Astrius Academy Classrooms

As classes were starting and young voices filled the air as they all went to their various classes, there was one boy in particular who tended to draw a lot of attention. Of course, it was normal for him too, especially with a bright yellow canary perched on his shoulder and they both seemed to humm and sing in unison.

Yes, that boy was Oliver Luna, or as he prefered it, Ollie Luna as that is what he wrote on his transcrip papers, all of his tests, and every official document about him. Ollie Luna, an odd boy who had occupied the bird tower known as "The Roost" and turned it into his quarters. Normally, they might not allow this and demand he used the dorms like everyone else, but Ollie took care of all the birds for them, and did all the jobs, so they decided to allow it since he was so stubborn about it.

Ollie might seem young, and if anyone investigated with magic or keen senses, they would probably realize he was not human, but it was not really something people brought up, and when they did, he just shrugged his shoulders and said "Its a secret even from me!~"

He is one of the School's Seven Mysteries, and there have been countless teachers, teams, and groups formed to investigate him. There is even an entire club devoted to finding out who he really is

That boy right now walked barefoot into a class, as usual, and sat down. It was an advanced class normally, very few students his age would be able to get into it. He had a childish and playful demeanour, but any teacher who had him even once would have caught on by now he was actually quite diligent in his studies, despite how he acted.

"Gunna learn some fun stuff, fun stuff. Going to make a new app, new app. Gonna be the magic king, magic king. Yay!"

There was also a theory that Ollie was just outright insane too.

Andolen stepped into the classroom through a gateway leading to the Plaza. With a snap of his fingers he closed it behind him, and turned to see the as yet singular occupant of the room.

"Ollie Luna, good to see your present and on time." His voice purred slightly, a strange sound to hear the man make. "We'll be beginning shortly, as some of the other students seem to be having complications with their commute."

In the meantime, Andolen went about the class, gesturing and waving his hands, sending papers, pencils, books, and markers flying about to settle in the various seats and locations across the classroom. The offhanded, almost distracted way he did this spoke very clearly of his experience and comfort in using his power.

Halitrax was growing bared of the other places he had been and had returned to the school. In this particular classroom a swirling vortex opened up and Halitrax walked out. He looked around to see there was only one other student and the teacher in the room. The teacher was going about setting things up in a display of flashy magic. This specific course caught his attention, just as a way of seeing how advanced the magic was in this school. He had seen some impressive things here so far, so a lecture on magical theory and mechanics seemed like a rather informative venture.

"Seems I'm a bit early." He said as he walked to one of the empty desks and took a seat.

Shortly after, Cal stepped out of one of the shadows.

"Oh hey Ollie, looks like we share this class too." He smiled as he took a seat.

Halitrax was able to recognize Cal as an Avian Reaper, adept in shadow magic and he wasn't exactly comfortable being in the same room as a Gialphian hero. He kept his mouth shut so as not to alert him to who he really was.

At that moment the objects and materials in the classroom settled, and Andolen began the class.

The classroom in which Andolen teaches is strangely antiquated compared to some of the others. Andolen insisted on having, among other things, Wooden pews with no magical or technological enhancement and an actual chalk blackboard of all things. The cost of these things was not cheap in this day and age.

In a swift and graceful motion, Andolen crosses the room, grabs a piece of chalk and writes a single word on the blackboard, Magic, And then he underlines it. He turns then to the class and says "What is Magic."

He stands there silently waiting for a response, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Indeedio! I am really good at making it on time since I can just fly over buildings and people with ease! I hear its going to be a good one today!"

As Ollie watched the others who came in, he waved to Cal in a rather energetic and friendly way as he invited Cal to sit next to him. As he did that, he noticed the other person, who he did not really know or remember the name of, but thought maybe it was something cool and on the tip of his tongue...but, he put that matter aside for now.

And then, it appeared to be that the class was in session. It was rather an archaic system, if Ollie said so himself, but then again he was used to better and more advanced layouts. Still, he didn't complain, show contempt or dissatisfaction. He just noted it appeared Archaic.

And then, the teacher wrote the word "Magic" on the wall and asked what it was. And that caused Ollie to stir into full throttle.

"Magic! The exact definition changes depending on which version, or which lore, goes by, as there are various different types of magic systems out there in the world. But to put it simply, magic is the ability to create, manipulate, and alter natural and supernatural forces to your will, and enforce your will upon reality. It is the use of mana, although some use prauna or Soul Energy to do theirs. Actually, according to Jassir's Study of Souls, the 'Power of Friendship' that people have referred to often that seems to be capable of changing odds and turning over fate might just be an enhancement of mana and power in response to their emotions linking up and the Souls Resonating, which causes their abilities to spike beyond normal limits".

Ollie said all of this, but then finally took a breath as he drank some water.

"Anyways, magic can be specified into various types, and so it could have a meaning different for people. People could use magic for art, to save lives, to take lives. It can even be used simply to play. So to bring this all back to what you asked before, isn't magic determined by the eye of the beholder?"

Leave it to Ollie to give such an answer. Even if he was insane, he certainly wasn't an idiot as his answer had clearly been thoughtful, based on intelligence and what he had learned as well as experience, flexibility, and insight.

He certainly showed his ability to think already, even if he normally seemed too insane to be thought of as someone who could give academic answers like this.

Andolen chuckled at ollies Exuberence. "Very well thought, but no... I'm afraid you are incorrect.
What you are describing are techniques and methods of USING magic, but not the essence of magic itself." He responds, turning and beginning to pace the front of the classroom. "The answer to the question is both needlessly complicated and overly simple."

He pauses, turning to the class and says "Magic. Is. Madness."

Andolen smiled at their reactions and shakes his head. "Magic is Madness. It is madness in that it is impossible to fathom, incomprehensible to believe. Magic is the impossible becoming real, through the will of those who use it." He turns and raises a single hand, in which a flame flickers and flares to life. "Whether you are conjuring flame that burns no fuel" he then raises the other hand and a magical sigil begins shifting and turning above it "or preparing a formula to focus and direct the energies of existence, You are essentially making what would otherwise be impossible, possible."

He lowers his hands, yet the magic continues to function in the postion he left it. "In a time long since forgotten, magic was used through the sheerest of willpower, requiring nothing more than strong determination and a keen mind to use. Those who dedicated themselves to their studies were able to focus their will to make such powers manifest. Nowadays, the focus of such abilities is lacking in most any race you find."

"It is for this reason that, regardless of whether you have the 'talent' for magic or not, you are not yet incapable of using magic. That is a falsehood perpetrated by those who do not understand the nature of magic itself. Always remember, Your ability to use the powers you will learn here are reliant on nothing more than your determination and will to learn."

"Most individuals most spend long years studying both theory and practice of magic itself, as well as reaching deep within themselves to find the key that unlocks their power. There are some beings who use magic instinctively, And most of these we note follow a way of thinking that the so called civilized populations of the universe would call either primitive or insane." Andolen chuckles and from a drawer on his desk a small carved wooden totem floats to the fore of the class. "These primitive species use objects such as this to draw upon, focus, and channel the raw forces of existence in our world. In truth their powers are no difference than our own, only the method in which they are brought forward. These symbols, effigies, and totems all function not because they have power, but because their wielders believe them to have power."

"Once again, Magic is madness, in that it is the belief of something impossible being real."

Cal listened intently to the lecture on what magic was.

"So what you're saying, then, is that anyone can learn any kind of magic as long as they believe and have the willpower to do so? The only reason certain people specialize in certain types or aspects of magic is because they believe that's all they can learn?" Cal asked.


"Also by your logic it would seem that magic is not inherently good or evil, but rather the person who uses the magic determines the alignment of the power, or in some cases the way others perceive they way one uses magic is what determines the alignment?" Halitrax gave another question.

Andolen nodded in response to both questions. "you are both correct. Magic in and of itself is but a tool, and just as one may use a scalpel to kill as to heal, one may use magic both to create, and to destroy."

Andolen then raised a palm and opened a portal, from which fell a pile of bones. Where they came from was unclear, but they were bleached white and painstakingly clean.

"As an example, Necromancy, long considered a terrible and evil magic, is yet itself not so. The methods for reanimating a corpse are various, and while I whole heartedly agree that forcibly binding and imprisoning the spirit of the deceased into a rotting cage, forcing them into slavery, is a terrible sin, it is not necessary for the raising of a corpse."

As he speaks, Andolen gestures over the bones, which then begin to shift and animate, forming back together to stand tall in the class, as they must have in life. He supplies a small sphere of magic, which he then projects into the skull of the construct, lighting the eyes of it from within.

"If one sees the animation of a corpse the same as you do the animation of a golem or similiar artificial construct, the process and acts are themselves the same, with only a difference in the medium of the construct."

He gestures, and the skeleton proceeds to the chalk board, grabbing an eraser and going about clearing the board.

"Other forms of magic, such as the summoning of demons and the like, is not evil in and of itself. Rather the fault lies with the user who summons creatures of evil without the proper knowledge or foresight to restrain them. Never forget that knowledge is in truth, power, and without it you are but a leaf blown upon far greater and more terrible winds."

Ollie noted a lot of what the teacher said as he scribled down notes haphazardly. It might look like some crazy person's journal, but if one knew what to look for they would be able to see the lines of thoughts and organization method unique to Ollie showed up on it. Additionally, he took note that while indeed part of what he said did not match, other parts that Ollie did say also matched up with what the teacher said, so he was at least on the right track.

And then as he answered more questions, Ollie continued to take notes on the lecture while happily humming to himself and swinging his legs happily. He also recognized another part of where this was going.

"So you are agreeing with the old text by Nuri Ozwin then? Ah, it hasn't really been translated much from the ancient texts, but in the Ancient Origin Language it roughly says [For those who view magic as dark as the night, they do not understand that magic's will is defined either by the will of it's caster, or as a wild essence that flows free and undesigned], which roughly translates into 'For those who view magic as dark as the night, they do not understand that magic's will is defined either by the will of it's caster, or as a wild essence that flows free and undesigned', likely refering to occasional Wild Magic Surges?"

As Ollie says that, what he was refering to in the latter part was natural magic phenomenon not caused by anyone specific but caused naturally in the world.

"What happens when magic is given its own life though, though such methods? Would it still be considered madness, or a form of control, when one uses it like this? Also, is this easier to apply in modern times, now that its revealed not all Demons are bad while not all Angels are good? And, is this related to how some Gods can be influenced by the mental image their followers have for them?"

Ollie was keeping things on topic still, and focused on the perspective aspect of things. He was a curious boy who was known to bombard teachers with questions when he did not know something or got something wrong, all for the reason of pulling in more information and knowledge. This was likely behavior Thatcher had seen before, Ollie's overwhelming thirst, and could be seen in his eyes. It seemed that despite his seeming madness, he was quite the dedicated student.

Andolen smiled at Ollie as those ancient texts were mentioned, though his was more of a knowing smirk than anything else. Those texts had been a joke at the time Andolen had first seen them being written, though old Ozwin did try his hardest. In response to Ollies question Andolen leaned back against his desk and shrugged.

"Would you consider a hurricane a controlled force? How about the eruption of a volcano? The Detonation of a neutron star? These events are natural, wild surges of power and force that no mortal could ever hope to match. They are forces of nature, and nature only reaches such powerful displays through it's sheer unbridledness, it's wild fury and personality."

"Magic in and of itself, from time to time, manages to come to life on it's own, and when it does it is terribly potent and destructive. This does, in fact, reinforce the idea that magic is madness, for while they are rare, such instances of living magic are almost always insane, by our perspectives."

"One such example that is easily studied is the Fae. The Fae are ancient creatures born more of magic than of the mundane, and as such they have a greater degree of madness in them than the rest of us. But then, to the fae, madness is not a sign of instability, but of nobility." Andolen chuckles then and says "Most people in our world we call insane would be considered kings and queens by the Fae, or at least they would be see as more interesting than the rest of us."

"On the subject of Demons, Angels, and Gods, I'm afraid we'll have to save that for another time. That is an entirely new can of worms that would take more time than we have to discuss."

Cal had been taking notes and looked up for a second.

"But insanity, madness and chaos are all subjective. To quote an old movie: What's normal for the spider is chaos for the fly. So shouldn't the attempt be made to understand this purest most simplistic magic from a non-subjective, unbiased point of view if we are to truly understand the practice and theory of magic?" Cal asked and did his best not to take offense at the comment about angels.


Halitrax also decided to give his opinion on the subject.

"You mention the forces of nature as being great sources of power. Is it the build up of magic that triggers the event such as the volcano eruption, the tornado, or the tidal wave or is it the power from the event that unleashes magic into the world? It seems like a chicken or the egg scenario."

Andolen nods at Cal "Indeed, madness is subjective, but I'm afraid that you misunderstand. It was applying logic to magic in it's basic, most raw form that resulted in the rise of various other arts and techniques. From creating Golems, raising the dead, to healing wounds and purifying corrupted lands, all forms of magic originated from the first and most pure use of it, the manipulation of reality through sheer willpower."

"In trying to understand magic, we created it's various different facets and aspects, but we never did, nor could we ever, comprehend raw magic. You have to understand that magic at it's purest is an abstract, an impossibility. It's very nature leaves it impossible to understand. And attempting to do so will only result in the most shallow of grasps over it."

"One cannot control through logic that which was never logical."


To Halitrax Andolen merely states "It's rather more complicated than that. Magic, as we've covered, doesn't make sense. At times it is one way, then another, and sometimes both. The build up of magic can cause these events, and often places where these events occur become powerful sources of magical power, but it's difficult if not impossible to ascertain whether it is the cause or effect."

As Ollie continued to listen and observe the conversation and lecture of Thatcher, one could see that he was absorbing the information as much as he could, far more then what most people would imply. In his uncovered eye, a radiance of attention and joy could be seen as he happily listened. Whether wrong or right, agree or disagree, nothing seemed to get him down. It was just a pure desire to learn, that was all.

"I see I see, so one could relate it to a lot of other texts I read, such as "A Study in Mana", as well as other documents including a trearise I read awhile ago explaining shamanistic rituals and such that can induce natural events, among other texts I researched when doing a report of an analysis on Origin's Magus Weather then? Those were quite interesting too, lots of similar points actually".

As he said that, he looked over his notes again as he also went over what Hailitrax said and how Andolen replied.

"Oh! So then, what about spells? Spells are magic that produce a set effect in a certain way? Does that mean spells are different then magic then? Does this mean that magic is the raw resource, and spellcraft the refined product? What did I get right and what did I get wrong? Learning this is really fun and interesting!"

Incidentally, it did not seem Ollie cared if he got something wrong, so long as he could learn what he got wrong. In this way, he could be said to be the model student.

Cal nodded and took note as the teacher explained how things worked. Much like Ollie, Cal was also excited to gain an understanding and a grasp of how magic worked. He didn't get discouraged when he didn't know the answer but rather saw it as an opportunity to learn. However, unlike Ollie, he did a better job of keeping it to himself.

Halitrax, didn't really listen or even care about what the teacher was saying, but was rather just asking questions and taking notes to keep up appearances. After all, what did a demon lord really have to learn about magic? Even if the demon part might just be another one of those subjective terms, like good and evil, light and dark, and the like.

Andolen points at Ollie and nods, going to the now clear chalk board and scribing a series of magical formulae upon it. "That is exactly what spells are. If you were to classify it using terms that might best be understood in the modern age, Magic can be seen as the raw energy that threads itself throughout all of existence. Spells are perhaps better described as filters through which magic can be projected."

Andolen then lifts a hand and scribes a sigil in the air. "Imagine that magic is white light, and that spells are colored lenses. When you filter magic through a spell, the raw energy is forced to change and adapt to the lense, becoming whatever color the lens designs. The first people to use magic in this fashion discovered that, while it wasn't always easier to get the magic to work the way they wanted, it did permit them a greater degree of control over what the magic did, and how it did it."

"On the subject of gods and other such beings, we can consider them as being able to manipulate magic at it's source, rather than using spells to filter it. This is part of the reason why such powerful beings are often unpredictable and dangerous, because they do not have the level of logical control that others possess over magic." Andolen smiled then and said "It is no great stretch to say that the gods are mad."

As Ollie continued to listen and take notes, eagerly absorbing all the information like a sponge, other questions and thoughts occurred to him as he continued. If the teacher could see behind the large, lecture hall like desks, he would see Ollie legs swinging happily with excitement.

"If the gods are mad, then what does that make their equivlent beings, such as Ruuka?" Ollie asked, curious about hte matter. Ruuka was a well known being on Origin, but although he was considered equal or greater then other gods, he was not considered a God himself. He was considered the Master of the Void, an Eldritch being, or just the Void itself. He could grant power and abilities outside the normal rules it seemed, and his very nature was unclear. "And also, does that mean that a God of Magic would rule over madness, or would madness rule over him?"

"And what of other abilities, such as those of the Demon King Bloodlines, such as Millen who was confirmed to have multiple abilities that were not magic but something else entirely? What qualifies as magic? What qualifies as spells? If magic is madness, then does that also mean that madness is a form of energy, or such? And to just bring it all together, does this mean that those who use magic and spells are also illogical and mad?"

There were a few snickers and remarks at that last one, partially because there were a number of people who considered Ollie himself quite mad and insane sometimes. The energetic boy was potenitally one of the greatest examples of Thatcher's point, if one looked it that way.

Halitrax seemed genuinely interested in the line of questioning that Ollie had brought up. Being the equivalent of a demon god himself, albeit from a different planet, he was quite curious as to the teacher's take on this. He certainly didn't think he was insane or mad, but then those that were rarely did.

"Do you believe these basics of magic to be a constant throughout the multiverse? Like, do you believe they function the same on all planets or just on Origin?" Halitrax asked.

Cal continued to take notes on all of this. He found it all fascinating.

"To answer your question Cal I once again refer you to the start of the class. Magic is Madness, but madness itself is subjective isn't it? For example many of your classmates may think you mad, but so far your one of the only ones actually participating in the class aren't you." And Andolen turned his gaze on the rest of the class, the snickering children who fell silent and quailed under his disapproving glare.

"Again I refer to the fae and their very nature. Things that, to us, seem disconnected and impossible, to them are simple and relative. For example we commonly believe that rocks are not living things, and yet the fae believe otherwise. However while we may think them crazy for that belief, we ourselves do not have a proper explanation for how earth elementals exist, when they are clearly living stone."

"As for how Ruuka's power works, I believe he may be one of those ancient beings who do not use logic to function. He does not control magic, he exists among it, and therefore his will is a part of it. As for what qualifies as magic, I believe we already discussed that magic is anything that would normally be impossible. Spells are merely methods of controlling and utilizing magic. To that extent, even the abilities of those who claim not to be using magic are in fact using magic, they are simply using a method that is particular to them."

And here he turned to Halitrax and his question, stating "Magic is an underpinning of reality itself. It exists in all things, at all times, in all places. When people speak of the fabric of reality, part of that fabric is magic in and of itself. After all, it's impossible to explain how reality came to be, isn't it."

Andolen then turned back to the chalkboard and began to scribe a series of symbols and marks. "Your question, Halitrax, raises another point we will talk about today, though I doubt we will finish the discussion before class ends. Magic exists everywhere at all times. It can be considered like a vast ocean existing around, in, and throughout the known universe. And because of that, it is also possible to dive into and travel through that ocean. This is the functional theory of the world gate spell, a magic formulae that allows one to connect two points of space, regardless of distance from each other, and travel between them instantaneously."

"Yes we did, but what I am asking is what determines possible from impossible? As in, what do we qualify as impossible and what we qualify as possible? Magic is the raw product, spells are the refined product, but what determines what is raw and what is defined? Is it all based on perspective, or is it all subjective, changing in the mind of each individual?"

Suddenly, Ollie got into another strange point. Several of the students looked at him like he was insane or incomprehensible. After all, most people considered magic and spellcraft simple. However, Ollie was not a simple person. He asked the same questions and expected different answers, which was the very definition of insanity. But he also knew that things changed depending on context, perspective, and such. In other words, he knew that even if he asked the same question, the answer could be different because of how it was asked, or what was being discussed when asked, and other information.

"So then, if that is true about Ruuka, does that mean there are beings beyond magic? Does that mean there are beings that are magic? And also, if magic exists everywhere, then does that mean that it is possible for one to delve into the magic not to move around, but to gaze into events that not only happened in the past or future, but events that never happened at all? Could magic be used to bridge not just the gaps of time and space, but also the bridge between realities, where sour might be sweet and sweet might be sour?"

"And if spells are the filters, then what would occur if someone tried to harness the raw power of magic itself, without those filters, to impose their will upon reality?"

Some students were actually getting a bit...concerned...with Ollie's line of questioning.

"And also, if something impossible becomes possible, is it still magic?"

Andolen stood silently listening to Ollie, a smile spreading across his face as he spoke. When the boy finished Andolen said simply "That, young finariel, is a line of pondering that scholars and sorcerers have been thinking on for some time. For if magic makes the impossible possible, then the impossible is in fact possible, thus rendering magic simple and logical."

"What one person sees as magic, another may see as science, and what may be impossible by scientific means today, becomes possible later on when technology advances. SO how then do we determine the differences between impossible and possible, how do we decide what is magic and what is science."

"The answer, Ollie, is that they are one and the same. Science and Magic both achieve the same ends, making things otherwise impossible, possible. The difference is in the approach. Magic takes the most direct and immediate route to the goal, science stacks existing phenomona and possible actions on top of one another to achieve the desired result."

"And example of this is the catapult. Which lifts and throws large stones or other heavy objects great distances. This device uses elasticity and other forces we know well to achieve this goal, where as magic would act directly upon the object to bring about the desired result. The primary difference between these is that the catapult takes a great deal of time to prepare but once it is prepared it requires little energy to actually function. Magic requires little time to engage, but a great deal of energy."

"SO then you may measure what is magic and what isn't by the formula Time over Energy equals result. If it takes more time but less energy to reach the result, it isn't a spell or form of magic. If it takes less time but more energy, it can be considered magical in nature."

"On your second subject, it is entirely possible to delve into the flows of magic to see past, present, future, as well as possibility. This is the entire purpose of the school of divination, a form of spellwork that revolves entirely around using magic to that exact purpose. As for alternate realities, We'll get to that in a later class."

Andolen then took his gaze upon the entire class and said in a clear and stern voice. "As to using magic without the filter of spells... Doing so is entirely possible, but it is extremely dangerous. In order use magic in such a way, you would have to open yourself to it's flows, and doing so would be like opening a flood gate and diving into a hurricane. Resisting such a storm is, in every case I have ever heard of, Fatal. The most ancient beings in reality, those who were born of magic itself, those that are constantly in such a storm, are themselves some of the most dangerous because they can use the raw power of magic itself."

Andolen continues his gaze and says with finality "When one uses the raw power of magic to achieve something, there is nothing that can stop such a force.

Halitrax found this explanation of beings born of magic quite interesting.

"I've heard tale of the Neutral elves of Gialpha, a rare species given that the elves of Gialpha become elementally locked upon reaching maturity. The elves of Gialpha are all born neutral, but their surroundings determine their powers when they reach maturity. However, it's said that if an elf manages to be in a completely neutral environment when they reach the age of elemental lock, they will posses the ability to control raw magic. But, supposedly, the first elf to achieve this went insane, took the form of a demon lord and plunged Gialpha into chaos in the before being banished to a void dimension. It became known as a curse to be a neutral elf into adulthood and no other cases of it have happened since the first. Do you think that this first neutral elf of Gialpha would fall into the ranks of Ruuka and other beings born of magic? And if his power were truly raw magic, would it then stand to reason that he may have only been pretending to be banished when he was able to escape any time he liked?" Halitrax asked with the slightest of smirks. He intentionally left out the name of the elf in question, as he didn't want to give away his true identity. He thought it was unlikely that this teacher knew a lot about Gialphian history, especially legends that were believed nothing more than myths.

Cal,however, being from Gialpha himself, recognized the legend of old passed down through the generations of reapers. However he had never heard it quite like that before.

"Wait, are you talking about the legend of the Demon Lord Halitrax? I always heard it as he was a wizard that gave his soul over to the dark dimension and was turned into a demon lord who was later trapped in the void by the unnamed champions of the last dark age." Cal corrected with his own version of the story he believed.

"Your name is Halitrax too, right? Was he your namesake?."

"It's actually a common name among the elvish of Gialpha."

Andolen merely gave Halitrax a look, The sort of look a really really really, really really, REALLY REALLY old person would give someone who thought they were being clever when they really weren't. "I've not only heard the tale, I was around when it happened, though I wasn't particularly interested in the events as I was dealing with a far more serious issue."

This statement brought a storm of whispers throughout the classroom, as many of the students would have seen the Teacher before them as maybe thirty or forty years old. By this statement however, it would place him at a great deal older than that, Ancient even.

"The raw power of magic isn't like the magic most of you know and are familiar with. Imagine if you were a single fleck of snow, amidst the powerful, chaotic winds of a blizzard. And just as a single fleck of snow in a blizzard would be bombarded by other pieces, fused to them, cast against others again and again, any mortal creature delving into the powers of raw magic risks the absolute destruction of who they are, and may perhaps become something greater than they could ever have been."

"In all of history, there are only three examples of a mortal race in which each individual was capable of delving into the raw powers of magic without detrimental effects. The Firrani of Alvusia, The Anodyne, and Dragons." Andolen sighed then and shook his head. "Of those three, only dragons remain in existence today."

Andolen glanced at the clock as the bell rang, signalling the end of the class. He stood up, clasped his hands behind his back and said. "That will be all for today. Tomorrow you will be quizzed on what you have learned from today, before we continue onto other subjects. You are dismissed."