Chapter 077: Light Spell (Part One)

“It's easy for elves to grow proud and complacent, looking down on everyone else,” Marin said. “Those who aren't proud enough may instead become insecure and sad over their long lives, slowly losing the desire to do anything at all. Living so long also makes them cautious beyond imagination, holding back their drive to achieve more. Yet these elders, who can easily be thousands of years old, possess frightening authority. Add the way the closed-off kingdom of Quel'Thalas limits their view of the world... If the elves didn't have these flaws, humans would never have a chance of surpassing them in magic.”

“Even so, a life of seventy or eighty years is far too short. Elves can live for more than a thousand years. Sun King Anasterian once made an agreement with Emperor Thoradin, the founder of the human empire, to teach humans magic. That was twenty-eight hundred years ago. As things stand, there's only one way for a human to live that long: become the Guardian of Tirisfal. But one person alone can't compete with the many scholars of Quel'Thalas. And since the Council of Tirisfal broke apart, the Guardian has become the greatest threat to the Kirin Tor and the entire magical world.”

Marin shook his head. “Of course, there's no point chasing those goals anymore. Azeroth is facing its greatest threat in centuries. Clinging to traditions from a peaceful age no longer makes sense. But everyone's gotten used to doing things that way, haven't they?”

“Enough of that. Let's get to the lesson. If you want to learn magic, you must first learn to communicate with the ley network. Gifted children may manage that before they're even born. You, on the other hand, will have to practice and keep practicing.”

“How do I do that?” Jess asked.

“Making contact with the ley network is difficult to describe,” Marin said. “You must spend a great deal of mental effort searching for its currents. Imagine trying to sense the heartbeat inside an invisible person's chest, somewhere in the void. Sometimes it pounds; sometimes it's steady. Sometimes it's quick, sometimes slow. Countless other energies in the world of the mind interfere with you, making you think they're the true heartbeat. If you follow the wrong one, you'll lose contact with the network and fall back into ordinary reality. In the worst case, you may even bring about a disaster you can't predict.”

As Jess listened, something about it sounded familiar.

Wasn't that exactly what happened when he cast Fear?

The difference was that every time he spoke a shadow incantation, he wasn't searching for a heartbeat in the void. He was searching for a heartbeat that truly came from within himself.

It wasn't the beating of his actual heart. It was the dark power moving through his body. Jess had to find it and draw it out so he could use it.

“I can teach you an extremely basic spell,” Marin said. “A light spell. It gathers loose arcane energy and makes it glow. Practicing it will help you feel the subtle connection between free arcane energy and the entire ley network. From there, you'll gradually learn to touch the network itself.”

“I think I understand,” Jess said.

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“Ah... I really can't wait to see you set foot on the path of magic, Mr. Seso.” Marin stood up. “Why don't we start your first lesson right now? We can finish the paperwork afterward.”

He walked around the desk and stopped in the middle of the study. After checking the distance between himself and the bookshelves, he raised his right hand.

“Liyusa!”

There was a whoosh, like a sudden rush of wind, followed by a string of light notes like wind chimes.

Jess remembered the sounds the imp, Saeno, made when it appeared and vanished. That little demon must also use arcane passages to move between planes.

A point of light rose from Marin's hand. It wasn't especially dazzling in the morning sunlight, but if it appeared at night in Elwynn Forest, it would probably be the most noticeable thing for about two-thirds of a mile around.

The old mage pinched out the light with two fingers. Then he turned to Jess.

“Your turn.”

“That's all? Liyusa?”

The moment the words left his mouth, a small flame shot out of Jess's hand.

He hadn't expected it and jerked his hand away in fright. The flame landed on several books beside him and set them on fire.

Marin's eyes went wide. He immediately drew a wand from his belt and pointed it at the shelves. Frost covered the entire bookcase, and the flames slowly faded into a thin curl of white smoke.

He hurried over and breathed on the frost to melt it, then kept touching the books to see how badly they'd been damaged.

When he read the titles on their spines, his eyebrows lifted.

“Oh, those two books. Well, if they're burned, they're burned.”

“W-was that some kind of fire magic?” Jess asked.

“No. The arcane ignited it.” Marin looked up and adjusted his glasses. “Didn't Amy say you had no talent for magic? Then why...?”

He seemed to realize something.

“Perhaps you don't have a natural sense for the ley network, but your incantation... You pronounced it very accurately. Duchamp mentioned something similar last time. He said you were remarkably good at copying other people's Orcish pronunciation. He even told me that meeting a real orc would be better still. It would help you improve much more.”

Jess thought he'd certainly met real orcs. Whether that had been a good thing was another question.

Marin went on, “The ley network and arcane power—and even other kinds of power—have wills of their own. Naturally, they have likes and dislikes and personalities. They choose the people who use them. The fastest way to get close to them is to make sounds they find pleasing. You need them not only to understand your commands but to enjoy hearing those commands, perhaps even to grow fond of you. That's an important part of being attuned to magic.”

“Of course, you can't master a complicated spell just by knowing its words. There are other requirements: gestures, your surroundings, how you contact the ley network and how deeply, your mental strength, and so on. Arcane energy has to be summoned and commanded, but it also needs guidance before it can change according to your will. Try again.”

Jess raised his hand, stepping farther away from the shelves, and said, “Liyusa.”

He thought he felt something. Then again, maybe he hadn't.

Remembering that simple test with Amy made him a little discouraged. Still, that burst of flame had to mean he'd caused some kind of reaction. Surely he couldn't have done that without making some contact with the ley network.

With that thought, he concentrated on his fingertips and recalled the force he had felt when he successfully cast Fear.

Liyusa!

A pale flash flickered at the tip of his finger, like a lighter that was almost out of fuel.

“Did it work?” Jess asked. “Does... does that count?”

“More or less. At least something happened,” Marin replied. “And you've already done far better than I expected. Unless I'm mistaken, you'll feel quite tired soon. Rest for a day before making any more attempts. Learning about mental exhaustion is one of the most important lessons for every mage. You must avoid overusing your mind and causing lasting harm to your body or your mind.”

Jess gave a little self-mocking laugh.

In truth, though, he didn't feel tired at all.