Chapter 347: Advancement Toward Paragon
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Chapter 347: Advancement Toward Paragon
Tala actually felt a little bit nervous as she and Master Grediv stood and moved toward the center of the underground room, beneath the Alefast Archon Complex.
She pulled her iron back from where she had made it into a chair for herself, reabsorbing it, and ensuring that all of her iron was well tucked away.
Master Grediv glanced at his chair after he stood, and it vanished with a sweep of dimensional magic.
And just like that, they were ready.
Mistress Tala, do you have a particular place that youd like to go?
Nowhere particularly. We had more to discuss, right?
We do.
She shrugged. Somewhere good for that, then. The north part of the city might be a bit better, but it likely doesnt matter over much.
Alright, then. Ill select there.
Tala felt an odd shifting in the magics. There was an unusual sensation, a disjointment, like stepping down only to find the step missing, or not quite where she expected it to be.
After a flickering moment, she felt like her vision split.
On one hand, she was still in the same stone room with Master Grediv, but on the other, they were standing in a city street, positioned out of the flow of traffic.
The next instant the stone room was gone, and they were simply standing on the side of a major thoroughfare.
Tala looked around, then turned a skeptical glance to Master Grediv, Thats it?
That was it.
Thats how it always is?
Give or take, yes.
That was absolutely nothing like a cork.
The Paragon shrugged. Its an imperfect metaphor.
I didnt go under anything, not in any sense.
Of course not. Im not going to throw a person down in the dimension of magic, do you think me mad?
No?
In the metaphor, the room is the cork. If you lack sufficient density, you can get left behind, either in a vacuous space that the room was within, or within the dimension of magic.
Tala frowned. Shouldnt higher density make that more likely? Magical inertia and all that?
He shook his head. Even though we use the termsmagical weight, density, and inertiathey are, for the most part, useful for comparisons and understanding, but they dont always work in the same way those terms might suggest. In this case, a lacking of magical density would make you like the air, and the workingthe moving roomwould simply pass through you, leaving you behind.
Oh, I can see that. She frowned again. But thats another way that the terms do work.
True enough, yes.
Tala waited for a moment, but Master Grediv didnt seem inclined to answer further.
Thus, she sighed and looked around, taking in the passersby.
As usual, she was struck with how different the citizens of Alefast were from those shed seen in other cities.
They were a bit leaner, a bit firmer of step, in some cases a bit more desperate. There were myriad well-paying tasks around a waning city, but few were free of danger. That was, in fact, why they were well paid. Mages were generally on hand to heal any injuries, but accidents still happened, and deaths did occur.
Its a dangerous world. Though, she felt her mindset shifting, now that she knew about the City Stones.
They could move the cities earlier, bypassing the waning, in a sense. But that would negate one of the purposes.
Master Grediv hadnt stated it outright, but the implication was obvious. The funnel formation within the cities drew in not only all power of the citizenry, but of the surrounding lands, more so at the waning. To move the cities early would mean not only less growth for the Stones, but also allowing greater magical density in the surrounding environment.The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.
Wanings served so many purposes that Tala was beginning to lose track.
Regardless, she was examining their surroundings, not contemplating the purpose of various city stages.
She and the Paragon were standing just outside of a little restaurant, though they were positioned out of the way of the bustling entrance.
Master Grediv gestured toward the sapphire blue double doors, and Tala sighed, Very well, we can discuss inside.
He smiled and let her lead the way. Less than five minutes later, they were seated at a table, their tea ordered and on the way.
Tala had opted for a sweet and spicy, red tea.
Master Grediv had ordered green tea.
She reached to pull a pastry out of Kit but found her right hip empty. Well, rust Thats irritating.
He plucked a still steaming cinnamon roll off of a passing cart, ensuring that the server noticed his acquisition for the bill later.
Show off.
-You could have grabbed one, too.-
Tala wrinkled her nose, ignoring her alternate interface. So, are we going to just sit here?
He took a careful bite of his treat, clearly savoring the confection. When his mouth was empty once more, he smiled, If you wish, but Id thought youd want more information.
She leaned back, trying to show incredulity on her features, That would be appreciated, yes.
Very well. On what subject do you want to speak? There was a twinkle in his eye as he took another bite of the cinnamon bun.
Id thought we would talk about advancement toward Paragon.
But of course! Enjoy the little things.
Like leading on your lessers?
His joviality vanished in an instant as he responded, I have no lessers here, Mistress Tala. All are equal from an eternal perspective. A soul is a soul, and we all must move on to the next world.
An eternal perspective.
He took a sip, himself, before continuing, In fact, its worse than that, the consequences tend to multiply, and when we have forever
That is a lot of multiplicative consequences to bear.
Precisely.
She gave a half-smile. Is it too late to be mortal?
Master Grediv barked a laugh, quickly covering his own mouth. I am afraid so, but some do choose dangerous occupations in order to avoid having to consider eternity in this world. It is something to keep in mind.
But we cant have eternity in this world.
His smile solidified into something even more genuine. That is absolutely correct. He let that sit for a long while before he continued. Nonetheless, we must grapple with eternity while here to achieve alignment with our own soul.
She grunted noncommittally.
I dont expect you to understand or agree at the moment. I am simply planting the seeds.
This sounds like something you higher-ups are using to try to force the creation of altruistic humans with power.
He nodded. In a sense it is, but it is also the known next step. It is a picture of what awaits us. Peace for those who accept it. For those who fear it? They fight tooth and nail, body and soul to stay away from the next world, no matter what it takes.
City Lords.
Them and most arcanes near that level of power. They seek power to avoid passing on. Theirs is a rejection of the natural order, the rejection of eternity beyond this world. We embrace the next world and try to draw it forth into even this one.
Tala found herself slowly shaking her head. Youre right. I cant say that I understand what youre saying, and what I think I understand, I cant say I agree with.
That is to be expected. Dont let that concern you, however. You have a long time to gain insight. His smile was grandfatherly in its kindness and wisdom. Who knows, maybe you will be the one who finds us another way. You've done it before.
Thank you for the faith in me and for the advice.
Of course, Mistress Tala.
They both sat back, enjoying their tea.
Theyd each had a pot of their particular beverage brought along with the initial cup so they had sufficient quantity for an extended conversation.
If I head back now, Ill just get another discussion from Artia
-Well, Master Grediv did say he had some ideas for increasing our magical density.-
Oh! Tala nodded to herself, drawing the Paragons attention. You mentioned a while ago that you might have some suggestions of increasing my magical density?
He carefully swallowed his latest bite of cinnamon roll. Yes, not that you need it. Still, it shouldnt hurt.
She leaned forward, pouring a bit more tea into her cup as she waited for him to continue.
Lets finish our tea and return to a training area. I think it will be better to go through the motions.
She hesitated, then shook her head. I dont want to take too much of your time, could you describe it to me, here, and then I go and enact it on my own?
He seemed to consider as he took a long sip. I think that could work.
* * *
Tala closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, focusing within herself.
Master Grediv had been as clear as possible in describing this process, and so she knew what to look for.
She was fully coated in iron, both around her inscriptions and around her exterior.
She examined the flow of power through her spellforms, focusing her will and perception on the minutia.
As she monitored every part of her magical network so closely, she found what Master Grediv had theorized would be there. Some of her inscriptions felt like the power within was pushing outward, trying to spread out through the dimension of magic.
She relaxed her iron grip in that area, allowing that part of her capacity to expand.
It wasnt a change of shape, nor an alteration of kind. Instead, it was simply like digging a river deeper while staying within its preestablished banks.
More than just her inscriptions had this feeling, however.
In places, it was as if her very flesh was straining to expand into the dimension of magic, though she knew it was only the power within it that was making that attempt.
That in mind, she similarly pulled her iron back in the dimension of magic around those areas, allowing her reserves to grow as new power flowed in through her gate.
It wasnt a complicated process now that she knew what she was looking for, and she was able to complete it reasonably quickly.
Nothing she was doing was new on its own; she just hadnt used these skills in this way before.
Then, with a carefully released breath, Tala tightened the iron again, pulling it inward through the magical dimensional-axis, driving the power inward and causing a compacting of the power across her entire body.
The resulting feeling wasnt pain, not precisely.
Instead, it felt similar to having her stomach full to the brim and then trying to swallow one more bite while doing crunches.
She was not used to that sensation at all.
Tala groaned in discomfort, but even this initial, tentative effort yielded results.
She felt that her every cell was filled with infinitesimally more power than before. They also felt on the edge of bursting.
-Alright! That was something. Do that a hundred more times, and well have increased our power density by a whole percentage point.-
Thats a little bit insulting oh huh. Tala grimace as she examined herself magically once more.
-See? Im right. You didnt really clamp down very fast, nor did you allow as much expansion as you could have before clamping down.-
So, it works in theory, but we need to try harder?
-I would have said better, but that about sums it up, yeah. But not now. Dont try it again now. I think if we tried to do it again now we might burst into a cloud of magical power.-
Well then, we can add it to the list. Tala grinned to herself. Not a bad result for a rest day.
Successes aside, it was time to get back to Kit.
After all, it was just about dinnertime.
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Chapter 347: Advancement Toward Paragon
Tala actually felt a little bit nervous as she and Master Grediv stood and moved toward the center of the underground room, beneath the Alefast Archon Complex.
She pulled her iron back from where she had made it into a chair for herself, reabsorbing it, and ensuring that all of her iron was well tucked away.
Master Grediv glanced at his chair after he stood, and it vanished with a sweep of dimensional magic.
And just like that, they were ready.
Mistress Tala, do you have a particular place that youd like to go?
Nowhere particularly. We had more to discuss, right?
We do.
She shrugged. Somewhere good for that, then. The north part of the city might be a bit better, but it likely doesnt matter over much.
Alright, then. Ill select there.
Tala felt an odd shifting in the magics. There was an unusual sensation, a disjointment, like stepping down only to find the step missing, or not quite where she expected it to be.
After a flickering moment, she felt like her vision split.
On one hand, she was still in the same stone room with Master Grediv, but on the other, they were standing in a city street, positioned out of the flow of traffic.
The next instant the stone room was gone, and they were simply standing on the side of a major thoroughfare.
Tala looked around, then turned a skeptical glance to Master Grediv, Thats it?
That was it.
Thats how it always is?
Give or take, yes.
That was absolutely nothing like a cork.
The Paragon shrugged. Its an imperfect metaphor.
I didnt go under anything, not in any sense.
Of course not. Im not going to throw a person down in the dimension of magic, do you think me mad?
No?
In the metaphor, the room is the cork. If you lack sufficient density, you can get left behind, either in a vacuous space that the room was within, or within the dimension of magic.
Tala frowned. Shouldnt higher density make that more likely? Magical inertia and all that?
He shook his head. Even though we use the termsmagical weight, density, and inertiathey are, for the most part, useful for comparisons and understanding, but they dont always work in the same way those terms might suggest. In this case, a lacking of magical density would make you like the air, and the workingthe moving roomwould simply pass through you, leaving you behind.
Oh, I can see that. She frowned again. But thats another way that the terms do work.
True enough, yes.
Tala waited for a moment, but Master Grediv didnt seem inclined to answer further.
Thus, she sighed and looked around, taking in the passersby.
As usual, she was struck with how different the citizens of Alefast were from those shed seen in other cities.
They were a bit leaner, a bit firmer of step, in some cases a bit more desperate. There were myriad well-paying tasks around a waning city, but few were free of danger. That was, in fact, why they were well paid. Mages were generally on hand to heal any injuries, but accidents still happened, and deaths did occur.
Its a dangerous world. Though, she felt her mindset shifting, now that she knew about the City Stones.
They could move the cities earlier, bypassing the waning, in a sense. But that would negate one of the purposes.
Master Grediv hadnt stated it outright, but the implication was obvious. The funnel formation within the cities drew in not only all power of the citizenry, but of the surrounding lands, more so at the waning. To move the cities early would mean not only less growth for the Stones, but also allowing greater magical density in the surrounding environment.The roots of this story extend from novell bìn origin.
Wanings served so many purposes that Tala was beginning to lose track.
Regardless, she was examining their surroundings, not contemplating the purpose of various city stages.
She and the Paragon were standing just outside of a little restaurant, though they were positioned out of the way of the bustling entrance.
Master Grediv gestured toward the sapphire blue double doors, and Tala sighed, Very well, we can discuss inside.
He smiled and let her lead the way. Less than five minutes later, they were seated at a table, their tea ordered and on the way.
Tala had opted for a sweet and spicy, red tea.
Master Grediv had ordered green tea.
She reached to pull a pastry out of Kit but found her right hip empty. Well, rust Thats irritating.
He plucked a still steaming cinnamon roll off of a passing cart, ensuring that the server noticed his acquisition for the bill later.
Show off.
-You could have grabbed one, too.-
Tala wrinkled her nose, ignoring her alternate interface. So, are we going to just sit here?
He took a careful bite of his treat, clearly savoring the confection. When his mouth was empty once more, he smiled, If you wish, but Id thought youd want more information.
She leaned back, trying to show incredulity on her features, That would be appreciated, yes.
Very well. On what subject do you want to speak? There was a twinkle in his eye as he took another bite of the cinnamon bun.
Id thought we would talk about advancement toward Paragon.
But of course! Enjoy the little things.
Like leading on your lessers?
His joviality vanished in an instant as he responded, I have no lessers here, Mistress Tala. All are equal from an eternal perspective. A soul is a soul, and we all must move on to the next world.
An eternal perspective.
He took a sip, himself, before continuing, In fact, its worse than that, the consequences tend to multiply, and when we have forever
That is a lot of multiplicative consequences to bear.
Precisely.
She gave a half-smile. Is it too late to be mortal?
Master Grediv barked a laugh, quickly covering his own mouth. I am afraid so, but some do choose dangerous occupations in order to avoid having to consider eternity in this world. It is something to keep in mind.
But we cant have eternity in this world.
His smile solidified into something even more genuine. That is absolutely correct. He let that sit for a long while before he continued. Nonetheless, we must grapple with eternity while here to achieve alignment with our own soul.
She grunted noncommittally.
I dont expect you to understand or agree at the moment. I am simply planting the seeds.
This sounds like something you higher-ups are using to try to force the creation of altruistic humans with power.
He nodded. In a sense it is, but it is also the known next step. It is a picture of what awaits us. Peace for those who accept it. For those who fear it? They fight tooth and nail, body and soul to stay away from the next world, no matter what it takes.
City Lords.
Them and most arcanes near that level of power. They seek power to avoid passing on. Theirs is a rejection of the natural order, the rejection of eternity beyond this world. We embrace the next world and try to draw it forth into even this one.
Tala found herself slowly shaking her head. Youre right. I cant say that I understand what youre saying, and what I think I understand, I cant say I agree with.
That is to be expected. Dont let that concern you, however. You have a long time to gain insight. His smile was grandfatherly in its kindness and wisdom. Who knows, maybe you will be the one who finds us another way. You've done it before.
Thank you for the faith in me and for the advice.
Of course, Mistress Tala.
They both sat back, enjoying their tea.
Theyd each had a pot of their particular beverage brought along with the initial cup so they had sufficient quantity for an extended conversation.
If I head back now, Ill just get another discussion from Artia
-Well, Master Grediv did say he had some ideas for increasing our magical density.-
Oh! Tala nodded to herself, drawing the Paragons attention. You mentioned a while ago that you might have some suggestions of increasing my magical density?
He carefully swallowed his latest bite of cinnamon roll. Yes, not that you need it. Still, it shouldnt hurt.
She leaned forward, pouring a bit more tea into her cup as she waited for him to continue.
Lets finish our tea and return to a training area. I think it will be better to go through the motions.
She hesitated, then shook her head. I dont want to take too much of your time, could you describe it to me, here, and then I go and enact it on my own?
He seemed to consider as he took a long sip. I think that could work.
* * *
Tala closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, focusing within herself.
Master Grediv had been as clear as possible in describing this process, and so she knew what to look for.
She was fully coated in iron, both around her inscriptions and around her exterior.
She examined the flow of power through her spellforms, focusing her will and perception on the minutia.
As she monitored every part of her magical network so closely, she found what Master Grediv had theorized would be there. Some of her inscriptions felt like the power within was pushing outward, trying to spread out through the dimension of magic.
She relaxed her iron grip in that area, allowing that part of her capacity to expand.
It wasnt a change of shape, nor an alteration of kind. Instead, it was simply like digging a river deeper while staying within its preestablished banks.
More than just her inscriptions had this feeling, however.
In places, it was as if her very flesh was straining to expand into the dimension of magic, though she knew it was only the power within it that was making that attempt.
That in mind, she similarly pulled her iron back in the dimension of magic around those areas, allowing her reserves to grow as new power flowed in through her gate.
It wasnt a complicated process now that she knew what she was looking for, and she was able to complete it reasonably quickly.
Nothing she was doing was new on its own; she just hadnt used these skills in this way before.
Then, with a carefully released breath, Tala tightened the iron again, pulling it inward through the magical dimensional-axis, driving the power inward and causing a compacting of the power across her entire body.
The resulting feeling wasnt pain, not precisely.
Instead, it felt similar to having her stomach full to the brim and then trying to swallow one more bite while doing crunches.
She was not used to that sensation at all.
Tala groaned in discomfort, but even this initial, tentative effort yielded results.
She felt that her every cell was filled with infinitesimally more power than before. They also felt on the edge of bursting.
-Alright! That was something. Do that a hundred more times, and well have increased our power density by a whole percentage point.-
Thats a little bit insulting oh huh. Tala grimace as she examined herself magically once more.
-See? Im right. You didnt really clamp down very fast, nor did you allow as much expansion as you could have before clamping down.-
So, it works in theory, but we need to try harder?
-I would have said better, but that about sums it up, yeah. But not now. Dont try it again now. I think if we tried to do it again now we might burst into a cloud of magical power.-
Well then, we can add it to the list. Tala grinned to herself. Not a bad result for a rest day.
Successes aside, it was time to get back to Kit.
After all, it was just about dinnertime.
Chapter 347: Advancement Toward ParagonTala actually felt a little bit nervous as she and Master Grediv stood and moved toward the center of the underground room, beneath the Alefast Archon Complex.She pulled her iron back from where she had made it into a chair for herself, reabsorbing it, and ensuring that all of her iron was well tucked away.Master Grediv glanced at his chair after he stood, and it vanished with a sweep of dimensional magic.And just like that, they were ready.Mistress Tala, do you have a particular place that youd like to go?Nowhere particularly. We had more to discuss, right?We do.She shrugged. Somewhere good for that, then. The north part of the city might be a bit better, but it likely doesnt matter over much.Alright, then. Ill select there.Tala felt an odd shifting in the magics. There was an unusual sensation, a disjointment, like stepping down only to find the step missing, or not quite where she expected it to be.After a flickering moment, she felt like her vision split.On one hand, she was still in the same stone room with Master Grediv, but on the other, they were standing in a city street, positioned out of the flow of traffic.The next instant the stone room was gone, and they were simply standing on the side of a major thoroughfare.Tala looked around, then turned a skeptical glance to Master Grediv, Thats it?That was it.Thats how it always is?Give or take, yes.That was absolutely nothing like a cork.The Paragon shrugged. Its an imperfect metaphor.I didnt go under anything, not in any sense.Of course not. Im not going to throw a person down in the dimension of magic, do you think me mad?No?In the metaphor, the room is the cork. If you lack sufficient density, you can get left behind, either in a vacuous space that the room was within, or within the dimension of magic.Tala frowned. Shouldnt higher density make that more likely? Magical inertia and all that?He shook his head. Even though we use the termsmagical weight, density, and inertiathey are, for the most part, useful for comparisons and understanding, but they dont always work in the same way those terms might suggest. In this case, a lacking of magical density would make you like the air, and the workingthe moving roomwould simply pass through you, leaving you behind.Oh, I can see that. She frowned again. But thats another way that the terms do work.True enough, yes.Tala waited for a moment, but Master Grediv didnt seem inclined to answer further.Thus, she sighed and looked around, taking in the passersby.As usual, she was struck with how different the citizens of Alefast were from those shed seen in other cities.They were a bit leaner, a bit firmer of step, in some cases a bit more desperate. There were myriad well-paying tasks around a waning city, but few were free of danger. That was, in fact, why they were well paid. Mages were generally on hand to heal any injuries, but accidents still happened, and deaths did occur.Its a dangerous world. Though, she felt her mindset shifting, now that she knew about the City Stones.They could move the cities earlier, bypassing the waning, in a sense. But that would negate one of the purposes.Master Grediv hadnt stated it outright, but the implication was obvious. The funnel formation within the cities drew in not only all power of the citizenry, but of the surrounding lands, more so at the waning. To move the cities early would mean not only less growth for the Stones, but also allowing greater magical density in the surrounding environment.The roots of this story extend from novell bin origin.Wanings served so many purposes that Tala was beginning to lose track.Regardless, she was examining their surroundings, not contemplating the purpose of various city stages.She and the Paragon were standing just outside of a little restaurant, though they were positioned out of the way of the bustling entrance.Master Grediv gestured toward the sapphire blue double doors, and Tala sighed, Very well, we can discuss inside.He smiled and let her lead the way. Less than five minutes later, they were seated at a table, their tea ordered and on the way.Tala had opted for a sweet and spicy, red tea.Master Grediv had ordered green tea.She reached to pull a pastry out of Kit but found her right hip empty. Well, rust Thats irritating.He plucked a still steaming cinnamon roll off of a passing cart, ensuring that the server noticed his acquisition for the bill later.Show off.-You could have grabbed one, too.-Tala wrinkled her nose, ignoring her alternate interface. So, are we going to just sit here?He took a careful bite of his treat, clearly savoring the confection. When his mouth was empty once more, he smiled, If you wish, but Id thought youd want more information.She leaned back, trying to show incredulity on her features, That would be appreciated, yes.Very well. On what subject do you want to speak? There was a twinkle in his eye as he took another bite of the cinnamon bun.Id thought we would talk about advancement toward Paragon.But of course! Enjoy the little things.Like leading on your lessers?His joviality vanished in an instant as he responded, I have no lessers here, Mistress Tala. All are equal from an eternal perspective. A soul is a soul, and we all must move on to the next world.An eternal perspective.He took a sip, himself, before continuing, In fact, its worse than that, the consequences tend to multiply, and when we have foreverThat is a lot of multiplicative consequences to bear.Precisely.She gave a half-smile. Is it too late to be mortal?Master Grediv barked a laugh, quickly covering his own mouth. I am afraid so, but some do choose dangerous occupations in order to avoid having to consider eternity in this world. It is something to keep in mind.But we cant have eternity in this world.His smile solidified into something even more genuine. That is absolutely correct. He let that sit for a long while before he continued. Nonetheless, we must grapple with eternity while here to achieve alignment with our own soul.She grunted noncommittally.I dont expect you to understand or agree at the moment. I am simply planting the seeds.This sounds like something you higher-ups are using to try to force the creation of altruistic humans with power.He nodded. In a sense it is, but it is also the known next step. It is a picture of what awaits us. Peace for those who accept it. For those who fear it? They fight tooth and nail, body and soul to stay away from the next world, no matter what it takes.City Lords.Them and most arcanes near that level of power. They seek power to avoid passing on. Theirs is a rejection of the natural order, the rejection of eternity beyond this world. We embrace the next world and try to draw it forth into even this one.Tala found herself slowly shaking her head. Youre right. I cant say that I understand what youre saying, and what I think I understand, I cant say I agree with.That is to be expected. Dont let that concern you, however. You have a long time to gain insight. His smile was grandfatherly in its kindness and wisdom. Who knows, maybe you will be the one who finds us another way. You've done it before.Thank you for the faith in me and for the advice.Of course, Mistress Tala.They both sat back, enjoying their tea.Theyd each had a pot of their particular beverage brought along with the initial cup so they had sufficient quantity for an extended conversation.If I head back now, Ill just get another discussion from Artia-Well, Master Grediv did say he had some ideas for increasing our magical density.-Oh! Tala nodded to herself, drawing the Paragons attention. You mentioned a while ago that you might have some suggestions of increasing my magical density?He carefully swallowed his latest bite of cinnamon roll. Yes, not that you need it. Still, it shouldnt hurt.She leaned forward, pouring a bit more tea into her cup as she waited for him to continue.Lets finish our tea and return to a training area. I think it will be better to go through the motions.She hesitated, then shook her head. I dont want to take too much of your time, could you describe it to me, here, and then I go and enact it on my own?He seemed to consider as he took a long sip. I think that could work.* * *Tala closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, focusing within herself.Master Grediv had been as clear as possible in describing this process, and so she knew what to look for.She was fully coated in iron, both around her inscriptions and around her exterior.She examined the flow of power through her spellforms, focusing her will and perception on the minutia.As she monitored every part of her magical network so closely, she found what Master Grediv had theorized would be there. Some of her inscriptions felt like the power within was pushing outward, trying to spread out through the dimension of magic.She relaxed her iron grip in that area, allowing that part of her capacity to expand.It wasnt a change of shape, nor an alteration of kind. Instead, it was simply like digging a river deeper while staying within its preestablished banks.More than just her inscriptions had this feeling, however.In places, it was as if her very flesh was straining to expand into the dimension of magic, though she knew it was only the power within it that was making that attempt.That in mind, she similarly pulled her iron back in the dimension of magic around those areas, allowing her reserves to grow as new power flowed in through her gate.It wasnt a complicated process now that she knew what she was looking for, and she was able to complete it reasonably quickly.Nothing she was doing was new on its own; she just hadnt used these skills in this way before.Then, with a carefully released breath, Tala tightened the iron again, pulling it inward through the magical dimensional-axis, driving the power inward and causing a compacting of the power across her entire body.The resulting feeling wasnt pain, not precisely.Instead, it felt similar to having her stomach full to the brim and then trying to swallow one more bite while doing crunches.She was not used to that sensation at all.Tala groaned in discomfort, but even this initial, tentative effort yielded results.She felt that her every cell was filled with infinitesimally more power than before. They also felt on the edge of bursting.-Alright! That was something. Do that a hundred more times, and well have increased our power density by a whole percentage point.-Thats a little bit insulting oh huh. Tala grimace as she examined herself magically once more.-See? Im right. You didnt really clamp down very fast, nor did you allow as much expansion as you could have before clamping down.-So, it works in theory, but we need to try harder?-I would have said better, but that about sums it up, yeah. But not now. Dont try it again now. I think if we tried to do it again now we might burst into a cloud of magical power.-Well then, we can add it to the list. Tala grinned to herself. Not a bad result for a rest day.Successes aside, it was time to get back to Kit.After all, it was just about dinnertime.
