Dreiki had been training under Savekio for a year now, and in that time Ezo had grown like a weed. While Dreiki still stood taller on two legs than Ezo did on four, Dreiki definitely weighed less than him now.
But something like that was good to see considering how Dreiki found him.
If Ezo kept growing like this, Dreiki would be able to ride him soon. He imagined the look on the faces of those three boys when he returned mounted atop a bat drake.
For the past week, Dreiki had been restless but in the best way possible. His mother had sent word last week with a date and location for her arrival in Punuuk. They were going to meet up tomorrow morning.
On top of that, Savekio had suggested they all go to see the Tournament of Champions in the neighboring city, Yvian. It was to be a good learning experience for him as well as a reward for the hard work he’d put in until now.
He reflected on the past year. It felt like such a short time. After his body got used to his daily chores, Savekio had gradually given him more and more tasks to complete for the day.
While some days Dreiki would loathe his chores like any other boy his age, he could see each one had a purpose.
Carrying lumber, chopping trees, tilling fields in the hot sun, hunting wild game, and constructing his own training grounds had all built his muscular endurance.
Even if his muscles hadn’t grown much and he still looked like a runt, Dreiki was surprised how strong those daily tasks had made him.
Savekio emphasized his recovery. Even on days when Dreiki thought he could do more, Savekio insisted he rested instead. During the days when he was letting his body recover, he would be studying any book Savekio had on his shelves. A supply of which he swapped out at the end of every month when he visited Punuuk.
Dreiki had also gotten a lot better at synthesizing potions whenever he worked as Savekio’s assistant.
For his actual training, Savekio had divided his days into one of three categories: learning days, training days, and resting days.
Dreiki started every week on a learning day. On those days, he’d be exposed to a new fighting technique, studying history and the sciences, or deepening his understanding of magic.
In the past year, Dreiki had gained a solid fundamental understanding of magic beyond what his mother had initially taught him.
The first thing he learned was that he needed to understand his birth element. The more he knew about fire and its properties, the easier it was to visualize in his head. And if he could imagine it, he could channel it into a spell.
The second thing Dreiki learned about magic was that he could cast spells faster and for far less effort if he tied their spell to a name or phrase instead of imagining it. The shorter and more accurate the phrase was, the less taxing it was to cast. However, the phrase needed to fully embody the spell’s properties. If the word didn’t fit, then the spell was either cast with reduced power or it fizzled out.
This is why learning to read and write were also apart of his training. Expanding his vocabulary and literary skills also allowed him to invent names for his spells.
Finally, Dreiki had learned how the limit of his magical power worked. He could hold and recast spells as much as he wanted, but those spells could only be so strong before they hit a limit. If he wanted to, Dreiki could burn a flame in his hand and keep it burning until the day he died.
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Getting better at magic wasn’t a limited pool of energy. His pool was infinite, but the amount he could output at the same time was not. So if he tried to grow that same flame in his palm to a size that was beyond his current limit, he’d damage his soul.
Just the same, if he tried to maintain multiple different spells at the same time, he’d eventually hit his limit too. Using magic was just as much about casting it as it was dispelling it.
As for how he pushed past that limitation, Dreiki was uncertain. Everything else about magic was foggy to him. Was his limit determined at birth, or was it something that could be expanded with training? Dreiki couldn’t tell if he was expanding his limits or merely using less magic to cast the same spells.
Another question always lingering in the back of his head was how he never seemed to get hurt by his own magic. Unless he was casting something beyond his limits, his magic would never harm him. Even if he blew fire in his face he’d sustain no burns from it. In fact, he wouldn’t even get warm enough to sweat unless he wanted to.
But how was it possible? From what he read in Savekio’s books nothing told him why that happened. He never had to imagine himself being protected from his own flames, and yet he was.
There were still pieces missing, but nevertheless Dreiki’s picture of magic was far more complete than it was last year when it was based solely on his intuition.
After learning days came training days. Dreiki would exhaust his mind, body, and soul to its absolute limit. Hard sparring, marathons, sprints, drills, everything he’d learned on the previous days was hammered into him in the most difficult part of his week.
Dreiki was thankful that his body could recover quickly, but Savekio had taken that into account. Even as well-fed and resilient as he was, those three days of training always left him with more than just sore muscles.
The resting days weren’t just for his body’s recovery, but everything else too. He needed to reset, and so on resting days he meditated on the past week. Savekio allowed him to do as he pleased after meditation as well. He could explore the forest, play games with Ezo, have conversations with Savekio, or anything else to enjoy himself.
Two days of learning, three days of hell, and two days of rest. That’s how it had been for a year now, and as Dreiki reflected on it, he was happy with the progress he’d already made.
Today was a rest day. Tomorrow would be a learning day, and Dreiki couldn’t wait.
Since he’d read the letter, he had climbed onto the roof of the cabin in the hopes that he might see his mother passing through this part of the forest on her way to Punuuk. He had so many questions for her, and so many more things to show.
Ezo jumped atop the roof and bumped his nose into Dreiki’s ribs. Dreiki greeted him with a smile, scratching him beneath his new collar. The bat drake let out a series of grunting hisses as a display of his appreciation.
Ezo seemed to still think himself small as he bulldozed Dreiki over to drape across his lap.
The door to the cabin swung open. Savekio stepped out, carrying a large crate which rattled with glass and metal as he walked. He set it down in a pull cart, strapping it in and covering it in tarp. A ragged silver cloak rested on his shoulders, one which Dreiki hadn’t seen before.
Savekio had aged significantly in the past year, but he was still as active as ever. His hair was now a powdery gray, and his horns had curled with age.
He turned to Dreiki, “Toss me my sword.”
Dreiki obeyed, “Where are you going?”
“Just meeting with a supplier to drop off our stock of potions. The Tibur are nearby too, so I’m bringing some extra to see what I can get for trade.”
“Should I come along?”
“If you didn’t need to meet your mother tomorrow I’d say yes. But as it stands now it’s faster if I go by myself.”
“Will you be back in time?”
Savekio fastened his sword, “Don’t you worry. I will meet the two of you in the city as planned. You, on the other hand, need to worry about getting yourself to Punuuk safely without my protection.”
“I can handle that much.”
Savekio nodded, “That you can, but be careful to not let your confidence sedate you. Be vigilant and remember your training. Keep Ezo with you as well, understood?”
Dreiki nodded, his eyes showing all the affirmation Savekio needed.
“Good.”
And within a blink of an eye, Savekio vanished with the wind cart and all.