Book 2 Chapter Seven: Learning Curve

SEVEN

“For an enchantment to work one must have a power source, a material, and willpower. The symbology of enchantment has been over the many, many millenia, standardized but a dedicated self-taught enchanter can create their own. Enchantment is a language after all, but an enchanter who did this would then be forced to never be able to communicate with the rest of their community.” Jerry’s words flowed into Roan as he nodded along, looking down at the ring.

Thousands of small symbols dotted the surface of the metal, hard to see with the naked eye, but he could make them out if he squinted. They wove together in tight spiral patterns, connected together by the barest fragments of line. The longer Roan stared at them the more pieces of the puzzle he could see. And it was a puzzle, thousands of pieces all of them trying to create a picture that the enchanter had seen.

“You must assert your willpower through language. Every rune has a meaning and that meaning can change depending on where and how the rune is placed and what is next to it. This is the work years to understand the language, for it is complex.” Jerry’s voice was a soothing metronome that Roan absorbed with one ear. He could feel Learn in his skull, the skill pressing against his brain until he felt almost fevered as he stared down.

“Can I self-teach myself? It doesn’t feel like he’s helping me that much? Or is Jerry guiding me even unknowingly?” Roan’s stray fragment of thought was consumed as he stared longer at the runes, turning the ring slowly as he continued to listen and think.

“The lock is supposed to be closer to warding than enchantment, but they’re similar in nature. Will I even be able to find it? Why the hell did I take that bet? Why’d I make it? The question ricocheted around for a split second before dissolving. He’d found it, or at least thought he’d found the lock.

His eyes kept being drawn to a single set of runes that sat nearly alone by themselves in the center of the interior of the band. Unlike the organic, flowing runes everywhere else, these six sat like a toadstool in a garden.

“Material is key to what you wish to enchant. You could use plain paper and enchant it for toughness, making it strong enough to stop a sword thrust. But it’d be inefficient. Much better to use the hide of a troll or ogre, properly treated of course, to enchant. If you can find material that already serves the purpose you wish to enchant, it will make things easier for you.”

Roan felt the ring in his hand, the weight of it, and watched the light sparkle along the intricately curved grooves. He knew how he could break it now, but he didn’t know if he could save the contents of the ring. It would take the work of a moment to scratch off the locking enchantments on the inside of the ring. But that was too easy, any fool could figure that out.

Acting on instinct he felt for his mana, the constantly swirling current of power that cycled through his body and enhanced it. Finding the same breathing pattern and meditation technique was second-nature now and he slowly diverted a small stream of energy from his finger to his nail. Roan saw the glow start to form around his fingernail as he pressed it against an unmarked part of the ring.

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