“The Wilds are a one way trip, very very few make it back from there. Its the original home to many of the native inhabitants of Aerith. We don’t know why they seem to have a certain grip on the peoples that get trapped there. We don’t even know if they still live only that they aren’t in the blight or anywhere else that we have the ability to teleport too. A truly great mystery as to how people even end up there, as most just assume that these folk have been eaten by animals or monsters in the woods and forests. The only reason we know that it is a place is because of the Elantran Arcanists that have studied their forests for so long. Though we don’t see eye to eye their research is indisputable, there is a plane that not only we can’t reach normally but one that seems to poach our peoples from the very woods that many run too in hopes of escape.” Viscount Elgen Tallorial 1555, Whispers of the Wilds.

Chapter 21

1509.04.26

Sally had been waiting many impatient days aboard the Imperian, the small caravel carried herself, Dr.Telgman and a dozen sailors and the vessel’s captain Andilous Rex. Sally had no idea when they would get there but had sharp excitement cut through her gut when she felt the ship creak and shudder as new waves crashed into it and the ship started to rock back and forth more readily. Sally hadn’t spoken to anyone since yesterday and even then it wasn’t much. Sally missed being able to see, she wondered if the enchanted stones would allow her see the colours of her village, the trees and chalky leaves she and her friend would pick just a few weeks before. Sally kept trying to touch where she thought her toes might be. A sickly betrayal as she quickly counted her right toes over the toes of where the left foot would be. Sally swung her right leg over with ease, with the crutch it was much easier to walk but it was still fairly new to her and Sally awkwardly limps off to the upper deck. It wasn’t so much to interact with anyone in particular however. Sally breathes in the sea air, the smell of ageing fish, the sounds of the ship and the activities therein required in maintaining and sailing her. Parts of her face, arms and remaining leg seemed to constantly buzz with itching pain. She only noticed this pain the day after she woke up when they went to get Sally settled into the ship.

“Miss you are shivering,” Sally heard a gruff voice from behind her, it sounded like it came from someone shorter than her.

“I know,”

“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in the deck below where the wind ain’t so harsh?”

“No, the bed sores were getting to be a bit much.”

“Don’t mean you needn’ be coming up here miss.”

“Where else can I go then…” Sally’s words hung for a moment for the sailor to fill in the blank.

“Polluk,”

“Well Polluk?”

“Nothing miss, you just are going to regret staying out much longer. It’s going to rain soon.”

“Rain isn’t going to stop me Polluk, Taran has much worse weather than this.”

“Just don’t want the elfling to get washed overboard neither there miss, we are to ensure that you make it to landfall and I am sure you’d be want’n that magic cure the others ‘ave been talking about.”

“Do you know much about it Polluk?”

“Nay miss.”

“Well my doctor hasn’t been too clear on it either but he says that the specialist out here that will be able to restore some kind of eyesight for me. They even might have something for me to stand on so I might not require this.” Sally waved the arm she was using to hold herself up with the crutch.

“Aye, don’t mind me sayin’ Sal but recovery will be difficult eh?”

“I know Polluk, too much relies on me being able to see, eventually I’ll be going back to Atalar to put some of my father’s belongings to rest. Perhaps I’ll be able to even hunt down the bandits that took him.”

“‘Aye you are from Anvil’s Crest region then?”

“Yeah, we used to pick herbs and flowers for my father.”

“We?”

“Yeah me and my best friend Nico.”

“He a good kid?” If Sally had motor control over whatever she had left for eyes she would’ve have rolled them but instead she just stared at the bored sailor. “Did I offend?”

“No no, Nico always had to be pulled off of his study desk in order to actually get him to do anything. His mentor Master Oakarn always had him to his ears in books and rituals to cast.”

“Oakarn? Ain’t he some kind of war hero?” Polluk’s hands brushed through his own hair as he began to become lost in thought.

“I mean he is a former battlemage.”

“Well if it is him, your friend had a brilliant teacher.”

“Yeah we knew, Oakarn would often be sought after by the mayor to chase away anything that threatened the village up to about three years ago when the old wizard was complaining about back problems. I think he was just tired of always dealing with the bandits outside of town though.”

“So what does it feel like?”

“What does what feel like?” Sally gave Polluk a questioning yet mild glare, Sally felt like she knew what Polluk was going to say next.

“The scarring from Falling always bothered my grandfather, he always said it was itchy and as much as he scratched the wounds they would never stop itching.”

“My doctor said I was very lucky, I should’ve had a cliff sores but I haven’t felt any.”

“I thought that they looked different from my grandad’s, his were constantly reopened because he was unable too…”

“It’s alright Polluk, the Elantrans will pay for what they did to me as well as your grandad.” Polluk could only nod in response, Sally could barely hear a sniffle.

“Well I have duties to attend too have a fine mornin’ there Sal.”

“You too Polluk, call the captain when you get a chance too I am curious to exactly how close we are to the Old Capital.”

“Aye!”

Sally stood in silence while listening to seagulls squawk and go about their own business, though she could only make out the squawks. Sally felt that they must be fighting over some large scrap of food or something and the birds continued to debate. Something else could be heard over the birds, distinctly they were words of a sort. Sally hobbled as quiet as she could to hear what they were saying, this wasn’t what Sally would usually do but she felt listless and alone without overhearing the stories the sailors would talk about on the open ocean.

“Sounds like some kind of fake attack from the Elantran’s themselves ”

“I don’t know, seems kinda odd to me. The Empire was expecting an attack from the rebels any day now they needn't be the excuse if the Empire was already an existential threat to their independence.”

“How do you explain the attack into enemy territory then?”

“Probably adventurers looking to make a name for themselves and the Empire, after all there is a bounty on former slaves from the rebels. Something like ten gold ducats for non magical persons and a hundred gold for magical ones.”

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“So what happened anyways.”

“Surprise attack on a border fort, apparently it was well timed apart from what I hear there was a blood sorcerer staying at the camp that night. She alerted the whole camp with her powers.”

“What the hell is a blood sorcerer? That doesn’t exactly sound like someone anyone wants to meet… I could only imagine what they would be able to do.” The two sailors then both began to look around, it appeared as though they weren’t doing much of the work on the ship.

“Well I am not sure exactly what a blood sorcerer can do. Probably something to do with blood which honest scares me more then anything.”

“Well then what happened.”

“The report states that the adventurers then left through some kind of magic gate, sounded similar to that the university has but two of their number were captured and either killed or tortured then killed. They don’t seem to think that there would be any survivors.”

Sally felt herself go numb,

Nico was with Kelly and her crew but how can we know… the money, they were going to turn the refugees to the empire in order to get Nico into school. Oakarn what were you thinking. Sally quietly hobbled back to her room, though she hardly felt tired something inside of her ached and she could hope that her friend was alright.

“Sally! You wanted to see me?” Sally then ran into the captain, seemingly in a world of her own and yet not. Sally’s crutch disappeared from under her.

“Captain Aisel, sorry about that,” Sally laughed nervously, then started to pick herself up. With a helping hand from Captain Aisel, Sally managed to get back to her feet though without her crutch she was only really able to stand and leant on a barrel.

“That’s quite alright, Polluk said you needed me for something though?”

“Yeah sorry it wasn’t urgent I just wanted to know how close we were to port?” Someone passed Sally a crutch allowing her to right herself though her right hip was starting to get sore from grinding in an unfamiliar socket. “Thanks…”

“Still about a few days out. Nearly the same as I told you yesterday could be three or four days depending on whether the wind will screw us or not.”

“Fair enough, I’ll try to get some rest and to get out of this rain. Thanks again captain.” Sally then left them to their duties while she made her way down to her cabin and the single bed she had to get off of her feet. This had been a miserable week so far, Sally was hoping that this would all be over soon.

___________________________________________________________________________

Nico brushed his hair out of his eyes, it was so early in the morn that he nearly forgot his first class started at dawn’s break. It’s not like Oakarn hadn’t done this to him a thousandfold but he’d gotten complacent since living and working on the boat. Nico knew he should’ve gone to bed early but he’d stayed up late talking and exploring the city around the arcane university. Nico noted the differences from each part of the city. It had nine towers, each connected by a grey wall shaped to be both a stable buttress with a vivid coloured rune which gave every district a unique glow to it. The market district had a soft white glow which covered the market square and the various buildings around it. Eight other districts, Hospice for those travelling from afar coloured a soft blue light, Residential for those staying here in the city districts to go to the arcane university at its centre coloured a soft purple light, Artisan’s guild which covers maintaining the tower’s masonry in the middle of the ocean as well as items the mages can’t otherwise produce themselves or couldn’t be bothered too. There was Docks which had a magical drydock styled elevators that could lift and lowers ships in making it essentially invulnerable to conventional invaders which means there were those that often didn’t try. Aerie district was off limits to every but the sellswords and their animal trainers, the sellswords patrolling the streets would usually have some kind of bird familiar like a hawk or a falcon. Rarely Nico would see a pegasus or a gryphon but those sellswords looked different and distinctly more grizzled with bright red cloaks and golden chainmail and leather pauldrons and pads inlaid with golden filigree of nine circles connected to a singular centre circle.

“Mr. Balesh!” The shouting across the room roused Nico from his daydreams from the night before. “Can you answer the question of which catalyst is preferable when dealing with healing magic.”

“Its often an auditory instrument like chimes, gongs or a bell, any thing made of iron and is capable of ringing can do it but the longer the sound the longer the effect of the spell.”

“Very good, not a hundred percent rule mind you. There are spells and magical effects that can supercede sound so long as there is some kind of frequency to carry the magic.”

Nico wrote more notes as the professor droned on longer, Nico had troubles keeping his eyes open and soon in an effort to keep them from shutting the young mage took a scan about the room. Nico was impressed by the sheer diversity of who attended this university, orcs, dwarves, elves… It didn’t seem to matter who you were, if you knew magic you went here to learn it. Nico’s next class was universal alchemy, his first class being introductory magical studies. Nico barely memorised the layout of the tower to find his class, third floor and fifth room on the right. Unlike the previous class this one had less students, his teacher Teriyth Eldetross had a variety of intricate looking relics and statuettes on her table. Teriyth was also a half orc, dressed in north style robes and attire which seemed to suit her build quite well. Black runic tattoos covered both of her arms and there was a soft purple glow that seemed to envelope the markings as well. Her robes were a deep green that seemed to shimmer a silver filigree of trees which seemed to move on their own. The class was still large to Nico in spite of it being the smallest class he’s attended that day. It consisted of at least a hundred students, it was a class Nico was surprisingly comfortable in despite growing up in a town roughly the same population as the class itself.

“Everyone take out your sandstone chalk and turn to page seventy two in your ritual books.” A rustle of pages could be heard throughout the room. Nico enjoyed alchemy, using the techniques shown Nico had already crafted a new wand using the wood of his teacher’s desk and though she seemed annoyed at the time they were both surprised when the spell that was cast was completed properly and that there was a rosewood wand sitting in its place. Today Nico had a plan to create a small knife out of some whalebone that Vick managed to find.. Nico wasn’t sure of it but since coming off of Kelly’s ship he had a feeling that the ship did more disreputable things then just smuggle the odd illegal item across the Endless Ocean. Carefully drawing out his ritual circle Nico made sure to include the dwarven runes He’s learnt earlier that day. The single sliver of runed jaw along with alchemical silver poured into the etchings. Each ritual circle is an equation, each equation meaning to manipulate from matter around it. This including the matter in ones own body being used in the reaction if a catalyst like a wand is used. On the first day of class Teriyth told a story of those who believed themselves mages so good that they didn’t need a catalyst. One such story was a mage known as Marl, Marl the Goldtouched. A thousand years ago during the reign of Emperor Gaius Gaellum II , the mage Marl would use enchanted thimbles in order to cast alchemy. The alchemy he fancied on using was illegal under the Imperial crown due to the fact that he was transmuting iron coins into gold ones. Marl was clever and quick but all cheats get caught eventually. Soon Marl was caught and sent to the fog deep to the south to brave the lands down there and that was the last that anyone had ever heard of him. Nico marvelled at the metal and bone knife he’d managed to make using stone and bone together. Nico was surprised to learn just how much metal the stone carried and wondered at what exactly he’d pulled it from.

“Vick the stone is laced with enchanted metal of some kind?” Nico marvelled at the bit of metal formed around the knife handle and blades dull back. Still more bone than metal it resembled something of a pointed skinning knife.

“Gonna have to sharpen it still,” Vick looked over the tool.

“Huh gonna have to work on that, we might have to find a special whetstone if we wanna sharpen that by hand.” Nico chuckled.

“Well be sure to get a rug if you wanna make too many more of these,” Vick pointed to the floor wear a thin film of an indentation could be seen where exactly the ritual circle had been.

“Yeah I could’ve hid that better” Nico scratched the back of his head. “Or bring my own metal.”

“Let me worry about that.” Vick gave a quick smile, it unsettled Nico just how much Vick loved stealing. Something quick with his hands and Vick could produce much of what Nico carried in his robes.

“So what are you even studying here anyways Vick, I haven’t seen you anywhere else in the spire. We don’t share any classes that I have seen.”

“Like I am gonna take a dumb class Nic, these guys are loaded up there. I skipped all of my classes today.”

“Vick! What do you mean? We are here to learn magic, not rob people.”

“Your here to learn magic, I am here to make sure you can survive for a bit before I get back seaside with my mates. The captain is headed back to pick Oak and Kel so you worry about the learning and I’ll worry about the supplies.”

“I guess it is expensive to just buy everything here, it’s still amazing they’d managed to put a school so far out here with no other close islands.”

“Well sometimes I think Red Rock is close but we haven’t been there in many moons.”

“Red Rock? Why would it get close if this place doesn’t move?”

Vick stared blankly back at Nico as if he was supposed to answer that question.

“You know some engineering feats aren’t all magic Nico, a bunch of pirates strapped a bunch of ancient ships together and floated them around like a city.” Vick was almost saying it in passing now. And it was almost like the information had hit his ears for the first time.

“You are telling me magic had nothing to do with it though? I’d have to see that to believe that.”

“I am telling yah it's all just wood and maybe some metal in the centre of the city island. Its sort of insane to look at it when you really are looking at it.”

“Sounds like a marvel actually if thats true…” Nico stared Vick incredulously, Vick shrugged back.

“When you got a break in your studies we can go” Vick smiled back.

“Well we should get some food before going to bed.” Nico looked in coin purse to find still at least a dozen coins of varying metals both silver and copper.

“Can we get those dumplings that I like?”

“Yeah those are pretty cheap” The two then left to get an evening's meal.