Chapter 40: Montage

  Riley’s breath labored in sync with Tobias as they kept a measured pace.

  Off on the far horizon, the sun was just beginning to rise, the sky painted in oranges and pinks, the breaking light causing frost to sparkle on still green grass, all as autumn ebbed and winter loomed.

  And still, they ran… they had been at this for hours, rising at two bells, and out by three.

  Her armor jingled ever so slightly as straps rubbed through her fur, her paws held fast in her new shoes, but that didn’t mean they were devoid of friction.

  Feeling the burn of an oncoming blister, she pulled at her healing spell, sticking to the familiar ashen school.

  Celestial Medic

  A weak pulse rocketed out from around her, hitting Tobias, causing him to straighten, as he labored under the weight of his curiass. The minor cast, causing her mana to dip only slightly, all as their stamina bar ever trickled down.

  “Good job,” Tobias paused to take a few controlled, rhythmic breaths, “you’re learning how to shape your pull.”

  “Thank…” Riley stopped to pant, “You…”

  The turn-off to Astor Hall was ahead. They were almost done.

  With this phase.

  “Good morning, my Lord and Lady,” said a friendly roving guard, keeping his patrol between the defensive rings.

  “Hi Osbeorn!” Riley cried as she went whizzing by, “Have a good walk!”

  “And a good run to you, M’Lady. I’m off to hunt whatever is chasing you! ” He laughed jovially as they turned up the path to Astor Hall.

  The elevation picked up, her stamina bar drained, all as a golden bracket framed it, showing a gentle uptick of regeneration, fighting against the tide of approaching exhaustion.

  It was pyrrhic at best, especially as Tobias sped up.

  Riley could feel the strain, the burning in her back legs, her heart beat out a drumbeat like it was competing with a hummingbird.

  They hadn’t pushed this hard since their days in training with Cid.

  ‘It has a purpose,’ Tobias projected, even his mental words seemed stifled and challenged.

  ‘I’m with you. I get it. We gotta be ready,” Riley projected back, as they came to the portcullis and finally stopped.

  Humbert was there with a bowl of water in one hand and a waterskin in the other. “Good morning, M’lord.”

  The old man yawned, looking like he had just woken up.

  “Thank you,” Tobias said, taking the waterskin and gulping it down greedily, handing it back to the old servant. Taking it in hand, he set down the bowl for Riley.

  She dove in like she was dying of thirst, all as her stamina bar slowly started gaining ground, “Thank you!” She echoed.

  “How goes the gardening?” Tobias asked with a wry smile.

  “See for yourself, M’Lord,” Humbert gestured to a once unused part of the bailey, now showcasing a garden that looked like it had been there for ages. Mature fruit trees grew in a thick copse on one end, next to rows of plants, each with different neighbors. Though late fall, there was no hint of frost or wilting, as they bloomed in full vibrancy, many with mature fruits just waiting for harvest.

  “It’s amazing you did all that in a week,” Riley balked.

  “M’Lord’s coin bought many a seed, and I confess it feels good to work with my magic again,” he turned and looked on his creation with pride, standing a bit straighter to Riley’s eyes.

  “It’s good work, and I know we’re all appreciating the fresh food,” Tobias smiled, and set a hand on his shoulder.

  “And you, M’lord, another day of training awaits?” Humbert asked, ever checking in.

  “And preparation. As you know, we leave tomorrow on a bounty run,” Tobias replied.

  “I stand ready to help as I may,” Humbert bowed his head with practiced obeisance.

  “You’ve continued to be invaluable around here, and I know Justinian and Ma have appreciated your help. Keep doing what you’re doing, and let me know when you decide about the position I offered you,” Tobias held out his hand, ever eager to clasp arms.

  ‘Magical mythical Texas,’ Riley chuckled at the inward thought, as a wry smile crept across Tobias’ face.

  Humbert, with a shaking hand, grasped Tobias at his wrist.

  “Don’t forget to eat today!” Riley admonished.

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  “My breakfast should be cooled and ready to eat as we speak, M’Lady,” Humbert replied.

  “Then we’ll leave you to it. There’s still work to be done. Come on, Riley,” Tobias walked with purpose across the bailey, passing a derelict and hastily repaired stable that now held a Cockatrice lazily enjoying her morning hay, sat next to a small caretaker’s cottage where the darkened windows showed Justinian still slept.

  The guest cottage that sat next to Humbert’s garden also showed no lights in the windows, revealing the peace of the early, frost-kissed morning, as they moved quietly into the hall, where only the flicker of firelight told the tale of anyone being up and moving at the hour.

  Tobias entered through the great hall and moved with purpose through the kitchen, opening a door to a large sub-basement that had once served as a storehouse for the hall. Complete with a well, it spoke of early days before the defensive ring, when this keep, and those of the Astor line, stood against the wilds of Calaria, ever on the watch.

  “It’s time?” Riley asked as she picked her way down the stairs, the sound of her shoes tinkling against the ancient stone.

  “Sparky?” Tobias replied.

  The wisp glowed to life within their shared vision, “Your spirits are fully healed and have been for a while. It’s as good a day as any!”

  Tobias grinned with a mad glint of victory in his eye.

  “It’s time then. Especially with us being off tomorrow. One week out, one week back, till the backlog is cleared.” Tobias echoed their plans.

  “Yeah, because that’s what’s important when Chadrick is still on the loose,” Riley glowered.

  “Sir Wilhelm doesn’t seem very keen to leave his office,” Tobias demurred.

  “Yeah, which is why he’s saddling us with the scut work. I don’t even want to think about what happened to the guy we’re replacing… Sir Swift?”

  “He was a legend, but getting on in years. Even with how mysterious the Greyblades are, I heard tales of him from the criers growing up. He was the defender of the city, still I hadn’t heard he’d died till we were assigned,” A strange battle between sadness, anger and resignation seemed to be playing out on Tobias’ face.

  “And this surprises you, why?” Riley challenged.

  He only sighed, resignation clearly having won the battle.

  “Let’s just try to enjoy our time while we have it. It seems we get to be Rangers after all.” He replied.

  Arriving in the deep basement, the old well sat at the center, revealing the persistent disrepair of the hall. Some rooms had collapsed in, and others showed recent signs of excavation. New stone stood out brightly amidst the old, as pillars had been repaired and new ones erected to provide further reinforcement to the building above.

  Tobias moved to a cleared doorway and took out a small glowing white cube, setting it on the ground. He closed his eyes, contracting his hand, willing ether into the object.

  A door filled the doorway, as if it had always been there. Opening the door revealed an inky black abyss, as if they were about to step off into nothingness itself.

  As they stepped through, colors whirred, as they appeared back in the chapel space, with the familiar stained glass windows they remembered, but the space had subtly changed.

  Set up now like a studio apartment, comfortable and familiar bedrolls now rested under the stained glass window that held the image of the 13 Gods of Calaria, with Venosicipher as dragon, poised to devour them, rising up from underneath. To their left were rows of bookshelves, and even a small alchemy station, and to their right was a simple kitchenette, with a door beside it that opened to a Calarian-style bathroom.

  “What the heck?” Riley boggled as Sparky appeared in wisp form.

  “It learned about you. It’s not as smart as me, but the construct pulls from you when you feed it ether and adapts based on your soul print.”

  “It read my soul?” Riley’s eyes went wide.

  “Fascinating,” Tobias muttered, pulling out books left from Ecbert, “And these will remain here, safely stored?”

  “What do you think identify does? Anything that is connected to magic has a certain pulse and rhythm to that magic. A sufficiently advanced understanding of said magic leads to at least a cursory amount of information that can be gleaned about the connected individual. We’re on a great big astral internet, and I’m the DNS, and I guess the firewall too...oh and the router, but I’m not the modem, there’s a particular part of your spirit that kind of acts a modem, and just saying… because you guys are hella reckless... it got really, really burnt when you absorbed that tier 0 crystal... !” Sparky pulsed cheerily, falling into a ramble.

  “Uh... Ok, ok. I get it.” Riley interrupted, sounding more than a little uneasy.

  Tobias only grinned again, placing the books and building his own small library, only to finish and pull out a crystal.

  Principles of Damarian Swordsmanship Level 1

  Absorb Y/N

  “You might want to sit down first. You know how they can wallop,” Riley warned.

  “Good idea,” Tobias conjured a simple chair from their inventory and sat down with his back to the shelf, then, with a steadying breath, selected

  “Y”

  Another prompt appeared next to Sparky,

  Acknowledged, initiating, include companion? Y/N

  They each shared a look.

  “Uh, Sparky?”

  “It’s Damarian, it might be a little different, but it’s safe! I’m detecting no curse or malicious magic, but it’s a lot more complex than the ashen versions we’ve encountered before.”

  “That stands to reason from everything we know about Damar. You up for it, Riley?” Tobias turned it over in his hand, considering.

  Riley mentally shrugged. “I’m game, and maybe a little curious.”

  “Ok then,” Projecting toward the Y, there was a pull as their world went black, and Sparky’s voice cried out between their shared souls.

  ‘Oh Shit!’