Four Horsemen: Chapter 26

Chapter 26:

Valter watched Petor go and settled down at the table, putting the book Petor gave him on it and opening up the book on ‘thermodynamics and their essential nature to heat based spells’. Petor had consumed nearly all of the fat on his body but his muscles were sticking out.

Like an initiate that had been training too hard and not eating enough.

And by the half walk-jog he was going to go eat like one.

He finished scanning through the book some time later with a list of notes beside him. He’d taken down as much information as possible, not knowing when he might be able to read the book again and having limited time in the Sacrophytes hallowed depository taught him to read quick and make short snippy notes.

He went through the regular spell books, the information he needed was just a few sentences, but there were several pages of information for each. Their origin, uses, how one might cast it in several different ways. Then possible permutations.

Valter skimmed through, aiming for spells that would take limited mana but could enhance his fighting style or increase his ability.

After all, just by having the right foot placement one could greatly increase their endurance and the power of their attacks. Small changes that would have an incremental or magnitudinal impact. It was always a series of small little things that had the greatest change over time.

He re-read one spell several times. Its description almost simple, but armed with his knowledge of heat, it could change everything.

[Thermal Transference]

You can choose to transfer thermal energy from a creature or object to another creature or object within 3m.

Valter’s body fell into a state of ready tension. His mind flipping over itself. He could draw heat from an opponent to his weapon, to empower his attacks. Or dump heat into their armor and gear. The mana cost was low as it depended more on the thermal energy stored.

Cold metal to draw away heat. Or he could wear his hammer on his belt, drawing in and storing heat within it, through the heat retaining runes he’d carved into it. I am going to need to make some kind of item to store thermal energy better.

It also turned his way of thinking, he had always been worried about the heat of an item, with thermal transference, the coldness of it was a tool to be used.

It would require plenty of experimentation and testing, but changed his arsenal completely. Valter brought his eyes back to the page, dragging his thoughts back from his ruminations.

[Silence]

Description: For the duration, no sound can be created within or pass through a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on a point you choose within range. Any creature or object entirely inside the sphere is immune to thunder damage, and creatures are deafened while entirely inside it. Casting a spell that includes a verbal component is impossible there.

“That’ll make things much easier when in armor.” He could move quietly in his armor, but it had to be greased up and the soft hide he used inside to smooth the movements in good condition.

He pictured someone turning around to find his armored bulk behind them. A simple spell but a highly effective one and it led to his next spell.

[Invisibility]

A creature you touch becomes invisible until the spell ends. Anything the target is wearing or carrying is invisible as long as it is on the target's person. The spell ends for a target that attacks or casts a spell.

“Why even let them see me sneaking up on them? I wonder what it would take to cast it on others. Hiding a cannon and then appearing out of nowhere to blast a gate open.”

His finger slid down the page. Getting into a fight, up close and person, or getting out of it was just as important.

[Molten Stride]

Description: Double your speed of movement while active. Melt the ground under your steps. Can combust material along your path.

There were so many interesting spells that called out for him. Looking at more would only want him to add a dozen extra. Small scope but deep, learn them then move to the next.

Valter closed the books on spells, storing them and taking out the area of effect spells book Petor had given him.

He repeated his note-taking, focusing on spells that would synergize and amplify the effects of the ones he’d picked out.

It took him several minutes to thin down his choices.

[Sub-plane]

Description: Infuse your mana and its affinity into a 30m area surrounding you. Decreases future spell costs increases mana regeneration. Must remain within area. Effects dependent on plane and conditions of the land.

“Thirty meters is a lot of room and in a fight you’re not moving in a large area. As long as I can stay within it then I can passively increase my low mana regen and I can use the heat to power other spells. And it should make my opponents armor and feet heat up.”

Wonder what it would do in a sea, or a desert and forest?

Ideas swirled in his head like when he was working on his armor or gear. Rich with permutations. He pulled his finger past other spells crossed out to rest on another.

[Incendiary Cloud]

Description: Generate a burning cloud that deals fire damage each round to creatures inside. You can see through the cloud while it obscures your enemy’s sight.

“Cloud can block eyesight, and that heat I can draw in or I could take the heat from the cloud and pour it into a single point. Combining it with thermal transference and then Thermal Burst.” Valter ran over the combination in his mind. “That could be one destructive spell.”

[Thermal Burst]

Description: Compress air with heat in a 20m area, causing a minor detonation. Creatures within the blast are thrown from their feet and burned.

“Thermal Burst and Molten Stride together would be a powerful way to get out of a fight. Going to take some work to figure out how to use and explosion to move and not fall over. Though I can strip the heat that hits my armor from the detonation.”

Thermal management was going to be key here along with his mana. If he could draw the thermal energy out of the air, making it denser and then fuel thermal burst with that heat?

He studied the spell forms and took out a piece of paper. He stretched and leaned forward and began drawing out the spell for Thermal Transference. Understanding, and perfection came with practice, turning it from knowledge to skill.

His mind sunk into the spell, breaking down its form, understanding it to every line. Refining the drawing, altering different runes and lines, tightening the form to reduce mana usage, trimming off anything extra. Creating something brutally functional as he drew it, his pencil followed his mind instead of his eyes.

He closed his eyes, picturing the spell form and fed it power as he fed his inscriptions power. Opening his eyes he saw the gradient of heat all around him. He pulled out his dagger and drew the heat from the plow, directing it into his dagger.

The plow went from soft yellows to a light blue as his dagger went from a near black, through yellow to orange. He felt the heat waving his hand over the blade.

Valter released the spell. Well my ability to see heat is going to be really useful.

***

Desari removed her mask, the smells of animals, people, wet mud and the faint ingredient smell of the barn mixed with something delightful. Herbed meat and honey?

Her mouth watered as she let it guide her. Her senses spread out with the elements. Gaining a yellow core was a life-long goal to many. To Desari she felt the limitations of such a core. She could cast most of her spells, though they were smaller in scale than what she was used to. When one could control the clouds, how was controlling a pond much?

I already looked to decreasing their mana cost when I learned them. But how much could I reduce them?

Her brows furrowed, talking to Petor and Valter had made her realize that they weren’t necessarily beyond her grasp.

The limitations of the mind are the greatest of all. Her mentor’s voice rang in her head and his soft voice. The I can do that when… I don’t have something now… That’s just not the way it’s done… All those little rules, little lies that creep in, that soften the blow of ‘I don’t want to put effort towards the thing I want to do.’

A lack of rules, a lack of excuses was terrifying. Like a person falling into the abyss when they had been climbing a cared for path, maybe with a line to tie into, or maybe a cliff with guidewires.

Once again she needed to remove the new limitations that came with her knowledge, with her position.

A teacher wasn’t a teacher because they had more knowledge than others, it was because they shared the best knowledge they had. One way of doing spells in the past didn’t mean you couldn’t change them in the future?

She’d gained accolades and prestige, when she said a way to do things it was taken as the way to do things. As if that way couldn’t be a thousand different permutations.

Her mind must be like water, her barriers recognized as the eggshells they were, easily broken, though also insidious to grow, multiply and appear as if impenetrable city walls.

She moved around the round market carts, tables were under coverings next to the tavern that was doing a good trade in drink. Around it were merchants and farmers selling food.

Mya was drinking with Petor who had a pile of plates next to him and was working on several more. People glanced over in confusion, awe and jealousy.

He spotted her and waved her over.

Mya turned in her seat and raised her mug in greeting.

“Hungry?”

“Training and healing needs fuel,” He bit into a chunk of meat covered in a tangy smelling sauce.

Desari looked for the source, spotting a farmer with a bed of charcoal roasting meat. He rotated a chicken, pig and deer next to him.

“Be right back.” She walked over.

“Hello miss, what can I get for you? We have lamb, pig and chicken, the deer is going to take a bit longer to cook up. Lamb is in a gravy with herbs, the pig is covered with honey and coming off nice and juice. The chicken I’ve done with herbs and can dip it into a spicy sauce a tangy one or drip some honey over it?”

Desari swallowed, her stomach making its wants known.

“I’ll go for the lamb and a slice of the pork.”

“A fine choice,” He winked and pulled out a plate, cutting up the meat. “If you’re looking for vegetables, my wife is cooking up all kinds.”

He gestured over to a woman who was flipping vegetables in a large pan, she served them up into small bowls and drizzled honey and seeds over them.

“Ten silver pieces.” The cook held out the meat.

Desari passed over the coin and took the meat. “Thanks.”

He grunted and looked for his next customer.

She  moved to his wife.

“Three silver for a bowl.”

Desari held out the coins, dropping them into the woman’s hand and taking a bowl.

“Enjoy,” The woman said.

“Thanks.” Desari threaded her way back to the table. Petor was drinking a mug of beer.

Desari sat down, putting the plates on the table before she pulled out chopsticks. Smelling the meat and vegetables. Can’t smell any poisons or anything more than their ingredients. Simple meals were the best, it was harder to hide additions in them.

Petor put down his mug.

“Be right back.” He  walked off to the carts. Desari watched him from the corner of her eye. There were several people from the trading caravan looking at something. Petor talked to them. They chatted, then glanced at one another.

Petor moved to the side of the cart, grabbed it, braced himself and lifted the loaded cart up. Then he slowly lowered it back down and wiped his hands, he shrugged and talked to the traders again.

They picked up their tools and spare wheel and Petor set himself again and lifted the cart.

“He’s been working on getting stronger ever since this morning. Heard from some of the kids that he’s been using a weighted spear and shield without stop. Said he was healing himself up but forgot to eat,” Mya said.

Desari turned to her.

“Healing always came from his goddess or from poultices, don’t think that they created anything like healing potions. Or at least they were high level goods that not many had access to.”

“It surprises me just how little information he and Valter had.”

“Information is power and those in power rarely want to get challenged,” Mya said, her eyes taking on a faraway look. “Anyway you’re a good teacher, got those two sorted out. I’m interested what they can do with a few spells in their hands. Might need it for Aetheria.”

“You heard something?” Desari raised her eyebrow and nibbled on a carrot. They were as good as they smelled and looked, cooked well but still crunchy.

“Aetheria is, a bit of a bastard city. It’s the most profitable city inside the Eldoria Kingdom. The army there is not only trained in arms but in magic. It is one of the best postings to be found, other than the king’s guard. Of which there are two full regiments that are ‘loaned’ to the city.”

“They’re there to make sure that the Duke doesn’t get any ideas.”

“Quite, the king’s guard rotate through the city every four months to keep them fresh, and so they can also train in the ways of magic. The Duke isn’t allowed to hold any lands outside of the city either. Though he’s still one of the strongest within the kingdom.”

Desari chewed on her meat, all of this would make the city a hotbed of politics.

“What else?”

“The city rests inside a lake. At the water’s edge the barrier to the water plane is thin, and there are two gates that lead to the water realms guarded heavily. In the depths of the city there is a passage to the fire plane. In a ring between the fire and water plane convergences one can reach the earth plane, then there’s the towers in the air, they reach up to the air plane, it’s as far up as the fire plane is down.”

“All four planes in balance, that’s not natural. How do they do it?”

Mya shrugged. “No one knows, or if they do, they haven’t told our trader friends. Limos might know.”

“What do you think of Limos?” Desari asked.

“I think that he’s a sly trader, that there is a lot more to him than we realize and that he has his own agenda. He’s dealt with us in good faith and fairly. He is an enigma. The rule of the realms is to take what you can when you can. He literally had our souls in his hands.”

“Do you think he wants us to do more than the jobs he’s given us?”

“I don’t know, but someone like him, I don’t think his plans are something that covers just a kingdom. He’s the kind of man that deals with gods and makes kingdoms or destroys them with a single deal.”

“And we’re his problem solvers,” Desari said.

“Discounted and with previous experience. He knows he’s got us good,” Mya said. “Talking to the traders and their ethos is a fair deal where everyone benefits. They don’t care about breaking the rules between them and the seller or buyer but the deal is everything. Anyone or anything that comes between it. Yeah some of the stories are rather-bloody. And there are apparently problem solvers higher than gold. They go the same as the adventurer ranks Copper, Iron, Silver, Gold, Dimantium and Othir.”

“So as long as we uphold our end of the deal he will too?” Desari said.

“Pretty much, Limos’ word is well his word.”

Desari still didn’t like it, but it was what they were stuck with.

“What else on the Duke and Aetheria?”

“Everyone wants it, and whoever owns it has to deal with all the people that live and trade there. They don’t grow anything to eat so it comes from other places. They sell magical items from the planes and that have been created there. There’s dozens of clans, sects, schools, the adventurer’s guild and mercenary groups.”

“Why the mercenaries?” Desari asked.

Mya’s face spread in a slow smile. “Cause of the catacombs and the dungeons. It’s a warren of tunnels under the city. Dungeons have formed from pockets of mana and elements. There’s good coin to be made from clearing them out. Some are leased from the duke, but others down deep are open to anyone who can reach them.”

“Lots of factions, things getting out of control. The Duke needs people that aren’t associated with him to take on a special job. Just comes down to if it is a rival doing it or something or someone else,” Desari said.

“Yeah, a real pit of vipers,” Mya said.

“We should get some things in the city to mask our identities before meeting with the duke, and gather information.”

“Sneaking is your realm, information is mine,” Mya smiled. “Its good to work with professionals.”

Desari quirked a smile and nodded to Mya. “Like wise.”

She glanced over to Petor. He released the heavy cart back down into the ground, letting it settle in the dirt.

The traders patted him on the back as he walked over. Already his form was adding muscle. His eyes catching the light to show that demonic mana within.

With time and essence. Her mind ran through thoughts on just what they could do. A trader that deals with Gods would need an insurance policy against them, right?

She tore meat from the leg of lamb with her teeth.