Author Note: I have good news to share. Podium has picked up Ascendant and will be publishing it on Audible, KU, as an ebook, and using print-on-demand for those like me who love having books on the shelf to show off. It's still a ways off from coming out, so I don't have the specifics of the release date yet, but I do know it will be after the story finishes its run on Royal Road. I will post again here with more information when it goes up for pre-order, so for anyone who's interested in listening to or reading the professionally edited version later on, I'll have more news for you when it's ready.
* * *
There were actual spells that used sixth layer arcana, but Nym only knew one, the hidden presence spell Rizin had taught him. Anything else was just using the arcana to fiddle with reality. Technically, that was what all arcana did, but there was a big difference between mortal magic and ascendant magic.
Humans used magic by making connections to other layers of reality and bringing back some of the essence of that realm. The farther away from the core reality the essence, arcana, was, the more it was able to influence core reality. The difference was simple: human magic used other layers of reality as a catalyst to change their own reality. Ascendant magic affected all layers of reality at the same time.
There were some advantages to using human magic, even now. If all he wanted was to stay flying in the air, it was far simpler and less taxing to simply grab a bit of second layer arcana and craft a spell that held him up than it would be to evoke Transcendent arcana to tell reality that it was wrong about how gravity affected him. Reality, as it turned out, didn’t like being told it was wrong, and was continually trying to reassert itself.
It was also far easier to keep himself hidden when using mortal magic. Hidden presence only had to mask him instead of the changes he made through multiple layers of reality that way. For now at least, that was a large part of his motivation. There were times when he needed to bend reality to his will, and there were times when a touch more finesse made everything easier.
Nym had a different sort of problem to deal with. Existing in multiple versions of reality at the same time wasn’t new to him by now, but the sixth layer was different. Unlike the inner layers, it didn’t mirror the world at all. More importantly, there was a whole ascendant society there. Nym had briefly witnessed it before Rizin’s magic fell over him and hid him away.
Now that part of him was sitting, unmoving and isolated, while his primary focus returned to the core reality. Someday he’d be strong enough to explore that timeless realm, to see the grand palaces and fantastical landscape each ascendant had carved out of reality through sheer force of will. Today, he had an obligation to meet in the core reality.
He teleported himself to the sheet of ice above the ascendant research lab and waited for Rizin to appear. It only took a few minutes before the fox popped up next to him. “Good,” Rizin said. “I had to manually scan the area until I noticed you’d arrived. You’re still completely hidden.”
“Great,” Nym said. “How sure are you that this will work?”
“That you’ll be able to freely access the lab? Not at all. That you’ll be able to escape the containment field using the magic I taught you? Well, it’s always worked for me.”
“Using only sixth layer arcana though?” Nym pressed.
“You worry too much. Fine, let me test it.”
Rizin disappeared, and then ten seconds later reappeared. “Yes, using just sixth layer arcana.”
Nym thought he had a perfectly appropriate amount of caution, all things considered. He still hadn’t quite forgiven Rizin for setting him up to visit the research lab the first time, but he suspected getting the raw end of that deal had at least a little bit to do with the fox keeping him safe after he’d made his way back to reality prime once the ascendants had started fighting each other.
“Alright, time to see if this works,” Nym said.
* * *
The lab was just like he remembered it. Some of the research assistants were different, but he recognized at least half of them from his first trip in. Naera was not among them, but within moments of him arriving, he spotted her hustling down the hall in his direction.
“Exarch, welcome back,” she said.
Nym didn’t physically sigh in relief, but he wanted to. That had been the big risk, not knowing whether he would still have Exarch Niramyn’s access. Apparently, the Exarch either hadn’t realized Nym would come back, or didn’t care. Whatever the reason, he was just glad that fulfilling his end of the pact was off to a smooth start.
Considering how much more work his side had been the last time they’d made a pact, Nym felt it was only fair that he got the easier job this time around. Of course, he’d barely gotten started, so it was probably a bad idea to pat himself on the back already.
“Hello, Naera. How have things been going since my last visit?”
“The last of the scarabs from the experiment you terminated died off one hundred fifty-six cycles ago,” she reported. “All other experiments are proceeding along expected and desired routes.”
“Good, good. Listen, I want to start a new experiment.”
“Certainly, Exarch. If you’ll come with me, we can get everything set up for that.”
Nym followed the assistant golem out of the foyer and down the halls. While they walked, he explained what he was looking to create. She listened intently, and then said, “That should be well within the established purpose of this facility. I believe we could have a viable first generation within a thousand cycles, though we would need to discuss more details first.”
That was a relief. All he had to do now was give her the specifications and let them get to work. Just as he was about to speak, she cut him off. “Of course, the lab’s arcana batteries will need to be recharged before we can begin working.”
“Oh? I thought there was quite a bit left?” Nym asked.
“For maintaining current experiments, yes. For a project of this size, we have insufficient arcana.”
“Of course we do,” Nym muttered. “Would have been too easy otherwise.”
Maybe he could get Rizin to charge the batteries. He could do the seventh and eighth layer ones, at least. “Would you need the ninth layer batteries recharged as well?”
“No, those still have ample power left, and other than producing some sample chambers, would not be needed for this experiment.”
“Okay, that’s workable then. Hmm… what are the protocols for bringing a guest?”
“Non-authorized ascendants are not allowed in the facility,” Naera said immediately.
“Right, figured that was going to be the case.”
Nym wasn’t actually sure it would be a problem. Rizin was going to have to get in to charge the batteries one way or another, and while it certainly would have been easier for him if he could have just escorted the fox through the lab to do the work, he wouldn’t be surprised if Rizin refused to even go in through the front door, just on the basis that he didn’t want to be seen.
“This place must have some solid automated defenses if they’re enough to keep out any ascendant who’s not allowed in here,” Nym said.
“Very much so, Exarch!”
“What can you tell me about them?”
Naera happily rattled off a bunch of information that Nym understood none of. That was a bit annoying, as he’d thought his days of not having a clue were behind him, but it seemed there was always more to learn, and he was basically starting over at the bottom rung on the immortal side of existence now anyway.
He did his best to remember everything Naera told him, which thanks to a few enhancements he’d made to his brain, was not that hard to do. “Fascinating,” Nym said when she finished explaining how the reality inversion wards would discharge a resonance breaker into anyone who tried to access the lab via the specimen teleportation platform if they didn’t have a biological matrix key stored in the data archive.
Hopefully Rizin would know what that meant, and how to get past it.
“Right, so I don’t have the time to charge the batteries right now, but let’s get everything set up so that when I can get them charged, all we need to do is start the experiment,” Nym told the golem.
“Of course. I’ll just open up a new experiment log here and we can outline the parameters.”
* * *
“I’ve got good news and bad news,” Nym said when he appeared in Rizin’s den.
“I would prefer you didn’t have bad news,” the fox said with a yawn.
“Okay, I’ve got good news and… exciting news.”
Rizin rolled his eyes and hopped down off his cushion. “Fine, let’s hear it.”
“So first, you were right, I do still have access. The lab still treats me like I’m Niramyn. I was able to get everything set up for your project, and they’re estimating three years before a first generation is produced.”
“That long? Hmm. Acceptable, I suppose. And the… exciting news?”
“Ah, that. Well, I can’t actually start the project. It’s set up, but there’s a problem. The lab’s arcana batteries aren’t full enough to run the project, and I can’t recharge them myself.”
“Ah, I see. You can’t, but let me guess: I can?”
“Got it in one,” Nym said. “I checked to see if I could bring a guest in, just in case. If it was as easy as just bringing you with me to the batteries, you charging them, and we’re all set, then why not?”
“That doesn’t sound all that exciting, so I’m guessing the answer was no.”
“Correct again. How do you feel about sneaking in?”
Rizin just stared at him.
“Even if I told you that I could explain all the defenses?”
More silence filled the den.
“Look, I can’t do it myself. Either you do it, or you’re going to be waiting for however long it takes for me to reach the eighth layer.”
The fox let out a heavy sigh. “I suppose I should at least hear about the defenses before I say no.”
By the time Nym had finished reciting Naera’s speech, Rizin had perked up considerably. He had that gleam in his eyes, that one that spoke of mischief. Something in Nym’s outline of the defenses had sparked an idea, hopefully one that would actually work.
“I realize that the difficulty of this job was lowered significantly thanks to the fact that the golems are still treating you like you own the place, but really, well done, young ascendant. I think this could actually work. Now, tell me where the batteries are.”
Nym thought about that for a second and shook his head. “I do not know. Never thought to ask.”
“Just when I was beginning to have hope for you,” the fox said sourly.
Then Nym grinned and added, “Nah, I’m just kidding. I know where they are. Here, let me show you a map of the facility I copied from the data archive when I was looking stuff up.”
An illusion over ten feet tall and just as wide filled one side of the den, and together the two poured over it. Rizin explained his point of entry, and what he needed Nym to do on the inside to distract the golems so that he could get in unseen. They made plans on where to meet up if Rizin couldn’t get to the batteries, and how Nym could tell that the mission had been completed.
“You know, the funny thing about all of this is that I’m sneaking in to do them a favor,” Rizin said.
“Are you? You’re only filling the arcana batteries so you can use the lab’s equipment for your own purposes. Unless you were going to sneak back in and top them off when you were done?”
“No, probably not.”
They both stared at the illusion in silence for a bit, then Nym said, “You think it’ll work?”
“Yes. There’s a couple sticky spots, but we’ve got alternative solutions if things don’t play out the way we’d like.”
“Tomorrow then?”
“Tomorrow,” the fox agreed.
Author Note: I have good news to share. Podium has picked up Ascendant and will be publishing it on Audible, KU, as an ebook, and using print-on-demand for those like me who love having books on the shelf to show off. It's still a ways off from coming out, so I don't have the specifics of the release date yet, but I do know it will be after the story finishes its run on Royal Road. I will post again here with more information when it goes up for pre-order, so for anyone who's interested in listening to or reading the professionally edited version later on, I'll have more news for you when it's ready.
* * *
There were actual spells that used sixth layer arcana, but Nym only knew one, the hidden presence spell Rizin had taught him. Anything else was just using the arcana to fiddle with reality. Technically, that was what all arcana did, but there was a big difference between mortal magic and ascendant magic.
Humans used magic by making connections to other layers of reality and bringing back some of the essence of that realm. The farther away from the core reality the essence, arcana, was, the more it was able to influence core reality. The difference was simple: human magic used other layers of reality as a catalyst to change their own reality. Ascendant magic affected all layers of reality at the same time.
There were some advantages to using human magic, even now. If all he wanted was to stay flying in the air, it was far simpler and less taxing to simply grab a bit of second layer arcana and craft a spell that held him up than it would be to evoke Transcendent arcana to tell reality that it was wrong about how gravity affected him. Reality, as it turned out, didn’t like being told it was wrong, and was continually trying to reassert itself.
It was also far easier to keep himself hidden when using mortal magic. Hidden presence only had to mask him instead of the changes he made through multiple layers of reality that way. For now at least, that was a large part of his motivation. There were times when he needed to bend reality to his will, and there were times when a touch more finesse made everything easier.
Nym had a different sort of problem to deal with. Existing in multiple versions of reality at the same time wasn’t new to him by now, but the sixth layer was different. Unlike the inner layers, it didn’t mirror the world at all. More importantly, there was a whole ascendant society there. Nym had briefly witnessed it before Rizin’s magic fell over him and hid him away.
Now that part of him was sitting, unmoving and isolated, while his primary focus returned to the core reality. Someday he’d be strong enough to explore that timeless realm, to see the grand palaces and fantastical landscape each ascendant had carved out of reality through sheer force of will. Today, he had an obligation to meet in the core reality.
He teleported himself to the sheet of ice above the ascendant research lab and waited for Rizin to appear. It only took a few minutes before the fox popped up next to him. “Good,” Rizin said. “I had to manually scan the area until I noticed you’d arrived. You’re still completely hidden.”
“Great,” Nym said. “How sure are you that this will work?”
“That you’ll be able to freely access the lab? Not at all. That you’ll be able to escape the containment field using the magic I taught you? Well, it’s always worked for me.”
“Using only sixth layer arcana though?” Nym pressed.
“You worry too much. Fine, let me test it.”
Rizin disappeared, and then ten seconds later reappeared. “Yes, using just sixth layer arcana.”
Nym thought he had a perfectly appropriate amount of caution, all things considered. He still hadn’t quite forgiven Rizin for setting him up to visit the research lab the first time, but he suspected getting the raw end of that deal had at least a little bit to do with the fox keeping him safe after he’d made his way back to reality prime once the ascendants had started fighting each other.
“Alright, time to see if this works,” Nym said.
* * *
The lab was just like he remembered it. Some of the research assistants were different, but he recognized at least half of them from his first trip in. Naera was not among them, but within moments of him arriving, he spotted her hustling down the hall in his direction.
“Exarch, welcome back,” she said.
Nym didn’t physically sigh in relief, but he wanted to. That had been the big risk, not knowing whether he would still have Exarch Niramyn’s access. Apparently, the Exarch either hadn’t realized Nym would come back, or didn’t care. Whatever the reason, he was just glad that fulfilling his end of the pact was off to a smooth start.
Considering how much more work his side had been the last time they’d made a pact, Nym felt it was only fair that he got the easier job this time around. Of course, he’d barely gotten started, so it was probably a bad idea to pat himself on the back already.
“Hello, Naera. How have things been going since my last visit?”
“The last of the scarabs from the experiment you terminated died off one hundred fifty-six cycles ago,” she reported. “All other experiments are proceeding along expected and desired routes.”
“Good, good. Listen, I want to start a new experiment.”
“Certainly, Exarch. If you’ll come with me, we can get everything set up for that.”
Nym followed the assistant golem out of the foyer and down the halls. While they walked, he explained what he was looking to create. She listened intently, and then said, “That should be well within the established purpose of this facility. I believe we could have a viable first generation within a thousand cycles, though we would need to discuss more details first.”
That was a relief. All he had to do now was give her the specifications and let them get to work. Just as he was about to speak, she cut him off. “Of course, the lab’s arcana batteries will need to be recharged before we can begin working.”
“Oh? I thought there was quite a bit left?” Nym asked.
“For maintaining current experiments, yes. For a project of this size, we have insufficient arcana.”
“Of course we do,” Nym muttered. “Would have been too easy otherwise.”
Maybe he could get Rizin to charge the batteries. He could do the seventh and eighth layer ones, at least. “Would you need the ninth layer batteries recharged as well?”
“No, those still have ample power left, and other than producing some sample chambers, would not be needed for this experiment.”
“Okay, that’s workable then. Hmm… what are the protocols for bringing a guest?”
“Non-authorized ascendants are not allowed in the facility,” Naera said immediately.
“Right, figured that was going to be the case.”
Nym wasn’t actually sure it would be a problem. Rizin was going to have to get in to charge the batteries one way or another, and while it certainly would have been easier for him if he could have just escorted the fox through the lab to do the work, he wouldn’t be surprised if Rizin refused to even go in through the front door, just on the basis that he didn’t want to be seen.
“This place must have some solid automated defenses if they’re enough to keep out any ascendant who’s not allowed in here,” Nym said.
“Very much so, Exarch!”
“What can you tell me about them?”
Naera happily rattled off a bunch of information that Nym understood none of. That was a bit annoying, as he’d thought his days of not having a clue were behind him, but it seemed there was always more to learn, and he was basically starting over at the bottom rung on the immortal side of existence now anyway.
He did his best to remember everything Naera told him, which thanks to a few enhancements he’d made to his brain, was not that hard to do. “Fascinating,” Nym said when she finished explaining how the reality inversion wards would discharge a resonance breaker into anyone who tried to access the lab via the specimen teleportation platform if they didn’t have a biological matrix key stored in the data archive.
Hopefully Rizin would know what that meant, and how to get past it.
“Right, so I don’t have the time to charge the batteries right now, but let’s get everything set up so that when I can get them charged, all we need to do is start the experiment,” Nym told the golem.
“Of course. I’ll just open up a new experiment log here and we can outline the parameters.”
* * *
“I’ve got good news and bad news,” Nym said when he appeared in Rizin’s den.
“I would prefer you didn’t have bad news,” the fox said with a yawn.
“Okay, I’ve got good news and… exciting news.”
Rizin rolled his eyes and hopped down off his cushion. “Fine, let’s hear it.”
“So first, you were right, I do still have access. The lab still treats me like I’m Niramyn. I was able to get everything set up for your project, and they’re estimating three years before a first generation is produced.”
“That long? Hmm. Acceptable, I suppose. And the… exciting news?”
“Ah, that. Well, I can’t actually start the project. It’s set up, but there’s a problem. The lab’s arcana batteries aren’t full enough to run the project, and I can’t recharge them myself.”
“Ah, I see. You can’t, but let me guess: I can?”
“Got it in one,” Nym said. “I checked to see if I could bring a guest in, just in case. If it was as easy as just bringing you with me to the batteries, you charging them, and we’re all set, then why not?”
“That doesn’t sound all that exciting, so I’m guessing the answer was no.”
“Correct again. How do you feel about sneaking in?”
Rizin just stared at him.
“Even if I told you that I could explain all the defenses?”
More silence filled the den.
“Look, I can’t do it myself. Either you do it, or you’re going to be waiting for however long it takes for me to reach the eighth layer.”
The fox let out a heavy sigh. “I suppose I should at least hear about the defenses before I say no.”
By the time Nym had finished reciting Naera’s speech, Rizin had perked up considerably. He had that gleam in his eyes, that one that spoke of mischief. Something in Nym’s outline of the defenses had sparked an idea, hopefully one that would actually work.
“I realize that the difficulty of this job was lowered significantly thanks to the fact that the golems are still treating you like you own the place, but really, well done, young ascendant. I think this could actually work. Now, tell me where the batteries are.”
Nym thought about that for a second and shook his head. “I do not know. Never thought to ask.”
“Just when I was beginning to have hope for you,” the fox said sourly.
Then Nym grinned and added, “Nah, I’m just kidding. I know where they are. Here, let me show you a map of the facility I copied from the data archive when I was looking stuff up.”
An illusion over ten feet tall and just as wide filled one side of the den, and together the two poured over it. Rizin explained his point of entry, and what he needed Nym to do on the inside to distract the golems so that he could get in unseen. They made plans on where to meet up if Rizin couldn’t get to the batteries, and how Nym could tell that the mission had been completed.
“You know, the funny thing about all of this is that I’m sneaking in to do them a favor,” Rizin said.
“Are you? You’re only filling the arcana batteries so you can use the lab’s equipment for your own purposes. Unless you were going to sneak back in and top them off when you were done?”
“No, probably not.”
They both stared at the illusion in silence for a bit, then Nym said, “You think it’ll work?”
“Yes. There’s a couple sticky spots, but we’ve got alternative solutions if things don’t play out the way we’d like.”
“Tomorrow then?”
“Tomorrow,” the fox agreed.
