Ends of Magic

“Trees of flesh?” Stella’s voice was confused. “What does that mean?”

Sarah was looking closer, her eyes intent. “There’s something blurring my vision. The city looks a ruin, surrounded by a forest of desolate trees. But on the edges, farthest away from the core of the city, the truth burns through. The branches are bone and pulsing veins, and they bear fleshy fruit.”

“An illusion?” Nathan asked, frowning. “I didn’t think death magic could do that.”

“Maybe,” Sarah said, sounding unconvinced. “There is a sheen of grey color over the city, from the center to the outskirts. The light is pale and uneven, and the towers flicker. I do not know what kind of magic it is. It is easy to mistake for this haze of magic.”

Nathan pursed his lips. They were still quite some distance from the center of the blight, too far for him to see or work his aura. “Do you think the whole thing is a lie?”

“The trees are true, just changed in form,” Khachi said thoughtfully. “The same is true of the city itself. It exists, but it is more corrupted than it appears.”

“Should I nuke it?” Stella asked, sounding unsure. “It’s the heart of the blight, and my bones say there isn’t a better target.”

Nathan shook his head. “We need access to the Seal. I don’t know if it's possible to destroy a Seal or not, but I don't want to have to dig it out from rubble as the rest of the blight tries to kill us.”

“The city is large. Stella's new spells won't destroy the whole thing.” Sarah said.

Stella wrung her hands together, nervous at the prospect of using her newest Insights. “If it detonates in the air then it will destroy buildings, but not bury them."

Nathan hesitated. She had a point there. “We still don’t have the range. We need to be closer. We’ve already revealed Khachi’s light and your wizardry. We should get closer, so the hit is more certain. I don't want to give them more time to react than necessary."

"I do need to be closer," Stella conceded.

The Heirs started moving again, quickly traversing the skies. Nathan marveled at how his new Talent enhanced his movement. It didn’t enhance his ability to quickly change directions as much as his other movement skills did, but it increased his top speed and made it eaier to move fast. Early ranks were usually easier, and it didn’t take long for Nathan to earn his first rank in the new Talent.