Freelance Heroics (16 page)

Gavi’s attention went to the focus crystal around her neck. Her keening narrowed, and though a dim awareness of the mana around her remained, she focused her sense like a spotlight, aimed at Mazik’s hands. “Got it.”

“Watch how I do this.” Mazik’s voice was even, patient. He might be a hothead in everyday life, but no one becomes skilled at casting without remarkable patience and focus, bordering on tranquility.

“There are four steps to casting a spell. Step one: collect the mana you’ll use to fuel it. I’ll do a pretty basic evocation spell, meaning this is one I can cast a bunch before I run dry.”

Gavi nodded. She knew she would be able to cast this spell fewer times than Mazik, once she got it down—her mana pool was about average for a caster, whereas Mazik’s was a good bit above average.

Mazik prodded her with his elbow. “You feel that?”

She did. The gentle eddies in Mazik’s mana pool—the side effect of mana’s natural propensity for motion, even when contained—picked up as mana flowed down Mazik’s arms and into his hands. “Yeah.”

“Good. Step two: imagine the effect you want to create. In this case, I’ll cast a spell that’ll blow up in the air in front of us, so that’s what I’ll be imagining. I’ll imagine the color of the mana, and the shape of the spell as it forms in my hands. I’ll imagine aiming the spell, and firing—no, I think I’ll toss it, so it doesn’t go too far. I’ll imagine the sensation of mana departing my body, the sight of the explosion, and the feeling of satisfaction after successfully casting the spell. Imagine
everything.
” Mazik paused. “Can you feel how the mana has begun to move?”

“Yes.”

“With practice—a
lot
of practice—simply imagining the spell will make the mana move in the way you need. It couples the idea of the spell with the reality of it, making it easier for you to cast it again in the future. I can’t emphasize enough how important this is.” Mazik flashed her a lopsided grin. “I didn’t do this for the longest time, because I thought it was pointless, and I ended up having a lot of trouble duplicating my spells reliably. Though I doubt you’ll have that problem.”

“Of course not. Unlike some people, I actually listen,” said Gavi, her voice gently teasing. What she didn’t add was that she had enough trouble without making it harder on herself.

Mazik chuckled, then continued. “Third, you move the mana. Like I said, when you get really good with a spell, this will bleed over into the second step. There’s no real logic behind how mana moves, so you’ll just have to learn what works by observing others, by observing how it happens in nature, and by trial and error. Every spell also has subtle variations and can successfully be performed in slightly different ways, so you’ll have to see what works for you. A focus crystal also helps.” He flipped his hand around and tapped his Telman ring, its pale blue gem gleaming with internal light.

Gavi could feel the mana moving in Mazik’s hands. It flowed out through his fingers, pouring into the space above his palms in a violent clash, like dough being kneaded over and over, or a room full of bouncing rubber balls. But there were intricacies, twists in the mana that seemed inconsequential, but which Gavi knew were vitally important. A sphere of ethereal blue light appeared above Mazik’s hands, growing to the size of a cantaloupe—though Gavi, whose eyes were still closed, couldn’t see it. She only felt it.

“For evocation spells, we simplify the Winds of Magick that accompany violent natural phenomena, such as explosions or burns—this is an explosive spell, by the way. This isn’t exactly what would happen if a grain mill or something blew up—do those explode? I can never remember—but it mimics the essence of the Winds of Magick that would accompany such an explosion.”

Gavi was paying so much attention to the spell that she barely heard him, but she nodded.

Mazik kept going. “Step four: invoke the spell’s name and release the spell. Just like with imagining the effect, a spell’s name provides a framework to hang the memory of the spell on, as well as a trigger to release it. This will help with recasts. When you get really good with a spell, you can think its name to cast silently, or not use it at all. Saying it always makes it easier, though. Ready?”

“Do it,” said Gavi, her eyes snapping open as she focused on the glowing orb.

Mazik lobbed the spell into the air and intoned its name. “
Mazik Explosion.
” The spell erupted, blossoming in a violent shockwave of blue-white light overhead.

“So, did you get anything new from that?” asked Mazik, relaxing and stepping away.

Gavi’s hand brushed the arrowhead hanging from her neck. She consciously forced her shoulders to relax. Even observing a spell so intently was draining, in its own way. “I’ve heard most of it before, but it was good to have a refresher.”

“Good to hear. In that case, it’s your turn,” said Mazik.

Gavi’s eyes snapped open. “
Crescent Slash!
” she said, and swung.

There was a crackle of mana near her hands, then nothing. The drooping branch she had been aiming at remained.

Gavi’s shoulders slumped. “I lost it again. I can’t seem to get the mana to move the way I want it to.”

“Yet!” said Mazik. “Like I said, it’s difficult. You’re just going to have to keep trying. You’ll get there, trust me.”

“Right.” Gavi knew he was right. Even with all her prior experience, she had only been training every day with Mazik and Raedren for a month and a half now, so it was too early to expect much. She raised her sheath to try again.

“I understand you have a plan to deal with this orck menace,” said a voice behind them.

“Ahhh! Kill it kill it kill it!” Mazik spun around, nearly dumping himself off the bench.

Gavi glanced at Mazik, her expression dry. “Stop playing around.”

“Bah. You’re no fun.” Mazik turned until he was facing the tree. He pulled his legs onto the bench. “So. You came.”

The Blue Boar stepped out from behind the tree. He was in full costume again, all blue leather and brown fur, with his face concealed by his mask. Like Gavi, his gear showed only a few signs of damage from the previous night. She could only guess if he shared the sore muscles and plentiful bruising that had made waking up so pleasant.

The Blue Boar nodded in greeting. Gavi accepted her sword back from Mazik, sheathed it, and bowed. “Thank you for coming, despite our friend’s attitude last night.” She glanced at Mazik.

Mazik stared at the Blue Boar, his elbows resting on his knees as he locked eyes with the superhero. “Yeah, sorry about that. I have this habit of saying what I’m thinking.”

Raedren’s staff clonked Mazik on the head. Mazik didn’t even flinch.

The Blue Boar’s head dipped, apparently accepting Mazik’s apology. He turned to Gavi. “As I said, I understand you have a plan. I would like to hear it.”

Gavi slid her sword back into place on her belt. It made her feel silly, talking to a man with a snout, but she tried not to think about it.

“We think the orcks may be after something other than wholesale destruction,” said Gavi. “Last night, I found a gold chalice on the orck you were fighting when we first met, and earlier in the night we fought two orcks who were ransacking a jewelry store. As you may know, an interest in jewels isn’t usual for orcks.

“We spoke to the Saffir Guard earlier today, and they told us that other thefts have been reported since the attacks began. Other humans may be responsible for them, but no one knows for sure. Add in the unusual pattern of these attacks—attacking different areas of the city each time, only attacking at night, and a strange willingness to withdraw, at least for orcks—and we think something is up. We want to investigate the orck camp during tonight’s attack and figure out what that is. Unfortunately, the city guard isn’t interested in exploring this possibility, and hasn’t authorized us to enter the orck camp.”

“We’re doing it anyway,” said Mazik.

The Blue Boar considered this. “What do you think they’re after?”

“It could be any number of things.” Gavi repeated the possibilities they told Sergeant Redsna earlier. “Personally, we think a ritual of some kind is most likely. That could explain the strange thefts, and why they’re only attacking at night.”

The Blue Boar nodded. “If what you say is true, the situation could be dire. Or we could leave the city vulnerable while we’re chasing a dead end. What if you’re incorrect?”

“We mess up their camp on the way out, make sure they don’t get a good night’s sleep.” Mazik shrugged. “It’s a risk. We think it’s a good one.”

“Hmm. What’s in it for you?” asked the Blue Boar. “I’ve yet to see mercenaries work for free.”

“We’re
not
mercenaries,” said Mazik through grit teeth. He sat up, like a dog arching its back at a rival. “At least, not any more than your average guard or soldier. We’re adventurers. That means we try to get paid for what we wanted to do anyway.”

“Quiet, you.” Gavi pushed Mazik back down. “If you’re going to get angry every time someone calls us mercenaries, you’re going to spend all your time pissed.”

Mazik subsided.

“To answer your question,” said Gavi, “we tried to arrange payment ahead of time, but we weren’t successful. We decided to go ahead with the plan anyway. If we find anything useful, we’ll try to get the city to pay us then. And you as well, if you help.”

The Blue Boar waved a hand. “I don’t need payment. Protecting the people of Saffir is enough.”

Gavi nodded, not sure what to say to that. Then she had a flash of inspiration. “There’s another reason we’re doing this. Exposure.”

The Blue Boar’s expression didn’t change. “I assume you don’t mean that in the usual sense.”

“What?” Gavi realized what the superhero was saying. “No, not
that
.” Her face flushed, and she shot Mazik a glare, just in case. He held up his hands like he was offended.

“I meant, it will improve our reputations.” Gavi tried to remember how Mazik had said it, back when they were doing their first quests in Houk. “It’s publicity. If we do well with this, it’ll help us get other quests in the future. We’re still relatively new adventurers,” she added.

The Blue Boar stroked his chin, even though it was covered by his mask. Gavi glanced at her friends. Mazik gave her a thumbs-up and mouthed,
Good idea
.

After several long seconds, the Blue Boar spoke. “Why me?”

“We think you can help us, and would
want
to help,” said Gavi. “We don’t know where the orck camp is, and no one will tell us. We heard you’re known as a great detective, so we thought you might be able to help us find it. We could also use your help during the infiltration. Hopefully it won’t come to a fight, but if it does, we’d like to survive, and we’re a bit on the light side as far as close-up strength goes.” Gavi’s smile was laced with chagrin; as the team’s forward, she felt like that was her fault.

“Also, if it helps, we have some experience with this kind of quest.” Gavi told him about the kidnapper quest in Houk.

“That’s very impressive!” said the Blue Boar, after she finished. “But you misunderstand. I was asking why you’re asking me, rather than one of your mercenary friends. You were with a number last night. I’m sure some of them would come along.”

“Not everyone is willing to work for only the possibility of pay,” said Gavi. “Plus, for a stealth quest, fewer is better. Also . . .”

“We have a bit of a credibility problem,” said Mazik. Everyone looked at him, and he glowered. “Because yes, we’re mercenaries, and yes, we work for money. You, on the other hand, don’t. If we come back with vital information, they might not believe us, but if
you
vouch for it, they might listen. We’re not gonna get paid, and not gonna help anyone, if no one believes what we say.”

“Ah. That makes sense,” said the Blue Boar. “You realize that I won’t allow you to withhold any information we may uncover while you’re negotiating payment, correct? Anything we find must be given to the authorities immediately. And if these invaders have taken hostages, I’ll insist that we save them.”

“I agree,” said Raedren.

Everyone turned to Raedren. He sat with his staff resting against his chest, his body relaxed—but there was steel in his eyes.

“Mazik is plenty good enough to negotiate payment after the fact,” he added. “And if there are hostages, I wouldn’t leave them behind either.”

The Blue Boar stared at Raedren for several seconds, and then tossed back his head and laughed. “Good, good! I like you. And you as well, Mis.” He bowed to Gavi. He glanced at Mazik. “You’re all right.”

“The feeling is mutual-ish,” said Mazik.

“If the three of you are willing to risk your lives for the people of this city, then it’s my duty to make sure you succeed!” The Blue Boar clapped Mazik on the back. Mazik rolled his eyes and bit back a growl.

Gavi glanced at Raedren. She hadn’t often heard such unequivocal statements from him. She would always prefer to save innocent people as well, but Gavi had a good imagination, and could imagine plenty of situations when the right choice might be to leave them behind. She worried that they might have their very own justice freak on the team—and was worried that this worried her.

“Our first order of business is to find out where this camp is!” said the Blue Boar. “Do you have any leads?”

“No, but we have some guesses.” Gavi laid out what they had discussed with Sergeant Redsna earlier.

“Hm.” The Blue Boar nodded, apparently not discouraged. “In which case, I will talk to some people I know. How should I contact you when I’ve found it?”

“How about we meet back here?” said Gavi. “Or, we’re staying at the Barleywater Inn. That’s closer to the center of town, so maybe it’s better to meet there.”

“The Barleywater Inn it is! I’ll be there no later than an hour before sundown. What rooms are you staying in?”

“3B & C,” said Gavi.

“Excellent. Look to your window at an hour ’til sundown. In the meantime, feel free to take a moment to admire our neighborhood’s pride and joy, the statue of Colonel Dihil.”

Gavi glanced at the statue behind her. “It’s nice, but we should probably—” Gavi stopped. The Blue Boar was already gone.