MageLife (21 page)

“There is, but that's the main reason. I want to implant Airis and make sure they are compatible for one, as well as refine my own skill creations so I can make them too,”

“Tristan, there is a reason they are considered dangerous. I don't doubt you can do it, just don't rush,” Jase said worriedly

“It will be fine, do you want to watch?” I asked, with a raised eyebrow. Jase had never turned down a chance to watch me work.

“Of course I do, I just want you to be careful,” Jase said, almost offended that id felt I had to ask.

“Come on then, you too Airis, to the work room,” I said as I walked around the table. Airis fell into step next to me, Jase followed along behind.

As we walked past Sophia's room I said to Airis “we had best get you your own room sorted out. You can have one of the empty ones next to mine if you want or you can have the one adjoining Sophia's, no best not we will put you next to me. I don't know how she would react to having you right next door. We should probably head that off before she can get all irate about it.”

“I heard that,” Sophia called sullenly from her room.

I chuckled to myself, I could hear Jase sniggering too. Airis gulped and nodded at me.

I led them to my workroom, I stood at the door gesturing them in hoping Sophia didn't feel the sudden need to come in here, you can never tell what a kid is going to decide to do.

The lights brightened as we walked in and I shut the door behind us.

“Airis, if you could step onto the disc please, I shouldn’t need to activate it, but I would like some scans,” I said as I walked further into the room.

Jase had stood to one side watching everything intensely, he always got like this about golems, I vaguely remembering him saying many years ago, that he was fascinated but he couldn’t make them live. I was younger and really didn't like Jase back them. I hadn't paid attention.

I walked over to the console, clutching the diamond in my hand. I sat down placing my left hand on the screen. It flickered to life. It brightened the room further. Airis was stood in the centre of the disc as I ran the scans, I stored a copy for later viewing although a few things stood out with just a glance. I tapped the screen twice to enable it to record the process.

Jase couldn't tear his eyes away as I called on my magic and my authority as Airis’ creator to empower the lattice that was Airis's core. It faded into view. There. I could see the gaps I had left for future developments although a few large chunks of the lattice was different, even after a few days. Nothing critical, those were clear as day and solid as an oak, but some of the smaller threads had grown and tangled, tiny patterns starting to form. I smiled, it was gratifying to see everything working as I had envisioned. I walked through the misty tangle of threads to one of the skill slots I had made. I channelled a small amount of raw magic into the diamond, it lit up. I held it out, lining it up with the slot. The glow intensified as it travelled to the indicated area. A web of sigils settled into a circular pattern inside the slot. This is the bit I had to do something, flexible systems are all well and good but they are a bitch to automate. I brought up my reading to get a better look, there on the outer ring of sigils was the dock. I just had to find the corresponding thread to use. I spent a few moments, reacquainting myself with my work. I stood absorbing the way the weaves thickened and thinned in a regular rhythm almost like a heartbeat. An idea occurred to me as that thought crossed my mind.

“Airis, can you feel what I am doing?” I asked.

“Yes Tristan,” Airis said.

Just as I expected, I smiled at him

“Do you think you can do anything to integrate these skills?” I asked, I was really hoping this worked like I thought it would. Without my reading, the sigils made no sense. It was truly higher level stuff. I wasn't sure I even had the tools or learning to prise meaning out of them.

“Yes Tristan, you only had to ask,” Airis said a bit cheekily, my younger face, no his face now. Showed a hint of mischief.

“If you would then please,” I said as I stepped off the disc. I joined Jase to the side of the room to watch.

Threads shivered into motion, a strange dance as they wove around the outer ring of sigils they seemed to wrap around and rotate the circle, a squeeze and the ring started spinning forming a fast moving sphere, liquid light poured through as the threads penetrated the outer shell, a single burst of light and the lattice faded from view. Airis staggered slightly.

I rushed forward to help him, but he brushed me off.

“I’m fine, there is just a lot to adjust to,” Airis said slightly drunkenly, his eyes refused to focus.

“We can’t go anywhere with you like this, if Avery or Lyphia saw you like this, they would peel my skin off,” I said. I looked to Jase who shrugged.

“Give me a moment,” Airis said, I could feel pulses of magic from his body as it shifted back to his golem form, solid stone. He grew quickly.

“Airis you can't, you need to be a boy for now,” I said panicked. I couldn't risk Sophia finding out yet.

“So that's how you did it, a base form,” Jase interjected from the side.

“Yes, are you going to help or just stand there offering oh so helpful comments?” I asked frustrated that he felt now was the right time to question me.

“I think I’ll just stand here,” Jase said, a twinkle in his eye.

“Wonderful, what use are you?” I huffed. “Airis are you okay now?” I asked the hulking rock man.

A bright green glow came from his eyes. I shivered at the weight of power in them far more than there was a few days ago. I had created this; a fully independent stone soldier with access to his own magic. The implications hit me as they never had before. The council would destroy him rather than risk the damage he could do. I wouldn't, I couldn’t. In a very real way he was a child, my child.

“I am fine,” came a deep rumble, like the fall of rocks in a landslide. The vibrations echoed in my chest.

“Good, can you change back please? We need to get going,” I asked, I didn't want to let on how unnerved I was.

“Give me a moment, Tristan. I have some internal rearrangements to do,” Airis golem voice said.

“Okay I will just stand with Jase while you do. Please don't step of the disc, I need the scans for my research,” I said as I stepped back,

Airis nodded his soldier’s helmet in acceptance.

“So you didn't think this through again, I did warn you,” Jase remarked a grin on his face.

“Shut up, how was I supposed to know how different the modules are?” I said.

“I told you they were, but you didn't listen a usual. He is magnificent by the way. I haven’t seen one of the warrior class since I was a boy,”

“I vaguely recall they went out of fashion after the mage-king used ten to conquer half the known world, but I liked it. Anyway, you saw the module active. I've never seen anything like it. Care to explain?” I said never taking my eyes off Airis, he was shimmering, his glyphs shifting and growing as new shapes took form on his body, it was mesmerising.

“Not really,” Jase said also entranced by the display in front of us. “It’s not something I have a great deal of experience with, but the gist is most of the magic you use is raw. You do physical magics really well. But the module use something so far advanced of that, they are classified. I can only tell you the basics of them,”

“The basics are fine,” I said as I crinkled my brow trying to understand how my magic is raw.

“There are so many levels of magic that you haven't covered, do you remember much about charms and wards?”

“Not really, I can use some of the simple ones, but that’s about it,” I said confused. I had no idea why Jase had brought up wards.

“The higher level magics have many effects, layers upon layers. They are condensed into sigils. Shapes that make sense to their creator. Similar to the glyphs we use, but on a whole different level,” Jase said absently.

“So I just won't understand?” I asked, partly offended.

“Probably not, it’s wizard magic. I only grasp the basis of it. The sigils are personal. So it takes years to make your own set. I have four. I've been working on it for years,” Jase said, he looked at me to signal just have serious he was.

“Four? That’s it? There had to be hundred in that one diamond,” I asked, frustrated that yet more magics were beyond me.

“I have no doubt you will get further than me, Fion has a few hundred, but the magic talks to him, like it does to you. It never has to me. Well once, but that doesn't count,” Jase said hurriedly, as if he was covering over a misstep.

“Once?” I asked. The magics voice was vast and confusing. I had no idea what it really said, it was all intuition and guess work.

Jase was spared from answering by Airis. The glowing has faded, and the glyphs had stopped changing, his shape wavered back into his boy form.

“I’m done, some of this should make it easier to be more mortal,” Airis said in his mortal voice.

I for one was relieved to hear it. I had the vague fear that I had broken him. Trapped in his stone form or something equally annoying.

“Good, and it’s all settled, you aren't going to break?” I asked nervously.

A large smile appeared on Airis’ face, “No I'm not going to break. This module is surprisingly easy to get used to, it’s all segmented, lots of small chunks that I can integrate easily, and on the plus side I can fix stuff now. Do we need any furniture making?” he asked impishly.

“We are good, it think, although I'm sure we can get you some tools if you feel the urge to make some,” I said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Airis said.

Jase coughed, we both turned to look at him.

“Weren't we going somewhere today?” Jase gently reminded us.

“Yes, if you are both ready, we can go out to the main room to wait. We haven't been in here that long,” I said.

“Longer than you think Tristan, it’s been half hour at least,” Jase said.

“Oh, that’s alright. We gave everyone time to arrive,” I said with what I hoped was my most charming smile. “Let’s go.”

Jase and Airis fell into step behind me. A single thought floated into my head as we left the workroom, where does the stone go when he's a boy?

Chapter 19

The three of us wandered back to the main room in silence. I could hear voices ahead of us, nothing loud, just chit chat. As we arrived I looked around, there was Fion standing at the far end of the room, leaning against the wall, fiddling with something. Sophia was standing next to him, staring at the thing in his hands. The voices had been theirs. Avery was sat at the table, largely hidden by a handled basket.

Heads turned in our direction.

“Hello Fion, I’m pleased you will be joining us,” I said with a nod to the older man.

He grunted and resumed his tinkering.

“Avery is this everyone?” I asked with a glance around, just in case I hadn't noticed Lyphia entering or you know hiding on the sofa. I was disappointed. She wasn't here.

“Yes, everyone that I could reach is here. Lady Lyphia is out of touch, I left a message,” Avery said from behind her basket.

“Thank you,” I said. “I’m sure you are all wondering what I have gathered you all here for. I have planned a day out for us. A trip to the woods, a picnic. I thought it would be nice.”

Sophia was jumping up and down tugging on Fion’s hand trying to share her excitement. Jase and Avery smiled at each other. Airis was kinda looking into space, and I was just looking around, most of my desire for the trip had been extinguished by Lyphia’s absence, but I kept it off my face. Sophia was so excited. It was hard not to be excited with her. Infectious in the best kind of way. I felt a smile crease my face, seeing her happy was worth more than anything.

The kid deserved some happiness.

“If everyone is ready?” I asked with hardly a pause for answer, “Let’s go then.”

I picked up the basket as I headed for the door. I walked quickly, I didn't want anyone think up a reason to delay, Sophia beat me to the door. She was almost running in her haste to get gone.

I led us through the halls, I tried to steer away from the groups of people in the halls, it looked like more had arrived from Greenlaw, I looked at a small group of three mages. They were all older than me. I wasn't surprised as such, but I thought there might be a few more almost qualified students or apprentices with them. They were arguing softly, lots of waving arms and red faces, hushed whispers. I turned away, leading my group to the other side of the hall. I have a group, I thought, surprised at the strange turn of events. It wasn't that long ago I had been locked in a small cell only allowed out for classes and practice. How things change, and so quickly too.

We reached the street outside the academy in short order.

Sophia was skipping about me.

I smiled down at her, “Calm down, you don't want to be all worn out before we get there. Do you?”

“But we haven't been anywhere, I've been stuck in our rooms for days and look its sunny,” she said at such a speed I barely understood her.

Even Fion was smiling at that.

“It won't take us long, the forest is only a few moments away,” Jase said from the back. He was stood very close to Avery.

It wasn't my place to pass judgement, although if there was something there, good on them.

I shifted the basket to my other hand and took Sophia’s hand.

Airis was stood next to Fion. The older mage kept giving him funny looks. Airis barely noticed, he seemed to have a sense of greater confidence, since the implantation.

“We had best get a move on then. Day light is burning,” I said. I gave Sophia another smile and a squeeze.

It was strange walking the streets as part of a group. Three mages together cleared the street faster than any other method I've ever heard of, apart from dragon attacks, which I'm fairly sure are mythical. I’ve never found any real evidence that they had ever existed. I’d looked. The idea of dragons had captured my imagination young and never let go. Anyway, we were soon at the gates to the town, looking at the path into the woods.