Nathan was uncertain whether Seraph’s gem ability could overpower Narime’s spellcasting ability. His Champion was very powerful, and her magic blasts obliterated any spell weaker than her own magic. But if Narime’s spell had even the tiniest ounce of magic more than Seraph could output, the blast would have minimal effect.
And Narime was a very powerful magic user. She had one tail less than Nathan remembered her having, but otherwise she was identical to his memories of her.
As a mystic fox, Narime was already a more powerful sorceress than almost any other race on Doumahr. Her tails glowed with immense magical reserves that she drew on to empower her spells, and they let her cast fifth and sixth rank spells at terrifying speed. Where Nathan practically exhausted himself with a single fifth rank spell without topping up his reserves, Narime could go all day on the things.
And he couldn’t discount her sapphires as well. Each type of gem gave Champions a different type of magical enhancement or ability. Sapphires provided gem abilities to Champions, which made them difficult to anticipate and counter.
A gem ability granted a Champion a spell or technique they otherwise couldn’t use. In Fei’s case, she controlled a magical flame.
In Narime’s case, her gem abilities let her empower her spells with nasty abilities. Fortunately for Nathan, Narime hadn’t used her gems. If she had, then he would have been in a lot of trouble.
Reaching into his binding stone, Nathan pushed magic into the castle’s floor. He then pushed some into the walls beside Narime and the male Champion.
His handiwork completed, Nathan let time flow freely.
Seraph’s blast of magic slammed into Narime’s spell. The two met explosively in midair, and Seraph’s wave of shimmering magical energy vanished into nothingness. The golden light of Narime’s spell was no longer visible.
Nathan grabbed Seraph’s arm and pulled her back. She growled at him and pushed him behind her, shielding him with her body. Both of them were on the same page. Kind of.
A wall of stone burst forth from the floor at the top of the staircase, cutting them off from Narime. Shouting came from the other side, and Nathan heard Narime saying somebody’s name.
Before he could concentrate on what the name was, the wall exploded into chunks. Dust filled his vision. Sen screamed and fired off a jet of flame down the stairway. In response, something blew apart several slabs of stone in the wall above them.
Alarms began to sound in the keep automatically in response to the damage. High-pitched bells rang out across the interior of the hall. Raised voices called out for the guards who were supposed to be on patrol. Angry shouts followed as people realized that the patrol wasn’t responding.
Nathan scrambled forward, Seraph clinging to his arm. She cursed at him.
“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” she shouted.
He stood at the top of the stairwell, trying to see down. “Get rid of the dust,” he ordered.
With a wave of her hand, Seraph vaporized the dust surrounding them.
His vision clear, Nathan saw the result of his earlier trick. The male Champion was bleeding from the head, barely able to stand. Narime helped him to his feet, but he leaned heavily on her.
A pair of stone blocks jutted out from the walls. Nathan had summoned them into being while he had slowed time. Clearly, Narime had dodged one but the male Champion hadn’t.
Narime spotted him and raised a hand. In response, Seraph darted forward. Their spells met in midair again. Seraph went flying backward, and Nathan caught her. Her expression twisted in pain, and he felt the magic within her body at work.
Unlike most spells, Narime’s magic wasn’t of the natural elements. She controlled raw force. The golden glow of her spells was a sign that she had mastered an ascended element of the world, which was normally something only Bastions and Messengers were capable of.
Almost all sorcery used by humans used the natural elements, such as wind, water, earth, and fire. But there were other kinds of sorcery. Sometimes, these were referred to as the intrinsic elements, because they were part of the nature of reality itself.
But Nathan had normally seen it referred to as ascended magic, or the ascended elements. One of these elements was force, and that was what Narime used.
The result was that Seraph’s bones were broken and her organs had been pummeled. Raw blasts of force did awful things to human targets. Fortunately, Seraph had an incredibly powerful regenerative ability. Within a few moments, she was standing and flexing her arms.
“What a way to greet an old friend, Narime,” Seraph said.
“I’d say that in return, but are we really friends?” Narime responded. Her eyes flitted from Seraph to Nathan.
“We’re professionals, aren’t we? Surely, we can be responsible adults and agree that we can be friends, while still admitting that we have to kill each other for reasons beyond our control,” Seraph said. “Although, I’m beginning to wonder how much is really beyond our control. Life’s quite different on this side.”
The shouting of reinforcements grew closer, and Nathan heard Fei’s voice. Narime’s shoulders hunched, and her eyes looked past him. Glancing behind him, he saw that Sen now stood behind him.
“As interesting as this is, I’m afraid that this isn’t the best time,” Narime said. Her sapphires glowed, and she raised her hands.
If Nathan let her finish that spell, then she’d vanish. He hadn’t planned for this, but this was the first chance he had found in this timeline to be close to Narime. How could he let her slip away so easily?
“Wait!” he shouted. “This can’t be all you came here for?”
Narime’s lips quirked upward. “And here I thought you decided to serve a smart Bastion, Seraph. Given where I’m standing, you know exactly what I came here to do.”
“Don’t act dumb,” Nathan said. “We all know you couldn’t do a thing to the binding stone.”
“You don’t know the first thing about what I can do,” Narime said.
“I know that you’re about to use your sapphires to penetrate my keep’s protective wards and teleport away,” Nathan said. “Tell me why you’re really here, Narime.”
The fox stared at him in shock. Hardly unsurprising, given he had just identified one of her secret gem abilities.
For a Champion, their enhancements and gem abilities were the key to victory. Knowing what your opponent was capable of allowed you to plan around them. So, some Champions actively lied about their gems, in order to prevent others from realizing what was happening.
Narime always told people that her gems enhanced the power and range of her spells. In truth, her gem abilities were all about anti-magic. Her spells could penetrate barriers and protective wards, and she could counter practically any spell.
“How…” Narime trailed off, her eyes drifting over to Seraph.
“You’re not as good at keeping secrets as you think you are,” Nathan said, hoping that Seraph didn’t spoil things.
For her part, Seraph simply smiled back at Narime. The fox scowled, then looked at Nathan.
“Fine. You know what I’m capable of. So?” she asked.
“You’re not here to break into my basement. I doubt you were even here to attack me, given you’re not trying to kill me right now,” Nathan said. “If you were, you would have thrown much nastier spells at me than simple force blasts. You didn’t even empower your spells with your gem abilities.”
Narime frowned. “You attacked us before I could speak.”
“You were hiding under an illusion,” Nathan pointed out.
Wincing, Narime glanced to the side and coughed. She muttered under her breath, but he didn’t hear it. Seraph did and laughed in response.
“I didn’t quite hear that,” Nathan said.
“I’m not repeating it,” Narime said.
Seraph rolled her eyes and said, “She wanted to make a better entrance. All pride, this little fox. Now that you’re exposed, why don’t you just admit w
hy you’re here?”
A long pause followed, accompanied by Narime attempting to punch a hole through Seraph’s head with her eyes. The two women seemed to forget that they had been battling moments ago, and that guards were charging right toward them now.
Good friends, evidently.
So why hadn’t Narime ever mentioned Seraph in his timeline?
“If you have the time, Bastion Nathan, I’d like to talk to you about the war,” Narime said. “Negotiations haven’t started yet, and I think that’s unwise for both sides.”
Nathan stared at her. “You broke into my castle to ask me to negotiate?”
Narime’s face reddened, but she refused to drop her gaze.
“Yes, of course. We can talk. Goddess,” Nathan muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Seraph laughed, and Sen looked confused.
When Fei ran up to them, a dozen fully armed and armored beastkin knights with her, she didn’t know what to do.
“Um, are we fighting anybody?” Fei asked. “And who blew up the wall?”
Nathan clapped her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. But you will need to increase the patrols.”
He turned back to Narime, ignoring the very confused catgirl. “We’ll get your friend some medical attention, then talk things out. I’m keen to hear why a Federation Champion is organizing negotiations, when Torneus isn’t.”
From the way Narime’s eyes flashed at the mention of Torneus’s name, Nathan knew he had struck a nerve. Things were not well in the Federation.
Chapter 6
Seraph flicked the light switch on as she entered the room. A magic lamp encased within a steel cage lit up the room.
Empty bookcases lined one wall, a cabinet in between them. Unlike the bookcases, the cabinet was occupied. A myriad of glasses, cutlery, fine china, and ostentatious knick-knacks filled out a glass display in the upper half of the cabinet. The bottom half was hidden behind aged oak doors and contained an unhealthy amount of alcohol.
The center of the room was filled by sofas and a round glass coffee table. Like most of the coffee tables in the castle, this one had the winged emblem of the Watcher Omria engraved into it with gold and silver. The engraving sparkled in the light from above it.
Seraph strode past the iced-over window and made for the cabinet. Bending over, she opened it up and began peering at the bottles.
“I forget, Narime,” Seraph said after a few moments. “What’s your preferred drop? We don’t have any sake. Too expensive given the current trade issues with the Federation.”
Narime ignored her duogem counterpart. She warily stepped up behind one of the plush purple sofas, sinking a hand into its leather backing. Her tails spread out behind her, a sign that she was relaxing despite herself.
The door clicked shut behind Nathan as he entered, and he glanced back to see Fei locking it. She maintained an innocent expression as he gave her a quizzical look. Deciding that she could stay, he returned his attention to Narime.
The fox split her attention between Seraph and Nathan. Her eyes narrowed.
“You’re asking me whether I’m going to drink alcohol when I’m surrounded by three enemies?” Narime asked.
Seraph rolled her eyes. “You’re the one who wandered in here to negotiate to begin with. Aren’t you the master diplomat? Or are you going to refuse a drink offered by your host?”
“A host without any sake,” Narime said flatly. “Not really the apex of hospitality, is it?”
“How often did your clan elders offer mainland drinks to visitors when they visited the Peninsula? Not very often, I imagine,” Seraph said. She pulled out a bottle of white wine and pursed her lips. After a moment’s contemplation, she shook her head and returned it.
“That was different. We were—” Narime cut herself off with a grimace.
“Proud, independent people who knew better than everybody else how amazing we were? Oh, yes, that worked out well for the Kurai Peninsula, didn’t it?” Seraph laughed mirthlessly. “I lost my home, my parents, and everything I ever knew. Millions died. Countless more were forced to flee across the sea to a mainland that they had looked down on. Yes, it was different.”
Narime looked away.
“Seraph, enough,” Nathan said.
“You’re good at saying that,” Seraph noted.
“Saying what?”
“The word ‘enough.’ Or simply telling people when you think they’ve gone too far,” Seraph said. She shrugged and didn’t elaborate, instead returning to the topic at hand, “Maybe try some pear schnaps and expand your palate?”
Narime nodded. Her tails curled in behind her as she slipped into the single-seater sofa at one end of the coffee table. Nathan noticed that her eyes lingered on the door, which was blocked by both himself and Fei.
Taking the hint, Nathan dragged the beastkin to a sofa. Instantly, Narime relaxed. Her tails spread out across the arms of the sofa, and her silver fox ears no longer stood bolt upright above her head.
“You’ll take care of Jorin’s wound?” Narime asked.
That must be the name of the male Champion she came here with. Nathan nodded, and Narime looked satisfied enough.
An uncomfortable silence settled over the room, broken by the constantly clinking of glasses and bottles in the corner. After a minute, Seraph carried over a tray of drinks.
Pear schnaps for both Seraph and Narime. Whisky for Fei. And a few fingers of a deep amber brandy that Nathan thought he had hidden better,
He scowled at Seraph. “For somebody who spends most of their time in Fort Taubrum, you’re rather good at finding my hiding spots.”
“I am a spymaster. That means I started as a spy. And I don’t think you’ve ever trained as one, given how terrible you are at devising hiding places.” Seraph rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I don’t know why you like that stuff anyway. It’s like drinking a tree.”
Fei put down her half-empty glass of whisky and sniffed Nathan’s glass. Her cat ears pricked up and she let out a hum of approval. Nathan snatched the glass from her hand before she slurped it down and ignored her growl of annoyance.
“That’s cognac, isn’t it?” Narime noted.
“Cognac?” Fei asked.
“Expensive brandy from Trafaumh,” Narime said. “The Federation has a significant investment in the region that grows it. I understand the more expensive bottles can go for the price of a small house.”
Fei stared at the glass in Nathan’s hand.
He rolled his eyes. “That’s not a very good benchmark in the Empire. There are dresses that can buy a small house in most towns. But yes, the bottle is rare. Even rarer now because the Empire is at war. I had to lean on Leopold to get my hands on it.”
And by lean on, Nathan meant get him really, really drunk. Leopold was Nathan’s immediate superior as a Bastion, and the Emperor’s right-hand man. That made him very wealthy and influential.
Fortunately for Nathan, Leopold was a man of significant vices, and that allowed Nathan to rely on the old man to better enjoy his own luxuries.
Narime raised an eyebrow, then sipped her drink. Her lips thinned, but otherwise her expression remained unchanged. Nathan knew that she had likely not tried many mainland liquors. He had enjoyed introducing her to new and exciting food and drink, given her homeland bias.
“To business?” she asked.
“Of course,” Nathan said.
“I have a question first,” Seraph asked.
“Do you really?” Narime asked acidly.
“Why were you trying to break into the basement?” Seraph continued, ignoring the fox.
Narime’s eyes narrowed. “You expect me to answer that while surrounded by the three of you?”
“Don’t pretend you’re in any danger. Nathan already pointed out that you can teleport away in an instant. You’re a big bad duogem fox. And we’re here to talk.” Seraph tipped her glass slightly toward Narime. “So?”
Close to a minute passed in silence. N
arime sipped at her drink, appearing to grow somewhat fond of it. She waved her hand and summoned the bottle from the cabinet to the table. It appeared on top of the glass with a clink, and Nathan’s senses prickled at the blatant display of power.
Fei squawked and rose to her feet, a hand falling on her scimitar. Across from her, Seraph continued to down her own drink. Nathan was certain that she had frozen in the moment that Narime had cast her spell.
The only hint that Narime had cast a spell was that her hand had glowed. No lines or symbols had appeared around her. Teleporting the bottle from the cabinet had so trivial to Narime that she could do it with a first rank spell, which involved only the use of raw magical power.
Nathan pulled Fei down onto the sofa. The beastkin blinked at him in surprise, then glared at Narime.
Pretending to focus her attention on pouring another glass, Narime looked at Nathan through the corner of her eyes. She frowned when he didn’t react to her provocation.
“I’d appreciate it if you showed more respect,” Nathan said. “As I said earlier, I’m well aware of your powers. You don’t need to insult me by using magic in my domain.”
Narime inclined her head and raised her glass. “I apologize. It seems you weren’t bluffing earlier. But that only makes me more suspicious of you. The spatial magic of mystic foxes is poorly understood in western Doumahr, but this fortress is full of it.”
Shit. So, Nathan had fucked up by using spatial magic through the binding stone. Narime had taught him the principles of spatial manipulation, but nothing about how they were unique to mystic foxes. He had assumed that other Bastions had picked up the method over the centuries.
“Is that what you were investigating?” Nathan asked, keeping his face expressionless.
“Among other things. The fortress feels off slightly, as if there’s something here that I can almost sense but simply… can’t.” Narime shook her head. “I doubt you understand it. I’ve been alive for over three centuries, and my instincts are very well honed. When something is off magically, it can be difficult for me to comprehend. Imagine if you walked into a room that looked like any other, but you knew that something was wrong? Wouldn’t you investigate it?”
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