57 – Magic

The cloud had followed her down when she sat. It hovered two feet above her head, pillow-sized, and rained directly onto her skull. Her shirt was soaked through. Sera was watching her from a few feet away, a slight smile plastered on her face.

“These curses are getting ridiculous,” Sera said. “To think this miniature rain cloud would follow you around like that… The level of detail a mage would need to achieve a similar result is astounding.”

“I swear curse of rain is the worst of the lot.”

Under the Keeper’s supervision, Alexandra had trained Dark Bolt for hours. Each cast gave her a new curse, each more annoying than the last. Curse of shaking, curse of monochromatism, and curse of delayed reaction were only a sample of all she experienced.

Sera could have dispelled a few of the simple ones. But she insisted that it was crucial for Alexandra to experience a wide array of curses. If she was going to use Dark Bolt with Life Curse in combat, she needed to be able to recognize each curse, and react accordingly.

She was getting better at enduring the pain. After the third goblin, Sera had put her up to agility drills while she was suffering. The goal was to build her up so she could stay lucid and active even in the worst circumstances.

“It’s a blessing in disguise,” Sera had claimed. “Even when you get rid of this sickness, you won’t escape getting hurt in fights. Having a safe way to train your pain tolerance is good.”

Alexandra saw the logic, but her body and mind’s protests were just as strong.

She stood up. The lone cloud was still hovering above her, spilling its water on her head. “Dark Bolt just isn’t as efficient on non-plant monsters. I guess the same will be true for humans.”

“It’ll be even less efficient on humans. Those goblins are all level one. Unless you start attacking children, you won’t fight someone that weak.”

Alexandra frowned and opened her journal.

Dark Bolt 4 -> 6

Life Curse 4 -> 6

Progress was progress. “This is a step toward killing the Yshant, but it’s not going to help me free Louis.”

The Keeper nodded. “Of course not. I told you I was going to teach you some spells for your rescue operation.”

“I guess you already have a plan.”

“Naturally. I’d rather not act myself, so you’ll have to be the one on the ground. The thing is that the Merinus estate is guarded. Not well guarded, admittedly. But you’re not a great infiltrator either. I can feel a skill trying to divert attention from you. Not too high level, I presume?”

“Level two. I’ve been in this world for less than three weeks.”

“I don’t care. I just want to assess your capabilities.” Sera picked up a stick and cleared a patch of dirt. Then, she drew a square. “This is the estate.” She placed a few buildings, entrances, and paths. “It houses all of the Merinus family, their guards, and their servants. About a hundred people in total.”

“That many?”

Sera shook her head. “It’s nothing. You have to realize that Lucius Merinus is merely Gold. In Kator, anything below Ruby is not worth mentioning. Even then, it’s the bottom rung of nobility.”

Alexandra nodded. “If you say so. What do you suggest?”

“It’s simple. You have to get in the estate, and reach the basement where prisoners are kept. The only thing stopping your friend from leaving is the magical lock on the door of his cell. You’ll have to dispel the enchantment. Once you’re done, he should be able to sneak out on his own.”

Alexandra bit her lip. It sounded about right. Louis was a thief, after all. If someone could get out of there, it was him. “What about me? How do I even get in and out without being detected?”

“That’s where the spells come in.” Sera raised a finger. “First, a simple dispel. I checked the lock. It’s enchanted. Nothing fancy. Not many mages in this backwater town. Second, a weak glamour. It’s the best we can do in such a short time. Hopefully, with your skill, it’ll be enough for you to pass as a servant.”

“There’s no way this will work.”

Sera shrugged. “I agree. It would take absurd levels of incompetence for the guards to let you approach the cell.”

“I’m serious, Sera. We need to get him out. Counting on them to mess up is completely dumb.”

“You haven’t let me finish.” Sera smiled. “A successful prison break hinges on the prisoner himself.”

“Louis is locked up. We can’t exactly count on him.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“You really don’t know much about that guy, do you? Anyway, I’m sure he’ll know what to do when the time comes. Besides, the Merinus are so used to ruling over Esmera unchallenged, the basement where they keep prisoners is actually the least of your problems. The guards and servants working in the estate, on the other hand…” She clasped her hands together, and looked up at the cloud. “It’s about to disappear. Let’s get started with the spells.”

Alexandra looked up, allowing a few drops to fall onto her face. Then, as Sera predicted, the cloud dissipated.

“Great.” Sera snapped her fingers. Her clothes and hair instantly dried up. ”What did I just do?”

“A spell?”

“Yes. What is a spell?”

Alexandra hesitated. “It’s… mana manipulation.”

Sera nodded. “Correct. If only partially. A spell is energy manipulation. Your Dark Bolt is a spell that consumes lifeforce, for example. Hold out your hand.”

Alexandra did. Sera placed a small, smooth rock on her palm. A faint shimmer ran across its surface.

“I’ve put a minor enchantment on this. A warming charm. Touch it.”

Alexandra pressed her thumb on the stone. It was warm.

“Your goal is to remove that enchantment. Do not destroy or damage the stone in any way. Remove the charm specifically.” Sera crouched and picked up her stick. She drew on the floor. “The first step is to take control of your mana. You’ve got some training stopping it from escaping your core. It’s the same idea.”

Alexandra closed her eyes, and found a thread leaking out of her core. She grabbed it.

“Don’t close your eyes. You have to watch what you’re doing.”

She pulled her eyes open, trying her best to keep hold of the mana thread.

“Good. Now direct the thread toward the rock.”

She willed for the mana to move, and lost control.