Aria looked away from the cubs as Merida spoke, finding herself as the focus of the room’s attention. It was a sudden enough shift away from her previous adoration of the canines that she could feel her face grow warm, her gaze starting to shift to the ground, and a sudden urge to make herself feel as small as possible.
This was remedied as Jahora caught her attention and gave her a smile, putting her spike of nervous energy at ease. She looked back up at the quartet sitting at the bar and gave a firm nod.
The cubs, sensing that the atmosphere had changed, toned down their playfulness and wandered towards the edge of the table they stood on. The white cub lay flat against the tabletop with a tired expression, but the black one sat upright, tilting his head in curiosity as he looked between Aria and the others.
Merida raised her brow, “Ah, I realize it is foolish of me to provide input without knowing how much she understands.”
“Of course,” Elly said, “Tis the perfect time for a small test anyhow.”
The mention of the word “test” spiked the tremulous energy within Aria again for a moment, but it was smothered as Elly gave her a playful smile. Nervousness faded, and instead Aria frowned at the scholar, knowing that moment of panic was most likely her intent. Rather than be taken aback by the girl’s displeasure, however, it only seemed to make the Weaver’s smile grow wider.
“If you would be so kind,” Elly began with a dramatic gesture, “Please enlighten us on the subject of Aether.”
Aria’s eyes narrowed as Elly grinned at her, and uncertainty soon found itself replaced by resolution. She straightened her back and crossed her hands over her lap.
“Aether is the energy of the world around us,” she said, “it is what makes the world, and what flows through it..”
“Correct,” Elly said, “all things, no matter how small or large, exist through some formation of Aether,” she elaborated, “because of this, it can be said that Aether is the very energy of creation itself,” she crossed her arms and leaned against the bar, “Now, could you tell us where Aether comes from?”
“The Cycle,” Aria answered.
The scholar nodded, “Yes, but what is the Cycle, pray tell?
“The source of all creation,” she continued, “a large current of Aether that flows through all of Ellios, infusing the land with its power.”
“Correct,” Merida said, sharing a look with Elly, “though that would be the simplest descriptor. All life, even our very souls, are tied to the Cycle. When we pass, the Aether that is our souls and our bodies returns to the Cycle’s embrace, only to emerge once again after it has been purified. The same, of course, can be applied to beasts and even plants.” she tilted her head, “In theory of course, as we know such a process is not without its exceptions or side effects.”
“Indeed,” Elly said, “and on that note, could you tell us what Magic is, Aria?”
The girl cleared her throat, “Magic is the act of using Aether outside of the Cycle’s influence.”
“Correct again! You are doing well,” Elly said with a smile, one that was sincere rather than playful, “Aether in its purest state is actually a rarity, and, by the Cycle’s influence, the energy will naturally take on certain properties as it settles into its final form. What do we call the energy that has fully settled into this process?”
“Aspected Aether.”
Elly nodded, “Yes, and it is by different combinations of this Aspected Aether that the world around us begins to take shape.”
She held up her cup, “This tea, for example, is mainly composed of Water aspected Aether, but the chamomile used to flavor it would be a more complex combination of Earth and Water Aether, and even then I would be remiss to simplify it in such a way,” she looked to Merida, “I’m sure you would be the first to say that nature is far more complicated than that.”
The Druid snorted, “To put it lightly, yes,” she scratched her neck, “we could go on for weeks discussing how parts of the environment are made from specific amounts of Aether structured in very particular ways and how these structures are capable of shifting the Aspects of Aether from one to the other,” she looked to Aria and smirked, “but I’m afraid we’d get the girl lost in the brush if we talked anymore about that.”
Aria was first confused by Merida’s statement, until she realized that she was rocking back and forth in her seat, feeling lightheaded as she tried to process the possibilities of what had been said.
Jahora giggled, “Perhaps,” she picked up her own cup of tea, “but I would say an demonstration of the effect is in order.” A Circle appeared around her head as she stared down at her cup, and before long steam started to radiate from its surface more visibly than before.
“With a slight concentration of Fire Aether, I am able to warm this tea, producing steam, and at the same time…” she held out her free hand as a small tongue of flame appeared at the center of her palm. As the fire flared, the wisps of steam from her cup faded, “As I pull away that same Aether from my drink to produce this flame, the tea would grow cold. If I were to press the effect further, it would eventually turn to ice.” She closed her hand, snuffing out the flame. After a moment, steam started to radiate from her cup once again.
“These are all things that could be replicated by other, more involved means,” Helbram added, “but at its base level Magic could be observed as being able to produce such effects with an effort of will alone. Outside the Cycle’s influence indeed.”
“Yes, manipulating the physical world is within the scope of most fledgling spellcasters,” Elly explained, “but as one’s mastery over Aether deepens, they may find themselves able to… bend it in certain ways.”
Aria tilted her head.
Elly flourished her hand once again, this time producing a Circle around her wrist, “So far we have only discussed manipulating natural forces, but what if we needed something that does not form as a result of such energy?” she twirled her hand.
As the Weaver did so Aria funneled Aether into her eyes. When the minor spell took hold, she could see all types of Aether - Earth, Wind, Fire, Water - flowing into the Circle. The energy swirled through the ring before emerging as a bluish colored energy, one that condensed and formed a translucent blue field over the Weaver’s arm. Elly rapped her knuckle against the field, producing a small pulse of light that rippled throughout its structure.
“By processing the Aether and giving it a singular purpose, I am able to produce a barrier such as this,” she explained, “This process is called Transposition, and that is where Circles play a key role.”
“The process is possible without Circles,” Jahora added, “but normally only in small amounts, such as the enchantment you cast upon your eyes,” she smiled, “Nicely done, by the way.”
Aria gave her a bashful smile.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the black cub jump down from the table and walk towards the hallway leading to the rooms in the back. As soon as he reached its entrance, he sat back down and tilted his head, clearing looking at something just out of her sight. The action was noticed by everyone else, and, after a long pause, a sigh broke through the silence. Leaf emerged from the hallway without saying a word and walked to the table furthest from the bar. He did not look towards Merida at all as he sat down and decided to keep his gaze focused more towards Aria instead. He was not alone, however, as the black cub followed him and stared up at him as he took a seat. Though Leaf tried to ignore the small beast, he could not shake his stares and turned to him with a frown. The cub, undeterred, hopped in place.
Leaf sighed again, but rather than ignore the canine’s provocations he picked him up and placed him in his lap. The cub settled into his seat and looked back at the rest, panting happily as Leaf scratched his head absentmindedly. The archer tried to keep a disgruntled face throughout the exchange, but it quickly shifted to a more neutral expression as the cub rested against his lap.
Elly smirked at Leaf, but did not remark on the situation any further, “Back to the subject at hand, can you explain to us what a Circle is?”
Aria straightened her back, “A Circle is… like a focus for magic.”
The Weaver nodded, “In its most basic description, yes. In more detailed terms, however, a Circle can mean many things,” she tapped the ring of Aether around her wrist, “The most notable of these is one’s tolerance and ability to Transpose Aether.”
Aria gave her a confused look.
“Magic can do many things, but it is not without its own costs,” she explained, “I may be able to shape Aether to my will with it, but it will not be as nearly as efficient as if I had just let it follow through the Cycle’s influence. Take a flame for example,” she snapped her fingers, producing a small tongue of fire at her fingertip.
“With an effort of will I am able to gather enough stray Fire Aether to produce a simple candle’s worth of flame, yet at the same time if I had just lit a candle much less Aether is used overall, this goes further if I wished to Transpose any of the ambient Aether in the air and use it to make this flame larger,” as she spoke, Aria could see various colors of Aether flowing into the Circle around her wrist. As they passed through, they all shifted towards a bright orange shade before flowing into the flame, causing it to grow into the size one would normally see in a lantern.
Elly flicked her hand, dissipating the flame, “After the spell ends, the Aether itself will return to the Cycle, but its effects upon the body take longer to fade,” she walked up to Aria and showed her fingers to her. The finger that channeled the flame trembled slightly while the others remained still.
“As one becomes more proficient with casting, the effects will be less prominent,” the Weaver continued, “however, if one were to channel an amount of Aether greater than they can tolerate, then the body will suffer from Aether sickness,” she said, “It is a sensation that you are quite familiar with.”
Aria glanced at Helbram, recalling the time that he lay on the ground, growing colder as blood poured from a sword embedded into his stomach. She shuddered as that image appeared, and she remembered the flood of cold power that flowed through her at that moment, power that was used to heal him.
An action that made her sleep for a week straight afterwards.
Elly placed a hand on Aria’s shoulder and gave her a comforting smile, “It’ll be alright, with enough training such things tend to be a rare occurrence.”
Jahora clicked her teeth, “In normal company perhaps. Given our record I’d be surprised if one of us doesn’t end up bed ridden within the month again.”
Merida tilted her head in confusion.
Helbram held his hand up and shook his head, “Tales for another time, perhaps when the lesson has passed?”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The Druid nodded, but the curiosity did not leave her eyes.
“Why a Circle?” Aria asked.
Elly tapped her chin, “Why indeed, though I do believe someone else is in a better position to answer that question,” she turned to Merida, “The Druids are the ones who developed the Circle Method, after all.”
“That is true,” the Druid admitted, “though the practice has branched out so much that it would be foolish to think we are the masters of it,” as she spoke she produced Circles around both her wrists, “but, the Circle Method was born from our adoration and study of the Cycle.”
She twirled her hands, and as the Circles around Merida’s wrists spun, Aether followed after it like it was being pulled in by the Circle’s flow.
“We sought to emulate the Cycle, but on a smaller, more personal scale. We may be capable of utilizing Aether without a Circle to some degree, but that could be considered an effort of pure will and highly inefficient. Compare it to setting an entire tree on fire to boil a single pot of water, as opposed to just using its branches to do the same thing. What the Circle Method provides is guidance to that effort, allowing us to better manipulate, and in turn adapt to the use of Aether more readily,” Aether flowed into the rings around her wrists, shifting to green as a steady breeze swirled around her hands, “It sounds daunting, but while many do not possess in-depth knowledge of the Cycle, all of us hold within us some instinctive awareness of what it is, having been birthed from it ourselves.”
Merida clasped her hands together, dispelling the wind around them.
“It is this very same awareness that allows most the ability to form a Circle, should they possess the discipline and focus to do so.”
Helbram tapped the bar, but did not say anything.
“Once one is formed,” Merida continued, “you will be able to manipulate Aether far easier, which in turn allows you to Transpose it through the use of your Circle. As I have said though, the practice has developed quite a bit since its inception,” Circles appeared around her head as she tapped her temple, “At first, Circles were only formed around one’s heads. Doing so allows one’s thought to have greater governance over what shape our spells can take, allowing us to formulate or Transpose Aether into more complicated forms. However, not everyone thinks the same way, and many prefer to be more direct with its manipulation,” she flourished the rings around her wrists to emphasize this point, “More often than not a caster will do a mix of such methods.”
“Indeed,” Jahora said, “outside of those that call themselves Druids, those that have a preference of forming Circles closer to the mind are referred to as Mages.”
“And those who hold a bias for a more hands on approach are called Weavers,” Elly added.
To emphasize their point, both Jahora and Elly emitted the Circles they possessed, marking them as Mage and Weaver, respectively.
Aria nodded, but still tilted her head, “Then what makes Druids different?”
Merida smiled, “Well, that lies within the difference of execution.” She held her wrist next to Elly’s, “Tell me, what do you see?”
Aria peered at the Aether flowing into both circles, noting that the Aether drawn to the Druid’s Cricle was flowing in a clockwise motion. Elly’s on the other hand, drew Aether into it in a counterclockwise direction.
“In practicality, the difference here is purely aesthetic,” Merida explained, “But it represents a difference in ideology.”
She held her hands in front of her and let out a breath. Aether flowed into the Circle of one wrist before flowing through her body, shifting to the uniform color of yellow before flowing out of the ring on her opposite wrist.
“The Circle of Druids flows in the same direction the Cycle does, reflecting our desire to emulate its nature. Due to this, we specialize in transposing the elements from one to the other,” as the yellow Aether flowed into her palm, Aria gasped as she saw a rock start to form. It started as a pebble, but as more Aether was forced into it it grew larger in size until it was as large as a fist, “But, try as we might, we are not able emulate it completely,” the flow of Aether through her Circles stopped, and as the energy stopped feeding into the rock it started to crumble before eventually disintegrating back into the Aether that composed it.
“Yes, but that does not mean it doesn’t leave an impact,” Elly interjected, “were you to have thrown that stone at a window, it would have shattered it, leaving that behind even as it faded.”
“And leaving us with a rightfully incensed Pius,” Helbram added dryly.
Elly shrugged, “Twas only an example.”
Jahora tapped one of the Circles around her head, “In that case… since the Circles of Mages flow in a direction that is opposite of the Cycle, that would mean we specialize in Transposing Aether in ways to subvert nature, correct?”
Both Merida and Elly nodded.
“Storage spells are one such example,” the Weaver elaborated, “You do not see nature shunting things off into unknown spaces, at least as far as I’m aware of. Of course, it can go beyond that. Barriers and mind altering magics can be counted as part of this too.”
“What of physical enhancement?” Helbram asked, “While Ether is an option for such things, there are many a tale of warriors who instead choose to bolster themselves with spellcraft.”
Merida scratched the back of her head, “That is an interesting question. For now, I would say that it lies within subversion, for it lies within the process of breaking our natural limits. Just know we Druids do not shy away from such magics… well, the more sensible of us don’t, at least. We just happen to specialize in what we know best.”
Helbram nodded, “Nothing wrong with that at all,” he crossed his arms, “But, the Circle Method is not the only way of harnessing Aether, is it?”
The three casters turned to him.
He met eyes with Elly, “Well, you said that the Ruhians developed an alternative way, one that utilizes Stars, correct?”
“Yes,” she said, “how they formed these Stars, however, has been a subject up to debate for many years.”
“But it is not only that,” Helbram said, “There is also the Breathing Method that those in the East developed, processing Aether through their lungs for their own spellcraft,” he tapped his heel against the base of the bar, “Let us not forget the existence Clerics or Contractors either, for though some do utilize Circles, there are additional factors that alter the way that they manipulate Aether.
“There is also Magitech, which utilizes Aether without the need of a spellcaster,” he rocked his hand back and forth, “Though their designs do tend to incorporate Circles in some way. Regardless, I believe the lesson from this is that Aether is responsive to focus, and as a result manifests in different forms to this focus. Methods, if you will.”
“Correct,” Merida gave Helbram a curious look.
He shrugged, “Curiosity and desperation make for powerful companions in discovery,” he said in a tired tone, “But such things are not the focus of today’s lesson,” he looked to Elly, “If you would, could you elaborate on what the quantity of Circles mean?”
“Certainly,” Elly tapped the two Circles that orbited around her wrist and ankle, “the more Circles that one possesses, the more that their bodies are capable of tolerating Aether as it passes through them. Though our bodies and souls are composed of the same energy, processing anything outside its original composition can prove to be a fatiguing process. As we begin to adapt to such things, and maintain our focus on how that Aether is processed, the Method we use advances. In the case of the Circle Method, we form additional rings.”
Aria scratched her head, “So… is it like a muscle?”
“In a way, yes,” Jahora answered, “and much like a muscle it must be trained in order to grow.”
“It is the primary way of growing, yes,” Merida said, “But in times that demand a large amount of will, it is possible to form an additional Circle from that rush alone. Rarer, but possible.”
Jahora scratched her head as the Druid spoke, but kept quiet.
“In this way, Ether and Aether could be considered similar,” Helbram added, “Even their respective levels share the same amount. Where a Fifth Layer Master is considered a pinnacle of the Awoken, casters of the Fifthteenth Circle are their equal. There are tales of those that may have surpassed such limitations in the past, of course, but there is not much in the way of proof regarding that.
Aria glanced at the staff leaning against the bar next to Merida.
“If we can use magic by ourselves, what's that for?” she asked as she pointed towards the staff.
Merida grabbed the staff and held it out, "This is a Catalyst, “ she explained, “magic is able to be performed without its use, but one of these can help in the process.”
Jahora pulled at the chain that hung from her neck, revealing the clear crystal embedded into a disc that hung from its length, “They assist with gathering the Aether, pulling it in at rates superior to focus alone. The greater the Catalyst, the more it is able to assist with the process, though to speak any further about such things would bring us into the realm of Artificery,” she smiled, “And judging from the dull sheen in your eyes I think we have hit our capacity for learning today.”
Aria blinked, not realizing she’d forgotten to close her eyes while focusing on what was said. To say that she felt overwhelmed, however, wouldn’t quite describe what weighed on her mind. In place of learning she instead felt as if she was remembering a long lost memory, that the words that had just been said were echoes of ones spoken a long, long time ago.
A gentle chill washed over her for a moment, summoning the image of a lady carved from ice into her mind, one that was soon replaced by the brief flash of another picture, of hands that were both hers and not hers, radiating with a soft blue aura as a fractal of ice formed in the cradle of her fingers.
With a Circle around her wrist.
The image faded, returning her back to The Tree’s Root, back to hands that were smaller, without the Circle she had seen so clearly just moments before. When she looked up, she could see that everyone in the room stared at her with a mix of curiosity and concern.
Helbram stood up from his chair and walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Are you alright?”
“It was a memory… or was it a dream?” she said in an uncertain tone.
Helbram pushed up her chin to look into her eyes, when she tilted her head in response, he smiled.
“Was it a pleasant one?”
She squinted her eyes as she tried to recall any further information, “I think so.”
He snorted, “Well, that is good, but I think you need time to let what was said today sink in,” he turned to the white cub on the tabletop, “your new friends certainly seem to have reached their limits.”
She followed Helbram’s gaze, finding that the white cub was now soundly asleep on the table top. Her brother had done the same on Leaf’s lap, having succumbed to the comforts of his absentminded ministrations.
The sight was enough for her to push the recent imagery from her mind, spurring her to stand up from her chair. She walked around the table, moving slowly so as to not disturb the white cub’s rest before looming over it, peering at the small beast with curious eyes. When the cub kicked her legs and let out a small yip, she giggled.
Jahora walked next to Aria as the girl remained entranced by the sight, “I think now would be a good time to take them back to their parents, wouldn’t you say?”
Aria looked at the Mage with a pleading look, “Do we have to?”
Jahora laughed, “Yes, we do Aria, we can’t keep them to ourselves,” she held her hand over the white cub, green Aether flowing from her fingertips and wrapping around the small beast. Gentle currents of air lifted the cub from the tabletop, its touch deft enough to not disturb her sleep as she levitated in the air. The Mage gave Aria an expectant look, and the girl held her arms out as Jahora lowered the beast into her arms.
Satisfied, Jahora then looked back towards Leaf, “Care to bring the brother?”
Leaf nodded and stood up, his motion smooth enough as he cradled the black cub in one arm that it too remained asleep.
Saying little between themselves, they walked out of the tavern.
___
Helbram sat back against the counter and looked to Merida.
“Should we be concerned?” he asked.
The Druid rubbed her chin, “From what I could see, no. Whatever memory she may have had did produce a brief spike of Aether, but I did not sense any attempt from the Shade to take control. Has it tried to do so before?”
“Once,” Elly said, “but since then it has remained silent, aside from small moments such as these.”
“I see… what I can tell you is that after that episode, the power around her seems to have settled some.”
“And what could that mean?” Helbram asked.
“I am afraid I don’t know,” Merida admitted, “It could mean that the Shade’s influence has lessened, but, it is also possible that, in its own way, it’s trying to provide guidance. Unusual to be sure, for Shades usually are dominated rather than assisted by their past selves.”
Helbram crossed his arms, “Regardless, we should still keep an eye out. Assistance or not, it made an attempt to control her before, and we know so little at this time it is better to practice caution.”
“Agreed,” Elly said, “but, today’s lesson has illuminated quite a bit for her, wouldn’t you say?”
Helbram smiled, “Indeed it has.”