Ends of Magic

The captain of the Grace of the Mists drew herself up in the throne-like chair that sat where a wheel would on a normal sailing ship and regarded Nathan with a secretive smile. “Now I understand why Badud’s entire grid has deployed assets against you. You have not just delayed their plans but struck at their combat power directly. Badud was ever the one with the build to clear a battlefield.”

Nathan grimaced and spoke, his voice bitter. “Great, more enemies. Who are they? Or is that too much of a favor?”

“You have more than earned that truth. Truly, Sarya would…” Eolinne hesitated, then cut herself off with a wave of her hand. “Badud, Amoh, Sussu and Ogarius. You know Badud and his powers. Sussu is an enchanter and teacher, and she rarely leaves Esebus. In Zhark they worship Amoh as a god, and he is seeding that theocracy across multiple continents. The seminary assassins that tried to kill you tonight are his signature.”

She pursed her lips. “And Ogarius is an empty silhouette. I have only heard of him from Sarya, when a city falls to monsters, or an army wins a fight they should have lost.” She met Nathan’s eyes grimly. “Badud is the most powerful in a direct fight, but they are all dangerous. We must be careful, for they can move empires to fulfill their desires. If you crippled Badud they will want to kill you as a warbeast seeks vengeance for a wound.”

“Is that why the Oligarchs of LItcliff tried to kill us?” Sarah asked. “The Questors arranged it?”

Eolinne gave a soft snort. “They merely offered enough wealth to buy the city. Cities like Litcliff can always be bought, it is only a matter of the weight of the treasure. Enough wealth and magic were pledged to usher Litcliff into an age of wonders.’”

“How do you know that?” Nathan asked curiously.

“I spent the night spying on the Oligarchs,” Eolinne replied without a hint of shame. “They are fools in search of money when they should seek connections. I could do more for their city than half that amount of treasure could in trade maps and Insights of seafaring.”

Stella looked back towards the city they were quickly leaving behind. It looked like most of the fires had been extinguished, but it was hard to tell in the daylight. A thick pall of smoke still hung overhead, though it was starting to break up in the breeze. “Did they get the treasure? Should we go back for it?”

“No, and no.” Eolinne’s tone was sharp. “The treasure was promised to them under burden of magical contract, but it would be delivered over the course of a decade.”

Ah, I see the complexities of financial agreements between large entities spans dimensions.

“Is Badud the leader of his grid, the way Sarya is?” Nathan asked, refocusing the conversation.

Eolinne shook her head slightly. “Neither are leaders. Questors are as independent as castlebears. Sarya organizes more than leads, and I do not believe Badud or any of his allies would give even that authority to any other. They may make agreements in the name of their Grids, but none would accept orders from any other.”

Nathan frowned. “But you think Badud’s grid is going to attack us on the ocean anyways? Why would they throw so many resources at me?”

“Because,” Eolinne said, lifting a single finger for emphasis. “Few Questors can face Badud on the field of open battle and hope for victory. He is one of the most powerful spellcasters on Davrar.” Her mouth quirked into a cruel smirk. “He was one of the most powerful spellcasters on Davrar. For a team of mortals to defeat him is worthy of note, and makes that team a powerful asset in the games of the Questors. For one mortal to do so - it is a deed that echos across the Endings. You are a noteworthy piece, and Badud’s grid seeks to deny you to Sarya, for they know she will wield you well.”

Nathan frowned at being described as a weapon to be wielded, but he didn’t object. His interpretation was that Eolinne considered herself a tool to be wielded by Sarya, and didn’t see it as something negative. She believed in Sarya’s cause and took the Questor’s orders because she trusted her.

I’m just not sure if I want to do the same. Especially if Sarya condemned Gemore to an early Ending. But if she did that, she owes me. I can use that to get her to answer my questions. To tell me the truth about Davrar, and tell me how to change it.

He looked up from his thoughts, reminded of another question he wanted to ask Eolinne. “Why did you turn us away when we first came to you? We could have left yesterday and avoided all of that nonsense.” He waved back towards the direction of the cloud of smoke that covered Litcliff.

“If you arrive to a dungeon and find it suspiciously clear of monsters, and at the end is a rack of treasure, do you bless your luck and seize the reward?” Eolinne asked in return, looking around the Heirs to indicate that the question was meant for all of them.

Nathan answered. “No. It would be a trap.” He looked back up at Eolinne, wrinkling his nose at her in confusion. “You thought we were a trap when we came to you?”

She nodded. “When I arrived I expected to hire agents to gather information and then send a carefully worded message to Gemore to contact you. To have you come to me mere hours after I arrived - it inspired a theme of caution. Especially when I knew a seminary was in the city. They have marked me as an enemy. I planned to investigate, to discover if you were the treasure I sought.”

Her smile grew wry. “When I tracked the seminary to the palace, I thought their target was the Oligarchs. But then I witnessed the contract binding. The Oligarchs agreed to throw all of the resources of the city against you. It was an expansion of a previous deal, which involved selling information and privileges to the assassins.”

Nathan couldn’t hold back the exasperation in his tone. “Truly, capitalism at its finest. I’m glad we didn’t trust Jaus farther than we could throw him.”

“Or Litcliff farther than we could… burn them?” Stella frowned at her attempt to mimic Nathan’s figure of speech.

“We should have gone to Agmon,” Sarah said dryly. “Then Garna would have found us.”

“Only if we survived their politics,” Aarl reminded her.

Eolinne watched the byplay fondly, then tapped a finger on the arm of her throne to draw their attention. “This voyage will span weeks, perhaps months. Have you sailed before?”

They all shook their heads, though Nathan’s denial was hesitant.

I haven’t sailed Davrar’s seas, that’s for sure. I bet there’s all sorts of things to worry about beyond getting sea-sick. Besides, I never did any deep-water sailing on Earth.

Eolinne clearly noted his hesitancy. “Inland boats are not sailing.” The statement was made with complete confidence. “To sail the seas of Davrar is to enter a dungeon of its own rules, with dangers aplenty. Victory is safe passage, and defeat is to be lost beneath the infinite ocean.”

She gestured towards the bow of the ship, which was currently behind all the Heirs because of how they were seated. “The ocean has more power than any of you.”

The Heirs all turned around to see the waves of Davrar up close for the first time. The Grace of the Mists was about to exit the long bay that sheltered Litcliff, which also meant it was about to exit the wizardry that dampened the ocean’s waves. The Grace of the Mists rocked slightly as the first wave rolled underneath the boat, still dramatically diminished by the edges of Litcliff’s protective magic.

Nathan squinted, trying to estimate the height of the waves. They marched off into the distance, growing in height as they got farther from Litcliff. The sound of surf against the cliffs on either side grew in volume until it was a cacophony of water crashing against rock.

I think those waves are taller than the masts of this ship. How are we going to sail through that?

Nathan found himself reaching for the railing to brace himself as the boat crested another swell, the ship’s movement growing more pronounced. The Grace of the Mists hadn’t reached the true waves yet, but its bucking motion this far away hinted at the challenge ahead. He shot a glance at his friends, seeing that Sarah and Aarl were exchanging uneasy looks while Stella’s smile kept growing.

Eolinne’s voice cut through the crashing waves, composed with an edge of anticipatory glee. “The seas will test our symphony, all and one. First is the challenge of the waves, then will come the monsters, the storms, and those who hunt the wide curve of the sea. But mark this truth - the ocean is a landscape like any other. It is harsh and deadly, but I know its harmonies. Listen to my commands and we shall never be helpless.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

She angled the ship into the next wave, climbing up it at a slight diagonal instead of taking it head on. The ship tilted backwards alarmingly far and Nathan’s heart jumped into his throat as he worried about it tipping over. They weren’t even at the tallest waves yet.

Their captain gave a sharp laugh, the sound like a hawk’s cry. Then she flicked one arm out to the side and her flute appeared in her hand. She brought it to her lips and started to play a wild and free song that sounded like a continuation of her laughter. The wind pushing them forward picked up, balancing the ship and driving it over the top of the wave.

The Heirs held on, able to do nothing but stay upright they tried to anticipate the motion of the deck. Their chairs stayed solidly in place, some kind of magical effect gluing them to the deck as the waves tossed the ship like a matchstick. Nathan made sure to keep his aura away from the deck as the wizardry within the ship cavorted in time to Eolinne’s tune.

As they reached the peak of the next wave Stella started chuckling nervously, the sound quickly ramping up into a thrilled laugh as the Grace of the Mists dove into the trough between waves to the song of Eolinne’s flute. Nathan joined Stella’s laughter after a moment, the crazy motion reminding him of a roller coaster. It had been a long time since he’d felt so helpless to do anything.

I could use [Airwalking] to escape, but I can’t do anything to help Eolinne get the boat through this. It’s all on her.

The flute trilled a harsh note and the Grace of the Mists tacked quickly as it descended the next mountain of water. Nathan only saw why on the peak of the next wave. There were islands off the coast, scattered tables of rock topped with rolling greenery. On each of the islands sat a medieval-style castle. The dour piles of dark stone kept watch over the wide channels that led to the open ocean, mossy stone towers standing tall above the waves.

Their new tack was aimed straight through the largest channels, and they had a few more minutes of insanity as the ship climbed diagonally up the face of the towering waves and then careened down the far sides. A few times Nathan was sure the ship was going to dig too far into the side of a wave or flip over, but Eolinne’s song fluctuated in response as she adroitly piloted them through the passage and out into deeper waters.

The waves started to grow smaller as they emerged from the channel. They swells were still large by any objective measure, but compared to the insane heights closer to shore the waters seemed downright tame. Eolinne’s flute calmed down as she pointed them towards the distant horizon and then trailed off in a long-sustained note.

She breathed out a heavy sigh as the ship rocked slightly, her carmine lips stretched in a satisfied smile. Her wind-blown hair settled down around her shoulders as the gusts that had been pushing the ship calmed into a consistent breeze. “A glorious performance,” she said, sounding self-satisfied. “But now I will show you your cabins, and declare the rules of the ship.”

At her gesture they all stood and followed her, the chairs behind them vanishing with a snap of the captain's finger. She led them down from the aftercastle to the main deck and cast a nasty look at the tree-sized shaft of wood sticking out of her ship. The wood looked like it was starting to be absorbed by the ship, but it wasn’t a fast process. With a quick gesture the wizardry of the ship activated, and the wood decking rearranged itself into a broad staircase leading down into the ship.

Nathan swallowed, drawing his aura tight to his body with a small expenditure of Stamina. He didn’t want to break the ship, but at least it wasn’t a portal or anything. The ship could rearrange itself much like the Ascendent Academy had.

I think it’s mostly wizardry-conjured as well, though in a different style from the Academy. I could probably consume the boat if I wanted. But I quite like having something to sleep on in this ocean.

The Heirs followed Eolinne below decks, finding the space to be large and comfortable. It reminded Nathan more of a luxury home than a ship. Most of the area under the deck was taken up by a large open living space consisting of a comfortable seating area and a moderately-sized library, though the front half of the ballista bolt stuck down into a reading area, coming just barely short of impaling an overstuffed reading chair. The section towards the back of the ship had a large kitchen done in white tile and a dining table that could fit twenty.

It makes sense that there’s this much room, if she’s got extradimensional space for storage and only needs one person to run the ship.

“Your rooms are towards the bow,” Eolinne said, guiding them towards a corridor that stretched out the other side of the seating area.” She waved her hand dismissively at the half-dozen doors on either side of the passage. “Take whichever rooms you like, there is room for five times your number.”

Nathan winced and scanned the rooms with his magical senses, focused on the beds. They were indeed enchanted for comfort, and he would break the enchantments if he slept in them. With his new skills he could probably lie down on one without shredding the enchantments, but it would take constant focus that he couldn’t maintain while sleeping. He’d have to sleep in his bedroll on the floor.

Aarl was quick to examine the kitchen, first examining the magical stove before studying a few of the more esoteric pieces of equipment. It was all enchanted to the nines, but Nathan couldn’t tell at first glance what each appliance was supposed to do. But Aarl laid a finger on each of the different pieces in turn, chuckling and making appreciative noises before he touched something that looked like a stand-mixer made of crystal and light. He gasped and stopped, looking back to Eolinne. “This is incredible!”

She smiled. “You must have an identification skill. Yes, the mixer is wonderful. I will demonstrate its use later.”

Their host watched as they scoped out the rooms and chose their sleeping arrangements. She lifted a curious eyebrow when Nathan got his bedroll from Aarl and laid it on the floor, but made no comment.

“Where are your rooms?” Stella asked her, looking around curiously.

Eolinne pointed up, towards the aftercastle that lay underneath the ship’s wheel. “There. Do not enter them.”

The Heirs all nodded respectfully, and Eolinne smiled. “Come, let us sit and discuss the rules of this voyage. The oceans must be respected, and that means learning some basic lore.”

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Arcane Nullfield 7

Permanent Talent 2: Immortal Body 6

Permanent Talent 3: Airwalking 7

Class: End of Magic level 748

Bottomless Stamina: 51735/75800

Indomitable

The Undeniable Strike of the Antimage

Stamina Burn

Momentum Mastery

Stoneflesh

Arcane Nullification

Galefoot

Close Quarters Mastery

Boundless Aura

Denial of Mysticism

The Ending of Magic

Aura Projection

Selective Dispel

The Living World

Class: Spellslayer level 532

Regenerative Focus: 5420/5420

Catastrophic Blows

Battle Stealth

Mage Infiltration

Forgettable

Sneaky Blow

Antimagic Stealth

Magical Manipulation

Lethal Index

Wizard Resistance

Magic Jammer

Controlled Failure

Utility skills:

Tranquility 1

Inspiration 8

Acceleration 10

Mystical Discernment 2

Alertness 10

Arcane Insight 2

Effortless Dodge 10

Mental Vault 5

Tutoring 7

Parkour 8

Visibility Control 4

High-tier Disguise 5

High-tier Battle Cry 2

Aura Control 4