realizations
A couple days later the class went through Support magic, martial arts and defensive magic and is now starting on the biggest role, offensive magic.
"Good to see that you all are still high spirited and ready to continue to get to know yourselves.
Listen, for the spells I am handing out you will not only need the incantation and the explained result for the intent but in some cases a motion of your body, this allows you to channel your magic correctly easier." Miranda says.
"Motions? I am still beat from martial arts training and the endurance increase workout James bribed out of me." Lily whines.
"She's working out with you?" Kai asks intrigued.
"We're running together every other day, yes." James answers.
"I can run, why aren't I invited to this?" Kai asks accusingly.
"I don't mind if you want to come." James says shrugging.
"I do. Stay away. I can't let anyone see me like that." Lily insists.
"We should try out these techniques guys." Leonhard tells them, interrupting the discussion breaking out in their group of 7.
"What do we have here... Oh Oh." Serena says, looking over the list and goes over to James, "You should leave. There's a mist spell on here. If you get caught in it half our class will end up at the hospital." Serena tells him quietly, showing him the list.
"Good call. Thanks, you're a great friend." He says, giving her a soft, quick peck on her cheek, making the others of their group stare at them stunned and in Lily's and Yasmina's cases upset.
James heads up to Miranda who is overlooking all the students again, mostly the two groups besides James group of friends though since she noticed him giving them advice and help them realize what they can and can't do.
"Mir. I gotta bow out this class. I know I can do all of those besides the lightning strike and water vortex anyways." James tells Miranda once arriving at the platform.
"What's going on?" She asks surprised, since despite not really needing the tests or learning anything yet he seemed to be enjoying his time with their class.
"With a mist spell on the list Serena voiced her concern that I'm gonna be a ticking time bomb if I stay here." James informs the teacher, who nods in realization.
"That's true. Fine, you are free to leave." She says.
"See you tonight." James replies and heads out.
"Where is he going and what was that just now?" Lily asks Serena.
"What was what?" Serena asks.
"The kiss." Lily says.
"It was on my cheek it's not a big deal." Serena replies calmly.
"And James needed to leave because there is a mist spell on the list." Serena says.
"Why? Does he get a rash?" Kai asks.
"Something like that." Serena answers.
After leaving his class James heads back to his apartment, finally getting the time to work on some magic theory based on sealing spells and inscriptions the Rowan Empire uses as one of the two Empires being on the frontline in containing the demon threat.
"I need to talk to the Dark Squad." James comes to the realization, having been thinking about how to remove the seal on Serena, which sealed 90 percent of her magic energies away by use of a demon spell, his father having a deal with one of their demonic enemies, letting him absorb magic energies from enemies of their Empire and seal it away.
The Dark Squad basically is a secret special unit, who makes use of the same spell but in reverse, sealing demons inside them to become stronger, which more often than once ended in them getting consumed by the demons.
"This other lead would be more difficult than I imagined. Unless I can get Serena to that place." James mumbles, his eyes looking over a map, specifically some ruins in the monster territory, where humanoid beasts are supposed to be living on their own and promoting peace if the few reports over the years are to be believed.
"I could probably make the trip, but there is no way she would or that I could bring someone from their tribe here." James sighs to himself.
"No wonder no one has recovered from this demon technique in 400 years." James grumbles, raking through his dark hair.
"Looks like I have to put this on the back burner. I probably should tell her." James says, feeling bad for the red headed girl.
He then shoves his books aside pissed off and heads over to a shelf with a row of thick books containing various spells copied from the Rowan royal library, having a spell on the books that will make them self-destruct if touched by someone else besides James.
"Time to get stronger." James says, ripping out a few pages from the book and goes to the corner of the room, ripping out a few floor panels, revealing a small chest with a special lock on it.
James holds his hand over the lock, using his magic to unlock it, having set the lock to a specific magic signature achieved when mixing elements in a specific combination and order.
After a minute the lock springs open with a 'click'.
James pulls the box out of the hole and sets it down on the floor, opening it to reveal a few items. 3 rings, which look exactly like the one he gave Miranda, a black dagger with a red gemstone that seemingly has a black goo moving inside it, a golden and blue pin and a fancy looking cloth which appears to be wrapped around something.
He grabs one of the rings and his hand stops over the dagger, thinking about taking it but decides not to. He closes the box and locks it again, before storing it in the hole in the floor and covers it back up again with new floorboards, nailing them in place before burning the destroyed ones.
"Time to smarten up." James says, holding the pages in his left hand after slipping the ring into his left middle finger and the pages disappear into it moments later, the by him created ring being able to store items in it, but costing a constant supply of magic as exchange, based on the items weight.
James puts the book back in the shelf of the 'locked' cabinet, closing it back up with the knife he secured the door with, his visitors knowing that this piece of furniture is off limit for them.
Once his apartment looks like nothing happened James steps outside and heads to the confinement chambers to train by himself.