Melody of Mana

I sat opposite of Mystien, both of us flipping through papers. While Dras had gone into production of gates, I'd managed to push myself into research and development, looking particularly into how to defend and what messes might be made by the same. Progress was slow, particularly in convincing everyone that they needed to be more careful. Sadly the new toy was bright and shiny, and everyone wanted some.

"Moving them like that isn't possible Alana, as you already know. Emperor Durin wants the big public hub in the capitol and there's not a lot we can do to change that at this point," he said, to one of my constant objections.

"It's too many in once place Mystien, we've seen what can go wrong if things go completely sideways. There's a crater to prove it, you have visited the crater haven't you?"

"If only to stop your pestering yes, I have, though it's becoming a mine now. It's an impressive mess, but there's more involved now, other powers are making demands to have it. I know how that irks you, but compromise must be made here."

I sighed. "Couldn't the Emperor just make them stop? I know his advisors are being annoyingly dense on this, but unless we can get these things safe, which I'm not convinced we can, we need to take more care."

"No man is a power unto himself. He could order it, but the push-back would be too strong, they're just too powerful. Heck, even getting those annoying alarms of yours installed was a bit of a pain. You wouldn't believe how many complaints I'm getting about mana usage alone on those."

The devices in question were a simple tool that tried to keep an eye out for any growing spatial disturbances, and even I had to admit they sucked. They were mana hungry and had the annoying habit of going off when there was no need as well, since getting any kind of a reading on the size of an issue was difficult if you didn't know how far away it was. The best they could really do was tell you if something was getting bigger or a new something was appearing nearby.

"Boo, what's the point in being a ruler if you can't fix issues like that," I said.

"Careful now, you're beginning to sound like some of the rabble rousers," he chided.

"I can't believe anyone would actually be that stupid. Do they not remember the old kingdom? Honestly, the emperor is downright generous compared to those bastards."

"Some do, and think they can still get better yet. Some were part of the power of the old kingdom, or their children, and they've seen their own status decline, and are now all but saying they want that princeling to come back and 'reestablish order' or some such nonsense. Some are still very young Alana, and were children while the old order was in place, so they don't know what it was like."

"Yeah, I suppose I already knew that, but still... Anyway, I did have an idea the other day, but there are issues and I'd like a second opinion," I said, that particular conversation wouldn't go anywhere productive.

"I'm listening," he said.

"I'd like to check that old gate to Atal, the one they locked up. If it's working..."

"I'm afraid not even I have access to that Alana. It's not being researched, just held because there appears to be an archmage on the other end who might not take kindly to us using it." That was fair, and while not quite true, since he seemed to tolerate me, Justin might not tolerate others though. "At any rate, don't you have work to do?"

"Suppose I do have a class..."

I marched off to the other part of my duties, teaching. I was the first in what was now our little hall in the research facility, a room so kindly assigned to all myself and the three I'd taken on. I watched as they joined me about twenty minutes later.

Two were men, one a woman. The first was he who I'd taught the portal trick to back at the fortress, and the newcomers. The twins had been brought back, not because they cared in the very least about portals themselves, but because they had experience with the gate network, and were known to be trustworthy.

All three had, to their great elation, finally managed the spell. They were also all now very, very dedicated to the idea of transporting themselves right beside the bucket we'd set up for vomiting in. Everyone was still at the 'unable to do it without using all of their mana' stage, one it'd taken me some time to get out of myself.

It also gave a good chance for me to teach them something I wanted them to know as well though.

"Alright everyone, we're still going to be working on cleanup," I announced. "We'll take turns making gates, and those who aren't doing so will be on cleaning duty."

"We drawing straws to see who pukes first? Or maybe dice?" Suggested the only of us who hadn't been on the trip to Atal. His name was Ian.

"Oh, I don't know. Leah went last time, so I guess it's just down to the two of you isn't it?" I asked.

Robert and Ian played a version of rock, paper, scissors, with the latter winning.

A few moments later Robert was leaning over the bucket. "Why... why did I ever let you talk me into this?" He asked between heaves. "I hate this, and myself."

"I believe brother dearest, that your literal comment was, 'Wouldn't being able to teleport be amazing?' When you convinced me," Leah answered without stopping the dance she was using to clean the smear in the local reality. I was happy she'd seen my ability to cast silently as a boon and learned a bit herself.

I cleaned the bucket with a quick casting and then looked at them. "Alright Ian's next, and remember everyone."

"Don't try to do too big a distortion at once, and don't let them get near each other," the all chanted; I was so proud. Even Robert, from his place laying on the stones managed it.

The messes they made in space right now were small, barely bigger than what an average portal did when it was active. That was good, because I needed them to stay that way, while I grew my new order. It wouldn't be a priest order, no, for we weren't them, but a new group I was interested in making, one dedicated to keeping the local reality clear of any... messes that might attract attention. Bards that would work to protect the world, a good endeavor I thought.

They of course didn't know my plans for them, and needn't. What I needed right now was to get my teaching methods down, and start spreading the idea of how to fix things. I wasn't immortal, and I knew it, and I didn't want those who came after me to die horribly, or let some chthonic monsters out onto the land. This world had quite enough problems as it was.

By the end of the day they were all quite exhausted, which was normal. I spent another few minutes after they'd left checking and rechecking to make sure that we weren't doing anything to the local space.

There was no way to be sure, but I'd already seen some of where I was messing up before. While the clear signs of space being tied in knots faded after a bit on their own, there was residue. These small, nearly invisible issues were likely what had caused the explosion before, but now I knew of them. Once my students were ready I would be trying to have them assigned to go around and clean up the gate areas, while on their other tasks, of course. They weren't there yet though, still leaving a few small fractures here and there, no worries, we'd get there eventually.