To Light Spells

Sig blinks at me. Then nods. He takes something from his pocket and holds it out to me. I hold out my hand. He drops what looks like a glass egg into my palm.

“Amazing how you take things for granted when you haven’t lost a lifetimes worth of memories.” Sig muses. Pointing at the egg in my hand, he says, “That is a cat. Short for catalyst. To put it as simply as I can, a catalyst is an object used for channeling mana and performing spells.”

Sig looks at me, hopefully. I stare at him blankly.

“You’re going to make me explain this, aren’t you? I was really hoping I wouldn’t have to explain this.” He stops to run both hands through his hair. “Okay! Here we go. I’m not a professor, so don’t blame me if I explain this wrong. Let’s start with mana. Mana is simple. Mana is energy. It’s— in the air or something. It’s all around us all the time, and it’s some kind of energy. Yes? Understand?”

“I think so.” I say half truthfully.

“Good enough, next. Channelling. Um.” Sig scrunches his eyes closed and slowly says, “Channelling is when mana flows from the environment to the catalyst and becomes fuel for spells. And you should be impressed; that definition comes from my garden school days, some twenty-four years ago! But based on that muddled look in your eyes, the textbook definition isn’t helping. So how about a practical demonstration!”

Sig takes the egg shaped catalyst from me.

“Doing is learning, I always say! Lux!”

The glass egg flashes, then a ball of fire like a miniature sun appears above Sig’s hand. It hovers over his open palm, casting warmth and light across the room. My eye’s open wide at the spectacle. I have the urge to reach out and touch the fireball. But I stay my hand.

After a few seconds, Sig closes his fist and the fire goes out without so much as a puff of smoke.

Handing the catalyst back to me, Sig says, “Now you try.”

I stare at the little glass egg with new-found wonder. Excitement and anticipation boil up from the depths of my soul. The corners of my lips turn up in a smile. Suddenly I can’t wait to try!

“What do I do?” I ask, barely containing my excitement.

“Just say Lux. It’s a simple spell to create light. Go ahead. It’s not as dangerous as it looks.” He assures me.

I nod. Immediately hold out my hand. “Lux!” I say, not needing a second invitation.

Exhilaration and expectation fill me as I wait for my little fireball. But it doesn’t come. Instead, I feel an odd tingle on the back of my hand. I turn my hand to see a little patch of my skin glowing a pale blue-white. Before my eyes, the glow extends up my hand, following my veins. It progresses past my wrist, along my arm, and keeps going. Beneath my dress, the lights converge and grow in intensity, pulsing gently to the rhythm of my heart. Within seconds, I’m a complex web of glowing lines with a beacon of light emanating from my chest.

I take in my radiant form with awe and mild concern. I meet Sig’s eye. See that he is just as surprised as I am. But his expression snaps back to neutral when he sees me looking.

“Well— that’s uh— something.” He stammers, obviously not expecting this result.

“Did I do it wrong?” I ask. The light tingles, but it doesn’t feel wrong nor does it even bother me. If anything, it feels— familiar, good even.

“No. Well, I don’t think so. You said Lux just fine and that’s all there is to it. Oh! I’ve got it! It’s because of your affinity. This is a simple spell, which means the effect changes slightly based on the caster's affinity. I’m a flame charmer, so I get a ball of fire. You’re a four aspect healer, so you get— this.” He says, gesturing to all of me.

I examine myself a moment more. The effect is beautiful, mystical, bright. I feel a little tinge of pride that I produce far more light than Sig’s fireball did.

“How do I turn it off?” I ask.

“The easiest way is to say Finio. That will end the spell.” Sig answers.

“Finio.” I say.

The glass egg flashes in my hand. Starting at my hands, the light fades from my skin. The effect almost the reverse of when I lit up. The light at my chest is the last to fade.

“That wasn’t what I expected,” I say once my skin stops glowing. “But it was something special. All because I have the four aspect affinity? What are the four aspects anyway?”

“Ah. That’s an easy one. Mind, body, heart, soul. Not necessarily in that order. The four aspects of all living things. Or so they say in the Carrefour Church. I always find it odd to think of a tree having a mind, but who am I to say one way or the other? I’m no expert. If you had your memories, you could probably explain it to me. You actually were— Ahem! Are an expert.”

A knock at my door interrupts the conversation. I stand to answer it, but Sig waves me back. He steps to the open window adjacent the door and looks out.

“Yeah?” Sig says.

Young and professional, a male voice answers, “I have a message for Mythriel.”

“Who from?”

“Star Gwindore. I am required to deliver it directly to her. Is she here?”

Sig looks back at me and nods me forward. I join him at the window. A young elf with a round boyish face and typical green blonde hair waits on my front step.

“Hello. I’m Mythriel. You have a message for me?”

“Yes. You have been summoned by Star Gwindore. He wants you to report to the elf camp immediately and bring your latest research results. Understood?” The elf asks.

“Do you know where the elf camp is?” I ask Sig.

“Yes, but where exactly in the elf camp?” Sig asks the elf.

“His office, of course, in the embassy building.” He answers.

“Alright, I should be able to find that.” Sig says.

“And what research results am I supposed to bring exactly?” I ask.

This question earns me a puzzled look from the elf. He double-checks a slip of paper in his hand, then answers, “It wasn’t specified, so I assume you should know what that means.”

“Right. I suppose I should. Thank you for the message. I’ll be on my way shortly.” I say.

The elf gives a brief bow, then trots away.

“Well, that’s a good sign. Getting summoned by Star Gwindore so quickly.” Sig says. He opens the front door and gestures me forward. I hesitate.

“Or a bad sign.” I counter. “Research results? I don’t know what he’s talking about. If he believed I lost my memories, he wouldn’t ask me to bring research results.”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t matter. If he doesn’t believe you, we convince him. We needed a meeting and we got one. This is our chance to get your memories back. Let’s not let it slip by. Come on.” Sig urges.

I bite at my bottom lip. Feel like I’m missing something. I search my home with desperate eyes. Wish for a clue to jump out at me. Ebir’s warning echoes in my ears instead: You should not anticipate receiving help from Triddy Forest. You may in fact end up with the opposite problem.

With the feeling that this meeting will be more trouble than help, I follow Sig out of my house. He locks the door behind me and leads us back into the city.