Legacy Disowned - Book 2

Chapter 23 - Poor Decisions

This was going well.

There were always so many things outside of Sebastian's control, but this, at least, was starting to feel attainable. After months of banging his head against the wall Sebastian finally felt like he was getting somewhere. "Ancient Magic" as the Keepers called it was so much more than what he had imagined it to be. In fact, the more he learned, the more he hesitated to call it magic at all. It was more like a conductor, something that could draw and pull magic to itself, but not just magic—

"Sebastian—" Ominis' voice cut through the haze of Sebastian's thoughts. "When is the last time you've slept?"

"I'm finally making progress, Ominis. Look at this," Sebastian replied enthusiastically, gesturing to the chaotic array of notes and books scattered across the table.

"I assume you're referring to your disgusting mess," Ominis retorted dryly.

"It's fascinating," Sebastian went on, undeterred. "This magic... it seems to draw natural forces to it, even ones we scarcely understand! The Keepers seemed to restrict themselves to what they could tangibly see— stone, water— but Isadora recognized that there are more esoteric magical forces at play."

"Sebastian, what Isadora did—"

"I know," Sebastian scoffed dismissively, "but Ominis, this is good news. I finally have a grasp on how the repository was created. That brings me so much closer to figuring out how to deal with it."

"And I'm sure all your new little tricks have nothing to do with your current mania," Ominis replied evenly.

"Well..." Sebastian shrugged. "I'm not about to complain about being better able to defend... all of us. But this is actual, real, progress. Besides, I don't hear you complaining about your own discoveries."

It had been weeks since they had begun their intense work with the Keepers. Ominis' ability to perceive the world around him had expanded in ways none of them had imagined possible. Within an hour of testing his newfound ability, he had asked about "the rest of the Map Chamber," revealing to Darling that the dangerous test she had undergone beneath the Restricted Section to retrieve the book– containing the map– that had led her through further peril to reach said Map Chamber— had, in fact, been in the very same cavern, a mere stone's throw behind the Keeper's portraits.

Darling had been so livid upon learning this that she stormed out of the place and refused to return, leaving Sebastian and Ominis to train alone.

The Keepers had explained that this magic often manifested in ways that felt natural to the wielder, especially for those who couldn't see its traces. While its uses could very well be without limit, it was safer to trust in the shape the magic wanted to take and heed the limitations of those who had passed on their knowledge.

Rookwood had most easily understood the manifestation of stone and metal, while Fitzgerald had always had a strange talent with parchment and ink, and Bakar, who still had yet to make an appearance, had found a unique way of communicating with beasts. Sebastian had often seen Darling wield the invisible force like an unseen storm, tearing apart enemies around her, or gathering lightning and bending it to her will. Ominis, on the other hand, seemed to understand it on a vibrational level.

Sebastian, meanwhile, found that whenever he drew the magic to him, it seemed to desire nothing more than to combust. While he was thrilled with his new abilities, he knew he had to exercise immense restraint when tapping into it. Once, he had felt sparks gather around the room, and he was certain that if he hadn't pulled himself together at the last moment, the entire map chamber would have been destroyed. That had been the first time he experienced the same fatigue he had seen overcome Darling when she used it. But with practice, he had acquired a few simple moves that were well within his control and didn't tax him too much.