KENAN
Before he speaks we both sit and he drops his staff by his side. Surprisingly the wooden chair was as soft and comfortable as a cushion chair. Magic can really make the worst situations bearable. He notices the comfort and gives me a sly smirk. What is it with these lecturer and smirking? I think it is a part of their training and a simple way to get students worked up. Like hell it really works.
"A caster is no different from elementals but the thing that differentiates us from them is the element we manipulate. As you know caster control the invisible element of the universe. To most people that element is the mind element but they are really wrong. The invisible element of the universe is Aether.
This is the element of olympium and the gods . Being casters we have the power to manipulate this element but unlike the gods who manipulate it by mere thought we can only manipulate it by commands in the language of the gods." He says and I couldn't help but interrupt him.
"I'm so sorry but if this is true does this means casters are elementals of a greater element. Why can we not manipulate it by hand signs like other elements instead of words?" I ask and he surprises me with his chuckle.
"Very smart boy. Yes we are elementals of a greater element and we cannot use hand signs because unlike other elements aether requires more mana, strain and energy that normal casters cannot produce but by using the commands we are able to draw on the power in the language of the gods" he replies and I was not satisfied.
My mind was running a million thoughts at the same time. I just can't believe there is only one way of manipulating an element. Everyone believes that there is only one way to manipulate the elements but after a few tries I have realised that it is harder and uses more mana but with enough training we could control the elements with our minds as opposed to the hand signs. We can even conjure the elements with enough training and focus.
The hand signs are basically an easy way out because then we are using our hands to direct the elements. When it comes to using our mind, not only do we need a clear picture of what we want to happen in our mind we also are in control of the amount of mana we pump into it unlike letting our mana and the perfect hand signs do the job for us.
During my little time in this school I have come to realise that supernaturals have a lot of secrets they keep from the world to protect their superiority over humans. I have always worshipped them like gods being a norm but I have come to realise that they are as flawed as humans.
They want the whole world to believe they know it all but basically they are still struggling like humans. Being able to cast or control the mind doesn't protect them from corruption, pride, greediness, pain, anger, mistakes and other weaknesses. They also go through so much power struggles that make them hide a lot of secrets even from each other.
Now that I am in their world I have to blend in. I haven't been a supernatural for over a week and I have started to keep secrets, fight people for positions and even almost cause someone's death for a few school points. I don't even seem to know who I am anymore.
A few weeks ago I had the basic problem of living and bearing my father's abuse but now I have being caught up in the whole power struggle of the school. I'm training my ass out because I'm scared people are out there that want to harm me and everyone close to me. I also have to live with the torture of lieing to my friend's faces every waking mornings.
True power is good but the struggles and pain that come with it is suffocating. He snaps his fingers and that brings me out of my thoughts. I didn't even realise I was so lost in thoughts.
"I know most of the things going on with you is a lot and what you are is a huge responsibility but I don't want that to affect your training. Now pull yourself together young man" he says in a very stern voice. What a motivation?
"Now your training today is perfectly casting all the first year spells" he says and I cock my eyebrow at him. This man has to be joking. It takes a whole year to train most students to cast spells perfectly and he wants me to do that in a day. He must be dreaming.
"Come back to me when you are done" he says and disappears leaving only me in the room. I felt more at peace in his absence but how the hell does he expect me to cast a whole textbook in one night without supervision. I pick up the textbook and start casting.
The first spell was a simple one. It was a cleaning spell. I close the book after memorising the spell words
"thurde" I cast and a huge wind was supposed come and clean the whole room dirt together before it all disappears to nowhere but nothing happens. I groan in frustration and quickly try the spell again before going back to my casting of other spells. I keep on casting and after trying like 10 chore Spells and they all end up the same way I know I am in deep shit.
These spells were elemental spells and they are used to keep the elements tied to the aether so the magic keeps working even when the caster is long gone. Why it has not been working I don't understand?
"Fluma" I cast and the whole room was supposed to be covered with fire but all i felt was a little breeze. I focus my mind on setting the room ablaze using my elemental control and the whole room sets on fire. I wave my hand the fire disappears. So basically casters who cannot manipulate some elements can use them by just casting.
Studying my spell casting and their delivery well I realise where the problem was. The words were not working in pushing the spell out of me. My mana was responding to the spell words but the words were not enough to fully deliver the spell. It was like the aether the words were manipulating was too weak to connect to my internal aether.
Spell casting was exactly the same thing as manipulating the element but the thing there is that for elementals they can only use one element at a time because of the mana they use but aether gives the ability to manipulate and forge several elements into one to fulfil a purpose.
If only I could connect to aether without using the words but with my mind I could just picture what I want the elements to do like I always do and merge them using aether.
I stop casting and sit in my meditative pose. I try Agglomeration again and my mana expands until it can't take anymore. I notice that my mana was growing in size and the greyish parts of it were coming together to one side. Using Vivification I replenish my physical energy.
Once I know I am physically strong enough for what I'm about to do and I have the amount of mana to execute it. I close my eyes and try the flames spell again. This time I use my manasight to see the movement and actions of the mana in me and the environment.
"Fluma" I cast and i feel the mana in me try to connect with something. Unlike every other element its mana thread colour was blinding electric blue. I see my own electric blue mana thread try to weave and connect to it so they can become one but the connection becomes unstable and tosses me few feet away.
I drop the cast as soon as that happen since I have gotten what I wanted to know. Through that spell I realise that what makes a spell come to life is the connection of caster's internal aether with that of the world.
The connection is whatv weaves with the element of choice and effects the change to the natural and visible world. Aether is not an element but a merger of element, it is more like the cord that link all the elements and controlling it is controlling the whole world. The thing that makes casters different from other supernaturals is that they are born with internal aether.
I close my eyes again and this time I focus all my energy on seeing the aether mana thread with no spell. It takes a lot of focus and mana but I was able to see the thread weaving its way around the other elemental mana thread like a cord. I focus on touching that thread with my mind alone and after so much effort I still could not do it. A little frustrated I drop it and groan in annoyance
'why can't this just be as easy as connecting to the element? Maybe Prof was right when he said casters were not powerful enough to control it with mere thought" I thought finally giving up.
Just as I was about to stand up I remember my mom words and i go back in time reminiscing that memory.
When I was very young I always gave up on things when they got so hard and difficult. After managing my attitude for a long time she had enough of me. One fateful night she called me to her room. I was still five years old but it still felt like yesterday and I felt like I was too young for all the stress.
I remember that it was the time I picked up drawing and I just could not bear missing the curves and lines repeatedly that I went to her crying and told her that day that I wasn't doing it anymore. She pulls me into her arms being the only childIat that time I had all these privileges. Once she was able to stop me from crying and calm enough to listen she speaks in her usual cool and soothing voice
"Do you know what makes great men" she asks and I shake my head "perseverance and patience my boy" she says chuckling and her laughter puts a smile on my face
"mummy what is perseverance and patience" I ask in my tiny childish voice and she roughens my hair
"Always the questionnaire" she says playfully "it means being able to push through no matter how hard it is and no matter how long it takes in order to come out a victor" she says and I nod " Now does my little demigod want to be a great man and give mommy all she wants in the future?" she says tickling me and i laugh giving a quick reply
"Yes mommy yes mommy" I reply amidst laughter and she finally stops it also laughing
"Then always remember that nothing good, new and distinct comes easy so you have to keep working and pushing until you achieve it. Whatever you put your heart to you can achieve with hard work, perseverance and patience" she says and I nod.
I spent the night in her room with both my parents. I really miss those days and most I miss my family and the only way I can go back to them alive and well is to become powerful so I have to do this.
I sit back down and this time with more intent I focus on the electric blue mana thread. I push my mind farther than I have ever done and I could feel the strain on my mind but I push through the pain and finally I feel the mistake I have been making.
I have been so focused on making my mind do the job that my Aether should be doing. I drop the focus from my mind and put it on the blue tendrils of mana in my blood. I push it out of me and connect it to the blue aether and finally they connect and begin to flow like one.
Immediately they connect I know I had connected to aether. I could feel the elements and the world in a way I haven't felt it. Unlike before when I could only be one with a single element at a time I was one with all the elements. I could feel the flight of air, the flexibility of water, the strength of the earth, the heat of fire, the speed and tenacity of lightning, the wisdom of spirit, the energy and power of soul, the life and illumination of light and even the death and destruction of darkness.
Every single element was at the tip of my finger and I could merge them as I want. I start with something basic like the cleaning spell. Instead of saying words I picture exactly the same thing that happened in my mind and I feel the aether mana thread weave with the air and mind element mana thread.
I open my eyes and I could still see the mana in the environment. I could also feel a huge wind clean round the whole school and finally bring the whole pile of dirt into my training room before they all disappear into thin air.
I have to work on controlling the amount of delivery, my speed and most importantly the power used. I didn't know it was draining me until I dropped the mana thread. I felt like a huge burden has been lifted off of me. I was sweating profusely and my breaths were heavy from fatigue.
If just a little chore spell took this much out of me I wonder what would happen when I start trying harder spells in the near future. I felt very sleepy and tired and my eyes were heavy but looking at my wristwatch it was almost time for my training with Prof Preston and I can't miss my first training.
At least I have made a life changing breakthrough today