Ask Luna #166

From: Geli

Hello Luna,

It has been a long, long time, since I last wrote you (#35, #38, #40). It is kind of funny knowing now the things we do, to read the answers from so long ago.

I guess we can by now agree that being a diviner does not mean to be a pacifist. Most might be, but it is the curiosity, that defines their personality and as a result their magic.

Yet, now knowing that Richard is a dark diviner makes the possibility that he “changed” Alex, that he specifically trained him to be combat orientated and that his “punishment” with Tobruk was just more training… very, very likely.

Of course, a Chosen One does not need to have the same magic as their master. And yet… it is interesting to see the stark parallels in how Richard and Alex use their magic in combat, isn’t it? (It’s also a good hint in just how terrifying Alex is unknowingly… I haven’t forgotten the raid and how the other mages looked at him.)

So, we know that Richard trained Alex, put effort into him and yet then let him go without naming him Chosen or even working at all to keep him, really.

Maybe, just maybe… Alex is Richard’s true Chosen One / heir / legacy. His insurance, that something of him remains, just in case he fails with his power grap or jinn magic.

It would… in a strange way make sense. He saves Alex, he keeps him around, but never too close. It would also neatly explain why Morden looks the other way when Onyx got into trouble with Verus.

Saying all that, I see no reason why Richard wouldn’t practise long-term divination and see into the future of those he chooses to train as well.

One has to wonder, how much of Alex is a deliberate product of Richard, shaped through training and magic. (Besides the choice to pick up the fateweaver. Pretty sure, even Richard didn’t see that coming.)

A long letter without a specific question, isn’t it?

So here it is – do you think Alex is the dark heir hidden in the light through his own denial?

I wish you a great week at the shop.

Geli

It’s a good question, though I’ve got to admit, it’s not one I like thinking about. Too many uncomfortable places it’d lead to.

I guess it comes to just how committed Richard and Morden are to the whole Dark path thing. If they could turn Alex into the perfect Dark mage, but the first thing he’d do would be get rid of them, would they still do it? Feels like the answer should be no. On the other hand . . . it is kind of where that way of thinking’s going to end up, right?

I’m not sure. Something I’ve been realising lately is that that kind of thing is how other mages are always going to see me. Alex was trained by Richard, I was trained by Alex, and they’re not going to forget it.

From: Will Gurney

Hi Luna, I had a question on elsewhere, if someone created an attack to hurt someone and it was reflected back at them would it still not do nothing or would the fact they expected it to hurt cause it to hurt them?

In Elsewhere? God knows. Probably nothing’d happen except for a lot of flailing around. The more you get used to Elsewhere, the more you realise that attacking just doesn’t work there – yeah, it can make things happen, but they’re never the things you want.

I’m pretty sure you can’t really ‘win’ fights in Elsewhere. The most you hope for is that the other guy will hurt himself trying. But that’ll probably need something cleverer than reflecting an attack.

From: Ian

I doubt that this is happening now nor in the foreseeable future but I heard that there were Dark Apprentices who took classes in the apprentice program with you, what was that like? I only ask because why would Dark Mages want to learn from the Light Council, I get associations but wouldn’t it make them look weak to other Dark Mages if they went to the Council for instruction? Plus I can’t imagine someone like Onyx listening to a teacher in a controlled setting unless Dark Apprentices are less volatile before they become full Dark Mages.

Well, you have to remember that Dark mages are a big group. Yeah, there’s no way in hell someone like Onyx would walk into a classroom, but most Dark mages aren’t Onyx. The ones you get in the apprentice program are the ones who are kinda unusual.

I actually found them a lot of fun. You have no idea just how bored you can get of Light mages after a while. Having someone to talk to who doesn’t worship the Council is a nice change.

From: Dakota

What defenses exist against poison? Aside from life mages and perhaps death, can mages neutralize it?

If it’s difficult to neutralize, has Alex considered coating his knife with it?

Life magic, death magic, shapeshifting. Matter and time mages can pull some tricks as well, and there are one-shots that are designed to slow down a poison for long enough to get to a healer.

Alex doesn’t use it because it takes too long, and if you’re in knife fighting range you need something that stops the other guy right now, not in 10 seconds or 10 minutes.

From: Liam

Hi Luna
In your opinion, who would have won a fight between Onyx and Belthas? Both were highly skilled battle mages who took Cinder and Rachel on at the same time and won. On the other hand, their personalities and fighting styles are very different.

From what I remember, Belthas was better. Onyx just coasted on raw speed and power. Belthas was just as powerful but with way more skill. It’s what you’d expect, really, he was a lot more experienced.

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