Chapter 53: Clouds on the Horizon (1/2)
Ten minutes later.
Viv took a sip of klod. The stench of corpses was gone from her nose but the memory remained, and only chasing it with something pleasant made her taste buds forget for a while. It was like treating PTSD with cheap whisky, only less self-destructive.
She checked her status.
Focus +1
Acuity +1
Black Witch 2/5
Her focus had reached 35, making it a pretty high score according to what Varska had told her. It was the value that a mid-level professional would have, and it also made her a very dangerous foe. Focus allowed for more powerful spells to be cast while acuity dealt with speed and efficiency. Willpower was closer to mental stamina. All of them were vital for a mage, just like working on one’s conduits was important as well. She was still ‘early on the path’ as the others had said, but she was already powerful enough to fend off dangerous monsters.
Even the Temple Guards had praised her before congratulating one of their own.
“To Torm, who reached the fourth step on his path! To our new wall pillar!”
The flustered guard had long braids that reached his shoulders but also a receding hairline, beard and moustache. He had a sort of old biker vibe that Viv found endearing as he blushed under the collective praise. He was now close to Koro’s equal in terms of power.
There really was a massive difference between steps of the paths, Viv thought, as Torm demonstrated how people next to him would be harder to move and push. On earth, technology was a massive power multiplier but here it was exceptional individuals who made a difference. She wondered how many battles had been won by smaller numbers simply because quality was overwhelmingly in their favor.
Then Arthur jumped on her and preened her, squealing all the while.
“Yes, yes, I know I did a good job.”
“Squee!”
“The, ahem, drake is right Viv. That was an impressive display of power. I really want to hire you now,” Marruk said with obvious relief.
Danger sense: apprentice 3
Mana manipulation: Intermediate 3
More than her mind, it was her skills that were lagging behind so this progress was good news. There was really no replacement for hands-on experience, it seemed. Especially the close-brush-with-death kind.
Meanwhile, the Yries were rejoicing as well, if the strange hoots were any indication. They were hugging and falling on the ground with obvious relief.
“What now?” she asked Farren as he had come to congratulate her.
“Now that you have freed them and that we have demonstrated how dangerous you are, and now that it has become clear that they are desperately in need of food, we negotiate from a position of strength.”
“You’re the diplomat, diplomat. Also, does Neriad condone such cutthroat practices?”
“The sword of justice’s iron needs to come from somewhere, you know? We are not starving them.”
Farren went to pat Viv on the shoulder but he reconsidered when Arthur hissed. Apparently, her tolerance for mankind only went so far. Viv was left to stand awkwardly in the aftermath of the battle until the Yries invited them to a celebratory meal. It was the shittiest party food Viv had ever had, and Farren's suspicion that the poor folks were starving was confirmed beyond the shadow of a doubt.
Viv was left to sleep for the evening and left in the morning with the rest of the guard, their business done.
“They will provide ore against regular shipments of food which I can provide without much issue. Kazar produces a large surplus. Normally, most of the food is sold to passing garrisons and the rest stored, but this will help us get started. I also mentioned abandoned foundries at the entrance and Gar Gar will send a team to see if anything can be salvaged.”
“So we can expect new armors soon?” Viv asked, thinking about Marruk.
“Well, no. We don’t have qualified smiths in Kazar to begin with. They will have to be invited. We also have no guarantee that ingots will even start flowing this year. The Yries are good, but not that good. And their base is too far from the entrance to be safe. There is much to consider… Ah, I am sacrificing the present for the future. I set out to find a mine and now I worry about unexpected facilities being irreparable. Neriad save me from myself.”
“Yeah, everything worked out. Let’s just take the win for now.”
“Take the win, huh? I can do that.”
The expedition headed back without incident. The base camp was packed up in record time with the helpers pleased that they would be home sooner than expected. Their pleasure increased when Farren gave them his share of the treasure they had found. Viv thought that it was quite smart, but she also realized why he had done so.
There was nothing to spend your money on in Kazar.
Besides the Spotted Feather and its enthusiastic crew, no luxury existed in the border town because there was no demand for it. People were broke. Even the store that sold supplies for passing soldiers didn’t keep anything more elaborate than crude leather armors in their inventories. Armors were not one-size-fits-all after all.
The expedition passed triumphantly through mountain tribe land. Chief Marredyn smelled the profit to come and organized a feast that didn’t suck, and during which Viv got pleasantly tipsy again. They left quickly and were back in Kazar within three weeks of leaving. Viv invited Varska to join her for dinner at the Feather, with Marruk now comfortably ordering massages and a bath by herself. The pair amused themselves cleaning and brushing Arthur and left to their own quarters later in the night.
“You come back a victorious warrior, which pleases me greatly. But then, instead of wooing me properly with an exotic gift, you invite me to a brothel. I have mixed feelings about this,” the haughty mage said while reclining on a chair.
“I merely wanted to mark the occasion with the finest food in Kazar, darling,” Viv replied with the casual grace of the consummate bullshitter.
Varska tapped a knuckle with her favorite fan and nodded.
“I give you a passing grade on excuse-making, but that will not suffice.”
“I have a red ribbon I obtained in the mountain hold. Here,” Viv said, offering a piece of dyed fabric.
“Ah, a rare treasure. The tribes do not sell those. How did you get it?”
“I removed black mana from a pair of wounded children. Now am I suitably heroic?”
“I believe that I have yet to be ravished.”
“I thought you would never ask.”
Kazar once again returned to normal over the following month. Spring gave way to early summer as Viv worked relentlessly to improve her abilities. Her periods of training alternated with small expeditions either in the forest or the deadlands to subdue the occasional threat. She also wanted to get started on regrowing limbs, unfortunately she met with a problem. The inquisitors were busy doing their thing and could not come. She could understand that saving real lives was more important than her highly theoretical project and took no offense.
Her reputation improved with the locals and Varska’s own image got better by extension. Soon, it was time for several of the forts to have their garrisons replaced. Her progress spoke for itself.
Current status:
Mana distribution:
Current attunement: 21.3%
Her channels had not progressed noticeably. Like skills, they took time to develop. She had also considerably slowed down the speed of her attunement which was not actually a bad thing since it meant that she would die more slowly. She still had around two years, though Varska suggested that it could be extended if she went to Helock and received help.
Physical
Mental
Power
16
Focus
35
Finesse
19
Acuity
34
Endurance
22
Willpower
34
Both power and willpower had progressed, a result of long sessions of casting followed by forms. She had suggested training finesse, but Varska had dismissed it.
“You can train it on your own free time if you wish, but be aware that reaching a milestone requires constant effort and dedication. You are still human, even if sorcery comes to you easily. You can only concentrate on so many things before fatigue becomes a factor.”
Class skills
Meditative Trance
Expert 1