A Step Forward

A couple days have passed since I settled my agreement with my mom. I have not been visiting the home library at all now, as I just took dad's magic book with me. He said I can keep it as there's not much for him to learn from it anyways. 

The intrigue and anticipation of being able to do something you only have heard of in novels back in my old world was almost suffocating, and every day I spent hours flipping through its pages and practicing my breathing techniques. I decided that I won't be waiting for my mana flow to manifest itself, and will force the process. But to be completely honest, I had no idea whether I was making any progress or just wasting my time.

After all, I was trying to do something that quite possibly has never been attempted. But all that due to my impatience on finding out if I was a mage or not. It only makes sense that I would want to find out. The possibility was there, and it was real. Being able to do what someone in my previous life would only wish for when they play games or watch movies is exhilarating. 

After roughly two weeks or so, when I was about to finally give up and hope for the best that my mana flow manifests, I was finally able to sense this "energy" that the book was talking about. It was a presence that I have never felt before, and I was sure that what felt was mana.

It was a warm feeling on the outside, quite cozy if you ask me. But for the first few times there was a somewhat tingly feeling on the inside, like an itch you had within yourself but you physically could not itch it. I think this is what people feel when their mana flow begins taking shape within their body. Quite discomforting, and it lasted quite a while. All over my head, arms, body, and legs. This itch just didn't go away. I suppose it was bearable considering what this itch signified, but damn it was irritating to feel, especially when it lasts that long. 

Nevertheless, imagine my excitement when I figured it out. This will open the pathway to magic! Literal magic! I couldn't believe it. I had done what probably was never done before. Becoming a mage by forcing the process way ahead of time. But that aside, I could sense mana!

Hell yes! It was real, and I was able to sense it. The reality began settling in, which made me hyperventilate even more. Magic, being a mage, firing fireballs and stuff like that. And I will be able to do it. The dream that many had as little kids came to life. It is unbelievable. So unbelievable I can not express it in words.

Imagine if in the old world you would suddenly gain the possibility to fly, and after some time, you were actually able to do it. Imagine how breathtaking the ability to fly would be? A similar excitement I experienced now. Magic, endless possibilities. I will legit have what could be considered as superpowers back in my previous life. I don't know how excited mages of this world are when they find out they can cast magic, but for someone who came from a magicless world, it was almost as if the world turned upside down and my perception of reality became distorted. 

Thankfully nobody came in to see me as I was screaming into my pillow while my heart was beating so fast it felt like it would jump out at any moment. I sat up on my bed, and took a few deep breaths to settle my nerves down. Breathe in, breathe out. I basically did the exact same technique of feeling for atmospheric mana, only this time to calm myself down. After I did so, I finally returned back to the textbook.

According to the beginners magic guide as I mentally refer to it, in regards to magic affinity, elves are most likely to develop it towards earth and water elements, the most common one being earth. Wind magic if you're gifted, and a fire wielding elf is something that is so rare it barely ever happens. 

That was a bummer. Honestly fire was something I looked forward to the most when I learned I could sense for mana and become a mage. Spewing fireballs, creating inferno vortexes, explosions. Yeah like come on, give me some explosions here. I was literally nerfed by nature itself. Ok, anyways, that just gives me one more reason to try and obtain fire magic. If I, currently an elf, would be able to control fire, it would be awesome. 

Since I have this head-start now, I've got to become a super mage, and yes, that includes controlling fire as well. I felt as if there was no choice, otherwise this cheat skill would just go to waste. There are quadra elemental mages out there, so if someone who became a mage naturally, was able to control the elements, and all that while they were born normally, not as an adult, then I would definitely be able to do it, no further explanation needed.

But the reason why it's so difficult to control all elements, is because each one requires a unique approach. Earth is a dense and stubborn material. Although it requires more mana input, in regards to control, it is fairly simple. However for example fire or wind on the other hand, do not require much mana input, but a lot of control. Wind and fire can spread out and live their own life so to say, and it is the responsibility of the mage to condense the element into a spell, and not allow it to disperse or spread out. The combination of mana power and control is what makes someone who is a quadra elemental mage even stronger, because they not only have raw magical power, but immense control over it.

Casting a spell is essentially molding mana into a particular form. That however only sounds easy, or, actually jo, it doesn't sound easy at all, and I have no idea how to do it. I just got the ability to sense mana and channel it throughout my body, so cut me some slack. 

Ok anyways, it says that you must imagine its shape, the nature of your spell, and how much mana it takes. Specific chants allow the caster to undergo this process easier, as these chants stimulate the mana to act in particular ways, to draw towards your hands and outwards, and form spells. Chants allow you to realize and imagine the spell better, hence your control over your own mana when molding it into a spell will also improve.

Many things go into being a mage it seems. Absorbing and circulating mana, controlling the flow in your body, molding the mana into a spell. This is quite a complicated process, especially when I am hovering somewhere in the middle of understanding and being completely clueless as to how the hell to actually do all this. Trust me, it's easy to call me an idiot for not being able to follow instructions, but controlling the mana flow is almost as if I was trying to control two bodies at once, my own, and the mana one, if that makes sense.

So for many weeks after that, I continued to focus not on casting spells, but gaining control over the workings of my mana flow. I needed to really feel it, to be able to guide my mana and focus it in different parts of my body as I pleased. It was difficult work, and many times I just couldn't properly control it. It was also frustrating, but something I understood to be necessary in order to be able to reap the reward later on.

Over the course of this time, I was able to absorb even more mana, and my control over my mana flow did not even compare to my sad attempts a while ago. Despite feeling like literally controlling a second body, I was now able to direct and concentrate mana into my hands, and circulate it throughout my body which is something I would always need to do if I want to move on to the next stage.

Once I was able to properly control my mana flow, it was time to move onto basic spell casting. The book outlines a simple rock fling spell. Just creating a small rock, and firing it at high speeds, seemed simple enough, but I knew that for a beginner mage such as myself, even this kind of feat will be no easy task.

After I absorbed, and circulated mana throughout my body so that my flow had enough and wouldn't drain itself, I stuck my right arm out, and concentrated the flow of mana into my hand. I felt a warm sensation, like sticking your arm out from an air conditioned room into the summer heat outside, and my arm felt weirdly light, as if all this time I wore weights that weighed my arm down. Glancing over to the book, which I held in my left hand, and further concentrating the mana into my right hand, I chanted.

"Stone Fling."

Nothing happened. I did feel a tingling sensation in my arm, and felt the mana leaving my body, but aside from that, nothing. I did not let that discourage me however, because this was already progress. I took a few deep breaths, calmed down, relaxed, and concentrated on my mana. I chanted again.

"Stone Fling."

A small stone took shape at the end of my right hand, levitating in the air for a few moments, before releasing and...

SMASH

Breaking through the wall and flying outside. 

"..."

I-I did it. I actually did it. No way, did I actually just cast magic right now? Like out of thin air, I just formed a rock, and flung it? Someone who lived in a world with no magic, seeing it as some great superpower and daydreaming what it would be like to wield it, finally had that dream come true.

My legs turned to spaghetti, and I collapsed on the floor, staring at the hole in the wall that I just made with a blank expression. The reality dawned on me.

"I actually did it." I mumbled to myself.

I achieved the impossible for anyone in my old world. I mean, if you came to a fantasy world and realized you could cast magic, literally have superpowers, how would you react? Something completely new, bending nature to your will. Just something about it was incomprehensible to me as an other-worlder. I was in a mix of emotions between excitement, awe, and shock. I sat there frozen like a statue before I heard yelling coming from the other side of our house.

"ARDIEL, WHAT WAS THAT NOISE?"

My mom's yell came from the opposite side of our house, and a few moments later her and my father were already at my side. Honestly if it was any other time, I would be hiding under the bed praying for my mom not to find me. Right now she was probably furious, but all I could do was just stare wide eyed and in awe at the hole in the wall, about the size of a tennis ball. 

"HAHAHAHA, OUR BOY'S A GENIUS!"

My father was ecstatic the moment he saw me holding the book and the hole in the wall.

"Casting earth magic at only the age of three! My son's a genius!!"

"That's all well Leotriul, but who is going to fix the hole in the wall?"

Huh? She wasn't mad? I mustered up my courage to look up in her direction, and instead of a piercing glare, she seemed to be just as shocked as I was, while my dad pranced around like a buffoon proclaiming my genius. 

"I cast my first spell when I attended school, but he did it only at the age of three! HAHAHAHAHAHA. I'll rub this in Haldir's face the next time I see him!"

It takes quite some effort to calm my mother if she is angry. So seeing how she was just staring wide eyed at me, made me feel like me casting this spell at my age was something even more out of the ordinary than I originally thought. I wouldn't be handed away to some lab because of this, right?

Leotriul Elrond

HAH, my son's a genius. I knew this for a while now. Walking, speaking, reading, and now even casting magic, all at the age of three! And here I was considering myself talented. I only got the grasp of effectively using magic in combat when I attended the capital's academy, and cast my first spell at the age of seven, but my son did it at three!!

As I made my way towards the garrison outpost of Aveildar, I made sure to come across Haldir, with whom I have been friends ever since our days in the academy together.

"Wonderful morning Haldir!" I said, grinning from ear to ear.

"You look especially cheerful today Leo."

He is the only person besides my wife who calls me Leo, instead of my full name. 

"Of course a dad would be proud if his son is a genius."

"There you go again with your genius son, Leo. I can not go through a single day without you stating that. So why exactly are you even more happy than usual? It is hard to believe you can actually be any giddier." That last part he mumbled under his breath.

"He cast his first ever spell. Now guess what? AT THE AGE OF THREE!"

"I'm sorry?"

"Age of three. Ardy cast his first spell at the age of three. I thought he was amazing to be able to read at this age, but he is also a prodigious mage."

"If you lie, your nose will grow longer Leo. And I can see it physically increasing in length right now."

"Calling me a liar, Haldir?"

"I am just stating that even her majesty the royal princess was only able to cast her first spell at the age of five. Besides, casting at only the age of three is beyond fantasy. Something like that is simply impossible, the child does not yet have properly developed mana flow to be able to cast spells."

Yeah, this is how Haldir always has been. Everything for him had to be backed up with logic and evidence, and he was quick to label something out of the ordinary as impossible. Didn't stop us from being friends though, two complete opposites balancing each other out I suppose.

"If you want proof, I invite you over. Let's have a cup of tea, and you will be able to see my son again. You haven't met him ever again since you helped deliver him after all."

My blue eyed friend looked at me like he was examining some peculiar forest creature he was seeing for the first time.

"Alright Leotriul, sure, show me this prodigy you never stop talking about."