It wasn’t until much later the next day that Samuel fell upon the idea for his first unique spell. It came to him while he was eating at the College’s mess hall, too busy with his schoolwork to go home for a meal. His education had just hit a rather interesting point, and he’d found himself too busy to think of much else but his studies for the day. But, as it always happens, the answer to a problem shows itself remarkably quickly when you stop considering it.
It was also appropriate, in a way, that the inspiration for his spell would strike him while he made his first serious attempt to learn more about Arcana. In order to do this, he’d tracked down a copy of A History of Magic, the book written by Archmage Lucian Peran that Mari had mentioned. It was, in Samuel’s opinion, a very dry read, and had very little new information that he didn’t already know himself. Every once in a while, however, there was a juicy section that intrigued him.
I’ve scoured the entirety of the Mage’s College to find any reference to our lost guardian of knowledge, Arcana. This fallen god has vanished from our records save for a few passing references, but he seems steeped in the very history and lore of this institution. I am of the belief that he founded it, or else directly taught those ancient mages who created the College.
That stirred something in Samuel’s memory. He’d read something about the early days of the College, hadn’t he? He hurried to finish his lunch, then made off for the library at top speed, determined to chase down this lead. It didn’t take him long.
The Birth of the College, and the Challenges of Finding Capable Students. Another dry book, this one with no author listed. It told of the early Masters of the College, and covered everything from what stone they used to build the campus to what criteria were chosen for the first Archmages. Samuel leafed through the first few pages of the book and found the passage that Archmage Peran’s book had reminded him of.
Not much is remembered about how the College was founded. We can only assume that those early Masters were extraordinary enchanters, for the walls, both inside and out, are remarkably resilient. Spells of all kinds have trouble penetrating these ancient stones, and only the most powerful of mages can affect them in any way.
It is believed that the builders of the College, expecting confrontation and competition from outside sources, placed several secrets into the buildings that make up our campus. Some have been found, lending weight to those legends, but our current understanding of magic prevents us from finding more. How can one search for an individual piece of magic within an area that is so inherently magical?
Samuel remembered the first time he’d read that, and the thought that had accompanied it. Why would you search for an individual piece of magic at all? It had seemed so inefficient, not to mention exhausting, to search an area as massive as the College campus with just your bare hands. You’d become so lost in looking for one thing, that you’d blind yourself to other potentially awesome discoveries along the way.
But could he come up with a way of searching for magical traces without focusing on one thing? That would require using magic not like a lens, but more like a net. It was like fishing, he thought, remembering his early life in Harlest. A skilled fisherman could easily feed himself and even his family with a single rod, but when it came to acquiring large amounts of fish at once to feed the village or for sale, a net was required. A net…
He looked up from the book, staring at his hand in contemplation. One thing he’d noticed over the course of his studies, something that he’d taken entirely for granted, was that pale shroud of light that covered his body. It was far from a distinct outline, but it extended past his body for several inches. Remarkable, the range had actually increased during his training, growing from the mere centimeters that it had been shortly after he’d awakened his magical senses.
Of course, this field hadn’t been a mystery to him for too long. Grimr had explained that he was seeing the physical representation of his life force. Not mana, for mana was but a small part of his essence, representing just the power of his mind. The reason it had grown in size, according to the Ancient, was because of his effort in learning magic. Like any muscle, it grew in size with repetitive use.
Could he then - Samuel reveled in the thought of pushing this line of thought further - control its size? He knew, both from Grimr’s explanation and his own experimentation, that he could feel the presence of magical items or enchantments when they brushed against his aura. So wouldn't that field, when expanded, show him to sense magical signatures in a much wider radius?
He tried it then, working tentatively, with Archmage Ashara's warning about approaching new magic slowly and carefully ringing in his ears. This wasn't just a new magic he was learning from one of his teachers, however. The consequences of this spell going awry were unknown.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
It was much like attempting to flex a new muscle he'd just discovered. Manipulating his mana was second nature now, but willing it to take an entirely new shape was proving to be a challenge.
Slowly, like a tiny creek feeling a vast ocean, the outer edge of his mana began to grow and expand. He put all his effort into the simple act, and it stretched out a little further. Then he felt a sharp pain in the back of his mind as if someone had struck him from behind, and in an instant, the field of mana shrank back down to its normal size.
The pain receded quickly, leaving only a minor aching in place. Samuel gasped as the pain came and left, and put one hand to the back of his head, then pulled it away as if he were expecting to see blood there. But there was no sign of the wound. Whatever had caused that pain that happened inside him, it was gone now. He pondered the reaction for a moment, wondering if perhaps it was a sign that he should refrain from attempting that feat again. But his curiosity drove him forward. He might pause, but he wasn’t done with this idea.
It was the thought of Mari, and her explanation of the technique she’d used to suppress his aura the night he’d dreamt of Arcana, that finally did it. The way she’d described mana, it was more of a pliable object than a rigid field of mana that grew with its owner. So why, then, couldn’t he shape his mana as he pleased? Perhaps it had something to do with his lack of experience, he thought. But that didn’t seem likely, given that his mana field was already larger and more dense than everyone else in his class. If Grimr was to be believed, he was already more advanced in that area than most in the College, student, or teacher.
He tried again, stretching the mana out from his body, and it went a little easier. Still, he made it no more than a few inches from his body before he felt that sharp stabbing pain in his mind, and the field retracted to its original shape. He let out a quiet curse, but couldn’t feel too discouraged. He was certain his mana reached further on the second attempt. Logic dictated that if he kept practicing the ability, it could end up being the “unique” ability that Master Astori had demanded of him.
Satisfied, he put the thought to the back of his mind, and hurriedly finished his lunch. He’d talk to Master Astori about it after his next Transmutation class. In the meantime, he still had to spend a little more time practicing on the Elemental Conversion spell Astori had shared with them. Quite apart from not wanting to miss out on joining the study group, he loathed the thought of disappointing his teacher by failing to learn what he called an elementary spell.
----------------------------------------
He caught Otis on his way out of a class later in the day, just as the school bells were tolling the eighteenth hour of the day. The upperclassman noticed him at once, which surprised Samuel, as the hallway was, at that time, flooded with other students, and there were more than enough colorful robes in sight to hide Samuel away. But Otis grinned widely, and gestured Samuel over to talk.
“Good morning, Apprentice Bragg,” he said, pulling Samuel to the side to save him from the traffic in and out of the classroom. “How’s your unique spell coming along?”
Samuel shook his head dejectedly. “Not that well, to tell you the truth. I’ve figured out what I want to do, and I think it works. Now I just have to develop it enough to make it viable.”
He could see the light of interest in Otis’ eyes at the mention of something new. Maybe that was what allowed him to like the energetic upperclassman, he thought. In spite of the mild annoyance of someone with so much cheeriness and overflowing enthusiasm, he respected Otis’ knowledge and skill as a mage. In addition, he had the vague sense that knowing someone more advanced than himself could only help his studies.
“You’ll have to show me it after classes are done sometime,” Otis replied. His tone was casual, but he couldn’t entirely hide his eagerness. “You know, when you’re not swamped with spellwork from your teachers.”
“Actually, I’m more or less caught up on my assignments for the week.”
“Really? But it’s only the third day.”
Samuel shrugged in what he hoped was a diffident, humble way. “It’s all beginner stuff, isn’t it? I honestly thought it would take me much longer to get used to classes here.”
That wasn’t true, of course. He’d expected magic to come so naturally to him that the actual amount of work required for arcane mastery had come as a great shock. But he was coming up on the end of his first month within the College now, and he’d grown accustomed to the shock of having to put effort into learning. In a way, exhausting his mind and mana was exhilarating, as it was undeniable proof of his growth. Each new piece of knowledge only made him better, so he welcomed the challenge, and the effort it required.
“I’m not doing anything after class today,” Samuel offered, accepting the unspoken plea. “I’ll show you the progress I’ve made on it then. Just don’t expect too much, I only have the basic concept down.”
“That’s fine by me,” Otis said with a laugh. “Anything to get me out of studying for a while is welcome. Should I come to your home, then?”
“If you want. I live pretty far from the College.”
“Not a problem. I’m in pretty good shape, you know.”
He walked away then, offering a cheerful wave over his shoulder as he joined the tide of students making its way through the halls. Samuel let out a long breath, suppressing a yawn. He wasn’t sure why he wanted to obscure how challenging he was finding his magical studies. Otis, of all people, would probably understand easily. Maybe it was something to do with the fact that he was part of Master Astori’s study group, and he didn’t want to make it seem as if he couldn’t handle the challenges that the arcane studies offered.
Well, no matter, he told himself sternly. He only had one class left for the day. Alchemy. A boring subject for him, but he’d chosen to learn everything the College offered, so he had no right to complain now. He just had to get through this class, then he could go home. Tomorrow was Temple Day, so he’d have plenty of time to catch up on the sleep he’d been missing.