Chapter 154: You Earned It_Millennial Mage

Chapter 154: You Earned It

 T had had a rough couple of days, and that didnt even ount for her still healing chest. The burns caused by shorting out her crush and restrain inscriptions were taking a lot longer to heal than most injuries shed taken, though they were mostly recovered by this point.

 Taking everything into ount, as the wagons began moving once again, T realized that she was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

 As foreign as it seemed to her, she felt like she should not be training right then. So, going against the habits shed tried to build over thest couple of months, T gave herself a bit of a break that afternoon. She simply rxed on the cargo-wagons roof, watching the rolling ins slide by.

 She hadnt realized how much shed missed the open air, but it seemed that her time in Makinaven had given her a new appreciation for wide open spaces.

 Their caravan must have given off more dangerous vibes than usual, because they werent attacked even once as afternoon slid towards evening.

 T did see some arcanous beasts watching them at a couple of points, but none tried their luck.

 Thankfully. She shook her head at the idea of having to defend the caravan. Were all exhausted.

 It was nearing evening when Mistress Odera finally joined T on the roof, moving slowly and deliberately.

 When she saw the older woman, T rushed to her aid. Mistress Odera! She offered her a hand up, and the other Mage took it.

 Thank you, Mistress T.

 They moved back to the center of the roof, where T left the cushioned central seat for Mistress Odera.

 Thank you, again. As she settled down, Mistress Odera sighed in relieved weariness. Now, Id love to hear your version of this mornings events. What happened after I passed out? After a moments hesitation, she shook her head. No, go back a bit before that. I only caught snatches, as I was too near my limit at that time to truly pay attention, but I believe you organized some strategies for when the shield came down. Is that correct?

 T nodded, thenunched into an abbreviated version of events, not pausing until shed exined Rane and the guardsing to her rescue in the end and their safe departure from the forest and final escape from the Leshkin as a group.

 Mistress Odera nodded, finallymenting then. It sounds like it went better than we had any right to hope. It also seems blindingly obvious that they were after you, for some reason. Id suspected on our inward journey, but there can always be oddities and anomalies.

 T nodded. Thats what we concluded as well.

 We? Mistress Odera gave her a searching look.

 T shrugged, ncing away. Master Rane, myself, the guards, and drivers.

 The older woman gave a small smile. Ahh, good. So, theres nothing tucked away. No building rumors we might need to deal with. That makes things simpler. She regarded T for a long moment before nodding. It is almost always better to be forthright about such things. Her eyes narrowed. Did you know that they would target you before we entered the forest?

 T jerked her focus back to Mistress Odera. What? No! Of course not.

 The Mage clucked her tongue, humming contemtively around the motion. What about before we departed to head back to Bandfast?

 T hesitated, then. No? I had fears, and wild spections, but I didnt know for sure.

 Mistress Odera grunted. Your fears, we discussed. I still dont agree with your anthropomorphizing of the greater Leshkin, and so if that is truly all that you had to go on, I am satisfied that the danger was not fully expectable.

 Well, and my defensive magics being based on ending-berry power.

 She sighed and shook her head. That isnt news, either. She held up her hand before T could add anything else. Nor is your iron based protection. We should update the Archive with the possibility of those links, however. Things could have gone much worse. Many caravans would not have held up so well under such an onught, and we are nearing the Leshkin surge for this cycle. Only a century and a half or so before the height of that threat.

 T frowned. What do you mean?

 Surely the Leshkin wars arent unknown to you.

 No, of course I know of those, at least in part. I meant: What do you mean by many other caravans wouldnt have held up.

 We are somewhat, but not entirely, uniquely able to survive as we did. I have one of the greatest defensive powers, for caravan protection duty, of any Mage currently working.

 T was about to scoff and roll her eyes at the arrogance but then considered for a moment. She can fully iste and protect a caravan as it moves, for hours, all while it is under heavy assault. In the end, T had to concede that Mistress Odera might actually be right about her abilities rtive to other Mage protectors. Go on.

 The side of the womans mouth pulled up, and she clearly had intuited Ts thinking, but she didntment. Second, we have an incredibly high number of guards for our rtive size. Thus, we had more defenders per area of the caravan. That is due to you. Your high-capacity cargo-slots, and their proportionally increased cargo, necessitated more guards, and their space efficiency concentrated that defense onto only two wagons.

 T smiled at thepliment, oblique though it was.

 Master Rane is very destructive of single targets, and he is incredibly efficient in his use of power and inscriptions in that destruction. Mistress Odera shrugged. True, that is no different from any Mage using an artifact as a primary means of attack, but that is still a factor in our favor.

 So, we were uniquely suited to survive.

 We were distinctively designed to survive.

 T frowned. Exin.

 Mistress Odera shrugged. Things like this are always a possibility. So, the Caravan Guild tries to ensure that forest ventures are well suited.

 Ahh, so you meant that many non-forest route caravans wouldnt have held up well.

 That is urate. Yes.

 T shrugged. Thats fair. Though, I suppose, this is close to what well have for other routes, right?

 Well often have fewer guards, but otherwise, yes. After a moments thought, she shrugged. We probably have about the optimum ratio of guards to wagons, at this point. In truth, we might have more guards for some of the ins routes, if we have sufficient passengers, but then, wed need passenger wagons anyways, which would drastically lower the ratio were discussing. She seemed to consider further. So, like I said. We were in a very good position for the danger that we encountered.

 The conversation continued as T asked some pointed questions about being a lead Mage protector. Her short stint trying to operate with Mistress Odera incapacitated had shown her that she had a lot to learn.

 Mistress Odera seemed to be ready and even to have been waiting for T to show such interest. Thus, they spent the remainder of the afternoons travels, that nights dinner conversation, and their time until first watch, continuing Ts tutge in the finer points of leading a caravans magical protection.

 Mistress Odera also gave T a list of reference materials to look into, when she had time, and T added them to her growing to-read itemization. The Archive tablet is looking more and more appealing.

 Even though that tablet would be an amazing resource, she doubted that shed ever want to fully give up on physical books.

 All in all, she had quite a lot to process as sheid down for the first half of the night.

 She did her best topartmentalize, as shed have plenty of time to think while on second watch, and she didnt want to keep herself awake through what little time she did have to sleep.

 * * *

 Ts irrational irritation at being awoken by Rane lightly knocking on her door was reduced by therge jug of coffee he proffered to her when she opened it.

 He gave a tired smile. I know youre supposed to be cutting back on this stuff, but yesterday wasrough. He nced behind himself, at his own door. Im going to sleep. Nothing to report on watch.

 T grunted her thanks as she took the coffee, but then found herself on the roof, some timeter, before she had formed truly coherent thoughts.

 Well, I got up here, and I seem to be scanning the surroundings. She swallowed the coffee already in her mouth. And were all alive. She shrugged.

 It was a cold night, not that it bothered her. As such, she used the temperature as an excuse to pull out her massive bear pelt, wiggling it back and forth, just a little, to get it out of Kits rtively small opening.

 The pelt was glorious.

 She stood with the fur of her adversary draped over her shoulder to cascade down around her feet. The scents that had been worked into the cleaned hide were phenomenal over and above the feel of the thing.

 Terry was curled up on part of the bear pelt that was syed on the wagon top.

 As T turned to continue her surveince of the dark terrain, the pelt moved with her, carrying Terry in slow circuits as well.

 That made her smile, even as she took another swig of coffee.

 Now. Running a caravans magical defenses. There really was so much to consider. The Mage protectors technically outranked the guards, but they werent in charge of them directly.

 A senior Mage protector had to bnce diplomacy with decisive action at need.

 Not sure that will ever be my role, or if I even want it.

 The more T dug into various aspects of Magehood, the more she was seeing what Master Jevin had warned her of: Humanity needed its Mages more than the Mages really needed humanity, at least on a personal level. It would be all too easy for her to untether from human society, and do what was best for her and her alone.

 Doing so wouldnt cause the copse of humanity; she just wasnt that unique or important; but if too many Mages did so? Wed all be rusting dead. Or effectively so. Who wants to be thest survivor of a dead race?

 She grimaced. So, I need to be pursuing my own interests, while keeping therger needs of humanity in mind.

 She let out a long sigh. No wonder they dont bring this up at the Academy. Id haveughed them off and ignored the lesson, then.

 But now? She still was tempted to treat the idea as silly, but she felt like she was beginning to turn on the issue. Now that shed fought beside mundanes, wandered through more cities, and realized that her disenchantment with her family was not a reasonable condemnation on humanity as a whole.

 Could things be better? Absolutely. But how could they ever change, ever improve, if those who disagreed, and had power, simply left?

 I want to be a part of humanity, and I want us to thrive.

 She chuckled and shook her head. I thought I was thinking about caravan defense. But everything in a Mages life was interwoven. Probably in any humans life, actually.

 A persons foundations, and the foundational framework of society were inextricably interlinked. Humans cant live without humanity, and humanity is nothing without the humans that make it up. It was a ridiculously obvious assertion, but it still felt important to her.

 She smiled contentedly, opening Kit and pulling her bloodstars out.

 She spent the rest of her watch in meditative, but still observant, silence, moving her rod, ball, and naked bloodstar in interweaving orbits, under star-lit, winter sky.

 * * *

 It was mid-morning the next day before anything of note really shook up their voyage through the ins.

 A small family of thunder cattle had been spotted in a somewhat hidden depression, just a quarter mile or so from the caravan, ahead and a bit to the north as they curved back east to reach Bandfast.

 The animals werent a threat, but T had made her desire for a couple of the bovine known.

 T nced to Mistress Odera. What do you think about me going hunting? Ill top off the cargo-slots before I go, just in case?

 Mistress Odera huffed a smallugh. Fine. Try to keep properly oriented, so you dont get lost. She nced to the terror bird. Are you going with her, master Terry?

 Terry lifted his head and nced to T.

 T smiled and shrugged. I want to do the killing myself, but if the mini herd is bigger than expected, you can have the extras.

 He flickered to her shoulder and trilled happily, perching in such a way as to have a clear view forward.

 Mistress Odera smiled. Bring her back safe, Terry.

 He trilled again.

 T swung over the side and climbed down thedder, jumping free of the wagon and smoothing down her tunic. Mind if I ride, Terry?

 Terry flickered to beside her, already sized and crouched low for easy mounting.

 Thank you.

 He let out an indifferent but yful squawk.

 T tucked her feet under his wings and grabbed his cor, clipping her anchor to it and leaning forward to reduce her drag.

 Terry was off like an arrow, quicklying up to speed and angling towards the reported grazing ce of the small group.

 Less than a minuteter, they were atop a rise, looking down on ten thunder cattle.

 Huh thats more than were reported.

 Terry looked back at her, tilting his head in question.

 She grinned. Yes, you can help kill them, but not all of them.

 He let out a quiet trill, warning her before he flickered away, appearing next to her, a bit smaller than he had been.

 Tnded lightly, thanks to the warning. Thanks. She nodded to Terry.

 Now T groaned. How am I going to kill them?

 She sighed. I did it again. I was so focused on finding one, and going after it, that I didnt decide how to kill it in advance.

 She had one, partial answer. She pulled out three tungsten balls, none of which contained her bloodstar and none of which were currently gravitationally altered. Those in hand, she began amplifying their gravitation towards the three biggest animals.

 If she had to guess, the herd down below was an alpha bull and two betas, each with a mate, and four calves. It was a bit of an odd grouping as she didnt think thunder cattle were monogamous. Maybe theyre all the alphas mates, and the other two bulls are just hangers on?

 It didnt really matter. She was targeting the massive bulls heads.

 Even though it wasnt a quick process, she got ready, bracing against the pull that would begin, soon. Now, the others.

 I assume you want the little ones?

 Terry crouched a bit lower and bobbed a nod.

 Thats eptable. Quick, clean kills, please.

 He nced her way, then seemed to roll his eyes before bobbing again.

 Thank you. That would leave her with three cows to deal with, assuming her spheres were as lethal as she had reason to suspect. She was still a couple hundred feet away, and while she wasnt invisible to the animals they werent paying her too much attention. Thatll change in a few minutes.

 She would have loved to target more than three with metal meteors, but three was her current limit.

 She imagined running in, Flow swinging, carving them up, but eventually, she sighed, shaking her head. Ill take the boring way. There was too much chance that theyd be able to kill her with lightning. Or at least deeply cut into my ending-berry power and inscription integrity.

 Large animals did not handle weight increases well, as a general rule, and while these cattle had magic that gave them benefits well beyond any mundane creature, it wasnt their primary magic, and it wasnt immutable. The cows shouldnt be as robust as the bulls, either.

 The balls were beginning to pull, if not quite at her limit, but she didnt want one to slip free early. Better on my timing than unexpectedly. So, she signaled Terry and let them go.

 As soon she released the balls to start their bloody journey, T had locked onto the three cows. Increase.

 The three spheres began rolling downhill, quickly picking up speed until they lifted free of the ground altogether, practically streaking through the air to crack into the three bulls.

 The first had been facing a bit away, so the ball hit it in the upper back, between the shoulder des. A loud crack and a panicked bellow were precursors to the beast copsing in what seemed to be a paralyzed heap.

 Oops. Ill try to finish him off, quick. No need to be overly cruel.

 The second was almost exactly broadside to T, so the tungsten ball mmed into the side of its head, decapitating itpletely and anything but cleanly. The pulped remains of the head painted the nearby bushes a grayish red, even while the beasts heart continued to pump, spraying the grass in front of the slowly tipping, headless corpse.

 Ts eye twitched. Thisthis is a lot messier than Id anticipated.

 The third bull had been facing her, more or less. The sphere breached the top of its skull, driving downward and embedding in the neck before slowly pulling back up, causing the bovine to disgorge some of the eviscerated flesh that had followed the ball for the end of its devastating path.

 That was, unsurprisingly, the cleanest of the three kills. Well, two kills, the first still needs to be properly dispatched.

 She walked down the slope following her weapons path, if much more slowly.

 As the bulls were dying, the cows were already beginning to struggle.

 T didnt see the calves die, and when she looked to see how Terry was doing, she saw him crouching on a nearby hill, just waiting and watching. There was no evidence of where the young thunder cattle had gone. Not one drop of blood in evidence.

 Though, it would be hard to spot anyways, given the ocean Ive unleashed.

 She began to jog, even as the cows were looking around, stumbling in a way that seemed a bit drunken.

 T reached the first bull and used Flow to end his suffering with a blow from behind.

 The cows hadnt really paid attention to the small human before that, given the chaos surrounding them and her iron salve making her less visible to their magic sight, but all three oriented on her instantly as the alpha bull died.

 And they were livid.

 A raking series of lightning strikes shattered the ground starting halfway between T and thergest cow, moving towards her with unnerving steadiness.

 The smallest cow let out a bellow of fear and rage and tried to charge T, only to immediately trip. The loud crack and chaotic tumble that followed was a clear signal of that animals demise.

 The middle cow was suddenly wreathed in power, with a sh of light, the bovine was towering over her, front hooves raised and already descending to trample her.

 They can teleport?!?! Thankfully, her instinctive reactions were faster than her conscious thought, and Flow was transformed into a ive and cutting upward before her incredulity fully manifested.

 In her haste, she dumped more power than necessary into the weapon, and it zed with power as it struck the bovines chest and the power tore through the animal, bisecting it and cauterizing the two halves in a single blow.

 Thergest cow stumbled to the side, its attacks faltering before they reached where T stood, already panting under the influence of an adrenaline dump, between two smoking sides of beef.

 It was dead before it hit the ground.

 T slowly calmed herself, before clearing her throat. Well. That worked. She swallowed. Im really, really d I didnt just charge in here likest time. As she looked around at the carnage, she sighed. Well, it could have been better, but progress, not perfection, right? She looked to Terry, as he flickered into being beside her.

 He looked around at the red-painted grass and melting snow. He tilted his head in an obvious question.

 Yeah I know I said clean.

 He squawked.

 T grimaced. Im working on it, okay?

 He trilled happily, giving an almost shrug, before plunging his head into the nearest carcass, skillfully extracting the guts and viscera without contaminating the meat.

 Eat up, buddy. You earned it.

MillionNovel

Chapter 154: You Earned It