Book 2 Ch 37: Travel

Visit Manacht? If I wanted to go somewhere hot, dusty, and filled with hideous creatures I’d visit Arcthiss.

• Lady Arbessa

The road was hot, dusty, and dull. Solomon and Edmure rode in the cart being pulled by the Ichthyn along with the blue boot mages. The endless rolling hills broken up by only small patches of trees and brush had a stark beauty to it, but it wasn’t a terribly entertaining sight after the first six hours. He had brought his book on advanced runes and sigils, but didn’t want to risk pulling it out as the Union auxiliaries were riding in the cart along with them. To pass the time he and Edmure began playing Strange Fate which caught the interests of Jakul and one of his mages who joined them.

Edmure shuffled the well-worn deck with practiced ease before tossing the cards perfectly onto the crate they were using as a table in front of each of them.

Solomon lifted his cards, finding a handful of duds with only a mix of lower arcana that didn’t even synergise with one another. Still, he began organising his hand as if he had drawn an interesting combo while keeping his expression neutral. He glanced up at Jakul and Baru, the other mage. Jakul was relaxed in his robe, his mana still perfectly moving all throughout his body at a steady pace. Baru’s on the other hand was twitchy and randomly spiked no matter his hand. Luckily Solomon didn’t need to read his mana as he had a tendency to run a hand through his dark hair when he had a good hand.

“You know I’ll be questioning any good hands you two get,” said Solomon with a light smile. “I imagine magic is quite the help when playing cards.”

“Questioning our hands?” asked Jakul incredulously. “If we were playing for gold then you and Ed here would’ve already taken my home, the robe of my back, and a night with my wife.”

That drew a chuckle from the table. It was true, he and Ed had them on the ropes nearly the entire time.

“Could you though?” asked Solomon, arranging his cards a bit more. “Use magic I mean?”

Jakul smiled and muttered something under his breath making the cards he was holding float in front of his face. He then made several hand gestures and several small spectral eyes spread from his forehead and surrounded them.

Solomon believed they were entirely invisible to those who couldn’t see mana and so he ignored them.

“Looks like I don’t need magic this time. You and Ed didn’t draw anything worth worrying about. And here I thought you had both somehow drawn an Imperial Court given how you were acting.”

Solomon smiled, “Very impressive!” This was exactly the kind of response he’d been hoping to provoke. He hadn’t had any opportunities to observe mages openly casting spells since he’d gained mana of his own. He didn’t count Inquisitor Song, she was not a typical mage nor did she demonstrate anything he could really learn from.

“Of course, I’ll be folding this hand,” he said, laying his cards on the crate and sliding them toward Ed who folded his own hand.

“I haven’t seen much magic, though I was able to see one of your new railcars. It was quite impressive.”

“Really, you’ve never travelled to Arcthiss?” asked Baru as he gave his own hand to Edmure to shuffle.

“No, I’ve never had the chance. Though I hope to visit soon. My lands have a manarite mine in them that I’m hoping the Union will have some interest in.”

“They definitely will,” said Jakul, letting his cards float to Edmure. “I think that’s all the Grand Magus gives a damn about is manarite and the rails.”

“You don’t think that should be his focus? It seems a worthwhile endeavor,” said Solomon, glancing at his new hand of cards and acting as if the spectral eyes weren’t still hovering over everyone’s shoulders.

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“Eh, it’s important, but it’s so damned dull. The actual spellcraft behind all of it is simple. So many brilliant minds are focused on driving rails into the ground and gathering manarite that could be working on their own projects, expanding the field.”

Baru rolled his eyes.

“Have something to say Baru?” asked Jakul.

“You enjoy being out here and annihilating orcs. You wouldn’t be here without the rail project.”

“I wouldn’t be here, but I would be annihilating orcs, or giants, or elves. That’s my project. That’s how I further my studies. The current objectives of the Magi just happen to align with my work.”

“Can I ask what that work is?” asked Solomon trading out a three of cups and receiving The Emperor in return.

“Physical fortification,” answered Jakul as he traded three of his own cards. “Strengthening my body using magic. It requires extensive testing in high stress situations. Hence why I volunteered to be a part of the auxiliaries here.”

“That’s fascinating, I had no idea that was possible,” said Solomon, genuinely interested. He had never been physically strong, but the taste of martial skill Crimson Command had given him had certainly sparked some interest in it. Not to mention how much easier the events of the past several months would’ve been. He’d always been physically weak, and while it wasn’t as bad as when he was a child he knew he was still frail.

“It’s not possible for everyone,” replied Baru. “It’s his…specialty, and most mages can’t make it work.”

“It’s not simply a word and a few movements of the hand?” asked Solomon, feigning ignorance in the hope of a more in depth explanation.

“Only the simplest spells are like that,” replied Jakul. “My work requires precise mana control mixed with specific symbols and spells to gradually toughen the body over time along with allowing for the rapid strengthening of specific areas when needed.”

Solomon stared at him blankly as if he didn’t understand.

Jakul put down his card hand and pulled up the sleeves of his robe. While his hands were bare, the center of his forearm was covered in intricate rune and sigilwork. He recognized multiple symbols for movement, fortification, speed and complex runic circuitwork between them. He nearly risked casting perfect recall so that he could study it more in depth later, but the risk was far too high.

“These symbols all react to magic in a way that allows me to strengthen my arm as needed. I basically push mana into them and it lets me lift far more than I should be able to and strike much harder.”

Solomon looked thoughtful, pretending he was gradually coming up with a question that had, in truth, occurred to him immediately.

“Couldn’t that lead to you hurting yourself though?”

“That’s an excellent question actually. The fortification does also enhance my body’s resilience, though when I want to do something extreme with it I usually rely on barrier magic.”

“Barrier magic?” Solomon asked, his brows scrunched. He didn’t particularly enjoy playing the fool, but didn’t want Jakul to stop his explanations.

“Baru, show him.”

The other mage reluctantly placed his cards down and drew a circle with a finger as he whispered, “Protect.”

Solomon watched the action carefully and observed the mana moving through the other mages body to the tip of his finger.

A small circle of nearly transparent blue light appeared.

“It’s a shield made of mana. Nothing too complicated,” said Baru.

Solomon gave it a cursory flick, finding it to be as hard as stone. He wondered if the size was specific to the spell or if he’d be able to create something larger around himself using the same motions Baru had just demonstrated. He felt his fingers itch with a desire to attempt it immediately, but resisted the self-sabotaging urge.

“I can form those very close to my skin in order to create support for my body when it's enhanced. That lets me take more extreme action.”

Solomon nodded. He was actually rather grateful he hadn’t found a barrier spell to copy until that moment. If he’d had one he may never have considered his roundabout mixture of homunculi and blood magic to protect himself. In fact he wouldn’t be surprised if most mages stopped at barriers when it came to their own personal protection.

He was about to ask another question when one of the other mages in the cart stood up, placed two fingers in his mouth and whistled, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

“Rising dust to the west. Orcs and elves, more than twenty, all mounted.”

The Sergeant pulled his horse around.

“Circle up everyone, they’re going to go directly for the cargo and quick blood. I need the rifles at the ready. Mages?”

“We’ll soften them before they get too close,” said Jakul standing, his mana beginning to move through his body more rapidly. “We may even leave some for target practice for the rest of you.”

Sergeant Zane shook his head and turned to Solomon and Edmure.

“Get behind the cart lord, we’ll make sure that you’re protected.”

“Thank you,” said Solomon, moving to the back of the cart as the Untoss soldiers circled it, drawing their swords and rifles.

He turned his attention to the mages as their mana began to surge.