Ends of Magic

After their discussion wound down, Nathan asked to have a private word with Stella. He’d been putting off talking to her about wizardry, partially because he wanted to take a break from crazy magical shenanigans. He’d been excited about magic his entire life, but recently it seemed like he'd been jumping from insane magic to insane magic, and he wanted a little bit of a break without manipulating the forces of reality.

Which is insane. I think it's less that I'm tired of magic and more that I don't want to start associating figuring out magic with balancing life-or-death consequences.

But the real reason was that he knew Stella would dive headfirst into wizardry the moment he gave her a hint in that direction, heedless of the fact that she had other skills she needed to work on - and needed relaxation time of her own.

Not to mention that if we play around with fire wizardry on the ship then Eolinne will straight up murder us.

The door closed behind the other Heirs and Stella turned towards Nathan with a curious look in her eyes. “What occurs?”

Nathan offered a hesitant smile. “You asked me before about wizardry, and I said I didn’t know how to help you get there.”

Stella’s interest sharpened to something nearly palpable, a faint glow kindling behind her eyes. “Have you found the Insight?”

His smile grew. “No, but you did. Your hydrabane spell, the part of it that uses fire to generate more fire mana. That is wizardry.”

Her brow scrunched up. “It isn’t. I understand how that magic works, and all of its functions are based in mana.”

Nathan shook his head faintly. “It’s wizardry. You might not be able to sense it, but that spell touches on the core of wizardry, which is all about changing the rules of reality in a local area. In this case you’re making fire burn better, and fuel its own spread more effectively.”

Stella looked at him expectantly, then realized he wasn’t going to continue. “Hear me, is that it? Can you give me anything else?”

He shrugged. “Not really. I’m happy to help you figure out if you can recreate the effect with other spells, but I’m not entirely sure how you did it. This is your Insight, I just wanted to tell you you’ve touched on the edge of it by yourself.”

Her expression grew introspective, then morphed into a proud smile. “My own Insight of fire wizardry.” She fell silent, thinking through the spell. “A truth of fire in oxidation.” Her gaze snapped up to Nathan. “When can we practice?”

He winced. “After we arrive in Keihona. I don’t want to burn down the ship, or make Eolinne think we might.”

Stella’s eyes went to their wooden - and flammable - surroundings. “Ah. But we can fly out over the ocean and practice there.”

“Only if you think you can practice without interfering with your [Fly] spell.”

She nodded confidently. “I will hit this target. Magic beyond what my parents could dream.”

-

Nathan wanted to wait a little while to talk to Eolinne, so it wouldn’t be obviously linked to the Heir’s private conversation. But they’d be arriving in Keihona in just a couple of days, so the next morning after breakfast he found her in the library. She was reading a book while curled up in an overstuffed armchair that rocked slightly with the motion of the ship. He pulled another chair over and sat down nearby, politely waiting for her attention.

It was a few minutes before she tucked a bookmark into her book and set it down on a small table. She regarded him fondly. “Your patience belies your power. It is a charming melody, to be treated as an equal by somebody who has slain a Questor. But acting below your station is to dance with folly.”

Nathan frowned at the formal speech, and the message it contained. “Should I be more demanding? You’re carrying us across the ocean. That’s not something I could do.”

Eolinne’s dark red lips curved upwards in a smile. “It is about status, and potential. I am old and wise, but there are others who can carry out my tasks. Few have the strength to shape the tune of nations as you have. Your deeds set you just below the Questors, above many of the true powers of Davrar.”

“Does that mean I need to treat everybody else like servants?” Nathan wrinkled his nose at the thought.

She shook her head in a quick motion. “It means you will deceive many about your status. Keihona is a city of pride, where people wear their achievements on their person. To bear no markings of accomplishment designates you as having no accomplishments, or being so successful that all should know your deeds. Or as being foreign and clueless, which is considered the same as having no accomplishments ”

“Huh,” Nathan said, processing that. “What do these achievements look like? Does somebody award them?”

Eolinne’s mouth quirked in amusement. “If only there was such a clear conductor. An accomplished farmer may wear a patch with three sheaves of grain, to mark their contribution of three fields to the city granaries. A hunter may string the teeth of their kills around their neck. But the quickest path to mockery is to make a claim you have not earned.”

“I’m not going to have idiots challenging me on the streets, am I?” His words were tinged with irritation.

”Keihona does not duel," she replied, rolling her eyes. But people will be rude, shopkeepers will serve you last, and the guard will not side with you in disputes.” Then she chuckled. “All of this noise matters little. You are Sarya’s guest, and any occupant of the palace is treated with utmost respect by the people. They know why their city survives.”

He looked up curiously. “So we’ll be staying in the palace? Are we going to have to wait to talk to Sarya?”

Eolinne shrugged. “The royal palace has a mighty guest wing, where Sarya’s agents are welcome between missions. Many enjoy the symphony of Keihona and move into the city, but the guest quarters are ever a place to find interesting people and swap treasures and Insights. As for when you will meet Sarya - I cannot say. Such is dependent on her schedule.”

As good an opening as any.

“What is she like?” He kept his tone the same, interested and curious.

Eolinne cocked her head. “I spoke of her before. She is a Questor, and fights against enemies that need fighting.”

Nathan waved that explanation away. “But as a person, what is she like? Brox was arrogant and obnoxious, and I want to know what to be prepared for.”

And try to interpret how she’s likely to react if we tell her what we suspect about Davrar

A sly smile spread across Eolinne’s face. “I will speak of Sarya if you first speak of Brox. I know his name, but have never met him.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Nathan deadpanned. “We’d just freed Halsmet, which is one of the smaller cities of Giantsrest, and then he strides in like he owned the place. Flowing hair, purple eyes, and with a social skill that would arouse the dead, if you know what I mean.” He wiggled his eyebrows to help convey the meaning, and Eolinne covered her delighted smile with a hand.

His tone shifted from wry humor to old anger. “Then he followed us out on a dangerous mission. He compromised an ambush we'd laid so he could be dramatic. That directly caused the death of several slave-soldiers we'd meant to save. Then he tried to goad me into attacking a dungeon for no good reason. When I refused he got mad and left to pursue his own excitement.

“He’s vain, likes excitement and gets annoyed when people don’t immediately bow to his suggestions.” Nathan ran a hand through his hair and let out a brief sigh. “ But before the first battle against Badud he explained himself. He said that he’s been doing this for a long time. Many thousands of years. Going from war to war, to be the hero that tips the tide when needed.”

His gaze was distant as he remembered Brox’s words atop the mountain. “He said that he had to be that way. That if he was respectful and serious it would break him eventually. The only choices were between being an annoying fool and not coming at all. And he came to help us.”

Though it honestly may have all been an act. But he didn't say he'd be better, so I’m not sure it matters. I might respect him more, but I'm not going to let my guard down around him.

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He looked at Eolinne again, seeing her pensive look. “He fell fighting Badud after that. But before he died Brox was able to wound Badud badly enough that he had to retreat to Giantsrest. That let us win the battle and gave me time to dismantle the Ascendent Academy and become powerful enough to win the next time I fought Badud.”

Eolinne considered that story for a moment. Then she dipped her head to Nathan in a gesture of respect. “An honest song, and in respect for it I will speak of Sarya. She acts the grand queen, the confident and proud leader of a confident and proud nation.” She leaned a little closer, a conspiratorial smile on her lips. “But in truth she is a scoundrel.”

Her eyes drifted upwards, looking at the distant past. “A few hundred years ago I was caught smuggling dimensional bags into Esebus. My ship - the Singing Squall - was placed under guard and I was put in the harbormaster’s jail, before transfer to the debtor’s prison. Then Sarya broke me out.”

She smirked while remembering the past adventure. “She was being chased by the guild-elite and needed a ship from the city. We lost them at a theater-brothel. Their attention passed over the two women dancing atop the table.” Her attention came back to Nathan, a raised eyebrow daring him to make a comment. “We escaped aboard my ship, and were chased distances beyond reason. Whatever she stole was worth more than the ships sunk in pursuit.”

“You don’t know what it was?” Nathan asked. He was surprised Eolinne had agreed to carry cargo she didn’t know about. Then again, it didn’t sound like she’d had a lot of choice in the matter.

“I asked, and she told me it was a secret of Kalis.” Eolinne shook her head in a small measure of exasperation. “By the singing bell, I believe the meaning is direct and she stole a secret treasure made by the Kalis Conclave before their fall. But that wealth is not the theme of this story. I spoke to Sarya often on the journey back to Keihona.”

Eolinne took a short breath before elaborating. “She is a thief and a friend to the shadows. She is vicious to her foes and ruthless in gaining every advantage. But her spirit points true.” Eolinne’s brows creased as she chose her words carefully. “Sarya hates needless cruelty, and carries a deep fury towards the Questors of Badud’s grid. She seeks to spite them, and spoke often of spreading knowledge and law to make Davrar better.”

That’s a good sign. If she wants to change Davrar to make people stronger, then she might want to change it to make it less deadly.

Then Eolinne’s mouth quirked. “After we left Esebus Sarya threw the identity enchantment of a man who groped her into the ocean. In Esebus, that enchantment carries your wealth and proof of your caste. It is impossible to steal, but Questors do impossible things.” She looked over at Nathan directly. “Does this quench your questions?”

He thought for a second. “I think it does. Thank you.” He considered striking up smalltalk but decided against it and got to his feet to leave.

Eolinne gave him a small smile. “A joy shared.”

–

A few hours later Nathan and Stella were floating in midair a few hundred feet out from the Grace of the Mists. She was working on distilling the core of the hydrabane spell into the minimum components necessary for wizardry, while Nathan was giving feedback and snuffing out any unstable constructs.

“I think the part that spreads fire around is essential,” he said.” Fire spreads, that’s what it does.”

Stella threw her hands up. “That’s not the logic of mana. It’s more like Khachi’s prayers!”

“This is wizardry, not mana,” Nathan reminded her. Then his head snapped up to scan the horizon. Something magical was reaching for them, coming from the direction of the dark blob on the horizon that they’d been headed towards the last few days.

Scrying magic of some kind.

“Somebody’s looking for us. Let’s get back to the ship.” He turned on his heel and sprinted back to the Grace of the Winds, making for where Eolinne lazed in her throne. He called out as soon as he was within yelling range. “Somebody’s looking for us. Should I block the spell?”

She waited for him to reach the deck before shaking her head sharply. “No. These are the waters of Keihona. They will find us and a patrol ship will guide us in.” Her eyes hardened and swept in to take in all of the Heirs, who had gathered in response to Nathan’s call. “The watch in Kehona are beyond other city guards. Do not treat the law here as a gentle breeze. Bow before it or be snapped like a brittle branch.”

Nathan blinked. “Ok. We’ll play nice.”

The scrying spell latched on and soon enough they were joined by a small and maneuverable-looking boat without sails. It looked for all the world like a speedboat with an enchanted ballista mounted on the back. Magic propelled it through the water at high speed, though Nathan could tell that the enchantment wouldn’t scale well to larger ships.

It’s probably not very stable in rough seas either.

It looked like only a trio of people manned the boat, but they all moved easily even as their little craft bounced over the waves. One of them called over with a magically amplified voice. “Eolinne Mistweaver of the Grace of the Winds, be welcome in the territory of Keihona by the authority of Sarya Pamaris! State your number of passengers and their status.” It sounded like a rote question, something the man had asked hundreds of times before

Her response was calm and businesslike. “Five adventurers from a far-off continent, come on Sarya’s invitation.”

“We know of your personage and items, are there any notable changes?” Came his reply, the words nearly blending together with his clipped tone.

“No.”

“Describe your passengers and their status, along with notable items.”

Eolinne’s lips quirked in a smirk before she responded. “A team of True Power, led by Nathan Questorkiller. Other members are mage Stella Hydrabane, markswoman Sarah Maelstromslayer, cleric Khachi Godblessed and fighter Aarl Relicthief.”

The Heirs glanced around at each other and at Eolinne in confusion, clearly uncertain what the names - or titles - meant. But their surprise was nothing to the reaction of the customs agents on the Keihona ship. Their heads all snapped up as one, the boredom of routine falling away in an instant to be replaced by shock.

Eolinne spoke into the ensuing silence. “Was my answer heard? Shall I give it again?”

“No - no!” came the nervous reply, the man stuttering as he tried to get back on-script. “Any powerful items to declare?”

The Heirs looked towards Eolinne, who shrugged. “They wish to know if you carry an item capable of destruction or corruption beyond your own powers. Speak the truth, but the titles I have given you mean that you should only need to declare items that are truly worthy of Kalis.”

The heirs looked around, shaking their heads. Then Aarl snapped his fingers. “I’ve got the blade of a Questor here.” He drew out the black-bladed sword they’d taken from Brox, holding out for a brief moment before sliding it back into his bag. “A few other weapons.”

That’s a bit of an understatement, but I don’t think anything measures up to Brox’s sword in sheer potency of magical effects.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Arcane Nullfield 8

Permanent Talent 2: Immortal Body 6

Permanent Talent 3: Airwalking 8

Class: End of Magic level 834

Bottomless Stamina : 84400/84400

Indomitable

The Undeniable Strike of the Antimage

Stamina Burn

Momentum Mastery

Stoneflesh

Arcane Nullification

Galefoot

Close Quarters Mastery

Boundless Aura

Denial of Mysticism

The Ending of Magic

Aura Projection

Selective Dispel

The Living World

Class: Spellslayer level 564

Regenerative Focus: 5740/5740

Catastrophic Blows

Battle Stealth

Mage Infiltration

Forgettable

Sneaky Blow

Antimagic Stealth

Magical Manipulation

Lethal Index

Wizard Resistance

Magic Jammer

Controlled Failure

Utility skills:

Tranquility 3

Inspiration 8

Impulse 3

Mystical Discernment 3

Forewarning 2

Arcane Insight 4

Evasion 1

Mental Vault 5

Tutoring 9

Parkour 9

Visibility Control 5

High-tier Disguise 5

High-tier Battle Cry 3

Aura Control 5