[NR] Grabbing Magic - Chapter 774

Night draws closer, and there is a tenseness permeating the town. Though Liam and the party had kept things to themselves, the guy wasn’t as close-mouthed about it. Never mind the fact that for such a small town, it was impossible for someone not to have heard their conversation. They hadn’t exactly tried to prevent others from listening in.

As for the party? If anything, they are even calmer tonight. Their target is known and its limitations figured out. All that is left? Whether the beast shows up or not.

Though they aren’t resting on their laurels. Jason took charge of readying the man’s house. Mainly because he had the means to do so.

While it wouldn’t last, Jason gathered a number of decently sized quartz crystals for a gold piece and set about creating a trio of rituals. First was an Energy Gathering ritual as sadly there isn’t a leyline close enough to pull on. Then, drawing on the Energy being gathered are his two building-scale rituals. That of shield and alarm.

Alarm’s use was obvious enough and sure to work. Shield, on the other hand, was more of a guess and a prayer. Jason suspected that it might prevent any phasing nonsense by the creature to bypass the party. As while the monster did not reveal the ability to fully go intangible, sometimes partial intangibility is enough.

After all, if the wall is thin enough? You wouldn’t ever have to be mostly submerged in the wall to pass through it. Though ignoring that more fanciful idea, the shield spell would also prevent it from breaking through the roof or what have you.

A shame that quartz could only channel Energy for a short time before breaking down into sand. Then again, Jason wouldn’t have set up the man’s house with such lavish protections if it was more permanent. Leaving something like that behind would only spell trouble!

The eastern saying about how “treasuring a jade ring becomes a crime” existed for a reason. The house wouldn’t stay in the man’s hands long with the best outcome being he turns around and sells it right away. Otherwise, he would be lucky to keep his life.

Not that rituals were all that impressive. Rather, the location is too remote and the town too weak. Bandits and the like would seek out such a good hideout! Magical defenses, even on buildings, aren’t rare. Except Energy makes for self-sustaining defenses. No need to replace a fuel or fill something with Mana.

Jason brushes one of the smaller quartz crystals. A thin dusting of sand comes off, the crystal already beginning to come apart, but it would last the night.

Besides, Courtney is also setting up a few tricks of her own. While she doesn’t have any manuals to set up magical defenses like Jason. She does have a few options after hanging around Rosha in the wilds. In particular, Courtney is setting up a few magical traps.

She sadly can’t set too many. The traps would vanish like any other combat spell if given half a chance. So to maintain them, Courtney has to reserve some of her Mana pool to provide upkeep. She figures this is worth it though, as her magic has already proven capable of holding the beast. How easy would the fight be if one of her snares got the monster!

Though she admitted to herself, the traps were more for the man’s safety. As much as she thought his actions were a bit foolish. Especially considering that the myths about the beast were known in the area! Still, if setting up snares around the windows and chimney was enough to protect him, she had to try.

Then there was Rosha. In theory, she was the best at setting traps and most likely to spot the beast. Yet she didn’t really have anything to do. Her traps wouldn’t work on the beast.

Well, they could probably alert the group by making a racket. But if she tries to set snares? The monster would just step through the snare, while leaving behind potential dangers for others that might be chasing it.

So Rosha stayed on standby, keeping an eye out in case the monster showed up early.

In the end, though, they were able to finish setting up well before anything happened. The sun was setting, the shadows lengthened, and the party was in place when the winds picked up. Seemingly normal at first, but clearly supernatural once they notice the fields of grain are still. The wind is localized.

Then the whispers began.

“Tailypo”

“Where’s my tailypo”

Expected, though the fact that the monster brought its own wind to whisper on was an interesting twist. Interesting in the fact that it meant the beast was likely in the area. For a monster they almost managed to kill the day before to set up such a weather alteration effect? Well, it wasn’t going to be like some hag off on a windy peak, casting down snowstorms against towns which are miles away.

Perched on the roof, Rosha stays vigilant as below, Courtney prepares to trace the magic.

The wind and words curl around her as they try to slip into the hut. Magic infusing the more aggressive wisps.

Courtney shifts her hand into a claw and with great care, plucks a single strand of the magic. The shadows in her claws pulling the metaphysical into the physical. Cautious, careful, and all out of the corner of her eye. She made sure not to look straight at what she had caught. These sort of creatures, the tall tales and cryptids, all too often being sensitive to when people are trying to notice them.

Courtney carefully reeled in this thread of magic and began to infuse it with shadows. Her magic feeling out the magic being used and recognizes it as an illusion mixed with a charm. The voice wasn’t real and it did something to the target, likely fueling paranoia.

Now all Courtney needs to do is track the source.