Spell Weaver-Chapter 65. Recovery

Alex stepped over the blackened crater of his office floor and was careful to avoid the small parts of the boarded floor that splintered and stuck up at odd angles. Soot marked his jeans where he’d knelt earlier to examine the damage. In the heat of the moment, he hadn’t thought of the damage that his own ritual might do to the room.

Not that it fazed the elf very much.

The ritual hadn’t done much more than cause it to stumble, singe its cloak, and look at him in irritation.

“Cookie?” Val chirped from where he hovered near the hole in the wall. A cold draft stirred the loose office papers, causing Mark to shuffle faster while picking them up. Alex turned away from the wall and joined him and Sarah in straightening up what they could.

“Later, buddy. We need to wake up Maelis first. Keep putting your mana into the amulet.”

Mark grunted as he casually used his increased Strength stat to lift a part of Alex’s now-broken oak desk. As if reading his thoughts, Mark said, “Man, you’re telling me your ritual did this but didn’t do anything to their barrier? That’s pretty serious magic.”

“I think it messed up his cloak a bit, but otherwise, he was totally fine.”

“At least most of your books are okay,” Sarah said as she wiped the debris and dust off of one of the System-generated manuals. She set it on the shelf before moving over to another one a few feet away.

Alex pulled another Mana Stone from his spatial pouch and tossed it to Val. The amphiptere caught it in mid-air. His form briefly glowed blue in Alex’s sight as he started to absorb the mana from the rock. Together, they continued to channel mana into the amulet hanging from Alex’s neck.

The faster we can wake Maelis, the sooner we can hopefully get some answers.

His fingers came back away black when he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The air still held traces of acrid smoke, making his nose wrinkle. Pieces of his research lay scattered across the floor. The elves had taken his main journal and who knew what else.

“Found another one,” Mark said while holding up a torn sheet of paper. He smoothed it out gently and set it to the side with another small stack that they’d begun to accumulate.

Alex nodded absently and looked down at the ring held in his hand. The golden sun emblem caught the light, and there was no doubt that it was identical to the one on the elves’ back.

How long has Rylan been working with them? From the start?

He remembered seeing the rings on the other man’s hand as early as the New Year’s Eve party, but another thought struck him as he tried to think back.

“Oh, wow…” The others looked up, and he voiced his realization. “It hasn’t been on my mind as much lately because it’s just so normal now… but Rylan was supplying all of the information to the Guild. In the beginning, I always wondered how he was able to get such reliable information on the System when no one else could. It makes so much sense if he had some sort of deal with a race from within the Rifts.”

“That brings up an even scarier thought, though,” Sarah said. “If they’re giving him information on the System… what is he giving them in return?”

They continued to chat about the implications of Rylan’s situation as they picked up around the office, killing time until the Runic Apprentice item was fully charged with mana. Nearly an hour had passed before Valtherion announced to the room, “Grumpy man waking up.”

“Thanks, buddy. Finally,” he muttered under his breath. They’d burned through nearly a dozen mana stones to charge up the amulet so quickly, but Alex felt it was worth it to speed up the process. He touched the amulet under his shirt as he felt Maelis’s consciousness surfacing within the amulet.

The spirit’s mind firmed, and Alex could feel his imposing intellect. His usual grumpiness seemed amplified for some reason. “I can’t tell much of time while asleep, but I know that was far too quick-” Maelis paused, taking in the destruction around them through Alex’s eyes. “What in the name of The Seven happened here?”

"We were attacked," Alex said tightly. He held up the ring between his thumb and forefinger. "By elves wearing this symbol. They stole my research notes, and I need to know if they can track us using this item. I don't know if I should just toss it immediately so that there's no chance they can continue to track our movements." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Through their connection, Alex could feel Maelis's attention sharpen as the spirit did the mental equivalent of sitting up in their chair. "Hold it closer. Let me see the runes clearly."

Alex did as he was asked and turned the ring slowly while Mark and Sarah watched in silence.

Blue lines appeared in Alex's vision as Maelis highlighted various runes that were etched into the metal using whatever illusionary tool he had at his disposal from the amulet.

"Hmm. No, this kind of enchantment wouldn't allow tracking. It's merely meant as a container item. Even though this one is on the smaller side, the enchantment is very tightly done. This…" Maelis trailed off, and his tone shifted slightly. "These are sun elf runes. I’d recognize their work anywhere."

"Sun elves?"

"Yes. Religious zealots who worship solar magic. They’re prevalent throughout the wider worlds and are known for their mastery of runic magic. Hold it a bit closer." There was a pause before he continued. "They're also infamous for their… conviction that their way is the only correct path—that they will be the salvation of the wider worlds from The Night. Total extremists who are willing to let one of their own planets fail an integration if they deem them to be unworthy of the Pattern."

Several things went through Alex's mind in an instant. The fact that the race was generally from the wider worlds made him question how the Rifts truly worked. The comment that Maelis made about the elves being the salvation from 'The Night' made him want to know more about it. That term had popped up multiple times now, to include the darker side of the Celestial Rift as well as, more recently, with Olivia's new companion and the rare Rift that she had to deal with.

Alex described the attack, mentioning the golden barriers that shrugged off his ritual explosion and the empowered mana darts that Valtherion shot at them. What seemed strange was their singular focus on his notes. "They barely acknowledged us except to casually defend against our attacks. Why would they even want my research? It's not complete. If they want spell circles, they're going to be sorely disappointed."

A long moment passed between them before Maelis responded. "Listen, kid. Your methods are… unique." The admission seemed to pain him. "You've been combining runic principles with ritual magic in ways I haven't seen before. Ways they likely haven't either, and it’s probably hard to be self-proclaimed ‘masters of runic magic’ if there is a baby-mage like yourself doing innovative work they haven’t thought of."

"Okay, so it was clear that their main focus was on my notes. But why didn't they even try to attack us? I've got a feeling that would've ended really bad for us."

"The sun elves value magical innovation. Even if they would never admit to learning from outsiders. Sorry to say it, but they likely just didn't see you as a threat. Like I said when we first met, you've only just been fumbling around for a few months. The average sun elf’s lifespan is several hundred years, and they are steeped in magic from an early age. Though, I doubt they're working alone if they're here on your newly integrated planet."

"You're right. They’re getting help. Rylan. We think he's their contact here on Earth, but I've no idea how he was able to get them out of the Rift. But he's been feeding the Adventurers Guild information about the System since pretty much the beginning. Sarah just pointed out that he had to be giving them something in return."

"Information exchange would probably be the least concerning possibility," Maelis said grimly.

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"My first concern was if they'd be able to track us back down here, but I guess if they found us once, it's possible they could find us again. If they can't track us, is it possible that we can track them with the ring? We also have a small piece of torn cloth from one of their cloaks. There's got to be a kind of magic for that, right?"

"No." Maelis's answer was firm. "The sun elves are masters of warding magic. They've likely already secured themselves against any attempt at magical tracking, and their defenses would certainly be stronger than any attempt your world would likely be able to muster."

"Warding? Like protective enchantments?"

"Similar principle, but different execution. Enchanting and warding are two different sides of the same coin. While enchanting focuses on imbuing items with magical effects, warding creates expansive protective nets. Think of it as the difference between forging a sword and building a fortress. Wards use anchor points, which are specific runic markers that are spread across an area to create a web of magical effects."

Alex was intrigued despite the current situation. "So instead of putting runes all onto one item…"

"You distribute them to form a larger magical structure, yes. The placement of these anchors and the flow of the mana between them is crucial to the magic taking hold. A poorly arranged ward is like a wall with gaps—useless against any real threat. The Sun Elves excel at this art and use it to protect their temples and settlements. If they've established a base here on Earth, it will likely be thoroughly warded against scrying."

“Can we break through them?”

“Ward breaking is indeed an art, but not something that will come to you in a few hours or even days. Breaking wards is usually more challenging than creating them.”

"Hmm, there's really no time at the moment, but I'm going to need you to teach me more about wards," Alex said as he looked around the office and pointedly at the large hole in the wall. "If they're going to come after us again—no, it doesn't even matter if they never did- we’re going to need a space that is safe. It sounds like wards are the thing to make that happen."

"Under normal circumstances, I'd refuse to teach you anything new until you've mastered what is already on your plate," Maelis grumbled. "But given the situation… Yes, you should learn warding. Since this is not an established space within the Wider Worlds, you will likely have to weather attacks, and safety should be more of a focus for you than an average student."

"I know that you don't like the idea of me using this for lessons, but I'm going to split my consciousness so that you can continue to tell me about the basics of wards and if there's anything we can use immediately. I just don't have the ability to sit down and focus on it fully right now. Please, don't make a big deal about this."

The spirit grumbled, and it clearly contemplated refusing to help until Alex could devote his full attention to the lesson. Eventually, though, he gave in. "Very well, but if it comes up later that you're asking me questions on things I've already told you, I'm not letting you do this again, no matter the circumstance."

"Fair enough," Alex said as he activated [Parallel Mind]. "First, we need to figure out what they're planning to do with my notes, and then we need to find out why Rylan was working with them in the first place." He looked over to Mark and Sarah, who had been staying quiet and listening to his half of the conversation as he spoke out loud.

During their back and forth, Valtherion had gotten off of Alex's shoulder and flown over to rest on his cat tree, only to find that it had been knocked over in one of the explosions that took place in the office.

"So, what did he say?" Mark asked as he set down another piece of the broken desk. His voice was serious and didn't carry any of its normal mirth.

Alex quickly summarized Maelis's insights and the information he'd gained about the elves while his [Parallel Mind] continued to absorb information about the basics of warding from the spirit.

When he finished, Mark scowled and looked at the floor. "So, you're saying that we're dealing with an ancient race of magical experts who apparently have some sort of arrangement with Rylan?"

Alex nodded, and Sarah's expression hardened further. "I know you guys probably aren't going to like this, but we really have to tell the Hunters Association about this immediately." Alex started to say something, but Sarah held up her hand to continue talking. "If there are high-rank creatures from a Rift walking around Earth…" She shook her head. "This isn't just about the Guild anymore, and Rylan has already taken this farther than a petty grudge. But if he's seriously working with these elves, this could spiral into a global crisis."

"All right, I get your point. You should get them the information, but I need to go and talk to Elana and find Rylan."

"I want to go with you," Sam said.

Alex shook his head. "No, you should go with Sarah and Mark to the Hunters Association." Alex ran a hand through his hair and gave a grunt as he realized he'd left a streak of soot through it. "I hate to say it, but nowhere feels particularly safe right now. I know that the Safe Zones are stretched thin, and…" He gestured at the hole in his wall. "Well, this place clearly isn't as secure as I thought."

"But—"

"A few weeks ago, I might've worried about sending you to the Hunters Association for fear of them trying to recruit you or snatch you up for your powerful healing abilities. But right now?" Alex's jaw tightened. "I trust Sarah's contacts there more than I trust the Guild at the moment. At least until we figure out how deep this goes with Rylan."

Sam chewed on the inside of his lip but then nodded in acknowledgment.

Olivia pushed herself up from where she'd been resting against the wall. "We should head out soon if we're going to confront Elana." Her voice was steady, but Alex could see a slight tremor in her hand.

"You sure that's a good idea? How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine. Actually…" She gave a frown. "Nox is drawing less mana from me than he was before. I thought after getting injured, he'd need to pull more, but it’s actually less.” She shrugged. "Either way, I need to be there for when we talk to Elana."

"I know you look up to her," Alex said, hesitating to voice his concerns about how badly things could go if Elana was involved—or if Rylan showed up.

"I do. She is supposed to represent everything the Guild is about. Freedom from the control of the government, supporting each other, growing stronger as a community." Olivia's voice grew bitter, and her face scrunched up. "But if she knew about this and did nothing? After what happened to Emily?" She clenched her fists at her side. "No. If they intentionally allowed a Rift to break just to get some more information and stay ahead of the government… I can't allow something like that to happen again."

Alex could hear the conviction in her voice and felt his own anger rising. "I felt so confident in myself and my abilities when I got home from the Rift, but something about joining back up with an organization and having rules to follow was comfortable. I like the idea of being free from government oversight, but maybe that's exactly what allowed someone like Rylan to gain so much influence. I'm sick of the scheming and plotting." Alex thought back to Eura and how the celestial had tried several times to ignore his opposition and handle them with grace.

But in the end, it was his ability to use overwhelming force and subdue them without question that led to a peaceful resolution. This entire time, I've been trying to follow the rules and work within the organization that is the Guild. But things really aren't like they used to be. This isn’t old Earth where I need to keep my head down and follow rules. People are looking to me because of my power and position.

“If this is where following the Guild’s rules has gotten our group… It’s time to start making our own rules.” Alex said, more to himself than the group, but when he looked up everyone around him was nodding in agreement.

"We'll head to the Hunters Association office now," Sarah said as she checked her phone. "I've got enough pull here in the local branch to get us an immediate meeting in DC, especially for something like this."

Mark nodded to Sam and together they left to go grab whatever they might need from the rooms. He stopped in the doorway and looked back to ask, "What about you two? How are you going to handle Elana?"

Alex and Olivia exchanged glances. He knew that they were opposites. Where his expression was barely controlled anger, hers was a mix of determination and disappointment. "We'll figure that out on the way," Alex said as he fished his car keys out of his pocket. "Edwin's got contractors coming to secure the wall temporarily, and I've got Maelis teaching me more about wards in the background. Right now, we need answers. Sam, don't forget to let your parents know that they need to stay in the Safe Zone for a few days while we figure all of this out. Sarah, do whatever you can to get the information to the right people, and if there's any chance that Olivia and I can catch up to you guys before you go to DC, I think that would be best. It's my magic that they have, after all."

The group nodded and split up to prepare before going their separate ways in the driveway. Sarah led Mark and Sam to her, and Alex pushed his intent into the random air, stressing his desire to talk to Edwin. As he’d hoped, Edwin was already waiting by the front door before Alex made it down the stairs.

"Man, that trait is perfect. Edwin, I need you to go onto the Guild network and pull as much information as you can off of there. Prioritize the articles you think are most important and all of the free ones. If we need to pay for them, then put it on my credit with the Guild. Also grab as many of the common, printable manuals as you can for a reasonable price. They should be cheap as long as they're not the consumable ones. Don't worry about combing through it all like you have been. Just focus on volume and getting it safely on the backups we have here."

“Of course, Master Moore.”

Olivia followed him out of the door and he waved Valtherion into the back seat. She got into the passenger seat and glanced at him.

"You know this might not end well,” he said.

She nodded and looked straight ahead. "Nothing about this is ending well. But we need to know the truth." She paused for a moment. "Just… If it's only her there and Rylan isn't around, let’s not jump to conclusions. We need to figure out what’s going on, okay? Before you go in, guns blazing and trying to blow the place up."

Alex gripped the steering wheel tighter and felt that he'd been too lenient and passive so far. Images flashed again in his mind of Eura's oppressive aura spreading out over the entire city before he used his area magic to quell the traitors all in a single blow. He clenched his jaw but gave her a nod. "If Rylan isn't there, we need to at least talk with Elana to figure out if she was involved. If he's there, though, I'm not asking questions. I'm going to kill him."

They both nodded, and Alex couldn't shake the feeling that whatever answers they got that night would change everything.