HS&S:WT Short

[sabremeister]

Origin Story

The Elf leaned back against the wall and slid down it. When she reached the bottom, she curled over and started to cry. That was how her room-mate in the Mages Wing in the palace of Darash found her two hours later. She quickly put her homework scrolls down and came over to give her a hug. "Serpenita, what's wrong?"



The Elf looked up. "How long did it take you to master Sense Foes?"

Her room-mate raised her eyebrows at the odd question. Sense Foes was a pretty basic spell, but like almost every spell it required lots of hard study to be able to cast correctly. "Couple of hundred hours, like everyone else." Serpenita's head went back down. "Serpy, what is it?"

"I still haven't got it right!" she wailed.

"What? But you started learning it the same time as me, you must have mastered it by now, right?"

Serpenita shook her head, then looked up at her room-mate. "Why did you want to become a wizard, Celeste?"

"I didn't exactly want to be a wizard. I showed magical talent, then a few weeks later some men turned up and brought me here to be enrolled."

"But you enjoy it, don't you? The training? Being able to cast spells?"

"Being able to cast, yeah. Training, not so much. All those scrolls, all those books, the long hours, having to borrow Powerstones to get stuff done - not fun."

"I wouldn't know." Serpenita got up and stretched.

"What do you mean, you wouldn't know?" Celeste asked, also standing.

Serpenita finished stretching and flung herself on her bed. "We've been here since harvest last year, right?"

"Right. Same as everyone who showed talent at the same time of year."

"How many spells have you learned since then? How many have you been able to cast?"

"I dunno. Three? Four?"

"I haven't even mastered one!"

"What?"

"That's why you haven't seen me in classes since Devil's Night - they pulled me out because I was falling behind."

"So, you've been working on Sense Foes all this time? For six months?" Celeste sat heavily on her own bed. "Serpy - if you're not able to cast even one spell by now, I'm surprised they haven't kicked you out!"

"They don't want to! They told me, they don't want to kick me out!" She was back to crying again. "They said it was so rare for an Elf to be living in this country to show magical power that they really want me to keep training here. But if I don't show any progress, they'll have to!"

"What? When was this?"

"Every month since Solstice!"

"You've been on probation for four months? I've never heard of such a thing!"

"It's Master Rillcreek! He says he can keep me on probation for as long as necessary."

Celeste moved to the Elf's bed and put her arm around her again. "Serpy, Rillcreek's a bit of a creep. You must have noticed, right? He's tried to feel up practically every girl he's ever tutored."

"Yeah, he touched me, too. Asked to see ... me."

"He what?"

"Wanted to know whether I was going to develop ... bosoms. He told me to disrobe so he could check I was healthy."

"But, you told me Elves don't have boobs unless they're pregnant? Surely Rillcreek would know that, right?"

"Mmf."

"Gods, he's a real fucking pervert, isn't he!"

"Ffm."

"Oh, Serpy, I'm so sorry. He hasn't gone that far with anyone else I know. Do you think we should tell someone?"

"What good will it do? He's a Master, he can do what he wants. No one'll take action against him."

"Oh, won't they?" Celeste stood up and paced the room. "Just wait until I finish here! I'll challenge him and blow his bloody head off! See how he likes fighting a fully-qualified Mind Warper! If he likes little girls so much, I'll fill his head with them so he won't see me coming, then WHAM! I'll make him choke on his own vomit!"

Serpenita rolled over to look at her friend. "Please don't, Celeste. He's been doing magic for longer than we've been alive put together, he's got so much experience that no newly-qualified wizard will ever be able to defeat him."

"Yeah? Well, no, yeah. No - he won't get away with it! I'll make sure of that! I don't know exactly how, but I'll make sure of it!"

Serpenita smiled. "Thank you, Celeste. But haven't you ever wondered why almost all the other mages here in Darash are men, when about half the students here are girls?"

Celeste stopped pacing. "No. No, I can't say I have. Why, do you know something?"

"No. But Rillcreek's been teaching here for years, right? He probably knows his behaviour's made enemies. He's probably the one who arranges for every female student to be sent out to the middle of the country holding down a busy steading all by themselves, where they don't have time to come back and kill him."

"Shit. That's downright scary, that. Creeps shouldn't be capable of that level of planning." She sat down again. "So ... if you can't manage one spell, how is it you came here in the first place?"

"I burned down a cow."

"You - you burned down a cow?"

"It mooed at me, I startled, and it burst into flame."

Celeste laughed. "Awesome! All I did was read the mayor's mind at an inconvenient time." They were silent for a while. "What are you going to do?"

"About what?"

"Your lack of progress?"

Serpenita rolled onto her back and sighed. "I don't know. Maybe it's something to do with the fact I'm an Elf? Maybe I should look in the library, find some books on theory, see if there's anything in them that can help me - if it's a block or something, or a natural impediment of some sort."

"Yeah, try the library. There's lots of stuff in there, there should be something in there that can help you."

"Yeah."

"Yeah. Now come on, it's nearly dinnertime, and you must be thirsty after all that crying you've done."

"Yeah."


Early the next day, Serpenita went to the Mage Wing's library, one of the largest collections of magical knowledge and lore in the North. Only the private collection of Mordlin the Sage and that possessed by the College of the Art in Doronatha were more extensive. She made her way to the theory section - she wasn't really supposed to be looking at books in that section until she had a few years' training under her belt - and found a couple of likely-looking titles, which she took to a table in a secluded corner and began to read.

The first was not very helpful. It was merely a rather dry treatise on ways to prevent magically-inclined people from casting spells, and their efficacy and efficiency. She pushed it aside after about an hour and started on the second one.

The second book was much more informative about flows of magic, possible reasons for low casting ability, and ways around it. Although she found much of the information fascinating, she couldn't see how any of it really applied to her situation. The Mage Wing wasn't in a low-mana area, she'd never had any trouble learning other things, she was able to concentrate well, and she had never experienced any of the tell-tale signs that the book described to indicate that she was the subject of a hostile casting-prevention spell. Nevertheless, she felt this book would somewhere contain what she needed to know, so she continued reading. It took all day, but she finished the book.

She had been wrong. The book hadn't contained what she needed to know. It had, however, had a very interesting final chapter, entitled "Warlocks".

That night, back in her room, she asked Celeste if she knew anyone who was good with Illusions.

"Illusions? Why?"

"I think I found something in the library. But it was incomplete information. I'll need to find an actual book on the subject that the book I was reading only mentioned. But I can't do that, I'll need to ask a librarian for help. And because I'm so young, they won't."

"So, you need an Illusion because..?"

"If you know someone who can Illusion Disguise me as an older student, I shouldn't have any trouble asking the librarians for help."

"I don't think anyone in our year knows Illusion Disguise. Why not just ask an older student to get the book for you?"

Serpenita was silent for a few moments before answering. "I think it's going to be a very dangerous subject, and the fewer people who know I've been looking into it, the better."

"Dangerous? Serpy, you're not, like, going to raise the dead or something, are you? Or summon a demon or whatever?"

Serpenita crossed her fingers where Celeste couldn't see them. "No. At least, I don't think so. The book didn't give much information, but I'm pretty sure it's got nothing to do with necromancy or anything like that. It's just, y'know, really complex theory-stuff."

"Okay. Hmm. Maybe there's an item that'll cast that spell on you. No idea how it'd work, though."


Three days later, a recently-qualified wizard entered the library. Their staff was highly polished, their robe was bright from fresh dye, their hat was stiff and pointy. She walked straight up to the duty librarian. "I need to do some research on a rather, er, unusual subject."

"What subject?"

"Warlocks."

The libarian's eyebrows rose. "Warlocks? Why would you want to be researching those?"

"Rumour suggests there's one hanging around the area where my new posting is. Thought I'd better read up on them to see what I'm going to be in for."

"Ugh! Where's that?"

"Oh, way out near the Chalgan border. Out of everybody's way. Probably why he hangs around there."

"I see." The librarian sighed as he thought. "Alright. I think I know where we might have a book on the subject, follow me."

The new wizard trailed the librarian into the far reaches of the library. A particular shelf was sought out. A particular book on that shelf was found. The librarian took it down and held it out to the wizard. She was fiddling with something in her pocket. "Sorry - damn Powerstone decided it wants to cook me for breakfast again. Bloody quirks! Can you take it to that table for me while I deal with this, please? Thanks!"

The librarian sighed. "Just remember to put it back in its' place when you're done."

"Will do!"

The librarian took the book to the table at the end of the aisle and headed back to the front desk. As soon as they were out of sight, the wizard stopped fiddling in their pocket. They looked around to make sure no one was looking, then blurred, flickered, and disappeared. In her places was a young Elven student wizard, who hurried over to the table and had a good look at the book before sitting down and opening it to read. The book was titled "Inficum".


Four days later, Celeste returned to her room after a day of education, and found a note on her bed, from her room-mate.

"Dear Celeste,
"Thank you for helping me to find the book I needed. I now know everything I need to to become a successful magic user. Unfortunately, it means I need to leave Darash. There are certain requirements that must be met that cannot be fulfilled here. I would like to thank you for your friendship and your help, and to wish you luck for the future. I'm sure you will be a very successful wizard."

It was signed "Serpenita". There was a PS: "Please do not do anything to Rillcreek, not even once you are qualified. I will deal with him. The solution to my problem with learning spells will be more than adequate to punsh Rillcreek for his perversions."


Five days later, in the hills not far from the Turnobae-Galorndan border, a young Elf woman slid down a gully and lay flat on her back while she caught her breath. One she had done so, she stood up in a dell, and looked around. She found a long and sturdy-enough stick for what she had in mind, and began carving patterns in the dirt underfoot. Then she removed a liberated Powerstone from her pocket and held it in her hand as she began chanting. As the chanting reached a crescendo, she withdrew a knife from her belt and scored three deep cuts on her forearm. The blood dripped down onto the carved patterns.

The focus of the patterns began glowing. A dull red light filled the centre of the dell, and a ghastly presence began to take shape. It completed with a bang and a roil of foul-smelling smoke just as the Elf finished chanting. She looked up into the eyes of an evil being who wasn't entirely present.

"Well, child of the forest? Why have you summoned me?"

"My name is Serpenita. I have magical talent, but am unable to learn spells. I desire the ability to utilise my talent."

"Interesting. Are you familiar with the prices and penalties this will exact?"

"I am."

"And the conditions attached to the abilities I will grant you?"

"I am."

"And you fully and freely consent to the full contract?"

"As described in the tome written by Simon Magus?"

"Yes."

"I do."

"Good." The smoke roiled, and the light outside the magical diagrams dimmed. "Speak, then, the name of the deal you require."

"Inficum."

"Done!"

There was a massive flash of light and a blast of energy slammed into the Elf, who stood there unmoved. The evil presence vanished, and light returned to the world.

Serpenita looked up. The canopy of the trees overhead wasn't quite total. She raised an arm and focused, and a fireball shot upwards. Then another, and another, and another. She smiled.

"North, then," she said to no one in particular. "After what I did in Darash, I doubt I'd be very welcome there again. Galorndan it is. Maybe that new king they've got will have a job for me."