7.1 - Expansion (Patreon)

7.1 - Expansion

 Emma

“Honestly, tomes like this were my specialty. I can sort out its secrets and will share them freely.”

“Thank you for the offer.” Emma heard Durge say in a slow sort of drawl somewhere behind her, the delicate rustling of a page following the words.  “But it’s a very… entertaining read. I’m happy to take my time.”

“You’re just enjoying keeping it away from me aren’t you?” Gale accused.

Emma could practically hear the taunting, smug smile in Durge’s voice “Oh immensely.”

She didn’t have to look to know they were discussing the screaming faced book. Durge had his nose buried in the thing whenever there was a moment to spare and Gale had been trying to get his hands on it ever since he saw it. 

Honestly, as… petty as this was, she preferred this to them cracking skulls open to pull the tadpoles out.

That had been stomach turning. 

Ahead of her, or, more specifically down below the ridge she was standing on, near the heart of the grove where the Druids were casting whatever spell Halsin had demanded they cast, she watched Taylor.

Taylor who was practicing with a pair of teleporting spiders and her ‘boots of web walking’ Taylor who was practicing her… fighting -and it was still so odd to see Taylor fighting- with Karlach. Who was listening to Halsin when the druid postulated ideas on how to use her swarm. 

Taylor who still didn’t fit, still didn’t click. 

Taylor who hadn’t said one word to her all this time.

She’d brought up Anne back at the Goblin camp. That memory had always gotten a laugh out of Taylor whenever it was brought up.

But she hadn’t reacted, only glared and shuffled away.Even when she voted to come back here, a choice Emma knew Taylor would agree with because she knew Taylor, throwing what little weight she had behind Taylor’s choice - nothing.

Emma knew Taylor, she’d always known Taylor. She knew what buttons to press, what levers to pull. She understood Taylor like she understood herself.

But more and more, even back at Winslow, it was getting harder and harder to elicit… anything. Taylor was becoming a machine where the buttons were not working anymore  The machine could still move, could still act, it was working but it wasn’t responding to anything asked of it.

Even in the privacy of her own mind she couldn’t tell you why she was doing this. Why she was trying to get Taylor to engage. The answer felt like it changed by the hour. 

Lower her guard. You’ve done it before. Be ready to put her back in her place when the time comes. Be ready to go further. Undercut her. Eliminate her.

And then the answer would snap back, like a rubber band pulled too far, resetting itself into something completely different.

‘Reconnect. She’s… strong. Useful. More than you. More than Sophia. You need her’

She knew this wasn’t… ok… that this wasn’t normal. This… fractured incongruity of thought and intent. And that’s why she needed to find her answers.

But whatever she felt, whatever she wanted, none of it would ever come to pass if Taylor never engaged at all. 

Gale came up behind her, tapping her on the shoulder. “Come along Miss Barnes, we have too little time to waste.” He urged. 

Her body obeyed the command, turning and following after him, even as her eyes lingered on Taylor for a moment longer, right up until the brunette was out of sight and Emma could refocus. 

“Are we getting Madison?” She ventured to ask, Gale shook his head. 

“No, she’s met up with that Alfira girl once again. Just as well, a bard should learn from a bard, as is proper. I’m sure the girl will learn more there than she would from me.

They reached Gale’s tent, and the Wizard ducked inside. “Give me just a moment Miss Barnes. 

“Okay.” She called after him, and dared to glance around towards the rest of the Hollow, where the Tieflings had set up their ‘camp’.

Sophia was with Wyll and Lae’zel at the training grounds, likely the three of them were keeping their skills sharp. Zevlore, the tiefling leader was talking with some of the druid… warriors, Emma supposed, if she were any guess setting up watch shifts and plans for the upcoming fight, A storage area near the rear of the Hollow was being cleared out and set up as an emergency medical wing for any wounded by Shadowheart and some of the other tieflings. 

She supposed it made sense, yes Nettie’s Cavern could work just as well but it was much much farther away. When treating injured, the sooner the better. She knew that from… well… Sophia’s victims. 

‘Come on.’

Gale’s soft utterance just barely caressed the shell of her ear.

His voice was frustrated, with a tinge of desperation coating his voice. It made her curious, surreptitiously stepping back and angling herself to subtly take a look through the flap of the man’s tent. 

He was leaning over a box, a box full of what looked like just… junk. But she saw his hands grasping at one of the items, his lips moving. His eyes were closed. She saw the item glow blue before its magical essence flowed into him, like he was sucking out its soul.

“Three…” She heard him mutter. “Three this time…” He looked… frightened. 

She looked away.

After a second, Gale emerged from his tent, and the smile on his face was the smile of a man pretending all was right in the world. “Now then-” He chirped. “Let’s get started.”

And a part of Emma was ready to let him keep his facade, ready to let him lie. Because he was about to offer more of his magic, more knowledge, more of the thing that would make her stronger that would make her useful and she needed that.

And then the rubber band snapped back and she forced herself to speak before her mind flipped the switch again. 

“Is everything ok?”

Gale’s smile twitched, a barely there flicker. 

“Of course.” He promised. “Just… assessing some things. Anyway, lets talk about the fundamental specializations, or schools of Magic shall we? You’ll need to pick one to work towards.”

“I… barely know cantrips.” She answered, raising her hand to show the flames of the firebolt dancing along her fingertips.

“The earlier the better.” He promised. “Take advantage of my wisdom while I can still impart it. You never know what might happen in this adventure of ours.”

The red flags were waving, even to her, but this time the rubber band didn’t snap back. So she just nodded.

“Ok.”

Gale offered another smile. “Come.” He demanded, turning and sauntering off 

As they walked, heading towards a small overlook to the east, just above the cavern where Zevlor, the tiefling leader made his ‘room’ he spoke, a finger in the air as though he were lecturing a gaggle of students following behind him. 

“There are, traditionally, thirteen schools of Magic practiced and taught by the Wizards of Blackstaff academy, the leading authorities on the practice of magic no matter what you hear from Eltorchul.”

Emma had to school her features into placid neutrality, even though Gale’s back was turned.

Because really? College Football rivalries were a thing here too?

“These school are, in alphabetical order, Abjuration, Bladesinging, Chronurgy, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Graviturgy, Illusion, Necromancy, the Order of Scribes, Transmutation, and War Magic.” He said as they reached the spot he sought. They passed by a purple skinned Tiefling woman, who sat on a watch tower with a lazy air, feet kicked up on one of the railings. She waved. Emma waved back. If she remembered right Emma thought her name was… Lakrissa?

But then, she had to pause, something Gale said clicking in her mind before she did a double take. . “Wait, scribes? How is being someone’s secretary a magic school?”

Gale offered her a very dry look. “A Wizard’s power is knowledge. And a Wizard’s mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone.” Gale explained patiently, as though he were used to the question. “The order of scribes is not the most glamorous, but they record all the magical discoveries made by wizards everywhere so that all may flourish. Do not underestimate their capacity or skill. When it comes to arcane knowledge few can match them. And they are experts beyond compare when it comes to handling dangerous artefacts.”

She would… take his word for it but-

“All the same.” She offered a smile. “I think our adventure might need something a bit more… applicable in combat.”

Gale gave her a smirk as if he could read exactly what she was thinking, which… yeah he probably could. She wasn’t as good at schooling her expression as Taylor was. 

“I cannot dismiss that assessment.” He finally said. “My own school, is the school of Abjuration. It emphasizes… defensive magic if you will. Things that banish, protect or block attacks, be they, physical, magical, or otherwise esoteric. Shields to deflect arrows, wards that absorb fire, or lightning, spells that deny damage on either myself or our companions, that sort of thing.

That was more applicable but- 

“Isn’t it a bad idea to double up though?” She asked. “If we both specialize in the same thing but then find that the specialization isn’t applicable then we’re both kinda up a creek without a paddle.”

Gale looked put out at that. Probably because he couldn’t fault the logic either and really wanted someone to take an interest in his particular branch of magic. 

“I assure you, there are precious few things beyond the divines themselves that can get through a fully realized Abjuration wizard’s defensive spellcasting.” He promised before sighing. “But I suppose. Let us continue. 

Much to her frustration, the next option ‘Bladesinging’ went right out. Because to put it simply, Gale had zero capacity to teach her the ‘non magic part’ of bladesinging. Wyll might be able to help her with the swordplay, but Gale emphasized that it would be crude. That the physicality of the body in motion was just as much a part of a bladesinger’s magic as the magic weaving itself, and that Wyll while competent with a blade was not someone that evoked the image of a ‘Beautiful experience, a Glorious dance accompanied by singing steel’

That… was irritating.

The following option though, was very interesting.

At least until Gale guessed her thoughts and corrected them. 

“And, no. The Chronurgy tradition would not allow you to rewind time to your whim.” He said drily. “Even before Mystra created the Weave such magics were generally impossible and any who tried were erased by paradox or otherwise removed from existence due to their own manipulations. You can alter the pace of reality, bend it at best, but you cannot break it.”

It was still powerful though. Probability manipulation in its truest form. Back home that alone would qualify her as a shaker or thinker eight or nine, even without the other benefits of magic. 

Being able to make the dice roll the way you wanted it to, being able to step slightly to the right when the attack came from the left. It was strong and definitely one to look at. 

They went over others of course. Transmutation, Evocation, Conjuration. All were powerful, all were useful.

And then, Gale spoke.

And this one… this is the one that clicked. The one that fit. The one that would make things fit.

“A diviner Wizard is a Wizard that studies the skeins of the past, the present and the future. They can part the veils of space, time and consciousness to see the world and those around them clearly. The greatest of them can have all pasts, all futures revealed to them. There is very little that the true masters of the craft do not know or see.”

The rubberband pulled taut, but it never snapped back, never reset. Because this one this one she needed. 

Because she needed to know. She needed the answers to her questions. 

What is strength?

This… this is how she could see. This is how she could know.

What was it all for?

She didn’t let it slip from her grasp. Didn’t let Gale continue or offer alternatives.

She spoke with a voice that for the first time since she woke up in this strange and crazy world was free of all doubt, free of all hesitation.

“Divination.” She answered, and resolved that if Gale couldn’t teach her, or wouldn’t she would find a way, any way to learn. “Divination is the school I want.”

The Wizard paused mid speech, blinking. “You’re certain? There are still a few-”

“I’m sure.” She affirmed.

She didn’t smile. She didn’t even blink. She stared at Gale dead in the face and demanded this with all of her being. 

Gale blinked again, looking at her before he offered a halting nod. “You seem serious about this… very well-” He cleared his throat, and witha scrunched furrow of his brow, he reached his hand out, smiling as his hand vanished into a magic circle, and if she were reading his expression right it was a look of triumph as though he were proud of the fact that it worked, before he pulled free a book ”Master Vaunch’s treaties on the fundamentals of divination.” He said and waggled the book. “Let’s see how well you take to it.”

That’s when Emma smiled. That’s when the relief flooded through her chest and insides like a whitewash of cold water.

The skies overhead rumbled., thunder beginning to form.

Gale glanced upwards. “Looks like the Druid’s ritual is beginning to show its results.”

“Ritual?” She asked as the first droplets began to fall.

“Oh yes.” Gale nodded. “From what I understand I can say that I’m glad we’re in here and not the Goblins out there.”

And so I can finally reveal Emma's future subclass.The Divination Wizard.For those of you who play DnD or have played with a divination wizard you probably either just started cackling or you just shat a collective brick, either response is valid :D

Next chapter will probably be Sophia or Madison, haven't decided which one, but as you can probably guess, from Emma's POV here, we'll be using this downtime at the Grove to progress character beats and in-game questlines more than actual battles. Hence the name of the arc, this is where the girls and the group as a whole start to really expand both their capabilities and their collective "horizons" and understanding of eachother.I'm having a lot of fun with this and I hope you all are too :)