Chapter 36: Mana Alignment

So, first things first for my dear sister. The beauty of mage duels. You’re going to find them all too common amongst the Archmage’s apprentices. If you’re good enough, and you will be. Your main strategy will be the art of the counter spell.

Ideally, you have a perception spell on your eyes to start, but even if you don’t, you need to be able to identify what someone is casting at a glance, then prepare the opposition spell-circle.

Everything is about opposites, the push and pull of symbols. Once you understand this, you’re well on your way to becoming an Archmage.

• Eridor’s Journal to his sister.

That night, I continue my studies with Shar in her cat form, under the leathers of my tent, my light illuminating the many volumes I’d pulled out.

“You managed to cast a fireball.”

I look up from my notebook, where’d I’d been comparing my translation notes to the book, Ik’thar Lav’sun. “I’m sorry?”

“In Kolas’s temple, against the worshippers.” Shar curls her tail around her, the tip of it flicking through the air, “I saw you cast a first tier spell circle, a basic fireball.”

I nod, “I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”

“No, you did it perfectly.”

We stare at each other for a solid few seconds as she seems to wait for something.

The cat sighs, “I forget how little you know sometimes. A first tier spell circle marks you as an official apprentice of the arcane.”

I put my finger on the page of my notebook to keep my spot, and close it. “What exactly does that mean?”

The cat lays down, her body pressed against my leg, “Back then, they would’ve thrown a party to celebrate the new mage. New robes, gifts from the other apprentices. And an enchanted item from the Archmage. It was a moment worth celebrating.”

I look down at the books surrounding me, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “So I’m a real mage then?”

“Barely. But yes. The Apprentice title is the first step on a long road.”

Her words don’t take away the giddy feeling blossoming in my chest. I mean, yes, technically I was a mage as soon as I got my class.

But this, this I worked hard for. Studying in the dim illumination of my light-stone every night since Shar had begun translating the books for me. Even the Archmage, a person who is little more than a legend to me, would’ve recognized my growth.

“Remind me to take us out to eat when we get back to Onder. I should celebrate.”

The golem nods, then rests her head on my thigh. I get back to reading with renewed vigor.

I pause after a few pages, a question bubbling up to the surface, “What’s the next step?”

“Novice, with second tier spell circles. You have plenty of time before that. For now, focus on learning more first circle spells. Too many apprentices have blown themselves up, moving too fast.”

“Blown themselves up? Are you being serious?”

She closes her eyes.

“Shar?”

***

The snow has melted, but the cold remains, the little bit of sun filtering through the foliage barely enough to keep warm. In addition, the melt has turned small creaks into fast moving rivers, further delaying us as we walk back to Onder.

Jasper, of course, is perfectly happy chewing on his branch as we walk. Being in a stronghold seemed to have put him at ease, and now that we’ve left it, he’s happily walking forward at his usual pace.

I’d considered veering away from Onder until things settled down, but we need to either go there, or to the southern stronghold to resupply and sleep in a nice bed. I personally don’t feel like braving the stronghold, even with my banishment revoked, so it’s to the danger of the frontier city.

Plus, I need to send warning to the monks about the demon worshippers. I don’t know where the last of the Oathsworn Orders are, but with the message from the Angels, I imagine they have become much more active, and I imagine they’ll want to know that their enemies are still breathing.

So our journey continues, as dangerous as ever. Predators have become more active with the snow melt, leaving their dens to look for food. I rely on Shar, and my own knowledge of the local wildlife to veer us away from trouble multiple times.

I sit there on the first night, across from Keve as he carves a little figurine. Shar watches me with a sharp eye as I hold my hand up, and channel my mana.

First comes the circle, then Stillness. I keep my focus as I draw the symbol into the circle with my mana. The next two runes are identity and desire.

Air, Wall.

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The spell finishes and the spell circle brightens with my hazel mana before it disappears and a shimmer appears in the air between me and Shar.

Shar throws a pebble, and it bounces off. Then she looks at Keve.

He throws a larger rock, and it stops for a second before destroying the shield, and falling to the ground.

“Air works better with transformation.” Shar licks her paw, then looks at it with narrowed eyes before turning back to me “If you want stillness, then use earth or ice, or space itself.”

I nod, then draw on my mana again to create another circle.

Transformation, Air, Flow.

The spell circle forms, and brightens. This time, the air moves in a half-circle around me.

Shar throws a pebble, it hits the stream of air, and flows around me.

Keve does the same with a rock, and it follows the same stream of air.

“The wand makes this a lot easier.” I say as the spell fades.

”Of course it does. That’s what it’s for.”

I give the golem a look, which she ignores. “When I tried to repair the golem, the voice mentioned something. I haven’t been able to find any other mentions of it in Ik’thar Lav’sun.”

She turns towards me and tilts her head.