Time and Place

Sometime after I’d already been coming to the workshop almost daily for a few weeks, Fridle pulled me aside from where I’d been watching Loali attempt to make a magnet from electric magic, metal wires, and several other metal and non-metal objects. Though I moved with Fridle to the opposite side of the room, I continued to watch Loali as she concentrated.

“Danny, what do you think about Loali?”

“What?” The question forced me to snap my eyes to Fridle, whose eyes and faintly croaky laugh felt somehow teasing. I’d gotten to know her a bit over the past few weeks, and for the most part she’d struck me as mischievous but just as pleasant to be around as everyone else I’d met in Kogen. Though it hadn’t come up before, I suddenly realized I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned out to be the nosy-aunt type.

“I was simply asking about how you felt about her abilities. Would you like me to ask you something else?”

“No.” I responded firmly, and carried on before she could decide to do so anyway. “And, uh, I think she’s pretty impressive- all of you are.” I responded, and pointed to the object sitting on her workstation, which was pretty much identical to several other devices I’d watched her complete. They were each made of some large beast’s black claws and were intended to, when used against a target whose magic was sparse enough that they couldn’t overload it, induce stasis in or reverse time for the person it was used against. She could program the claws to do either, but not both, and each would be useful in their own ways. Most people used the latter for healing injuries at the cost of erasing other’s memories for short time spans, and the former for subduing beasts or people after long battles. In both cases, such items could only be effectively used on people drained of magic, and since this involved the transfer of time magic directly into the person improper use could result in the death of the person they were used on.

“Hm. So does that mean you haven’t noticed how different Loali is?”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Ah, so you haven’t.” She chuckled, “I could never make a device with magic I didn’t have an affinity for. Neither could Itelber, and from all the tests Loali has put you through I’m sure you’ve noticed, at least so far, that you can’t either. Most magic device makers can’t. Just like everyone else, the most we can do with other magic is adjust it just a bit- like you can with your light glasses.”

“So you wouldn’t be able to make a device with space magic?” She shook her head, and I tilted mine. “Then why can’t Loali make a froster?”

“She still has limits like anyone else, though hers are a lot less strict than most people.” She explained. “I think if she really wanted to dedicate her time to it, she could eventually manipulate ice magic well enough to make one. She told me when I first caught her trying to use electric magic that she’d slowly been able to get the magic to listen to her, she just had to spend a lot of time slowly moving it and adjusting to its unique properties without absorbing it. I think that would be impossible for most people.”

“That’s incredible, then...” My voice trailed as I looked back at Loali, who was still focused on her work. A moment later I looked back at Fridle, who I could tell was holding herself back somehow. I wasn’t about to question why, since I had an idea anyway. “Then she doesn’t learn to use ice magic because you can just buy frosters?”

“Exactly. If they were more expensive or there was something she specifically wanted to make it might be a different story, but the other things we create with the materials we have are worth far more than the frosters. Right now, our most valuable items for trade are made with her space magic and my time magic. Loali’s dedication to learning my affinities came at first from her interest in the potential of electric devices, but money is also a big motivator now.”

“So what are Loali’s affinities?” Fridle’s eyes subtly widened at the question then settled themselves, and before I could question her about it she had an answer.

“You’ll learn,” she began. “Also, I realize that your unique circumstances are probably to blame for why you asked, but just so you know, asking that is generally rude.” Probably as a result of the amount of time I’d spent with her I was not immediately mortified, but rather made curious by this revelation.

“Really? Why?”

“A number of reasons, I guess, but an obvious one would be the vulnerabilities that information can reveal. Where possible, people try to hide their affinities for safety’s sake.”

“Because magic of an affinity someone doesn’t have can hurt them?” I suggested.

“That, and so others can’t predict how they’ll defend themself.”

“I understand.” I assured her, and she nodded.

“On that note, I wanted to ask you if you’d be willing to do an experiment with me.” She grabbed a box from the edge of her workstation. I recognized the charcoal texture of it and knew it contained a sensitive, likely organic, magic device or material.

“You want to test out a potential affinity I could have?”

“Not quite. Loali has tested practically everything we can test.” She admitted, and held the box in her lap for a few moments. “Danny, I want to test if any affinities can hurt you.”

“Hurt me..?” It took me a moment, but I understood quickly that she meant to test what affinities my body could safely absorb. Knowing that could potentially mean life or death for me, afterall. Living things could degrade just like magic items if they took in too much magic of affinities they couldn’t handle. So far my magic didn’t seem to degrade anything I used it on, but the reverse wouldn't necessarily be the case. “How?”

“I was hoping to try and filter some magic into you, specifically time magic. Compared to doing so with electric magic or some other affinities, the consequences of time magic that improperly interacts with your body should be relatively minor in the amounts I intend to use. This stasis device should be perfect for ensuring I only test the time affinity and in a controlled fashion.”

“How will we know if my body can’t handle it?”

“You’ll be able to feel it. Some people, due to the amount of magic they have, have a higher tolerance than others, but generally the introduction of incorrect affinities to your body will make you feel sick or at least repulsed.”

“Then testing it shouldn’t be that dangerous?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“It shouldn’t, no.”

“Then I don’t mind t-”

“Fridle!” Itelber’s hushed but urgent voice drew our combined attention towards the door of the workshop, which he’d just firmly closed behind him as he entered.

“Dear? What’s-” Her voice cut itself off when we noticed the panic in his expression.

“Scoriads,” he called, quickly moving to his workstation and digging through some of the items. Loali and Fridle started to do the same almost immediately after. “They must’ve dug into the tunnels farther back. I saw one, and heard at least three more. It should take some time before they pass us by and enter the village tunnels.”

“You’re sure they’re scoriads?” Loali asked, and he nodded.

“Stony and full of holes, four-legged, and shooting magma in my direction- what I saw was a scoriad. Byza and Saker are holding them back.”

“Then we need to inform the rest of the village.” Loali suggested, and he nodded as he seemed to find what he was looking for on the desk.

“I’ll be going, in case any came in farther than we expected. These should be sufficient to protect me,” he said, holding up several things, one of which I recognized as a box containing a barrier device Loali had made.

“I could help By-”

“Don’t even suggest such a thing, Loali.” Fridle scolded before Loali could even finish, and drew toward Itelber with several items in her hands. “I’ll keep watch on the tunnel here, dear.”

“Alright,” I could hear some reluctance in his agreement, “I love you.”

“I love you, too. Now go.”

He nodded, and without wasting any more time was out the door. Fridle took a moment to stand in the doorway. She briefly turned back, and I saw her gaze focus on Loali.

“Wait with Danny inside.”

“But I can-”

“I know you can, that’s why you should stay here with Danny. Keep the both of you safe, alright? I can handle a scoriad if one gets this far.”