EndsofMagic

Chapter 64: A Challenging Balance

Chapter 63: Opening Statements

Nathan climbed to the top of the platform, trying not to feel crushed by the eyes of the tens of thousands of Questors, not to mention some greater number watching remotely. Kaelis gave him a firm nod as they passed each other, and the gesture made Nathan feel inexplicably better. There was a lot of pressure on him, but those around him believed in him. They thought he could do this, and who was he to say that they were wrong? 

He looked around at the assembled masses and seized fi...

Chapter 62: A Full House

That night, the Heirs gathered in their suite once more. After they’d returned to the Golden Respite they had all split up to their own tasks. Aarl had gone to see Slick to prepare to fight a variety of different Questor builds, while Stella and Sarah had found Kaelis to discuss their planned speeches. Khachi had joined the broader Questor discussion on planning out the future of Davrar, and spent some time cloistered with Phryne. 

Nathan, meanwhile, had stayed in their suite and...

Chapter 61: The Arena of Concord

The Heirs discussed their planned speeches late into the night, going through multiple outlines before practicing. Nathan and Khachi had both given plenty of dramatic battlefield speeches and possessed skills that enhanced their oratory. Social skills wouldn't influence others during the conclave, but they could still function internally to guide a speaker. None of the other Heirs had any social skills or much practice, and they struggled as a result. Stella in particular stumbled over her wo...

Chapter 60: Political Confrontations

Nathan and the Heirs stopped by their rooms to confirm they were in fact ludicrously luxurious before rejoining the Questors. Their guide led them to a large, multi-tiered meeting room. Half of it was on a balcony facing the sea, and the whole thing was exposed to a gentle ocean breeze. They had a great view over the water, where the sun overhead glinted off the gentle waves. Of course, the room was also full of Questors who were trapped somewhere between mystified and furious by what Colborn...

Chapter 59: Dawn’s Concord

A/N: Sorry for the delay. Set this to release in the PM, not the AM.

The wilds flew by below them, occasionally marked by a dead dungeon or cultivated monsters that might pose a challenge to rookie Questors. But there was nothing that would even be a speedbump for the Heirs. Eventually, the managed wilderness gave way to populated countryside, with villages, roads, and fields. It looked pastoral and peaceful.

Nathan looked down at the countryside as an example of what Davrar coul...

Chapter 58: Conflicting Opinions

The Heirs flew over the wilds with Sarya and Colborn, contemplating what they’d just learned. They’d each need to fight against Questors, and it was entirely possible they’d die in the doing.

“What is the format of these duels?” Khachi asked. “Is it possible to fight as a team, against another team?”

Sarya was already shaking her head. “You can extend challenges for exhibition matches, but there is no pressure to accept those challenges. It may be wise to do so for...

Chapter 57: A System of Debate

The Heirs woke early the next morning, with Aarl gathering breakfast from outside their cave. According to Khachi, he’d joined them just an hour or two after the rest of them had gone to bed. Now he was getting them food, so Nathan was inclined not to rib the guy for staying out late. 

“If Questors are good at something, it’s food,” Aarl said, pulling stacked plates of hot food from his dimensional bags. “Not cooking it, to be clear as glass. But they make sure it’s exc...

Chapter 56: Small Talks

Nathan took a deep breath, centered himself, and prepared to engage in small talk. He’d already changed his face to make himself more popular with the Questors. He might as well put in the effort to socialize a bit, and there was no shortage of Questors who wanted to talk to him. The fact that he’d achieved the highest contribution percentage had made the rounds, and it seemed like every single Questor wanted to get their moment with the man of the hour and share a drink.

He found h...

Chapter 55: Celebrations of Triumph

“We haven’t levelled yet,” Aarl noted as the Heirs made their way back to the starting location at a much more sedate pace than how they’d left it. “The battle must not be over.”

“I think Davrar will tell us when the war’s over,” Stella said. "It announced the start, it'll announce the end. We're not done yet." 

“My assassin class hasn’t levelled, and it should have,” Nathan added, though he wasn’t giving the conversation his full attention. He panne...

Chapter 54: Claiming Glory

Nathan dropped his gory trophy and whirled around, checking on the Heirs again. He’d fought Kamus for less than thirty seconds, but that was an eternity in high-level combat. He’d also had to retract his aura, leaving the Heirs unprotected against magical attacks from this direction. 

He was just in time to catch a gigantic flash of light as Khachi raised his golden hammer to the heavens and blasted the entire battlefield with divine mana. The effect didn’t blind Nathan, but ...

Chapter 53: Wizard’s Domain

Nathan half-expected the battle to end right there and then. Stella had just dropped a spell that triggered nuclear fusion onto the enemy stronghold. Nathan was still miles away, but the shockwaves alone would have killed a normal person from this distance, not to mention the gamma radiation and other possible radionuclides from the series of rapid detonations.

But Nathan had to remind himself of the older Questors who had shown up at the start of the battle. He couldn’t imagine Mirus...

Chapter 52: A Short, Victorious War

Author's Note: The battle continues. If you want the full thing, wait until next Thursday. Also, merry Christmas!

There was a brief scramble as everyone moved to their assigned positions. The Heirs ran forward, getting as close to the front of the starting zone as they could without crossing over the line that was marked out in front of them. The Aleph Grid starting location was ten miles in the distance, hidden beyond the bend of the valley. 

“Ready?” N...

Chapter 51: A Meeting of Powers

The Heirs had an audience as they came in for their landing on the grassy hilltop. The gathered Questors looked up from their own conversations with interested expressions, but only one of them stood to greet Sarya. He - they? - were short and wide, almost a dwarf in appearance, with a thick, lustrous beard and a matching mane of hair, both intricately braided. Gemstones were threaded into those braids, matching the rainbow shine of knee-length enchanted scalemail that was the match of any pi...

Chapter 50: A Show of Vanity

The Heirs awoke very early, Khachi making sure they all got up at the desired time. They ignored most of the luxuries of the suite, defaulting to the ritual of the trail as they got ready to fight.

“Once more off to war,” Aarl joked as they did last-minute checks. “In truth, this time, instead of just in practice. Are we all ready?”

“Ready. I’m worried about the other Questors,” Sarah admitted. “Too many unique powers. Battle between Questors is a matter of strikin...

Chapter 49: Staging for War

By focusing on the individual components of the message, Nathan could see more details on the terms for the upcoming war. If he focused on the section describing the area as a wilderness combat zone, a map of the continent of Ostren appeared, highlighting a region that could be zoomed in on to reveal a sinuous valley. That map had starting locations marked for the Ashen Accord and the Aleph Grid. It was also annotated with a helpful note that any attempt to access any region of the zone befor...

Chapter 48: Polite Terms

Aarl was the first to step out of the carriage, tossing Nathan a set of clothes. Sarya followed a moment later, waiting for Nathan to finish slipping his new garments on and then signaling for him to take the lead into the temple. He did so, feeling the connection to Slick’s squad channel break as he left them behind. Kaelis and the other leaders of the Ashen Accord followed next, but Sarya had managed to get Nathan out in front as they walked into the ruined temple.

Nathan could feel...

Chapter 47: Unfriendly Skies

Author's note: I edited the previous chapter to introduce the leader of the Aleph grid by name - it's Evesor.

The pre-meeting meeting went on for longer than it probably needed to. Kaelis had already settled on his goals and gotten the critical mass of the Ashen Accord leadership on his side. He was going to be the one to lead negotiations, and he was going to propose a rather straightforward and brutal type of war, where victory involved killing the entire force of enemy combat...

Chapter 46: The Forsaken Peak

Their carriage took a turn off the main thoroughfare, but the ambushers shifted to match. Half of them were out of the picture, on the other side of the original route and unable to reposition in time. But the others moved to a new balcony that was above the new street and in a position to fire on the Heirs' carriage.

“They’re overhead,” Nathan said. “But not taking action. Somebody’s using a message-stone. It’s heavily encrypted, and I can’t trace the source.” It was a ...

Chapter 45: Smart Systems

Khachi floated down to land next to their Questor guides, his glowing fur blowing in the opposite direction as the breeze. They both stared at him, confused and a little bit scared. “I communed with my god,” he said in explanation of what had just happened. Then he walked towards the coach. “We should leave. We must reach the Blinded Mountain.”

“But what did he do?” Vira pleaded, her gaze flicking between Nathan and Aarl.

Aarl gave her a wide smile. “He told...

Chapter 44: A Godly Corpse

The Crater of Fallen Gods didn’t look very different from the other crater lakes they’d passed on the journey. It was one of the larger craters at nearly a dozen miles across. The primary distinguishing feature of the landscape was a slight rise in the very center, where the ground rose above the water in a picturesque peak covered with greenery. But the physical beauty wasn’t what made the area special. There was a brightness in the air, an ethereal light that made the crater's interio...

Chapter 43: A Cultural Exchange

A/N: I initially posted chapter 42 again by accident. Here's chapter 43!

The Heirs followed the two Questors into Driftmere. It was a weird town, carved out of a massive chunk of rock that floated above the ocean. Nathan had been expecting the inside to be cramped and twisted, but instead found it to be spacious and lived-in. It had the same feel as some ancient cities from Earth that had been inhabited for thousands of years, with stone worn down by passing footsteps a...

Chapter 42: A Land of Legend

“Does it worry you, heading towards the graveyard of gods?” Aarl asked Khachi. They were abovedeck, eating some kind of wrap-like dish that was served steaming hot. Eiolinne said it was supposed to be enjoyed with the wind in your face.

Sarah snorted, holding her hand under her mouth to avoid dropping any of the meat onto the clean deck. “It does seem risky.”

Khachi was on his second wrap, wolfing down the meaty interior. He finished a bite before responding. “Hear me, b...

Chapter 41: A Continent of Legend

The Grace of the Mists cut itself loose from the docks and set sail as soon as the Heirs had stepped aboard. They aimed for the mouth of the bay that protected Helmaris and the open ocean beyond.

“How far to Ostren?” Nathan asked Eolinne. She sat in her throne on the aftercastle of the ship with her flute at the ready, but hadn’t yet begun playing.

“Twenty-five days, should the journey be made in harmony,” she said.

Sarah grimaced. “How likely is that?�...

Chapter 40: Calming Travel

The Heirs ate a leisurely breakfast, with Aarl breaking out some of the precious supplies they’d saved from Gemore for a taste of home. They’d all spent several days awake and in combat mode, and there was a lot of temptation to stay in their underground hidey hole for a day or more to come down from that level of anxiety. They probably could stay on schedule regardless, since Stella’s new wind spells would accelerate their travel.

They did spend some time relaxing, breaking out v...

Chapter 39: Introductions to Questor Politics

“We’ll Travel to Ostren first,” Kaelis said. “The invitation is not yet issued, but the first pieces have been set. We can take you through the land and introduce you to my hopefuls before most of the combatants arrive. It will be good preparation.” He paused, seeing the hesitant looks on the faces around him. “What key am I missing?”

“They can’t Travel,” Sarya said slowly, as if speaking to a child. “They aren’t Questors. That’s the key in question.”

K...

Chapter 38: Recognition of Heroes

The Heirs came down from the sky, slowly descending into the coliseum cut into the center of the ruined city. 

“Why is the mana so thin? I thought the Seals made mana,” Stella said. “The aether is harder to reach, too. What did you do?”

Nathan rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. “My new Development. It means I destroy any magic, including the ambient mana and wizardry. All of the death that was here, gone like that.” He snapped his fingers. “A...

Chapter 37: To Redeem a Continent

Nathan took a deep breath and squared himself, standing before the magical construct that had doomed a continent. He’d been confused when Sarya had said you needed a powerful wizard to fix a corrupted Seal at any time other than the solstice. It had seemed like such a simple thing after he'd studied the Gemore Seal. But now he understood. It was a simple matter to corrupt a seal, but the blight would fight you if you tried to go the other direction.

He ached with the strain of holding...

Chapter 36: Hearts of Darkness

The Seal in Old Gemore had been at the heart of the city, atop a mountain curled like a wave poised to crash. The magical workings that sustained the Heirs’ home continent had been within that mountain. It would only open on the night of the Solstice, when incredible amounts of magical power would be expelled towards the sun in the center of Davrar.

This Seal would open at that time, too, and that’s when any attempt to fix the Blight was supposed to happen. At any other tim...

Chapter 35: Chains of Corruption

Nathan looked around, trying to get a sense of where they were now that the storm of magic had stopped. The corrosive death mana had cleansed every bit of dust out of the air for miles around. The mushroom clouds from Stella's nuke spells had been cut in half, only the top portion remaining.

It meant that he could see for miles, even if the lighting was dim enough to render the world greyscale. The geography around them had been totally reshaped. The ground was several hundred feet lowe...