The next morning Brittany gathered with the other Shadow Walkers in training and Raul.
"Today, we will begin the process of training you properly." Raul informed the group.
Everyone nodded their heads.
"First, we will practice your basic magic. After that, we will begin to teach you advanced magic."
All the Shadow Walkers began chanting strange words in unison. Their voices echoed through the trees. Brittany stared at them in awe.
"What are they doing?" She asked Sam.
"They're chanting a spell." He replied. "This is an incantation of a basic magic spell known as the Fireball. It's pretty simple. Just repeat after me."
He chanted the archaic words, and suddenly there was a ball of fire floating in the center of the circle. Everyone in the room followed suit and chanted the same phrase. The fireball slowly rose into the air until it disappeared into the sky.
Skill Acquired: Fireball Conjuring
Using an incantation spell, a fireball can be produced to hurl at opponents which can cause significant damage, depending on aim and dexterity.
[-10 Mana]
"That was fun!" Brittany exclaimed.
"It gets better." Sam chuckled. "Watch this."
Another fireball appeared in the middle of the ring and floated upward. Once again the Shadow Walkers repeated the chant, and the fireballs changed color and morphed into several different objects.
A spear, a dagger, and a shield materialized.
"Cool." Brittany said.
"Yes, very cool." Raul replied. "Now let's try something more complicated."
Once everyone finished the incantation, Raul conjured a massive, purple dragon out of thin air. It was thirty feet long and ten feet high.
"Holy cow!" Brittany exclaimed.
Sam laughed. "Most of us never even get to see one of these."
The dragon opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of fire. The Shadow Walkers chanted in unison and the fire vanished.
"Amazing!" Brittany said.
Raul smiled. "Very good. Now we'll try something more advanced."
As he spoke, a cloud of smoke appeared above the tree line. Suddenly, a swarm of lightning bats swooped out of the fog, and descended upon them.
"Oh no!" Brittany shrieked.
Sam smiled and swung his sword at one of the bats. It disappeared in a puff of smoke. Realization dawned on Brittany when she saw the bat disappear.
“You…” she looked shocked, “You were the ones who sent those lightning bats after the guild!”
Raul nodded. "Yes. We were testing your abilities. We had to make sure that you were worthy of being a member of the Coven."
“But how did you know I would accept the Leviathan’s call?” Brittany asked.
"You were marked by the beast. It was inevitable. Just a matter of time before you succumbed to his desires.” Raul shrugged.
"So why not just kill me instead?" She asked.
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"That would've been too easy." Raul replied. "We needed you alive to use as bait for the other members of the guild."
"And how do you plan to catch them?" Brittany inquired.
Raul smiled. "We have a plan. A very big plan."
Brittany looked suspicious. "How do I know that you won't betray me too?"
"Because if you don't trust us, then there's no way we'd ever trust you." Sam said. "Besides, you already know the answer."
Brittany was silent for a minute. She hadn't really thought about it, but she realized that they might actually be telling the truth.
"Alright, fine." She finally said. "I'll help you."
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The following day, Brittany went to the forest with Sam. They had decided to train alone so that they could focus on their technique. They were both eager to show each other what they had learned.
After a while, they reached the clearing that they had practiced their magic in yesterday. They noticed that most of the trees were dead.
"I told you," Sam said. "If we keep using magic like this, eventually the forest will suffer."
Brittany nodded in agreement.
"Well, whatever. Let's just get to it." She said.
Sam took out his sword and slashed the nearest tree. It crumbled to pieces with a loud crack.
"Nice!" Brittany exclaimed.
She drew her own sword and mimicked his movement. The tree in front of her disintegrated into dust.
"Good job!" Sam remarked.
They continued practicing their swordplay until they were both tired. Then they headed to the camp to meet up with Raul and the others.
"Did you two learn anything new?" Raul asked.
"Yeah. I'm getting a lot better at conjuring my spells." Brittany replied.
"Good. You should see yourself in a few days," Raul said. "By then, you'll be able to cast powerful spells without the need for incantations."
"Wow, really?" Brittany gushed.
"Indeed." Raul smiled. "Now, let's head back to the camp. We have a lot of work to do today."
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The following evening, Brittany returned to the Coven. She was exhausted. Her muscles ached and her arms were sore from all the training she had done.
"Hey, how did your training go?" Raul asked.
"Ugh... I'm beat." Brittany groaned.
"Let me guess, you spent all day fighting with Sam?" Raul chuckled.
Brittany looked away sheepishly. "Yeah."
"Well, I suppose you got what you came here to learn." Raul said. "I hope you don't mind if we have some fun with you tonight. I want to test your limits."
"No problem." Brittany said, relieved. "I look forward to it."
"Excellent!" Raul grinned.
He led her into the clearing and began casting a spell. Instantly, flames erupted from the ground and spread throughout the area. The temperature began to rise rapidly, and the wind picked up. Soon, the entire forest was engulfed in flame.
"Whoa!" Brittany gasped.
"You'll have to endure it for another hour or so." Raul said.
Brittany closed her eyes tightly and tried to block out the pain and heat. The heat was unbearable. All she wanted to do was run away from the inferno, but she knew that wasn't possible.
"Come on, Brittany." Raul encouraged. "Just a little bit longer."
"Hang in there, girl." Sam called to her. "We'll get through this together."
Brittany nodded. Sam's words comforted her and gave her strength.
Soon, the flames started to dissipate. The last of the flames died down and disappeared. Brittany breathed a sigh of relief.
Skill Acquired: Endurance
Facing a threat, sometimes endurance is key to survival. Utilizing this skill will double the effect of your Stamina points when needed.
"Welcome back, Brittany." Raul said.
"Thanks, Raul." Brittany said.
"Now it's time for the final phase of our training. We're going to start by teaching you how to control the elements."
Brittany was excited. She couldn't wait to learn how to manifest the powers of the elements.
"First things first, we need to get you used to controlling your power. That means some meditation." Raul explained.
"Meditation?" Brittany asked.
"Yes, meditation." Raul replied. "Whenever you feel that you're losing control over your magic, simply meditate. It may seem like you're wasting your time, but it has great benefits."
"Okay." Brittany agreed.
Raul gave her a stone that was made of white quartz. "The stone is a special kind of crystal. It helps you focus your thoughts and enhances your magical abilities. It also shields you from the effects of the elements."
He handed Brittany a piece of parchment as well. "Write this number on the paper, and recite it to yourself three times. Do not speak aloud. Once you finish, burn the paper into a small pile of ash."
Brittany wrote the number down on the parchment.
"When you're ready, step into the center of the clearing. I will give you an incantation to repeat. After you say it, you must visualize the element you wish to summon. Focus only on that particular element. When you open your eyes, you will begin to manifest the power of the element. Ready?"
Brittany nodded.
"Then begin." Raul instructed.
Brittany closed her eyes and pictured the water element. She concentrated on the image of the creature and recited the incantation.
"Water Element, manifest within me!"
Suddenly, the earth began to shake violently beneath her feet. She felt waves of energy moving through her body. She tried to hold on tight, but it was too much. She lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
[-50 Damage]
Raul rushed toward her. He knelt beside her and placed his hands on her head. He shook her gently to wake her.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
Brittany slowly opened her eyes. "Y-yes." She stammered.
Raul chuckled and stood up. "Good. You can rest now. Tomorrow is another day."
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