After the explanation how combat was done. Grandpa then asked me to take out the spell book I had bought in between the lessons.

“ Before we start practicing magic you need to learn how the spell works on a fundamental level since you have full affinity this shouldn’t be hard. The spell you choose is shock this is an excellent and quite common spell used for beginners as it lets you understand the basics of how lightning starts and it grows each time you use it more proficient.

In order to use lightning magic you need to be able to feel the different particles all around us and try to force them together this creates tension. Another word for this type of tensions is spark when you are able to create a small spark you have to practice a lot until it becomes big enough to create a shock. But before practicing lightning I want you to fully understand and feel the particles in the air.

For the best results is to stand in the pond to absorb the energy while training since you don’t have a lot of energy yet. The pond is also calming for a lightning mage and will allow the users to concentrate and meditate better.

Be careful when practicing as errors or misunderstanding can halter your growth to become a mage.”

We walked to the edge of the pond before I started to submerge myself in the pond it gives off a tingly sensation all throughout my body at first after a while it calmed down and made me able to focus more on everything around me.

Before long I started to feel small differences everywhere I closed my eyes in order to not be distracted by anything. I started to try to feel the particles on myself and around me. After for what felt like an eternity I felt the different particles clearly and was even able to guess where they are going. Opening me eyes and staring at grandpa.

“ Grandpa I can feel the particles around me and even know where they are going to.”

He turned to me with a smile on his face.

“ You say you are able to feel and guess where they are going after only two hours of training? This must be what it is like to be a prodigy in lightning. It took me well over 3 days before I was able to do this. Let’s not rush this and make sure you are able to fully understand the element I want you to keep doing this for the coming week before we start using magic.”

Hearing what my grandpa just told me I am a bit disappointed I want to learn magic as fast as possible but I trust my grandpa so I will follow his advice.

The lesson was over and it was time for dinner. After dinner grandpa took me to an empty room.

“ you should know that you are special in your ability to practice three types of magic. That makes it very important to keep it hidden that you are able to practice lightning.

There are a lot of dangerous people in this city. They will try whatever method they can to take you away from us when they find out. News will also spread fast and the stalemate between the nations will be broken. If word got out to the other continents I expect that they will attack us at full force in order to maintain order.

When you have achieved the rank of king as a mage in both ice and lightning this makes you able to hold a low leveled emperor at bay. When you have gotten that rank king both my father, you and I will be able to hold of three emperor level mages or five high knight level warriors. This will give enough protection for you to finally be able to show all of your abilities.

We don’t have to worry about mages that are saint level or above they are few and scattered around the world and only involve themselves if the lives of their species are in immediate danger. These mages will not be interested in you so long you don’t do something dangerous. While they might hear of you eventually they are trying to improve themselves in order to ascend to the realm above and don’t like to be interrupted or disturbed.”

After being told this I finally understood the dangers we are facing not only as a family or country but even a continent if word got out.

Johann and I went to the house of Kai to play around and fantasize about tomorrow. Both of us will be learning light magic in the same class Kai already has been taught light before but still wasn’t to far ahead of me.

The next morning I wake up by the smell of breakfast. Start to get dressed and went to the dining room to eat half an hour later I would be going to Rayner’s house to learn light magic. I am still tired because the sun is only starting to rise just now.

When I arrived at the mansion one of the servants of Rayner welcomed us and showed us the way to the room I will be taught in.

As I entered the room I see that Kai has already taken a seat near the window I decide to sit next to him.

While waiting for Eloise to arrive we started talking about the coming lesson.

“ Do you think your father will be strict?”

“ Of course not I have never seen him serious or strict before.”

“ Who taught you before we decided to take lessons together?”

“ It was one of the mages who serve the royal family I didn’t like him he was very quiet and surly.”

After about 10 minutes Eloise arrived at the room. Rayner didn’t seem too happy about this.

“ The lesson is supposed to start at 7 it is now nearing 7:15 why is it that you’re late?”

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“ Uncle it is so early and still quite dark outside and it is only a bit after 7.”

This answer seems to not be the correct one as Rayner starts to frown he decided that because she is late she has to clean the room after we are done with the lesson.

Eloise wasn’t happy with this and says she will tell her father about this, Rayner scoffed at the remark and reminded her that he is her teacher and can choose how to punish an disobedient student. He increased her punishment for defying his order by having her stand the entire lesson.

“ It seems that your father is totally different when teaching us.”

“ Yeah I didn’t know he would be this strict I guess this is how he treats his students or men when training or fighting in wars.”

“ I hope the three of you now understand that I take these lessons serious and will not allow any mischief or slacking of in class. What I expect from you is total obedience and participation during the lessons. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions about the lesson if you have trouble understanding something. It is important for any mage to fully understand what they are doing or there will be consequences.

Now that we have cleared that we will start the lesson. First I will tell you how light magic works before anything practical begins.

Light magic is a magic that is different than any other magic it requires the person to not act on emotions, keep a calm mind and inertly be a good person. This doesn’t mean that anyone who practices darkness is evil they just act on emotions especially strong ones like wanting something.

To be able to practice light magic you first have to calm your mind and shut yourself of emotions. When you have entered a state of tranquility you are able to practice light magic when entering that state this is what makes it so difficult for people to use light magic for it is difficult to enter or stay in this state when a fight has begun.

What I want the three of you to do for today is to make your mind calm this will be difficult since this is your first lesson together and trying to remember everything I said without panicking or be excited. While you try to get a calm mind you can ask me anything furthermore I will give pointers how to attain this calmness as the lessons go on I will also try to distract you so in the future you won’t easily lose control.”

We are all shocked by this straightforward demand and lesson of Rayner he just told us to calm down and do nothing in order to slowly reach the state we have to be in.

The three of us started the lessons trying to get a calm mind for Kai this was easy as he was already taught this Rayner had come up with a solution to this by taking him to the other side of the room and keep ticking on his shoulder to annoy Kai.

Eloise it was hard to get a calm mind as she was still upset about the punishment and was by nature very curious.

It was just as worse for me I was pumped up this morning to learn light magic and be in the same class as my friends.

By the end of the lesson none of us have been able to enter in a state of calmness however Rayner doesn’t seem to be angry or disappointed.

“ from my estimations Eloise should have been able to have a calm mind but because she came late to class I had to punish her this in turn made it near impossible for her to attain a calm mind.

For Kai and Siegfried they would not have been able to get a calm mind with how I had the lesson planned.

What I hope you have learned today is to try and not act on impulses in order to keep a calm mind.

We will continue this until all three of you can keep a calm mind while I try distracting you.”

After the lesson the Kai and I waited until Eloise was done cleaning the room we then decided to go and have lunch in the city. This in order to show me around town and have some time to give our thoughts about the lesson.

While walking trough the city both Kai and Eloise told me all about the different shops, market places and restaurants there are in the city. What I am most interested in are shops for magic spells or items to enhance your ability to use magic.

We went into a bistro in a famous shopping street with high end products.

Kai choose boeuf bourguignon which is braised beef in red wine with carrots, garlic and onions garnished with mushroom, pearl onions and lardon. Eloise being raised as a lady and princess decided to go for a salad niçoise this consists of tomatoes, olive oil, egg, artichokes, bell peppers, black olives and either anchovies or tuna. Coq au vin was my dish it is rooster braised in red wine, mushrooms, lardon, onions and most of the time garlic.

For dessert we choose Tarte Tatin it is a pie turned upside down with the fruits caramelized in butter and sugar it is normally made with apples.

After lunch we parted ways and I walked home with Johann to start training with grandpa again.

As I enter the garden house grandpa just finished replenishing the pond with his energy. Before we continued where we left of grandpa has something to tell me.

“ Siegfried as you know we are currently searching for an ice mage that is capable of training you to become one of the best next to being trustworthy.

We have found three possible teachers they will arrive here tomorrow you have to decide which of these mages will be teaching you.”

Overcome with joy I started to jump up, jump up and got down. When I calmed down some questions arrived in my head. What would they look like? Will they be as patient like my grandpa and Rayner? What am I allowed to tell them about myself?

“ Grandpa since one of them will be teaching me they will know at least of my dual affinity. What can I show in front of them?”

“ There is no problem in showing them that you are able to use both ice and light magic but keep hidden that you are able to use lightning. Even if we trust them we can’t be sure that they will be persuaded by money or prestige.”

It makes it at least easier to be around them when I didn’t have to hide too much. After confirming this we went on where the lesson had left of.

I entered the pond and started to meditate it became easier this time thanks to Rayner to give tips and training us to maintain a calm mind.

While meditating I try to differentiate the particles further by having my eyes closed and guessing what the particles together form as a shape. This is a lot harder as some particles aren’t in connection with lightning or ice. These particles I have trouble to visualize before me.

Opening my eyes and sighing as in the end I didn’t gain any insights how these other particles work.

“ Grandpa why can I see other particles but don’t see them as clearly as the lightning or ice ones shouldn’t I just see them but not able to control them?”

“ Everyone with an ounce of affinity of the type of magic will be able to see them but they will be more blurrier and harder to control than the magic they match with.”

“ Does that mean that when a person finishes understanding their type they can move on to another type?”

“ It means exactly that however a mage even if he is already a saint rank in one type will not effect his training speed and ability to use another type therefore each mage first tries to finish the ones they are already strong in as this increases their power tremendously instead of only a little.”

I understand the sentiment behind it however it bothered me a bit. It seems to me the more you know of one type another one will be more difficult to learn as they both have different laws / understandings. This will effect your ability to train another type as you might stubbornly deny a different understanding.

What bothered me the most how some of the types seem close to each other most beings don’t have an affinity for both take for example water and ice we all know that the most common way to make ice is water however a mage in either of these types might have no affinity for the other this doesn’t make sense to me. There are other types that should share some characteristics like fire and air, fire and lightning it might be that some higher form denies us this.