Chapter 13 - Back to School (Patreon)

The next couple of steps in the process were pretty straightforward. I met back with Jeb, and thanked him profusely for his assistance and then told Atlas we were going on an adventure .  

Jeb was loquacious as ever. "'S all right." He did however, not protest to run interference one last time while we walked back to the tavern and then onto the ferry. Probably didn't hurt that I gave him another of my few remaining silver pieces.

Fifteen uneventful minutes later, I could breathe in relief, as Atlas and I got onto the ‘ferry’ – that old glorified raft – in order to take us to to Greck’s training place on the other side. I was down to three silver now – three silver pieces for crossing and one to each of the half-orc tenders to swear that I hadn’t crossed. That meant I was practically destitute, yet it felt like a huge weight had been removed from my shoulders. Now, no matter what happened, as long as I avoided returning to the village or respawning until Sareena left the village, I should be safe - and with Darya on my side, what were the odds of that? 

I even managed to avoid any seasickness. I was sort of distracted too. Watching the two half-orcs toiling away, ignoring the large lizard that lay just meters away from them was just way too funny. I sent Atlas some sensations of approval, but it didn't feel like he understood me - this was likely nothing out of the ordinary for my stealthy compatriot.

When we got to the other side, we followed the path for a while and then left it to walk along the tiny, winding trail that led to Greck’s secret enclosure. The chainlink gate stood before us, accompanied by the sight of Greck's reclined body in the clearing behind that, snoring with the sound of a dying bird. All of a sudden, I was reminded of an old adage: "We receive the teachers that we deserve." or something along those lines and snorted softly to myself. Gods, I hoped that was not the case. Apparently, this was enough to wake him up, and he came to with a befuddled look on his face - it would appear that he'd started the party already. 

"'About time you came. Now, kindly hand over the good stuff. I need something to take away the taste in my mouth. I swear to Dreben, Gillem has somehow managed to water his ale and make it taste like wood alcohol mixed with horse urine in one go. Take it from an alchemist - that should really be impossible."

"I've been thinking about that. I've never actually seen you mix any concoctions. Why is that?"

He was already pouring the first measure of wine into a cup and spoke distractedly. "That sort of question, I might answer - if you were a fellow alchemist. Being the clueless sort that you are, I do not want to give you the impression that this is something you might be able to learn for yourself. God's below, that's good stuff." He flicked a sharp nail at the glass, producing a ringing tone. "The clock is officially ticking, Arcangelo, and today is a warm day. What would you like to learn?" He lowered himself to a half-reclined position on the grass.

All right - straight to the point. "Greck. I'm not going to sugar coat it. I need your help."

Eyes closed, he savored a mouthful of the wine before replying. "Does that involve me getting up?"

"It involves you getting on your feet, getting whatever you need for a protracted journey of two weeks - and going off into the unknown with Darya and me. Oh, and with my luck, there will be plenty of fighting."

He looked incredulously at me, then at his wine glass and our peaceful surroundings in turn and smiled blissfully. "That is going to be one hard sell."

"I know." I sighed. "And if you could teach me the basics of your language and your customs right this moment, then I wouldn't be trying to convince you to come along, but we're lacking for time."

His smile slipped. "My language. Arcangelo, don't tell me that you are going to Nerit."

I raised my arms in a helpless gesture. "I don't even know what the place is called. That kobold city two to three days' walk from here. Seriously, I need your help Greck."

He bared his teeth and his scales darkened in hue. "That kobold city - you - you ignorant little meat sack. Thracken guide me.  Do you even know what you are asking? They will chew you up and spit out your bones. They are not creatures of civilization -  they will...WHY THE PITS DO YOU THINK THEY EXILED ME?" That last part, he shouted, spittle flying through his sharp teeth, and I instinctively backed away.

"Greck, I-"

"Just leave me alone, you worthless mammal." With a growl, he spun on his heels and took off into the nearby glade.

I gaped at his retreating back. How about a trigger warning, please, Exogenics? I did not see that coming - and it wasn't like Greck had been forthcoming with details regarding his past. I decided to wait it out and see what happened - at least he hadn't told me leave the place. Yet.

Two minutes turned into ten, and I started to get bored. Still no sign of him. Atlas was enjoying himself immensely outside the fence - apparently, there were tons of small animals milling around, just waiting for him to pounce on them. I spent a couple of minutes following his simple joy at a perfect stealthy approach or disappointment when a bird spotted him and took off. Then, seeing as Greck was still absent, I decided I may as well entertain myself, and brought forth the violin in an attempt to put music to Atlas' escapades.  As I started playing, the music scared away an otherwise clueless squirrel, and he gave off an affronted hiss. As he then started moving, however, he caught onto my aim, and within moments, we turned it into a game. A quick, jaunty tune portrayed Atlas as he strode along a wide limb, turning into a mischievous, plunky melody as he camouflaged himself, toying with a bunny that was completely oblivious as to its impending doom. I enjoyed myself thoroughly until a voice from right behind startled me. 

"You know, I find you much less infuriating when you just play."

The ensuing screech from the violin brought about another screech from the frightened rabbit, and a wave of emotion from Atlas that I could only translate as "Noooooo - why?"

"I like your new friend. He will have plenty of fun in Nerit, trying to outsmart any watchers. Heh - unless he is spotted."

I decided not to say anything, just wait for a cue. At least he'd calmed down again.

"Listen, Nerit is a horrible place. Like any other place, there are tolerable people, and there are complete fanatics. You might bump into somebody who will be willing to guide you in whatever you need to do if your luck holds. There is one thing above all that you need to know, however. Their foundation is ill. Feverish, rotten, lethally ill. And even though some of those who live there actually are aware of this, they will - not - change. Believe me. I've tried."

I'd never seen Greck so solemn - or so downtrodden. I hesitated to ask, but he looked to be lost inside his own mind. "Which illness is that?"

"Huh? Oh. Cultural stagnation. They've decided that their culture was perfect 300 years ago, and they're trying to keep it exactly like that. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't work - yet their system and religious beliefs will not allow them to change. And still they wonder why our race is in decline and try to blame it on..." At this he shook his head violently, and looked me straight in the eye. "I am not going back. Grant's Crossing may not be perfect, but I have my routines, my acquaintances and my principles. I will help you as I can today, however."

This was probably as close to an excuse as I was ever going to get from him. It was clear to me that he was adamant about this, and I restrained myself from pushing. What would I need from him then? Hmm. "Thank you Greck. In that case: What do I need to know about Nerit? Also, Darya is coming with me - does that change anything?"

He raised an eyebrow. "If anything, that raises your odds of success. Many kobolds - and especially those of Nerit - are obsessed with martial prowess and appearance. With that in mind, I believe she can help you succeed where you alone will not."

Wait - did he just dismiss my skills entirely? Before I could interrupt, he lectured on.

"Have you ever heard the phrase: A place for everybody and everybody in their place?"

"I think that's supposed to be “everything”, Greck."

"Not in Nerit, that's for certain." He entered into a teacher's position, one clawed index finger admonishing an imaginary crowd. "King above all, warriors stand tall.  Hunters provide while crafters treat hide. Workers must toil, the rest to the soil." He spat. "Oh, and then you have the priests and shaman's off to the side, making sure that nobody rocks the boat."

I thought about it, trying to figure out where I'd fit in within the system. "And bards? Or mages?"

His grimace explained very well that the next part wasn't going to be favorable. "Sure, there's room for us. As long as we subscribe to, and preach, the teachings of Tarcken. Otherwise they can and will stack the deck against you. And please take this to heart: ‘kobolds do not care about honor or mercy. Only success. They will not play fair - and neither should you.’”

I nodded gravely. "So people are going to dislike me simply for following Serune and being a caster. Anything else I should know? Taboos? What about your language?"

"We are xenophobic to a fault. I would council that you do not announce yourself until you have actually made it to Nerit – otherwise, an over-zealous hunter might decide to use you for target practice. And do not discuss religion with them.. The word "sacrilege" gets thrown around a lot. As for the language - if you somehow manage not to get tossed out immediately, you should be able to learn the basics of the language eventually. Many kobolds leave Nerit for some time and know enough common to get by. And once you've found your place on the soil, you might learn enough to actually wise up and leave the damn place already. What is it that you will be trying to achieve that is so critical anyway?"

I gestured vaguely with my hands, looking for words. "A peace pact, basically. Assurances that the kobolds won't attack, allowing the village to expand in peace on this side of the river."

He looked thoughtful for a while. "Huh. The theory is sound, at least. They should send Grant instead though. Him, they respect, even if they would try to backstab him at the first opportunity. Now, is that all, or will you let me enjoy the remaining wine in silence?"

Looked like the ‘good’ old Greck was back. "Hah. Like I'm letting you off the hook that easy. First - this has been bugging me for so long. What is this book?" I held the unidentified book up.

He snorted. "Let us call it an internal joke. Bring it on the journey though - it will do you good."

I waited patiently until I realized he was done. "You're seriously not going to tell me?"

"What, and ruin the surprise? I am an old showman, remember?" 

I fumed - goddamn, secretive excuse for a reptile. "All right, will you deign to teach me more about Sonic Magic, or is that also beneath you?"

He poured another glass - glacially slow. I could tell he was enjoying himself immensely. "I suppose I can find the time. What would you like to learn about?"

This time I came prepared. "Defense. I desperately need a spell to help in my defense. Whenever somebody comes close during combat, I'm in deep waters."

"How did it take you so long to come to that conclusion? It must be a side effect of being a Reborn - decreased survival instincts. And yes, that is a completely logical idea. How would you go about solving your dilemma?"

"The best possible solution to me would be some sort of passive spell - something I can cast and then not have to worry about it afterwards. Some sort of shield maybe?"

He grinned. "Tough luck, kid. You've picked the wrong sort of magic school for that. A summoner can apply long-lasting spells on his summoned creatures. Shamans have all sorts of interesting internal changes that they can effect on themselves - some of them even permanent. But Sonic magic? Sonic waves are born of motion and remain in motion for exactly as long as is defined by the medium, spell and abilities of the caster."

That took some digesting, and I mused out aloud. "So, nothing that remains fixed in place - is that what you're saying? My own abilities can also increase to improve the spells, and of course, the spell itself has some limits which can improve with time. Now, my venerable, yet extremely reticent teacher - did you, or did you not confirm that it is possible to create some kind of shield spell with Sonic Magic? Something that is not static."

His many-toothed grin confirmed my suspicions. Gods. Wrestling useful facts from Greck felt a lot like convincing somebody online that they were wrong. It could be done, but the work involved often made you feel you'd be better off not trying.

Eventually, he drained his glass and stood up. "I do believe that you've reached a level of control where you might be able to manage this. Now, what would you want to ward yourself from? Physical attacks or otherwise?"

I answered promptly: "Physical. Ranged and close-combat, if possible."

"And how would you go about maintaining such a shield?"

"Erm - I suppose I'd have to maintain a constant image of what I wanted in my mind? And I guess, if I wanted to be able to do something else at the same time, I'd have to do it without playing?"

"Yes. And also?"

The difficulty of what I'd be trying to do just hit me. I'd experienced how slippery spells were even when I was only casting them without music. "I will also have to learn how to maintain the image of this spell fixed in my mind at the same time that I cast another one. Gods below, is that even possible, Greck?"

"It is. It's more of a mental knack than it is a real test of your skills, however. You do need a certain minimum of aptitude, which I believe you have obtained. Barely."

I snorted. "Thank you for that vote of confidence. How should I proceed?"

"It will be rather difficult for you to play around with the spell, if you haven't mastered the spell yet, correct?"

"Well, thank you Captain...nevermind. So, a shield with sonic elements in constant motion. I recall you saying that sonic waves always travel in a straight line?"

That grin again. "That is the simplified version. It is also the one we will remain with for now."

"A yes would also have worked just fine. Is it possible to create sort of pulsing forces that push outwards from the body at short intervals and push away anything?"

"It surely is. What do you believe the mana drain would be from a full-body sonic-wave shooting out every half-second or so?"

Damn. Too expensive. So..."What if I were to use a series of waves that shoot around me instead at fixed positions and angles? Theoretically, it'll leave some openings, but if I time them to overlap and get used to their presence and positions..."

He nodded. "I believe the mana drain from that would be less costly. As always, while you are attempting to learn a spell, use music. The alternative is unnecessarily difficult."

I nodded my understanding and walked off a bit to practice. Atlas, predictably, had gorged himself, and was fast asleep in a tree. The image of the spell was relatively easy - me placed inside a constant, ever-renewing swirl of sonic waves that would hopefully push interfering weapons, arrows and the like off course. Now I just needed a song. Ten minutes of failed attempts made me discard my first idea. Even though I was envisioning the spell to be sort of a ring of protection against my enemies, "Ring of Fire" just wouldn't hack it. What a shame - I'd always liked the song too. No, I needed something less massive, more flittering, like the flight of...oh.

Sometimes I enjoyed happy-go-lucky music. The musical equivalent of candy - light in calories and guaranteed to put a spring in your step and a smile on your face. And I did smile when the light tones of the song "Fireflies" spread through the clearing, and I earned my pop-up.

Congratulations. 

You have learned a new spell. Sonic Buffer. 

Range: Personal

A series of sonic waves surround you, constantly flittering in and out of existence. The waves help ward the caster, pushing away or diverting incoming physical attacks or objects. At lower levels, six waves are constantly held in motion.

Mana cost: 1 mana/sec

Stat: Charisma

Triumphantly, I slowly walked back to Greck while holding the spell active. It was really rather pretty to look at. Like being inside an invisible cage of constantly moving vapor trails. 

My foul-smelling curmudgeon of a teacher was having a good time. He was juggling random items with a smile on his face, constantly procuring and hiding items within his voluminous rags. Clearly, he was also pretty drunk, as the occasional fumble led to an item tumbling to the floor or a graceless stretch to catch a wayward ball. 

A sudden thought intruded on my mind. Then second thoughts and third butted in, asking me to please reconsider - but I was already striding forward with a huge smile on my face. And sure, I might regret this, but by the sacred name of Händel, was the look on his face worth it. First, one of the waves hid square in the middle of the juggling path, causing half the items to fly askew and an apple to zoom straight past  Greck's head. The large "O" his mouth made caused me to giggle uncontrollably. I took one additional step forward and 3 additional waves hit him in the chest, side and leg, pushing him slightly backwards and causing him to balance precariously on one leg before he regained his balance.

The astonished look on his face was priceless. Watching it turn to rage, I barely had the time to think: "Uh oh." before I was buffeted from all sides by gale-force winds and firmly deposited on the ground several meters away. I looked up at Greck who was stalking closer, and another giggle escaped my lips. This soon devolved into a bout of full-blown hysterical laughter, with me placed on my back, pointing up at Greck, trying in vain to make the words come out right in between peals of laughter. "G-gods. Your face." I broke down again. "You should have seen your face." 

The thunderous look on his face changed after that, and he smiled the most devious grin I'd seen on his face to date. "Good trick. Let us see if you regret that at a later date. Oh, and if you made me spill the wine, that date will be today." He walked back to where he located the bottle and wine glass - fortunately unscathed - and poured the last remnants of the first bottle. "Good. Let me see it. Further away this time. And no music."  

I cast the spell again without the violin and immediately it felt like the spell was trying to get away from me. My control felt slippery and it was more difficult to maintain the image of the spell. Sweat sprang out on my forehead, and I struggled to keep my focus as my mana slowly dwindled. Close to four minutes later,  I heaved a sigh of relief and let the spell slip from my grip, looking at the single mana point that was left to me. "I'm out of mana Greck."

"Good. Rest until it's replenished, then the real training begins." 

His words sent chills down my spine, but I still let myself sink gratefully down to the soft, inviting grass and closed my eyes. The weather was blessedly warm, and a slight breeze carried a wonderful scent of clean nature untouched by nature. I let out a sigh, and folded my hands behind my back. 

It seemed like only seconds had passed, when a decidedly unfriendly boot prodded my side and Grecks raspy voice said: "Do you wish to learn or not? Get up."

I fought my way to my feet and tried to clear the cobwebs from my mind. Obviously it hadn't been...oh. My mana was back to full. "I'm ready," I managed and Greck motioned at me to get on with it. I started casting the spell again, and slowly regained my bearings as I settled back into the monotonous struggle of maintaining the shield. 

After a few moments, Greck spoke up. "Have you got it under control?"

I nodded.

"Good. Good. Can you talk while you keep the spell under control?"

"I...think so." I ventured.

"Great. Then you are ready for the next part."

I looked at him in curiosity. This quickly transformed through realization into horror, as I watched the items next to Greck - a large pile of sticks, rocks and rubbish. My glance shot from the pile to Greck. He was throwing a apple up into the air and catching it again with a huge smile plastered on his face. "Oh no." I burst out.

"Oh yes." he laughed and threw the apple. 

The shield fell apart in my mind, and the apple hit me in the shoulder. Hard. Affronted, I looked up at Greck, who was busy picking up the next handful of items. This was going to suck. 

And suck it did. At first, my spells kept fizzling out, as I tried to avoid Greck's missiles and keeping the buffer active at the same time. Following that, I tried standing stock still, but the sight of a rock aiming straight for my head proved too much for my instincts, and I lost focus when I ducked. When my mana mercifully ran out, I was subjected to a round of inquisitive questions, delivered with way too much glee.

"Why do you believe that you are unable to keep your focus?"

"Do you think it would help if you didn't jump around like a tumbler in the middle of a seizure?"

"What is the point of activating the shield if you do not trust it?"

The words were harsh, and Greck ought to really tone it down a bit - but the meaning was clear: "Stand still and trust in your protection, damnit."

I regained my mana, and we went straight back into it. This time around, I focused on remaining completely still and trusting in the spell, and, miracle among miracles, it worked. This might seem completely logical to - well, anybody - but it's damn hard to deny all the ingrained instincts of your body when a stick the length of your torso comes flying towards you at high speed. I tried to close my eyes exactly once. It helped a lot for a few seconds, but then suddenly I was flying through the air. I hit the ground, gasping in pain, when realization kicked in. The little bastard had hit me with a Sonic Push. 

From across the meadow, Greck shouted: "Do you believe your adversaries will allow you to close your eyes mid-combat?"

Groaning, I got to my feet and recast the Sonic Buffer. Sure he was right, but - couldn't he just have said so? Still, the training helped. Soon, I felt comfortable trusting in the buffer, and had a pretty good idea of where and how the waves were placed. Of course, this is when Greck started really testing me and the spell. He'd throw several items at the same spot, challenging what the spell could handle. And then he started propelling items along faster with a well-timed Sonic Push or throwing them at the weak spots of the spell - my feet and the top of my head. Once he even shot an apple way too high, and I smiled in pleasure - right until he gave the damn thing a Sonic Push from behind, causing it to rocket into my back at full speed hard enough to leave a mark. It did get the point through: The spell had several weak spots, and I'd be forced to move around while maintaining the spell to account for those. Made sense. 

We rested in between sessions, and Greck's questions became less pointed and more specific. I slowly began to enjoy myself again, relishing in the chance to explore the intricacies of the spell, the limitations and possibilities. And the change from physical tests to mental tests allowed me to both wrap my head around the concept and get my body used to it.

"Where are the weak spots?" Head, feet, back and possibly between the shoulder and neck.

"What is your best recourse when the opponent is a heavy hitter?" Move just far enough away that the Buffer can repel the rest of the force.

"What if your adversary attacks with several light attacks, but lightning quick?" I'd...have to look into that. Wasn't sure the spell could cope with too much speed.

When I forced myself to my feet next time, I felt good though. Confident that I was slowly getting the hang of this. The skill had even increased to 2 from the practice, and I had a smile on my face when I summoned the Sonic Buffer one more time. 

Of course, Greck managed to destroy that with five words: "Time for the real test."

What? What more could he come up with? I had this spell pretty much figured out now, and I just needed practice and...oh. My face fell as I realized what I'd managed to forget. I would somehow have to manage to do all the things I'd learned up until now - and at the same time manage to cast other spells!

Greck just grinned. I'm certain my face underwent a series of interesting changes right then. 

He said: " I recommend you start with something simple." and tossed the first stick, which was promptly guided aside by my buffer.

"All right - simple." I said to myself, preparing myself mentally to cast a Sonic Missile. The first attempt went completely awry as all spells failed at the same time and I was rewarded with a nice clout to my head. And the same was the result for - every - single - attempt thereafter. I just couldn't keep my mental focus up and concentrate on casting a spell at the same time. It required a degree of mental scizophrenia I couldn't quite wrap my mind around. When I threw myself to the ground for the next "break", my body felt like one large layer of painful spots, and I'd even gained a nice 6-hour debuff "Bruised" that reduced my agility.

At this point, I'd finally deduced one thing about Greck's teaching methods. They worked. Even though it felt like he was mocking my incompentence, his questions allowed me to focus my own questions and mental investigations and home in on what was pertinent. Good thing too, or else I'd have exploded as he kept digging at me.

"Why are you unable to add this last layer to your casting?" Because - hell if I knew.

"What could help you maintain control?" See the above.

"What are the exact actions that you need to perform, in addition to what you can already handle?" Oh. That gave me an idea.

The next session felt less like a beating and more like training again. I still took the occasional hit, but I had this. I remembered the old quote: "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." And that's exactly what I did. First I added playing the violin while maintaining the Sonic Buffer. The same melody for the Sonic Missile spell, over and over again. When that was done, I added the image of casting the Sonic Missile, in time with the rest. Finally, I forced the spell into being. It wasn't easy, and took a good deal of false starts while the "Bruised" debuff was upgraded to "Heavily bruised". But eventually, a Sonic Missile shot out into the clearing, while the Sonic Buffer still floated around me. I sat down heavily on the grass, panting, and just reveled in the sensation. That had been a lot harder than I had imagined. I closed my eyes, exhilarating in the feeling of the breeze cooling the sweat on my brow.

When I opened my eyes, Greck stood over me with a bemused look on his face. "Here, you earned this," he said, and handed me a half-full wine glass. 

I know nothing about wine. I've always preferred beer or soda. The taste of this particular glass, however, was heavenly, plain and simple. I held up the glass to Greck in a toast, and he drained the rest of the bottle in response.

We shared a brief moment of companionable silence, and I reveled in the appearance of a new pop-up:

Congratulations. You have gained a new skill. Multicast

You have learned how to maintain a passive spell while casting other spells. Multicasting is a drain on your concentration, however, and mana cost of your active skills is doubled while multicasting. Each skill point to Multicast slightly reduces the pressure on concentration.

Skill type: Passive.

Stat: Endurance

Wow, so using my new spell constantly wasn’t without its cost - even discarding how damn difficult it was. Until now, I had experienced no mana shortage due to the Wellspring effect on my violin, but this would essentially throw any thoughts of protracted battles without any mana potions straight out the window. Ah, well - it didn’t matter - any which way I looked at it, todays gains had been phenomenal. My Concentration skill had gained a level as well - heh, no wonder.

Soon, we were walking back towards the path. Greck was quizzing me as we went, obviously preparing me for the fact that I’d need a lot of practice in order to be able to use the multicast ability effortlessly. Train as often as possible, with as many different spells as possible - if possible, under some kind of pressure. That seemed to be the order of the day. 

This time, when I thanked him for his help, I was surprised to discover that there was no irony in my voice. So he wasn’t the perfect teacher, but he still cared - and he got results. It’s hard to argue with results.