31 30: Star Child: First Lesson II

"Come on! We're going to be late!" Iris yelled as we ran through the lobby towards the lecture hall.

"I'm moving as fast as I can!" I shouted back at her. Admittedly I was moving pretty slow. I used a lot more mana than I should when roasting that rachnid and was running near empty, about fifteen to twenty percent. If the mob had decided to attack I wouldn't have been too useful and percent passed out after that lightning bolt.

"We're almost there." Jane said. She reached the double doors first and quickly pushed them open.

We were greeted to a rather intimate lecture hall, instead of a large auditorium like space with ample seating for a few hundred people there was a sort of classroom setting. From the double doors was a small platform that lead a flight of stairs down to a second level.

The second level had was split down the middle by the stairs. There were two large tables, similar to the ones you'd find in a high-school science lab. On that floor on opposite sides of the room. They tables were stocked with various supplies and equipment. At the bottom floor stood Baset leaned against her desk. Which sat in front of a floor to ceiling blackboard.

"Well…." Baset looked down at her watch then back up at us. "You actually made it and with three minutes to spare. When I was informed by security that there was a…aggressive group gathered outside out for Chase's blood I figured you all wouldn't make till about half way through class or miss your first day entirely."

"You knew about those assholes and didn't think to have security disperse them!" I snapped. Iris slapped me on my shoulder but Baset smirked.

"If a bunch a second rate splicers and a few sore losers are enough to keep you from my class then I have to assume you aren't worthy of my class."

"Always a test with you…." I grumbled.

"Life is a test. One the weak and the incapable always fail." Baset said then motioned to the only open table. "Have a seat, we'll start class."

As Jane, Iris and I made our way to our seats I glanced over at the other team. Damon DeCharles was giving me death glares while Alberto and Astrid showed bitter indifference to both me and the girls.

We took our seats with Jane and Iris sitting between me and the other teams table. Seeing that we were seated Baset stood and walked around her desk to the blackboard and picked up a piece of chalk then turned back to us.

"I might as well inform you how this class will be structured. There are only two semesters every year and depending on your major you will attend Andromeda for a varying number of years but for the sake of my explanation we'll assume you all will be here for the standard four years. During this semester you will attend my class every three days after today. There will be multiple classes but I will only give you two assignments. One today and another towards the end of the semester that will be worth your entire grade in my class. Any questions?" Baset asked. Alberto raised his hand and Baset nodded at him.

"Lady Baset what do you mean the assignment near the end of the semester will be worth our entire grade? If that one assignment determines our grade for the semester then what is the point of even doing the first assignment?" Alberto asked. Baset smiled deviously.

"That would be telling but believe you me it will be in all of your best interest to complete both assignments like your entire grade depends on them."

"That smile made me feel as uncomfortable as Chase's smile…." Iris whispered.

"Hey!" I hissed.

Baset turned around and started writing on the blackboard. Everyone in class watched with bated breath as she drew a diagram. I almost instantly recognized the diagram, I'd seen it repeatedly in the last week. It was the diagram that outline the Six elements in a circle. Just as she finished the diagram the started to branch off each element with a bunch of smaller points. When she was finished she turned to the class.

"For our first lesson in our advanced class we will be talking about a subject that should be second nature to…most of you: magic." Baset said then pointed at the diagram. "As you know all magic is composed of the six elements but today we are going to dig deeper than that."

'Is she talking about core elements?' I thought.

"Who here has heard about attributes?" Baset said.

"We've all heard about attributes. It's just another term for elements." Damon said cockily. "Everyone knows that."

"And everyone would be wrong." Baset said. Everyone frowned and looked confused.

"Anyone else want to guess?"

Damon and his group spoke softly amongst themselves and the girls tried to figure out what Baset meant. I just say and scratched my head. I didn't know nearly enough about magic to even begin to guess. After a few minutes Baset shook her head and sighed.

"Chase Kingston front and center!" She shouted and pointed to a spot in front of her desk. I looked at the girls confused and Iris slapped me on the back.

"Get up there!" She hissed. Jane smiled meekly and gave me two thumbs up.

I stood up and walked around the girls to make my way down to Baset. As I passed Damon's teams table Ever single one of them stared at me with a seething hatred for being called on by Baset. Whereas I felt like I was being singled out to answer a question I didn't know the answer to.

As I reached Baset's desk she walked over to me and spun me around and presented me to the class.

"During the classes entrance exams Chase here learned a spell called the mana manipulation and attribute conversion tattoo spell. Simply put that spell allows Chase to change the attribute of his mana with just a thought. Because of this he can sling fireballs and lighting bolts without casting a spell sigil…" Baset explained.

"I knew there was a trick to that crap during our fight!" Damon exclaimed, jumping on his feet. Baset scowled.

"That crap, is going to be the focal point of the lesson today. Seeing how that crap was one of the reasons you lost against Chase Damon I would pay attention." Baset said. The smile she flashed him was vicious and cutting. Damon looked sheepish and sat back down. Alberto and Astrid both shook heads and shot him looks of distain.

"Chase demonstrate." Baset ordered, looking back at me.

I sighed and raised my hands then cycled some of my remaining mana into my hands imagining flames erupting from my palms. My farm crystal glowed as flames spewed from my palms. Damon, Astrid and Alberto all gasped as they saw the flames, then Damon's eyes landed in my glowing farm crystal and his expression turned blank as he started pointing at it. Astrid and Alberto both saw what Damon was pointing at and adopted surprised expressions.

"A star farm crystal!" Astrid exclaimed pointing at me. Baset turned and looked at me then waved Astrid's interruption off.

"Yes, yes. That's old news already now back to the lessoon." Baset said dismissively.

"Old news! A filthy peasant having the rarest type of farm crystal us hardly old news!" Damon exclaimed. "Though it now made sense how he was able to beat me."

"Chase's win against you had little to do with his crystal and everything to do with your overconfidence." Iris said. Damon glared at her and and started to snap back at her when Baset stomped her foot sending a loud echo reverberating though the lecture hall.

"Shut up! This is my time and I am graciously explaining or trying to explain why all of you are wrong about elements and attributes." Baset snapped. Seeing everyone had quieted she continued with her lecture. "Now Chase what do you think is going on with your mana?"

"Um…it's turned into fire…?" I said unsure of my answer. Baset groaned and shook her head.

"I figured you of all people in this class would notice the difference." Baset said.

"I didn't even know what a element was until last week." I groaned. Basst shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Chase think about what your mana manipulation spell does, the exact wording."

"It allows me to change the attribute of my mana…" I started.

"Yes! And why would it say attribute and not element?" Baset interrupted. I frowned and looked down at my hands. The flames were still burning and softly flickering.

'It's a flame and fire's a element…no wait…' I thought then closed my palms and extinguished the flames. I reignited the mana again this time focusing on my thoughts as flames started dancing on my palms. My mind drifted to the conversation I had with Baset a few days ago. And my eyes widened.

"ATTRIBUTES ARE ACTIONS!" I shouted. Baset smiled.

"Go on." She said.

"When I altered my mana I always thought about the end result! What I wanted my mana to do! Burn, electrocute, blow away, all actions not elements. I only ever thought of elements in relation to what they did. Flames burn, lightning shocks, and wind blows so by imaging the element my mana took on attributes similar to the element!"

"Exactly!" Baset explained the rushed back to the blackboard. "Every element has a number of attributes associated with it that define what the element is capable of doing. When you cast a spell sigil you are bringing together multiple attributes together in order to define the parameters of the spell. The burn attribute of fire with the whirl attribute of earth you get a flame spiral spell."

Everyone's eyes widened as realization hit. Baset seemed please to see this then turned to look at me.

"Okay Chase you can stop now and take your seat." Baset said. I happily did as I was told. "It would also serve me to tell you that your mana isn't turning into fire or lightning. Rather your mana is adopting the appearance of the element the attribute you are using is associated with."

After I took my seat again Baset went over several attributes for each element and spent a good chunk of time explaining each. After going through most of them we'd already been in class for more than three hours. This only left the earth element which caused some confusion.

"….yeah that doesn't really explain why wind is part of the earth element and why it doesn't have a element of its own." Alberto said.

"Because the earth element doesn't refer to dirt and rocks but rather the planet itself and the forces that act on it. That's why gravity is also under earth element. It might be easier to comprehend of you think of earth element as both a element and a attribute." Baset explained.

"Actually that does help Lady Baset." Alberto replied.

"Good. Now it's time for your assignment." Baset said then smiled deviously. "The six of you have already been sit onto two teams that you will have till your graduations. Now the assignment for each teams is to create a personalized spell. You will have one month!"

"A what?" I asked.

"A personalized spell. It's a well known spell or rarely used spell that is customized for the carter's preferences." Jane explained. Baset nodded.

"Exactly. Each team has to create their own personalized spell, one that can be casted by every member of the team."

'Fuck…' I thought as the bottom of my stomach suddenly dropped. I looked at Iris and Jane and they both shared my look of dread.

"Lady Baset! That won't be possible for our team." Jane exclaimed then looked at me.

"Are you referring to the fact that because of the mana manipulation and attribute conversion tattoo spell Chase can't learn any new spells and that apart from that spell Chase doesn't know any other spell."

The other team broke out laughing and looked at Baset as if she was joking when they realized she wasn't Damon started laughing louder.

"And here I thought that spell was broken but that downside makes that spell as useless as that peasant." He said.

"That spell wasn't that useless when Chase was kicking your ass with it." Baset said with a smirk. Damon sunk down into his seat. "To address your concerns Jane, I'm fully aware Chase can't cast spells but I'm not going to change my whole lesson plan for one student. Your team will have to figure something out."

"Really?!" I exclaimed. Baset smiled deviously.

"Adversity is the flame that forges the strongest steel." Baset said smugly. "I can't wait to see how strong your steel is…Class over see you in three days."