M.D.Syl
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Chapter 94 colorless
🕑 Added 2023-07-04 12:59:57 +0000 UTCChapter 94 Let’s Fly.
The truth is a powerful thing.
It can change fates and bring death.
It can bring justice and save lives.
Only when a person own up to their truth.
Can they call themselves just.
Noxi, Guardian of Light.
The pull on my hand only gets stronger and another rubbery limb wraps around my elbow, tugging me further into the helmet. My hand sinks all the way to my right elbow. My mana get sucked in and in a matter of five seconds I'm devoid of mana.
Kolag's hand push me off violently. I scream. With the demon's tugging me toward the helmet and Kolag pushing me away from him, it feels as if my arm would come out of its socket. My vision blurs and turns red. I push Kolag's armor, trying to free my hand.
The odd demon shrieks as if something scared him and lets my hand go.
I find myself on the floor, heaving and panting. I wipe the tears off my face and find blood instead. The demon drained all of my mana to the point of mana dehydration, and the expected headache comes like pounding hammers.
Kolag bolts toward my door, holding his helmet. "I'm sorry!" he calls out with an echo.
No! He's not at fault here!
I get up and run after him. I manage to catch him as he opens the door to leave my chambers and hug him tightly from behind. "You're not going!"
"But..."
I pull him back as hard as I can, my sore arm screaming in protest. "No but! You're not going."
"The demon might come out again." Despite his word, he doesn't struggle against my hold. He could easily remove my hands and leave. He wants to stay, but he hates himself for it...
"And you'll stop it if it does. Don't worry, I won't ever repeat that mistake," I promise.
"What if I can't stop it? What if it kills you next time? I know how close it was to draining all of your mana, you'd be dead if it finished, it'd drain away your soul and..."
"But it didn't happen because you stopped it. You won't blame yourself for this. I was the stupid one here. I'm the one to blame. Now sit! We'll talk about it. We might die in a few days anyway... I want to be with you for as long as I can, even if I can't touch you."
Hugging him so close from behind, I can feel him trembling "I can't. It might..."
"Please? For me?"
He stands there silently for a long moment before he relents. "Alright."
I take a deep breath before getting on his lap again. My right hand still throbbing in pain. I'll be damned if I let that demon ruin what we have! It won't have its way! It won't win! I'll see that demon banished or destroyed one day, I swear! "Maybe I can't touch you, but you can touch me. I know you want to. Maybe now it's the wrong time for it, but we may not have any other time if one of us dies... we've both seen death enough times to know it doesn't wait for anyone. So if you want to..."
"Inara..." he says with a quivering echo.
"Yes?"
"I... the demon... the demon wants to drain you of your soul... of your mana. It wants your soul as we speak. My lust for you and the demon's lust for your mana and soul is something I can't always distinguish... As much as I want to touch you, I believe it is prudent to wait until we get rid of this monster first. Once we do, I promise you that I won't ever stop touching you!"
Good! He has hope. That's all that matters! He isn't going to kill himself on some self sacrificial instinct. "I'll keep you on to that promise then..."
*
{28} Noxi (April) the 20th
The next day Kolag leaves on a ship heading south while I head north on a horseback, along with my small entourage.
My party includes Zoe who comes as my personal maid. Jolla Silverquill the gnome knows the way to the orc tribe. Ryon whom I take as my personal bodyguard, mainly so he won’t cause any trouble for Salik. Along with ten soldiers that both Salik and Jolla insisted on. The only one I’m missing is Loyal, but Jerro took him when he went chasing after Berthold and Sharla.
For the sake of speed, I don’t want to use a carriage, and I carry Jolla with me on the same horse. The dignified gnome is against the idea at first, but gives in later since there isn't any other practical choice.
I take plenty of spell materials with me. I want to learn new spells on the way, mainly the ‘Lesser Flight’ spell. Since Janara and Oshi can easily counter my weightless spell, I need a better way to maintain myself in the air.
Imari’s Lesser Flight
Names: Imari’s Lesser Flight, Lesser Flight, Fly.
Element: gravity
Sub element: motion
Level: 1
Words: Myrsha, nia tsaf lah, lah shitol ni latsa lah, fel ka’am J’an nia kent
Translation: Gravity, I command you, you will give me to defy you, and move as I want
Quicken: Myrsha, nia latsa lah. (gravity, I defy you)
Patterns: 11
Gestures: Offer the petals with both hands, once they disappear.> attach right index finger to left ring finger and left index finger to right ring finger. > attach both thumbs between the four attached fingers.> Touch caster’s chest with both thumbs.
Offering: 5 rose petals
Requirement: Weight above 10 kg and below 200 kg.
Range: self
Target: self
Duration: 1 minute.
Effect: Allows the caster to fly at the average speed of 50 KP/H, the speed may be influenced by caster’s weight, aerodynamics, and gravity affinity. Speed recorded with the spell (without alteration patterns) is: Highest: 77 KP/H Lowest: 39 KP/H. The spell is considered ‘lesser’ because A. the speed. B. It does not protect the caster from air resistance and currents, nor from the shockwaves of abrupt stops.
Cost: 50 gravity gems.
Bound cost: 35 gravity gems.
Altered cost: 5 gems per alteration patterns.
Unlike my ‘Weightless Body’ and ‘Breeze’ combination, ‘Lesser Flight’ doesn’t eliminate the caster’s weight. Instead, it moves the caster via swift telekinesis. In fact, if I had tried to combine ‘Weightless Body’ and ‘Lesser Flight’, the latter would lose all its effect since telekinesis cannot move objects without weight to them.
‘Lesser Flight’ is more costly in terms of gravity mana, but now I have a magical necklace that gives me extra general mana, along with plenty of gems to use. Yes, it’d burn money. But I can no longer afford to think about my magical gems as money. Instead, they become potential mana to burn.
The speed of ‘Lesser Flight’ is nothing to sneeze at either. This is enough to let me dodge spells or projectiles at ease. I’ll be flying around, casting ‘Firebolts’ from the air, not to mention ‘Copper Bolts’. I made sure to restock on actual bronze arrowheads before leaving.
The only drawback is mana. With the initial cost of fifty gems, I can only make three attempts at casting this spell each time. Thanks to connecting my crown pool, I can now regenerate a gem of mana per minute. That gives me an ability to try each hour. Although, I sometimes forget to try during the journey, and riding a horse in a hurry isn't the most accommodating for spellcasting. That being said, at night before going to bed I can make three attempts and let my necklace recharge during the night.
It’s been three days, I wasted quite a bit of rose petals, and my mana keeps getting drained. Elementals show up, and help me fly, but not a single elemental agrees to let me bind it. I order them, beg them, threaten them, tempt them with extra flowers, but it just doesn’t work.
*
{23} Noxi (April) the 23rd
“Myrsha, nia tsaf lah, lah shitol ni latsa lah, fel ka’am J’an nia kent” <Gravity, I command you, you will give me to defy you, and move as I want> I chant in what feels like the millionth time. I holde roses and move my hands the right gestures for the spell once the petals are gone.
Purple smoke engulfs my hands and chest, and an elemental shows himself from the small fog. This elemental is different from any other gravity elemental I’ve seen so far.
For starters, he’s bigger. Every elemental I’ve met before was a little humanoid at the size of a finger or smaller. This elemental is at the size of my wrist, or even a little baby. Except, unlike a baby, he’s graceful and looks like a miniature adult with slender limbs. The buzzing dragonfly wings on his back flap faster than the eye can see.
The most notable difference about this elemental is the fact that he wears clothes. His short toga robe is sewn from rose petals. It only covers half of his purple chest and hips, but he looks much more humane than all the other naked, featureless elementals I’ve dealt with before.
“Shitol horban zarpyam le lahai-myrsha-zor, manus!” <Offer sacrifice flowers to your king, mortal!>
He commands in a dignified bass. He even has a small tiara made out of green thorny stem.
“Nia sherill shill lah hafy shurara!” <I wish to you come again!>
I demand in a commanding tone that wouldn’t shame his. By now, I know that these creatures respond to regal commands, and I am pretty good at those.
He stops and observes me. His three purple eyes stare directly into mine. He won’t move and I don’t dare to break eye contact with him. From what I know, the size of an elemental determines their power, and this is the biggest elemental I’ve encountered so far. If he’s willing to let me bind him then it’ll be a big win.
“Shitol horban auzaton lahai, le myrsha-lahi-zor manus! Shitol horban ni dortsal ai myrsh-yatsliar-zor di bach talihakteon, fel nia ti-shivera ai-myrsha-nik.”
<Offer sacrifice mana of yours to king of yours human! Offer sacrifice me a ___ of ruler-beast-male once within a year, and I shall treat you as my queen.>
He wants me to offer him some sort of sacrifice within a year. I am not sure what a “dortsal of a ruler beast male” means, but it doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, I can probably get it if I have a year to do so. I know all too well how impatient these elementals can get. So I can’t go look for the meaning of the word in my dictionary right now… I have to agree.
“Niam ti yas atifem!” <We have a deal!> I declare before he can change his mind.
“Niam ti yas atifem!” <We have a deal!> he says in a deep bass and a stern look on his face. He touches my forehead through my mask, drains the rest of the mana for my spell, and turns into a speck of purplish light, circling around me.
A moment later I soar above the camp, I can direct my movement with a simple distracted thought. It’s like walking or running. Wherever I look and want to go, my body simply floats in that direction. I have a single minute before the spell would start draining more mana and I’ll have to weave extending patterns to keep myself a float. I decide to test the speed of the spell as I fly between the trees.
The strong wind on my face nearly blinds me, I flinch as I try my best not to hit the trees and branches on my way. I panic and stop when I am about to hit a tree. The sharp halt knocks the air out of my lungs, and I slam directly into the canopy of leaves, breaking small branches at the top.
Ramming the tree top does not break my flying spell. I'm still floating a little above the tree. I laugh and take a few twigs out of my hair. This speed! None of the elementals gave me this speed before! How fast was I going?
My hair and my white traveling cloak float around me as I hover down. This is power, real power, I couldn’t care less about ruling a city, or having people look up to me. This is what I’ve always wanted, the ability and power to do whatever I please, not having to fear anyone, true freedom.
As I calm down from my laughter and sigh in content, I hear the screams from the camp behind me.
*~*~*
Interlude 94.1
Kolag
Kolag gets off the boat and follows the guide toward the large palace. Unlike Red Cedar city, it seems like Janara doesn’t care much for her people, she leaves them to their own devices. Which isn’t bad per se, but not good either.
This war is nonsense, Kolag has to prevent it. Janara had lost her mind when Purson died. He can’t blame her, he’d also lose his mind if Inara died.
He can’t help but think about Inara, the way the sun shines through her hair, the deep frown she has on her face when she's absorbed in a book. He can't get enough of that. And Janara took that away! Now Inara wears a mask. Janara has to pay for what she did to the woman he loves… but if that’s true, he has to pay for what he did to Purson. Justice is justice, and the death of Purson is on his hands.
It’s clear Janara lied about killing Inara back on that fateful day. Or, at the very least, it’s clear she had a death wish back then. He let his demon take over back then, he cannot let it happen again, not again. He will do what he can to mend these bridges, Janara is a friend.
And now there’s going to be a war. Janara keeps blaming Inara for Purson, and Kolag needs Inara to be happy and safe at any cost.
The marble palace is looming overhead, it’s about five stories tall. Kolag looks at it with distaste, such an impressive structure should be dedicated to the gods, not men. There no less than twenty guards around the entrance. Kolag hand glides on the handle of his claymore
A trembling guard steps forward at the palace entrance. “Sir, you have to hand over your weapon.”
You’d think that the guard wouldn’t be so scared with twenty of them out here.
Kolag looms over him.
This human is a weakling! The demon within stirs. Take off the helmet! Tear this human to shreds! Revel in his blood! Findhisintestine, they’refilledwithsweetWETjuice!
Kolag grits his teeth and hands his claymore over. He’ll be damned if he ever let this monster do as it pleases. Noxi will keep him safe, Noxi will make sure this demon is gone one day. That he can finally be happy with Inara. Until then, Kolag will just have to bear with it and hold on.
Kolag passes through the green-carpeted corridors. It is time to see Janara, he owes her an explanation for what happened that day. Inara wasn’t at fault, Purson’s blood is on his hands, his and this maddening demon. Kolag can still remember Purson’s face when the demon held him in his abyssal limbs, the horror in his blue eyes, Kolag can never forget that.
Just like how Inara faced him with the truth, he now has to face Janara with the truth. Noxi is the God of Truth. He always knew he can’t keep running from the truth, it’ll catch up, just like how it did now. But Kolag is a coward.
Kolag can hear his own breaths as he stands in front of the golden double doors leading to Janara’s throne room.
The doors open, and a soldier steps forward, announcing his name to Janara. Kolag finds it ridiculous, Janara knows all too well who he is.
The green throne room is decorated with gold silver and gems, statues, urns, weapons, and torn flags. There’s a large green flag with an oat on it. Nobles never chose an oat as their symbol, this has to be Janara’s own idea.
Kolag frowns at the golden jeweled statue of a man resembling Purson, there’s another done in silver, and a third in marble. Janara is grieving, he should not judge her too harshly. Yet, so much gold thrown at such a fruitless endeavor when this money could benefit the masses. This is simply wrong.
Janara sits on an extravagant throne placed multiple stairs above the rest of the room. It's as large as a bed and coated in gold. Kolag can’t help but count the emeralds above her head, he stops at ten.
A silver mask adorns Janara’s face, like Inara, she hides her features. The silver tiara on her head and the silky green dress makes her look majestic, and overbearing. It’s impossible to believe she used to be a commoner once.
Kolag can’t help but wonder how many poor commoners the jewelry in this place could feed. Inara had never insisted on such wasteful behavior despite being a noblewoman, the perks of power were never something she abused. Yet, Janara is a former commoner, she shouldn’t be this wasteful.
Kolag shakes his head. He is not here to judge, he is here to atone.
Two women sit beside Janara. He recognize Oshi the half-dragon, but not the other one.
“Kolag, welcome!” Janara exclaims from her high throne.
“Did Inara send you here to beg?” Oshi asks in a mocking tone.
Janara waves her hand. “Hush! Kolag is a friend!”
Kolag gathers his courage and speak up. “I’m here to tell you the truth about Purson!”
“We already know the truth, I was there, remember?” Oshi says with a large smile on her face.
Kolag fumes with anger. Take off the helmet! Tear this moist little muddy dragon to shreds! Take out her intestines and suck the sweetwetjuice, yes!
Control!
“With all due respect, Lady Oshi, you ran away at the first sign of trouble. You pushed Purson into a spell that was aimed for you, and you did not witness Purson’s final fate, nor his death. The spell had only paralyzed him.”
“It’s really your word against mine, isn’t it?” Oshi says with a smug smile.
Janara frowns. “Go on, Kolag.”
Kolag recounts the entire event. The ambush Inara had planned for the bandits, the bandits’ surrender. The monstrous mage who showed up right after, Inara’s failed attempt at killing the mage. The way Oshi pushed Purson at the paralytic spell aimed at her, how she turned tail and ran.
The way Kolag, Purson, Lezere, and Nalfit attacked the mage. How Purson and Nalfit dropped almost instantly, to the paralytic rays and petrification. And how he held the mage back and secured Lezere’s escape.
He then continues to the moment he woke up and the demon broke out. Exactly when Inara managed to hurt the mage with her magic. How the demon was let loose, eliminated the mage, and attacked everyone in sight. Kolag confesses how he killed Nalfit, how the demon tore off all the bandits and villagers, and finally how the demon found Purson tied up in the barn.
How Kolag had struggled with the demon and managed to stop him from tearing Purson apart. Instead, Kolag took control over the demon’s body and threw Purson away toward the fields, out of the village, out of reach. Later, Kolag found out that the fall had killed Purson, broke his neck. Hence, Purson’s death is Kolag’s fault, no one else’s!
“…I’m here to atone” Kolag says as he kneels. “Please leave Inara alone, she has nothing to do with it. We all went on this mission because of me, and I killed Purson. The responsibility is with me. If you seek vengeance for Purson’s death, Milady, then take me! Hurt me, kill me. Do as you please. Just promise me one thing. This demon doesn’t get loose once I’m dead.” Kolag lowers his head, he is done speaking. He did the right thing and faced his truth. Now it’s up to Janara to decide what to do with him, but the woman he loves will be safe.
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: connected: 1 gem replenished per minute.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 73
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 11 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 22 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 11 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 16/17 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 33 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 5 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 11 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: formed: 46/50 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite. Oniga's Soap Creation.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freeze. Ayla's Flowing Shield.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray. Alf's Copper Bolt
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield II. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body. Alino's Orbiter.
Transmutation: Oniga's Laundry.
Spells known:
Light: Rika's Electric Channelb
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb. Imari’s Lesser Flightb.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison.
Focus capability: 16 patterns.
Social status: The Queen of Red Cedar City. Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries. Sorceress.
Personal Wealth: 1761 Magic Gems. 40 Diamonds. 1420 Golden Peas, 45 Silver Scales, 32 Copper Bits.
Personal Items:
Magical necklace. Contains 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
5 potions of Lesser Healing.
5 potions of Pain Tolerance.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keeps the pouches’ content fresh. Each pouch may contain 10g of petals or six potion flasks.
Fresh rose petals, 14g
Fresh lavender petals, 10g
10 empty soul bottles. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 25/100
Present Companions:
Zoe
Ryon
Jolla Silverquill
Languages:
Toml’a <People’s tongue> Fluent
Sinteo <Speech> Fluent
Myrsha <Gravity> 8/10
Felul <Wind> 1/10
Injuries and scars: melted skin; face, upper chest, chain scar.
-
Kingdom’s treasury: 8,438 gold coins.
Kingdom’s citizen: 5,898 humans, 2,251 human children.
Kingdom's army: 800 levy militia. 900 footmen. 26 peacekeeper knights.
Notables at Court:
Tasiya Keyholder
Jolla SilverQuill
Talbot Bookkeeper
Marasi Chef extraordinaire (spymaster.)
Old Gardner Tiom
