Chapter 11: Basement Meditations

Sakura

“Is it weird that he just left us here?” I asked Vaush as we examined the empty underground amphitheater.

“I don’t think so young mis. After all you three are the only ones who will be participating in the practical field applications class among your tour group. The others need to be shown where their classrooms will be.”

“Yeah,” Rayce chimed in. “This place is awesome.” He pointed upwards towards the ceiling where dozens of heads of fearsome beasts had been mounted. It included a specimen I was pretty sure was some kind of monster that had to be related to the dragons of the Jade Empire. Though its snout was more elongated and lean, and it was missing the hallmark whiskers that denoted divine heritage.

Or so said the dragons.

“He was pressed for time given your two’s duel.” Landar said from across the room. He was examining a wolf's head that was three times the size of his entire body that was hanging from one of the stone rafters. “He’ll be back though. We still need our crash course on the mental spirits. Say, how are you both adjusting to them?”

“Mine has lain dormant since I integrated it. I think it fears King and Sky.” I said, as I examined the inert thing in my soul vault. It wasn’t actually located in my soul vault, but it kept a small piece of itself there so I could easily speak to it. Most of the spirit was embedded in my mind.

“Same here. Rex keeps trying to play with it, and it just sits there. Taking in data, and only dishing it out when I specifically request it.” Rayce explained. “I haven’t really played around with it alot yet though. Why?”

“Um . . . no reason.”

Vaush glared at the young once half-farel man. “Boy, if there is a problem it is best to have it out sooner rather than later. Particularly with anything to do with the mind and soul. Trust me.”

Landar sighed like a man who had just been given a terminal diagnosis. “It's just that . . . well, mine seems rather active. It's integrated a running spell I’ve kept active for years, called Mental Journal. It was an ability actually, I had integrated it into a meridian in my brain a year or so ago once I cleansed it.”

“You cleansed a mind meridian already?” Vaush asked, sounding awestruck.

“Well, it was the third one I've done. I haven't actually done any more since. The two were in my knees, and then the one in my head. I just thought it would be easier to imprint the spell there so it could keep the data I collected easier. Rather than needing to refresh the spell every so often, and being worried about losing the spell while I was sleeping.”

“That . . . that is very practical of you. It sounds like the mental spirit attached itself to that spell, and expanded itself somehow. Mental spirits are tricky creatures once they’ve reached a certain amount of complexity. I’d strongly suggest you speak to the expert on campus.”

Landar sighed again. “Done that. I’ll do it again though, probably a good idea.”

We stayed there, exploring the various rooms and alcoves of the place, but after only a short time we had found everything there was. At least, that we knew of. It consisted of the main amphitheater space, with four rows of seating. Three meditation rooms, what was clearly a mini-medic station, and an armory that was bare of any weapons. The only thing to denote what it was, was the presence of familiar weapons racks.

“So what do we do now?” I asked, as I sat in the front row. The hardy stone bench was cold, and the table matched it. The chill of winter somehow reached this deep, despite what must have been dozens of enchantments and formations designed to keep it at bay.

“How do you think that duel went?” Rayce asked, curiosity in his tone rather than judgment.

“About as well as could be expected.” I said, sighing. “I’m high silver, nearly gold. And Tosh is clearly peak Gold. Perhaps even low Jade. I doubt I ever really stood a chance. Even with both King and Sky with me, I don’t think we would have beaten that golden woman. And Tosh himself clearly is a powerful mana user. In one spell he took King down.”

“It was a mismatch,” Landar chimed in from the top of the small amphitheater. He was pacing around the edges of the room like a caged animal. Impatient for the next step on his hunt. “Even if you two were at the same power level, which you weren't, he had at least two levels on you. Probably more if my mind-spirit is right. That celestial spirit companion of his was practically designed to impose herself between Tosh and any threat out there. And she’s clearly strong and tough enough to do the job. All the while, Tosh sits back and casts spells with powerful ritualistic components to them. I doubt he has that gravity spell mapped onto a meridian as an ability, as an example. Honestly, I’d hate to see what his abilities are if he was pushed.”

“But King was a good match for her,” Rayce said. “Immune to her fire.”

“True,” I said. “But the problem was the two were more than likely going to be resistant to each other's attacks. It then became a race as to which companion could take out the other's master fastest. And . . . well, Turtle versus angel, I'm not really surprised which one of those two won the race if I'm being honest with myself.”

Perhaps I should have selected Sky, I thought as I turned the duel over in my mind.

Landar nodded and descended down the middle isle of the seats. “Exactly. And the fact she could fly made it so that even if your turtle and she had clashed first, she would have always had the advantage in reaching you first.”

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“But my lady was not defenseless.” Vaush pointed out. “That bolt of umber magic was inspired.”

I shrugged. “It was largely what was left over from the previous wielder. I haven’t yet finished tuning it to my liking.”

“So you have made your decision then?” Rayce asked.

“Yes. I wish to compliment my companions. So I have decided on several mana types as potential avenues for it. I’ll consult my new professors to get their insight into my final selection however.”

“Wise.” Rayce said. “Vaush, do you have any insights you can give us from that fight?”

My large guard considered the question for a moment before responding. “When resources are limited, and the opponents qualities are unknown, it is often best to husband your resources until you see an opening. In this case, your bows mana.”

“So I should have waited to use the bow?” I asked, trying to see his perspective on the fight.

“Yes, and no. You shouldn’t have waited to use the bow. But you should have used far less mana with that first show. Umber magic was a resource you only had so much off without resorting to the abysmal exchange rate. Right?” I nodded. “If you had used raw mana for a basic bolt attack, or had used a much weaker umber arrow, you might have found a chink in her armor. And still had the resources to act on it.”

I nodded, as I considered his words. He was probably right, if I had used a testing or warning shot, I might have been able to figure out any major weaknesses the angel might have had. Instead, I blew almost all of my stored mana in a single attack, hoping to overwhelm the enemy.

The fact the tactic had almost succeeded was part of the insidious nature of that type of thinking. I honestly could have almost overwhelmed her with a mana attack, I thought, realizing that the typing was probably not as strong as I had originally thought.

“Any other areas I could improve?” I asked, and the trio began discussing the debate in earnest. There were a few insights I found useful. Vaush suggested I attempt a new chie cycling technique, Landar gave me ideas on how I might have gotten closer so I could use my daggers. I still had them sheathed at my belt, but I wanted to focus on the bow. At least for now. Still, his insights were interesting.

Rayce on the other hand gave me an alternative strategy all together. “I noticed his celestial companion wasn’t actually immune to Kings ember field ability. You could have stayed with King and kept at a distance. Using King to keep her away and to block her attacks, while taking shots at her yourself.”

“But then she would have opened herself up to whatever Tosh was preparing.” Landar cut in. “That gravity spell thing? If it had caught both her and her turtle in the field, they’d have been done at the same time.”

The conversation went back and forth a few times, and it gave me several ideas on how to improve my tactical use of King, as well as my slowly growing arsenal of weapons. When the conversation finally died off, I stood and bowed towards them.

“Thank you all for your insights. This meditation has been most helpful.”

“Meditation?” Landar asked, confused.

“Yes. You have helped me meditate and more fully understand some of the concepts and tactical principles I learned in that duel. Thank you.”

“Hmmm. I would have called it a debriefing, but sure. You’re welcome.”

The ground rumbled slightly, and whisks of dust fell from the ceiling. A piece of wall at the back of the amphitheater, which had been solid gray slate stone, moved aside revealing a doorway. In strode two familiar figures.

“And that, my dear boy, is why this class is so important.” Edna the witch said, her hard wood cane cracking against the stone with every other step. “Students learning, by teaching and supporting one another. Students learn by doing! They solidify that knowledge through careful dissection of their failures and successes. Not by reading too many books, or listening to us professors prattle on endlessly until the stones whittle away to dust!”

ArchDuke Mortimer, his face fully healed save the hint of a scar strode in next to her. His head was bowed slightly as he listened to the much shorter woman intently. “She did make some strides.” Mortimer looked at me with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

“My lord,” I bowed respectfully towards him. “Professor Edna.” Rayce quickly followed suit as did Vaush out of respect.

Landar waved a hand. “Hi, so. I take it you're the professor then? Or is Edna?”

“Be at ease. You are students, and here in the school, as up in the tower, social rank matters very little.” Mortimer gestured for us to sit and we did so. Landar, who had not stood in the first place, kept his seat.

Disrespectful. Even if he is your family now, you should show your elders respect at the very least. I thought, annoyed at his lack of decorum. Then again, he is new to the role of noble. So perhaps he has not learned the lessons he needs yet.

As I fought to maintain a generous attitude towards the feral wolf man, Mortimer’s expression shifted from stoic lord to having a familiar mischievous glint in his eye. “I won’t be your professor this year, unfortunately. I’m still trying to break through a rather tough floor challenge, and have to devote my time to it. Edna has graciously agreed to step in for me.”

He turned towards the elderly witch. “And we have been discussing the curriculum at length. To ensure we don't have another . . . incident.”

I didn’t know why, but that proclamation sent a shiver down my spine.

“Incident? Bah!” The witch said, stomping her cane against the floor. “Kelbech was an idiot who got himself maimed. He shouldn’t have stood so close to that volcano. I even warned him about it!”

“Yes, of course Edna. But still, the board of directors including several of my relatives and the dean of students, has required I pre-approve all of the excursions this year.” The witch bristled but seemed to accept what the ArchDuke had proclaimed.

“Professor, this student would request to ask a question.” Rayce asked as he bowed to Edna in respect.

“What? Oh, that’s right you two are the easterners. Right, right. Yes of course, please. Out with it boy.”

“What will this class entail exactly? The description was vague. But many of those in Duke Mortimers court suggested it would be a good fit for us.”

“Like lambs to the butchers.” Edna said her eyes went wide. Then as if spurred by some joke only she was privy too she started cackling like a mad woman. The sound redoubled the frost on my spine.

“Edna!” Mortimer chastised lightly. “This is exactly what the board was worried about. You’re going to give them all nightmares before they even attend their first class period.” Moritmer didn’t look all that disappointed in the old witch, more amused by her.

Another bad sign, I thought. King agreed with me, but I heard the snickering of a snake whose humor seemed to match the old witches, in the back of my mind.

“Alright, alright you rusty old knight. I’ll tell the children the truth.” Edna punctuated her statement with a rap of her cane on the stone. “The class consists of two parts. First, will be our excursions into the world. Where you will learn practical skills, have a chance to see how the abilities, spells, and skills or techniques you learn here are applied in real situations. The second half day of every week will be a . . . mediation. Debrief, as Landar described it, of the excursion. What you did right, wrong, and what you could have done better. Does that satisfy you boy?”

“Yes, thank you professor.”

“Thank you professor,” I said in unison with the others. Landar simply nodded along with her words. Americans.