The Rifts of Psyche by Kyle West (i love reading .txt) 📕

Lucian felt that something was . . . different. As if his potential were weaker. The ward was fed from his base supply of ether, so if he ever needed to stream, he would have less ether to do it with. How that worked in conjunction with the Orb of Binding, Lucian couldn’t begin to guess.

“Good,” Elder Erymmo said, with an approving nod. “You’re a natural.”

“Where did the ward go?” Lucian asked. “I can still feel it. I think.”

“It’s there,” Erymmo confirmed. “Even if you can’t see it. Now, for the sake of teaching, if I were to do the opposite and make Psionic Magic the shell and Binding Magic the ward, then you would have a decent defense against Binding Magic. You might do this in case you were worried about someone tethering you or Binding your body parts together.”

“That sounds . . . awful.”

“A hard thing to do, that. Thankfully, as you gain experience, you can learn to sense what other mages are gifted at before it comes to blows by feeling their Focus. That will give you a clue about what to ward against. And if they attack you with an Aspect they are weak with, they will burn more ether to do so, and it will be easier for you to defend.”

“I see. Makes sense.”

“The advantage of wards is that they take little magic compared to the opponent who wants to break them. Remember: shields are active streams, and are typically more powerful, but are temporary and burn more ether in the long run. A ward stays in effect for much longer and is a passive stream. The disadvantage is that they are weaker than active shields and take up a portion of your ether pool. The amount depends on the strength of the ward.”

“I think I understand.”

“Now, let’s test your ward and make sure it’s set right.”

Before Lucian even had a chance to feel nervous about it, there was a curious tickling at his mind. It was the strangest feeling, like an itch he couldn’t quite scratch.

“Your ward is well-made,” Erymmo said. “Even I can’t puncture it. Your ward should keep you safe from dream implantation.”

“And it will go away on its own?”

“It will weaken over time, but usually a ward doesn’t lose effectiveness until after eight hours or so,” Erymmo said. “After that, they dissolve quite quickly. As you get a feel for things, you’ll learn when a ward is active and when it is not. While a ward is active, for example, it will be more difficult to open new streams. Upon dissolution of the ward, that ether will be gone until it is naturally replaced or drawn from the ethereal field. Another disadvantage of wards if you wish to think of it that way.”

Lucian wondered what would have happened if he’d had a Gravitonic ward in place on his first day on Psyche. If Serah had been an enemy, it could have easily been his death. He not only had to learn to stream wards effectively. He also had to learn to detect the strengths of other mages, to size them up in a flash, in case the worst happened.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lucian said.

“That’s all I had to show you. If you wish to learn more about wards, and their uses, I suggest talking to Fergus about it. As a Radiant, he is an expert in wards.”

“Why are Radiants better at wards than other mages?”

“Most of their magic depends on wards and brands. Light spheres, for example, work better as brands than active streams, as we discussed this morning. Seeking and concealment wards are also Radiant talents. So, of course, is the detection of light across all its spectrums.”

Lucian clearly had a lot to learn, but this new knowledge should serve well enough for now. “I should probably get going.”

“I wish you well, Lucian,” Elder Erymmo said. “Come by tomorrow morning, and my shockspear is yours.”

Lucian’s eyes widened at that. “The graphene one you have hanging on the wall?”

The Elder nodded. “You’ll need it more than me.”

Lucian almost refused, but he knew the Elder had a point.

“The road ahead will be difficult,” Elder Erymmo said, “but Fergus is a good man, and the best mage in the village. With him, you won’t have to worry about the Sorceress-Queen or her agents finding you. Go, Lucian. Get some rest. You are most certainly going to need it.”

With that, Elder Erymmo went to join the other Elders at their deliberations.

Lucian followed the trail back to the village. He was grateful for the empty streets, though he felt lonely walking in the darkness, the only light coming from inside homes. Conversations and laughter filtered out from doors and windows, which only reminded him of everyone he had lost. The sound was doubly sad, because those people didn’t know the threat they were under because of him.

He wanted to go back to his hut by the lake. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation. But Fergus did have a point that it was better to be safe. He tentatively approached the door of Kireon’s cabin and knocked three times on the wooden door. When it opened, it revealed Kieron’s ruddy, bearded face beaming a wide smile. His mood seemed to be the complete antithesis to Lucian’s.

“Welcome!” he boomed. “Julia and I were wondering if you’d gotten lost. Come inside!”

Lucian stepped into the light of the home, finding a well-swept floor covered with a mat of rushes. A fire burned low in a mud-brick fireplace, lending a warm ambiance. Over that fire simmered a pot of stew, its aroma savory. Julia was leaning over that pot, giving it a stir.

“Julia, Lucian is here.”

“I know, honey, but I doubt he wants his stew burned.” Once done to her satisfaction, she stood and smiled. “Welcome to our home, Lucian. Please, have a seat. It’s warm by the fire.”

Lucian nodded. “Thank you.”

Lucian went forward, where a couple of wooden rockers were placed before the hearth. Toward