There are plenty of people running off to fight monsters and investigate the core, but you quickly realize that if everyone left there would be no one left to help out at the base camp! There’s still a lot that needs to be done, and poor Vinta seems to be doing their best to hide their exasperation as they attempt to set things up. With that in mind, you make the choice to stay behind, not at all bothered by saving a little energy after the events that had just taken place.
You work quickly with a few others that share the same sentiment, setting up tents and a makeshift rest area mimicking some adventurers who had already placed down their own. Lanterns are lit and a bonfire started to try and keep some level of warmth and light, given that the camp was set up away from the core and tucked into the remnants of buildings that laced the outskirts of the room. Many who had remained behind to rest, tend to others, or nurse their wounds thanked you for your efforts, and you shared warm smiles and small nods. It wasn’t that big of a deal, really! All in a day’s work.
Once complete, you take a moment to pause and look over what you’ve done when you find yourself approached by none other than Vinta. They hold a steaming cup of coffee in their hand, and seem to have taken notice of you staying behind.
Vinta
“You. Friend of Angea. I’ve been looking for you. If you have a moment to spare, I wish to speak with you one on one. Would that be acceptable?”
You find yourself nodding without hesitation.
“Good, good. And… if you also wouldn’t mind, I would appreciate it if you could help assist me with my current task as we speak. It’s simple, I assure you - just moving around some supplies in my tent.”
From what you can gleam, Vinta appears to be doing much better than they were immediately following the fight, and another glance at the cup in their hand seems to give you an answer as to why. The two of you head over to one of the various tents littered around the locale, pausing only when Vinta motions to a few crates that they need moved. It’s not the worst job, and you find that they aren’t especially heavy. Still, there are a large number of them, and given that Vinta doesn’t give you the impression of someone who’s especially gifted with manual labor you decide to take on the entirety of the task yourself. Again, the gesture is not lost on Vinta.
“You know… I really appreciate all you’ve done. Truly. You have been such a massive help, and to be honest I don’t actually know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here. The same goes for everyone of course, but… You and Angea were the pair that gave me the initial push I needed to actually get things done, so… I must thank you for that.”
You tell them that it really was no trouble at all, but they seem adamant about making sure you accept the thanks. A few more minutes follow as you continue to set the supplies down near an open area just outside the base camp, and only when you are setting down the last few crates do you notice a faint line drawn in chalk on the ground. Standing upright, you follow it with your eyes, and it doesn’t take long for you to realize that it’s some kind of runic circle. Your fur begins to stand on end, and you get the sense that this is definitely something magical. Has Vinta set it up? Is this what you had been moving all the crates for? It’s an awfully large circle, and considering the location it seems safely distanced so that no one would accidentally walk through it.
“This is where the gate will be constructed.”
You look up, noticing that Vinta is now standing beside you.
“We will be using this as one of two points of contact. Once a communication between this circle and the school is established, we can transport more supplies for the new wing. The portal will also serve as a way for everyone to return to the main building... you didn't think I would make everyone walk back there, did you?”
Vinta moves to pull a key from his coat, unlocking one of the crates and carefully opening it. You can’t help but look inside, finding that the crate is filled with gems of some sort that are all cut similarly and organized neatly. The Archmage, noting your curiosity, pulls one out and extends it to you so you can get a better look by holding it. You take extra care not to drop it, turning it over in your hand slowly and noticing how the light of nearby lanterns reflects in it’s smoothly cut facets. If you didn’t know better, you would think there were pieces of a rainbow bouncing around within.
“These must be set at each of the designated points along the outer edges of the circle I have drawn. You’ll notice how there are spaces left for each one. If you would…”
The two of you spend a few minutes setting up the stones in their intended places, and once finished Vinta stands back, seeming pleased with their work.
“For this next part, I will need you to stand back. Truthfully, I have not done this in some time.”
You wonder if you should be concerned, but then step back as they requested. They are the Archmage, after all.
They continue to watch you until you are a suitable distance away and only then do they turn their focus to the circle before them, hands raising and palms facing outwards as they close their eyes. Their cup of coffee, which they probably forgot about, falls to the ground and spills in a manner that you almost find… odd to watch. Couldn’t Vinta have set that down before lifting his hands, instead of simply dropping it…? Maybe this was part of the intricacies of being an Archmage… not like you would know.
You feel a shift in the air as small particles of pure magic become visible in the surrounding area, floating towards Vinta and stretching out from small beads into long threads of light. They continue to collect around the Archmage’s hands and crest, both which begin to glow brightly. In response, the stones you placed around the circle also begin to glow, the runes drawn with chalk seeming to leech off of the energy and spread an illumination of their own until the whole circle is alight with energy.
Vinta closes both their outstretched hands and the moment they do all of the stones shatter into dust. The particles blend with the sudden surge of discharged energy created from their destruction, tendrils of magic lashing out and racking over the hard earth. It whips anything near it, slicing over the runes drawn in chalk with more permanent, deep carvings of the same symbols that were drawn by hand.
The Archmage, through gritted teeth and a slightly trembling stature, shows a small hint of struggle while trying to maintain the spell and control the outflow of energy required for it. It’s obvious they have not recovered from the fight earlier, and for a moment you consider rushing in to stop them, but your gut tells you otherwise. You continued to watch as Vinta’s crest flickers, almost as if threatening to go out if they took this spell any further, but even then they continue to push on with an obvious determination to keep everything running as smoothly as they promised.
It is only moments before the magic condenses at the opposite end of the circle from where Vinta stands, and from there it travels in an arching, dancing lightning back towards the mage. When it finally meets them they actually grab ahold of it with glowing hands and pull it towards themselves, the earth in the middle of the circle peeling away to reveal a smooth surface that reflects a starry sky despite there being a ceiling of the cave overhead. The sparkling surface is broken up by a new set of runes that carve themselves with the Aldebast school crest at the center.
You can feel the magic ebbing from the air as the spell ends, Vinta stumbling and falling onto their behind in a clear sign of exhaustion. Concerned, you move over to check on them, only to find they are groaning loudly out of what appears to be mourning for the spilt drink and shattered cup beside them.
“My coffee…”
As you offer to help them up off the ground, you find yourself interrupted by a bright flash of light and trembling of the earth which knocks you right off your feet as well! Vinta’s exhaustion is quickly replaced with confusion, no time being wasted as they quickly seem to muster what little strength they have left to push themselves off the ground. The two of you return to the camp area, determined to find out what is going on.
Return to the camp.