Chapter 315: Simple Tasks
An hour passed slowly, and then another, but I remained deep in meditation. Magic was the one thing I could truly lose myself in, the one single joy that had sustained me through countless dark nights. I spent almost the entire first half studying Astral Breath, working out countless ways it might connect with my soul.
After a dozen failed attempts, I finally gave up and opened my eyes. Fable glanced at me, disturbed by my lashing tail, and I let out a sharp breath.
"Sorry, it’s just...never mind. I’ll work on it later," I resolved. He blinked slowly then plopped his massive head in my lap, looking up at me expectantly.
Fighting a smile, I rested a hand between his horns and stroked his silver fur, slowly letting the frustration drain away. The golden stars in his eyes, and I supposed my own, were nearly identical to the stars of Fate. The Eyes of Fate had allowed me to see only the surface of souls, yet the Oracle of Eternity could penetrate their depths with ease. Besides granting me far more control over my visions–exactly how much was still a mystery–it allowed me a chance to view things I’d never thought possible. Abilities for instance.
My breath caught as an idea forced its way into my mind. An excited tremor ran down my tail, sending it flicking back and forth. Abilities were just mana utilized instinctively by the soul. They were infinitely more complex than regular spells, but why would that make them unique?
The monstrous centipede’s ability had worked by reinforcing its shell with a network of mana. Beyond simply strengthening it to absurd degrees, the ability redistributed the force of incoming attacks throughout the entire carapace, a stunningly effective tactic on a creature so large. Swords worked by concentrating power on a razor edge, so taking that power and spreading it out over hundreds of feet of carapace easily nullified even high-level attacks. If I could somehow replicate that effect in a normal protective spell...
My hand shook as I raised it, pointing at an empty spot in the air. "Static Aegis."
The second-circle spell appeared immediately, a glimmering translucent sphere of golden light. Without hesitating, I activated the Oracle of Eternity and studied the circles closely. Aegis was the first fate spell I had ever cast, as familiar to me as the ridges of my horns or the grooves in my staff. Each of the runes was a nexus of mana, bound by tiny threads of light the hundreds of stars in the fabric of fate. The entire world was a single tapestry, beautiful and complex, every star affecting the others.
I withdrew a thread of mana from my soul and, with the delicate skill of a spider, began to weave a new pattern within the Aegis. Each was a network of possibilities, but it quickly became apparent the framework of a simple Aegis spell was too small for what I had in mind.