Ends of Magic

Nathan lay down, expecting to pass out instantly. He’d slept about two hours in the last seventy-two.

God it’s been a long couple of days. To think - three days ago we woke up in the cozy underground bunker of that Edrani Empire Outpost. Since then I’ve fought - and won - three battles. I ran a hundred miles. Killed an archmage. And gained fifty-six levels. Why am I still awake?

For a moment Nathan was scared he’d messed up his brain chemistry by using [Perfected Body] to push off the need for sleep. But that wasn’t the problem - he was exhausted, bone tired and past the point where adrenaline or stress could keep him awake.

No, what was bothering Nathan and preventing sleep was the contemplation of murder.

After all - he’d killed people for the first time today. He’d slain the slave-soldiers guarding the gate to Taeol’s mansion, then broken through and killed the archmage himself. Nathan had reconciled himself with his desire to kill Taeol a long time ago. The man had needed to be killed to prevent him from doing any more harm. It was as simple as that.

But those slave-soldiers - I might have been able to free them. I freed Stella from the best mind-magic Taeol could do, but I didn’t even stop to consider freeing the guards.

Nathan sat up to check once more that his friends were still present. His new magical sense let him feel the magic inside Stella and Khachi, but the ability was too new for Nathan to fully trust. The Heirs completely occupied Faline’s bed, so Nathan was sprawled out on the floor on a spare blanket. He lay back down, sighing and adjusting his position.

It’s done. I’m the only person here who could free those slaves. It’s like cursebreaking inside a brain, it would have complicated our escape, and I don’t regret how things turned out. I won. I rescued my friends, and I killed Taeol.

Of course, he couldn’t have done it without Faline. The leader of the Assassins of Gemore was definitely an elite Adventurer, with two classes and several hundred levels to her name. She’d offered to teach Nathan how to gain a second class. Right before helping him clean up and sending him off to bed. Her offer was really what was keeping him from sleep. He wasn’t about to turn her down - he’d declared his intentions to bring down Giantsrest, and meant it. He wasn’t about to stop at the first instance of bloodshed.

But now he was thinking about the deaths that might lie in his future. Hundreds of mages, not all of whom might be guilty of as much as Taeol. Children, students like Harthi. Khachi had convinced Nathan to spare Harthi, and Nathan wasn’t sad about that.

But I will have to kill more people like her, and know it is possible to spare them. Should I try to spare them? This whole thing would have been easier if Khachi hadn't convinced me that Harthi could become better. But - not all evil is cackling old men torturing you, and if I'm going to truly challenge Giantsrest I'm going to need to kill mages of all descriptions. Sometimes evil is the enchanter working in a workshop to build weapons for the legions of slave-soldiers.

Nathan rolled over, trying to change his train of thought. This was worth thinking about, but maybe when he had a bit more sleep!

Bereft of other options, Nathan sat up, crossing his legs and keeping his eyes closed as he used the first skill he’d ever acquired on Davrar. [Focused Mind] had developed into [Battle Meditation] - which was essential to keep him centered in the midst of a Rage. But it still fulfilled its original purpose.

Focusing on his breath let Nathan shed his worries. He didn’t need to figure out all of his problems now. A better, more rested Nathan could worry about all of that. Right now it was just time to feel his body, listen to the sounds of the Heirs snoring, and relax.

Some time later a much calmer Nathan lay back down and went to sleep almost immediately, comforted by the knowledge that his friends were close.

—

He woke to the sound of jangling metal. Nathan rolled to the side and jumped to his feet, breathing quickly as he looked around. Then he relaxed as he felt the trace of divine power. He glanced over to the sound, where Khachi was putting on his heavy plate armor over the padded undercoat.

The wolfman gave him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I was trying not to wake you. But I wish to feel my armor around me, for we are still in Halsmet.”

“That makes sense.” Nathan looked around, seeing that all of the other members of the Heirs were gone. “Where is everybody else?”

Khachi gestured toward the door out of the bedroom. “Awake. It has been nearly a full day, but we thought it better to let you rest. Faline has made food, and we all wish to hear your tale, if you would tell it.”

Right. They still don’t know much about what happened. I didn’t even tell Faline about how the Heirs got kidnapped. As far as they know they went to sleep after fighting the Fortress Foundry and then woke up in the captivity of Giantsrest.

Nathan winced at that thought, then shrugged. They’d hear the story soon, and he doubted they’d fault him for being unable to take on Badud and Taeol.

He examined his own clothing, which were the baggy slave robes Faline had given them yesterday after escaping Taoel’s mansion. It was more like a big bathrobe of coarse cloth, with multiple fabric strips for belting various portions of the outfit.

A pile of clothing hit Nathan in the chest, and he looked up to see Khachi closing up a dimensional bag. “We have all of our gear. Including at least a few sets of spare clothes for you.” His canine mouth quirked in a grin. “It’s one of our largest consumables. Sarah can make ammunition, my healing magic means we don’t need healing potions, and Stella doesn’t need mana potions. But you seem to end up naked after every fight.”

Grinning back, Nathan started pulling on the new clothes. They weren’t especially high-quality, but they were comfortable and familiar. “Not my fault that I keep getting blown up.”

Khachi gave him a meaningful look. “Really? You have a habit of baiting the Castlebear. It is well that you can survive nearly anything.”

“And you shine brightly enough in that armor it’s a wonder I get attacked at all.” Nathan’s tone was teasing, keeping up the light tone.

I think he needs this, to pretend things are normal. I need it too.

“Ah yes, but I remain in the rear, unthreatening. You charge every threat you see, then punch it.”

The corner of Nathan’s mouth twisted up. “I should tell you about the Kalis conclave tower I ran into on the way here.”

Khachi made a sound halfway between a chuckle and a growl as he fastened the last strap on his armor and pushed the door open. “You can tell all of us. I would not deny my teammates a story of Nathan Lark charging at a magical danger that any other Adventurer would hesitate to even approach.”

The smell of food drifted through the door and Nathan realized he was ravenous. He followed Khachi through the door and into the only other room in Faline’s safehouse.

The rest of the Heirs were seated around the sole table in the room. As Nathan came through the door, Aarl quickly stowed away the sabers he’d been polishing. Then the wiry copper-skinned man got up and gestured for Nathan to take his seat.

Nodding his thanks to his friend, Nathan sat down at the seat and looked around the table. Sarah was sitting to his left, cleaning the internals of her revolvers. She was Aarl’s twin, and they shared identical wiry build and reddish-brown skin tone. Stella sat across from Nathan, and the red-haired mage did not look like she was in great shape.

Nathan’s new magical senses let him feel the wellspring of power that was his friend, but it seemed muted and unstable. Her skin was wan, while her eyes appeared sunken and bloodshot. She clutched a mug of tea in faintly shaking hands, and looked like she was about to go to sleep right at the table.

Then Faline deposited a large bowl in front of Nathan. The willowy assassin was dressed in the same black leathers that Nathan had first seen her in, her dark hair flecked with a myriad of colors.

Of course, I know she can shapeshift unrestricted by height or weight. And unless that ability has restrictions I don’t know about, this is just the shape she chooses to show us.

Nathan looked down at the bowl, then back up to Faline. “Boiled grain?”

“We’re in the slums. What do you expect, high delicacies? Spoiled Adventurers.” Then she sighed. “But I do steal every Giantsrest delicacy I can.” She flicked her wrist in a familiar gesture. Instead of a knife, she was holding a glass bottle of syrup. “Don’t use it all.”

Spreading a generous dollop of syrup onto the grain, Nathan dug in. The richness was welcome, but it almost didn’t matter. Nathan was famished, inhaling one bowl before getting up for a second.

The other Heirs seemed a bit intimidated by Faline, and shocked by how Nathan had addressed her. They were killing time while they waited for Nathan to finish eating. Eventually he put the bowl down, and the Heirs leaned in.

After a moment Sarah spoke, gesturing impatiently. “Do we need to bribe you with a dragon’s hoard? Tell us what occurred!”

Nathan shrugged, speaking dismissively. “There isn’t much to tell. Badud - the Questor - and Taoel showed up during my watch and kidnapped you, then I came to free you.”

“Not even as a game would that story suffice.” Sarah’s reply was derisive. “Don’t hide the details. I want to know the depth of our debt.”

Nathan frowned. “Sarah - you know that’s not why I did it. Friend…”

“Friendship. Yes, we know. But still we must know. ” Aarl broke in impatiently. “We were kidnapped more than a hundred miles south of here, and taken to the most dangerous stronghold of Giantsrest short of the Ascendent Academy itself. I expected our parents to try to rescue us, but by then…” He shrugged. “Taeol would have had time.”

To do what, he left unsaid.

Sighing, Nathan raised his hands defensively. “Alright, fine. I’ll start at the beginning.”

Faline slid languidly into the chair on Nathan’s right. “By the giant I wish to hear this. You gave but a single breath of explanation yesterday before I agreed to rescue your friends.” She paused for a moment, eying the Heirs. “I am glad it was successful.”

“I was on watch…” Nathan twisted his lips. “And they kidnapped you anyway.” He looked down, feeling guilty again. “Both Badud and Taeol were invisible, flying. Right after I noticed them, Badud cast [Soporific Bubble] and [Mass Levitate], to keep you asleep and pull you out of my reach.”

Khachi nodded gravely. “A Questor is an uncommon foe, difficult to fight against. It is strange that they found us in such an isolated place.”

“They were pretty chatty after you were captured, and they were flying above my reach while Badud monologued. From what was said, I think Taeol was the one who woke the Fortress Foundry, and somehow he pointed it at the village of Tarren. He knew we were in the area, and wanted to lure us to him. But he didn’t attack there because Kozar was around and posed a threat to him.” Nathan sighed. “When we left after Simla’s death, Taeol followed and called in Badud to ensure the capture went smoothly.”

Kind of pisses me off that Kozar’s presence was protecting us. The man’s an ass, the leader of the traditionalist Gemore adventurers, and really seemed to want to kill me after his nephew died.

Stella coughed wetly, chuckling. “Taeol didn’t feel confident capturing us on his own after his first try. Needed a Questor to be sure.” She looked up at Nathan. “Don’t think yourself a fool for driving us away from Kozar. He’s muckgrabber slime, and we would have parted company regardless.”

“What else did they say?” Faline broke in, tapping her finger on the table. “You said earlier that Badud called you a rival?”

Nathan grimaced. “He said that if I defeated Taoel, then he’d consider me a rival. But I think he expected it to take longer. The direct quote is ‘Become a Dragon, Nathan Lark. It has been too long since I had a hated rival.’ I’m not sure I’m ready to be a rival to a Questor.”

There was a moment of silence, then Aarl gave a low chuckle. “You killed an archmage of Giantsrest in direct combat on his home territory. That seems a deed worthy of a dragon - though even a dragon might balk at challenging a Questor. How did you slay the archmage?”

Sarah leaned back and flicked her brother in the chest. “Let him tell the tale in the order it occurred. I wish to hear it sensibly.” She turned her attention back to Nathan. “Was there anything else to your discussion with the Questor of Giantsrest?”

“Not really.” Nathan shrugged, then thought for a moment. “Oh. Yeah, he said he planned to ‘send an army or three to recapture Gemore while he was in Giantsrest.’ That seems like an important detail.”

I’m glad I have [Enhanced Memory] for details like that. I was a bit distracted at the time.

Faline pulled out a knife, rolling it through her fingers. “Yes. An important detail. One to include in our report to the guild. Stella, have you sent a [Message] yet?” She frowned. “Can your [Message] reach all the way to Gemore from here?”

“Yes.” Stella looked faintly nauseous at the thought of casting the spell. “I can’t cast yet. But my [Message] can reach Gemore. With my Insight I could reach Agmon from here.”

Right, she uses light mana for her [message], since it’s based on my explanation of radio waves. Maybe she shouldn’t be explaining how valuable the magical Insights I taught her are - that’s most of the reason Taeol went after us.

Faline’s eyebrows rose slightly, but she simply gestured for Nathan to resume his tale.

“Before he left, Badud said he was giving you all to Taeol. He wanted to force me into conflict with Taeol. Then he used [Mass Teleport].” Nathan furrowed his brow, remembering his desperation after the Heir’s kidnapping. “I knew from Harthi that Taeol was based in Halsmet. I thought this is where he’d take you.”

And so I decided to follow, because I didn’t want anything but the best ending. The one where my friends didn’t spend weeks getting brainwashed by magic.

“So. I decided to follow, as quickly as I could. I thought Taeol wouldn’t be expecting me to show up the same day - after he left me so far to the south.”

Faline cocked an eyebrow at him as a blade continued to dance through her fingers. “The landscape to the south is rough, and the dungeons are dense. How did you travel so fast?”

Nathan shrugged, looking over the Heirs. “My build makes me stronger, and faster. I developed my running skill, and then went to a Kalis Conclave dungeon to…”

“We understand. Don’t speak about your build here.” Sarah cut Nathan off, giving Faline a significant glance.

Right. Not supposed to give out any details of my build. It’s a pretty big secret that I’m not just immune to magic, but I absorb it to fuel my Stamina.

Faline gave a wry smile and shrugged, but made no other comment.

Nathan continued. “I ended up on the outskirts of Halsmet. I knocked out a farmer-slave and took his clothes and cart, then snuck into the city while pretending to be a slave. Faline found me when the gate guards got suspicious. She guided me to Taeol’s mansion. We killed the guards, then I entered while she kept our escape clear.” Nathan glanced at Faline, seeing if she had anything to contribute to the story.

“Taeol was your nemesis to slay - and I will never let an archmage know me as an enemy across the battlefield. A [disintegrate] will kill me as easily as it kills any. Except you, Nathan Lark.”

Nathan nodded to acknowledge her point and continued his story. “Taeol was learning Stella’s magical Insights inside - he had her mind-controlled.”

Khachi slapped the table, growling heavily. “He ignored us as base iron to the adamant of Stella. Muttered about the Insights he wanted to tear from her. Locked us in those devices to break our wills slowly over time.”

Sarah gave Khachi a bland look. “I didn’t hear that. You could listen to what Taoel was saying?”

“My path gives me resistance to mental spells.” Khachi’s lips curled back from his canines. “But not enough to break free when restrained. Regardless. What occurred after you entered the courtyard?”

“Taeol monologued for a bit..” Nathan spent a moment reviewing for any important details. “It wasn’t very relevant. But he was standing on a balcony I couldn’t get to. Then he told Stella to capture me, and we fought. He thought I wouldn’t hurt her, and thought that if any mage could fight me it would be Stella. He also didn’t want to owe Exea a favor for borrowing soldiers to capture me.”

“Exea is the governor of Halsmet. She’s an archmage of Giantsrest. Vicious old prune of a woman.” Faline said.

That wasn’t the part the rest of the Heirs had been thinking about. Sarah, Khachi and Aarl darted looks between one another, looking apprehensive. Stella opened her mouth to speak, looking sad and tired.

I don’t think I want to hear her apologize for fighting and almost killing me. I think she just feels obligated to make the apology - she has to know it wasn’t her fault.

Nathan cut her off. “We fought - and I figured out how to break the mind control spell. It took a bit because there were failsafes to kill Stella if the spell was broken, but I managed it.” He smirked at Stella conspiratorially. “Then Stella interrupted Taeol’s [Teleport] and brought him to ground level, where I could get to him. So I killed him. Thanks for that. I never would have gotten to him if you hadn’t broken the balcony.”

Mid-tier Lecturing 9 achieved!

A bit of a strange rank-up. I wonder if it’s because I’m describing my own actions? Doing something that earned me a lot of levels?

Stella returned his smile with a vicious twist to her lips. “I’m filled with sadness that he died so quickly, before I could pry some Insights from his muckgrabber-slimed corpse.” Then she shrugged. “At least I gained some levels from his death.”

“Hmmm.” Faline continued rolling a dagger through her fingers as she examined Nathan. “Impressive. Those mind-control spells are solid. I assumed Taeol must have used a lower-tier spell in his haste, though Giantsrest is usually careful about their failsafes on high-value slaves. Which all of you would have been.”

Then she sighed. “But you are not free yet, for we are still in a place of Giantsrest power. The alarm has been raised, and they will be searching for you.” Then she grimaced. “And me. They’ll have activated the detection enchantments, and Exea will have mages scouring the city and wilderness around it. Badud, the Questor, may also involve himself.”

The Heirs reacted quickly, with Aarl and Sarah stowing weapons while Stella shook herself and moved to stand. Khachi’s brows furrowed as he spoke. “Why are you only mentioning this now?”

Faline rolled her eyes as she pulled her knife from the table and sheathed it. “Because we are protected. This safehouse is shielded from the detection enchantments - the only course that does not lead to discovery is for you to stay here.”

Then she turned to look at Nathan. “While Nathan and I investigate the state of the city. We need to learn more before we can make a plan.”

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 1

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 6

Talent 3: High-tier Slow Fall 9

Class: Implacable Antimage level 144

Deepened Stamina: 3920/4620

Antimage’s Impassivity

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Improved Antimagic

Strenuous Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 6

High-tier Earnestness 9

High-tier Sprinting 3

Magical Perception 2

High-tier Notice 5

High-tier Identify 6

High-tier Dodging Footwork 6

High-tier Enhanced Memory 8

Mid-tier Lecturing 9

High-tier Tumbling 3