Ends of Magic
Chapter 10: A Test of Stealth

At this point Nathan was expecting the disguise that Faline tossed him. It was the green robe of an enslavement mage. He pulled on the bathrobe-like garment, feeling a distinct tightness across the shoulders.

He stretched his back, looking back up to Faline questioningly. “Do you have something that fits better?”

She had been waiting for him to ask. “You are disguising yourself as an enslavement Mage. You have watched them and fought them. Think on the details. What sets apart an enslavement mage, beyond the costume? Act so that any Giantsrest mage would believe your disguise without the robe.”

Nathan blinked, realized what Faline was doing and then delved into his memories of every green-robed Giantrest mage he’d run across.

Well, let’s see I’ve killed six of them. Three with the Giantraiders. Two in Taoel’s first ambush. One in the barracks earlier today. But I’ve seen probably a dozen here in Halsmet. Maybe I’ll get a chance to take them on soon enough.

They’d all shared a certain unique arrogance - as if they were the rightful owners of everything and everybody they surveyed. But in Nathan’s experience, the other mages looked down on the enslavement mages.

It’s like an institutional inferiority complex. Maybe not for all of them, but I’d say it matches Codius, the mage who tried to bully me in the barracks. They’re not the cream of the crop of mages, so they take the work they can get and vent their frustrations on everybody who isn’t a mage.

As they walked out of the slums, Nathan tried to call up the ethos of the enslavement mage. It came with a certain sneer of the lip, a tilt of the head that displayed confidence to the world. He’d been half-expecting a skill from the effort, but no blue boxes popped up.

Maybe when the disguise gets tested.

Meanwhile, Stella was disguising herself in the purple of an advanced student. She stored her staff in a dimensional pouch and adjusted the purple robe to cover her enchanted adventuring robes.

However, the most important part of Stella’s disguise was under her robes - the mage mark of the enforcement mage who’d been guarding the barracks building yesterday. She was nervous to go out into Giantsrest with just a disguise and a ring for protection, but Faline ran her through her role.

“You should be meek towards me, your master. But as the apprentice to a war mage, it is assumed you shall be one yourself. War mages are prestigious - and you should react fiercely to any who roll their eyes at you, unless they are of significant status themselves. I may call on you to cast magic to validate our disguise. Remember to pretend to use an incantation.”

The assassin herself was wearing a red robe and her face became pinched, with a severe resting expression. She carried the mark of the war mage who’d seen through Nathan’s disguise in the barracks and raised the alarm with destructive spells. The rest of the enchanted rings were back with the other Heirs - hopefully to allow them to move undetected when it was time.

As they left and made their way through the slums Nathan noticed that there were more slaves out and about than before. Nothing like the traffic that’d been present when Nathan had first arrived in Halsmet, but more than since the lockdown had begun. The only things happening were essential errands, and the few slavemasters present were clearly trying to hurry through important tasks to get back inside.

After all, there’s a killer on the loose. In the stories I’ve read it’s much more common to be on the other side - people looking for the hidden killer.

A pulse of the detection enchantment spread over them all, and it felt different to Nathan than it had previously. The magic was more powerful - almost suffocating in its density and intensity. The wave of mana pushed in against him and clung to Stella and Faline for longer before their rings disabled the spell. It took three pulses from each ring for that to happen.

Stella jumped like she’d been stung, glancing at her ring nervously. “Wow.”

Nathan frowned at the mage marks, feeling at the carefully metered charge held within with his magical senses. “They’ve turned up the power on the sensor magic. I think they’re trying to burn through the charge on the mage marks we’ve captured. WIll the safehouse hold?”

Faline nodded slightly. “Yes. There’s a Kalis anti-divination rod in there. It would block a Questor casting [Omniscience].”

Stella jerked again at the statement, surprise evident in her hanging jaw. “Functional Kalis conclave artifacts are…”

“Priceless.” Faline shrugged slightly. “What I do is important. Gemore must know what Giantsrest is doing, else the first sign of a new archmage’s ambition is an army dashing down the eastern road to the gates of Gemore. We need to ambush them in the mountains to stand a chance against that kind of threat.”

She glanced towards Nathan. “The murder is my own Path, though dear Sudraiel doesn’t disapprove. She’s lost as much family as I have to Giantsrest. But scouting is my true value to Gemore.”

Yeah, my read on the guildmistress of the Gemore Adventurer's guild is that she’d love to take the fight to Giantsrest, but needs to prioritize keeping Gemore safe. Gemore doesn’t win stand-up fights against the kind of destructive firepower even a few mages can bring to bear. And Giantsrest has thousands of them.

He’d been expecting the city to be even more heavily patrolled than previously, but they only saw a single patrol. Nathan heard it coming around a corner from two blocks away and they ducked into an alley to stay out of sight.

No sense in relying on our disguises if we can just avoid the need for them.

Nathan stuck his head out, relying on [Noticeability] and [Stealthy Movement] to count three bright robes amid fifty slave-soldiers. Their heads were on a swivel and he ducked quickly back into cover.

I guess they’re afraid of single-mage patrols being picked off. Sensible.

Faline led them towards the main gate to enter into the inner city, which sat atop one of the major avenues that entered the city. There were a hundred soldiers flanking the gate, with two mages leaning against the closed portal and chatting. More slaves armed with crossbows stood atop the gate, and Nathan caught a flash of a blue robe up there as well.

I guess the three of us aren’t busting our way in by force. Or if we are, it’s all gone to shit.

The red-robed Faline strode straight up to the gate, with Nathan and Stella on her heels.

The mages broke off their conversation and looked her up and down. “What are you doing walking around without an escort?”

She ignored his question. “Open the gate. Exea has summoned me, by my Oath and the hands of the Giants.”

The blue-robed mage who seemed to be the leader of this group clicked his tongue. “I don’t know you. Or either of these two.” He indicated Stella and Nathan.

Faline sighed with exasperation. “I am the second war mage of archmage Heyo dho Declan of Ardglass. Exea has traded favors, and I am the favor.” She gestured to Stella. “My student.” Then to Nathan. “And majordomo. I will be staying in her mansion, since I had to leave my own slaves behind to make the trip. This gate will not slow my passage.”

The enforcement mage’s eyebrows shot up. “Long way here from Ardglass.”

Faline tilted her head, her eyes boring into the other mage. She didn’t say anything.

An enslavement mage spoke up from the side. “Well, the passwords aren’t good anymore. Let’s see some magic! I want to see what the second to an archmage is capable of.”

Faline’s brows drew down, and she seemed to be weighing blasting the enslavement mage on the spot. Then she snorted and shook her head slightly. “You can’t handle my magic. Apprentice!” She snapped her fingers.

Stella shook herself, then stepped forward and raised her right hand.

“Lightning!”

A bolt of electricity shot from Stella’s hands, impacting the wall with a crackling boom. The mages all jumped at the display of magic, but the wall’s enchantments reached out to block and counter the spell.

Good thing, or there’d be stone shrapnel. I guess that fits the image Faline’s projecting here. I’m glad they didn’t notice that she just said ‘lightning’, not a proper incantation for it. Helps that it’s a damn loud spell.

The enforcement mage glared back at his compatriot. “Idiot. Send [Messages] to reassure people that the noise wasn’t an attack. Giant knows we don’t need a false alarm.” He turned back to them, panning his attention over Stella and Nathan.

Nathan gave him a sneer and the faintest nod of the head.

Yeah. I work for somebody badass. Even her apprentice has spells more powerful than anything you can cast.

Pending utility skill: Low-tier Disguise

You have successfully disguised yourself to fool a foe in a deadly situation. This skill will make your disguises more convincing in the future.

Oh, nice. Taking that immediately.

The man turned and gestured to the door. “May the Giant welcome you.”

Nathan felt the detection enchantment pulse coming from farther away this time, emanating from the center of the city. Every mage mark around him activated, invisibly dispelling the clinging spell and draining in charge once more.

“Giant’s ballsack!” The enslavement mage swore as his ring ran out of magic.

The tracking enchantment was clinging to the man, starting to pulse warningly. He grabbed the mages mark with his other hand and frantically channeled mana into it. There was some kind of complex detection enchantment that activated when he did so, gauging and checking the incoming energy. After a second the ring activated again, dispersing the detection pulse.

The other two mages laughed at him. The enslavement mage made a gesture that was probably obscene, stabbing out with two separated fingers on one hand.

Faline shook her head and stepped up to the gate, holding up her own mages mark. It felt almost totally empty to Nathan, just barely flickering with magic.

That’s almost completely out of charge. I guess the mage we got it from hadn’t charged it very recently. Shit. And she has no idea - she can’t feel the amount of mana left in the thing. What do we do if it isn’t enough to open the gate?

Nathan looked around, disguising it as a smirk at the other mage’s embarrassment.

Not much to do but fight if it doesn’t work. Maybe Faline will be able to play it off somehow. But these guards seem pretty damn jumpy.

To his relief, the gate accepted the ring’s identification and swung open. They walked through casually, and Nathan hid his near-panic behind a superior sniff.

Low-tier Disguise 2 achieved!

Forget disguise, I feel like I should get an [Acting] skill for this. Damn.

Then they were through, and the gate swung closed. There was an artisan mage on this side, but she'd clearly been listening in. She gave Faline a commiserating look and a Giantsrest- style salute, clasping a closed fist to her chest.

They walked on into the city. As soon as he was confident they were out of earshot, Nathan spoke up. “Faline, your mage mark is dead. It won’t protect you from another ping from the detection enchantments.”

“Harpy tits.” The assassin swore. “Then we must hurry. The response force is close. We have some time - but I want the blaze fully stoked before the enchantment pings again.”

They hustled down the streets of the city, and found even more guards in the form of large and frequent patrols. They were keeping a watchful eye in all directions, but gave the robes of a war mage one look and stepped respectfully out of Faline’s path.

Nathan shook his head. He knew he was walking with Faline, but he looked at her and the only label that fit was ‘War Mage of Giantsrest’. He couldn’t categorize her any other way.

She’s probably burning some kind of resource to make that happen and get us through without any more questions.

They passed a trio of mages supervising a half-dozen slavemasters searching a house. The mages glanced over, attention caught by the three brightly-robed figures walking quickly down the street. Nathan started spending Focus on [Noticeability]. He leaned into the persona as an enslavement mage - and lackey of one of the most powerful mages around.

I’m exactly what you think I am. Piss me off, and I’ll have my boss light you on fire. Or her apprentice.

Mid-tier Noticeability 4 achieved!

Out of the corner of his eye, Nathan saw the leader - an older artisan mage - think about calling out. But then he shrugged and turned back to the house, letting them go. Meanwhile, Nathan stayed in [Battlefield Meditation]. He’d need Focus for what came next, and needed to refill that resource as much as possible.

Faline turned the corner and they were in front of a familiar square - one side of which held the barracks that Nathan had rampaged through last night. The space was nearly empty, and seemed like a great place to hide.

But the assassin jerked her head and they stepped to the side of the street, into the nook behind a statue. She laid one hand against the stone wall. “Here. This is it. The response team is resting inside this building.”

Stella let out a shaky breath. “I’d rather wake the dungeon than do that again. So many Giantsrest mages.” She looked around the space. “This wall here?”

“Yes. Do it quiet.”

Nathan stepped forward, laying his hand against the mortared stone. “Hold on - there’s magic in here.” He reached out with his magical senses, feeling for the faint traces of a spell flowing through the stone.

Stella placed her own bare palm against the rock next to Nathan’s. “True aim. That’s subtle. A strengthening spell, I think.” She glared at the mortared blocks. “I’d have to fight against the spell. Can you get rid of this?”

He smirked. “Yup.” Then his aura flowed into the wall, less as a spike and more as a sweeping rake. He wasn’t in combat, so he pushed the aura out of his body entirely to cover more area. The spell flowed slowly through the stone, like water through sand. It was like the magic was a liquid rebar, saturating the stone with extra tensile strength.

It’s got some Insights from crystal magic in there - like it’s causing all of the little silicate crystals to be attracted to each other. I think any cracks would just seal right back up. I bet that wall would survive a big-ass fireball and might even stand a chance against [Disintegrate].

More mana sluggishly flowed in to replace the mana Nathan was stealing from the wall. He kept at it for a minute, but the flow rate didn’t seem to be slowing down - it was probably draining mana from the entire building.

Somebody inside might notice if I drain the whole spell. And it might take a while.

“Get started. I’ll try to keep this space free of the spell.” Nathan outlined a small square of the wall, before sinking into [Battle Meditation] and beginning to spend Focus. The enhanced control let him scrub the marked area clean of the reinforcement spell before sweeping his aura around the space to keep it away.

Stella nodded and went to work, shaping the rock away from the gap. It was slow going because she was trying to be quiet and fighting against whatever portion of the strengthening spell seeped in past Nathan’s attempts to block it. But slowly the stone cracked open into a dark opening. There was the occasional faint shifting of rock - but nothing that would catch the ear.

Faline swore quietly. “Harpy’s tit’s, I should have seen that in prophecy.” She quickly pulled a dark cloth out of her bag and swept it over Stella, preventing sunlight from finding its way through the newly opened gap.

After a few minutes Stella slid out from underneath the fabric. “It’s big enough for Nathan. I’m waiting here, yeah? Don’t die quiet.”

Nathan clasped her on the shoulder. “Never. See you soon.”

Then he took a deep breath and slipped under the fabric to squeeze through the hole in the wall. He almost stepped forward into the room beyond - but stopped when he saw the faintest outline in the darkness.

Faline laid a hand on his back. “What occurs?” Her whisper was quiet, barely audible to Nathan’s enhanced senses.

He used [Perfected Body] to force his irises open, instantly adapting his vision to the darkness. He’d thought about trying to make a permanent adaption last time he’d walked into a darkened room, but it had seemed like it might temporarily blind him. With Focus, Nathan wasn’t nearly as worried about making a mistake. His vision snapped into clarity, and the mess in front of him became clear.

It looked like textile equipment - they weren’t exactly the spinning wheels and looms he’d seen before, but they looked similar. If he’d just continued walking forward he would have run into the haphazardly piled wooden frames and it would have all clattered to the ground with an enormous sound.

I don’t think this was put here as a security measure - but it’s a pretty effective tripwire anyway.

It took him a moment to chart a path through the obstacles, at one point using a Stamina-assisted jump to hop over an impassable wall of stacked looms. The only remaining obstacle was a door leading out of the crowded storeroom. Nathan put his hand on the handle and glanced back.

Faline followed closely behind, winding her way through the room with sinuous grace - and with a bit of judicious shapeshifting. She reached his side, put her hand on his shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

Nathan carefully lifted the door as he opened it, trying to prevent the leather-hinged door from scraping on the floor. It opened silently, and he looked into the room beyond.

This is it.

The space extended most of the length of the building. It was also choked with bedrolls, each of which was occupied by a snoozing slave-elite. They were scattered haphazardly around, their equipment stacked next to them and glowing with immaculate care. While the full-face helmet and carapaced armor were standardized, the weapons varied greatly.

I bet they can wake and be ready to fight in an instant. We need to find the mages. The whole plan hinges on these next few minutes.

Nathan was already using Focus, was already in [Battle Meditation]. He leveraged every one of his stealth and perception skills to slip through the room like a ghost. He ignored the buzz of the mental magic all around him, binding these powerful warriors to the will of Giantsrest.

Low-tier Quiet Movement 2 achieved!

No pressure. It’s not like failure here means that Halsmet stays under Giantsrest control, Badud turns his attention to Gemore and my friends probably get recaptured. And a whole lot of mages get to keep on living when they really shouldn’t.

The errant thought slipped through his mind, and Nathan let it pass without internal commentary.

Battle Meditation 8 achieved

He was halfway across the room, alert for any motion or call to arms. The sleeping slaves were eerily still, and Nathan found himself noticing more details. They were all men, all seemingly between the ages of twenty-five and forty, and all covered in scars. He didn’t think about that, just continued steadily across the nearly completely dark room.

High-tier Notice 8 achieved!

Nathan was headed towards a series of smaller doors at the front of the building. One was a broad wooden portal that seemed to lead out into the square, but there were two others that seemed to lead to smaller rooms. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NøᴠᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Likely where the mages are resting after their early morning hunting me. They’re the targets. For now.

Nathan angled for one door, reaching out with his magical senses. One of the smaller doors was locked with a heavy metal lock, supplemented with a magical alarm spell. It wasn’t a permanent enchantment - just a spell that would last a day or two.

He disabled the spell and waved Faline towards the portal while he extended his magical senses to feel for more magic in the room. Two bonfires of mana blazed away on the other side, but Nathan couldn’t detect any more traps. He held up two fingers and nodded to Faline, getting a nod in return before he crossed to the other door.

This one was similarly alarmed, but without a physical lock. It was the work of an instant to disable the spell and gesture to Faline that he was moving into the room. The door creaked faintly, and Nathan sped up.

The space inside looked like it was usually an office, with a few small shelves holding samples of fabric and a few administrative records. But now the desk was gone and three beds occupied most of the room. All three were full, each with a mage dressed in the enchanted red robes of a war mage of Giantsrest. None of them reacted to his entry at all.

Guess they want to be ready to roll out of bed and fight.

Nathan stuck his head out of the room again to see Faline watching him. He held up three fingers. She jerked her thumb towards the door out into the square, then pulled her knife and mimed a stabbing motion into the room with two mages.

Yeah. Likely one standing guard outside the building. Good thing we didn’t try to come in that direction. Let’s do this.

He went back into the office-cum-bedroom and eased the door closed again to block what sound he could. Then Nathan turned to the three mages. Rage replaced Focus, and Nathan’s foot scraped against the floor as he walked towards the war mage with the most mana.

Low-tier Quiet Movement 3 achieved!

The man was sleeping on his stomach, and Nathan drove a downward elbow into the back of his neck, making a sharp V of the man’s spine with a crackling of bone.

The next mage, a woman, was on her side. Nathan repeated the attack to the side of her neck, with similar results.

It had only been a handful of seconds since the first blow, but the final mage - an older man with greying beard - was already starting to sit up. He clearly couldn’t see well in the darkness, but the cracking of bone had alerted him that something was very, very wrong. Magic built up in an instant as he prepared a spell.

[Lightning S-]

Nathan’s fist punched the man’s ribs into his lungs, and the spell fizzled out in a gargle of blood. A blow to the skull ensured the mage wouldn’t be getting up again, and Nathan was confronted by a blue box as he went to leave the room.

Assassin has leveled to 27! Congratulations, you have killed Vidal dho Pelogi, Ninna dha Ozor and Beal dho Fordan, three powerful War Mages of Giantsrest. Please choose a developed class from the following list to continue leveling, as you have unlocked a higher level than 27!

Definitely faster than I leveled Antimagic Brawler to 27.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 3

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 7

Talent 3: High-tier Slow Fall 9

Class: Implacable Antimage level 158

Deepened Stamina: 4620/5040

Antimage’s Impassivity

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Improved Antimagic

Strenuous Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Class: Assassin level 27

Focus: 128/370

Vital Targeting

Stealthy Movement

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 8

High-tier Earnestness 10

High-tier Sprinting 4

Magical Perception 5

High-tier Notice 8

High-tier Identify 8

High-tier Dodging Footwork 7

High-tier Enhanced Memory 9

Mid-tier Lecturing 9

High-tier Tumbling 4

Mid-tier Noticeability 4

Low-tier Quiet Movement 3

Low-tier Disguise 2

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