Working out

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Next class was Shaping. That's what the disembodied voice said. The same voice, the same cushions. The light dimmed, the breeze settled.

'Is it really not the same gym?'

"Welcome. Kindly, take a seat. We'll begin shortly."

The quiet nestled into Tommy, enveloping him in its cozy embrace. The quiet was soothing, and so was the occasional voice.

"Sit comfortably. Choose a posture that feels natural. Close your eyes. Observe your breath. Kindly refrain from employing incompatible mana shaping methods."

...

'Right. Observe. I really want to feel mana. Even if it's just a bit. I wouldn't even feel stuck were I already able to use mana. This is quite a dilemma.'

"If a thought arises, acknowledge it and let it pass."

...

"Feel the touch of the breath, as it goes in and out. Observe the sensations. On the lips. On the temple. On the nape."

He sank his attention back. Heat rose off his skin leaving behind a cool sensation. His heart thumped, the blood hammering into his ears, pulsating all over.

'I can feel really feel it today.' His breath quickened but he brought it under control. 'Focus, what did we learn yesterday.'

"Do not force your breath. Watch it like the ripples in the pond. Do not crave for a sensation. Do not hate. Do not rush, nor dally. Be aware, and observe."

Time passed. His attention cycled from his observation to his wandering thoughts and back again.

'Thoughts arise and fall away. Like bubbles in a simmering broth. Endlessly. Like waves washing over the sand. Relentlessly.'

Suddenly, he recalled the rain of flames. The maw of the dragon open - a promise of obliteration. He felt alone. No one around him. But there was more. Excitement wormed its way through the fear and the awe. It had been a dragon. The art of illusions really called to him - it was true magic. 'Making something that didn't exist. Willing things into being, no matter how incorporeal, is awesome. I really want to do it. Ah... no craving.'

"We shall end here today. You may complete one last circuit and wait for the next instructor."

Tommy was again grateful and disappointed equally. Grateful for the comfort that engulfed him like a heavy blanket. And disappointed at the absolute lack of progress.

Clap! Clap!

"Alright. To the fun stuff now."

The room was bright again, with the green grass under the blue sky. Professor Morgan started the class without any fanfare. Based on the random gossip, Tommy had been sure he would teach them shaping, and bore them to death.

'She doesn't sound like the Voice.'

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"Hello cadets. I will be your Practicum instructor, which means combat, spells, and all the cool stuff you don't know yet. We'll be doing target practice today. Please occupy alternate lanes, as per your team number. Stand in the yellow box and face the dummy."

As it turned out, every single detail had been wrong. And apparently the gym could also pop out an archery range on demand. Quite a wide one. He moved to the spot in the corner, away from the main throng.

"Your sigils have mana bolts built in. When you are not at the range, the tower turn on the safety, making it harder to use the spell. Regardless, no spell usage beyond your own lane."

"Depending on your skill levels, you have a different task."

"Equipments passively withdraw mana from a user. But a mage needs to be able to will it into existence, mold it into an image, and chug it at at an adversary.

"With your sigils, even if you don't know how to use mana, you may fire them using your intent. Imagine the dummy is an enemy that you must hit. Don't focus on accuracy. Feel the changes in your body. Learn the sensation of mana being pulled out, and try to reproduce it."

"Those of you already good at the previous exercise, move on to focusing on the target. It matters whether you can hit anything at all. Be precise. Ration well. Larger bolts are easier to shoot but you'll be dead on the ground soon after if you miss."

"Once you can hit the target, try to do it reliably, at a fixed pace. Find into a rhythm. Learn how it feels. Try to apply the same amount of mana each time."

Balls of colored light shone through the transparent walls of the range. The more enthusiastic ones were already having fun with the exercise. Since they all stood in a row, it was hard to see anyone except his neighbors, but he could see all the magic balls hurtling the same way. They appeared to float at different speeds. 'Like the lanterns at the homecoming fest.'

Then, it was time to practice. The moment he thought about attacking, a massive bright silver-green ball smashed into the dummy. Asva's eyes opened wide as she stared at him. Aldy too threw subtle glances.

His teammates were spectacularly bad at this. To be fair, so was he. He had no idea what had happened, and he was completely spent. Even the thought of another made him dizzy.

'Ugh, I hate being manaless. Again.'

He wanted to chuckle but only a groan escaped his lips. His limbs spasmed.

"Mr Miles, sit down and meditate. Recover your mana, then move on to the second step. Control your output."

'Finally, an instructor that's easy to follow.'