Draith
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Chapter 16 - Fair 'nuff
🕑 Added 2025-02-25 00:00:05 +0000 UTCAfter I finished scribing my last spell from the grimoire, Nexxa stuck to her word, having me cast Access Storage repeatedly while refilling my mana with her own.
It was even more useful than she'd promised. After a single evening, it felt like I was ten percent of the way to having my second impression unlocked.
We weren't able to continue in the morning, because I needed my wits about me and non-stop casting left me groggy and confused. Even with the break, I still felt like my head was stuffed with cotton. Possibly another reason other mages didn’t rush to the Astral stage.
Leaving the manor we were staying in, we made our way to the industrial section of the city. Even there, the water remained pristine, with the ships moving near silently along the water. There were significantly less gondolas in the area as we climbed up the stone steps toward the warehouse.
Instead of the stone block building I’d been expecting, the warehouse had been reshaped to resemble a snail shell. Most of the nearby buildings shared the motif. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a point of pride, or if Althon had decreed that all the buildings had to be prettied up.
The cargo was intact, and it would all be sent to our guest manor when we were ready to leave. Which would be that day, after one last peek at Althon’s grimoire. I spent every remaining minute pouring over it, taking notes on any of the runes I didn’t recognize.
Then it was time to go.
That we were leaving directly from our guesthouse was a quirk of the capital city I found endearing. There was something special about setting sail from your doorstep.
Not that I'd want to make a habit of it.
As our ship pulled up, I admired its design. It had a pair of large paddle wheels at the back, but the wheels had been worked to resemble several bird wings, with most of the wheel hidden away. It made it look as though only a single wing of each wheel was stretching out at a time. While it probably wasn’t the most efficient design, I gave them credit for style.
The rest of the ship fit the bird motif, with the figure or masthead or whatever they called it at the front being a large bird’s head, and the hull being carved to match. As it drew near, the paddles sliced through the water in near silence, barely leaving ripples as it slowed to a stop.
There was rigging on the front, with sails that stuck to the bird motif, looking more like an array of feathers than cloth, though it was bound tightly to the mast.
And right at the loading dock, was Books, his hands folded in front of him as he studied us. He’d gotten rid of the cloak, and was now wearing a sturdy set of fur clothing.
With the ship ready for us, we quickly slipped aboard. Books kept to himself, and instead we were greeted by a young man who showed us to our private cabins, explaining our schedule to Calbern as Nexxa and I got settled. I tried to listen in, but the fogginess in my head made it hard to think.
It was only as we were leaving the capital behind that it struck me I probably wouldn’t return for years.
“It’s a beautiful city,” Nexxa said, joining me at the engraved railing at the back of the ship.
“Very,” I agreed, rubbing at my head, wishing the headache away. Minor Heal refused to do more than take the edge off.
“Soul drain,” Nexxa said, elbowing me slightly. “I’ve got a spell that’d fix it, but that’d wipe away your progress.”
“That sounds bad,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her.
“There’s a reason people don’t rush, Perry. If you didn’t have me looking over you, I’d warn you away too,” Nexxa said, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.
“But I do have you.”
“Yep! So, get casting, slacker,” Nexxa declared, demonstrating with a spark show of her own.
So, sitting on the upper deck while the Dove’s Hand made its way up the Teleti river, Nexxa and I resumed my practice. By the time the sun set on the river, sending its rays to pierce the scattered clouds, I was almost halfway to unlocking my second slot.
I also had an immense headache, only slightly relieved by Minor Heal. Nexxa reassured me once more, and even admitted she'd made the mistake of using a healing spell on herself when she'd gone through this process and set herself back an entire week's progress.
Not wanting to risk losing my only slot, I did my best to power through the headache. Unfortunately, that meant taking lessons from Books was… less than enjoyable.
“The very first thing you need to understand, is that the people beneath us matter. I can’t tell you how many young Magus Domini neglect their people only to be cast down because of it. We swore an oath, and it binds us. If you do not uphold it, you will find your magic withering away until you’re weaker than a mortal,” Books said, motioning with his chin towards one of the sailors nearby. “That said, while the oath only requires us to keep our people healthy and hale, I have found a happy mortal is more productive. But only to a degree. If you spoil your mortals, they can get slovenly and lazy. Or worse they may start believing it is acceptable to…”
Books lowered his voice, glancing around the deck.
Despite my headache, I found myself leaning forward, straining to hear his next words.
“They may… talk to you,” Books said, a shudder travelling down his back.
Nexxa and I shared a glance, and then both started laughing. It was enough to draw the attention of most of the deck.
The rest of the lesson was a little more what I expected, with Books focusing on the logistics of keeping our ‘mortals’ hale and hearty. A lot of what he had to say relied on trade.
“This isn’t going to be much help to me,” I said, looking over an example of tariffs to impose, along with notes about which items our fellow Domini preferred. It wasn’t just my headache that was making my head hurt by that point.
“Not at first, no,” Books admitted with a small nod. “However, you mentioned that you had a spell aid for memory. If you expect your domain to prosper, you’ll need trade. And even the far corners of the Frigid Peaks has commerce. The mountain clans if no one else.”
I nodded, though I struggled to follow along with the rest of the lesson, my headache only growing worse until he finally relinquished me to bed. Thankfully, by the next morning it had diminished to a barely noticeable tension in my forehead.
That didn't last long. As soon as we finished breakfast, Nexxa resumed our training regimen.
Cast Access Storage. Pull my blasting rod out of inventory, spin it, take my firing stance. Have Nexxa infuse me with crackling Mana. Cast Access Storage again. Put blasting rod away. Repeat.
Over and over.
It was brutal.
There were several points where I wanted to smack Nexxa with the rod, and when Books started droning on about tax laws, monster bounties, and the benefits of hunting halls, I was ready to snap.
But as I was gazing outward into the slowly churning river, the captain calling out for the night watch to take their shift, I felt that shift in my soul once more.
I'd unlocked my second spell impression.
I attempted to slot in Minor Heal, but the fog and headache made it impossible. It was so bad, I spent half the night awake, only falling asleep in the early hours when the pain started to fade.
I slept past noon, and when I came onto the deck for some fresh air, Nexxa was waiting.
"I pushed too hard. I'm sorry," Nexxa said, pulling at a piece of the rigging with one hand.
"It's fine. I wanted to keep going," I said even as I swatted her hand away from the rigging. "It wasn't your fault."
"Still, we have time. We should pace ourselves. It's not like we can keep going if you can't keep your impression slots full."
"Fair 'nuff," I agreed, massaging my still sore head.
"You know, you never used to say it like that," Nexxa said, grabbing onto the rigging again and swaying on it.
"Stop that," I said, swatting her hand again. "And say what like what?"
"Fair 'nuff," Nexxa said, glancing over at Calbern and Books who were leaning on the railing at the front of the ship, their gazes fixed on the horizon as they talked. "I know Calbern thinks it's just you affecting a 'rough' demeanor, but that's not it, is it?"
"I… uh…"
"You’ve changed. Ever since your awakening," Nexxa said, finally letting go of the rigging to move over to the railing instead. She leaned out over the water, a hand reaching towards the surface despite it being a dozen feet down. "You're not the brother I knew."
The words sent a jolt down my spine as I glanced at her. That hadn’t been an accusation. I joined her at the railing and we both stood there in silence for over a minute. This was the moment. I knew I should just pull the plug and let the oil drain where it would.
For several long seconds, my mouth hung open as I searched for the words that would reveal the truth without send her running.
In the end, I said nothing.
Instead, it was Nexxa who broke the silence. “It’s good. Good that you’ve found this new purpose. It’s like we’re siblings again. I never meant us to… Do you remember when we went racing in the dark? We took the horses out. Calbern was so mad."
I thought back, and laughed as it played through my mind. "Ten years ago. You took the black one, cause black goes faster at night. Or so you said."
"Yep. And I stand by it," Nexxa said, leaning down towards the water again. "That was the last time we… it was the last time I felt like I had a brother."
"Father got mad," I said, replaying the memories of what came after. "It was terrifying. The second horse we ‘borrowed’ for that ride? It was Sosa’s. When he stormed into father’s office to complain, Calbern heard all about it. At the time, it seemed like the whole thing had been a setup to cause trouble for young Perth."
“Talking about yourself in the third person now, huh?” Nexxa said, punching me in the shoulder.
I flinched at the slip, though I played it off as reacting to her punch. Maybe it hadn’t been a slip. Part of me wanted her to know the truth. Had I been testing her reaction? I couldn’t say.
“You know now that I never meant to hurt you, yeah? If I’d known… I would’ve stolen Berreth’s instead. He never would’ve told father.”
I snorted at that. “Berreth would’ve just gone straight to a beating.”
“Not if I was there to stop him!” Nexxa declared, putting both her hands on her hips.
“You’re still two heads shorter than him, and you hadn’t even awoken your mana yet. What would you have done? Bit him?”
“You know it,” Nexxa said, darting forward slightly and making exagerated biting motions.
A sailor chose that moment to come tromping past. Nexxa blushed fiercely and we both fell into silence as they worked. We watched silently as they untied a rope, then retied it, with no changes that I could see. Busywork or diligence, I couldn’t be sure.
As they finally left, we both broke into laughter, letting it fade into a shared quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
Finally, Nexxa broke the silence. "I'm glad, you know. That we’re back. Siblings again. Sure, it's crappy that you were basically forced into it by father… But… it feels like I've got you back, even if we’re gonna be a thousand miles apart, we won’t be… You know, alone."
"Remember when you’d announced your plan to focus on Storm?" I asked, staring out across the water but not seeing anything. “Sosa was talking about you after, about how foolish you were. He… I was so angry. Just about punched him out.”
"Really? You? Gentle, little Perry, almost hit Sosa?"
"Yep. Curled fist, rigid back and everything. Woulda done it too, if Calbern hadn't stepped in."
"Good thing he did. Otherwise you never would've survived to become a Magus Dominus. Though I guess surviving this will be tough too,” Nexxa said with a heavy sigh. “Did you know what you were getting into when you swore the oath?”
“I… not really,” I admitted, able to share that lesser truth at least. “I just knew I absolutely wouldn’t survive the Front.”
“What was it like, facing father like that? Did he get all vinelord, with the black jagged thorns filling every corner of the room?" Nexxa laughed, turning around and dangling off the deck backwards, her feet wedged into the railing.
“Worse. On the day of my calling, I went to his study. And instead of telling me how I’d serve the family, he flew me to the Front.”
“Wait, he flew you to the Front? Why?”
“It was a punishment. I… shortly after my awakening, I did something. Something I came to deeply regret. Father said it forced his hand,” I said, looking down at my own and turning it over.
“What did you do?” Nexxa asked, taking my hand in her own.
When I didn’t immediately respond, Nexxa added, “Just so you know, I’m picturing you gathering thirteen children, all of them bound at the wrists, and-“
“Okay, wow. Dark much? I’ll tell you,” I interrupted, unable to help but smile at her antics. Glancing around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear, I said in a low voice, “Sosa and Velen convinced me to try a ritual that would boost my strength. It worked… kind of. It’s why my Worlds affinity is so high, but…”
I almost told her. The actual truth. That it had cost Perth his life. That he’d lost the battle that came after. That I’d killed the brother she loved.
But I couldn’t.
“It was a soul ritual, wasn’t it?” Nexxa asked, her voice low. “It had to be. That’s the only kind of ritual you could’ve performed with your magic barely awoken.”
“Yeah. It… didn’t go as planned.”
“Messing with souls never does.”
“I’d go back and change it if I could,” I admitted. And that part was true. Even if it meant I’d died when I was supposed to, that would’ve been better than eating her brother’s soul. “Think there’s a spell for that?”
Nexxa blinked slowly as she pulled herself closer, studying my face. There were a few long moments of silence. I heard a bird caw in the distance. Then she hiccuped. Gradually, the hiccup turned into full blown laughter.
It was so loud, even Calbern turned to look as she shook on the deck.
Eventually, the laughter turned to tears.
“There are so many things I’d do different if I had magic like that,” Nexxa admitted.
"Can't change the past. Even the strongest time mages agree it's impossible," I said, patting her hand once more.
"Ha! So's breaking through to Pegasus in less than ten years. Or so they told me three years ago," Nexxa said, a hard glint in her eyes.
"Fair 'nuff," I said, leaning back and staring up with her.
"Fair 'nuff," Nexxa grumbled in agreement. “Fair ‘nuff.”
