Chapter Fifty-One - Efficiency

Chapter Fifty-One - Efficiency I wasn't in a great headspace as I entered work the next morning. I'd been so tired that I set a Save point in the morning and slept in, only to Reload, only... that didn't help my body being tired, and I think it barely did anything for my mind. Fortunately, it wasn't going to be too much of a busy day. We had training on the docket for the day, but nothing too physical, though the gym was opened for us. I figured it wouldn't hurt to push some weights around and do a bit of cardio, though knowing that tonight was going to be busy, I paced myself. Around noon, after a very lazy morning spent procrastinating and sweating in equal measure, I moved back upstairs and noticed Dharti walking back towards her quarters. I flagged her down. "Hey! So, uh... I mastered Leafshed and Soothe Minor Pain. I was thinking of moving up to the next spell." "Oh?" Dharti asked. "Yes, I suppose you'd want that. There are a number of good cantrips in the database. Which one were you thinking of? Tea?" "Ah, sure," I said. I followed her to her office space. Terry's was filled with a million and one unfinished projects, like someone who'd started to make a shrine to ADHD but got distracted halfway. Dharti's office was a greenhouse. She had the corner office, maybe owing to her seniority or something. It meant two windows looking out of the building and letting in sunlight. That was probably good for the sixty or so houseplants crammed into the room. There were racks of them, and the plants seemed to be spilling out of their containers. Dharti had a desk shoved to one corner, but the centre of her office was a set of comfy, plush chairs around a low table on which sat an electric kettle and a nice tea set. Woman liked her tea and her plants. I sat across from her and let her do her thing, just nodding along when she asked if I wanted this or that. I ended up with a steaming mug of something that smelled fruity and which tasted... kind of deceptively bitter. Coffee was better, but Dharti was a powerful mage in her element and I didn't want to discover if she had a level three Instant Cancer spell up her sleeve. "So, I was thinking about jumping onto my first first-level spell," I said. Dharti hummed. "With only two cantrips under your belt?" Was that too few? The guidebook didn't really lay out a path to progression. I certainly didn't think it was harmful to try? "I suppose there are some very easy first-level spells that wouldn't be too difficult. Though it's quite the jump in complexity. That's how spells are generally organized, by the wall. Each increased level of complexity merits an increase in the spell's 'number.'" "Got that," I said. "Doesn't that mean that sometimes weaker spells are better?" "Yes," she said plainly. "Now... first level Nature spells, ah... but you're an outer elemental. You'll want spells that rely more on your Pensive nature than spells that feed on Sadness." I nodded slowly. "In that case, it's non-physical. Natural Alarm is a fun one. It awakens you instantly after the spell's duration has passed. Replenish Stamina soothes your muscles and breaks down lactic acid in the body while giving you a small boost in energy. Quite complex though, even for a first level spell. Ah... Imbue Food... more of a Sadness spell, but I imagine you might be able to cast it nonetheless without too much of a loss in efficiency." "No Thorn-Whips or the like?" I asked. "Hmm. That would be several spaces away. You could, but the casting would be difficult and your efficiency loss massive." Right, I'd done some research on that. It was worse even than she imagined, since I was a Remorse mage, not Pensive. Each step away represented, at best, a 20% increase in mana cost alone and a smaller decrease in spell effectiveness. If I tried to cast Firebolt, an Anger cantrip, I'd need to handle an 80% increase in magical energy cost... at best. I wasn't so good that I'd be getting that. If I tried a Wind spell, I'd be dealing with a 120% increase in cost. That wasn't counting the difficulty of casting with an emotion that didn't match the core's. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. "I think I can handle Replenish Stamina. Is it self-cast only?" I asked. "No, you can cast it onto others. It's a little harder, but I can guide you," Dharti said. "It's a nice spell if you're ever in a fight that's lasted for more than a few minutes." I nodded. I had a flash of memory. Me, panting so hard my lungs felt like they were on fire, every limb feeling weak and wobbly, back leaning against a concrete slab while bullets whizzed overhead and monsters screamed, and yet in that moment all that mattered was trying to breathe. I shook my head, and noticed Dharti giving me a very patient look. "It'll come," she said. I think it was meant to be comforting, and I appreciated that, but... not the right thing to say, really. "Thanks," I replied. "Anyway. I saw that first level spells are way more complex. I picked up two cantrips in under two weeks, but I bet this one will take at least a whole week to learn." She laughed. "I'll be impressed if you learn it in one week. Though don't push yourself to impress me. Your therapist has cleared you for first-level spells, yes?" "Therapist?" I asked. Dharti froze. "You... were not assigned one by the company? By HR? "No?" I said, uncertain. Dharti's expression didn't change. Every plant within ten feet of her wilted and bowed, filling the room with a slow, subtle rattle, and for a moment it felt very much like I was standing next to a C-ranker. Dharti took a deep breath, smiled, then set her mug down with a definitive click. She stood. The plants regained life at a glance, then she gestured for me to stay seated. I did as the scary healer lady asked. Also, she pulled out biscuits from a cupboard before leaving, which was nice. Then I heard her strident voice giving someone an entire heap of shit just down the corridor. When I leaned back to see, I discovered Dharti, five-foot-not-much, pinning Damien the HR D-ranker to a wall with a finger. I received an explanation a few minutes later when Dharti returned, looking very calm. "Things have been arranged," she explained. "Starting next week you can begin... shopping for a therapist, as it were. On the company dime. You don't need a company therapist. They'll cover the fees as long as they're reasonable." "Uh," I said. "Okay, but why?" I asked. She glanced at me. "Nature. Nature is, paradoxically, one of the greatest and worst forms of magic. We call the more elemental aspect of it Wood, you know? Wood magic." She snorted indelicately. "Ah... do you know why there are so few Wood mages, dear?" "No. I guess it's not as popular as water and ice or fire?" Water being fed by fear and terror and fire by anger made them the two most common elements by far. "There are as many Wood awakenings as Water," Dharti corrected. "But Wood magic is fed by Grief. Dear, most awaken in moments of extreme emotion, and Grief is not an emotion that forgives its user. I won' t beat around the metaphorical bush. Well over half of all Grief mages take their own lives within the first days of awakening their magic. Those who don't often only do so later. There remains some, strong of will, or weak of will, who don't do so. And yet they are cursed with magic that requires that they relive their darkest pain in order to function." Her eyes met mine. "If you ever find yourself facing a Wood mage of any amount of power, know that you are fighting someone deeply, deeply broken." I swallowed. "Noted," I said. "Ah, but you are an outer emotion. Pensive rather than sad." She smiled, and I was reminded that her own magic, Nature, was only a step away from Grief. "I think we should stick to spells within that realm for now. Only push out when you are cleared for it, yes?" "Yeah, that should be fine," I said. "Now, the aforementioned Replenish Stamina happens to fall right in that box of our own making. Here, let me fetch my tablet, I can walk you through some of the tricker bits of theory. You'll need to practice the carving on this one on your own time, but do come back and I'll see if I can't help you through the emotional phases you'll need for this." She smiled. "I have tissues... and tea." ***