The Magic, Broken
Page 7
“I believed that the first announcement of your legendary work would have caused you to be inundated with requests, My Lady. I did not wish to add to your burden,” Amy spoke softly. “But you are right in that I have been curious since the announcement was made. Works of legend are extremely rare, and for one as young as you to create one is practically unheard of. It cemented your reputation, and enhanced everyone who was in close contact with you. You're The MagicWarper, not just in name but in title, and I was your Assistant. Despite the Rules of Equality, I have felt it. My fellow students look up at me, ask for my help and for my input.”
Liane smiled softly, remembering a time when she and her Assistant would be discussing magic. “What exactly is it that you want, My Lady? A work of legend is unique. It must be of stature and power that is unmatched and unrivaled. I can give you information, but that will not assist you in building your own. It would merely allow you to copy my work, and as impressive as it would be for you to derive a work from a work of legend, it would not confer the same status to you.”
Amy stared out the window, standing right next to Liane. “I am aware of that, My Lady,” she whispered. “I am well aware I will not be able to match your impressive achievements. You became Master Mage as a three times Prime Student, Magus of the Student Council, and accepted straight into the Pillar service. I was close enough to you to know just how deep your knowledge of magic went, and as good as I am, I could not hope to match you. I merely wish for a chance to examine the work you have done, just as you would graciously allow me to do back when I was your eager-eyed Assistant.”
The Pillar felt uncomfortable with the listing Amy was giving. “Your attempts at flattery are not needed, My Lady,” she rebuked softly. “I had hoped you would have remembered that from our time together.”
“My apologies, Pillar,” Amy said. “I was merely speaking the truth. I did not intend to needlessly flatter you.” Her tone belied her words. There was a time she would have missed it and taken it at face value, but Liane was a Pillar now, she had become very good at this, and Amy had most definitely tried to flatter her. Had their relationship changed to the point where the younger Mage thought she needed to flatter her to gain information?
The senior Mage was silent, drumming her fingers on her staff of office, feeling a bit disconcerted about that. They had remained in steady communication, and she believed that she had always done her best to answer any questions that Amy may have. Had she not done so at some point? She wanted to ask, but refrained from doing so. Maybe her employment had made her paranoid to the point where she was detecting undercurrents where there were none. She could ignore this, and speak up should it happen again.
“I do not believe merely examining my work would be of any assistance,” she finally said. “Do not sell yourself short, My Lady. I have seen your achievements with magic. Rather than focus on me, you should focus on yourself.” Seeing the disappointed look on her former's Assistant's face, Liane added, “However, I am willing to let you examine my work, one last time.”
“Thank you, My Lady!” the younger master said, smiling widely. For a moment, Liane had a flashback to a young girl that was so eager to learn anything she was willing to teach.
Shaking her head, Liane released her staff, which remained upright, balancing on its tip. She clapped her hands together, then drew them apart. A massive array of magical symbols appeared in smoky writing in mid-air. The young Assistant was staring with open mouth; he had heard of that spell but had never seen it in action. It could only be used by one with flawless memory.
“I shall leave this to you, My Lady,” Liane said, seeing Amy eagerly twist and spiral the array to look at the entire construct. “I do believe it will take you some time.” Amy didn't reply. Liane smiled softly; the years had not changed her former Assistant after all, it seemed. Maybe she really had been reading too much in Amy's attempts at flattery.
Instead, the Pillar turned and focused on Arno. “Tell me, Young Assistant. Is my former Assistant an adequate Proctor?”
The young boy looked incredibly protective all of a sudden, before realizing who he was talking to and looking a bit sheepish for reacting in such a way. “She is an incredibly good Proctor, My Lady. She has taught me as much about magic as any of the Doctorii have, and she has spent countless hours teaching me magic that I would not have otherwise been exposed to. Although she did refuse to allow me to accompany her into Deep Secrets and Ancient Lore.”
For a moment, Liane wondered why Amy would have done so, then dismissed the thought. It wasn't important, Amy was the Proctor so she got to make the decisions. Perhaps Arno was not mature enough to handle the responsibility? “I'm pleased to hear that,” she said. “She was an excellent Assistant, and I always hoped that she would chose to become a Proctor herself and find an Assistant as good as she was.”
The young boy looked conflicted, not sure how to take her enigmatic statement. Did it mean that Liane didn't think him good enough? Or did it mean that she did believe him good enough? Liane watched the emotions cross his face with amusement. She had forgotten how much fun it was to have an Assistant and guide them through the world of magic.
“Are you ready for your graduation tomorrow, Assistant?” Liane asked, pulling him from his conflicted thoughts. “The examination panel can be quite daunting, all of us who were once Assistants must face it.”
Arno nodded quietly but gave no verbal response, the emotional conflict gone and forgotten, and settling into an uneasy stance. “Perhaps a small practice session?” Liane offered. The young Assistant looked reluctantly nervous, then gave a sheepish sort of agreement.
The Pillar looked over to Amy, who was still engrossed with the runic construction of her legendary work. “Very well, then,” the MagicWarper said, conjuring a comfortable seat out of thin air for herself and Arno. “We might as well get comfortable.”
“Thank you, My Lady,” the young boy said, gingerly taking his seat, nervous about his upcoming questioning from the legendary figure that Amy had turned Liane into. For a few moments, she glanced over the insignia pinned to the boy's chest, identifying the elements he had studied. Lightning, Air, and Fire. Good, she could work with this.
“Explain in your own words, what is magic?” Liane asked. The boy looked startled for a moment, not expecting such a fundamental question, and hesitated.
“Magic is the energy of the world around us, gathered within ourselves, and manipulated into the desired results,” the young Assistant said.
Liane waited a few more moments, playing the little trick of waiting to see if he would amend himself or if he were convinced of his answer. He twitched slightly, obviously anxious, but said nothing further. She dipped her head. “Succinct answer, Assistant. Tell me, why does the Academy teach spells, when magic is internal and no such spells are necessary?”
He obviously felt better now that he had the first answer correct, and Arno answered calmly. “Spells are a method with which magic is taught. The words, phrases, and gestures allow us to frame the magic being used, but as we gain familiarity with a spell, we learn to do them without the incantations at the cost of losing power but gaining speed. Spells can still be used to boost the power of a spell, sacrificing speed to do so.”
“Excellent answer,” Liane complimented. “It sounded a bit rehearsed, so you might want to pay attention to that when in front of the commission. The Academy doesn't want you to learn by heart, it wants you to think and understand. If possible, try to frame your answers in your own words. It gains extra credit.”
The young Woodcrafter looked surprised. “I didn't know that. Thank you, My Lady,” he told her, honestly grateful for the advice.
She dipped her head, feeling the familiar sensation of teaching a successful lesson. She had forgotten how good it felt to be able to teach someone something new. “Next question. Explain the fundamental principle to the manipulation of lightning.”
Arno looked panicked. “I... I don't know, My L
ady,” he answered shamefully. It was obvious the boy believed himself a failure, and Liane reached out to grasp his chin and prevent him from bending his head.
“A Noble should not bend his head, Assistant,” she spoke, calmly but sternly. “Now, the question I asked wasn't entirely fair. I asked for the root of Lightning magic. This root is not taught to you directly in elemental manipulation classes, it is something that most Mages need to work out for themselves. All Nobles have different skills and talents, and so the fundamental principle of a certain element is different for each.”
She reclined slightly in her seat. “For example, one of my best friends is the Lord Milor of the Thunderstorms. He has always been a genius with the element of lightning. For him, lightning is quick, powerful, and infinitely reactive. His root would be as easy as drawing a mental picture and supplying the magic to fuel the current. My own magic is cracked and unstable. I do not have a root to any of the elements. Each spell reacts differently to my magic, the time of the day, and my emotional state. As such, I need to consider plenty of different factors for each spell I cast. I have been doing it for so long, it has become second nature. For you, as a wood-based Mage, lightning's root would probably be related to conductivity, atmospheric conditions, and humidity levels.”
She focused back on him. “Now, you may ask, why did I ask you an unfair question?” He nodded once, then blushed at the thought of questioning a Pillar. “I asked you this question for a very simple reason. The panel is going to ask you questions, and they will keep asking you questions until you can no longer answer. Some questions will be unfair, others will not have an answer. The goal is to always answer as honestly as you can, and admit to your ignorance if you can't.”
“Thank you, My Lady,” he said again, his voice filled with both gratitude and hero-worship. For a moment, Liane wondered if Cassandra had chosen to interrogate Amy, would the blonde have worshipped her old Proctor as much as this young Assistant was now looking at her?
“This is in four dimensions!” Amy suddenly cried. Liane looked at her former Assistant, who was staring at the runic build with open mouth. “How... how did you get away with this without anyone knowing?” she demanded abruptly, staring at Liane. The Pillar heard Arno gasp at the impolite nature of the demand.
“You would be the only one who would be able to get that far,” Liane admitted with a small chuckle. “Yes, it is anchored in time as well as the conventional three dimensions. That is the reason why my legendary work cannot be disabled – it will deploy and defend itself before it gets entangled or blocked. I will never find myself blind-sided and my magic sealed, ever again.”
Amy stared at her former Proctor. “Only you would take such a harrowing experience and devise a weapon to ensure it never happens again,” she stated with admiration.
The Pillar gave a wink and a grin, before turning back to the young Assistant. “Now, let's continue while your Proctor tries to keep herself from salivating.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Amy wipe at her lips sheepishly. Arno tried to hide his smile, despite the confusion that still filled his face. He had no idea what they had just talked about, and was pretty sure that he didn't want to know.
Now that Liane's attention was firmly focused on him once more, he squirmed slightly. Her last question had been one with no real answer, and Arno Woodcrafter felt intimidated. “This question is to make you think, Assistant,” the MagicWarper said. “Explain under what circumstances location plays a role in the casting of magic.”
The younger boy frowned in thought, obviously ordering his thoughts. Mentally, she tallied him another point, there were few who could keep their heads and think under pressure. “As far as I am aware,” the young Woodcrafter finally said, “there are only two instances where the location of a caster would make a difference. First, when employing an element that is either present or absent in a certain environment, such as using ice or fire magic while in a frozen landscape, employing earth or water magic while surrounded by earth or sand, or employing fire or ice magic while close to an active volcano. The second would be while in the Kirian capital, where a magical tax is exerted on every Noble, and the Noble's ability to cast magic would be correspondingly decreased. I am not aware of magic being location-bound otherwise, My Lady.”
The Pillar kept staring at him. “Your response is incomplete, Assistant. Why can the environment impact the casting of certain spells when one of the fundamental rules of magic is that magic is the same everywhere?”
Arno swallowed deeply, a bead of sweat appearing on his forehead. “Magic cannot change the laws of physics, merely temporarily circumvent them,” he finally said. “The same magic will cast the same spell, but the environment will impact it right after it has been cast. When in a cold environment, it takes more energy to cast fire-based spells simply because a fire-based spell will lose energy more quickly after it has been cast and so requires more energy during the casting process to get the same end results. Exactly the opposite is going on with ice-based spells. As the environment is already cold, it will lose less energy, and therefore it will require less energy during the casting process to attain the desired result.”
The senior mage allowed her lips to twitch into a smile. “That is the complete answer, Assistant. Good work.”
Liane asked more and more questions, sometimes delving deeper, sometimes asking routine questions, and settling into an easy back-and-forth with Arno.
“That should do fine for the committee tomorrow, Assistant,” she finally said. “You've proven a good grasp of the theory and an outstanding grasp of the practical.”
“Thank you, My Lady,” the boy said, glad the questions were over and that he had passed. For a few minutes, they were silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Liane focused her gaze on Arno once more, curious about one thing.
“Tell me, Assistant, how difficult is it to be a male mage? I was once considering the Warlock path myself, and find myself curious to the challenges one faces when selecting a different from normal path,” she asked.
The boy hesitated. “Apart from comments regarding my relationship with my Proctor and with various classmates, I'm not sure how I should answer that question, My Lady,” he replied honestly. “I'm sure the lessons are the same for me as they were for you, and my Proctor has been brilliant at helping me.”
Liane nodded, feeling a bit disappointed at the lack of answer that she had been given. It wasn't surprising, being a male Mage was all Arno knew, just as being a female one was all that Liane knew. It would be difficult to compare differences when all one had was their own point of reference. Maybe Amy would be able to offer a better view, once she was done examining Liane's construct.
For now, she looked at Arno. The boy had all but admitted to having a bad relationship with his classmates. If there was one thing Liane knew, it was being in a bad relationship with classmates. “I too, received negative critiques from a few of my classmates, usually regarding my defective magic. I am sure they would have been embarrassed, should they not have died in the dueling circle. I am sure that you will do fine with a couple of duels on your belt,” the senior mage replied calmly.
“Proctor told me not to enter any duels,” he whispered, as if admitting to something embarrassing. “I don't know why. I'd love to challenge a couple of mages that keep making lewd comments regarding my relationship with my Proctor.”
That statement had been unexpected, and it took the Pillar a few moments to come up with a response to it. “Perhaps your Proctor wishes to avoid you getting injured, Assistant,” Liane said, finding it curious that Amy would place such a request on the young boy. Dueling was a part of life, refraining from dueling would get the boy branded as a coward. She started feeling upset at Amy's command, but buried it. She was the Proctor, she made the decisions. It wasn't Liane's place to question her. Maybe some levity was needed to lighten the mood? “While we are on the subject, exactly what is your relationship with my former Assistant?”
“Come now, you are a healthy young male, growing up and going through puberty. You reside in the same room as an attractive young woman. Are you telling me you've never fantasized -”
“I would ask you to stop your questioning, My Lady,” Arno spoke, angrily. His young body was shaking.
Liane grinned like the cat that ate both cream and canary. “I see,” she said suggestively.
“Please stop interrogating my Assistant, Proctor,” Amy told Liane, still distractedly going through the runes and not realizing that she had called Liane 'Proctor'. “Our relationship is none of your business for one, and is no more intimate than the bond you and I used to share.”
“I will torment your Assistant to my heart's content, Assistant. He makes such a delightful target,” Liane shot back, breaking Amy's concentration and making the younger mage look up from her work. The Pillar made a note to apologize to the Assistant later, he probably didn't realize that she was joking. Amy, having known Liane for years, did.