Kelek sat in Bayin’s personal office, head hanging low in equal parts guilt and exhaustion. The domed garnet that crowned his scepter lay scattered in numerous splinters on the maple desk in front of him. His attempt at resurrection was successful, but the gemstone was shattered at some point during the spell. He had found the dull shards of garnet sprinkled across Benjamin’s tunic after he roused from his stupor. The trio of companions managed to exit the saltwater cavern without issue after a brief respite, and returned the boy to his worried grandmother. They thought better about mentioning the horrific beast and Benjamin’s untimely demise; something the boy was seemingly oblivious to, and simply claimed to have found him lost in the cavern. Kelek alone was chosen to report the mission to Bayin, both providing the Guild its share of the reward, and informing the Guildmaster of the day’s events. He spent the better part of an hour giving a detailed explanation of their unexpected adventure. Bayin stood on the other side of the desk, stroking his beard contemplatively and staring into the distant sunset through the floor-to-ceiling window.
“You say you stole the Ether from this beast, and used it to reinvigorate yourself. How did you do so?”
Kelek clawed at his torn pant legs as he recounted every detail of his encounter; the harsh metallic tastes in his throat, the excruciating burning sensations of magic as he cast spells with desperation, and the curious nature of the seemingly sentient tumor within the beast’s maw. After his recollection, Bayin remained standing away. He stood in silence, save for the occasional puffs of multicolored smoke from his pipe, for nearly three minutes while he digested the information. Kelek dared not make a move while he awaited his response.
“Only one other person has been known to possess the ability you just described to me.” Bayin turned to face Kelek, and turned a shard of the shattered garnet in his fingers. “If your claims are true, then your potential as a Harnesser is profound indeed. Normally, Ether can only be channeled through a person when they cast magic. However, you may be capable of integrating Ether into your very being, bolstering the magic in much the same way the gemstones or Augurbark of a focus would.”
Bayin leaned in to examine Kelek’s face closely.
“You don’t appear to possess the eyes of an Aursol, are you certain no one in your lineage was one?”
Kelek shook his head, causing Bayin to give a small frown.
“Aursols have a particularly strong connection to the Ether among humans. If my theories are correct, they are connected to a progenitor that was capable of manipulating Ether in ways that could shape the very foundations of the world. I have no doubt those progenitors possessed the ability you now lay claim to.”
A light twinkled in Bayin’s ephemerally glowing eyes, and he opened a drawer filled with scrolls and quills. He fumbled through the drawer for a few moments before pulling out a sheet of yellowed paper and placing it on the desk in front of Kelek. The paper depicted a strange symbol in weathered ink. The symbol appeared to be a form of caduceus staff, but was inverted. Instead of snakes, a symmetrical helix of dark waves twirled around the upside-down staff. The waves of ink were randomly missing spots of color, giving the twin undulations the look of a starry night sky. Kelek studied the strange symbol for a moment before looking up at Bayin, who showed a slight disappointment at his apparent confusion.
“This symbol, as far as my research suggests, was the crest of a people known as the Ymir. They lived so far before any of our current races that tragically little is known of them. Few scholars find it worth their time to study them due to the scarcity of documents and artifacts from their era. But I believe that Aursols may be descendants of the Ymir.”
Bayin walked to the southern wall of his office and pulled an armful of books from the shelf. He quickened the pace of both his steps and words as a clear excitement grew in his voice.
“Historical records about the founding of Panptriam often note the fact that it is the only continent to natively house Aursols. What’s more, the gods they worship were far different from any in the pantheons of the other races. Their gods were depicted as humanoids with miraculous powers spanning an infinite variety of specializations. I would posit that these gods were actual living beings, the Ymir.”
Stacking the books on the desk near the Ymir symbol, Bayin took a seat opposite Kelek.
“To be able to cast magic so powerful, they would have to be able to draw Ether into themselves… Yes there is no other explanation I am satisfied with. I had always assumed that Aursols were related, given our common disposition of being Harnessers, and the location restrictions. But you and Mercutio being ‘normal’ humans complicates that hypothesis…”
Kelek perked up at the mention of Mercutio’s name and replied with a tinge of disbelief.
“Wait, you mean Meructio Brandt is the only other person that has been able to absorb Ether like that?”
The tension of the room grew unexpectedly, as Bayin’s excitement about the Ymir faded, and his demeanor became more serious.
“Pardon my fervor, there are far more important aspects to today’s events that must be addressed.”
Shaking the gaiety from his visage, he returned the books to the shelf and gingerly replaced the Ymir symbol in his drawer. His gaze returned to the shattered garnet when he reclaimed his seat, and the corners of his mouth folded into a deep frown.
“You have a talent for healing, I will not deny that, but you must understand that there is a monumental difference between mending a wound and forcing a person back across the veil of death. It is an unnatural practice-”
“He was just a child!”
“DO NOT INTERRUPT ME, BOY!” Bayin’s voice boomed through the room with frightening volume. The curtains of the window behind him billowed, and loose papers flew from end tables on to the floor. He let the intimidation of his command settle in for several moments before continuing.
“It is an unnatural practice, and the otherworldly arbiters of life and death do not take kindly to being robbed of their duties. The cost of a soul is great, and it cannot be cheated, no matter how much Ether you are capable of weaving.”
Kelek raised his head, ready to offer another objection, but Bayin shot him a biting glare that stabbed deeply into his psyche, silencing him.
“Were it not for Renzen combining his and Imperisha’s lifeforce to yours, you would have most certainly died in the attempt. It was a foolish endeavor, and I forbid you from continuing the practice in the future. You are permitted to do everything in your power to stay the approach of death, but once a life has been ended, you are to leave them to their rest. Do I make myself clear?”
Kelek clenched his fists so tight, the veins bulged out the back of his hands. He gave a single quick nod.
“Don’t try my patience any further, speak!”
“I…I understand…I promise I won’t try to bring anyone back from the dead.”
A shiver ran down Kelek’s spine as he finished speaking, and a faint taste of copper touched the tip of his tongue. He brushed off the sensation as a confluence of nerves from the intense confrontation. Bayin nodded, satisfied by his oath.
“I cannot say I am entirely displeased with your story, however. Casting so many different spells, in the heat of battle no less, is a far better advancement than the levitation assignment I provided to you. You’ve clearly an aptitude for learning spell craft. Your unique ability to siphon Ether from others will also no doubt elevate your skills above other novices. In fact…”
Bayin became lost in his thoughts for a moment, leaving Kelek to look into the many distorted reflections that returned his stares in the shattered garnet.
“The strange mass in that sea creature’s mouth, are you aware of what it was?” Bayin resumed after collecting his thoughts.
“I had gathered it was a collection of Ether that formed some sort of growth on the thing, why?”
“You are mostly correct. Ether possesses some level of sentience. It carries out a caster’s will, but when it is heedless, it will act on its own. Normally it meanders about the world in quantities so small it is invisible. But there are certain areas in which it gathers as if attracted there by a gravitational force. These areas where Ether runs thick are where one might find trees to produce Augurbark, as well as other vegetation that is laden with the magical substance.”
He lifted the pipe from his mouth and gestured to the smoldering herbs inside.
“Plants are not the only entities affected by concentrated Ether. Living creatures that are exposed to high quantities of the substance will often fall ill and eventually perish. These dangers are chief among the reasons why Augurbark is so difficult to come by. But death is not the only destiny creatures exposed to concentrated Ether are resigned to. Though rare, it has been noted that animals suffused with Ether will undergo drastic mutations, transforming them into beings known as Etherbeasts. These mutations often cause excessive exaggerations of a creature’s aspects, such as the massive tentacles on the beast you fought, or entirely new body modifications. These mutations confuse the animal, causing it to act violently and unpredictably. One behavior shared amongst all of them, though, is a desire for more Ether. They will graze upon Ether-impregnated plants, and other animals that have become laden with the magical energy, until their surroundings are completely harvested. I suspect that octopus fell victim to the heavy amounts of Ether in the cavern’s reservoir, becoming an Etherbeast and seeking to drain the essence from you to slake its thirst.
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A mischievous grin peeked from behind Bayin’s pipe.
“But you turned the tables on it. Instead, you siphoned the mass of Ether that was driving it for yourself, strengthening your power in the process. As part of your education and employment with the Guild, I am assigning you the duty of seeking out Etherbeasts and claiming their curse as your blessing. I am confident that the practice will hasten your progress, and eventually turn you into a wizard of unrivaled power. Do not fret over the garnet. In truth, it is impressive that you could call forth enough magic to overwhelm the gemstone. You can continue forward with the mahogany staff in the coming days. I’d suggest becoming familiar with handling it before we make for Tule. I’ll allow you tomorrow for rest, but your lessons will continue apace afterward.”
Bayin snapped his fingers and summoned the twisted branch of wood to his side before tossing it to Kelek. A dismissive wave of the hand instructed him to leave the office. Once the door had closed behind him, Kelek let out a long exasperated sigh. He looked down at the various cuts and stains that marred his purple tunic.
I hardly feel like the same person I was just a week ago. I never knew that I could perform such fantastical feats! But everything is far more dangerous than I anticipated…
He shuffled his feet along the floor, moving at a snail's pace toward his and Renzen’s quarters. The seat in Bayin’s office was the first real rest he had since the morning began, and his legs were barely functional. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and indulge in the comfort of sleep. As he inched past the banister, he glanced below at the hall. To his surprise, Renzen and Imp were seated at the bar conversing with three strangers. Each of them were dressed conspicuously and carried some form of weaponry. The most extraordinary aspect was the single woman amongst the strangers, who had amber orange skin and horns that curved toward the back of her head. Kelek’s curiosity got the better of him, and he descended the stairs to join his comrades.
“As luck would have it, the bastards were already dead by the time we tracked them down. Must’ve pissed off the wrong marks.”
The shortest of the trio of strangers was speaking. He was dressed ostentatiously, more so than even Kelek’s eye-catching attire. He wore a black tricorn hat emblazoned with a silver dragon insignia on either side of the forward protruding edge. A tan vest draped over his shoulders, accenting a bleached white poet shirt that puffed out proudly. A small uniform stubble of beard framed his pointed jaw, and honey blonde hair peeked out from beneath the confines of his hat. At his hip, a decorated rapier was sheathed in a slender scabbard. The handguard of the foil was a large dome, adorned with myriad gemstones. Curiously, two holsters were attached on both sides of his belt, each housing what appeared to be fusils. They were similar in shape to Dmitri’s pistol, but Kelek could not make out further details from their current state.
“Ah, you must be the octopus-exploder they’ve been telling me about. Al-Cid, leader of The Centurions, at your service.”
He removed his hat and gave a showful bow.
“My lovely fiendling companion here is Nashandra, and the mass of flesh behind me is David.”
David grunted in affirmation. He was a true beast of a man, standing easily over six-and-a-half feet tall. His head was completely devoid of hair, and his face bore several deep scars. His skin was sable black, and his barrel-chested pectorals nearly bursted from the ragged gray tunic on his torso. One of his arms was hefted over his shoulder, clutching the handle of an oversized pickaxe that looked to weigh nearly a hundred pounds. An aura of strength and intimidation radiated from his presence. Beside them was Nashandra. She looked far more delicate, but stood taller than Al-Cid. The alien orange hue of her skin seemed to pulse in color, as if her flesh was literally made out of fire. She wore a flowing emerald robe that was pleasing to the eye against her skin tone. Her eyes were pupiless, replaced by glowing orbs like miniature suns. At her forehead, two slender horns sprouted and curved toward the back of her skull, separated by a mane of wavy black hair that meandered to the base of her neck. She carried a narrow black pole that appeared to be a walking stick from a distance, but closer scrutiny revealed it to be a thin staff, with an onyx jutting out of the top.
“We’re fellow Guild members here on a job from the Ardor hall. Seems we’ve been spared the pleasure of bringing some Greith thugs to justice.” Nashandra said in a sing-song voice that belied her devilish appearance. “We figured we should pay a visit to the new hall in the area before returning to Ardor. Honestly I expected the new branch to be in Vencollis. I can’t imagine the prospects for members are terribly great in a town like this.”
Imp was biting her lip as she studied the fiendling. “Trust me, Vencollis is no better.” Her voice did not carry its usual cheerful lilt, though whether or not it was from the day’s exhaustion or apprehension for the group of strangers was a mystery. “I came down from there. Besides, Tynemouth has a much better view of the beach, something the Guildmaster evidently values a lot.”
“Looks good here. Bet there’s good fishing. Woods are close too- saw lots of fat boars on the way.” He licked his lips and squinted slightly, daydreaming of feasting on the wild animals.
“We didn’t bring a wagon, David. You want to hunt anything, you’re carrying it yourself. Better make it fast too, I don’t plan on staying after the morning. Speaking of which, where is the Guildmaster? Surely there are spare rooms for the night?”
Al-Cid spoke in a way that was familiar to Kelek. He played with his words in a suggestive tone- a method identical to Kelek’s own when he wanted to persuade people. It was clear that he had a similar silver tongue. Renzen jabbed a thumb up toward the office and said
“Don’t think he will be in too good a mood. Octopus wasn’t the only thing Kelek blew up. Old man lent him some magic rod this morning and he shattered that too.” He turned to assess the new staff that Kelek rested his weight against. “I’m wondering if this stick’ll make it through the night.”
Kelek blushed and gazed at the floor, unable to respond with a witty retort in time. Al-Cid excused himself and headed up the stairs. David and Renzen stared blankly at the open space, waiting for someone else to fill the void in the conversation. Nashandra thumbed the onyx of her staff, pretending not to notice the deeply scrutinizing eyes of Imp. The tension of silence built until Kelek was unable to suffer it.
“I don’t mean to sound rude, but I don’t think I have ever seen anyone of your race before. Fiendling, was it? Do you hail from Panpatriam?”
Nashandra opened her mouth to reply, but Imp preempted her.
“They’re demons given human form. Ever wonder what becomes of an incubus or succubus after they’ve fulfilled their purpose?” She pointed an accusatory finger at Nashandra. “That. Devils can’t walk about the mortal world freely, so they’ll take a human lover and let their spawn carry out their work for them as a fiendling. Half human, half evil.”
Nashandra raised her chin, indignant to Imp’s explanation.
“She isn’t entirely incorrect. My mother was a human from Nasarah and my father is Daemozeus, Hell’s most revered commander. I cannot fault humans for presuming the worst of demons and fiendlings, but I can assure you I am entirely my own person. My father is content with his role in Hell, he does not need me to conscript unwitting humans into lesser demons for his army. I am a member of the Brandt Adventurers Guild, same as you, and I’m hardly the only fiendling member.”
Imp’s nostrils flared, and her eyes narrowed into cat-like slits. She stood up abruptly from her stool and stormed upstairs toward her room. The awkward silence and tension returned with renewed vigor, though Renzen and David seemed entirely unbothered by it. Both magicians ran their hands up and down their staves, waiting for the other to speak first. Eventually, David saved them from the suffocating quiet.
“Don’t see many elves ‘round here. Last one I seen was up in Feldoch. None of ‘em bare their chest like you either. You’re not like those other fancy folk, are ya?”
Renzen smiled at the acknowledgement.
“No, no I’m not. I can say the same for you. Most other humans are soft in the middle, like Kelek. You look like I could drop a boulder on you and it would crumble before you so much as flinched.”
David returned his smile. His teeth were yellowed and chipped, but his mein seemed genuinely cheerful, despite the rough features of his face.
“Aye, you could drop twelve. Used to be a miner in Walrus Tusk. Me ‘n the dwarves would break up fifty tons of salt every day and down a barrel of mead every night. That work combined with dwarf brew will turn a babe into a grown man in a single week. I respect a man that looks like he can do some honest work, and you might be the first elf I seen that fits that description.”
“My tribe is rather different from most elves, and I differ from them even further. You’re not likely to see any others. They like their solitude too much. I’ve visited the foothills in the dwarven lands, but I’ve never been to Walrus Tusk. Are the salt mines as impressive as they claim?”
Renzen and David continued their conversation, the latter taking the liberty of opening a cask of ale from behind the bar. Kelek used the opportunity to excuse himself to the bedroom, leaving the cajoling pair to their drinks. As he reached the top of the stairs, Al-Cid was exiting Bayin’s office. He straightened his posture to stand slightly higher than Kelek and spoke.
“Sorry to hear you’ve so few applicants out here in the sticks, but all the better that there is no want for free room. I’m sure once more word gets out that Bayin Amadeus is the Guildmaster, you’ll start getting some real sorcerers applying.”
He removed one of the pistols from its holster and traced the handle with his forefinger. It shared a similar shape to Dmitri’s, but the craftsmanship was clearly far greater. The handle was covered in a polished wax, and the wood was dyed in a vibrant red. A gilded “R” was inscribed in the center, and a fingernail sized ruby was embedded in the base of the grip.
“He was good friends with Mercutio Brandt, you know. Those two are probably the best wizards to have ever lived, anyone should know that. A shame he decided to waste his talents out here surrounded by fishermen and cowherds… Gods know how valuable his instruction could be to a learned Harnesser.”
He let out a detached sigh and re-holstered his weapon. Making for the stairs, he passed Kelek and clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“Do try not to break another loaner, yeah?”
He gave a quick, insincere smile and walked down the stairs. Kelek stood at the top of the stairs seething with a mixture of embarrassment and anger.