Spellscribed: Conviction Read Online Free PDF Page A

accelerates the body's natural healing process. It means that I can heal from an injury in a few seconds, in what would normally take weeks. It's a standard healing magic taught by our Circle of Magi."
    Gnaeus was silent, his eyes closed as he thought. After a minute passed, he opened his eyes and looked down at the scratches in the dirt. "This makes sense, but I believe I know your problem." He responded.
    "What is it?" Endrance asked.
    "Your spell makes the body do what it normally does, but much, much faster. While it may be given enough fuel to work that fast, any body will get overworked having to repair so much damage so quickly. You had just been injured too many times, in too short a span, for your body to be able to recover."
    Endrance frowned. "Oh... That... That does make sense." he said. "But wait, how did you heal so completely, and so rapidly?"
    Gnaeus smiled a toothless grin. "My body is suffused with the abundance of nature." he replied. "The element that you tried to emulate with earth and time. It doesn't run out, or get overworked like your method does."
    "Damn." Endrance muttered. "I really need to study up on that. Why did we humans not learn this?"
    "That I do not know." Gnaeus said. "Though I think it might have something to do with where your mages came from. Our histories say we always had life magic."
    "Oh." Endrance filed that fact away for later as well. If there was something the Circle's institution of learning was missing, he could make a huge impact by reintroducing it, if he could learn the magic.
    "I also believe there may be something else going on though." Gnaeus continued. "And that has to do with your human and inhuman nature."
    Endrance remained silent, listening. A faint breeze of cold air drafted through the tent, but it went unnoticed.
    "In our ancient times, back during the beginning of our breed, we were tasked with the destruction of an ancient foe." Gnaeus told, keeping Endrance's gaze.
    "The Mercanians." Endrance replied. "I believe I got some of those memories from the mages we fought."
    Gnaeus nodded. "Then you understand some of what I know. The Mercanians were frighteningly powerful users of magic. It had been believed that they were not of this world, like humans or wolves are, but of magic itself."
    Gnaeus took a deep breath as he concentrated on his story. "Those creatures had bodies constructed much like ours, with flesh, but they didn't live the same way we do. When fully grown, they didn't age, nor did their bodies heal with any rhyme or reason. However, since it was our responsibility to slay them, we had to learn why.
    "We discovered that, in the same way they could form spells in their bodies, their bodies could only be healed by concentrating some of their power into their wounds. Since they were never human, they stored all their power in their bodies. So it took but a thought to heal all but instantly fatal injuries."
    Endrance looked down at his bandaged stomach. He was curious about this, but he was also extremely hesitant. "Wait. I'm only half Mercanian." he reasoned. "And as a mundane creature, my flesh can't handle power for longer than a few seconds."
    "If that's true, then how are you managing those spells I can see glowing under your shirt?" Gnaeus asked in reply.
    Endrance faltered. "Well... I have the spells tattooed." he reasoned. "They're special inks that were put on me as a babe that let me break that rule."
    "Really?" Gnaeus asked. "Do you know anyone else who has those spells?"
    "Well, yeah!" Endrance replied. "The Archmagus has them."
    "Anyone else?"
    "... No. Not that I know of."
    "Would the Archmagus be powerful enough to still be mundane?"
    Endrance thought about the moment he had shaken the man's hand, how it seemed an infinite ocean of power was so tightly controlled in his aura. Or was it? It was possible he had mistaken the location, since he had been so flustered by how powerful that man was.
    "I guess not." Endrance admitted. "But I've