Earlier that day, Tomas’ POV
I sighed as I stared at the communication tablet on my nightstand. A marvel of magitech, it allowed even a first circle mage like myself to communicate over vast distances. Of course it could only use the full communication ability once per week with the local mana levels, and that was with a small condensing circle beneath it. Of the two remaining modes, I wasn’t about to use the emergency beacon. That would send the nearest group of paladins heading my direction no matter the time of year. With winter breathing down our necks, it would most likely end up with deaths. No, I was debating whether or not to use the delayed report, no emergency function. It would give me another three days to investigate Terrance, though my initial impression was good. Shaking my head at my indecision, I channeled a bit of mana into the device and sent off the delay signal.
Heading into the kitchen, I detoured as I heard a knock at the door. Putting on the false smile that I rarely had to practice since moving into this boring town, I opened the door to see Ellie and Scott standing there. “Ellie! Scott! Thanks so much for dropping by, I know you have so many things to do to get ready for winter. Please, come on in. I was just getting ready to put a pot of tea on.”
“Oh a spot of tea sounds wonderful.” Ellie smiled, walking in and immediately taking off her coat while Scott followed and did the same. “Still not used to the chill dear? It’s been what? Ten years?”
“Closer to fifteen if I’m honest, and no. I doubt a lowlander like myself will ever be used to the chill.” I smiled, following the couple into the kitchen. Fifteen years of exile. Fifteen years closer to my death on this mountain on the edge of nowhere. Hiding my bitterness, I went about the process of preparing the tea. “Any requests for the tea?”
“Ellie’s arthritis is flaring up this week.” Scott said. “Make it black as a necromancer’s heart, with a bit of spice to ward off the chill.”
“Scott!” Ellie scolded.
“It’s all right.” I chuckled, turning to see the loving glare she was sending his way. “I’ve got plenty stocked up for just this reason. You all kindly took me in so long ago and helped me learn to live on my own. It’s only right that I spend my stipend on some luxuries for the town. If I didn’t, I don’t think you guys would ever have anything fun.”
“Too right.” Scott nodded. “And we are glad to see you have found the fine line to walk. Too much pampering would ruin anyone living out here.”
“Oh I know that.” I chuckled, sitting down with the couple and dropping off into memories as we waited on tea to boil. That first year still embarrassed me, though they all forgave the spoiled third son of a baron who was dropped off with no fanfare. They let me demand and throw as many tantrums as I wished. Then when one of the worst winters in a decade had descended, they made sure I had the bare minimum to survive. But they did make sure that I survived, rotating which house I had dinner with every few days. After that rough lesson, I settled down and accepted my lot. I could either work and live comfortably, or slack off and freeze.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t even hear the kettle go off, nor when Scott got up and finished making the tea. The clanking of the mug in front of me brought me out of my daydreams. “Sorry about that.”
“No worries dear.” Ellie waved me off. “We’ll get to what’s bothering you in a bit, but first the tea. You know the routine.” Indeed I did. Despite evidence to the contrary, these mountain folk were highly superstitious about rituals. No big meals for lunches, no heavy discussions before a cup of tea. I did have to admit, simply sitting down and slowly drinking a cup of tea did wonders for settling nerves. In my anxiety, though, I downed my tea a lot quicker than anticipated.
“Protecting others is such a burden, no?” Scott asked with a knowing glint in his eyes.
“Am I that easy to see through?”
“Not normally, no. But we’ve been around a long time.” Scott shrugged. “Go ahead and ask about Terrance, we’ll help as we can.”
“I’m sorry.” I started off. “I know he reminds you both of better days, and I truly wish that I didn’t have to do this.”
“We understand duty.” Ellie interrupted. “Many of us here have sacrificed much in that name. We know to not hold it against you.”
I took a moment to stare at both of them. “Thank you for that.” I nodded. This would be uncomfortable, but not unforgivable. “Can you tell me what happened that first night? Where did Terrance come from?”
The couple looked at each other before Scott started. “It was just starting to snow, and I had to track down a wayward lamb. Nothing unusual, and getting everything stored away wasn’t too hard to do. As I was leaving the barn, I heard the sound of something falling in the snow. I’m not as spry as I used to be, but I headed over and saw the boy passed out in the snow. He didn’t have much clothing on him, not nearly enough to survive much longer. So I brought him in.”
“Anything unusual about him?”
“He wasn’t injured. At least, not frostbit. As cold as he was and dressed as he was? He should be missing fingers and toes at the least. Doubly so when you count how thin he was.”
“I see.” I nodded, scared of my next question. “What direction did he come from?”
“The Lost Lands.” Scott whispered, shoulders slumping. “He came out of the Lost Lands.”
“We know he has some magic, the crystal confirmed at least that much. Have you seen him use any of it?”
“You think he’s one of them?” Ellie asked.
“You don’t?”
“I.” She stopped. Tried starting a few more times. “If he was. And that’s an if. He couldn’t be that powerful of one. He’s just a child to start, but his nightmares.”
“Nightmares?”
“Terrible ones.” Scott nodded. “Crying out for a lost pet most nights. Other nights just in pain or panic.”
“Think he was in a battle?” I asked, growing more concerned.
“No, not battle.” Scott said. “I’ve seen men after battles. This wasn’t like that. This was more like some of those people you rescue from bandits. Crying like hope is gone, and never coming back.”
“Ok. I can work with that.” I nodded, relieved. “Is there any chance that he isn’t a necromancer?”
Ellie nodded. “He mentioned living in a wandering tribe. And some tribes that tame animals to hunt with. Could be they were captured by necromancers and he escaped.”
I sat for a minute, absentmindedly tapping the side of my cup with a finger. One of my bad habits that drove my etiquette teacher’s insane. Forcing my mind back to the problem at hand, I made a decision. “Ok. I don’t think this is an emergency, but it does need to be reported. I’ll pass along what we know, and request an Inquisitor with the first caravan in the spring. I’ll spread around to the rest of the village, but we should keep an eye on him just in case. Better to be on the lookout for no reason than for something preventable to happen.”
“Thank you Father.” Ellie said. “Is there anything else?”
“No,
and thank both of you for your honesty. I know it probably feels like a betrayal.” I started, letting the sentence drift off.
“Like you said Father. Duty.” Scott said, and for a fraction of a second a battle hardened soldier stared back at me before relaxing into a kindly old man. With that, he lovingly helped his wife to her feet and headed out to finish winter preparations.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Evening, Terrance’s POV
“Are we going to Father Tomas’?” I asked as we headed towards the church in the main square.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. We all get a bit of schooling at the end of the days. Monday’s are magic lessons.” Nick answered. “Kinda useless for us since we aren’t going to be proper mages.”
“Proper mages? I’m sure that bear would disagree.” I chuckled.
“Ah, no. Those were level one spells, and even that is straining our abilities. We know we won’t ever pass the first circlet.”
“Circlet?” I asked, confused.
“Let’s let Father Tomas explain.” Sheila interrupted. “He’s the one with actual school training, and he’ll do a better job.” Nick shrugged, apparently agreeing with her and followed her into the church.
“Ah, our herders return!” Tomas chuckled as he walked over to us, leaving a small half circle of kids sitting cross legged in front of a chair. “Problems? What happened to your shirt Nick?”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“Just a small cave bear. No big deal.” Nick answered. “I’ll have a bit of a bruise from the impact, but Sheila’s spell stopped a claw swipe skill!”
“Oh? Impressive Sheila. If you can stop a claw swipe, you have just about mastered the skill. Now, you two head on back and start meditating. Terrance, I’m not sure if you grew up with our magic system or not, so I’ll give you the basic introduction with the little ones today. After, we can talk and work out if you want to switch to ours, stick with what you know, or do a modified version of both.”
“Sounds good.” I nodded. Following the priest, I sat just outside the circle of kids and watched as Nick and Sheila stepped behind the altar and dropped into a small depression.
“Alright kids, lets show off a bit for Mr. Terrance here. Who can tell me what we divide the magic system into?”
“Circle pets and tigers!”
“Circled ruts and piers!”
“Circles and stones?”
“Well, those were all very close but all slightly wrong.” Tomas said after the chaos of answers died down. “The words you are looking for were Circlets and Tiers. Let’s go over it one more time. Everyone has the zeroth circlet.”
“Even me?”
“Even you, Karse.” Tomas nodded. “It’s what allows us to interact with magic. That’s why everyone is able to activate the lowest levels of magical tech. Those like Nick and Sheila who have activated the first gem have the abilities to cast spells. After activating the first gem, they start working on the first circlet. The more circlets and gems you activate, the stronger spells you can cast.”
“Father Tomas?” One of the kids asked.
“Yes Liam?”
“How many gems have you activated?”
“Hmmmm. While I’m fine getting asked this, you all must remember that is an incredibly rude question to ask any mage. Not because it is offensive, but because it could put their life in danger.”
“I’m sorry!” Liam immediately responded.
“It’s ok. Like I said, I’m fine with you asking me. I am a second circle, first gem. This means that I am at the lowest level of official mage.”
“How high to the circles go?”
“Circlets Kellen. Circlets go up to 7 and that level should have 15 gems. But even Melnon, strong as he was, only managed to activate the third gem of the 7th level. Now, circles describe individual mages. There are also divisions of spells called tiers. Does anyone remember the tiers?”
“GOD TIER!” Liam shouted, practically bouncing in his seat.
“Well, straight to the top eh? Yes, divine tier is the highest level of spell. And while it is the strongest spell type, does anyone remember why it is so rare?” Looking around the circle, Tomas didn’t seem surprised when nobody answered. “That’s fine. It is some of the most powerful magic, because it requires a deity to help you cast. Even then, there are usually penalties like not being able to access your mana for a while.”
“Have you ever cast a divine spell? You are a priest.” One of the kids asked innocently, and I saw Tomas’ face drop for a second.
“I have.” He said, looking up for a few moments. “It is part of the reason why I am here actually. See, a long time ago I made a terrible mistake. Because of that, someone was hurt very badly. In order to save them, I asked Loreli and Callumen for aid, and was given a choice. I could let that person die, and live a long life full of adventures. I was already halfway through the second circlet at the time, and could possibly have reached the fifth or sixth circlet in the future. Or I could cast the spell and save them. In payment, I would be reduced to my current strength, never to increase it again. The church would take me in and protect me. I chose to save a life.”
“Of course you did.” Karse said matter of factly. “How could you teach us to fix our mistakes if you wouldn’t fix your own?”
“How indeed.” He said with a sad smile. “But enough of the past, we’re looking to the future! I’m sure some of you want to be mages! So we know the top tier of spells, let’s go through from the bottom. There are three tiers of spells. Tier one is just basic elemental spells. Can you guys name the elements?”
“Fire!”
“Air!”
“Rock!”
“Water!”
“Well you got most of them. Liam, we don’t call it rock, we call it earth. Fire and water are both correct, we also have wood and metal. There are a few more elements that make up the first tier, anyone else want to try?”
“Life and death.” I answered from my spot in the back.
“Indeed, life and death are two more.” Tomas nodded. “Though some people want to say those are combinations of others. But that’s more advanced than what we need. There is also light and shadow. Anyone know what is in second tier? No? Nobody remembers? That’s fine. Second tier are the combination elements. Any guesses as to what they are combined?”
“Snow!” Kellen shouted.
“Yes! Ice and snow are both considered combination elements, mixing fire and water. There are hundreds of combinations of elements, but in order to cast them one of two things has to happen. First, you must be at least halfway through the second circle. Or you can be in a life threatening situation and you must have a major affinity to both elements that compose it.”
“What’s an affinity?”
“It’s how much you want to stick to something.” Kellen said authoritatively. “Like sap. Sap has an affinity for everything.”
“That’s. Well we can say that’s close.” Tomas chuckled. “But I might have a better way to describe it. Amy, you haven’t answered a question today. How good would you say your mother is at baking things?”
“She’s the best.” She answered quietly.
“Indeed. She is the best in the village. You could say that she has a high affinity for baking, its something she is both good at and learns quickly. I am the opposite. Nobody ever taught me to cook growing up, and the first time I tried making a meat pie I managed to burn half the outside and leave the middle raw. The other half of the dough was raw.”
“Did you have it touching the fire?” Amy asked.
“HA! Amy I don’t think your mom is the only one with a high affinity for baking. You’re exactly right, I had it touching one of the logs. It took me a long time to learn to make it properly, and even then I’m still no match for your moms. Now, there is still one more tier of magic we should go over so that Mr. Terrance knows everything. The third tier is made of the supreme elements: space, time, gravity, holy, infernal, regrowth and corrosion.”
“Are there ways to use these elements without a spell?” I asked, intrigued.
“Yes. If you just manipulate the element, then you are considered to be casting at a half step below the tier.” We heard a slight thump, and both looked over to see one of the kids laying on their side. “I think some of our younger crew here might be at their limits. Why don’t we call it quits for today on the learning. I want all you little ones to head back to the circle with Nick and Sheila and practice meditating. Don’t disturb them either, they were casting today and need the time.”
“Yes Father Tomas.” The kids chorused, then headed back in a chaotic mess. I noticed the small smile on Father Tomas’ face, but didn’t comment. Though it was just a simple lesson, he seemed like he truly cared about all the kids under his care. Once the kids were gone, he beckoned me closer.
“So, how much does that coincide with your own teachings?” He asked.
“It’s pretty much beyond what we follow.” I lied. “We assumed that all mages unlocked their full strength when their magic appeared. Any improvements were because they got more skilled as they grew older.”
“I see.” Tomas nodded. “Did you guys ever meditate?”
“Never.” I said. “Too dangerous. If you weren’t aware of your surroundings, you were easy prey in the jungle.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “I had forgotten about that, as we don’t face the same dangers here. Well, I’m going to have you meditate for a bit back there before heading home for the night. We’ll go over more later, but basically we have found that casting spells leaves slight residue in your mana channels.”
“Mana channels?” I asked, playing the simpleton.
“Right. We’ll have to go over some terminology later. Think of them like tubes that carry your mana around so you can cast spells. There is a slight bit of gunk left after each cast, and meditation can help clear this out. It never amounts to much, even a lifetime of casting without cycling your mana will only lower your efficiency by a few percent. But in a life or death situation, that few percent can make a huge difference. There are other benefits as well, but we can hit that later. Anyway, sorry for rambling. What I want you to do is meditate. If you can clear your mind, I want you to find your corescape and try and figure out what mana types you have access to.”
“Corescape?”
“It’s just a mental image of your magic.” He said.
“Will I see circles of magic there?”
“No.” He chuckled and shook his head. “That’s just our way of easily visualizing a mage’s strength so we can explain it to the kids. Everyone’s core will be different, so I won’t tell you what to expect. But once you do visualize it, I can help you interpret it. From there, we can work on practicing your magic so that you can improve.”
“Sounds good.” I nodded. “but why is everyone meditating in that little circle back there?”
“Hmm? Oh, that. I don’t know how sensitive you are to mana, but up here it is rather thin unless you are particularly adept at earth mana. So when I was sent here, the church also built a small mana gathering formation. The kids won’t do much to it, but with the casting that I assume the other two did today it’ll be depleted in about an hour. After that, it should take about half a day to recharge.”
“Ah, gotcha.” I nodded, then headed back. Of course, the circle was completely full when I got there, but a gentle hand on my shoulder stopped me from nudging my way inside. Instead Tomas bent down and picked up a sleeping child, gently bouncing them to get them back to sleep before walking away. I took the offered spot and closed my eyes. How much should I reveal? I had been meditating for years, so I could drop into a trance in the blink of an eye. But that would obviously give the game away. Should I take a few days? A week? I couldn’t do it too fast, but too slow would be just as bad. I’d have to talk with Nick tomorrow I guess. He couldn’t hide squat from anyone. Course set, I relaxed and tried sensing the energies of the circle. Tomas was right, there was a lot of earth energy. I also detected a good bit of nature and a hint of fire, but that was all with such a shoddy circle. Cracking an eye, I looked around only to scoff at what they had used to make this. The silver ring wasn’t pure, and what few crystals they had used were barely mid-grade based on the cloudiness.
The next hour was torture as I had to fight both boredom and the urge to just drop into meditation. The one thing that was keeping me from absolutely losing my mind was the changing faces of the young kids. They would go through all sorts of emotions as they tried to meditate, not realizing that the key was to relax. Instead they went from thoughtful to worried to constipated.
“All right, that’s all the time we have tonight!” Tomas finally announced. “Good work everyone, and keep practicing. Tomorrow will be a reading day, so bring your primers. Nick, Sheila, I have a history book you two will be going over together with a quiz at the end. Terrance, I’m sorry to say but since you did test positive for magical talent we will have to keep working on meditation. If there are any questions you have over what we went over today, ask them first thing. Now, your parents should be outside so have a great night everyone!” With that he ushered everyone out and we all split up.
“Terrance! Over here dear.” I turned, surprised for a second only to find myself smiling as Ellie and Scott stood there waving at me.
“You guys didn’t have to wait on me, I’m sure I could find my way back.”
“Nonsense.” Ellie waved off my reply, taking my hand and leading back to their place. “We can’t have you wandering off and risking getting lost. You’ve already almost died once on this mountain, and I’ll not be letting you tempt fate again.”
“Ellie, it’s a straight road between the town square and your house.” I tried to convince her before a rough hand landed on my other shoulder.
“Easy.” Scott whispered. “We all know there’s no chance of you getting lost, but she likes to dote on people. Can you just give her this little bit?”
For some reason I couldn’t get any words past my throat, but I did give the old man a nod. I didn’t know what these people wanted from me, but I would eventually figure it out. Until then, I wouldn’t complain if they were being nice.