A Practical Guide to Sorcery (Book 3)

Chapter 102 - First Moves (Part 2)

Liza scoffed. "Ridiculous! I haven't even seen this spell in action, and you admittedly haven't cast it yourself. Everything you're telling me is hearsay. Twenty gold, and I'll help you test it. I have protective wards built into the casting room below that should help keep us safe against violent spell reactions, and my Will is almost certainly necessary for a spell that does what you say. Without me, you would be risking your sanity and your life. Hells, something like this could easily trigger a break event."

That was an undeniably persuasive argument, especially considering Siobhan's recent experience, but she would not give in just like that. Liza had actually offered to pay her! For a spell that Siobhan developed herself! "It's not quite as demanding as you think. I wouldn't turn down your help, but with some effort, I can cast it myself. I'm not worried about serious reactions. As I said, another sorcerer has already reviewed it. One I trust. This is the kind of spell that could change your life. An extra eight hours a day? How much is your time worth, Liza?"

Liza narrowed her eyes. "Eighty gold."

"One hundred twenty gold, and the ongoing use of your casting room downstairs."

"One hundred gold, the use of my casting room, and I'll assist in the development and testing of this spell. But if the spell is totally unviable, I'll want my coin returned."

Siobhan almost agreed, but hesitated. "You'll sign a blood print vow of secrecy. And I want ten percent of the income if you ever use this spell or its principles for anyone else or otherwise earn coin from the knowledge." She didn't want Liza able to pass on the information to others for money or favors, but casting the spell directly should be fine. With Liza's prices, even a small percentage could fatten Siobhan's purse significantly.

Liza smirked. "Not bad, girl. Five percent."

"Agreed."

Once they had worked out the details of the vow, which protected each of them in both word and intent, and completed it, Liza waved at Siobhan impatiently. "Well, let's see it. You brought the spell information, I hope? I won't be able to devote any significant time to the project for the next couple of weeks while I finish up my current commitments, but I can take a look."

Siobhan pulled the wrinkled sheaf of papers from the bottom of her bag. Women's fashion made carrying all the necessary items so difficult. "While I'm here, I was wondering if you could take a quick look at my warding medallion. It experienced some strain," she said, pulling it from underneath her shirt while remaining careful to leave the transformation amulet hidden.

Liza waved her over to a desk covered in bits of metal and tools, turned on an extremely bright lamp, and settled a multi-lensed monocle device on her head. She set the medallion under the light and peered down at it. "Which spell saw use?"

"Umm, energy-deflecting?"

"Hmm. It seems fine. No melting like the anti-scrying function. That one is probably on the edge of breaking, but my divination-diverting ward should protect it as long as it remains on your person." She flipped the medallion over, inspecting it with an absent smile for a while longer. "Still one of the most impressive artifacts I've ever seen. It protects against most dangers someone might face, both magical and mundane."

Siobhan took it back, rubbing her thumb over the cooling metal. "What are all the functions, exactly? I've looked up all the glyphs on the surface, so I know the gist of it, but I've never had the chance to examine what's woven through the inside layers."

Liza pulled off the monocle and considered her for a few seconds in silence. "It wards against scrying, of course. In addition to that, it tries to divert or counteract specific energy, temperature, and force parameters. Those will help to protect you against the worst of the most common battle spells. It's got a list of common minor curses, too. It acts to discourage its own theft, or being noticed unless attention is specifically drawn to it. It will protect you, once, against a fall greater than ten meters, and can filter out an air bubble from the water around itself if you start to drown. And it should stop a small projectile like an arrow—anything moving faster than thirty meters per second."