Inheritance OT Fallen, ch 6

My decision had been made.  Now that the dice were thrown, all I could do was watch and hope I’d chosen wisely.

I screwed up my courage and asked, “Please tell me what I chose, Lady Mysania. Also, how does this relate to your old power before you, or I guess your main body, died?"

As the light from the book intensified, the chamber began to tremble. The obsidian floor beneath my feet vibrated with a deep, resonating sound, and the runes on the walls blazed with a fiery intensity. 

Mysania's voice cut through the din, her tone heavy with ancient memory. "This book represents a core of my old power. Most of what I had, and most of what I became was in some way a result of the unique magic I developed, Harmonic Resonance Magic. The book you are holding is my grimoire, which, if you commune with it, will teach you all you need to know about the magic that I created. There are risks, though, just like there generally are risks with any power."

I nodded slowly. "Can you tell me more about Harmonic Resonance Magic? I’m afraid I won’t be able to use it.  My current problem right now is not that I am not educated on magic, quite the opposite. I just don't have enough mana. If your magic requires a lot of mana for its spells, I’m not sure that it will work for me."

Mysania's expression turned serious, her stormy eyes reflecting the pulsating light of the runes that surrounded us. "Harmonic Resonance Magic is not like the simple elemental manipulations or arcane incantations you're accustomed to. It is a deeper, simpler, more primal and more intrinsic form of power. But its simplicity is also a form of complexity, or rather, the more one understands, the simpler an idea can be boiled down to, but only after great complexity is explored."

As Mysania spoke, the chamber's magical hum seemed to synchronize with her voice, each word resonating with a weight that I could feel in my bones. "Harmonic Resonance Magic draws upon the fundamental concepts that underlie all of existence. It is the music of the spheres, the symphony of the cosmos. Each concept—heat, cold, love, hate, life, death—and more—has its own unique resonance. And the deeper a concept that is manifested, the more powerful its effect can be.”

She continued, "By understanding, harmonizing with, and manifesting these concepts, a mage can draw upon their power, amplifying their own abilities and manipulating the very fabric of reality, albeit subtly at first. The more deeply a mage is connected to each concept, or the more learned she is, the more she can do with this power."

Then she grinned.  "This magic doesn't use mana as a power source. Instead, you will draw on yourself, your repository of experience, your life. What you take will be replenished just like mana, but how much you can draw upon will be dependent on how much life you've lived, and how varied it has been. Even though you are a mortal, you have a natural advantage as someone who can remember his past life. A mage who stays in a single room all day their entire life, studying, would have little power to draw on for this system of magic."

I nodded slowly. "Fascinating. So I would have an advantage, but all magic must be learned and mastered. What does the mastery of this kind of magic look like?"

She answered, "Again, the deeper you understand a concept, the more of a powerful effect you can get, the more you can push it, drive it home. And the more skilled you are, the more concepts you can handle at once. At first, you will likely only be able to manage one, and even then, only with concentration.  The magic itself will help with that, though, it will communicate with you more over time."

I nodded. "I see." Then I paused. "So what are the risks?"

Mysania's expression darkened, her eyes even more serious than before. "The risks, Cale, are as profound as the power itself. Harmonic Resonance Magic demands balance. Over-identification with one concept can lead to... consequences. You may lose your sense of self, become a slave to the concept you've embraced."

As Mysania spoke, the chamber's magical hum seemed to waver, the air growing rougher and more tense. "Imagine, Cale, being consumed by the concept of heat, burning from within until you are nothing but ash and ember. Or being so entwined with the idea of a concept that you lose all reason, all sense of self-preservation."

Mysania painted a bit of a grim picture. The chamber's atmosphere became heavier, the magical hum now a low, ominous thrum. "You could attract entities or forces that seek to balance or exploit your newfound power. Harmonic Resonance Magic is a double-edged sword, Cale. It can grant you unimaginable power, but it can also consume you, twist you into something unrecognizable."

"I think I can accept the risks. So how do I become attuned with your grimoire?" After a short pause, I grinned and asked, "And also, I mean no disrespect, but also, is there anything else I can get from you?"

Mysania chuckled, her voice a low, sultry sound that echoed through the chamber. "Ah, Cale, very ambitious and bold of you. We will speak on everything else later.  For now let us begin the attunement."

She stepped closer to the pedestal, her crimson war skirt creaking softly with her movements. She placed her hands on either side of the book, her fingers tracing the intricate silver runes. As Mysania's fingers traced the runes, they began to glow brighter, the light pulsating in rhythm with the chamber's magical hum. The air grew thick with power, and the temperature dropped, sending a shiver down my spine. The black gemstone on the book's spine throbbed like a heartbeat, resonating with the energy that filled the room.

"Place your hands on the grimoire, Cale."

I followed her instructions. As I placed my hands on the book, the leather beneath my palms hummed with a resonant energy that put my teeth on edge. The silver runes blazed with a brilliance that cast stark, dancing shadows across the pedestal, and the red gemstone throbbed with an intensity that made the air around it shimmer.

Mysania's voice, low and steady, guided me through the attunement. As Mysania spoke, she stood close enough that her presence made me feel light-headed, her voice a sultry whisper that gave me shivers. "Focus, Cale. Feel the resonances, the harmony of the concepts within the book. Let it flow into you, become a part of you."

The chamber's magical hum intensified yet again, the air pulsating with a rhythm that seemed to echo the heartbeat of the universe. I suddenly felt like I could think in a different direction than I could before. This power was odd, special. It was adjacent to magic, and the fact I was so deeply educated on magic and magic theory helped the attunement process. If not, I suddenly realized, it might have hurt…or worse.

But instead, it almost felt like my mind was being massaged from the inside, as alien concepts became a part of what I instinctively knew, almost instantly. As the attunement continued, the chamber's magical hum reached a crescendo, the air throbbing with a thick energy that made my very bones vibrate. The runes on the walls blazed with an intense light, casting a kaleidoscope of colors that danced and shifted across the obsidian floor.

When it was done, I could feel it. All the light in the room abruptly dimmed all at once. And at the same time, I could suddenly feel a new resource of power I had, my Harmonic Resonance reservoir. As the final pulses of energy subsided, the chamber's magical hum softened to a gentle thrum, resonating with the new power that now coursed through my veins.

Mysania stepped back, her eyes appraising me with a mixture of satisfaction and intrigue. "Well, Cale, it seems you've survived the attunement. Welcome to the world of Harmonic Resonance Magic."

She’d never warned me that the process itself was dangerous, but I didn’t complain.  "Thank you." I was about to say something sarcastic, but thought better of it. After all, I was alive, and I could already feel the incredible potential of my new power. I looked at Mysania and slyly asked, "So...about getting something else, too..." Then I smiled innocently.

Mysania raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips. "Greedy, aren't we? I appreciate ambition. But first, let's see how well you've grasped Harmonic Resonance Magic. Show me something... impressive."

She stepped back, not hiding her open expression of challenge and curiosity.  I took a deep breath, focusing on the newfound energy within me. It didn't take a genius to realize that this was an opportunity to impress the echo of Mysania, nor that doing well was more likely to get me something good as a reward. So I racked my brains, thinking of something that might impress her. Even as I did, I began to feel out my new magic and confirmed that I could manifest one concept at a time.

I settled on an idea and latched onto it, bending my new power to a concept I understood fairly well.

Gravity. The air around me shimmered slightly, as if reality itself was bending to my will. 

As I manifested the concept and then pushed power into and concentrated on the effect I was envisioning, my feet suddenly left the floor as I ever so gently pushed off, and I began traveling steadily upward at a slow rate. I was floating, something that was almost impossible to do with any other type of magic I knew of.

My sudden smile was uncontrollable.  I ascended steadily, my feet dangling a few inches above the obsidian floor. The sensation was uncanny, a gentle tug at my core, defying the natural order.

I relaxed my new magic, adjusting my control until gravity slowly brought me back to the ground, then I kicked off again, ascending to the ceiling. My hands above my head, I pushed myself off, back to the ground, and easily landed, my weight feeling like nothing. Then I looked up at Mysania and grinned.

Mysania watched my demonstration with a keen interest, her eyes tracking my every movement as I manipulated gravity with an ease that belied my novice status. She let out a low whistle, her lips curving into an impressed smile.

"Not bad, Cale. Not bad at all," she praised, stepping closer. Her heels clicked against the obsidian floor, echoing through the chamber. "You've got a knack for this. I can see why you were so confident."

She circled me like a shark, her eyes never leaving mine. "But tell me, how does it feel? The magic, the power... how does it feel coursing through your veins?"

Before I could answer, she stopped in front of me, her face inches from mine. "Does it make you feel alive, Cale? Does it make you want more?" Her voice was a low purr, her eyes searching mine with an intensity that was almost invasive.

Suddenly, she stepped back, her expression turning serious. "But remember, with great power comes great risk."

The whiplash of her contradicting speaking styles and intensity was enough to leave me deeply off balance, but I managed to keep my cool. I nodded seriously. "I understand. Thank you."

As I acknowledged Mysania's warning, her expression softened, the storm in her eyes calming slightly. "Good," she said, her voice a low murmur. "Now, about that other reward you were hoping for..."

She stepped back, her hands resting on her hips as she appraised me with a calculating gaze. Mysania's eyes narrowed as she considered me, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her hips.

"You've proven yourself worthy of the magic, Cale. That much is clear. But what else do you think you can take from me?" She cocked her head to the side, her raven hair cascading over her shoulder like a wild waterfall. "Is it wealth you seek? Power? Or perhaps something more... tangible? Maybe personal?"

I shook my head. "As I've already said, I do not need wealth. Wealth will come with power, and if I don't have enough power in a year, wealth won't fix my problems. The kinds of battles I will have cannot be won with equipment…unless it’s exponentially better than everything else out there. Power is always welcome. As for something personal, I am intrigued. Lady Mysania, I can tell that you enjoy being mysterious, and in this case, I could think of like a hundred possible meanings for an open-ended, suggestive word like that."

Mysania chuckled, the sound low and ominous yet strangely alluring. "Ah, Cale, ever the pragmatist. Very well, let's cut to the chase."

She paused, her eyes narrowing as she considered me. "You've shown potential, and I appreciate potential. So, I'll offer you a choice. You can take one of three paths. Each comes with its own risks and rewards."

Mysania gestured with her hands, and the chamber's magical hum shifted again, the air pulsing with a new rhythm. Three pedestals rose from the obsidian floor, each bearing a different artifact.



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Do you guys like this story more, or Dual Power Destiny? I'm just curious. This story is already written, and I am thinking about either continuing into book 2 for fun, or finishing Dual Power Destiny.