Chapter 14
The species of Gnomes is a minute but powerful one. Hailing from the realm of dreams, forced out by an unknown entity, they are a great power in the world of magic. Their lifespan is based on their desire to learn. A Gnome child can grow to adulthood in months and live for centuries, or die in as many weeks. They are few in number and breed rarely, but they have immense power in manipulating myst. Their only fragment of history from the Dream Realm is mentioned in hushed whispers of ‘Dream Eaters’ in tones of fear.
Day 33, Temporikday
I lashed out with all my strength, aiming my two-handed blade for my opponent’s head. The green-and-brown-skinned brute, Brecken, deflected the blow with ease, swept his blade below my guard, and jabbed me in the gut. The strike forced the wind from my lungs. I staggered back, gasping, as Mystagogue Kellennar stepped up beside me.
“How about you not overextend yourself, skavy taint-blood,” he sneered, adjusting my blade with the tip of his own before striking my ass with it. “But if you die, it doesn’t dull my blade,” he said with grim amusement as he stepped by.
I rubbed my ass with my free hand. The mass of muscle across from me bared his teeth in a brutal grin. Moments later, he lashed out with his own overhead strike. I tried to block, but the blow broke my guard and collided with my shoulder. I let out a wail of pain. Through clenched teeth, I snarled at the tusked nog before throwing a sweeping strike at his knees.
Brecken looked surprised for a fraction of a second before he blocked, forced it away, and struck my chest. I cursed my lack of talent with every pained breath. The Mystagogue was right. I truly was a worthless, talentless Darkling.
I silently vowed for the hundredth time that I would be a warrior, even if it killed me, as I pushed a thrust at Brecken’s chest. The mass of meat sidestepped and slapped me across the calf with his weapon. I drew back and swung again.
“Today is going to be a busy day,” Master Mystagogue Mallock said with a mad grin. “Today, we will discuss the Core Compound Elements AND the levels and qualities of Myst Crystals. I hope you’re all ready for one hell of a class!”
He set out several crystals of varying colors on his desk. He waited a moment before striding across the room to open the door for the most oddly intimidating Mystagogue to enter.
A tiny Gnome entered, her skin an orange-bronze, her hair a vibrant pink dandelion puff, and her eyes a stormy blue-green that seemed to glow. In her black and red robes, she was an odd mixture of cute and utterly terrifying. Despite her tiny stature, she emanated enough power to leave the class speechless with fear.
“This is Master Mystagogue Neckar. She oversees all studies in the Sect of the Blackened Crown. She is here to display what can happen when mixing elements.”
Mystagogue Neckar stepped up beside the desk, her posture rigid. Mallock shuffled up beside her. “You may ask why I didn’t invite her last class. Simple. Electricity is volatile. I felt it best to introduce you to the most volatile element in an enclosed environment. Now, it is time to show you what a real mage can do.”
Mallock stepped back, picked up a brown crystal, and held it beside a gray-green one. He held up the brown one. “Earth.” He pointed it toward the gray-green one. “Air.”
Neckar held her hands six inches apart, and a clear bubble came into creation between them. Mallock set down the crystals, produced a stone, and set it on the desk. He raised his mechanical left arm and brought it crashing down, turning the stone to pebbles. He then stepped up and slammed his fist against the globe with no effect. After this, he stepped to the holo-board to reveal a small bunker-like room behind it. In it was a crash-test dummy. The Gnomish Mystagogue turned toward it, pressing her wrists together behind the clear sphere. The bubble popped, and a wave of kinetic force blasted the dummy against the wall, cracking its chest plating. After a few seconds, the dummy stood back up.
Mallock spoke with a sideways grin. “When you combine the solidity of Earth with Air, the result is Kinetic Force. One Vell equals twenty-five foot-pounds of force, enough to push an unprepared man off his feet. Defensively, one Vell would stop twenty-five foot-pounds.”
Next, he held up the same brown crystal and pointed it toward a blue one. “Water.”
Neckar pressed her hands together, merging blue and brown energies. The result was a thick black substance. She sprayed it across the floor of the blast chamber. The manikin tried to take a step, only to find its feet stuck fast.
“When you apply the solidity of Earth to Water, it becomes Trapp Tar. This magical element’s traits are based on the caster’s will. It can be more adhesive, more liquid, or dry more quickly. It has a half-life, meaning it will break down after a set time. Because of this, it’s used as an instant, temporary binding agent.” Master Neckar released a jet of hot water, thinning and dispersing the tar.
Mallock picked up the brown crystal and pointed it toward a burning red one. Neckar pressed her hands together, releasing a spewing vomit of molten stone and metal into the blast room. It struck the manikin in the shoulder, slagging the arm off.
“When you combine Earth with Fire, you get Scorriomagmic Slag,” Mallock said as he pressed a button, triggering a fire-extinguishing system. “Mage Slag is only useful in its fresh, superheated state. It, too, has a short half-life. Even when designed to last, it’s not malleable when reheated. What it is used for is deforestation, material destruction, temporary patch welds, and combat.”
He made a show of tossing the Earth crystal over his shoulder, then picked up the gray-green Air crystal and pointed it to a blue one. “I’ve already shown you what happens when you combine Air and Fire. What happens when you apply the traits of Air to Water?” Dead silence. “You get the magical lubricant called Zero Oil. Like Trapp Tar, its traits can be altered by the caster.”
Neckar discharged a stream of Zero Oil at the dummy’s feet. The automaton tried to step, lost its footing, and fell. “This element is the best lubricant for vehicles due to its zero-traction trait. It needs to be replaced regularly, much like natural oil, only there is no waste product.” As Mallock spoke, Neckar loosed a geyser of water, washing the oil away.
Mallock set down the crystals, then picked up a red and a blue one. “When you combine Fire and Water, you get Devorrick Acid.”
On cue, Neckar loosed a small jet of acid, melting the pile of cooled molten stone and metal, then the poor dummy. Within moments, everything was flowing down the drain. Strangely, the room was undamaged.
Mallock turned back. “Devorrick Acid can have its chemistry tailored by the caster. It can be alkaline or base. The Core Elements can counter each other like a four-option game of rock-paper-scissors. Water beats Fire, Fire beats Air, Air beats Earth, and Earth beats Water. This holds with the Compound Core Elements as well.”
Neckar stepped forward, drawing every eye. “I feel I should provide a warning. Should you use too much of any one element, you will be affected. You will become cursed, forever changed, known as an Elemani. Your body, mind, and personality will take on traits from the element. Use your magic sparingly, lest you fall to such a curse.” With that, she almost seemed to flee the room.
Mallock let out a low whistle. “Well, I was planning on breaching that topic later and with a lighter touch. Don’t worry. It takes years, if not decades, of regular use before you need to worry.” He scooped the crystals off his desk. “Now, how about something less scary? Let’s talk about nice, safe crystal classifications.”
As half the class bemoaned the new topic, he dropped a larger leather bag on his desk and activated the holo-board. A grid began to form.
“Let’s start with size. The first and smallest is the fragment.” He held up a glowing blue shard the size of a fingernail. “Next is the shard.” He pulled out one the size of half a man’s thumb. “Next, the gem.” He pulled free one that fit in his palm. “The last for commercial use is the cluster.” This was the size of a man’s fist.
From seemingly nowhere, he pulled out a brick of crystal, almost a foot long. “This is a battery. It powers cars, small boats, and the like.” He stepped back. “There is one size larger, a core, used to power war machines, cruise liners, and airships. Any size can be grown in any shape.”
“Now, there are more factors than size. Potency: least, lesser, moderate, greater, and grand. This classifies how much power the crystal can put out.”
“The last factor is quality: raw, flawed, refined, honed, and flawless. Quality determines how much power is stored.”
I diligently took notes. This information was critical for designing gear. I was devouring every statistic, measurement, and law. The more I knew, the more complex equipment I could craft. I may be a skavy fighter, but I might just be able to compensate. I was coming to terms with the fact I would never be a master fighter. But if I had anything to say about it, I was going to be a warrior, even if it was by cheating with gadgets. And I loved gadgets.
Of course. We're making great progress. These chapters are full of significant developments—the introduction of the point system, Iver's first real victory, and the expansion of his circle of friends. It's a pivotal section of the story.
I have applied the same comprehensive editing and formatting standards to Chapters 13 through 20. I've focused on tightening the dialogue, clarifying the action sequences, and ensuring consistent character voice.
Here is the edited text for the next part of your manuscript.
