Over the course of the following week, the three of them spent time together going over each spell. They poured over the books and found there were seventy-seven spells in total. Of course, many of them were the same spell, but with a different name. After subtracting those, it left them with only twenty-four distinct spells. From these they discussed which ones would have the most useful applications.
Robert would constantly remind him he should select spells that could have multiple uses. He told Ryo through his extensive travels; it was always best to only pack tools that served multiple functions. Although magic was different, he reasoned that in the same way spells should be as flexible as possible. The more choices he had, the better he could survive. After several nights of talking, Ryo finally had a small list of spells he would focus on until the mistress came back.
Earth Shield - Creates a dirt wall. Tier 3.
Summon Petty Fire Elemental - Summons a petty fire elemental. Tier 2.
Lesser Mage Shield - Protection from magical attacks. Tier 2.
Fire Javelin - Offensive fire spell. Tier 2.
Minds Grasp - A magical hand that was controlled by thoughts. Tier 1.
Chameleon Skin - Temporarily allows skin to act like that of a chameleon. Tier 3.
Morning Fog - Forms a dense fog around the user. Tier 2.
Purifying Touch - Capable of cleaning dirty water and food. Tier 2.
Grasshopper Hop - Temporarily allows someone to jump 3x-4x normal distance. Tier 1.
Out of this list, the one that had been the most debated was the fire elemental one. Beth thought it was an excellent idea to have a pet that could help, while Robert thought it wouldn't be very effective and didn't see too many practical uses for it. After thinking about it long and hard, Ryo sided with Beth and came to the conclusion that having a companion would be nice. The only problem was that he would need to find flint and learn about the summoning circle it required.
Also, from what he could understand, the summoning seemed random. On page one hundred-ninety, there was a list of one hundred and seven unique types of petty fire elementals. The most common of these had general descriptions, but most just had a simple sentence that vaguely described them, such as "Looks like a crow with glowing ember wings and beak." He wished there had been some pictures to help him, but he instead had to rely only on his own imagination.
Over the next three weeks Ryo spent his time learning about the spells they'd chosen, while reading the other books the mistress provided. He also made copies of the spells, and any special instructions they had. Ryo wasn't sure if the mistress would take back the books when she returned, so he wanted to make his own copies just in case.
Since living here, Ryo had noticed that he'd developed a passion for reading. He had also grown to love the feeling of parchment under his fingers, and the smell of the ink. Each book held the passion and the life work of someone. By reading a single book, he could gain the knowledge and insights of someone that had lived for hundreds of years. One day he hoped that he could write a book of his own, so that others could read and admire him in such a way.
At the end of the month, as she'd said, the mistress returned to the cabin in a foul mood. It was common for her to come back and lock herself in her room for a day or two, before emerging. The once joyous atmosphere of the cabin became stifling when this happened. After spending a full day locked in her room, she came out. He, Robert, and Beth were all sitting at the table having lunch when she approached them.
"Welcome back mistress, I hope your time away was a success." Ryo greeted her, standing up from the table.
"Yes, it's going well! I'm so close to a breakthrough!" She excitedly replied, clasping her hands in front of her maniacally.
"I'm glad to hear it, mistress." He said, giving her a slight bow.
"Sadly however, I have run out of material." She pouted, her shoulders slumping forward.
"I will need to procure more." She mumbled, tapping her fingers across her lips.
Ryo knew the mistress well enough to know she wasn't really talking to him when she said this. She was thinking out loud, without really considering anything she said. This didn't bother him really, and he was happy to see her in such a pleasant mood. The reason being, as long as the mistress was in a good mood, the better and easier all their lives would be.
"Anyway, come, come, today will include a special lesson." She said, motioning for him to follow, as she walked towards the front door.
"Yes, mistress." He responded, following behind her obediently.
Ryo wondered what she meant by a "special lesson"? Did she perhaps want to see if he'd learned any new spells? Or was she going to test his knowledge again, to make sure he'd read the books she'd provided? Whatever the reason, he wished she would have waited until after he ate his lunch.
The two of them walked to their normal spot in front of the giant willow tree. It was a bright, warm day, with clouds lazily drifting above them. Several wildflowers and daisies were in full bloom, giving the area an otherworldly feeling. He had to admit that, although he didn't want to be there; it was a beautiful place. Sitting down, the mistress pulled out something that was wrapped in a delicate black cloth from her bag
He sat down in front of her and watched as she slowly unfurled the wrappings, to reveal a book. As soon as he saw it he felt as if the surrounding temperature dropped considerably. It was a beautiful blue leather bound book, with delicate features. At the center of the cover was a large sapphire that shimmered unnaturally, like it had a life of its own. There were skeletal hands on either side of the gem, as if cradling the jewel. Ryo had never seen such a beautiful book in his entire life.
"After years of research, mountains of gold, and rare materials I was finally able to create my own personal G . To this day it remains my pride and joy." she explained, tenderly stroking the book.
The way she treated the book shocked him, because the mistress had never acted like this before. She earnestly seemed to cherish and love that book, as a mother would a child. For a moment his mind wasn't able to process what was happening, and he just watched her in disbelief.
"Grimoire?" He unconsciously mumbled, remembering the word she'd used to describe the book.
"Yes, in the past all mages had Grimoires, but not anymore." The mistress said, her voice filled with sorrow.
"Why?" He asked.
"After the events of the "Celestial Decent" mage academies around the world forbade the use of "Forbidden Magic" such as this. They wanted to distance themselves from forbidden magic users and stopped calling them Grimoires, and now refer to them as lexicons. But those who still practice the forbidden arts, still refer to them as Grimoires." She answered, looking down at her precious Grimoire.
Ryo had heard of the celestial descent before from some of the history books he had read. From what he could piece together it had been a cataclysmic event that somehow involved the gods. The world was said to have plunged into darkness as a result of it, though that's all he could remember from the top of his head, he would need to re-read those books, to see if he had missed anything important.
He also knew what lexicons were, and had fantasized about making his own one day. It was a book that a mage created for themselves, that had various spells in it. Usually mages didn't make a lexicon until they were of a sufficient rank. These lexicons were a status symbol to display proudly to other mages, to show off their wealth and power. The only thing he hadn't heard of before were the words "forbidden magic".
"Mistress? What's forbidden magic?" He asked.
His memory wasn't perfect, but to his knowledge he had never heard of such a concept before. Was there magic that people were not supposed to use?
"It consists of various magic schools, spells, and practices that the gods deemed forbidden for mortals to learn or to wield. The gods had their peons pressure the mage academies and realms to denounce such practitioners." She explained, opening up her Grimoire.
"Those gutless mages sold out their own kind… and for what?! Peace with the temples?!" She ranted,
Ryo didn't quite understand what was going on, but he could see how angry the mistress was. He wanted to know more about what'd happened, but didn't want to get on her bad side. Curiosity was gnawing at him, he wanted to know more about what she was talking about. Biting his lower lip, he gathered up his courage and asked.
"Why would they do that, mistress?" He inquired, silently hoping she wouldn't get any more upset.
"Let me ask you a question instead. Why did your elders force you off the island?" She asked, looking up from her Grimoire at him.
"I-I-u-uh." He nervously stumbled over his words, not sure how to answer her probing question
What could he say? To this day, he wasn't sure about the actual reason they had forced him off the island. They had labeled him a demon, but the mistress said that wasn't true. Ryo had often wondered why they would do such a thing, but never came up with an answer. If he ever did want to know, then he would need to travel back to the home island, though that was one of the last things he ever wanted to do.
"It's because they're ignorant fools, who fear what they don't understand. Your elders couldn't figure out what was on your soul, so they tossed you aside."
"I-I-..." He stammered, surprised by her comments.
"You did nothing wrong, and they just betrayed you like that. All the pain you experience, all the torture you have endured, it was all because of them and their ignorance." The mistress remarked, looking at him with pity.
When he heard those words, it felt like a dagger pierced his heart. Ryo couldn't deny what she said, because part of him thought it made sense. None of this would have happened if they hadn't called him a demon! The anger he had buried all this time boiled as he gnashed his teeth together. Then he remembered that he was in front of the mistress. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to remain calm. If his anger got the best of him here, the mistress would likely just punish him for such an outburst.
"The answer to your question is the same as mine. People fear what they don't understand. They would rather blindly follow the gods, than think for themselves."
"O-oh." He mumbled, looking down at the dirt.
"Those who practice the forbidden arts, they are just like you." She remarked.
Are they really just like me? Ryo thought to himself., looking back up at her.
"Ryo, those who practice forbidden magic are searching for something. Some seek power over death, others want to live longer, or gain the power to save a loved one from some unpleasant fate. Can you blame anyone for desiring such things?" She asked him, closing her Grimoire.
"N-no." He answered.
"Why should others deny them their search?" She asked, looking back up at him.
"I-I don't know." He replied.
"I chose this path, because I wanted to save my father. We traveled the world together, seeing such amazing things. Then, one day he came down with an illness, one magic or medicine couldn't save him from. With no other choice, I turned to the forbidden magic to help me cure him." She recounted with sorrow filled eyes that stared off into the distance.
"Did you heal him, mistress?" He asked without thinking.
"No, I lacked the power and the skills to save him. If I had only studied it earlier, I could have saved him. Imagine losing the person you hold dearest while they are dying… as you stand there, powerless to do anything." She answered, looking towards the garden.
Ryo imagined what he would do if Beth or Robert were dying. Just thinking about it caused his stomach to churn, and welled up in the corners of his eyes. He had to push the thought away. An unexpected tinge of pity for the mistress struck him then, as he thought about what she had gone through.
"You have so much potential." She sighed, turning back towards him.
"It's a shame that it will go to waste." She said, gently putting her Grimoire aside.
"W-what… what do you mean?" He muttered, becoming worried by the ominous implications of what she had just said.
"With your mana body you could become a powerful mage, feared by many. But there is a limit you know, and no matter how much you struggle, you won't progress any further. You won't have the ability to help the ones you truly care about." She explained, slowly shaking her head.
I won't be able to help Robert and Beth? He asked her, putting his hand on his chest. Ryo's heart felt like it was being crushed by someone's hand. The one thing he wanted in this world was to be beside Robert and Beth. They had helped him so much, and he had done nothing for them in return. If he was honest with himself, he felt guilty for not being able to help them already. It was one of the major reasons he'd tried to learn magic so hard all this time, so that one day he could.
"But, if you let me teach you how to wield such power, you could become the strongest mage in all of Illia. I could give you the power to make anything you want come to be. You wouldn't need to fear anyone, or go through the pain of losing someone." She avowed, holding her hand out towards him.
"You just need to accept this power, you just need to join me." The mistress implored, waiting for him to take her hand.
The power to do anything I want… her words echoed in his mind as he looked at her outstretched hand. What the mistress was offering was something he desperately wanted. But something deep down inside of him was reluctant to accept. He had long since learned that nothing in life was free, and there would be a price to pay for this too, he was sure of it.
Plus, why was she asking him to do it? The mistress should be able to just order him to learn this forbidden magic. His mind was racing, trying to think of what he should do. Ryo wished Robert or Beth were there so he could ask their opinion. He chewed his bottom lip, before finally coming to a decision.
"Mistress…." Ryo started to say.
"Yes?" She responded with a friendly smile.
"U-umm… c-can I have… t-time to think about it?" He mumbled, averting his eyes from hers.
From the corner of his eye he saw her face contort in rage, before she plastered over it with a smile. It had been so quick that he questioned if his eyes were playing tricks on him. His body went cold, as sweat dripped from his forehead onto the ground beneath him. Her silence seemed to drag on for an eternity, before she said.
"Of course, I will give you time to think about it." She told him, giving him a friendly smile.
That was not the reaction he was expecting, which terrified him even more. The situation unnerved him so much; he was about to ask her to punish him, but before he could say something, the mistress pulled out the control rod from her robe.
"I forbid you to tell anyone about what we discussed today." She ordered, giving him an icy glare.
"Yes, mistress." Ryo quickly answered, bowing to her.
***