“I have a core that is filled with mana. To cast a spell I need to direct it to the part where I want to release it. Often the hand. Once the mana is in position I will change the element by forming the right rune in my head. Then I need to build the spell and feed the mana into it.”

“The order is wrong. You want to construct the spellform earlier. You can position your mana before or after that, but never change the element unless the spellform is ready and the mana is in place. The rule is to never have elemental mana in your body longer than needed.” He seemed to think for a bit.

“I heard you are an unusual case, so maybe I should begin with the basics. As you get older, your body produces more mana. The increase varies from person to person. It’s also not linear. The biggest gains are when your body is still growing. Once you produce enough mana a core forms. This usually happens between the ages of 6 and 12 and we call it awakening. The younger you are when you form your core, the more powerful you become. Usually. The size of the core shows how much mana you produce. A bigger one lets you cast more powerful spells.”

“Should not everyone awaken at some point if their magic increases with time?” I asked.

“No. Most people will never produce enough to get over the first threshold. And yes, there are people who awaken late in life. But they will never have enough mana to become a real mage. No academy would accept them. Keep in mind, those ages are for humans and beastkin. Anyway, at first your core is tiny. But once it’s formed you can actually try to control your mana. Stopping it from leaking is the first thing a newly awakened child is taught. I can see that you have mastered that part.”

I nodded.

“Next, they learn the venting spell. It simply ejects all elemental mana from your body. It’s needed to keep them safe if they turn their mana into an element.”

“Is that not dangerous?” I asked.

“Depends on the amount of mana. Shortly after the awakening a child should not have enough to hurt anyone with venting. The spell also tries to disperse it, instead of focusing it. This further reduces the damage it can do. But if they keep the elemental mana in their body, even small amounts will cause damage over time. In the end, magic is dangerous. It’s one of the reasons why the academy only takes adults. Does not stop nobles from hiring private teachers. More than one child died because they were not ready to wield such power.”

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“But I only recently awakened and had enough mana to hurt someone.” I pointed out.

“Yeah, that should not be possible. That means you have too much mana for being freshly awakened. At some point we need to measure how much, but being able to kill someone is way beyond a tiny core. But I will let other people worry about that. I am here to train you, that’s it.”

“What about affinities?”

“Most people find them by looking at pictures of the elemental runes. Even if you see them, you won’t be able to form them in your mind without a lot of training. But your affinity speaks to you. And it will be a lot easier. That is the next step for a newly awakened. They learn to control the mana, then the venting spellform, then they try to learn an element. That usually keeps them safe and lets them get used to magic in general, until they are old enough to be trusted with real spells. If you don’t teach a child anything, they will often hurt themselves by experimenting. If you teach them too much, they will hurt others, or themselves, because they are not mature enough for such powers.”

“But who teaches those basics to the children?”

“The academies send mages to check the schools regularly. Any awakened gets the basic knowledge for free.”

“How can they learn a venting spell before they can change their mana?”

“Some spells can be cast with neutral mana. Venting is one of them. And I will teach it to you. After some more weapons practice.”

I held back a groan and managed a: “Yes sir.” It did not sound very enthusiastic. We continued to spar until lunch. I was surprised that I could still move in the end. He gave me a one hour break after that.

I dragged my weary body to the bathroom and took a shower. I was covered in dirt and sweat. Sadly, I did not have enough time to truly enjoy the warm water. I wondered how good an actual bath would feel? Maybe I would find out one day.

After getting clean I put on a fresh uniform and went to the mess hall. Today’s options were grilled pork chops with rice or a beef stew with bread. I tried the pork, it was nice. I would have really enjoyed a nap after the meal but there was no time. And despite my fatigue and aching body I was looking forward to my next lesson. My first spell! Sure, it was mostly a safety tool for children but I was excited anyway.

I met Charles at the practice grounds again. He led me into the attached building to a training room. It was about twenty metres long and ten metres wide. The walls, the ceiling and the floor were all made of solid stone. There was no window but a crystal on the ceiling provided light.

“This room is for spell practice. The walls are heavily enchanted to make sure they are not damaged. They are not indestructible but more than sufficient for students. There are also some vents in the back that you might have missed. Any air leaving this room is filtered, in case someone practises with poison clouds, or similar magic.”

“Would it not be rather foolish to cast a poison cloud in the room you are in?” I wondered.

He smirked. “Depends how much control you have. Or if you are wearing gear that protects you. But you have already spotted something important. Magic is dangerous. The room is there to protect others from your magic. Protecting yourself is your responsibility.”