Sometime during the first week after the closing of the pit-of-three-evils Alexis approaches Gustav.
“Thanks for being there, when things were looking the darkest with the Arru-Noroth.” Alexis clasps Gustav meaningfully on the shoulder and locks eyes with him for a moment to let him know how much it meant.
For a while now Ethelred has been convinced that there are paths to ‘magical’ powers that does not lead through a God. Watching Telosh it was clear that chaos can come from materials. But chaos is not a viable path for Ethelred. Even before that the cleaning that Karnoha taught Alexis uses materials to power the cleansing.
Creating the wooden door and then using it as the last piece to close the pit finally revealed a clear path. Materials themselves, no just words and wishes, can do work beyond what Ethelred understands.
The lesson to be learned for Red is how to take what is available and balance it with what is possible. He has seen how Telosh can offer items, and break items to powerful effects. He has seen how Alexis gives all the reverence to the Gods. Ethelred’s path must be to walk between these. Order, understanding and materials must be combined intelligibility to gain the desired effect.
As the days pass on and Alexis works to help Ethelred learn ‘magic’. Red is keeping his eye on how best to use materials, the power within them, to the effects he needs. His first task is to learn how to reverse the open effect to close the trigger on the ballista he and Gus are building.
Does he build a tiny pair of doors and use one to trigger the other? Does he make a stick from the same wood as the door, and break the stick to cause the door to close? Does he bind the door open with some string and cut his own piece to have the door snap shut?
Many options. Many possible paths….
The crew is walking back to camp together enjoying the sun that has come out after the successful pit fight. A weight seems to have been lifted off of the wildlife as they are out and frolicking. Even Ethelred noticed some late season blackberry growth. Gustav notices all of that, but doesn’t look very relieved or happy. Gustav uncharacteristically starts a conversation with Alexis and Telosh.
“I am sorry you both have lost so much to battle evil and the enemies of humanity. Telosh, your arm and body were weakened. And you both have aged and lost time that might never come back. We all knew that we risked injuries and death. But since we are finding so much strange magic I suppose we should have known these unnatural injuries would be inevitable.
How does it feel? Is it harder to walk? Do you feel weather more? I know the attitude of the aged often change. Sometimes they are more mean and nasty after feeling cheated away from the life they hoped for. Sometimes they relax and become calm and loving to their children and spouses. Has your mind changed as well as your body?
Is there anything I can do to make things easier? Should I try to make your sleep more comfortable with fluffy pine needle bed sites? Should I help you stretch in the morning? Or should we be fighting it and try to find a wizard who can reverse it?”
Gustav gives a confused look. A thought rolls over his face and then converts to a guilty and sad look.
As the group is still recovering from Leer’s poison and talking about possible courses of action.
“We will leave Raff and Earika to their fight. The Sword Chaotic has a sort of gravity that I wish to move away from. Perhaps in a few years things will be different and I will have the opportunity to study it at the Collegium, but for now we will focus on other things.”
Alexis then moves to the tent flap and looks around, presumably to make sure nobody is obviously eaves-dropping. He then moves back into the tent and addresses Telosh in an even tone “You lied and deceived me when you cast that spell when I wasn’t looking. You waited for my attention to be elsewhere, and you purposely used my magic against my will. In hindsight I now realize you had been waiting for such an opportunity, possible for some time now. For an opportunity when I would have a working you could try to mimic and when I would be distracted. Pure deceit. Premeditated, and an utter betrayal of my trust in showing you anything of magic.”
Alexis seems slightly sad as he starts his next sentence “And now I can’t use magic around you, because I know you are always watching. Biding your time playing the role of a loyal companion, but actually deceiving me. Duping me into showing you magic but without the rigor, the skill, or the control.”
During the last few nights the group is at the Greyfax estate, Alexis starts taking half an hour before bed to lay out the two wooden rings on one of the inn tables and chants while fingering the one ring and then the other.
The chanting has some of the same feel as when Alexis uses his magic; the words have a similar nebulous sound.
“Impiea padtion xame herum” Alexis takes a finger and circles it around the ring once. Then repeats the ritual several more times before swapping rings and doing the same thing with the other ring.
About a week after Barra has defeated Utiog, Alexis is waiting for Gus as he returns from his morning shit.
“And what a fine day this has started out to be. Before I go back to my studies, I was hoping you might tell me a little something about your new ‘magics’. We have been talking about the gods a lot recently, and I would be curious to know where your ‘magics’ come from.”
“Before you try and bullshit me, play dumb, and stonewall me, I have a reason for my question: if Earyka targets your ‘god’, I want to know it; it’s important.”
Alexis stands in front of Gus awaiting his answer.