Excerpt from the book “Guide to Mana, Hostiles, Techniques, and other Worldly Matters” by Roland Maris
“Mana (aka-Spirit Power): Mana can best be described as a secondary life force.
I have found that it is an energy that that is produced by all living things and allows said living things the power to manipulate their environment.
It is unclear as to whether mana is a simple byproduct that is emitted from all living things, or if it is the sole sustenance that everything needs in order to live.
Regardless of its origins it is undeniable that without mana all living things, especially those of higher intelligence, would not be able to prosper as they do today…”
...
A young inky haired child quickly skips a few chapters ahead with a smile on his face and a glint in his eye.
Introduction to Casting:
“Once you understand the differences in the elements as well as your proficiency in them, you can then begin casting. Casting magic is a fairly simple process that is relatively easy to do but very difficult to explain.
Step 1.Charge: Gather what you believe is to be the necessary amount of mana needed to cast the spell into; as an aid try to imagine the nature of the spell you wish to cast (the flowing of water, the hard and tough nature of stone, and so on.) This process can take anywhere between a few moments to as long as several minutes depending on the spell. WARNING: As a precaution, DO NOT force a spell if you feel it is not your element Start with a small amount and then work your way up until you are successful.
Step 2.Form (Optional): This is a step that cannot be explained in detail. At best, it can be described as manifesting your emotions into the desired element.
NOTE: Depending on the individual’s skill and the nature of the spell, this is not always necessary.
Step 3.Incantation (Optional): This simply requires reciting the word or words to trigger the desired spell.
NOTE: Truth be told, this is a rather unnecessary step. Incantations are simply ideas put into words so it is very possible to skip the incantation entirely and use either your thoughts or your emotions. With that in mind, use incantations as a crutch until you can go without it.
Step 4.Release: After the spell is triggered, the nature of your choosing will then flow free.”
...
'Right! Now I just need to choose the right spell.'
Sunlight peered into the boy’s room which had little in the way of luxury, containing only a simple bed, a worn wooden desk piled with books of all shapes and sizes, and a single battered chair.
The reckless boy, who has been sitting on the floor indoors for quite some time now, with several other books stacked around him, then begins to turn several pages in the massive leather bound book sitting on his lap.
'Hmm…How about this one? [Novamas]'
….
'This one sounds easy enough!'
He then places a bookmark as he sets down the book, and begins to shove aside the towers of paper that surround him. Finally clearing the way he cradles the book with both of his arms as he makes his way out of his room, down the stairs, and out the front doors. However before he can open the doors, a firm and calm voice calls out behind him.
“Boy, what are you doing?”
“Nothing!” He responded automatically, as he jumps at the sudden call.
He slowly turns around and meets face to face with a rather plump middle aged woman. She wore a simple hand woven dress, had her hair set into a tight bun, and had a round and kindly face. However, that kind face was, at the moment, replaced by one with skepticism as she eyes the massive leather bound book in the boy’s arms.
“What is that in your hands?” she asks. The boy looks up to the skeptic face, as his height only reaches the woman’s waist.
“A-a book?”
“Is that a question?”
“Ah…I mean…it’s a book.”
The woman’s eyes become sharper as she presses him a little further.
“Oh… and what kind book is it?”
“…”
The boy says nothing, choosing to instead stare at the ground.
“May I see it?” She asked in a commanding tone.
Slowly the boy unfurled his arms as he presented the book, keeping his eyes to the floor.
The woman snatched it away and immediately opens it to the bookmark as she begins reading. Her eyes widen with every passing word presented before her.
“Where in the world did you find this!?”
“Isn’t it neat? I found it in one of father’s old rucksack. If I study it hard enough, I think I can find how to use some magic!”
“For the love of... I will be dealing with your father later. In any event why do you want to know magic? It is not as useful as you think it is.”
“That’s not true! With magic there will be a lot of things I can do! I can cast fire to burn monsters, or call for rain to water crops! There’s so much I can do!”
“Oh, I can’t be too sure of that my dear. As dangerous as beasts can be, far more towns and villages have be destroyed by the hand of the flame, and farming needs more than simple water. It needs someone to till the soil, care for the land, and harvest them crops when they are ripe and ready. Besides, I think there are other areas you should but more effort into."
“Like what? What else could there be!?”
"For starters, why don't you start playing with other children, or perhaps, and I cannot believe I am saying this, maybe you could explore the surounding area; things someone your age should be doing instead of cooping yourself up here. After all, don’t you want to talk to someone else other than me all day?”
The boy simply shakes his head and responds with a dazzling smile.
“Nope! Don’t need any one else, and I don’t need more friends; I have both you and Dad, and that’s all that friends I'll need!”
The caretaker's cheeks flair up in a rosey pink hue, “W-well, that is awfully sweet to hear from you my dear. But…well…what I meant was, you should probably make friends closer to your age understood?”
The boy only smiles and nods at the question.
“Honestly, what a…peculiar mind. From now on you are not allowed to use something that you have no understanding of.” With her face a still a little flushed she composes herself once more. “N-Now that we have that squared away, would you be a dear and accompany me to the market. We are fresh out of ingredients and need to stock up. That is…unless you want to try and eat water for supper?”
“Yes, nana.”
“What was that?”
“Yes Mrs. Burrough!” The boy responded automatically.
The caretaker gives a satisfied smile as she tenderly leads the boy by the hand out the door and towards town.
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The town's center was alive with the buzz of people scurrying between shopping stalls and food carts as the town's folk loudly declare the quality, or lack thereof, of certain foods and trinkets. Voices, some angry, some rather insistent, cried throughout the square as people haggled down the prices of food and toys.
“I’ll give ya’ two silver for that loaf… no, not that one! The fresh one over there!”
“Oh come, ON! This wood sword looks battered to all hell! AND, it’s even missing the cross guard.....I’ll take it for five silver.”
In fact there were so many new inhabitant as well as newly erected buildings that the Lord that owns the land, in cooperation with the town's elder, will soon build a few extra buildings as well as a much need apothecary and church which meant…
“We’re finally going to have a healer in town,” loudly declared the shopkeeper of a general store to the plump caretaker as he leaned closely on the counter top.
The caretaker nods to this and responds, “Honestly I am happier that we have someone to take care of the workers. Ever since we opened that mine we had nothing but accidents. “ The woman sighs deeply as she thinks about the many times she had to assist in nursing the wounded workers who have had been battered and bruised due to wall collapsing and other mishaps, back to good health. “Still it could be worse; at the very least I can rest from nursing duties.”
As the boy looks looks at the odd glass bottle and paper wrapped packages, the shop keeper notices him and greets him with a wide toothy grin.
“Hello ma’ boy.”
“H-hello Mr.Aris”
“My, it certainly has been a while since I last saw your face around here kid. Well, I suppose that’s a good thing. The less I see ya the less likely you’re to steal something from my shop. HA HA HA.”He bellows as his very laughter shakes the building. “Still, it’s good to see you out and about. An’ speaking of petty theft, how old were ya’ again?”
“I-I’m six.”
“Six huh, and from what Mrs. Burrough tells me you indoors than out. Rather strange for your age and so well spoken too.”
“Oh, he won’t be doing that for much longer if tries to repeat this morning’s mishap.”
“Why? What happened?”
As she recounts the events that transpired that morning, the shop keepers grin grows wider and wider.
“WA HA HA HA!!!”
“Don’t laugh, it is not funny in the slightest, he could have seriously hurt himself.”
“Oh don’ worry about it so much, I doubt he’ll have the strength to muster up that spell.”
“*Sigh*I never thought there would be a day when I’d have to tell a child to stop reading so much.”
“And what does his father have to say?”
“Ha! That oaf? He is simply happy to have a studious child. Honestly, if that man would become delight at the thought of having his mooch of of him for the rest of his life. Such an idiotic person,” She turns towards the boy.
“You hear that boy! Don’t you ever become the type of man who only knows how to beat up things for a living, understood?”
“Y-yes Mrs. Burrough!”
She gives a wry smile at the boy’s immediate response
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“Well, at least his son will become a better scholar than his father ever will. Now then, we must be on our way, we still have much to prepare for this evening. Until next time Aris.”
“Yes, until next time Mrs. Burrough. Ah, wait a sec, as long as you’re here, mind doin’ me a favor,” the shop keeper ducks behind the counter and brings out a small package, “my son forgot his rations for the day when he went out with the mining corp., normally his wife would make it but she seems to be busy, mind giving it to him.”
“Well…I suppose I could use this opportunity to have Eiso enjoy the fresh air a bit longer.”
She takes the package and with a final wave of goodbye, the two leave the shop and continue their midday shopping before finally leaving to the town’s west exit and towards the mines.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The two begin to exit the town while carrying baskets filled with flour, potatoes, carrots and various other miscellaneous herbs and spices.Looking into on of the basket the boy is practically skipping at the haul they purchased today.
“My you certainly seem chipper.”
“Uh-huh. That’s because he have the ingredients for sweet bread. You ARE gonna’ make sweet bread right.”
“Well if you insist, then I suppose it cannot be helped.” Joyously the boy begins humming out loud.
With cool winds and sparsely clouded skies, the caretaker slows down her pace to take beautiful skies and the surrounding forest. As far as she can tell, it is relatively peaceful. There is only a single path between the town and the mines that is carved straight though the forest, and not much else to distract the eyes aside from trees and other vegetation. In fact, the only sounds came from the rustling of leaves made by the gentle wind. However that seemed to be the problem. The woman stops for a moment to listen intently on her surroundings. There was almost no sounds, no birds, no small critters, not even insects, just the sound of the wind and leaves.
She cautiously takes a few steps only to suddenly stop as she hears a deep, low growl emanating from close by.
Her body stiffens and her arms tenses as she silently and slowly turns towards the trees. An electric feeling shocks through her mind as she spots several large hound shape creatures looming within the thick vegetation of the forest that fenced the path they are on; their eyes white and piercing, their snouts drooling thick globs of saliva. They have been there for some time waiting silently and patiently for an opportunity to arrive.
Upon a much unwanted closer look, she notices that these beasts are not entirely what she thought they were. Their color was not the usual grey color of the common timber wolf. Their fur was pitch-black, matted with patches of hair missing. They had not only one pair of milky white eyes on their heads but several others that dotted their flank. Their bodies were completely asymmetrical and differ from one another; one had an extra set of jaws just below their normal ones. One had two heads staring blankly at her, and another with two tails and bits of sharp bones protruding from the blood soaked skin across the spine.
No they were definitely not the hounds she knew of but instead they were a horrific amalgamation of limbs, eyes, and teeth, tacked on with little regard to the natural order. These creatures were nothing but the twisted creations of some long forgotten nightmare, and at that moment, a single solitary word came to her mind... ‘abomination’.
She stood still, waiting with bated breath, hoping that what she is seeing is but an mere illusion; praying with every fiber of her being that those murderous and blank eyes will simply ignore them. Mean while the boy continues to meander while deep in his own thoughts, completely unaware of the danger looming not too far from him. This brings a horrifying realization as the caretaker manages to come to her senses. She prays with all of her might that no matter what happens, please spare the child.
“GRAAOOOOUGH!!!”
In one swift motion, she drops everything and grabs the boy with one arm while sweeping the other across the ground in a wide circle around them whilst shouting with all of the strength she can muster.
“[VALLEMA]!!!”
Thick earthen walls erupt from the ground locking the two inside, protecting them as it shook from the bodies of the beasts slamming into it in an attempt to break it down by shear force.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
The walls are holding for now, however, cracks have already started forming and are steadily growing larger and deeper with each consecutive hit made against them.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
The boy only now realizing what is going on, as the sounds scratching and snarling can be heard just outside, becomes stricken with fear. Powerful and violent beasts have invaded their region and at the moment their only protection is the stone prison surrounding them. The caretaker struggles to stand on her legs as they begin to shake until finally losing all strength as she collapses to her knees. She slowly grabs the boy by the shoulders, and speaks as calmly as she can.
“Eiso, listen to me. That wall will not stay up for long, so I need you to
be a brave boy and run when I tell you. Run and keep running until you make it back to town, and when you get back you need to tell everyone what has happened, okay? Can you do that for me?”
“…”
“Please Eiso, say something, say that you will do it, okay?”
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
The foul creatures remain persistent as they scratch, dig, and claw their way in, without any sign of relent.
“…”
“EISO!”
The boy blankly repeats the words with little emotion behind them.
“….I….need to ….run……to town…”
“And tell everyone what happened, especially your father! Can you do that for me?”
The boy snaps out of his stupor for a moment before understanding what is being said.
'I…am to run back…I…..only I!?'
“NO! Please don’t make me go alone! I want you to come with me nana!”
“I know you are scared...”
“I-I’m not scared! I know what you are going to do, so I want you to come with me. Please say you will come with me!” He pleads as water begins to blur his vision.
“There is no need to worry I’ll be alright.”
“NO YOU WON’T! YOU'll DIE IF YOU STAY!!!”
“ENOUGH! You will do what you are told understood!”
The boy flinches, but finally concedes as he began to place his focus on the ground, refusing to look up.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
“…..”
“WELL BOY!”
“…Y-Yes nana. I’ll do it….I’ll go and…and get help.” The tears he has been holding back slowly to fell and dampen the soft earth.
“…what was that boy?”
The boy faces up to responde. Her once kind and warm demeanor was now pale and soaked in tears. Her eyes, once sharp and filled with love, were now wrought with worry and faintly contained terror. Yet despite it all, she still manages to show a glowing smile.
The boy responded automatically, “I-I mean….yes….Mrs. Burrough.”
At the sound of her name she could no longer keep her emotions in. She flings her arms around the boy and reels him into a tight embrace.
“T-That’s better. *sniff* N-now when I tell you, I want you to r-run and don’t look back. W-Whatever you do, whatever you might hear, whatever you might…might …see… don’t stop r-running.”
“Don’t…”
“…stop running, and don’t…ever…look back. Can you promise me that?”
“I…promise.”
With that final exchange she kisses the boy tenderly on the forehead as she slowly takes a stand
“R-ready?”
The boy say’s nothing but nods and braces himself.
“D-Don’t worry about me, okay. I can take care of myself, so I’ll be all right.”
She gathers energy into her hands and waits as the pounding persists and the cracks in the walls grow ever larger.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
The boy finally speaks up in a quite whisper, “C-Can you promise me something.”
“What is it my dear.”She coos in a soft warmth.
“Will you promise that you’ll come back?”
Bits of debris and rock slowly fall from the walls, creating fist sized holes that allow the abominations to peer through with their blank and hungry eyes. Soon the relentless banging strengthens and becomes absolutely deafening.
*BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM* *BAM*
She says nothing choosing instead to caress the boy’s cheek and shows one last tearful smile. The creatures continue to pound with unnatural strength and tenacity until…
*CRAAACK*
Their sanctuary has finally fallen to crumbles, leaving nothing between them and absolute slaughter. The caretaker gives the boy one final push.
“NOW! RUN!”
On command and operating on instinct alone, the boy sprints with one mission in mind, to return to town. The beasts take notice as they swiftly and hungrily give chase, gaining closer and closer. They gained such distance that the boy can feel their hot and rancid breath.
“LIKE HELL YOU WILL!” The caretaker thrusts both of her palms on to the ground unleashing the energy she has been building up.
“[STALMITE]!!!”
Sharp stone spikes sprout forth from the earth, impaling the pursing creatures, spraying theirblood from their newly torn wounds as their bodies thrash and struggle. The remaining packs of creatures stop and turn their attention towards her instead, before charging in at full force. Despite his wishes, the boy continues to do as the caretaker asks, keep running, don't look back.
'Everything will be fine. Nana said she’ll be alright.'
The sounds of sharp howls and bloodcurdling screams ring throughout the once open and peaceful air. However the boy persists, even as a burning sensation wells in his lungs, he sprints forth with all of the strength he can muster.
'I can’t. I promised to be a good boy. I promised I wouldn’t look back. I promise I’ll do whatever you say. I promise to stop trying to use strange spells. So please be alright. Pleases be safe…please stay alive…….please…'
*BOOOOM*
Much to his surprise, a massive explosion shakes the ground as he stumbles and trips to the ground. Still, with great sickness building up in his stomach he stands back up and presses on, moving one foot swiftly in front of the other, refusing to turn back. The sickness welling inside did not only come from the shock of the explosion, but from the knowledge of what he is doing and the faded and final words he heard in the distance.
...[Novamas]