Seven Schools of the Arcane Arts

Beneath the bonfire, crackling over the logs of firewood. Zariel looked up at the four moons, unsure when the time had slipped away from him. 

It was already twilight. 

He looked down at the little girl sleeping, sprawled out like a dog on its back, and found a hint of a smile. "She's not human. Not even remotely human. That type of strength is usually found in children of giants or titans." He closed his eyes, opening them to the moon reminiscent of his final days within the Hells. "I only escaped due to the Weave. I sacrificed my bloodline, my body, even parts of my soul to do so." 

He gave a long, weary sigh and lifted his hand, staring at it with marvel in his silvery eyes, "It's not bad. Aesthetically, I look the same. But it's all synthetic. To create a body from nothing was… already a miracle that went against the fundamental law of equivalent and exchange. But it seems it was not without consequence. I don't seem to be able to heal… at all. The blisters on my feet, the soreness of my body, I can't fix any of it, not without outside aid. And it seems my soul is still cursed. So, no elemental magic for me. How fun. Well, it matters little." 

For a while, Zariel lay there, looking up past the moons to a cluster of endless stars and the ring that seemed to curve the unknown planet in which he now lived. He wondered of revenge, wondered if he still had it in him. The pain was over… the torment that never allowed one to adapt never allowed one reprieve, much less the sweet satisfaction of falling into madness to forget one's worries. 

He was forced into a hell that kept him sane to be tormented until time seemed to cease. 

And even now, he shook whenever he recalled it… "Welcome to Levatus," The mysterious voice, cold and distant, had told him before his hell began. 

"I wonder… I wonder if my brother is alive. What about my sister? Did they escape? How long was I gone? How…" He stopped. Asking questions to ghosts won't help. He needed to hide… And to do that. 

Zariel turned to the sleeping girl. "To do that, I'll use you. Whatever your Fate might be… it'll be my cover against the deities of Heaven and Hell. Until I regain my lost power." 

***

When dawn broke over the horizon, Aurelia's starry eyes snapped open. "Aurelia's up!" she cheerfully said, looking around for her playmate. With a belly full of last night's deer, the little girl hopped to her feet, finding Zariel sitting over the cliff, staring down at the village. 

"Big Brother, you know that's dangerous. What if you fall?" 

"Then I'll cast Feather Foot." He idly replied. 

"Feather foot?" Aurelia sat by him. "What's that?"

Draped in a set of brown furs from last night's deer, Zariel said, "It's a spell that allows one to weigh as much as a feather." 

"Eh! You're an Arcanist?" Aurelia's eyes sparkled. " Can you teach me?" 

"I don't see how that'll help you hunt deer or wild boar." 

"You never know!" 

"Oh, but I do," The boy replied, smirking. Wondering how he might test the girl. "I'll teach you if… if you jump with me." 

"Huh?" Aurelia gulped, looking down, then to Zariel. "Y-Y-You want me to… jump?" She had no proof he was an Arcanist. Nothing but his word. And yet, as her gaze flicked to the endless mist that blanketed the village some hundreds of meters below, she shook. 

With a mischievous grin, Zariel nodded. "Let's call it a test of fate. You jump with me, and I'll grant you the knowledge of the Seven Schools of the Arcane Arts." He stood up with one foot over the cliff. "So? What will it be?" 

"You promise you're not lying?" Aurelia asked him. 

Zariel shrugged. " Maybe I'm just a big fat—" 

Before he could finish, Aurelia sucked in a large breath and plunged downwards, to his astonishment. "That crazy son of a bitch!" He shouted, plunging downwards after her. 

He had only been joking. Merely wanted to tease the girl. But that fool had not even hesitated. 

Did she not care for her life? 

The gentle winds became like howls wrenching at his newly made furs as if to tear them off his body. Beating against his face like drums, he caught up with Aurelia, screaming her head off with a bright smile over her dirty face and matted silver hair. 

'Idiot'

By now, they had all but drifted halfway down the cliff, plunging through the mist. Zariel opened his hand and reached so far into himself that a strange, mysterious force seemed to swell from out of his palm. Silvery as his hair, the strange force weaved itself into a runic sigil and erupted in a starry array of translucent feathers billowing through the air. It shone, wrapping around Zariel and Aurelia until their fall became more like gentle flight and vanished. 

When they landed some moments later, Aurelia was drenched in a thick sheen of sweat running down her cheeks and a flush look that said, 'Let's do it again!' So bright her eyes, she practically lunged at the boy. 

Zariel dodged, dancing from out of her range, and growled. "Are you crazy? What if I had been lying?"

"Hehe. But you didn't!" 

It had seemed to him Aurelia was either stupid or too trusting. Either way, neither boded well for Zariel. If she were to be his cloak, his tether back into the Material Plane of Iluthath, she would need to learn. She had the talent, no doubt, from what he saw and the physique to match. Still, he believed his choice wasn't a bad one. All that was left was to inspect her with the Weave. 

"Now teach, Aurelia!" Said Aurelia brightly. 

The boy angled his surroundings, finding himself in a secluded area away from the village, in a small grove, and shifted his eyes back to Aurelia. " Fine. I'm a devil of my word." He said, cutting out a charming smile. "Within the Arcane Realm of Magic, there exist Seven Schools: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Evocation, Necromancy, Alteration, and Animus/Spirit." 

"A-b-j-u-r-a-t-i-o-n?" The word sounded funny to her young ears. "What's that do?" 

Zariel took off, gesturing for the girl to follow. " Abjuration is the art of protection, by projecting one's Spirit into the Source, in this case, Arcana, to manipulate it. You're specifically able to create powerful barriers and so on. It's a school of protection, if you will. And the lifeline of most arcanists. Conjurations deals with deals and contracts with creatures from the other Twelve Realms. It's useful… sometimes." 

"Divinations…" He made a disgusted face. "Divination is when you deal with Gods by drawing on their powers. Whether they are evil gods or good ones is really up to you and your research. But with them, everything comes at a price.

"Evocations are what elemental Arcanists use to conjure force, lightning, fire, water, and earth. Very powerful and destructive. And one of my specialties." he said, smiling. "Next is Necromancy, that's about life and death… and since you're so suicidal, it might be up your alley." 

Aurelia laughed, putting no weight on his words. 

"Alteration or Transfiguration is what I just used. It allows one to alter the physics of the world around you. In my case, when I used [Feather Foot], I shifted the resistance of the air, making it safe for us to descend without harming ourselves. Some even use it to turn stone to gold or water to wine." 

"Lastly is Animus. That's my primary specialty. As it has to do with the comprehension and manipulation of the soul, of the Spirit housed in all living things." 

When they had exited the small grove beside the cliff, Zariel and Aurelia were met with a small litter of children draped in furs, playing swords with branches. One boy, the tallest of the litter, eyed them almost immediately.

"Hey!" 

Zariel ignored him. "Feather Foot is what is known as a Zero Spell. By weaving the Source with your Spirit, you essentially are able to use as many spells as you want without getting physically tired. Mentally, however, that's another story. But that comes at a cost. Destructive spells like Firebolt or Blast carry a fixed level of power." 

"Hey!" The boy shouted again, strutting over. "Don't you know the drove is off limits? The Mayor said—" 

Again, he was ignored as Zariel pushed ahead. He had no interest in kids. Especially when he was educating someone in a field he held dearly to his heart. Before his Fall, Zariel had been an arcanist of illrepute. He was merely a thousand years old, nine or ten years by Human standards. But within his Father's kingdom, few could match him in terms of comprehension.

He had been born blind to the realm, crippled, unable to use the elements. And for nearly two hundred years, he saw only darkness before the light of the Weave graced him, opening his mind to a world no one could ever fathom. Not his brother, his little sister, nor his mother, and certainly not his Father. 

It was through the Weave he was granted his sight. It was through the Weave he was granted knowledge, and it was through the Weave he was capable of escaping his cage. 

"Hey, can't you hear me! "shouted the tall, dark-skinned boy. Alerio, they called him. "The Mayor said wolves prowl that area!" He growled, stomping his foot when he saw he was ignored, and scampered back to his friends. 

Aurelia felt a bit relieved when she saw him leave.

"Are you listening?" Zariel asked, glancing back at her.

"I am!" she hurriedly said.

Zariel didn't believe her. He glanced at Alerio and continued on his way, wondering if those two had history. He hadn't seemed to recognize her, but Zariel doubted anyone would. The girl truly did look homeless.