Millennial Mage Nove Chapter 93: In Ancient Times

Chapter 93: In Ancient Tis

Tala stared at the servant for a long mont. Oh, slag. The plates Right She looked down at her pouch. Kit, if you would? She reached in and imdiately felt a few stacks of plates. wow. Thats way more than I expected. She smiled, attempting to hide her embarrassnt. My apologies.

Tala did not look at the watching Archons.

Instead, she walked over to the closest table and pulled out a stack of around twenty plates, setting them on the table. She heard a few mutters and so chuckles. She stuck her hand back in.

Yup. She ca out with another stack, then another after that, and a fourththen a fifth. Then, a sixth.

The servant looked on with widening eyes. He reached out and took the top plate from one of the stacks.

Itsclean?

Did you expect

to give you so of the food back?

Grediv casually flicked outward with his right, pinkie finger, and the sound isolation around him vanished.

Elnea gave him an irritable look but didnt comnt. She walked over to Tala since the younger Mage hadnt returned imdiately. The Head Archon was frowning. Are you quite done? Then, she saw what the servant had. Did your dinsional storage clean and stack those plates?

Tala shrugged. Seems so. She stuck her hand back in, and drew out a final stack, only about twelve plates this ti. That should be all of it.

A couple other servants ca over, bringing several tall stacks of boxes made of a thin, fast-growing wood. Not ant for heavy use? That was an interesting concept. Had she seen other establishnts giving out one-use containers? Maybe She hadnt really paid attention as she never really had leftovers.

Several of those watching barked laughs, others rolled their eyes, and the murmur of side conversations grew.

Tala, ignoring the reactions of the Archons, lowered the stacks into Kit, one by one. Each was held together with loops of heavy twine, tied tight. Thank you. And I apologize about the plates. I really didnt even consider them, and I should have.

The servant who had initially approached her bowed, smiling. Think nothing of it, Mistress. Mistakes happen.

What a politic answer I wonder if they really think I was trying to steal more than a hundred little plates It probably didnt matter.

Elnea cleared her throat. No, Mistress Tala. I need an answer. Did you stack those plates yourself? She was frowning. No, that makes no sense. Why would you clean and stack the plates, then put them back in your pouch?

Tala shrugged, patting Kit. Wait She looked down at the pouch. Its really low on power, again. Huh. She stuck a finger into the bag and directed a couple of void-channels to dump power into Kit. There you go, Kit.

The pouch did not respond.

Elneas eyes widened, and she whispered harshly, You are speaking to it? You have a sapient dinsional storage?

No? Tala looked up at the woman, the servants having already taken their plates and departed.

Mistress Tala, Dinsional storage items control the space within them, and they are loath to use more power than necessary. She tsked. But thats anthropomorphizing them, too much. I can see that that is clearly an artifact, not inscribed, but I cant see any magic around it, save through the top I must know: Is that item containing its own aura, or are you sohow doing that?

Tala hesitated. Oh! Thats how soone else would make a magic item look mundane. Soul-bind it, then restrain the aura. Even so, there seed to be so hidden question behind what the Archon was asking, or sothing she missed. That in mind, she decided the truth was best. I have treated the outside to protect it from hostile magic and help contain its power. I also do my utmost to empower it whenever its not as full as it can be.

Elnea examined her critically for a mont, then grunted. Tension Tala hadnt noticed building around the other woman vanished in an instant. Well, at least you believe what you are saying. She sighed. Did no one teach you how to keep magic-bound items? She waved away her own question, as soon as it was uttered. Of course not, Master Grediv inford

of your unique situation, and that is decidedly sothing the Academy leaves to masters to teach their magelings. She sighed.

Tala shrugged. I got the basics. Artifacts, specifically, need empowernt only when outside high magic zones. Seed dumb to . If its hungry, feed it. Right?

Feed you just give it power, right? So of the tension had returned.

Tala thought about it. Well, I am storing a She cleared her throat. She doesnt need specifics. A lot of food in there. I cant swear it hasnt consud so, but why? What am I missing?

Rane, Lyn, and Grediv had co over to join them, silently listening. The other Archons were largely distracted by each other, though so of the closest did seem to be attempting to listen, and the last of the servants were well and truly gone.

Elnea shook her head. So long as you arent feeding it life blood, orother similar things, it should be fine.

Tala swallowed involuntarily. Like a newly dead Mage? Well, Kit hadnt eaten him, but still

Elnea seed to be contemplating. Youve sohow convinced the natural flows and patterns in that pouch that it will never run out of power, so it uses its reserves with near impunity.

Grediv cleared his throat. Mistress Talas many oddities aside, however fascinating and enlightening, there is still sothing that must be conveyed. Yes?

Elnea nodded distractedly. Yes, yes She t Talas gaze. But first, Mistress Tala, I would ask a personal favor of you.

Oh?

When you soul-bond that storage item, would you please allow

to witness the bonding?

Tala hesitated. That seems a bit intrusive.

Ive made a study of artifacts, and Ive not seen one act exactly like that one does.

She shrugged again. I suppose.

Elnea gave Tala a last, lingering look, then turned and strode away. Very well. She led them to the center of the room once again, then clapped her hands, gathering the attention of the Archons. She stood for a mont in solemn silence. While today is a day for celebration, as we welco three new mbers to our fight,

Wait what?

She continued, clearly uncaring of Talas surprise, it is also a ti for rembrance and for enlightennt.

Tala looked to Lyn and Rane. Lyn looked equally confused. Rane was clearly unsurprised. Grediv did seem to tell him far more than most Mages get to know.

In ancient tis, humans were the least among the civilized races. Our bodies were frail, and we couldnt draw in ambient magic nearly as well as those whom we lived among.

Tala opened her mouth to interject, but Elnea gave her a level, silencing look, then simply continued.

At best, we were savages, worshipping and sacrificing to trees for scraps of power. At worst, we were at animals or nial slaves, only useful for the tasks beneath even our masters use of magic.

Every Archon around them lowered their heads at the reflected sha of that earlier ti. Then, as if following a script, they all looked up as Elnea continued.

Then, ca a ti when natural magic began to fade, and we saw our chance. One young man, whose na is lost to antiquity, broke his own soul in twain. While still loosely connected, the part only weakly tethered to reality, to his body, began to generate power, pulling it from the world beyond. He was the first of a new humanity.

Tala glanced to Grediv. So, breaking my soul wouldnt have been so bad? She doubted that was the intended lesson from the story.

Sadly, the breaking of his soul also broke his mind, and while he lived on, he never used his gift. His children, however, born after the great sacrifice, had the gift without the madness. They had the potential to beco the first Mages.

There it was. So, no soul breaking. Assuming its true No.

But the other races, those of more power than we, even still, saw the gift to humanity as sothing to be taken. They twisted those born with a gate, taking the weakest willed and severing them completely from their bodies. Thus, creating fountains of power, stopping the lessening of magic in the world, and even reversing the trend, eventually.

Talas eyes widened. The fountain of power I found in the wilds that used to be a person?I was right? She imdiately thought of her lessons. Modern Keystones were designed specifically to help prevent Mages from turning their entire being into an open gate. If they did such, they would utterly obliterate themselves and leave behind a hurricane of power without end. A fountain of power.

For generations, we were bred for our Gates, used as cattle, trained towards the singular purpose of our eternal souls rebalancing the worlds magic.

There was a mont of silence.

Then, the first of our great heroes stood up and said, No.

She straightened, smiling. Akmaneous, Krator, and Synathia discovered spell-lines, though we would hardly call them that, were we to see them, today. They broke their fellows free and died to give our ancestors ti to escape.

Tala rembered those nas, parts of those stories. Primordial human power, and those with the strength of character to sacrifice themselves for the good of all. They had died from magic-poisoning, imparted by their imperfect power. So, there are pieces that can be shared with mundanes.

We fled into the south, where the lower levels of power ant our pursuers were weakened, but we were hunted nonetheless. For generations further, we hid among the tribes of non-gated humans, among the tree worshippers of this region, biding our ti. Many of us were found, but never all.

A mont of solemnity passed, once more.

Finally, the first builder, Adraman, forged the first city. It drew deeply on the surrounding power, making the region anathema to other races, to those who must draw from their environnt for power.

Like artifacts. The other races function like artifacts?

And there, modern humanity truly begins. Our scripts are not eternal, and the world itself rebels, increasing power in the regions we try to deprive. Arcanes can strike at us, relying on stored power for short raids, but they must always retreat, and no Arcane can enter our cities. Our defenses are impervious to them. She smiled with pride at that. Even so, any but the most capable, strong-willed Mage is destined to beco a fount, should they attempt to rise. We are still under threat from our ancient chains.

Talas eyes widened at that, and Elnea gave her a comforting smile.

Yes, that is what you fought against. Ancient magics, ancient chains, set within our ancestors flesh and passed down through the ages, designed to take control of us, to trick us with false promises of power. If a Mage falls, they are led into the Wilds, their soul enslaved. That is why we no longer place our diums into our flesh in order to build Archon stars within ourselves. We must be fully capable, fully ready when the Bond is forged, that we may lock our soul and body together, rather than freeing our gate from our flesh and enslaving our body to deliver it to our oppressors.

Tala couldnt contain herself any longer. And you didnt feel that rited telling us? Why not tell every Mage? Every person?

You could not be told. For any information that ca from outside of you would be tainted by doubt. You had to feel it yourself, to know for yourself, in order to overco.

Just like Ive always pushed back against the restrictions put on . It still felt like a foolish reason. And if I had failed?

We would have escorted you beyond the walls and wept at the falling of one so young.

That is rusting idiotic.

Oh? And how did you know the spell-form? She gestured around her. How do so many of the most promising know it, without being taught? Sothing deep within us fights against being taught the form, because part of our nature knows the danger. Even still, those best suited to becoming springs of power know the form in the end. They discover it by accident, or research, or luck. They are at once the most in danger, and the most suited to overco that peril. So few more are able to overco, and are in less danger, so their masters guide them to the form, despite objections. They have the clearest pathway to power, and humanity needs all the power we can gather. I was one such, as were Mistress Lyn and Master Rane.

Tala didnt know how to feel about that. Does that an Im more powerful? Or that I have more potential? Or that I was suspected to be easier to subvert? Easier to sway and control? She didnt like the seemingly obvious answer.

There is not enough ti in a year to go through the intricacies of it, but know this: Most Mages would fall, were they to attempt an Archon Bond, and every Mage attempts it, if and when they fully learn the form.

Lyn was nodding, and Tala turned to her, questioningly. Lyn smiled. As soon as I actually read the notes my master gave , I felt compelled to attempt it. I cant explain it, really. At the ti, I just thought I wanted to get it over and done with. But in truth, it was like She shook her head. No. No other drive, or urge, Ive ever experienced was so strong. She t Talas gaze. I could not have resisted, once I knew how to do it. She let out a small laugh. Even after I made the star, I wanted to swallow it. It was the silliest thing; I knew it was a gem, and I shouldnt, but I wanted to. And the urge to do so grew with every passing hour.

Elnea cleared her throat. Mistress Tala. I am aware that your circumstances were more unusual, and I, or another, would be happy to discuss that with you, at a later ti.

Tala gave a half bow. Thank you, Mistress Elnea. I have only one further question, if I may.

Elnea sighed but nodded. Go ahead.

Tala turned towards Holly with a fierce glare. Mistress Holly. Knowing this, how dare you encourage her to read those notes? You were putting her life on the line, for what?

All eyes shifted to Holly, but the woman seed utterly unaffected by the attention. It is always a gamble, and a magelings master is always the best person to make the call. Hers gave her the notes, clearly determining that Mistress Lyn was one who should learn and should be able to weather the difficulty. I had no reason to disagree, so I pushed her to honor her masters choice. Evidence suggests that we were both right to do so. It was much better than the alternatives, as her mind and will are stronger now than they might have been later.

Tala did not like the answer, but it was at least reasonable. She frowned. But most magelings arent under Archons

Elnea cleared her throat. But the danger is real. As Archons, you are now privy to so much more, but not everything. You may not share this with non-Archons. You must guide any who discover the form towards the local counsel for aid.

Tala couldnt help herself. But what about magelings who arent under Archons?

Elnea sighed. Most magelings arent under Archons.

Exactly, that makes no sense. How can a Mage determine if their mageling is ready for sothing they cannot know about?

Grediv cleared his throat. Did you read that book I gave you? A Mages Guide to Their First Mageling: Basics Every Mageling Should be Taught?

She frowned. Ive skimd it.

He snorted. Of course, you did. He shook his head slightly. So of those tests and tidbits direct the Mage to seek an Archon under various circumstances. He shrugged. That takes care of the lions share.

That made a sort of sense. She had skipped the regular system, so it was incredibly alien to her. Fair enough, I suppose.

Elnea cleared her throat, bringing Talas attention back to her. Now, that out of the way. You need to know: You are much less useful to any invading arcane. Many of them could still sever the bond you just forged, and use you regardless, but not all. Once youre fully Fused, doing so will just kill you and send your soul to the great beyond, so they dont even try. That said, if they sense you, they will try to eliminate you, and that is just one more reason to work on your aura shroud.

Elnea took a deep breath, while the three new Archons processed the flood of new information.

She smiled. Now, Master Grediv has requested the honor of accompanying us, as I show you to our local Archons Library. Elnea gave a sharp look to the Archon, who was hovering just to one side. While I am tempted to decline, now, I think it wisest to allow such. Our companions, the other Archons, will bid you farewell, here.

Tala, Lyn, and Rane looked around, smiling uncertainly. By her fellows expressions, they were clearly burdened by much of what they had learned, but also tentatively excited, likely for the good their elevation could bring.

Elnea straightened, her voice ringing out once more. For the new Archons!

A single unified shout of praise sounded back.

Go in strength.

The other Archons did just that, each giving so form of wave or small bow as they departed, en masse.

Tala watched them go, allowing her mage-sight to attempt to examine each of them. While she couldnt see any of their auras, she did realize one critical thing. Most of them have no power visible at all.

As she thought about it, she realized that if holding back her auras power was easy, and hiding it entirely was harder still, then hiding her aura completely, while allowing all other signs of her power to be visible, would be incredibly tricky.

Thats what Holly is doing, along with several others. A few Archons, scattered through the crowd, looked exactly like any other Mage that Tala had ever seen.

My iron salve made

resemble an inexperienced Archon to those who knew what to look for with their mage-sight. Well, except her eyes and palms.

She didnt know how to feel about that. She wanted to be the best she could be, but she also knew that, regardless, her iron salve would render her looking like the less skilled Archons. She frowned at that. No, Master Grediv hid himself completely from my mage-sight.

She was left confused. Elnea did say that the stronger you are and the higher you climb up the ladder, the harder your aura is to restrain at all There was just too much that she didnt know.

When the room had emptied of Archons, save the five who would be remaining, Tala glanced towards Terry. Oh! Shed been so distracted that shed not fed Terry recently. Though, if the little flickers of dinsional power shed picked up from the avian through the banquet were any indication, Terry may have eaten more than even she had. Terry, you hungry?

He opened one eye, giving her a condescending look.

She snorted a laugh and flicked out a bit of jerky.

Elnea frowned at that. Her mage-sight didnt seem to be active, so it had likely appeared to her as if Tala had just thrown a bit of at under the table. Are you trying to teach him to fetch? Why would you teach that sort of trick to such an animal? She seed genuinely confused.

Tala opened her mouth to reply, but Grediv cleared his throat. As fascinating as that bird iswe should probably head towards the library.

Elnea rolled her eyes, the last shreds of ceremony falling away. Very well. This way, please.

They walked out through the seemingly indestructible door.

I bet I could break it with tiand without a room full of hostile Archons to contend with.

They left the not-yet-destroyed door behind them as they moved through the stark, empty passage, back to the entry hall.