I still can’t believe this is happening. After all these years of agonizing waiting, I’m finally about to start learning magic. Honestly, I half expect what happened last night with Kamara to be a dream, but I don’t let those doubts stop me from jumping out of bed with rejuvenated vigor.
That vigor didn’t come from rest, believe me. The sun is just about to rise and I’ve slept less than 4 hours, but I’m still full of energy, eager to start my day. After eating a small breakfast, I rush out of the house and head straight for the observatory.
This is it… the first day on my journey to becoming a spell crafter.
I take in the crisp morning air as I climb up the hill to meet with my new master. What she has in store for me I don’t know, but I’m ready to meet it head on.
When I arrive at the observatory, I knock on the great front doors, and Kamara quickly answers and invites me inside. She looks like she did the night before; her pitch black hair brushed fully back, revealing her tired face. From the moment I left the observatory last night to now it hasn’t even been 5 hours. Does she always run on such little sleep? It certainly explains how she looks.
“Good morning, Master Kamara,” I say, with a deep bow. “And thank you again for accepting me as a pupil.”
She waves her hand dismissively at me. “No need for formalities, Kip. Now tell me, how’re you feeling?”
“I feel great! Excited to get started!”
“That’s good to hear,” she says as she sits on the edge of one of the many tables sprawled around the spacious room. “But before I teach you anything, there’s something I need to ask you.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“Why do you want to be a spell crafter?”
I pause before giving an answer. I could explain to her how I was drawn to magic during my first life back on Earth, even though it wasn’t a real thing there. It just always appealed to me, and I spent a great deal of time fantasizing about having magical powers. Even when I played video games, if I could play as a mage, that was always my choice.
“Well, I want to learn everything there is to know about magic,” I reply. No need to tell her about my past life. “I know that there're different types of mages, but from what I understand, only spell crafters have the freedom to create their own unique spells.”
“I see… Do you know what you’ll need to be a spell crafter?”
I think back to what Erlin told me when I asked to be his pupil. “I believe I’ll need to take the Scribe class, though I don’t know much else. In Riledon, we say that if you learn too much about how your Soul works after you Awaken, you’re far more likely to remain Unawakened. It could just be a myth, but I didn’t take any chances.”
Kamara smiles and stands to her feet again. “Then I guess I’ll have to start with the basics. You see, when you Awaken, your Soul becomes fully attuned with the mana running through your body, and you can choose to align it with certain Paths and Classes. Within the Mage path, there are 3 basic classes: Scribe, Magi, and Ritualist. Like you said, your best bet for becoming a spell crafter is choosing the Scribe class.”
I nod along, inviting her to continue.
“The first thing you need to understand is that all magic is done through the manipulation and movement of mana. Scribes manipulate mana within items, and Magis manipulate the mana within themselves. Ritualists are a special case where they manipulate mana within other realms. They’re an esoteric class and you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who takes that class. It’s simply impractical for most people.”
Okay, not gonna lie. That just makes it sound more tempting.
Kamara continues. “Most mages take the Magi class. It’s the most straightforward one, and you don’t need anything other than your own mana to cast spells. Scribing, on the other hand, requires items that you imbue to create spells, typically a scroll. I suppose it’s best to show you with a demonstration. What’s a basic spell that you want to see?”
I rub my chin for a moment and come to a decision. “How about a fireball?” Can’t go wrong with the classics.
That gets another smile out of her. “Everyone always picks the fireball.” She rummages through one of the messy tables and pulls out a few sheets of beige paper, as well as a weird-looking pen. Then she hunches her back over the counter and starts drawing something.
I try to sneak a peek around her. “What’re you-”
“No looking,” she commands, and I quickly back off. Can’t have my master getting mad at me on the very first day.
After about a minute, she rolls the papers up (there are 3 in total), and she instructs me to follow her. We exit the observatory and head to the back, where the low wooden fence surrounds the small garden. I can’t wait to see what this demonstration will be.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
“What I have here are three scrolls that I’ve inscribed,” she says, taking out the first one and unrolling it. She positions herself such that I can’t see the face of the beige paper. “The inscription on each scroll gives instructions to the user’s mana, telling it how to move. That movement of mana is what produces the intended effect of the spell. Does that make sense?”
Eager for her to continue, I nod.
“Now, I’m going to imbue my mana into this first one.” She holds the scroll in her right hand and sticks her left hand out and slightly upward. “Ready… Now!” In a flash, a ball of fire blasts out of her hand and into the sky, before fizzling out. At the same time, the scroll in her hand disintegrates into blue particles, vanishing into the air.
“That was awesome!” I call out, picturing myself doing the same thing.
“Hold on. Stay right there.” She looks around for a moment then takes four steps to her left, gaining distance from the purple-leaf tree the sticks out over the fence. She pulls out a second scroll and prepares in the same way: scroll in her right hand, left hand aimed outward.
Again, a flash of fire blasts out of her hand, though this time it doesn’t shoot out into the sky. Instead, it flows continuously from her palm, like water running out of a high-pressure faucet. The scroll also remains intact in her hand much longer, disintegrating slowly. When it fully turns to blue dust, the stream of fire stops.
At this point, I’m smiling from ear to ear, probably looking like a total idiot.
“And for the last one,” Kamara continues, again repositioning herself. Just like before, she holds the scroll in her right hand, but her left arm is relaxed at her side.
To my surprise, a pillar of fire suddenly erupts from the ground some 10 paces away. Like with the fireball, this one appears and disappears quickly, the momentary burst disappearing almost instantly, along with the beige paper in Kamara’s hand.
“That’s incredible!” I blurt out. “I can’t wait to make my own scrolls!”
But Kamara doesn’t share my enthusiasm. In fact, she looks quite somber. “Before we go any further, there’s something I need you to understand, Kip.” She scans the surrounding ground, searching for something. “You see that black rock right there? I want you to pick it up.”
Slightly confused but unwilling to question my teacher, I comply and bend down to pick up the rock she pointed at. I nudge my fingers around it, but the bastard is nudged in the dirt good. Even after clawing at it, I can’t get any purchase at all.
“Give it up, it’s useless,” she says, confusing me further. “That rock is just one tiny tip of a massive formation lying under the soil, much like the tip of an iceberg. What I’m teaching you now is a lot like that black rock. We’re just scratching the surface of something much, much deeper. Now if you’ll excuse the cliche analogy, let’s go back inside.”
Cliche or not, that only fills me with more wonder and excitement. If these scrolls are just the tip of the iceberg, how deep can this magic stuff go?
Once we return to the observatory, Kamara turns to me and asks, “Do you have any questions so far?”
I have a lot of them, but I’ll just bring up my most pressing one for now. “Yeah. How exactly do you get scripts to do different things? Those three fire spells that you showed me were all so similar, yet unique in their own way. ”
“That’s a good question. The instructions held within the scrolls come in the form of sigils, and each one instructs the mana in its own way. Think of these sigils as notes in a song. Change just one note and the song barely changes. The more notes that differ between two songs, the more distinct those songs will sound from one another. And just like the sequence and structure of notes defines a song, the sequence and structure of sigils define a spell.”
Wow, that’s actually fascinating. I wonder how many sigils there are, and what they all do.
“Unless you have any more questions, I want to ask you again. Are you sure you want to become a spell crafter?”
There’s no hesitation in my reply. If anything, these demonstrations have fortified my desire even more. “Yes. I’m absolutely sure.”
Kamara takes a deep breath. “Very well. You should understand that picking a certain Path and Class is a demonstration of one’s will. It crystallizes your determination within your Soul, allowing you to more easily learn skills related to what you chose. In a way, it simply increases your latent learning potential within that Path and Class. Now, if you’re ready, I’ll help you set yours up.” She sticks out the palms of her hands towards me. “Place both your palms on mine and close your eyes. I’ll guide you through the rest.”
I follow her instructions, feeling the warmth of her soft hands on mine. Then I remember what Milo said about the other things she could teach me, and I hope I’m not blushing. Focus, Kip, this isn’t the time for teenage boy thoughts.
“Repeat mentally the words that I’m going to say, and feel them with all your intent. Got it?”
Clearing my mind, I nod.
“I vow with all my Soul to pursue the Path of the Mage…”
She continues on for about 10 sentences; the vows declaring my intent and demanding the fortification of my will. I repeat them all, meaning the words with every fiber of my being. After a small pause, she starts up again, this time aligning me with the Scribe class.
Again, I mentally repeat her words, and I feel her palms slip away from mine. When I open my eyes, I see a new screen before me.
New Path Chosen: Mage
New Class Chosen: Scribe
I open my stats screen just to confirm that they’re there.
Name: Kip Morro
Path: Mage
Class: Scribe
Soul Level: 1
Stats:
Health: 85/85
Mana: 110/110
Stamina: 42/50
Strength: 7
Constitution: 8
Dexterity: 10
Mind: 19
Endurance: 9
Will: 20
Spirit: 13
It still doesn’t feel real. “I’m… I’m actually a mage now…” Once it sinks in, I have to refrain from literally jumping for joy. “Thank you so much, Kamara! As your pupil, I promise I won’t let you down!”
“I’m sure you won’t,” she says as she hunches over the table again and starts scribbling something down. When she’s done, she turns to me and reveals what she’d drawn. “Now here’s your first task as my pupil. Redraw this diagram 500 times and bring all 500 copies here tomorrow morning.”