I know it sounds impossible

[hextechhead]

WHO: Jayce Talis and you
WHAT: A catch-all featuring reaction to Libertas/war and journey/help to Libertas
WHERE: Mostly in Cadens and Libertas, one Horizon prompt
WHEN: September
WARNINGS: General reaction to violence (obviously) and PTSD in comments.





Starters Below!

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Comments

[blackeyedprince]

"I know"

His previous declaration was not exaggerated. Not one bit. It wouldn't matter even if it was, because Kell is not going anywhere alone. And his brother is a lot more vulnerable than he is. Even now when he finally has magic he can use.

"I am trying to figure out how far I'm able to go with it," he adds. "But it's useless anyway if I can't take anyone with me."

Kell hasn't thought about any restrictions until now. Not that he wasn't aware of them. It was pretty clear from the official stance on leaving the city. He just didn't want to think about them. Jayce was right to be more cautious, and he's definitely better prepared.

"I could technically teleport to the teashop I work in." A thought crosses his mind that he could get the teashop owner in trouble, but Kell doesn't dwell on it. When it comes to Rhy's safety, he can be pretty ruthless. "I don't know any other places outside the castle well enough to be sure I can leave my sign there, and it won't be disturbed."

He's mad, mostly at himself, that he didn't think about it earlier. That, contrary to his own nature, he let people confine him to a single place. Again.

[hextechhead]

"Teashop is better than nowhere. I know all of Cadens very well by now, I'd encourage you to do the same." Jayce did that just because he likes to know where he lives, and he runs all over the place between work and his studies. And now he's a healer too, so there is always something he has to do. In fact, this small break is a rare exception in his insane schedule, but he needed the quiet of this place.

"Viktor's worried they will eventually try to get us to make weapons. Our store is known, but I wouldn't say at the moment we stand out any more than other well-known native blacksmiths. A little quirky, but the military haven't asked us for anything before." So there are reasons Jayce isn't as concerned as he is, but he understands the fear. It's not about logic, it's about experience, and always goes back to Jayce weaponizing their technology.

"We can't actually run, even if I have exit strategies. Viktor won't survive without technology and the access we have at the academy." So Jayce can imagine a way out all he wants, but it would be a death sentence for Viktor. His healing can't last forever, they both know that. Jayce doesn't speak frankly about Viktor's sickness to most people, but Kell accidentally found out the first time they spoke, so he knows he can just talk about it.

[blackeyedprince]

"I'd really like to think that we're no more than a curious magic experiment for this mad woman, so she's most likely to forget about us while she's busy being crazy. She's also not the only ruler, but I don't have high hopes for the king."

This is all politics, though, but whenever magic is used to enact some big change on the world, it's not only armies and weapons you should worry about. To Kell's understanding, and he's yet to find a single thing here to prove his understanding does not apply here, magic is always forces in balance. The Singularity itself is enough of a disturbance. Magical attack and retaliation, both causing destruction and death, can't possibly happen without disrupting this balance.

"How much of what you rely on for him is magical in nature?"

[hextechhead]

"I'm not sure I understand what the purpose of bringing people here in the first place was. It was the royals there and their high mage who did it, but then they threw people into the dungeon. It would almost seem like an accident, although maybe they didn't know what would actually happen."

He can't read minds so all he can do is speculate, but it doesn't seem likely they knew what they were getting when they reached out to other worlds. Otherwise, they would be more directly controlling the situation. It seems very reactive so far. Free Cities and Solvunn did the same once they realized Thorne had an edge. But did they? No one has asked anything of them.

"What I'm more worried about is what they'll use their New Magic for, combined with magic and technology. The weapon I made, it was lethal in a way very few weapons are. If they can harness something similar, on a larger scale, this could get uglier."

Jayce told Kell that he killed people and that it haunts him, but it also is coming from a place of understanding. He made one superpowered hammer and killed a whole collection of people easily, having never fought before. He thinks Free Cities has militarized to a higher level. It is very concerning. The Queen may have used a very dangerous magical attack to kill Libertas, but he worries that a New Magic weapon could wipe an entire section off the map with far less strain.

As for Viktor.

"Most of it. He does take some medical supplements and has been healthier for it, but my magic has been sustaining him." Viktor would be in very rough shape if it wasn't for that, which they both know. "But he's working on a project he started back home, if it works it could cure his condition entirely. It requires us to be here, we need their crystals to power it."

[blackeyedprince]

"I don't know what's their deal was," Kell admits. "Maybe it was an accident. Judging from initial reaction, it does seem to look that way. It sounds pretty stupid now, but at first, I was just glad to be here, so I didn't ask questions that I definitely should have. I doubt they let me snoop around now."

That counts for many things all at once, their presence, the reason why the Summoning happened in the first place, the Singularity, their connection to it. Understandable as it was, he'd rather had himself to be less complacent then. It's too late now anyway, but Kell can't help being bitter about it.

"I'm afraid that what the Queen has ordered could have been a show of force, but in no way the worse the mages here can do. And she has the whole Academy full of elite mages. Even if I only count the lecturing magicians and none of the students, that's already a lot. Back home, my mere existence in my home country's capital was enough to keep others from having stupid ideas."

Kell hates his role as a weapon for Arnes, and a deterrent to her potential enemies. He can see how here there could be a similar solution in place. They're just not in position to know about it.

Nothing of what he says is exactly encouraging, and he's painfully aware of it.

"Then you can't really leave."

[hextechhead]

"The reason I'm worried about it is because there is a difference between magic and magical technology. The difference with technology is it doesn't require effort or life force or people to cast anything. Imagine you can do a fatal high-level damage spell but instead of any cost to the mage, it's as simple as pulling a trigger. You could pull that trigger multiple times before someone could open their mouth to say a spell."

It isn't that Jayce doubts the ability of Thorne. Obviously they just bombed an entire city, he saw it first-hand. He saw the destruction that one giant spell could do. But he also knows what technology can do, and if that sort of magic is combined with it, it's on a scale most mages can't fathom. Thorne and Solvunn's technology is lacking, but Jayce has seen what Free Cities has come up with. It isn't as advanced as his work, but it will be.

Jayce sees now that Heimerdinger was right. He'll never get the chance to tell his own mentor that, but it's probably for the best.

"What I'm saying is that this is the start. We're all about to see something much worse as they escalate this war."

Jayce is worried about everyone. Solvunn seems to be the only safe one, for now, but he doubts it'll stay that way. He really thought he managed to outrun open conflict for now. It was only just beginning in his city, with some violence going on, but Libertas has really messed his head up. He's barely stable at this point, mentally, but he's really trying.

"No. We need to finish the cure and execute it and then he'll need to recover physically for awhile, so. No matter what happens, we need the Free Cities to not only stay thriving, but think well of us."

Thus Viktor's genuine concern they might come to them for weapons or try to use their knowledge in one way or another. That fear is reasonable.

wrap this up and let the boys meet in oleuni square after it opens up again to discuss?

[blackeyedprince]

Kell nods slowly. It might be just as Jayce says, and if it is, it puts Thorne at a disadvantage. Being at disadvantage and knowing it tends to lead to people overreacting. What's probably a saving grace is that there's no unanimity in Thorne's crown. The king didn't openly support the queen's action. He did not condemn them. That would stupid. But the direction his action has taken show that he's not that eager to escalate anything.

Or it could all be conjecture and wishful thinking on his part. Kell has no way of knowing. The only thing he's sure of that the times of relative peace and comfort for the Summoned are over.

"If I can help you with that in any way. Just tell me."

YES, will reply to your new post

[hextechhead]