I shut the book for a moment, considering.
Given how flexible these spells seem to be, I could almost definitely get a Diviner to test if Sera and I are really related — and if so, I could probably even get more specific details.
But do I really care?
If the results told me we’re not related, would that change things for the better?
Probably not.
Father was presumably using the idea of Sera being my sibling as a way to try to create competition between us.
If so, he had utterly failed in that regard.
There were minor practical elements to knowing if we were blood related, though. If Derek thought that we could track Tristan using my blood as a focus, that meant it might be possible to track Sera through the same means — or to track me through her. Maybe it was worth investigating if that was possible.
It was worth thinking about.
More importantly, it was worth asking Sera about.
I’d made the mistake of making a big decision — making Patrick a retainer — without asking her.
I wasn’t going to make that kind of mistake again if I could avoid it.
I wasn’t going to ask her that night, though. I was still overloaded on social activity. I couldn’t handle more contact with people.
I kept reading instead, eventually finding the closest thing to the section I’d originally been looking for.
There are three basic location spells, each of which has numerous variants with more distinct function.
Arrow of Direction shows the caster a visible arrow pointing toward the current direction of the target. The most basic version only lasts a few moments. More powerful versions remain active and continuously shift based on the movements of the caster and the target.
Locate Target shows the caster an image of the target and their current surroundings. More powerful versions persist longer, show a larger area, or include senses other than sight. Using the Locate Target spell through a focus, such as a pool of water or a mirror, is often known as “scrying”.
Evaluate Distance tells the caster how far their target is away from them. More powerful versions work at longer ranges, or also include if the target is moving and the direction of their movement.
Various combinations of these spells also exist; it is extremely common to find spells that combine Arrow of Direction and Evaluate Distance, for example.
Note that spells also exist to block Divination attempts. In these cases, more raw power is required for a Divination to break through the defending spell, much like how an attack spell would need to break through a barrier.
That was all useful information. Now, I just needed to figure out how to get into the spire to make use of it, or maybe test some of the spells outside the spire to see what happened.
A few hours of reading had calmed my nerves a bit and helped diminish the pain in my hand to a manageable level.
I still wasn’t ready to sleep, but I forced myself into bed.
Tomorrow, I had training to do.
Chapter X – Difficult Questions
It was Tensday. My hand had mostly recovered, but I was still feeling nervous about overusing it.
I wasn’t going to stop training, but I needed to be aware that if I kept my regeneration items on, it would dull my pain to the point that I could overwork myself. I resolved to avoid using the regeneration items while I was enchanting and just put them on when I expected to be in combat.
I had three days left to get ready for the next dueling class, and I’d spent much of that time working on fixing Sera’s problem.
I knew it wouldn’t be as simple as just fighting another pair of students from our class. Things with Teft were never that simple.
I wasn’t sure exactly what he’d throw at us, so I needed to prioritize carefully.
I wanted to finish the replica of Dawnbringer, but if the class was anything like the last one, we wouldn’t be allowed to use magical weapons. I estimated that it would take nearly a full day if I didn’t want to overuse my attunement again, and I couldn’t justify using that much time on something we might not be able to use.
I started by making a list of likely things that Teft would change for the test.
First, he could change the style of opponents. Maybe we’ll be fighting people from other classes. Maybe even summoned monsters, like a Survival Match.
If he’s feeling particularly mean, maybe he’ll make us fight a teacher.
To prepare for this, Patrick and I should do some two versus one fights against Derek or Keras. We’ll lose badly, but it will be a good chance to adapt to team tactics against a single stronger opponent.
Second, he could change our team members. My best way of preparing for that is to make sure my close friends are all properly prepared and ready to adapt. I should be ready to work together with anyone, however, even if they aren’t on my team. That means thinking about ways my style can synergize with each individual attunement. I can make notes on this.
Third, he’s almost definitely going to change the tiles.
I should check the arena the night before, either directly if possible, or remotely by asking someone to scry on the area for me. Given Teft’s personality, I don’t think he’d consider it cheating.
Fourth, I could cheat intentionally. If I do check the arena physically in advance, I could make alterations to some or all of the tiles, or place other enchanted items in the arena in advance. That might be something Teft applauds, or it might be something he’d fail me for. After looking at the arena, I’ll consider this and evaluate the risks.
Fifth, I can ask Teft in advance about the next test. It’s likely he won’t tell me anything, but he’s the type of person who might consider asking questions in advance to be part of the test. It is unlikely I will have any points deducted for asking, so this is worth doing, even if I really don’t want to.
I felt like that was a good enough list to start with. Enough so that I swallowed my usual distaste for talking to other human beings and shared it with Sera.
She wrote me another note in reply. She was capable of whispering now, but it seemed like it was still pretty painful for her.
When contemplating cheating, you’d be wise to destroy the evidence in the future. But I applaud you for the thought, even if I think you’re too innocent to ever go through with it. Talking to Teft seems unlikely to help, but wise to attempt.
Thank you for sharing your ideas. I’ll plan to do some two versus one training with Marissa as well. I’ll let you know if I think of anything else we can do to prepare.