The Eighteenth Chapter | Lesson Two
"Okay, this might get complicated because of how many factors are involved, but I'll start with the basics and tell you more the deeper we get into your training. The first and most important thing you need to understand is that your power set is determined by three things: Mental control, Physical ability, and Inherited power. They can't be calculated to an exact point but can be roughly estimated. Mental control decides about a quarter of your abilities, as does Physical ability. However, the main determinant is your Inherited power. It's the one factor that can't be improved since it's just an average of your parents' inherited power. It affects about fifty percent of your magic."
"Are all other power sets this complex?"
"Of course. Those descriptions of power sets I gave when we were touring the Realms were all just scratching the surface. There's usually one or more sub-powers and abilities under it. Anyway, using magic requires honing and polishing over extended periods of time. You aren't just able to manipulate auras overnight. This is why, unfortunately, you are currently at a disadvantage."
"So, do you think I'll be able to make up for it?"
"By my estimations? I don't know. On one hand, if you were normal, you wouldn't be nearly as powerful as you would need to be when you need to take over, even if you train rigorously for months. On the other hand, you're the creation of a council member. It would be safe to say that your Inherited power has been full since you were conceived. So you know what? Maybe you'll get there. I can't be too sure myself. I can't predict these things, Alvera."
The sound of crows could be heard from the distance and a few of them flew overhead, temporarily distracting them both.
"Alright, got it. What else do I need to know?"
"Mental control can be improved through simple things like meditation and just a better understanding of how your power works. I already asked Lodema to help you with this since she seems best suited for the task."
The idea subtly excited Alvera. She wanted to get to know Lodema better since their first meeting was somewhat solemn.
"Physical ability can be improved by practicing as much as you can while your power develops. That's things like concentrating on feeling, seeing, and reading auras around you as well as trying to manipulate them often. I will personally undertake this task and see to it that you're taught well."
"You better," Alvera replied.
Cedrick laughed a bit at this before continuing.
"Aura colors are determined by a person's magic type. So basically, you can tell a person's native Realm by the color of their aura. Because of this, it's impossible for someone's aura color to change or to be more than one. As an Alter, you can also determine how powerful their magic is. You're able to feel the intensity of their aura, even if you don't see it first. However, you can also determine the intensity by how dull or pigmented the color of their aura is. In my opinion, the intensity of an aura is the most powerful thing you can feel from a person, but that may vary for you honestly."
"So that's the basics, huh? I'd hate to know the rest of it."
"Too bad, you're going to have to eventually," he smirked. "Alright, I want to see if you've started getting your powers yet."
"How?"
He took a step closer to her before pausing. "Have you had any weird experiences at all recently? Anything out of the ordinary?"
Alvera thought back. Her hands landed on her hips and she slouched as she began to dig into her memory. "Actually, yes. A few days before I saw Graham in my dream, things started moving when I even looked at them." Her right hand rose to her face. "It honestly caused quite a few problems," she mumbled.
When her attention returned to Cedrick, he looked somewhat shocked. "You were able to levitate things? That's... not an easy feat, Alvera. Wait, what kind of things?"
"Um... mostly little things if I remember correctly. I know for a fact I accidentally broke a potted plant, or maybe two. I also made one of the royal dogs float a few inches off the ground. That was the weirdest one by far."
"Levitating and moving living beings isn't just something you can do with no practice. Can you try it again? I want to see." He gestured towards one of the nearby trees and asked her to try and snap one of its branches off.
Alvera turned towards the tree and was genuinely freaked out for the second. The irregular twisting of the tree made it somewhat resemble a phantom or the shadow of some dark spirit. The several depressions and hollows in the trunk felt like gaping holes and the more she stared at it, the creepier it seemed. At a point, she could swear that the branches were moving on their own, without her help. However, it was probably just a temporary case of oscillopsia.
In all honesty, Alvera had no idea how she did what she did the first time. She wasn't paying attention when it happened. It was almost subconscious and effortless. So know that she was being put on the spot and asked to do something she didn't even mean to do when she did it, Alvera was stumped on how to progress.
She stared at the tree a bit longer, trying to disregard its ominous nature. Her hands were clasped together like a finger gun, her thumbs supporting her chin and her index fingers pressed against her lips in concentration. All she did was look at it last time, right? So why wasn't it working again? Cedrick noticed her struggle and told her it was fine. It might have been just a one-time thing, maybe a sudden spur of magic or something along those lines. Personally, some form of relief washed over Alvera, at least she hadn't disappointed him.
"Alright, so that somewhat confirms what I was thinking, your powers have started developing, but not a lot so far. We might have to halt your physical classes until they develop further. However, the mental training will have to continue. Besides, it might even help speed up the process of unlocking your powers."
Alvera didn't have a problem with that. In fact, she was looking forward to it. It was at that moment that she felt it. However, it wasn't anything good. The feeling of lightheadedness she had felt all those days ago had returned.
No. No. No. No.
It was happening again. She was going to pass out a second time. What happened this time? Why was it going on again?
Alvera tried to scream out for help but she didn't even need to as Cedrick already noticed that something was wrong. Her head began to spin. Black spots started appearing throughout her vision as she succumbed to the darkness and her knees weakened. She felt herself fall and land in Cedrick's arms before everything went blank.
"Hello, Alvera."
Alvera's eyes shot open and someone was leaning over her upside down. A set of red eyes were peering into her brown ones. The figure bending over her was blurry, unidentifiable, and fully covered in a black cloak that also fell over Alvera. The blonde's eyes widened as some form of recognition set in.
Was it the same shadowy figure from her first dream? Alvera couldn't say for sure but if the cloak and eye color were anything to go by then it probably was.
The figure stood up straight and then offered her a hand. She didn't need to think twice before she decided to not take it, just like last time. She used her hands to push herself into a sitting position and then stood up on her own. Alvera's eyes did a quick sweep of the room she was in. It was divided into two equal parts using a single red line as a demarcation. The floor, ceiling, and walls were all covered with a checkered pattern. Half the room was on fire and the other half was frozen over. A quaint table sat in the center of the chaos with a fully laid out tea set and a total of nine teacups.
Where the hell? What kind of a place was she in?
"Well, aren't you going to take a seat?"
Alvera whizzed around and the red-eyed figure was sitting nonchalantly on one of the two chairs at the table. She was very curious about how someone could be so comfortable in a room that was actively burning and freezing over simultaneously. However, this was all some sort of weird dream so maybe the fire wouldn't hurt her. She carefully stalked over to the table and took the seat opposite the figure, which was thankfully not the one that forced her to have her back to the fire.
Each teacup at the table had a different letter imprinted on it, apart from the one placed on the other side of the table. The only ones she could see clearly were an A and a C. The figure picked up the teacup with the letter M on it and poured herself a cup of strikingly red-colored tea. She gestured to the cup right in front of Alvera and also poured her a cup. She took a cautious sip from the glass, but after not tasting anything strange, she took a more relaxed one.
"What... What am I doing here?"
"Do you know what you're doing here?"
The voice was somewhat high-pitched and very much female-owned. The owner of the voice seemed both serious and amused.
Also, what? Didn't Alvera just ask what she was doing there?
The question confused her so she remained silent.
"Don't be so quiet. What are you? Worried?" A slight pause filled the room as the figure took a sip from their lettered teacup. "I'm not going to hurt you if that's what you're wondering. I mean, even if I wanted to, I can't exactly do anything since we're not even in a material plane."
That somewhat settled Alvera. They were technically in her mind, right?
A blanket of quiet settled over the room. For a few long moments, the only thing that was heard was the burning of the flames in the background as both parties sipped from their teacups. Then out of nowhere, the figure said something.
"Did you know that you were created under a once in a millennium alignment of the three moons? It was a truly remarkable event. Of course, I wasn't there for it, but that's what I was told."
Wait, what?
"Who are you? What do you mean by that?"
Then out of nowhere, the figure raised their teacup and smashed it hard into the ground, shattering the ceramic and spilling the hot liquid everywhere. The sound startled Alvera, and her eyes widened in shock. She all but jumped out of her seat in fear.
The figures turned back to her and then told her to smash her glass as well. Not knowing what else to do, she followed suit, throwing her cup to the ground in a similar fashion. The shadow picked up another glass, and Alvera did the same, breaking it as well. After going through a total of eight teacups, the figure finally stopped Alvera as she reached for the last cup.
"Leave that one."
When Alvera asked why the shadow responded with:
"Not all things need help when they'll break themselves soon anyway."
She turned the glass on the saucer, and a chip in the rim came into view. The shadow released its grasp on the cup and all of a sudden it started to shake all on its own. Before Alvera knew it, the glass broke. However, instead of falling like Alvera thought it would, the cup just shattered right on the table. The resulting explosion sent glass shards of different sizes flying in all angles, some of which just narrowly avoided piercing Alvera but somehow just passing through the figure rather than evading her.