---[ POV: Flynn ]---

Flynn sat down, quickly followed by Herman.

The wizard known as Valsevor observed them with a severe face and a scrutinous gaze as he was taking place himself.

"So? I'm listening."

Flynn was uncomfortable. The eyes of the old man were unsettling; it was hard to guess what was going on in his mind through those pits of burning embers. The fact that he was short-tempered and that the young lieutenant only had an approximate understanding of the current situation did not help at all.

"Valsevor, right? As Herman said, my name is Flynn. We came here to ask for your help in healing a girl that suffers from a strange sickness."

"That will be Master Valsevor for you, child," said the fiery-eyed wizard. "By the First Flame, just how do they raise their youth these days?"

"Right. Sorry, Master Valsevor. I am not from here and not used to the basic etiquette of these lands."

"Basic respect is universal, child."

"Right," Flynn was getting annoyed. The old man reminded him of entitled and stuck-up officers of the ISF, although, in this case, and if he was to believe Herman, Valsevor was at least partially justified in acting as he did. "As I was saying, we came to enlist your help. The girl is affected by a disease that, according to Herman, will kill her before the end of the night if nothing is done."

"The princess of Osgarath," nodded Valsevor.

"I hate it when you use divination and scrying as we speak," complained Herman.

"You knew what you were getting into when you came here. Stop complaining," said Valsevor.

Herman grumbled something in his bushy mustache but did not answer.

"She suffers from a pretty intense Arcane Fever," continued Valsevor. "The nature of the collapsing and coalescing essence seems to be related to the element of fire according to Herman. How fortuitous."

Flynn nodded. "Can you help us, Master Valsevor?"

"I can," he said without missing a heartbeat, "but what are you prepared to trade in exchange for my help?"

Flynn looked around him at the wooden furniture and old books that covered the shelves. How long had it been since he had heard of physical books? Only antique collectors still had some of them nowadays. He observed the clothes of the two old men, remembered the goblins he had battled, and pictured Gwenvar he had observed fight with a simple steel sword. Despite their incredible magic, the people of this world seemed straight out of old legends or historical records of primitive Earth. Flynn was not very versed in the subject but he knew they probably were from the, or a, millennium bordering that of the civilization Athena had gotten her name from. That is to say, the technological level here was extremely low. A sentient species not yet able of interstellar space travel was not even considered a modern civilization by the Empire. Flynn's best hope was to impress Valsevor with his knowledge of science and technology, but he did not know how those primitive people would react to it, or just how much was safe to reveal. From what he had garnered up until now, technology was his one and only ace in the hole in that world full of magic and strange creatures. He thus preferred to keep his hands close to his chest.

"What about insight on a new kind of lore similar to magic?" asked Flynn.

"A new kind of magic?" Valsevor observed Flynn for a moment, then he burst into laughter. "A new kind of magic?! What kind of magic do you think you possess that I don't, child? I am the sole keeper of at least 16 magical traditions that will disappear with my death and I am versed in many more still practiced in some corners of the world. I learned to listen to the seasons with the first of the wild alfars and was later instructed in the ways of the sun and the moon by the children of their children. I studied and helped develop the art of runesmithing with the dvergars of old before they even discovered the sky. I was there when the Kaldorians laid down the foundation of their first city, when they rose to power, and ultimately, fell from grace. I spectated the erection of the Guild Towers of Leveni, like I have so many others before, and will be there when they inevitably go down to be replaced by the next new thing." Valsevor snorted. "So tell me, child, just exactly, what it is you are proposing to teach me?"

"I said similar to magic, Master. Not magic. What if I told you my people are able to fly in the sky or breathe underwater without even using magic?"

Valsevor and Herman both looked at him with interrogative eyes.

"Then I would tell you that if it's not really magic, but simply a feature of your natural disposition and anatomy, like the wings of a bird or the gills of a fish, then it's not of much interest for me. I am already more than well versed in biology and doubt I would learn much from studying one of your own. While it is surely great for you and your people to have those abilities, there is nothing much of interest for me to learn there."

"Oh no, we are as human as you or Herman, Master Valsevor. We simply found a way to do it with other means than magic."

"Do not mock me, child, I have very little patience and even less humourous dispositions."

"I am not lying, and I can prove it." Flynn raised his hand above the table and materialized a compact, hand size device from his armor storage.

Despite his best effort to hide his interest, Flynn cyber-eye allowed him to detect a small twitch at the corner of Valsevor's mouth.

Gotcha, thought Flynn.

Herman, for his part, was not bothering trying to hide his surprise. "I did not sense any mana manipulation when he summoned it. I know this place is covered in a shit ton of layered wards, but I should at least feel something."

Valsevor made an irritated gesture for him to keep it shut and fixed his inscrutable gaze on Flynn for a long moment as if he was trying to peek into his mind. Flynn was afraid that it was actually what he was doing so he started to think about the most random things he could, such as march songs of the ISF or the boring lectures of Commander Regus about squadron and division management. After almost a minute of the uncomfortable silence, Valsevor finally moved, simply pointing the device on the table.

"And what is this?"

"A sample of our knowledge and expertise," said Flynn. He pushed the disc-shaped device toward the center of the table and pressed on its digital control panel to activate it.

The light in the room automatically changed in hue for a dimed blue and multiple moving shapes appeared in the air above the table. The shapes were of different fishes and marine creatures from one of the many ocean worlds of the Empire that went about their life unconcerned by the three humans that now observed them. The disc was in fact a simple holoprojector. A common and widespread domestic technology of the Empire used mostly for recreational on instructional purposes. It was extremely simple and cheap to produce and most menage had at least one, if not multiple, at disposition. Even when Flynn was young and living in poverty with his father and three brothers, they had one at home. This one, Flynn had found tucked in one of the beds of the corvette, probably forgotten by the last person that slept there. Its memory card was full of documentaries on the biosphere of multiple tropical and ocean worlds of the Empire.

Valsevor and Herman both had difficulty hiding their stupefaction. Herman, as usual, was not trying to, but Valsevor was making a visible effort to remain impassible despite a twitching finger that was now unconsciously taping on the table. Despite his unusual eyes so hard to decipher, Flynn could swear there was a glint of greed and excitement behind the fire. So there is value in this for them? Better play it like it has for me too then. Flynn shut down the holoprojector as Herman was waving his hand through a jellyfish with wonder and brought the device in front of him.

"I believe this should be sufficient to convince Master Valsevor there is worth in our knowledge and wisdom."

"How did you do that?" asked Valsevor. "It was clearly an illusion of some sort, a play on light, but as hard as it is to admit, there was no magic involved."

"The answer is way more complicated than I have the time to explain given our situation. It would take me weeks just to explain to you the basic underlying principles, and months, if not years, to teach you exactly how it works." Flynn was not lying. While this technology might seem simple for someone with a neural stack and AI assistance, it would be absolutely incomprehensible for someone that had no access to those tools, no solid grasp of natural sciences, and no knowledge of modern technology.

"Do not underestimate me, child. Give me three weeks with this artifact and I'll produce five more."

"I don't doubt your competence, Master Valsevor. I am simply basing my estimation on the time it takes forming the youth of my people to understand and be able to create such tools. I have no doubt you would be able to do it much faster than a normal child."

"And all of your children are instructed in this art?"

"No. Not at all. Only a small part of the population is, in fact. Instruction is costly. The people that are, however, start their instruction around age five and finish in their twenties, sometimes even their thirties." Flynn remained as vague as possible to avoid lying, but he also tried to phrase his explanations in a way that would make this technology appear as something rare and valuable. The last thing he wanted was for Valsevor to realize he was trying to give him a regular living room appliance in exchange for his help.

"Almost twenty years just to learn how those work, eh?" Valsevor had a defying and mocking tone. It seemed he almost took Flynn's words as a provocation and a challenge. "What will it take for you to give me that artifact? I suppose you will want for something more than the princess' recovery to part with such a secret of your people?"

Flynn abstained from a large smile. He had expected for the negotiation to be way more harsh and complicated than this but he had underestimated the effect this 'magicless' artifact would have on the avaricious and lore hungry wizard.

"Master Valsevor, I have no other request of you than to guarantee us your help will save the princess. If it makes you feel more at ease, let's just say I am banking goodwill and favors."

"Wise," said Valsevor. "Irritating, but wise." He looked to Herman "You should take a note or two from this kid."

"I could display all the wisdom and insight in the world that you would still find a way to complain," said Herman. "The only reason you are saying that is because Lord Flynn is offering something you want."

"Probably," admitted Valsevor. "But even if that wouldn't change my attitude, that would certainly make you less insufferable."

"Haha! Look who's talking! How am I the insufferable one?"

"Enough," cut Flynn, who had unpleasant reminiscences of his verbal joust with Layton when he was trying to scold the soldier about his attitude. "The princess is living on borrowed time and the last thing I want is to get back to her only to discover she died while you two were bickering." Flynn pushed the holoprojector toward Valsevor so that it would slide on the table toward the old man. "This is yours, Master Valsevor. Now, please honor your end of the bargain."

Valsevor seemed annoyed by what - Flynn was sure of it - he considered as an impertinent interruption on the part of the young man, but he quickly changed his attitude as he took possession of the device and raised it in front of his eyes. He observed it for a moment before pocketing it and turning toward Flynn with a forced smile. "Of course, child."

Valsevor waved a hand and two ovoid objects appeared on the table, held upright in small golden cups. Flynn recognized what seemed like ember gems cut and polished into the shape of an egg. Valsevor took a deep inspiration, then he blew toward the ember eggs. A cloud of dark smoke and cinder was expelled from his mouth, and with it, what seemed like dozen of small fire snakes. Most of them, no longer than a finger, quickly disappeared in a burst of flame after flying and turning in the air for a moment. Others, however, larger and more vivacious, flew toward the gems and crashed against them as if trying to break them or push them off their cup. Some disappeared that way, but some, more resistant, flew back into the air, twirled around to gain speed and momentum, then repeated their earlier attempts. At one point, one of the largest fire snakes, as long as an arm, impacted one of the gems and got absorbed in an explosion of sparks. The ember gem started to glow and Flynn could see a serpentine form coiled inside. Soon after, the same phenomenon repeated for the second gem. Valsevor closed his mouth and the smoke cloud was dispersed in a few seconds. Flynn had thought he was getting used to magic but he could not prevent himself from staring at the old man, mouth slightly agape. Valsevor laughed sincerely for the first time that night, apparently pleased he was able to impress the young man.

"A mix of elemental and draconic magic," he said. "I challenge you to find someone else that can do that."

He then took the gems and gave them to Flynn. They were hot. If the young man had not worn his armor, he would have probably burned himself and dropped them.

"Put those in her hands, one in each. Tightly wrap the hands in clothes to make sure she do not let go of them until the end of the night, even if it burns... oh, and keep the clothe wet at all times if you don't want a house fire."

"Thank you, Master Valsevor," said Flynn.

"Do not thank me, just be on your way and come back with more artifact and knowledge if you find yourself in need of help again, although next time, the price will be steeper since I'll already have deciphered the secrets of your people."

"Right. But how are we..." Flynn could not finish his sentence. Valsevor snapped his finger and the world burned to ashes around him.