Come on, this has to be useful during the day. Adion thought as he conjured a shadow and tried to Will it denser faster than the Will of the world could sweep it away from his control.

He was sitting on the carpet in Quahim’s study. Sweat was running down his temples, not from physical strain but from the heat. Summer had arrived in full swing, and even with the windows open, Quahim’s study seemed to have been designed to trap heat.

Adion continued conjuring shadows, but the Will of the world was not easy to beat, and Adion had to finally give up. If he could use his Authority, there wouldn’t be a problem, but shadow was even harder to control than wind. A shadow mage had to conjure a shadow packed with concepts if they wanted to have any chance of controlling a shadow for any amount of time.

It is a lot easier at night, but I don’t want to be handicapped like that. Quahim manages to keep his shadow under control even during the day. At least long enough to attack with it.

But I guess this is good training. Keeping control of a shadow in daylight without Authority has to be one of the hardest things you can attempt.

Adion decided to rest his Will for a while before continuing. He had managed to make significant improvements in his shadow magic since he started his training. He could now conjure a shadow the volume of a watermelon in just under three seconds. It was very hard to shave off those last few seconds, though. But Adion knew he would get there with enough effort.

He didn’t know if his concepts had made any significant improvements, though. Adion hadn’t experienced any moments of great insight. He simply tried to Will his shadow to become more compact, faster, and sharper. Those were the key concepts needed for the spell Quahim had shared with Adion. Even if Adion didn’t feel the need for an attack like that, it was a good place to start. And he thought he had at least a basic understanding of those concepts already, so he opted to push his shadow in those directions every time he conjured one. There weren’t a lot of results to show for it yet, but Adion thought he inched his way closer and closer with every effort.

He didn’t know if that was the best method in trying to grasp concepts, but it was something at least. Concepts were still something that wasn’t entirely clear to Adion. He thought that his grasping of ‘stable’ was something more like an inspiration than brute-forcing it, like making his fire ‘hot’ had been. Finding inspiration through slowly pondering an element was definitely more effective, as he had noticed when he finally had a fire powerful enough to kill Silver beasts. But he had the privilege of studying Sell’s fire every day for that. Who knows how long it would have taken otherwise?

Adion had thought about a way to study Quahim’s shadow in the same way, but that would also reveal Adion’s strange control over shadow to Quahim. And even if Adion trusted Quahim to not want him harm, he couldn’t trust him with any of his secrets. He still didn’t know why he had been curious about him when they met, after all.

So besides painting, reading, and playing around with his shadow, hoping for some sudden enlightenment, Adion had no choice but to brute force his shadow to become denser, faster, and sharper.

I’ll paint for a while. That’s something I can notice steady improvements in, at least.

Adion got up and walked over to Quahim, who was painting by a window.

“It really is far too hot,” Adion complained, “Are you actually comfortable in this heat?”

“Not really,” Quahim said, “I just don’t go around complaining about it. I keep it to myself.”

“Complaining helps keep off the heat,” Adion said, taking a seat on a stool next to Quahim, preparing to start painting. Adion had started a painting of Sell the week before without thinking about it. Out of embarrassment and afraid that Quahim would recognize the kingdom’s princess, Adion had left the painting unfinished and opted to make a painting of just her hair. It would be anonymous enough, and it felt like a nice thing to paint.

He began mixing some colors on his palette to get the perfect shade of red.

“You should work on not making your every thought known to the people around you. People will abuse it in the Academy,” Quahim said as he continued painting.

“Well, it’s not like I do it with strangers,” Adion said, his eyes on the color mix.

“I believe you called me bald the first time we met,” Quahim said.

“It sort of slipped out,” Adion muttered, “Sorry.”

“Insult shouldn’t just slip out,” Quahim said, “Not to Diamond mages.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Adion said.

“Will you?” Quahim looked over at Adion with a questioning look.

What’s this about all of a sudden?

“I don’t show the slightest expression unless I choose to,” Quahim said, “It is a waste of aura control if you give it all away with your reaction. If you go to the Academy like you are, you wouldn’t be able to hide a thing.”

“I’m actually good at hiding things,” Adion argued. He had kept all his secrets from Quahim even after months of spending every day together.

“Is that so?” Quahim asked, “What do you think about Termeth Hesfym?”

Adion looked up at Quahim in surprise. Hesfym? Why does he bring up that bastard?

“Truly a mystery. Your face is impossible to read,” Quahim said sarcastically, “Ganta, you’re even clenching your fists in anger.”

Adion looked down at his hands and realized it was true.

Okay, so he has a point. But how did he know I’d react to that?

“Why would you ask that question?” Adion asked.

“To see your reaction and prove a point,” Quahim said.

“Why that particular question? You knew I’d react. How?” Adion asked, his eyes narrowing.

“You know, Adion. Your aura control is truly immaculate,” Quahim said, looking straight at Adion. “It’s almost too good. Suspiciously good. You can’t expect to spend so much time with a Diamond mage and expect him not to notice.”

What!?

“So that begs the question, what would you need to hide?” Quahim continued, his eyes boring into Adion, “The first thought someone would have is that you’re hiding your strength. And when you advanced to ‘middle Bronze,’ I confirmed my suspicions.”

He knows I’ve been hiding my strength? How did he do it?

“But that isn’t all that you’re hiding,” Quahim paused.

Adion didn’t know what to say. His heart was beating fiercely in his chest.

“Your age,” Quahim said, “You’re not actually 16.”

Wait. What?

“So I got that one wrong,” Quahim nodded to himself and looked away from Adion, “I thought it would be unlikely. Never heard of anyone managing that.”

“What-” Adion said, but Quahim interrupted him.

“I’m teaching you a lesson,” Quahim said, “Look how much I found out about you, even with that aura control of yours.”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

“You…” Adion muttered.

“I played you,” Quahim nodded, “‘I’m actually good at hiding things.’ What a joke.”

“Okay, fine,” Adion said, “I’m awful at hiding things. Can you tell me now? Who are you? How did you know about me?”

“You’re actually peak Bronze already,” Quahim said with surprise on his face.

Adion just stared back at Quahim with a blank expression, angry at being ignored.

“Better,” Quahim nodded, “Too bad. I was curious.”

Quahim got up from his seat and walked away, waving Adion to accompany him. “Come, I’ll show you something.”

Adion got up and followed. Quahim led him to the back of the room and started looking through a bunch of canvases with half-finished paintings on the floor.

Once he found the one he was looking for, he grabbed it and handed it over to Adion.

“This…this looks like me,” Adion said as he looked at the painting in his hand. It wasn’t completely clear as it wasn’t finished, but he was certain that it depicted him.

“Should be,” Quahim nodded.

“Who painted this?” Adion looked up to Quahim and asked.

“My niece,” Quahim said with a slight smile.

“Your…” Adion was thinking rapidly, confused about what was happening.

“Her name is Sellitha,” Quahim said.

Adion looked at Quahim in surprise.

Quahim is Sell’s uncle?

“Right…” Adion said, trying to think, “We might have met.”

“She’s your little girlfriend, isn’t she?” Quahim asked.

Adion could tell that he was flushing a little in embarrassment.

“Definitely going to need to work on that,” Quahim said, looking at Adion’s obvious expression.

“You knew…” Adion said. It was very dangerous for someone from Sell’s family to find out about their relationship, but seeing how Quahim hadn’t done anything even after all this time, Adion didn’t think he was about to be ratted out.

“Sell came here at the end of last summer,” Quahim said, taking back the painting from Adion’s hands and turning to look at it, “Only for a few days, unfortunately. She was suspiciously happy. Grumpy, sure. She tends to be. But she was happy. Just like you, she’s not very good at hiding these things.

“She started asking me about shadow magic all of a sudden. I thought it was strange; she had always been occupied with fire, not giving much thought to anything else. When I asked about it, she finally admitted that she was asking ‘for a friend.’ And then she went and painted this…It wasn’t difficult to take a guess what had happened. That’s why I was curious about you when you showed up in my shop out of the blue. I wanted to take a good look at the guy who made my Sell so happy.”

Adion was silent for a few seconds, thinking through everything he had heard. “Does this mean I have your blessing?” He asked with a small grin.

“Well, you’re a hell of a lot better than that Hesfym bastard that she loathes,” Quahim said.

Adion had never had more respect for his teacher than right there and then.

He’s more wise than I thought.

“You’re still not worthy of her, though,” Quahim said, bringing Adion’s opinion of him down again.

“You know far from everything about me,” Adion said, a little grumpy, “I’m quite impressive, actually.”

“Right,” Quahim nodded, “You should work on bragging about your secret talents too.”

I wasn’t bragging…

“Come here,” Quahim said, putting down the painting and walking back again, “I’ll teach you a trick that has helped me keep a tight grip over my expressions. I won’t let you carelessly reveal your relationship with Sell and bring her trouble.”

“Right,” Adion nodded and followed. He was slowly melting all the new information he had received. “Where is Sell now, by the way? In Amyss? Have you heard from her?”

“I assume she is,” Quahim said, “I’m not really close to my brother’s new family. Other than my nieces, I don’t get involved.”

“Oh,” Adion said.

Is he an outcast? Well, Sell seems to have been allowed to visit. I wonder if Sell will come to visit again on her way to the Academy?

Adion noticed Quahim had stopped to stare at Adion’s painting. Earlier, he had worried much, but now he realized that it was pretty obvious he was painting Sell’s hair.

“So…” Adion didn’t know what to say.

“I have a lot of paintings in my mind,” Quahim said, “The one etched most deeply is one I saw in my youth. Perhaps it was the reason for my to pursue painting.”

“What was the painting?” Adion asked.

Quahim was quiet for a while before speaking. “It was called ‘Sunset over Melovain.’ It doesn’t sound like anything special perhaps, but it is to me.

“I had an incident in my youth. I was fighting on the Outskirts of Evalia and found myself alone against a beast much stronger than me. I completely panicked. I couldn’t think, couldn’t move. But then, suddenly, that painting appeared in my mind, and everything calmed down. I could breathe, I could think. I won the fight against the beast against all odds. I could return home.

“After that, whenever I would experience something similar, the painting would appear in my mind, and instead of panicking, I would feel the pleasant feeling that the painting gave me every time I saw it. Now, whenever I experience any sort of surprise, before I can react, the painting is there, calming me down and allowing me to think clearly.”

Quahim turned to look at Adion, “I want you to find a painting that achieves a similar result for you. Practice making it appear in your mind. Instead of immediately reacting to things like you do now, with everything plainly written on your face, let the painting calm you down and react as you see fit. In a controlled manner.”

“Does that really work?” Adion asked.

“It won’t work right away,” Quahim said, “But with practice. I have ‘Sunset over Melovain’ in front of me right now. It isn’t clear, but should you tell me something shocking, it will immediately appear, calming me down and stopping my body from having any sudden reaction.”

“It sounds like it's definitely worth a try,” Adion said thoughtfully, “What painting should I choose?”

“That’s for you to decide,” Quahim said, “We’ll begin practicing tomorrow.”

“Practicing?” Adion asked.

“Just like I managed to reveal so much about you earlier, I’ll ask a few pointed questions throughout the day. Hopefully, I’ll manage to sate my curiosity a little before you come to control it.”

Can he really figure out my secrets just from asking questions and seeing my reaction?

“Mm,” Adion nodded, “Thank you, teacher.”

“Don’t let me down,” Quahim nodded.

Adion took a seat on the carpet and started thinking while Quahim continued working on his painting.

Have I seen any painting that would work well?

Adion thought about the paintings he had seen and how they had affected him. But the ones that had affected him didn’t really have a calming effect. A painting like ’Hermillin’s last drink’ was impactful, but Adion didn’t think it would calm him down and allow him to think clearly.

It feels like the paintings I’ve painted myself would stir too many emotions. That doesn’t feel like a good thing in this case. I need something that’s rid of all that, that can always reset me no matter the situation. Something that can erase the surprise and shock I would feel at a pointed guess.

After thinking for a while, Adion thought of a painting that he hadn’t actually seen, but that seemed like it would work perfectly.

It’s probably for the best that I haven’t really seen it. I can’t imagine it would work otherwise.

Adion turned to look at Quahim, “Can you do the thing where you guess something about me?”

“Already?” Quahim asked.

“I just want to see if I’m on the right track,” Adion said.

As Quahim opened his mouth to speak, Adion pictured the blackness of ‘Atao’ appearing in front of him, the ancient painting Adion had read about a few weeks earlier, erasing all surprise and shock to nothing.

“You’re a very handsome young man,” Quahim said.

Adion registered the words in silence. He felt that there was a slight delay to everything, allowing his mind to brew the words over.

“Impressive,” Quahim said, “But you were prepared for it.”

“Did you call me handsome?” Adion asked, letting go of the painting in his mind.

“I wanted to catch you by surprise,” Quahim shrugged.

I would definitely have reacted to that comment if I hadn’t prepared. This can come in handy.

Adion once again imagined ‘Atao’ appearing in front of him, training his mind to have it ready for whenever he would need it.