinion matters far less than hers on her body.

Whatever the future may be and despite the augmentations, she is painfully thin with her rib cage protruding. In time with proper care, she will form muscle and fat. The caring for her body combined with the augmentation will allow her to flourish.

I feel a wave of exhaustion pass through my body. Rest would be nice, and I would certainly prefer to wait before the next ritual. A ritual requires no mana cost but the mental drain is extreme.

I could sleep for hours.

The laboured breathing, sweat and pained expression on the smaller sister indicate she could use the ritual now. I am well aware of how drastically sickness can shift in the course of a few hours.

I see Gareth is finished feeding the tallest sister.

"Put her on the bed." I command my voice strained he does so. "Be ready, I am about to start the second ritual."

"Are you sure, you don’t look good August."

I hold out my hand. He pauses for a moment then he walks over and grabs it.

“Afterwards, get medication for the sisters. If they die after using up are ritual materials I will be…" I don’t finish the sentence. I leave the unspoken warning to hang in the air and use the inception spell. The white gem is consumed and the blue circle is bound within the circle of black powder.

"Now, Gareth." I order and he begins his augmentations.

After Gareth is done I end the ritual. As the black powder is consumed my vision blurs and then fades as I collapse, unconscious.

What next?