Chapter: 282 - Goodwill and Favors (Patreon)

Previous __________ ToC __________ Next

Tala reached the end of her abbreviated tale and took a bite of her soup-soaked bread.

Lissa was leaning forward, her attention obviously raptly engaged on Tala. “Mistress Tala.”

There was another prolonged silence before the older woman shook her head, leaning back. Tala took that time to eat as much as she could while maintaining a modicum of manners.

Finally, the woman gave an overwhelmed smile. “I am so glad that I am not a Mage.”

Tala snorted a laugh, then kept laughing, the reaction coming from her gut and shivering through her whole being, bringing tears of mirth to her eyes.

Lissa patiently waited for Tala to recover herself.

Finally, Tala was calm enough to take another large bite.

“Mistress Tala. You need to work through this. Even what little you shared is enough to have given me nightmares, if I were the one to go through it. Are you talking with anyone?”

She shrugged. “Some? A few know the full extent of what happened, and I’m talking with friends here and there.”

Lissa’s brow creased in concern. “I’m sure you need to be careful, but surely there’s someone available that you can talk with. You need to process, not just let me know what happened.”

Tala opened her mouth, but found she didn’t have anything to say in response, so she just took another bite instead.

Lissa placed her hand on top of Tala’s that was resting on the table. “You are cared for, Mistress.” She gave a reassuring smile. “Is there anything that we can do?”

Tala shrugged. “I was thinking of offering you all a position, working for me, but I don’t know that it would work well.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I need a cook, and some other help, but I think your family would be a bit large. I need help on my outings, and they could be long trips.”

“I see.” The woman actually seemed to consider it for a long moment. “Would it be within reach of teleportation towers, and offer funding for trips?”

Tala opened her mouth, then closed it. That… That is a BRILLIANT idea!

-Can you teleport out of dimensional spaces?- An instant later, Alat continued, -Of course you can, what sort of idiotic question was that? It’ll take a modification of the spell-form, but it can be done.-

Plus, sending-scripts are much more complicated than the receiving ones.

Alat huffed a laugh. -Even though the process of receiving is ‘harder.’-

Such are the oddities of magic.

“That is an excellent question. The answer is probably yes, but I’ll have to check.”

Lissa looked around, clearly taking in the simple, clean restaurant around them before sighing. “While I won’t pretend there aren’t incentives that would get us to agree to something like that, I think that with the kids where they are in school, it would take a lot.”

Tala smiled. She’d not really expected to find help so easily, though it would have been nice. “That’s understandable.”

The woman must have felt bad about the refusal, because she continued her explanation. “Brand’s nine siblings all live here in this city, as do his folks.” Lissa smiled. “His parents moved here, away from his extended family, so he only sees his aunts and uncles and their descendants when he travels.” Her smile turned quite fond. “We got a bit of a late start; he didn’t find me until he had traveled a bit, and it took longer still before he convinced me to come back to Bandfast, to his family. I don’t know that I could stand leaving all that I know, not again. It would be very difficult to leave our community behind. I’m so sorry.”

“No, no. It’s more than fine, and I completely understand.” I can’t empathize, but I understand.

Lissa had opened her mouth to continue, but paused, seeming to consider what Tala had said. “Oh, alright then.”

Tala looked around. “The shop’s a bit slow today, isn’t it?”

Lissa gave her an odd look, then smiled. “School’s getting out in the next hour or so, and most adults are at work. We get a few customers at these times, but the real business is done closer to normal mealtimes.”

“Ah, yeah, that makes sense.”

The two women fell into comfortable silence as Tala continued to eat.

Finally, it looked like Lissa was about to stand, so Tala asked. “Can you tell me about your children? How are they?”

The woman paused, then gave a hesitant smile. “Are you sure? It is kind of you to ask, but…”

Tala smiled and nodded. “I’d love to hear, if you’re willing.”

And so, Lissa settled back in the chair and began to tell of her family with the passion only a parent could muster.

In the little stories and anecdotes, Tala heard echoes of her own family, her siblings, and it pulled at her heart.

-I have the message composed to send to Master Leighis. He’ll deliver it to your family with haste.-

Tala hesitated a long while, listening to Lissa pour out her love for her family. Finally, she relented. Send it.

-Done.-

The next hour passed just as pleasantly.

Lissa served the few customers that came through, but none stayed, so the woman always returned to Tala’s table and they continued to chat about Brand and Lissa’s family.

In the end, Tala stayed until the kids came to the shop, and their mother had other things that she had to get done.

They parted with smiles and quick hugs.

Tala insisted on paying for her large meal, in the end going so far as leaving two silver coins on the counter as she hurried out the door.

The cool air wrapped around her as the door swung shut in her wake.

Tala almost turned towards the next restaurant, but Lissa’s words had been marinating in her head for a bit now.

I need to talk with someone.

Alat sent positive agreement but wisely didn’t say anything.

Without delaying, or giving herself a chance to change her mind, Tala turned towards the Archon Compound.

Mistress Ingrit would likely not be the right person to chat with, but given the fact that Tala wanted to be able to speak frankly, openly, and without censoring herself, the Librarian should be a good person to check with for recommendations.

Following her new pattern, Tala took her time walking through the now somewhat busier, late afternoon city streets.

She was careful not to walk slowly enough to cause issues with those around her, but she definitely didn’t rush.

Even so, she got to the compound before she was quite ready, and was halfway down the hallway to the Arcanum when Alat grabbed her attention.

-Oh! Mistress Elnea is ready to come out.-

Tala pulled Kit from her belt and tossed it against the depiction of a thunder bull.

A door blossomed into being, matching the surrounding aesthetics as usual. It swung open, revealing rolling hills, and given the style and setting, Tala halfway expected to see a thunder bull charging her through the generous opening.

That really is a spectacular ability.

The sun was setting on the rolling hills within the sanctum, and the false sky was painted in stunning colors that Tala wished she could sit and soak in. Soon.

-Maybe, the person you talk to will want to sit in your sanctum?-

Yeah, that would be really nice.

Now that the door was open, Mistress Elnea strode out of the dimensional storage, her face practically glowing with excitement. “Mistress Tala. I am continually impressed with your sanctum. I would like to negotiate for the ability to station at least two researchers within, though we’ll have to work out logistics so that you aren’t inconvenienced.”

Tala nodded. “I am open to the idea. Do you know how dimensional storages hold up with teleportation senders and anchors?”

The woman opened her mouth, then closed it. After a moment’s thought, she nodded. “Normally, I would say it would put undue stress on the integrity of the space, but your sanctum is much more stable than standard. I think that with the proper reinforcement and more precise, delicate spellwork that should be possible.” She was tapping her jaw, below her right ear, clearly deep in thought. “That could be an incredible asset, actually.”

“So, if I understand your proposal correctly, you’ll look into this possibility first. Then, once we know a bit more, we can negotiate a rate and compensation package for my allowance of the long-term studying of my sanctum. Is that correct?”

Mistress Elnea nodded absently. “Yes, yes. I’ll reach out in the next few days. I’ve granted you Archive access to the raw data from my measurements, today. As I interpret the readings and compile them, I’ll keep you in the loop.”

Tala bowed, taking Kit from the wall as she straightened. “Thank you, Mistress Elnea. I appreciate that.”

-I found it… Wow. There is a LOT of information here.-

“Of course, Mistress Tala.” She opened her dimensional storage and held out a hand.

Understanding, Tala handed over the founts one at a time, Rob last. “Goodbye, Rob. I may see you again, but I may not.”

“Coward! Destroy me!”

Mistress Elnea tucked the orb away with a shake of her head before nodding in thanks to Tala. “Good night to you.”

“Good night.”

The Head of the Archon Council walked back towards the entry hall, likely either leaving to head home or going to a different wing to get some work done.

Tala hesitated, standing in the ornate hallway.

-Tala?-

I’m going, I’m going. She took the first step, and that made the next easier.

Soon enough she stepped into the Arcanum proper and found Mistress Ingrit already waiting for her.

“Good evening, Mistress Tala, right this way.”

The Librarian looked perfectly put together, relaxed, and in supreme command of herself and the situation.

Tala felt herself relax, even if just slightly as she smiled at the woman. “Good evening, Mistress Ingrit.”

Together, they walked to a booth that was seemingly prepared for them, hot tea already ready with two cups set out.

I haven’t taken the time for tea in… too long.

-We can correct that too.-

“Now, Mistress Tala, what brings you here this evening?”

“Well, I actually do have a lot of questions for you, but first and foremost, before I lose the nerve to ask, I need someone to talk to, to process my experiences with.”

“Ahh, yes. A good therapist is worth their weight in gold.”

“Precisely.” Tala looked away, feeling a bit awkward. “Plus, all that I experienced… I imagine that much isn’t really…”

Mistress Ingrit nodded. “Someone who can hear everything is a must. Did you have someone in mind, and you want me to vet them and get the clearance?”

“I was actually hoping that you might have someone to recommend.”

The Librarian cocked her head to one side, thinking. “A few names come to mind, but I’d like to give it some thought, if you don’t mind.”

Tala nodded, her smile returning. “I’d appreciate that. Thank you.”

“Now, what else can I do for you?”

“Well, I’ll just get a few of the topics out there, and let you address them as you see fit.”

“As you wish.”

“How is the Culinary Guild’s information proceeding? How is the process around my own information coming along? What are you negotiating for on my behalf?”

“The short answer with regard to the Culinary Guild is that they are making great strides in connecting with the Constructionist Guild, and they are very happy with you. There is no obligation towards you, nor anything truly owed, but I would not be surprised if they would grant you much, so long as the request was within reason.”

“Good to know. Thank you.”

The woman gave a pleased nod. “Of course. As to your own information, there have been hundreds of inquiries from experts of all stripes. For basic, surface level information, you have received some gold, but that is the least of what is available. My recommendation is that you come to me with anything you might need, and I will connect you with someone who can provide it. I imagine it will be a long time before you need to pay for anything, or have trouble accessing a resource at need. Speaking of which, Mistress Holly has requested the rights to procure experts and resources on your behalf for your Refining.”

Tala frowned. “She already asked me if she could bring others in. Why reach out to you?”

“Oh.” The woman smiled. “I apologize, I was not clear. She requested the ability to pay for experts and resources using what I have negotiated for on your behalf.”

“Why wouldn’t she ask me?”

“With all due respect, even with the gold I’ve gotten you, you could not afford the things or people that she wants to use.”

Tala blinked a few times. “Well, one thing at a time. How much gold have you gotten for me?”

The woman shrugged. “Three-hundred-eight gold and a smattering of lesser coinage.”

Tala sat back, dumbstruck. “What?”

“Generally, I used a small fee to ensure that we didn’t have to entertain thousands of unnecessary requests. A fee of even two gold won’t deter anyone who could really use this information, and for those same people, it is a meaningless amount.”

“And you’ve gotten hundreds of requests.”

“Of course. I only charge metal for the initial request. Beyond that I build up relational capital on your behalf, as well as debts to be cashed in later. Money is nice, and I will continue to ensure you have that, but there is much that money can’t buy.” She gave a knowing smile. “Like having the head of Alefast’s Archon Council personally escort you here, or having the head of our own Council personally helping you to research your artifacts and their intricacies. Though, that one was a favor gain for you, rather than a withdrawal.”

Tala shook her head in disbelief. “I suppose I don’t really understand how it all works.”

“That’s alright, dear. Resources are limited, and so there is much that money simply cannot buy, no matter how much you have. I am working to ensure that will never be a barrier for you.”

“So, another siphon fascia?”

The woman smiled. “I don’t believe it would be useful to you, but yes, if you wanted one, I believe I could have one delivered to you within the week.”

That was… startling. Connections are more valuable than money, and Mistress Ingrit is building us a network.

-We should ask her for an accounting, all the same.-

Good idea. “Could we get an accounting of what was granted to whom, and what you feel that means? I want to learn.”

“Oh, absolutely. I have that accounting and can grant you access immediately, if you so desire, but I recommend that we hold off. You are still settling in, and I’d be concerned that you’d become bogged down in the specifics.”

Tala considered. “How about next week?”

“If that is your wish. I am happy to grant it now, or at any time. My intent was simply for you to consider not taking on more, before you’ve processed what you already have on your plate.”

“That is… probably wise.”

The woman smiled encouragingly.

“Well, I suppose that’s all on those topics. Next, I’m curious about the Doman-Imithe and the mobile towns in the plains beyond the forest.”

“Not much to tell on both fronts. Your experiences in, and knowledge of, the Doman-Imithe are and will continue to be in high demand, more than I think you realize. We know of the place in theory, but to my knowledge no one in living memory has been there and returned.”

“Yeah, about that, Master Jevin said that Archons have traveled the solar system, and came back, but my understanding is that the Doman-Imithe is the only thing that can be entered, once you leave the planet.”

“I’ve not left myself. Maybe you could test out the theories? It does seem like humanity and arcanes have different theories and understandings of what exists outside this world.”

“And what of the towns?”

She shrugged. “Anyone capable of getting there knows of them, and knowledge of them isn’t restricted in the least, but we don’t specifically talk about them, partially because if even one percent of our population tried to go there, they could overwhelm the infrastructure. They are far more closed-off communities than our cities, and you have to petition to be allowed to move into one. Again, we don’t hide their existence, but there’s no good reason to advertise it either.”

“I suppose I can understand that.” I have to ask at some point… So, she turned to a darker question. “What does it really mean that so many founts are being used by the arcanes? Are they actually enslaved souls? I know that Master Boma and others are researching the issue, and I turned over several founts to Mistress Elnea, but I’m… I’m conflicted.”

Mistress Ingrit’s shoulders dropped slightly, and she leaned forward, looking down at the table for a moment. “That is a matter of some debate. As you’ve gathered, there doesn’t really seem to be a natural personality to a gate, at least not one we know how to interact with. Even so, we know from some research stolen in ages past that different gates power arcane technology differently, and the specifics of a particular gate must be taken into account.”

“So, more like wood from a different tree?”

“That’s one way to look at it, I suppose. The prevailing theory is that the personality of the soul can only exist in one realm at a time, so when the person dies, the personality manifests in the next world, rather than remaining here. What is left behind is more akin to what used to be on the other side. It is a link, without being a true person.”

“So, not harmful?”

“That is one belief, yes. It then makes the act of using gates like the repurposing of organs or bones after death, rather than a long-term torment of the deceased.”

“But that’s not the only theory.”

“No, no it is not. Some believe that we simply lack the ability to hear the soul’s torment, though it is generally accepted that the gates can close themselves, even against opposition trying to keep them in place, so that puts the ‘torment’ theory in doubt.”

“Huh.” Tala grimaced in frustration. “It’s not really cut and dry, is it?”

“Unfortunately not.”

“Well, then. I don’t suppose there’s much more to glean on that topic for now. I believe that you saw the Leshkin… generals in my memory. I would hope that they are not unknown.”

“They are a known element. They are the second most powerful variant of Leshkin we have encountered, the third most powerful that we are aware of, and the weakest of those capable of speech and true higher reasoning.”

“Why is that? Weren’t they all sapient before?”

“That is actually also a topic of some debate. They were never a truly prolific species, and some of our experts believe that part of their downfall came about because they tried to replicate human gates. Unfortunately, instead of bifurcating their souls and letting one half die, creating a thing like the human gate, their souls were shattered and scattered into the surrounding forests.”

“That’s why they can recombine?”

“That is one theory.”

Tala grunted. She was about to move on, when she fully processed something that the woman had said. “Wait, there is a variant more powerful than any human has encountered?”

“Yes.”

“How do we know?”

“Extensive studies of species. Four generals, bound together with something else, forges a royal. To our knowledge, there are only eight distinct royals, but we don’t know how the specific personality is selected. Four royals, joined together by one of their sacred cores, would theoretically create a god of the forest.”

Tala blinked. “What?”

-What?-

“In the earliest Leshkin Wars, two artifacts of incredible power were stolen from the fledgling Leshkin. They are the Leshkins’ professed reason for waging war upon us.”

“But if we returned them…”

“They would theoretically have the ability to create Transcendent or Sovereign level entities. Specifically, they could have two. From what little I know about the balance of arcane Sovereigns, two so united in purpose would have a chance of changing the face of Zeme.”

“That’s… terrifying.”

“Indeed. It is also why those cores were long ago placed beyond reach so that no well-meaning person could be deceived into returning them.”

Is it bad that I want to find them and merge them into my soulbonds?

-Yes, Tala. That is a bit overly ambitious.-

Fine…

-…Did you really not expect me to notice you adding that to your mental ‘to-do’ list?-

Hush. I need long-term goals.

“Now, what more can I answer for you?” The older woman smiled.

Alright, the harder topics… “Were we aware that the Mind Flayer was dead?”

Mistress Ingrit shook her head, her countenance falling slightly. “It was not common knowledge, no, but I was not surprised. He was a great friend to all the peoples of Zeme, at least in his later years. I don’t know that humanity had contact with him in the recent centuries.”

“Did we know that he had apprentices? People he taught his magics?”

“Yes, though last we heard, most were… not well regarded, not specifically because of bad actions, more because of what they were capable of. The Mind Flayer earned his place as a friend to all, and his apprentices didn’t.”

“Well, there are no more. Even his apprentices’ apprentices are gone. To my understanding, that line of magic is broken.”

Nodding, Mistress Ingrit looked down at her hands, resting in her lap, for a long moment. “That is good to know. There really was so much of import in your experiences, not all of it has really settled within my mind yet. Mind manipulation magic is a dangerous tool, and while its loss is unfortunate, I cannot say I am sad that those who had it are no more.”

Tala nodded as well. “And in that vein, has the security breach that allowed Be-thric into the city been closed? The arcanes seemed to believe that Clevenhold was even less well-defended than here, and they got a potential Pillar in to hunt among our people.” She tried to keep the anger from her voice, but she didn’t succeed. “To hunt me.”

“His breaching of our cities was a combination of his mental magics and a stolen collar, which was inclusive enough to allow its use on arcanes. I did see the conversation about Clevenhold, and I have notified the local Archon Council on your behalf.”

“To earn good will?”

“Precisely. I used my own name and standing to give weight to the warning, but they know that the actual information came from you.”

“Thank you.”

“As to if the breach he used has been closed?” Mistress Ingrit sighed. “No, but there is also no one else who could exploit it. Theoretically, a through-spike could bypass any city’s automated defenses as well as give an arcane an illusion to hide within, but those are highly controlled, and they show up on the city’s defense grid like a beacon, even if not as a threat. They are always investigated, even if just from afar.”

“And a collar, by itself, wouldn’t deal with an arcane’s visual difference.”

“Precisely.”

“What about a collar with a visual illusion?”

“Possible, but difficult. Any sufficiently advanced Archon could at least detect the presence of an illusion, and we do watch our cities rather closely. Be-thric slipped unnoticed because he did not project magic around himself. His acts of power were highly targeted and internal to his targets, making them doubly difficult to notice. I cannot swear that there are not holes in our defenses, as that would be foolishly optimistic, but they are not as glaring as your experience might imply.”

“I suppose I can understand that.”

“Now, it is getting late, was there anything else?”

Tala thought for a moment. I think that is it for now, but it’s probably worth verifying, “Should we modify my death clause to ensure that any information I gain in the future is not lost?”

Mistress Ingrit shook her head. “No, no. The standard magics are sufficient. If you don’t access your personal section of the Archive for three years, the designated portions will be reverted to the Library.”

Tala nodded, that was how she remembered it. “Thank you then. Good night, Mistress Ingrit.”

“Good night, Mistress Tala.”

Previous __________ ToC __________ Next