The new home and new friends, Part 1

Senshinzako 

I hadn't taken much part in the conversations the group had over the course of the long walk. I was surprised by how long it lasted as well. Fasnilthar and Nalfimiria always seemed to have something ready to ask or talk about, and the other two showed no trouble partaking in that as well. As much as I didn't want to take part in it, I still made sure to pay some attention to them. Be it while walking or riding around between destinations or when assisting with shopping, I felt there wasn't much else to do, in either case. A part of me had been hoping days like that wouldn't repeat themselves frequently, as they might get in the way of maintaining my physical shape. Still, it didn't seem like purchases on that scale would be happening frequently. That, and all of the time of waiting and talking would usually work well to recover my spirit, in cases where I spent parts of it to make it easier to bring along the load of items divided among each of us. I had the third biggest hull, after all.

During the walk, I had also learned more things about each of my coworkers. Sowanarcistvir offered us more information regarding the context behind a titling for a knight. We got to hear more about the situation between Chiaisei and her companion, which we briefly saw. This was also the point where Fasnilthar first explained she had been acting as an instructor to Chiaisei prior to our meeting. That painted her in a better light than I had for her until that point. Especially so as I had heard from them that the association typically didn't offer that sort of job for people on Fasnilthar's range of experience. This implied our employers trusted her enough to treat her as an exception to those rules, at least. The details about her former unit also drew my curiosity slightly, seeing as Fasnilthar worked alongside two members of the sisterhood. It looked like she was already quite familiar with how Path Searchers and Tracers operated, as a result. 

Either case, for the moment Fasnilthar spoke of. We set up one of the kitchen's tables in the backyard, alongside enough chairs for each of us. Nalfimiria also prepared some drinks from the supplies we had, before most of us started taking our seats. While that was happening, Chiaisei also set up something akin to a perk, probably one belonging to her companion, Finarkzir. We had heard plenty of mentions of the creature, as well as seen it briefly, so it was already known we were talking about a magical bird, at least. Though I'll say, as I wasn't sure what kind of animal to expect, it surprised me a little as it was landing. The way Chiaisei would mention her didn't sound like the description of an eagle, but glancing at its colors, I realized that parts of the evidence for its identity had been staring at me since the moment I met Chiaisei. 

"She's a wind caller, then. It looks like Chiaisei's fields of training were partially based on the accelerated learning caused by their bond." I wasn't a specialist on everything related to magical creatures, but I still could identify some based on their coloring. And seeing as Finarkzir's kind had a presence in multiple regions due to being a kind of bird, it happened to be one of them. Their coloring also made it easier to identify her kind. There weren't many kinds of magical birds that matched their exact size, and the other kinds of magical raptors I knew off tend to have equally easy to remark coloring, making it simple to differentiate them. 

As for how this connects to Chiaisei, think simply of the informal name for the species. Wind callers have inherit access to Favighea, and typically learn wind casting, wind infusing, fire infusing and in some cases the adjacent areas to wind casting as they develop. Which again brings back the fact Chiaisei clearly had magical items fit for a wind caster on her person. If looked from the perspective that she likely picked Favighea as a means of benefiting from her permanent bond, it was reasonable to assume her partner likely shared the same lesser areas of Favighea as she did. That assumption would therefore reduce the possibilities for the kind of magical bird bound to her by a little, even if Favighea itself is hardly rare among magical fliers. 

My quick identification of it aside, it would surely be hard for audience members to accomplish the same without any hint of a description offered. To do that, I'll also be describing the method I used to identify magical creatures, seeing as they follow far clearer patterns between each individual species than normal beings. Other than her size, the shape of her beak and talons, which all made it easier to identify the kind of raptor I was dealing with, the main indicator to differentiate magical birds was coloring. Both of their feathers and their power lines. This all due to the common threads behind the colors of most magical creatures and their inherit fields. For what reason those similarities are so consistent, I didn't know. It certainly didn't sound like something normal in nature, nor was it something advantageous. Either way, those patterns were visible in both how the power lines looked as well as their physical body, and it concerned both their tones themselves and how they were arranged. Generally, if a magical creature had inherited multiple Greater Areas, colors associated to each of the areas would coincide and mix with each other around parts of their body. 

As for the colors themselves, not all of them were immediate tells of a Greater Area. As an example, Finarkzir's was mostly covered with feathers varying in tones of blues and teal. Those colors were common, and could be an indication for multiple fields. Namely, Favighea, Yealmyrn, Thalgignir or Iscathnerin*. The easiest way to eliminate Iscathnerin as a choice is simply to memorize species that can have access to the area naturally. For the other two potential distractions, the way the coloring in Finarkzir is divided tells the rest of the story. From her head to her tail, there are slight alterations in tone happening vertically every so often. These typically follow a certain sense of uniformity, but they don't have a fixed interval or have a clear shape. As those are the characteristics that mark Thalgignir inheritance, that would mean the field is out of question. That would then leave Yealmyrn and Favighea as options. 

(*Iscathnerin is the hardest area to identify in magical creatures, as its pattern isn't connected to coloring but the arrangement of the varying shades of the same tone. Usually it is marked by small spots being visible in the creature due to slight differences in coloration between feathers, scales or fur that are almost of the same shade. Being that the dots usually contain the lighter tones. Combined with the fact Iscathnerin is often not the only field practiced by magical kinds that inherit it, this makes it very relevant to keep track of even those smallest of details.) 

In cases the coloring present would hint to either merging area, then the easiest way to distinguish one from the other was the potential impression passed by the coloring or marks. In the case of creatures natural to Yealmyrn, those typically were very vivid, and intense. They showed magical coloring very exuberantly, almost as if to warn any potential attacker or trespasser. Generally, this would be a reflection of the fact that the Greater Area makes it far easier to solve problems peacefully in the Wild World. Thus, they sought to mark the mage's presence as a means of declaring the fact they were ready to speak. Which was also part of the reason this kind of coloring typically would grow less vibrant when the magical creatures were planning to engage in hostilities. Another reflection of how magic flowed through their organism so naturally. 

With Favighea, though, intimidation was of higher precedence than a simple warning or invite to talk. Hence why magical creatures inheriting it usually carried demonstrations of their abilities right onto their skin. Earth casting inheritors typically had heavier tails which looked akin to boulders near their tips, both as a natural weapon but to warn hostiles of their likelihood of being crushed. Fire or frost casting creatures tended to have natural breath weapons, and hints of that ability could be spotted near their throats. The water casters among them simultaneously camouflage and stick out on the water surface, as a warning that in their domain they couldn't be matched. And natural wind casters hinted at their aerial dominance at almost every inch of their bodies, and the ones typically tied to one of the sub fields of wind casting typically had indications for that as well. 

Finarkzir fit that last group perfectly. Her every feather was colored in some kind of blue or green, though the later were rarer. Some whites could be seen occasionally, as well as the growing power lines in front of her torso. But for the most part, Finarkzir proudly displayed all colors associated with wind casting, from the skies, to the breeze and tempest that shook trees and leaves on the ground. To the sound she controlled, to the thunder and lighting bolts she likely could conjure. Anything short of a dragon or phoenix should recognize itself as an inferior flier to a raptor carrying such gifts, and like I had heard before, this declaration seemed painted clearly in the one in front of me. A common trait among most birds who shared inheritance to all forms of magic associated with the wind in their name. Why hide yourself when no foe or prey can hope to outrun or outmaneuver you? When even the strongest of foes in a similar level might still have trouble keeping up with your movement? When the sturdiest of targets can easily be crushed beneath your gale, or offered a show of the sky from their pull? 

The reason why the coloring of magic kin made little sense in regards to offering advantages lay within this assumption. Like if it were a declaration of invulnerability, which may as well have been true if the magical beast is being put up against normal, magicless beings. And when matched with those even to it, stealth, usually a normal feature of nature was eliminated from the equation as to best equate victory to a clash between powers and wits. For strength does not rise from simply overwhelming the weak, but by testing yourself truly against those who bear similar strength. A simple philosophy to battle, which often was reflected on the way they lived their lives. 

As she greeted us, Finarkzir would move her wings, all the while displaying her power lines in full, and screeching towards us softly while doing so. Her sounds were high pitched, and it didn't seem like she had that much range in her song. Figures, eagles aren't known as birds with complex tunes. That, and like most of her kind, Finarkzir likely had her voice range optimized from birth for it to act as a weapon. Sound casting came naturally to her kind, so having a tone fit to hurt others through it likely was a positive for them. It looked like she understood some things about communication as well, seeing as she responded to our greetings. She seemed especially interested in Nalfimiria, as the strongest person in the group. 

—Everyone, I mentioned her a few times already, but this is Finarkzir. The two of us share a permanent bond, so she has learned quite a lot about each of you already. She is well adapted to people by now, and can understand you even if I'm not around by now. Still, she can only communicate her thoughts through me, unless any of you has a spare communicator for her. So when she wants to say something I'll be warning you, so that the connection doesn't surprise anyone. — Chiaisei introduced the bird to us, before activating her spells. I felt a small rush of essence connecting each of us, one that I accepted, though it didn't look like the link was multilateral. My thoughts couldn't be expressed through it, and it appeared that even Chiaisei had been keeping hers from the rest of us. 

"She likely has a considerable rank with soul links already then. She is well trained in their activation as well." Seeing as her magic was entirely invisible, it was harder to evaluate her technique than it would have been with her other Greater Area. Still, I was impressed to see how quickly Chiaisei could establish links between us. Especially seeing as she was controlling what information would pass between the links or wouldn't. It was possible thought communicators might be optional, or only work as a means of extending her range in a unit with her in the middle. "Though maybe I shouldn't count on that sort of assistance being permanent to combat for us. Chiaisei likely needs a lot of concentration to use wind casting." 

—Hello to all of you. It's nice to see you personally after watching your interactions for a while. You seem to be good company, and I hope I'll prove to be the same in my own ways. And may we also prove to be good company for each other in the fields of our future work. — Contrary to her high pitched voice, in her thoughts Finarkzir sounded like a mature woman. One that sounded strong, and knowledgeable of the world. I wondered how much use of this kind of magic she must have gone through to develop an inner voice that sounded so much like one of a social kin. Based on previous experiences, changing how you sounded when speaking through links wasn't an easy process. Most of the time it reflected how we heard our own voices, in the case of species that have natural speech, not how others hear us. 

—Greetings, and nice to meet you too. And she really is surprisingly sociable, going as far as to understand manners by the looks of it. Probably more than Senshin, even. Have you been with each other for long? — Nalfimiria answered, directing herself to Chiaisei and Finarkzir alike. And though I knew the comparison was an insult, I didn't care much. It was also starting to feel much easier to interact with her. As a result, if anything I was happy to hear her refer to me directly and that I succeeded in showing indifference. 

—Well, yes. For over ten years by now, though our bond wasn't formed immediately of course. She's used to conversation, though she is awfully direct at it at times. 

—I think I'm as direct as I need to be, my girl. Since you are seemingly incapable of doing the same, it falls to me to compensate a little. And scarlet elf, kin of strength. The humans always spoke so highly of your kind, and the scarlet in particular seem to be blessed in their abilities, even when compared to other elves. I am rather curious to witness your might, sister of will. 

The scarlet are considered by many to be the physically strongest among the social races, being favored in strength even when compared to orcs. Technically ogres could outperform them, but in a close range fight between one of each species, it was likely the elf would still hold the advantage, due to the disadvantages provided to the ogre by their size, as well as differences in inherit and corporeal magic. The scarlet elf would have superior stamina, healing and likely access to curse magic, after all, not to mention the effects of hardening spells was more intense on them than in any other social creature. That this eagle heard plenty of stories about elves and their particular colors wasn't that surprising. Finarkzir likely had an interest in other magical creatures, and among the social kin, elves had always been the most notorious. 

—Is that so? I'll try to live up to them, you can be sure. 

—Meeting a magical beast in city space is always a wonder, though. I must thank you for the chance, Miss Chiaisei as well as Finarkzir. Especially seeing as this will likely be part of routine for us moving on. 

—You got that, Sowanar. Not my first time talking to Finarkzir, or to magical beasts as a whole, but it's always interesting to meet more of them. We live in different worlds, as they say. And seeing as our job takes part in their world, having one as a guide is always helpful. — Fasnilthar said. Judging by what I had already heard about her, it did seem like she had more experience in this prospect than most humans. I had also met quite a few magical creatures before, though seeing as I hardly interacted with them, I wasn't sure if my time on temples of union would count for this point. 

—I hope my guidance will be as useful as yours has been for us, then. Though I will warn all of you, it will still take me some weeks of work before I'm used to the Wild World surrounding this land. 

—Even then, your wings, eyes, ears and talons surely will make our work much easier. If you wish to study the region in depth, feel free to count on us to prepare the material as well. — Sowanar offered, to which Chiaisei mentioned she already had plenty ready. Between Finarkzir and other usages of magic exclusive to Yealmyrn as an area, I was glad to have Chiaisei along already, and it looked like the same might apply to the rest of the group. 

—At any rate, can we start? — I proposed, after they discussed the previously mentioned materials a little more. Personally, I thought this talk should have happened in the association. Since they had registered all our abilities, simply reading that would have been simple and quick. No point in delaying it. But both Fasnilthar and Nalfimiria said that this would be unnecessary. Our member identifications carried the same information regardless, as they said. I wasn't about to try to argue with two of my seniors about that point as well. If they claimed there should be no rush to do this, I had no grounding to debate them on that. Still, it was agreed for us to show our ranks through paper, to speed up the process of disclosing them. For the most part, the discussion itself would be focused on how we're trained to use these ranks. 

—Very well. I will go first, okay? Higher level, more to explain and all. — Nalfimiria was the first to step up. Considering how she would be the group's ace, I felt the choice was appropriate. 

—You should already know my magic revolves around Nairsylvir and Iscathnerin by now. That, and that I'm already adept-level. Before we continue though, I should mention I am a Spell Graced. Being that the Grace I carry is that of Dominion. Need I explain the effects this has? — Spell Graced was the means through which elves referred to those especially magically gifted among them. 

This doesn't simply refer to their magical affinity, but also to the fact a particular elf had a higher level of corporeal magic and inherit magic from birth. In Nalfimiria's case as she explained, it meant that other than a higher level of inherently learned curse magic, by the time she began training magic normally, her abilities with interference magic were already part ways developed. As she mentioned as well, scarlet elves with this Grace typically were capable of using essence curses and interference while using less concentration. This also augmented her skill in sustaining a cursed grasp or a cursed mist. Other traits include the fact her sensitivity for magic was even higher than the expected for her kind. And among other things, her corporeal magic made it easier for her to identify the level and areas of a mage when coming in contact with them. 

Her sealing curses were also more potent as a result, and she could place spell seals on people she was in direct contact with without using much concentration. Judging by her description of things, it looked like she already had most of the necessary information on most of us, simply due to the occasions we came in contact over the course of the day. Her Spell Grace was considered the most potent combat partial graces a scarlet elf could be born with. In part because it meant she started official training while just some months away from the end of the apprentice level, but also due to how central interference magic was considered for the usage of Nairsylvir. 

—That aside, I can't say there is much that is specialized about how I fight, other than the fact I've been trained to command. I can fight well at any range compared to others early into the adept level, due to the combination of greater areas I have. If anything, my method is just the standard for the spiritual types. Find a weakness and crush the opposition through it. A bit boosted by the fact that overpowering Nairsylvir is basically impossible, of course. I doubt I'll even need to show you all the papers for general rankings either. Full intermediate As for everything Nairsylvir, and the same thing almost applies to Iscathnerin as well. Just some areas that I didn't prioritize for now. A looooot of my time may have been dedicated to assimilation, so I spared myself of the things I didn't find needed by now. — The information sounded hard to believe, if not strictly impossible. 

—Excuse me? Sorry if I'm sounding skeptical sister, but timing things that well sounds kinda, like… 

—Impossible. Natural area growth would have meant at least one in each likely would have reached adept ranking by now. Especially considering how many minor structures in Nairsylvir are interconnected to larger ones. — Fasnilthar and Chiaisei voiced as a pair the concerns that were also passing through my mind. 

Though the act of Guidance was usually focused on specific structures within a greater area, more often than not these smaller structures were connected to others similar, who would benefit from some of the growth direct to it. Not only that, but any development dedicated to a Greater Area would have some effect in all inner structures connected to it. Hence, if she had reached intermediate A with a field on Nairlysvir while all others were at B, by the time the last one reached an A the first field already would be nearly at an adept level. Considering she had done this in two greater areas, it was highly unlikely this math would have been achieved perfectly. 

Technically if you know the exact rate of how our spell structures¹ grow, it might be possible to calculate this situation perfectly, as wasteful a usage of effort as that would be. Even then, since the growth of every mage isn't completely uniform - especially not of magic kin - the possibility for getting that number wrong is still high. Especially in areas that were so deeply interconnected between each other. As much as I doubted a sister would try to deceive an ally for no reason, this made it hard to take all she said at her word. "And if she is hiding things, why tell a lie that sounds so dubious?" This was also a matter that crossed my mind. No spell weaver would have heard that information without questioning it, be them warriors or civilians.

—Oh, all I really needed to do was make sure all of the "As" would be reached with a single blow. It's not like we have an ultra precise definition of what each rank means either. Regardless, let me explain some more before the questions can start. In this here sheet of conjured paper are the areas I currently have skipped, and in these ones I'll be listing the things I've assimilated. The normal protocol for spiritual assimilation has been abandoned in it though, as apparently the variation in construct properties I can achieve are too large to be properly registered the normal way. Instead, only the forms I've taken in have been registered. Not that it would matter regardless, I likely have already assimilated every pure and composite material on this massive rock in either case.

The sheet of paper she produced to report the matter she had assimilated was alarmingly big. Fasnilthar was the first to pick both of them up while the rest of us were still trying to keep up the pace after the first blatant lie from the sister with us. She quickly eyed through the first one, barely glancing at it for a second before offering it to continue circulation. 

—Yeah, the secret is pretty easy to guess… But what in the abyss is this? I was expecting the letters to be enormous, or for the back to be empty. I know it's part of the strength of Iscathnerin, but… Too many options to process, just from a glance. A normal brain would fry trying to imagine how to mix and match everything on this list. How in the blaze do you even get used to fighting like this? Why is also a pretty good question, actually. Guessing the traditional styles are mostly covered, at least? — Fasnilthar didn't finish reading the second list before reaching this conclusion. Chiaisei, who had been standing next to her and therefore got a glimpse at it, was also left stunned. I was looking at their reactions with curiosity as Nalfimiria produced a different copy of it to hand me. 

—Pretty much. The Tremor, Roaring and Tidal Blades are each at the limit for my level, and the Glimmering Blade* is still some stages away. The same applies to the Thousand Shades and Havoc Spring, and that list can basically be seen as taking the War Architect* to its most extreme, as a Major Style with no true skill ceiling. For the how, decades of exhaustive training. Part of the point of finishing school before my nineties was so that I could devote them and the hundreds to martial practice. And the why, I believe this method is what grants Iscathnerin infinite potential as a base for fighting. There are only so many ways every other form of magic can be improved upon, but with constructs… Every tool that exists can be turned into a unique weapon, if you understand it well enough. It is by drawing the World Brush that I seek invincibility, just as the Aspect of Yearning has described the Endless Blade she represents. 

(*The four Major Styles of the Blade Wave and three Major Styles of the All Slasher. The Greater Styles themselves are mentioned below, and are described briefly within the glossary.) 

The initial contents of the speech were awe inspiring in themselves, yet as it proceeded Nalfimiria gradually started sounding less sane. Invincibility by itself was never a goal sought by the reasonable. The ending comparison didn't miss me as I read over the list, but despite the mention of the Greater One I sought to follow, the contents of the paper itself were draining too much of my attention to comment anything. The pages weren't much longer than my hands, but they had a front and a back, were almost filled to the brim with words and there were four sheets delivered in all. I hadn't read all of it, yet a part of me wondered if there were many common objects that had been spared her assimilation over this process. 

"She has to have been under the effects of accelerated guidance. Even without this list, this fact is undeniable. Though even if she was chosen by a Watcher, this seems hard to make sense out of." I thought while listening to the explanation and simply looking at the papers. There were many things in it that I simply couldn't imagine ever being used as weapons. As the term might imply, accelerated guidance is a process that enables mages to develop their abilities at a faster pace than the norm. Few inside the sisterhood got to go through it, and even fewer outside of it. The simple reason why was because in order to go through the process, one wouldn't simply need more potent Guiding Eyes, which were harder to make on themselves. They would also need the assistance of a high level mage during their practice. At the very least, they would need the aid of a master rank specialized in guidance, but even then the process wouldn't have been sped up by too much. In order to speed up growth to a further point, the involvement of a minor or lesser aspect would be needed. Hence why this only happened among the sisterhoods, and even then few Path Tracers were picked for the process*. 

(*This process was also how the Greater Aspects managed to teach magic to their First Disciples as quickly as they did. Thus why the stories of how they mastered magic in little less than ten years worked out in reality, without any need for exaggeration from those writing it down. For if even their simple applications of magic are well controlled to the point of being incomprehensible, it stands to logic that the Greater Ones could execute forms as complex as Guidance with skill beyond what any other mage could dream of.) 

Basically, in order to classify for it you would need to garner the attention of some of the Watchers* residing within our temples. How involved with one Nalfimiria would need to be, I wasn't sure. But at least enough to assist in her training occasionally, supposing my guess was accurate. Even being raised within the sisterhood, I didn't know much about how Watchers operated. All I did know was how strong each were, and that they worked directly under the Greater Aspects, unlike the rest of our order. That, and all Watchers were unaging beings, as passing through Aspectual Ascension was a prerequisite to become one of them. People unconnected to the Intertwined Paths most likely knew even less. If I had to make any suppositions about them, I would say a mage like the others probably only knew about them due to the alleged strength they had. Then again, I figured it was likely Chiaisei and Fasnilthar might have known a Watcher beforehand, depending on how much contact they had with the sisterhood. They didn't make appearances or interact with the public too often, but they generally wouldn't avoid people known as allies to the paths. 

(*The term used to refer to members of the sisterhood that have reached the aspectual levels of magic. They aren't attached to one particular path, and as a result of their ascension, their entire force is unaging. Though the sisterhood didn't have a normal hierarchy, Watchers effectively represented the pinnacle of what a Path Tracer could dream of accomplishing.)

Still, as I thought about this possibility, I still couldn't draw my eyes away from the list. Trying to understand it took full priority at that point, and each word I got further into it the less sense it seemed to make. It was almost as surprising as worrisome, and it was neatly organized in order from what she called "basics and simples", to "complex tools" to "Divine Constructs", as she had described them. A daring choice of words, to say the least. The basics and simple tools were somewhat mixed in with each other, and mostly covered things she described as "straightforward weaponry", or items composite of one or two main pieces at most. Here are some parts of the list following my thoughts on it. "Complex tools" included larger constructs, or ones made of many pieces, like the pocket watch she showed, and her "divine constructs" all had titles that made it harder to guess what they were supposed to do. 

"Knives, swords, spears, javelins, axes, shields, whips, blowpipes, chains, maces, slings, hammers, arrows, darts, harpons, crossbows, spike balls, magnets, halberds, poleaxes, bows, "the power of levers", whatever that means… Strings…? Bottles…? Dumbbells? Ah, whatever. Spikes, rocks, ice, banners, telescopes, mirrors, magnifying glasses, water, or I guess any liquid, bells, quarterstaffs, clippers, "nitroglycerin"? Never heard of that chemical. Sounds dangerous. Rubber, springs, screws, dirt, nets… Many kinds of hats. Why? Webs, bag straps, doorknobs, rulers, frisbees, oil, throwing spheres… Scissors? And nail clippers? Sure. Ropes, fabrics, wheels, bags, gliders, parachutes, boulders, bombs, the flute, ramps, needles… And gum? Fine… Fans, some types of tree trunks, the triangle…? Like, the instrument? Why is glue also in this list? And soap? Paper too, as well as books… Bras? Like, in underwear? Not the only kind of underwear in the list either. And… Coconuts? Why is a fruit being listed as a weapon?!" 

After a certain point, I got tired of looking at the actual list for weapons. It was fair to assume based on the chunk of text that was reserved for "normal" weaponry that she covered almost any specialization. As I said, she was through. What was confusing me the most was some of the weird choices among them, many of which I struggled to imagine ever being used in a battlefield. The one that caused me the most surprise being the mention of fruit. As a method of attack, it was surely an eccentric choice. 

—Why are coconuts being listed in the basics? — I asked, a matter that seemed to elicit some curiosity from our coworkers as well. 

—Oh, they're an excellent throwing weapon, so long as you have unlimited amounts of them. Big, light for my standards, hard to crack, and they fact they can crack is great. You can put all sorts of interesting things on the inside of the thing, when you know the throw will definitely break it. There's a lot of space inside them, you know? Excellent material for the shell of larger explosives. The type of bark on it is also really handy. 

The strange choices didn't end there, either. On the basics, more materials were cited, oftentimes simply as citations of a chemical, or a few of them. According to her, you needed to know those well to craft explosives as best as you could. Also, she claimed to know how to conjure a lot of different acids and toxins, besides simply being able to intensify those properties. By the time I was done with reading that part, I realized that most of what classified something as "basic" or "simple" by her definition was the amount of parts it contained, or the size. The consistency of her choices was still debatable, either way. As far as she was concerned, anything could be a weapon if used well, apparently. The list got weirder once the basics were over. At times I looked over the "Divine Constructs" while reading the complex tools as well, to see if I could figure out any patterns in her titling style. 

"Balistas, catapults, the trebuchet, carts, cannons… Surprisingly useful things. Skateboards, surfboards, can she even use these? Treadmills, clocks, trampolines, a chainsaw… A "pistol"? And a "rifle"? What does that even mean? Some strange tool, to be sure. Paintings, hoses, rattraps, various types of traps for bigger things, mechanical fans… A violin. Whatever. A small canoe, giant slings, sponges, a fishing pole, combustion engines, "the railgun prototype 3.4"... What is she even on about? A miniature water mill? Electric batteries? How do you even store electricity? Whatever… A miniature piano? How did she even assimilate that?!" I couldn't get through the list before the irritation got to my head. 

—Why…? 

—Don't bother, she is the crazy type. Might be as unhinged as her grandma, from the looks of things. — Fasnilthar answered before anyone else, while still going through the list. 

—Still. Why waste your time assimilating so many useless things? I know you're an elf, but… — Before I could continue, she reacted. 

—Hey, nothing in the list is useless. You just aren't thinking about it the right way. — She didn't sound particularly defensive with her response. Like the accusation didn't mean much to her.

—Is it? How would you use a piano in battle?! 

—Who said anything about using it? Assimilation is simply an easier way of comprehending the functioning of an object, down to the smaller details. What better way to understand resonance or reverberation of sound than through instruments? 

—Why go through that trouble, though? A mage can simply control sound directly-. 

—Only as a method of manipulation or control spells. This restricts range and creates a necessity for the source of sound, often, and is typically only friendly to offensive forms of sound usage. Constructs can bypass those limits, at range, they can deceive magical detection and with proper set up they can cause effects that would be much harder to accomplish by affecting sound directly. Sounds created through conjuration and engineering sound far more natural, as a result. Applying alteration and shifting spells to constructs can make just about anything a potential threat as well, boy. — While saying so, she conjured a small sphere floating on top of her hand. As her explanation continued, it constantly altered its shape, at times thinning down like a disk or growing spikes or blades in its surface. At points it also multiplied or grew additional objects surrounding it, like ropes, chains or the beginning of a handle for it. 

—I know that. But… The amount of time this quantity of assimilation would need… Is this really the best way of using our orders faith on you? — I wasn't sure what everyone around us knew about accelerated guidance in the first place. Still. I felt the need to ask that. 

—Of course it is. I seek growth so that none but the Greater Ones might match me, one day. And I promise you, no opponent with less than a gap of 8 stages would stand a chance at beating me. I am particularly skilled at dismantling larger forces as well, to the point numbers no longer are relevant to me. What better way to use the benefits that teacher offered me than to try to become invincible, as one trailing after the Victory Star? — Hearing her double down on the term only made it seem all the less reasonable. The gap in stages for a foe "to stand a chance" was absurd as well, just as a mage early into the adept level declaring numbers were irrelevant. 

—Invincibility…? Why do you keep bringing up an impossible goal? — No one should be expected to never lose, other than a Greater Aspect directly, and even the Greater Ones might still lose when practicing or playing against themselves. The mark she sought was therefore impossible to reach. 

—I can't answer that for her, but the theory at least makes sense. You need to understand the nature of an attack to be able to properly block or evade it, so having a bunch of unique options would throw off both beginners and veterans alike. Basically, it seems like a brute force method of guaranteeing an edge in planning and predictive fighting, as no sane tactician would try to plan around all of this. That is assuming the resulting techniques of each type of alteration and construct she can create are effective, though, yet it is fair to guess at least some thousands of them might be. — Fasnilthar told me, after getting back to it and reading the rest of the list. Something about her expression almost made her look tired. Nalfimiria seemed pleased by this reaction. 

—Though I'm not sure if this is a kind of invincibility that I would recommend to many, my lord. I didn't think even among elves there were many with the patience to try getting used to this style of fighting. Keeping track of your own choices must be a constant source of headaches. 

—Maybe so, but if you insist enough you should be able to match up well against almost anyone. That, and if the list is rough on me, no foe could see through all of it realistically. Learning infinite tricks is far more reliable as a method than counting on one that is all applicable. Some of the stuff in the list can be pretty useful by itself too though, you know. The clock thing is just a flex for the most part, but some of the complex toys are really fun to put to use. My proudest achievement so far being this! — She said, before the flux of spirit energy on her took shape in an object to her side. 

The metal frame, shining intensely against the constantly diminishing sunlight at that point of the day. The plates giving it more reinforcement, as well as the handlebar, apparently meant both for ease of use and potential impacts. The wheels, that seemed to be adaptable to any sort of terrain, and the pedals, likely built to handle the full force of the elf in front of us. It also carried a seat for passengers, as well as a conjured banner of the sisterhoods at its back. The lustrous metal of it blazing with the colors of the path of will, as well as the many slots that looked to be opened for additional equipment. Like the fact the front of the thing could seemingly be equipped with a shield, probably both for protection or raming.There also appeared to be space to slot a stationary crossbow above the handles. It was a bicycle. 

—Why? — Her previous explanations weren't enough to justify this. That thing in itself likely took enough of a toll on her concentration to nullify a fourth of her offensive capacity, supposing she would reserve some of it for the occasional need for barriers. Even if it was easier to understand than some of the other things on that list, it still felt incomprehensible, given how it was introduced. 

—Why? This thing is excellent on a chase, it can cover almost any kind of terrain and it makes slingshotting myself much easier. Cannons sometimes work better for that, but in terms of total distance traveled, this thing is the best. Also, think with me for a second. You're facing a group of opponents while in a retreat, and suddenly one of them starts chasing you down on a conjured bike while fully armed, while occasionally catapulting herself on her way to you as well, with all of the reckless abandon of one who sees little value in their safety. Such an unhinged sight is bound to terrify some people into surrendering. 

—My lord, I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't "catapult" or "slingshot" yourself around so casually. That sounds very dangerous. — She ignored Sowanar's plea. 

—How do you even pedal this thing while wearing armor? — Fasnilthar asked then. A fair point. 

—Ah, I have my tricks. If guiding it with my feet won't work, it is still pretty fast while boosted by magic as well. I've learned a ton of different ways to modify it too. You all want to see them? — I didn't, and I wasn't sure about the others, but she showed them either way. Forcefully. 

After some minutes of hearing Nalfimiria discuss and demonstrate combat modifications for bicycles, we decided to continue. The second to offer herself was Fasnilthar. Also worth mentioning, though to an extent the dialogue of the scene is merged with the information of our abilities, that information itself can be found in a shorter format. Specifically, annexed along the end of this chapter lies the identifications for each of us as due to the unit registry at that period. In it the magical forms we specialize in are mentioned. This is the main reason we won't be discussing rankings in this part. 

—My Greater Areas are Thalgignir and Laenixir. Being that the most likely candidate for a third is Favighea at the moment. Mostly due to affinity, but also because it works with how I fight. I'm pretty much locked to projectiles right now, so having an area that is a bit better than the spiritual ones in zone suppression might be nice. That pretty much covers how I fight as well, come to think of it. — While saying so, she reached for one of the bags she usually carried with her. Opening it, it was loaded to the brim with metal spheres. 

—I'm the kind of long range specialist who will just try to hide and launch stuff until the fighting is over. So I'm at my best at covering for others, picking off priority targets or handling information. Best I can do against groups are barraging waves, though I can't produce them quickly enough to supply these through conjuration or frost control for that long. My preference is to focus on using steel as my main method, and I'll vary between the other control forms, light magic and light constructs based on the situation. The only one I'm not good with is flame control, since we aren't allowed to use it offensively either way. I'm capable of manifesting aura and light barriers as well, but I'm not used to being the main source for them in a unit. Currently I'm putting more effort into aura focus than in its radios, but even then I tend to treat infusing as a backup plan. 

After explaining as much, Fasnilthar gave us a more detailed explanation on what her decision making process for choosing her ammunition type was. This also used as a base the documents showing her rankings, which have also been archived in this story. Overall, she placed a lot of focus on combat during these explanations as well. According to her, it was where a mage's skill was more intensely tested, and I was inclined to agree. There was a utility magical form she brought up as well, namely Essence Ingraining*, quite the pleasant perk for all of us, though it would be unfair to expect her to keep our equipment charged single handedly. At some point we also questioned her on martial skills as well, however she claimed not to put too much focus into that, only diving into the basics of the simpler Major Styles belonging to her Greater Areas. 

(*The magical form used to empower and maintain the effects of enchantment in objects.)

I also had some questions in regards to her choices. Some regarding her precision on long range, others regarding oddities in how she devoted her guidance. Questions like why she had currently skipped on something like gravity manipulation, an area seen as part of the core for the early training of one of her areas, or why she chose to prioritize one form of barriers she had access to over the other. There was also the matter of why pick Laenixir's supportive abilities if she wasn't used to putting them to practice. Both of them led to the same answer, namely the fact she had been adapting her training based on the previous unit she technically was still connected to. As this had been making that group sound increasingly stranger, one thing led to another and Sowanar ended up asking her about the size of that unit. 

—Aaaah, counting me? There were 12 mages in it, 5 social, 3 magic beasts, 1 semi social and 3 sentient shrubs. The plants usually aren't counted as full mages by the association, though, as they are usually more restrictive in how they can act. Most of the non-socials were bonded to the leaf elf in our group as well. She has a talent for finding companions. Normally units don't grow this much, but magical beasts bound to a social mage are counted as part of a package, so we might have violated that regularity, as well as a few more. — "She has a talent for finding companions" didn't translate the situation very accurately. Even for someone born in Javrulfadin, it was surprising this elf could have roped so many magical beings into following her into different regions. Considering she was probably still around Nalfimiria's age, I could imagine this woman having an issue with too many permanent bonds some twenty years from then. 

—Oh, that's a… unique unit, to be sure. There are two Path Tracers in it too, aren't there? Not a group I would want to challenge, even if I was inside my knight unit while fully deployed. I pity the unfortunate fools that got targeted by all of you in the past. 

—Right, I get that to a sense. Imagine being a bandit, thinking you got a hiding place the state would have a hard time tracking, and that magical creatures won't bother you. Then one day 5 of them rush in alongside some social company looking to arrest you. I never really judged anyone who I saw shit themselves in reaction to our group. Especially when Milli gets talkative. That's the semi I mentioned by the way, she has a gift with intimidation. I would say more often than not it proved helpful to have all of that force around, though. 

—Helpful in what way, exactly? — I decided to ask. I imagined it had something to do with the reduced pressure each member would be facing. Still, suppose the unit's combat capacity took those numbers into account. As a result, they would be paired against foes of similar ability, and she would likely have faced some dangerous missions in the past. The danger might not entirely match her level, due to the imbalance in the unit. That, and in general, the higher the numbers of a combat situation the harder it is for both sides to go out of it unharmed. She didn't seem like the kind that would shy away from the dangers of our job, based on what she had said to that point. However, even the bold would likely agree that inviting danger openly isn't a wise thing to do. 

—The intimidation factor. Most of the people who wouldn't stand any chance against us would be more likely to surrender immediately. Plenty of bandits underestimate social mages, after all, especially so the humans. But to survive in the wild world, they need to be aware that magical creatures are not something to be challenged with normal steel or normal arms. Combined with the two emblems carried by my coworkers, this meant most tasks that could involve lethal combat ended as soon as our opponents saw what they were dealing with. Even rogues are less likely to challenge a group if they know there are path tracers within it as well. And when we stumbled onto magical beasts, no cases of the pact being violated even slightly ever happened. They respect the Great Sisters too much to defy them right in front of some of their agents. Not that cases of deaths through magic kin are common on the field, just that sometimes they get a bit rougher on their targets than they would us. Many of them don't know how to draw the line in combat cruelties as well as social people are supposed to. 

—Still, that must have meant you faced rogues far more frequently than normal units around this level too. Not to mention, I imagine you might have gone through far more lasting tracks through the wild world as well, alongside the occasional larger battle. Those aren't things normally expected of mages still going through initiation. Wasn't that an issue? — Sowanar had asked. 

Our worries were somewhat matched, from the look of things. The impression I had was that based on her descriptions to that point, her past two years had been eventful, in regards to their job. The normal policy in the association is to give a lot of time for their members to get used to battle. Yet in a group like that, simply charging them constantly with collecting tasks would have been a waste. Even with two initiates from normal magical orders with them, the disparity in skill between them and the top of the group likely meant they faced far harder tasks than the norm for people getting into the job. After all, their lack of experience easily could have been made up for the excess of it the others had, as well as power, compared to their opponents. Just the fact they could intimidate so many foes into surrender already spoke of the potential threat the five magic kin she was grouped with could show. All of this to say, Fasnilthar probably had seen far more blood than most people should at 19. She probably had killed far more than normal pact wardens would have had at this point too. 

—Not so much. Force helps with communication, sometimes. 

—How so? — This time, Chiaisei was the one who asked. 

—People sometimes get blinded by numbers. Numbers really don't tell a whole story, though. Even a million house cats could never hunt a phoenix, right? That message is easier to pass when a lot of force is available. The biggest suppression task we were ever given put us up against a group of bandits on the third digits, even. They even had 4 rogues with them. Still, by the time the initial exchange was over, only one of the rogues remained intact. Not that many of the bandits had been caught in the attack, but enough got hurt to make the message clear. A hundred normal people barely count as a threat to an intermediate level mage. Against a group like ours, if the battle lasted they would all have been massacred. That's the handy thing about a group like that, you see? When intimidation and negotiation fails, the violence doesn't last. Can't say for a fact this always applies to work with the guild, even when it should be clear to anyone who knows anything about magic that the sorcerers have the upper hand. The kind of small fry the association occasionally sends initiate mages against are precisely the kind of people who never read anything about spellcasting, after all. — Her tone of voice didn't change much as she explained this. Still, the change did reach her expression. 

Personally, I wasn't sure if I agreed with her on weighing those alternatives. Sure, a group like that didn't see that much violence. And when it did, it didn't last, as she claimed. Still, the intensity of it probably made up for the number of times it happened. Like the exemple she mentioned. She said the initial volley didn't catch that many of them, right? But in the context of a group passing a hundred, "not that many" could be anything between 5 to 20 people. If the aggression of her group either incapacitated or killed the three rogue mages she mentioned, any of the bandits in their direct surroundings likely died instantly. Those around the zone of the aggressions likely got temporarily cripled, at least. Nothing healing spells can't treat, though it probably afforded them some months of healing paralysis. This wasn't the kind of battle someone edging on a civilian lifestyle should see. Rather, the longer a mage lives in combat the further away they stray from normal life. However, at the early parts of their career from what I heard the expectations from the association is for that tranquility to last a while longer. They are even allowed to avoid tasks related to suppressions of any sort. 

Fasnilthar had already rejected that peace, from the looks of it. Something most pact wardens need to decide themselves on eventually, I'm sure. That choice looked like it came early for them, though. Looking at her then, I realized for the first time how clear it was in her eyes, or face. As I mentioned before, interpreting people only came easily to me when whatever I'm observing is connected to fighting. That particular suggestion I glanced at was one considered particularly useful. She had killed before. Intelligent beings, I mean. Probably even some social kinds, which wasn't entirely unexpected. In two years of work, even if not the most intense kind of it, a mage was expected to have killed a few targets, even if by accident. There really isn't a great deal of margin of error in most of the Greater Areas between incapacitating and killing a normal living being, after all. That mistake was sort of expected of beginners, even when they had explicit orders not to kill. Fasnilthar was beyond this. It looked like she was already somewhat used to it, though I suspected this habit would never truly be normalized to any. "She likely rejected a normal life even before joining the union." I got that feeling of her from time to time, during that day. Fasnilthar was someone who had already embraced the lifestyle of a warrior. 

—I understand that, to an extent. Knights don't get that luxury. In the few battles I've taken part in since becoming a champion, I don't even have the privilege of holding back. Our numbers and tactics mean those ignorant tend to respect us more than guild mages. But when battling against those of some ability, their response always seems to be to exploit the individual weaknesses each member of a knight unit may carry, or to target our intelligence, seeing how dependent our units are on coordination, likely to create an opening to escape. As a champion, the unwritten rule of my job is to crush all who would try so. To accomplish that, I am always asked to fight without any restraint. It's my responsibility to destroy all who could threaten my siblings in arms, after all. Knowing that I'm acting under a Vanguard or a stronger mage is always relieving, as a result, as the pressure is placed on another, and generally to people who have already grown better at beating the confidence out of our enemies. Less blood is spilled in that sort of battle, and less of it is focused in the hands of those still adapting to our reality. — Based on his tone, it looked to me like Sowanar was also declaring his own adaptation to this role. There wasn't much of the bold presence he normally displayed in his voice, and he sounded far more serious, if not somewhat distant. 

Judging by what I knew about how knights operated, it was possible he had taken part in his first battle while even younger than the rest of the humans in that group. And seeing as knights are only ever deployed to confront bigger problems, that likely meant his experience with violence also built up quicker than that of a pact warden. "Has he already started growing detached from it? I wonder if this side of the path is also inevitable for me." I continued pondering on this issue while still watching them talk. 

—Solving potential battles through intimidation must also mean you used to get more breaks from the occasional bouts of bloodshed the job may invoke. Could hardly complain about that. Thankfully having a sister with us as well as Finarkzir might already make this group better at that than the expected. — Chiaisei spoke, seemingly unbothered by the same points that made me thoughtful, likely not due to lack of noticing them. Even if I was far more observant when it came to the faces others put on as warriors than to everything else, I was still convinced I wouldn't notice any details she couldn't. 

This likely meant Chiaisei wasn't surprised when faced with that side of our coworkers. Perhaps she had already seen it in Fasnilthar, or already expected it from both even without seeing it, like she had already concluded and accepted this sense of detachment was inevitable for our work, and the lifestyle we each pursued. "Maybe she has thought about these matters far more than I. I have been faced with this reality for long, but never really saw any other route in life regardless. To fight means to occasionally kill, even if the goal in victory should never lie in destroying all opposition, just disabling it." My order has defended liberty, among the other values raised by the Great Sisters for thousands of years, and all liberties cease to be once a life is taken. As will their hopes, will or reason, the potential that life could bring to the world, as will the bonds through which they could offer to our world's harmony. Thus I have always thought that regardless of who my path may bring me to kill, I should never embrace killing as a casual fact of a warrior's life. "But how long does it really take for one to realistically detach themselves from the act? To become as cold to blood as the weapons and magic used to spill it?" 

Whether Chiaisei aimed to detach herself, or if the other two had already completed that journey, she had clearly already acknowledged that reality. Both how it existed on the others, and how it could develop on us, two whose hands remained innocent. Though the difference in apparent wisdom between us could have played a role in that, I suspected she likely also thought a lot about the issue due to her choice for a magical field. For Favighea was widely considered the second most deadly Greater Area a mage could choose. And though this was a topic of debate, many considered it the most dangerous form of magic to be confronted with. The area may not match Nairsylvir in potency, yet due to the advantages it carries, it is still much harder to confront. If my offensive magic could easily down a kind of living creature, Chiaisei could disable tens of them if just given an extra second to prepare herself. Iscathnerin basically needed a full level advantage to match the potency of Favighea spells, after all. 

As a result, Chiaisei likely could outdo the attacking power of the three other humans in that group single handedly. In a unit composed entirely of people on the same level, she likely would be the main attacker on it. Consider also how prone Favighea is to causing collateral damage, or to be more destructive than an inexperienced mage might wish it to be. She was definitely the most likely member of the group to accidentally kill an opponent during a battle. And if a unit she was in was pressured into using their magic with less restraint, she and her companion likely would have caused the most deaths among the opposition. Chiaisei probably was aware of this far before that point. Most likely, it was a point constantly reinforced in her training, and by that point she seemed to have learned it well. 

—That shouldn't be an issue for us. If any are foolish enough to try to challenge me without any magic of their own, it hardly would take that severe of a warning shot to dissuade them. 

—Indeed. And since sisters and magic kin tend to be an easy way to intimidate or get someone more talkative, you can trust me to be effective at this as well. After bragging about my goals, saying that I can't even do that much would be out of place. 

If for the others there had been some surprise, noticing the last two to speak found no trouble with the topic carried none of it. As someone born in the wild world, Finarkzir likely never knew violence as anything but natural. If not for the purpose of growth, demonstrating power and maintaining her kind's territories, simply because her kind still had the habit of hunting. Mostly for the sake of training, since as most magic kin, Finarkzir was omnivorous, despite the animal kind from which she originated was purely carnivorous. Still, more likely than not it was possible she saw our job through the same lens as a hunt, in cases where we would be sent after intelligent targets. Either that or through our nature as collectors, explorers and enforcers within the areas we were permitted to act. That this would lead to the occasional fight, be it of the hostile kind or not, would be considered simply a normal consequence of those goals, as far as most magical beasts would be concerned. 

Nalfimiria on the other hand, didn't surprise me simply due to the gap in experience I knew existed between us. She likely had seen far more battles than even Sowanar by then. And if not, then at the very least she had been preparing for this lifestyle for multiple decades the rest of us didn't have. What this reality meant to her likely had been an answer she had already reached quite some years from that point, I presumed. As one sworn to protect others, I wasn't sure if she even would have been allowed to wear her emblem if she hadn't already reached that conclusion. Which begged again the question, this time not only as a person seeking to understand what it means to bear power, but as one seeking to devote his life for a similar purpose. That of defending and fighting for the ideals drawn out by the Great Sisters. 

"How ready am I, truly? Not to carry a blade in itself, but to use it? Is the meek resolve which I carry now enough to push me through this process without any negative change?" Detaching yourself fully appeared to be the wrong answer. I was sure this wouldn't be the goal of a Path Tracer, and that my coworkers would feel the same to an extent. "How will the beginning of this path change me? And what change should I be looking for? Not just in response to the questions I have yet to understand. But as one beginning the path of a warrior. I have an ideal in mind, yet no plan as to how to reach it. Just my meager understanding of strength, and the goal of comprehending the drive of a true defender. How will this journey affect me, or the steps needed to complete it, no one but the Greater Ones could predict. Be it through physical or spiritual testing, or in this routine I find myself in, all I can do is remain focused on the objective. How the resolve at the core to this blade will be molded, I may only hope to direct." 

Wondering not about the steps done that day, but those who would immediately follow, I continued watching that conversation. Although delayed as it was by my unawareness, that first initial step still remained as something small compared to the road I sought to cover. The reality presented on the behavior of my comrades on the topic of violence was merely another small part of it as well. A conflict most face while getting used to the burden of blood and steel. Yet it didn't consist of all that learning this lifestyle entailed. The burdens carried on the life of a protector never truly ceased to grow, and often changed nature while still blooming. The drive to understand and improve before all of that wasn't something I could say with confidence that I already owned. 

I supposed my view of the matter still was shallow. And yet, whatever the road may bring, all I knew was that for most of my life I had been hoping to step on it. Whatever could have taken place on it, without a clue of what to anticipate all that was left to do was walk. I had yet to learn enough to truly be wise enough to guess accurately, after all. With my reflections done for that day, as well as my first steps on this long path, I'll leave you to the others for the remainder of it as well. Until next we meet through these pages, stay well.