The study of magic is a well respected field and comes with a complex history due to culture and politics. Despite the often samaritan-like intentions of those who enter the field to better society, much of the advancements of magecraft end up as tools of warfare.
***
After we finished the check up on the burner and placed it back together, Elm took a deep breath before turning to me. From the side of the room he pulled out two foldable metal chairs and placed them facing each other. I sat down, internally questioning what he was planning.
“Ok, give me your hand. If you’ve been practicing, like I told you not to, you should be able to do it by yourself.”
I placed my right hand forward with my palm upwards, letting out a soft light. It was easy to do and was simple enough that it didn’t require any focus. Elm grabbed onto my wrist while placing his other hand below mine. Now that they were up close, I could see that they were larger than my own and carried much more wear and tear. Elm squeezed a bit on my wrist to grab my attention.
“In order to understand your own aptitude, you need to understand how your body is connected to the world.” He took the hand not holding onto my wrist and put a single finger directly on my chest. “Mana is the lifeblood of the world and flows through all of it. We are constantly surrounded by it. It is in the air, the water, the earth, even fire and lightning. As a living being, mana flows through your body and flows out of it back into the world. It shapes our nature in accordance with the rest of the world. The only difference between you and the guards outside is that your body has the ability to transform it into another part of the natural world. That is what an aptitude is.”
His finger removed from my chest and pointed to the magore chest sitting in the corner.
“The reason why that shit doesn’t hurt us as badly is because our bodies are able to handle more mana flowing through us than the normal person, so the energy doesn’t stick around and flood your body's natural systems.”
As he spoke, I could feel some level of nostalgia in his voice. Something about this seemed to remind him of his past. He returned his hand back to his lap and his gaze back directly to my own.
“The light coming out of your hand right now doesn’t come from you, but from the world around you, transformed into one of its natural aspects. You can change the world around you using your aptitude, but you cannot add or subtract from it.”
“Why is light such a rare aptitude?”
I felt rude for interrupting, but it was a question that had been on my mind ever since he told me it was rare enough to not be affected by the cuffs. Elm paused for a moment before responding.
“Aptitudes are usually connected to humanity in ways that nature is tied to us. The earth in our bones and blood, the water in our tears and sweat, the fire in our body heat, the air in our breath and the lighting… that one is still being debated. Our bodies naturally attune to things that we share a connection with,” he grabbed my wrist and lifted my palm up higher to focus on it, “but light is an exception. There is no light that comes from our bodies naturally, so it is an extremely rare form of aptitude. Your aptitude is tied to one of the purest forms of mana and the least connected to humans.”
I was unable to say anything in response. It was surreal to think that I was utilizing something that was so pure.
But that leads me to one other question…
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“Then why am I supposed to be able to heal?”
I looked in Elm’s face, expecting frustration only to find him in a natural state of contemplation. He didn’t look bothered by the question, but instead tried to think of a good answer.
“Healing isn’t aptitude specific, but it is more common for some than others. I’ve met a few with the skill, and all of them had different aptitudes. Healing using mana is complex, but it requires you to alter the flow of both your own and another’s body. Because we are shaped by it, altering the flow of it can change a person’s natural state, sealing wounds or connecting lost limbs. However, it’s extremely dangerous for the healer because it requires you to allow pure mana to flow through you in some amount without transforming it. Doing healing without proper training is a one way ticket to get mana poisoning, and it requires the mage to be able to handle the flow of pure mana and focus it in the right areas. However, because light is the closest to the pure shit, you’ll have the easiest time handling it. It can still kill you, but you’ve got a lot better chances and control than others.”
How does he know this much? I thought he was probably knowledgeable but this was way beyond what I expected. If he was part of the military, maybe he studied mana?
I would have asked him, but I expected that I’d get a similar response to all the other times I’d tried to look into his past.
“You take any of this crap in? This is important if you want to be able to be anything better than a candle.”
“Yes sir.”
“Good. Ok, let’s start by-”
As Elm was about to continue, there was a knock on the door. Immediately, Elm grabbed my right and hand forced it into a fist, causing the light to dissipate. As he removed his grip, the door swung open to reveal Captain Galen, chomping down on a piece of jerky.
“Did I interrupt something?”
***
Elm’s face changed from his previously passive one to one of false camaraderie.
“Not at all, Roy. Just having a heart to heart with the kid.” Elm patted me on the shoulder, acting as though he had just given me a rousing speech of encouragement or had somehow uplifted my mood. I turned over to Captain Galen, noticing that Elm was nudging at me to speak up.
“Evening, Captain Galen.”
Galen nodded at me before taking a step inside to take a look at the room. I’d gotten cocky thinking that this room was only for us. Galen had an aptitude, which meant he was fine here and didn’t get sick. As I was internally beating myself up for the stupid mistake, Galen finally spoke.
“Place looks about as I’d expect. Seems a bit less messy since I had last been here. Guess the kid is having an effect on you, eh?”
“I guess so. This little shit’s a fast learner, but he can still be a complete dumb ass sometimes.” Elm spoke those final words with a little bit of added, albeit deserved, venom.
Galen shrugged before wandering around the room, studying every single tool and piece of equipment while stroking his chin. Despite seeming to be interested, he clearly had no idea what any of them did or how any of them worked. Everything about him was an act.
“Captain, do you need anything done for you?”
Captain Galen turned to me and smiled, shaking his head. I felt icky looking at him.
“Not a thing, North. Just wanted to check up on an old friend. Emphasis on the old.”
“Roy, you realize that you’re insulting the man who keeps your weapons working.” Elm was genuinely miffed by that and had removed himself from his chair, placing it back against the wall.
“Sorry, sorry. Speaking of, do you mind doing a bit of work on my igniter? It’s been rusting and it could use some upkeep. Tomorrow, of course.”
Elm shrugged before walking back over to me, who was still stuck to my seat, and patting me on the shoulder.
“You should head back to the bunk. You’ve got a lot of work tomorrow, and I’m having you work with me on his igniter.”
I nodded before walking out on my own and heading back to the bunks, my heart nearly beating out of my chest. That was closer than I would have preferred and Elm was very displeased by the event. Still, he seemed committed to teaching me magic.
One step at a time.