Back at Samuel and Alsian's grove things were progressing... or rather, not progressing at all since Samuel had a hard time wrapping his head around the whole breathing thing. They both sat cross legged facing eachother while Alsian mostly sat there to instruct him. Having him relax and feel magic simply by breathing it in and out.
Samuel tried to imagine it as he had tried to shape cantrips in his mind but Alsian had told him that was how to shape it and not how to breathe it in. Samuel was used to things taking a long time when trying to learn them so he only opened his eyes after what felt like a long time had passed. Alsian sat looking at a intricate pocket watch and noticed that Samuel had opened his eyes.
"So how did that go?" Alsian asked him with his regular voice. "Horrible, I didn't get anywhere at all. I don't understand how to do it at all!" Samuel felt a bit dejected but wasn't going to give up so easily.
"Really now?" Alsian asked in a surprised tone and raised eyebrows. Well according to my pocket watch you have been gone for at least six hours...." Alsian shrugged. "Guess it was just a fluke!" He pretended to be disappointed and Samuel suddenly half jumped up in shock. "WAIT? Six hours? How? When? What?" Samuel was shocked.
"So when you finally stopped trying to force it and relax and put your mind to finding a logical solution... what was it like?" Alsian asked him and suddenly Samuel understood, his mindset had been wrong in the beginning but when he had finally relaxed and tried to find a solution by using his mind he had relaxed.
"Precisely!" Alsian pointed at him when he saw Samuels sudden realization spread across his face. "We can never force the mana, we haveto breathe it naturally and relaxed, a bit hard to do in the middle of a fight, but when you become accustomed to it. Then nothing can stop you. It took you six hours but you have already tapped into the first mindset required." Alsian gave him a nod of approval.
"The second time will be slightly easier and so it will continue until you get accustomed to it. It is also not dangerous to train this during your free time, just make sure you don't lose track of time." Alsian chuckled at him and Samuel realized again that he thought only an hour or two to have gone by but it was six hours instead so he nodded.
"Now, you will perhaps a few times a month come here where it will be easier to train, and where we gradually will increase the amount of training I pass on to you. But for now, let me introduce you to my oldest friend!" Alsian held his hand forward for Samuel to grab it and Samuel did expecting something to happen but nothing did. So he just sat there with a confused look on his face.
"Is something supposed to happen?" He asked to make sure that everything was right. "If you were expecting sunshine and rainbows, it won't happen here" a sudden female voice sent shivers down his back and he turned around to see a visage of a woman, she looked like a human woman with long white hair and pink eyes, she had a slender build but most of her features were blurry. She kind of hovered around until she sat down next to Alsian and Samuel saw that she had two devil like horns stretching backwards over her head.
But she was no devilkin, since she looked human other than the horns. But Samuel noticed her eyes also kind of had a slight glow to them, just like Alsian's and it was then that Samuel remembered Alsian telling him about his ability and the fact that many children of mana's souls were trapped inside artifacts and his eyes went to the pocketwatch Alsian held.
Alsian nodded to confirm it. "Simul Acri is my name!" The woman spoke up again. "I am a child of mana just like you, and I died thousands of years ago." She had a very sad tone to her voice but she smiled at him nonetheless. "Is there no way for you to be free?" Samuel asked and both Alsian and Simul looked at eachother in surprise and then they both exchanged a smile.
"There is no known way, but we are always looking for one!" Alsian said with a proud smile, he understood that Samuels heart was in the right place. "Every child of mana has a special ability or trait, and mine that allows me to unite others like a shining star, a beacon... Also allows me to use the abilities of those that bond with me!" Alsian let go of his hand and he could no longer see Simul.
"One day when you have trained enough I will bring you along with me, to see what type of predicament those of our kind have that are trapped inside items. Time flows differently for them so at the very least they are not in too much pain. But many of them are indeed sad to never walk or be free again, and the same thing can happen to us when we die. Its an unsolved mystery with only theories and few questions so far." Alsian sighed while seemingly giving a nod to Simul who Samuel only could imagine was sitting there still.
"One day when you are stronger, I would ask of you to help me uncover the mysteries of our people, but for now we will start light. Until the day that you graduate just focus on getting more knowledge and skill!" Alsian stood up and grabbed Samuels hand and helped drag him up and patting off some dust on him.
"One day we will pay back those black cults who did their evil. One day! You have my word!" Alsian held Samuels hand tighter when he said those words, a silent promise cast. Before finally letting go and the two of them heading back towards the main grove where they had first arrived before splitting up.
After the few minutes they came back, and they saw both Erica and Sonya sitting on the ground with several bruises and cuts leaning their backs together so as to stay upright. All the other mentors also seemed tired and spent like someone had run them through nonstop training and Wiz'zoma stood strong leaning on his staff back in his young appearance.
Trisphyra was also there and riding piggyback on her was Ulma who was sleeping soundly. They all looked exhausted except for Samuel and Alsian, who looked very fresh and unbothered. Samuel realized that if he mastered breathing of mana that he would be refresed magic wise but at the same time it probably wouldn't do much against physical exhaustion.
"What happened to you guys?" Samuel quickly walked up to Sonya and Erica. They both pointed toward Wiz'zoma without saying a word at first. Taking tired breaths, "That old man has enough power to level cities, no matter what we threw at him he always came out unscathed. Even our four mentors together had no chance against him. Although they didn't spend as much time getting beaten as we did, we had to endure so much training and torment that we can barely move a muscle." Sonya was the one doing the talking since Erica seemed to be drifting away.
"Well, look on the bright side... we have the day off tomorrow!" Samuel said with a smile. The entire group did not spend long waiting and started heading back. Alsian took Sonya and Samuel took Erica and helped carry them on their backs all the way back.
It was nothing compared to what everyone else had endured to take time carrying the ones who were exhausted. The apprentices and mentors were too tired to talk on their way back, so the ones that did the talking were the three masters and Samuel. Who took his time asking them about all the cool things they had ever done, listening to whatever adventuring stories they had to share.
The lessons of magic they had all learned were of great importance and it would help them all progress more than ever before.