Chapter 4

“I said to concentrate,” Tobian corrected me.

I almost fell over, caught off guard as the voice startled me. My eyes shot open and my foot slipped inward from their shoulder width position. I straightened from my slight squat, lowering my hands back to my sides. “This isn’t even magic,” I complained. “You made me ‘focus my energy’ in this position for over an hour yesterday evening and nothing happened.”

“Well if you think nothing happened then you might as well go home,” he replied.

“Hold on,” I interjected. “I just don’t get the whole point of this… standing around and focussing.”

“It’s not just standing around and focussing. You’re supposed to be channeling your mana from one shoulder to the other,” he lectured again. “I get that it’s abstract at first but you were doing it earlier.”

“I don’t know what I was doing earlier.”

“It,” he didn’t elaborate. “It’s only your second day and some people spend over a year training for this,” he continued. “But with you… maybe you’ll be able to do it in a week?”

If that was a genuine question, it didn’t seem to be directed at me. “A week before I can use magic,” I repeated as I adjusted my footing, shifting back into the odd stance. It felt both so close and so far. Time just seemed to pass slower in this body, but maybe it was just my new youth that held the clock hands back. “And then it will just… happen?” I asked Tobian, and I then realized he didn’t ever clarify what the change will be. “So I’ll just be able to use magic?”

“After the ritual.”

I straightened, dropping the meditative position entirely. “Ritual?”

“Ritual.”

“No, no, I heard you,” I clarified. “What I mean is what is this ritual?”

“It’s a transfer of power, from the earth to you,” he elaborated, indicating to the tree in front of me. “You have to be able to channel your own mana before taking a special knife and stabbing it into the tree. Once you do that, you’ll be able to use magic.”

That… seems simple enough, I thought optimistically. I eased myself back into the stance, half closing my eyes as I tried to focus again.

I thought I could feel it, but it was like trying to scoop oil out of water, sitting just on the surface but slipping around my fingers. I glanced over to Tobian who suddenly locked onto my eyes. “Focus,” he repeated and I closed my eyes fully.

After another ten minutes passed I felt his hand on my shoulder. “Alright, that’s long enough,” he said and I opened my eyes to see him standing a few paces in front of me, still and silent. It took a second before I whirled, confused, only to see him also behind me. “Took you long enough,” he smirked. “I want to try something; stand in front of my duplicate.”

I nodded, already intrigued, and walked up to the spitting image of Tobian. It tipped its head slightly, moving to look down at me, and I nearly jumped back.

“That’s just a magic construct. Magic is regularly used in two ways: manipulating reality, or temporarily adding to it. As you saw a few days ago, I excel at moving plants, but I can also create constructs of myself. At first, mages can only create light constructs, but with time you’ll be able to do more.”

The construct reached down to me, still not talking, and placed a hand on my shoulder. It felt it, in a hazing way, it wasn’t quite touching me but still exerting force down on my shoulder. The real Tobian moved my hand onto the fake’s arm so that they were joined, the construct’s hand on my shoulder and mine just past its elbow. It was like trying to push opposing magnets together; not solid but a force that pushed back against my hand. He then stood on my other side and mirrored his duplicate, nodding for my other hand to do the same, which I followed.

“Now, I want you to feel for my mana as I move it around, alright? Concentrate on what you were doing earlier and focus.”

I closed my eyes, trying to channel my mana as I waited. And waited. And waited. I peaked, opening my eyes just a fraction. His were closed, clamped shut while his jaw was clenched. My lips were pulled tight while perspiration began to wet his brow.

…pulse…

I felt something, like a little thrum in the air.

Pulse!

“Oh! Was that it!?” I asked excitedly as I felt the vibration reverberate in my chest.

Pulse! Pulse!

“Twice that time!”

Tobian sighed, visibly relaxing as he and his mirror lowered their hands, my own dropping from the lack of support. “Well done,” he wheezed through deep breaths, hands on his knees as the construct faded away. “That was… a lot… but if you felt that then it means you’re figuring it out.”

I beamed upon hearing that. It felt like magic was becoming closer and closer. He clearly pushed himself to get the right signal out. I figured in time I would get better at detecting mana flow but the fact I was able to feel just that filled me with hope.

“That’ll be enough for today. We’ll continue training tomorrow.”

“Oh,” I perked up, “I actually am a bit busy tomorrow.”

“Hmm? That so? Well, if you miss a day, it could set your training back a whole week…” Tobian mumbled.

“Wait!” I didn’t think about the logic of what he said, just reacting. “Tomorrow is actually my and Rose’s birthday, and we have neighbours coming over for it… but I should be able to come by before that,” I negotiated, as if he determined how my magic skill would be affected.

“Ah… the big thirteen?” he asked, eyebrow raised. “Alright, we can run through things quickly. Habits like these are important to maintain.” I nodded in response. “By the way… you haven’t been telling your father about these lessons so far, right?”

I scoffed. “Never! He wouldn’t get it. But I’ll work hard and show him how great magic is!”

Tobian nodded, looking pleased to hear that. “Sounds good, Ren. Now, you better get going or he may be suspicious of your absence.”

I took my leave at that, jogging back home. The cottage glowed a soft orange in my eyes as the sun set behind it and lit the roof edges in flame.

“Well well, he returns,” my sister said as I walked in, looking up from the table she and my father were sitting at. “I hope you don’t mind that I ate your dinner.”

“That’s enough,” my father gently reprimanded her as he stood, scooting his chair along the floor. He stepped a couple paces over to the counter and removed the cover from a plate, revealing rice, corn, and a sausage that still leaked wisps of steam. “Should be warm enough,” he told me as he set it down on the table for me before returning to his seat and scraping the last of his bowl.

I thanked him and quickly took my place, digging into the meal. Even slightly cooled, it was full of flavour, and I made a mental note to thank Horray tomorrow for the good quality meat this season.

“Now Ren,” my father began in his stern voice, nearly causing me to drop my spoon. There was a note of caring in his tone, but it still rarely ever meant anything good. “I know that you’re getting to that age where, maybe long walks in the evening can be good for you, clear your mind and all that.” Rose snickered, which our father either missed or more likely ignored. “But I just want to know that… everything is alright?” His tone was hesitant, like a sailor trying to navigate an unmapped reef.

“Things are fine,” I answered back plainly. “Just trying to get some exercise.”

“You’ve been doing well in the greenhouse, too; I’d say the apprenticeship is coming along well.”

Yes, not at all because I have been doing the same work for the past number of years, I grumbled to myself, but I fought to keep a neutral face. “Thank you, glad you’re pleased with it.”

“Oh, I quite am! You seem to be getting into the flow of it. You’ll make a fine gardener.”

I didn’t say anything but I realized a second too late that my expression was slipping. “Um, yes,” I quickly tried to cover but I saw the understanding in his face.

“Alright,” he just continued, seeming to ignore my dissatisfaction with his praise. “Well, tomorrow is your birthday, so I hope you aren’t out too late?” He raised an eyebrow questioningly and started to smile. “The neighbours are coming around six or seven, so you can’t make them wait to start the party.” Rose grinned at the mention of the party. How long are you planning to go for these walks?”

I smiled back, but for a very different reason. “Should only be another week.”