100. Ritualweaver
Lukas stirred from a deep slumber almost a full day later, still feeling exhausted and mentally drained. The ritual had taken more from him than he expected, awakening a new respect for Penelope. The sorcerer continued after casting as if it were just another spell. Lukas had almost lost consciousness half a dozen times during. The clones had to jump in and help him keep everything stable. One of the three had no choice but to dispel himself after his arcane shell started to destabilize, and control over magic became erratic.
The remaining clones carried Mira’s unconscious form back to her suite after the ritual was complete. Fortunately, Liesel was still in the bath and none the wiser. Exhaustion had hit Lukas like a runaway horse as soon as the process ended. He collapsed on his bed but didn’t allow himself to fall asleep, even though the strain from the magic and the day’s journey weighed heavily on his mind and body. There was too much to do and even more to figure out. Lukas couldn't help but replay the ritual in his head, looking through his own and the dispelled clone's memories.
Much to his relief, it was a success. It would be challenging to quantify the degree of success until Mira awakened, but he and the clones had tracked everything carefully. Initially, the black dragon’s flames had flared, seemingly eager to take over her arcane circuits and spread itself throughout her body. Lukas believed that if allowed, it would’ve completely replaced the silver dragonfire and her natural magic, allowing the woman to use nothing but Erasure. She likely wouldn’t pass out after every use, but the toll on her body would’ve significantly reduced her lifespan.
Now that silver dragonfire was the dominant presence, the opposite was likely to happen. Once the Draco Lily’s energy entered the mix, the black flames failed to maintain superiority. The silver didn't consume it; that wasn't in its nature. Instead, the brightness formed a shell around the dark. Mira would likely need to develop a technique to allow small quantities out and use the more powerful fire to guide and control the latter. They were in uncharted territory, and she’d need to figure things out. Lukas hoped Penelope would help her with the process. He had concocted a new story for her.
The sorcerer was likely to sense the aftereffects of the ritual or identify what it had accomplished on meeting Mira. Lukas intended to tell her he had sensed the silver dragonfire and also that the black was attempting to consume it while ravaging Mira inside and out. He and the clones had memorized the ritual after witnessing and drawing it countless times and used ingredients from the road and Mira's stores to help her. Penelope was likely to chide him for the recklessness and possible consequences, but would hopefully understand that he had no other choice.
“Why go to such extremes, boss?” A Spellweaver clone asked, sitting by the window. It had completed its task of scrubbing the floors clean while he slept and was now practising with Lightningfire spheres.
Lukas believed Stormfire wasn't enough. It was potent but chaotic and noisy. Unlike standard lightning magic, the Lightningfire spheres was silent. It wasn't a creation from Penelope's fire tome. He had come up by initiating the process of Stormfire sphere formation and then manifesting an arcane filter that didn't allow the sound magic to pass. The Lightningfire still crackled, sizzled, and hummed. So, Lukas coated it in the filtered sound magic, creating a silencing field, similar to Silencing Shadows.
The result was a ball of violent energy that didn’t suffer from the usual path of lightning—being near-impossible to target since it only followed the path of least resistance. Lukas and the clones’ current projection abilities made them mid-range casters. They had a long way to go before meeting the criteria for long-range attackers like Liesel or Penelope.
“We trust Penelope, right?”
“Yes, but cautiously. It's not safe to let her know about our connection to Silverspine. Curiosity and friendship have kept us safe from the conclave. However, it's clear that she has professional obligations. It's for the best we don’t put her in a position where her allegiances and friendships are tested.”
“Is that really it?” The clone asked. “You’re still worried her allegiance to the conclave will get in the way?”
Lukas nodded, climbing out of bed. He ignored the usual heavy clothing. Reistein was much too warm, and he wished to freshen up. It was time for him to visit the baths, finally. He could think of nothing better to do than immerse his body in scalding waters.
“Penelope is a good friend, but the betterment of Fracture and controlling draconic presences seems to take priority. Imagine her reaction if she were to find out that I used to serve one of the great dragons and am still bound to her by a soulbound relic. Any sane, logical person would question my loyalties and motives.” Lukas paused, putting on the robes and slippers provided in the room. “The more she knows, the more she is likely to question the source of our knowledge. It's in our best interests to ensure that never happens.”
“She’s already going to struggle to believe you identified what was wrong and pulled off this ritual,” the clone stated.
“Perhaps. But if we can get Mira to bullshit with us, and make it convincing, maybe that won’t happen.”
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“How long can we keep this up, though? We’ve not spent much time with Penelope since coming to the Gray, but are you willing to part ways with her and give up on the prospect of joining the conclave?”
“No. But at the same time, I’d rather live life on my own tune and not follow her from place to place in the hopes of morsels of knowledge. Penelope might’ve helped us with a bunch of breakthroughs, but she gives us morsels. Could it be that it's because she doesn’t trust us completely either? Compare the guidance Shae has received in the past month to everything she’s taught us. It doesn’t compare. We’ve learned more by copying bits of her library than directly from her.”
“I can’t refute that.”
“What are the updates on the Morph front?” Lukas asked. Since he was asleep, the clones hadn’t dispelled themselves. Instead, they had rotated back and forth, running information. “Who are the murderers, and did they identify him?”
“They looked like and felt like ordinary people,” the clone answered. “No strange arcane signatures. The pair clearly had shards, but that’s it. I got there just as they were throwing Morph in the river. The bastards thought he was the drunk.”
“I imagine there is going to be a surprise when the fool wakes up sore and hungover, and everyone thinks he died.” Lukas resummoned Morph at high mass, granting him the Stormtrooper speciality. “I need you back out there, but as a party member. The locals are going to be suspicious. Leisel is going to… be suspicious.”
“I got it, boss,” Morph replied, starting to transform straight away. Bones shifted and muscles wriggled like worms under his skin. “Are you sure you don’t want me out there again?”
Lukas shook his head, stretching. “Return to the original role. It's best if stalkers watch the building and attempt infiltration.”
“Losing all the extra biomass must sting,” the other clone said, smacking Morph’s shoulder.
“I’ll survive.” Morph appeared annoyed. He peeked out through the room’s door before leaving.
“What’s his problem?”
“Bad attitude is all,” Lukas said, before dispelling all the remaining clones in Reistein and resummoning them.
The party had returned from the hot springs hours ago. Most of them were now asleep, and the clones were keeping watch around the inn. It was near dawn, and Xander would undoubtedly soon wake for his usual routine. Flukas went out with a stack of journals and parchment to study theory in the dining room below. The remaining clones went out the window, dividing surveillance and infiltration duties amongst themselves. They had a mixture of specializations and shard abilities, and Lukas didn’t feel the need to micromanage them.
In the meantime, Lukas went over all the surrounding mysteries and issues.
What the fuck is going on in Reistein?
What’s going on with the Jotun?
Are the Revolution good as they seem? Are they blind idealists? Are they malicious?
Is Mira what she seems? Can I trust her?
Countless questions flooded Lukas’s mind. He had a lot to figure out and didn’t know where to start. To start with, he focused inward, closely studying his Mind Pillar. The obstacle with Spellweaver had forced him not to rely on the journal alone and learn to get a feel for the Pillars of Self. He could tell that the ability was close to ascension but not quite. Something was getting in the way, and Lukas couldn’t be sure what it was.
The Soul Pillar reached its first threshold when Lukas figured out how to create new clone specializations. He was sure it was the same for the Mind Pillar. The mid-tier ability increased his sensitivity to threads and made identifying their purpose better. Lukas didn’t believe that anything related to it would assist with his ascension.
Spellweaver had helped him alter enchantments, wards, and spells cast by him and others. The only thing left to do was to apply the same approach to rituals. The ability had helped him contain the magic the previous day, but he hadn’t tried to twist or bend it to his will. Lukas didn’t know enough about the ritual to take such a risk.
Much to Lukas’s surprise, his Heart Pillar appeared in a constant state of change. It seemed to be drawing magic and more from the environment and a realm beyond the physical, enveloping everything in a spiritual structure and strengthening itself. The structure was on the verge of achieving a concrete shape but struggled to hold on. Ethereal bits fluctuated in and out of solidity.
When Lukas created a lightningfire sphere, more of the pillar solidified. It gently pulsed, growing stronger with every passing second. The process accelerated when he attempted to shape and manipulate the spheres.
The journal vibrated.
Thunderstorm’s Eye has progressed to rank 8!
Your heart’s energy capacity has increased.
Lukas believed he owed the rapid growth to the constant innovation and exploration of storm energy. The more things he explored and developed, the faster his ability progressed and the pillar solidified.
That’s it. I need to figure out new things to do with Spellweaver. The question is what. I can’t think of doing anything besides altering a ritual.
Leftover ingredients littered the room. The clones had collected more than necessary. Parts of the ritual circle still remained, and Lukas took advantage of them. He used the paint made using chalk, his blood, and powdered arcane crystal to put together something new. Penelope’s ritual journal didn’t just include magic to strengthen the dragonblooded but ordinary mages, too. He used the most basic of such rituals.
While the advanced rituals focused on empowering mages with specific attunements, the version he had his eyes on worked with pure arcane energy. It wasn’t the most efficient since everyone had natural attunements or talents. Apparently, sorcerers and wizards used the basic ritual to increase their inexperienced apprentice’s connection to magic, widening arcane circuits and control over them.
People rarely used such processes, preferring the eventual growth that came with time because of the expensive, arcane crystals the ritual demanded. Thanks to the Jotun, Lukas’s clones had gathered a surplus of them from warbeasts’ hearts and brains.
It felt as if Lukas’s body was on fire. Everything tingled and stung as magic with high purity and density rushed through his arcane circuits. The energy didn’t just force the channels to widen but also strengthened their walls. Lukas didn’t stop at the basic function but pulled on the threads that strengthened the mind, committing more resources to the ritual’s element. His mind became clearer, and control marginally improved.
More energy faded into the atmosphere than his body absorbed, but that didn’t matter. Lukas got the results he wanted. Spellweaver didn’t reach the threshold, but Lukas finally felt the
pillar get closer. He was on the right track.