The next morning found Gabe echoing Freya’s sentiments from the previous night about how useful his new aura spell will be after nights spent drinking. Half-awake, he decided to forgo his usual morning routine of hauling up the water for his own bath and instead made his way over to one of the public bathhouses that were popular among adventurers. Gabe was normally content to wash himself with water from the rain barrel outside the candle shop as he found the bathhouse’s prices to be too steep for regular use, however today he very much desired to make use of the large pools that were enchanted to maintain a nice warm temperature. And besides, he was about to find himself with more gold than he knew what to do with. He might as well treat himself to a few luxuries now, especially since he wasn’t certain how many more opportunities he would get once he entered into the tunnels.
Banishing away any morbid thoughts, Gabe utilized the bathhouse’s services to their fullest and when he exited an hour or so later, he felt reinvigorated. While relaxing in the warm, steaming water, Gabe had reflected on the decision he’d made the previous night and realized that even with the dangers that lay before him, he was excited about the job, the quest as Professor Alrik had called it. It may have taken ominous predictions and a bottle of Wypsi ale, but Gabe had finally been forced to confront his fears and self-doubt and had come through the encounter a changed man. It was as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders that he hadn’t known he’d been carrying. Regardless of what was to come, Gabe was about to embark on an adventure he’d always dreamed about and he would face it head on with magic in hands and companions by his side.
When he made his way into the Guild Hall, he looked for Freya but her desk was unoccupied. Assuming that she was likely assisting someone in a different part of the Hall, Gabe put it out of his mind and strode over towards where Thalia was.
“Good morning Thalia. I’m here to see Professor Alrik. He should be expecting me.”
“Good morning to you as well Gabe. Yes, he left word with me yesterday when I showed him to his quarters that you were to be brought to him immediately. If you would follow, I shall take you to him now.”
With that, the fair-haired woman gestured down towards a hallway and began leading Gabe towards a different part of the Hall than he’d been in yesterday. The two made small talk as they walked and Gabe was worried to hear that Freya hadn’t come into work this morning. Apparently she’d left a note the previous night saying that she would need to take the day off for personal reasons. Before Gabe could dwell on what his friend could be up to, he found himself at a door set into the wall at the end of a corridor. Next to the door was a deep green colored cord and when Thalia pulled on it, a light chiming sound could be heard from inside.
A few heartbeats later the door opened just wide enough to reveal one of Drevock’s piercing green eyes. Upon seeing Thalia and Gabe standing there, the mercenary opened the door the rest of the way, revealing a lavish sitting room not unlike the office they’d been in yesterday. However instead of containing a large table, Gabe could see other doors and a kitchen that put his wood-fire stove to shame. Drevock grunted and then turned to walk back towards the kitchen area. Gabe could see now that there was a small prep table with a handful of vegetables, some of which had been finely diced. Much to Gabe’s shock, Drevock picked up a small knife and began to expertly chop the rest of the vegetables before dumping them into a pan on the stove.
Thalia turned to Gabe as she said “This is where I must part. I wish you well” before turning back and beginning the return trip to the main hall. Gabe stepped through the doorway, unsure what he should do. He was about to head to the kitchen to see if Drevock needed any help when one of the doors along the wall opened and Professor Alrik stepped through. He was wearing an outfit similar to the one he’d worn previously, however the fabric was a soft lilac color that caused the stitching of the illumination mana node pattern to stand out much more so than the day before.
There must have been something in Gabe’s demeanor that gave away what his decision had been for as soon as Professor Alrik locked eyes with him a smile broke out on the gnome’s face.
“Ah Gabriel, it is so wonderful to see you. I would hazard a guess that you have made up your mind regarding this job?”
“Good morning Professor. After a lot of reflecting, I’ve made a decision. This job is riskier than any I’ve been offered before, but the rewards more than outweigh them. But even discounting that, I think I’m ready to stop limiting myself. Last night I realized that I let myself fall into a rut of complacency. I want to start pushing myself again, to see what heights I can obtain. I’m ready for an adventure. You can count me in.”
“It is a relief to hear you say that. Truthfully I was not certain we would be able to uncover the compound nodes without your assistance. The entirety of the Pathways of Illumination will be indebted to you. You do not need illumination mana to predict the grand celebration that will occur when we return victorious. Time for that will come later, now we must prepare.”
Professor Alrik gave a quick flick of his wrist and a muffled yelp could be heard from behind one of the other doors. A few moments later Simon emerged stifling a yawn. From his messy hair to his half-open eyes, Gabe got the impression that he’d just woken up, despite it being almost noon. He shuffled slightly as he made his way over towards Drevock, who handed him a cup that had thin wisps of steam coming off it. Cup in hand, Simon made his way to the table and sat down on one of the chairs with a thump. He stared at the wall, blinking slowly while indelicately taking loud slurps from the cup.
Professor Alrik cleared his throat before saying, “Do not mind Simon. He is as they say, not a morning person. Once he finishes his tea, he becomes more himself. He will be right as rain soon enough. Simon has been my apprentice for almost two years now and he has demonstrated tremendous growth in that time. It is my hope that he will be able to assist you with learning your new spells.”
Gabe cast a glance at Simon, who had yet to make any motion other than drinking his tea. While Gabe trusted Professor Alrik’s judgment, he was a bit put off by the idea. In his present state, the only thing Simon appeared capable of teaching was the art of becoming a mime.
“Oh, okay. I guess I thought you’d teach me?”
He’d tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, but the truth was he had been looking forward to learning from the gnome. It just seemed fitting to him that he’d learn arcane secrets from a master mage prior to embarking on a potentially deadly quest. Feeling a bit chagrined, Gabe realized Professor Alrik probably had much more important things to take care of instead of helping him.
Professor Alrik must have picked up on what Gabe was feeling as he walked over to him and reached up to place a small hand on Gabe’s arm.
“It would bring me no greater joy than to guide you on the path towards discovery. I shall be present during your training, however it is important that Simon take point as he is nearing the end of his apprenticeship. He has waited to form his own compound node in hopes that he can make use of whatever knowledge we uncover. It will soon be time for him to take on apprentices of his own and I would like to be assured that he can teach as well as he learned. But do not fret, as I said I shall be there to assist should any difficulties arise. While our task is time sensitive, ensuring that you are properly prepared is paramount. I would like to enter the tunnels within 10 days, if you are up to the task of mastering two new spells in that time. I have no doubt that you will be able to do it.”
The relief Gabe felt at hearing those words was second only to the resolve he felt to live up to Professor Alrik’s expectations. Whatever form this training took, Gabe was determined to give it his all. He would not let them down.
“You can count on me Professor. I’ll train day and night if I have to. In ten days time, I’ll be ready.”
As if stirred by Gabe’s words Simon set down his cup and shook his head a few times before standing up and twisting his body in a light stretch. He glanced around the room, his eyes widening a bit when he saw Gabe like he’d just noticed he was there, before walking over to where Gabe and the professor stood. He folded his arms and gave Gabe an appraising look.
“So you decided to join our merry band of misfits. Braver than I initially gave you credit. Or stupider. Guess we’ll see which it is soon enough. I’ll need a few minutes to get myself ready, then we can learn some magic.”
Simon wiggled his fingers as he said the word ‘magic’ and then turned to re-enter the room he’d come from. Once his apprentice closed the door, Professor Alrik sighed softly and shook his head.
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“He means well and is quite the brilliant student. When he first became my apprentice he had just unlocked his earth node and had yet to learn a single spell. Now he is capable of casting tier 3 spells and has accessed his mind node. I believe he will reach some truly astounding heights. Though I do wish he paid as much attention to lessons on propriety as he does to magical theory.”
It shocked Gabe to hear that Simon could cast third tier spells. The young man seemed to be harmless, if a bit odd. Nothing about his demeanor or personality hinted to the depths of his magical ability and Gabe mentally re-adjusted his assessment of him. While he would still have preferred to learn directly from Professor Alrik, Gabe recognized that perhaps having Simon as a teacher wouldn’t be too bad. If the man truly was a prodigy, maybe he’d have some tips that would help Gabe master his two new spells before they embarked on their quest.
Unfortunately for Gabe, his reservations about training under Simon returned in full-force once the door to his room opened with a loud bang and Simon stepped out wearing a black robe with a matching conical hat that extended nearly two feet into the air. The robe was made of some thick material that appeared to weigh Simon down as he slowly walked towards Gabe. When he spoke, it wasn’t with his typical earnestness, but instead in a deep, resonant manner that was equal parts imposing and ridiculous.
“My new apprentice, are you certain you wish to continue on this path? Uncovering the secrets of the arcane is not without risk and the tasks I will set before you will take you right up to the edge of madness. Are you willing to do what is necessary to obtain power, even at the cost of your soul?”
Seeing that Professor Alrik was once again sighing and shaking his head at the antics of his apprentice, Gabe figured that Simon was putting on an act to mess with him. Well two could play that game, and so Gabe fell to one knee and unsheathed the knife he wore and presented it to Simon. Speaking as reverently as he could muster, Gabe said “Honored Master of the Magical Arts, I pledge myself to your tutelage. No cost is too great. I shall do all that is required of me to advance.”
Clearly Simon hadn’t been expecting Gabe to play along as he just seemed to stare as the knife being proffered to him. After a few awkward moments passed, Simon cleared his throat and said in his normal voice “Well that was unexpected. Let’s get on with the lesson then.”
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The next ten days flew by as Gabe spent every moment he could practicing his magic. He’d been disappointed to discover that the first lesson Simon had planned for him wasn’t magical at all.
“Tier 2 and higher spells require a wizard to be able to guide multiple distinct threads in different directions simultaneously. This is the most commonly used technique for Edortian caster to develop this ability in a safe and controlled manner.” And thus Gabe found himself spending that first day sketching out various patterns using both of his hands at the same time. At first he was to simply draw out the same image with each hand, but the drills quickly progressed to him drawing two completely separate images. It had taken him a while to get used to moving his non-dominant left hand in such precise motions, but he quickly discovered the issue was a physical one and not a mental one. He’d been worried that he wouldn’t be able to focus on his two hands moving in such distinct patterns from one another, but once he’d gained some practice drawing with his left, he found that he could easily trace out the practice images Simon set out for him.
When he got home that night, Gabe was startled to find Freya waiting for him in his room. Apparently the reason she hadn’t gone into work that day was she took it upon herself to check every weapons shop and inquire with every smith in Aranthia to find the best gear Gabe could buy. Gabe was grateful for his friend as he had prioritized learning his new spells over going shopping. After looking over the list Freya had made and listening to her thoughts on the matter, Gabe decided to prioritize speed and maneuverability over pure might. He was hopeful that his spells would keep him from getting seriously injured and much preferred the idea of dodging an attack than taking it head on.
He settled on a set of gryphon leather armor that was enchanted to improve both toughness and speed. The set was expensive and would cost him 160 gold, but Gabe hoped that the effects would be compounded when he had his aura spell activated. At Freya’s insistence he also agreed to purchase an enchanted ring that let him cast a minor fireball spell three times before its mana ran out. Given that all of his spells were defensive in nature and the only weapon he owned was a knife, he agreed that it seemed prudent to have a way to attack if he ever got separated from the others.
The next day Simon set Gabe to the task of drawing out the patterns of his new spells. Once he’d been able to replicate them perfectly, Gabe was finally allowed to cast them. He tried his aura spell first and after almost two minutes of slow deliberate casting, Gabe felt the magic click into place. They had moved to an outdoor training area for these tests and a soft green light could faintly be seen in bright daylight emanating from Gabe’s skin. He had felt the moment the spell took effect as a dozen minor aches and pains immediately vanished. All of the practice earlier had left him with a bad cramp in his left hand, but that too faded in the restorative magic of Gabe’s spell.
He felt as if he had just woken up from the best sleep of his life. It was as if he was suddenly more alive than he’d been just moments ago. When they first arrived in the training area, Simon had Gabe run through a series of exercises to establish his baseline. Now as he ran through them again, he found that he was able to lift almost 50% more weight and he could run at his top speed almost indefinitely. He had been racing around the track, laughing with amazement at how wonderful he felt when the spell wore off. Almost immediately he tripped and sprawled ungracefully across the ground.
The vibrant lightness he’d felt with the spell active had left so suddenly it felt like the world around him became much heavier. The next few times he cast it, the transitions between became less severe as Gabe knew what to expect and soon he felt very comfortable both casting the aura spell and moving around with it. He’d found that he could only cast it four times before his mana pool ran dry, which impacted how frequently he could practice with it. Fortunately Simon was able to teach Gabe a technique that helped him to both recover his mana more quickly and to increase the amount of mana he had access to. Apparently his previous method of ‘casting as many spells as he could’ to increase his mana pool was far from the most efficient way to go about it.
It was late afternoon and they had just finished up a meal when Simon taught Gabe the technique. “It will become very important to learn and master this technique as you advance your magic. Unlike the prime nodes which filter ambient mana into their types, compound nodes are directly connected to the constituent nodes. When you draw a mana thread from a compound node, you’re simultaneously drawing mana from all nodes that make up the compound node. Threads from compound nodes are also denser than prime nodes, so they draw more mana and will drain them much faster. By using this technique, you’ll build up your mana in your prime nodes enough that when you get around to forming a compound node, you’ll be able to cast more than two spells before running dry.”
The technique itself was simple but tedious and required Gabe to access a thread of mana from his node and instead of pulling it into his soul like he would do when casting a spell, he instead guided it through a swirling looping pattern within the node. According to Simon, there was a pattern associated with each prime node and by guiding the mana thread through the pattern, Gabe was increasing the draw of wild mana into the node. This increase was most prominent when he was actively using the technique, though over time it would lead to permanent gains that would increase both the node capacity and its draw rate. Gabe found that he could refill his node completely if he was able to use the technique uninterrupted for an hour, though he had to remain seated during that time. Simon assured him that it would soon become second nature for him and that he'd be able to cycle his mana, as the technique was called, unconsciously as he went about his day.
Gabe didn’t have nearly as much difficulty with learning his shield spell as he did with the aura. He had been worried that the shield would appear on his arm and that he’d have to learn proper battle forms to utilize it effectively. However he’d been pleased when he cast the spell and a translucent green barrier appeared directly in front of him and moved with him as he did. He learned that the spell only stopped objects coming from one direction and that he could move his arms through the shield unimpeded. To gauge what ‘moderate damage’ meant, Simon had cast a spell that shot rocks from the ground. The shield was able to stop two dozen rocks that Simon said carried the force of standard arrows before dissolving into a cascade of green sparks.
The remaining time was spent practicing both his spell casting and cycling technique in increasingly difficult situations. Simon would use his earth magic to create obstacle courses for Gabe to run through while casting spells at him to get him to lose his focus. He alternated between shooting rocks and shouting nonsense phrases such as “Wax on wax off grasshopper” at him telepathically, all while Gabe tried to maintain his balance on thin ledges or leap across small stone columns. By the end of the 9th day, Gabe had reduced the casting time for his aura spell to 45 seconds and his shield spell to 20 seconds. The biggest gains had come once he realized he didn’t need to use both hands to cast anymore. He was able to control one thread solely with his will and guide the other with a single finger, reducing the need for large, slow gestures. He’d picked up his new armor and ring the previous day. The gryphon leather was a pale gold and fit Gabe perfectly. He’d never worn such a high-quality set of gear before and having it on boosted his confidence. The enchantments were much subtler than his aura and he found that he wasn’t nearly as awkward moving around in them as he had been when first learning Aura of Vitality. The ring was a simple band of orange metal fitted with three small rubies that glowed with an inner light. The merchant told him that by splaying open his fingers and saying the not so creative activation phrase ‘fireball’, a blast of flame approximately 1 foot in diameter would shoot forth and explode upon contact. As much as Gabe wanted to test out the ring, he didn’t want to waste any of the charges so he took the merchant at his word.
On the morning of the 10th day, Gabe donned his new armor, put on his magic ring, double checked his bag of healing supplies, which he’d filled with everything he thought could possibly be useful on their quest, and made his way to the Adventurer’s Guild. Professor Alrik, Drevock, and Simon, this time carrying a slightly-smaller-but-still-oversized bag on his back, met him out front. It was time for them to start their quest.