Noble Arcana

In the mountains of the dwarves one can find rivers that flow like gold. Unfortunately, the dwarves are excellent builders, and have built dams to keep it from running out of their mountains

Lenn Braun, Chief Traveler of the Explorer’s Guild

Solomon followed the King of Swords to the side, hearing the whispers of the gathered crowd as he walked. The form the King of Swords had taken was that of a tall man with dark skin wearing a fine crimson doublet in an old style that hadn’t been in fashion for a hundred years. Unlike the others that were dressed out of date though, he had the bearing and stride of someone of the nobility. Whether it was due to his actual background or an elaborate ruse, Solomon couldn’t discern, but it gave him some context about the man either way.

They walked into one of the side rooms, it had the appearance of the parlor one might find in a palace. The King sat on one of the high backed chairs, and Solomon sat across from him.

The King looked him up and down for a moment before speaking.

“The spell I offer is a simple one. It has fallen out of favor with regular mages as they find fire and lightning much simpler and more flashy. It requires only a disk shaped object of any kind which can be launched with tremendous force. It doesn’t require much mana, but the object that you use will almost certainly be destroyed after use by the infusion of mana and the impact of it.”

Solomon nodded. This was a spell that matched his current needs, and it wasn’t as if he’d have any difficulty finding the proper reagent. Coin was not something he had difficulty keeping on his person.

“This is a suitable spell. How much?”

The king leaned back in his chair. “Two hundred gold. Preferably Draks, or gold in the equivalent weight to two hundred golden draks.”

“That’s a large amount of coin for this type of spell.”

“I have the impression that you have great need of it. And that you have more than enough coin for it as well.” The King of Swords placed a finger gently against the point of one of the swords that made up his crown. “If you don’t wish to pay, you can try your luck back out there, but they will not have anything as practical on offer. We can also work out an alternative deal.”

“Oh?” Solomon was already willing to simply purchase the spell, but the request would give him more information.

“The major arcana seem to have taken an interest in you. From what I have seen so far you’re just an above average hedge mage like the rest of them,” he gestured dismissively at the door back to the ballroom. “Perhaps a bit more cautious and deliberate than they are, but I can see no difference. Why do you think you have their attention and curiosity?”

He smiled. “Perhaps they find me charming?”

“Doubtful,” responded the King.

Solomon shrugged. “I honestly do not know. I wasn’t even aware of their interest.” He leaned forward. “That said, I’m willing to pay the two hundred gold you’ve requested.”

The King of Swords frowned. “World act as witness.” He then gestured to the door.

Solomon took the meaning and left, walking back out into the crowded ballroom where a number of new transactions were being attempted and discussions being held. He was curious about whether or not he should approach some of the conversing groups, but decided against it. At that moment he still wanted to feel things out more before attempting to get any more enmeshed.

He instead walked back to the private rooms where the anonymous requests were held. They were mostly the same as the previous week, aside from some fresh requests for what he guessed were alchemical ingredients that seemed to be sourced from particularly dangerous creatures. He saw one for cockatrice scales, another for griffin feathers, and even one for a dragon’s tooth. The payments were a choice of potions for each that included invisibility, healing, and poison that would turn one to stone. While he could think of uses for all three he had no intention of hunting any such creatures, and attempting to buy them himself would raise far too many red flags to just trade for potions. If it was to get the formulae for the potions themselves then he might consider it.

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He heard a chime and his mana form shivered. There was just a quarter hour left in the meeting. He left the private room, having made no purchases and accepted no job, and made his way over to where the Knight of Pentacles was still standing. She gave him a nod as he approached.

“I haven’t seen the King, or Page of Pentacles these last two times. Are they not frequently in attendance?” He asked.

She shook her head. “There is no longer a page. We believe he was captured and killed by the Union. As for the Queen, she has been travelling for some time, and is unable to attend.”

Solomon nodded. There was another chime and he could feel his form begin to vibrate more strongly as the mana that made up his form began to fade.

“I appreciate all of your help.”

She nodded her helmeted head. “You’re welcome Ace… Whatever it is you need that offensive spell for, do your best not to die from it.”

Solomon nodded, smiling. “I will.”

The colors of the ballroom began to swirl and fade before he found himself floating for just a moment in blackness. He didn’t recall standing in blackness the last time it had ended, and for a moment he felt as if there were eyes on him. He spun around, but at that moment he found himself back in his room at the Moonfallow manor. He spun around with such force he nearly lost his balance, catching himself on the wall.

He frowned, wondering what had happened at the end of the meeting. He shook it off and retrieved his walking stick, moving to place it by his bed. It was nearly early morning, and the stillness his body had been locked in during the Arcana meeting had left him stiff and sore. He took a few moments to open a safe and count out all of the gold he had available. He’d need to move up his next retrieval of funds from the bank to ensure his servants’ payroll, but he had enough. He carefully arrayed it on his desk before moving to lay down in bed.

In the morning he awoke to Melissa staring at him in his bed with a smile. Unlike the previous time The World had appeared, this time he was prepared.

“Good morning World.”

“Good morning Ace of Pentacles. Do you have your payments prepared?”

Solomon nodded, rising from his bed and moving to his desk where he’d already carefully counted out the two hundred and ten gold.

The World nodded, and the gold simply vanished, replaced by a single scroll.

He approached it and peeled it open.

Discus

Reagent: A disc shaped object

Grasp the object in your hand, pushing your mana into it. Throw the object, expelling all mana as it is thrown. The name of the spell must be spoken at the same time in order for it to activate.

Solomon nodded. The spell seemed very simple.

“Thank you,” he said to The World.

The spirit inhabiting Melissa gave him one more smile, then left.

Melissa blinked as her senses returned and he slipped the scroll into his desk.

“Are you alright?” he asked her.

She nodded as her eyes came into focus. “Yes. What is it you wanted for breakfast?”

“Just coffee and toast to start.”

She bowed and left the room.

Solomon still wasn’t terribly keen on The World’s method of communication, but there wasn’t any other choice for now.

Solomon ate his breakfast quickly and dressed, slipping away to the library early with a handful of copper, silver, and gold in his pockets. He went down into the hidden study and exchanged a salute with his blood bound homunculi before making sure he had a clear space between the desks and the dead god in which to work.

He took a copper coin, clutching it between his fingers and pushing his mana into it. It began to feel hot to the touch as he did so.

“Discus!” he yelled, throwing it forward.

The copper zipped through the air quickly, landing against the stone wall with a small explosion of black mana, leaving a scorch mark.

Solomon walked over to the mark it had left, examining it closely. It wasn’t very large, but within the mark he could see a small indent had been made in the stone.

He repeated the spell, this time with a silver coin. He pushed his mana into it. The heat this time was more intense and he saw one of his homunculi suddenly catch fire. He threw the coin.

“Discus!”

This time it seemed to fly much faster, and when it hit that wall he heard a powerful impact. On the wall was a much larger scorch mark.

He quickly moved over to his homunculi that was still burning and poured water over him.

It was scorched, but he could still feel the mana within it.

“You alright?”

It saluted back at him in response.

Solomon nodded and moved back to where he’d been standing. It seemed that mana reacted differently to different metals. Copper couldn’t hold the same amount as silver before it dispersed and silver was particularly attuned with it, but it let him pour in so much mana that it could actually be dangerous to him. He lifted a gold coin and attempted the spell again. This time it got hotter than the copper, but not as hot as the silver and the damage he caused was somewhere in between the two. His homunculus seemed undamaged as well.

“Of course the most expensive option is the one that’s the most useful.”