Nexxa and I exchanged a quick hug in the morning, and then we were off. Hash had left before we were even awake, running back on foot ‘to get et land with better,’ as he’d put it the night before.
Atop the watchtower, Nexxa remained on vigil for the first few hours. Her departure was marked by a bolt of lightning streaking into the heavens, as she flashed back into her domain.
It occurred to then, that she could have traveled with us for even longer, given how quickly she could travel.
But much like my choice to leave, I understood it was a slippery slope. When would she have turned around? Would she have escorted all the way to my domain?
Yeah, I understood perfectly.
Didn’t like it, but I understood.
We remained silent after she left, continuing along the broken highroad. It was near evening when Tresla asked about stopping for dinner that the silence was broken.
It felt weird not to have Nexxa around for dinner. Even weirder not to be able to share thoughts about spells.
Not that I'd had any. For the first ti since I arrived on Ro'an, I hadn't thought about magic once.
The realization made keenly aware of how much she'd co to an to in such a short ti.
Calbern and Tresla started discussing possible recipes for dinner, and I let the mundane talk draw out of myself.
I had trouble sleeping that night. We'd been spoiled even after leaving the cabin, since Nexxa could simply channel mana into her grimoire and form a cabin. The spell was third order, so, while I now had a copy, it would take less ti to build a shelter from scratch than to fill the mana.
Nor had I considered getting a spell for setting up the tent. Besides which, we were lacking a clear space for one. Our attempts to remain near the highroad ant we'd been up high, amongst the shattered remains when we'd called it for the night.
Which ant we were sleeping under the stars, with only the stone around us to break the wind.
Eventually, I did fall asleep.
I woke sore and cold, despite the heavily lined and enchanted sleeping bag. When I shifted, I discovered it had rained at so point during the night, and it had gotten into the crevice I'd chosen to sleep inside.
Muttering to myself, I cast Minor Heal which wiped away the pain and even so of the chill. Then I used a spell from my grimoire I'd included back when I first started planning to go archmage, Torch. Despite its na, it served perfectly well as a heat source for drying myself and my sleeping bag.
I was already noticing the reduced mana density. While Minor Heal had cost almost nothing, keeping Torch going left a noticeable dip in my mana.
Soon I'd want to use fuel for my flas.
The others woke, and Inertia was especially vocal this morning, though she seed to only be talking to Tresla since our cloaked companion didn't translate her words for us. She didn't even draw her pipe.
After another breakfast of oats and dried fruit, we continued on our way. Late in the day we reached a flat section of the high road.
It ca upon us almost as a surprise. After weeks of seeing broken highroad, part of had expected it to continue like that all the way to my domain. Only the fact we knew that the road was supposed to be intact sowhere kept the surprise from being total. We'd ascended through the broken remains of the previous section, large slabs of stone lying on either side of the ridge as we ascended. When we reached the peak, we found a smooth surface leading forward, beyond the horizon.
Even Calbern's augnted vision couldn't see a break in the high road. Here, finally, was a sign that the Frigid Peaks had once been inhabited by a civilization as advanced as the one I'd arrived in.
Unlike the Alvian Empire that had once held dominion over the Howling Wastes, no one seed to know who once dwelt in the far reaches of the Frigid Peaks.
Most sections of the high road had a low wall, broken every fifty feet by small gaps, through which excess water could plumt below. At places, the high road was no more than a couple feet above the ground. At others, it looked as though there was no ground, as if the highroad's pillars were supported by clouds themselves. It maintained its smooth surface along its full length, except where it was smashed by so powerful force, like the sections we'd picked our way through earlier. It was also the straightest and most level road I'd ever seen.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
A series of whistles from Inertia drew out of my assessnt of the high road. "Inertia says now would be a good ti to begin your lessons of the Forge. Unless you would like to continue brooding. Inertia respects a good brood."
I wanted to deny that I was brooding, but I hadn't been capable of lying to myself to that extent since the old man died. So instead I just grunted.
"Well, I for one, would be fascinated," Calbern said, giving Tresla a not so subtle wink.
I knew what he was doing. He was trying to distract with fascinating magic. It worked.
As Tresla drew her pipe and began translating for Inertia, we moved down the road. And despite my best efforts, my mood lifted. I still missed Nexxa, but she'd be there waiting for . I'd be able to visit her eventually. Especially once I mastered her tier three spells. Lightning Transit promised a great deal of mobility once I could cast it.
"Now, Inertia wants to stress, this isn't the sort of magic for the weak hearted. And she ans that literally. The heat involved in exercising Forge Theory has caused many mortals to die of heart attacks."
Yep, exactly what I needed to get my mind off Nexxa.
Shop talk.
There was a lot to learn when it ca to Forge Theory. And I couldn't cheat and use mory Palace, because the Forgeborn refused to write it down.
"Inertia warns you that if she discovers you doing so, she will end her lessons imdiately. It'll also result in her reporting your violation to the Council of Steel. And then they'll hunt you down, kill you and destroy any research they find. So, as I'm sure you've surmised, don't do that," Tresla said, sohow managing to smoke her pipe while eating a dried bar of granola.
"Got it, no notes."
"The story of the Forgeborn is one of Steel, Steam and Shackles. So, it is from these twisted works, Forge Theory erged, harnessing the forr to break the latter." At the last of Tresla's words, Inertia let out a great hiss, and steam poured out of her, plunging the area above our heads into fog. Instead of dissipating, the fog changed into shapes of small figures, swinging hamrs at anvils. Seemingly unimpressed by the display, Tresla continued, "At the base of Forge Theory is the hamr and the anvil. The unstoppable force and the immovable object."
Tresla took a deep breath, shaking her head as she muttered, "Really hamming it up this ti, aren't we."
Then, as if she'd never stopped, Tresla proclaid, "Only once these two impossible contrasts are reconciled, can the initiate move on to the forge and file, training not only their craft, but themselves."
After the bombastic introduction, Inertia's explanations moved onto the basics.
Which were… very basic. Most of it I still rembered from videos I'd watched while only half paying attention. Tresla was still doing her best to keep up with Inertia’s inflated explanations, but I was catching the underlying aning well enough.
Put the tal in the forge using tongs. Use the anvil and hamr to shape the tal, returning it to the forge when it begins to cool. When you're done, douse or let cool as appropriate. That part I was still a little hazy on, even after her explanation.
Maybe if she hadn't been throwing in that taphor about steam and steel.
Still, while I might rember, all of this would've been completely new to Perth. He hadn't even known there were non-magical ways to shape tal.
After establishing I understood the basics, which Tresla reassured weren't part of the Forgeborn's secrets, no matter how much Inertia might protest, Inertia moved on to the truly interesting stuff.
Harnessing steam through magic.
And it was interesting, because when folk combined magic with steam power… well Inertia wasn't leaving to struggle through on my own.
"In the Wastes, we use Forge Theory for many things. Trade is carried on the backs of mighty creations that stretch beyond the horizon. Our airships are the mightiest this side of the Front, able to contend even with the mightiest of Terra Vista's armada. One of the Wastes’ sole exports are replacent limbs that will serve for lifetis. All of these wonders display the majesty of Forge Theory."
The applications were nurous enough I almost regretted not increasing my fire affinity. When I expressed as much, Tresla choked off a laugh while Inertia let out a series of hisses and whistles.
"Inertia wants to clarify, that is a misconception. A common one, in fact. You do not need to be a mage to practice Forge Theory, nevermind have a high fire affinity. All power cos from the Forge Hearts," Tresla translated, waving at Inertia who was still whistling softly beside us. "But to explain the Forge Hearts would be to require a different level of promise. A Stone Pact sworn at the foot of Hellbrand Spire beneath the seven fire mountains of Ashforge Abyss, in the fashion of the great smiths."
"Okay… now I want to go there just to see… whatever that is," I said.
"Truly. To witness the beating heart of Forgeborn society. It would be a great honor," Calbern agreed, his eyes moving to Inertia. "If our duty did not bind us to the land, I would petition you to include the next ti you returned ho."
For several long seconds, I couldn't tear my eyes off Calbern. That was the closest thing I'd heard to a personal request I think he'd ever made in either Perth’s or my presence.
Tresla started sending smoke rings up next to Inertia. Taking advantage of the montary silence, I moved closer to Calbern. "You know, that could be arranged. You're not bound to the land, Calbern. That's my duty."
I'd like to say that I made the offer out of the kindness of my heart, but my guilt played a role. He'd only co along on this trip because of Perth. If I could do sothing for him, even just letting him go off to explore once I was settled, and Inertia left…
Well, having him for a year would be more than enough, I hoped.
"I couldn't abandon you, master Perth. Not even to see the Hellbrand Spire in person," Calbern said, shaking his head.
I nodded. I'd concede the matter for now. Inertia was still set to guide for the better part of the next two years anyway. But the seed had been planted. One way or another, I'd ensure Calbern had a chance to visit the Spire. And if he refused to leave ?
"Guess we'll just have to go together then," I said, causing Calbern to incline his head slightly.
It was faint, but he couldn't hide the smile or the way his eyes lit up at my words.
Inertia's lessons resud, though soon it was my turn to start teaching her. It turned out, I enjoyed teaching magic almost as much as I enjoyed learning about it.
Almost.
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