Chapter 20: All Charged Up with Tragedy

  “Iris!” I gasped, jumping at the voice suddenly coming from my chest.

  She appeared beside me and floated impatiently. “Quick, take out my book.”

  I bit back what I wanted to say and fished through my bag for Iris’s Cookbook. “Okay, now what?”

  “Turn to page nineteen,” she instructed. “It’s the second recipe on the page.”

  Magic Infusion Device (MID)

  Bless any item with tragic magic.

  Required Ingredients:

  1 Item to be infused

  1 Blessing from the goddess

  1 Manasoul

  Place the item and manasoul in an existing shrine of at least S rank. Pray for the goddess’s blessing.

  Chant Benedict Vas Istud.

  Note: Blessed items ideally be infused with the wielder’s mana.

  “Wait a second,” I said, looking at the smug goddess who hovered over the book. “I can’t go all the way back to Yew to use the shrine. This recipe is worthless without a shrine, and I doubt I can find the necessary items to make another one out here.”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Iris waved my concern off. “I am going to teach you how to use my mark. Any ground you place it on becomes a single-use shrine.”

  “What do I have to do to earn your blessing?” I sensed a catch in the recipe.

  Iris smirked. “Just this once, I am going to bestow my blessing for free. Each of you may choose one item for me to bless. Anything else, you must earn.”

  I continued to complain. “Why did you make us make shrines if there was a mark we could use?”

  Iris hissed. “I am making an exception because you are my chosen. Don’t make me question my selection.”

  I realized I’d pushed as much as possible, so I got with the program. “Yes, Maam. So what do I do first?”

  She sighed, making a golden design appear in the air with her finger. It looked a lot like the mask Aura gave me, only this one was weeping. “Memorize this image. It will call my aura when you need it. Do not use it recklessly. Evoking the image when there is no vessel to contain my blessing will result in tragedy.”

  I knelt and etched the design in the rugged earth before the sample could fade. It took several tries, but the lines glowed with divine energy when I finished.

  “Now, place the ingredients,” Iris instructed. “The last thing you want is to summon minions of tragedy. I guarantee non-magic weapons won’t touch them either.”

  I took out a manasoul and instructed VInce to place his axe next to it. The symbol glowed so bright it momentarily blinded us. When it died down, all that was left was the axe. Only it was different. The manasoul embedded itself in the hilt.

  “Pick it up,” Iris said, looking at me.

  “Me?” I asked, wondering if she was talking to Vince.

  “Yes, you,” she replied, motioning to the axe with her chin. “You need to understand how this works.”

  I picked up the axe, ran my finger over the manasoul, and immediately felt the effect. The stone tugged at my mana, willing me to bestow it on the axe. It wasn’t mandatory. I could deny the axe with a thought, but I released my mana, and the axe began to charge.

  Platinadium Greataxe (Blessed by Iris)

  Rank A

  Attack: 25

  Type: Darkness

  Special: Calamity

  Charges: 100/100

  It hummed with power, and dark sparks ran along the blade. I took a few test swings, unsure of what to expect.

  My attention stopped when I read the affinity type. “Won’t the Wraiths be immune to dark damage?”

  “It will damage the shadow-kin,” Iris explained. “Light affinity may be more effective, but my blessing will do the job.”

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  “Does one hundred charges mean it will work one hundred times?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “It’s not that simple. The number you see represents the mana a single stone can hold. You control the mana pushed into each attack, so it can either be just enough to damage the arcane or a burst of power that does amazing damage. Be warned, though. You have to recharge it when it depletes, and that might not be easy for all of you.”

  “How do I…?” The axe sliced through a rock like a knife through butter when I accidentally expended all the mana.

  Charges: 0/100

  “I see,” I said, heaving a sigh as I handed the axe to Vince. “Can he use it with my mana?”

  Iris glanced at Vince before replying. “He can, but he will feel greater affinity with his own mana. Yours will feel foreign to him.”

  Vince took the axe and gave it a few test swings. “How do I access the…ahh…never mind, I see how it’s done.”

  He charged the axe for a moment and brought it down on a nearby stone. A cascade of sparks flew off of the stone as the axe shattered the surface. It didn’t sink into the rock like my swing had.

  Charges: 3/100

  “Ah! He only charged three mana,” I exclaimed, pointing wildly at the menu only I could see.

  Iris smiled. “Four, actually. Even though he’s a Berserker, he’s showing restraint. It’s a good way to fight. You would do well to learn from him.”

  “What’s the point of holding back when I can refill it in a second?” I asked.

  Iris sighed, a look of exasperation crossing her face. “Not all mortals are touched by my divine essence. It will take your friends significantly longer to recharge their weapons. Now, let’s proceed to the next weapon.”

  “I was able to hurt the monsters with my magic,” Anna said, clutching her wand. “Do I need your blessing?”

  The goddess winked. “You can never go wrong with my blessing. In your case, it will add to the power of your spells and allow you to alter the aspect to a certain degree.”

  “Okay, then,” Anna beamed and eagerly handed me her wand.

  I made another sad mask diagram and repeated the ritual.

  Aquand (Blessed by Iris)

  Rank A

  Type: Darkness

  Magic Attack: 15

  Special: Tragic Water Affinity +

  Anna scooped up her wand as soon as the ritual was complete, not letting me touch it. She grimaced after holding it for a few seconds. “This is harder to infuse than I thought.”

  Charges: 5/100

  I chuckled and held out a hand to her. “Do you want me to fill it up for you?”

  She shook her head. “No, thanks. We have to get used to doing at least this much.”

  Isa reluctantly held out her knuckles with a sour look on her face. When she saw our look of concern, she said, “What? It’s not like you’re going to let me use them anyway.”

  Weighted Knuckle Grips (Modified) (Blessed by Iris)

  Rank A

  Type: Darkness

  Attack: 20

  Special: Knuckle Bombs

  She smiled when she put them back on. “I can feel it. They’re vibrating.”

  “Do you need help charging it?” I asked, wanting to be of use.

  Isa stuck out her tongue and closed her eyes. Soon, the knuckles glowed brightly.

  Charges: 100/100

  “Wow!” Was all I could say.

  “I knew it!” she opened her eyes and beamed at me. “I can fill them with Chi. If you want to help, you can recharge me later.”

  “I can do that…” I said awkwardly, averting my eyes from her parents.

  Vince, ignoring our exchange, scouted the clearing. “This area looks safe. Perhaps we should set up camp here and fully charge our weapons.”

  “That sounds good,” I said absentmindedly, still thinking about what Isa just said.

  Iris floated between us. “Not yet, my twitterpated disciple. We still have your blessing to discuss.’

  “But Excalibur is already magic,” I said.

  She raised an eyebrow. “Are you saying you don’t want a blessing from your generous goddess?”

  “Well, no…I mean, I do,” I stammered. “But I don’t use any other weapons.”

  “For you, I have something else in mind,” Iris replied, floating down in front of me. “I will bless your armor. It should make it harder for the shadow-kin to get through.”

  The thought of not taking serious damage every time they bit or clawed me was relieving. Then I thought about what she called them. “What are shadow-kin? Are they different from Wraiths?”

  “Yes and no,” Iris explained. “Think of them as a byproduct of the dark magic that went into creating them. They eventually become feral and form the monsters that you just encountered. That isn’t to say all of them will be wolves. Some will take other, more gruesome forms.”

  “So, they are just monsters,” I said, relieved that we weren’t killing more kidnapped souls. “Will there be any Wraiths on the island?”

  Iris shrugged. “I’ve told you all I can. Some things you’ll have to discover for yourself.”

  Realizing I’d got all the info I could, I set to work peeling off my armor. I then repeated the ritual and received Iris’s blessing.

  Platinadium Chain Coverall (Blessed by Iris)

  Rank A

  Type: Darkness

  Defense: 20

  I could feel the manasoul sucking at my mana the minute I put the armor back on. Just as with Vince’s axe, it only took a few moments to fully charge it.

  “Is there any way to give it more than one hundred mana?” I asked.

  Iris smirked. “Yes, but you’d have to earn my blessing again, and I’m afraid you’ve used up all my goodwill for one day.”

  “So, tomorrow then?” I asked, giving her a thousand-watt smile.

  “We’ll see,” she replied, melding into my skin and weaving her way back onto my chest.

  Vince took a tent out of his backpack and began erecting it with Anna while I examined my newly modified armor. As it was, the only way to test mine was going to be in combat with shadow-kin.

  “Are you sure you want to use that?” I asked after seeing the primitive-looking tent. “I can make you something out of stone or even summon the carriage…”

  “It’s fine,” Vince reassured me. “My wife and I spent many-a-night in this tent. Sleeping in it will be nostalgic.”

  “Ew, Dad,” Isa mock gagged.

  “Now, now, dear,” Anna tutted at her daughter. “You’ve already subjected us to sounds no parent wants to hear from their daughter. Besides, you know we can’t do that in these bodies. The most we will do is a little snuggling.”

  “Whatever!” Isa huffed, sounding more like she was from Earth than ever. “Alex, can you put the wagon inside of a stone house? It’s cold out here.”

  “Sure,” I replied, realizing she just wanted a buffer from her parents. “I’m sure we’ll find ways to stay warm.”

  I stationed knights at the perimeter of the clearing along with a single golem. Even from inside the carriage while occupied with Isa, I was still able to send and receive commands with the golem. It made me feel a little better about not standing guard myself.

  The next morning, we enjoyed bowls of hearty stew provided by Helen, along with a glass of juice from a berry I’d never tried before. I chose the meal for the boost it gave.

  +20 Stamina

  Vince and Anna both managed to charge up their weapons overnight, and we were ready to fight. I packed up the carriage and summoned a pair of golems to clear more jungle. We encountered another pack of wolves in the next clearing. The effects of our blessings were soon evident as a wolf clamped down on my leg and didn’t manage to pierce my armor.

  Anna’s water magic had dark particles in it, which made it shoot through the air faster and tear the shadow-kin apart before they could react. The new effect on Vince’s axe truly was a calamity. He spun from one attack to another, decapitating three wolves in a single continuous motion. We made quick work of the wolves in only one round while Isa stood back and didn’t get to do anything.

  “It’s not fair,” she grumbled.

  “It’s not like you’re missing anything,” I replied, trying to cheer her up. “We won easily, and nobody got hurt.”

  She pouted. “I want to help, not sit in the back like a helpless baby.”

  “Fine,” Vince said, taking charge. “You can help on the wolves, but only after Alex has them under control.”

  “Deal,” she replied, finally smiling for once.

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