Pivot of the Sky Chapter 25.2

Amon tried to copy Crazy’Ole’s method as close as possible. To his surprise, it worked. More surprisingly, the first one to awaken the power of two sides was Lynk. Metatro could not awaken the power even after Lynk had learnt most of the primary earth magic, beginning to further master the skills and to integrate.

After a deep analysis, Amon reckoned that Metatro did not lack talent. The main problem should be his mindsets about magic. Although he was trying hard to remove the bias and focus on awakening the new power, the old knowledge was still influencing him. It was not easy to forget with intention.

Lynk’s case was more interesting. He had no idea about magic and body arts. So he was a perfectly “clean” sample for Amon. He knew about some rudimentary earth magic. Though he had not experienced any rite to pass the first test, he was prepared enough for it. Amon did not know what to teach so he just taught him the technique of Duc. Lynk was familiar with mining and forging, so it did not take him much effort to understand the principles. After that, Amon hosted the rites for him and everything went smoothly.

Once he passed the test, things got much easier. Starting from the earth magic he was familiar with, Lynk learnt fast. Having been fiddling around with earth magic for years, the magic force was not a stranger to him. After a few days, Lynk was able to wield his big bone and perform various primary earth magics. So Amon started to teach him about the simplest theurgy: the curing magic, which fits “God Amon” more and was more useful to the tribe.

When Lynk more or less achieved the first level, Amon told him, “In order to better master the magic in the beginning and enhance power in emergency, the staff is allowed. But try not to use the staff when you practice your magic skill and accumulate magic power.”

Amon was telling Lynk what Crazy’Ole had been telling him, but he forgot one thing. Lynk’s bone was far less powerful when compared to Amon’s staff. In this circumstance, it was not necessary for Lynk to avoid dependence to media, since there was not much dependence he could get.

Amon was mature for his age, with a stable character. But he was still a teenager. His teaching programs for Lynk and Metatro were more or less like a game. There was surely luck as ingredient in Lynk’s success, which Metatro might still need some.

Subconsciously, Metatro always had some doubt about Amon due to preconceptions formed along the years. But seeing Lynk waving his bone, casting all kinds of magic, his last doubt disappeared. He devoted himself wholeheartedly without a trace of hesitation. Using Terroculus as media, he succeeded in awakening the power two weeks later.

What neither of Metatro and Lynk knew was that before meeting them, Amon had mainly practiced primary water and air magic and just began to learn primary fire magic. Amon learned earth magic along with Lynk, but he learnt it so fast that Lynk was not aware at all that Amon taught him magic while learning it himself at the same time.

It was only in a caveman’s tribe that Amon could succeed. Any experienced mage would easily know what was going on.

Now that both the two had awakened the power, Amon got the Terroculus back. He taught them several other types of magic and ask them to master them by themselves. He just casually mentioned some requirements such as to pave the ground with ice stealthily by hands. Amon gave these requirements from his own experience, which turned out to be complete torment for the two. After all, those were the special requirements an eighth-level supreme sorcerer gave to the most talented student he had ever had.

An ignorant teacher would always have a trouble-making student. Things became emergent when one day Lynk set his house on fire when practicing fire magic. It was quite successful in the sense that the whole house turned completely into ashes. Amon had to teach him water magic right away so that next time he could put out the fire himself.

The awakening of power of two sides was accompanied with the awakening of desire from both sides. There was no cold spring here to calm them down. Amon simply demanded them to meditate every day and reflect on themselves, tasting the restlessness without being controlled. When they really need to release their extra energy, Amon told them: go hunting in the mountains!

The cavemen surprisingly found that lately their headman suddenly became the bravest warrior. Lynk went out of the way to lead the hunt every day, and always had the most prey, which astounded his clansmen. It seemed that the headman was so deeply moved by the coming of the holy emissary, that he was trying his best to give sacrifice to the deities by his own hands.

Metatro was impulsive and irritable these days, always looking for fights. But he was the strongest warrior here, so he could only pick Lynk as his rival. With some [slowing magic], [trapping magic] and [shielding magic], Lynk could resist him from distance. But when the advanced warrior got close, he could only become a human sandbag. So after few crushing defeats, Lynk refused to fight. Losing his last rival, Metatro came up with another idea out of irritation. After an enlightening discussion, the two went to see Amon.

These two new practitioners were in a phase of daring everything. They were impressed by their newly-acquired power and were eager to express it. Metatro recalled his recent unpleasant experience at the pool, which had been frustrating him ever since, so he invited Lynk to visit the pool again. In his calculation, he could fight three big ones alone. According to the rumors, the king was not more powerful than several big ones. Thus along with Lynk, two masters of magic should be able to take them all. Metatro was familiar with the sagas and legends about heroes fighting monsters. Now fuelled with excitement and confidence, he wanted to be a hero as well.

Lynk was more prudent, he still was a bit worried about the danger. So the two decided to invite their almighty teacher, Amon, as their patron and final guarantee.

Listening their audacious plan, Amon frowned and asked, “What do you want from them? Their excrement?”

“It’s a trial.” said Lynk, “We can’t find other rivals in the mountains.”

“We can collect the ore sand too.” Metatro added, “Clear the place out and we can have our people carry the ore sand back, so we can have more Damasc iron. A small ingot is worth a fortune!”

“That’s certain, since the best ore sand is around the king’s pool. But if you kill all the Ironbacks, there would be no ore sand anymore, wouldn’t it?” asked Amon.

Metatro shook his head, “We are not going to do that. We are just going to show our muscle and get the Ironback away, so our people could dig out the ore sand and carry it back.”

In the end, Amon was roped. It’s teenager’s nature to love adventures. Amon’s stable character was shaped by the hard life, but that did not mean he would give up the chance to play when possible. Amon was at the same time an excellent second-level mage and a second-level warrior, but he had never really tested his limit. He also wanted to know what he was capable to do now.

Besides, Amon had his own concerns lately. His teaching project was doing well, with two students making progresses. But he was kind of stuck at the peak of the second-level after achieving it both in magic and in body arts, without any clue to ascend to the next level. According to Crazy’Ole’s reckoning, if he was still on the right track, he should be facing the “faith’s confirmation”, passing which would make him a third-level mage and warrior.

But what was this test and when would it come? Amon had no clue about these questions! The test was said to be about the faith, but how could he pass the test, if he did not even know in which deity he should have faith? Crazy’Ole wanted him to notice the sky in the west and wait for the dark clouds and thunders, saying that he could see the message after the disaster. But after weeks of observation, Amon found nothing special about the sky in the west. He was waiting for a disaster that he did not really hope to happen. The perplexity and frustration had been accumulating, making him hard to settle his mind. So Amon accepted the invitation, hoping this little excursion could make him feel better when testing his true power.

As a habitual precaution, Amon asked Lynk about the details of the Ironbacks in the pool. There were four big ones in the pool. The king never went out in day time. It was at most as strong as the four big ones added up. Amon made a little calculation in his mind, and concluded that they could handle the worst situation. Thus he gave the final permission and the three set out happily.

Lynk kindly suggested to lend his bone to Amon. Metatro and him did not know that the iron stick in Amon’s hand was a staff, since it could even get past supreme mages. Amon of course refused, and instead lend him the Terroculus in case of danger.

They even thought about the tactics. Metatro would be the shield to resist the attacks from the Ironbacks. Lynk would cast magic behind him to prevent any assault from the back. Amon would just stand on a higher place to observe and tackle the king if it showed up, using magic to chase it away. If they could get the ironbacks away from the pool, the tribe would have a chance to recollect the ore sand here and make more Damasc iron.

On the departure, Amon took the iron stick and grabbed his bag by force of habit. He was not taking Schrodinger, but seeing Amon going out with the bag, the cat naturally jumped over his shoulder, opened the bag and shrank into it expertly.

Three men and a cat went down the mountain, crossed the forests and came to the side of the pool. It was noon. The pool was half-circled by cliffs, at the bottom of which there was a cave, half of whose entrance was submerged in the pool. It should be the Ironbacks’ home.

Amon stayed on top of the cliff. Metatro got down halfway to the mouth of the cave and pulled his sword. But before he had done anything, Lynk said to him ostentatiously, “Don’t move. See me about this!”

Chapter end