Scholar of Magic (Art of the Adept #3) - Michael G. Manning Page 0,165

is that vampires have to feed. Other than that he’s practically unkillable.”

“I need some practical advice,” said Will. “You’ve made it clear I can’t beat him head to head, so what should I do?”

“Remember what I told you when you found out about the demonic ritual last year?”

Will sighed. “Yeah.”

“Pretty much the same advice here.”

“You already know I’m not going to abandon the city. So let’s skip over the argument and get to the part where you give practical advice for suicidal idiots. What about relics? My friend Janice was looking into the ones we have here at the school. There’s one that was left by Ethelgren, but supposedly it kills whoever tries to use it.”

“Enchanted items are the recourse of lazy wizards,” said Arrogan angrily.

“Why?”

“They hamper your growth. Sure, they’re useful, but they become a crutch. Back in my day some wizards produced some truly miraculous items, but it was always a shortcut to power. In the end they wound up mediocre wizards because they relied on their toys to do everything for them.”

“Not to quibble, but at the moment, I could use a shortcut to easy power,” pointed out Will. “If the old magic items were such a problem, why did anyone create them?”

“Oh, they weren’t a problem, they were just too easy. Let’s say you want to be able to cast a spell instantly. One way is to learn it and practice it. Eventually you start reflex casting it naturally. But another option is to create an enchanted item with the spell built into it. You provide the turyn, it produces the spell. So long as you have the magic item, you can effectively reflex cast whatever spells are built into it. But the problem is that you quit doing the work on your own. You never develop the ability to do it yourself, because it’s always easier just to use the item. We had a number of great artificers, but they always fell into that trap. They’d become great craftsmen, but they never gained any more skill that the minimum required to cast a spell well enough to make an item for it.”

“Well, Ethelgren was known as a vampire hunter, and he left behind an item. Surely it would allow me to use spells that would be helpful for this,” he suggested.

There was silence for a moment, then the ring replied, “I can’t argue with that.”

“Do you know of any reason why it would be deadly to try and use a magic item?”

“Well, you know the wizards today can’t properly transform turyn. To use the spells in properly enchanted items you have to attune yourself, learn the type of turyn needed for each spell. It can take a few hours. I wouldn’t think any item could hurt those incapable of using it, but I’m guessing it was simply incompetence on the part of those who tried.”

Will nodded, glancing at Tiny. “Then I have a plan.”

“Even if you steal it, don’t think you can take on Androv,” cautioned Arrogan.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Will, then he dismissed the limnthal and looked at Tiny again. The big warrior had heard a lot of new things in a short period of time, many of them disturbing, but he looked as solid and unperturbed as ever. “Let’s go.”

Chapter 38

“This is an awesome plan,” said Tiny enthusiastically as they strode purposefully across Wurthaven.

Will gave him an odd look. “I haven’t even said what it is yet.”

Tiny nodded. “I know.”

“You’re just going to take it on faith?”

“Considering how confidently you’re striding across the lawn, I can only assume that the plan is so audacious, so daring, so unanticipated, that the enemy will fall into a full rout without you even needing to confide the details to me before we engage them.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ve gotten awfully eloquent lately.”

“It’s the company I’ve been keeping,” said Tiny. After a brief pause, he added, “Present company excepted, of course. I meant Sir Kyle and his officers. I’ve had to practice my speaking skills. You understand, now that I’m a gentleman