As the students were chatting with each other, an old lady dressed in simple green gown and blouse landed beside the prefects in a manner without a sound. She had dark red hair which she maintained in a simple bun on her head covered by a hairnet. She had a pair of brown spectacles and a pair of books tucked beneath her arm and a pen pinned to her blouse giving her a scholarly look.
"Seeing so many students active and happily gossiping, I guess that Patrick took my suggestion to heart," she said as she landed. Though it wasn't loud, it had an odd effect on all students making them feel like she was right beside them. "But I think he had been too lenient on you guys. He could have disciplined you a bit more. You guys don't even want to greet your instructor."
Hearing her the whole lot of them suddenly realized that the woman was standing beside the prefects and they quickly got up to greet her. "I am madam Zanna. I will be your meditation instructor. So, before I get into the class. How many of you left the academy?"
Confused by her question, some of the newcomers began to look at their roommates thinking that the returnees were in trouble. Even Zanna quickly realized their thoughts and clarified herself. "I don't mean returnees, how many of them were kicked out by Patrick from the academy?" she asked.
"None, Madam Zanna," answered a prefect who realized the situation.
"None? And all of the students seem to be quite active. I guess, he went easy on your batch. Last year, all of them were choked and so tired that I had to give them the first half of my class to sleep off," said Zanna. "I guess, he took my suggestion to let you off for the first class, but I suggest you to not piss him off. He comes from a military family and has a habit of using corporal punishment on students."
"Then, why do you still keep him in the academy?" asked a student Malcolm boldly. Though he was afraid of Patrick's power, he felt that the instructor's actions were a challenge to his dignity. Malcolm Basrok was from a newly started magician family and he was considered the one to have the best talent in the family. He was never even struck by his own parents. So, he found it hard to tolerate Patrick binding him magically during the class.
"Firstly, you want to ask a question or respond, please lift your hand up, Second, it is because he is the best trainer that we can get. The man had been a mage longer than your father, young master Basrok," said Zanna with a smile. Though she appeared smiling and pleasant to the rest of the students, Malcolm felt a tingling sensation of fear like she was warning him to not defy Patrick.
"Okay, Patrick's matter aside, how many of you have used nature's nurture meditation technique before?" asked Zanna looking to the rest of them. About 50% of the hands popped up.
"That is a pretty bigger number compared to the previous batch. Then again, the number of students in this batch is more and I see a lot of faces who I think have been a part of the academy before," said Zanna.
"All those who had gone through this class before, don't need to stay. I suggest you find a good place to meditate. As you remember, it is always best to meditate after some exercise as your body will be warmed up and active," said Zanna as she signaled the returnees to leave her class.
"All of you, only need to attend the test at the end. If anyone thinks they could finish the tests and pass it, they can request for a provisional test, but they need to finish it within the week. This is a message which the headmaster asked me to pass to you all," said Zanna. "Interested students may submit your names to the prefects."
As she suggested it, there was a clamor of students who wanted to go and provide their names to the prefects. It was a chance to finish graduation faster. Even though they left the academy before examinations, they had been practicing the few skills they learned and revised thoroughly when they were notified that they could return back. Even if they weren't successful, they could continue in the first year. So, everyone want to at least attempt it.
"Prefects. Get them in the corridors and handle the matter. Do not disturb my class," said Zanna in a loud voice. Soon, the prefects led the students into the building quickly as they knew that Zanna would take of their points if they weren't efficient. Zanna was one of the magicians who were all about efficiency.
"So, who among you remaining folks know why a magician meditates?" asked Zanna.
"It allows them to improve their compatibility to magic and enables them to store mana," said Malcom quickly.
"Golly gee, genius, I meant if anybody knows why it is so? It is not like a person would just use anything that makes them stronger without making a decent study of the consequences of those actions and how those actions would actually help him," said Zanna, but looking at the confused expressions on the faces of her students she realized that most of them never thought about it.
"Ok. I will explain a few things which you must understand. There are many techniques in the world which can make a person powerful, but don't ever be tempted by them after learning how powerful you can be. You should always understand the reason a technique works and how it would make you powerful. Otherwise, it could be a trap for you. This is not only for meditation techniques but all kind of magical methods," explained Zanna.
"Anyways, let us get back to the topic at hand. Anyone knows the reason why meditation works?" she asked again. She found a student raising her hand among somewhere in the middle. It was Lucy who had responded.
"My father told me that it had something to do with human blood, organs and other parts where we store energy and pathways that would be present in our body," she said in a low voice.
"Good. That is a good start, miss Lucy. Twenty points for yourself and five for your class," said Zanna. "Any technique that increases your capabilities would be modifying your body to a small extent. That is why your capabilities increase. So, it is expected for all magicians to have a preliminary understanding of human body."
"So, biology is the answer?" asked one of the students.
"No. It is just one of the parameters. The answer if the effect of any technique on your biology. So, to understand meditation one must know of the biology. There are few things that you need to know for starters. I will just explain it in a very light manner. You will learn of human biology from your biology teacher," said Zanna.
"As all of you know by now, the world is filled with mana. The nature of mana is always under debate, but the ability to manipulate it is the source of our power," explained Zanna. "Meditation techniques have three important requirements. One it should enable a person to take in mana improve his compatibility to manipulate it. Two it should allow him to store mana in his body and the third is that it should not hamper one's health and it is best if it can improve one's health and physique."
"Meditation is helpful in improving one's physique?"
"What is the need for exercise if meditation can do that?"
"I never heard that meditation could improve your physique. If it is so why would there be so many physically weak magicians?"
"Let me repeat myself. I told that it is best if it could improve your physique," said Zanna lifting her hand to stop them. "Physical development and meditation go hand in hand. Not all techniques would provide a development in physique and even those which do, do it in a gradual fashion that most people don't notice. A stronger body can accommodate more mana. A proper technique would make use of more mana and stimulate the growth of the body."
"When you breathe in you pull the mana into your body. Then the technique would allow you to distribute the amount you pulled into various organs and so on, strengthening your body while it stores some in some parts of the body," said Zanna. "Now, I hope all of you were given a copy of the nature's nurture method. It is the standard one we use in the academy."
One of the boys had his hand up as she was explaining. "Is this the best technique there is?"
"I don't know," said Zanna. "Don't ever think of something to be the best. Always try to improve. If one thinks that something is the best, it will become a stop to your growth and research. So, always try to improve. That being said this is a technique which is standardized and mostly used by magic apprentices. There are several other techniques which have their own pros and cons. As you improve, you become great mages and high mages, you need to change your techniques."
"So, does our school allow only this technique?"
"It recommends this. There are various other techniques used by nobles and magician families according to their preferences. This one stimulates overall development without focus on a specific aspect. Every person is born different and have different kind of bodies best suitable for different kinds of magic. For example, the personal techniques of a warlock family or seer family is tailor made for that specific kind of magic. If a person using them, also has a body more suitable for that kind of magic, it would be greatly beneficial for him. Else, it would suppress his actual talent and there wouldn't be any significant growth to his power," said Zanna.
"So, it is not advisable to use the family technique?" asked another student.
"Let me finish and raise your hand," said Zanna curtly before continuing. "It is not always best but for most family members there will be a certain difference in your blood and that would make your family technique the best option for you generally. But it is still advisable to look before you leap. So, your families send you to school and insist that you initially practice with this as it develops your natural talents."
"So, if we deviate from the path which our family is proficient in?"
"Boy that is a hard one. First, by the time you are mage or great mage you would have a decent understanding about your talents. You can choose your pick in a list of large number of meditation techniques to pursue. Second, all techniques were invented by someone or other. So, you can invent your own technique, but it requires a lot of research and very rarely such a path is pursued. Third, even as a great mage, there would be subtle changes to your body occasionally which might cause your talents to differ due to accidents like curses or ingestion of some stuff. I would recommend you follow higher levels of nature's nurture which allows you to let your body cultivate those talents naturally," explained Zanna.
"The school provides all these techniques to us?"
"Yes, but for a price. Nothing is free. You need to expend points for these stuff. Points can be gained by doing missions for the school or being an exemplary academic. Selling research to the school would also give you points. You can exchange points for a lot of things. So, I recommend you all to perform better and get more points," said Zanna.
"Can't they be bought for money or other resources?"
"You are confusing it to be a simple exchange of resources. It is not. Points are given for your effort. We are a training academy and you should not forget that. The aim is to cultivate magicians, capable magicians not ones who are willing to splurge the wealth of their family. So, your need to work. You can also exchange for potion, weapons and other equipment that you personally create or acquired in special circumstances, but no student can trade their family secrets for points," said Zanna. "Even the teachers have their point system."
"Teachers have points?"
"Yes, we have missions and points just like the rest of you. We just don't get points for giving the good answers unlike you. It is much better for you students. Trust me," said Zanna. "Now, let us put all those behind and we will start with the meditation technique."
"Most of them require certain amount of control over your body and even internal organs. It is hard at first, but you will soon learn. Let us start you all with the simple breathing technique and a few basic postures first. These are mostly meant to strengthen your muscles. Only after you have a certain amount of improvement over the muscles of limbs and torso which you frequently use consciously, you will be able to sense your internal organs and regulate them," said Zanna as she began to demonstrate to them.
The class followed her instructions and repeated her movements without much struggles. They all felt that meditation was much less strenuous than the exercise and even a bit soothing. After an hour, she let go of them.
"Everyone have a good breakfast. Remember that you can always perform the most basic breathing techniques that I have just illustrated in your free time and it would improve your capabilities much faster. Apart from that, it is best to do it after some exercise or strenuous activity and always follow it with some nourishing food or drinks," said Zanna. "No elixirs. Only cooked food or drinks. Elixirs act too fast to relieve your stress and there wouldn't be any substantial increase in your body. Your classes would start at 8. So, get moving and bath first. No teacher is going to allow you inside if you stink."
All the students scampered into the building. Some decided to make way to the dining hall for breakfast while others decided to have a bath first.