Millennial Mage - Chapter 190

Chapter 190: Alat, Ignored




Chapter 190: Alat, Ignored

Tala was not interested in thinking about her upcoming visit with her family. She knew it wasnt healthy to avoid the topic, and she was leaving that day to go to the city where they lived, but she still just couldnt seem to force herself to give it more than passing reflection.

-We really should consider it.-

So, Tala went through her routine, just as she did every morning and evening, not considering the upcoming encounter.

Physical exercise and stretching, with and without her own gravity enhanced.

Martial form work with her various weapons and tools.

Soul exercises, which included everything from working on increasing the distance that she could pull her bound items to her, to improving her subtle control - needed for having her blood-stars orbit her, to aspect mirroring.

Reading the morning selection of materials from her various books, compiled and reorganized by Alat. One of the fascinating things about Alats manifestation of the books was that Tala had complete control to freely prop them around herself while she did other things, making them easy to read no matter the environment.

Breathing exercises to facilitate her use of ending-seed destruction, as well as to improve her physical capacities.

Enacting her magic through the series of iron spheres that Jevin had given her, honing her ability to work around iron.

Breaking her bones in a few strategic places that hadnt been broken before to allow them to rebuild under the influence of the modified scripts.

Finally, she drank her daily portion of ending-berry juice and ate a large hunk of jerky. As that all processed, she meditated and focused her mage-sight inward, working to shift the magic around to the appropriate scripts within herself, overlaying the power atop her own magics that had the same function.

-We still need to talk about your family.-

Tala growled. No, we need to go eat breakfast with Odera.

-I am in your head, Tala. Not only is it blazingly obvious when youre making excuses, but it couldnt possibly be easier to converse while we walk.- After a moment, Alat added one final point. -And, we would be vastly too early if we left now.-

Tala ignored Alat and checked the time simply by wishing to know what time it was.

Alat was right, she still had two hours before it was time to meet with Odera.

I should cook something. She really didnt want to, but just as Holly had indicated, Tala had been hungry. Shed been hungrier than shed ever been for basically a week, and she was getting sick of eating.

There was a special type of frustration that came from having her stomach full, while still feeling desperately hungry.

With a sigh, Tala approached the task of cooking up some food in the same way that shed perform any other required task. Though, she did take the time to choose something that appealed to her tastes at the moment.

-You know, for all your many flaws, you have a ridiculously high level of dedication, follow-through, and personal responsibility. You dont always see how what youre doing affects others, but with regard to your own duties? You are great at keeping your end of things progressing and on track.-

Thank you? Tala felt herself relax a bit. Thats really kind of you to say.

-So, what do you think your parents did right, to instill such things into you?-

Tala jerked, sloshing the sausage and eggs she was frying in her cauldron. Thankfully, the shape of the cookware made spilling more difficult than that.

She didnt respond to Alat, instead pulling out a large loaf of heavy, multi-grain bread and a large jar of butter.

She allowed herself to contemplate how much she was going to miss having fresh eggs, bread, and butter on the caravan trip.

-You are well aware both that the cooks will have excellent food for you, and that you are continuing to ignore me.-

Youre right. I am ignoring you.

She missed coffee, though she didnt need it to wake up. She missed the flavor. The way her body had responded to the warmth and caffeine.

It was glorious.

It was gone.

Focus, Tala. Eat. She ate mechanically. Everything was good, but she didnt pull as much joy from the taste as she would have a week earlier.

I hope this doesnt last forever. I need to slow down my eating soon, or Ill lose the last bits of enjoyment I can pull from it, and it will become only a chore.

-Do you want an answer to that?-

Tala grimaced. Yes, of course, though it wasnt a question.

-So, no more ignoring me?-

Either answer or dont. Tala took an irritated bite of buttered bread.

-The scripts, inside your iron paint and with the regular work weve put in, are almost finished with the modifications that theyll do to you, physically. In addition, your stores are nearing their max capacity.-

I was feeling a bit heavier today. Shed been growing steadily heavier for nearly a week, now that she thought about it.

-As I was saying, you could drop down to normal consumption today, and youd be fine Well, normal for you, anyway.-

Yeah, but then Id be going into a trip with lower reserves than I could or should have.

-Thats true, but only if you stop right now.-

So? How long do I need to keep this up to top off?

-Another week, if you dont sustain any major, unexpected injuries.-

So, just in time to arrive in Marliweather.

-Yes. Speaking of which-

Tala groaned, doing her best to ignore Alat once again as she ate.

After Alat finally accepted that Tala was fully and truly ignoring her on the topic of her family, she changed the subject, thus bringing Talas attention back. -There has to be some sort of drink that we could find that would have all the nutrients we need.- Then, of all things Alat somehow shuddered. -I dont mean that lard-based monstrosity that Jevin tried to make us consider.-

Tala shuddered as well at the memory. One sip was all it took. Never again.

-He might have had the right idea, though.-

If you walk through a crowd, are you actually going through any of the people that make up the crowd?

No. She instantly understood. So, you are moving magic around the iron, within the iron object.

Mistress Odera cackled slightly before tapping her own nose. Precisely. I was almost a void Mage, but the teachers at the Academy advised against it. She sighed wistfully. We are but empty space, thinking itself full.

Tala swallowed, paling slightly beneath her iron and under her illusion. That sort of fundamental understanding could have terrifying results.

-I wish we could see it at work.-

I know, right? So, what happened?

Mistress Odera shrugged. It was deemed too reckless a foundation, and I was encouraged towards building another. I like mine well enough, now. That which flows can never be broken.

How have we never asked about her foundational understanding? Why do her understandings sound so muchbetter than ours?

-Never came up? We also were much more focused on the foundation itself than on a cool wording for it. We could fix that?-

No its not important.

But that is beside the point, Mistress Tala. I can move power through, or rather around, the iron. The medium isnt air, there isnt air for the power to move through, not throughout most of the iron. Thus, I havent determined how to adjust the working, but I will soon enough.

Tala was considering the implications, when Alat voiced them aloud, well within Talas head. -That really puts the iron sphere trials into perspective.-

Yeah, and renders them as little more than pale imitations. Can you imagine the delicacy required? Shes not even Bound!

Rane called up to them, interrupting Talas thoughts, and they knew that their time that morning had passed.

Mistress Odera had put the dishes away in her dimensional storage as Tala had cleared them of food, so there was nothing left atop the wagon but the two women.

They climbed down, greeted Rane, and went to have a final conference with the heads of this caravan venture.

Thus began what was an entirely ordinary, boring trek across the winter plains.

Few things of note stood out during the outbound leg of the venture.

First, Rane and Tala discussed their progress in Fusing, in-depth.

It was the first night, and Tala and Rane sat across a table from each other, out under the clear, starry sky.

Most everyone else was huddled inside, either asleep or finding some means of entertainment. The guards were, of course, on guard, but only a few were out and about.

Rane was grumpily drinking from a steaming tankard. I can feel it. Almost like a counter in my head, though not so concrete. The closer I get to truly being Fused, the more power it takes to move ahead. I feel like Im trying to push a boulder up an increasingly steep road, and ahead, it looks more like a vertical cliff-face.

Tala grunted her condolences. Master Jevin did warn that there would be some price to pay for your easier early advancement.

Rane grimaced, taking another long pull. Still, its frustrating. I feel like Im so close, but I can also feel that unless my power density is higher, Ill never be able to force it that last little bit.

So, magical weight training?

He snorted a laugh. That sounds like Im using my power to move around heavy objects.

She grinned in return. True enough. I mean, you are doing what you can to up your magical weight.

Yeah. I spend hours every day, filled to the brim and drawing in more, forcibly keeping the power away from my scripts and forcing it to stay within me. Im not good at guiding my power. Its definitely cross-quadrant work, and I hate it. He growled. Its like knowing a bear will eat my left hand if it moves even slightly, and a swarm of wasps will enshroud my right with stingers if it ever stops moving. The feeling is awful.

Any good progress?

Progress? Yes. Good progress? He scowled. These things take time, Rane. Master Grediv thinks this path is working. I should be able to Fuse within a year if Im consistent in my training. Two on the outside.

Tala gave a soft whistle. Im sorry, Rane. That sounds unpleasant.

Let me guess. Youre done? If I switch on my mage-sight, will I be seeing yellow?

Hardly. She let out her own long breath, pulling her mug of hot buttered rum towards herself. It was delicious, but it was also her fifth such drink. The richness of the beverage was starting to get to her, so she only took a single, slow sip. Theres something wrong, honestly. The process is slowing for me, too, and it wasnt precisely quick and easy to begin with.

Rane cocked his head to one side, listening.

Dont get me wrong, Alat is still making it go way faster than it would be moving if I was just Fusing as a subconscious process, but things are slowing down noticeably.

Has anyone given you any advice or thoughts about why that might be?

Tala hunched in on herself, taking a longer pull from the alcoholic drink. Not that it will do anything to me Apparently, my soul is in turmoil about something, and my spirit is deeply unsettled. Thats making the act of fusing them to my bodydifficult.

-Hence, why I want to talk through your upcoming encounter.-

Rane nodded sagely, foam on his upper lip. Your family.

Tala groaned. You too?

He frowned. Could it be anything else?

Arcane.

Rane paused at that, then shrugged. Why not both?

Tala snorted a derisive laugh. Oh, yes. Im visiting my estranged family, and theres some arcane messing with my head, but wait, theres more! She rubbed at her temples in irritation. There arent high level Archons free to babysit me over what amounts to a low chance of an encounter.

Jenna had been clear on that: Tala should not expect any back-up near at hand if the arcane showed up. Tala hoped that it was a lie, meant to help lure the creature out in case it had some way of reading her mind from afar, but she didnt have any evidence to back up that hope. It wouldnt work if there were any

Rane patted her wrist. Thats rough, buddy.

Tala snorted another laugh, but this one left her smiling. Buddy?

He shrugged. Im not really good at this sort of thing. Im offering comfort?

Tala grinned. Fair enough. Comfort received. Thank you.

He lifted his mug and tilted it her way before taking a drink. Any time, Tala. Anytime.