Stryg followed Vayu to the tallest building on the east side of campus. They passed by several floors until they reached the highest floor with a simple hallway and only two doors.
Vayu showed him to the door on the left, This is where we will be training.
Whats the right door for? Stryg asked.
Oh, that? Thats for yellow mageborns and their wind magic. They like to jump off buildings, crazy shit, really. Nothing for people like us to worry about. Vayu opened the left door, After you.
Stryg paused in wonder the mont he stepped inside. The room was twice as long as it was wide. One of the walls wasnt really a wall at all, but a set of sliding doors made from almost translucent paper.
What truly caught Strygs attention were the tall wind chis hanging from the ceiling throughout the entire room. Each chi was about 8 feet long and 1 foot wide, and made of polished redwood.
The floor was carpeted save for a small wooden pathway that began at the doorway and led straight to the middle of the room. The pathway ended at the center of the room to form a circular wooden platform with a spiral pattern. Several arcane sigils had been carved throughout the platform with a pair of magestones engraved at the very center. The wind chis covered the entire room save for where the wooden pathway and platform lay.
What are those? Stryg pointed at the large wooden hollowed pipes.
Wind chis, they make different sounds when the wind passes through them. We use them for training.
I thought you said the other room was for wind spell training?
It is. This room is designed for a very specific exercise that every purple mageborn must master if they wish to be called a mage.
Vayu stepped past Stryg and walked on the pathway to the center of the room. He took a seat on the platform and beckoned Stryg to join him. He followed the drow all the while staring at the large wind chis.
Stryg finally took a seat across from his new teacher. He studied his features briefly, so were the common traits he had learned to recognize from the dark elves, pale grey hair, pointed ears that curved upwards. But, there were so differences. His grey skin had a slight hint of blue within its hue. His eyes were also not the common blue, but a soft teal.
So, you are Vayu Glaz, Stryg said thoughtfully.
That I am. Lord Noir tells you are from the Sylvan Ebon Hollow tribe. Im going to assu you are still fairly new to the inner workings of this city and her people. He leaned in a bit. How much do you know about ? Ah, let rephrase that. How much has Loh told you?
She told you were a captain serving as her right-hand, back when she was a general. And that youre from a really powerful House. Oh and youre a true mage, though Im still not sure what that ans, he admitted with a slight frown.
Seems you got the basic gist about , Vayu nodded. I co from House Glaz, which is considered the most powerful of the Ruling Families, but I hope that doesnt make you uncomfortable. You have nothing to fear from , you can think of like an uncle, the young and dashing kind. Besides, I would never hurt Lohs apprentice.
You must like her a lot then, that or no ones really told you much about .
Vayu laughed, a bright almost tallic sound, I am proud to be in love, yes. But, truth be told even if I wasnt I wouldnt harm you. ...None of us ever thought Loh would ever have another apprentice.
My master had another apprentice? Stryg blinked. She had never told him.
Vayus eyes dimd as if he was watching a distant mory. Her late elder brother, Aizel. It was a brief apprenticeship, during Aizels ti in the army with us It did not end very well. She closed herself off after that. None of us thought she would ever take an apprentice again.
Vayus eyes focused on Stryg, But, here you are. Im glad shes finally found soone to connect with. Soone who has reminded her how to smile once more and for that, you have my eternal gratitude.
Stryg found his kind words offsetting. People normally didnt need Stryg, nor did they want him around. But, this powerful mage was actually expressing his appreciation and thankfulness towards him. It was odd but perhaps nice.
...My masters helped more than you know. If it wasnt for her and a few others, I wouldnt be where I am today. I wouldnt be sitting here talking to a powerful mage from the most powerful tribe in all of Hollow Shade.
Woah, Im not that important, Vayu chuckled.
But, dont you have true magic? That makes you strong, right? Stryg tilted his head.
True magic is just another spell-form. Having various spell-forms doesnt make one mage stronger than another. Rember, the mage who has mastered a single spell-form to its utmost is far more dangerous than a pri mage who has learned twenty.
Like lantha the Blue, he nodded.
Vayu turned his head, Yes, actually. Did Loh tell you that story?
Yeah, right after I botched up a necromancy spell, he wrinkled his nose.
Heh, I told her that story back when we were in the military.
Stryg looked at his hands, So, true magic is just another spell-form like the rest?
Well, not exactly. Listen well, its ti for your first lesson. The spell-forms magi are used to casting are the combination of chromatic and elental mana. Two per each chromatic color.
Vayu opened his palms and raised his hands. A small illusionary figure of a hawk flew above his left palm, while thin purple mind tendrils curled out from his right fingertips.
In my case, illusion and mind spells, Vayu said.
Stryg leaned forward, eyes glued to the magic literally at hand.
Vayu continued, Every mageborn innately absorbs mana within the atmosphere and stores it within their hearts. Now, chromatic mana naturally bonds with elental mana, it's what creates the basic twenty spell-forms. However, a true mageborn is soone who can filter the mana within their heart.
I can separate the elental and chromatic mana within myself, Vayu pointed to his chest.
But, youre a chromatic mage. What happens to the elental mana? Stryg asked.
Good question. Our bodies cant hold pure elental mana and so our body ejects the mana instantly. However, chromatic pure mana allows us to cast chromatic magic as it was always ant to be.
Vayu released the illusion and mind spells. Faint purple lines began to form around his hands in the shape of arcane sigils. They grew in hue and brightness until they glowed a brilliant purple.
We call it binding magic, the true purple spell-form, Vayu said.
Woah, Stryg said slowly. He looked up in excitent, Can you teach that?
Im afraid not, Vayus magic faded away. Youre not a true mage.
How do you know? Everyone used to think I was a dual manifold, turns out Im a quadra manifold, Stryg crossed his arms.
Its because youre a manifold mage you cant learn binding magic.
Huh? I thought having more chromatic colors was a good thing?
Well, its not a bad thing. The thing is, all true magi only have one chromatic color. Now, I admit when a mage starts out they might not know if they are a true mage. But, seeing as you have multiple colors I can guarantee this is one spell-form you will never learn.
Oh I see, Stryg hung his head in disappointnt.
Dont worry about that, you have eight spell-forms to learn ahead of you.
Stryg had utterly failed at learning necromancy, so it was actually only seven spell-forms. Then again, he was technically a pri mage, so that ans he had 19 spell-forms to master, if he had talent with them that is. Stryg thought it best not to ntion any of this, though.
Mind spells are sensitive magic to practice since you technically require living targets. Most of the ti you will spend practicing on animals. But, we will leave that for another day. Today we are starting here in the wind chis room. This is where you will learn the illusion spell-form, Vayu said.
Im ready, Stryg nodded.
How much do you know of illusion magic?
Every student had learned the bare minimum of the basic twenty spell-forms. Stryg had learned so from the off-handed comnts of Plum and from the conversation with the purple magi of the Singing Willow troupe.
Stryg gathered his thoughts and tried to summarize, Illusion magic is the spell-form fueled by chromatic purple and elental dark mana. They can make all different kinds of shapes and even sounds. Most people including magi think illusions are simply fake, like a trick of light, but theyre not. They have substance.
Exactly and there is the key. Illusions have actual shapes and forms. They have a very low density and are very fragile. A single strike from an opponent can shatter the illusion, like glass. But, with proper training, illusions have various wonderful applications.
Vayu created a small golden orb above his palm, Now the key to illusions is a mages focus. Other spell-forms allow a mage to simply create or manipulate an object, then fire it off.
Like a fireball?
Exactly. An orange mage doesnt have to worry about what happens to the fireball once it has left their hand. Purple magi do have to worry about their illusions at all tis. A single lapse of focus can destroy the illusion.
The golden orb cracked and shattered into a thousand small purple fragnts. The spell faded away as quickly as it had appeared.
When creating an illusion you must take care to focus on each aspect of it. The more complex the illusion the more difficult. For example, if you create an illusion of a person, you must take into account not just how they look, but their voice, their subtle movents, gestures, etc. Failure to do so will result in an illusion that seems fake or worse, simply falls apart.
And I thought necromancy was hard, Stryg sighed.
I wouldnt worry too much. Im told you were Professor Gettes top student when it ca to shadow spells. Illusion and shadow magic both use dark mana. You should have an easier ti learning this than you think, Vayu smiled.
Stryg took a deep breath, If you say so.
Lets start with sothing simple, try creating a plain grey orb. Cup your hands together and imagine your mana flowing within your palms and forming a perfect grey sphere.
Stryg closed his eyes and focused. He recalled the image of the seregulus he had killed as his spark to draw power. Purple mana flowed softly through his veins and into his fingertips and palms. He willed the mana to curl and spin inwardly to create a grey sphere.
He opened his eyes and stared at his work. A splotched grey oval with several lumps and indentation stared back at him. What the-?
Hm, thats normal. No one gets their orb perfect on the first try or the hundredth for that matter, Vayu said.
Of course not, Stryg twisted his lips.
Vayus words should have made him feel better, but it only served to make him feel worse. He wasnt supposed to be just anybody. He was a magical prodigy, Loh and Elzri had told him as much. If he was just like the rest, then what did he have? Who was he, but an odd goblin?
Its alright, dont mind the shape too much. What we need to focus on is mobility. Try ntally commanding the orb to move towards one of the chis, Vayu said.
Okay, Stryg nodded.
He looked at a chi next to him and willed the misshapen orb to go towards it. The orb wobbled in the air for a mont before shattering into small clear purple fragnts. Strygs shoulders trembled.
Moving an illusion has always been difficult, Vayu said.
Stryg grit his teeth, Im not finished. Lets go again.
Thats what I like to hear, Vayu grinned.
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