//------------------------------// // Chapter 10. // Story: "Low Level" Mage // by Knight of Crows //------------------------------// Manus POV The encounter with Luna hasn't really helped my opinion or level of caution when she or Celestia are involved. My debt may be repaid, but I am still essentially on a tight leash that has only gotten tighter now that Luna knows about my necromancy and blood magic. I kept my attention on Luna and kept the sword close as we returned to town, Luna talking me out of destroying the ruins along the way. The guards it turns out were ordered to stay behind, probably for the best since they likely would've attacked me on sight if they saw. After returning, I checked on the egg and applied a little more dark magic to it while Luna was writing a letter to- I'm assuming her sister, before calling it a night. Come the morning and I was dreading the trip back to Canterlot enough that I didn't eat anything for breakfast. Seeing as I would be unable to do so myself, Luna offered to tend to the egg for me. I might not trust her personally, but I doubted she would hurt an unborn creature, especially one of religious significance right in front of me. The next several hours were hell, but once we reached Canterlot, I wasted no time getting off the train. "Trains are probably the only reason I'd ever use light magic if I had it." I said as I regained my bearings. "You'll get used to it eventually." Luna said. "I'll leave that for Fate to decide." I responded before trading the sword for the egg. "Would you care for something to eat now, or after we return to the castle?" She asked. "After, I don't like the idea of being that vulnerable near something of value." "Oh? Do you mean myself, or the egg?" "Not going to dignify that with a response." I chose to ignore that question before asking my own. "Are there any places that sell paint, colored candles, and forgive me if this is too specific, lunar moth wings?" "Yes, but why?" "Provided the egg doesn't hatch until after the full moon, which I think is scheduled for tonight, you could witness the hatching of a moonshadow phoenix." Princess Celestia POV -as both a thank you and a reward, I have informed Manus that his debt has been repaid. Provided you also choose to give him a permit to use dark magic, I have requested he investigate what may be the cause of the corruption forbidden magic users tend to display, a permit for blood magic afterward. With that said, I ask you gather any books on dark magic should you sign off on this as well. Regarding the ruins themselves, I talked him out of destroying them as we left with an item of interest: "The Blade of The First Vampire, Lifedrain". A weapon that as he put it, "shouldn't be in this world" and only Vampire Lords have any business having direct contact with it. I believe we should contact Solkier some time in the near future, seeing as it is a relic of his kind, I'm certain he would be delighted to have it back in the right hands. Your sister, Luna I disposed of the letter before putting court on hold and leaving for my bedchambers. Under any other circumstance, Manus would've been dealt with as others of his kind have in the past. However, as my sister has observed thus far, he is different. He has not proven to be malicious, deceptive, heartless, power hungry, certainly not insane, or anything all the others had in common. The only other po- individual to do so was the Vampire Lord mentioned, contrary to what we said to Manus, and mistakes on all sides nearly started a war with a now good friend. We may have jumped to conclusions, but what is to be expected when all others who used such magics before had no problems committing the worst atrocities. If this does bear fruit, the applications of magic could see a second renaissance, perhaps more than what Starswirl contributed all those years ago! From what he demonstrated with the burn patient, to lifting two curses one after the other with such ease. Regardless, I'm glad he's different from the rest. As I reached into my desk for the supplies needed, another letter, one from dragon fire, appeared before me. My student isn't finding much in her library and is requesting to meet Manus and examine where he appeared, hoping that what he can teach her about his world's magic might help her to understand how he arrived if the Royal Archives don't have what she's looking for. After granting her permission, I continued with my original task. "Though I do worry if he can't return home. I suppose I should have a place of residence ready in that case, perhaps officially hire him. No that probably won't work, the position of Archmage sounds as political as it is proof of magical prowess, so such a thing likely won't interest him in the slightest, even as an advisor for matters of the arcane. Maybe if it really is the user that's corrupt and not the magic, we could hire him to find such individuals, the non-violent ones and welcome them back into society. If it is the magic, he could potentially save many from themselves if the curse or corruption can be dealt with." I thought as I pulled out a type of medallion that hasn't seen use in a long time, the bearer of such basically having the same authority as royalty with some exceptions of course. I debated whether or not to give it to him, but put that decision off as I finished writing what I needed to and stamped my seal on the parchment. Finishing what I set out to do, I went to the Archives' forbidden section. I never dared to read anything Starswirl didn't try to teach as far as forbidden magic is involved, so I can only go by the covers. As I was searching through, only one other thought came to mind. "This week is going to be quite busy, I'm sure." Manus POV We arrived back at the castle and upon arrival, a different looking guard came to greet us. A white unicorn stallion in purple and gold armor saluted the us as we approached. "Greetings, Princess! I hope everything went smoothly?" He asked. "We had some trouble, but it's been taken care of, Captain Armor." Luna answered. "You should probably rethink how to train your soldiers. More than once did they all nearly get themselves killed in the stupidest, most avoidable way possible! You're lucky you don't have an Exolvuntur damned Lich to fend off!" I told him, the Captain glared at me in response. "And who are you to tell me how to train my troops?!" He asked me. I took Life Drain from Luna and pushed it against his chest plate. "Someone who actually knows how to deal with necromancers. Now throw this in the darkest corner of your vault and keep it wrapped if you want to keep those hands and not suffer any effects of blood loss!" I walked past him and moved up to my chambers with the egg and tools needed, paying no mind to those I passed by, I arrived at my chambers with everything I needed. I have several hours before the ritual, and it's as short as it is easy since there aren't exactly any special runes or incantations needed. If anything, it's repetitive. After clearing out a several feet of space, I began drawing the circle needed. Along the edges of the circle, I drew several suns and on the next inner layer, different phases of the moon, I needed enough space for two full moons and two new moons. On top of the moons, I placed the tallest blue candles on the full ones and descended in height to the new ones. After drawing the symbol representing the Goddess, Seres in the middle, there wasn't much left to do for the circle except to draw lines connecting to the full moons and dig out a bit of wax to the top is curved inward. That was it for the circle itself, now to set up the items needed during the ritual. Provided I don't make physical contact with the Moonlight Stone, their magic won't be absorbed into me if they get crushed. Forgetting to buy some gloves, I made due with ash to cover my hands. I needed to break up the stone into a powdery substance before it would be usable. While breaking it up, I found myself wondering how blacksmiths, jewelers, and geomancers find the patience for this considering how durable some are and how small others are. It was a pain, it took a lot more time than I thought it would, but I still had enough time for the finishing touches. After covering the lunar moth wings with the powder, I just needed to attach them to the candles and gently place the pillow carrying the egg in the center and wait until the moon rises before lighting the candles. Lunar magic is a strange thing. Aside from being as useless during the day as heliomancy is at night, it's what it's capable of that makes it strange. One such example being the stones themselves, one would think that they couldn't restore magic for those who can't use it, or anyone could use it under the right circumstances. You can't under any circumstance use fire if you're not attuned to it, but that's different to some extent for lunar magic. As for what it's used for; light, restoring magic, divination, and can create weak physical illusions, it's kind of all over the place. It's because of this that I wanted a moonshadow phoenix, because aside from the advantages it has from dark and fire magic, lunar magic would make it even more of a capable companion. That, and how it would look, I'd have to see it in person before comparing it to a cryophoenix. As the time drew nearer, I realized I had forgotten to eat dinner. After requesting a servant bring me something quick and easy to make, I double checked that I had everything ready. It was now time for Luna to raise the moon (I'm still not sure how to feel about that), and not long after the Sisters entered did they do their daily routine. A full moon shone through the balcony and it's lit up the circle. "With how educated- how talented you've proven yourself to be, I must ask why you never applied yourself in Xelroth?" Celestia asked. "Did you want to be a princess? Did you want to bear the weight of an entire country, or your cases with the sun and moon, the fate of the entire world?" I asked both in turn. "There are some things only certain ponies can do." Luna answered. "There might have been others more worthy, more suited for the position. But from what I understand from the little history I've read, the reasons you two rose to power were because as alicorns, you represented all three tribes, and with your power, you stripped the sun and moon from the equation, forcing the unicorns to actually contribute. I didn't want to be the Archmage." I lit the candles with the wings and after that, this ritual should basically take care of itself. "Then what do yo want?" She asked another question. "Nothing I didn't already have or had the ability to obtain." I answered vaguely. Everything I wanted was back home, and I've honestly been trying to keep myself from thinking about it. After the wings were burned down to the candles themselves, the stone caught fire and burned every color of night. We could see what looked more like stars than sparks or embers, even nebula in the dark, but equally beautiful flames. Inch by inch, the circle glowed white, then changed between a light and dark blue. As more of the circle began to glow, so did each of the other candles catch fire. Once the rest of the candles were lit, all the light, all the "stars and nebulas" began to flow towards the center, towards the egg, engulfing it slowly. "So what did you want then, back in Xelroth?" Celestia asked. "I just wanted to learn magic, but had no other plans beyond that. Well, I might have gone to one of the border cities near Helmora to get a job lifting curses. The land itself and the wild life aren't exactly friendly if you catch my meaning. Maybe the grasslands in Tilokra, just outside the Marshes? Made a friend there on a field trip who wanted me to visit after graduation, a fox girl who seemed to know her way around an alchemy lab." I rambled off. "We are trying to find you a way back, my student should be here soon if she isn't already. She should be able to det-" I chose this moment to interrupt Celestia. "I'm not going to get my hopes up. To transport a person to another world shouldn't have been possible even with every spacial mage in the world unless a God had a hand in it, and I fail to see what Locus could've possibly wanted with me. Now can we please drop the subject so I don't have to think about the possibility of never seeing home again?!" After several minutes of what under almost any other circumstance would be a glorified light show, the egg now almost looked like the night sky itself with dark purple flames around the bottom. Now all that's left is to wait for it to hatch.