An entire month had passed. Every day filled with Jace practising fluctuating both his mana and Feina. Every time he was on the cusp of succeeding, he would fall to the floor, exhausted. This was frustratingly annoying. He’s almost there. If he could just eek out the last bit, he’d reach the goal.

The others had sympathy for his predicament, but none of them offered any sort of guidance.

Evaliena handed Jace a sweet roll as he lay on the ground. “Eat up, then one more try for today.” Evaliena speaking of her own experience. It took her the better part of a year before she could express her own mana. Jace didn’t know whether to believe her, but there is little chance anyone was one alive to challenge that. He sat up and ate away at the sweet roll. He tasted honey and sugar, along with a nutty paste he had never encountered before. A pleasant flavour.

Jace finished the pastry and pushed himself back onto his feet. Evaliena was lounging on a reed mat she had summoned. Watching Jace as he began the routine again. “Focus, you know you can do this.”

He breathed deep and started regulating his mana. Cycling the energy through his limbs. To breach the wall is all he needed to do. He got frustrated, but pushed his mind forward.

There was a crack, and Evaliena moved like he had never seen before. Took his arms and forced them skyward as they burned with a fiery pain.

“Release, Jace!” she commanded. Jace relaxed as much as he dared and a blast of white hot mana spewed up in a cloudy crackling plume above the two Reynards. It hurt… it hurt so much. That movement of mana drained his being. The yellow vixen summoned a small red flask from her Lemis and popped the cork. “Here, drink this…” The fluid that ran down his throat was like syrup. Sweet and intoxicating.

Jace rested in Evaliena’s arms. Whatever she gave him was doing wonders. The pain around his arms was subsiding and his core was refilling. He could feel and see as the flame above the crystal on his bracelet bulged with life. “Far.. out… what kind of cordial was that?”

Evaliena cradled Jace with the same care as one would do with a newborn. “It’s a potion I whipped up just for this moment. We’ll need to move soon. That plume of mana will be seen for miles.”

Jace gave a slight nod in agreement. Rather than teleporting this time. She held Jace’s slight frame in her arms as she bounded from the clearing across the side of the mountain. It felt oddly familiar, like the first time she found him. “Not ‘far stepping’ this time?” The sides between bounds.

“Not in your condition, my apprentice.” Her tone was almost fond. Jace would not argue with her. She was the expert in the relationship. However, the speed at which she moved was disconcerting, to say the least. The air whistled across his folded ears.

“There are a few things I need to tell you before we head home.”

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They travelled to another clearing, Evaliena’s teleportation spell landing them in the middle. Jace could at least feel his hands and feet again after his explosive display. Jace looked up at Evaliena. “So, what did you need to tell me?”

Evaliena put her hands on her hips and gave Jace a stern expression. “Show me that you can express your mana again. But this time, not as hard.” She raised a warning finger.

Jace wisely turned away from Evaliena and pointed his left hand toward the rock face, walling one side of the clearing. The movement came startlingly easy this time. A blob of silvery mana jetted out and dissipated in front of him. He felt his arm grow weary, and he dropped it. The flame on his bracelet flickered and shrunk slightly in response. “Woah, I really did it…”

The yellow vixen put a hand on Jace’s shoulder. He looked back up. She was smiling proudly. “Yes, you did. Now.”

“Now?” Jace listened intently.

“I have a few things to tell you now that you have reached this stage in your training. With the power you’ve now obtained, it’s time to take on some responsibilities.” Jace rolled his eyes. Where did he hear this speech before? “Take this seriously.” Evaliena gave him a serious look in the eyes. “The ease with which you experienced life is over.”

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“What do you mean?” Jace asked concernedly, his ears folding against his head.

“It’s about time you started pulling your weight. As I’ve been coddling you thus far.” The vixen continued. “I’ll be assigning you to work with Baysil on her chores.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad… What would those be?”

“I’m not done yet.” She continued again, putting a finger to Jace’s lips to silence him. “Cedar will be handling your mastering of manipulating mana outside yourself. I’ve already discussed it with him, along with a number of other things.” Jace tilted his head questioningly. What were those other things? “Don’t worry, I’ll still be teaching you spellcraft, just I have obligations I have to tend to and I can’t bring you along for that.”

“It would be interesting, nonetheless?” Jace asked.

Evaliena shook her head and got down to a knee so her eyes would level with Jace’s. “It would be boring. And there are a few more things. An oath of sorts. Since you’re still lucid.”

“What does that entail?”

“Repeat after me, Jace.” Evaliena was going on ahead without Jace’s agreement.

Jace readied himself regardless, as this was a serious affair for Evaliena. “Go then.”

“I, Ashwood…”

“I, Ashwood swear…”

To never reveal your ability to glamour; to anyone outside of the clans.

To never reveal the secrets of Mana and Feina; to those not of the tradition.

And to never slave a soul to your will.

“There is one additional thing I must ask of you.” Evaliena continued seriously.

“What is it? Because I would like to know about the reasoning behind the latter two…” He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

“In due time, my apprentice.” She kept looking into Jace’s eyes. “Have you been speaking with Topaz?” The accusation shot through Jace like a thunderbolt. She knew, of course she knew, nothing really escapes her notice. “Then I’m going to assume you have them.” “Tell me, what has she been telling you?”

“That you’ve been keeping her imprisoned and are draining her. At least that’s what she’s told me,” Jace responded earnestly, as there was no point in lying to the vixen.

She took a breath and released a long sigh. Closing her eyes. “Then I’ll have to tell you a piece of history soon. And you might have a different outlook on me after that.” Jace didn’t like the sound of that. “But not today. I’m tired… you’re tired… Let’s go home.”

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Jace was lying in bed, looking at the ceiling, pondering the words Evaliena told him. He had gone to bed early instead of enjoying the toast to passing this step of his journey, of his new life.

“You reek of spent mana. Grey fur.” A familiar squeaky voice spoke in his ear. Jace just flicked the ear. “Congratulations, by the way.”

“Hello Topaz.” Jace flatly replied as he kept looking at the ceiling.

“What’s on your mind?” The yellow long eared canid peered into the side of his vision. The spirit has been surprisingly docile and cordial since these past visits.

“Something Evaliena said to me today.” Jace expressed. “About you specifically.”

The canid sat up and shrugged in a human-like manner with her arms. “Well, sooner or later, she was going to pry. What was it then?”

“She said she was going to tell me about some history. She kept it vague.” Jace lazily explained.

“She’s going to talk to you about the Sorcery Wars.” Topaz sighed and stretched her arms back. Jace heard the equivalent of a back crack, but it sounded more like crystals breaking. “It’s… a… particular sore spot for her…”

“And how does that relate to you, then?” Jace sat up on his side, looking at the onyx eyes of the spirit.

“I won’t sugarcoat it for you.” Topaz spoke directly. “I have neither the patience nor the eloquence to screw around with you like that.” “I am a product of the people of that time. But the things I’ve done could never compare to the things That Witch has done.”

Jace speculated, connecting the dots. “You both did terrible things, didn’t you?”

The spirit nodded. “While I’m intended for battle, I was but a child at the time. Not knowing any better.” She gestured with an open hand. “She, on the other hand, knowingly did terrible things.”

Now Jace certainly wasn’t sleeping tonight. “Could you elaborate?”

“I don’t think I need to.” The spirit stared at Jace with a flat look. And she slowly backed up, melting into the darkness. Leaving him alone with his thoughts. Jace wasn’t going to judge either of them. He needed to know what happened. Evaliena had been nothing but kind to him.