“What’s going on?” I asked our driver as we started to break camp for the night.

“Bribis said to combine the camps now that we don’t have to deal with the others.” He replied, continuing to make a large circle in the camp. I shrugged at Elendria, sitting back and letting them handle things. I wanted to offer to help, but found I would just be in the way. They had this down to an art form, the entire camp was set up and food was cooking within a half hour.

“Your crew is insanely efficient.” I complimented Bribis as I sat down at the campfire. “I wanted to offer to help, but everywhere I looked I would only be in the way.”

“Just let them do it if you don’t mind.” He answered with a laugh in his voice. “We’ve been doing this for years, and could probably set up the entire thing blindfolded without running into anyone.”

“Alright then. Just, we don’t want to be a drag. If there’s something that you could use a hand with, let me know, okay?”

“Well, there are a few things Carrigan and I have been curious about if’n you don’t mind?”

“Sure, I’ll answer what I can.” I replied.

“Oi! Carrigan!” Bribis called. When the mage had sat down with us, Bribis nodded to me, “He’s agreed to answer what he can.”

“Fantastic!” The mage’s eyes lit up. “Could you tell us where you come from? What’s the world like?”

“Well, it’s a lot different than here. We don’t have any magic for starters, so we need technology to do everything. But the biggest difference you would find would be transportation I think. We have things called planes that fly through the air, and cars that can move twice the speed of a horse and never get tired. In fact, there are special cars called semis that could probably carry everything in this wagon train. They can then travel the distance we did today in an hour or two.”

“And you do this without magic?” Bribis’ eyes grew huge, and I swear I could almost see the dollar signs in them. “Can you replicate these semis in our world?”

“Unfortunately not.” I said, shaking my head. “They require a lot of specialized knowledge to run properly. Besides, you would probably be better off making them out of things native to this world. On ours, they spread pollution.”

“Is there any chance we could see your world?” Carrigan asked. “Especially these planes?”

“If there’s a way to share memories, probably. Or I could show you guys something that I was told was accurate enough to be a scrying aid. I just don’t know how to scry.”

“One moment!” In a flash, Carrigan was off to root through his packs. Eventually he came back with a bowl that he filled with his canteen. “There we go, whenever you are ready.”

“Alright.” Concentrating, I started channeling mana into my hands. “Otherworldly solar system.” I spoke softly, and felt the mana almost leap to my command. Within a fraction of a second, the entire solar system was laid out before us, drawing awestruck expressions on everyone’s faces.

“What is that?” Elendria asked.

“This is where I’m from. The central sphere is the sun, and I come from the third planet that circles it.” As I spoke, I channeled a bit extra mana into the representative of Earth, allowing it to glow just a bit brighter. “Try using that as the target of your scrying Carrigan.”

“Okay.” He said, staring at the display as he mumbled some things under his breath. The water in his bowl started rippling, just before he cried out in pain and slumped over, holding on to one of his eyes.

“Carrigan!” We all cried, hovering around him.

“It’s ok, it’s ok.” He said, patting Bribis on the hand. “Never thought I would get a notification like that. Sorry Sean, it seems your world is too far away for scrying.”

“By the gods.” Bribis sighed, slumping back into his seat. “It’s one thing to believe that you came from another world, but to know.”

“Let me try something.” I said. I let the spell drop, and focused on my mana. After the solar system, this was trivial. I started out with a helicopter, as that was far easier to understand than a plane. “This is one of the machines we use to fly.” I said, and Carrigan sat forward to examine it.

“How does it work?”

“Like this.” I said, having the mana blades start spinning. “The spinning blades create high pressure air beneath them, which lifts the entire assembly.” As I explained the model lifted off the ground. “The second set of rotors in the back prevents the part the people stay in from spinning wildly.” I highlighted the second set of rotors, and as a demonstration had them stop. The cabin started rotating itself, before I fixed everything and had it hover. “With a tilt of the blades, you can move any direction you desire.”

“Amazing.” Both men spoke, entranced by the display.

“This is called a plane.” I said, changing the model to a jet. “It’s wings do the same as the blades on a helicopter, though the air has to be moving over the wing at a specific speed to generate lift.” The model slid forward and lifted off, circling around the duo before coming to rest in the air in front of them.

“So the helicopter can move in any direction, while this plane can only move forward?” Carrigan asked. At my nod, he continued, “Then why use a plane at all?”

“Speed.” I replied. “Planes are not only much faster than helicopters in general, but they can also carry a lot more. In the thousands of pounds range.”

“Simply astonishing.” Bribis said. “I’ll bet the clan that controls these planes is rich beyond all expectations. I don’t know why you would ever want to leave a world like that.”

I froze at his words, and slowly let the mana fade out. I slump back, depressed, but nobody presses the issue. Bribis even looks down in shame. “It’s ok, you couldn’t know.” I managed to gasp out, fighting the tears. After an uncomfortable pause, I gather myself.

“Carrigan, I seem to be having an issue I was hoping you could help me with.” He sits up, gladly looking for any way to change the situation. “How do mages use their knowledge of an element to imbue it into their mana?”

“That? Oh. Well, two ways really. First is to feel the specific type of mana and replicate it, but that’s awfully hard to find in the wild. Most places have so many different kinds of mana you can’t find them to separate them. Unless you are in some place like a desert, where you have only earth and fire mana. The other way is to first hold some mana in the palm of your hand, and slowly force it to adopt the knowledge you have. After it gets enough, and is unique enough, it will switch from general to elemental. What are you trying for?”

“Air.” I said, slowly pulling a ball of mana into my hand. Hmmm, slowly adding the knowledge to the mana? Never would have thought of that. I started out with the general definitions of a gas, gradually getting more specific. Ideas like pressure, volume, temperature, concentrations. The more information I added, the more the mana changed. Instead of a pale blue, it was turning into a light green. The kind of green you would see on the bottom side of a leaf. I felt something click, and knew I had it. The rest of the information I had seemed to flow into the mana, deepening the color. Done absorbing my knowledge, it flowed back into my arm and I knew. No matter what, I would never be able to forget the feel of air mana. Barely any weight to it, the closest I could come to describing it is like running a spoon along the top of the lightest merengue ever created.

“Whoah.” I breathed out at the sensation, looking up to see Carrigan staring at me.

“I’ve never seen air mana that close to the color of pure before.” He said. “Can you teach me?”

“We’ll see.” I replied, nervous. “Why don’t you ride with Elendria and I tomorrow, and I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you!” He exclaimed, fervor in his eyes.

“Dinner, sirs.” One of the cooks interrupted the awkwardness, handing each of us a bowl.

“Thanks.” I said, nodding at him. Finally having a suitable distraction, I dug in. I couldn’t help but groan at the first bite, still not used to having meat in my diet again. They had a simple noodle stir fry, with bits of meat that resembled chicken and some vegetables. The sauce had a bit of a bite, just enough that you noticed after your third or fourth bite. Even if I hadn’t gone without good food for two months, I swore this would be one of my favorites no matter what. As I ate, I looked at the notifications I had acquired.

Skill acquired: Magic hologram (65/200)

Master level

Using your skills at mana control, you create a realistic object for people to recognize. Increases in skill will increase the detail and size of a hologram you can create, as well as increase the chance for others to recognize the depiction.

Skill and class increase!

Celestial sorcerer 650 -> 680

Mana control 26 -> 32

New class available!

Aeromancer (1/1000)

Master level

Aeromancers utilize air to attack their enemies and buff their allies. Set Aeromancer as your secondary class slot? Y/N

“Bless those cooks, this is fantastic.” I muttered, before diving back in. Of course, I did add the secondary class slot. I didn’t know if having the class selected was required to gain experience for it, but it was a moot point when you only have two class options. Carrigan gave a chuckling grunt, too engrossed in his own food to speak. We ate in companionable silence, Elendria swooping in to take my bowl when I was finished. She was too good to me, having taken over the slaves without me even noticing. They had all been freed for a bit after the long ride, and allowed to do the necessities. After dinner, they let the cooks relax and worked together to clean the camp utensils and stow them away.

While we had been eating, the sun had truly set and we were surrounded by darkness. Carrigan had done his wardings, promising to teach me how it was done and how to do several cantrips tomorrow in exchange for information on the air element. I was incredibly interested in the self cleaning cantrip, that would get rid of road grime in an instant. As everyone was getting ready for bed, I felt the call of nature and started heading towards the latrine. Ever thankful for these waystations, as we wouldn’t need to dig our own latrines, I froze midway there.

“Can you help me, sir?” A little girl, no older than six, stood in front of me. Her hands and feet were covered in dirt, and there were small tears at the end of her dress and sleeves. Hair disheveled, she looked like she had a rough day. There were even tear tracks stained in dirt running down her pale cheeks.

“Hey there little one.” I said, dropping down to a knee. “Where are your parents?”

She turned and pointed behind her, into the deep grasses. “We were travelling and monsters came. They tolded me to run and they would catch up. Why haven’t they catched up?”

“Sean! Be careful!” I heard Elendria cry, but I was ready. A mage’s dagger appeared between me and the girl as she flashed forward, taking her in the chest just as the steel bands of her fingers clasped around my neck.

“Tee hee, silly mage! Do you think a dagger to the heart would be enough to stop me?”

Good. I didn’t have much time, as it was hard enough to breathe, but I had put the pieces together. Pale skin, moves at night, obviously healed from whatever scratches she picked up? Only one creature really fit that description, and it was her bad luck to go up against a celestial mage.

“SEAN!” I could hear Elendria’s panicked scream behind me, as the little girl kept my body between her and the frost elf. “WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!” Good work Elendria, rouse the camp! I’ve got this.

While there was a time limit, I had done this before. Grabbing the handle of the mage dagger, I started sending information into the mana. Photons. Particles and waves. Reflection and refraction. The light spectrum, from infrared to ultraviolet. The dagger started glowing, and I had barely gone through half my knowledge of light. It didn’t matter, as the dagger suddenly glowed with the light of the sun as an ear splitting scream erupted from the creature’s throat.

I guess having a dagger of light in your heart will break your concentration on illusions. Instead of a little girl, a porcelain skinned creature with blue veins backed away. Scraggly strands of grimy hair hung from her head, and the nose had been flattened. Her pointed ears were like an elves, though they jutted out from her head instead of flowing smoothly back. Her fangs were bared, as she desperately tried to pull out the dagger of light from her chest.

“PROTECT THE MISTRESS!” Came a shout from the grass, as several figures burst through and tried to attack the camp.

“Tarpit!” I heard Carrigan cry, and every one of them slowed down as Elendria appeared in front of me. I was too busy gasping and trying to get air into my lungs to be of much help, but I needed to do something. I had an idea for a spell, and felt a nudge from the system as I held my hand up.

“Burst forth, and turn the night to day. Solar sphere.” A beach ball sized orb of mana shot up about ten feet in the air, glowing like a miniature sun. Agonized cries redoubled from the creature on the ground, as her servants all held arms above their heads to try and protect themselves. Any exposed skin started immediately smoking. One particularly brave one managed to get around the vampire on the ground, blocking the sun with his own body until Elendria tried to behead him with an ice blade. While it didn’t work, it did sever his spine and send him crashing to the ground.

“Elendria.” I croaked out, and she was back at my side in a flash. “Use this.” Copying her slightly curved blade, I formed one out of light for her. “Stay safe, but make them pay.”

“With pleasure, my master.” She hissed, grasping the blade and dropping the ice one. I looked around, and found most of the guards engaged with several thralls, led by Bribis. They were holding their own, mostly thanks to the light magic slowing down their attackers. I turned to the creature on the ground, seeing it had removed the dagger and was trying to crawl away while using its own thrall as cover.

“Fuck that.” I growled out, pointing my finger at her. “Hey bitch!” I yelled, and she turned to look at me. Perfect. I fired a light missile, taking her right in the forehead.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!! IT BURNS!!!!” She screamed and started thrashing around, throwing the body of her thrall off her. I peppered her with several more bullets, and kept going until she stopped moving. Walking up, I fired one more into the back of her skull, just for good measure. The lack of reaction let me know that I had won, though it came at a cost. I was down to less than a quarter of my mana, and the thralls had gone berserk.

Elendria was having no problem, the light blade cleaving flesh and bone as if it wasn’t there. She was a creature of beautiful destruction, dancing between the blows of her enemies. Her sword would flash, and another would die or be dismembered. Tearing my gaze from the elf, I rushed towards Bribis and his guards. I was ten feet away when Bribis tripped backward over a log, the fall stunning him for just a second. His opponent reared back to stab him while he was down, but a light bullet took him in the throat and sent him sprawling backward in death.

“You ok there Bribis?” I asked, helping the gnome to his feet.

“Thanks for the timely save there Sean. Can you kill the rest of these bastards?”

“Sorry, I’ve only got enough mana for a few more attacks. Here, let me try something though.” I touched the crossguard of his sword, and let the mana flow. Light mana entered his sword, filling down the length. It wouldn’t last long, but hopefully long enough to make a difference in the fight.

“There ya go, imbued with light. Make it count, it won’t last long.” I said, fighting the headache as I felt the mana leaking from the blade. Bribis didn’t say anything, just took off like a shot and used his height to his advantage. Crippling blows from his newly imbued blade let him move from fight to fight, giving his people the advantage. Ankles, knees, and the occasional hip, once he entered the fray the enemy broke and tried to flee. I started to target one, but fell back as I lacked the mana to complete the spell.