“Sit down kids class is starting.”

This is annoying most of these kids are between five to ten years old. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to get much out of this, but I want to find out more about magic and this guy is the only one who’ll teach that isn’t already busy. The classroom is also quite different being outdoors. I wonder if it being outside has to do with magic, the temperature, or space.

“Today we’ll be brushing up on our world geography as we have a guest today from outside the Monster’s Abyss. From what I’ve been told it wasn’t their intentional destination, but we still welcome them with open arms and it is a good way to mingle and learn more about outside cultures. For most of you here you haven’t seen or met anyone outside of this town in your entire life.”

Now that I think about it most of the kids are staring at me rather curiously. I guess they are wondering why I look differently from them. They all look roughly the same and to my closer inspection they all appear just like human children I wonder if the demonic features are hereditary or if they grow during puberty or something.

“Matt here is an elf and the elf live in Myrkvior which lies just northeast of the Monster’s Abyss where we live. They usually live by themselves and remain quite secluded. But, occasionally people will leave on pilgrimages to study or adventure for a few decades before returning to share their collected knowledge with everyone back home. Elves also live the longest lives out of the humanoid species living up to a thousand years. Their downside however is that they rarely have kids which is why wars and disasters can be disastrous for them as a race.”

“So Matt you're from Myrkvior?”

“Are all elves as tall as you?”

“How old are you?”

I was barraged with questions and I tried my best to answer them as best I could.

(M) “I’m not from Myrkvior and I don’t know. I lost my memory about seven years ago, and I haven’t seen or remembered ever seeing an elf other than myself.”

“You should go check with our update shrine then. It can tell you your age and it might help you with your memory it has happened. ”

(M) “An update shrine?”

“You haven’t heard of them before?”

(M) “I’m not from around here and where I come from we don’t have them.”

“Hm, then I should take you to see the guardian after class then. She will surely help you with your predicament. But for know how much do you know about magic?”

(M) “I don’t know much but I’ve been practicing and can create some flame.”

I then produced a small flame in the palm of my hand. It was little more than a tiny candle but a flame nonetheless.

“Is that all you can do?”

(M) “Yes I just started using magic yesterday when Holly showed me.”

“Just yesterday? So you’ve never used magic before?”

(M) “No where I was from there isn’t such a thing as magic so I’ve never tried.”

“Well I guess we'll go over the fundamentals of magic today. Johnny what are the main elements of magic that we know of.”

“There is fire, water, earth, wind, holy, dark, and void magic.”

“Good now those are just the basic elements. There are also other advanced forms of magic like lighting, ice, metal, vacuum, soul, nature, conjuration, and alteration.They are more powerful forms of magic that combine or refine those basic elements. There might even be other forms, but these are all the forms I know of.”

(M) “So how does magic work exactly?”

“Class would you like to answer his question? Billy how about you?”

“Magic is the manipulation of mana inside and outside our bodies to achieve a set goal which is a spell. Not using a spell verbally or mentally will use a lot more mana and is harder to control. If you don’t have the ability or power to cast a spell correctly it can rebound and harm the user.”

“Yeah just like how Nino got sent flying into the river he tried using rexcalibur.”

“Hey it was your guys fault for interrupting me when I was casting the spell. I was lucky I landed in the river or I’d have broken some bones at best. I should show our guest here my magic on you just to show you how much I’ve gotten better since then.”

“ENOUGH! Nino what Harrison did was unacceptable and he has already been punished for his actions, and Harrison if I hear another word about that prank your going to help me dust my book collection after school today.”

“Yes sir.”

(M) “So using magic is dangerous?”

“Well it all depends on how it’s used. The more powerful the spell the worse the potential rebound will be. That is why it is especially important to know your limits and if your are experimenting with new spells to have safeties in place to protect you in case of a rebound.”

(M) “So what exactly causes a rebound?”

“Interruption of a spell or lacking mana for a spell will cause a rebound. This is important to take into consideration during a fight. Casting a spell takes great concentration and unless you have special training should be done while standing still to better focus your mana. If you are interrupted you will usually be incapacitated as a result. Some spells have fast casting times to make up for this fact, but even with these spells there is still a chance for an opponent to interrupt you and cause a rebound.”

“What about Myrkvior Merrick?”

“Myrkvior? Ah yes sorry about that I went on a tangent there didn’t I. Anyways Myrkvior is a heavily forested area full of magic, monsters, and fey. Most who enter the forest without a guide meet a horrible fate due to these reasons and this is why people only go into the forest in strong groups or with an elven guide. This is why much about elven society and culture is a mystery to many. Occasionally some will leave to seek out new knowledge to bring back to their people. Some of these people never return and are usually the elves you will hear about in adventuring parties. Bordering Myrkvior is Fenokee Marsh to the south, the Sacean Plains to the west, and The Desert of Arrakis to the North.”

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“I heard that the demons live in Arrakis is that true?”

“Yes most demons live around Arrakis and it has been the center of many demon kings and lords through the years. Today we believe this is because of a special spice found in the desert that is said to promote growth for demons. Also Arrakis is said to have many ley lines running underneath the sand that helps to develop the birth of powerful demons.

The Sacean Plains is home to nomads and powerful beasts. The reason for the inhabitants nomadic behavior is due to these powerful beasts. They are slow but destructive and so many choose to adapt to a nomadic life style. The three most dangerous beasts found in the area are the wyverns, rhyhorn, and herba-reptilia.”  

“Herba-reptilia? What the heck is that?”

“Have I not told you guys about them? I swore I have at some point of well I guess it slipped my mind. Well herba-reptilia are these long monsters that crawl below the tall grass of the plains. They are extremely stealthy and are hard to detect omnivores that eat most anything in their path. Averaging at about fifty meters long and three meters wide. The only reason they aren’t that big a threat is because of how slow they normally are averaging at the pace of a snail. But don’t take them lightly as they can easily catch a horse at full speed if angered. Their bodies are also heavily resilient and as a result-”

“Can I go to the bathroom?”

“Yes you may. Now where was I? Ah yes Fenokee Marsh is a dangerous marsh full of many dangers and rewards as it is a hotbed for poisons and medicines used throughout the world. But due to constant rainfall, stealthy monsters, and constant fog it is a dangerous area to traverse. Many reptilian beastmen live in the swamp and harvest its exotic plants for merchants, but for the most part due to natural hazards in the area it is mainly uninhabited.”

“Can we go there there one day? I heard that there is a group of witches studying nature magic there.”

“Ah the witches of crookback bog are indeed famous, but they are said to be very reclusive and dangerous so I wouldn’t recommend it. AH! I forgot to take that off the stove. I’ll be right back give me a second class.”

Merrick then sped off towards his home in the distance without another word leaving us to ourselves. He seems to be a bit scatterbrained but quite knowledgeable. I can now understand why he’s teaching kids instead of hunting with the other villagers. Though knowledgeable I’m not sure I would want him backing me up in a fight if he forgot something at a crucial point in time. I’ll have to ask him about getting my hands on some spells and tomes to learn some basic magic later.

“Guess it's time to go home now.”

Wait what? I thought he said he’d be right back.

(M) “Isn’t he coming back?”

“He said he was, but the second he steps into his lab you have to send someone to go drag him out. So usually we all go home when he runs off.”

“Want to come have lunch with us Matt?”

(M) “Sure I don’t have any plans right now I guess I’ll have to come back later to get my hands on some spells and tomes though.”

“I can teach you some basic spells after lunch if you want. My parents are out hunting right now so I have plenty of time to teach you what I know.”

(M) “That would be greatly appreciated Nino. Thank you.”

“Why have Nino teach you when I can teach you much better. I have twice the mana potential as her and can cast a multitude of spells with ease.”

I could already tell I wasn’t going to like this guy. From his superior attitude and disrespect for his fellow classmates I can already tell he’s just an egotistical brat.

(M) “Sorry Harrison I’d like to learn from Nino first maybe later I’ll swing by and you can teach me a few tricks then.”

“You don’t want to teach Matt anything right now though, do you Nino?”

“I do and I will now leave me alone. You might have more mana but your control is pitiful and you can only cast large destructive spells. So how about you learn some control before you lecture me on magic.”

“Very well Nino. I guess I’ll see you around then.”

He then walked off towards some other boys who he struck up a conversation as he left. That kid is definitely going to cause us trouble at some point. The real question though is how much power he has and how rash he is with his magic.

The last thing that needs to happen is getting caught in the middle of a fireball and being roasted alive by a child’s egotistical antics. What am I talking about he’ll probably just get a posse together and try to beat her up later. I really need to realize that these are kids and not trying to kill us.

“Sorry about that Matt. Harrison just needs to learn how he isn’t the center of the universe all the time. Let’s go to the river and practice some elementary water magic. But first I need to go get my grimoire real quick. I'll be right back.”

She then ran off towards her own house to get her grimoire leaving me alone as everyone walked away to do various things. I went towards the river nearby to give it a try before she came back. I wanted to see how well I could manipulate the water without a proper spell.

I had some success with fire but that was without a fire to begin with. So maybe I could control the already existing water more easily as a result. As I got closer to the river side I slowed my breathing and tried to concentrate on the mana around me. I could feel all the mana surrounding me and how it flowed with the wind across the water.

I tried to reach out towards the river  to manipulate it but before I could even start Nino came out of nowhere and summoned a gust of wind that knocked me over into the river. I climbed out soaking wet yelling at her.

(M) “WHAT WAS THAT FOR!!!”

“To stop you from overexerting yourself on a moving body of water. Did you even think of how much energy it takes to control a moving body of water as a beginning mage?”

“Sorry about that I didn’t think about it.”

Goodness if she hadn’t stopped me I’d have probably had a rebound due to the amount of energy it would have taken me to manipulate the moving water. I should’ve thought about how much energy it would have taken to do that and without a spell no less.

(M) “I shouldn’t have been so rash and careless. Thank you for stopping me.”

“Just don’t make me use my magic in a hurry it takes me a while to recover so give me a minute. Here is my grimoire you can look through it while I catch my breath.”

She looked a little tired like she ran a full hundred meter sprint. I guess rushing magic requires a lot more internal mana. As I flip throughout the grimoire I see what looks to be a hand copied map.

[http://i.imgur.com/Qf7T2km.jpg]

(M) “Did you copy this from something Merrick made?”

“Yeah, I hand copied a world map he had. But, I didn’t draw the topography for fear of messing up and wasting parchment. One day I want to explore the world outside of the Abyss. But everyone says it’s not possible and that we’d be hunted. I’m happy here but I don't want to be trapped here.”

(M) “Yeah that sounds good.”

“One day I’ll cross those mountains and see those lands for myself. Eating all kinds of different food while learning about magic across the world.”

(M) “Okay, anyways what language is this?”

“Were you even paying attention?!”

(M) “No, I was looking through your grimoire.”

She looked at me disappointed at my lack of attention to her goals in life.

“It’s basic why can you not read?”

(M) “Not in this writing format. I was taught a different way of writing so could you tell me what it says?”

“Sure, but you should get someone to teach you to read and write if you seriously wish to pursue magic.”

She is definitely right there I guess this means I’ll be the only one to wield magic. Those guys don’t take spanish seriously so I doubt that they’ll be able to pick it up. Maybe Elizabeth will be able to though she is more intelligent than them.

Anyways I guess I’ll learn what I can from Nino for now. Hopefully I can understand it quickly I don’t want to be caught ignorant to this world’s rules if I get caught against a mage again. Alright let’s see what we can learn.