Prisma & Blade

Sorisana observed as Jatszot initiated his bout with Gorranach and Varg. She considered this might be his way of preparing for the challenges that lay ahead — for him, her, and Marza the following day. They still had some time before embarking. Glancing over at Nix and Xīlōxōch, she noticed they were making good progress. Although she knew that everyone learned differently and at their own pace, she couldn’t help but feel that everything seemed unorganised and improvised, leaving her wishing she had more time for proper training. Each of them appeared to possess remarkable talents, but without discipline those talents would go to waste. Becoming a proficient Shardbinder took years, if not decades, of establishing good habits and nurturing them. She feared she might be teaching them incorrectly, but Jatszot had reassured her yesterday that perfection was always elusive and that she should give it a go anyway.

Yet despite all this, she knew one thing for certain: her extensive knowledge of Prismurgy and her skills with her blade made her not only a capable spellcaster but also an adept fighter — and she knew how to combine both seamlessly. Her unease eased when she realised Nix was a spellcaster, a Prismancer just like Xīlōxōch and herself. Although Nix drew his magic from a different source, making things a little more complicated, it was something they’d have to work with.

She touched his shoulder gently, signalling for him to conclude his meditation. “Nix. You’re doing well, and you’re on the right path. I’m… I’m proud of your progress. However, we need to talk about something that’s inevitable. We have a few minutes — perhaps ten or twenty — depending on how Varg and Gorranach feel after their bout.”

Sorisana paused, considering her next words carefully. Despite being a foreigner in the Lumerian lands, Nix’s situation was even more unique as he hailed from abroad. She needed to ensure her words were clear and concise.

“Kyou. That’s where you’re from, right? What brought you here? I doubt it was by choice… I mean, out of all the tourist destinations in Auridia, most of the countries in the Lumerian region can be rather dull…” She cleared her throat. “But, anyway, what I want to discuss pertains to our common connection — the fire shard. Come, let’s take a walk. Follow me.” She gestured for Nix to come along, waiting to see if he would follow before bobbing her head forward.

Sorisana’s brows furrowed as Nix barraged her with questions. She could sense his impatience — just as she usually was herself — but she felt the need to slow down. Surprisingly, she found herself more interested in who he was as a person than the impending issues they’d have to address as fellow Shardbinders. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly so Nix could follow, veiling her regional accent as much as possible and using neutral Auridian Standard.

“Seishin Harbour? Hmm… the Hino Federation of States…? You’re quite far from home, indeed. I should have known, as many of your kind hail from there. Kobolds are rarely seen in these parts, let alone one native to Auridia itself. So… you were born in…?” She paused, realising the vast number of states in the Hino Federation. “Ah, there are plenty of states there. I do know that the main state where the central imperial court is located is called the Zhiyao State. Are you from that province?”

As Nix had mentioned running away, Sorisana tried to steer the conversation toward a lighter direction. “Well, I ran away too! Well, not really. Technically, I staged my own abduction — it was all consensual, but my people didn’t like it. I never really fit in, so when I had the first opportunity to high-tail out of there, I did…”

“Hah!” Sorisana almost burst out laughing; her composed façade was temporarily shattered. “Home? If you can even call it that. Just a vast expanse of… well, ugh… a whole lot of boring sand. I’m originally from the Zahar’an Sands, in Vasterien… Do you know where that is?” She quickly realised her mistake and shook her head. “Sorry, that was a silly question.”

“My people travelled from place to place. Well, they were nomads — still are, actually. Åels aren’t really going anywhere anytime soon.” She explained. “They collectively called themselves the Sol’Arin. I was a ‘part’ of one of the many tribes that roamed the sea of sands. Heh, as for feeling safe… trust me, they don’t really care. Or maybe they do… who knows?” She shrugged.

“I’m an Aelumyr, Nix, in case you hadn’t noticed. My ears aren’t as long as Marza’s, my eyes aren’t as distinct as theirs. I’m hardly as tall and elegant as them. Hah, I suppose that’s the generous term, right? Some of the elves would call me a mudblood. I still remember the looks some of them would give me daily. I was a burden, Nix. They don’t care about me, and they certainly don’t miss me.” She mumbled under her breath, but she didn’t hide it from Nix: “Keep it cool, Sana.”

“Hmm… I suppose that’s one way of looking at it. You’re not as bad as I thought. Maybe with enough time, your flames will begin to burn brighter than mine.”

Nix’s question piqued her interest and she couldn’t help but smile. “It does… The shards bring out the best and the worst of our qualities simultaneously. It’s a stark reminder that this font of power carries an unimaginable amount of responsibility — a way to keep us from idling, slacking, or losing ourselves. I remember when I first met Marza. She was part of the group of Shardbinders who started roughly around the same time as me — that was a while ago already… I hated her for obvious reasons with a fiery passion. How could they put me with an Åel? And although she was not a Sunkissed Åel like me or my kin, the similarities were still enough to remind me of home. Although our shards hadn’t awakened yet, we still had to keep them close to us, so they had already begun to influence me. Funnily enough, one of the masters predicted that fire would be the element my shard would manifest. No surprise there. It got worse when it did awaken.”

“When our shards awaken, we go through special lessons to help with this — unique lessons tied to our element. Our shards change our physiology, after all. It’s expected that we undergo some changes. If you obtained your shard only several days ago and it has awakened already, I can imagine the changes being less subtle, less manageable. Sorry… Do you have any more questions before we move on?”

“That’s good. I was sort of hoping you would have more questions — I had a million questions for my instructors. I’m a curious one.” She turned her gaze toward Nix to catch his attention, her voice taking on a sterner tone. “It may not look like it, Nix, but I am officially a wizard by profession. Look.”

She loosened her tunic slightly, revealing a brooch pinned to her bra adorned with a reddish gem. She pointed at it, allowing Nix to see, before tightening her tunic again. She reached for her satchel, revealing a tome with a red cover. “This is my tome. I call it Flamarcanthia — fitting, isn’t it?”

She pointed to a flat, low-lying boulder in the distance that could function as a table — a perfect height for Nix. She gestured for him to follow her and placed the tome on the stone. “You’re a spellweaver, no doubt — I don’t reckon you’re a trained wizard. I would assume you are self-taught. I could tell by how you weave your spells. Nothing we can’t work with. Basics and fundamentals are generally the same. If you can cast a spell, you’ve passed the first stage, or so they say. Can you read Prismglyphs?”

Sorisana felt a bit troubled upon hearing Nix’s statement. There was nothing inherently wrong with his response — an educated person would often know when to listen. But this was supposed to be a conversation, not a lecture. She put these thoughts aside for now.

“Great… We’re going to see if we can find something useful for you. I have quite a large list of spells.” The tome opened on its own and the pages began to flip after she mumbled something under her breath. “Oh, yes — and that scroll you found earlier was rather interesting. It’s not something I would be able to cast due to how I interact with the Prisma Current. However, you do it differently, so I believe you would have a greater chance of learning it correctly. It seems bardic in nature.”

Although Nix didn’t inquire, she instinctively felt the need to explain. “The reason I can’t cast it easily… Prisma is divided and categorised into several Hues as well as traditions, but I’ll spare you the details for now. To simplify things: you would be a spellweaver as a general term. We could further partition spellweavers one step further — you seem adept in bardic magic, so you’re a bard. Whereas I would be a Prismaturge broadly speaking, and to be more specific, a magus — which is just a very ‘practical’ wizard. These are just labels at the end of the day; they matter not.”

The pages flipping gradually slowed down. “Okay, this one… It’s a relatively basic fire spell that you should be able to weave.” She paused. “Nix, I hope you’re starting to get the point of this. As a Prismancer, you need to exploit your ability to cast spells. Shardbinders who are Prismancers can eventually learn to influence their spells with their shard with enough practice. It would behoove you to learn spells that correspond to the elemental affinity of your shard simply because they are easier to work with in practice.” She stopped. “Are you with me so far?”

Sorisana held Nix’s gaze, her expression serious. After a moment, she spoke with intention. “Nix, I can cast a spell on you. It’ll drain some of my Prisma reserves, but I’ll recover by tomorrow. It’s important to avoid misunderstandings between us.” She moved the book out of Nix’s line of sight and began flipping through the pages. “I need to find the right words to commit to memory… Or, I could just read from the tome directly since there’s no rush.” She located the spell.

“Comprehend Languages. It needs a little extra focus and oomph for you to actually speak as well.” She instructed Nix to stay still. “Hold still please, I’m going to cast now — don’t worry, it won’t hurt. This will let us understand each other fully for about an hour. Let’s speak in Älven; I could use the practice for my meeting with Marza.” She started murmuring the spell, her voice growing stronger. Eventually, as the spell took hold, Nix felt a sudden surge as his mind was awash with newfound understanding.

Sorisana’s cheeks held a hint of colour — a definite sign of her surprise at the spell’s reception. Speaking in Älven now, her voice carried the rich, distinctive inflections of her native accent, one that only surfaced in moments of genuine emotion. Despite the complexity of the language, Nix understood her perfectly.

“Well, the spell has about an hour’s duration,” she explained, her words slightly hesitant but clear. “If you desire to master it, I’ll prepare some instructions for you to follow. Completing it by tomorrow is plausible. But be aware — it draws deeply upon Prisma reserves, beyond your current capabilities. It might take months, even years of practice to achieve this level of casting. Learning the language organically is the best course, in my view at least.”

She returned the tome to its place on the stone. “Now, to revisit our earlier topic — I’ll lend you my tome to study the Scorching Blast spell here. Take your time learning it. I’ll also have a scroll prepared for you on the go for you to delve deeper once I’m not around. At the very least, familiarise yourself with the spell’s principles. Come, take a look.” She beckoned Nix to lean in for a better view. “That’s two scrolls I’ll need to scribe — manageable. As for your other inquiry, yes: fire magic falls under the wide umbrella of the Red Hue.”

After a brief pause, her curiosity piqued again. “Now that we can communicate fluidly — may I inquire where you learned bardic magic? The art of interacting with the Prisma Current through voice or instrument is quite the specialised craft, not something one stumbles upon easily. If I’m not mistaken, you are able to attune to the Current’s frequencies of your choice through the specific vibrations of sound and music, influencing emotions, thoughts, and even reality. Isn’t it fascinating? That the mere act of strumming could summon fire at your fingertips!” Sorisana’s expression conveyed a mixture of fascination and curiosity. She appeared much more pleasant now that she conversed in her native tongue.

Sorisana’s expression shifted to one of empathy as Nix recounted his past, her eyes reflecting a mix of sorrow and understanding especially as he revealed his scars. “A songbook for casting spells? That’s ingenious. Using musical notation as a form of incantation is as logical as reading Prismglyphs in a standard tome. This is a revelation — thank you, Nix. I haven’t looked too much into bardic magic, but I’ve encountered various colleges during my travels. You’ll find plenty if you know where to look, and in the Kingdom of Valerios you’ll likely be in good company.”

She leaned in to examine the book, taking a moment to let the details of his story sink in. “I’ll respond to your question, yet I’m curious first. Why were you among those not kin to you? Did you also depart from your homeland? I’d be grateful if you’re willing to share that part of your story.” Her insistence was evident — not out of mere curiosity, but from a genuine desire to understand the unique Kobold whose fate was now intertwined with hers.

Sorisana clenched her fist, her sympathy for Nix palpable. “I’m truly sorry for what you’ve been through. It’s understandable to feel angry in such situations. Maybe the anger was there all along, and the shard — especially one of fire — tends to intensify our deepest emotions. Use that energy as a catalyst for change, to drive forward when you or your companions need to act.” She exhaled slowly. “I’m no sage like our monks, Nix, but I believe you’ll come to understand this in time.”

Her expression turned reflective. “Why did I choose wizardry? Curiosity drives me — I’m consumed by a thirst for knowledge. The Shardbinder who adopted me, when I told him that I wanted to become like him — a wizard — he believed I lacked the discipline because I was too impulsive. When he received word that I had awakened as a Fire Shardbinder, he sent mail congratulating me but also mocking me further… that I should remain a fighter and nothing more. This only fuelled my resolve. Shardbinders often embark on pilgrimages to grow and find themselves, become stronger, pick up something new — a choice granted to us by our instructors. While we used to travel solo in the distant past, it’s now common to journey in pairs or groups. Take a wild guess who my companions were. They saw me fail, time and again, until I didn’t. I became a fully fledged and licensed wizard.”

“But times have changed, Nix. Shardbinders have become recluses. And the one who doubted me? I never got to show him the fruits of my labour. He’s gone — disappeared. He vanished before I could prove him wrong. Not a trace of him. The Stéllæri have made it impossible to track one another, although it’s probably for the best, as you can probably tell why.” Her expression deepened. “Nix — you do realise that I am likely to die, right? If that wasn’t clear to you… This is probably the end of the road for me. Perhaps we should end this conversation so we don’t get attached to one another any more than we should.”

There was a visible look of annoyance on Sorisana’s face as Nix pleaded with her. “Don’t make light of my decision… We’ve thought it through already, Nix. We’re not recklessly abandoning our lives. In fact, allowing you all to fight alongside us is extremely reckless.” She paused for a moment, glancing in the direction of the others.

“You should know firsthand how difficult it is on the battlefield when there are others to protect — when there’s more to protect than yourself. We’re not fighting wild beasts that are concerned only with dealing with the biggest threat before them. They’d gladly pass on to the Spirit Realm so long as they take one of us with them. Perhaps you feel confident to have survived every encounter with the Stéllæri thus far, but I trust you that it will not always be the case. There’s naught I can do to stop several men deeply adept in their Prismurgy from teleporting behind you and decapitating you. Even if we had an adept cleric to mend our wounds on demand, there’s only so much our bodies can take — it would not be enough. I could not do much to protect you from all of these threats. The villagers would die in but a fraction of a second, and the rest of you, perhaps in less than a minute… Why would you want to experience that?”

Her stern expression gradually softened. “Nix, Jatszot and I sense their desperation. They seek to take everyone down before anyone crosses the passage to Grandal. They have already taxed themselves with this chase, in more ways than you think. You must also remember that as a covert organisation, they must maintain a low profile — of which they have done a good job, so far. The Balen Empire has caught wind of their doings, as per Poullain’s remark… this does not help their case. But the fact that they have become this reckless means that you’re worth something — or that whatever happened is very critical to their aims. I would get to the bottom of this with Marza first thing I see her…” She glanced back at Nix, hoping her reasoning was enough to make him give up on this reckless proposal.