Grand Game 312: Lessons in Spellcraft (Patreon)

This time around, I forwent blinking into the cave Ghost had found for me and took the long way down into the ravine. Reaching the bottom, I looked left and right.

The long-ago waterway that had formed the dried-out riverbed had wormed through the underlying rock, exposing an untold number of cracks and crevices, all of which could be sheltering enemies. After only a brief hesitation, I set off west.

“Uh, the cave is the other way,” Ghost said.

I nodded. “I know, but I want to scout the ravine for myself first.” I glanced at her. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but it always pays to make doubly sure there are no surprises.”

“Alright…”

The ravine’s cave, as safe as it had proved so far, was not my first choice of refuge. I was uncomfortable with how exposed it was—its entrance was a gaping maw, clearly visible from the northern side of the cauldron. Anything could enter while I slept.

It was part of the reason I was so keen to clear out the tunnel. Given the underground passage’s tight confines and concealed entryway, I didn’t imagine many of the dungeon’s denizens would find it, much less willingly enter—assuming they could fit through, which I doubted most would. All in all, I thought the tunnel would make for an ideal base for my dungeon run.

And something told me that it was going to be a long one.

In the meantime, I would have to make do with the ravine. But if I was going to sleep in the cave Ghost had found, I wanted to be damn sure the ravine was secure—just in case.

“Can I ask you something, Prime?” Ghost asked.

“Go ahead,” I told her, not breaking stride. “We can talk while we walk.”

“Those spells you threw against the golems, what were they?”

“You’re referring to the bombs?” I asked absently, head swiveling left and right as I swept the ravine’s depths. So far, I hadn’t encountered anything of concern. “As I understand it, they’re alchemical enchantments designed to explode on impact.”

“Not those… the spell you cast before.”

I frowned. “Before? I didn’t cast anything—” I broke off. “Oh, you mean the psi daggers. The spell is called astral blades.”

“That’s the one,” Ghost agreed. “Can you teach it to me?”

I stopped walking. “Teach you!” I exclaimed.

Mistaking the cause of my amazement, Ghost’s mind flushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Prime, I shouldn’t have presumed. Please, forget—”

I waved her to silence. “No, it’s not that. Of course, I’ll teach you whatever you want.” The notion of Ghost learning my telepathic abilities had never occurred to me before, and for a moment, I was struck dumb, simply wondering why. The spirit wolf clearly didn’t lack for ability and was obviously more skilled than me in some aspects of telepathy—like mindsight.

But how would I go about teaching her? And were Game-gifted spells even something that could be taught?

“Do you think you could learn the spell?” I asked cautiously.

“I saw some of the weaves while you were casting,” she offered. “But the spell went by too quickly, and I failed to catch all of it.”

“You saw the weaves?” I asked, startled anew.

“Yes,” she replied simply.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, thinking hard. “What about the other spells I cast earlier, like the one I used on the swarm viper—mass charm? Did you see its weaves too?”

“Some of it,” Ghost admitted. Her voice turned brittle. “I don’t think I can cast that one, though. Sulan tried teaching me a similar spell, but I failed to grasp it.” Shame colored her mind. “I’m not very good.” she finished forlornly.

I blinked, trying to unpack all that. I’d always known the dire wolves were strong telepaths, but I’d never sat down and compared spells with any of the elders, nor come to think of it, had I ever seen the pack in battle. Now, I wondered what spells they might wield and whether we could teach each other.

“What did Sulan say when you failed?” I asked slowly.

“She said spells grounded in the real are beyond me because I lack a body,” Ghost whispered. “Which is why—”

“—you asked about the astral blade spell,” I finished, finally understanding why she’d brought up the matter only now.

Today was the first time I’d used the astral blade spell while near Ghost, and unlike my other telepathic abilities, the spell was purely psi-based. It had no physical components whatsoever. I rubbed my chin. Perhaps Ghost could learn it. She had no problems using mindsight after all, another pure psi-based casting. It was worth a shot at least.

“I’ll teach you,” I pronounced at last.

“You will?” Ghost asked, her shock palpable.

Smiling, I nodded. “I’ll show you the weaves while we walk.” Drawing psi, I formed the spell. “Now, watch carefully…”

✵ ✵ ✵

For the next hour, I taught Ghost while we traipsed up and down the ravine. It was at one time both harder and easier than I expected.

The spirit wolf could see the psi weaves I formed easily enough—an ability, which according to Ghost, all dire wolves had—but she struggled to memorize and duplicate the spell’s intricate design in her own mind, and all it took was a single misplaced thread for the entire casting to fizzle.

I, of course, didn’t have the same problem. Courtesy of the Game, the spell’s pattern was etched indelibly in my consciousness. I could cast it by rote, without thinking about individual steps or the correct turn and twist each psi thread needed to take to complete the pattern. Teaching Ghost made me realize how complex spells were, and I despaired of ever learning any casting without the Game’s help.

Ghost, though, was managing just fine.

Bit by bit, the spirit wolf committed the spell’s design to memory and replicated more of its pattern during her casting attempts. Her spells still fizzled, but I was not discouraged. In only a few more days, I suspected, she would master the entirety of the spell.

An hour later, we finished exploring the ravine and slipped back into the now-familiar cave. I’d found two other likely spots where I could shelter assuming I had to abandon the cave. Neither, though, were as good.

“Show me the astral blade spell again,” Ghost demanded the moment I settled down on the floor. “I’ll get it this time; I know I will.”

“No,” I replied firmly, knowing if Ghost had her way, her spellcrafting lessons wouldn’t stop until she’d mastered the casting. “I’ve taught you enough of the spell for one day. Perfect what you’ve learned so far before we move on.”

“Alright,” Ghost groused, and I sensed a spell weave take shape before me.

Ghost has failed to cast astral blade.

“Save your practice for later,” I said sharply. “For now, listen carefully. There is something else you must learn.”

“Something else?” she asked, puzzled.

I nodded. “It’s time I taught you more of the Game…”

✵ ✵ ✵

The night—I called it that for convenience, but what time it was, I couldn’t say for certain; the sky remained unchanging purple throughout—passed in pleasant conversation. At first, Ghost had been reluctant to learn, but once I got started, she became intrigued by the intricacies of the Game and prompted me onwards.

The spirit wolf was endlessly curious. It was in part, why she’d latched onto me so quickly. She was also, I sensed, lonely, and once she realized I truly meant to answer her questions fully and honestly, she peppered me with an endless litany of them.

Eventually, though, when I could stifle my yawns no more, I called it quits and, after promising to resume our lessons tomorrow, turned in for the night. Ghost, not needing as much sleep as I did, volunteered to keep watch, and impressed by her performance in the dungeon so far, I let her.

✵ ✵ ✵

You have slept 6 hours. Stamina, mana, and psi reserves have been fully restored.

I awoke hours later, with my energy pools replenished but body and muscles still aching and sore.

“Morning, Prime!” Ghost greeted.

“Morning,” I replied with notably less cheer as I sat up gingerly. “Anything to report?”

“The swarm viper remains in the tunnel, and nothing entered the cauldron.”

Mid-yawn, I broke off. “You went back to the tunnel?”

The spirit wolf had the grace to feel ashamed. “Only for a little while,” she confessed.

I frowned but remained silent.

“I thought you would want to know where it was,” she added, her voice growing smaller.

“I see.” Saying nothing further, I contemplated admonishing her for her infraction—she’d abandoned her post, if only temporarily—but decided against it. Ghost already knew she’d erred.

“From your words,” I said at last, “I take it you found the serpent.”

Ghost pulsed relief. She’d been expecting a scolding I realized. “I did,” she said. “It’s still hiding.”

I unwrapped a travel ration while I considered this. “Was the creature easier to locate this time?”

“No,” she huffed. “I had to comb through the tunnels four times before I caught even a glimpse of its thoughts.” She paused. “Its dreams are not pleasant.”

“Hmm.” I bite through the ration. “Did it move at all from the spot where it was… born, I guess, you would say.”

“It hasn’t,” Ghost replied.

“Interesting,” I said, chewing thoughtfully.

“We’re going back today?” Ghost asked, unable to stifle her curiosity any longer.

“We are.”

“You have a plan?”

I nodded slowly. “I think so. The tunnel is a far from ideal battleground to face the viper. The first step will be luring it out.”

“And then?”

“Then I kill it,” I said grimly. “And keep killing it until every last clone is dead.”

After giving the matter some thought last night, I’d come to the conclusion that the true threat was not the viper’s cloning trait but its consumption ability. It had taken only a little math to figure out that if an older clone managed to consume the horde of low level vipers my killing spree created, I could very quickly be facing a single viper of even higher level than the original one I’d encountered.

And that was something I had to prevent at all costs.

However, maintaining control in the tunnel’s tight confines would be nearly impossible, especially once the number of viper clones reached double digits—which they surely would. In the cauldron, on the other hand, I would be able to separate the swarm and keep individual serpents isolated until they could be slain.

That was the theory, anyway.

Rising to my feet, I dusted my armor free of crumbs and slipped out of the cave. It was time for round two with the swarm viper.

And this time, I intended on winning.