With all this uncertainty when it comes to verifying the truth, it wouldn’t surprise me if some of you readers might begin to question whether the gods are even real. Afterall, their Chosen are mortals just like us, what’s stopping someone from impersonating one?
Well, for starters, despite what atheists may claim, there is evidence that confirms at least the existence of beings with incredible power. The names of the gods for example, are uniform between all three languages, despite the lack of communication before their respective races first met. Then there are the recorded feats of magic that cast a shadow on the most powerful of Archmagus.
I’d go into detail, but I’ll save you the terror and simply advise that when a Chosen gives an order, you follow it. Be happy that most gods don’t keep an active Chosen. The presence of even one can cause unrest in a kingdom due to the god needing to take direct intervention. I’d hate to imagine what would happen if more than one were active at a time.
---
Travis
Rocksday, the 29th of Fifthmonth
I held up Adrian by the armpits as Bridget helped put his pants and shoes back on. My heart was still racing from seeing him suddenly cry out in pain during a set of shield squats and collapsing on the ground.
The medic was filling out something on their clipboard, then looked up to address us and Sir Felicity, “Sporadic stage 2 mana sickness, the mana oil should help ease the pain soon, and I’m prescribing an extra mana ration for lunch and supper. You should be recovered by tomorrow, but no spellcasting for the rest of the day. I recommend a short nap after lunch if possible, a 30-minute walk at a slow pace before bed, and maybe even a sit in the sauna if you’re not too tired.”
Adrian tried to nod his head, but either his exhaustion or embarrassment was too much for him to properly respond.
Sir Felicity stepped up to get into Adrian’s field of view, “I’m glad you stopped yourself when you did initiate, you could have seriously injured yourself. However, you’re clearly struggling with mana reinforcement, you’ll be assigned a tutor starting tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry Travis, I should have realized that something wasn’t right. He’s been having difficulty since the first day, but when I compare him to even the other less physically fit students, his internal mana seems to only fully amp up or not evenly when he tries to use reinforcement.”
I wish I could console Arc and tell him that I was just as guilty. I walked Adrian to a nearby bench, while Bridget grabbed an infused beverage from the medic to have him drink. The heat from his skin penetrated my gloves, and his face was a deep red, coated in sweat.
“I’m sorry Adrian, I noticed you were constantly tired after drill, and even well after. I should have asked you if something wasn’t right.”
Bridget handed me the drink, and feeling that it was warm from the sun, held it in my hand while I focused on the Air and Water Mana that had collected on my skin. The two mana types fused, and I was able to cool the drink enough to form a few ice crystals.
Adrian took a large swallow, held it in his mouth with his eyes blissfully closed, then finally swallowed, “It’s ok, I just thought I’d get used to it.”
“Hey, can you ask him a few questions for me?”
The medic and Felicity were having a private chat, so I thought it’d be safe, “Have you always had trouble with mana reinforcement Adrian?”
Adrian bobbed his torso around, so I sat on his left with my arm over his shoulder to hold him steady. He didn’t respond right away, just making a few unintelligible noises, but spoke when Bridget moved to his right and gave his leg a comforting rub, “I guess… I’ve been able to occasionally see mana for a few years now and figured out how to trigger it intentionally on my own over the winter. I never tried to use mana reinforcement before coming here, but my examiner said that since I was a human, I should be able to pick it up easily.”
Bridget leaned her head closer to Adrian, “That’s what mine said too. Apparently spending all day either studying or staring out of the wagon convoys with my mom and cousins made it easier for me to train my perception and mind enough to see mana.”
I looked up to see Sir Felicity subtly cast an Air spell, moving it to above where we were sitting on the bench. She then turned around to continue talking to the medic after giving me a wink.
Adrian took another sip of his drink, “Same for me, but it was just me and my dad.” He started tearing up, “He was so proud of me getting in, and even before, kept saying that he knew I had a talent to become a mage, even though I never casted a spell before coming here.”
Physically able to feel him about to begin fully crying, I used my already wrapped arm to give Adrian the best shoulder pat that I could. Inspired by Gramps [Warm Hug] technique, I coated my upper arm and side with a light coating of Ice Mana, giving my overheated friend something cool to relax into. I felt him sink in as greedily as I do on nights after I flip my pillow to the cool side.
I let out a sigh, relieved that I was able to comfort my friend. It must suck not being able to learn the magical style that should come easily for you. I know not everyone is built the same, the dwarven artificer we were going to meet tonight admitted that he was outside the normal curve, and even they still learned their race’s magic style without trouble.
Wait a sec…
I gave Adrian another shoulder rub, feeling the bones easily due to his lack of muscle. He really was thin, even for someone who didn’t have a physical job. My head moved to get a good look at his face, the redness was fading, returning to his pale Northman skin tone on his angular face.
Bridget gave me a weird look, so I tried to signal to her what I was thinking, “You must be popular with the girls, with those high cheekbones and clean jawline, especially now that you’re a mage.”
Adrian started chuckling while Bridget stared into my eyes, clearly still trying to read my mind.
Arc figured out what I was thinking though, “Oh, you think he’s a…”
I grinned as I gave Arc’s pommel a rub, “Did you get your good looks from your mom too?”
Adrian nodded his head, “Never met her, but my dad says I remind him of her.”
“Ok, let’s ease him into it. Don’t want him to react badly and go into full denialism.”
Arc probably should have warned Bridget though, “Smoldering embers! Are you a half-elf?”
Adrian jerked upright with a huge scowl, “What? No. That’s impossible.”
“Well, so much for easing him into it… Got a Plan B?”
Feeling Adrian tremble with anger underneath my arm, I decided that I needed to calm him first, “You’re right, that is.” I sneaked a glare at Bridget to convey my annoyance, then focused back on Adrian, “I’m sure your dad would have told you if your mom was an elf.”
Adrian nodded, his whole body shaking with the intensity, “Yeah, yeah… I admit he’s never really told me much, but that’s probably because he never married, so I’m most likely a…” his volume lowered, “child from a brothel visit.”
“He sounds like a great guy, could have just left you at the guard barracks to become a ward of the Queen.”
Adrian started chuckling, “I don’t think I would have made a good spartan, definitely would have ended up in the logistics corps.” He relaxed, and I felt him sink back into me, making me wonder if he somehow transferred his tension to me.
“Plus, if you were a half-elf, you’d need an orkish ancestor for it to even be a possibility.”
Adrian brought his head up, a surprised look in his face, “Actually, I do have a Great Aunt who’s an Orc. Would that count?”
Bridget, now finally following the same unspoken plan as me, gave Adrian a pat on his thigh, “Maybe, depends on if she’s your aunt by blood for starters.”
Adrian bobbed his head, and I looked up to see Sir Felicity still chatting with the medic, but something looked off. I gave Adrian another shoulder rub, and decided to press again, “Would your dad even be in contact with any elves? I thought you said that he only sold small goods?”
I felt my friend tense up, but after taking a few deep breaths, spoke in a whisper, “He…, uh, almost works exclusively with elves…” He paused to breathe some more, then started making a terrified look, “He used to have a route that would cross the western mountains but switched to sourcing goods for elves here in the capital after I was born. Said that it was easier to raise me that way and less dangerous.”
Oh boy, this is a big dam to dislodge…
“Adrian, you said during your exam that you detached your gathered mana for the first time and even shaped it. Did it hurt or feel strange at all to you?”
“Umm, no… was it supposed to?”
I got a firm grip on Adrian, and brought my left hand into a ready position, “Adrian, normally for a human, it’s tough to do that. Elves can naturally detach their mana much easier than the other races but learning mana reinforcement is difficult.”
Adrian began to tremble, gasping for breaths, and darting his head around. Bridget took his hand, and I brought my left hand to his chest to help keep him steady while his mind began to finally understand.
“Wait…, you think… but, why would Dad…” He began to sob, “Why would he…”
Sir Felicity’s voice whispered in my ear via [Message], “Go ahead and take Adrian to the infirmary. He’s going to need to speak to a therapist.”
Adrian was a mess, so I tucked my arm underneath his armpits, then gently pulled him up, and walked him away from morning drill.
---
“After we got him to the infirmary, they drew a blood sample, and fed him a ration loaded with sleep inducers. They should have the results by the time he wakes up.” I finished telling the story to Jethro and Mattius during lunch, while Bridget sat next to me with a dejected look.
Mattius buried his hands with his face, “Ugh, I should have noticed. He’s just like my half-dwarf brother Canus. He didn’t meet the deadline to become a knight, so now he just works as the head of the guard on our estate. Said that he just couldn’t figure out how to hit stuff hard enough.”
Jethro’s face twisted to one of anguish, “I can’t believe his dad didn’t tell him…”
I had to agree with Jethro, the thought of my parents hiding something that big from me seemed impossible. But then again, there’s a good chance that Franklin’s dad lied to him, or at least omitted the truth. Maybe I just don’t understand why a parent would do that?
I gave Arc’s pommel a rub, admittingly treating him more like a dog than a friend, but I certainly felt more at ease knowing that he was by my side.
“When you become a parent, not only do you want the best for your kid, but the need to become a good role model can cause you to hide any faults or sins that you have committed. Maybe Adrian’s dad simply didn’t want to tell his little boy who wanted to know why he didn’t have a mom like the other kids, that his elven mother wanted no part in his life.”
I gave Arc’s pommel another rub, and a tap to remember his quote for later. I guess Mom and Dad always did go out of their way to hide their marital problems from me, making up silly reasons why they didn’t share a room, or why they split the chores so that they barely had to interact.
Bridget woke me from my introspection, “I’m sorry for making it worse earlier.”
“It’s alright. You’re free for the rest of the day right?” She nodded her head, “Could you return to the infirmary? I’m sure he’ll want a friend nearby.”
“Sure. Should I… bring him to the spell range tonight?”
Me and the guys shared looks of uncertainty, but Jethro decided, “Yes, you should bring him. A fancy artifice demonstration would probably be a welcome distraction. Especially if we keep out any talks about elves.”
I nodded my head, “I’ll warn Durinn ahead of time.”
---
3-4 Break
I found a comfy looking patch of grass then unhooked Arc and set him on the ground nearby with my backpack, and finally sprawled out on my back. Mana Manipulation was a nice distraction, but there was no way I was going to be able to study between classes today. I closed my eyes, but my mind was back to racing out of control like it was this morning.
“Are you doing ok?”
“Not really. Did I do the right thing this morning? What if Adrian was better off not knowing?”
“I wish I could answer that. To be honest, I’ve been struggling with the same issue you have been.”
I turned my head to look at Arc, “Huh? What are you talking about?”
“You know how I see everything within a certain radius of me?” I nodded my head, “Well, there are things that I’ve been debating on whether or not I should tell you.”
Oh, right. I bet Arc has seen everyone in my village’s dirty laundry since before I was even born. Wait, does that mean…
I reached out to place a hand on Arc, “My parents have been keeping secrets from me?”
“Yeah, I… uh… I wasn’t sure if I…”
I smirked, “It’s alright, I’ve technically been hiding secrets from them too.” I gave Arc a pat to emphasize my point.
“If you really want, I’m willing to say. I… would rather that your parents tell you though.”
I nodded along. Yeah, I bet Adrian would have preferred his dad pulling him aside to have a long chat instead of spending a whole week wondering what was wrong with him. Speaking of parents…
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I sat up, then pulled over my bag to pull out the letters that I got last night. I still hadn’t opened any due to my lack of free time, but now that I had them in my hand…
I shuffled through them, putting Mom and Dad’s in the back, then Franklin’s, leaving me with only Caldia’s and Trent’s letters. A short mental debate later, and I broke the seal on Trent’s.
To Travis,
Apologies in advance, because I’m not exactly the best with fancy words. And I ain’t hiring a bard to snazzy up this letter.
Things have gotten rowdy here at Lakewell, and I ain’t gonna lie, you’re one of the causes of it. For starters, those necromancers you fought aren’t actually necromancers. I helped put the bodies on ice and have been publicly stating that they are as such, but… I know what happens to someone when they start eating high mana people. And what those things could do, wasn’t that.
Then there’s that fact that you were gallivanting around the fort, showing off your high mana level to all of us sensor types, which got me thinking that something wasn’t right. I’ll have to save the story for when we meet, because there’s no rotting way I could put my little adventure to paper.
Let’s just say, Eisaiah was a walking dead man the second I found out he’d been lying on his papers for mana checks.
Now, I’ll probably get in trouble for telling you this, but I think you got the right to know. A bunch of Eisaiah’s crimes are getting covered up, and will never see the light of day, the biggest one involves you, and some the other young hunters that we’ve been recruiting for the past dozen years.
Eisaiah has been lying, letting towns get away with keeping high mana kids. Once they turn eighteen, and start having wives and kids, he’d send us sensors in to round ‘em up and give them the spiel that they can either join the army and die or hang around the fortress and get to visit their loved ones once a week.
Travis, I can’t tell you how sorry I am for trying to do the same to you. I’ve never been the loyal soldier type, didn’t even consider becoming a knight when I learned to activate my mana, and I truly thought I was doing right by you. Guess it makes sense that an old thief wouldn’t have the best morals.
There are so many recruits that I’ve brought in these last few years, I’m not sure if I can return here anymore, now that I know I robbed them of a potential future as knights or maybe even mages. How am I supposed to look them in the eyes?
I know Lancel’s probably been buttering you up to join his clan, and it surprises me to say this now, but you probably should. Yeah, you’ll have to lick the Queen’s boots, but at least she has commandos to keep hers clean.
If you decide that the army isn’t gonna be your thing though, my offer still stands. Lakewell is a bit hot right now, but it’s in good hands now that there’s a trio of knights running the place. Your village will be safe long enough for me to get you trained as a monster hunter, and maybe even a witch, but don’t get your hopes up, it’s a bitch to figure out spells when you don’t have an affinity to get your feet wet.
I’ll be in the capital by the start of Sixthmonth, so just let Renald over at the Handy Hand Inn know that you’re looking for me.
Trent, Grade 3 Witch-Hunter
I set down the letter, not sure how exactly to react. There was a couple of huge revelations in there, but it didn’t really change anything. I guess I already knew that those creatures weren’t necromancers, just someone’s twisted science experiment. And the Jarl’s plan to recruit me would have never worked on me. Heck, I probably would have outed him regardless since I originally planned to stop at Lakewell Fortress first to collect information for my journey to the capital.
I reread the last portion again, this time to myself, and started chuckling at the irony, “So, we’re going to have to send Trent a letter, assuming he hasn’t already been assaulted with rumors about me.”
Arc started laughing in my ear, “I wish I could see his face; I still view Lancel and his brothers’ reactions on occasion when I’m bored.”
“It’s weird though, Trent had this huge adventure that shook his trunk down to the roots, all because of me, but nothing changes for me. I’m still going to class in half an hour, I’m still fretting over how I need to go to a hearing on Rainsday for the stupidest of reasons, and I’m more worried about how Adrian is doing rather than what some mad scientist is trying to create.”
“Maybe that’s what you should tell him when you meet. Just because he’s a half-elf doesn't mean you’re not going to be his friend. Have him focus on what doesn’t change, and maybe the things that do won’t seem so bad.”
I gave Arc’s pommel a rub, and I think I heard him purr? Or something similar. He must be messing with me again.
---
“Alright, should have that ready, can I get a name for the order?”
“Travis.” I tried not to react as the woman behind the counter’s eyes widened and head turned to see my shoulder patch. I gave out a small sigh, then turned to get into the regular supper line in the cafeteria. A moment later, I heard a small grunt, making me turn around to see an uncomfortable looking Drozuk.
“Umm, is your friend ok?” It took me a moment to believe it was him, his voice was barely audible, and it looked like he had either shrunk or was letting his posture go completely slouch.
“He should be fine physically by tomorrow.” I idly reached up to scratch my right ear, hoping that Arc might be able to help me make this moment less awkward.
Drozuk nodded his head, “Glad to hear it.”
We stood there for a while in silence, waiting for the line to move forward. Arc eventually pitched in some advice after we moved closer to the servers, “Maybe it’s time to bury the hatchets?”
I glanced at Drozuk with my peripherals while I thought it over. The line finally moved far enough for me to get served, so before we split to head our separate ways, I made my decision, “Do you want to sit together?”
My out of the undergrowth question caught him off guard. His eyes darted around, clearly expecting a trap of some kind, but he eventually nodded and followed me to my usual table.
We sat in silence as we ate. It technically was proper table manners but given how that rule wasn’t strictly followed in any of the fortresses, or even this cafeteria, it actually made me uneasy. Luckily Arc gave me a conversation starter.
“You said your dad was friends with the Jarl of Lakewell, did he use to party with a Paladin of Apheros and a witch?”
“Umm, yeah… my dad Olric used to be in a band with Eisaiah, a witch named Brian, and a paladin named Marceles. How did you know?”
“I think his group helped eliminate a bullcock that injured my dad outside of my village. It would have been over 18 years ago now.”
Drozuk scratched his head, his large hands digging deep into his dark-brown hair, “You’d have to ask him to be sure, but we used to live in Lakewell before Eisaiah got elected Jarl, so there’s a good chance it was him.”
Ugh, this conversation was moving agonizingly slow.
Drozuk must have felt the same, because he started shifting uneasily before speaking, “I… owe you an apology. I should not have been such an ass to you.”
Huh, I guess it was my turn to be surprised.
I gave Drozuk a grin, “Dang, I was hoping I’d still get an excuse to tie you to a pillar outside of morning drill.”
Drozuk’s eyes bulged briefly, before narrowing, “Were you seriously contemplating that?”
A light chuckle escaped from me, “You can thank Adrian for talking me down. I was pretty angry after the entire battalion got punished.”
Drozuk lowered his head, “Ugh, I definitely deserved being called an idiot by everyone.”
We actually managed to carry out a conversation afterwards, mainly with me having to clear up the incorrect rumors that he’d been hearing about me.
“So, you really are just a terrible dancer?”
I let out a groan, of all the rumors about me to spread, “Yes, that’s why I asked my friend Reidar to cut in for me.”
“Wait… you didn’t do that because he’s your secret half-brother who’s had a crush on the princess since he was little? Then why did you start serenading the two with a romantic song?”
That got my head spinning and Arc laughing hysterically in my ear. Where do I even start with correcting that one? “Ok, slow down. Who told you that?”
Drozuk squirmed a bit in his seat, the large orc oddly looking like a toddler caught telling a lie, “I uh, heard it at the pub just outside of campus.” I channeled my inner parent and narrowed my eyes at him, forcing him to continue, “There’s a bard there… and he’s got this great shadow show to help illustrate…”
Feeling a headache begin to emerge, I began to disseminate the outrageous tale, “First off, Reidar is not my half-brother. I’m pretty sure the only royalty he’d met before that night was the Queen for his Spartan induction, and I’m positive polkas aren’t considered romantic.”
Drozuk slumped in his seat with a disappointed look on his face while I told him the true story. After finally finishing towards the end of supper, his only response was a muttered, “I think I liked the bard’s version better…”
I rolled my eyes as I got up to put away my tray, Drozuk sat there, but got up to follow me after a second, “Hang on. Travis, I… I really am sorry. You’ve had every excuse to make my life a waking nightmare, so thank you.”
I looked into his eyes, it was quite evident that he meant his words, “How about we consider the hatchets buried? I’d rather not have to check for leaks every day in my boat.”
Drozuk nodded his head, “Thanks.”
The change in attitude was still jarring for me, and thinking back, I’m surprised that he even agreed to join me today. I wonder if he was getting lonely after being isolated for so long…
“Hey, are you free tonight?”
“Umm, I guess…”
“Want to come join me at the spell range? There’s a graduate student that’s going to show off an artifice invention that they’ve been working on.”
Drozuk shifted a bit, but finally replied, “Umm, sure.”
“Sturdy, you can help me carry the snacks.” I gave his broad shoulder a slap but stopped my hand after it made impact. His arming jacket interfered, but I felt his muscles give way. It was definitely squishier than raw muscle, but not nearly as jiggly as a person’s belly fat.
My musings were interrupted by a loud throat clear and a beastly looking glare.
I leaked out a weak chuckle while I removed my hand, “Sorry. Umm, you should probably bring your seams in, your jacket is starting to get loose.”
My embarrassment sadly wasn’t going anywhere, because a familiar looking half-orc was waiting for me at the takeout counter with a giant smile, “Travis, I’ve got your order.” He patted a ridiculously high stack of boxes that had to be tied together with multiple strings despite me simply asking for the same thing as last week, “We also heard about your friend Adrian, so I packed a care package for you to give to him.”
I stood there, mouth a gape, not knowing how to respond. This was starting to get ridiculous. I’m positive that I wasn’t flirting with the chef, or wait… was he the one flirting with me? Drozuk either didn’t notice my inaction or was too eager to help by grabbing the boxes. He then blocked my view of the chef and had to lean his grinning head to the side so he could see, “Lead on bud.”
Shaking my head in a vain attempt to force normality to resume, we started walking towards the spell range, but Drozuk ruined any chance of that happening when he leaned in close, “You should really get on that, I think that half-orc wants a tumble in the grass with you.”
---
Arc
I kept a look out for Travis as he introduced Durinn to Drozuk, Jethro, and Mattius in the spell range, but still paid attention to the conversation.
Mattius started off, “I stopped by the infirmary during my break, and talked to Adrian and Bridget.” He paused to ensure that his next statement had the proper respect and weight to it, “Adrian’s blood test came out positive, he’s half elf. He… was doing ok when I saw him and was looking forward to coming here.”
Durinn shook their head, “Poor kid, I hope they don’t make him join the elves for training. Us dwarves can be cruel, especially the orthodox followers of Adamanrion, but most elves I’ve met treat sleeping with a human, or even their orkish cousins, the same way they treat bestiality.”
Drozuk grunted, “They hardly treat us like cousins. Last time I checked, migrating to the elven kingdoms was blocked.”
Jethro let out a sigh, “Will our professors look down on him? I know there’s some half-orcs and goliaths here at the school, but are there any half-elves?”
Durinn scratched their orange beard, “Not sure if there are any half-elves, but I know that the school has protections in place for students. You green shirts are considered the Queen’s personal assets of the United Human Kingdoms, so a foreigner can find themselves deported or worse if they interfere with the duty of her mages.”
Huh. The perks of being someone’s property? Actually, I don’t think it goes that far. Maybe the Spartans back in the day, but it’s probably closer to how a government will ensure that no foreign entity harasses their forces without repercussion.
“Heads up, Bridget and Adrian are walking in.”
Travis, being smart, stopped the conversation by asking Durinn to help create a table and benches for everyone to sit at. I moved my focus in to watch in detail as the Metal Mage plunged their large collection of mana into the sand, then formed four rows of benches for everyone to sit at. The speed blew my figurative mind, they were 3d printing them so fast that the sand was flowing in like water, but what amazed me the most was how they kept adding layer after layer of Earth Mana lines as if their available to sync mana supply was endless.
They finished shaping the benches, and I watched as many of the mana lines became directional, creating a giant loop and turning the loose sand into proper sandstone. I had to give it to Durinn, their skill was impressive. They even added some decorative elements. Travis and Mattius’ table for the food looked akin to a toddler’s sand bucket castle next to a professional artist’s rendition of Edinburgh Castle.
Durinn got a good laugh at the two’s faces, “Don’t worry, most of the difficulty lies in the design process. Once you learn all the basic building formations, it’s easy to begin tiling them to create stuff.”
The door opened, and Bridget walked in, holding Adrian’s hand. The two stood before the group before forcing nervous smiles. Travis, smartly deciding to act as if it was just a normal day, introduced Durinn to the two. Then did the same for Drozuk.
Adrian cocked his head in surprise at the sight of Drozuk, “I, uh… never thanked you for getting that honeybadger off me. Thank you.”
Drozuk, looking abashed, tried his best to wave off the comment, “It’s alright, it’s what we’re supposed to do. I’m sure you’ll be saving me again at some point.”
“Again?”
Drozuk gestured to Travis, “Got told that you kept this attack dog on his leash.”
Chuckles passed around the group, especially after Travis’ grouchy face was spotted, and it seemed like the tension in the room had passed.
Adrian let go of Bridget’s hand, then approached Travis to give him a hug, “Thank you. It was sky shattering, but I’m glad you told me.”
Travis returned the hug, even giving it the Darius special, “So, what’s going to happen to you?”
Adrian kept the hug going, clearly enjoying the embrace, “Nothing. I’m going to have a private tutor instruct me during the physical portions of morning drill, but Sir Hector said that I can stay in the battalion. Lucky for me, I’m still 15, so I won’t be eligible for the Fall Purge field exercise, so if I haven’t caught up by then, I’ll be able to spend Fall break working solely on mana reinforcement.”
Travis started to chuckle, “Great, there goes the big speech about how you’re still my friend and how you need to focus on the parts that don’t change.”
Adrian finally broke the hug so he could properly laugh, “Dang, I should have waited…”
With that, it was time for Durinn’s presentation. The sweaty-looking dwarf stood in front of the seated group and started to breathe heavily.
Oh no…
“Hello. This… is my invention…” The dwarf’s normally bass tone was replaced with a constantly breaking high tenor, “Knights… have problems, with uh…” They looked down at the note cards in their shaking hands, then found their spot, “Casting ranged spells.” Durinn robotically held out their hand to the large cylinder. “This… fixes them. No… I mean that.”
Dear gods and God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone make such a 180. The bearded dwarf was acting perfectly casual just moments ago… I mean, I’ve seen nervous public speakers before but…
“Artifice… spells are usually restricted to… flat formations… but this can, fix that.” Durinn gulped, then switched to their next cue card, “Mana dust formations… teach knights to use artifice… but this teaches… wait… Rust!” The dwarf clearly skipped ahead in their presentation and looked about ready to shake off their armor from all the audible rattling.
Travis and the others, to my amazement, stayed polite during the presentation, giving reassuring smiles that did nothing to ease the dwarf’s anxiety. To Durinn’s credit though, they kept going, eventually picking up the tool once they had gone over the basic design specs.
Durinn gripped the handle, then set the tube on their shoulder like a…
Fire mana from the dwarf was guided inside then followed the inscriptions to form a [Fire Arrow] inside the tube before completing and launching out of the front like a rocket.
That got the crowd excited, and everyone was quick to start asking if they could try out the fantasy rocket launcher. Sadly, it only worked with Fire Mana, so Bridget was given the first chance to try it out. She followed the directions, allowing her synced mana to flow in the direction laid out by the higher intensity inscriptions. Once the tube was fully filled, she followed Durinn’s directions to complete the circuit and fire the [Fire Arrow] at the back wall.
Bridget was beaming, which I assume was emphasized by her large eyes, and I noticed Adrian move close to Bridget and give her a big smile. She handed the spell launcher to Travis to try, then stepped next to Adrian to watch Travis’ turn, letting her hand drift towards Adrian for him to hold.
Travis managed to summon enough Fire Mana to fire, but he clearly looked winded after doing so. Looks like casting [Fire Arrows] won’t be happening anytime soon for Travis.
The group opened the boxes with snacks, and Travis pointed out how one was marked specifically for Adrian. Curious, Adrian opened it to find an assortment of cookies, candies, and other goodies that were clearly not on the cafeteria’s order list.
With those guys distracted, I move my focus over to check out the dwarf’s handiwork in better detail. It’s quite remarkable, using the Metal Mana smartly to help attract additional Fire Mana, but not interfere with the spell formation template. I dive my focus into the tube to provide more info so I can study it in more detail when I replay the images tonight.
Something looks off though… I’m not sure what… I keep making rounds, circling multiple times before finally noticing. The Metal Mana isn’t pulsing at a constant rate… It almost looks like… No, it can’t be…
I move my focus close to a dense patch of erratically pulsing Metal Mana, then feed the image into my “patch” on a whim to see if…
Hang on, I think he’s noticed something at least. I doubt he can hear me though.
My focus recoils back. What the?
Hey! Can you hear me? Bob up and down if you can.
My mind races on high alert, and terror grips my soul.
It’s alright ingot, I’m not going to hurt you. My name’s Addy, short for Adamanrion.
Addy… No, Adamanrion…? The god of Metal, Architecture, Invention, and Rebirth? That Adamanrion?
I slowly move my focus up and down, not because I particularly want to, but because I don’t want to anger the god.
So, you can hear me. I’m surprised, you’re still so small.
Not sure how to reply, I’m stuck waiting for “Addy” to continue.
Well, since I got your attention, do you think I could bum a favor from your paladin?
Paladin? Wait, do they mean Travis?
I move around in a circle, instead of up and down, hoping that they’d get the hint to explain.
Oh, don’t be like that. It’s nothing grand, I just want him to help Durinnsognir with their public speaking skills. You must have seen how bad that presentation was.
Ok, I guess that’s something I was going to suggest Travis help Durinn with anyways. Might as well get a favor from a god in the process…
I bob my focus up and down.
Great! I’ll owe you one!
With that, the erratic pulsing in the Metal Mana stops, leaving my sword-brain flooding with questions.