by Lars M.
I grimaced. "Damn. I'd hoped you had something ready for me to buy now."
"Sorry, Arcangelo. I mean, I do carry a couple of skins of the stuff I made back in Nerit, but that's... well, not the same quality I'm going to create here."
"It's perfect. A single skin should be enough... no, let me take two, if you can spare them."
"I don't know, man... that's my own stash."
"I'll throw in some inside info," I winked at him. "That replacement doodad is going to be yours within a couple of days."
"It's not a doodad. Nevermind - spill the details. Sounds like life is looking up."
"Should be, Lidack. Move over; I'll tell you what I know."
Ten minutes later, I returned to the tavern. I'd been able to avoid drinking any of the Ache myself - that stuff was toxic. Still, it was just what I needed, and when I opened the door, I spotted my target instantly.
I threw a skin on the table in front of him. "Hey, Greck. Ready for an outing?"
The battered kobold looked up at me blearily. " Wuzzat?" Today he'd been extra diligent in his costume - if costume it was. The smell rolling from him was... well, it overpowered the stink of the Ache.
"It's a gift for you. I have questions. Unless your schedule is full?"
He opened the plug on the wineskin and instantly backed away from the fumes. "Piss on yer, kid. Tryin' t' poison me?"
"Perish the thought. This is an exclusive drink I got especially for you! You may have heard of it: it's called Ache. Of course, if you don't want it..."
"Din't say that. Let's go." With a groan, he got up.
I halted him and had Jeb quickly put together a boxed lunch for the two of us. I hadn't eaten after breakfast, and I didn't want Greck nodding off from the strong booze, either. Within minutes, we were off for the ferry and another session.
"I cannot fathom why you would pay money for this. It can hardly even be called alcohol. At best, it is an education in the process of what happens when you let assorted vegetables and fruits go bad and bottle the results." He sniffed the wineskin again and screwed up his face.
With a wry grin, I tossed the other wineskin in front of him. "Don't hold back - there's plenty where it came from. I figured it'd be a nostalgic experience for you."
"Nostalgic, certainly. You may have gleaned from my writings that I do not exactly enjoy the memories that led to me leaving the place." He took a draught of the wineskin and gagged. "Ache. I had imagined that my memories exaggerated the taste, but no."
"Sure. Only, to me, it seems like you miss the place as much as you hate it."
He spat. "That aftertaste - it just stays with you. Pfah. Yes, I suppose you are right. What are your intentions for today? Would you like to watch me get drunk and wax nostalgic about the good old times? Because in that case, you have set the perfect mood."
"No - today is all business. I need to learn more about spells. First, a request and a question, though."
He motioned for me to continue.
”The request first. Arack, my companion from Nerit, is trying to become an Alchemist. Will you teach her?”
He raised an eyebrow and just stared at me. ”Have you completely lost it? How much do you remember of my presence here? There’s a reason I don’t socialize much.”
”I know. I also know you’re talented, clever, and, well, the only Alchemist around here.”
He shook his head violently. ”I will not do it, Arcangelo. I have seen her around, and she seems quick-witted and nice, but even if she were the genius daughter of the Radament brewer himself, I would still not take her in and risk my cover.”
”But-”
”Forget it. Move on.” His glare shut me down.
”All right – don’t think this is the last time we’ll talk about this, though,” I grumbled, gathering my thoughts. ”I’ve been talking with some others about class quests. When are you going to let me start mine?"
"The moment I believe you are competent."
Wow. Please, don't pull the punches, you scaly bastard. I didn't say anything, but my face probably spoke volumes, because he grinned. "You are asking because of your newfound girlfriend, I assume? You might have spent almost the same amount of time with us, but I believe you are underestimating her skills and the amount of practice she puts in. Meanwhile, you have - commendably, I might add - spread your efforts over several different areas, skills, and time sinks. In short, she is better than you at what she does." He waved his hand dismissively. "A month or so should help, however. You are improving, and your powers are decent. With an improved repertoire and better control over your catalogue of spells, we will move forward with it."
So my stats were good enough, but I needed to practice my skills and spells? Got it. "That sounds fair. How about sharing a bit more about the test? What should I focus on?"
He guffawed. "I know your type. Were I to name a spell, you would train that one exclusively and be back in two days. No cheating."
"I don't like that accusation... because you're right. Had to try, though."
"As expected of a bard to take the easy way. That was a compliment, if you were unsure. Now, spells?"
"Yes. Erm. So, I've got a decent idea by now of how to approach learning spells. I'm also getting better at feeling my way through what sonic magic can do and how it moves. I've hit a bit of a roadblock, though. See, I don't really know what the particulars of Sonic Magic are, compared to... dunno, that the magic of a Cleric, for instance. You said something about it being good at brute force and manipulating emotions last time?"
"Hah. Now we are talking. See, these are the kinds of questions that make me hope that you will evolve past ‘village idiot’ at some point. It seems I should have donned my scholarly cap today. I had better lay off the Ache until we have finished this discussion." He tossed the wineskin behind him and drummed his claws against the scales on his legs with a clicking sound. "First off: What you do not need to know. Until you stand in a situation where you could be facing other mages in battle, there is no need for you to learn the particulars of all other schools of magic. Neither do you need to memorize the different strengths and weaknesses of all schools - yet." The last part he said with an admonishing finger lifted. "You do need to know this: Every single school of magic holds strengths and weaknesses, both on their own, in relation to certain elements, and in relation to the other magics. Now, if you were to take all magics and place them on a scale, how do you believe Sonic magic would rate?"
Back in school again. Damnit. I ignored the obvious answer and hazarded a guess, "Near the bottom?"
He shook his head. "Trick question. As I have stated before, there is no such thing as a superior magic school. Everything depends on the skill, will, and strength of the caster. You need to pay attention, Arcangelo. Sonic magic has some amazing strengths. Conventional armor does little against it. Whereas a druid, demonologist, or necromancer's magic may indirectly be affected by the armor of an adversary, bards scoff at weighty armors. We also belong to one of the few schools of magic - shamanic magic and clerical magic being the other obvious examples - that focuses heavily on mental effects. What do you believe this means?"
"Erm - people don't buy protective gear against mental magic?"
"Exactly. Around the continent, you will find a fair spread of magic resistances among the animals and monsters of Aeion. This proves that they all form part of the same magic circle. People, however, are less intelligent. They often focus on the commonality of magics before the deadliness. Hence, your magics will mostly be resisted only by well-prepared enemies or those who believe in an all-round protection. It also means that you can often surprise your enemies. People know how to react in the face of a fireball. A sleep spell, less so." He winked.
"Huh. But I figured there were plenty of bards out there?”
One side of his mouth quirked up. ”Way too many. Most of them without the talent to become more than buskers. But – and this is a rhetorical question, should you be confused –
how many bards out there actually use their magic and how many just play their music and impregnate the local youth?”
”Hah. Point taken. It also fits pretty well with what I've seen so far. How about the weaknesses of sonic magic?"
"Twofold. The first part, you should start cataloging as you travel, because sonic magic reacts differently with different elements. Sorcerers, for instance, will have a hard time deflecting our magic, as only ice will have a solid effect on our spells. Fire doesn't do much, water only decreases the efficiency and earth - well, earth leads us to the second, graver, issue. Because we have a problem with terrain and buildings that most other types of magic do not. Let us say that you find a wall in your way. This is, at most, an inconvenience for most spellcasters. A summoner can beckon a creature to tear it down, a druid may change her own body to remove the obstacle and a sorcerer? Well, fireballs don't give a damn, pardon my speech. Sonic mages, however, are in trouble. Bricks, concrete, wood - even plaster. Any hard or reflective surface will kill the efficiency of most Sonic spells. At one point, an earth-focused Sorcerer fought a duel with a master Bard and outwitted him by raising the terrain to interrupt all of his direct spells. This means that we need to fight clever, and we should never ever attack an entrenched position. Or earth elementals." He added the last one with a wince.
"Got it. Let me say that this is really helpful."
My time in Nerit had taught me a great deal about how to read kobold expressions, and I was pretty sure I detected a hint of pride on his face. "It is only useful if you learn to apply it and use it in practice. Otherwise, it will serve as an opportunity for me to say 'you should have paid better attention' the next time you are reborn. Hm - I swear, I always end up getting sidetracked when I talk to you. Where was I?"
"Physical and mental effects to Sonic magic. Downsides to the physical aspect of Sonic magic."
"Ah. Thank you, yes. Obviously, there are also downsides to the mental aspects of Sonic magic. Whereas a physical attack will deal the same damage regardless of the opponent, the spells that attack the psyche will have a larger risk of failure when you attack more evolved enemies. If you were to attempt to entrance a dragon, it would, at most, be annoyed for a split-second before it crushed you."
I nodded. "I'd guessed as much. Some of my tougher enemies partially or completely resisted my mental spells. No, wait. Is ‘stun’ physical or mental?"
He shook his head with a stern look. "Physical. The force of the spell works its way into muscles and joints, inducing cramps and locking up the body. But your question... I do believe that I need a draught of Ache now."
True to his word, he retrieved the wineskin and took a long pull. Then, shaking his head to himself, he turned back to me. "Let me be completely sure this means what I believe it does. When you cast your spell in combat, do you alter it to fit the situation?"
"I'm... not sure what you're asking. Are you talking about timing or aiming?"
He massaged his temple and suddenly, scales or not, he was the spitting image of my old physics teacher when I'd asked him if the speed of dark was faster than light. "So, Arcangelo. You may recall that I taught you the fundamentals for Sonic Push?"
"Of course. It's been of great help to me." I knew he was leading somewhere, but I just couldn't guess where.
"I remember quite vividly explaining that you could adjust the size and length of the waves - or am I wrong in this?"
"No, you did." I'd never really had any reason to use the spell at less than full force, but yeah, he'd gone into pretty great detail.
"And you did not, at any point, think about this? Maybe extrapolate that it could be applied to any of your other spells?" His voice sounded like he was fighting to keep his temper.
"What? You mean that I could... change the width of my Sonic Wave? Stuff like that?"
Not the right answer. If he was gritting his teeth before, he was downright livid now. "I - told - you. You have the capability of creating any existing spell if you figure out the basis. Any. Existing. Spell. Did you seriously believe that this would come with a fixed size or angle? What if... no, I need a minute." He stomped off into the forests, carrying the skin along with him.
Silence came over the clearing and before long, the sounds of wildlife returned. I stood there, awkward, waiting for Greck to return. After a couple of minutes, I fired off a couple of trial shots and, Eureka! I was able to change the angle of my Sonic Wave. The maximum limits were still in place - I couldn't make the stream longer or wider - but I could narrow it down, making it easier to aim. I switched to the Stun Blast - same thing. My mind was reeling at the implications when Greck's voice intruded.
"At least you got the point." He walked over to me, head downcast, to place himself right in front of me. When he started talking again, his voice was uncommonly emotional. "Listen, Arcangelo. I apologize for my outburst. I was not aware that this was something that needed to be said. Where I come from, this is taught at an early age, before you would even consider your choice of magic. I am not a teacher by nature. Even so, I would ask you to pay attention. If you forget everything else I say today, remember this: You need to understand your spells and adapt them to the exact encounter." He spotted that I was about to ask a question, but stopped me with a hand. "If you do not know how your Stun Blast works, how can you aim it at the joints of your target? If you always keep your Sonic Missile at the same size, how do you target the eye of a stunned opponent?" Speaking up, he snapped, "Now! You will tell me exactly which spells you know by now, how well you know them and how you believe this new knowledge changes the way you have been using them."
The next half hour wasn't funny, but it certainly was educational. We went over every single spell I had, how it worked, how I was using it, and what I could do to improve my combat efficiency. It was a lot to take in, but the possibilities were nearly endless. I was ashamed to realize that I'd secretly figured that I had the intricacies of the spell system down pat. Now, I was forced to reassess every single spell and consider what I could change. For the mental spells, Charm, Sleep, and the like, there were no differences. The physical spells, however... phew. Stun Blast and Sonic Wave weren't too difficult. I could mostly learn to change their range for safety in combat, narrowing the cones to avoid hitting my friends. That and ensure that the stream hit vulnerable points. Veil of Sound, that lovely floating repellant of mine, was far more customizable than I had thought, too. For instance, I could adapt the sound waves into weaker, wider versions if the enemy was using weaker missiles. The real kicker was with the direct damage spells, though. A smaller, equally deadly Sonic Missile to the eye was a good one. Or aiming it right at the fingers, making them drop their weapon. Or I could focus a tightened Stream of Songs right at the knees of a charging enemy, crippling his legs before he got to me. To my surprise, I could also enlarge my Sonic Missile, creating a bigger chance to hit, at the cost of reduced damage.
I'd need a lot of time and practice to put everything I'd learned into effect, and I was convinced there were other nuances that still escaped me. Even so, I felt assured I would be able to improve my efficiency in combat markedly, and I hadn't even learned any new spells yet.
At last, Greck nodded as I released an oversized Sonic Missile at a defenseless tree. "Good. Clueless, you may be, but you learn quickly. You will need to practice on your own before you try any of this out in combat. Well, unless you decide otherwise. It's your rebirth."
"Thanks. I guess. I need to ask your advice regarding a couple of specific spells I would like to learn. But first, do you mind a few additional questions regarding mental spells in general?"
He released a reverberating burp and made a face. "Damn it to the Pits. The aftertaste is worse. How is that possible? Pfah. Go ahead. I will not attest to the usefulness of my replies if you dawdle."
"Alright. By now, I have a pretty firm idea of how to experiment with spells until I finally hit something that works. I still don't know the fundamental rules behind mental sp
ells. I'm guessing there is something to define which spell is harder or easier to learn?"
"Fair question. Now, let us assume that you are attempting to create two spells - one coercing a recipient into trusting you for a short while and the other doing the opposite. Which one is easier?"
"Erm... if my target's neutral to begin with? I'd say either, what with trust and distrust being polar opposites. Unless the target's natural personality plays in, I guess."
"You are getting ahead of yourself there, Arcangelo. A person's personality really only starts to fight back if you are attempting to impose something long-term or permanent. You are right, however. Now, if you wanted to make her admire you instead of trusting you?"
"That would make it harder? I mean, that's a more powerful emotion than trust, right?"
"Powerful, no. It is a more complex emotion, however. And this is the key lesson. You have your four basic emotions. joy, anger, trust, and surprise, with their counterpoles sadness, fear, distrust, and anticipation. Each of these can be affected - and the degree of effect you're going for defines how hard the spell is going to be to learn. The usual-"
"Wait, I interrupted, "I'm not sure I got that. By degree of effect, you mean?"
"Making somebody annoyed with you is easy. Anger comes harder. Mindless rage, even harder than that."
"Oh... the degree of effect. I get it. Thanks. So first I need to fix the exact degree of effect in my mind that I'm going for."
"Yes. And I was about to say, the usual terms apply as well. Try to affect an area instead of a single target? Try to directly target several targets at a time? Each additional condition adds to the difficulty of the spell, both for learning and casting it." Greck had dispensed with smaller sips now and was downing the Ache like cheap ale.
"That seems logical. What are the limits? As in, how powerful can this become if you keep at it and improve your spells? Also, you mentioned permanence?"
