[Wind Sphere]
A violent will o' wisp shoots forth from my mother's hand, cutting across the fresh top layers of spring grass and arcing towards me. .
[Gale Wall]!
I clasp my hands together and spread my finger tips out, creating a prismatic membrane in front of me, a barrier between me and my mother. As my mother's Wind Sphere collashes with the wall, it disperses completely in a whiff.
I mouth the words of my next spell, my own [Wind Sphere], but I speak them half heartedly. I visualize the energy condensing into my hand, wrapping it in a tight wad before sending it out with both hands thrust forward like certain sentai warriors from Earth's golden age of primetime television.
The [Wind Sphere] slices toward Y'Silda as she projects her own [Gale Wall], absorbing the impact with ease.
Now, when I say I half heartedly spoke the words – I still spoke them and the words still helped fire off the spell. However, from my lessons with Nystrom I know that there is more to spells than just recitation, but meaning them through direct imagination and manipulation. While performing a [Fire] spell non-verbal is extremely taxing for me, knowing both the rune and controlling the actual flow of Ether, guiding it with my Eth, made spellcraft a lot more manageable. I wonder what other kinds of elemental schools I could learn through
Y'Silda rests her wrists against her sides uncharacteristically, smiling. She coughs and returns to her normal austere posture. We have been practicing volleys for the past half hour to help train my control and stamina. I still continue to keep the secret, however, to my improvement.
Nystrom's tutelage is definitely atypical and at times harsh, but it is a lot less obscure than my mother's cryptic teaching. Nystrom is strict but to the point, not afraid to treat me less gently, which I respect. You can only get results after all by pushing the limit – a staple in every training arc created in fiction. Albeit this is my new, everyday life rather than a fairy tale. As long as my life is not on the line and I can make steady progress, I am as happy as I can be with my training regime. And Nystrom hasn't put me in any serious danger yet (though I wouldn't put it past him after the two hours we spent in a nearby frozen pond, nearly turning it into a hot spring at the end of it. Hmm, maybe he has more unorthodox guru vibes than I give him credit for?
"You are coming along quite well," Y'Silda says, her hand raised to end the exercise. "Your etheric flow is improving."
A big smile crosses my face – I can imagine bright white teeth shining from cheek to cheek.
Y'Silda smiles herself.
"I know that your learning has not proceeded as quickly as you have wished, but know that patience is a virtue. The virtuous flower takes time to bloom," Y'Silda says.
My smile slightly dims but I strengthen it by gritting my teeth. I don't necessarily feel shame, but I definitely feel a shade of embarrassment. However, if she is happy with the results and I don't blow my head off, it's all good with me.
We have lunch in the garden, the breeze neither too cool or too hot. It has been nearly a year since my awakening into this new life. For a while, I had wondered if I would wake back up in my bedroom, hoses and nodules hooked up to my living cadaver. However, had this really been a fleeting dream in the wake of a dying mind "he" would have faded away.
Being a girl hasn't complicated things much so far. There have been relatively no social events so far, and I have yet to even go into town to experience how society treated ladies. Even Fvenn treats me rather neutrally, though he does become oddly embarrassed from time to time; what a weird guy. I will say that dresses are relatively comfortable, however, and I haven't missed jeans, shorts, and t-shirts all that much. But if I ever have to wear a corset – let's get that uncomfortable thought out of my mind.
Eating tiny, artisan sandwiches and drinking tea really gives off an upper class vibe. I'm very aware of my father's standing in the King's Army, and how my mother before having me had served as a High Mage in both the court and on the field of battle. However, I'm still oblivious to how we came to our wealth but haven't yet gotten the courage to pry. My mind has been so focused on the magic of this world that I haven't had the time to question anything besides it. Perhaps I could nonchalantly ask May or Adela sometime?
"Your Nameday approaches."
My mother's voice breaks me from my meandering thoughts. Nameday . . . right, my birthday. I actually haven't thought much of it. My first birthday in another world – well, technically my fourth but I can't remember the others as it's only been a little more than half a year that I had "awoken." I look at my mother in anticipation to her next words.
"The maids and boy will be getting the fixings to celebrate," Y'Silda says after another sip of tea.
"Adela, May and Fvenn?" I ask.
Y'Silda nods, smiling back at me. Though I know that smile hid a continued dislike for Fvenn, however slight it may be; I have seen her give him more of a chance as of late. Come on mom, can you finally forgive him instead of giving the cold shoulder?
"Your father will be going into town too for business, so it will be just the two of us for the afternoon."
While I do enjoy mother-daughter bonding, the thought of going to town is alluring.
"I don't think I've ever been to town," I say as nonchalantly as I can.
Y'Silda ponders for a moment.
"I guess you have not," my mother admits.
"Do . . . you think I can go with them? I've always wanted to see Esterly?" I ask, drawing out my best innocent, puppy dog eyes that I can muster.
My mother regards me for a few moments, disappointment in her eye. However, she acquiesces with a smile.
"It may be good for you to see what the common folk do and how they live," Y'Silda says.
I smile myself, albeit awkwardly at her mentioning the term "common folk." I was one of those common folk in my previous life, even if we could afford the bare minimum entry-level model ZEN VR 2 system. I learn more and more about my mother everyday it'd seem.
I wolf down the last few bites from my sandwich as if they contain the very excitement for my trip to town. I can't really recall any towns or villages from playing Azure Blue besides the main hub cities of each nation/faction such as our capital of Strovniheim to the north, and Commune L'Verida for the Vasque further northwest from there.