Eric insisted that I didnt need to help prepare for the night, though I did help a little anyway. The look on Donats face when I cleaned the cauldron with a tap of my fingers was worth the half dozen points of mana I spent.
The tents werent the sort of tents I was used to. In fact, there were little more than canvas sheets with a few holes here and there that had flaps covering them. Ropes strung out between the nearest trees held them up, and little ties on the canvas allowed parts of it to be folded in to form walls around three sides.
It would keep the rain off, if it rained, and the wind too, but that was about it. Still, no weird retractable sticks to deal with, so it wasnt all bad. I was given a spot in the middle of Valerie and Arianne and a few extra blankets that were less than fresh until a couple of cleaning spells fixed them up.
Zats a handy little spell, Arianne said as she watched lay out a blanket to sleep on and another to cover myself. I had my own too, so I would be nice and snug all night. It was like a sleepover but outside and with strangers!
Its great! I said. I never got to see much magic, so I was super excited when I got my own spell.
Ariannes smile was at once demure and extrely amused. Well zen, do you want to see so more?
Yes! I said before scrambling to my feet and following after her. Magic was aweso because it was magic. Even after using my cleaning spell a hundred tis I couldnt get over how cool it was. Can you teach about magic?
I can, a little. But zen we must sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day. What do you know so far?
Um. I can push magic into stuff, and then I lose so mana. Then things happen.
Arianne tittered. I have my work cut out for , zen. She walked us over to the edge of the clearing. Zere are two types of spells... no. zere are many many types of spells, but only two matter for you. You can worry about ze ozers later.
So what are the two, then? I asked. I was bouncing on the balls of my feet as the marsh wizard raised her staff and narrowed her eyes in focus.
Ze light of my soul illuminates, she said while making a cupping gesture in the air under the end of her staff. A spark appeared, then ford into a baseball-sized ball of whitish light that began to fall. Ze will of the world captures. The light started to dim. Ze weight of my will determines ze path.
And just like that the ball stopped falling and hovered in place, releasing a whitish light that was weaker than a torch, but that was pure and clear. Cool, I whispered.
Zat is for the sombrals. Zey dislike ze light, Arianne explained. Zat was one type of magic. A spell zat I cast using my own mana by controlling it, zen I tied it to zis place so zat it hovers.
So if I chanted like that, would it do the sa thing? I asked. I was trying to morize the chant just in case. I wanted light balls. I could hang them all over the place and people would comnt on them and tell others of how cool Broccoli Bunchs balls were.
No, ze chant is to help. Do you know what a... mnemonic is?
Like a song to rember sothing?
Yes, zats exactly right. Many practitioners use zem. So have very misleading chants to trick opponents. Zey are just to help you rember and to help you move ze mana ze right way at ze right ti. I can cast zis spell wizout because I have been practicing it a lot, but to demonstrate it is easier wiz ze chant.
Okay, so you take your mana and then you make a light ball?
Arianne shook her head, then paused. Yes. But zat is too simple. Zere is a specific shape ze mana must take. Zere is so leeway, but not too much. Ozerwise ze spell fails. Zat is where ze ozer kind of spel cos in. Skills.
Arianne tapped her staff to the ground and a clod of mud rose up, then twisted around itself until it took the shape of a small muddy frog person that barely ca up to my shin. It wobbled around on unsteady legs, then collapsed into a heap of mud.
Zat is a golem spell. To cast it would take a minute. Maybe two, if I want to avoid mistakes. But by using a skill like Earth Magic Manipulation it becos trivial. She smiled at . Do you understand?
Right, I knew that using magic skills ca with an instinct for it. My cleaning magic was the sa way. I didnt really have to think too hard on it and the spell just kind of ford imdiately and worked on the first try. Did that an that soone without the cleaning skill could use my spell? Probably, but as Arianne said, it would be difficult. I could see why. The amount of mana used in each cleaning spell was slightly different, which probably ant that the spell was a tiny bit different too.
So using skills to cast spells was like having a calculator do the math for you. Or maybe a computer solving your physics problems. Casting it yourself was like doing it by hand. But that ant that you could still do it by hand.
Wait, does that an I can learn Fireball?
Arianne sighed. Zey always want ze fireballs. No Arianne, dont cover ze enemy in mud, light zem on fire. Always ze sa.
Oh, Im sorry, I said. I might have touched on a sensitive topic. I think mudballs are cool too. All magic is cool, and youre a wizard, which ans youre cool by default.
Arianne shook her head from side to side, a strange swaying motion with the way her neck was made. Go rest. Youre going to have a long walk tomorrow, she said before placing a hand on my head and ruffling my hair like a big anie.
***
I woke up with a jaw-shattering yawn, then stretched my arms and legs out every which way. It took a mont for to realize where I was, but the strange croaking snores of the girls next to helped a bunch. A glance out of the tent revealed that the sun was rising and that morning was here and the faint clinks of tal against tal and the crackle of a fire suggested that soone was up.
I slid out of my blankets and searched for my armour and stuff. I had slept in it before but now, with a whole party of strong adventurers around, I felt safe enough to just sleep in my normal things.
All dressed up and ready, I slid out of the tent and stood up tall to take in a deep lungfull of morning air.
Up already?
I finished my stretch with a few sways of my hip to get my lower back settled, then bounced on the spot a few tis. Yup! I said.
Eric and Leonard were both sitting around the fire while a small tal pan was sitting with a slice of bread on it and a pot sat next to it with what looked like beans boiling rrily away.
Is that breakfast? I asked.
Favourite al of ze day? Eric asked as he stirred the beans.
Ive been eating nothing but honey and berries for a while, any al is my favourite if its got neither. Not that I dislike either, its just too much is too much.
Leonard made a croaky-snort. Unprepared child, he said.
I sat next to them and waited, tummy growing fiercer by the minute, as breakfast was prepared. It was nice. Eric filled three bowls up, mine almost to the brim, then he placed so toast atop the bowl and we got down to eating in quiet, only the morning birdsong to accompany my oms and noms.
Well be leaving soon enough, Eric said. I got grumpy here to draw you a basic map and zere are supplies in zat sack over there. He gestured to a bag off to the side. So canned goods, a few little things. Our last loaf of proper bread. Ah, and so hardtack. It tastes awful but it will keep you fed.
I... cant co with you? I asked. I kept my eyes on my now-empty bowl.
I saw Eric shake his head from the corner of my eye. No. Were not just going to Threewells. The Dungeon there, if its still active, would be outrageously dangerous for soone at your level. And we have to move quickly.
I can move quickly, I said.
He smiled. Nope. You get yourself back to Rockstack. There are so nice folk over there, so will be willing to keep an eye on you, maybe even get you a job. Ask for Julliette, she runs the inn. She ought to have so work for you.
If you are dead set on being a fool, then head over to Port Royal, Leonard said. He handed over a folded piece of parchnt with a red wax seal on the front. My na has so weight there. The people at the headquarters of the Exploration Guild might see sothing in you if you dont act like such a foo-- dont break the seal!
I froze, fingers caught fiddling with the seal before I let go of it and gave him a sheepish smile. Its still attached, I said.
Idiot, Leonard said. Im going to wake the others.
Eric watched him go, then turned to with a huge smile. I think he really likes you.
I do not! Leonard roared, which probably helped in waking all the others more than anything else he did.
Hes nice under all that gruffness, I said. I kind of wish I could co with you, I hate making friends and then losing them right away.
Youll make good friends one day. No worries, Eric said. He rooted around in a bag and found another tin of beans which he opened with a casual flick of a knife across its top. Maybe youll start your own party?
That would be wonderful, I said. It would be! Just and so close friends, heading out on mysterious adventures to discover hidden things. Wed et dragons and ride them into battle and it would be aweso.
Wait, I said. You have beans that co in tins?
Yes? Eric said. Theyre good for travelling, which we do a lot of. You can buy them in most guild supply stores. Theyre not ant for civilians but theyll sell you so if you dont mind the mark-up.
The others woke up one after the other, so with more alacrity than the rest. Arianne was not a morning person and kind of just flopped next to Eric until he pushed a bowl into her hands. Valerie zeroed in on breakfast and scarfed it down, then bounced around while undoing the tents and gathering all of their things in a hyperactive hurry.
And then it was ti to go. Donat and Pierre, who had been sneaky all night, waited by the roadside. Leonard was deep in a map and Valerie was rubbing a tired Ariannes back. Eric reached a froggy hand out to . Good bye, Broccoli, he said.
Bye Eric, I replied right back.
We shook and I waved goodbye to the others as the party ford up and started walking and hopping away.
I swallowed thickly, put on a smile, and got my stuff. I still had a ways to go. But maybe I would see them again. It would be neat to be part of the sa group as them, maybe. Ti would tell.
Ding! For repeating a Special Action a sufficient number of tis you have unlocked the general skill: Friendmaking
I laughed as I set off into the unknown.
***
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