Chương 432: (425) 6.39. A Whisper in the Wind

The rest of Vin's day was spent hanging out with the Tamers and dwarves, assisting their blossoming partnership through the aid of his Comprehend Languages. Now that the two parties were far more sober, discussions around things such as potential trade agreements or how they might possibly work together were the focus of the day. Vin stuck around for a while to offer advice on Edregon as a whole and some of the surrounding fragments he'd visited in the nearby area, but overall, he let them take the floor.

It was interesting watching business between fragments be conducted before his very eyes, and dinner rolled around before he even knew it. Finishing up his meal much faster than the others who were talking more than they were eating, Vin silently excused himself and made a beeline for the staircase leading up to the second floor of the Haven. Only to find a new apprentice standing on the stairs, their eyes noticeably open and face flushed as though they'd only just run to make it there before him.

"Hi there," Vin said, raising an eyebrow as he gave them a second to collect their breath. It was clear they were trying to act like they'd been standing in that spot for the last few hours without moving, and he saw no reason to embarrass them further.

"I'm Vin, I passed the whole test thing the other day. I wanted to speak with the Whisperer again."

"Yes, we know who you are," the dwarf said quietly, giving him an apologetic smile.

"Unfortunately, the Whisperer has informed us that she will not see you a second time."

"What? Why?" Vin asked, frowning at the apprentice.

"She seemed pretty happy to talk to me last time. She even mentioned how much she missed talking in full sentences."

"I'm sure she was beyond pleased to speak with you," the dwarf nodded, a wistful smile plaguing their face as they glanced toward the second floor.

"But knowing her, that is almost certainly why she has decided to keep her distance. The Whisperer's words hold a tremendous amount of power. If she is not careful, she does not risk just harming the person she is speaking with, but her surroundings as well. Not even the enchanted room she holds her conversations within can fully contain her power."

"So, what, she's afraid she'll grow too relaxed speaking with me and accidentally tear the Haven down if I make her laugh too hard?" Vin scoffed.

"Exactly." The apprentice's tone was so certain Vin actually paused, his annoyance at the surprise roadblock vanishing as he realized the apprentice probably had a point. The Whisperer was powerful, of that there was no doubt. Even if he were better able to handle the mana that came with her words now that he had his new Capstone, the risk of her damaging the building or those wandering around within it was a very real one. And even now, Vin had still only heard her whisper to him.

What if she did slip up and speak in a normal volume, or accidentally raised her voice as she grew lax talking to him?

"…I don't suppose these rules have a precedent, do they?" Vin asked carefully.

"The current Haven we are standing within is the fourth one since the initial creation of the Burrow," the apprentice nodded.

"The other three were all destroyed unintentionally at the hands of previous Whisperers. One who grew angry and shouted at a foreign diplomat, one who screamed during an assassination attempt, and one who laughed too hard at a joke one of their apprentices told them. In all three cases, there were significant casualties. The Haven is not just the Whisperer's home, but a site of prayer and reflection for our people. It is imperative that the Whisperer take great care to maintain its safety."

"Seriously? Man, I can't even imagine how bad that one Whisperer had to feel after laughing too hard," Vin muttered, his heart going out to the kind, older woman upstairs.

"Okay, I understand her reasoning. Thank you for telling me."" Thank you for being so understanding." Vin nearly tripped over his own two feet, having already turned and begun to walk away from the apprentice. Shaking his head, he found an empty room nearby, slipping into it and frowning up at the ceiling.

"What's the point of refusing to see me if you're just going to talk with me anyway like this?"" I find it much easier to control my emotions when there is distance between myself and those I am speaking with. How goes your relationship with your old friend?"

"What, my Capstone? It's fine, I'm gradually figuring out everything it does. Sure feels like a lot of different things for one single ability though."" Is it not expected that obtaining the aid of mana itself would impact nearly every facet of your magic?"

"Fair enough," Vin admitted, still finding it weird to be functionally talking to a wall and have the Whisperer respond.

"Hey… it can't be all that fun to be stuck like this, unable to ever speak in more than a whisper. If you want, I could maybe help you with that. I'm still pretty new to it myself, but I recently started dabbling in dream magic. I could take you into a dream and let you talk to your heart's content in there, if that sounds like something you'd be interested in." There was a pause, and when the Whisperer eventually replied, Vin could practically feel the broad smile on her face.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation." I appreciate the offer, my young Explorer, I truly do. But I do not dream. The risks of calling out in my sleep are too great, so I gave up dreaming many years ago."

"Man, the more I hear about your position, the more I feel like being the Whisperer is more like some sort of punishment than something to strive towards," Vin admitted.

"No offense."" None taken. Now, did you have any questions for me before we part ways? I make no promises that I will answer, but your new gift is dangerous, and I would rather not see you or anyone else come to harm. The way the Gods set up the barriers between fragments interferes with the way mana can spread across this patchwork world, which means you will not be hearing from me once you leave our fragment.

One can overcome such a thing with brute force, but of course, I prefer a subtler touch whenever possible."

"I think I've mostly answered my own questions, but since you're offering…" Vin pulled out his journal, looking at what he'd jotted down earlier.

"When I draw on the surrounding mana to replenish my own pool, I'm not hurting anything around me, right? I spent a few hours testing this earlier, but I'd like to know for certain."" No, you are not. Mana is shared between all things. As you pull on it from one source, nearby mana will fill in what is missing, stretching farther and farther away until what was taken is evenly distributed. You need not worry on that front."

"Well, when you put it that way, it sort of sounds like there is a front I do need to worry about," Vin pointed out.

"Care to explain, or are you going to do your 'old woman fortune' bit again?"" Having gotten a good judge of your character by now, I don't believe you need this warning, but I will give it all the same. It is the same warning the previous Whisperer gave to me, and the one before him gave to him. Now that you have grown closer to mana, close enough to call it a friend, you may begin to experience unexpected urges you never contemplated before. Urges that no matter what, you must not give into."

"When you say urges …" Vin said slowly, hoping beyond hope that the Whisperer wasn't about to reveal that mana was a lot more handsy than anyone had bothered to tell him." You must not use your unique relationship with mana to kill." Vin immediately grew somber, giving the Whisperer his full attention as she continued." Upon realizing just how easy it would be to snuff out a life by pumping it full of raw mana, every potential Whisperer goes through the same thought process.

What threat does a high-level warrior hold when their mana pool is so pitiful that a quick burst of mana would kill them instantly?"

"The thought did cross my mind as well during the test your apprentice conducted," Vin admitted.

"Is it really all that different from killing someone with a spell?"" Immensely so. Casting a spell adds numerous layers to mana, such as the intent of the spellcaster, and often an affinity to the mana. Raw mana is quite different. While it is capable of incredible destruction and mass devastation, it is also the cause of all life and joy in the universe. Raw mana is like an innocent child given unmatched power, capable of doing anything and everything that crosses their mind.

Even if there was a foe you wanted killed more than anything else, would you hand an innocent child a sword and demand they strike off their head?" Despite his new Capstone and the distance between them, Vin was forced to begin slowly venting his mana the longer he spoke with the Whisperer. Even so, he listened to her warning, nodding along regardless of the fact that he was in a separate room.

"I see what you're getting at… but there are plenty of people who wouldn't hesitate for even a second to give that innocent child a sword and demand they strike down their enemies for them."" And those people will never befriend mana in the same way you have,"the Whisperer stated with certainty." If you fall to those urges and use raw mana to kill, you will forever tarnish your relationship with mana. Your magic will gradually become more deadly, your spells twisting in dark ways you never knew possible.

Not only your own magic, but the mana around you will grow tainted and shift. I have seen it before with my own eyes. There is nothing wrong with death, as it is equally as important in the universe as life. But death must come with your intent, not at the hands of raw mana itself."

"Alright, that's a lot to take in," Vin said once it was clear she'd said her part. The Whisperer's tone had no sign of her usual warm smile. He could tell she meant every word she said, and he knew he'd be a fool to disregard her warning. She clearly had the strongest relationship with mana out of anyone he'd ever met, seeing as her words were imbued with magic itself. It wasn't as though he'd been planning on running around killing people with pure mana anyway, so it didn't change too much.

"Thank you for the warning."" Thank you for heeding it. As I suspected, I can sense from here that you understand the gravity behind my words. You are a good friend to the mana, Vin. A kind friend. And these days the mana can use all the friends it can get."

"…What the hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked the ceiling, frowning as the Whisperer didn't respond.

"Whisperer? Hello?"" Apologies, Vin, I must say no more. The mana does not wish to burden your adventurous soul any more than it already has. At least not just yet."

"Of course. Wouldn't want to upset the mana now, now would we?" he drawled, sighing as he knew trying to get answers out of her would be pointless.

"Well, before I go, any chance I can ask you for a sneak peek at what happens upon hitting the next prestige? Or are you still not able to talk about that despite lowering your level back to the fifties?"" It was lovely to speak with you, Vin. I do hope you come back and chat with me again one day."

"Good talking to you too," Vin said, understanding a dismissal when he heard one.

"I'll come by sometime with some friends. They're talented enough that I doubt they'll have any problem learning how to vent their mana like you showed me."" You may be surprised," the Whisperer muttered in his ear. Her soft chuckling was the last thing he heard from her as he turned and headed back to the dining room to see how things were going between the two races.