"Okay, then I will choose to continue studying this magic," I said.
"Okay then, it shouldn't be so hard for you regarding how powerful your magic is," she said. Having had the introduction to my ability explained we set onto working on it. She said the ability was widely known as Magic zone. This was because as long as anyone stepped into the area that the magic occupied then they would be immediately noticed. This wasn't new considering I had experienced it the day before.
"What happens when two magic zone users meet and they are both using the ability?" I asked.
"Well, the strongest one wins control over the dominion. This is why this ability is always taught to the Siege since he has magic that rivals Travas himself," she said.
I wonder if it was just me, but I did not know all the Seven Dark mages committed to memory and what she had just said had made Travas seem unbeatable. "I have heard time and again about Seven Dark mages, but I only know of two of them," I said voicing my concern.
"That is a long story that you may only be able to get in bits rather than the whole story at once, partially because this time was not meant to be story time," she said.
"Okay then, can I at least have the names and titles of the seven beasts," I asked.
"Sure thing. You obviously know who the most powerful one of them is, but this is simply because he absorbed the Great Dragon. Otherwise rumours have it that some of his comrades are more powerful than him, but he has had enough time to hone his skills, so who knows. Travas, the Dark Dragon, followed by his brother and second in command even though it is merely because they are related, Texan the Dark Wolf. Then we have Abigail, the Dark Eagle, Dexter the Dark Lion, Maria the Dark Serpent, Tara the Dark Bear and finally Tara the Dark Turtle."
"Did I get you right? You said something that sounded like the Dark Turtle," I said surprised that was supposed to be a thing.
"Yes, I did and in the whole history of Armensia, the Dark Turtle has only attacked three times and this is all because of his destructive ability," she said, "you are aware that the beasts control some kind of power that can cause a calamity. If Travas was after the total destruction of Armensia, he would do it so easily, but he wants to rule it. These three times that he deployed the Dark Turtle were the moments when he the artras forced his hand and had him cornered," she said. She was starting to make Davin sound scary although she also made to clear that he never attacked.
"What attribute does he control to make him that destructive," I asked.
"He controls earth, but so well that he makes it look like a fluid. Travas has used him in ways so dangerous you could not believe the catastrophe and lives that were lost on the day that he was deployed. Thing of a tsunami, but of earth," she explained. It was hard to imagine as she explained it, but I assumed it was because she was in a hurry to get back to the lesson. After that question, she refused to answer any other questions that I had and insisted on improving my meditation ability so that I would be better at it.
We did this for two hours until Bergstrom came to check up on us. "How is it going?" he asked.
"I still don't see why you couldn't train me yourself?" I grumbled, my eyes still closed during meditation. I could now control my body whilst I kept the connection between me and my surroundings. The only thing that was bothering me now was Kalifa's last instruction. She had told me to open my eyes whilst in meditation. This was sounding more life she was telling me to open my eyes and keep my consciousness spread out over the expanse of the whole Artarak.
I heard Mr Bergstrom chuckle, "I am sure you already know the answer to that one, though I did think you guys would fail to work together so harmoniously on the first day," he said.
I started retracting my magic so I would get my consciousness back in one place, "What are you doing Johnson?" Kalifa asked.
"Our two hours are done," I said as though it was obvious.
"Oh I know that, but unfortunately for you, if you are to learn this, then you are to keep your magic constantly flowing out. That way you will increase the speed of your magic output and the amount of magic you can output at a single time," she said. Other than that you will also soon learn to manipulate the magic around you. Just open your eyes," she said.
I stopped retrieving my magic and switched my attention to getting my body to move. Speaking was one thing, but moving while I expended this much amount of magic power was going to be a whole lot of a challenge. I felt my eyelids twitch and focused on the sensation, this made me realise that while I was like this, my body was actually paralysed. I now understood the reason it was so important to learn how to move while using this ability for it provided an issue of security to one's body while they used it. Five minutes later, my eyelids still failed to flutter open and I was getting visibly exhausted.
"Cancel the spell, Kevin, you will try again in two days' time," Bergstrom spoke up abruptly, "Kalifa, why are you rushing him? This is an advanced level magic ability, I thought I made it clear that he had only begun learning magic recently." The teacher sounded genuinely angry at the mage for taking me through something like this. I on the other hand did not feel like she was doing anything so hard to begin with except for the fact that I still felt paralyzed and the simple action of lifting my eyelids felt like lifting a hundred kilograms.
Mr Bergstrom had taught me the concept of cancelling a spell. This was when one just abruptly stopped his magic supply to a spell so that the spell immediately stopped its effect. It was handy if the spell one was casting was one that had a high demand of magic. When magic from someone's body was drained faster than the body itself could replenish it, then the effects were drastic.
I cut the connection to the spell and collapsed on the ground as exhaustion set in. I hadn't noticed just how much I had been exerting myself. Exhaustion seemed to be setting in after the spell instead of during. "What's this supposed to mean?" I asked between breaths while I lay on the ground panting. My body was starting to slowly regain the ability to move.
"The spell she was teaching you is very demanding. Since you were connected to the surroundings, you were constantly drawing on some of the magic that flows through Armensia and because of that you weren't feeling the strain it was actually putting on you. The only reason you were able to pull it off is because you are the Siege. Any other artra that had as little the magic experience as you have wouldn't have managed to pull off a spell of that magnitude. Kalifa is right about one thing. If you keep training, you will be able to do this all without feeling the effect of the spell. My hope is that Travas does not attack until then for right now, you are not strong enough to face him. Promise me that until you master this ability, you will not take on Travas even if he provokes you to. If it's your only choice then make sure you make sure you are not alone when you do face him," he said as he helped me up on my feet.
I felt the irresistible urge to tell him I could walk by myself, but my legs said different. My right leg was limp with paralysis and was slowly starting to regain its sense of touch. Mr Bergstrom helped me walk up to the lobby where he set me to sit in one of the plush sofas. "Why didn't you just teleport him here?" Kalifa asked sounding irritated by the wasted time walking.
"Sieges hate teleporting, it is disorienting," Bergstrom said walking to the counter that housed drinks of different kinds in the shelves after it. The lobby was almost designed like a bar except for the part of it that looked on to the front of the Artarak and provided a clear view of the massive fountain right in the middle of the front yard flanked by beautiful gardens within which beautifully designed pathways had been made so as not to disturb the harmony that the gardens set. Mr Bergstrom returned with a glass filled with a colourless drink and handed it to me, "Drink, you'll feel better."
I took a sip and felt magic rushing through my body wiping the remaining paralysis away instantly, but the exhaustion still remained. "I would normally advise against healing magic when the intention of training is the reason for the injury, but I will let this one slide since you have school to get back to and football practices in the evening," he said, "don't think I didn't notice the healing magic you used the other day. It's prohibited. Do that again and you won't like your next training session."
"So how exactly is training going to be?" I asked.
"As you have noticed, you will be having physical training and magic training, so these will be alternating and you will be required to train every single day except for Sunday when you will be allowed to rest. My hope is that things stay quiet until you can at least stand your ground against him," he said.
"Considering your blunder, I figure that will be much harder than you make it sound," Kalifa said.
"What are you still doing here?" Bergstrom groaned like she was a nuisance of some kind.
"What is with you two?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
"Kalifa and I have always had sort of a rivalry. Don't be fooled by her looks, she almost as old as I am," Bergstrom explained. Well it made total sense that it would be that way, but then.
"I am guessing you were always stronger than her," I voiced my deduction.
"Yes, right until the incident that led to our failure, Kalifa couldn't even measure up to my power," he said before turning to her, "did you confirm your suspicions about the boy?"
"Yes, and I was wrong, he is just as normal as you were for a Siege. I don't know what I picked off him back then, but it wasn't what he displayed today," she said. I looked back and forth between the two of them for answers but they merely shrugged it off like I wasn't even in the room. Groaning in frustration, I opened a portal that led back to Bergstrom's office and we leapt through it.