"White magic is usable by everyone, and it covers many of the everyday tasks. It's rather mundane. However, it has the same form as the seven other magics."
"The seven other?"
"Yes, seven. There's Red for creation, Violet for destruction, Orange for heat, Indigo for cold, Yellow for light, Blue for darkness, and Green for life, the middle of the balance."
"What can Mother use?"
"Red, Orange, and Indigo. Father can use Violet and Orange. Your sister can use Orange, Yellow, and Blue. Your brother can use Red, Violet, and Green. As you can see, most people can use two or three types in addition to White, which is considered to not have a type."
"That's really cool!"
"First things first, I want you to close your eyes."
I closed my eyes and listened to her voice.
"Now hold out your hand."
I did and she held it in hers.
"I want you to pay attention inside of you. I'll push some White magic into your body and that will cause a reaction of your own magic. Get a good idea of what it feels like so you can try to replicate it."
I nodded, still with my eyes closed. I felt something both tingly and warm enter through my hand. Almost immediately, there was a kind of echo in my chest to this feeling. It was a different feeling. It was crisp and cold. The cold feeling rushed towards the warm feeling and they canceled each other out.
"That was strange,' i said.
"What did you feel?"
"I felt like you made my hand warm and tingly. I felt a crisp and cold feeling in my chest that moved against the warm feeling you made. Then I felt nothing."
"Very good! That's your body's natural response to invasion by mana. The next step is for you to try to evoke the same feeling by yourself and to move that feeling to any part of your body in accordance with your will."
I made a face that was probably a cross between pushing out a large poop and trying to do a situp without moving. Mother laughed.
"Try to feel from inside, Kam."
I nodded and tried again, with similarly funny results. mother took my hand again and pushed her magic into it. I felt the same tingly warm sensation as before, and I felt my body's reaction. The sharp, cold feeling spread straight towards Mother's magic. I concentrated on it a tried to pull it towards my other hand.
My magic annihilated itself against Mothers and both disappeared from that hand. However, there was still a small portion that stayed bound to my will in my other hand. it was faint but it was there. I reached with that hand and touched Mother's hand that had been her conduit for magic.
"Kam!"
I jerked my eyes open. Mother had a look of surprise on her face. I gave her a quizzical face as if maybe I'd done something wrong but couldn't understand what.
"I felt your magic. it was weak, yes, but it was there. Congratulations!"
She bent over and kissed me on the forehead.
"But Mother, that was a failure."
"Nonsense! it took Ellie three days to do just that and another two months before she could display that much power without my help. You did very well!"
"Thank you, Mother."
"We will practice every morning before you go out and play with your sword."
"But I'm not-"
"I know, dear."
She winked at me and I sighed. She knew how to get under my skin.
* * *
I practiced my magic and swordplay every day. I noticed some changes, but as with the sword when I started, they were almost imperceptible at the start. It was a little over a month before I could finally feel the magic within me strongly enough to push it and pull it with my will. I was still not able to turn this into the slight shock I'd given Mother that first day. However, it was progress.
"Hey Kam," Father said one afternoon in mid-September.
"Hm?"
"Your Name Day is coming fairly soon. It's time you started preparing for it. I know Mother has been teaching you the basics of magic, but there's a ceremony as well. A friend of mine has a son about your age who will be there with you. You remember Arnie, right? Well, anyway, you will go with Arnie after lunch, starting tomorrow, to prepare together."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes, Kam, you do," Father said sternly. "You can't just spend your days with me, Mother, and Ellie. You need to see more and do more if you're going to be an adventurer like you always say you want to be."
"Alright," I said reluctantly.
"Great. You can meet him at the gate tomorrow. He'll fill you in on the details."
I nodded. I wasn't very happy about the ceremony portion. I had a vague idea of what went on from Ellie's two years ago, but now that it was my turn? Public events made me nervous. Better to be over and done with so that I can get to the good part: magic! Still, it would be better to not make a fool of myself when the time came.
I took a deep breath and went about my chores for the day.