While the others were discussing clothing and armor designs for the Kindlesprite and the Sculptor, I studied more magic. Playing around with Teleportation had shown me how important it was to know the basics before trying more advanced stuff. So now I was studying spell catalysts.
Magic, as defined by the Interface's treatises, was the power of emotion, a manifestation of the Heart. Normally, that emotion was inert. Well, sort of. Technically, if you put that power in a closed off space, it would immediately convert into mana and create magical phenomena. In the real world, there was so much already floating around that it stabilized and stopped doing wonky things. It would take extremely strong, uncontrolled outbursts of emotion to affect the world. Usually in the form of a Tantrum. Kind of a degrading name, but that was considered the most basic form of magic.
Anyways, Tantrums were unpredictable and dangerous. Nobody wanted to rely on mood swings to win battles, so the power of the Heart was further refined using catalysts. There were three basic types, according to the Interface.
Magic that used the Body as a catalyst was called Sorcery. Somehow, the Body itself would be turned into a spell component that allowed magic to be used quickly and easily. Perhaps through the use of tattoos, runes or engravings like the ones on a Kindlesprite's Core. Perhaps the Creature's blood or flesh itself would be infused with the properties needed, like the Rockworms' Elemental Gems or the Mithril Talons the Evolution menu offered me.
Magic that used the Mind as a catalyst was called Wizardry. By carefully studying the nature of magic, learning how it worked and applying that knowledge, spells could be cast. Theoretically, anyone could do the chant and wave their hands around, and they would be a Wizard. It was a very reliable way to use magic, and it was also the method that could be achieved through the Study menu I was using to learn.
Magic that used the Spirit as a catalyst was called Thaumaturgy. Instead of using knowledge or premade guidelines, a Tantrum could be directed through sheer force of will. Instead of an uncontrollable explosion, the resulting spell would be a shaped charge that would be unable to break free of its constraints.
If I was honest, I was a weak Wizard. Or maybe I was just an exceptional Thaumaturge and an average Wizard. Even when I studied and understood a spell, I was almost exclusively relying on intuition and vague intentions to practice. It was like I was commanding a loyal pet instead of setting up a machine. Most likely that was also why the Rukh and the Minor Spirits were aiding me.
That wasn't exactly a bad thing, but according to the information available, Thaumaturgy was impractical. The biggest advantages of Wizardry and Sorcery were the ability to channel mana from external sources and the efficiency of use. A Thaumaturge would need to generate absurd amounts of unstable emotions in order to gain a practical benefit from their style. Additionally, the resulting spell would just be a less chaotic Tantrum. Any excess energy used in the spell would be wasted, possibly resulting in an overcharged spell.
That felt a little insulting to read. Maybe I was taking it too personally.
Whatever the case, the fortunate thing was that none of the catalyst types were incompatible with each other. Most Sorcery and Wizardry relied on small amounts of Thaumaturgy to direct mana into their spells, for example. And a Wizard could tattoo a spell they knew onto their Body, allowing them to use it at any time like a Sorcerer.
For me, Sorcery and Wizardry could be used to make my magic more precise, and to let me draw power from outside my Heart. Which was helpful, because I wasn't sure I had the emotional capacity to create space mana. Like, what does space feel like? Is it lonely or something? Is it awe or clarity? Who knows.
The others were mostly done with the Kindlesprite, and it felt like it was time to move on. I carefully stood up in case Lyn was close and likely to get spooked. After a slow, thorough stretch to work out non-existent sluggishness, I moved to join the others.
Seeing my approach, they all turned their attention to me. This place is starting to get kinda crowded, huh? I pushed away the nervousness and spoke. "I named her Lyn- the Air Fairy, I mean. Were there any problems with the area she was meant to live in?"
"Oh, that place..." Mica shuddered a little. "It's really high up above the ground... But it seems like everything went well? She left notes for Corina about managing the air mana."
Mara took over the explanation. "Corina is less capable with other types of mana than earth mana, but Loralei and I were able to help her carve some decent enchantments based on the notes." She frowned slightly. "Loralei is much better at enchantment compared to me, but... it's hard to get her to focus. It might be better not to give her any- critical tasks."
I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that exactly?"
The other Fairies were distancing themselves from Mara, and she herself seemed equal parts ashamed and frustrated with what she was saying. "She's very strong and skilled, but... Her personality... She's... She's just so childish!" Drops of water were ripped from her wings as they swept through the air with too much force. She fluttered around in a dizzying pattern as she continued. "When she doesn't get distracted, she does a great job. But then- most of the time she's just playing in the water or bothering Corina."
The Fairies were acting scandalized. Like talking poorly about the Nymph was some kind of betrayal. That was kind of amusing, but I wondered how bad the Nymph's behavior was that none of them seemed willing to disagree. "She's also causing Corina trouble?"
Mara slowed her flurry a little. "Well- it's consensual... Corina is far too patient sometimes. But she's also done a lot of work recently, so maybe it's not a problem for her." She sighed and stilled entirely. "I apologize. I may have spoken out of turn."
"No, it's fine." I think. I didn't get why she was apologizing so... Why am I suddenly in this position? Do I need some kind of Therapist Fairy? Fairypist? That wasn't funny... "... I wanted to talk to those two anyway. To see if they needed anything from me."
"Oh, I'll take you to them! They're making new materials for me and th- Lyn. Cute name." Geni called out to me, but then she immediately darted off to her work area. Several small tools went in her little bag, before she contemplated different tools. I smirked as I realized she was packing, and having problems deciding what to bring.
Before long she fluttered up to me, her bag filled to the brim and bulging at the sides. "They made a new place for Loralei and Mara and any other water Creatures you might make. Umm. This way!" She shot over my shoulder and to the only exit to the room. Then she turned and waited at the doorway.
I smirked at her and waved to the others. "Call me if there's anything. See you." That's too awkward, but I'm not gonna stick around and make it worse.
"Bye-bye!" Mica waved back, but she spoke to the Kindlesprite. "I'll bring your stuff over once it's done, or maybe Lyn will."
The Kindlesprite also lifted her hand, though she clearly didn't know why. "Thank you for your consideration." Then she followed me after Geni.
The Fairy kept a small distance ahead of us, following the path to the temple. She turned to face us after a short distance. "Oh, by the way. I read on the forums about a spell called 'Elemental Weapon'. I think I can use it to imbue my tools, so if you're adding new things to the Spellbooks, I'd like that one."
I hummed softly to show I'd heard, then tapped at the Interface to find the spell.
|
Elemental Weapon Cost: 1 CP for Interface casting.
| Cast | Add to Spellbook | Back | |
"Oh. That does seem useful." I added it to the Spellbook on the spot. It might end up being redundant in some ways with Elemental Bolt, but I still felt it was good to have a back up for emergencies. This spell gave me the feeling of being the ultimate 'sidearm' type. Though maybe it would end up being the primary. Fantasy always did seem to have a preference for melee attacks, but I hadn't seen any evidence of that so far. Testing required.
It didn't take long to reach something new. A path led alongside the river from Corina's temple to and over the lake, where it changed from the pastel cobble style into a glass walkway that barely dipped into the water. Occasionally, a wave would wash through the inside of the glass, giving me the paranoid feeling that my shoes were going to get wet each time the water passed by. There were railings, but they had regular gaps where swimmers could climb back on.
The path led to a tower-like structure with just the uppermost portion reaching above the crystal clear water. Unlike Corina's temple, the large structure underneath the water had a delicate, ocean-theme to it. The sand colored stone was decorated with wave-shaped scrollwork and vivid gems carved to look like aquatic animals and plants. Sleek, curved projections wrapped around and through the structure, reminding me vaguely of a whirlpool.
The tower was large enough for a single room, empty except for a staircase in the back that led down. There was also... an elevator shaft? But it was blocked off at the moment. We followed our guide down the stairs, going down about three stories before we reached the bottom. The landing at the bottom was the only one with a door, which Geni knocked on delicately.
We waited a moment, and then the door opened on its own, sliding into the wall. The room beyond looked like a rudimentary waiting room with several exits, but Geni led us through into the next room immediately.
Inside, there were a few couches, a table with two computers, and a messy bed at the far end of the room. Another open doorway led to a closet, based on the clothing hung up inside. The walls were mostly covered in seashell print, aside from a massive tinted window that looked into the center of the lake. The water shone a strange blue light into the room, giving everything a slightly chilly atmosphere.
One of the couches was occupied, with both Nymphs curled up close together. While Loralei had ignored our entrance in favor of the floating bubble of thread-filled water in front of her, Corina waved us over excitedly. When she spoke it was soft but more than loud enough for us to hear. "Come in and sit down, cuties. Lor is mostly dead to the world when she's enchanting, so you don't have to worry about disturbing her."
It felt way too awkward to enter when they were cuddling like that... But it would probably be worse to freak out and run away like a cartoon character, right? I sat in one of the other couches, marveling for a moment at the softness and the sinking feeling it gave. It was shockingly comfy, considering it was 'handmade'. The Kindlesprite joined me, sitting on the next cushion over from mine. Geni flitted around a moment before setting her bag on a nearby coffee table and sprawling out on my armrest.
Both Nymphs had gotten new clothing since I'd last seen them. Corina's new dress was a lilac-grey for the most part, but with little turquoise shapes woven into swirling patterns that highlighted her curves. Her jacket was currently hung over the back of the couch, but it and her tights were white with gold and black accents. The boots inversed this, being a glossy black with gold and turquoise patterns. She also wore a few pieces of jewelry, though far less than Mica, and all was dark bronze set with emerald gemstones.
Loralei's clothing seemed to keep to the swimsuit theme, though there was significantly more of it now. A full one piece suit and frilly skirt in varying shades of blue with orange hems and seams. It looked like there was also supposed to be a light blue jacket and loose wave-embroidered pants, but those were lying on the floor next to her sandals and Corina's boots.
I wanted to comment on that, but the magic show in front of me was rather hard to ignore. "What's she doing?"
Corina glanced at the liquid orb hovering in midair. "When she's enchanting items, she usually soaks them in water from her place of power." She gestured towards the window. "She hasn't really done a good job of explaining why, but so far nothing has melted or been damaged, so it's not a problem."
"We already built up a decent stockpile of enchanted ores, so she's enchanting some glass fibers. They're cheaper than the Arachne Silk, but less useful. Since all of the silk we have right now is set aside for clothing, I thought glass threads might be useful for other stuff. The downside is that most of the enchanting goes into making it safe and flexible instead of durable or useful."
She paused, dragging the unresisting Loralei into a more comfortable position. "Speaking of which- Geni. The materials you asked for should be in the third floor storage room. First door on the right."
The Fairy immediately hopped up from her spot. "All of it? That was fast! Have fun, I'll see you later!" She only paused long enough to collect her bag and then shot off to the stairwell.
Corina laughed softly. "I meant to ask her if they'd made any progress on the Kindlesprite clothing. But..." She turned a shy smile towards me. "You didn't come here to talk about glass thread. What can we do for you, cutie?"
I do know the feeling of writing a chapter and not seeing a reasonable breakpoint around.