Basic Practice

Making this is rather difficult since there is not a real explanation for how the mages were trained in the movies, if something sounds strange or doesn't add up, please tell me so I can improve it and my own understanding.

After a couple of days, Liam had finished reading both books and felt confident that he understood it's teachings. He headed downstairs, where he would search for Mordo who would help him through his first practical lessons.

When Liam arrived, he found Mordo in the middle of teaching a group of students. "Hello, Mordo," Liam greeted him. "I've finished reading the books, and I think I understand the teachings. Can I start practicing now?"

Mordo raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "That was quick. Most take weeks, to understand and accept the basics of magic. But if you're ready, we can begin. In a few minutes, a group of students, who joined the sanctum a few months before you, will arrive. You can join their training session today. They're working on the basics."

"What will the basic training involve?" Liam asked.

"The training will begin with energy manipulation, where you'll learn to form a basic spell circle. The second part will focus on sling ring practice. However don't expect to master this quickly. Most people take years just to learn the very basics of the arts," Mordo explained.

After waiting a short while, a group of about 15 students approached. They all varied in age, appearance and gender. Leading them was an older man with a mustache, likely their instructor, as he had been a part of the Sanctum longer than they had. Liam recalled from reading Mystic Foundations Arts that there was a clear hierarchy within Kamar-Taj. Though he knew he wouldn't be treated like the others, having been personally chosen by The Ancient One. 'Thank god for that.' Liam couldn't help but say.

Mordo briefly spoke with the instructor that had a mustache before motioning fr Liam to join the group.

"Today, we begin with the first lesson: drawing basic magic circles," Mordo announced. "Watch the movements carefully and follow my lead."

Liam copying the motions, traced the air with his hands, but saw no visible results. Mordo approached him, watching closely.

"Your movements are too stiff," Mordo observed. "Relax. Magic requires flow. Loosen up and focus on connecting to the dimension you're trying to draw energy from."

Liam adjusted his stance, relaxing his shoulders and focused his mind on the motions.

"Better," Mordo nodded approvingly. "Now, close your eyes and focus on another dimension. Keep the motions going and let the energy flow."

Following Mordo's instructions, Liam began to feel something change. The darkness from having closed eyes seemed to brighten as he focused inside himself, seeking a connection.

"That's it. Don't force it—let it come to you," Mordo encouraged. "Think of it like a river; you can't control it through force. Let it flow naturally."

Liam, hearing what Mordo said stopped attempting to force the energy out and relaxed his mind, he felt a sudden rush of warm energy flowing through him. He opened his eyes to see faint orange sparks flickering in the air before him.

"Well done," Mordo praised. "You're starting to feel the connection. But now you need to refine your technique. Right now, you're letting energy leak out of your body and barely manage to draw anything into the actual spell. You'll need to focus more on guiding it, not letting it go to waste by letting it flow out of your body."

"For beginners, there's only so much energy you can pull from another dimension. After a few more attempts, take a break."

Liam nodded and went through the motions again. This time, he closed his eyes and concentrated more on making the connection. He could feel the energy more clearly now, as if he opened a small door to an ocean. Opening his eyes, he saw more sparks than before, though still far from the level of control he wanted. As the energy flow disappeared, he realized something important: each attempt to draw the energy was becoming easier as he improved the connection he had with the different dimension.

After a few more tries, Mordo instructed Liam to stop and rest.''We are moving on to sling ring practice next, I want you to gain some experience in that too before your energy runs out.''

 A few minutes later, Mordo disappeared into a side room and returned holding a wooden tray, on which several sling rings were placed

.

As the students lined up to receive their sling rings, Liam followed their actions. When it was his turn, he couldn't help but ask, "Mordo, you said these students have been here for months. Why don't they have their own sling rings yet?"

Mordo gave him a serious look. "Students who haven't mastered the sling ring aren't allowed to keep them. It's too dangerous. In the past, inexperienced mages have accidentally opened portals to other dimensions, sometimes bringing monsters or even natural disasters through. One incident involved someone opening a portal to the middle of an ocean and drowning because they didn't know how to close it."

Hearing this sent a chill down Liam's spine. He carefully took a sling ring from the tray and slid it onto his fingers, feeling the cold metal around his hand. He couldn't help but feel excited. The idea of creating portals to travel anywhere was one of the things that excited him most about magic.

Joining the other students, Liam began practicing the sling ring techniques. He watched their motions closely, copying the way they made circles in the air. Closing his eyes, he focused on drawing energy through the connection he had made earlier. This time, more orange sparks began to appear as he repeated the motions.

With each try, the sparks grew slightly brighter and increased in number. 

Mordo eventually approached him again.

"You're making progress, but that's enough for today," Mordo said. "You need to rest. Tomorrow, I want you to come two hours earlier. We'll start with basic martial arts, and I'll show you how magic and combat techniques work together."