Ends of Magic

Nathan awoke refreshed the next morning, once again thankful that he didn’t have to deal with hangovers. Unfortunately, his students didn’t have the same capability just yet. They all had [Low-tier Regeneration], and it was going to be a while before they had the same kind of poison-resistance and bodily control Nathan had acquired with [Perfected Body].

I don't think they'll be able to get there. I think [Perfected Body] might actually require a graduate-level education. Hopefully we can work out some other Insights for them.

He reflected back on something that had been in his mind since yesterday’s ceremony. Myrla was trying to set the antimages up and make them self-sustaining as an organization. After all, they had seen that an antimage could make another antimage, and Nathan had already known they would try to propagate the ability when he’d passed it on.

The problem was that it required a sufficiently powerful Antimage, one with a Talent that could extend outside of their body and neutralize the magic in another person. It was possible that one of Nathan’s students would become powerful enough for that, but it wasn’t going to happen soon. Especially if it required interacting with wizardry to fully pull off.

The same was true for the [Regeneration] Insight. Nathan’s students understood enough to gain the Talent themselves, but he would be surprised if they could teach it effectively. He had a teaching skill, and had personalized his lessons for each person. You had to understand something very well in order to teach it effectively.

That’s part of why a lot of teachers suck. Shom might be able to get there, but not easily. If he wants to do that, I would help. A whole military with [Regeneration] would be a great way to keep people alive. I wish them luck, but I haven't committed to helping more than I already have. Other shit to do, like Giantsrest. And the Endings.

Nahan walked around the manor, noting the heavy rain cascading down outside. It felt like it should be a lazy day, but he was tense with the knowledge that he was leaving tomorrow. He woke up the four new antimages and directed them to meet him in a central sitting room in the empty mansion.

He made sure to give Shai plenty of warning, hoping Aarl had already left so he wouldn't have to deal with the awkwardness. But Nathan’s friend popped out of Shai’s room with a cheerful grin.

Aarl clapped Nathan on the shoulder. “May the light shine in your eyes. I must hurry to meet the Guardians for our planned hunt!”

Nathan just sighed. “Get out of here. I’ll see you for dinner. Let Kia know I’ll come by this afternoon so she can teach me [Aura Control].”

Aarl gave a jaunty wave as he vanished around a corner.

Shai came out a moment later, and gave Nathan a challenging glare. He didn’t say anything, just beckoned her to the lounge. There they met Hetal, Shom and Raf. They ate a quick breakfast of food leftover from the previous day, then Nathan got started on his last day of teaching.

“Congratulations again on your success. I’m leaving tomorrow morning, so we’ve only got one day. There's a lot of ground to cover. I want to describe some more details about [Regeneration] to help with your next Development,. Then I’ll talk about how to effectively use antimagic, especially against monsters.

“But I will also answer questions and help in other ways if I can. I have followed one Path, but there is more than one way to be an antimage. For example, I Developed my antimagic to absorb mana and convert it into Stamina. That requires a very comprehensive understanding of mana, and several skills that would be more common on a mage. But I think I could have also tried to increase my control over my antimagic so I could have wielded enchanted weapons without breaking them.”

He knocked his knuckles on the fine wooden table. “Or I could have attempted to incorporate my antimagic into weapons, from swords to bows. I want to hear your ideas, and brainstorm Insights that might lead to further Developments and classes. I’ll be happy to provide supporting Insights and skills that might help.”

Shom was first out of the gate, a question ready. “I ask about using the [Regeneration] Insight to heal others. The Stamina is mine, but there’s a [Worker] Insight to transfer Stamina that could be used…”

They talked for the entire day, the new antimages eager to learn things that would help them survive and better protect Halsmet. They also seemed to be ready to explore their own ideas, now they had the two critical Talents.

Tutoring 2 achieved!

Then it was time for farewells. Nathan wore a satisfied smile as he shook everybody’s hands. “Good luck to you all. Level, don’t die, and I hope to see you again soon.”

Hetal pulled her eyes up to meet his. “Thank you.”

—

Nathan approached the room he’d been directed to when he asked for Kia. It was one of the fancier rooms in the governmental mansion, making it seem like Halsmet was trying to woo the elite Adventurers of Gemore when they visited. Probably in the hope that they’d decide to spend more time in Halsmet and maybe help out with all of the problems of the newly liberated city.

Maybe Myrla's hoping they’ll move in. It’s what I’d do. But after seeing the Caxol estate back in Gemore I doubt it.

He knocked on the door, not feeling the enchantment that Dalo usually cast to prevent eavesdropping.

The door was yanked open a moment later, and Kia stood beyond. “Good, you’re here. I grabbed extra bottles of Umna.” She jerked her head inside, and Nathan entered the room behind the tall, gorgeous woman.

She wasn’t wearing much armor, and the padded undershirt did little to disguise her heroically toned body. Once again Nathan was struck by how much Kia’s Path had perfected her. It had shaped her into a tall Valkyrie of a woman, in both shape and personality.

There was nobody else in the room, and Kia pulled out a flask of the purple liquor they both enjoyed and poured two glasses. “I am filled with regret for the obstacles I put in your path, after the battle. I forced your Development, and for that I am sorry.”

“But you would do it again?” Nathan said as he took the offered cup. His tone wasn’t entirely polite.

She threw back the glass with relish and looked at him over the empty cup. “I would. My Path is narrow, but it is not why I acted as I did.” Her lips pulled back from her teeth, showing an even row of shiny teeth. “People deserve a chance to change, if it can be granted. Faline kills for vengeance, not because it is Righteous.” The final word held an entire philosophy’s worth of meaning.

Nathan decided to change the subject before they started talking about morality again. “Where is everybody? I’m leaving tomorrow morning and hope to see them again.”

Kia gave a small smile and tilted her head, seeming to consider how to respond. She gestured him to a seat and sat herself. “They are delivering our kill to the kitchens, and touring the city. I have heard you desire a specific Insight. I will teach you before they return.”

“Yeah. Khachi mentioned you knew something like [Aura Manipulation], but you don’t have an aura. How did you learn it?”

Kia's gaze went distant, and she sighed heavily. “When I was young I found one of the most valuable treasures of Davrar.” She frowned, eyes troubled as she called up unpleasant memories. “Knowledge. It was an ancient stash of books, held in stasis by powerful magic.” Her lips twisted. “With many powerful Insights, clearly written on their pages.”

She’s been sitting on a trove of Insights and hasn’t passed them on? She could have saved people with that knowledge.

Nathan didn’t say anything, but Kia picked up on his disapproval and explained carefully. “They were stored away during the Ending of Deicide. There was a note, an explanation that many were attempting to destroy all traces of this knowledge. Reading the tales within, it is clear as polished gems that the gods had become malevolent tyrants, a Davrar-born force of domination and control.”

She swirled her glass, breaking eye contact and speaking softly. “The Ending of Deicide was the rebellion of mortals against their gods. The books were hidden by some of the last faithful worshipers before they were wiped out. They hoped that the Insights would rekindle worship, and cause the rebirth of the gods.”

The last sentence was spoken in barely a whisper, and it hung in the air for a moment.

Kia’s expression was downcast, and she looked up with a haunted air. “Worship of divinity is corruptive. You come to embody your god’s ethos. Once you begin the Path of worship, the powers you receive change you. I feared I would bring the Ending of History, by reviving old terrors. I now consider the books as dangerous as any dungeon, and the Insights of worship as terrible curses.”

Then the warrior-woman snorted and drained her glass. “I did not trust any others, so I did not share the Insights. But as a fool in her first dungeon, I trusted myself, and chose who I believed was the safest god to worship. Deiman, the god of righteous battle.”

She shook her head in mild disgust as she poured more. “I was lucky. Deiman’s power can be used, as you have seen. But if even the barest speck of the god’s mind had survived the Ending, I would have been doomed. I could have granted him that power, if I had chosen to dedicate myself to him fully. But instead I chose to take the mantle of the divine, to cut away a part of the deity’s power for myself.”

Kia was silent for a second, but Nathan didn’t jump in. He wanted to ask questions, but it didn’t seem like she was done.

“I was lucky.” She repeated. “It was not a Path I knew was present. I should have burned the books and cast myself into Firewatch peak for reading them. But Davrar rewards risk, and I found another Path. I know that this power has changed me, but I am comfortable with it. Instead of bringing back the gods, I have weakened one of them by stealing his power. Those who follow my Path will do the same, until the gods no longer pose a threat to Davrar.”

She shrugged. “And now I have the wisdom to share some Insights, detached from the greater whole of the Path of Worship. I will describe [Divine Aura Manipulation] to you, though I believe that the Insights will work for other auras.”

Nathan held up a hand. “Hang on, I want to go back and hear about the Ending of Deicide. What caused it? How long did it last? How did it end?”

“The details are not clear.” Kia said with a frown. “Most of the books were from before the Ending, though some contained histories and scriptures that praised the glorious mastery of the gods over Davrar. The books describing the Ending were so full of propaganda as to be useless, decrying the faithless and thankless mortals and Questors who rose against their benevolent overlords.”

She shook her head with exasperation. “Muckgrabber assholes, those writers. So far in the grip of the divine they could conceive no other view than that of their gods.”

Doesn’t sound much like the Ending of Elements, where elemental storms ravaged the surface for decades. This sounds like an apocalyptic war between gods and their worshipers.

Nathan frowned, thinking back on his other sources of knowledge about the death of the gods.

From what Brox said, it seems like most of the Questors were fighting against the gods, but that could have just been him and his allies. Badud killed Brox with an amulet that cast [Quenfi’s Hatred], but it shattered. Quenfi was a god that Brox boasted about killing. I wonder what the history of that item was. Was it from before the Ending of Deicide? Did Badud fight on the side of the gods?

Nathan shrugged. There was no way for him to know unless he could get Badud talking about it. He stopped ruminating and looked back to Kia. “Thanks. I know which skill I want to drop. Should I do that now?”

She nodded. “Yes. I have few doubts that you can learn this skill, the only question is the tier.”

Nathan had never gotten rid of a skill before, but so far Davrar had been pretty easy to work with. He focused on the skill he wanted gone, willing [Quiet Movement] away. After a moment of concentration a prompt appeared.

Do you wish to lose the [Low-Tier Quiet Movement] Utility skill? This is a permanent decision, and you will be unable to reverse it. You will be able to regain the skill, but you will lose all ranks, and the tier will depend on the quality of the Insight used to gain the skill.

Nathan acknowledged, and confirmed his choice.

[Low-Tier Quiet Movement] Utility skill lost.

He looked back at Kia. “Ok, all set.”

She grunted in acknowledgement “You can shape your aura, move it around, make it more concentrated, yes? Then, start by forming a spiral…”

The next half-hour was spent in Kia walking Nathan through a pattern of exercises where he formed complex patterns with his aura and focused on making the edges very clear. There was supposed to be a clear line from where his aura started and ended, instead of a gradient. It seemed like the trick was to make his available aura have the largest possible defined surface area.

If this isn’t something she uses then she’s gotta have a memory skill. Or maybe she just looked it up when she learned I wanted it.

Pending utility skill: Mid-tier Aura Manipulation:

You have trained for fine control of your aura. This skill will make it easier to manipulate your aura, including precisely controlling the shape and density. Will not increase the size of your aura at all.

Yup, that does what I want.

Congratulations, you have accepted the [Mid-tier Aura Manipulation] utility skill.

He relaxed and raised his class to Kia. “Success!”

She smiled wide, the expression dazzling. “A prophecy of victory. We may now proceed to further exercises. Begin by making a spiral with your aura.”

Aura Manipulation 2 achieved!

Another half-hour later, Nathan blew out a breath and rubbed his forehead. “Ok, I got a rank-up. Not easy to do out of combat.”

Kia drained her latest glass of liquor. “True aim. If you master those exercises you may earn another rank or two. Further advances will require danger.”

She reached forward to pour another glass, finishing the bottle. They’d both been drinking like fish, but neither had shown any signs of drunkenness. It was almost a waste of alcohol, but both of them enjoyed the taste and Kia didn’t seem bothered by the expense.

The amazonian woman leaned back in her chair and tapped something at her hip. “I sent a notice that we’re done. They should be here soon for the celebration.” She pulled out a few more bottles of various kinds of alcohol and set them down on the table.

“What are we celebrating?” Nathan asked, curious.

Kia gave a sharp and disbelieving laugh. “What else? The defeat of an army of Giantsrest, and the impossible truth that we all survived. Gemore lives, and Halsmet will remain free. Some Adventurers died, but that is our fate. The villages are safe.” She smirked. “Safer than before, now that Halsmet is no longer a haven for enslavement mages."

Then the door popped open, and Nathan’s friends entered, bearing food. An enormous amount of food. Aarl and Sarah carried a wide platter loaded with a giant stack of steaks that looked like they’d come off the ribs of a cow the size of a semi truck. Stella and Khachi carried further plates holding vegetables and sides, but the focal point of the meal was definitely the steak.

“Castlebear?” He asked, watching as his friends placed the food onto a table.

“Castlebear!” Stanel said excitedly as he pranced through the door, carrying a couple bowls of sauce. “Hear me, but I’ve been looking forward to this. We killed off the last one around Gemore a decade ago.”

The rest of the Guardians entered, and they set to eating and talking with gusto. It was a good time, and everybody made efforts to avoid talking about the more serious things that were upcoming. Nobody had an agenda, they were just trying to enjoy each other’s company - and the delicious food before them.

Nathan used [Perfected Body] to accelerate his metabolism, breaking down the food quickly so he could keep eating. The steak tasted a lot like a good cut of beef, but a bit denser and infused with an herbal tang.

The conversation was mostly light, split between gossip about Gemore Adventurer politics and discussion of Halsmet’s developing culture and economy. The Adventurer’s Guild was undergoing a pretty major political shift with the death of Kozar as the leader of the traditionalist faction of Adventurers.

I'm really not sad about that, he was a jerk. But he was somebody the archmages were wary of, so in the strategic sense it’s not good that he’s dead.

The overwhelming victory against the Giantsrest army had also changed the attitude inside Gemore. The dangers of Davrar abounded, but with Agmon chastened on one front and Giantsrest defeated on the other, it looked like Gemore was currently secure from organized aggression for the first time in its history.

Sudraiel was working up another Adventurer training course, and was recruiting heavily from the villages and trying to find Adventurers who were interested in mentoring new trainees. The Guardians were pretty sure she was up to something beyond that, and Nathan considered telling them about the Adventurer Archive. But the guildmistress had asked that he let her manage the reveal himself, so he managed to hold the information back. Even if he wanted to see the Guardian’s surprise at the official version of what he'd proposed to them earlier.

“What of the antimages you’ve been training?” Stanel asked. “Pardon my ax, but some of the people I trained spoke as if they were a prophecy of safety.”

Nathan frowned. “There are only four of them, but they’ve got [Regeneration] and [Magic Resistance], which is all I could give them in the time available. I hope they’ll do well. Myrla wants to make them into an institution, so I bet she’ll ask me to give antimagic to more of them later on, or push my students to Develop their antimagic so they can make more.”

“Waking Giants.” Dalo said with exasperation. “An organization of antimages? Not even as a game.”

Nathan rolled his eyes at the white-bearded man. “I think you mages have had it too good for too long. There needs to be some way to challenge an archmage without another archmage. Now there is.”

Kullal gave her husband a fond smile, then turned to the other Heirs. “Have you met the new antimages? What do your bones say?”

“They have the spark.” Khachi said. “Nathan trained them well, and they will become great, or die in the attempt.”

“I like Shai.” Aarl said, his gaze introspective.

Sarah elbowled him. “Of course you do, you horny goat.” Then she seemed to remember that her father was present and winced, shooting Aarl an apologetic look.

He blushed deeply at the sudden interest from Stanel, looking down. “Yes, but she has fire, and a deep humor that I…” He looked up and shrugged helplessly. “That I like.”

“Good that we’re planning to stay in Halsmet a while longer.” Stella said ruthlessly. “Aarl can stay near his harem.”

He glowered at her and pretended to ignore his father’s expression, but didn’t dispute the point.

“You do mean to stay in Halsmet?” Kia asked, her voice not betraying any opinion.

“Yes.” Khachi responded, folding his arms and meeting his mother’s eyes challengingly. “Gemore is steady. Halsmet needs help - much of it. We freed this city, and I would see it survive. Few of the Adventurers are staying, and Halsmet needs all the hands that will help.”

“It’s also the only Endings-damned way to keep up with Nathan’s levels.” Aarl quipped. “When he comes back from Giantsrest he’s going to be blasphemously strong. We need challenges, and there are more targets here.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Nathan said lightly. “If I do manage to bring Giantsrest down, I'll want Halsmet to help with the fallout.” He snorted in amusement. “I hope Myrla’s ambitious, because I might just dump an entire empire into her lap. I certainly don’t want to try to run the place.”

Then he looked around at the other Heirs. “I like Myrla, but I haven’t worked with her too much. After all of this, let me know if you think I can trust her with that kind of responsibility.”

The other Heirs looked surprised at Nathan’s comment, but Kia gave him a nod of approval.

Then Kullal changed the subject, asking about how he’d trained and selected his antimages. Nathan described each of the four before describing the ways he’d taught his students, and how his focus had been to weed out anybody who wasn’t committed. His descriptions got Kia and Stanel interested, and they probed for knowledge from Earth on the subject of training. Nathan was well-aware his knowledge was barely surface-level, taken from a few books like Starship Troopers and war movies where they showed bootcamp, but they wanted to hear what he had to say. Gemore’s primary method of instruction was apprenticeships, and even the Adventurer training course was a departure from anything they’d done before.

By this point they were finishing up dessert and on after-dinner drinks, and Kullal coughed and stood up. “Well, we should depart, and give our Heirs some time to talk.” The older foxfolk woman turned to Nathan and held her arms wide. “May your future be a prophecy of victory.”

“Thanks Kullal.” Nathan said as he walked over and hugged the gray-haired woman. He turned and shook hands with the rest of the Guardians, giving each of them a quick farewell.

Last was Kia. “Hold yourself to the Path you wish to walk.” Her face was confident, without a speck of doubt.

Then she was gone, and Nathan was alone with the Heirs.

Utility skill: Mid-tier Aura Manipulation

You have trained for fine control of your aura. This skill will make it easier to manipulate your aura, including precisely controlling the shape and density. Will not increase the size of your aura at all.

Utility skill: Low-tier Quiet Movement

You have successfully muffled your movement in a situation where being loud would alert enemies. This skill will help you move silently in the future.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 9

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 9

Permanent Talent 3: Airwalking 3

Class: Void of Magic level297

Deepened Stamina: 9116/9210

Void of Feeling

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Magic Anathema

Airborne Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Voluminous Aura

Denial of Wizardry

Mana Severance

Class: Magekiller level 117

Regenerative Focus: 1270/1270

Catastrophic Blows

Battle Stealth

Mage Infiltration

Forgettable

Unsuspecting Strike

Antimagic Stealth

Spell Redirection

Lethal Index

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 10

Inspiration 1

Acceleration 2

Wizard Senses 2

Alertness 4

Wizard’s Intuition 2

Effortless Dodge 1

Mental Fortress 6

Tutoring 2

High-tier Tumbling 10

High-tier Noticeability 2

Low-tier Disguise 4

Mid-tier Battle Cry 7

Mid-tier Aura Manipulation 2