“What do you think magic is?”
“...”
For a few monts, I gazed at Anne, slowly raising my eyebrow.
“I’ve heard this question before.”
For a mont, the old woman was taken aback, before flashing a guilty smile, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
“Ah. I forgot you had a teacher earlier on.”
Her eyes shone with interest.
“What was your answer back then?”
“My answer was pretty boring, compared to the others, but.. Back then, I said I needed magic to survive.”
Belatedly, I realized my honest answer might raise uncomfortable questions. However, despite the flicker of curiosity in her, my temporary teacher decided not to press farther.
“I see… Hmm… if you don’t mind, what was the least boring answer you heard?”
It would seem she switched her sight to another target, instead.
“Hmm.. I think it was… ‘Magic is not an answer, but the question itself. A road one must follow, leading so to their heart’s desire, and others – into the abyss…’ At least that’s how I think it went.”
The woman’s eyes flickered with amusent, although there didn’t seem to be mockery in that gaze.
“Was this your master’s answer?”
“No. It was.. the answer of my teacher’s master.”
Plus, as grateful as I was to the traveling mage, even calling him a teacher was a stretch, let alone master.
Anne couldn’t help but give out a soft chuckle.
“Hehe.. Your teacher’s master must’ve had a good taste in tales.”
“Tales?..”
“The question itself is about as old as the history of magic itself. This answer, however, is attributed to The Gray Archmage, at least in modern tis.”
“The Gray Archmage?..”
“He was... Or perhaps still is, a travelling Legendary archmage. As is often the case at that Realm, his na is found among many-a-legend.”
“Oh?..”
A lancholic smile spread across Anne’s face.
“Back in my youth, I used to listen to stories of his adventures at the tower – I even have a few books in this very study.”
Her eyes made it clear her mind was carried away by the winds of mory, into a distant past.
“The Gray Archmage was supposedly a young adult during the 2nd War Of Valor, 299 years ago to the day. His first stories are alleged sightings of him during the war, often saving villages from Malaknian invaders, protecting isolated settlents from the rampant monsters, and even taking part in a few famous battles.”
“So he was a soldier?”
At my question, Anne chuckled.
“By the gods, no. He collaborated with the kingdom, but after the war, he went on to beco an independent adventurer, treasure hunter, and researcher afterwards.”
“Sounds like he was rather busy.”
“Ha. That’s an apt description, if I ever heard one. Last he was seen was over two decades ago, I reckon. Wonder if he decided to retire, living the last of his days in peace.”
A subtle sigh escaped the old woman’s lips, before her expression promptly shifted.
“Ehem! Let’s get back on track.”
Now, she once again looked like an older university professor, ready to give their lecture.
“Anyway, that quote of his is quite famous, as it emphasizes both the great things that magic can achieve, as well as its inherent dangers. And of course, it reminds us of an important truth – magic, at the end of the day, is but a tool. What matters is how we wield it.”
She tapped her finger on the thick book’s cover.
“The ‘Practical Cantrip Encyclopedia‘ is among the most popular books of its kind. The first chapter details general casting thods and practices, while delving into the surface-level fundantals. Afterwards, each chapter focuses on a specific group of cantrips, starting from their peculiarities, then detailing the spells themselves.”
She took her hand off the book.
“But, first, let’s start with the basics.”
She raised her hand, making a wide motion that encompassed the empty space around us.
“Tell , what do you think the Arcane Tides are?”
“Hmm… It’s.. like… So sort of energy that moves like air?”
The woman raised her eyebrow.
“I’m surprised you know how air moves. But this is only half correct.”
She took a deep breath, and started explaining.
“The Arcane Tides contain energy, true, but they are neither matter nor energy. Nor gas, for that matter. Just like air isn’t matter, and fire isn’t gas, arcane particles are in a category of their own.”
She paused for a mont, collecting her thoughts.
“There have been many theories as to its origin. So, mainly the temples, claim it to be a gift from the gods, although that claim has been disproven countless tis. In fact…”
Anne lowered her voice.
“Even their so-called ‘miracles’ ultimately use the Tides as their foundation. Although, it would be best you not ntion this around most people.”
Her voice returned to her usual tone, as she continued.
“The accepted theory is that the Tides are no different from air, earth, or any other fundantal elent present in our world. The fact that other planes always seem to contain them, to so degree, supports this theory.”
I nodded, vigorously absorbing her words.
“Every spell you compose is ultimately empowered through the Tides. Now, do you have any guesses as to why those symbols you drew brought forth an orb of light?”
I shook my head. Truly, I had not the slightest idea.
“Those symbols, including the glyphs and sigils composed of them, are referred to as the ‘Arcane Language’. Its origin remains a mystery, but it seed to have existed since the earliest records of Wizards, many millennia ago.”
She raised two fingers in an instructive motion.
"Cornelius's second theorem – every spell in existence, and every possible spell, can be represented via the arcane language. This is what we refer to as ‘formulated’ spellcasting. He was an ancient archmage, by the way, from long before the old Empire. So of his surviving works are referenced to this day.”
She paused for a mont, before hesitantly adding.
“To be frank, this isn’t the exact theorem. His claim extends to every possible phenona – even those often attributed to deities… Of course, this, too, is sothing you shouldn’t discuss out loud.”
I was starting to get where so of the stigmas against Wizards, as I once heard from Arthur, the inn keeper, originated from. Still, I was rather thankful for Anne’s honest words.
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“It’s also important to note that far from all spellcasters operate that way. The most common examples are Sorcerers, who create such phenona by instinct, interacting with the tides directly. Another example, if you’d forgive the blasphemy, would be Priests, who seem to be granted such instinctive knowledge directly from their deities, or Warlocks, who receive similar abilities from their patrons.”
I eagerly nodded, and she continued.
“There are also those who are called ‘indirect spellcasters’. This includes Shamans, who often bind spirits or elentals to perform feats similar to our spells, or Druids, who focus on other living creatures, often plants, and sotis nature spirits, as well.”
I imprinted the new knowledge into my mind, as Anne moved on to the next topic.
“As direct spellcasters, we use the arcane reserves inside our own bodies to fuel the initial spell. Of course, this isn’t to say such spells can’t gather ambient energy from their surroundings, during or after being cast, but that’s a different topic altogether.”
Anne paused for a mont.
“Now, the spells - or rather, ‘arcane applications’ - themselves can be put into four different categories.”
She raised her hand, and began folding her fingers one by one.
“First – ‘internal’ spells.
This describes spells that channel arcane energy into one’s own body. While this often refers to innate spell-like abilities, there exist so explicit spells that operate this way. Additionally, spells of the next category can often be used this way, too.
Second – ‘projected’ spells.
This is the most widely recognized application of arcane energy. A Sorcerer launching a Fireball into a group of monsters; A Wizard erecting a mighty barrier to protect against a barrage of arrows; All those fall under ‘projected’ spells.
The next category is ‘vessel channeled’ and ‘vessel imprinted’ spells.
A Spellblade covering his sword in deadly flas is, perhaps, the most iconic example. However, going back to the previous example, a Wizard erecting a wall of stone, rather than pure energy, would also fall under this category – after all, they’d be projecting their arcane reserves into a dium, even if a temporary one.
Finally, ‘Resonated’ spells, which are the most complex and rare application, make use of the world itself, often to sustain or amplify them. One example would be an archmage conjuring a massive lightning storm above an enemy army. Another would be advanced curses. Actually, rare and complex artifacts often contain chanisms for ambient recharge, using the surrounding Tides – this, too, counts as a ‘resonated’ application, albeit barely.”
Anne finally reached the end of her explanation.
“Internal, projected, vessel, and resonated. So those are the four categories of spells?”
“Spell applications. Spells are also often categorized by the essence of the change they bring to the world – Transmutation, Illusion, Information, Evocation, and many more. However, as Spellblades are often forced to consider the practical side of magic, I thought starting with the applications would be appropriate.”
I was a bit surprised by the old Wizard’s thoughtfulness, but managed to keep it from reflecting on my face.
“Now, before we move to actual cantrips, there is sothing we must address first – the usage of magic. Both in the kingdom, and in general.”
Her face suddenly turned serious, and her tone suggested this topic was of utmost importance.
“As a rule, anything other than a few particular cantrips and spells, such as cantrips, is banned from usage in public spaces. This technically applies to every settlent, but doubly so in this city, where anything above 1st tier spell can be easily detected, and transgressions are vigorously and relentlessly punished.”
I slowly nodded, acknowledging the gravity of her words.
“Of course, there are places where magic is permitted – 1st tier spells are generally accepted within your ho, and certain places, like the training areas in the Mage Tower or Adventurer’s Guild, offer even greater freedom.”
This was a relief – although, considering the fact I couldn’t truly use magic like that in the open, that feeling was short lived.
“Noble estates have a higher ceiling for the allowed spells - in my case, anything up to the 3rd tier, the highest achievable tier within the Rising realm, is allowed even without a special permit.”
I nodded once more. This was a slightly better option, albeit, I couldn’t always count on its accessibility.
“As for training magic, in general, let be frank once more.”
Her tone turned stern, and her eyes, locked onto mine, implied this was sothing crucial.
“When you start learning proper spells- no, even as you saw with your cantrip, the possibilities are endless. Even the slightest modification may lead to unforeseen consequences. And if a harmless ball of light may simply drain your reserves, try to imagine what a stream of acid, or pure arcane force, can do when mishandled…”
She paused for a few seconds, leaving to my own imagination.
“As an apprentice, you must never, attempt to practice or modify real spells without an experienced supervisor, and a safe environnt. To this day, countless tragedies arise from such attempts.”
After taking a quick, deep breath, I slowly exhaled, nodding my head one last ti.
“I hope you engrave those words in your mind. Now, let us talk about the shared fundantals of spellcasting.”
Finally, Anne opened the book.
I realized this was going to be a long visit – yet not a single hint of reluctance could find its place in my heart, overflowing with anticipation.
***
Under the mix of moonlight and flickering oil-lamp illumination, a short, yet broad-frad figure has entered the tavern. It wasn’t like this was the first ti, of course.
“Evening, Ornor.”
The tavern keeper, a middle aged half-elf, waved his hand from behind the counter.
“Ah, Ornor! Fancy a drink?”
One of the regulars at the bar seed to have recognized him, too. However…
“Maybe later, lad.”
As he nodded his head, and waved back at the establishnt’s owner, the dwarf’s steady steps carried him straight to the back door, and up the stairs.
“You’re late, Ornor. Did sothing happen?”
The trio of companions were already seated at their usual spots, sharing their news, if any, and throwing ideas into the air, desperately trying to co up with sothing tangible.
“You can say so, boss.”
Drawing the curious gazes of his party mbers, the dwarf slumped onto the comfy sofa, evoking a groan of protest from its wooden fra.
“This isn’t about another bar fight, is it?”
Xin’s eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“I haven’t had a bar fight since we got here, long ears! Well, there was that one scuffle, but you could hardly call it a fight! Ehem, anyway…”
The dwarf’s face shifted, and his tone instantly turned serious.
“Boss, you told that kid from Pine Harbor, Sebastian, visited you a few days back.”
The black-haired man nodded.
“Like I said, he seed quite troubled. He might owe a minor favor, but demanding he join this deadly endeavour, against his will, is hardly appropriate.”
“Well… tell , did he still carry that two handed sword with him?”
Bern nodded once more.
“And his hair, would you describe it as ssy?”
“Hmm.. I suppose, to an extent?..”
The party leader clearly wondered where the dwarf was going with this.
“Did he, by chance, say where he was staying?”
“Yes. He said Alia arranged so lodgings for him at the Sun Temple. A bit uncommon, but I heard she was well-regarded there.”
“Hmm…”
The calculating expression of the dwarf only raised his companion’s interest, being such a rare sight.
“You see, I heard quite the story from one of my drinking buddies today… a city guard, stationed at Eastern.”
Bern’s eyes, which slowly began to drift away at the ntion of ‘drinking buddy’, instantly refocused upon hearing the next words.
“Could it be about?..”
“Yes. That incident involved that Crimson Shadows assassin.”
Over the next few minutes, the dwarf retold the guard’s story, answering the occasional question, and giving a few clarifications.
“Are you saying-”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Now, even Xin was wearing a fully serious expression.
“Hmm… This explains his reluctance… also the strange insistence of staying in Northern, too.”
Judging by the look in Bern’s eyes, the gears in his head were turning rapidly.
“Based on everything we know so far, it’s likely he’s still targeted by the Shadows. Hmm.. he must have done sothing to them. Co to think of it, it’s almost as if he arrived by the Crimson Stream – he wasn’t in our caravan, after all, and the following one should arrive next week.”
Little by little, a theory started to form.
“He has no history in the city, as far as I’m aware.. Actually, he likely traveled through Southern. Perhaps he got entangled with one of the local gangs, or maybe, he was unfortunate enough to witness one of the Shadows during so act, and had to be silenced.”
“And since he killed their assassin, in a duel, at that, they’ll likely seek retribution – regardless of his earlier deeds.”
Finally, Hilda, too, joined the conversation.
“This ans.. Isn’t this just what we need?”
Ornor’s nod indicated he had reached the sa conclusion as Xin.
“Hey, after that lunch, did you, perhaps-”
“No, damn you! I did not get into a bar fight!”
“...go straight to the Temple?”
“Ehem… yes, I did.”
A tone of embarrassnt slid through the dwarf’s words, yet his face quickly returned to its previous expression.
“How did it go?”
“I’mma have to disappoint you, boss, but they wouldn’t even admit he stayed there, let alone let see him.”
“Hmm.. makes sense. For all they know, you could be working with the syndicate, after all.”
Hilda’s face sank into deep thought. However, before anyone else could interject, she spoke once more.
“I still have an.. old friend at the temple. I can get in touch tomorrow – perhaps she’ll pass a ssage, at least.”
Bern looked in her eyes for a mont, then nodded.
“Then let’s consider this eting done.”
His tone was solemn, yet one could discern the traces of hope lingering underneath.
“Tomorrow may beco a turning point in our mission.”
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