Prismatic Education Begins With A Spark 43 (MTG/Multicross)

Prismatic Education 43

The giants spread out, intending to flank our group. Likewise, we divided our forces to meet them, which pitted me and two nagas against a lone giant.

“Dumb dullard, in a daze over your defeat!” I insulted, sending a quartet of ink spears.

They struck the giant’s bare chest, making him stumble back slightly. However, it wasn’t the expected effect, as the giant just sneered at me.

“They’re immune to mental spells!” Iona cried out to me.

…okay, maybe I should have studied up on these guys beforehand. I glanced at the nagas, and decided to apply my magic the other way. “Swift and sure, strike like a flash of silver!”

I followed it up with a few other enhancement spells, making the nagas glow brightly. They quickly slithered forward, their blades flashing and drawing blood from the giant’s body. Roaring, the giant defended himself as best as he could, lashing out with his own attacks, but the lightning just left scorches on their skin. 

As if realizing my importance, he broke into a desperate dash towards me, stabbing out with his bolt. Despite his speed, I was still faster. A soft purple aura increased my lightning resistance, while I layered a trio of shields to protect me. 

The powerful stab broke through two, but halted at the third. With a flick of my staff, I knocked the weapon aside, breaking his posture. The next moment, I was in the air with a single leap, and I watched the giant’s expression slowly morph into disbelief as I reached all the way in front of his face.

Then my staff slammed heavily into his temple, and he collapsed. The nagas, about to swoop in to finish him off permanently, stopped and went to assist their allies at my gesture.

Hmm… not as tough as I was expecting. Or maybe I’m just too heavily boosted? 

An instant of warning was all I got, and my body moved reflexively. The lightning bolt that had been shooting towards me met my staff, and was deflected to explode off to the side. 

Holy shit! That was fast!

“A titan!” Iona’s warning came a bit late, as I was already looking at the one responsible for that attack.

He wore more armor than the giants, with a breastplate and tassets, as well as a fancier helmet. His hands were empty, but the next moment, a new lightning bolt appeared in one of them.

However, instead of attacking, the titan raised his bolt above his head, and made it emit a loud crack. “CEASE!” 

The still-surviving giants paused, and began to slowly retreat. Similarly, the titan advanced, letting his bolt vanish. He looked between me and Iona, before hesitantly going down on one knee to the genie. The show of submission from the obvious leader of the group made the rest of the giants kneel as well.

“You have proven your strength. I shall heed your request.” He spoke in a deep voice.

Iona glanced at me for a moment, then began to speak. Despite some of the giants having died at our hands, the titan didn’t appear to feel angry about that, nor did he reject Iona’s demand to assist in the construction of a cloud temple within Cloudspire’s walls. The pair of giants he dispatched to follow us were similarly accepting, joining our group without any objection at all.

I zipped over to grab another rubbing from the obelisk before catching up to the group. Just like the first one, it appeared to be part of a larger map, and it took me a while to align them together.

I’m still missing at least three, maybe four more pieces… Wonder what kind of treasure could be buried there? I considered them a bit more, before tucking the partial map away. Anyway, I’ll go search for more obelisks later, after I’ve got what I wanted from Cloudspire.

Our return to the city was met with clinical appreciation, and Theodorus wasted no time in setting the giants to work. He also fulfilled his side of the agreement by letting me observe and record notes on the process.

Ten units worth of gems were placed in certain spots around the empty plot of land, along with some mundane materials like wood and stone. After that, several hired mages and construction crews got to work, the former weaving summoning spells in between the latter’s work, using the mana from the gems both as fuel and as components for the spell structure. Eventually, a smaller copy of the cloud temple was erected, and the giants took up residence in the enormous building.

“Did you get what you were seeking?” Theodorus asked me.

“Partially.” So they made an enchantment that’s like a mana summoning, except it’s powered by slowly absorbing the ambient mana over time, which explains the time taken in between production. “When do you intend to upgrade the Mage Guild?”

“We are currently sourcing for the materials needed, but I expect it to take at least a week.”

“A week. I can wait a week.”

“That is good to hear,” The wizard’s tone showed how pleased he was to hear that. “Now, I believe I owe you an artifact as well.”

Theodorus’s collection was more than the assortment of accessories I had seen in his office; there were also some equipment pieces that he kept in a locked armory, and some of them had powerful effects. It took me over an hour to come to a decision, trying to balance utility and learning potential.

“The Orb of Vulnerability… you’ve certainly picked an artifact that will serve you well,” Theodorus said gravely. “There are many beings in this world that have innate resistances to types of spells, and this orb will make it so that the holder’s spells can penetrate those defenses. Are you sure you want this?”

I nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. Although I’m also a little curious about those statue parts you have over there…”

Chuckling, Theodorus began explaining how those pieces were able to influence the creature production spells present within the city, and our talk lasted well into the next day with how enthusiastic he was about describing his collection to me.

The week passed by rather quickly, with me engaging in magical research and interacting with the inhabitants of Cloudspire. While I wasn’t able to progress on upgrading my body tempering spell, I was able to form a mild mana bond with the city itself. Despite being located near a mountain, and its focus on magic, the mana I got from it wasn’t Red or Blue, but White.

I suppose it’s because this city is a community forged through order, even with all these different races mixed together, I mused to myself as I recorded notes in my journal.

That idea was further reinforced when I finally got to observe the Mage Guild being upgraded. Various magical materials were mixed together, and used as reagents to transmute the building into growing one level higher. The formation of a stable spell structure from the chaotic mix was inspiring to see, especially with how it integrated with the library’s one. The mages were quick to move in and get to work, and fill the newly available slots with two spells.

When I saw the spells appear in my grimoire, I couldn’t help laughing. The first one was called Magic Mirror, which could deflect spells cast against me to affect my enemies. The second…

My memories of the Magicka game included some magicks that I wasn’t able to find no matter how much I searched, probably because they were very rare. One of them was known as Vortex, a deadly spell that sucked in and crushed any living thing caught within its range. As it so happened, it was very similar to my newly acquired spell of Implosion.

Now I just have to figure out the proper elemental combination to magick it up…

…

Since I couldn’t very well ask Theodorus to demolish the Mage Guild just to observe the construction process again, the only way for me to get a deeper understanding of the spell imprinting function was to see other Mage Guilds being built. Obviously, that meant traveling to other cities. And as I had gained the mana bonds and templates I wanted, there wasn’t anything keeping me in this one.

I had heard about some of these other cities from the more traveled mages of this plane. The nation across the border, Erathia, was mainly populated by humans, but they apparently had angels watching over them as well. Further north of it was the elven country of AvLee, a land dominated by wilderness that had a peaceful relationship with Bracada and Erathia.

Apart from those, there were enemy nations as well, but information on them was sparse, other than that they occasionally invaded for resources. There were also rumors about a nation of necromancers who were previously expelled from Bracada, but nothing that could be substantiated. 

Though I’d bet anything that they’re actually real, and just keeping their heads down. Heh, thinking about it, that’s quite similar to Strixhaven and the Oriq. I smirked to myself as I rode my flying staff. Not as big as Arcavios, but certainly more to see and no less exciting. 

On my shoulder, Lyric whistled a jaunty tune as the land whipped past us, my inkling coincidentally expressing my mood. This land truly had a lot to see, and while it had its share of dangers, like the monster packs that wandered around the lands, there were just as many wonders.

There were natural ones like magical ponds or gardens, along with a few artificial structures that were inhabited by wary but welcoming people. Incredibly, there were also piles of loot and random artifacts just lying around waiting for people to pick them up. Though I suppose that was due to the dangers nearby that kept others away, reducing the likelihood of anyone stumbling over them.

Still no obelisk… or at least none that my spells can detect nearby. My flight slowed to a halt, and I glanced off to the side, where a path led between two hills. Another tug from the light of guidance? Worth checking out.

The route led me up a third hill, passing by a small farmstead with a well. When I inquired with the farmer, he told me that there was an old man living up in a tower at the end of the path. Sure enough, there was an octagonal-shaped building with a lookout tower extending upwards from it, perched on the hill the path led to.

Contrary to my expectations, the old man wasn’t a retired wizard.

“I’m a cartographer,” He introduced himself when I knocked on the door, “I sell maps of the land.”

“...how much?”

“A thousand gold.” He named an amount that I would have been loath to pay before.

“Done.” I promptly paid up with a share of the treasure I had picked up.

Since it was getting late, he offered to let me spend the night in the place. As I slowly tried to match my map portions with the remarkably detailed one he sold me, I listened to the few stories he had to share.

“Used to be that I sold maps to other parties passing through this area, but now that Queen Catherine has rightfully restored these lands, things have become peaceful once more.”

“When you said restored, what happened?”

It was a rather long story, starting with the death of Erathia’s previous king by poisoning. Multiple enemy nations launched invasions of their own, before his daughter returned from the land she married into up north. 

“She waged war against those invaders, and managed to reclaim the capital of Steadwick that was previously conquered. After that, she drove out the invaders, and even took revenge on the necromancers that were responsible for her father’s death!” The cartographer shook his fist triumphantly.

I knew it, that nation of necromancers was real. “Amazing.”

“It is, isn’t it?” He peered at my map, then pointed at a certain spot on the big one. “I think this is the one you’re looking for.”

“Huh?”

“You’re trying to find where your map scraps match, right? Since you went along with this old man’s storytelling, giving you a little help’s the least I could do.”

“You sure?”

“Of course I’m sure! I’ve studied my maps for years, boy!” He retorted sharply, though without any heat. “Trust me when I say I can recognize the marks!”

I looked at the map again, plotting out a quick route to the place the old man had pointed out. Given the geography, it would take many days of travel to reach the place, but I could just fly right over, cutting it down to one.

“Thanks!” I said gratefully.

“‘Tis a small thing,” The cartographer said dismissively, “Now, where was I? Oh yes, my travels!”

Now able to focus more on his stories, I smiled. The light of guidance really is a great help. Wonder if it’s my Lightbringer Skill at work as well?

When dawn arrived, I thanked the old man for his hospitality and set out, layering my best enchantments to speed things up even more. Soaring through the air, I was able to avoid the various monsters on the ground, some of them not even noticing me as I shot overhead. Apart from taking a few short breaks to rest and recharge, I even ignored the piles of treasures that my sharp vision spotted, focusing instead on reaching the indicated spot.

Finally, as twilight began to fall, the landmarks I had been looking out for came into view, and I made for the tallest one, an observatory post on top of a tall redwood tree. Alighting on the post, I munched on some rations while rechecking my map against what I could directly observe. Even when night fell, things still stood out sharply to my falna-enhanced vision.

So what comes after this? As bountiful as this land is, I think my desire for adventure within it has been sated for the time being. I decided to review my notes, focusing on what I was able to glean from my memories so far. Based on the language, the plane that has the most in common is Kamigawa, but the details I could find regarding that plane don’t match. Well, it’s not like the same language can’t be found in different planes… 

The Planeswalker’s journal mentioned a few attempts to try and find planes that carried the characteristics they desired, but the results were unreliable. Perhaps they were still worth a try though.

Alright, that decides it. After I find this treasure, I’ll Planeswalk to another place, and return to tracking down this Japan in my memories.

I got to work once the sun rose, descending on the indicated spot and using my resources to locate and extract the treasure from its buried location. A Spinning ball to map the physical object that was invisible to the usual magic detection spells, followed by a pair of ruin grinders to tear up most of the ground in the way. Finally, at the bottom of a moderately large pit, I manually cleared the last bit of dirt to reveal the treasure.

My first thought when I saw it was about how gaudy it was, being an entirely golden chest, with an ornate top and runic marks around its sides. Yet there was a presence about it that made it stand out, enough to understand why it had been hidden. When I opened the top a crack, there was a surge of mana that instantly had me shutting it again.

No wonder it was sealed away in this chest. Osgir would love to make a copy of this. That said… I scrutinized it carefully, connecting its characteristics with what I had learned about magical construction in this plane. There’s something special about that effect, one that would allow it to make a structure of significant power.

Tucking it away into my bag, I climbed out of the pit, only to suddenly stagger as something sent waves through the land. It took me a few minutes to recover, and when I finally did, it took several more to pinpoint the cause of what I had felt.

The feeling had been similar to how it felt when I used my Spark to penetrate the barrier of a plane, and the sensation of elemental magics had intensified. As though part of the elemental planes I read about had leaked through over into this one. It wasn’t the only new thing.

‘Come to us. Help is needed. Prevent Armageddon.’

There was a mystical call mixed in with the wave of mana, apparently targeted at those who were proficient in elemental magics. With my Midgard-honed proficiency, I wasn’t surprised to be a recipient.

Should I? Shouldn’t I…? Something about this bothered me. After the last war, this is looking like the start of another one. I don’t really want to get involved…

[Prismatic Magic: Prismatic Compass-Map]

Unlike the last time I used this spell, this time the colors were adjusted to display the concentrations of elemental magic. With the growth of my magical ability, the area covered was now much larger, and I could see large colored spots scattered across the lands. Even as I watched, smaller spots appeared out of nowhere; elemental beings attracted by the call manifesting within this plane as well.

Yeah, I think I’d rather stay out of this one. My inner light isn’t pushing me towards this… yet.

Checking my possessions, I realized I was a bit low on supplies, and decided to restock before leaving the plane. Fortunately, there was a tingle of magic power nearby, and I followed it to arrive at a tower. Unlike the cartographer’s house, this one was definitely inhabited by magic users.

An old wizard appeared out of thin air when I approached. “Master, we have nothing that we could possibly teach you.”

“I only wish to restock my supplies,” I answered, “And perhaps to inquire about what we all felt.”

A look of understanding came over him, and he nodded. “I shall instruct my acolytes to prepare a room for you.”

With that, he vanished, and I was met at the door by a young mage in grey robes, who brought me to a storeroom filled with preserved foods. After I purchased what I needed, I was guided to a sitting room, where the old wizard was waiting.

“I have been researching the old records, and I believe I have identified the cause of the magical burst earlier,” He slid an open book over to me, “Please have a read.”

I quickly skimmed through the book, which was very old and would probably have fallen to pieces already if not for preservation spells on it. According to it, there had been an incident involving the lords of the elemental planes centuries ago, one that saw a human wizard unite various elementals in an alliance to preserve the world as they knew it. 

“You believe this Conflux of Elements has made a return to this plane?” I asked him.

“I do. One of my acolytes has reported receiving a message, calling for help for the prevention of Armageddon, and I am inclined to believe her. They have chosen to show themselves in order to protect the world once more.”

“Is your acolyte going to join them then?”

“Oh no, she wisely decided not to. Her talent with water magic is excellent, but her actual skills have not reached their full potential. Others will be able to handle things without her.”

Hearing that, I made up my mind. This plane would be fine without me too. Perhaps if I returned in the future, I would participate, but for now, it was time for me to leave. After asking for and receiving a few of his teaching notes, I left this minor school of magic.

Perhaps a magic school like this would be nice to have in the future… 

On a whim, I decided to Planeswalk using that starting point as a basis, similar to how I had done so using the snarls of Arcavios. Using that familiar feel as a starting point, and trying to follow a similar one to reach a destination-

BZZZT!

I dropped out of the Blind Eternities, and right on the edge of a pitched magical battle between two groups of wand-wielding spellcasters. Their spells were cast with words and movements, and the battlefield was a riot of flashing colors.

“Seriously?” I asked out loud, drawing the attention of the skull-masked ones near me. Guess my luck just balanced out like this.

I whirled off to the side to dodge a dangerous-looking blast of green light, and prepared to fight once more.

Afterword: Yes, Roy just stole the Grail away from Erathia, and it remains to be seen which city he’ll build its unique bonus building in. I thought about involving him further in the game plotline, but my muse decided to not cooperate. Considering how effective it was in churning out this chapter so soon after the last one, I decided to keep it happy. So I continued to follow its whims, and that’s how I ended up with this well-known plane next. I’m sure many people can guess this one, so I won’t say it.

Thanks again to all the new patrons!