14 Magic (2/2)
Turning towards the dummy, Calyn again formed that teardrop shaped spell. Only this time instead of shooting it instantly, she added a second formation around the teardrop, this formation resembled an enormous triangle missing the bottom line. As she finished the second form the arcane lines hovering in the air in front of her took on an amber hue. Aiming away from the dummy, Calyn pointed towards the window and released the spell. With a roar of burning flames a blazing version of the mana arrow soared past the players wide-stretched eyes.
With a smile Calyn turned back towards the group, ”The final condition is that you must inject mana into the spell formation in order to cast it. If you do not have mana you will be unable to cast a spell. Also the more perfectly you draw the spell formation the less mana it will consume. To inject mana, focus on your mana vessel and focus on that mana you can feel. Bring that stream of mana and let it flow through your outstretched arm towards your wand, once it reaches your fingers imagine injecting that mana into the wand. If you reach sufficient levels of talent you will not even need a wand and can use any tools or even your own body to directly create mana formations. For now though just try it with the wand.” Finishing her explanation Calyn walked back towards Arthal who was grumbling off to the side.
”Your explanation is far too simplistic,” he grumbled.
”They're otherworlders, they know nothing of magic. You were teaching as if you were still at the Snowpoint Academy, teaching rich scions of noble houses who've had tutoring in magic for years,” she chided him gently.
”Even so, the secrets of magic are deep and varied. One should not simply be taught how to cast a spell, but why the spell works as it does. There's a reason most mages are given a formal education.” He muttered.
”The Gods have decreed that they be taught in as quick a manner as possible. Your style is fine for those who know the basics, but these otherworlders know nothing about magic. For as much as you love to talk about the basics, you need to remember to also teach the fundamentals.” Calyn responded gently.
Arthal sighed, ”I just hope that these otherworlders will be up to the fate that the Gods have in store for them.” He muttered, looking towards the balcony and the wide open sky that stretched beyond.
As the two teachers discussed quietly, the players were hard at work attempting to cast their first spell. Eric gritted his teeth as he tried to coax the mana flowing through his body towards the wand. For some reason no matter how hard he tried, the mana refused to leave, stubbornly remaining inside his mana vessel.
'Relax,' he told himself. 'Imagine it like meditation in Tae Kwon Do. Relax your body and allow the mana to flow naturally.'
Closing his eyes, Eric began to regulate his breathing, gradually shutting out the sounds of his fellow players beside him. Feeling the wand clutched in his right hand he began to circulate the mana inside his mana vessel. Rotating it clockwise he slowly coaxed it towards his arm. This time, instead of attempting to immediately infuse his wand with the mana, he allowed it to flow back towards the mana vessel, feeling it coalesce with the mana still inside. Before the mana could settle down he once again sent it streaming towards his arm, sensing the mana as it flowed down towards his fingers, reaching the fingertip before turning and flowing back towards his mana vessel. Again and again he repeated the process, like the tide impacting upon the beach. As the surge of mana became increasingly powerful he opened his eyes. Pointing the wand at the dummy he once more allowed the mana to reach his fingertips, only this time instead of allowing it to return along his mana paths to the mana vessel, he forced it towards his wand, infusing the crystal at the tip with his mana. Feeling it working he quickly seized the opportunity to draw a crude circle. As the shining form was completed he felt some mana disappear from his body drawn into the circle.
”Hyah!” With a shout Eric released the magic, watching as the circle glowed a brilliant violet before coalescing into that shapeless mass and shooting towards the dummy. As the Arcane Strike smashed into the dummy Eric felt himself collapsing on the ground, his knees quivering with the excitement of having just used magic for the first time ever.
Staring at the wand in his hands Eric quickly returned to his feet, not wanting to let go of this feeling of the mana flowing through his body.
This time instead of drawing a single circle, Eric was struck with inspiration. Infusing the mana into his wand once more, he drew three interconnected circles, the line not faltering but connecting all three seamlessly with two circles on the bottom holding up another circle on top. Following this he also recreated the symbol he'd seen Calyn use, that two sided triangle, using it to connect the three circles with lines beginning in the furthest corners of the two bottom circles and meeting in the middle of the upper circle. As he prepared to fire this spell Calyn and Arthal turned pale, the wands in their hands moving at lightning fast speeds to create a dazzling array of runes.
Infusing his mana into the formation Eric aimed once more at the dummy, ready to see the results of this formation. As his spell came to life, a series of dazzling shields suddenly surround the dummy, one of the shields was a shimmering curtain of water, creating an oval membrane directly between Eric and the dummy. The other had the telltale violet hue of arcane magic and was formed with multiple layers stacked one on top of the other.
With a powerful roar of flames, Eric's spell took shape, nine flaming spheres roaring to life and blasting powerfully towards the dummy. As they struck the shields they exploded.