Yaric panted as he tried to keep up, his sword catching the early morning rays whenever he rolled the blade while deflecting a strike. The painful shock to the hands was bearable when his new augmentation spell was active, but the pace was unrelenting, his opponent an unbreachable wall.
Sven lashed out, forcing Yaric to twist to avoid his blade and putting him off balance. His shield bash took him off his feet.
“If you two are going to go at it that hard, I’m going to have to insist that you learn to reinforce your weapons as well. That’s the second set of swords you’ve ruined this morning,” Hiawatha admonished, pointing at Yaric’s sword as it lay on the ground. The edges weren’t reflecting the dawn sky uniformly, because sections all along the edge were pitted or rolled.
Hiawatha strode away before either of them could reply, so Yaric took the opportunity to lie on the ground for a few seconds longer, letting the cool early morning breeze drift across his face while he caught his breath.
“You’re not normally this out of breath, come on,” Sven said, holding out his hand to help Yaric up.
“And you’re not normally… enhancing yourself enough… to keep attacking nonstop,” Yaric replied brokenly, still out of breath. “I can’t break off anymore. Nonstop defending.”
“Then counterattack.”
“How?”
Sven laughed and raised his sword, prompting Yaric to do the same. Their current weapons were already badly damaged, even if they were repairable, contrary to Hiawatha’s complaints. There was no reason to take it easy with these blades.
The new spell enhanced their strength enough that directly countering a cut could shift your feet, and unnecessary blocks when out of range could twist your entire body. A big improvement for Yaric’s style, however, was in his wrist strength, and he tried leveraging it to his advantage, literally, by quickly twisting his deflection into a strike at Sven’s arms.
It didn’t do much at first, but counter after counter started pushing Sven to slow down, or at least lessen the pace of his offensive, as he was either forced back or forced to block. He always took the momentum back, but for the first time during their sparring session Yaric was able to force Sven to defend.
Emil’s words weren’t empty either. Fighting older students had shown Yaric just how powerful proper augmenting spells could be, but he’d been sitting in a position where lightning-fast strikes rained down on him while he shifted his sword from side to side to block. Being able to respond in kind meant that his own sword would flash forward in the smallest of gaps, making the pace of the fight hard to follow. It felt frantic, forcing him to strain second after second to see the strikes and follow-up slashes, never free of the fight for even a second, the stress and strain building in a way he’d never encountered before.
Yaric desperately wanted to learn to boost his perception and speed of thought. He felt like he was fighting in near darkness, struggling to see what his opponent was doing.
It was fantastic practice. Sven even made a point of reducing his enhancement so Yaric could pressure him in turn, and they soon decided to continue practicing like this even when they learned to boost their minds. Lauren and Li Na liked the idea as well.
Law class broke their thoughts on the matter, however, as no matter how much they wanted to plan ahead, studying the laws that applied to ports, rivers, and the open sea was just too far from the subject for them to contemplate weapons training.
At least the morning magic lesson covered the same spells they were discussing, so they were able to work on improving their combat skills in conjunction with their spell work, by using the spell work to force their skills to improve. There were so many ways to push themselves that Yaric was afraid he was missing something obvious.
For now they focused on casting the augmentation spell on other objects, which wasn’t easy. Li Na tried to help.
“So you’re already holding it, right? Just think of it like it’s a part of you. Cast the spell-like you were going to strengthen your arm, but strengthen the pencil instead.”
Yaric strained, trying to focus on strengthening the pencil as if it were a part of his hand.
Snap!
“Oof, I hope that isn’t how you strengthen your hand! Try again, but remember that you want the pencil to be stronger, not your hand. You don’t have to push anything,” Li Na added, looking at Lauren.
Lauren’s face had turned red with the effort of trying to push the spell.
“It’s the way you think about it. You shouldn’t be pushing anything,” Li Na continued. She wasn’t used to being on the teaching end of the conversation. Not that anyone else was talking, as strengthening other objects was significantly harder.
Sven managed to get it first. He looked shocked, not because he got it right, but because it was effortless once he understood what he was meant to be doing.
“It really is about thinking the right way,” he mumbled, pushing down on each end of his pencil.
“’Course. You just have to think my way and it’s easy.”
“He said we have to think the right way, Li Na,” Lauren pointed out.
“I know, that’s what I said too. If you can think my way, then it’s as easy as breathing.”
Yaric and Lauren both got it soon after, but all three of them struggled to maintain it. It was all too easy to shift their perception of the pencil and lose control of the spell.
The last half of the lesson was spent learning the components for one of the earth spells. Yaric and Lauren both wanted to be able to create darts of stone and hurl them, and they were meant to be learning a spell with an affinity they had never tried before, so it fit perfectly.
It was also a good alternative to a bow. Yaric had a handful of spells that burnt or pushed, and one that could cut, but this spell would allow him to fire off penetrating projectiles from anywhere, with no equipment needed. Of course, his bow was still far superior, but he couldn’t rely on always having it at hand.
They were leaving for lunch when they had a surprise interruption.
“Go pack your things, we’re going on a trip.”
Lloyd was standing outside the classroom, his bag already on his back. He had his sword and staff with him as well, although both were held in his hand, sheath and all.
“What’s happened?” Yaric asked.
Lloyd laughed. “Nothing. Well, there might be a bunch of kidnappings, I’m not sure. But that’s what we’re going to go and investigate. Just me and my student, Sponsor and… sponsee?”
“Dragon puppy,” Li Na offered helpfully.
Yaric looked around at his friends.
“Sorry,” Lloyd said, “I meant it when I said it’s just you and me. Damn, that’s not accurate either. Raymond was asked to help, and he’s taking his Apprentice with him. So there’s four of us. But I won’t be able to get the others out, this is my appeal, not yours.”
“I didn’t know you were taking appeals again,” Yaric said.
“It’s new,” Lloyd grinned. “I took an appeal and could use some eyes and ears. Oh, and it will double as you helping a couple of Arch Wizards investigate weird mental defenses,” Lloyd added.
That made Lauren look uncomfortable. “How would looking into kidnappings help with that?” she asked nervously.
“The kidnappings have nothing to do with it. There’s some weird plague in the same town. Not many victims, but it leaves them in a weird state. Anyway, the important part is the healer looking into it. Do you remember the reports Arch Wizard Phelps mentioned reading about, back when they first tested you? About an unusual condition that very rarely occurs? This is that same condition, being researched by the healer who wrote the original reports. They want him to have a look at you while we’re there. We’ll do it first so we can focus on finding the missing people.”
“Okay. Sorry guys,” Yaric said, turning to his friends. He shrugged helplessly.
“Go,” Lauren said. She pushed him encouragingly, smiling as she did.
“We’ll collect the work assignments,” Sven said.
“Yeah, and I’ll finish the house for your friend,” Li Na added. They had come close to completing it during the last lesson, but they still needed to add a few finishing touches to the owl box.
Yaric smiled guiltily and waved goodbye, then ran off to catch up with Lloyd, who had already begun walking to Yaric’s dorm building.
“Pack clothes for at least three days, but nothing for travel. You can take a cloak for the weather if you feel you must. Make sure you have the armored clothing I got you. And your bow and quiver.”
“Do you really think I’ll need my bow?” Yaric asked. “And shouldn’t I take my sword as well then?” Yaric added before Lloyd could answer.
“No, and no. I’ve brought those special arrows I got for you. As soon as we get the chance, I’ll show you how to use them. You can even test-fire one. It’s better if we do this off campus anyway, I don’t want to have to answer stupid questions.”
That made Yaric raise his eyebrows, but he knew better than to ask about the arrows before then.
“What about a staff then? Shouldn’t I have some kind of weapon?”
“A staff? Oh, like a quarterstaff. No, that wouldn’t be practical. Some kind of dagger would have been useful, but you don’t have the necessary training to make that a reality. Besides, you have your magic. Are you an arcanist or not?”
Yaric didn’t answer. They were almost at the building anyway, so he ran ahead to start packing while Lloyd waited. Lloyd was sitting by the entrance when Yaric came out of his room.
“Here, put these with the others,” Lloyd said, holding out half a dozen odd looking arrows. “Leave some of yours behind if you have to.”
There were structurally normal, but there were odd patterns across the shaft and head, like metal had been melted into every surface. Most of them looked like strange, interconnected runes. Unfortunately Yaric’s quiver was too full for another dozen arrows, so Yaric did have to leave a few behind before leaving.
“Where are we going?” Yaric asked.
“Andotin, the regional capital of Slelens,” Lloyd replied. “It’s big, so figuring out what’s going on won’t be easy. I’ll send you back if this takes too long.”
“I thought you’d just use some spell to track them. But I don’t mind staying longer if it’s going to help catch people like that. It would make the journey worthwhile as well.”
“They’re big enough to have their own transporter, and you’re traveling with a High Wizard. We’re going to be in Andotin in a few minutes. If I have to send you back, you’ll be in time for your next class.”
That made the trip seem far more exciting. Yaric had never used a transporter before, and his affinity with the spells used made managing one a very viable future career. Not that he saw himself installing and maintaining transporters for hundreds of years, but it earned a lot, and he could do it for short periods to boost his earnings.
The transporter had its own building on campus. It was surprisingly busy, with arcanists going in and out. Yaric recognized a few of them from the Council. Many of those coming through seemed to be civilians as well, though they must have been extremely important if their clothes were anything to go by.
“Alright, it’s our turn,” Lloyd said, tugging on Yaric’s sleeve.
“Is there anything I need to know? What about the mind shield?”
Lloyd laughed. “It’s not going to do anything to your mind, it shifts space. Just relax.”
Yaric opened his mouth to reply, but Lloyd was already walking off the platform again. He chased after him, wondering what went wrong. Lloyd walked back outside without turning around, and Yaric followed.
Outside everything was completely different. The campus was gone, replaced with crowds of people pushing their way through a street that seemed too narrow for the amount of traffic it attracted. Large buildings lined the road, too big and too closed up to be shops. They looked more like administration buildings, or offices.
“Keep close. As a High Wizard I need to report to the mayor and let him know I’m here. We also need to find Raymond and his Apprentice.”
Lloyd strode purposefully down the road, barely glancing around as he did. It wasn’t hard to keep up, but Yaric didn’t know which way Lloyd was going to go until he turned, so he was kept on his toes the entire way.
One of the first things Yaric noticed was that the city smelled different. Maybe it was because they had arrived so suddenly that Yaric hadn’t gotten used to it as it gradually changed, but it just seemed foreign. The weather was cooler too, making him glad he’d brought his cloak.
The second thing he noticed was the frequent stares and odd looks. It took him a moment to realize why, and once he did, Yaric pulled out his cloak to cover his quiver, while holding his bow parallel to the ground. It definitely helped.
Lloyd led them to a palatial building that took up an entire block of its own. White marble steps rose to large doorways, with crowds of people continuously moving in and out. It looked very expensive, even more so than the building in Lekton Academy outside of the Council Chamber, but it looked weathered and worn from extended use at the same time. Only now did Yaric notice just how new the campus grounds looked, as if they were perpetually being rebuilt with fresh materials. No doubt magic was involved.
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Navigating the desks and checkpoints was easy, as Yaric just followed Lloyd. It didn’t take long for them to find themselves outside the right office, sitting at the end of a long corridor and taking up three times as much space. The door was already open.
“You’re the one looking into the kidnappings?” the mayor asked, almost as soon as they appeared in the doorway. “That magic staff gave you away,” he explained, smiling as he did. He had no idea how often people pointed that out.
“High Wizard Lloyd Chen,” Lloyd said, holding out his hand. “And this is my student, Novice Yaric Miller.”
“Shaun Elwin, Mayor.”
They shook hands and the mayor sat back down. “The suspected kidnappings aren’t public yet, and we don’t want to make them public unless we know that these disappearances are indeed kidnappings. The plague we’re dealing with is causing enough fear as it is, I don’t want to add something that might not even be happening to the list.”
“We’ll be discreet. The appeal included a lot of information on missing people, have there been any others since then?” Lloyd asked.
“We get at least three or four every day. Most resolve themselves when the missing people turn up drunk, lost, or forgetful. And we don’t always get told when that happens. People also run away from debts, criminal charges, even poor family lives. We’ve never not had people go missing, we’re just getting slightly more than usual over an extended time, and some of them aren’t the kind of people or situations we’d expect to see.”
“I understand. We have enough to go on for now. All I need from you is access to your city guard and maps that cover the city.”
“The guard captain is stationed in this building; he’ll be able to help you with that. The other Wizard was here earlier and said he was going straight there, you might even catch up to him.”
“Great. One last thing, where is the plague being researched?”
“You think the plague and the kidnappings are somehow related?” the mayor asked, his eyes wide with alarm.
“No,” Lloyd laughed. “The healer looking for the cure wants to see my student about something. I just need to know where he is.”
“Oh, that’s easy. He’s in one of the wards just down the street, on the other side of the road.
“Perfect, thank you. I’ll let you know once we have something.”
Lloyd turned and walked out, with Yaric right behind him.
“Shouldn’t they at least tell people to be careful?” Yaric asked. The mayor reminded him of the one in Lekton, and not in a good way.
“It’s hard to say. Tell people to be careful of what? We aren’t even certain that there are kidnappings. And it’s not like people are casually walking into crates or sacks or the like, just because someone hiding in the shadows asked them to. Knowing that something might be happening doesn’t really give any additional safety, but it does increase fear. I’m not sure if I agree with the mayor, but I do understand his point.”
Yaric didn’t like it. “But people could at least arm themselves. That way if someone tries something with them they can defend themselves better than they would now.”
“Hehe. Yaric, how many people in this city do you think could defend themselves with a weapon? Or even own a weapon? You’re thinking like someone who’s spent years training to fight, which is good. But it doesn’t apply to everyone, or even most people.”
“So they’re just helpless?”
“No, I didn’t say that. There are a few things you need to keep in mind. One, they still have the city guard, and they’re trained to help. Two, they have eyes and ears, they aren’t going to stand around waiting to be kidnapped. People naturally try to avoid dangerous situations. And three, when faced with criminals, most people are helpless. If these disappearances really are kidnappings, I can guarantee you that they are making sure they take people in an unfair fight. Most likely with no fight at all.
“Muggers will use a weapon to get the drop on someone. Bandits will often outnumber their victims, and if they don’t, you can be damn sure they are better equipped or have some other insurmountable advantage. No one will risk targeting someone who could conceivably fight back, they will always target someone helpless. The whole point of arming yourself is to ensure you aren’t helpless, so no one attacks you in the first place.”
“It still seems wrong. There must be some good evidence if they sent an appeal to the Academy. People should be aware of the danger they are in. The mayor is keeping it from them.”
“I agree, leaving people in the dark leaves a bad taste in my mouth. You just have to weigh the benefits against the problems telling them would cause. I’m not saying they shouldn’t know, just that you should be aware of both sides of the argument. And either way, it’s up to the mayor. That’s what he was elected to do, and it’s the people who elected him that he’s keeping in the dark. They entrusted him to make decisions like this.”
Yaric stopped his grumbling when they arrived at the right office.
“Raymond, you’re already here!” Lloyd said excitedly.
The elderly-looking High Wizard looked up sharply, with something like fear or disappointment in his eyes. He suddenly looked very tired. “Chen,” he sighed.
Next to him was a very tall, very thin young man. He was at least fifteen centimeters taller than Yaric, but with only half the build. The Apprentice was looking suspiciously between the two High Wizards.
“Looks like we’re working the same case,” Lloyd said. He seemed to be far happier about the situation than anyone else.
“I heard this might happen. Didn’t believe it, but it’s not a total surprise,” Raymond mumbled.
“This is excellent, we can compare notes!”
“Notes? We only just got here. You as well.”
“Of course! Didn’t you go over the information included in the appeal? I’ve found several avenues to investigate.”
“Of course not. Unlike you, it’s my Apprentice who has taken this appeal. I’ve joined him so he would qualify, but the investigation is his. He needs the experience.”
“My student is similar. He is thinking about becoming an investigator as well.”
“They are nothing alike,” Raymond complained. “George here is an Apprentice; your student is barely a Novice.”
“A Novice who has already broken up gangs and organized crime, and he’s one of the four who exposed the network operating in the Kingdom, so I’d say he’s qualified. In actions and abilities, if not in rank.”
George’s eyes were wide, though his inquisitive expression made Yaric feel like he was more interested in the fact that there was a Kingdom-wide operation that had been exposed than he was in himself. He certainly seemed like he was struggling to hold back the questions.
Raymond seemed more frustrated than anything else. “Right, well, George is doing things methodically and correctly. I understand the need to cooperate, but I’d appreciate it if we kept within those bounds and didn’t extend to interference.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t dream of it!”
‘I bet he wasn’t until now,’ Yaric thought. There seemed to be some history between the two.
“George has finished questioning the captain, so you may take over while we take our leave.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” Lloyd said, before turning to the captain. “Your mayor said we would be able to get a map of the city from you?”
The captain looked relieved and quickly went to a cabinet to pull out a large roll of paper, sliding it out from the row that took up an entire shelf inside.
“That will be all, thank you,” Lloyd said, shaking the captain’s hand. “Where are you staying?” Lloyd asked, turning back to Raymond. “So we can catch up if necessary.”
“The Grouse, as usual.”
“Good, good. We’ll stay there as well. But, if you’ll excuse us, we have someone else to see first. Good day. And good luck!”
Yaric waved and turned to follow Lloyd out.
“Could we have a map as well?” a voice asked behind them, no doubt George.
Lloyd made his way outside, with Yaric right behind him.
“Have you two worked together before?” Yaric asked. He was unsure of how to frame his question, and that was the best he could come up with.
It was enough for Lloyd, who slowed down and turned his head with a smirk.
“Not exactly. I was once looking into some enchanted weapons that had disappeared from a military storehouse. No one risks stealing weapons like those for something small, and you wouldn’t need them unless you needed serious firepower to begin with.
“Anyway, I caught up with a group of ex-soldiers waiting on a bust road, all set up for an ambush. So of course, I ambushed the ambushers. I attacked them from even further off the road and caught them by surprise. They uselessly let off a bunch of enchanted weapons that they didn’t know how to use, there were a whole bunch of explosions, and a whole bunch of dead or injured bandits.
“And there was Raymond, standing in the middle of the road, wondering what had happened. Turns out the bandits knew they wouldn’t be able to use the weapons properly, so they were waiting to ambush someone as a test and hoping to take something worthwhile in the process.”
“So they were going to ambush him?”
“Nope! Or at least, I don’t think so. That was the problem, no one really knew for sure. But since I broke up the ambush and he was right in the kill zone, I was credited with saving his life. From a bunch of unconnected soldiers armed with weapons they didn’t know how to use.”
“And I take it he didn’t like that?”
“Didn’t like it? He was furious. And just as embarrassed as well. The funny thing is, I actually like the guy. He’s a decent Wizard. Well, High Wizard now. He just needs to stop worrying about his reputation so much.”
Lloyd turned into a building as he finished speaking. It was smaller than the building they had just left and far more utilitarian, but the individual rooms were much larger. Rows of beds lined each side of the rooms adjacent to the entrance, many with curtains drawn around them.
“Hi, can I help you?” a woman asked.
“We’re looking for a healer, Ron Stamp. I was told he’s working here.”
“Ah, yes. He’s the only reason some of our patients are still alive, so please don’t bother him. He does accept guests though. Up the stairs over there, and right to the top. There’s only one door.”
“Thank you,” Lloyd said, already heading for the staircase.
There were only five stories, so it didn’t take long to climb. It was awkward though, as they passed several patients on the way up. Both Yaric and Lloyd were carrying their bags with them as if they were booking into a hotel. And of course, Yaric was still clutching his bow in one hand.
“Healer Stamp?” Lloyd asked, knocking on the door as he did.
“Yes?”
“My name is Lloyd Chen, I’m a High Wizard with the Academy. I have my student with me, Novice Yaric Miller. Arch Wizard Phelps asked me to bring him by for you to look at him.”
“Ah yes, the old man mentioned the name. Didn’t tell me much though, said he wanted to surprise me.”
“Well, here he is. Have a look, cut him open, whatever you need to do.”
Yaric threw a glare Lloyd’s way.
“Nothing like that,” Ron laughed. “Come this way, you can sit on this bed.”
Ron didn’t look nearly as old as Yaric had expected. He might have been in his early thirties, but even that was pushing it. More than that, he was clearly very fit. The healer looked like he could lead the charge on any battlefield, and his close-cut dark hair only served to make him look even more like a soldier.
Yaric walked into the room and put his things down in front of the bed Ron indicated. A few of the other beds were already in use, but their occupants simply stared at the ceiling with dead eyes. He would have thought they were dead if it weren’t for the slow, shallow breaths they took.
“Don’t worry about them,” Ron said gently. “They’re already gone. These are the victims of the plague.”
“Already gone?” Yaric asked, his voice higher than intended.
“Not like that,” Ron said hurriedly while placing his hands on Yaric’s shoulders. “They’re alive. It’s their thoughts and minds that are gone. Erased like they never existed. The bodies are still breathing, but there are no thoughts at all, so as far as I’m concerned they are already dead. Their bodies just haven’t caught on yet.”
That didn’t make Yaric feel much better, but he sat down anyway.
“Now, I was told you have some interesting reactions to mind-related magic. According to the Arch Wizard, it may even help with my research. Did I understand correctly?”
Yaric nodded.
“Good. Can you explain what this reaction is?”
Lloyd stepped forward at that moment and moved to the foot of the bed. “It would probably be better if you try a spell yourself,” he said. “It seems like Arch Wizard Phelps wanted this to be a surprise.”
Ron didn’t seem to care about that, but he shrugged and turned to Yaric without putting too much thought into it. “Do I have your permission to scan your mind?” he asked.
Yaric nodded again and settled down to wait.
He knew exactly when the spell failed, because it was impossible to miss the sudden frown on Ron’s face. That frown only grew deeper as he tried harder to connect with Yaric.
Then he turned to one of his patients and stared for a moment, before turning back to Yaric. It was very awkward to just sit there in silence while an ancient healer made faces without saying a word. A healer who looked like he could tear Yaric in two.
“What is this?” he eventually asked.
“We’d like to know what you think it is?” Lloyd replied, speaking on Yaric’s behalf.
“At first he felt like one of my patients, but it’s different. With them, there’s a gaping hole where you normally find the mind, but your student’s mind is like solid rock. It’s not even a shield. Or maybe it is, but not one I’ve ever seen before. To me it feels like I'm simply denied access.”
“Any idea on what causes it?” Lloyd asked.
“Hmmm… I’d have to study this further. I can see why the Arch Wizard thought I’d be interested though. This is very different to what I’m studying, but the best way I could describe it would be to say the boundaries are the same. It’s almost like they are missing, but Novice Miller is more. This is just a first impression, with no actual testing, of course. Don’t take anything I’ve just said to heart.”
“Relax, we’re here for your help. Whatever you can do will be great.”
Yaric found himself looking back and forth between the adults while they discussed his unusual defenses.
“Can you turn it on and off?” Ron asked.
“Not exactly,” Yaric replied, shaking his head. “I can connect to things like the Tech Duinn, but it still stays up. It just lets certain connections push through.”
“It?”
Yaric hoped his face wasn’t turning red. “I don’t know what else to call this.”
“That’s fine. I just wanted to get a feel for how you interpret this. How you interact, if you’re worried, that kind of thing.”
“I’m more worried about how I might be similar to them,” Yaric said, gesturing to the bed opposite him.
“Ha! Don’t be,” Ron laughed. “You’re only similar in that you’re opposites. I know that sounds contradictory, and it probably is, but if I can understand how your mind works, I might be able to understand their condition as well. And yours will probably be far easier. I’ve spent seven hundred years studying this condition, and I still haven’t got all that much to show for it.”
“The plague has been around for that long?” Yaric asked. It was odd, but he’d never heard of it before.
“No, but this plague simulates a condition inflicted by Mind Mages. And I do mean Mind Mages, you have to specialize in mind-related magic to have any chance of success. I’ve ruled out interference by Mages, so I know this isn’t related. There is no arcana or signs of arcanist interference at all. But it causes the exact same condition.”
“What is it?” Yaric asked. His own experience with a Mind Mage left him feeling curious as to just what they could accomplish.
Ron looked out the window with a sigh. “Not even they really know," he said, speaking slowly. "There’s so little research on the subject. Of course, doing this to someone for mere research is already something only the worst of us would ever contemplate. But those who do it anyway are left shaken by the experience.”
“How can someone willing to do this to other people care enough to be shaken?” Yaric asked.
“They don’t. It’s themselves they care about. The damage they cause their victim is known as Banishment to the Abyss. Not the same abyss as in the Abyssal Fields, obviously, but the descriptions make the name sound apt.”
“I don’t understand, why does that leave them shaken?”
“Banishing someone doesn’t, but people are curious. No one does something like this without trying to investigate how it works. Particularly with how difficult it is. Don't think that just any MInd Mage is capable of the feat. And that’s where the problem comes in, the curiosity that is. Apparently they can push the mind so hard that it actually goes somewhere. And it’s looking into where the mind went that terrifies them.
“I have five records of the experience in total. Those are the only records that I know of, and they make up just eight sentences. But all of them describe pushing the mind until it disappears, leaving a hole as we see in these patients. These fools did more than that though, they peeked into the space left behind.”
“And?" Yaric asked, eager to find out what they had seen.
“They found a vast, open expanse of nothing. The abyss. All of the descriptions used words like infinite or never ending.”
“What was inside it though? Surely there had to be something. What about the mind thing?”
“No, just total, utter darkness. A sea of black stretching to infinity. One of these Mind Mages claimed to have entered quickly enough to see the mind disappearing into eternity, but things like ‘seeing’ a mind, or even ‘pushing’ it are very abstract. It’s not what actually happens, it’s just how some people perceive it, which makes these few sentences difficult to interpret.”
“And that open space makes them afraid?” Yaric asked skeptically.
“Not exactly. They all describe the feeling of certainty that if they fell in, if they peeked in just a little bit deeper, they would also be cast into the abyss. Lost for all eternity. One passage described the feeling as being 'cast into the eternal nothingness that snuffs out all light'. Apparently the feeling of dread lingers for weeks after... I have never dared to try it myself. There are far more detailed records on how the experience tormented them than there are on the experience itself.”
Yaric didn’t ask any more questions but turned to stare at the patient opposite him, contemplating the idea of drifting in nothingness for eternity.
“On that bright note,” Lloyd said, interrupting Yaric’s thoughts. “Is there anything you’d like to ask or test for right now? We have a kidnapping case to get to. I can leave him here, or I could bring him back later if you need to make preparations first.”
“Hmmm… it would be good if you could come back in three days. I need to think about this first.”
“Not a problem. Hopefully we’ll at least know if there really are kidnappings happening by then. Good luck with your research,” Lloyd said, dragging Yaric out. Yaric was so lost in his thoughts of the patients around him that he had to run back to fetch his things, then run back to catch up to Lloyd, who was already making his way down the stairs.
“I’m glad we got that out of the way. Now let’s go drop off our things and grab something to eat, then we can go and find ourselves some beggars or homeless people. There should be enough time to catch at least a dozen!”