AA3 6 - Responsibility (Patreon)

Verdan made sure to exit the tower with plenty of time before Tim and the others returned. If Dirk saw him using the door, he might understand how to activate it himself, and that was too much of a risk.

The Aether powering everything seemed stable enough for the moment, but there were no guarantees, especially when they didn’t understand what was powering it all.

Until he understood more, Verdan would feel better if the access to the tower was restricted.

Turning his mind from the tower, Verdan took the time to discuss his limited knowledge of plant spirits with Feli and do what he could to help her. By this point, she knew more than him. He just had more context about what they could do.

-**-

“Good news, Boss,” Tim called out as he led his small group back into camp. Verdan was pleased to see that Dirk was riding on his own horse just behind Tim, looking nervous but determined. “Commander Silver is sending a subjugation team down first thing in the morning. They’re going to come ready for a full nest, so the whole thing should be sorted by the end of tomorrow.”

“That’s good to hear,” Verdan called back, nodding to himself as he considered what texts to prioritise. “Did you manage to get enough supplies?”

“Sure did. We’ll get this place set up properly,” Tim said as he dismounted and patted a pair of bulging saddlebags on his horse.

Pawel and Pania’s horses were likewise heavily weighed down, and the three of them began to unload everything and distribute it to the others.

“Tim said you wanted me to come and join you here?” Dirk asked questioningly as he came over to join Verdan at the fire.

“That’s right, but we’ll discuss that in a minute. How did your training go today?”

“It went okay,” Dirk said with a shrug and a sigh. “I know you’ve said I’m making good progress, but I feel stuck. I can’t seem to give the same weight to the Word that you can.”

“I see. In that case, I’m glad that I asked Tim to bring you out here,” Verdan said, absently remembering when his master had him do something similar. There was something about the stress of combat that helped crystallise the intent of a Wizard when using new words.

It was a similar effect as the one Verdan had experienced in his fight with Garveth, but it was far easier to achieve with younger Wizards.

“So, what are we doing, trying a new Word?” Dirk asked hopefully before looking crestfallen as Verdan shook his head.

“No, we’re doing something entirely different. You’ll be heading out with the subjugation team to fight the shadeweavers. I don’t expect you to provide much support, but I do want you to take part.”

“You want me to fight monsters?” Dirk’s eyes were wide as he looked up at Verdan with a shocked expression.

“I do,” Verdan said firmly before turning to Tom. “Would you be able to go along with Dirk and make sure he stays safe?”

“No problem, Boss,” Tom said before giving Dirk a solemn nod. “I won’t let them touch you.”

Tom’s serious expression was somewhat undermined by how he was munching on some jerky that Tim had brought him, but the thought counted.

“See, Tom will keep you safe. You just need to focus on using your magic and doing what you can. Do you remember what I explained on your first day?”

“That you would teach me, but only if I swore to uphold the same ideals as you,” Dirk said, looking a little calmer now that Tom had said he’d look after him.

“Exactly, and what was the one I said that came before all others?”

“It is the duty and responsibility of those with magic to act as a shield to those without,” Dirk parroted Verdan’s words back at him.

“Exactly. That’s something I believe in, and I hope you will, too.”

Dirk nodded thoughtfully, but Verdan could tell that his young apprentice didn’t really understand. It was one thing to intellectually know about the threats out here, and it was something else entirely to experience them firsthand.

Leaving it alone for the moment, Verdan instead began to work on a few mental exercises to help sharpen Dirk’s intent, which would help with his spellcasting.

While the two of them worked, the others set up the camp and organised a more robust watch to make sure that no shadeweavers snuck up on them during the night.

Verdan made sure to cast a detection ward before he turned in for the evening as well, just in case.

-**-

They had time for a few more last-minute exercises to help calm Dirk’s mind before the detachment of guards arrived the next day.

Silver had clearly decided to make the most of this opportunity to practice larger deployments. Verdan had been expecting ten or so guards at most, but the detachment that arrived held two dozen guards led by Lieutenant Jenkins.

More importantly, four of the city’s Sorcerers were present with the group, all of them recent recruits.

Kai had training programs in place for those who joined the guard as a Sorcerer, but real experience couldn’t be beaten.

That would make five Sorcerers on this particular expedition, along with twenty normal guards and an apprentice Wizard. More than enough for a nest of monstrous spiders.

To top it off, Blane would be going along with them to make sure they found the nest without too much difficulty.

Despite all that, it was difficult for Verdan to watch the group organise themselves and set off. 

Part of Verdan wanted to go with them to make sure that they all made it through safely, but that was a mistake in the long run.

Verdan waited until the last of the group had disappeared from view before turning and entering the tower.

-**-

Verdan spent the next five hours copying as much of what he’d found that was relevant over to the pages he was taking with him.

Technical descriptions, words that he didn’t know the definition for yet, even what seemed to be a list of relevant sigils for one of the prosthetics.

It was all incredibly useful, and Verdan wanted all of it.

A knock at the door to the tower made Verdan sigh before quickly gathering up his notes and placing them into a bag he’d found.

Heading back out at a quick pace, Verdan stashed the bag safely before turning his attention to the returning group of guards.

A few of them looked worse for wear, with some minor injuries here and there, but for the most part, they had come out of it well.

Tom and Dirk were walking at the rear of the group, and Verdan noted both the ichor that stained Tom’s mace and the thoughtful expression on Dirk’s face.

“So, how did it go?” Verdan asked as the two came over to him.

“Nest is destroyed. Got a little up close and personal, but we managed,” Tom said with a slight gesture to the dried ichor on his mace. “Dirk got a good hit in with that wind blade you use as well.”

“Thanks, Tom, I appreciate you looking after him,” Verdan gave the Sorcerer a thankful nod before nodding over to his brother. “Could you let Tim know that we’re packing up to head back?”

“Sure thing, Boss.”

Verdan waited for Tom to be out of earshot before putting a hand on Dirk’s shoulder and guiding him off to one side. “Want to talk about it?”

“My father and grandfather used to hunt monsters,” Dirk said, his accent thicker than it had been in months. “They kept our people safe, but they didn’t speak of what they saw. My mother has never said how they died, but now I understand more.” Dirk shook his head, his words failing him.

Verdan waited silently for Dirk to find the words he needed. This was his moment to work through.

“One of the guards got grabbed by a spider,” Dirk said eventually with a distant look in his eyes. “It wrapped him up in webs and dragged him into the trees before anyone could do anything. With the webbing around him, he was helpless. The fire Sorcerer with the guards was the only one able to free him.”

Verdan hadn’t known about Dirk’s father, and seeing him now, he worried that he’d push Dirk out there too soon.

Silence stretched between them for a few moments before Dirk let out a heavy breath and looked up at Verdan. “Is there anything we can do to help them fight back?”

“I’m doing what I can to equip them, but it will always be dangerous for those who fight back, whether they have magic or not. Today was a comparatively minor threat, as these things go.”

“Would the spiders have attacked people if they were left alone?” Dirk asked abruptly.

“Shadeweavers are an aggressive species, especially within what they consider to be their territory,” Verdan said, remembering the ambush that he’d walked into on his way to Gwen’s cabin. “They would have been a danger to everything living or travelling through the area.”

“They’re not the worst out there, are they?”

“No, they’re not,” Verdan said, thinking back to the Cyth Bayne with its staff of bones or the cages that he’d found Elliot and Sylvie in. “But that’s why we train to get stronger, to fight those things. Tom said you managed a spell that hurt one of the shadeweavers. Can you do it again?”

Dirk’s brow furrowed as he lifted a hand before making a cutting motion through the air. “Aer.”

Verdan’s wind attacks were crescents of compacted air that were designed to be both efficient and effective. The spell that Dirk cast was instead a harsh slash of air that powered out from his hand, slicing into the dirt ahead of them.

The spell was surprisingly powerful for an apprentice, though from the pale look on Dirk’s face, it was quite costly. “You said you were struggling to give the Word weight earlier. Have you found a way around that?”

“My mum was terrified when the Vespa came,” Dirk said softly, looking up at Verdan as a shadow of anger flitted across his face. “One of the spiders tried to bite Tom, and when I cast the spell, my mind went back to how I felt seeing her so scared.”

Verdan gave Dirk a few moments to compose himself before reaching out to give his shoulder a squeeze. “You did well to protect Tom like that. Casting by emotion rather than a structured intent is tiring but can give rise to powerful spells. Keep working on your exercises, and you’ll be able to manage the same without the emotions.”

Dirk nodded, but Verdan could see how drained his apprentice was and quickly dismissed him to get some rest before the trip back to Hobson’s Point.

It was progress for Dirk, though it did give Verdan a few concerns.