Binding a slice of life.., p.35
Binding: A Slice of Life Progression Fantasy (Millennial Mage Book 3), page 35
She crossed through the common space, stopping just inside a short hall at the first door on the right. It was marked ‘Dimensional Mage.’
She pulled out the key she’d been given and unlocked the door. They built all this in here, in just a couple of days? It was impressive. They’d have to tear it all out before she could allow the devices to power down, too. I hope it’s worth it.
She stepped inside, Terry on her shoulder, and closed the door, locking it behind her.
It was dark but not pitch black.
A small amount of the light that hit the cargo-slot was distributed into this expanded interior. So, she had enough light to see. Mundanes probably wouldn’t, though. That’s probably why the magical lights are in place out in the common space.
There was a bed for her and a few hooks for her accessories. Simple, and no more than I need.
She carefully lowered herself onto the bed and found that it was able to support her weight. What did they stuff this with?
Despite her weight, it seemed to hold up well under her and was surprisingly comfortable to boot.
As she examined the structure, Terry walked across the bed and squawked in irritation. As small as he currently was, he wasn’t heavy enough for it to be cushioned for him.
Metal. The structure of the bed was metal. It looks like tubing of some kind. Fused at the junctions to make a near-seamless whole. As she moved, it creaked ever so slightly. They even gave it large runners instead of discrete feet to distribute my weight on the floor better.
They really did think of everything. “I’ll pull out my bedroll for you, Terry. You’ll be plenty comfortable.”
That seemed to mollify the avian.
Tala unlocked her door and moved back out into the hall, resecuring it after she was through. She turned around as the door behind her opened.
Rane stepped out. “Mistress Tala, good morning.” He quickly pulled his door closed; not so quickly, however, that she couldn’t see inside.
“Good morning, Master Rane.” His room was easily double hers in size, and she saw a servant working away inside, seemingly doing whatever servants do. He looks familiar… “Is that… Manth?”
Rane smiled happily. “Yes, he was available again for this trip, so he was assigned to me once more.”
“That’s good?”
Rane nodded, turning towards the exit. “Yeah, it’s nice to not have to get to know someone else or work through the finicky minutia of a new servant.”
Tala walked beside him, giving him an incredulous look.
“Ahh, right… probably not something you’ve ever dealt with.”
“No, I can’t say that I have. When have you?”
“My family had servants, and I interacted with them a lot growing up. And whenever Grediv had us spend any time in Alefast, he would get a servant to handle the minor details for himself and me.”
“That would have been nice,” Tala groused.
Rane gave her an odd look. “You do know that you could have had a servant if you’d wanted one.”
Yeah, but… She let out a sigh of defeat. “Fair enough. You’re right, but I think I’m good as I am.” They pulled the door open and hopped down, the door swinging shut on its own. Well-designed hinges.
“Have you seen our third? I haven’t had a chance to meet her yet.”
“I have… She’s up on the cargo wagon.”
“And she can hear you perfectly.” The woman’s voice came down to them. “Come on up, Master Rane. The three of us should talk before we get underway.”
***
Tala stood at the front of the cargo wagon, eyes scanning the surrounding landscape. Terry was… somewhere, probably having a grand old time, depopulating the local fauna.
Mistress Odera had gotten the caravan into the formation they would hold for the whole trip. Her reasoning had been sound. “Practice when not under pressure.”
As such, the guardsmen were prepared for a vicious defensive battle, which Tala greatly hoped would never come. Three were stationed atop the chuckwagon, their shields mounted in place, crossbows ready to accept whatever specialized bolt was required, and they had a lot. Fastened to the top of the wagon, beside each emplacement, was a segmented quiver holding at least twenty different types of quarrels, four of each.
They had a dimensional chest affixed to the center of the space, which held more of every type so that they could refresh their stock as needed. That must be expensive to maintain…
Around the two wagons, the seven remaining on-duty guardsmen rode in a loose, ever-shifting formation. Thankfully, each had a very simple set of directions, which, when combined with the other mounted guards’ different instructions, created the defensive pattern. Each rider had what looked to be a bundle of spears, varied similarly to the archers’ ammunition. Each bundle looked to have been designed for quick selection and armament of a mounted rider. Tala knew enough to know that she, herself, would be laughably incompetent if she tried to design such a thing.
Rane rode in slow circuits around their moving wagons, inside the circle of guards.
Tala was tasked with ensuring nothing obvious showed up to threaten them from the front. She wasn’t to engage. Mistress Odera had been explicitly clear on that point; she was simply to inform. At her observation, they had already scared away two groups of thunder bulls that had lingered in their path.
Around her regular sweeps of the rolling plains before them, and the dark line of trees some fifty miles distant, she read one of Holly’s books, trying to deepen her own understanding of physiology, anatomy, and her spell-forms. Every bit of understanding she gained would increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the workings, and that could only profit her in the long run.
If Terry’s frequent, flickering visits were any indication, he was feasting joyfully, his contentment evident every time Tala saw him. Maybe I should find a way to let him get out more… On the way from Alefast, he’d seemed content to rest near her. That was something he had likely rarely been able to do, if ever. Now, he’s had more than two weeks of rest, and so the hunt is what draws him.
She knew that she sometimes viewed Terry as a pet, no matter how many times he had proven to be more. I need to be treating him like the equal that he is. With a nod to herself, she pulled out a larger-than-usual piece of jerky and waited.
A moment later, Terry appeared beside her, the size of a large dog. He looked at the jerky in her hand, then up to her face.
She tossed the jerky to him and sat down so that his head was a bit higher than hers. It was actually somewhat intimidating, looking up at the clearly predatory terror bird. She took a deep breath and smiled, speaking softly so even the driver, just a few feet away, wouldn’t hear. “Hey, Terry.”
Terry bobbed, coming a bit closer.
“I want to treat you more like the partner that you are. I don’t want to just have you ‘be around.’”
He continued to eye her.
“Can you… let me know if there’s anything I can do for you or anything that we can do?”
He tilted his head, first one way then the other. Finally, he bobbed his head.
“Thank you.”
He moved forward and bumped her head with his. It probably would have bruised her without her defenses.
Tala grinned and lightly headbutted him back, in turn. “I do like having you around.”
Terry bobbed once more and vanished.
I’ll take that as a good sign. He doesn’t have to cling to my side but still likes to be here.
She returned her attention to her current tasks.
Aside from the thunder bull families, a small flock of burning sparrows had swept their way and had been dispersed with a few well-placed bolts. The effectiveness of the guardsmen’s ammunition kept drawing Tala’s mind to the anti-magic weapons like those quarrels. They are fascinating bits of magic. Armaments that are empowered by their target. Tala shook her head. They wouldn’t work against anyone who had a good handle on their own power… would they?
Tala glanced back towards Mistress Odera. If Tala hadn’t been looking for, and felt, the slight tendrils of magic, stretching from the woman at all times in all directions, Tala would have thought her asleep and blind to the world.
Clouds had rolled in through the morning as they left Bandfast behind, and a light dusting of snow had already fallen. Because of that, Mistress Odera sat wrapped in a blanket, seasoned with white. Tala, herself, had pulled on her leather shoes and wide-brimmed hat.
“Are there weapons that work on Archons like the guards’ munitions affect arcanous beasts?”
Mistress Odera opened her eyes. “Yes, and no.” She closed her eyes once more.
Tala shook her head. “Care to elaborate?”
Mistress Odera smiled, keeping her eyes shut. “If you are in control of your own power, it cannot be turned against you, unless wielded by one greater than your control.” Her smile widened. “I, myself, have resisted the influence of beings and Archons classified as Refined.” Her smile faded. “Such control is unusual, however.” Her eyes opened, locking gazes with Tala. “I’ll wager you now have the strength to fight a Fused and hold your own. You’d likely win as often as not, but if it came to a contest of wills?” She shook her head. “You might even fall to another Bound.”
Tala grimaced. “I am working on strengthening my will, my soul.”
“As you should, but you have crippled yourself—as anyone with eyes can see.”
She cocked her head. “How so?”
“You do not face your greatest fear.”
Tala snorted derisively. “I’m not afraid of dying, Mistress Odera.”
Mistress Odera’s eyes opened, seeming to pin Tala in place. “No, Mistress. You are afraid of living.”
Tala rocked backwards in her seated position. What? She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came to her. Is… Is that true?
Mistress Odera’s eyes were already closed once more, and Tala could see the flow of power pick up around the Mage. If her magesight was right, Mistress Odera had expanded her awareness back to nearly a hundred feet out from the wagon in every direction.
Even after four hours, it should have been impressive. But at the moment, Tala didn’t have the mental space to contemplate that.
Instead, Tala found herself sitting, staring forward. Is she right? Am I afraid to live?
Chapter: 30
Crystal
Tala moved through the rest of the day in a state of deep contemplation. As a result, she focused her actions entirely on her role as Mage Protector.
Lunch came and went, and she was barely able to summon up enough focus to thank the chef for the triple portion she brought to her. What was her name again?
The cargo wagon driver chatted with Tala for a bit, and she did her best to at least passingly engage, but nothing that he said sank deeply enough to disrupt her contemplations. His name is Tion, right? At least she’d caught that. It’s always embarrassing to ask people for their names after I should know them…
She did her duty, pointing out no fewer than six more possible threats over the next few hours. Only three of them had to be dealt with in the end.
The afternoon was beginning to move towards the early evenings of the season, when she saw a cloud-like shape moving low across the ground, near the edge of the treeline, still more than twenty-five miles distant, seemingly ignoring the wind. Another flock of small birds, moving almost in unison. Not uncommon in flocks, even of mundane birds, but her magesight was clear. Arcanous avians.
Each bird was barely bigger than one of her fists, and they flitted about quite rapidly. Like over-large hummingbirds. She hesitated at that. My sight is so much better! She didn’t let that distract her, though.
The birds passed through a column of sunlight, which broke through the otherwise pervasive cloud cover. Each bird shimmered and glinted in that light.
These beasts had a crystalline aspect to them. Tala called over her shoulder, “Flock! Crystalline birds. Small, but there look to be hundreds.”
The guards responded, selecting from their more eccentric magical arsenal.
Mistress Odera, for her part, was muttering to herself. “Another? It’s been weeks since a caravan reported encountering crystalline creatures. Was it not a migratory group, then?” She clucked her tongue. “A new fount with such a bent means trouble.” More loudly, she called out, “Don’t let them touch you. Any wound will be devilishly difficult to heal.”
Great… Tala drew Flow but didn’t funnel the power needed for a transformation. Another encounter in which I’ll be mostly useless.
Terry had been lying near Tala, but at Mistress Odera’s words, he looked back and forth between the two Mages.
“Go, Terry. I don’t want you hurt by this, and you won’t be much help against so many small enemies.”
Terry hesitated for a long moment, then bobbed and vanished.
Be safe.
The guards affixed faceplates to their helms and pulled on thick gloves. Both would hamper them in many situations, but the extra protection could be critical in the coming encounter. Those who were mounted swiftly dismounted and hooked their reins onto the chuckwagon beside the spare mounts, hopefully keeping the animals out of any direct danger.
The drivers, for their part, each pulled out a large, heavy blanket that moved oddly to Tala’s eyes. She looked closer, and her magesight detected what looked to be a chain-mail sheet between layers of heavy fabric and leather. Though, that was mainly an interpretation based on the distortions the steel created to that sight.
When no one moved to do anything for the oxen or horses, directly, Tala asked Mistress Odera.
Mistress Odera grunted. “Unless the beasts are seen as competitors or food, they will generally be left alone. I have my sight on them, however. If I need to, I should be able to keep them from harm.”
Tala nodded. Fair enough.
The flock took another ten minutes to get close enough for everyone to see them easily, and Tala’s magesight helped her revise her earlier guess. “I think there’s at least four or five hundred.” Another five minutes before they’re here.
Mistress Odera shifted slightly. “If you see a place where you can help, do so. I know your offensive magics aren’t suited for this.”
My offensive… Right! She hadn’t had a chance to try out Holly’s additions. Minute gravity manipulation might be perfect for this situation. She almost twisted her arms into the right shape for the initial activation, then hesitated. “Mistress Odera?”
“Yes?”
“I have another spell-form available. With it, I can control the gravity around me, to some degree. It might be of help here.”
“That sounds ideal. Why do you sound hesitant?”
“I’ve never used it before. I haven’t practiced with it. It’s a new spell-form for me, and it’s one that requires practice and precision to use effectively.”
Mistress Odera cursed under her breath. “Then, no. Don’t use it. The last thing we need is for you to accidentally interfere with someone else or worse, destroy a wagon with chaotically assigned forces.”
Tala opened her mouth to argue but stopped. It shouldn’t work that way, but worse things have happened when testing out new scripts in stressful situations… That’s what I was thinking already. That’s why I didn’t just do it. Why am I going to fight against advice that I know is wise? She pulled herself together and nodded. “As you say. I’ll add it to my regular practice—as I should have as soon as I got the inscriptions.”
Mistress Odera grunted. “You can’t practice everything, Mistress Tala. In hindsight, this might have been better to practice with, but if we’d encountered something else, your chosen regimen might have been better. Do what you can, and fill in the gaps with wisdom.”
Tala felt a smile tug at the side of her mouth. “As you say, Mistress.”
Mistress Odera clucked her tongue thoughtfully. “You are protected against having your skin breached, correct?”
Tala nodded. Not only were her inscriptions oriented that way, but she also had a cup of endingberry juice comfortably processed within her. The power was like the returning of an old friend, and she definitely felt better with its added defense. “I am.”
Mistress Odera took a deep breath, nodded, and seemed to decide something. “Then, I need you to make yourself a beacon. With that many, we need a distraction.”
Tala gave the woman a questioning look.
Helpfully, the other woman explained. “Go off to the right, walk parallel to the caravan, and do everything you can to dump power into the environment. We’ll drive them off from there.”
Tala nodded, jumping from the cargo wagon.
The wagon creaked behind her, rocking slightly from the force of her jump and the sudden loss of weight after her departure. She hit the ground much faster than anyone else would have and drove two circular holes into the soil, both some six inches deep. Huh, not enough pressure distribution, then. She’d have to have Holly expand that. If I keep this…
Tala stepped up, out of the shallow holes and moved away from the caravan, and Mistress Odera called out instructions to the guards and Rane. Tala didn’t listen to what was said, except to hear that Rane was ordered inside a wagon. His defenses would do little good against this threat, and he couldn’t be risked in the encounter.
Tala, for her part, invoked six void-channels, directing the least into her body to keep her scripts and normal functions powered. The other five, she directed outward. She also released her hold on her Archon aura, allowing that to spread out around her, if just barely.
She dumped power into the air.
Mistress Odera called down to her with an amendment to her orders. “Too much, Mistress. We don’t want to draw in additional threats. Keep your aura contained and cut the output by at least half.”
Tala immediately did so, dismissing three of the exterior directed channels and retracting her aura with a minimal tug of her soul. There.
