Chapter 44: New Spells and Old Troubles

Although Miro’s legs appreciated the change of pace atop a horse, his mind found that riding on horseback was even more boring than walking, and since neither he nor Hima were in a particular mood for talking, his mind wandered aimlessly

Keeping true to the promise he’d made to Hima, Miro put both of his new points into Vitality. Once he was done, his updated stats presented themselves to him:

Miro Kaldoun

Level 7 Mage

Strength: 3

Dexterity: 2

Vitality: 6

Intelligence: 2

Charisma: 4

Spells: Incinerate level 1 (cost: 0.5), Lesser Fireball level 2 (cost: 3.5), Identify level 1 (cost: 1), Lightning Bolt level 1 (cost: 1)

Maximum Mana: 36

Mana regen: 6.5 per hour

Debuffs: Mother’s Blood

It was a satisfying jump from his previous iteration – now able to use ten fireballs on a full charge, or else being able to unleash a volley of lightning bolts. The lightning bolts could come in handy since firing off thirty-six of them indiscriminately on a full mana charge meant at least something would get hit, though it was as likely to be friend as foe. Also, he was able to recharge almost two fireballs per hour, perhaps now making himself useful enough for Shurik that the blacksmith would reconsider hiring him as an apprentice. The pursuit of this kind of folly though was rooted firmly in a different life that grew more distant with every mile.

He felt that it was no longer up to him to run off and do whatever he wanted – he carried a gift inside him from Sierra and he owed it to her to put it to good use.

When they settled for rest at the end of the day, in typical Nydra fashion under the open sky, Hima settled for training much further away from Nydra and Peteri than she normally did, climbing up a hill with Miro and leaving their campfire below. It was overcast, the clouds hanging high and not threatening imminent rain, so her face was mostly not covered by her hood, and the look of impatience she wore before every one of their training sessions was gone.

“So, I take it you have new skills you need to practice?” she asked.

“Just the level one Lightning Bolt.”

“Figures, standard starting spell for a lightning mage.”

“Oh, right, and I’ve got that Identify spell too.”

“We’ll figure out what to do with that one. Sierra was … an uncommon mage.” He thought that Hima’s eyes, which had constantly looked calculating, now seemed thoughtful. “She left you quite the gift, if you learn how to use it right.”

“That’s what I’ve been wondering though, with so many spells to practice and limited mana, how can I train to be really good at any of them?”

“I meant what I said, Miro, even if I was …” he’d never seen her struggle so much with an emotion before, almost looking embarrassed before her face resolved again, “… fired up when I said it. Your strength doesn’t come from mastery of a single ability but from your flexibility. It would also help if you could draw upon more of your non-spell abilities.”

“I have what now?” The day seemed to be turning into a bonanza of new powers.

“You asked me before why I don’t lean more heavily on my more powerful spells. I’ve already mentioned the cooldowns, and there’s also the fact that they use great amounts of mana. To use only your spell abilities is inefficient. That’s why you need to master the powers you have that exist outside of your spells. They’re less powerful, require more concertation, but they hardly draw on your mana, making them indispensable in a pinch.”

She raised her open palm, and ten ice targets rose out of the ground around them.

“Like this,” Hima said, “It’s not like I have a ‘Summon Target Practice’ spell that I can rely on. Something like an ice bolt …” She paused to shoot a bluish ice ball into one of the targets, shattering it and the projectile as well. “These can be summoned instantly, almost without thinking. Creation of objects out of ice and snow isn’t so simple, but I’ve spent years practicing it.”

“Like those ice domes that you sleep in?”

“Snow domes, actually, but yes. And I’ve already taught you how to perform one – the flame in your hand that you can use for light.”

“That’s right.”

“And there’s more you can do with that, beyond being destructive even – like warming someone who’s suffering from hypothermia. The destructive ones though are always easier – true for anything in life, I guess. Here, put your hand on this target.” Miro placed his right hand on the thick ice shield and it bit him back with cold. “This is what I was asking of you during the fight. Works the same in principle as your light – you summon the early stages of your fireball, but instead you use your hand to heat the object you’re touching. Just be sure not to –” Hima was interrupted by a fireball shooting out of Miro’s hand and blasting the target apart, showering them with ice shards, globs of slush and water spray.

Hima took a quick short breath and breathed it out while also wiping the debris from the side of her hood.

“Yeah, let’s try to avoid that from now on.”

Miro put his hand back again.

“Remember, take your time,” Hima instructed. “I may make it look effortless, but that takes practice. Breathe evenly and let your mind paint the picture of what you’re trying to do first.”

Miro put his hand on his next victim and tried to follow Hima’s instructions. He imagined drawing the heat of a nascent fireball into his palm and fingers and found that it was working – his hand was gradually melting into the target, sending rivulets of water running down the target’s side until this one too shattered from an errant fireball.

Debuff: Mother’s Blood

“I can’t, I can’t do this,” Miro said, pulling his hand back. “Everything I touch, there’s that damned debuff.”