Mark of the Fool

Chapter 307: The Spiral

Normally, this would take months to teach. ValRok gestured to a chair by the fire for Alex to sit in, then scuttled over to some shelves and began rifling through various devices. But with your level of experience in mana manipulation and alchemy, let's see if we cant crash you through the basics. If you do well enough, I'll get you access to the more advanced mana technique guides from the librarys lower floors.

Alright! Alex rubbed his hands together in anticipation, then startled when a particularly loud pop exploded from the fireplace. He shifted his chair. Uh, Professor?

Yes? ValRok continued his search through the shelves of sinister looking devices. Alex shuddered when he picked up what looked like a fan made of knife blades.

Why the fireplace? He said. I mean, forceballs, light spells and magic items would be more efficient as a light source, and more suitable for a mana manipulation professor, right?

Ah, you might be right on that account, ValRok said. But all the talk of the expedition has me feeling a littlerustic. And longing for the smell and pop of fire in the office. When I get tired of it, Ill have it removAha!

The lizardman turned, holding a device that looked part funnel and part corkscrew which grew narrower and narrower from the funnel shaped top, down to the tip of its spiralling tube. This device is designed to test and train your mana senses sensitivity, and your mana manipulations precision. If you want to run a mana current through the individual fibres that surround your mana pool, you have to be able to sense them with the strictest precision so you can then run the exact amount of mana through each fibre.

What happens if I pour too much current in?

The fibres will break under the strain and your mana pool goes pop like a paper balloon! ValRok grinned.

Alex stared at himnot really surprised by his reaction.

What? Therere reasons why two out of every three mana manipulation students quit before they even get to second year. By third year, the attrition rate is even steeper. But luckily, youll have me right here for guidance, so there wont be anyunhappy little accidents, as it were. Now here The lizardman extended a copper wire from the bottom of the funnels spiralling tube. hold this wire.

Alex eyed the wire with mistrust.

I really need to stop taking suspicious things from suspicious wizards, he said. Actually, if I stop doing that Ill probably have to drop out of school

He took the wire and felt a small jolt from it.

Mana current was already running through it, which quickly faded.

Hah! ValRok laughed that high-pitched laugh of his. Forgive the prank, I was just running a little electrical magic through the wire. You really ought to stop taking suspicious things from suspicious wizards.

Alex looked past ValRok at a small window that led to a drop hundreds of feet below. For a few heartbeats, he calculated whether he could pick up the professor fast enough to throw him through the window before the Mark stopped him.

Now, I want you to run your mana through the wire and into the spiral, then into the funnel. If you can do that, then Ill lend it to you. And by using this little device, youll be able to practise sensitivity and precision with mana.

Alex examined the wide end of the funnel. Shouldnt I start there, Professor?

ValRok grinned. Youd think so, wouldnt you? Just try it.

Frowning, Alex poured his mana into the wireand immediately found a problem. He couldnt find anentry point. Nowhere for his mana to enter the device. It was like trying to thread a needle without knowing where the eye was. He tried sensing for it, but felt nothing but metal.

Okay, here we go. Closing his eyes, Alex inhaled deeply, shutting out his other senses to only focus on mana. He felt around slowly, incrementally, searching for the beginning of the pathway.

Slower, Alex, he thought. Slower nowremember in the Cave of the Traveller you used the Mark to find those pathways in the dungeon core. This time, try finding this devices pathway without the Marks help.

Slowerslowerslower

In the Cave, the Mark had helped uncover hidden patches and discolourations along the walls. So, finding the pathway in the device would be a similar task, but now, he wanted to test himself and see what he could do on his own.

Slowlyslowlywait. He stopped.

His mana had caught a snagaround the edge of the wire. Gently probing the area, examining it for

Yes, he whispered.

There it was. The entrance to the device. Alex had not only found it, but hed done it on his own, with no help from the Mark. Satisfaction grew in him as he eagerly sent his mana into the wire, searching ahead. Slowly, cautiously moving forward until he bumped the side of the pathway within the wire, and was ejected: it seemed that any contact with the sides immediately broke the connection.

He started again, resisting the urge to swear.

Moving as slow as honey in winter, he eased forward, finding the task easier the second time aroundbut still very finicky: the pathway in ValRoks device was narrower than in any magical device hed ever connected to before. Trying to guide his mana throughitfelt like hewas trying to thread a thick rope through a needles eye.

Concentrating intently, Alex manipulated his mana, thinning it to a narrower and narrower stream. It called for precision, and a large measure of patience if he wanted to successfully thread that symbolic ropeso to speakthrough the needles eye again.

he really needed to stop thinking about needles.

Gradually his mana thinned enough from twisting and stretching it over and over like clay, until it formed a thin, narrow point like a sharpened arrow tip, ready to find its target; he shot his mana straight for the entrance, it found the pathway again. Yes!

Hed done it, hed gotten through the first part all on his ownwith zero help from the Mark two times now. A moment for a little mental congratulations, then, it was Mark activation time. Past successes flowed into his mind to guide him through the path. The first memory it brought up was the success hed just achieved. Alex smiled, knowing he was more than just a man with a magic Mark.

He continued smiling as his mana passed through the small end of the spirally part of the funnel. Basic pattern recognition dictated that the pathway should widen when he reached the funnelbut he had a feeling it wouldnt be so easy. There was no way ValRok would give him a tool that became easier the farther he went. After all, where would the fun be in that for the wizard?

Cautiously, Alex manoeuvred his mana to the edge of the funnels spiral.

And there it is.

The pathway didnt widen. At all.

Quite the opposite.

Instead of widening when it reached the funnel, the minute mana pathway split into a multitude of narrower paths, each fanning out in different directions. To move his mana through the next part of the device, hed need to sharpen it, break it up, then try sending the pieces through the web of pathways all at the same time

Unlessmaybe he could travel one pathway at a time?

He carefully probed the device with his mana.

No.

There was a lock on every path: if he sent mana into only one or two, the device would break the connection and eject him. Then hed have to start all over again.

He looked up at the professor of Mana Manipulation who was watching him with a broad self-satisfied grin plastered on his face. It seemed he was quite proud of the tricky little device.

With a grunt Alex tried splitting his mana into smaller streams.

He creased his brow in concentration, twisting his mana into narrower and narrower points. The sensation of passing his mana through a device that was full of twisting pathways that could lock him out without notice, was familiar. He remembered well how the dungeon core had fought him back in the Cave of the Traveller.

And that was when it was almost emptied of mana.

If I cant do even this much, how the hell am I going to deal with a fully powered dungeon core? he thought.

He was reaching his limit, but he kept going, shaping his mana into a finer point, trying to keep the thread of power from snapping. It was a strain. Like trying to spin a strand of wool into thinner and thinner filaments while keeping each one intact.

He called on the Mark again.

but, it wasnt quite enough to help him.

Andthe thread snapped.

Thats enough, ValRok said. You look like youre going to give yourself a stroke.

Alex opened his eyes, feeling a pounding headache beginning.

I can give it another shot, professor.

Oh no, thats enough for today. You accomplished more than I thought you would: my third year students typically take a good week or two to get through the wire and make it to the entrance of the spiral. You did very well, Alex. You just need more practise time. So, Ill let you hold onto the device for now: once youve mastered it, come see me and I can recommend some books on more advanced mana manipulation techniques for you to get from the library.

Right Alex said. Turning the device over in his hands. Whats it called, anyway?

Itos Spiral, ValRok said. Its a device so frustrating that it might drive you a little madbut if you master it, you wont regret it.

ValRok was right about one thing.

Itos Spiral was absolutely maddening.

At first, it had started out as just a device to practise his mana manipulation between learning summoning spells, but now, it had become an obsession. He brought it with him when he was spell practising, he brought it to class to use between classes, he brought it to the encampment to practise with during lunch breaks.

Hed even brought it to Shales workshop.

Lagor didnt even try to hide his disgust for Itos Spiral the first time Alex brought it to work with him.

Ugh, get that awful thing away from me, the orc crafter said, glaring at it from across the breakroom. That thing led me to more nightmares during third year mana manipulation than the damned Illusionary Hell Box did, which I didnt believe was possible, until it happened.

He snorted, his short tusks chewing on his upper lip. Even just laying eyes on it makes me want to smash it into a thousand piecesand besides, arent you in your second year? How the hell did you get that?

Professor ValRok lent it to me, Alex said, already pouring his mana into the wire. The initial part of Itos Spiral had become a lot easier to negotiate after days of practice, but he was still having problems breaking his mana into multiple threads. Thanks to the Mark, hed gotten to the point where he would split his streams of mana into two without breaking them, but his control fell apart once the streams narrowed.

Theyd either sputter out, or crash into the walls of the pathways.

Alex told himself he was still making good progress, but he really couldnt help but feel his progress was actually at a crawl. Hed been learning a new summoning spell almost everyday, but his mana manipulation training felt slower than an iced-over snail.

How far are you with it? Lagor peered at the device, his face like a thundercloud.

At the beginning of the spiral, Alex said. Then when I break my mana into two smaller threads, thats where I lose control.

Lagor blinked. Waityou can split your mana into threads? Already?

Yeah, but I cant control them yet. They go crazy.

Go crazy? Notjust fall apart?

Yeah, thats whats been happening for days now, and it still happens he growled. when I try splitting them into three, I feel like my heads gonna split in two.

I remember that feeling wellstill, already able to split your mana into two when the pathways so narrow. Thatshuh. Lagor seemed deep in thought. Alright, Im done, I cant even look at that thing anymore.

The orc crafter stomped off, muttering to himself.

Alex really couldnt blame him. Hed often felt like throwing the device against the wall, even presently, but fought the urge away, continuing to pour his concentration into it.

Days crept by in a mix of classes, being tortured by Itos Spiral, and learning summoning spells on his own. A week passed, seeming to both drag on and fly by, until once again, he and his friends were heading back to Thameland.

What awaited them there wereunexpected developments.

And unexpected faces.