A Convergence of Mana

By the time there were only two more left for the Ritual of Granting, the excitement has died down and people have spent their energies cheering. Althea has been waiting patiently being the last person to receive the Granting. Her friend, Bryce, was already up on stage about to receive his Granting. He had a truly rare element: Darkness, which he can control quite well. It was a once-a-generation blessing that made him unique except that some people feared it.

Mana of such color and of such rarity was often misunderstood. Others viewed it as corrupted or evil mana. Black sparks covered him as he took his place in the line-up of other newly granted. By the time her name was called, she received nothing but a few claps and hoots from close friends. This was not some show of disrespect.

The Ritual of Granting summons mana to empower quantum crystals. An enormous amount of energy is needed to pool a mana ball, which is then used to activate and embed crystals during the ritual. With a class size as big as this year's, a handful of variant grants, and a double grant; everyone was spent. Some of the druid priests have already decided to sit down while a line of apprentices looked positively purple looking like they were about to hurl at any moment.

Althea stood calmly in front of the podium while the head druid, Wentlas invoked the sacred words one more time. The hall glowed with the energy of all in attendance. No one knew that all throughout the peaceful city of Kauven and the nearby Forlorn Forest seeds of mana also glowed and converged toward the sacred hall. They joined the energy that was already collected there.

From Althea's perspective, the world went completely white. Her hand started to feel both hot and cold as mana activated the crystal which is now embedded in her hand. A rush of power overwhelmed her system and she could feel her senses sharpening. A tingling sensation waves through her, strengthening her muscles and surging her cells with elemental power. She felt light-headed. The next thing she knew, she was on the floor and so was the most of the spectators.

Wentlas helps Althea up from under the podium. Some people in the stands have begun to stir. "Thank goodness the ritual was completed before the ball of energy completely dissipated," an old lady can be heard saying. The toll of having so many grants in one night must have exhausted everyone's mana. Though, it doesn't explain why Althea was also on the floor.

The other 22 grants we perfectly fine. During the ritual, they were the recipient of both mana and crystal and, therefore, would not have been affected by the energy drain that everyone else experienced.

This unusual event also demonstrates just how much mana is in Wentlas' reservoir. In a hall full of people expending mana, he was the only one that was perfectly fine. Truly, he is the strongest person and worthy protector of the city of Kauven. Wearing his always cheery smile, he closed the event with the final words of the sacred text as the 23 new grants were finally recognized as adults in a deafening applause that filled the Hall of Calling Forth.