A Lesson in Mana (Part - 2)

Pyrrhus's brow furrowed. "So," he began, his voice a mix of curiosity and disappointment, "I can't use the stable elements?"

Jonathan, observing his young student's reaction, summoned a gentle gust of wind with one hand and a shimmering droplet of water with the other. "I was born aligned with stable mana," he explained, his voice raspy yet patient, "so it's more difficult for me to use wind. But it's just a matter of practice. It becomes easier with time."

Pyrrhus's confusion deepened. "But you can't use water with unstable mana, right?" he pressed.

"No," Jonathan confirmed.

Pyrrhus's mind raced. He discreetly summoned his system window and stared at the stats:

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[Name]: Pyrrhus

[Mana]: Unstable (Yellow)

[Elements]: Wind, Water, Fire, Soul

[LifeWeave]: None

[ManaLocks]: None

[Unique Magic]: Flame Dominion

[Flame Dominion]: Flame Dominion commands the essence of fire, binding all flames to the will of its bearer.

***

Pyrrhus's mind raced, a whirlwind of questions swirling through his thoughts. If unstable mana wasn't supposed to work with water, how on earth had he managed it?

The memory of watching Cora effortlessly manipulate the element ignited a spark of determination within him. For four long years, he had secretly practiced, stealing moments in the dead of night to experiment with the element. It had been a frustrating, often fruitless endeavor, but he had finally achieved a modicum of control.

And what about soul magic – his system window clearly listed it as one of his elements, yet Jonathan had remained silent on the matter.

The system that had first appeared when he'd accidentally used magic at six months old remained a mystery. It was a silent observer, a constant companion that offered no explanations, only stats and abilities.

Pyrrhus pushed these nagging questions to the back of his mind as Jonathan continued. "There's one more crucial difference between stable and unstable elements." He gestured towards a weathered wooden trunk resting nearby. "Use your magic to place your bowls on top of it."

Pyrrhus's eyed the stump suspiciously. This seemed far too easy. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a gentle breeze, effortlessly lifting his bowl and setting it down softly on the trunk. No trick? He turned to watch Cora, expecting a similar display.

But to his surprise, she struggled. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she attempted to manipulate the water to lift the bowl. Halfway to the trunk, the water dispersed, sending the bowl clattering to the ground.

Cora's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry," she mumbled, quickly retrieving the bowl. "I'll try again."

Jonathan raised a hand, stopping her. "No need," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "This demonstrates the second lesson. Unstable elements require a continuous flow of mana to maintain control, which allows for manipulation over larger distances. Stable mana is the opposite."

With a flick of his finger, Jonathan sent Cora's bowl soaring through the air, landing it neatly beside Pyrrhus's. "Remember," he said, his gaze sweeping between the two children, "each type of mana has its strengths and weaknesses. The key is to understand these differences and learn to work together."

He paused, his gaze lingering on each child. "From today, I also want you both to practice with the other type of mana and try absorbing it. Help and guide each other master the water and wind element." With those final words, he turned to disappear into the tent.

Pyrrhus's brow furrowed, and he hesitantly said, "But... I can use water," he blurted out, his voice barely a whisper.

Jonathan paused, his hand hovering over the tent flap. He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as he studied Pyrrhus. "What did you say?"

Pyrrhus hesitated, unsure whether to reveal his secret. But the words had already escaped his lips, and he knew there was no turning back. "I can use water," he repeated, his voice gaining strength. "Not much, but I can."

A pregnant silence hung in the air. Jonathan's gaze intensified, his eyes boring into Pyrrhus. The old mage leaned on his walking stick, his weathered face a mask of contemplation.

"Show me," he finally said, his voice barely a whisper.

Pyrrhus nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He closed his eyes, focusing on the familiar feeling of mana flowing through him. He reached out with his mind, seeking the cool, soothing essence of water. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he concentrated, willing the water to obey his command.

A small droplet of water materialized above his outstretched palm, shimmering in the morning light. It quivered for a moment, then slowly expanded, forming a miniature sphere swirling with a gentle current.

Jonathan's breath hitched, his grip tightening on his walking stick until his knuckles turned white. His eyes, narrowed to slits, scrutinized the glowing sphere, searching for clues to its nature. "What does it do?" he asked, his voice barely a rasp.

Pyrrhus blinked, his confusion mirroring the swirling water above his hand. Do? What was water supposed to do? "It... it can cool things down?" he offered hesitantly, unsure of what Jonathan expected.

A flicker of surprise, quickly masked, crossed Jonathan's face. His eyes met Pyrrhus's, a silent storm raging in their depths. A shiver ran down Pyrrhus's spine, a sudden chill in the warm morning air. Had he done something wrong? Jonathan always did say experimenting with magic was dangerous.

"That is not water magic, not completely" Jonathan finally spoke, his voice carefully neutral. "And what you did was... reckless."

Pyrrhus's heart sank, the weight of Jonathan's disapproval heavy on his shoulders. He had hoped for praise, for recognition of his accomplishment. Instead, he had been reprimanded.

"Focus on channeling stable mana from Cora," Jonathan instructed, his voice firm but not unkind. "Master the fundamentals."

Pyrrhus nodded, his cheeks burning with shame.

Jonathan turned back towards the tent, his steps slow and deliberate. "But don't neglect what you have been doing," he added, his voice gruff but not unkind. "It's not a bad start, as far as magic is concerned."

As Jonathan disappeared into the tent, Pyrrhus stood alone, the shimmering sphere of water slowly dissipating above his palm. His mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions: confusion, disappointment.

***

A/N:

Thanks for reading Chapter 8! I hope you're enjoying John's journey as Pyrrhus. Your comments and votes really motivate me to keep writing.

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