Pax had to give credit to Solani 4-five when some of the people he needed were already waiting for him when he walked into the workshop. He hoped the rest would get there soon.
“Please tell me we’re finishing part of the quest right now.” Amil practically bounced from foot to foot as Pax led them into the largest of the side rooms and began setting up.
Dahni was right next to Amil, looking just as excited and impatient for Pax’s answer. Rin seemed much calmer as she set up a perch for Eris in the corner near the collection of the other companions.
Crissim, who’d also beaten Pax to the workshop, didn’t speak but radiated anticipation and nerves about the coming attempt to give him lightning. He stroked Virrell, the dangerous-looking Zephyraquill somehow offering him comfort.
She came up to his hip, her dangerous, iridescent quills adding another foot to her height. Somehow, Crissim had already learned to navigate them enough to scratch behind her ears without getting stabbed. Pax noticed he was wearing a reinforced bracer on his right arm, so that probably helped.
As Crissim sent Virrell to join the other companions in the corner they’d claimed together, Pax could only imagine how the man felt about the coming attempt. He’d spent years of secret effort to unlock his air element, and now, Pax offered to give him lightning in a single morning.
Pax made a note to help him choose a powerful spell scroll when they finished. Hopefully, Titus and the others would find some valuable ones in the treasury today.
“Yes,” Pax answered the questioning glances aimed his way. “I’m hoping to finish the secondary mana part of the quest and the awakening part, too, once Kai and Eldan get here.”
The others exchanged excited looks while Pax glanced at the open door to look for the others. Technically, he could get started with Crissim, but he wanted to involve the non-mages from his crew to ensure they got credit for the quest.
“Sorry I’m late.” Mage Eldan strode into the room, out of breath. Whisper followed right behind her. The cyclone howler flowed around the doorjamb, up to the ceiling, and over to the other companions. Eldan didn’t seem to notice, all her attention on Pax. “Please tell me I can watch while you give Mage Crissim lightning. If he doesn’t die, I’m next.”
Crissim gave her a startled look, and she shrugged. “If it didn’t kill Amil here, it should be safe. But I’ve spent my entire life being conditioned that new magic is dangerous. Besides, you have way more mana than a student, so if anything’s going to explode, it’ll happen to you.” She gave him a wide grin that looked more predatory than reassuring.
Crissim scowled. “I guess that’s the difference between a fighting mage and one from the capital. I’m used to taking actual risks.”
Eldan, instead of being offended, let out a sharp laugh and gave Crissim an impressed look. “Few people stand up to me or risk offending me. Maybe you’ve got a chance of surviving this war, after all.”
Crissim looked just as unimpressed with Eldan, but held his tongue, instead turning to Pax and giving him an expectant look.
“As soon as Bryn, Tasar, and Tyrodon get here, we’ll get you some lightning.” Pax motioned to the chair he’d set up in the center of the room. “But you can get settled and start by Meditating and collecting your two elements into spheres like I explained earlier.”
All the irritation Crissim had aimed at Eldan disappeared. He moved toward the chair, face intent and focused. A moment later, he closed his eyes, and Pax could tell he’d slipped into a Meditation trance.
“We came as soon as we heard.” A few moments later, Bryn stepped into the room, with Tasar and Tyrodon right behind her. They all looked as excited as Amil and Dahni, though it was obvious from their armor and tired faces they’d been out in the Wilds Taming all night.
“Are you going to help him get lightning?” Tyrodon motioned towards Crissim and then began ticking off his fingers. “Rin, Amil, and Dahni. That makes him the fourth one to finish part 3 of the quest, right?”
When Pax nodded in acknowledgment, anticipation spread across Tyrodon’s expression. “Do you think we’ll all get one of the mana storage crystals? Even those of us who aren’t mages? If we don’t, can I study yours to see what I can learn from it? It could help a lot in our attempt to replicate the power systems the ancients used. Even if we could just figure out what sources of mana it can absorb—personal ones from a mage obviously. But can it also absorb mana from the environment? What about the unaspected mana from warriors and crafters? There’s so much we haven’t figured out yet. I’m just—”
Amil cleared his throat.
Tyrodon looked around and noticed the indulgent looks the others were aiming at him. He flushed and ducked his head. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to get carried away.”
“No problem.” Pax waved off his apology. “That’s one reason you’re our favorite crafter. And of course, if you don’t get a crystal, I’ll let you study mine all you want.”
Crissim chose that moment to raise one of his hands, the movement calm and measured. “I’m ready.”
The room immediately quieted, and everyone moved into position. Pax stood behind Crissim, placed his hands on his head, and nodded for the others to join him. “I’ll wait until I feel everyone connect, and then we’ll get Crissim his lightning.”
Amil’s smile widened, but he managed to stay quiet.
To Pax’s relief, his practice with his friends, along with his legendary mana skill, made the process proceed just as smoothly as he’d hoped. Crissim definitely had much larger stores of flame mana than Amil. Examining the internal ball of raging fire made Pax feel like a small bug looking up at a looming meteor.
Thankfully, Crissim’s control was just as powerful and he kept all the mana corralled. It was also obvious that he was new to air mana. The sphere of it wobbled a bit more than the flame and its size looked like a tiny star next to a full moon burning with heat.
And yet, Pax pulled off the process without a hitch, making the connection between the two spheres of mana before a combination of his own light and lightning sparked the creation of Crissim’s.
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It was an amazing process that left Pax almost breathless at the magic they’d achieved. When it was clear they’d succeeded, the others disconnected. After a last check that everything looked good, Pax lifted his hands from Crissim’s head, already smiling. He could already anticipate Crissim’s reaction.
Just as Crissim’s eyes flew open with astonishment, a soft ding let Pax know he had a new notification. Thrilled, he saw the rest of his crew jolt with similar responses, even the non-mages.
“I can’t believe this.” Crissim’s voice was quiet and shocked, his eyes wide with astonishment.
“It’s real.” Amil reassured him. “I know, because I felt the same.”
Pax took the moment to quickly check his notification.
***
Congratulations! You have been instrumental in assisting four rebel mages to unlock their secondary mana elements. You have completed part 3 of your Crew Quest—Strengthen the People’s Rebellion—and earned the full reward.
One crystal mana battery has been added to one of your empty inventory slots. If your inventory is full, the reward will appear on an empty, nearby surface. Complete the other parts of the quest to receive additional rewards and the final reward once you successfully complete all parts.
***
“Yes! I got one!” Tyrodon’s excited cry echoed off the walls.
When Pax looked over, he saw Tyrodon already had a palm-sized crystal in his hand, staring at it with rapt attention. The rest of his crew quickly followed his example but looked to Pax before doing anything with their crystals.
Pax glanced over at Crissim, who smiled and waved off his concern. “Go ahead and test out your new toys. I’ve got plenty to keep me busy.” He held up a hand, and a spark of current flashed in his palm, drawing his attention away from anything else happening in the room.
Pax quickly pulled his own crystal from his inventory and examined the prize. It was about the size of a large apple, resting comfortably in his palm. Its hefty weight suggested it was denser than it appeared.
The crystal was perfectly clear, like a freshly cut gem, with sharp faceted edges that caught and reflected the ambient light. Its surface was cool to the touch, and the crystal’s many angles made it look as if expert hands had painstakingly shaped it. Each facet was precise, giving it an almost unnatural symmetry.
Despite its still and lifeless appearance, there was a sense of untapped potential, as though the object was merely waiting—an empty vessel ready to be filled.
Tyrodon held his crystal up to his face and, peering into it, echoed Pax’s thoughts. “It’s perfect. No imperfections, no cracks. Look at how the facets are cut. This is craftsmanship on a whole other level.” He ran his fingers along the sharp angles, turning it in his hand. “Someone designed these for something truly remarkable.”
Pax agreed. “But it doesn’t feel active yet. The quest description said it can store a single elemental type and link up with our personal mana storage.” Pax looked up at the others with anticipation. “Should I infuse light mana into it and see what happens?”
“Experimenting first with light is probably a better idea than lightning,” Amil’s words garnered some raised eyebrows at him showing restraint for the first time. “What? I don’t want my new prize to explode. Besides, Pax always does the new magic stuff first, so he can teach us afterward.”
Smiling with amusement, Pax reached for his mana, drawing in a small, controlled thread of his light mana. He pushed it carefully up to his palm and then into the crystal. It moved with ease. The crystal accepted the energy at the exact speed he offered it, with no greedy pulling, like a beast being Tamed.
Pax watched the crystal intently. His friends moved in closer, their own gazes fixed on the process. Slowly, the clear facets glowed. A soft shimmer of pale energy ignited from the center, refracting through the many angles and filling the crystal with a gentle inner light. The previously inert object now looked alive, radiating a beautiful light powered by magic.
“It’s working.” Pax aimed a quick glance at his friends before looking back at the crystal. “I’m stopping the input. Let’s see how easy it is to pull it back out.”
With an almost effortless tug, the light mana returned to his hand immediately, increasing Pax’s awe for the expertise of the ancient crafters. While the others watched, he sent the crystal to his inventory to perform the same tests.
It took a little longer and a twist of mental effort to identify where to send his mana without it sitting in his hand. Then Pax remembered he’d always envisioned his inventory as a pocket of hidden space located just behind his torso. When he aimed his mana toward the imagined space of his inventory, it quickly disappeared, like pouring water into an invisible cup.
After only a few seconds, Pax cut off the stream, worried he might not be doing it right. But when he pulled on it, using the same technique he used with the mirror on his shield, it worked. A small thread of light mana poured back into his hand.
“Well?” Tyrodon sounded impatient.
When Pax looked up, Tyrodon shifted from foot to foot, his own crystal clenched eagerly in his hand.
“It worked. I just pushed light mana into it using my regular skills and then drew it out like I’m used to doing with my mirror. It’s a little trickier than doing it while holding it in your hand. I suggest paying attention to how you visualize your inventory and target that image. Oh, and don’t forget that the quest said it’s for a single mana type. So, for the mages, I wouldn’t risk mixing elements. These are too valuable to risk destroying by accident.”
Tyrodon didn’t hesitate. He closed his eyes and furrowed his face with concentration. Pax watched closely, curious to see what the crystal would look like filled with crafter mana.
At first, he couldn’t see much of anything happening. He moved in closer and quickly felt a buzz of energy emanating from Tyrodon’s tightly clenched hand. Pax glanced around at his other friends, smiling when he saw the red, light blue, and brown lights glowing from the mages’ crystals. Bryn and Tasar’s looked similar to Tyrodon’s—little color change, but a definite uptick in energy.
Mage Eldan watched the entire process, jealousy easy to read in her gaze. She noticed Pax looking. “Any progress on getting quests for the rest of us?”
Pax shook his head with regret. “Solani 2-nine told us it took the bulk of their remaining energy to do this one for us. Maybe when the base is fully functional and has refilled all its stores? Right now, the base’s defenses and functions have to come first.”
Eldan nodded in understanding, then gave Crissim an annoyed wave to get out of the chair. “My turn.”
He didn’t even frown as he obeyed, still staring fascinated at his hands as he explored his new element.
Pax checked his mana, relieved to see that helping Crissim hadn’t drained him too much. “I’m going to give Eldan her lightning. Hopefully Kai will get here soon, and we can finish another part of the quest.”
“Those quest rewards are so unfair,” Eldan muttered, shaking her head before closing her eyes and dropping into Meditation.
Everyone else seemed more than happy to experiment with their new acquisitions. So, Pax focused on Eldan as soon as she was ready. Duplicating the process came even easier this time. When Eldan produced her own first flicker of lightning, she cackled with glee, seeming to have forgotten all about missing out on the quest rewards.
With her distracted, Pax took the chance to quickly check his gains for giving two mages their secondary mana types.
***
Skill Boost: +26 to Ascendant Mana Integration Level 2 (Legendary-evolved) - 49/200
Skill Boost: +9 to Elemental Meditation Level 3 (Common) – 146/300
Improvement to your Path of Understanding Lightning: +19 Level 2 – 30/200
***
The door behind Pax opened a few minutes later, and Kai hurried into the room, followed by Jules. His face still showed some of his usual belligerent suspicion, but now a desperate hope tempered it. “She said you could give me a class, something better than worker. Is that true?”
“She’s right. It just takes five of us and a ton of mana to do it.”
Kai’s face fell, and his shoulders slumped.
Pax hurried to reassure him. “But you’re the first one who helped me figure this out. Without your help, I’d have taken a lot longer. Have a seat and tell me what class you want, starting with your top choice.”
Kai immediately perked up and practically leaped across the room to sit in the chair. “Warrior first. Then Mage, Crafter, Merchant, and Worker last.” When he looked up, Pax recognized both the hope and the expectation of failure in his eyes.
Pax was more than happy to show a fellow street kid that sometimes dreams actually came true.
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