It had taken some time for Mara to build up enough confidence to arrive at Callion's chamber door. But now, knocking was daunting.
After the baths, she'd gone back to her own room, politely asked the handmaiden to clean her good traveling clothes, and retrieved her pilfered book of magic from her sachel. As always,it was carefully wrapped in her mother's old red cloak, swaddled like a baby and clutched protectively to the farm girl's chest. Mara had then spent the better part of an hour pacing in her room, testing some of the magics within on her own...and watching them fail with no sign of improvement... she really couldn't learn this alone. So now, here she was, standing in front of the wizard's door, book clutched in her left hand, right hand raised as if to knock. But she couldn't knock.
Inside, she could hear movement, so surely he must be in there... but what if he wasn't? Or... what if he was and he refused to hear her out? What if she had no talent for magic, after all? Her hand shook slightly. Mara inhaled deeply, steadying herself again. A new look of determination crossed her green eyes and she gently rapped her knuckles on the door.
"Sir... mister... Callion... sir?" She called after her knock. Nervously, she hugged the book to her chest, being careful it only looked like a bundle of red cloth. The sound of movement stopped for a brief moment, before she heard a slight 'thud' against the door. The knob to the door jiggled and fidgeted, as if Callion was having some issue actually turning the knob. There was a brief pause before the knob finally turned fully and the door swung open slightly. In front of Mara hovered Callion's staff, somehow managing to turn a knob and open the door. There was no sign of Callion within the room. As Mara stood there, a sort of feeling flooded her mind, one of questioning, one wanting answers. There was a slight happiness to it, but also one of speculation and hesitation. All these different emotions that collided with her own were not coming from her, that much was clear, and as the staff hovered closer, its embedded gems and jewels glowing with a slight intensity as the emotions seemed to get stronger.
Mara stared in wonder at the staff, the feelings that were not her feelings washing over her.
"W.. wow... what an amazing staff." she murmured in admiration. "H...Hello there... lovely to make your acquaintance... uhm... Sir" She ventured, unsure if magic items had gender "I... I am Mara...and I was hoping, I might ask Mister Callion... a few questions about magic, is he in?"Ā The staff bobbed in place, almost as if it hadn't expected Mara to necessarily understand what was happening, and a feeling of happiness washed over her as the staff then weaved slightly. It was quickly followed up by a disappointed emotion as it did it's best to point back at the room and do the equivalent of 'shaking its head'. There was a slight pause as the staff seemed to freeze for a moment, before another voice beckoned from behind Mara.
"I didn't expect you, of all people, to go invading one's privacy, Farm Girl."Ā Callion's voice rang out behind her. Callion stood behind Mara, dressed down in what could be called 'extravagant rags'. Not as fancy as his robes, but by no means dirty or otherwise poor looking. Mara jumped at the sound of his voice, and looked at him sheepishly.
"Oh, I didn't intend to intrude. Your friend answered the door when I knocked. He was just letting me know you weren't in... I think..."
Mara said, looking at Callion's feet shyly. She was not sure how she felt that was right, but she did, as if the staff had told her that he was sorry Callion was not in.
The staff whirled around Mara, bobbing in front of Callion, some emotions still filtering to her but not as strong since they appeared to be directed at Callion, who stared at the staff as he dried the last bit of his hair with a towel. A feeling of smugness, defense and annoyance filtered to her, followed by Callion looking at the door itself. "But how did you open the door?" He asked the staff, before a wave of humor washed over the both of them. Callion gave a sigh, not willing to question it further. "I see, my apologies then." Callion stated, walking past Mara into his room. "Well, I am present. Is there something you wish to discuss?" Callion stated, folding his towel up and placing it on one of the dressers in the room.
Mara stiffened, suddenly nervous all over again.
"Y... Yes... I am sorry to disturb you. I, well... I was wondering if... I could ask you... some questions... about magic." her voice shook slightly with her nerves."I... was trying to learn on my own, but I'm having some trouble... with the hand gestures... in, in this... book I'm using. Māmay I come in?" Mara asked, hovering in the doorway, clutching the red wrapped proof of her guilt."If you'd rather not, I understand... you're just so skilled in magics... so..."She trailed off uncertainly, waiting for his answer. Callion looked over at her, his expression unreadable as he seemed to internally argue with himself about something before a sigh escaped his lips.
"It would do you well to increase your abilities if you are to remain at our side. I suppose I can lend my skills to ensure that achievement is met." Callion stated, beckoning her inside. Callion's room was just like everyone else's, at least initially. In the short time he had had to his room, there was already a shattered mirror, a few scrapes on the wall, and the drawers on the dresser were ripped open and a few clothes were strewn about. Books littered nearly every open space, the amount seeming to defy Callion's carrying capacity. His robe was hanging up along the wall, and a few unfinished sigils seemed to be etched into the walls with what appeared to be a rusty knife. All in all, his room was a mess but it either didn't bother him or he didn't consider it to be a problem worth mentioning at the moment. Callion pointed to the bed. "Well, have a seat and explain yourself then. What are you carrying with all the protectiveness of a worried mother?"
Mara's eyes lit up, like a puppy seeing its master returning home. Eagerly, she entered, giving the state of the room only a passing curious glance. His housekeeping preferences were not what she had come for. Obediently, Mara settled herself on the edge of the bed. Though, her expression visibly grew more worried when he asked about the parcel. Mara looked to it, expression something between guilt and wistfulness.
"W...Well...it's the book I've been using...I have it memorized already...but I thought you would likely need to reference It..." Mara glanced over Callion's shoulder, being sure the door was closed before she unwrapped her stolen Book Of Light. Surely, she thought, he would know this book. She braced herself for a scolding, but forged ahead.
"I...was having trouble with the gesture for the purify water spell...on page 38...
Callion peered at the book for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly as he approached Mara and plucked the book from her hands without so much as a 'please'. He flipped it over, his hands tracing the lettering and inscriptions on the cover. He flipped it open, turning a few pages as his eyes darted side to side, reading it as quickly as his mind could process.
"Interesting. Who would have thought you would have a Book of Light." Callion stated, once again inspecting the book from every angle he could think of, "What's more, a genuine book of Light and not some cheap novelty knock off." Callion stated. "It is my understanding that these books are only given to members of the Church of Light, prohibited to the masses and carrying a penalty of incarceration should one be found in the possession of such book and not anointed by the Holy Father." Callion looked over at Mara, who's expression seemed readable even by Callion's standards. "It's impressive you had the gumption to gain one for yourself, well done." Callion stated, handing the book back and moving over to his own pack. Mara looked up, stunned. For a moment, she thought that perhaps she had made a mistake in showing Callion the book. Perhaps, he would send her to jail...but...she was relieved that didn't seem to be the case. He dug around for a moment, grumbling the entire time before a book slid to his feet. Looking up, the staff hovered there, having slid Callion's Book of Light on the ground towards him. "Ah, my thanks Will." Callion stated, picking his book and flipping through it. His was notably in worse condition than Mara's, and the few pages she could see flip had notes scrawled in them. "Page 38ā¦ Purify water." Callion turned pages until he got to his part. There he paused for a few moments, his brow furrowing once more. "Ah of courseā¦ I can understand why one would have issue with these instructions, so filled with holy scripture as to be nearly unreadable."
He closed the book, keeping the page bookmarked with his finger as he moved to a table off in the corner of the room and grabbing himself a cup of water from the jug. Once the cup was full, Callion scrounged in the corners of his room, seemingly grabbing random junk, dirt and garbage that had accumulated, and depositing it in the cup. Once that was done, he motioned Mara over to it and crossed his arms. "First...let's see what you can do and what the issue might be. Show me what you're doing."
Still stunned, Mara shuffled to stand beside him at the table. She furrowed her brow, putting her hand over the cup full of debris with with her thumb and forefinger touching.
"As God sees fit, use his light to deem, this water pure to keep our souls clean...ā
She recited carefully, turning her hand up as if to draw the impurities out. At first, she thought nothing had happened but then the water began to bubble as if boiling. An acrid smell filled her nose, like rotting flesh.
"Oh dear..." Mara mumbled, furrowing her brow. āThis happens every time.ā
Callion peered into the cup with a curious gaze, a slight smile tweaking at his face as he gave a sideways look to Mara. Callion snapped his fingers, producing small fuzzy lights for a split second before they were gone once more. The water stopped bubbling and returned to its previous state.
"Once more." Callion stated, crossing his arms once again and staring at her.
Mara tilted her head, curiously. How had he fixed it? Still, she did as he asked and tried again. Once again, she thought nothing happened, before the water began to belch green acrid smelling smoke. Mara frowned again and sighed.
"Yeahā¦ this happens too. The only spell I've had success at lights a candleā¦ is the gesture wrong?" She asked. Callion continued to look at Mara, his eyes never drifting to the cup in question.
"No, I wouldn't necessarily say that at all. I would say it's either your intention, or your state of mind is confusing the mana and causing a wayward spell." Callion stated, flipping open his book and taking a look at the inscription once again. "I'm going to assume you've never had actual magic training, so we're going to have to start this from scratch and inform you exactly what is magic, and how it works in a world such as ours." Callion stated, looking at the cup and snapping his fingers once more, the water returning to its previous form. "That said, I don't have the time to fully teach you tonight, but I will attempt to address the biggest problem you seem to have based on my limited observation and prior experience with inexperienced pupils." Callion stated, snapping the book shut and holding it at his side.
"Magic is a living, breathing force of nature that we are only guiding to react to the world in ways we wish it." Callion started, drifting into what could only be classified as a 'lecture mode'. "It does not appear out of thin air, it is around us and inside of us. It is as much a part of this world as we are, only more malleable and controllable. To fully understand what you can do with it, you must first understand what you can't do with it." Callion wandered over to his bag, reaching in and pulling out a number of different scrolls and a couple of books, looking through them and tossing a few back into his bag which seemed to hold far more than possible even with a number of books already out in the room.
"And the list is a very short oneā¦ There's nothing you can't do with magic." Callion spoke, turning back to Mara with a number of books and scrolls in his hands.
"It is a part of nature, but it defies it. It is a part of us, but it isn't us. It can do both miraculous and abominable things. In short, it is neither good nor bad by any moral standard, it simply exists and it is up to the wielder to determine it's intent." Callion placed his items on the table. "Intent is a good way to go about it too, since intention is what truly drives a magical spell. Incantations, sigils, holy scriptures, these are only guiding points. They help us focus our mind on a singular goal and charge the mana to react in a specific way. Humans have their words and holy scriptures. Dwarves carve the magic into a rune, establishing it in a specific state. Elves use their inherent connection to nature to derive their intent, and Orcsā¦ Orcs yell or something else barbaric." Callion stated, his thoughts about the Orcish race very apparent.
"In short, you must be committed to casting a certain spell without any doubt or hesitation, you must have confidence in what you are doing to fully achieve a spell." Callion snapped his fingers, and a ball of fire appeared on his palm. Upon closer inspection, a small sigil could be seen at the base of the flame. "No words were necessary for me, but I do require a sigil, at least from my perspective, in order to give the flame a 'base' to shoot out of or otherwise control. Other mages may do it differently, this is simply my method." Callion swirled his hand and a miniature tornado appeared in his hand, the sigil where it appeared changing as it did so. He did this a number of times, without saying a word, and each time it was a different effect with the same hand gesture.
Mara watched in silent awe, absorbing his words like a thirsty plant. in this moment of complete focus, she seemed to forget to be shy. Her green eyes flashed intelligently as she watched.
"I would like you to try again, but don't focus so much on the hand gestures or words, I want you to focus on the intent of what you're trying to do." Callion said, closing his hand and ending his small spell.
Mara shifted nervously from foot to foot. Intent, she understood, but confidenceā¦ that may be her problem. She had seen the spell go wrong so many times now. Well, she was confident she could mess it up. Still, Callion had shown her without question that it could be done. No words needed, thoughā¦ she had never tried.
She inhaled deeply, stilling her thoughts. Calm. Like the brook by father's farm. So clear you can see the pebbles at the bottom. So crisp it freezes your tongue. Mara raised her hand, palm open and turned it over with a flick of the wrist. Like casting a pebble into the brook.
"Pure." She said, softly as if half asleep. Then, there was a sound as if she had indeed cast a pebble into water. It startled her to focus. The cup rippled in the center as if indeed something had fallen in. She stared at it intently, curious. A small light came from the ripple and then the water was still. Mara looked into the cupā¦ and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips. The debris was gone. There was no smell or strange colors.
" Iā¦ I actually think I did it..." Mara said, voice almost like an incredulous giggle. Both surprised and overjoyed with her success, Mara beamed proudly at Callion and held the cup out to him to have him check her work. Callion looked to her, then at the cup.
"Well, if you truly believe thatā¦ then drink it." Callion stated, his eyes never leaving Mara's.
Mara's delight faded a little. Did she believe it? Maybe he had seen something she hadn't and it had gone wrongā¦ just as she had this thought, the cup in her hands began to feel uncomfortably hot and a smell that she swore hadn't been there. Of sulfur, wafted from the cup. Mara looked down at it, brows furrowed with frustration. It had gone wrong againā¦ but she swore it had been right.
"Butā¦ itā¦ it felt right at first..." she said, hurriedly putting the cup back on the table. She rubbed her overly warm hands on her apron to get the sting out. "I swearā¦ and then..." Mara mumbled, looking perplexed.
"Why are you mumbling? Do you not have a voice?" Callion stated, peering at Mara with a very intense gaze. "Intention is well and good, it is a base for you to build from...but where is your confidence? Do you not believe in yourself? Do you not believe yourself worthy of this power?" Callion looked at the cup, then back to Mara. "Do you truly wish to learn?"
Mara's eyes locked on to him. She desperately wanted to learn. She wanted to learn so badly that she risked her physical well being for that book. Didn't he see that?
"I want to learn more than I want to live..." Mara said seriously. There was no mumble there. No hesitation. But the confidence, her whole life had been full of things she was not permitted to do.
She was not supposed to learn, or read, or speak unless spoken to, or look too full of herself, or everā¦ ever...leaveā¦ yet here she was. Still, she was quiet, thinking intensely. How did she tell him that it just seemed that getting to leave her father's grasp and becoming an educated magic user as she had always dreamed seemed like too much to ask for? She had always been told she was nothing, less than dirtā¦ barely deserved to live. She gripped her apron, knuckles white with frustration.
"Iā¦ was told..." she paused voice breaking a little. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I was told I wasn't even worthy of lifeā¦ but I want so much more than only to live, if I can learn nothingā¦ I would rather be dead."
She paused."I..can light a candle, I know I can do thisā¦ pleaseā¦ let me try again..."
Callion seemed completely unphased by what Mara was saying, his expression set into a sort of intense neutral, judging her as she spoke with his inherent arrogance that seemed to be so ingrained into his being as to become the man himself. Once she finished, Callion paused long enough to make her wonder if he had fallen victim to his sleeping spells once more, but he finally breathed slightly in a silent sigh.
"Noā¦ I don't care if you can light a candle." Callion stated. "Nor do I care what has prompted you to learn magic, your life prior to this, the events that transpired prior to our meeting, or how you believe other people should dictate your life." Callion stated, his tone harsh, almost as if she had unintentionally stepped on his toes. "How dare you allow others to tell you such things... How dare you allow yourself to feel such insecurity and failure. They do not control you, nor do they dictate your fate. If you spend so much time worrying about the opinions of others to the point of social anxiety induced paranoia and paralysis, then you will never be anything more than you are now." Callion said, his gaze piercing through Mara as if she had committed some kind of attack on his person. Mara gripped her apron, half expecting blows to come. When people were angry with her...blows always came.Ā
This continued until his staff floated behind him and swung itself at his head with enough force to make him stumble. Callion whirled around with a vicious intent, only to be bombarded with so many different emotions and feelings as to be indecipherable from each other. While this may have been a conversation in another language as far as Mara was concerned, Callion seemed to understand what was said and visibly calmed down. Callion peered back over at Mara after what felt like minutes, before reaching over towards his scrolls and books.
"If you truly wish to learn, I will teach you." Callion stated, shoving the books and scrolls into Mara's arms, tossing her own Book of Light on top.
Mara gripped the pile, as if she were drowning and these items would somehow keep her afloat. Quietly, she was grateful for the staff for seemingly calming the wizard.
"There will be rules that you will follow. One, you will call me Teacher from now on. Two, you will never allow another person to dictate your worth ever again. If you allow this, for any reason, I will consider you beyond my ability to teach and that will be that. Three, my condition sends me into fits of sleep at a moment's notice. Should I fall asleep during a lesson, you are to reach out to Will, my staff, to wake me. Four, you are to use magic wherever you believe it could be useful, no matter the circumstance. If you believe it will help you open a door, you will use magic to open a door." Callion stood there, staring at Mara.
"You will read all of these, the scrolls, the books, the pamphlets, the inscriptions, the dried food stains and you will commit them to memory. I will be testing your knowledge on this as we progress. I do not tolerate excuses, should you fail, you will try harder. Once you have done this, then we can start your training in earnest..." Callion look at the small farm girl in front of him. "Am I clear?"
Mara stared over the piles of paper at Callion, eyes watery with unshed tears. He would teach her? She beamed at him brightly.
"Yes, Teacher, crystal clear." Mara said as confidently as she could. "Thank you, Teacher! I'll work hard, you won't be disappointing. Thank you too, Will!"Ā Callion glanced over at Will for a moment, a bit of a glare to his otherwise passive perception of his staff, before waving Mara off.
"Learn the fundamentals from those books first, you need to know how to work magic before you go straight into spells. Go, start reading." Callion stated, shooing Mara out of the room.
"Yes, Teacher!" Mara headed toward the closed door, pausing as she remembered Callion's rule four. Should she use magic to try opening his door? It WAS the rule. Mara stood just ten feet from the door, just in case and imagined how Will might have opened the door. Maybe the knob could just turn on its own, like when the wind would unlatch the barn door? The door will just blow openā¦ justā¦ blowā¦ open. Mara inhaled, feeling a strange bubbling pull in her chest and exhaled out. There was a thudding knocking sound, then the door swung wide open, as if shoved by a great gust of wind from behind her. The hinges on the door glowed faintly.
Mara grinned and hurried through the open door. She could do this. She inhaled deeply as she headed toward her room, hearing Callion's door close and feeling the bubbling in her chest fade. She could have whooped in joy. She was going to learn magic.
After the baths, she'd gone back to her own room, politely asked the handmaiden to clean her good traveling clothes, and retrieved her pilfered book of magic from her sachel. As always,it was carefully wrapped in her mother's old red cloak, swaddled like a baby and clutched protectively to the farm girl's chest. Mara had then spent the better part of an hour pacing in her room, testing some of the magics within on her own...and watching them fail with no sign of improvement... she really couldn't learn this alone. So now, here she was, standing in front of the wizard's door, book clutched in her left hand, right hand raised as if to knock. But she couldn't knock.
Inside, she could hear movement, so surely he must be in there... but what if he wasn't? Or... what if he was and he refused to hear her out? What if she had no talent for magic, after all? Her hand shook slightly. Mara inhaled deeply, steadying herself again. A new look of determination crossed her green eyes and she gently rapped her knuckles on the door.
"Sir... mister... Callion... sir?" She called after her knock. Nervously, she hugged the book to her chest, being careful it only looked like a bundle of red cloth. The sound of movement stopped for a brief moment, before she heard a slight 'thud' against the door. The knob to the door jiggled and fidgeted, as if Callion was having some issue actually turning the knob. There was a brief pause before the knob finally turned fully and the door swung open slightly. In front of Mara hovered Callion's staff, somehow managing to turn a knob and open the door. There was no sign of Callion within the room. As Mara stood there, a sort of feeling flooded her mind, one of questioning, one wanting answers. There was a slight happiness to it, but also one of speculation and hesitation. All these different emotions that collided with her own were not coming from her, that much was clear, and as the staff hovered closer, its embedded gems and jewels glowing with a slight intensity as the emotions seemed to get stronger.
Mara stared in wonder at the staff, the feelings that were not her feelings washing over her.
"W.. wow... what an amazing staff." she murmured in admiration. "H...Hello there... lovely to make your acquaintance... uhm... Sir" She ventured, unsure if magic items had gender "I... I am Mara...and I was hoping, I might ask Mister Callion... a few questions about magic, is he in?"Ā The staff bobbed in place, almost as if it hadn't expected Mara to necessarily understand what was happening, and a feeling of happiness washed over her as the staff then weaved slightly. It was quickly followed up by a disappointed emotion as it did it's best to point back at the room and do the equivalent of 'shaking its head'. There was a slight pause as the staff seemed to freeze for a moment, before another voice beckoned from behind Mara.
"I didn't expect you, of all people, to go invading one's privacy, Farm Girl."Ā Callion's voice rang out behind her. Callion stood behind Mara, dressed down in what could be called 'extravagant rags'. Not as fancy as his robes, but by no means dirty or otherwise poor looking. Mara jumped at the sound of his voice, and looked at him sheepishly.
"Oh, I didn't intend to intrude. Your friend answered the door when I knocked. He was just letting me know you weren't in... I think..."
Mara said, looking at Callion's feet shyly. She was not sure how she felt that was right, but she did, as if the staff had told her that he was sorry Callion was not in.
The staff whirled around Mara, bobbing in front of Callion, some emotions still filtering to her but not as strong since they appeared to be directed at Callion, who stared at the staff as he dried the last bit of his hair with a towel. A feeling of smugness, defense and annoyance filtered to her, followed by Callion looking at the door itself. "But how did you open the door?" He asked the staff, before a wave of humor washed over the both of them. Callion gave a sigh, not willing to question it further. "I see, my apologies then." Callion stated, walking past Mara into his room. "Well, I am present. Is there something you wish to discuss?" Callion stated, folding his towel up and placing it on one of the dressers in the room.
Mara stiffened, suddenly nervous all over again.
"Y... Yes... I am sorry to disturb you. I, well... I was wondering if... I could ask you... some questions... about magic." her voice shook slightly with her nerves."I... was trying to learn on my own, but I'm having some trouble... with the hand gestures... in, in this... book I'm using. Māmay I come in?" Mara asked, hovering in the doorway, clutching the red wrapped proof of her guilt."If you'd rather not, I understand... you're just so skilled in magics... so..."She trailed off uncertainly, waiting for his answer. Callion looked over at her, his expression unreadable as he seemed to internally argue with himself about something before a sigh escaped his lips.
"It would do you well to increase your abilities if you are to remain at our side. I suppose I can lend my skills to ensure that achievement is met." Callion stated, beckoning her inside. Callion's room was just like everyone else's, at least initially. In the short time he had had to his room, there was already a shattered mirror, a few scrapes on the wall, and the drawers on the dresser were ripped open and a few clothes were strewn about. Books littered nearly every open space, the amount seeming to defy Callion's carrying capacity. His robe was hanging up along the wall, and a few unfinished sigils seemed to be etched into the walls with what appeared to be a rusty knife. All in all, his room was a mess but it either didn't bother him or he didn't consider it to be a problem worth mentioning at the moment. Callion pointed to the bed. "Well, have a seat and explain yourself then. What are you carrying with all the protectiveness of a worried mother?"
Mara's eyes lit up, like a puppy seeing its master returning home. Eagerly, she entered, giving the state of the room only a passing curious glance. His housekeeping preferences were not what she had come for. Obediently, Mara settled herself on the edge of the bed. Though, her expression visibly grew more worried when he asked about the parcel. Mara looked to it, expression something between guilt and wistfulness.
"W...Well...it's the book I've been using...I have it memorized already...but I thought you would likely need to reference It..." Mara glanced over Callion's shoulder, being sure the door was closed before she unwrapped her stolen Book Of Light. Surely, she thought, he would know this book. She braced herself for a scolding, but forged ahead.
"I...was having trouble with the gesture for the purify water spell...on page 38...
Callion peered at the book for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly as he approached Mara and plucked the book from her hands without so much as a 'please'. He flipped it over, his hands tracing the lettering and inscriptions on the cover. He flipped it open, turning a few pages as his eyes darted side to side, reading it as quickly as his mind could process.
"Interesting. Who would have thought you would have a Book of Light." Callion stated, once again inspecting the book from every angle he could think of, "What's more, a genuine book of Light and not some cheap novelty knock off." Callion stated. "It is my understanding that these books are only given to members of the Church of Light, prohibited to the masses and carrying a penalty of incarceration should one be found in the possession of such book and not anointed by the Holy Father." Callion looked over at Mara, who's expression seemed readable even by Callion's standards. "It's impressive you had the gumption to gain one for yourself, well done." Callion stated, handing the book back and moving over to his own pack. Mara looked up, stunned. For a moment, she thought that perhaps she had made a mistake in showing Callion the book. Perhaps, he would send her to jail...but...she was relieved that didn't seem to be the case. He dug around for a moment, grumbling the entire time before a book slid to his feet. Looking up, the staff hovered there, having slid Callion's Book of Light on the ground towards him. "Ah, my thanks Will." Callion stated, picking his book and flipping through it. His was notably in worse condition than Mara's, and the few pages she could see flip had notes scrawled in them. "Page 38ā¦ Purify water." Callion turned pages until he got to his part. There he paused for a few moments, his brow furrowing once more. "Ah of courseā¦ I can understand why one would have issue with these instructions, so filled with holy scripture as to be nearly unreadable."
He closed the book, keeping the page bookmarked with his finger as he moved to a table off in the corner of the room and grabbing himself a cup of water from the jug. Once the cup was full, Callion scrounged in the corners of his room, seemingly grabbing random junk, dirt and garbage that had accumulated, and depositing it in the cup. Once that was done, he motioned Mara over to it and crossed his arms. "First...let's see what you can do and what the issue might be. Show me what you're doing."
Still stunned, Mara shuffled to stand beside him at the table. She furrowed her brow, putting her hand over the cup full of debris with with her thumb and forefinger touching.
"As God sees fit, use his light to deem, this water pure to keep our souls clean...ā
She recited carefully, turning her hand up as if to draw the impurities out. At first, she thought nothing had happened but then the water began to bubble as if boiling. An acrid smell filled her nose, like rotting flesh.
"Oh dear..." Mara mumbled, furrowing her brow. āThis happens every time.ā
Callion peered into the cup with a curious gaze, a slight smile tweaking at his face as he gave a sideways look to Mara. Callion snapped his fingers, producing small fuzzy lights for a split second before they were gone once more. The water stopped bubbling and returned to its previous state.
"Once more." Callion stated, crossing his arms once again and staring at her.
Mara tilted her head, curiously. How had he fixed it? Still, she did as he asked and tried again. Once again, she thought nothing happened, before the water began to belch green acrid smelling smoke. Mara frowned again and sighed.
"Yeahā¦ this happens too. The only spell I've had success at lights a candleā¦ is the gesture wrong?" She asked. Callion continued to look at Mara, his eyes never drifting to the cup in question.
"No, I wouldn't necessarily say that at all. I would say it's either your intention, or your state of mind is confusing the mana and causing a wayward spell." Callion stated, flipping open his book and taking a look at the inscription once again. "I'm going to assume you've never had actual magic training, so we're going to have to start this from scratch and inform you exactly what is magic, and how it works in a world such as ours." Callion stated, looking at the cup and snapping his fingers once more, the water returning to its previous form. "That said, I don't have the time to fully teach you tonight, but I will attempt to address the biggest problem you seem to have based on my limited observation and prior experience with inexperienced pupils." Callion stated, snapping the book shut and holding it at his side.
"Magic is a living, breathing force of nature that we are only guiding to react to the world in ways we wish it." Callion started, drifting into what could only be classified as a 'lecture mode'. "It does not appear out of thin air, it is around us and inside of us. It is as much a part of this world as we are, only more malleable and controllable. To fully understand what you can do with it, you must first understand what you can't do with it." Callion wandered over to his bag, reaching in and pulling out a number of different scrolls and a couple of books, looking through them and tossing a few back into his bag which seemed to hold far more than possible even with a number of books already out in the room.
"And the list is a very short oneā¦ There's nothing you can't do with magic." Callion spoke, turning back to Mara with a number of books and scrolls in his hands.
"It is a part of nature, but it defies it. It is a part of us, but it isn't us. It can do both miraculous and abominable things. In short, it is neither good nor bad by any moral standard, it simply exists and it is up to the wielder to determine it's intent." Callion placed his items on the table. "Intent is a good way to go about it too, since intention is what truly drives a magical spell. Incantations, sigils, holy scriptures, these are only guiding points. They help us focus our mind on a singular goal and charge the mana to react in a specific way. Humans have their words and holy scriptures. Dwarves carve the magic into a rune, establishing it in a specific state. Elves use their inherent connection to nature to derive their intent, and Orcsā¦ Orcs yell or something else barbaric." Callion stated, his thoughts about the Orcish race very apparent.
"In short, you must be committed to casting a certain spell without any doubt or hesitation, you must have confidence in what you are doing to fully achieve a spell." Callion snapped his fingers, and a ball of fire appeared on his palm. Upon closer inspection, a small sigil could be seen at the base of the flame. "No words were necessary for me, but I do require a sigil, at least from my perspective, in order to give the flame a 'base' to shoot out of or otherwise control. Other mages may do it differently, this is simply my method." Callion swirled his hand and a miniature tornado appeared in his hand, the sigil where it appeared changing as it did so. He did this a number of times, without saying a word, and each time it was a different effect with the same hand gesture.
Mara watched in silent awe, absorbing his words like a thirsty plant. in this moment of complete focus, she seemed to forget to be shy. Her green eyes flashed intelligently as she watched.
"I would like you to try again, but don't focus so much on the hand gestures or words, I want you to focus on the intent of what you're trying to do." Callion said, closing his hand and ending his small spell.
Mara shifted nervously from foot to foot. Intent, she understood, but confidenceā¦ that may be her problem. She had seen the spell go wrong so many times now. Well, she was confident she could mess it up. Still, Callion had shown her without question that it could be done. No words needed, thoughā¦ she had never tried.
She inhaled deeply, stilling her thoughts. Calm. Like the brook by father's farm. So clear you can see the pebbles at the bottom. So crisp it freezes your tongue. Mara raised her hand, palm open and turned it over with a flick of the wrist. Like casting a pebble into the brook.
"Pure." She said, softly as if half asleep. Then, there was a sound as if she had indeed cast a pebble into water. It startled her to focus. The cup rippled in the center as if indeed something had fallen in. She stared at it intently, curious. A small light came from the ripple and then the water was still. Mara looked into the cupā¦ and a smile pulled at the corner of her lips. The debris was gone. There was no smell or strange colors.
" Iā¦ I actually think I did it..." Mara said, voice almost like an incredulous giggle. Both surprised and overjoyed with her success, Mara beamed proudly at Callion and held the cup out to him to have him check her work. Callion looked to her, then at the cup.
"Well, if you truly believe thatā¦ then drink it." Callion stated, his eyes never leaving Mara's.
Mara's delight faded a little. Did she believe it? Maybe he had seen something she hadn't and it had gone wrongā¦ just as she had this thought, the cup in her hands began to feel uncomfortably hot and a smell that she swore hadn't been there. Of sulfur, wafted from the cup. Mara looked down at it, brows furrowed with frustration. It had gone wrong againā¦ but she swore it had been right.
"Butā¦ itā¦ it felt right at first..." she said, hurriedly putting the cup back on the table. She rubbed her overly warm hands on her apron to get the sting out. "I swearā¦ and then..." Mara mumbled, looking perplexed.
"Why are you mumbling? Do you not have a voice?" Callion stated, peering at Mara with a very intense gaze. "Intention is well and good, it is a base for you to build from...but where is your confidence? Do you not believe in yourself? Do you not believe yourself worthy of this power?" Callion looked at the cup, then back to Mara. "Do you truly wish to learn?"
Mara's eyes locked on to him. She desperately wanted to learn. She wanted to learn so badly that she risked her physical well being for that book. Didn't he see that?
"I want to learn more than I want to live..." Mara said seriously. There was no mumble there. No hesitation. But the confidence, her whole life had been full of things she was not permitted to do.
She was not supposed to learn, or read, or speak unless spoken to, or look too full of herself, or everā¦ ever...leaveā¦ yet here she was. Still, she was quiet, thinking intensely. How did she tell him that it just seemed that getting to leave her father's grasp and becoming an educated magic user as she had always dreamed seemed like too much to ask for? She had always been told she was nothing, less than dirtā¦ barely deserved to live. She gripped her apron, knuckles white with frustration.
"Iā¦ was told..." she paused voice breaking a little. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I was told I wasn't even worthy of lifeā¦ but I want so much more than only to live, if I can learn nothingā¦ I would rather be dead."
She paused."I..can light a candle, I know I can do thisā¦ pleaseā¦ let me try again..."
Callion seemed completely unphased by what Mara was saying, his expression set into a sort of intense neutral, judging her as she spoke with his inherent arrogance that seemed to be so ingrained into his being as to become the man himself. Once she finished, Callion paused long enough to make her wonder if he had fallen victim to his sleeping spells once more, but he finally breathed slightly in a silent sigh.
"Noā¦ I don't care if you can light a candle." Callion stated. "Nor do I care what has prompted you to learn magic, your life prior to this, the events that transpired prior to our meeting, or how you believe other people should dictate your life." Callion stated, his tone harsh, almost as if she had unintentionally stepped on his toes. "How dare you allow others to tell you such things... How dare you allow yourself to feel such insecurity and failure. They do not control you, nor do they dictate your fate. If you spend so much time worrying about the opinions of others to the point of social anxiety induced paranoia and paralysis, then you will never be anything more than you are now." Callion said, his gaze piercing through Mara as if she had committed some kind of attack on his person. Mara gripped her apron, half expecting blows to come. When people were angry with her...blows always came.Ā
This continued until his staff floated behind him and swung itself at his head with enough force to make him stumble. Callion whirled around with a vicious intent, only to be bombarded with so many different emotions and feelings as to be indecipherable from each other. While this may have been a conversation in another language as far as Mara was concerned, Callion seemed to understand what was said and visibly calmed down. Callion peered back over at Mara after what felt like minutes, before reaching over towards his scrolls and books.
"If you truly wish to learn, I will teach you." Callion stated, shoving the books and scrolls into Mara's arms, tossing her own Book of Light on top.
Mara gripped the pile, as if she were drowning and these items would somehow keep her afloat. Quietly, she was grateful for the staff for seemingly calming the wizard.
"There will be rules that you will follow. One, you will call me Teacher from now on. Two, you will never allow another person to dictate your worth ever again. If you allow this, for any reason, I will consider you beyond my ability to teach and that will be that. Three, my condition sends me into fits of sleep at a moment's notice. Should I fall asleep during a lesson, you are to reach out to Will, my staff, to wake me. Four, you are to use magic wherever you believe it could be useful, no matter the circumstance. If you believe it will help you open a door, you will use magic to open a door." Callion stood there, staring at Mara.
"You will read all of these, the scrolls, the books, the pamphlets, the inscriptions, the dried food stains and you will commit them to memory. I will be testing your knowledge on this as we progress. I do not tolerate excuses, should you fail, you will try harder. Once you have done this, then we can start your training in earnest..." Callion look at the small farm girl in front of him. "Am I clear?"
Mara stared over the piles of paper at Callion, eyes watery with unshed tears. He would teach her? She beamed at him brightly.
"Yes, Teacher, crystal clear." Mara said as confidently as she could. "Thank you, Teacher! I'll work hard, you won't be disappointing. Thank you too, Will!"Ā Callion glanced over at Will for a moment, a bit of a glare to his otherwise passive perception of his staff, before waving Mara off.
"Learn the fundamentals from those books first, you need to know how to work magic before you go straight into spells. Go, start reading." Callion stated, shooing Mara out of the room.
"Yes, Teacher!" Mara headed toward the closed door, pausing as she remembered Callion's rule four. Should she use magic to try opening his door? It WAS the rule. Mara stood just ten feet from the door, just in case and imagined how Will might have opened the door. Maybe the knob could just turn on its own, like when the wind would unlatch the barn door? The door will just blow openā¦ justā¦ blowā¦ open. Mara inhaled, feeling a strange bubbling pull in her chest and exhaled out. There was a thudding knocking sound, then the door swung wide open, as if shoved by a great gust of wind from behind her. The hinges on the door glowed faintly.
Mara grinned and hurried through the open door. She could do this. She inhaled deeply as she headed toward her room, hearing Callion's door close and feeling the bubbling in her chest fade. She could have whooped in joy. She was going to learn magic.