Magic Explained

It’s hard to learn magic for the average person . Learning even one spell means that you have practiced for hours. Learning multiple spells soon makes your life a downward spiral of complete devotion to learning magic, because magic is endless and infinite. The possibilities of magic are incalculable, because magic can be anything you desire it to be- anything you desire so long as you have the ability to form it. The reason that most witches under Inella’s command use simple spells like creating a fireball is not coincidence. If the women choose to infiltrate the city using the river, many girls will be excluded.

This exclusion would come from the praxis of magic. In theory, magic is the ultimate aid. Magic can become anything, can assist with anything, but only with practice and mastery. The majority of people on Panatea (the location the story takes place) can not read- as feudalism often dictates. One of the main ways to learn magic is to read about it. When you read about magic you can get a description of what you need to do, how you need to do it, and how much energy it requirea. People with high magical content often create spells on their own when exerting themselves at random times.

The patriarchy has created a tremendous gap in magic. Inella looks to fight that first and foremost. Inella knows that magic is not a conscious entity, but as a tool, or a weapon, or however else you may wish to label it, magic is used by men more than it is used by women (since it is illegal in every city except for Luzan fir women to use magic). A system creates its behaviour. On Panatea, there are four great magical academies, all of which are male enrollment only. High court wizards and professors are often taught magic at a young age, and the amount of time studying magic creates a clear division between men and women. This is largely because of money, as well. People who have money can afford to go to the academy, or at the very least buy a book of spells.

The average woman on Panatea does not know how to write, read, or cast a spell. Inella is teaching literacy to hundreds of women as she flows East like a mighty, thundering river. Will it be enough? Are teenage girls who have been mistreated and abused by the men of their respective societies, girls barely literate (at the level of a child) capable of toppling the great ivory towers of systemic magic? Or are the wizards of the court, having practiced for ten times as long, going to be cajoled into stomping out the fire once and for all?

Everyone who has attacked Inella and her cohort has done it with disadvantageous numbers. In terms of strategy, the kings of the various realms of Panatea have been foolish in the execution of their plan to quell Inella’s magical riot across the land. If all of the wizards in the land joined forces, surely Inella and her horde would be squashed like bugs. Surely. A wizard who knows the most basic principles of magic is worth roughly twenty soldiers in terms of killing power and self defense. The twenty first soldier’s sword would pierce the breast of a novice wizard. And how many soldiers are needed to take down one of the girls that trains with Inella? It depends on her exact skill, but the majority of new initiates with Inella are beneath the basic principles of magic. All of them know the three keys to spellcasting. The first key of spellcasting is imagination. The second key of spellcasting is concentration. The final key of spellcasting is creation. Few of Inella’s brood could concentrate with twenty soldiers charging them with swords brandished, armor polished, bloodcurdling yells filling ears to the brim with discomfort- hectic brown waves in tea cups. Imagining is easy for the most part. If a spell lines up with a type of magic, like elemental magic, or necromancy, then it should be imagined in that way; if a spell is properly imagined, then it can be concentrated upon through the lens of that type. It is crucial to concentrate on the type of magic in the lens of its type to create that magic. Spells often fail. Spells fail because, when they are created, there is a discrepancy between what is imagined, and what is produced. The hardest key of spellcasting is creation by far. Creation occurs when the latent magical energy within a person is forced/shaped into a spell. Magic is naturally occuring, but spells are not, because animals and non-sentient beings cannot perform spells. A spell takes a thinking brain.

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Zoboru Plans a Defense

King Pietro ran his fingers repeatedly through his bowl cut of straight black hair. Every once in a while he would stop in order to flick through his mustache in a quizzical atonement for his poor social performance and general aloofness. He pinched his thin, light tan nose. Pietro was not at all worried about Inella. “She managed to destroy Celith, so what. Big fucking deal. It’s a shit place. A shit kingdom with what, 3 wizards? Of course she beat a kingdom that is outnumbered like that. Let those blood drinking muff mouths suck on my dirty thumb, that’s what I have to say to those fucking witches.” Pietro puffed indignantly, refraining from touching his hair in boredom for a furious moment.

“But sir, the witches still outnumber us. I strongly suggest that you call in for help. We could use wizards from Milynine, Namelle, Baz, wherever we can get help from. I implore you, ignore the potential costs; preserve your kingdom.” One of King Pietro’s advisors was making a case to Pietro directly. They all sat at a large metal table with little tin action figures tactically placed on a square map engraved into the table with a chisel. King Pietro did not look convinced. There was doubt and dullness in his eyes. Pietro was looking down- his brown eyes unimpressed. Pietro sniffed loudly, and his advisor continued. “Think of the money you won’t have to spend elsewhere. Less money wasted on repairing infrastructure, fewer civilians will die, fewer of our wizards are likely to die, fewer complaints from peasants about lost things like houses and livestock.” Pietro was glaring now, and everyone at the table could see it. All eight men had that mutual truth. Pietro was bound to explode at any second into a typical fit of entitled cacophony. “My king, think of it. You don’t want to have to spend the ensuing days after beating these witches listening to your peasants ask for replacements to the cattle they lost. The same thing, over and over again, except the next time it is a pig, or a horse. I think it wise, if not necessary, that we enroll foreign help to bolster our magical defenses.” King Pietro spit in the direction of the advisor who had just finished begging. The advisor promptly got up and left the room.

“For the rest of you here. I have some questions.” King Pietro said, flicking his hair aside with both hands. The remaining men rumbled and mumbled in anticipation. “Is Zoboru a great kingdom?” The advisors nodded their agreement, one advisor said ‘certainly.’ “Am I not a fabulous king?” The advisors sang the same song. “Does a fabulous king in a great kingdom not deserve glory?’ Singing again. “Would it not make us look strong if we defeated these untrained witches without aid?” Agreement from the advisors. “And we want to look strong, right? Certainly we want to look stronger than Celith.” More advisorial agreeance. “We will look weak if we ask for help. We will not ask for help. No, we will end these craven witches as they come here and let history repeat the name of Zoboru and its king in all associations of victory and power. Are we not strong enough on our own to defeat a wimpy gaggle of little girls?” The advisors rose up with fists clenching air. They groaned and screeched. ‘We will kill them, kill them all. We can do it, we can kill them. They are as good as dead already.’

Pietro looked around the room pleased with himself primarily because he is a selfish man, and he was pleased with the reaction of his cabinet.