AO 4 Ch 3 (Patreon)

Chapter 3

My mother’s study was orderly as ever, despite the disaster that had struck the city.

Two couches dominated the middle of the room, and on the far end sat a stately oak desk positioned near a set of bay windows overlooking the ocean.

My mother rolled herself in ahead of us, assuming we would follow. “Reports are already flying to the capital. I’m sure replies will be coming shortly in the next few days.”

Hecate materialized from the corner and poured my mother a cup of tea and placed a tray of cheese and crackers in front of us. The spread was sparse compared to normal, but I guess she could be forgiven in the current situation.

I plopped myself down on one of the couches, claiming the space for myself and preventing my mother from having this conversation across her desk. That was far too formal for me.

Instead, I stretched out on the couch to force this conversation to be casual.

“Great. We knew that was going to happen. We should take the corrupted off ice and let the capital know that I’ve finished my mission.” I wanted to get off defense and shift to attack. This was when I needed my strategist, Zuri.

I’d been with her in the morning and we had already talked through a plan. Unfortunately, I wasn’t going to be as flexible now as I would have been if she were here with me.

“That would give them an excuse to recall you.” My mother pursed her lips. “Then you’ll get shipped off to the war front. It both prevents these two from teaching you and puts you exactly where I don’t want you. Right in the hands of the Royal Family.”

“Great.” I smirked. “Then let’s strike first. I’m sure Old Man Trevis has some saying that would sound better, but I want to reach out to him and get an assignment. I say we cut out the Royal Family. Tell grandpa that I’ve reached an adept spell and am ready for deployment. Let’s be the ones to decide where I go.”

“So we can put you somewhere safe.” My mother added on with a flat smile.

“Yeah. That. I’m not sure anywhere on the warfront is safe. Yet, this allows for several things. One, we get to pick where and when. We could delay with the excuse of helping here where it is very much needed to restore the flow of goods. Two, I could go towards the Zenovia border which is a long trip, and these two can come along for it.” I put my hand behind my head and let out a satisfied sigh.

“You won’t get placed on the Zenovian border, because that’s the most dangerous area. Most of the troops from all sides are in the tri-nation area.” Gwen glared at me. “Also, you’ll need to at least return to the capital for the Enclave to test you formally.”

I huffed, not liking the capital one bit. It felt like a giant spider web, complete with that same revulsion when you walk through one. “Fine.”

“Also.” She threw a letter at my face.

She was in her wheeled chair next to the low table while the other two had quietly taken up the other couch.

I unfolded the letter that had several wrinkles. The poor thing looked like it had been anxiously bent a million times by my mother, which definitely caught my attention. My eyes scanned over the contents and my brow furrowed with each line. “Elder Brimsam is dead?”

“Your grandfather and the Virels won’t officially announce the death yet. Words of my magic yesterday have already reached them.”

“So it says. The Virels want you to challenge Carmilla for the spot on the Elder council.” I tapped the letter. “That’s…” I wasn’t quite sure what to think of that situation.

Uncle Valken cleared his throat. “From the intelligence we have, The First Princess is a very capable mage.”

Gwen nodded. “Which is why I wanted to listen in on your lessons for Ard about soul magic. I suspect that Carmilla has access to some old records from the old Royal Family.”

Eva’s expression darkened before she darted a glance at the Vel’shae beside her. “Is that what Harry was doing?”

“Yes.” Lord Valken nodded. “His primary purpose in Avente was to discover if there were truly any records that remained. Officially, the library of the True Mages was burned by the Thyrendor Family. After the revolt they led and renamed the city after themselves.”

“Jokes on them. That’s a mouthful and everyone just calls it ‘The Capital’.” I smirked, only to get an admonishing glare from my mother.

Maybe this wasn’t the time for jokes, but I was a little nervous. The letter had been bland, but I could read between the lines.

They believe that Carmilla killed the Elder. If that was the case, we should not underestimate her abilities.

“You think he found something?” Eva asked.

“Perhaps.” Valken said. “Perhaps there was a leak on our end. It is incredibly odd that Henry went the opposite direction from his last communication with us. That’s part of why no one found Arden, despite House Aldis and Zenovia both looking for him.” He paused and shook his head. “That’s the past and we cannot change it. Instead, Eva, why don’t you help both of them understand more about soul magic. A demonstration, perhaps.”

Eva cleared her throat and sat up straight.

All five foot four of her was less than I expected for a teacher, not to mention her otherwise angelic face.

But a moment later, I felt it. Another one of my senses perked up as if I was sitting across from something bigger than the innocent woman.

“Good, you both can sense it. The soul. We use spheres for our magic.” She flicked her hand to the side and made four circles out of light, one for each of the spheres of magic. They were split in half and by the colors I could tell which one was each sphere. “Think of these not as the source of your magic, but false facades for your real magic. They are easier to tap into than soul magic, readily available outpours of magic come from them. That magic can be used by your soul but it’s already tainted with one of the elements and you are restricted in how you can use it.”

Her light show shifted and the fox sphere poured out cool blue magic and fiery red magic. It swam about until both filled a box. “The soul is the total capacity for magic that you have. Growing older, practicing magic and mindfulness all are ways that we train the soul.”

“Wait. Does that mean that those old fogies have stronger souls than me?” I frowned.

Eva smiled. “Possibly. Your soul is a bit of a mystery. Most of our research lays on the foundation that the surviving member of the Zenov family was able to bring with him when he fled. Our mages are keenly interested in soul magic though. Attempts to measure the soul have produced some interesting findings. You see, the difference between an anchor and a mage is largely the strength of soul. Each additional sphere correlates to a stronger soul at awakening.”

I stored away the difference between mages and anchors in the back of my mind to tease Emlyn about. This lesson was full of valuable information.

“That means your soul was already stronger than everyone else when you came into your magic.” My mother interpreted. “Then, could a mage gain more spheres?”

Eva glanced at Valken for that one.

“No. We’ve never successfully transplanted a sphere into someone with an existing sphere of magic. It has been attempted and led to rapid corruption.” He said calmly.

I had to remember this man was truly ancient, well over five hundred years old. He held the life sphere of the first Queen after Zenovia retreated to the peninsula. “So, only give them. That you were an anchor and were able to hold a sphere means that your soul adjusted to that?”

“Correct.” Valken nodded. “Many Vel’shae are made by mages who give up their spheres in pursuit of soul magic later in their lives.”

Eva nodded. “The spheres are a cursed crutch. Why would you ever learn to fight with the sword on your back if you could solve most of your problems with a crossbow?”

“There are times whe—“ I started to counter her only for a smile to grow across her face. “Right, same thing. Soul magic can be useful, perhaps even better?”

“Records say that a True Mage like you who gives up their spheres is no longer limited by the 8 elements and can control the world so long as they desire it.” Eva’s smile grew wider.

“Where does the magic come from if you don’t have a sphere?” I asked, sitting up and putting my elbows on my knees to lean forward. This was very interesting, a topic that I’d never heard before.

“The world around you.” Eva gestured about. “There’s plenty of magic that can be harnessed if you can manipulate it with your soul. It’s practically boundless.”

For whatever reason, what came to mind was Missy. “That nearly sounds like the power of a goddess. I know one I can ask. Though she’s a bit fussy at times.”

Hecate dropped a stack of papers that she was rearranging by the desk and we all turned. “Apologies. Just keeping busy until I’m needed.”

“Thank you.” I nodded at her. Hopefully the goddess didn’t mind the question when I bugged her later.

Eva laughed. “A goddess you can ask?” She didn’t believe me.

Maybe I should make a believer out of her. Mostly, it would just be fun to watch her reaction. “Pretty much. She likes me even if she spends far too much time pouting. She’s also a bit egotistical and really needy.”

Hecate dropped more papers, but I ignored her.

Eva stared at me. “Well, I wouldn’t disagree that it’s the power of a god or goddess. It was said that true mages were immortal once they mastered soul magic. The trouble was that every time one mastered their magic, there was another entity, the Hollow Mage.”

I blinked at the name. “What’s that?”

“A powerful mage that supposedly rises once every thousand years from Garrish and lays waste to the Zenov family.” Valken glanced at Eva. “It’s also the rallying cry of the Garrish forces. Their leader is considered the current Hollow Mage, though he seems lacking compared to our records.”

“Oh. Then what is this Hollow Mage supposed to be?” I asked.

“A true master of all magic, capable of turning lesser mages into corrupted mages with a flick of their wrist, and controlling the minds of thousands of people.” Valken shook his head.

I froze. “Corrupt mages instantly? Perhaps put hundreds of mages to sleep at once? Being an absolutely leviathan presence wrapped around people’s souls?”

This entire time Valken has been relaxed, but his body tensed at my statement as he leaned forward. “You’ve crossed with the Hollow Mage?”

I stared up at the ceiling recounting the event. “Someone was working with Prince Valerian. They had ties to Garrish and suddenly dozens of people became corrupted within the city at the same time. All of the two and three sphere mages collapsed at the same time. I tried to help and touched my grandfather’s soul. There was something wrapped around him that probed my own soul when I touched it.”

Valken’s eyes grew wide. “That sounds like you met the Hollow Mage. Perhaps they haven’t fully awakened. If they wanted to crush Hidavente, they could easily.”

I glanced towards Hecate because she was acting odd. The maid and anchor was looking at the floor and toeing at something. I looked down, wondering if there was a piece of grime stuck to the floor she was working on. Really she could clean it up more effectively, but I left her to sort that out.

My focus returned to the conversation. “Who knows. Whatever it was felt like it could crush me at a whim.”

“The Hollow Mage has rules. What we don’t know is what they are, but they clearly cannot go around discriminately using their power. Otherwise, what is described in the journals would lead to a ruler of this world.” Valken hesitated. “There are several suspicions that whatever the Hollow Mage is, that it is greatly weakened and unable to operate for long periods of time.”

I nodded. That was an interesting theory. “Well, if some super mage is coming, then I should probably figure this soul magic concept out. So, how do I work on soul magic without tossing away my spheres, because I kind of like them right now. At the moment all I can do is reach into people’s souls and see their thoughts.”

Everyone around the room stared at me.

“Right, it requires touch. A kiss is best. I just peek at my anchors and make sure they are happy.” I clarified quickly so they didn’t think I was digging around right now.

“That’s interesting, but it makes sense. The first thing we are taught is how to guard our minds.” Eva said. “That wasn’t in the records. Not surprising they’d keep that bit to themselves. Anyway, we’ll talk about mental fortifications first. Remember that the soul is completely within your control. Before you learn to manipulate the outside world, you learn to manipulate the world inside your soul.”

“Ah.” I made a noise of understanding. “So, just make a big fort inside my soul. Let me try.”

I closed my eyes and concentrated, wondering what my soul looked like. I tried to see it before I realized that it was mine so I could make it look like whatever I wanted.

Leveling any concepts I’d built so far, I turned my mind into a ruined landscape much like the city of Faylin was right now.

Perfect, now just find the four spheres.

Like a god reaching in, I ran a giant finger through the city until I pulled out four spheres, each glowing with magic. Picking them up, I set them aside as I waved my hands and city walls sprang up high enough to stop a certain giant wyrm. Then I built an absolutely massive castle with four spires.

The walls were instantly lined with cannons every few feet and bland faceless soldiers to man them.

Inside the four spires I nested each of the spheres, and I needed something to guard them particularly. So I thought of my anchors. I placed Emlyn on the wolf sphere, Aurelia on the fox, Zuri on the raven, and finally Maribelle on the serpent.

They all settled in, but Maribelle’s clicked in a strange way, like I’d just grabbed someone's hand. The connection flickered, but then I suddenly couldn’t find it when I looked down at the Maribelle within my soul.

Her expression was particularly mischievous. Then again, that’s how I thought of her most of the time.

I blinked my eyes open at the strange feeling.

My mother still had her eyes closed, however Eva’s were as wide as saucers as she stared at me.

She kept her voice low to not interrupt my mother. “You… you did it on your first attempt?” She bit her thumb and stared down. “Here I had been planning on consoling you and giving you tips.”

“You can tell?” I tilted my head.

“Your magical presence vanished for me.” Eva told me. “Can you explain what you made?”

“Uh… I made a city sized castle with four spires for each of my spheres. There’s plenty of fortifications and I put my anchors guarding each of the spheres.” As if mentioning them summoned her, Maribelle burst into the room with a giant grin on her face.

She completely ignored the atmosphere and quickly busied herself around the room. First she collected a plate and started to fill it for me.

“Your anchors are there inside?” Eva asked.

“Just like a representation of them. I don’t think it's actually them.” I clarified.

“Oh. Good. Good.” Eva repeated. “Well, holding that image and improving on it a few times should be the next thing you do.”

Maribelle came over and checked me before sitting down and feeding me crackers and cheese.

To me my soul fort felt fairly solid. I had poked at the structure. Eva was the expert though.

“Alright. So make a defense in your mind. Then what’s next?” I asked.

“Well, you should learn to play in that space. Mold it and refine it much like when forming an adept spell. Then once you are proficient there, you try and do the same outsi…”

Outside? I stared at the metal table.

The table in front of me snapped like a bear trap, crushing all of the crackers and plates that were on it before twisting and folding in on itself.

Eva pulled her legs up while Valken shot to his feet. My mother jerked her eyes open and I chuckled.

“Whoops.” I joked and smiled to stop myself from grimacing in pain. My temples throbbed like there was a crew of men hammering it.

“You have crumbs on you.” Maribelle dusted off my pants and then continued feeding me as if nothing had happened. “Master, you’re incredible. Already mastering soul magic.”

“I wouldn’t call that a mastery…” Eva stared at the warped table. “Please practice inside your soul more first before you do whatever that was again.”

Staring at the table, I instantly regretted trying that.

I tried to make it float. But the attempt didn’t work.

“Still, materializing the magic in the world is something that takes most mages many years.” Valken rubbed at his chin. “Perhaps there is some truth that four spheres are the only true mages if you are able to do it so quickly.”

“Probably best I don’t use that around other people, unless of course I want to kill them.” I paused. Yeah, that would be a pretty effective tool.

The metal table was warped beyond recognition. It wasn’t even clear what I had meant to do with it. Instead the thing looked like I’d just pulled it from a collapsed building.

“Yes. Well, thank you for the lesson.” I smiled at Eva. “I’m going to check in on my anchors. They promised me they’d take a brief rest. Mother, I hope this was informative for you. Maybe next time we can discuss manipulating souls back into bodies or touching other people’s souls. Those I can do much… safer.”

Maribelle flowed around me as I got up, hiding my pain.

What I really wanted to do was go lay down and rest. Whatever I’d just done to the table made me feel like I’d hiked up a mountain and back.