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    Blinking rapidly to clear the blinding afterimage that cut across his vision like a streak of white paint, Kaius looked back to where the corpse of the bramble ball had fallen. No longer hidden by the overwhelming brilliance of Ianmus’s working, he got a good look at the destruction his friend’s skill had wrought.

    It had been burnt out utterly, scorched black and burned from the searing power of the sun. The hole in its centre was as large as his head, and growing larger as flickering flames slowly consumed the green growth of the bundle of vines.

    Shaking his head in amazement, Kaius slid from his saddle and sheathed his sword.

    Astounding. He’d heard tales of how mages, especially those with free casting abilities, were at their most dangerous with ample companions to give them the time they needed to prepare. It was common knowledge, with enough focus and time it was possible to leverage immense quantities of mana into a single cataclysmic work.

    Still, seeing that devastation meted out by a single man? Who had yet to secure his third class skill? It sent chills of awe down his spine.

    It was almost enough to make him reconsider his path. Almost.

    With Porkchop at his side he strolled his way to the cluster of guards, who celebrated with cheers and shoulder claps. His eyes found his way to Ianmus, leaning heavily on his staff and as pale as a sheet. Sweat dripped from his every pore, the mage’s chest labouring to draw in vital air as he recovered from his exertion.

    No, while it was frightening and impressive, he still preferred his path. He didn’t miss that the spell had taken everything from his companion. A powerful boon for their party, certainly, but one that left the half-elf defenseless and totally reliant on the capabilities of his allies.

    Kaius could never; he much preferred the rush of blood and the singing of blades scything through the air, his body pushed to the limit as he dealt arcane death and steely ruin with equal measure.

    Noticing his approach, Ianmus gave him a weak smile. The motion proved too much for the man, his chest heaving as he buckled over and retched. Frowning at the sight, Kaius hurried forwards.

    “Ianmus! Are you alright?” he asked, worry gripping him by the neck.

    “He’ll be alright, lad.” the voice of the guard leader came from the pack near the caravan. “Just a bit of mana-burn, too much arcane too fast, ain’t that right mageling?”

    “Correct,” Ianmus gasped. “You’re rather learned for a guard.” he grumbled, getting his stomach under control before he heaved himself upwards.

    Kaius still watched him closely, frowning in concern. Quivering with most of his weight on his staff, his ally looked ready to just about keel over dead. He sidled closer, ready to catch his friend if he truly did pass out.

    The leader of the guards only laughed. “Work the caravan routes for a living and you see enough mages; ain’t the first time I’ve seen mana-burn—and it won’t be the last. Though, I will say that most lose their breakfast, yer got some iron in ya.” the guardsman tilted his head in respect, before he switched his focus to Kaius.

    “And ye, that was some fierce fighting, lad. Name’s Umesh. You and yer beast really tore that thing a new one, I hope it didn’t get you bad?” The man asked, his eyes drifting over Kaius’s armour, taking in the streaks of blood that cut through the trickles of sap that coated him.

    “Kaius.” he said, sharing his own name. While they had nominally been travelling next to the caravan, they’d kept a respectful distance, and this was the first that he’d had the opportunity to introduce himself. “Nothing more than scratches. It would have been a different story if we stood in place for long enough to get properly entangled.” he responded, rolling his shoulders uncomfortably at the thought of being bound by the bramble balls macerating tendrils.

    “But ye weren’t, and ye didn’t.” Unesh replied, giving him a knowing nod. “Can’t get caught up on pasts that never happened. Listen, my job ain’t over just cause we had one good scrap, but ye two should stop by my spot when we stop for the evening. Happy to share a little o’ my stash of grog for the stars of the show.”

    Kaius grinned. A drink would be nice, and—even if they never saw the men from this caravan again—it was always pleasant to talk and swap stories. There was something sacred about sharing a fire with a stranger, friends for a night before parting ways forever more. He and Father had done it more than once in the Sea, something of an unspoken culture for the loner types who hunted its reaches.

    He gave the man a nod, before he threw his hand under Ianmus’s shoulder. “Alright, let’s get back to our spot.” he said, helping his friend steady himself.

    “I can walk myself, you know.” Ianmus mumbled.

    Kaius let out a snort, and didn’t budge. “I just watched you struggle to keep your lunch down for the better part of a minute, I think you’re lying.”

    Ianmus grumbled, but didn’t protest again.

    Walking away from the front of the caravan, Kaius heard Umesh giving his men a debrief on the fight, telling them more about the creature they had faced, and its various weaknesses. Interestingly, it seemed that most spirit creatures had some sort of nexus within their body that was far harder for them to heal.

    He groaned as he heard that. Spirits were rare enough that unless you wandered the frontier endlessly you were liable to never see one in your life. Evidently, Father had slacked on explaining more esoteric threats in favour of likely ones, as that was a nugget of information that would have been drastically helpful to know before he fought one.

    Ianmus must have known though, given the man had eviscerated the core of the creature with pinpoint precision.

    By the time they were a couple of carriage lengths from the front, Kaius heard Umesh give a sharp whistle.

    “We’re good to go, boss!” he yelled loudly to the unseen merchant, who had remained hidden away in his mobile fortress.

    Moments later the lizard beasts that drove the wagons gave a hiss, and heaved forwards, their train moving across the frontier once more.

    As they walked back to their position flanking the middle of the caravan, Kaius switched his attention back to Ianmus. He was steadier on his feet, though he still looked far more pallid and clammy than Kaius was comfortable with.

    “You sure you’re fine? I haven’t heard much about mana-burn, or whatever has got you this twisted up.” he murmured, keeping his voice low enough that the various attendants of the caravan wouldn’t overhear him.

    Ianmus looked at him in shock. “You don’t know? You’re a bloody caster.” he hissed.

    Kaius shook his head. He truly didn’t, not even once in his conversations with his father on the potential effects of their experimental glyph had it come up. Though, perhaps due to Father’s background, that wasn’t too much of a surprise.

    “Is it a thing for runewrights?” Kaius asked.


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    Ianmus shook his head, before he winced at the sudden movement and clutched his scalp. “No, they work over far too long of a time frame. It’s a consequence of channelling too much of your mana pool at once. Stresses the soul, and abrades your mana circuits. It’s not really dangerous, not unless you’re a complete idiot, but it leaves you fatigued, ill, and nauseous in a way that health cannot solve.”

    That sounded…bad, especially considering the fact his own mana consumption was instantaneous.

    “Well, this whole thing came from a runewright, so maybe it slipped my mother’s mind.” Kaius said, still leaning on the small bits of secrecy he had. Ianmus knew he was keeping them, so he wasn’t over worried about lying to his friend.

    Ianmus frowned, a low harumph escaping. “Still reckless, though it’s odd you’ve never felt it before. I would have thought it would be an issue, given…everything.”

    Nodding at the man’s words, Kaius continued to support them while they walked. In the end, figuring out why would have to wait. They were leaving the caravan the next day, and a discussion on his magic could wait until then. Too much chance of keen ears listening to their talks to do it in the current moment.

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