Quill

395. Self-preservation

Martel still felt odd the next morning, waking up to an ordinary day of routines. He had experienced this before, of course; evenings spent in danger, replaced by mornings of schoolwork. Somehow, it hit him harder this time. Maybe because he felt increasingly isolated; most of his recent endeavours had been with temporary allies, people he did not share much of a bond with. He knew that he had to keep Maximilian and Eleanor separate from his many ventures, for their own sake, but it was still...

394. Danse Macabre

The inquisitors disregarded Martel's suggestion to retreat. Without hesitation, they began attacking the skeletons rising all around them, sometimes striking before they could even get out of the alcoves.

Standing in the back of the group, Martel was exposed. Down the corridor, the way they had come, more and more of the undead could be seen. Martel's instinct was to raise a wall of fire, but that would block their retreat. He could not do it on the other side of the group either, block...

393. On the Trail

Outside the Lyceum, six inquisitors had gathered. They stood at the centre of the square; any other citizen passing by skirted along the edge, as if the presence of the mage hunters physically repelled other people. Feeling vulnerable, Martel walked out of the castle to cross the open space and join the waiting group.

Four men and two women turned to look at him. Besides the blue uniform with the emblem of Sol, they all wore gold in different places. Shoe and belt buckles, cloak clasps,...

392. Hooked

Manday saw Martel returning to his efforts in enchantment. He did not feel like he had made much progress, but Master Jerome had told him to practise on Soldays as well; he would ask Master Alastair for advice during the elemental magic lesson later today and apply that counsel tomorrow.

Until then, he continued to practise, pouring a small spoonful of the black substance from the big pot into the jar and letting his magic reach out. Trying to apply what other magical traditions had tau...

391. Becoming Armed

Martel kept his decision regarding the inquisitors to himself. Watching his friends spar during their Malday lesson, he remembered his fear at seeing the jinni attack them with impunity. Empowerment magic and physical might would not avail. And since he had no intention of asking them to come along, it seemed pointless to even mention it. Both would try to talk him out of it, and Martel feared they might even succeed. So he laughed with them, enjoyed their company, and said little.

***<...

390. The Right Hound

Pelday saw their last lessons practising with golden weapons in the Circle of Fire; as their class came to an end, Moira announced as much. "That's enough fooling around from you lot. If this won't teach you how to survive an attack with gold, you'll just have to die."

Encouraging as always.

"Glunday, we'll move on. Not that I expect much from you." She collected the gold-edged daggers from the students.

Martel noticed that none of them were his; he had not seen it once, in ...

389. Enchanted Hours

Martel stared at the black liquid inside the jar, barely visible, and entirely hidden once he placed the lid back on. Yet he could feel it, coiled like a viper about to attack. It longed for fire, to burst into flames. Martel let his magic sense wash over the oily substance, connecting to it. This part was easy, especially after his work with Sindhian and Tyrian magic. The difficult part, as usual, was control. Feeding fire magic through the bridge to settle in the liquid without actually ign...

388. The Consumption of Desires

Manday saw the resumption of Martel's efforts in learning how to enchant fire pots. He made little progress, if any, but it did not trouble him; learning Sindhian alchemy and Tyrian runes had been slow as well, and this time, he was practising the kind of magic that came most naturally to him. Sometimes too naturally; quite often, the liquid caught on fire before he could seal it away. Had his robes not been fire-proof, Martel would have left the workshops in his shirt and trousers.

***...

387. Quandaries at the Quay

It took half a day for the news to reach the Lyceum, disseminating around the dinner tables at noon. Thus, in between his lessons in the Circle of Fire, Martel had time to ponder the matter. As he recalled, the Friar had promised to get a patrol of inquisitors into the catacombs, dealing with the maleficar and his enslaved jinni. Either the Friar had failed to uphold his promise, or the inquisitors had failed. Given what Martel knew of the former's insistence on oaths and the latter's incompe...

386. Between Golden and Silvery Light

As with his visits to the Circle of Fire, Martel likewise looked forward to the end of his hours spent in the gymnasium. Not that Reynard harassed him the way Moira did, at least not anymore, but Martel remembered how the Master of War had treated him initially and also tried to prevent him from becoming an acolyte.

The other three fire acolytes stood gathered in an uneven circle, and Martel joined them. Even if hardly on friendly terms, they were all in the same boat during these lesso...

385. Golden Memories

In the Circle of Fire, the acolytes continued practising fighting with and against gold-edged blades. By now, the other students seemed to have gotten the grasp of it as well; Martel figured they would move on to something else soon, so he tried to enjoy the easy lessons while he could. Intercepting a fire bolt with his weapon, Martel smiled as he disabled the attack and lunged forward afterwards, though he did not connect. He could not quite see how he would ever need the skill to fight with...

384. Handing It Over

Solday morning, Martel made his way to the workshops for his recurring chore. At this point, as he and the other students arrived, they did not wait for Master Jerome to appear and assign them work. Everyone simply moved to the same station they had commanded last, which for Martel meant the laboratory.

As he entered, he noticed that the tools and ingredients for the fire pots still lay on one of the worktables; Master Jerome had told him not to bother removing them when he finished his...

383. An Enchanting Day

Martel slept soundly after the events at House Thierry, chasing the islander thief and the relic through the streets, and he woke feeling rested. It felt good to be done with the hunt for the artefact and that his efforts were rewarded with satisfaction. Of course, gaining the protection of the Pact was no meagre prize either.

There was the nagging thought that somebody had hired the Silver Serpents to kill him, and Martel did not know who; he could have wrung the truth out of the islan...

382. Wheeling and Dealing

With empowered speed, Martel ran after the fleeing islander. He swore at his grey robe, longer than he was accustomed to, forcing him to pull it up in order to run. Plenty of drivers in the yard laughed seeing a monk hike up his clothes to sprint like a madman in pursuit of a stableboy. Laughter only increased as a second monk appeared from the stable, likewise in pursuit, though he quickly fell behind.

The islander was fast. Thankfully, the streets of the nobles' quarter were well lit,...

381. Treasure Hunt

Unlike hearing a sound, Martel could not tell the point of origin when feeling the relic. It was a sensation that slowly built up inside of him, but he had to guess the direction; he only knew he had chosen right when the sensation increased and grew stronger while moving. This led to the Oort spectacle of two mugs, one trailing the other, walking in awkward circles around the entrance hall. Fortunately, neither guests nor guards questioned them, and eventually, Martel could discern that they...

380. Grey Brothers

Moira's lessons on Manday saw a repeat of practising with or against golden weapons. It was not terribly different compared to fighting an opponent armed with an ordinary dagger. It really only required two adjustments. The shield spell being ineffective, you had to keep distance to your enemy; and you had to direct your spells elsewhere than the torso, otherwise the easiest place to land a spell, as the gold on the dagger might intercept and nullify the attack.

Having faced plenty of e...

379. Burnout

Malday saw the continued training of the fire acolytes in mail armour, and it seemed some of them took it more seriously after yesterday's lecture on golden bullets. Martel, already accustomed to the weight and feel, allowed his mind to dwell on other matters while the staff in his hands parried blows.

Flora needed to pay. Kerra had done the same to him, using his life as bait for a trap, and Martel had been forced to accept it; going to war with one of the Nine Lords as a novice at the...

378. Slow Fire

By the time Martel had to appear in the Circle of Fire again for lessons, his wounds seemed almost healed, and he could shed his bandages. While still sore, his injuries had closed, and only silvery scars remained as visible reminders. Martel once more marvelled at the power of magical healing, even if it also meant a speedy return to his lessons with Moira.

The aged woman strode into the chamber, and her wild eyes fixed on Martel. In her hands, she carried a bundle. "You. Boy. Tell us ...

377. Wisdom without Knowledge

As Martel did his chores Solday morning, his mind busied itself with thoughts on today's examination. Master Fenrick had brushed off any questions, claiming it to be a quick and simple process, and since Martel could make the runes work, he should not have anything to worry about. Still, his last such examination had been when he moved from novice to acolyte, where Reynard had tried to sabotage him; Martel had no proof, but he felt certain of it. Though Master Fenrick had never given Martel a...

376. On the Nature of Authority

His evening out with Maximilian and Eleanor did much to uplift Martel’s spirit, as intended. He had faced dangers before and come out stronger for it, and the company of his closest friends did much to chase away the gloom of recent events. Along with the knowledge that his attackers had been slain, Martel felt fine.

His only trouble came at night; his body no longer overwhelmed by the need for rest and recuperation apparently gave room for his mind to fill the nocturnal hours with un...

375. Three Spells

His second day in the infirmary, Martel woke early. Not a surprise, considering how much he had slept the previous days. It was still dark outside, so he summoned a flame to hover above his head and picked up Eleanor's book to read. He noticed that the nurse on duty gave him a look with an odd expression, but in the darkness of the hall, he could not interpret it, so he simply continued with reading. It was a fascinating tale of three Archean heroes. The title referred to their specialisation...

374. A Day in the Infirmary

Martel's thirst and especially his appetite had returned in full force when he woke the next morning. The sun had yet to rise, and it was too early for breakfast to be served, but the nurse on duty gave him water and bread, the latter soaked in a bit of wine to make it softer to chew and more nourishing. A simple meal, but it satiated the gaping hole in his stomach.

Unable to sleep further, but also not allowed to get out of bed, Martel studied his surroundings. Every moment his mind wa...

373. Red Hunt

The world was a blur. Shapeless colours were replaced by darkness until jolts of pain brought Martel back briefly, his mind soon after retreating into black again. On and on this pattern continued.

"Hold him down while I open this up!"

The sound of fabric being cut. More pangs of agony.

"Keep pressure on the wound!"

"Princeps, look! This blood on my hands, it's from his back!"

A string of curses. "Turn him on the side!"

Martel groaned as movement sent waves...

372. A Red Day at Market

At this point, Martel had grown to hate his fire ray spell to such a degree, he would never use it outside of the Circle of Fire. Moira had simply ruined it for him. He had scorched the wall with enough flames to burn down a large forest, and still she demanded he persist.

He began to wonder about the punishment for simply not showing up to class. At this point, it seemed certain he would not be expelled from the Lyceum regardless of his behaviour; as long as he did nothing to make the ...

371. Bridging a Gap

Solday morning passed as usual, work keeping Martel occupied; before he knew it, the afternoon had arrived along with his regular get-together in the library with Eleanor. Both of them had their drawings of runes with them, which they spread out across the table.

"Does any of them stand out to you? In the way that Master Fenrick mentioned yesterday, I mean." She looked up at him.

Martel reached out a finger to place it against the rune of warmth and slide the parchment towards him...

370. New Methods

Standing in his classroom, Master Fenrick held up a piece of parchment with a strange semicircle and other lines drawn upon it. "This is the last rune I will teach you. Simply because we are out of time. Next Manday will be your last lesson in the subject with an examination taking place the following afternoon. I know you mageknights have weapon training, but you have been allowed to arrive late for that."

Martel could not help but feel a little rattled. Even if he believed Eleanor's w...

369. Veiled Warnings

As he wiped the sweat from his brow during his second combat lesson, Martel tried to determine which kind of training he disliked the most. Doing weapon sparring without magic against mageknights was a fool's errand; Martel could not imagine what Reynard thought this would accomplish, which made him suspect that Reynard had not given this any thought to begin with. But at least the chain shirt protected against blows, leaving Martel with nothing worse than superficial bruises; as the mageknig...

368. The Slow Machinations of Earth

If Moira had been anything like Master Alastair, or even just Master Fenrick or mistress Rana, Martel would probably have loved learning fire magic at the Lyceum. If he overlooked the reason why he was being taught these spells, Martel felt a joy each time he unleashed the fire in his soul. Like seeing the acrobats perform their feats of dexterity and athleticism during market faires, it came so swiftly and naturally to him.

And all he used it for was burning a ray of fire into the wall...

367. Study Sessions

Feeling the pace set by Master Fenrick when it came to learning Tyrian runes, Martel only became more and more glad to have Eleanor's company for studying every Solday. Having grown up with tutors, it seemed second nature to her. She made extensive notes and knew how to look for more information.

She had also known to compare their drawings of the runes with those of the library's tome; it seemed an obvious thing to do, but Martel might have spent several fruitless sessions practising b...

366. Matter over Mind

The longer Martel thought about it, the better he felt about his decision to stay in Morcaster. As intriguing as it would be to set sail for foreign lands, ultimately, it was an aux too far to trust this mysterious fellow, whom he had only met once before, and whose real name he had not learned. Going to his class on interior runes, sitting down with Maximilian and Eleanor on either side, Martel felt reassured he had chosen wisely.

As the previous Mandays, Master Fenrick had another run...