Steamforged Sorcery - B2 Ch 14 (Patreon)

“No. It does not,” Lilian agreed. “I’ve only ever seen him use his full strength twice, and he was bedridden for weeks afterwards each time.”

“Well, that does explain a lot,” Angel said. He leaned forward, making a swiping motion at the screen. It didn’t move. He frowned, then glanced at Lilian. “Who’s next?”

“That would be Shield,” Lilian said. The screen moved of its own accord, bringing up a new window depicting a heavily muscled man with tanned skin. He had long, flowing black hair. In one hand he held a spiked mace, and in the other a huge tower shield.

“I wonder where he got his name,” Angel said with a dry laugh. “What’s this guy do?”

“His power is the simplest out of all of ours,” Lilian explained. “It simply increases his physical fortitude by an enormous level. He can take a direct hit from a cannon and not even flinch.”

Angel let out a slow whistle. “Right. And I assume magic is no more effective?”

“Nothing that attacks his body directly,” Lilian said, shaking her head. “Even gas is ineffective. His internal organs are just as strengthened as his external ones.”

“What about the machinery keeping him alive?”

“That’s probably his biggest weak point,” Lilian admitted. “But it’s inside his super tough body, so it will be difficult to access.”

“Noted,” Angel said.

Lilian waved her hand, bringing up a new image on the screen. This time, it was a short woman with a cloak and a staff clutched in both of her hands. Like all of the others, she wore a metal mask.

“This is the Body,” Lilian said. “She’s one of the two Reawakening members with psychic Old World Magic. She can influence your thoughts and actions with her voice.”

“That’s possibly the most dangerous one of you so far, then,” Angel said, narrowing his eyes as he memorized the woman’s appearance. “Then again, a lot of attractive people can do that by pulling their shirt up. How much control are we talking about?”

“I’m honestly not sure,” Lilian admitted. “It works more on some people than it does others, and I think it’s weakened, just like a some of the other Old World Magic has as of the last few hundred years. Some people completely lose control and others are only strongly compelled.”

“Gotcha,” Angel said, rubbing his chin. “So potentially dangerous or potentially useless. Well, better than guaranteed to be dangerous I suppose. And what of the last three?”

A lanky man popped up on the screen. He looked completely unremarkable aside from the Reawakening mask on his face.

“This is Mind,” Lilian said. “He can’t really fight, but he’s the other member with psychic talents. He can directly communicate to the other members of the Reawakening no matter the distance, so long as they’re willing and conscious.”

Angel frowned. He cocked his head to the side as realization washed over his face. “Is that why you used to always cock your head while you were pretending to be Cowl? You were listening to him?”

“And replying,” Lilian said with a nod. “That connection has been severed between us, now. I cut it after giving them my relic, and he can’t contact me unless I let him in.”

“Interesting. Noted.”

“As for the last two,” Lilian let out a heavy sigh and shrugged as she slumped down in the uncomfortable chair. “Well, I doubt you’ll have any trouble here. Heart is dead. He died two hundred years ago. He was probably the kindest out of us all. He reminded me of you, actually. Wanted to bring Old World Magic back without too much damage to people.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Angel said. “It sounds like he was a good man.”

“He was,” Lilian agreed. She nodded up to the screen, which flashed one more time. It revealed a man with salt and pepper hair that was cut close to his head. He carried a thick book on one hip and a sword on the other. “This man is Soul. He went missing several years ago.”

Angel didn’t respond. He stared at the picture before him, a cold chill dancing up his spine and prickling at the nape of his neck.

“Angel?” Lilian asked, glancing up at him.

“What did he look like without the mask?” Angel asked.

Lilian blinked. “Look like? He was rather average, really. Grizzled features, brown eyes and a short beard. He also had–”

“A crooked nose,” Angel finished. “Pointed off to the left.”

“How did you know that?” Lilian asked, scrambling out of the chair so they could stand eye to eye. “You met Soul? When? Where?”

“More than ten years ago,” Angel said. “And I didn’t just meet him, although I didn’t know him by Soul. I called him Master.”

Lilian’s eyes widened as she realized the magnitude of Angel’s words. “That’s why you know so much about Old World Magic,” she breathed. “He taught you runes?”

“Tinkering, Hunting, Seeking, all of it,” Angel said. “He was the best at all of them. I guess it helps to have six hundred years to master your craft. What was his Old World Magic power, Lilian?”

“He had the equivalent of an Old World Magic guidebook in his head,” Lilian said slowly. “Soul was essentially the best Tinkerer to ever live. He knows what every rune does and the best uses for it from the first moment he sees them.”

Angel let out a slow breath. He shook his head, then let out a bitter laugh. “That makes a certain amount of sense. The man was such an asshole that I should have known he was from your group as soon as I met Reave. But why did he leave?”

“He said he found a way to return Old World Magic, but he had to do it on his own,” Lilian said. “Why did he teach you?”

“I have no idea,” Angel replied. “I was living on the streets in Bronze City when I met him. I was a thief. Tried to pickpocket him, but I got caught. For some reason, he decided to teach me. I traveled with him for several years, and he taught me a lot of what I know now.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Lilian said, shaking her head. “I mean, I suppose he might have taken pity on a random child, but why didn’t he ever respond to Mind? And you clearly split off from him at some point, right? So why didn’t he get in contact then?”

Lilian paced back and forth in the room, running her hands through her hair. “I can’t believe it. Soul was in Bronze City after all. I’ve been traveling with his student. Buried gods, the biggest lead to the person I’ve been searching for has been right under my nose!”

“Why do you care so much about what happened to him?” Angel asked. “Soul was a miserable person, Lilian. Even Reave seemed like better company. Minus the whole human sacrifice thing, of course.”

Lilian frowned. “Soul was quite kind. He wasn’t a saint by any means, but he was a good man. Even by your standards, he should have been fine. He just wanted to return Old World Magic to extend his life so he could research more magic. That was his only goal.”

“I don’t think we knew the same man,” Angel said, crossing his arms. “My Master was a miserable, wretched man that delighted in the suffering of others. He sought power at any cost and used people like tools. I watched him sacrifice the lives of five Seekers – men who we’d been traveling with for two years. My friends. My family, basically. And do you know what he traded them for? A single, broken artifact, Lilian. It didn’t even work!”

Angel’s voice progressively rose as he spoke, finishing in a yell as his hands tightened at his sides. Purple energy crackled around his mechanical arm, scoring across the floor beside him.

“I – that doesn’t sound like him at all,” Lilian said. She rubbed her forehead. “But he could still be your best shot at stopping the Reawakening, Angel. He knows more about Old World Magic than anyone alive. If there’s another way to bring it back, he could lead us to it.”

“No.”

“What do you mean, no?” Lilian demanded.

“He isn’t the best at Old World Magic, and he can’t lead us to it,” Angel said.

“Why not? You can’t let your personal feelings get in the way here,” Lilian snapped, matching his position and crossing her arms.

“Because he’s dead, Lilian,” Angel replied, his eyes flashing cold. “I killed him.”