Wild Era 3, Ch 12: Ancient Art

The following morning, Kelin yawned as he stored everything away and rose out of his hideaway.

The sunset colors of the dungeon were the same as before and he nodded at them as he headed for the exit.

He had arranged it so that when he passed through the dungeon portal, it was still night on the other side, but only an hour from dawn.

It was plenty of time to get back.

He faded into a shadow and sped across the land, each step covering miles. Rivers and plains blurred past him, their existence all tinted toward shadowy blue and purple.

He had some time, so he detoured past the academy location again and scouted it from the shadows, noting everything of interest.

Some arrangements of the land and the flows of mana were easier to see like this, and it gave him a valuable second perspective for when he set up the wards.

When he was finished, he combined what he’d seen with his notes from before and came up with a basic outline for the buildings and the ward formation. 

Then he continued on to Highmist.

A handful of minutes later, he arrived at the gates and returned to physical form. 

He continued the rest of the way to the guild on foot, only stopping to pick up some breakfast food and a fresh cup of coffee from a street vendor, which he stored away for later.

Jesra wasn’t at the desk when he arrived, so he checked for general updates and let the clerk know about the two dungeons he’d cleared.

He gained another 500 guild credits each from the clearing quests, which put his account at a bit over 3,500 credits, but he didn’t have much need for them. 

It was just a useful place the guild could draw from before tapping into his main account.

He ate his breakfast in the guild hall and watched the early morning traffic for anything of interest, but it was a quiet morning. 

When it was late enough, he headed upstairs to Yao and Naomi’s room.

The two of them were barely awake, so after chuckling at them he started a pot of tea on their cooking plate and let the aroma fill the room.

They were still bleary-eyed as he filled them in on what he’d been up to recently, but they slowly came around.

“You cleared two dungeons in two days?” Naomi looked at him in shock. “How is that even possible?”

“They were a good fit for my abilities,” he explained, “but don’t expect to do the same anytime soon. Eventually, you will be able to do something similar, but it’s safer to do it on ones that are a bit under your level.

“These two were close to breaking, so they needed some attention. It’s a traditional duty for a knight, as well as any high-level adventurer of the guild. You’ll be expected to do it one day as well.”

“We’ve only been allowed to level up to five so far,” Yao said with a sigh. “The trainers won’t let us go too quickly.”

“That’s a good thing,” Kelin agreed. “It keeps you from trying to use your attributes as your main advantage. You need skills and abilities instead. Attributes are supplemental. They support you, but they’re never the most important thing.”

“We are learning some basic weapon skills and we’re keeping up with our mana training,” Naomi said. “They’ve let us fight some low-level goblins and skeletons in the training rooms for familiarization, and I’ve already seen what you mean. Even at Level 1, those things are more dangerous than it seems. I just wish it was a bit faster.”

Kelin chuckled as he ruffled her hair.

“Those encounters are designed to give you some practical experience before you’re allowed into dungeons,” he said. “Imagine dozens of those things rushing at you at once. How would you handle that?”

He looked between them, waiting for an answer.

“A shield spell?” Yao said immediately. “Or a defensive line if we have fighters with us?”

“If you have enough people to do that, and the strength, sure,” Kelin agreed. “What if you don’t?”

“Run,” Naomi said immediately. “Try to get out of the dungeon and don’t come back until we’re able to handle it.”

“Good answer,” Kelin agreed, feeling pleased. “Surviving a dungeon run is always more important than your ego. The same goes for most fights. But what if you can’t run?”

“Use emergency methods,” Yao answered. “Shield talismans, teleportation scrolls, or something else.”

“Teleportation scrolls are the right answer,” Kelin said, nodding. “They’re expensive, but your life is worth more. Never enter a dungeon without one, unless you’re desperate and willing to die. Hopefully, you’ll never be in that situation.”

“Have you done that?” Naomi asked, her eyes sharpening with interest.

“Yes,” Kelin agreed. “But I didn’t like it. Remember to always be prepared. It will keep you alive.”

“Hold on,” Yao said as he pulled out a piece of paper and a quill from his storage ring. “I’m adding it to the list.”

He started scribbling while Naomi giggled.

“A list?” Kelin asked, looking amused.

“Of all the things you say,” Naomi said, her giggle turning into a full laugh. “We’re calling them the Mage’s Rules.”

“If it makes you happy,” Kelin said, chuckling as he shook his head. “It’s just common sense, things you’ll hear a thousand times before your training is done.”

He refilled their tea cups as he let Yao finish writing.

“I know you want to level faster,” he said, “but let me give you a stern warning to stay at a slow pace for now so that you don’t get yourselves into trouble and die. The guild’s methods have been tested over thousands of years and they know what they are doing. 

“They’ll let you know when your skills are good enough and you can level up more. And soon, you’ll get a chance to specialize your class too, but it’s important for you to experience the general skills first, so that you understand the differences.”

They frowned, but their grumbles were minimal, since they knew he wanted the best for them.

“However,” he continued as a faint smile appeared, “I do have something that might cheer you up. Two things, in fact, but you’ll have to work on the first before we move on to the second.”

Today, he had decided to offer them something that would keep them occupied for a while and mark them as his apprentices. 

It was a gift that perhaps only he could give and something that would help them in the future.

Now that they were awake, it was time to get started.

“First, watch,” he said, “and remember to follow along. The first part is based on the mana circulation techniques I taught you, but this is a unique form.”

He hadn’t done this in this life, but ancient familiarity made it simple enough. 

He held out his hand and a ribbon of mana appeared in the air, tinted a faint golden color from his soulfire affinity. It arced upwards, tracing out a line that resembled the foundation of a rune. 

Normally, a mage would have drawn out a second line to connect it, but he didn’t.

Instead, he willed the pattern to continue on its own, making the flow of mana trace out a second line and then a third. 

Each line was part of a rune pattern, but instead of forming a rune, they were drawing the outline of a flower in the air.

Slowly at first and then more swiftly, line after line appeared. The first ones were simple arcs, but other lines followed, each of them merging into the whole.

Before long, he was done, and a shimmering golden blossom made of mana hung in the air above the table. 

Every line was made of arcing mana, but there was something special about the connections, if the kids could see it.

He paused as he let them observe it. 

From their puzzled expressions, they hadn’t seen the truth yet.

“This is a type of flower that once flourished on Irian,” he said, reaching out to touch a petal. “It’s called a Golden Lotus. Creating it is a traditional mark of success for this skill, since the lines are complex, but that’s not the only reason.”

Once it was complete, it was beautiful to see and it made a stellar example of the core skills.

“Study it and tell me what you see,” he said. “I’ve infused enough mana into it that it will last for a couple of hours.”

While the kids blinked at the lotus, he chuckled and pulled out a fresh cup of coffee.

Sometime later, Naomi was the first to speak.

“Is it a special form of mana manipulation?” she asked hesitantly. “I can’t tell anything except that.”

“Of course it is,” Yao said, looking frustrated. “Master Kelin did it, so it has to be special, but I can’t see what.”

Kelin decided to take mercy on them, since it had been long enough for them to give it their best guess. 

“It is, but that’s not the key,” he said. “Don’t worry, it was only a chance to find it for yourself first. The real reason this skill is special is in how the lines are drawn.”

He pointed at an arc on one edge of a petal. 

“See here?” he asked as he moved on to touch another edge. “And here? Every petal is made of this same arc, right?”

“I think so?” Yao asked hesitantly. “It’s hard to tell.”

“Okay, trust me then,” Kelin said, chuckling. “Your mana sight will advance eventually and you’ll be able to distinguish it better.”

He looked between the two of them as he kept his finger on the petal. 

“But why does it matter?” he continued, raising an eyebrow.

When no answer was forthcoming, he reached out with his other hand and began to draw a rune in the air. This one was a traditional form and he finished it swiftly.

“You recognize this rune from your basic magic classes, right?” he asked.

“It’s a Fire rune,” Naomi said instantly. “One of the simplest ones. The first rune in a Spark spell. They taught it to us in the survival class for lighting fires while camping.”

“And they said it was part of a lot of Fire spells,” Yao added, nodding in agreement.

“Correct,” Kelin said, smiling now since he was beginning to have fun. “Compare them.”

His fingers were touching both the arc on the Fire rune and the edge of the petal.

“Wait...” Yap said after a second. “Those look the same.”

“Not just similar,” Naomi said, frowning as she squinted her eyes at the lines. “But identical.”

Kelin could see the faint web of mana surrounding her as she tried to channel it into her eyes for a closer look.

“Exactly,” Kelin said as laughter touched his eyes. “Now this one.”

He drew a second rune in the air next to the Fire rune. This one was for Wind. 

“And this one, and this one.”
Then he drew a third and a fourth, adding runes for Water and Earth.

His finger moved as he pointed out locations on each rune and then a spot on the lotus where there was the exact same line.

“Wait...” Yao said as realization struck him and he jumped to a conclusion. “Are you saying that there are all sorts of runes in that lotus? And that it’s some combination of them, like a spell form that only looks like a lotus?”

“Close,” Kelin said as he shook his head. “But not quite. Keep looking.”

He added more runes, showing off one line and then another. After the first basic ones for the elements, he began using other runes, but they were always some of the most common forms.

“Do you see any complete rune in the lotus?” he asked after a little while. “Or not?”

“No,” Naomi said, still struggling to channel her mana sight. “It’s only the parts you’re showing us. I can’t see anything more complete. And wouldn’t the lotus explode if it had them all in it? They’d clash, right?”

“Ahha!” Kelin said, grinning as he looked at her. “That’s getting closer. And yes, they would explode unless you had very good mana control. Using complete runes is the same as making a spell form, and that needs to follow the laws of mana, just like weaving an enchantment. This is something else.”

“So it’s...parts of runes?” Yao asked, looking confused again, even as he continued staring at the lotus. “That whole thing is made up of parts of runes?”

“There it is!” Kelin said, laughing as he nodded. “Every single line in the lotus comes from runes. All parts of runes, technically, while avoiding completely making one. But now, for the last question. Why?”

“It has to be for training,” Naomi said, staring at the blossom. “Like the other skills you taught us. But what is it? Is it mana training, rune training, or art?”

“Perfect,” Kelin said, pointing at her. “All three at once.”

He raised his hand and swiftly began to create another image using the same skill. This one was far larger and more complex than the first, with a depth that seemed to hold hidden knowledge as one line flowed into the next.

This one turned into the image of an ancient building with elegant arches and doors. It had a beautiful form with towers and elegant walkways surrounding it, and if you looked closely, it was clear that every line of it was also made of partial rune forms.

When it was complete, Kelin infused it with enough mana to endure for a while. Then he folded his hands and let out a sigh.

“This building,” he said, feeling nostalgic, “was the central library of the Irian Mage’s College. It was built on the same principles as this skill and unless you understand them, it’s not possible to recreate it, either in reality or in an illusion. It will simply fall apart.

“In my day, creating the lotus was a sign of your first success with this skill. Creating the library was a sign that you had fully mastered it. Only a dozen rune forms are required for the lotus. Over a thousand are needed for the other.”

There were dozens of other forms in between the two, but these were the first and last of the tradition, and the most important.

He pushed away the sense of loss that came with the memories and focused on the present as he looked at Yao and Naomi.

“This art uses inherent rune patterns, weaving them together to create illusions, as well as true buildings if you apply it to their construction, although creating those is even more difficult. 

“It is called Irian Mana Weaving. It was a core skill at the Mage’s College, as well as a foundation for enchanting, runecraft, and mana manipulation. 

“Sometimes we argued that it should be called Rune Weaving or Spell Weaving instead, but we always came back to Mana Weaving, since it trains mana manipulation as its most essential skill. Everything else is an added benefit of that foundation.”

His words were slow and measured, letting them process what he was saying as they stared at the images.

“As an art, it holds truth inside. It’s composed of dozens of core strokes, taken from the most fundamental runes we understood, and the artist is only allowed to use those to create everything. 

“Since runes are a natural expression of the truths of the universe, the art is as well. The use of rune forms adds a mystic element to the illusions that will lead you into a comprehension of Laws and it grants the illusion a depth of meaning that will aid your comprehension.”

He paused for a moment and then reached out to touch the lotus.

“If you do it right, it can show you something else.”

At his touch, the lotus shimmered as its lines began to change. Its petals opened as the flower bloomed, shedding a golden radiance in every direction. Runes blossomed at the center, their forms assembling as the lines collapsed inward.

The flower turned into exploding fireworks before it dissolved into drifting golden motes in the air.

The library was next, its form changing as its doors swung wide open. The outer edges of the design collapsed inward, changing into the figures of students and faculty who walked along the paths. 

Its towers glowed as mana flowed through the lines and clouds passed above it, and then it began to slowly dissolve, flowing away mote by mote until only a line of golden cursive script was left behind.

In the ancient words of Irian, it read, “Create. Love. Enrich.”

“It was the motto of the Mage’s College,” Kelin said as he translated it for them. 

“It’s beautiful,” Naomi said, staring at where the illusions had been. “Ephemeral too, like a mystery. This is what you’re going to teach us? It looks so complicated.”

“These two forms were perfected over hundreds of years until they resulted in these effects,” Kelin said. “A precise collapse and fusion of the runes is a very difficult thing to control.”

Both of them looked daunted, but also very impressed, which made him chuckle again.

“We’ll start with the basic lines,” he said. “There’s a dozen of them. This skill will help to train your mana in ways you don’t understand yet, so put your full effort into it.

“It’s not rare to create mana illusions, or even to weave pure mana into effects, although it can be difficult, but it is rare to limit the art to only the fragments of rune lines, and that’s what makes this skill unique. 

“The carefully chosen group of core rune lines is itself an inheritance, one curated by thousands of mages of Irian from the Basic to the Sixth Evolution. Now, I’m giving that inheritance to you.”

There was never a Seventh Evolution mage of the world to complete the last step, but perhaps one day, he could do it himself.

The image of the Mage’s College called many things to his mind and he took a moment to sort through them until he found the right thing to say.

“Remember this as well,” he added. “Irian's arts are never about doing things for yourself. They are always for others and the world. That is why the motto was Create, Love, Enrich. 

“There’s also a longer form: To create what will inspire, to love what will be loved, and to enrich what will enrich, because there is no art that belongs solely to the self.”

He gave them a moment to understand what he was saying.

“Art is not separate from magic,” he added finally. “Not if you do it right.”

A smile flickered across his lips as he looked at them.

“Now, let’s get started with the first dozen lines. Eventually, you need to learn a thousand. Once you have the basics down, there’s something else I want to teach you.”