Fun Size
Newbie
“But if I delay my Earth Magic studies, my advancement will slow in equal proportion!” Larson said. The reduced salary was left unmentioned.
“True,” Fitz said. “But you are still young. Think of how far you’ve come, and how much further you could go! Any scholar of the Earth can become a formalist in time; but a dual formalist? Now those are a rare and valuable breed. Think of your long term value.” Fitz always thought of the long term; it made dealing with him right now a chore.
“The only reason the Academy wants me is so I can cast life spells if someone botches a ritual. They don’t want me for much more.”
“That’s why I’m recommending you make yourself more. Besides, do you want the members of the Academy to always look down on you?”
“Look down on me? What for?”
Fitz snorted, “For not being a Celestialist. When you study the stars, it’s terribly easy to look down on people.”
“Ugh. I don’t care much about what they think. I’ve finally mastered a fourth life spell, and the more spells I can cast, the more the Academy here can risk.”
“In five, maybe four years if you push yourself, you could also have a preliminary understanding of celestial magic’s formal mysteries, and as many spells . What you can do with just that is incredible.”
In the background, the newly familiar sound of the mist gate’s droning began. Someone was returning home from a jaunt. The echo of excited voices filled the halls.
“Look, I’m happy with what I have. A comfortable life, a decent amount of respect, and a steady income. This is more than I could ever have hoped for before I learned to read a couple years ago.”
Fitz sighed, “Just... think on it, ok? It’s never too late to start, even if it is harder.”
Just then, a panicked shout came from the gate room, “We’re missing someone, we have to go back. We need a healer!”
Fitz and Larson’s eyes shot directly to one another. “Well,” said Fitz. “Go on already!”
He hurried to the gate room, which was filled with a ragtag looking bunch of warriors of all races. The Mercenaries guild? No, this must be the Outlanders; there were no common insignias.
“I’m a healer,” Larson said. “What do you need?”
One of them came forward, a human man with a long black ponytail. “Come with us. Our friend got left behind in a volcano.”
“Wha- what?”
And just like that, they began gating out.
**************************************
“My Lord?” a voice called, tearing Larson out of his daydreaming. It was a long and dull caravan ride to deliver the supplies, but that was no excuse for dropping his guard.
“Oh, sorry, was just thinking back to something from a few years ago. A regret, really.”
“Oh? What about?” Fitz asked with genuine curiosity.
“Something you and I discussed, right before everything changed...you were right. I could’ve been a dualist by now.”
“Yes, but now you’re the Lord High Arbiter. I think you’ve done quite well for yourself.”
“Hmm...” he paused in thought. Fitz was one of the few people he could be genuine with, his true self. “Did you know that I didn’t know what a meteor was until recently? After my Herald addressed us in the dreamscape? The ramifications of such entities eluded me.”
“No my Lord, I did not.”
“I think... it’s about time we get ahead of other such surprises.”
Fitz grew a wide grin. “Agreed. When we get home let me introduce you to someone. A new friend of mine that’ll do just the trick.”
“True,” Fitz said. “But you are still young. Think of how far you’ve come, and how much further you could go! Any scholar of the Earth can become a formalist in time; but a dual formalist? Now those are a rare and valuable breed. Think of your long term value.” Fitz always thought of the long term; it made dealing with him right now a chore.
“The only reason the Academy wants me is so I can cast life spells if someone botches a ritual. They don’t want me for much more.”
“That’s why I’m recommending you make yourself more. Besides, do you want the members of the Academy to always look down on you?”
“Look down on me? What for?”
Fitz snorted, “For not being a Celestialist. When you study the stars, it’s terribly easy to look down on people.”
“Ugh. I don’t care much about what they think. I’ve finally mastered a fourth life spell, and the more spells I can cast, the more the Academy here can risk.”
“In five, maybe four years if you push yourself, you could also have a preliminary understanding of celestial magic’s formal mysteries, and as many spells . What you can do with just that is incredible.”
In the background, the newly familiar sound of the mist gate’s droning began. Someone was returning home from a jaunt. The echo of excited voices filled the halls.
“Look, I’m happy with what I have. A comfortable life, a decent amount of respect, and a steady income. This is more than I could ever have hoped for before I learned to read a couple years ago.”
Fitz sighed, “Just... think on it, ok? It’s never too late to start, even if it is harder.”
Just then, a panicked shout came from the gate room, “We’re missing someone, we have to go back. We need a healer!”
Fitz and Larson’s eyes shot directly to one another. “Well,” said Fitz. “Go on already!”
He hurried to the gate room, which was filled with a ragtag looking bunch of warriors of all races. The Mercenaries guild? No, this must be the Outlanders; there were no common insignias.
“I’m a healer,” Larson said. “What do you need?”
One of them came forward, a human man with a long black ponytail. “Come with us. Our friend got left behind in a volcano.”
“Wha- what?”
And just like that, they began gating out.
**************************************
“My Lord?” a voice called, tearing Larson out of his daydreaming. It was a long and dull caravan ride to deliver the supplies, but that was no excuse for dropping his guard.
“Oh, sorry, was just thinking back to something from a few years ago. A regret, really.”
“Oh? What about?” Fitz asked with genuine curiosity.
“Something you and I discussed, right before everything changed...you were right. I could’ve been a dualist by now.”
“Yes, but now you’re the Lord High Arbiter. I think you’ve done quite well for yourself.”
“Hmm...” he paused in thought. Fitz was one of the few people he could be genuine with, his true self. “Did you know that I didn’t know what a meteor was until recently? After my Herald addressed us in the dreamscape? The ramifications of such entities eluded me.”
“No my Lord, I did not.”
“I think... it’s about time we get ahead of other such surprises.”
Fitz grew a wide grin. “Agreed. When we get home let me introduce you to someone. A new friend of mine that’ll do just the trick.”
