I walked back to the barracks in a daze.
It felt like the outpost had been elevated up into the clouds. I could hardly believe that another alternative existed where my future wasn't entirely predetermined.
This changed everything.
Chapter 22
Skinscript
When I reached the courtyard for lessons, Yeshar was mid-argument with Henrik.
“There are no assigned seats, and this bench is open.” Yeshar gestured to the area where Henrik’s bags and books crowded my usual seat.
A quick scan showed that all the other benches were already occupied.
“The seat’s taken.” Henrik crossed his arms over his chest and raised his chin.
“Consider the position you’re in,” Yeshar said, eyes narrowed.
“No one ever accused me of being too smart,” Henrik replied, glancing around at everyone watching the spectacle.
“I won’t forget this.” Yeshar scowled as he moved to the opposite end of the courtyard to sit on the stones.
Henrik dropped his arms and grinned when he saw me, shuffling his materials around.
My daily petty annoyance with his crowding of the bench where we sat evaporated with realization. All along, he’d been saving my seat. As he pushed his books aside, I settled in beside him, internally flattered.
How many other small kindnesses had I mistaken for inconveniences?
“If we’re done settling in…Let’s begin.” Instructor Garcien said. She held up one gleaming black Starshell for all of us to see. It was huge, a soaring spiral shape that was easily three times the size of my closed fist. The chatoyant inky surface gleamed sapphire with reflected skylight. “Starshells ground into powder can be mixed in a 1-1 ratio with Mesmorian soil to make it fertile. Any more than that, and we wouldn't be able to keep up with supply demands. Any less, and the soil won't grow vegetation. Without a steady and constant supply, Mesmorian soil is barren. If it isn’t replenished regularly, even full grown plants begin to wither.”
“That's got to be worth a thousand gold,” Henrik whispered in awe, eyeing the shell.
Henrik hadn't been acting the same ever since Orin had been kicked out. I wasn't sure what it felt like to have your roommate expelled, but it couldn't be pleasant. Or maybe he was just desultory about having to receive additional training. I’d been too exhausted from my own training to find time to check on him.
Either way, it was almost nice to hear him interrupting lessons again.
Instructor Garcien pulled down another long sheet of peeled bark, this one blank. She must not have heard Henrik's comment. “Starshells are also used for Skinscript, which is the focus of today’s lesson.” She set the shell down, pulling out a sea hare ink jar and painting symbols onto the bark. “There are over a hundred known Skinscript glyphs, each with a uniquefunction. They cannot be combined. However, they can be used concurrently if the symbols are distinctly imprinted onto the skin.”
I leaned forward, rapt with interest. Talking about Skinscript was taboo, and only Voyagers and Ascendancy members ever had any Skinscript on their personages.
Except for me.
And I desperately needed to know more about the mysterious mark that stained my chest.
“The exact liquid used to suspend Starshell powder when creating Skinscript is something only the Ascendancy knows. Ascendancy members are the only ones both qualified and allowed to imbue glyphs onto someone at specific locations on the body. Skinscript is not a trophy, it is not to be flaunted. Disclosing details about its magic to anyone outside this outpost will result in disciplinary action from the Ascendancy if you are caught.
“It is unknown if additional Skinscript exists, and has yet to be uncovered. The last active glyph was discovered five years ago. Because of how precious Starshells are, minimal research is put into investigating potential new glyphs.
“What we know is that some symbols have a varied effect based on the size or location where they are inked. For example,” she drew a copy of a symbol. “This symbol, Fortitude, can be drawn onto an arm to grant a small resilience boost, or onto a back or chest for a more considerable boosting effect. The Restoration symbol,” she drew up another complex symbol, one I wouldn't have been able to replicate properly from seeing it wound around Instructor Penbrook's hand, “Can only be painted on hands. No one knows exactly why. Much of the magic of Starshells is still unknown to us, even after wearing Skinscript for a thousand years. These,” she gestured to a series of designs. “Are the primal Skinscript glyphs.
“Fire, Water, Air, Rock, Flora, and Sun. They are considered to be the most powerful known glyphs, but they are also deadly to their user, only ever used as a last resort. Fire sends out an inferno blast, but the smoke it generates suffocates the wielder. Water summons a tsunami wave, which drowns the user alongside it. Air creates a tornado which rips the summoner apart. Rock triggers landslides, and no one has ever run fast enough to escape them once started. Flora will cause all nearby vegetation to grow at an exponentially increased rate, but it uses the wielder’s own blood sugar to feed the plants. Sun produces a blast of searing light, which burns the wielder from the inside out.”
It was a tad far to go for a sun-kissed glow. I tapped the end of my brush against the page, trying to imprint the symbols into permanent memory since my reproductions were laughably poor.
“These glyphs each require a focusing gesture, usually with the user’s hands. They are very rarely given out, and only to seasoned Voyagers who will not use them thoughtlessly. No one will receive one at graduation. And all graduation glyphs will be placed on the arm or hands.”
She drew up a series of additional glyphs, explaining each as we went. There was one for Strength, the Acumen symbol I'd seen on her arm, another for Energy. Henrik got way too excited about the Luck glyph, even after she explained it was mostly used for increasing gambling odds, and the least desirable Skinscript to receive because of its moral ambiguity and limited use.
