Spell Weaver [Book 2 Complete]

Alex’s fingers traced the pattern he’d drawn on the large sheet of paper in front of him. The ink had barely dried, and he thought through the process before him.

Mark and Sam talked quietly while seated on stools by the larger table to the side of the office, and Olivia paced back and forth on the other side of his desk.

“Shame Sarah couldn’t make it,” Mark said. “She’s been working a lot lately.”

Alex nodded but didn’t look up from the ritual schematic. “Yeah, she said that work with her client has turned into something more involved than they originally thought. But, she seems more excited about that than sitting in on meetings.”

“So, what’s the plan this time?” Olivia asked.

“It’s one of the rituals from the advanced ritual manual that Eura gave me. It’s actually a utility ritual that’s used in combination with some of the body-tempering rituals that are in there. It’s used to draw in mana from the surroundings and into whoever is in the central node.”

“Bleh, mages,” Mark said while winking at Sam, who bumped his shoulder.

Valtherion chose that moment to fly from his perched spot and land on Alex’s shoulders. As he passed over Mark and Sam, he let his tail flick out and tapped Mark on the back of the head.

“Hey, you little-”

“It’s actually meant specifically for people who aren’t mages.” Alex interrupted him before he could start chasing the small dragon-to-be around the office space.

“Really?” Mark asked, rubbing the back of his head where the tail had made contact.

“It’s meant to pull in more mana for the person but also to continually power the ritual for body-tempering warriors who might have lower mana reserves. I guess some of the body tempering rituals can last a long time and you have to stay in them as long as possible.”

“Sounds challenging,” Olivia said, though her interest seemed piqued.

“I’ll save you the details for now,” he said while shaking his head and returning his focus to his present trial.

The memory of his success with the Alarm Ritual flickered through his mind. He knew it was a small victory, and the one in front of him would be twice as great if it worked. He couldn’t shake the gnawing fear that it would be harder or that he’d fail in some way.

‘You must push through adversity to reach new heights.’

One of the sayings Eura had passed along to him in their discussion of warriors and leaders from each different world.

He knew the risk was dangerous to push things and that he should be taking them as slow as possible, but after his recent loss and the words from Eura’s example of a warrior who had reached the peak of power… Alex felt the desire to push past his own limits.

He firmed his resolve and looked to his friends and let them know his plans. “I’m going to push harder this time,” he said. His voice was firm, and he set his mind on the task. “I need to see how far I can go. Sam, I’ll need some healing from you, but I won’t push as far as that first time.”

Olivia looked concerned, and he held up a hand placatingly.

“Look, there has to be a balance. I know that there are limits to these things, but I have to explore how far I can push. I’ll do my best to be safe, but it means a lot that you’re all here to support me. Alright?”

There were tentative nods all around, and Sam stood from his stool to come and sit in the large leather chair that Alex normally sat in. It put the teenager behind him and within arm’s reach, waiting for the moment he needed healing.

Alex closed his eyes to center himself and push away the last bits of his self-doubt. Opening them, he activated [Parallel Mind], then splitting his focus activated [Ritual Insight] and the Heavenly Eye, just as he’d done before.

The same surge of power coursed through him as the skills activated and his brain began to absorb the information and analyze the ritual at the same time.

As the skills bounced off one another, Alex pushed slightly harder on the outward pressure with his ocular enhancement. Their synergy intensified, and he felt the knowledge come faster from both directions.

He tore the sheet away and let his years of practice with art take over and drew the new schematic as quickly as possible.

Both skills continued to cycle from one to the other, the influx of information coming at a dizzying rate. His eyebrows drew together in stubborn concentration, and he felt a cold sweat begin to run down his back as he struggled to keep pace.

He drew the ritual again, though he felt a need for change before it was even completed, tearing the sheet away and letting the improved version pour from him. Each iteration of the schematic was more refined and complex than the one before it. The physical strain of his intense focus manifested in trembling fingers and aching in the muscles between his shoulder blades and neck.

Just as he began to wonder if he should stop, he saw a blue screen appear in his vision. It was almost enough to break his concentration, but he clamped down fervently on both skills and saw the words on the screen just before they were dismissed from his mind.