It took a day for him to awake. But when he did there was a new glint in his eyes. A story behind them. It told of regret, heartbreak, but just a new tiny spark of something different. Something new was behind his gaze, Hope.
While not obvious he did have the slightest pep in his step. He was calmer now as well, more relaxed. After he finished up eating something, as we forced him to, excitement was there too now.
He didn't project it much but just the slight twitch as we spoke of the more mundane things avoiding his creation. Our teasing became noticeable after a bit and in a bid to finally end his little torment we relented. Heading to the forge where Granny Viola had placed the creation under a cloth when she was back there.
As we walked to the table and Shirou placed his hand on the cloth covering he stilled. and then he spoke, "Azarius, the idea I had when creating this was to become something more down the line. To be the base for your Foci. Since Magicka changes all things, then something tuned to yours would be a better fit. So we will make the material. What you need to promise is that every day, no matter what, run Magicka through this blade."
With his words he revealed the dagger. It's gold and black shimmering in the light of the morning from the windows. I quickly moved next to him just lightly placing my fingertips on it's spine. My reach as a child wasn't doing me any favors. With some help I held the dagger in my hands as I sat on the table. The pattern was beautiful. The weight was slightly heavy for me but nothing too dangerous.
Then came the next test. With Shirou's urging eyes, I funneled Magicka through my fingers wrapped around the handle. With it a new perspective was opened to me. In my hands i held not just a dagger, but a key. My powers of the door were drawn to it. So I closed my eyes as I "felt" around with this key instead. It was tiny but i could feel the edge of a barrier in this perspective. While I couldn't do anything to it yet, but given time it would happen. In the meantime, I could sense space!
Explaining to Shirou and Granny the new insight was funny as Granny Viola just laughed saying how Shirou just crafted something that was deemed near impossible by the Telvani. And finally it came time to ask the question. "So what's the name?" A smirk threatened to split his face. "Fukanzen, is it's name." Granny was a bit confused so i answered the unspoken question, "Unfinished, huh. a good name."
Ideas bounced in my head as I was thinking about how it would become. but that's a long time away. for now it was time to get to work.
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With that out of the way we truly began to shape up the little shop. With the imperial city being cleaned up and more people coming and going we had more than a few visitors. And Shirou truly began to forge. While not everything was over the top quality type pieces like my dagger, we introduced Damascus style blades. They were far more better to look at than simple swords. Not to mention we were selling around the same prices as some of the shops at better quality.
Shirou's only rule was that the weapon must be used for as long as possible. No matter what the blade was to be used for. A few unsavory people found out the hard way that it wasn't easy to sneak past their thoughts of just selling it. With Shirou's years of experience and my training divinations as a seer, we took quick stock of most of our customers.
Not much could escape our notice.
As the weeks went by I was finally shaping up a little. Practice was split between a few things for me. In the mornings I worked through Kata forms with Shirou. Since i knew i would have more of an assassin's body and style we decided to pick from those techniques to train me in. Not to mention the physical conditioning as well. A quick sponge bath and it was the shop's time. For the evenings were dedicated to Magicka.
The Shop time was helpful to reset and relax as even though we were popular for people visiting not many had the coins to buy. And no one was stupid enough to steal, at least anymore. Funny how little cantrip like spells can mess with someone. Especially after learning how to create small slicks of ice. The poor thief who tried ended up slipping and knocking himself out cold on the door. Only for it to open again on his face as Mama Sarah burst in. While he was lucky he didn't get caught by the guards... the guild was going to have words with the new guy.
Then the next day our store had new muscle roaming around in the name of Sven. To pay off his tithe to the guild they made him a fixture for the next few weeks. Turns out the young buck was a Wood Elf or Bosmer. Not much older than me at only 14. So he did what he thought was productive and started to learn about how to run the shop.
Funny enough he was a glib tongue, could talk the ears off customer. But they loved him for it! With a bit of teaching from me he turned capitalist! Well at least as far as his sales pitches go. Found a real talent in speechcraft. As such business was booming. Not to mention thanks to the guild we now had a new chalk mark by our door as well. A shadow mark to keep the more hairbrained ones from stupidly trying to steal from us again.
As far as Magicka? I trained in the basic runes for Destruction, Alteration, and restoration. This was in prep for when I truly began to study spell circles. In the mean time it meant I was learning how to make a flame and frost (Which came quite easy), Altering stone (which was practiced with wet clay to keep it simple), And the basic rune for healing (which boiled down to me using the rune to better understand it's effects on myself). All of this while I periodically used my spirit vision and other senses too.
Granny Viola during this time was there to point out mistakes in my handling of Magicka. She never said anything about the runes themselves. Only that i could add or take away some energy here or there. A nudge to be faster with a basic manipulation. A bonk when I was getting to worked up and about to botch my casting. This included The pathway abilities as i was also forced into studying a bit of Mystic's school for my door and Seer abilities.
The fourth month changed things as she said I finally had enough of a foundation to start learning an actual spell. But, I had to make it on my own. With the knowledge i was taught I was to make my own personal spell first. So I decided on my door spell.
The center rune was the Gate symbol. That would always be constant. The supporting runes around the center circle were what could change. So ,after much trial and so many errors, chose three runes to support it. Their meanings were Create, Open, and Move. They sat in smaller circles connected by a triangle that surrounded the center rune that was also encompassed in a circle. Finishing this spell marked a change in my circuits. I could feel how it was engraved.
As i thought of my trigger, (Kicking a door down) the blue lines traced my body into existence. My arm raised as the manifestation of the conjuration school's trademark bluish black sphere came into existence. funneling Magicka into it I could tell it needed a surface to touch. It wasn't ranged. My trance as I moved to the wall of the second floor that led to the back yard.
As it touched a door conjured into existence. It would be temporary but as long as no magic was interfering I could place the door on any solid object in any size. As so as it finally set in as a full month of scouring and rewriting this spell finally came to an end I celebrated.
"YES!!!! it's finally done! I did it! I did it! I Fu- oww" jumping for joy I was too late to remember a certain grandma who hated cursing. And so i got Bonked. Then she also celebrated with me, slightly. Since it was quite an achievement to create the first spell after all.
We also discussed what I could do better in the future. The last advice she gave was even if I wanted to learn spell circles, unless it was a really out of the box kind of spell, create my own version of it. As my own understanding would affect the spell's runes it was better to use them more as a reference to create them. Also to never slack on manipulation. She threatened the stick with that one.
With four months of constant training I was shaping up slightly. And with this last feat I also gained something more. Creating a new spell unlike any other before it? Yeah, I felt the slight feeling that it was waiting for something. I then remembered what myself and Arrodes had discussed. A few months ago we decided what mutations could be helpful for the future.
[Inside The Mysteries Workshop]
"So, Arrodes... I'm drawing a blank here on what is truly possible with the changes." To start with just how deep does this rabbit hole go? and I got my answer, deep.
"Successor! To ask such a question, you must understand we are utilizing the Authorities to accomplish the tasks of changing you. While the changes are minor in the beginning they have the potential to change fundamental aspects of yourself. This could include new organs for an example!" His voice chipper but a hint of a warning as well.
"What about my race? Could i become like the dragonborn or something?" There had to be limits right?
"While it may be possible eventually but it would require materials as well as a dragon's soul from this universe to accomplish. Though i would not suggest this as you, successor, underestimate what changing your soul could potentially do in your state." Ahh, right... dragon soul human body or at least humanoid body.
"What about a bloodline?" Something I had witnessed recently popped into my head. In the Inn a Breton was targeted by some wannabe mage novice. As the spell had washed over him the spell was drained from the air and weakened as a result. Since i was also posing as one, why not go all the way. A little Mer wouldn't be bad either.
So, Talking it out we figured we needed as least some blood to analyze. Turned out to be much easier than i thought as a few nights later the same Breton was being ganged up on by a small time gang that formed recently. He still beat them within an inch of their lives but at least they tried and got a few good hits on him. All the while I collected some samples with a bit of help from Arrodes in hat form as I rushed to assist after the fight was almost over.
Modifying the blood sample and creating a new bloodline of Breton that matched me to a tee only with slightly pointed ears and other small changes, I now had a way to forward my plan. And come the night of the day I made my spell I officially became a Trickmaster.
Cantrips received an all around buff. They were still weak, but they were versatile. Fog became a favorite of mine for dramatic entrances. As well as shock for pranks. Then came the enhancement of the bloodline. Since Arrodes worked on it he went all out. Technically i was more of a progenitor of a new line of Bretons. Fun story when I explained the changes to Granny Viola I was scolded, then praised for the idea, THEN scolded again and bonked repeatedly. Funny how that worked out in the end.
The changes came about sensing Magicka. I became far more sensitive to it's feel. Also absorbing Magicka from foreign sources helped with training more. Since Bretons were descended from Nieds (ancient human race) and Mer, I also gained some minor changes in my physique. A little faster and stronger, nothing too grand, but the potential was there.
And so four and a half months went by until we got a new visitor to the shop. Just before we were about to turn in for the night and Granny Viola was about to teleport, a knock rang out on our door.
And when Granny Viola stomped downstairs in an obvious bid of anger we were quick to follow. As we came down we got to see her opening the door, Stick in hand. I will not admit to flinching as it came out!
Still we more or less froze as Granny Viola proceeded to keep laying on the smackdown on the man. All while saying, "Stupid, Stupid, Grandson!"
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AN:// Its here! and HE is here!!! Where will we go?! Well we won't see HIM quite yet but i am looking forward to writing THAT character. But The Greymarch is starting!
SO THROW STONES AT HIM!!!
Anyways Thanks for reading, as always, this little project keeps me up at night in a good way.