BOOK ONE: THE BOOK OF SPELL br/

BOOK ONE: THE BOOK OF SPELLS br/ CHAPTER ONE /br
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Andy!
Just a minute mom! Almost done I said as I ran a hand through my hair and went running down the stairs, halting for a second to pick up my backpack before proceeding to meet my mom. She was already waiting for me in the car, so when I got into the car, she accelerated, herding the car towards my school. We traveled the fairly long distance in total silence. Mom was expressionless so I remained quiet, knowing too well than to interrupt her when she was driving.
Today was not blooming with life. It was like everyone had lost their soul, and that effect drowned my spirit too. Every song had left our heart and gone into the wilds. My thoughts ranged, randomly picking on my memories; either from school activities or a wide variety of events I had encountered, even including my very poor performance to learn.
You're late for school, you know? Mom said, not even turning her head to look at me through the front mirror in her car. It was more like a conclusion than a question.
Yes- mom, but I_
No but she shot.
O-k-ay -m-o-m I slurred.
After some time, we arrived at my school, so she said, Time to go my darling , and planted a kiss on my forehead before I could reply to her.
Okay, bye mom!
Bye! Run 'long and don't be late for class
Okay mom! I replied while running through the school gates.
I got into the classroom in time to find out that the lesson had just begun, so I settled down on my seat quickly enough to avoid all attention being drawn to me. Our headmaster, master Ren 'nat was a master mage. He teaches us the forms of magic and their dimensions, how to hold esoteric geometric shapes and even to pronounce a spell syllable correctly.
Whenever he spoke, his voice echoed throughout the hall as he uses a strange breath spell to mask his real voice and make it sound as if it was coming from everywhere at the same time, and now that he spoke, it was with that strange breath spell.
Good morning young mages he said
Good morning master Ren 'nat! echoed the whole class in response.
Today, we shall learn the fundamentals of magic; which are the forms of magic, their dimensions, esoteric geometric images of the mind's visualization of spells and pronunciation of spell syllables
Woah! Isn't that gonna be too much for a few years? a juvenile boy asked, he was short and chubby and looked to be lazy- perfectly explains his question.
No, it wouldn't master Ren 'nat replied.
The slight argumentative scene continued for some time unknown to me- I was so not in the mood to join. All I wanted to do was relax while I get an opportunity to read some high spells that were in master Ren 'nat's spell record book.
So, who can mention the forms of magic our people practice? master Ren 'nat asked, looking at the expressions of some students.
The first attempt was from kelvin, a boy who had all the features of a great duelist; he was a bit taller than an average height, he had less muscular frame which only made him very fast at moving his hands to cast spells, his fingers were long and a thin that each of them could have walked into different positions while he casts his spells. But with all these appearance proficiency, he still haven't won a duel in his life.
His answer was not very likened by master Ren 'nat. Who else care to try? our master said.
A new girl tried. She was so close to getting the answer. The next answer was from another boy, and another boy and then a girl.
Alright master Ren 'nat said, clearing his throat before proceeding to speak again. No one among you seems to have a very impressive answer so- he paused, someone had his hand above his head. Master Ren 'nat drew his attention to look at the figure; a person who was different from every other student, focused, determined, persistent, juvenile and skilled. He was a friend of others, a neutral duelist, he looked to be a war mage as he had a skill of pronouncing spell syllables quickly and correctly like his tongue was in a more perfect alignment in his mouth than any other student, he was indeed very fast and his memory was good, and above all, he was my rival:
Costel.
All eyes were up to see him speak even as the faint colored tattooed sigils on his left forearm tend to make his appearance like one of a great war mage.
Iron, Ember, Blood, Breath, Time, Light and Shadow magic Costel said, looking at me with a self-satisfied smirk that was meant to tell me that he was brilliant too.
Yes, almost there! master Ren 'nat exclaimed, You are correct, but you left out some and whereas you should have mentioned nine, mentioned only seven. But you were still close.
So who else wants to tryout giving us the forms correctly? the master said too soon before he tried to alter his speech. Ahem, I mean, no one else would want to take another trial, would we? he asked more like a conclusion than a question.
Presently, I felt the urge to beat Costel's record, but what if I fail even more than others? What if I will be wrong?
I pushed the thoughts away. The whole class was dead silent as no other student knew the last two forms of magic so I stood up, after all, I had practiced to recite them all day.
Another trial? master Ren 'nat asked. It was more like he was getting tired of our answers, in fact, he was already tired of our answers.
Iron, Ember, Breath, Blood, Time, Shadow, Moon, Light and Dark magic I said confidently to resist shaking.
After a dense suspense had roamed about the hall, there came a sound of someone clapping; it was master Ren 'nat. Afterwards followed an applausive t*ter: it was the whole class. Whoa! Maybe I am correct!
Yes! Absolutely correct! master Ren 'nat said.
I glanced at Costel and he shot me a mean glare.
So- master Ren 'nat continued, but I find my mind wandering off most times, I didn't care, after all, I had been the hero of the day. Nevertheless, I managed on with listening about some hours.
We practice only the first eight forms of magic which are Iron magic, Ember magic, Breath magic, Blood magic, Time magic, Shadow magic, Moon magic and Light magic, the last and most deadly, Dark magic, is forbidden to our people, it is performed by evil mages who bind their souls to darkness in order to cast dark and deadly spells which can be counter balanced by Light spells only.
Light spells are the most powerful spells and the mixture of Light, Moon and Shadow magic can create a thirst fire, with a touch of Blood magic to bind it to the soul of the demon anchoring the dark spell of the mage, burning it with the thirst fire.
But master, what's a thirst fire? a girl asked.
A thirst fire is a magical fire that is used by high counsel mages to counterattack the powers of dark mages. It is a very sacred fire that burns anything, including vacuum and does not quench by any natural means, only by the fewest of spells like the thunder wind and sun rainfall
Master, are those all the spells that could stop a thirst fire? The same thin girl asked, I wonder why she was so obsessed with knowing about this thirst fire.
No, that's not all. Some other spells like the wind spell; Fla 'carath, can direct the flames to some other place or Fla 'cozac, can completely quench it by chance of your persistence of strength.
It is called a high magic because only a great and experienced mage can wield it, understood? master Ren 'nat asked.
Yes master! the class responded and he sighed.
Almost immediately, like in rhythm to the master's feeling, the school bell rang.
Class dismiss! the master shouted, so everyone took their backpacks joyfully and ran out of the class. I picked up my backpack, went out of the class, walked through the school gates to find my mom waiting for me. So I pushed myself through a handful of students in my way just to get to my mom. Soon, I joined her in the car, and then she drove off.
So, how was your studies today darling? she asked, putting on a faint smile, the usual smile I knew.
It was fine mom I replied and added to change the topic, Mom? Can I get some snacks and ice cream? I need some.
Okay darling, I'll go and get it, just wait in the car she said after finding a spot to park her car. She went out of the car so it was just I alone in the car, but after sometime, she was back with the snacks and ice cream.
I collected them and we continued the journey while I ate my snacks.
When we got home today, it was a little bit late, maybe it was because I didn't get to the car early, well- except I knew was a lie, Okay- maybe I made my mom stop the car to get some snacks, yeah- that's pretty true, because I did, and that's why we returned late from my school, thanks to me. Now, I wouldn't have much time for my practice.
After dinner, I tried devising spells that we were taught, reading from my book I tried to focus on my visualization to cast the spell but I keep getting distracted. Among my people, holding esoteric geometric shapes very important as visualization as much as good pronunciation of spell syllables. A great mage must be good at visualization, holding esoteric geometric shapes and pronouncing spell syllables correctly. A mage with poor esoteric geometric abilities may unintentionally use his own spell against himself by picturing the wrong visualizations.
So after sometime, I tried the simplest form of spells; the first fundamental- Iron magic, trying the iron shield, I held the esoteric shapes in my mind, feeling the shield envelope me, protecting me from physical forces. But I couldn't have known if it had worked because it was an invisible shield and it creates an unseen barrier that- a roughly squeezed paper flew at my face but fell right in front of me. It was my neighbor that threw it from her window because at that moment, she was laughing. At age 15, she cast spells fine, esoteric geometric were no more than kid's stuff to her, and she was only 15.
Me? I am 17 and can't even cast a spell, but I think I just brought up an Iron shield, well- that was a good start for me because esoteric shapes always differs from spell to spell that I just wonder how she learnt them all.
Shields are easier because you just visualize yourself being protected from an attack while your esoteric geometric pictures the shape or length of the shield, but attack spells are different because you'll have to visualize the spell shape, the action, the rate of attack, the perspective of attack or direct the attack, and lastly, the victim of the attack. It is pretty hard, but she had taken her three trials and won all, me? I'm about taking my first trial tomorrow and I can't even cast an attack spell. Tomorrow, I am going to duel with Costel, my rival in everything. He's 18, a year older than I am. My neighbor, Lyn, defeated him during her third trial in a duel, and that was his second duel which means his third duel is with me, but why? Well-it's not like I am afraid of him, I just hope my spells work out fine tomorrow is all.