CH208

“Well, hopefully I can ease up a bit now that you’re here,” Ben said with cheer as Thera released him and he got up. “You know, you’re a hard man to find.”

“And you don’t give me a break,” Falk shot back. “You look terrible, how long have you been working for?”

“I just had a nap so I’m pretty good for now, don’t worry. Now come on and give him a look with me already.”

He pulled his teacher over to the unconscious automaton and couldn’t help but cringe at what he saw. In the hours he’d slept, all of his hard work had been destroyed by the enchantment decay and had gotten worse from there too. He looked at Falk, wanting to ask if he could do anything to help, but his teacher was already absorbed, leaning in to examine each and every enchantment, poking and prodding Inux with his large hands, trying to figure out how everything worked together as he went.

Even as he went, Ben saw him occasionally apply enchantments of the earth and death affinities he had access to, stopping only to watch them decay before moving on to a different part of his body and trying again, all the while repairing the fraying enchantments that had come apart when Ben had fallen asleep.

He worked in silence the entire time, patiently devoted to his work as he went before ultimately heaving a heavy sigh.

“There’s nothing I can do boy, I’m sorry.”

“What? Falk, there must be something, even if you beat around the bush about it you obviously have awakened skills, if we work together then maybe-”

“He’s an mid-mythic item boy,” His teacher said as he cut him off. “Maybe if you were on the verge of getting to the third tier with a few of your skills, you’d be able to do something for him, but that’s the only way he could be fixed. Otherwise, there’d need to be someone who managed to have awakened magics of every affinity along with enchanting. People like that simply don’t exist. No matter how good I am, I wouldn’t be able to do anything, even if I were to make it into the third tier myself.”

As his teacher spoke he couldn’t help but deflate. If Falk said so then he was sure it was accurate, but that meant there was no option to repair the enchantments. He could only stare down at the talos before him, Falk placing a comforting hand on his shoulder while Thera squeezed his arm before both walked off to give him some time alone.

As the hours passed while he stood there he watched more and more of the enchantments that made up Inux’s body decay and break. He didn’t try to stop it, only waiting for the talos he’d found to open his eyes for what might be their final conversation.

When he finally did his voice was as gentle as ever. “I take it things aren’t looking good?”

“My teacher came, but he said it wouldn’t be possible unless I was on the verge of getting to the third tier.”

“Sounds about right, awakened enchanters have never been able to do much in the past for my brothers sadly. How long do you think I have?”

“A week, two weeks maybe if you’re lucky. Do you want me to contact anyone for you? I could send word to the meliae if you’d like. Heck, I have nothing going on, I could bring your body back for them if you have any burial customs.”

“Thank you, but I’d rather not. I said all of my goodbyes before I left, we all knew that chances were best I wasn’t coming back. Thank you though, for trying all of these weeks, for talking with me too. As far as last days go, these were some good ones.”

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