Published at 16th of February 2024 2:20 pm

Chapter 8. Arcane Pioneer

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“Talk me through it,” Kris told Nox after the chaos passed.

“I realized I was going about it all wrong,” he answered, in between spoonfuls of oatmeal. The ship’s cook had rewarded the trio with breakfast while everyone worked. After the exertion that accompanied almost draining the central star, Nox needed it. “All the text talks of two possible methods of evolving the focal cantrip. You either overlay a more complex spell form that expands on the basic script—like Freeze would sit on top of Slow—or you replace the cantrip with something greater.

“Crystalize Essence separates raw mana and essence before crystalizing the latter. Targeting the mana in an active spell isn’t easy, though. It follows the patterns the spell form dictates, often at unbelievable speeds. An infusion of Slow is necessary to make the magic targetable.”

“It’s a multi-stage process,” Kris commented.

“Exactly. Crystalize Essence’s script deviates far too much from Slow. It can’t act as an overlay. I can’t replace one with the other, either. So, I thought outside of the box, as you recommended. The final spell form has layers. The mana first flows through the Slow script before activating Crystalize Essence. They’re separated by connecter and overflow—”

“You made a three-dimensional spell the focus of your core?” Kris raised an eyebrow.

Nox nodded.

“You do realize that three-dimensional scripts are tier-three spells, right? Even journeyman mages struggle with them. Practitioners wait until they’re adepts or even experts before dabbling in this kind of magic. You shouldn’t have been able to pull this off. The mana cost and efficiency alone should be beyond you."

Nox shrugged. “I approach it like an alchemical cocktail. You need to layer the concoctions with varying concentrations and quantities and adapt ingredients so they don’t clash or increase toxicity. You need to layer and stagger the trigger and catalyst spells to ensure everything works together. Otherwise, you’ll end up with clashing, inconsistent effects, which might end up toxic. The spell for my core is simple in comparison. I guess I needed the pressure of combat for the pieces to come together. When I figured it out, the bits just clicked together and solidified in my core. Slow is a cheap cantrip to begin with, and Crystallize Essence isn't much more expensive. Efficiency was more of an issue than cost. I remedied the problem using an overflow loop. Gatherer runes collect the excess mana and channel it back into Slow, which funnels it back towards the upper layer.”

“Interesting.” Kris frowned, closely studying the drawn spell form. “It’s clear you have practice with basic spell design. I reckon we can put you directly in the intermediate class. I doubt it will prove much of a challenge for you.”

“Can’t I just go for the advanced module?”

“Unfortunately not,” Kris replied. “The department demands all students—regardless of background—complete the intermediate course before gaining access to the advanced one. Standards differ depending on where you’re from. We need everyone on the same level so that every student in the advanced course has a consistent starting point. Also, most professors demand displays of practical understanding. After all, any scholar can learn the rules and parameters, achieving theoretical competence. Only a true mage can put it into practice.”

“You were right. My mana system was in overflow. I don’t have a manameter, but I reckon my star’s max capacity is far greater than thirty-two. It feels like I have enough in me to start a basic planetoid, too. I’ll focus on Shaping, as I had planned for Freeze.”

“Do you know where to start?”

Nox shook his head.

“Take this.” Kris pulled a six-inch tall leather-bound journal out of her coat pocket and placed it in Nox’s hand. “Continue practicing Crystalize Essence for now. Just coalesce the excess mana but don't give it a purpose just yet. I've read a handful of journals featuring stars with three-dimensional foci. I'd like to check for side effects and interactions before you solidify a planetoid. In the meantime, I'd like you to journal the process of turning Slow into the new spell and then journal how it develops.”

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“What if I don’t want to share my secrets with the world?”

“You’re not. This is more for you than others. You’re in unexplored territory. As far as we know, you’re the first crystal-essence mage ever. There is no reference text or guide for what you’re attempting. You might find yourself stuck in a few years.” She tapped the journal’s hard leather cover. “Your musings, spell-form development, and experimentations might be the key to getting yourself out of a bind. We also need to ensure you’re not the last of your kind. The journal might be key to the continuation of your legacy.”

“I’m honestly not even thinking about my legacy right now,” Nox stated. “I need to get on par with my stepsiblings, make enough to survive, and then get strong enough to challenge the Sundar Ruins. My legacy is the least of my concerns.”

“Believe me, when you’re on your deathbed, you’ll regret not leaving a record of everything you develop,” Kris said. “You might have an heir or apprentice who’ll want to carry on your torch. They’ll need your records. What’s the point if no one continues your fight against the gods?”

"Very well."

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

"My mana zone is bigger," Nox replied. "It's still small and I haven't figured out my maximum range yet, but I'm not limited to an inch anymore."

Nox helped the crew after his conversation with Kris. He had read about Cloud Hunters before, but it was his first time seeing one. The Golden Isles levitated well below the clouds, staying out of their hunting grounds. The creatures also avoided the leylines which the floating island followed.

The beast looked like a cross between a jellyfish and an octopus. The bulbous dome constituted half of its body. Now deflated, it was no more than a smooth leathery balloon. A layer of clear slime covered it, making it smooth. Nox scraped a sample of it into a stoppered vial. Studies claimed it made the creature’s body hydrophobic, keeping rain and cloud moisture away to maintain light body weight. Some research papers claimed it insulated the body against lightning, too. Nox wished to study the chemical makeup to perhaps recreate the solution.

Even though the mass of the tentacles was dense and had a greater volume than the dome, they only constituted two-thirds of the remaining body mass. Its digestive and sensory organs weighed less than a fifth of its entire body. Nox found an assortment of glands during the butchering process, too. Since the crew wanted nothing besides the hide and tentacles—the elastic, lightweight materials also resisted the elements and made for great sky sailor clothes—Nox claimed the organs and glands. He sensed mana radiating from a few of them and wished to investigate the sources and perhaps find alchemical use for them.

During conversing with the crew, Nox discovered that the staff only worried about Cloud Hunters during ascent and descent. The vessel usually flew at much higher altitudes. However, they departed from the Golden Isles with cumbersome cargo. It kept them from climbing higher without multiplying fuel expenditure or mana costs. While passing through the Cloud Hunters’ hunting grounds, the crew would disappear below deck. Occasionally, the fighters with sharpened senses stuck around to keep dense populations from overwhelming the vessel.

Only one person died during the attack. The stunned individual had survived but suffered liver damage and lost an eye. Unfortunately, the crew member trying to save him had perished. The Cloud Hunter’s tentacles strangled the poor crewman.

The other three victims hadn’t yet stirred. So, Nox checked their blood and studied the creature’s digestive organs to find the toxin at play. Brewing an antitoxin proved no challenge, thanks to his new portable alchemy kit. He administered it and followed up with a healing brew. Their breathing steadied, but they didn’t stir. The captain thanked Nox and paid him two gold.

Their farseer detected more Cloud Hunters ahead, so the ship gave up on conserving fuel and ascended to a higher altitude for the evening and night. The air mages responsible for the Aero Bubble spell also gathered breathable air and kept the temperature bearable. They expressed concerns about mana expenditure increasing at higher altitudes. Nox sold the captain eight gold worth of recovery pellets, too. He didn’t nearly have enough to pay for his semester, but it was enough money to purchase alchemy ingredients.

The rest of the day proved uneventful. Nox ate with Lillin and his new master before heading to bed early. Overall, the day had proven fruitful. He’d woken early to craft spell forms, used his father’s bow for the first time, evolved his core, and then helped in butchering. The alchemy was too minor to drain him. Nox expected to fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. However, despite his heavy eyelids, sleep didn’t come. Instead, his restless mind kept him awake.

Nox thought about his father. Using the bow reminded him of his last day with Pallav. The Sigil of Immunity helped him deal with the Cloud Hunter’s innards without fear of poisoning. It was perhaps the best gift he had ever received from a parent. Losing the runic tattoo’s protection had cost the man his life. Nox doubted Queen Mercer would ever risk anything for any of her children except her daughter and the heir to the throne. Pallav Ratra was a great man, and Nox wanted to spend his days honoring him. The final piece would’ve been emulating the man’s magic. However, Nox had opted for a different path in life, and some parts of him felt guilty about it. Memories of Pallav blurred, but Nox still remembered his last day with his father.

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