Chapter 3.3: Horizon
Alexander89
Pet the pretty kitty? Y/N
- Location
- Italy
A few days later, the Grandcypher reached the first planned stop on the crew's journey to Lumacie, a market town on a small island. However, without even disembarking first there were already troubles on the horizon.
"Is that what I think it is?" Rackam asked aloud while making the airship slow down.
"Yes. An Erste ship," Katalina frowned. "I should have expected it would have happened. Auguste renounced the Empire's rule, but their influence remains prevalent over a good part of the skydom."
"Should we just skip this stop?" Gran mused. "I would like to avoid troubles with the Empire so soon."
"That will not be a problem. Almost all the troops on board are leaving the city," Archer replied, standing on the bow with his arms crossed. His steel-colored eyes were staring at the island with intense focus. "Only a few men are left on the ship. If you move in a group they will leave you alone, and even if they send a message to the rest of the soldiers they will come back only after we depart."
"That's good to hear, but where are they going?" Vyrn asked.
"Don't know. There are no cities on that side of the island, so maybe it's a drill?" He shrugged.
"Wait wait wait!" Farrah leaned past the rails and squinted her eyes. "How do you know that? All I can see is the imperial ship!"
"Mister Archer's eyes are amazing!" Lyria smiled. "He saved us by firing arrows from two kilometers away!"
"Two kilometers?! No wayyyy!!" Farrah stared at Archer like he was a portent from the heavens.
"Are you done?" The bowman spared them a disinterested glance before going back to watch the city. "If you want to go, you better stop wasting time."
"Uhm, it's true there are a few things I would like to buy..." Katalina nodded. "What about a compromise? Those who want to visit the town can go, and the rest stay here to guard the Grandcypher."
"Fine with me. I'll stay," Eugen replied, soon imitated by Archer and a few others.
"Io, Io!" Lyria called out to the twin-tailed girl. "Do you want to come shopping with us?"
"Thank you Lyria, but there is something else I want to do," Nodding firmly the little mage walked up to Archer and stood behind him. "Hey."
"Yes?" he replied without turning around.
"Teach me Projection."
Archer didn't react at first. "Can I ask the reason behind this, frankly, unexpected request?"
"Just do it!" She insisted. "You have nothing better to do anyway."
'And you are so sure of that, why?' Archer thought with mild exasperation. Some days he wished he wasn't so used to being bossed around by strong-willed girls.
"Before we begin, let me ask you something," Once those who wanted to visit the town left, Archer started his lesson to Io. They were both seated at a table in the main meeting room of the Grandcypher. "Among the spells you know, is there one you developed yourself?"
"Yes!" Io grinned and raised her staff. "Do you want to-"
"No," Archer interrupted her. He raised his hand, palm facing the table. "Now observe. Trace on."
With only a few sparks an oil lamp came into existence.
"Trace on? Are those the spell words of Projection?" Io inquired.
"Yes. But they only work for me," At her incredulous look, he elaborated. "The branch of magic I use doesn't really have spell words. Rather, it has spells and the theory behind them. It is up to the student, after learning how the spell is supposed to work, to find the best way to apply that knowledge. In my case, 'Trace on' is what resonates the most with me, a simple phrase that helps me enter the proper mindset to use magic. It works not because the words themselves have any intrinsic meaning, but because I believe they work. I believe in it the same way I believe the sky is blue."
"Are you telling me-" Io cupped her chin, the look in her eyes turning from incredulous to intrigued. "That you cast a suggestion on yourself?"
He nodded, for once impressed. "That's exactly what I do. Let me guess, you want to tell me it's a stupid method?"
"No," She shook her head. "I'm just surprised because I never heard of something like that. My Master told me that Hypnosis is not a popular branch of magic because there are a lot of ways to misuse it, but this is novel."
"Your Master is wise," She smiled smugly at the compliment. "Anyway, before you can use Projection there are two spells you need to learn: Structural Analysis and Gradation Air. Structural Analysis is a spell where the mage injects his magical energy into an object to analyze it, learning the composition, internal structure and so on. With a sufficient level of mastery, it's possible to also learn the object's history and see everything that happened to it. While Gradation Air is the most basic form of Projection, the creation with the magical energy of the hollow shell of an object."
Archer tapped the lamp. "Your first task is to practice Structural Analysis on this lamp until you can tell me its internal structure and composition. Take a break if using Structural Analysis starts giving you a headache. This is a spell that involves downloading a massive amounts of data in your mind after all so, so overusing it can strain your brain."
Io grinned. "Easy!"
"THIS DAMN-!" Furious yells could be heard from below the deck of the Grandcypher. "GAAAAH!!"
"W-What's happening to Io?" Katalina asked with a mystified expression after she and the other returned from their trip.
"She asked me to teach her spells," Archer replied while leaning against the mast, an amused and nostalgic grin on his lips. "The first she got it easy. The second-"
"WHY DO THEY KEEP FALLING APART?!!"
"Not so much," Unlike his younger self, Io was quite talented, but even for a genius it takes more than a single day to properly use Gradation Air. His gaze then shifted from Katalina to the group's new addition. "And you are?"
"Greetings," The middle-aged man wore the armor of Erste making, but one denoting a high rank. Both his shield and lance were of excellent making, their histories telling Archer of the skills of their wielder. He was not superhuman, but the man before the bowman was, without doubt, a proud and valorous knight. "My name is Deliford. As per today, I'll a member of this crew. A pleasure to meet you."
"Archer," The white-haired man nodded before raising an eyebrow at Gran. "Is this your concept of shopping?"
"Ah, haha," He laughed nervously. "Honestly, it was a spur of the moment decision. We were talking about Estalucia, and things just evolved from there. Oh, but I also bought a new sword."
He took out the blade from its scabbard and showed it to Archer. A rapier of fine craftsmanship, an elaborated pommel with stylized dragon wings and a rich history. However…
"The sword you already have is better."
"Seriously?!"
Archer nodded and sighed. "Seriously. Unless you want to learn fencing, I suggest you stick with the weapon you already have."
"If you want to, Gran, I can teach you a thing or two about fencing," Katalina reassured the depressed young man.
"Captain," Deliford suddenly spoke. "I hate to impose on you, especially after I just joined your crew, but I have a favor to ask you."
"What is it?"
"I told you I left the Erste Empire when I couldn't see eye to eye with my superiors anymore. But the origin of our disagreement wasn't about me," He grimaced. "One of the soldiers I trained suffered a grave injustice, and as a result became a wanted criminal without fault on her part. Her name is Rosamia, and I believe right now she is on this island."
"Is that what I think it is?" Rackam asked aloud while making the airship slow down.
"Yes. An Erste ship," Katalina frowned. "I should have expected it would have happened. Auguste renounced the Empire's rule, but their influence remains prevalent over a good part of the skydom."
"Should we just skip this stop?" Gran mused. "I would like to avoid troubles with the Empire so soon."
"That will not be a problem. Almost all the troops on board are leaving the city," Archer replied, standing on the bow with his arms crossed. His steel-colored eyes were staring at the island with intense focus. "Only a few men are left on the ship. If you move in a group they will leave you alone, and even if they send a message to the rest of the soldiers they will come back only after we depart."
"That's good to hear, but where are they going?" Vyrn asked.
"Don't know. There are no cities on that side of the island, so maybe it's a drill?" He shrugged.
"Wait wait wait!" Farrah leaned past the rails and squinted her eyes. "How do you know that? All I can see is the imperial ship!"
"Mister Archer's eyes are amazing!" Lyria smiled. "He saved us by firing arrows from two kilometers away!"
"Two kilometers?! No wayyyy!!" Farrah stared at Archer like he was a portent from the heavens.
"Are you done?" The bowman spared them a disinterested glance before going back to watch the city. "If you want to go, you better stop wasting time."
"Uhm, it's true there are a few things I would like to buy..." Katalina nodded. "What about a compromise? Those who want to visit the town can go, and the rest stay here to guard the Grandcypher."
"Fine with me. I'll stay," Eugen replied, soon imitated by Archer and a few others.
"Io, Io!" Lyria called out to the twin-tailed girl. "Do you want to come shopping with us?"
"Thank you Lyria, but there is something else I want to do," Nodding firmly the little mage walked up to Archer and stood behind him. "Hey."
"Yes?" he replied without turning around.
"Teach me Projection."
Archer didn't react at first. "Can I ask the reason behind this, frankly, unexpected request?"
"Just do it!" She insisted. "You have nothing better to do anyway."
'And you are so sure of that, why?' Archer thought with mild exasperation. Some days he wished he wasn't so used to being bossed around by strong-willed girls.
[*]
"Before we begin, let me ask you something," Once those who wanted to visit the town left, Archer started his lesson to Io. They were both seated at a table in the main meeting room of the Grandcypher. "Among the spells you know, is there one you developed yourself?"
"Yes!" Io grinned and raised her staff. "Do you want to-"
"No," Archer interrupted her. He raised his hand, palm facing the table. "Now observe. Trace on."
With only a few sparks an oil lamp came into existence.
"Trace on? Are those the spell words of Projection?" Io inquired.
"Yes. But they only work for me," At her incredulous look, he elaborated. "The branch of magic I use doesn't really have spell words. Rather, it has spells and the theory behind them. It is up to the student, after learning how the spell is supposed to work, to find the best way to apply that knowledge. In my case, 'Trace on' is what resonates the most with me, a simple phrase that helps me enter the proper mindset to use magic. It works not because the words themselves have any intrinsic meaning, but because I believe they work. I believe in it the same way I believe the sky is blue."
"Are you telling me-" Io cupped her chin, the look in her eyes turning from incredulous to intrigued. "That you cast a suggestion on yourself?"
He nodded, for once impressed. "That's exactly what I do. Let me guess, you want to tell me it's a stupid method?"
"No," She shook her head. "I'm just surprised because I never heard of something like that. My Master told me that Hypnosis is not a popular branch of magic because there are a lot of ways to misuse it, but this is novel."
"Your Master is wise," She smiled smugly at the compliment. "Anyway, before you can use Projection there are two spells you need to learn: Structural Analysis and Gradation Air. Structural Analysis is a spell where the mage injects his magical energy into an object to analyze it, learning the composition, internal structure and so on. With a sufficient level of mastery, it's possible to also learn the object's history and see everything that happened to it. While Gradation Air is the most basic form of Projection, the creation with the magical energy of the hollow shell of an object."
Archer tapped the lamp. "Your first task is to practice Structural Analysis on this lamp until you can tell me its internal structure and composition. Take a break if using Structural Analysis starts giving you a headache. This is a spell that involves downloading a massive amounts of data in your mind after all so, so overusing it can strain your brain."
Io grinned. "Easy!"
[*]
"THIS DAMN-!" Furious yells could be heard from below the deck of the Grandcypher. "GAAAAH!!"
"W-What's happening to Io?" Katalina asked with a mystified expression after she and the other returned from their trip.
"She asked me to teach her spells," Archer replied while leaning against the mast, an amused and nostalgic grin on his lips. "The first she got it easy. The second-"
"WHY DO THEY KEEP FALLING APART?!!"
"Not so much," Unlike his younger self, Io was quite talented, but even for a genius it takes more than a single day to properly use Gradation Air. His gaze then shifted from Katalina to the group's new addition. "And you are?"
"Greetings," The middle-aged man wore the armor of Erste making, but one denoting a high rank. Both his shield and lance were of excellent making, their histories telling Archer of the skills of their wielder. He was not superhuman, but the man before the bowman was, without doubt, a proud and valorous knight. "My name is Deliford. As per today, I'll a member of this crew. A pleasure to meet you."
"Archer," The white-haired man nodded before raising an eyebrow at Gran. "Is this your concept of shopping?"
"Ah, haha," He laughed nervously. "Honestly, it was a spur of the moment decision. We were talking about Estalucia, and things just evolved from there. Oh, but I also bought a new sword."
He took out the blade from its scabbard and showed it to Archer. A rapier of fine craftsmanship, an elaborated pommel with stylized dragon wings and a rich history. However…
"The sword you already have is better."
"Seriously?!"
Archer nodded and sighed. "Seriously. Unless you want to learn fencing, I suggest you stick with the weapon you already have."
"If you want to, Gran, I can teach you a thing or two about fencing," Katalina reassured the depressed young man.
"Captain," Deliford suddenly spoke. "I hate to impose on you, especially after I just joined your crew, but I have a favor to ask you."
"What is it?"
"I told you I left the Erste Empire when I couldn't see eye to eye with my superiors anymore. But the origin of our disagreement wasn't about me," He grimaced. "One of the soldiers I trained suffered a grave injustice, and as a result became a wanted criminal without fault on her part. Her name is Rosamia, and I believe right now she is on this island."
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