5. Spellcasting (Pt. 2)

“This should do just fine.” Yir hovered just above the casting platform, her eyes taking in the view of the space. To test it, she raised her left hand and conjured up an array of fireballs. Eight of them appeared around her before firing off down the lane. They struck their targets, the small balls of flame obliterating the targets before smashing into the walls. The barriers flashed and the walls cratered. Moments after the mana within them pulsed to life, the craters smoothed out and the targets began to reform.

Satisfied, Yir canceled out the fireballs she had cast to replace those she had fired. The three fairies who had come to perform the labor bowed before fluttering away. Alba let out a low whistle as she landed on the pedestal for the books.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this place.” She grinned. Yir raised an eyebrow and looked at her. “What?”

“Nothing.” Yir shook her head a little and then turned to Jake. “This room is for you to practice your casting. You are not allowed to do so outside of this place. Even in the Overworld for the time being.”

Jake sighed and his shoulders slumped forward. “What am I, a child?”

Yir flew up to his face, eye level with him. “As a matter of fact- yes. You are.” She quipped. “In terms of magic, you are a toddler. An infant. And with the mana brewing in you, you require special handling to ensure it doesn’t go awry. Understand?” Her tone was stern and angry. Jake took the scolding like a good boy and nodded in acknowledgment. He felt too scared to answer verbally.

“Good. Now, go grab that spellbook. The beginner one.”

“Yes ma’am.” Jake did as told and returned to the study room. He plucked the Novice Guidebook from the table and returned to the practice space. Yir utilized her magic to yank it from his fingers and then opened its cover.

“Have you read up on your elements yet?” She asked. Jake shook his head.

“The cultivation book mentioned that different elements may be more difficult than others but that was it.” Thus far, Jake only knew of the different elements by name and a little about what each of them could do. But he hadn’t formally read up on them just yet. The cultivation texts hadn’t put much focus on them.

“Sit.” Yir pointed at the floor. Jake folded his knees and sat down. “You. Out.” She pointed at Alba, and then at the door.

“Hah?” Alba’s mouth opened and she looked upset. “But I wanna learn too!”

“You have work to do, don’t you?” Yir folded her arms, her eyes piercing as she glared down at Alba. The other fairy looked away and folded her hands behind her back.

“Can’t I just stay for a lit-” Yir held up a hand and a ball of fire appeared. Alba’s voice cut off and she darted for the exit. Jake swallowed a lump in his throat as he watched Yir’s face soften. She sighed, tired, and cut off the mana feeding the fireball.

“I generally don’t give formal lessons. However, to keep you from blowing a spell up in your face, I’m going to help you with the initial steps. I’ll teach you about the elements and then we will do some practice with your first spell. After that, you are on your own. Yes?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good. Everything I’m going to teach you is in this book.” Yir flicked her finger and the book snapped shut. She waved her hand, causing it to fly back into Jake’s hands. “The elements are taught in order as are the lower tiered spells associated with each element. You will only be learning Wind and Water for now.”

Jake raised his hand. “Why can’t I learn the others?”

“Because you’ll blow yourself up.” Yir retorted. Jake pursed his lips and dropped his hand. “While you may have an affinity for the elements, that doesn’t make them any easier to use, Jake. Especially since you weren’t born with mana. Your body isn’t made to handle the stress of such intense elements. So, we’ll build up your mana’s durability.”

Jake raised his hand again. “If that’s true, then why do people who have an affinity for fire magic able to use it without blowing up?”

Yir folded her arms over her chest. Jake’s jaw clenched as he lowered his hand. “It’s natural for them. They were born with the mana source capable of supporting that magic and their body grew up with that natural strength to support such magic. You were born with none of that. Even with Lady Ferynith’s blessing, the mana source within you is fresh and needs proper nurturing. Place too much stress on it and it will break. Like metal fresh from the forge. It needs proper tempering, understand?”

“I guess.” Jake frowned. Though he understood, he wasn’t quite excited to hear it. This meant he would be set back quite a bit until he could develop the necessary strength to cast those more potent spells. Yir hadn’t told him how long it would take and he doubted she even could. He figured most mages began their practice at an early age. By then, their body had years of natural time to develop resistance to the mana within them. Did that mean Jake would need to wait years before he could use fire magic?

“Don’t look so sad,” Yir’s tone softened as she called out to him. “Trust in your blessing and work hard. You’ll get there sooner than you think.” The fairy gave him a smile and a wink, which helped lift his spirits just a bit.

“Now.” Yir cut their brief bonding moment with a clap of her fingers. “Let us begin. Listen carefully.” She motioned for Jake to set the book down and then flipped it open with her magic. She turned the book to the first chapter. A chapter that explained the basics of magic and mana once more. It seemed she was going to start from the beginning.

Jake braced himself and settled in, opening his ears and mind as Yir began her instruction.

Following along with Yir’s instruction, Jake found that there was far more to spell casting than he originally expected. A glance at the Guidebook had set him up with the belief that spells were rather simple in construction and that all he needed to do was learn their incantations. He originally thought that repeating the words would be enough, but that was only the start of it. To understand that, Jake first needed to understand how the Words of Power worked.

Words of Power were just that- words that would cause a Mage’s internal mana to trigger and move in a specific way or direction. As Magic declined through generations of systematic suppression, so did the average mage’s control of their internal mana. Thus, Words of Power were created by Older Mages to assist their Apprentices with casting the more complicated spells within their books. However, as mage continued to decline, Words of Power became too strong for the average mage to handle and it was necessary to further break them down into simpler and weaker versions until inevitably they were split into four different variables; shape, size, direction, speed.

Simplifying the Words of Power into the four variables helped mages sustain their power and over time, incantations began to stabilize as mages refined and perfected them. While the spells themselves are a fraction of the strength that they once were, mages were able to halt their power decline finally and began finding ways to circumvent power requirements for higher-tiered spells. In time, as cultivation began to creep back into standard practice and as knowledge once considered “lost” was translated and relearned- magic began an upward trend once more.

To help newer mages understand the Words of Power, magic began to be treated like mathematics. Words of Power began to be referred to also as “Spell Variables” and the spells were seen as more equations in which the combinations would equal some form of output. By adjusting the variables and moving mana between them, Mages could modify and adjust their spells to meet different needs. However, such training and practices were seen mostly as a waste of time, and magic schools began only teaching basic magic rather than encouraging freedom and experimentation.

The idea was to minimize the risk of explosions by reducing the types of spells Apprentices knew and had access to. By slowly building up the repertoire and streamlining the process- injury and accidents became less frequent. However, new generations of mages found that this injured their growth in the long run. Reliance on the Words of Power caused most mages to lose the ability to adapt in combat and their battle efficiency plummeted.

Thus, Yir instructed Jake to never let himself rely entirely on the Words of Power. Instead, he needed to develop a comfort with them that he could inevitably develop into Incantationless Casting- an art of magic that required lots of practice and a bond with one’s mana flow that was second nature. It would be difficult to learn but it would not be impossible so long as he continued to cultivate.

Mana was pliable. It could be molded and twisted to the command of the user as long as the user maintained control of it. Words of Power acted only in place of that control to supplement a Mage’s lack of cultivation. Incantationless Casting could be achieved so long as the mage both understood the end goal of their spell and had full control over their mana flow. By understanding the variables of the spell and knowing precisely when, where, and how much mana was needed- a mage did not need the aid of Words of Power. There were risks, of course. Mana Explosions were one. Mana Poisoning was another.

Mana Poisoning was a far rarer occurrence, as a majority of mages knew to expel the expended mana before losing control of their spell. However, once a spell was started, the mana’s evolution from resource to fuel turned it into a potentially deadly concoction. Once utilized and fed into a spell, mana was found to no longer be safe for the human body. Cycling it back through one’s mana flow would cause internal damage, much like the injection of venom from a snake bite. The more dangerous the spell that was being attempted, the more potent the mana once expended. And since a mage generally maintains a direct connection with a spell until the very last moment- failing to maintain an outward flow could result in something known as “Backfeed”. Backfeed occurs when the outward flow flips, and the expended mana feeds back into the mage’s mana flow.

Thus, a stable connection was necessary to be kept solid. Should the mage lose concentration, mana poisoning would occur. To counter the possibility of back feed, most mages dispelled the collection of mana by cutting the flow to the spell and scattering the collected mana into the air. Or, they simply tossed the spell aside and let the mana naturally disperse. Dispelling the mana was necessary for higher-level spells. Lower tiered spells generally would break down without the help of external disruption, as their construction was rather weak to begin with. A few spells, though, could not be stopped even when started. Such spells were generally considered “forbidden” or kept secret, as the dangers of casting them far outweighed their use.

Jake’s control of his mana flow was already rather advanced for his level. While it wasn’t significant or something truly worth applauding over, it would be enough to sustain the lower-tiered Water and Wind element spells. As Yir had previously warned, he was not at the level to be messing with Fire or Rock spells. The mana requirements of Rock spells were high as the material was the densest. Fire spells required a high level of mana control and concentration Jake couldn’t hope to match just yet. Practice with the other elements would help him.

As for the elements themselves, they each had their specific uses and a range of spells attributed to them. While the Novice-type spells were the same, the more advanced spells became more specific and unique to the elements. Thunder, Rock, and Fire elements were geared heavily toward combat. Water and Wind could be used for fighting but were more utility-based in their use. Light was a recovery and barrier-focused element, while Dark magic was known to be heavily curse-based. Though, knowledge of Dark magic was kept secret as much of its spells could bring ruin to the Overworld.

There was more to each element but Yir focused on the basics. Jake would need to conduct his research into each of them as his knowledge and casting ability progressed. Though, even if he wanted to branch out into the more advanced elements he wasn’t exactly able to with his current guidebook. Within the Novice volume, there were only spells for Wind, Water, and Fire. Rock magic was mentioned but no incantations were provided. Light and Dark magic were never mentioned and Thunder magic was excluded due to its “extreme rarity”.

In other words- the author doubted anyone reading it would have an affinity for Thunder magic so he didn’t even bother with it. Jake scoffed when Yir mentioned it. She did glare at him but didn’t scold him for his reaction.

“Thunder magic’s use is limited anyways. You likely won’t ever use it.” Yir similarly didn’t bother going into too much explanation of the element as she agreed a bit with the author’s way of thinking. While Thunder magic was a strong element, it was rather useless on its own. It was generally used more in combination with higher-tiered fire and water spells. Its lower-level spells were rather specific in how they could be utilized and the parameters for them were just as annoying. Aside from the ‘Spark’ spell, which Yir used to zap at Jake whenever he dozed off or asked a stupid question.

The lesson finally came to a close with Yir introducing Jake to the first spell he would learn to cast- Wind Ball. The spell was the same across all four of the basic elements and would create a small sphere comprised of the desired element. By adjusting the parameters of the spell, Jake could change its shape and size, the direction it flew off, and its speed of flight.

“Here are the words.” Yir returned to the page with the first spell and showcased the Words of Power to him. Jake stepped up to the pedestal and stared at them, reading over the incantation a few times as he familiarized himself with it. Alba had spoken the spell before, so he knew how to articulate the spell.

“Staring at the book isn’t going to make it appear.” Yir quipped, likely growing impatient. The boy’s lips pressed together and he stepped back from the book. “Hold out your hand and extend your palm in the direction you want to cast the spell.” She fluttered just off his shoulder.

Jake lifted his left arm. Yir moved from his right to his left and she adjusted his posture. She straightened his back, nudged his legs to widen, and then kicked at the crook of his elbow to bend his arm a bit. “Stop being so stiff.”

After her abuse, Jake took in a breath and relaxed. He closed his eyes for a moment to focus inward on his mana flow and eased his breathing. His thoughts calmed and his heart stopped its incessant thumping. His mana flow calmed as a result. When he was ready, Jake opened his eyes and took in another steady breath.

“Sylphrus sylus…” His mana bubbled and surged towards his hand, the outlets in his mana flow widening as mana poured out of his fingertips and collected just over his palm. A sphere began to form as the wind began to whip at his skin.

“Appara…” The wind shifted. Jake felt it begin to tug at his skin as it threatened to surge forward in the direction his palm was pointed.

“Undara…” The amount of mana flowing out of his fingers increased, the wind strengthened, and the small ball that had formed expanded. It stretched outwards until it fit comfortably within his hand. The generated sphere had a soft white color to it, much like a fluffy cloud might.

“Tyr!” With the final word, the trigger, the ball shot forward. The mana in his palm snapped and the ball was cut from its bindings. It kicked at him, pushing against Jake’s hand as it dashed forward-

-only to plummet not two inches away from where it had formed. Jake and Yir watched as the hand-sized ball of wind arced down to the ground, the wind dispersing after a foot of flight. The powerful gale turned into a soft whispering breeze as it fizzled away, vanishing before it even hit the ground.

“It seems you have a lot of work to do,” Yir sighed. Jake felt his stomach drop and he lowered his hand, his eyes staring at the spot where he had last seen the Wind Ball.

While the sight itself was discouraging, the event as a whole was enlightening. Jake had never felt his mana move like that before. The sensation of it rushing towards the spell, flowing out of his fingers, and gathering in his hand felt oddly good. He felt a sensation of relief wash over him as his mana flow finally found its use. The power within him pulsed, eager to fulfill its natural task. It was disappointing to see the result but he wasn’t going to let it get in his way. Baby steps were necessary. He was just thankful the first spell hadn’t gone wrong in some way.

“I’m going to keep practicing,” Jake said aloud to Yir. He then raised his hand again. “Until I get it right, I’ll keep practicing.” He spoke with determined vigor, both to reassure Yir and to solidify the feelings within himself. Before he let himself get into a rut, Jake forced himself to keep pushing.

As he already knew- there was no time to waste.

“I’ve taught you all you need to know for this step. The rest is up to you.” After seeing the expression on his face, Yir smiled at him before giving him his needed space. “Good luck.”

Jake nodded his head, not taking his eyes away from the distant target. “Sylphrus sylus appara, Undara…” Jake paused as the second sphere of wind appeared at his fingertips. He took in another breath, then fired.

“Tyr!” Once again, the connection of mana was cut and Jake felt the pushback. Yet, again, the ball fell to the floor after just a few inches of flight. While he wanted to understand what the issue was, Jake wasn’t quite sure what he should be looking for. Thus, he focused on repetition. He was doing fine with the initial steps so he decided to practice them first.

“...Tyr!”

“...Tyr!”

“...Tyr!”

Over and over.

Again and again.

Cast after cast.

Jake stood in one spot and kept his palm raised, repeating the spell as he familiarized himself with each step in the process. From the moment he chose the element to the very moment he trigger the ball to fly off and drop towards the floor. Through dozens of castings, Jake focused entirely on the feeling of mana ebbing within himself. His mana flow balked through the pressure but remained stable. No kinks, no powerful throbs, no backlash. Just pure consistency as he repeated the same simple spell over and over.

He began to notice something missing towards the end of the spells, however. Something he was honing in on as the potential source of his problem. His mana flowed outwards with each Word he stated. However, ‘Tyr’ lacked the same punch that the other Words carried. It felt lacking. So, Jake decided to perform a little experiment.

He collected a bit of extra mana into his hand as he created the next spell. When he was ready to trigger it, he pushed the mana out of his palm and fed it into the Wind Ball.

“Tyr!”

The Ball whistled as it expended the extra mana. A heavy gust pushed against his palm and the ball jerked outwards, careening forward in a slight spiral before once more arcing towards the floor. This time, the ball held together as it impacted the ground. It smashed into the barrier before dispersing. The sight brought a grin to Jake’s face as he realized what he had failed to do.

The initial variables of the spell had forced Jake’s mana to react and had drawn out the required mana by force. However, the trigger word, ‘Tyr’ didn’t naturally do this. ‘Tyr’ was an activation word, not a variable for the spell. Thus, Jake would need to feed the mana into the spell himself for it to activate properly. This was the control requirement. On top of needing to have enough mana to support the spell and enough control to keep the spell from blowing up in his face, Jake needed to be able to manually supply mana to support the spell’s activation requirement. The more mana he fed it, the stronger it would fire.

“Tyr!” Jake collected twice the amount of mana this time into his palm, giving the spell plenty to eat as he activated it. Upon activation, the wind cracked and the ball shot forward. It flew down the lane. It held together for the entire distance and smacked inevitably into the back wall.

Success.

Now, repetition.

“Tyr!” “Tyr!” “Tyr!” “Tyr!”

“Tyr!” “Tyr!” “Tyr!” “Tyr!”

Jake paused only to retrieve his hourglass, flipping it and setting it on the podium. The boy held up his hands, focusing entirely on his spell casting. As he progressed, he began to understand what Yir meant. The more he cast, the more he felt his connection with his mana flow grow. As he grew more familiar with how it reacted to his spells, Jake began to work on anticipating what the Words of Power would do. He began setting up the mana, pushing it into his hands and feeding the spell.

Then, he took the next step. Much like how he controlled his mana to create his tail, Jake pushed the mana out of his fingers manually. He called out the element but began to form the sphere on its own. It wasn’t easy and he felt the strain on his body as he concentrated on gathering it together. On his first ten attempts, Jake lost his bind to the mana and the wind broke apart before he could collect it.

After the next ten attempts, he could feel it collect and was able to shape the mana into a small ball. It took twice as many attempts to increase the size, and then even more to increase the ball’s density of mana.

Three hourglass flips later and Jake could finally hold a palm-sized ball in front of him. He didn’t relish at the moment, though, and pushed on with his training. He fired off the ball he had finally worked so hard to create and watched as it slammed into a target. The ball failed to hold together. On impact, the ball collapsed and the wind blew over the target like a gasp. Jake narrowed his eyes and dumped more mana into the next spell.

The ball cracked, whistling through the air before blowing through the target. The white object shattered apart, splitting in half as the wind ball broke its spine. The residual mana within the spell was enough to carry the ball into the second target, but there it dissipated and fell apart. With another mark of success on his tally, Jake familiarized.

He repeated the Incantationless creation of the Wind Ball, increasing his creation time, lowering the amount of mana he wasted, and cutting down the time between creation and activation. Once each sphere was ready, he upped his pace to fire it off. The boy aimed for perfection, driving himself towards it as he used it as an excuse to better his ability. He worked on increasing their size and adjusting their speed, and he even worked on adjusting the shape of the sphere a bit.

As a result, Jake learned that he could cone off the spheres, creating spike-like objects that would break the targets and pin them to the walls. He could create multiple spheres at once with enough mana. He could even create them in places other than his hand so long as he controlled the path his mana flowed to the creation point. There was a limit to that distance, of course, but he could manage a few feet of space. For what he needed, such a distance would be sufficient. Jake wasn’t sure of what kinds of enemies he would come across during his adventures but having multiple available angles of attack and the ability to generate more than one sphere at a time would come in handy.

Once he was comfortable with his first spell, he sought more. Jake flipped to the other spells and began working on expanding his casting knowledge. Wind Ball was only the beginning. Within the book, Jake learned of a Wind Spear spell and a Wind Wall spell. The Spear spell created an elongated and thin sort of spike made out of the wind. It was longer, heavier, and flew a bit slower. But its piercing power was far higher than the Wind Ball. It skewered several targets with ease before falling apart and was capable of piercing even the wall if it was thrown with enough speed.

The Wind Wall created a strong, torso-high wall of wind in front of Jake. Its variables were a bit more complex and it required even more mana to use. On top of the initial cost, a constant channeling of mana was required to keep it activated. The larger, thicker, and denser the wall, the most costly it was to be kept up. Jake felt it strain on his mana flow as he toyed with the spell. While it was handy, Jake would use it sparingly. The cost was high and Jake found that he couldn’t move the wall once it was activated. Thus, he would have to stay put if he wanted to make use of it.

The boy spent a few hourglass tips worth of time getting comfortable with the other two spells and once more worked on his Incantationless Castings of them. But, he didn’t delay in progressing further. He would spend more time working on them in the future. He did the math of how much time he had left in his head and realized he was running short for the day. He had enough left to practice one more.

He flipped to the next section, the Water Element.

“Oh, that’s interesting…” Jake noticed that the Water Ball spell utilized the same variables the Wind Ball spell did. Sylus, Appara, and Undara still controlled the shape, direction, and size, Tyr was still the activation word, and the element word carried the identifier “-rus” at the end of it. Though he had been told not to, the discovery led Jake to check the Fire element spell out of curiosity. It too had the same pieces. But, that was where his curiosity ended. Jake turned back to the Water Ball spell and kept himself from the trouble the Fire element might cause. For now, at least.

After taking a brief break and taking some time to cultivate for a little bit, Jake was ready to continue his casting practice. Cultivating in between helped his mana source refill what had been spent and brought stability back to his flow. The constant expenditure had caused quite a bit of stress on him and Jake felt the fatigue of his constant casting. As his mana replenished itself, he felt the fatigue fade.

When he was ready, Jake worked through the same steps he had taken with the Wind Element. He familiarized himself with the Words of Power and then began to cast.

“Aquarus, sylus…” The flow of mana seemed to change in his hand, a more fluid sensation gathering in his palm. As the conversion occurred from mana to element, Jake felt a slickness coat his fingers. His hand felt moist and wet, something he should have expected but it still felt… odd. The ball that appeared at his fingers was a light blue and looked as though it were flowing.

“Appra…” He felt more mana gather in his palm, more than the amount with the Wind Ball. It was as if his body knew it was going to take more than before to even budge the ball. However, Jake still pushed more into the ball, preparing himself for the activation.

“Undara…” The size of the Water Ball shifted, and it increased to match the fit of his palm. He cinched down on the mana flow to keep the ball from growing excessively large, ensuring it maintained a manageable size.

“Tyr!” The same sensation of pressure coiled in his palm. The Water Ball pushed back against him, the pressure of the mana expulsion catching the boy off guard. The activation hit heavier, as it seemed to take far more force to project the ball forward. The additional mana he poured into the water ball sent it off. However, just like the Wind Ball, the Water Ball arced downwards. It smashed into the pit, the water scattering outward.

Jake twisted his lips in annoyance, staring at the water stain. He had even prepared for such a result but it seemed the mana requirement was far higher than even that. Was the difference in elements that extreme? Or was his construction of the spell just off somehow?

“That’s annoying,” he grumbled. He gave his mana a few moments to recollect itself, as to prepare for the next expenditure. When he was set and his mana flow stabilized, the boy raised his hand to repeat the spell.

“Aquarus-!” Jake formed the ball, fed it a steady stream of mana, and boosted his output beyond that which the Words of Power drew from him. The natural amount wasn’t enough to create anything sizeable. However, that was where Jake made the realization of his error. It wasn’t that the Words of Power had set him up to fail. The spell itself was correct. It was his meddling with it that had caused the spell to fail.

The Words of Power drew out the baseline amount of required mana for the standard spell. Which meant that the mana drawn out to propel the Water Ball was only enough to feed the smaller, marble-sized ball. It wasn’t nearly enough to propel the palm-sized ball he was trying to create. Thus, if he wanted to fuel that much larger ball, Jake would have to similarly increase the fuel. But how much would that take?

“Time to figure it out! TYR!” Jake dumped a large amount of mana into the Water Ball, doubling the prior amount that he had used. This time, the Water Ball shot forward and looked to be moving at a quick enough pace. However, before it even reached the first target the Water Ball deformed in the air. It lost its shape, the water breaking loose from its spherical form and scattered harmlessly into the air. Jake had put more effort into the propulsion and speed but failed to counterbalance the reinforcement of its shape. More mana in one, not enough in another. He sucked his teeth at the mistake. A novice one to make but one he was lucky to make early on. He made the mental note and immediately began on the spell again.

Balance. Even distribution of mana. Careful control of the power in his hand. Extra fuel for the heavier weight. Proper aim for the target.

“Tyr!” Additional mana for distance and a tight core to withstand the kick!

Jake felt the push against his palm and hear a faint slap as the water jolted forward. The sphere deformed, elongating slightly as the air pressure around the ball squeezed the sphere. It soared in a slight arc, the wind beneath it causing the ball to lift as it barreled through the air. When it struck the target, the ball slapped it and caused it to bend. The head of the target flexed backward and the water ball ricocheted, bouncing right and flying into the ground. It had speed but lacked the punching power at the end of its flight to cause enough damage. The impact might have knocked the target over or caused internal damage, but not enough for a killing blow.

“Damn,” Jake cursed. He didn’t hesitate to try again, however. Another ball was in his hand. He increased the mana feeding its shape, upping the density of the ball to make it stiffer and more resilient. He shrank its size slightly to make it more agile, more precise, and condense to keep the impact damage centralized. Then, he poured even more mana in to increase its speed.

He wouldn’t fail this time.

“Tyr!” Jake felt the activation of the spell shake his arm. He felt his teeth rattle and heard the crack of the air. If he had blinked, he would have missed the effect of his spell.

Much like the target hit by the Wind Ball, the target struck by the Water Ball was splintered in half, folding with a satisfying snap through the midsection. At the impact point, the material flexed outwards like the walls of a crater. However, unlike the Wind Ball, the Water Ball’s speed was slowed dramatically by the impact and its direction changed just as drastically. It twisted upwards, curving and smacking another target in the face. The face was bent backward and the material around the neck cracked. It didn’t break off entirely, the head folding and slapping the back of the target.

“Oh.” Jake blinked, watching the Water Ball fly off towards the back of the lane and slap the wall. It splattered, the ball now a harmless collection of liquid as it hit the barrier.

The spell had taken quite a bit of mana, significantly more than he had been ready to use. The amount was still manageable and his mana flow remained strong, strong enough to support a plethora of casts. Yet the stress on his body was rather high. The casting had shaken him more than he was ready for. He could support a dozen or so of those spells before he would begin to feel the fatigue. While they were rather strong, he would need to develop the conditioning to support far more than a dozen of them.

Jake had heard plenty of stories of Adventurers coming across potentially unfair odds. If he wanted to be ready for such a circumstance, it would be up to the current him to ensure his future would be safe. He felt a bit of fear when he thought about the possibility of running out of either mana or the ability to cast a spell. In such a situation, he would be not just useless, but he would likely be outright dead. An inevitable outcome for a mage that couldn’t fight in the face of a ready and capable foe. He would need to invest upfront if he wanted to survive such a fight. So, he grit his teeth and dug in his heels. The boy flipped the hourglass once more and start to grind away.

Spell after spell, Jake fired off both Water and Wind spells. He practiced alternating between the elements, trying to establish familiarity with both. He cast his Wind spells without Incantations, working to minimize the total casting time and total mana spent on them. He still needed Words of Power to fire off the spears and to set the parameters for the Wind Wall, but the feeling was beginning to come to him more naturally. The Water spells were much harder to grasp and strained him far too much for him to cut down the Words. Whenever he tried, Jake felt his control of the spell wane.

That feeling only increased as his mana pool shrank. His efficiency with his casting dropped slightly as his mana flow worked to keep up with the workload, and Jake felt it shake a little from the stress. The boy’s speed was high but he realized he was inefficient. He was casting faster than his mana source could feed, and his mana pool suffered. While he doubted he would need to cast at such a high rate in the near future, he found it to be good practice. The strain on his mana source kicked it into high gear and the boy could feel it strengthening, growing, and building in an attempt to match the need for the expenditure. It wasn’t a massive growth but it wasn’t slight either. Steady. Controlled. Balanced.

Jake burned through his mana tail, burned through the excess within his mana flow, and began to eat into the stagnant pool. He ate away more and more, adjusting and alternating between the spells as he worked himself to the point of exhaustion. His body gave out before his mana flow did, but the fatigue on both caused him to have to sit down. He breathed heavily, heaving air as his lungs sought oxygen. His body ached and burned, the stress being felt through his tight muscles. His heart thumped in his chest and he felt his thoughts grow a bit foggy. He glanced up at the hourglass, watching as the sands began to empty into the bottom half. There wasn’t much left in the top half. There were around ten minutes or so left.

That was enough for the day. The boy let out a whistle and flopped down onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling, taking the last few minutes left in the hourglass to collect himself.

“Well, that was exciting.” He reached his hand up towards the ceiling, watching it shake as his tired muscles struggled to keep it upright. Even in the Library, he felt the effect of the spells. Part of him wondered if he could make it back to the Village in such a state. He might have to ask Chul for a ride.

He let out a tired huff and forced himself to sit up. He stared out into the lane and noticed that the pit had filled with water. The boy furrowed his eyebrows at the sight, wondering now how he was going to deal with the mess.

“Will it… go away?” he muttered, rolling onto his hands and knees to touch and poke at the water. It didn’t seem to want to fade or evaporate. It remained stationary, still, and Jake could see his weary reflection in the cool blue liquid.

“I guess I can ask later.” Jake pushed himself up to his feet and staggered a bit, catching himself before his legs gave out from beneath him. He chuckled, satisfied with his hard work. If this was how it was going to be every day, Jake knew he was in for a long, hard journey. He just needed to put in the same effort every day.

For now, it was time to party. He had timed the hourglasses so he would make it back in time for that nightly dance his friend had mentioned. If he was right, it was just about time for it now.

The boy closed his spell casting Guidebook and made his way into the study room. He cleaned up the books, set his hourglasses together in the center of the table, and cleaned up the rest of his area of loose papers. He used wind magic to blow off the dust from the shelves and then made for the Sigil in the connected foyer. Alba and Yir weren’t in sight to say goodbye to but Jake did pass a few other fairies on his way out. He made sure to thank them for their work and kept out of their way as they flew around the Library.

As he stepped off the stairs and made his way towards the exit, the Sigil suddenly lit up. The boy’s eyes widened and he watched as a tall, gray cloaked figure emerged from the light. They appeared in stride, a pair of heavy, calf-high black boots carrying them into the white-walled space. Jake couldn’t get a good look at their face as the hood and mask they wore blocked his view. As Jake passed them, his nose filled with the faint smell of iron--blood?

The boy turned to say something, but the individual suddenly shot skyward. A gale of wind whipped at his face, causing him to recoil and lift an arm to protect himself from it. When he looked up, attempting to chase them with his eyes, the individual was already gone. Jake’s teeth clenched and he swallowed a lump in his throat. Whoever that person was, they certainly didn’t care for small talk it seemed. That or they were desperate for knowledge. Were they in a pinch?

“...Don’t get involved,” Jake muttered. He turned back to the sigil and fast walked up the steps to it. He didn’t waste any time feeding mana into it. But just as he did, he heard feet impact the floor behind him. He felt the pressure of eyes on his back and turned to see the figure staring at him.

“A child…?” The voice was feminine. Deep, but there was no mistake that it was a woman.

“Wha-” Before Jake could speak, the mana he’d sent into the sigil triggered the spell. The Library blinked away and he fell into the black of his consciousness.

Jake’s eyes flashed open and he let out a heavy gasp as he emerged in the cave he had ducked into. Immediately, Jake looked around himself, searching for the masked figure. When he realized where he was, and also noticed Chul staring down at him from the ceiling, he let out another huff and slouched against the wall.

“Welcome back,” Chul called to him, his head twisting slightly. “Something the matter?”

Jake took a few moments to catch his breath and steady his thoughts. Who was that?

“No, I’m fine. Just tired from training.” Jake huffed again and slowly got to his feet. His body in the Overworld was slick with sweat. His muscles were just as tight and when he tapped into his mana flow, he still felt how depleted it was. The effort expended in the Library translated a lot more harshly into the Overworld. His stomach clenched and gurgled and his throat felt dry, parched.

“Think I could ride on your back to the Village?” Jake gave Chul a weary grin as he stared up at his friend. Chul eyed him, watching him closely for a few moments in silence.

“It will not do you much good to train to the point of exhaustion.” Chul’s fangs chittered as he made his way down off the ceiling and to the floor. “We have time, boy. Much time before you will need to say anything to your Aunt. Do not overwork yourself to the point of injury.”

Jake stared at his far more experienced companion and frowned a bit at the warning. While he didn’t plan on getting himself into such a state, he certainly could see it happening if he carried the same pace from the day into the future. His body felt heavy, his muscles were burnt out and his mind still felt foggy. Too much of that and he’d wind up collapsing. Maybe it would do him better to practice in the village somewhere rather than out in the desert. At least there he wouldn’t have to worry about a long trip home.

“Thanks, Chul.” Jake did appreciate the wisdom. He had thought about the potential trouble but after hearing it a second time from an outside source, he would need to take steps to protect himself. For now, he just wanted to get home.

The boy popped open his pack and took out some water and food. He took a few minutes to sit down and began to fill the hole in his gut with a few sandwiches, fueling the recovery process early as he relaxed a bit.

“So? What have you learned?” Chul lowered his body to the floor, curling up a bit as he watched Jake eat. The boy cleared his mouth of his bite before answering, careful not to let himself choke.

“I practiced my first spells today. That and more cultivation. Yir said spell casting would help with my mana control by putting it to use and she was right. I felt a lot more growth from combining the two than just cultivating.” Jake paused to take a sip of water. “I just need to get better at balancing the two. I did a lot of casting towards the end and it wiped me out.”

Chul’s fangs chittered as he laughed. “I noticed. Your body began to shiver and your breathing hastened towards the end of your little meditation session. I thought you might be in trouble.”

Jake scoffed. “Not quite in trouble, but I did feel stupid for a bit there.” He rolled his eyes as he thought about the struggle he had with the Wind Ball at first, and then his struggle with the Water Ball. Both very were simple spells and proved to be quite annoying to get the hang of. “Just need to keep practicing.”

“I am here should you need assistance,” Chul said aloud. Jake nodded as he swallowed down another mouthful.

“I appreciate it, Chul.” He flashed the Arachkin a happy smile. “Maybe we can duel in the future too. I’d like to see what my magic will do against a foe like yourself.”

Chul’s eyes widened a bit before he let out an even louder, deep-throated laugh. His fangs clapped together in a powerful movement as his entire body quaked. “A duel? Boy, you are hundreds of years too early for such a thing. Maybe when you are old and gray I will consider your request.”

Jake grinned wide and stuck out a finger. “I accept those terms!”

The two laughed, the cave filling with their voices as they enjoyed the cool air together.

The return trip to the village was a longer one than Jake was ready for. Thankfully, the sun had dropped behind the horizon and the cool night air brushed over his face as Chul carried him home. They followed the same route back, following the sands and using the moon to direct them. They had left right on time, as those that had taken refuge at the stone marker were making their way back to the village. Chul maintained a safe distance and followed behind them. When the group reached the gates, Chul and Jake switched places and Jake walked the rest of the way.

As he approached, Captain Ata was standing there waiting for him.

“My guards told me of your little excursion!” The Captain yelled out to Jake as the boy closed in. The Captain noticed the board Jake was carrying and his eyebrows furrowed. “Sandboarding?”

Jake shrugged and grinned. “Better than wasting my life laying around in the village.”

“You could make yourself useful for a change. That’s always an option.” The Captain reached out and whacked Jake over the head. The hit wasn’t heavy, a light punishment. “At least you came back this time.”

Jake nodded and winked. “Thought about it, but I think I scared Auntie enough.”

Captain Ata swatted at him again. “Get inside before I discipline you.”

“Yes, Sir!” Jake stiffened and gave a mock salute before running by the Guard Captain and through the gates.

“Close the gates!” Captain Ata shouted, signaling for the doors to be closed and sealed. He gave the sands a wide look, searching for any stragglers on the horizon before he too stepped back into the safety of the village’s meager walls.

Inside the village, the type of activity was different than the typical Trading Days. Music, song, and lights filled the air. The smell of food and wine caused his mouth to water, and people were dressed far more exotically and brightly than was typical. The village was alive, but for another reason than making money. Jake hurried through the crowd, pushing his way by as he slipped off the main street and he weaved his way to the supply tents. He returned his board to its hiding spot, burying it beneath the sand once more for future use. Then, he made his way back to his Auntie’s tent. He needed to get cleaned up and changed in a hurry if he wanted to make it to the main event- the dance ceremony after the girl’s Red Ceremony.

“Auntie!” Jake called out for his Auntie as he slapped open the tent flap. She was inside, standing over the stove with an array of dishes being prepared. At the sound of his voice and the sound of his entrance, she whirled around.

“There you are!” She shouted. “I was looking all over for you. Where were you?!”

Jake came up with a lie quickly- “I was helping by the supply tents. They were messy and I thought they could use some help.”

His Auntie stared at him. Though she likely didn’t buy it, the woman just shook her head without much argument and pointed at the water bucket set in the sand beside him. “Fine, whatever. Take that to the Marker and get some water, would you? I need it for the juunya and I can’t leave the meat to burn.”

Jake glanced down at the bucket and immediately a thought came to mind- practice.

“Okay, Auntie!” Without a fight, he snatched up the bucket and stepped out of the tent. He let the flap close and then moved swiftly off to the side. He slipped between his Auntie’s tent and the neighbor’s, moving deep into it to where they kept extra supplies outside of the tent. It was a common storage space where the four clustered tents shared things they couldn’t keep within the normal living space.

Eager to use the opportunity to put his magic to use, Jake figured it was the perfect spot to fill the water bucket. With everyone distracted by the party in the center of the village, there wouldn’t be anyone snooping around or stumbling into the space for something random. He made sure to check his surroundings and even waited a few moments, just in case someone decided to step around the corner.

Then, he raised his hands and hovered them over the bucket.

“Aquarus…” he muttered, careful not to speak too loudly. While he certainly was outside of the tent and the village was rather noisy for a regular summer evening- the walls of the tent were thin. Too loud and he would alert his Auntie. Though, even if he did, he doubted she would think anything of it. It was a common area, of course. Anyone could have just walked i-

“...Jake?” Ah, but he hadn’t prepared for that.

Jake stopped his mana flow, cutting it off mid-cast as the Water Ball formed in his hands. He looked over to his right as the water dumped into the bucket, waterfalling from his fingertips in a heavy spray as he locked eyes with his Auntie standing at the entrance of the tent.

It had been just two days since he had started his journey into magic. He had cultivated for the majority of the first day, made good headway down the road of mana control, and he had practiced significantly with his first few spells. The first spells that would be the foundation of his future endeavors. He had done a lot and spent dozens of hours within the Library slaving away, grinding through what he felt was the hardest part of his first baby steps into the world of magic. He planned on spending several days, weeks in that solitary way, pushing through and perfecting those spells and developing a strong foundation through cultivation.

He didn’t quite expect to be caught so freaking early.

“Uh… H-Hi, Auntie.”

The two stared at one another, his Auntie glaring at him.

“What are you doing?” She asked, folding her arms over her chest. Jake stiffened, straightening his back. His hands dripped with water, still wet from the spell.

“M-Magic…?” He said, unable to lie now that he was caught red-handed.

The woman eyed him, her expression harsh. “Magic?”

“Magic.” He repeated.

They stood in silence, the two staring at one another as Jake waited for her to say something. Anything. He expected a scolding. A shouting match to start. Or maybe for her to just start whipping and beating him. Instead, she just stood there… staring.