You do not need a Talent to make use of mana in war.

Victor Maistry, Warden of the Montana

Johanna still remembered when she’d first seen Valetta, after all of her childhood out in the farm villages. How different and spacious it was, how weird the buildings and stores felt.

Seeing New Benton as they approached evoked the same feeling. She knew the capital of the Marches of the Montana was much larger than Valetta, but she hadn’t really reflected on how much that was going to change the way the city was.

From the distance, it looked at first like it followed the normal structure, a large enclosure. But New Benton was different. Instead of a huge palisade, there were multiple walls. Including one that looked almost entirely made of stone. It looked as if New Benton was split into multiple cities, all conjoined.

“All right, levies. We’re headed to the military base, the northern enclosure. That’s where we’ll get you squared away, properly registered, and you’ll begin the real training. And believe it or not, you’ll sleep in real beds tonight.”

There was a small cheer at the mention. Two weeks of traveling had toughened the Valettans a bit, but it had still been a harsh experience. Even for Johanna and the rest of the team, those two weeks of constant travel had started to be hard. It was very different from their usual travel-scout-salvage routine. Without Laura’s touch as a preventive, Johanna was sure she would have gotten blisters too.

That specific routine at the end of each day had expanded in scope. The soldiers didn’t need it, mostly, but almost every levy had come to appreciate the healing touch. And it didn’t interfere with the toughening of the feet’ soles, as fewer and fewer blisters needed to be erased.

Sergeant Mord commented that it even seemed to accelerate the process. Valetta wasn’t the first levy run he’d done that year, and some southern cities had needed more time toughening for a march.

“Pain is supposed to be weakness leaving the body, but you get your results.”

As they neared the northern barracks, Adjutant Agnello took the team aside.

“You won’t be put in the standard military barracks. Well, except you,” he added, looking at Peter.

The small man glowered back, and the adjutant moved on to placate him.

“You’ll have a pass to come, of course. And after your bravery, you’ll probably be promoted quickly to corporal or better. But you still need instruction on military matters. I will suggest that you’re detached as a bodyguard for your wife to the Warden, but you’ll be useless if you’re not ready for that.”

“As for you three, we’re heading to the Warden’s Keep. That will be your own lodging for your personal instruction. And given your… performance, that will be a very interesting time. For us, and for you.”

Edgard Maistry, Lord Warden of the Montana, would have given his other hand to go back to the field, rather than push papers as he did these days. But he was the commander in chief trying to sustain a major force, stuck at coordinating on a decade-old war against the tribesmen from the North and now their Wendigo allies. Plus, the affairs of the largest – yet not richest, much to his dismay – state of the Union. And so, he sat in a room, along with his secretary, sorting dispatches, reports, and trying to make sure his forces had everything they needed to lock the Kootenai Gap tighter this year.

It looked much easier when Victor, his father, did it all the time until he died. The war had looked much easier back then. But getting the northern territories under the banner of the Montana was hard work, even if he’d barely begun what his father had carefully prepared.

“Welcome home, Roman,” he said as the adjutant entered his office.

“Bugger me, I’m getting old,” Roman Agnello offered as greetings.

“You’re, what? One year older than me?”

“Yes, and you send me on the road instead, to get attacked by deep beasts.”

“Well, the last time I left on a tour, somebody spilled the beans and some enemy assassins almost got me by surprise. Worchester saved my bacon then, even if she wasn’t supposed to be there.”

“There’s that. No one bothers taking old Agnello seriously anymore. Just beasts on a rampage.”

The two shared a laugh.

“Trouble?” the Warden asked.

“You could say that. Not much at Valetta. I mean, I came to requisition two hundred levies, and you could hear their teeth grinding to the roots from across the room. That’s four percent of their population, and it does sting, even if you put enough exemptions that the important folk remain untouched.”

“Don’t tell me they threw you out in revolt? I’m hard-pressed, but I can send a company to restore authority.”

“No. But… well, one of them had an interesting counter-proposition.”

“If it’s weapons, we do have that. I know they’re good when it comes to smith works, but that’s not what we need. And taxes don’t take the field when the winter comes. Not that I dislike the funds, but funds mean I call more levies, not less.”

“No, but the offer was interesting. And I took it. And it looks like I was right to do so.”

“Well, you speak with my authority. What kind of deal could interest you?”

“Fifty fewer levies… in exchange for Talented.”

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Fifty recruits for one miserable Talented? Are you trying to persuade me you’re really too old?”

Maistry briefly considered the possibility that his adjutant and friend was going prematurely senile at 50. Roman Agnello was usually bold, but not that bold. Of course, Talented individuals, those who expressed a supernatural or near-supernatural competence or even magical abilities were nearly as common as hair on a Dwarf, but one should never discount those rumors. As a force multiplier, the right Talented would be an asset in the wars against the Northmen and their savage Changed allies, even if they had their limits. He was pretty sure his opponent general, back then, had been a sorcerer, when the lightning had stuck during their face-off and turned his hand to a useless crisp. He’d survived that battle, but the war had almost been lost with that single encounter.

“Well no. It’s not fifty for one. It’s fifty for three.”

Maistry blinked and sat in silence before finally replying.

“Well, so much for reliability. Three? Really? In Valetta?”

“A fire mage, a hero, and a saint.”

The Warden couldn’t help himself and laughed.

“And a legendary crafter and a magical ranger?”

“I wouldn’t say no to that, but it’s ‘just’ three. They got run out of their home when the villagers realized that they suddenly had Talents. Apparently, fear of them being Changed. They’re ruins scavengers, and those places always bring superstitious dread to the peasants.”

“There haven’t been any Manastorm strong enough to bring Change for more than a century, and certainly not in the North. And even if the cities are mana traps, getting a Talent has nothing to do with mana exposure. If it was, we’d all know it by now.”

“Yes, but go tell that to a peasant who sees his neighbor’s kid suddenly manifest a Talent after coming back from an expedition in some ruins.”

“Fire mage, uh? There are, what, four fire mages in the entire Union?” Maistry noted.

“Three. I’ve heard Ranshao Shu died last year. He wasn’t that old, but he always had been saddled with a weak constitution. A lot of Erlangs do.”

Maistry grimaced at the mention of the three-eyed fire sorcerer. There were very few Erlangs in the western marches, or even the Union of the States itself, as any of them was probably an outlaw running from home or a weirdo. Or both. All the more reason for a mage of that race to be notable. Erlang mages stayed at home.

Though I’d probably have given my union yearly taxes to have gotten him rather than Elena. She’s good at defense, but the Burning Walker on a battlefield, hmmm…

“Well, a fire mage would be nothing to sneer at. Assuming that, of course, there is an actual fire mage.”

“It was easy to check – they are pretty much immune to fire in theory. First thing I did,” Roman replied.

“What’s the talent in this case?”

“Well, that’s the other point…” Roman started.

Maistry frowned, looking at his adjutant.

“She apparently can put out a flame in her hand…”

“Nearly useless then. Good logistics, but not much fighting.”

“… and coat a weapon with fire.”

“Wait? Two talents? Two full fire talents? Are you kidding me?” Maistry exclaimed.

“And freeze people in place. Not all, some manage to crawl.”

“Now you’re pulling my tail, Roman. Let’s look for the legendary alchemist immediately. I’m sure Vlasich has a hidden heir in Valetta,” Maistry laughed.

“You haven’t seen them at work. I have. We ran into a Deep Changed in the Narrows.”

Maistry winced.

“How bad?”

“Not that bad, given what it was. Some changed hedgehog monster. We lost thirty levies to running away, though. But as far as casualties… none. Some major wounds, but they held the beast by magic and bypassed its defenses. Honestly… it was impressive, given that they’re obviously not trained in fighting.”

“That good?”

“I know, it may not translate directly into a human battlefield performance. But against the Changed, they completely turned the fight.”

Maistry started thinking.

“I’ll meet them soon, but… where did you put them?”

“Normal guest quarters. They’re married… well one is married, but her husband is a normal untalented levy.”

“No kids?”

“No… they’re actually under 20.”

Maistry stared.

“Under-20 Talented? I am still thinking you’re pulling a prank. If that’s the case, I’ll put you on the front lines this winter. Actually, I should, if you brought me eighty fewer levies than you were supposed to.”

The Warden turned to his secretary.

“Get General Adorno to work on figuring out how to best translate their talent… talents into military options. Then put a note for later, pull the husband as soon as basic training is done.”

The secretary jotted down quick notes in succession. Maistry turned back to Agnello.

“Get Elena to evaluate exactly how good she is. Not that I don’t believe you, but if it comes to a sorceress… she’s probably a better judge than you.”

“Oh, and prepare your purse,” Agnello added.

Edgard shot him a glance.

“There’s an artifact for sale in Valetta. A sword that cuts everything.”

“It’s going to be an interesting year…”

Johanna was intimidated. Not only was the so-called Maistry Keep huge, but there were people all around… including the one that was busy escorting her. The member of the staff had proudly explained that the Keep had been built by the Lord’s ancestors, completed eighty years ago, and standing almost unchanged since, save for some minor renovations by the Lord’s father.

Her usher stopped at a door and knocked loudly. He was immediately answered by a “come in” and opened the door, then gestured for Johanna to get in. She was surprised by the quarters she’d been ushered to. She had been told she was to meet with a sorceress – a real one – and didn’t know what to truly expect. But the woman in the tower was clad in a simple but good quality robe, and the room she was in looked… pretty much ordinary. Certainly bigger than their rooms back in Valetta, but certainly not what she’d pictured for a real sorceress.

When Johanna was ushered into the suite in the small medieval-style castle, the first thing Moore noticed was that her host was a “level 8 water shaper”. While neither woman seemed to go for any formal – tactile – introduction, the mere label allowed him to delve into the System search.

Water Shaper was indeed yet another specialization, but a much higher level one. 16 Empathy, 17 Authority, and a level of 5. And it was… well, a more specific specialization. He swept over the skills and immediately noticed the difference. On stuff where a Shaper like Johanna had a 1 or 2 multiplier, the Water Shaper offered one point higher, like the Frostbite low-level attack which jumped from 2 to 3 as its Authority multiplier.

And more or less unsurprisingly, given the name, fire-based attacks dropped to a zero multiplier in that specialization. A water mage might have the skill, but it would only rely on level for its effectiveness, just as if an unspecialized person picked it.

Given the elemental categories of magical skills, there had to be different ones, probably including a Fire Shaper. Assuming there was a logic behind it, all he lacked to find out was for Johanna to get level 5. If it was 16 Dexterity, and 17 Authority, all he might need was to remove her previous spec and push the new one to amplify her fire powers by a significant margin. She was close, but not quite there yet.

Well, fuckety-fuck. Earthbind.

The Agility-based defensive ability he had provided Johanna for her defense had no multiplier whatsoever for the Water Shaper. None of the spells with that stat requirement had any, save for Soften Mud, and Part Stone, which he assumed were some kind of hybrid element of water and earth. He had to assume that skill was going to have a zero version for the fire specialization as well. Meaning she’d lose almost all of the benefit of it instantly – anything over 20 Strength was going to be able to move almost normally, and its contribution to Johanna’s mana pool was going to be a pitiful 5 mana.

And I’ll have to pay 2500 XP to remove the skill once it’s useless. Plus, 1000XP spent for nothing in the stat.

Goddamn, I want a wiki to plan their long-term build. If they’re going to war, they need everything I can squeeze.