Ends of Magic
Chapter 38: Timely Ambush

Nathan was feeling left out. Khachi’s blessing meant each of his companions left faint trails of golden light behind them, and their bodies were limned in a magical glow of the same color. But his mind whirled with what Brox had said.

At least some Questors have been alive for thousands of years. They shepherd civilization through the Endings? But they disagree with each other about how to do it.

He shook his head to clear the topic. He could remember Brox’s words in detail later. For now they needed to focus on the battle.

Stella’s voice was confident as they walked up the slope. “I’m [Messaging] the rest to battle. It’s a few minutes early, but now is the time.” Her voice also bore the slight resonance of the divine blessing, and it gave her a much more serious air than normal. She started flipping out [Message] after [Message], casting multiple copies of the spell at once with smooth confidence that he rarely saw from the excitable mage. It seemed that the magic of the blessing didn't just enhance physical fighting.

They reached the top of the peak and stood there without fear. If Giantsrest hadn’t noticed the magical lightshow of Khachi’s blessing happening on the other side of the slope, it wouldn’t take them long to notice the glowing figures standing atop the peak. A few hundred feet of sheer rock stretched below them, leading to the gentle valley floor. Spilling across the bottom of the valley on both sides of the road was the Giantsrest camp, lit by magic and defended by powerful magical shields. Nathan’s improvements to his eyes and his perception skills allowed him to pick out most of the details even from this distance.

Regiments of golems and slave-soldiers were arrayed on the outermost layer of the camp, alert and ready to meet an attack. The next layer was made up of serried rows of cots filled with more sleeping slaves. There were thousands of them, including several hundred elites. Nathan eyed them carefully, imagining replicating his success at Halsmet.

The mages would immediately kill them all. They're the real threat here.

The entire center of the encampment was occupied by colorful tents belonging to the true power of Giantsrest, the graduates of the Ascendent Academy. There were a half-dozen unequally sized sections belonging to different factions, the splits made clear by the organization of the tents and the separate shields protecting each section. Further divisions were clear as well, with different colors of tent and magical decorations further delineating subfactions.

Mages walked the paths between tents, and groups of brightly-robed people were eating an early breakfast together under the last moments of night. It looked like they planned to start early and were eating well to prepare for a long day conquering Halsmet. There were hundreds of tents but one stood out as significantly larger and gaudier than all the rest. It was made of several different colors of fabric, as if each faction had contributed to its construction. The effect was garish, but the large structure commanded the staging area in the center of the camp.

Brox had drawn his blades while they examined the army below, and he pointed straight at the central tent. “Badud must be there, safe as Vault of Solace. By Edes do I swear that only one of us will depart this battlefield.” A faint smile graced his face, an expectation of what was going to happen. Then he threw a glance towards the Heirs. “Shape your eyes as a Questor goes to war. I’ll kill every mage in my path, but all who survive will be your duty.”

The Questor activated his blades and zipped down the slope, moving faster than if he'd jumped. Nathan was only able to track him by the golden after-image of Khachi’s blessing and the cuts in space that his swords left behind.

They all watched open-mouthed as the man leapt hundreds of feet, soaring over the lines of golems and soldiers like an arrow fired from a huge bow. He punched through multiple magical barriers sword-first, more a projectile than a man. Brox’s feet came down gently as he landed in the middle of sleeping rows of slaves and left them untouched, powering through and into the mage-dominated section of the camp.

Alarms were going off across the valley below and mages jerked to their feet, but it didn’t help those in Brox’s path. The streak of light that marked him passed through a few groups as they leapt from their seats. He was gone before the body parts could hit the ground, leaving the leisurely breakfasts soaked with blood and strewn with bisected mages.

Stella and Sarah shook themselves free of the paralysis of watching a Questor fight in earnest and began setting up. Stella carved out a small hollow in the hill with a prominent shooting position, then began rapidly charging up a paired lasing tube and a capacitor.

Sarah lay down in the provided spot, angling her rifle down the slope and sighting along its length to check the angle. She gave an approving nod and began pulling out ammunition, placing different rounds within easy reach.

Khachi walked to the front of their position, slamming his shield into the stone and intoning a prayer. “By my divinity, this space will be sacrosanct. It shall be a sanctuary amid destruction. In righteous battle, I am the shield of hope.” Mana spilled out from the fabric of Davrar once more, called by the words of the [Divine Justicar]. It flowed into the framework of mana that the wolfman was building, making a shield that felt more solid than any that force mana could makes.

Aarl stepped up next to Nathan, slinging his pack off his shoulder. “Are you ready?”

“I don’t know if we’ll even need to do this.” Nathan said, watching as Brox finally arrived in the center of the camp below. He’d killed dozens of mages on the way in, and tore through the few trying to rally together in the assembly area. They cast shields and raised protections, but Brox’s flickering shape tore through them with swords that cut space itself and seemed to completely ignore [Mage Armor]. The Giantsrest mages cast spells at him, but only hit their allies.

“Badud hasn’t shown himself yet.” Aarl said, lifting a bundle of folded metal loops from his pack.

Brox vanished into the enormous tent, and the camp below was still for a moment as a few mages stuck their head out of tents, recoiling from the bloody carnage they saw all around them.

Nathan nodded towards where the Questor had gone. “Maybe Brox caught Badud asleep.”

Then the central tent detonated in a flash, and they instinctively shielded their eyes from the blinding light. Nathan snapped his gaze back as soon as he could, noting that the light itself was powerful offensive magic, weakened by distance. It seemed like a localized blast, destructive but contained so it wouldn't damage the rest of the camp.

He was just in time to see an unremarkable tent near the center of the camp puff into dust as a black-clad mage shot up into the sky. Badud’s head snapping around to look for his target, and his eyes fixed on the Heirs for a moment. Then a blurring Brox slammed into the other Questor with blades tearing.

Space rippled, and Brox was thrown away from the other Questor with a flare of magic, landing heavily with empty hands. He clutched his side with one hand where the clothes had been burnt away, and was missing both blades. His expression was a vicious smile that Nathan could see from here.

Badud hovered high in the air, body contorted around the blade buried in his side. The mage yanked Brox’s sword out with a full-body wince and pressed a glowing hand to the wound. The healing spell failed, and blood dripped from the man’s feet.

Badud snapped out a single word that Nathan couldn’t hear, but the space around him seemed to congeal just as Sarah fired, the bullet vanishing into the shield without effect.

Brox was already airborne, flying upwards like an arrow released from a bow. He touched the distorted space and his forward progress slowed as if he was suddenly moving through molasses.

What is that? Some kind of spatial distortion? Like the transit roads of Old Gemore, but in reverse?

The Questor mage just floated there, raising both hands and channeling a spell that Nathan could feel from here.

Sarah fired again, this time an enchanted bullet, and Stella unleashed her laser spell, funneling the lightning down it a moment later.

Other attacks flew in from the hills as hidden Adventurers unloaded everything they had on the Questor. A sonic boom sounded from one of Kozar’s javelins, and a powerful fireball impacted the sphere a moment later.

The spells washed over the spherical barrier, hiding Badud from sight for a moment as the spells played over the sphere of disrupted space.

More spells flashed from the camp, the mages targeting the places where the Adventurers had attacked from. Three [disintegration] spells struck at the Heirs, but they deflected from Khachi’s shield even as Nathan absorbed a lightning bolt thick as a tree with his aura.

The magic cleared from Badud’s protections, and Nathan saw that the black-robed Questor was unharmed, and smiling. The man brought his hands together and spoke a spell that sounded clearly in Nathan’s ear.

[Reverse Time]

A wave of power flashed across the world, emanating from Badud. It covered the camp in an instant and then washed over the Heirs. Nathan instinctively drew his aura tight to his body, focusing everything on denying this new magic that assaulted him. It was a power beyond mana, like the spatial roads of Old Gemore or the cuts in space left behind by Brox’s swords. Nathan concentrated his entire being on not being swept away, on remembering.

There was a moment of blurring confusion …

—

Aura of Antimagic 8 achieved!

Mental Fortress 5 achieved!

Brox pointed a sword at the garish tent in the center of the camp. “Badud is in there, safe as Vault of Solace. By Edes do I swear that only one of us will depart this battlefield.” A faint smile graced his face, an acceptance of fate.

Wait, this already happened.

He smiled at the rest of the Heirs. “Shape your eyes…”

Nathan interrupted frantically. “Badud just reversed time. The center tent is a trap. He’s in that one.” He pointed at the nondescript tent sitting just to the side of the assembly space. “Right now he’s probably setting up a trap and sounding the alarm. He knows you’re coming.”

As if prophetic, Nathan saw the mages below all tilt their heads, as if listening to an invisible announcement - or a mass [Message] spell.

The words tumbled from his mouth, every piece of information weighed against the time it cost to say it. “He cast a bubble of space that stopped you, but couldn't heal your sword-wound.”

Brox’s smile turned to a hiss through gritted teeth. “He cannot cast wizardry like that twice. If strike down Badud the prophecy is fulfilled, but he is doomed even if I fail.” He bowed his head to Nathan, speaking quickly. “May your tale span the sky.”

Then the Questor leapt, flying towards Badud’s tent like an arrow.

Nathan pinned Aarl and Stella with his gaze. “We do it now.”

Stella looked confused but nodded, quickly shaping a stone suitable for Nathan to stand on and beginning to channel mana into the platform.

“Algoa’s luck ride with you.” Aarl said with quiet intensity as he handed Nathan the bundled hoops of metal that contained a huge dimensional space full of water.

Nathan grabbed onto the rope handle they’d fashioned so he wouldn't touch the magic directly, then stepped onto the smooth platform. Far below him there was a flash as Brox clashed with a forewarned Badud, the unharmed mages below beginning to cast spells.

He gave all of the Heirs one last look. “See you on the other side.” Then he turned back to the army and allowed his Rage to sweep through him. He felt the desire to destroy the slavers, the excitement of challenging his enemy, and the knoweldge that he had the tools to do it.

Then Stella threw him. The acceleration made Nathan’s legs creak with strain, but his Rage-enhanced strength and durability kept him upright as he soared high into the air over the Giantsrest camp.

The mages below were well and truly alerted, and the Adventurers hidden in the hills hadn’t yet started their attacks. Their two focuses were Brox and Nathan - and Brox was a barely visible flicker harrying Badud through the air. The Questors were playing high-speed keepaway, with Brox suddenly capable of aerial maneuvering. Occasional sonic booms sounded as the sword-wielding Questor accelerated, but Badud was turning sharply to dodge the other Questor’s zipping form while fleeing and leaving behind magical traps. Nathan saw Brox run into one of the spells and punch through it with an explosion of magic that rocked the valley.

Arrows and spells reached up for Nathan and he reached inside for the Insight he’d held onto for so long. Kia had told him how to Develop [Airwalking] months ago, and Nathan had practiced the Insight a few times, just waiting for the right situation to Develop it.

Now the time had arrived, and he spared no expense. Focus slowed down subjective time as Nathan funneled Stamina to his hands and feet. He pushed with his muscles, exerting his Stamina to provide an equal and opposite force to his muscles. At first it was like trying to push off water, but as he concentrated the surface firmed up into something more like foam. He pushed with his feet and then his hands, twisting himself out of the path of the first arrows, though not by much. One twisted to follow him, skills enabling it to penetrate his skin as the shot grazed his ribs. Nathan hissed even as his aura intercepted a half-dozen lightning bolts. The surge of Stamina went straight into his limbs, and all of a sudden he was pushing off something hard and unyielding.

Congratulations, you have developed the [High-tier Slow Fall] Talent into [Airwalking]. Beware, it is harder to rank and develop non-tiered Talents.

Permanent Talent: Airwalking

You have developed [Slow Fall] into the permanent ability to move through the air. This Talent will allow you to use Stamina to push off of air with any part of your body. The greater the force exerted, the greater the Stamina required.

The sudden force exerted by his push caused Nathan to lose control and start spinning with a yelp. He regained controls easily, and the sudden jerk had helped him avoid the next volley of attacks.

He used the momentary break to survey the camp below, straining Focus and [Alertness] to the limit to take everything in. He’d flown wide of the center of the camp, and the army below had started to organize with surprising speed. Slave-elites were waking up and picking up weapons, and the mages were forming up into squads to coordinate spells and reinforce shields.

The Questors’ duel proceeded a little ways down the valley, but Nathan’s attention was caught by six figures who’d appeared in the very center of camp. One of them was glaring at Nathan with a focus so intent it tweaked his [Noticeability].

Exea stood there with five other archmages, and he could feel the magic boiling off of their shields from here. All six had their eyes fixed on Nathan.

Alertness 3 achieved!

It’s gonna get fun here in a moment. I need to get into position.

Spells and weapons arced down into the valley below as the hidden adventurers started their attack. Force-shields shattered, already damaged by the battle between Questors, and mages died. Stella’s laser cracked and the following lightning killed a pair of war mages through their shields. A crackling javelin penetrated the quadruple-layered bubble around the archmages, but Exea’s jewelry flashed again and the projectile passed a hair's-breadth in front of her face.

That was one of Kozar’s.

One of the other Archmages turned and made a dismissive gesture. A [disintegration] spell as thick as a battering ram flashed across the battlefield and took a huge bite out of the ridge the javelin had come from. More mages turned to zero in on the hidden Adventurers.

Did Kozar just die? The Adventures are gonna get wiped out with six archmages throwing around spells like that. I need to draw their attention.

Nathan screamed his Rage down into the valley below, pushing Stamina into the shout as he wrenched his vocal cords and flexed every skill to make himself as eye-catching as possible.

Mid-tier Noticeability 10 achieved!

Mid-tier Battle Cry 4 achieved!

He flared his antimagic wide, catching stray spells and drawing them into a circle around him, making dozens of spells collide with each other and explode before the magic was absorbed. The effect created a light show as different spells collided and exploded, making a vortex of magic with him at the center.

Congratulations, you have developed the [Mid-tier Noticeability] utility skill into [High-tier Noticeability].

Utility skill: [High-tier Noticeability]

You will know when others' eyes are upon you, and can spend focus to shift their attention. You can also guide their notice away from other events.

Drawing all of the attention on the battlefield had its own problems, and Nathan had to exert his new Talent to the limit to dodge hundreds of projectiles coming his way. Many were just spells - but Nathan needed to protect his payload. He needed to maintain the magic on the bunched metal loop until he was in position.

Battle Meditation 10 achieved!

A wall of arrows and spells seemed to rush upwards, and only with the extra processing time of Focus and the absolute clarity of [Battle Meditation] did he manage to thread the gaps. Nathan twisted and pirouetted, ricocheting between hands, feet and even knees. With [Airwalking], every muscle group in his body could adjust his momentum and take him out of the path of another arrow.

Airwalking 2 achieved!

Congratulations, you have developed the [High-Tier Dodging Footwork] utility skill into [Effortless Dodge]

Utility skill: [Effortless Dodge]

This skill will help you move to dodge attacks easily.

He accelerated into the sky, opening up the range and trying to position himself over the center of camp. Nathan leaned into his run as [Airwalking] seemed to generate a surface under his feet whenever he took a step. He felt like he was running across a terrain of his own choosing. Nathan gave his Stamina a quick check, since he’d been using it without worry. He was relieved to find it almost full, occasionally fluctuating with an aggressive movement and refilling whenever a spell splashed against his aura.

High-tier Sprinting 9 achieved!

Nathan gave his Stamina a quick check, since he’d been using it without worry. He was relieved to find it almost full, occasionally fluctuating with an aggressive movement and refilling whenever a spell splashed against his aura. Another volley of spells was rising in his direction, but Nathan was higher up now. The extra distance - and his new skill - made it much easier to make his way through the projectiles. He was almost in position high over the center of the camp.

A bare flicker of his mana sense warned him of something new, and Nathan barely twitched out of the way of a spell from Badud. It arrowed up past him at insane speeds, brushing past his hip and setting the bones to vibrating so hard they cracked in dozens of places.

That wasn’t normal magic. It was like the time magic, affecting the world on such a deep level that I’m not immune to it. But I can still vaguely sense it.

Magical Perception 10 achieved!

High-tier Tumbling 9 achieved!

He dodged a few more spells, the magic of normal Giantsrest mages seeming to crawl in comparison to Badud’s spell. Then he was ready, six hundred feet over the center of the Giantsrest camp.

Nathan seized the dimensional artifact he’d carried into the sky. It was well-crafted of powerful materials, and at first the ancient magic resisted him. But he focused his strength and antimagic into the loop of metal, sundering the dimensional enchantment within.

Talent: High-tier Slow Fall

This Talent will allow you to use stamina to efficiently direct your fall. This is especially effective for controlling the rate of your fall.

Congratulations, you have developed the [High-tier Slow Fall] Talent into [Airwalking]. Beware, it is harder to rank and develop non-tiered Talents.

Permanent Talent: Airwalking

You have developed [Slow Fall] into the permanent ability to move through the air. This Talent will allow you to use Stamina to push off of air with any part of your body. The greater the force exerted, the greater the Stamina required.

Utility skill: [Mid-tier Noticeability]

You will know when others' eyes are upon you, and can spend focus to shift their attention.

Congratulations, you have developed the [Mid-tier Noticeability] utility skill into [High-tier Noticeability].

Utility skill: [High-tier Noticeability]

You will know when others' eyes are upon you, and can spend focus to shift their attention. You can also guide their notice away from other events.

Utility skill: [High-tier Dodging Footwork]

This skill will help you with quick movements to keep your balance and dodge attacks.’

Congratulations, you have developed the [High-Tier Dodging Footwork] utility skill into [Effortless Dodge]

Utility skill: [Effortless Dodge]

This skill will help you move to dodge attacks easily.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Aura of Antimagic 8

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 8

Permanent Talent 3: Airwalking 1

Class: Implacable Antimage level237

Deepened Stamina:7402/7410

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Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Implacable Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Improved Antimagic

Strenuous Agility

Hand-to-hand Expertise

Class: Magekiller level 89

Regenerative Focus: 7720/990

Catastrophic Blows

Battle Stealth

Mage Infiltration

Forgettable

Unsuspecting Strike

Antimagic Stealth

Spell Redirection

Lethal Index

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 10

Leadership 6

High-tier Sprinting 9

Magical Perception 10

Alertness 3

Magical Intuition 9

Effortless Dodge 1

Mental Fortress 4

High-tier Lecturing 7

High-tier Tumbling 9

High-tier Noticeability 1

Low-tier Quiet Movement 4

Low-tier Disguise 4

Mid-tier Battle Cry 4

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