Fallen Mage Regressor

Madam Malta's Workshop of Wonders.

The sign was at least as tall as Mal from head to toe, and stretched from one end of the building to the other. The font was rounded and loop-y in that faux-folk cutes-y way that made Mal want to vomit. Behind it, puffs of smoke came up through a chimney and the whir of machinery was audible even from outside the building.

And goodness was said building huge. It occupied an entire city block all to itself. The front was mostly composed of glass, giving Mal the chance to see the dozens of objects on display. Everything from wands, to staves, to potions—even a golem as the centerpiece of the whole building.

"Are you just going to stand there staring at it?"

Nima elbowed Mal.

"Of course not. Let's head inside," Mal said.

Philo's eyes were wide, practically sparkling. "This is amazing! Why, it's almost comparable to the library back at the Academy! The full application of theory being used for such brilliant devices."

Philo hummed. "It does look pretty cool, I'll grant you that."

The group walked into the building. The doors swung open of their own volition. Mal glanced behind his shoulder at Lusia. "You know, you don't have to stand so far back."

Lusia opened her mouth, then shut it. She walked up to Mal's side without a word.

A small smile appeared on Mal's face before he turned back and ahead.

Of course, everyone's attention locked onto the golem in the center of the room. It was a hulking figure, reaching up to the top of the storefront ceiling. Its body was composed of bronze, rivets holding each joint together, the metal polished to a mirrorsheen.

The whole thing looked horrendously complicated in a way Mal was sure he would never be able to understand.

"Fascinating!" Philo said. "Philo has never seen a golem in real life. The material costs are horrendously expensive. This is most likely the only one in the entire city. There might be a few more on standby at one of the larger city guard posts, but—"

"What is that thing?"

A young child pointed up at Philo, eyes wide and face pale.

Philo grimaced. He didn't respond. A few seconds later, a woman, a witch based off of her robes and hat, grabbed the boy. "My apologies, sir. He's never been outside of Exodi City."

"It's quite all right."

The child and his mother walked off. The entire group had turned quiet. Philo stared after the boy, then shook his head.

"Have I ever told any of you about my family?"

"I don't believe so," Mal said. "Beyond your parents, I think."

"I think you mentioned you had a little brother?" Nima said.

Philo nodded. "I have a large family. I'm the second eldest out of fourteen children."

Mal's eyes shot open. "Fourteen? Are your parents rabbits?"

Philo laughed. "Draconids are often compared to rabbits when it comes to that sort of thing. Whatever the case, I do miss them." He turned a little quieter. “Philo is quite tired of seeing the young ones look at him with such fear.”

"You have to deal with this often?" Mal said.

"The adults are smart enough to keep quiet, but you can see it in their eyes. The children, on the other hand, are honest. I don't think I've ever had a single good reaction from one in all my time here," he said. "Merely because of my appearance, they fear me on sight."

Rolam shifted on his feet, then sighed.

"I hate you for your personality," Rolam said. "And I'll always consider you a massive asshole. Draconid or not."

Philo cast Rolam a dry look. "Thank you?"

A voice burst through their conversation.

"Workshop tours start in five minutes, please come over here if you would like to get a tour!"

Philo perked up. "I think I would like to experience such a thing." He looked back at the group. "Would any of you like to come along?"

Mal shook his head. "I'll keep on browsing."

Nima nodded. "Sounds interesting."

Rolam looked at Philo, then the workshop, then Philo.

"While I detest the fact that I'll have to spend any more time with you, it looks like that's the only way I'll get to experience this tour."

"Very well." He nodded at Mal. "We'll meet back here in front of the golem."

"Sounds good. Have fun on your tour."

With that, the rest of the group departed and Mal was left alone.

"Master, do you intend to purchase anything?"

Mal turned around. "Lusia. I thought you'd gone with the other three."

"No. I have no interest in mechanical magic."

Fair enough. It was the same reason he gave.

He chuckled. "So it's just the two of us?"

"Is there something strange about that?"

"Only if we make it strange."

She remained silent. Mal traced his way through the hallways and Lusia followed after him. He stopped in front of an area where several charms and bracelets had been stored on top of velvet pillows.

"How curious, they actually manufacture these," he muttered.

"What are they?" Lusia stepped to his side and looked down at the bracelets.

"An older type of charm steeped in the witchcraft tradition. They're meant to give good luck, health, fertility, things like that."

Thank you Cassandra for the lessons.

She furrowed her eyebrows by the slightest of margins. "Fertility?"

"Well, back when witchcraft was the dominant system, that was one of the main concerns. Good health was a lot harder to find back then, and it was even harder to diagnose problems. So these sorts of charms were very popular."

"Do they work?"

"Probably not. Hence why these are so cheap. They didn't even bother to put a glass box around them.”

Lusia continued to stare at one of the bracelets in particular. It was a small silver band with the emblem of a rose on it.

"Interested in getting that one?" Mal asked.

"My father gave me one just like it."

"Oh yeah?" Mal looked down at her wrist. "Where is it?"

"Gone. One of the other maids stole it during my first few days working for your father."

I really need to have a long talk with the head butler back home.

He reached over and picked the bracelet up, playing with it between his fingers. "Your father had good taste. This is one for making sure that the young grow up healthy."

She stared at it intently.

"Lusia?"

Lusia's body jolted by a slight margin, eyes widening by a fraction. "I see."

Hm.

A decision was made. He stepped away from her and toward the counter. "Come with me."

"Master?"

Mal approached the counter. He had to slow down and take a staggered breath. The exhaustion from yesterday was really starting to catch up to him.

He could almost feel Lusia drilling eyes in the back of his skull. A glance back. She was frowning. And her eyes were locked on Mal’s haggard expression.

He pushed through it and got to the person manning the counter. She gave him a nod. "Sir?"

Mal placed the bracelet on the counter. "This is all I'll be taking."

Lusia looked at him, then at the bracelet, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"That'll be one silver."

"All right."

Mal pulled out a gold coin. His last one in his wallet.

The woman took the coin and gave him back nine silver. She nodded at him. "Enjoy your purchase."

Mal turned around and presented the bracelet to Lusia. "Here."

Lusia didn't move.

Her gaze stayed locked on the bracelet with all the intensity her amber-yellow eyes could offer.

"I can't accept this," she said.

"If you don't take it, I'm just going to throw it out when I get back."

A few moments of silence. Some internal war was waging inside of her, Mal was sure. But whatever the conflict, she wasn't willing to share.

Still, he waited patiently.

Lusia reached out and took it from Mal's grasp. Her hands held it almost reverently, her touch as light as a feather. She rolled the beads on the string, then slipped it onto her wrist.

Her eyes softened and the edges of her lips curled up just by a little.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it, now—"

His chest burned. Lusia's smile vanished.

The pain cut through his ribs. He grabbed the skin over his heart and squeezed. "Wow, I'm really off my game today, aren't I?"

Lusia's eyes narrowed.

"Let's step outside, Master. There's something I need to talk about."

Mal perked up. "There's actually something I need to talk to you about, too."

Lusia's eyes turned even darker than they were before.

She turned around and walked off toward the exit. Mal trailed behind her.

"Why are you injured?"

Mal froze. The voices outside of the alley were distant and muffled. He leaned against the stone wall for support. Its rough texture dug into his hand like a thousand little needles.

"I'm not injured."

"Then why do you act like it?"

"Act like what?"

"You woke up unusually late. Your steps have been off by seven percent. You've experienced two incidents of intense chest pain. All of this combines to mean that your behavior is far beyond a standard deviation."

"You sure do love numbers, don't you?"

"Irrelevant. Explain yourself."

Mal let out a long sigh. He could try to hide things from her, but what would be the point? He was going to have to tell her how he got a hold of infernal essence if he wanted to convince her to let him cure her. So it didn't really matter.

"Remember the whole demon thing that Rolam told you all about?" Mal said.

"I recall."

"What he didn't tell you was that I managed to corner them and kill them."

"Understood. You have no external injuries?" she said.

Mal shook his head. "I'm fine. All it was was just me straining myself. I probably pulled a few muscles. No big deal."

Lusia frowned. A beat of silence before her next few words.

"Last time, you were grievously injured."

Last time?

The previous demon attack.

"It wasn't that bad."

"You were in the clinic for several days, unconscious for most of that time, as well."

"Okay, so it was a little bad."

"Why would you take such a risk? You said you cornered them, not that they cornered you. This implies pursuit."

Lusia really was a little too sharp for her own good. And it was always about those odd, tiny details that nobody else would bother to notice.

"I had a good reason." Mal shrugged. "Do you know what demons are made of?"

"Infernal mana. They're magical beasts, after all."

"Exactly. The amount that you get from their horns is pretty minuscule. But if you're fast enough, and lucky enough, you can get a hold of infernal essence—basically just a big ball of infernal mana."

"And you were in pursuit of this? Why?"

Now came the hard part.

"I promised you that I'd cure you, remember?" He took a deep breath. "Infernal mana was the only thing I could think of that would allow you to have your core fixed in a reasonable time."

"I believe I am misunderstanding something."

"No. You're understanding it perfectly."

Mal cast his hand out to the side and stared at her straight on.

"Lusia," he said. "Let me fix your core."

The world shrunk down to that microscopic moment between the two of them. The distant murmurs of the voices outside the alley became nothing more than white noise. The world faded away, leaving nothing but Lusia.

She shook her head.

"No."

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