Adamant Blood

Mark pushed open the door of Comprehension Casting and a bell jangled overhead.

Comprehension Casting was a small office space with two people in residence, at two different desks. The desk up front was empty, with a little 'be back later' sign facing the entrance. An old woman sat behind the second desk, in the back, watching something on a screen. She did not look up. She was focused on that screen, and Mark almost felt bad about interrupting her…

Something about her seemed familiar. Mark had, of course, seen a lot of the same faces over the last few months, but this person's face was from… somewhere.

The door closed and the bell overhead made another jangle.

The woman looked over, barely registered Mark, and then waved a hand as she turned back toward her program, saying, "2 minutes!"

Mark remained about 4 meters away from the woman and he let her have her important moment, for she was very much into whatever was happening on that show. What show was she watching, anyway? He only saw part of the screen, but it looked like a live-action romance action drama thing. Someone was in a costume and blasting away at someone else and yelling things, like 'why did you do it?!' followed by the response, 'Because I could,' all soft and serious. Mark almost wanted to ask what she was watching, but he did not want to intrude. It was really nice to see someone so uniquely interested in a show. Mark was, after all, a 'supervillain', who was on the screen now and then. It was nice to know what people liked to see, and then make that happen.

Mark glanced to the air and looked at the books Quark had ready to go, like holograms floating in his vision—

The woman glanced at Mark again and her concentration in her show shattered.

Anguish. Joy. Hatred. And utter, complete delight. She really didn't want to stop the show, but she did, touching the screen and halting the drama for a moment, and then she clicked 10 minutes ago and left it there. And then she turned toward Mark, and there was some subtle hatred in the back of her mind, but that vanished completely as she stood and smiled.

"Greetings, Mark Careed. How can this one help you?"

Mark felt a bit weird to be addressed like that; 'how can this one help you'. But it was… fine? Mark got to it, saying, "Hello, yes. Uh… I'd like to know about Unions of Understanding— Oh shit. I remember you, now. You were on the Grey Whale with us when we were coming over. You cast something on me to help me with languages. Is that what you do here, too?"

Mark took note of her name on her desk. 'Puhi Haripi, Comprehension Mage.'

The older woman, Puhi, graciously bowed, saying, "It is indeed, Mister Careed. I was hired for the long haul, and now I am here in the city. Are you here in Mage Society as an intruder? I swear I won't tell! Do you need help escaping sight?"

She was telling the absolute truth, but she was also teasing and hoping Mark didn't take her up on the offer; she wasn't prepared to get in that much trouble, but she was having thoughts, sorting through the trouble, and figuring out how to chart a path. Mark had to blink as the depth of her mind drew him in. She had a Mind Skill, for sure, to be able to put things together so quickly and then reverse them all into a joke, to be personable like that. Or maybe she had been there for when Mark jumped through the illusion veil overhead, twice. Either or, really.

Minders had deep thoughts; their vectors too hard to read almost all the time.

Mark smiled, and said, "I require no subterfuge today, thank you. I am actually wondering about Comprehension Magic, I suppose. I've gotten accepted into Mage Society and I have languages to learn, once again."

Puhi instantly felt better. She said, "I am so happy to see you here, Mister Careed, and with such good news!" She focused, and then she said, "Okay, so… There are some regulations. I'll go through the whole thing. It won't take long.

"If you have non-magical languages to learn, which is most of what I help students comprehend, then Comprehension is free of charge. To access that, and all other services, I need to scan your Mage Society badge, or your Agreement. Either works. All Agreements are public access, just like Archmage-Demon Contracts, and the whole list of who-is-master-to-who is also public. It's all behind some basic security, of course, but it is public, so if I can't find you on any list at all then I can't help you free of charge. If you just want to learn a language outside of Mage Society, then it's 5,000 goldleaf, and I hope you have an immersion plan ready because I don't help with that. You need an immersion plan AND Comprehension at the same time to learn a language well. I have an office open in the city for that sort of thing. It's over by the gate district, and that's every Monday and Tuesday. You can take off from your ship with people and learn the languages they have quick as a speedster.

"If you want Comprehension for magical languages, then I'm not helping with that without the express consent of a master of good standing. That's 10,000 goldleaf, too.

"I do not help students Comprehend actual magic at all. That is strictly, incredibly enforced. Do not ask for that." Puhi smiled and finished with, "And that's the whole spiel! Not too bad. Now how can I help you, Mister Careed? Blackvein."

Mark was suddenly out of his depth. Not because he didn't know what he wanted, but because he wasn't sure how much he was supposed to reveal… But if the Agreement between him and Walaria was public… Then that meant that Puhi could already look him up and see that Walaria had commanded him to do a Union of Understanding to learn everything.

Mark decided to be honest, saying, "My, uh, 'master', told me to use a Union of Understanding to learn everything I could, as fast as possible, so I thought I'd come here to see how, uh, valid that was, because it seems like a bad thing to use Understanding to learn magic faster… Which is why you won't cast Comprehension for people learning magic?" Mark stopped there. That was enough to start.

Puhi's vector did a very weird thing where it bounced around, like she didn't believe him. Her face said the same thing. And then she was confused. She said, "Uh…" And then she paused, reoriented toward complete trust in Mark no matter what, and rattled off, "Okay so using Comprehension to learn magic is bad. Frowned upon. Everyone does it anyway. A student comes in trying to learn some new language they never knew before, to try and master a new spell that their master told them to learn? Happens all the time. That's a grey area, really. Using Comprehension to be able to cast a spell that you know you could do, if only you could focus, or understand better? Absolutely disallowed. Don't do that. That's bad. If you can't get it when you're capable of doing it normally, then you can't do it. Simple as that.

"This understanding is because students under Comprehension can make masterpieces of magic, and then they do that several times and they think they got it. But then the Comprehension wears off and a student thinks 'oh, I don't need these extra squiggles here and there, and now the whole thing flows better!' and then they try their 'simple and better' magic and they're in the hospital soon after, if they're lucky.

"Craters and smoke, Mister Careed. Craters and smoke happen a lot.

"Bottom line: Hubris kills.

"… But. I think… I think I need to see your ID before I talk more."

Mark produced his ID, and then Puhi scanned it with a tablet.

She pressed some buttons, and though most of the tablet was turned away, Quark saw most of it and he was able to adjust the perspective, skew the image, and show Mark what was on the screen. It was Mark's Agreement with Walaria. Also Puhi was now freaking out, her eyes going wide, even as she only read the very start. The part where it said 'Second Princess Walaria Aluatha'.

Puhi's voice got very high as she whispered, "Rank-fucking-2?" She shorted, then she tapped the screen and exited out of all of that, and when she was looking at Mark again it was with concern in addition to awe. She calmly asked, "How are you planning on doing that Union of Understanding?"

"… Uh, I am here to learn how I should? But also, I am rapidly realizing that I should not do a Union with everyone in the entire Mage Society for Understanding. I'm starting with Sigaldry, if that helps?"

Puhi had an ethical dilemma. Mark saw it in her vector, and in her staring eyes, and tight lips.

Mark waited.

Puhi remained conflicted.

Eventually, Mark asked, "Are there perhaps more controlled settings that—"

"That's it! Of course." Puhi had a deep breath as she relaxed. "Study groups. There are a hundred of them. Join one for whatever you want to Understand and then the people you're connecting with will actively help you to understand something. That will narrow the possibility of a catastrophe through someone making something they don't understand how to make, and then killing themselves, though I admit that option is a bit low… I am rather sure I know how normal Unions of Understandings work, and such a thing shouldn't allow you to cause too many cascading issues, because you'd be actively focusing on an understanding of what you're trying to learn, and that's all you'd really be taking from others, which would not be… much.

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"But people all learning a language tends to make it all happen a lot faster than normal.

"It was fine in the Grey Whale for languages because everyone was doing that at the same time, but you have True Union and Mage Society is all about everything, and so… Uh. My expertise has hit a dead end. I'd play on the safe side and stick to study groups, though I'm sure someone actually versed in Union could tell you more. I only really work through Unions when I work alongside paladins like Inquisitor Lola Turner and Inquisitor Steve Badgan and Inquisitor Uliarao… My instinct is that this is foolish beyond belief, but also I'm never going to say such a thing to Second Princess Walaria, and you should do what she wants. It's fine. It's fine."

Mark's grin was a little strained. "I understand your concern. I'll have to bring it up with others, but I will be looking into study groups anyway. I will be starting with Sigaldry. Thank you."

Puhi returned Mark's smile and said, "Sigaldry? That's a popular group. Everything always ties back to Sigaldry or Script, or Goobersmith. You shouldn't have a problem with that one."

Mark paused. " 'Goobersmith' is a weird one. I haven't, uh, heard of that one?"

"It's the language of smiths!" Puhi said, "I'd be surprised if you had heard of it already, and if you're not pointed toward that one already."

"It's 6th in line for the languages you have to learn," Quark said, in Mark's vision, "Third row from the bottom on the first shelf."

"Ahh… So it is?" Mark asked himself. "It appears I do have Goobersmith on my list."

"Languages are super fun!" Puhi wished Mark well, as she added, "May the Darklight guide your path."

Mark suddenly remembered her saying that last time, too. That's why he remembered her. That weird word. "What's Darklight?"

"… Ah? It's dreams! It's also the oldest god. Maybe dead, maybe not. Ancient history is a fun course, too. That's what got me into languages when I was younger— And, you know." She gestured to the room, to her business. "Comprehension was my Awakened Skill. Mind Talent. I got up to a whole bunch of wrongheaded things when I was your age… But, ah. That's an old woman rambling."

Mark smiled a little. He had to glance at her nameplate to remember her full name again, as he said, "It was nice to meet you again, Miss Haripi."

"Ah, please! You're the savior around here. Please call me Puhi. Call upon me for all of your normal language needs, and all of your magical language needs as well, as long as you have a…" She paused. She had been speaking through memorization of lines, but then she paused. "… A letter from your master, Second Princess Walaria Aluatha of the Imperial Family— You know? I doubt you need to bother her for that. Do you want a Comprehension right now? For Sigaldry? I can do that, I am sure. It's 10,000 normally, but for you? Absolutely free!"

Mark grinned. "I truly appreciate it. I'll be using Union, though, because it's fun to get places with strange experimentation."

Mark remembered Puhi had said something like that back in the Grey Whale. Would she recognize it now, said back to her?

There was never any doubt.

Puhi smiled brightly, her vector beaming. "Quite right!"

Mark left there happy and seeking a study group.

Quark checked the internet, first. Maybe there were group sign ups located somewhere inside the normal internet of the settlement? But what Quark found, instead, was a whole new section of the internet that was hard-coded to be inaccessible unless you checked some boxes. You had to have an Agreement in Mage Society, and you had to be physically inside the walls of a Mage Society. Once you cleared that there was an entire other internet, just below the surface, and all of it would vanish once Mark left the walls.

Accessing that part of the internet allowed Quark to access a whole holographic representation of Mage Society that outshone Quark's attempts at the same. It was basically a complete tracking system for any and all people inside the compound, but that was only a side effect. Primarily, it was class schedules and people signing up for this or that, and a whole set of study groups, both attached to classes and separate.

There was always a Sigaldry group happening in Sigaldry Hall, which was located... right down… some road or another around here…

"This road and then that road, right over… there," Mark said, looking down the way, across 'Mage Road', which was the main thoroughfare in the Mage Society, from the tram to the steps of the arcanaeum, and then east, and then south.

Mark walked that way, passing buildings written with weird words on their walls and over their doors, students and professors that noticed Mark, and then finally, Mark was at Sigaldry Hall.

In real life, the sign was written in shapes.

In the Mage Society internet, the hologram of the building had their signage in many different languages, including English.

It was a big building, open to the public, with about 30 people in there right now, some of them in classes with each other, some of them working on their own. It was pretty quiet. Someone was playing music, though. The sunroom attached to the front of the place, to the left of the door, was filled with plants. The place seemed calm. Nice.

Mark grinned and walked inside—

"HelloooOOOO new person~!"

Mark turned and beheld a wiry old man with long black hair and diaphanous robes and tight blue jeans. He had a rope of beads around his head, holding back his long hair. Mark got the impression he was the leader of this place, and also generally kooky.

Mark said, "Ah? Hello. I'm here for Sigaldry study group?"

"And I'm glad you're here! I'm Sigaldry leader Whaler, and you're Mark Careed, and let's go meet everyone!" The man made some rapid signs with his hands, filling his hands with vectors as he did so, and then his voice filled the house, "Hello everyone! Whaler here. Mark Careed is learning Sigaldry! Anyone interested in a study group please come down to the front now!"

"Oh holy shit," Mark whispered, "That was magic? Just like that?" Every vector in the house turned toward him, or at least toward the stairs and then to where they thought he was down here. Mark reoriented. Mark said, "I would like to self-study for a bit, and then work with others? Do you mind if I do a Union of Understanding here, for all of us?"

A lot of people poked out from rooms and looked this way, most in disbelief, but some with a lot of hope. At least 7 people wanted to form a group right-freaking-now.

Whaler, however, smiled and did some hand signs again, which Quark recorded this time, "False alarm for now! But you're all in for a treat! Mark is going to do a Union of Understanding with us all! Isn't that great!" And then Whaler spoke in a normal voice to Mark, "You simply must join a group, eventually. There is no way to use Sigaldry without partners. But perhaps that is too much for now? Let me find you a nice spot to… to read books? Do you have books in the bag?" He frowned a little. "I thought that was just an adamantium cover? But can you use it for actual books? Ha! Neat!"

This guy had absolutely no greed in his entire body when he said that, which was too surprising for Mark not to focus on it. He had been tending to a garden of small plants when Mark came in, and he was happy for Mark to be here, but in a 'I hope he does well and loves it as much as I do', sort of way. Usually vectors weren't that clear, but this guy was like a clear spring of intent and purpose.

So far, Mark had met 3-ish people in Mage Society, not counting the Solaris and attendant people, and he liked all of them. Puhi, this guy, and the Librarian. Did the Librarian count as a person? … Eh! Of course they did.

Mark said, "I have my AI, Quark, to help me with initial learning, and I have 8 recorded books to read."

Whaler smiled and nodded. "Love to hear it! Let's find you a nice spot to practice…"

Mark ended up on the third floor of Sigaldry House, sitting on a couch next to a nice window, in a semi-private room right outside of a snack and game area. It was still daytime, so the snack and game area was unoccupied, which made this spot to the side a great place for self-learning.

Mark was pretty sure that a few people would gradually congregate up in that public area, though.

Probably whatever study group ended up showing up for Mark. Some people downstairs were plotting something along those lines right now. But not Whaler. He was back at his plants, making strange vectors at them, probably with his hands.

Mark asked Quark, "So what was he doing with his hands to make his voice loud? It has to have been some sort of… I don't know? Manual magic? It's manual magic, right. Has to be!"

Quark opened up a holographic book in front of Mark as he appeared in his professor's garb to the side in Mark's vision, saying, "Book 1 chapter 1, first words, 'please do not read ahead too far, too fast'."

Mark smiled as he sat down and started reading, while he also began a Union of Understanding with everyone in the 3 story Sigaldry House.

Mark was throwing hand signals with Quark after chapter one, and though his hands did not bend the way that they should bend in the book, he was getting it, slowly, and solidly, and the sun crawled across the aurora-filled sky.