I sat by my writing desk contemplating what to do, considering every option, slowly and methodically. I refused to start on anything without weighing all the pros and cons.
First was Derek. I didn't care how carefully he could pick the clientele for the magical items. Without a doubt, some of them would be nobles. And unlike him, I actually served nobility. The one thing they liked to do was boast. Which meant that information about me would spread. The question was, how fast?
What was the worst-case scenario for me? I opened my book and started writing.
- Getting caught up in gang conflicts and possibly being stabbed or shot with an arrow in the streets.
'Once it gets around that I'm a magus. More subtle approaches to taking me out could arise through my affiliation with Derek.'
Possible Solutions:
- I need armor, both mundane and magical.
- I need allies to watch me sleep and defend against attacks.
- I need spies, people watching the streets, willing to give me information.
How do I achieve this? I could perhaps threaten and bully my way to control them. Use my power to instill fear. But no, such actions were doomed to failure. I thought about my experiences, what I had seen. The baron had the loyalty and respect of his people. Not through overwhelming fear and oppression but through proper leadership.
I remembered when I was pulled into Elis’s office. His eyes, when he believed that I was guilty, were without an ounce of mercy. He commanded Elis to shock me with lightning without hesitation. No doubt it would have devolved into proper torture if I hadn’t put on my greatest performance. So that must be the key, ruthlessness tempered by good leadership. Most of all, his people were loyal.
"Loyalty," I whispered.
Loyalty was the solution. What did these people need? Safety, security, justice, and freedom from those who oppressed them. If I made this simple section of the lower quarter safe, secure, and even prosperous, then would they not endeavor to protect me? Even more so if they knew I had the power to keep them safe. So long as they remained loyal, of course. I looked about my home, at the various magical tools.
The oven! Would a baker not love something so effective? And the bath and water generation, the magical stove, and the lights. Would taverns not love to have these? Even the brothel could boast that its whores bathed daily.
My mind whirled with the large number of things I could create to improve the lives of these people.
But there was another problem. This would spread. If so, what was the time frame for the Magisterium to arrive? It was best to assume the worst-case scenario, so six months, maybe seven; any more than that, and people in power would start connecting the dots.
Northern woman apostate; Missing Occularums; The dead baroness; Dead Magus; Was present during the attack; It wasn't a hard deduction to make. In fact, some may have already made it. What would be my sentence: Death without question.
It wasn't just possible, it was inevitable that I would be a fugitive of justice. But how else was I to learn more about magic and expand my skills? The simple fan forwarded my skills significantly. So, either I remain safe, leave the city, and isolate myself to research, which would take longer. Or be risky, acquire more magical items from Derek, potentially having the magisterium track me.
‘My entire life has been at risk, and the greatest risk brings the greatest rewards. So how do you manage the inevitable? Fighting is pointless, so escape it is.’
I started writing again.
Escape plan:
- Need a horse, fast, strong, able to travel a long distance.
- People constantly watching out for noble arrivals or people seeking information about an apostate. Or worse about Edith or Myr.
- Have stashes of resources around the city.
- Find escape routes: tunnels, sewage doesn't matter so long as I can get out of these walls.
- Create a route to travel. Not on the main roads. Keep a stash of at least 100 silver coins as an emergency.
- Set up arcane circles around the city to use as distractions. Fires and such.
- Leave behind fake escape plans to be discovered.
- Tell no one where I would run.
Possible location to hide:
- Helios: Low influence from the magisterium.
- Ferosia: Best solution far from the empire and outside the influence of the Magisterium.
- Northern Mountains: I don't like the cold.
- Northern Baronies: Highest influence of the Magisterium. But could have even greater access to magical items.
After my thoughts were complete, I sighed and stared at the crate sitting next to me. If it wasn't for that crate, I would probably have run already. But this one simple magical item expanded my abilities significantly.
The number of loads I could chain together wasn’t infinite; it was six. When binding the source to a load and chaining each load to the other, the bindings had to be made at the same time. So, the number of chains was the same as the imitation of my animus. I could only maintain 6 focused bindings at the same time. But with ten heat absorption sources inside my furnace. The number of items I could power at the same time was 59, with one dedicated to pushing air through the flue.
The spiraling air stream further increased the power generated by the furnace by at least 10-15%. Simply because it condensed a spiraling column of air in the center of the sphere of influence. With a proper arcane circle for shape transformation, I didn't doubt I would have enough power to properly shape metal. Even more so. It took three different arcane circles to create Dragon's breath. All I had to do was chain the three together and connect them to a single source. So instead of constantly maintaining three bindings, I only needed one. I had to get a new set of gloves, but instead of throwing the others away, I hid them.
Connecting the loads in series worked strangely. They all acted as one combined load. It didn't matter where in the series a load was; it received as much power as it could draw from the source.
I only had 15 connected to my furnace. The stoves, water generation barrels, bath, chill box, icebox, oven, and five Candles.
'Time to talk to Neil and Jenna. I'll need their help making something impressive looking. Magic requires sacrifice.'
I walked to Niel's store carrying the crate. Many people eyed me; suspicion, pity, every combination since Derek himself bothered to call on me.
'Alright, Myr, time to perform.'
It was early, and Neil still had sleep on his eyes. Jenna was nowhere to be seen. He looked at me, then at the box with a concerned expression on his face.
"You alright?" He asked.
I nodded, "He only wanted to talk."
"You didn't answer muh question." He said.
"It's been...trying," I said with a sigh.
"What did 'e want?"
I heard shuffling from the rear of the store. 'Good, she's eavesdropping again.'
I took a deep breath as if the words were difficult for me to say, "Vin and Mark ran into me after my outing with Jenna. It was getting late; I was being stupid. I should have gone home."
Keeping my eyes downcast, I shuddered. I could hear the deep intake of breath from Neil as he prepared to hear the worst.
"They...tried to...I wanted to avoid them but...I had to defend myself."
After a long pause, I said, "I killed them."
"I remembered the look in yer eye when you asked me to repair your dagger. It ain't the first time, isn't it?" He said.
"No, oddly enough, the same reason for both. The dagger is all I have left of a good friend. It's protected me several times. I wanted to ask a favor, but I understand if you'd rather not have me around your daughter."
Neil mumbled, "Do you know why I allowed her to go with you?"
I shrugged. He continued speaking, "Because you would kill to defend your honor. There's no virtue in the unwillingness to harm. It's a cruel, unforgivin’ world out there."
"I doubt you would think the same if you saw the bodies," I said.
Neil sniffed, "I've seen plenty dead,"
I shook my head, "Not like this." I finally looked up into his brown eyes and asked, "Would you like to know why I have no fear?"
His eyes flicked to the crate sitting on the floor and back to me, "Has something to do with that crate?"
I nodded. He took in a deep breath. "Could it bring me and mine harm?"
"Yes. But you'll likely find out soon enough without me telling you."
He gazed into my eyes for a long time.
"Let's hear it then," he said.
"It's better if I demonstrate."
Niel showed confusion as I took the lid off the crate and held it in my left hand. "Don't be scared."
I strengthened the binding I always kept active. Instantly, a blue-red flame a foot tall came to life in my right palm.
Niel jumped back, slamming against the wall behind him, staring at the stream of fire in my hand. He couldn't find the words. I let the flames grow taller at around three feet, and the wood in my left hand turned to ash.
"Gods...You're..." I turned to see Jenna staring at me. Fear, excitement, and something else all fought for dominance on her face.
I gave her a sweet smile, "Yes, Jenna, I'm a Magus."
~
We're in their forging area. The silence was deafening. Not unexpected, it's not every day you run into someone who can summon flame from nothing. Neil stood by his anvil while Jenna and I stood by a workbench.
"So, you just turn the wood into fire?” Jenna asked after nearly two minutes of silence.
"Something like that. But I can do far more than that." I reached for the wand. "Vin and Mark. Derek was not pleased with the death of his men. He's smart enough to figure out what I was. So, he gave me a choice: become his tool or suffer the consequences."
Jenna laughed, "You're a Magus, what can he do?"
"A dagger or an arrow will kill me all the same. Then there is the Magisterium. I am an apostate. Meaning I would likely be arrested or killed for the crime of existing."
Neil nodded, "Derek threatened you with them."
"Yes, you see my flames and think them impressive. But what a really powerful magus can do is beyond your comprehension. Even mine."
"That bastard," Jenna muttered.
"Why come to us with this?" Neil asked.
"We made a deal: I would take the position of the men I killed and supply them with magic items. This would be the first. " I gestured to the wand.
"What is it?" They asked at the same time.
"Essentially, it blows warm wind, simple, but during the winter months, a treasure. The novelty of it is worth gold, considering how hard magical items are to come by."
Neil chuckled, "How are we supposed to help with magic?"
"There's a gathering held every month where every lieutenant turns in their collections. This is my payment for this month. I just need to fix it and provide a power source. I need to make this."
I opened my book, showing him the design for the arcane source.
It was essentially a three-legged, two-inch-thick ring that would sit above a hearth fire. Each leg was roughly a foot tall. Neil looked at the drawing. He chewed his lips as he considered how to make it.
"I can provide coin as a payment, or if you wish, I could create a magical forge of sorts for you."
"Magic forge?" Jenna asked excitedly.
"Indeed, I can make something that heats metal evenly, no need for a flame, bellows, and such. It could look as simple as a table." I said.
"What else can you make?" Jenna asked.
I smiled slyly, "So many things, can you imagine what my home is like?"
Jenna started doing that odd rapid blinking again.
"The symbols; you could carve them into a ring of wood, then do a casting. Pour molten iron into the cast and forge weld the legs onto it. Fill in the symbols with clay or whatever you plan to use. How's this supposed to make that work?" Neil referred to the wand and my drawing.
"That's where the magic comes in. But it's all dependent on whether you're willing to help me. I don't want to work with Derek, but I'd rather not flee from a city again." I paused as they considered.
"You say that 'e's to take Vin and Mark's place. So, what's that going to be like?" Niel asked.
"Same thing, collect a silver a month, but I'm no rapist or merciless killer. I can help everyone meet the payments, maybe even better their lives. I have coin, but that will run out in time."
Jenna gave her father a pointed stare. Her position was clear, at least.
Neil took in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and silently prayed. "Alright, we'll help you. How long have you got?"
I shrugged, “Two weeks, more than enough time. It's not like Derek knows enough about magic to give a timetable."
Jenna excitedly asked, "So what's this about a magic forge?"
I smiled and pulled out another drawing.
~
It took two days to make the magic forge, and it was rather simple in the end. We just bought a heavy wooden table, around four feet across. Then I spent time carving the runes and arcane circle into the wood. Covered the entire surface in forging clay and reused an old ring from a barrel as an energy source. The simple bridge they were using was repurposed as an energy furnace.
Jenna was acting strangely, even more strangely than before. I'd often catch her staring at me as I worked. I shouldn't be too surprised after all, it's not like a peasant girl has many chances to meet a magus.
Neil tapped on the surface of the clay spread evenly across the table. There was a simple, large circle drawn roughly where the arcane circle was under the clay for them to use as a guide for where the sphere of influence was.
"So, we just put metal on there?" Jenna asked.
"Not yet, I need to make it work first," I said.
I started muttering the binding, making it as powerful as possible. After finishing, I opened my eyes.
"It's done," I announced.
"Really?” They both asked.
"I thought...” Jenna said.
"...It would be something impressive. Just wait," I teased.
"Try it and remember it's going to heat any metal, including the tongs." I nodded to Neil, who picked up a half-made horseshoe, then placed it inside the circle.
Nothing happened beyond the fire in the furnace burning a little dimmer. After 20 seconds, the metal started to smoke, then it stopped and slowly turned orange. After a minute, it was bright yellow, glowing beautifully.
"Gods," Neil said as he watched magic.
He picked up his tongs and leather gloves, grabbed the horseshoe off the table quickly. And started working on it with a hammer. When the metal dulled to a low orange glow, he placed it back on the clay-topped table, waited for it to turn bright yellow, and started pounding again.
He repeated the process for several minutes, working the metal into a proper horseshoe. Neil bent it to form and used odd tools to poke holes through the shoe. Jenna and I watched him silently as he worked like a man possessed. He eventually realized he didn’t need to place the entire thing inside the circle, only heating areas he wanted.
"It's amazing, the heating is even, no need to pump the bellows or deal with the fire, can’t wait to see what a proper quench is like," he said after finishing the horseshoe. He immediately went to another piece of steel in the vague shape of a knife. And watched smiling as in a minute the entire thing turned a bright orange. He pulled it off the table with the tang and got to hammering again.
"You think he remembers why you made that table?" Jenna asked as we watched her father work.
I shrugged, "It's magic, can’t fault him for wanting to test it out."
"What other things can you make?" Jenna asked.
I grinned, "Would you like to see my Bath?"