Chapter 8: Learning The Art (Part II)
After they finished dinner, Hagan went home and Iris washed Lucas’s clothes. She hung them in the washroom to dry before going upstairs to her bedroom.
Lucas had a very difficult time falling asleep as he lay on the couch that night. He couldn’t stop worrying about his grandpa. To make matters worse, the fireplace now contained nothing more than a smoldering pile of glowing ash. Other than its faint light, the room was completely dark and the temperature was falling fast. The thick blanket which had provided him with warmth and comfort earlier now felt as though it were a sheet of ice. How does Iris sleep here every night? This is insane! I guess it’s safe to assume that she’s an Ice center. It would explain the weird hair anyway. Finally, after several hours of shivering, Lucas finally managed to fall asleep.
The next morning he was woken by the smell of porridge, reminding him of his grandpa. Lucas quickly got off the couch and walked into the kitchen. Shivering as he entered the room, he was greeted by Iris. She was sitting at the table in a purple night robe eating with a book open next to her porridge.
“Good morning Lucas. Did you sleep well?”
Lucas shook his head. “Not really. It’s a little too cold in here for me.”
Iris got out of her chair. “Oh my! I apologize.” Grabbing some matches, she walked into the living room. “I possess the ability to use Ice magic. As a result, I’m unaware of drops in temperature below a certain point. I didn’t intend to inconvenience you.”
Lucas followed her into the room. She was reaching for a log to put in the fireplace when he quickly said, “No, no it’s okay. I need to leave soon anyway.”
Iris turned to him with a look of surprise on her face. “You have not fully recovered from your injuries.”
Briefly inspecting the cuts, bruises, and bandages on his body, Lucas said, “I can walk, I’ll be fine. I just need my clothes and sword.”
Iris shook her head. “You’re in no condition to travel outside of the Azure city limit. In the event you’re attacked by monsters, you will likely perish.”
“But I have to try,” Lucas argued. “Grandpa’s all alone and I have our only sword. He has the axe, but if it breaks he’ll be defenseless.” Lucas thought for a moment. That’s right! I still have the gold I was going to use to get the sword touched up, plus the one hundred Roshan gave me! “What if I hire someone to escort me back to Cymbeline?” he suggested. “Then I’ll only have to travel a short distance on my own. Will you let me go if I do that?”
Iris lifted a log and threw it into the fireplace. “In theory, I would. However, doing so would be much too expensive.” She turned to him. “Are you even aware of the vast distance you will need to travel in order to reach Cymbeline?”
Lucas walked over to the couch. “Well, I guess it’s going to be far. But I don’t really know exactly how far.” He sat down as Iris walked over to the bookshelf.
Taking an atlas, she placed it on the coffee table and sat beside him. Opening it, she said, “I’m certain that once you are aware, your opinion will alter.” Iris pointed to an area on the far north end of the map. “You’re currently here, in Azure.” She slid her finger a good distance toward the southwest and stopped on another point. “There’s Cymbeline.” Lucas buried his face in his hands.
Iris closed the book. “I sincerely apologize if I’ve caused you disappointment, but hopefully you can understand why I’m concerned for your welfare.” She took the book back to the shelf and finished building the fire.
As she walked back to the kitchen, she stopped and turned to Lucas, who was visibly upset. “Would you like some porridge?” she offered. Lucas softly shook his head. Although she felt sorry for him, Iris was unsure of what else she could possibly do to lift his spirits. She returned to the kitchen to finish her meal.
Lucas sat quietly on the couch, watching the fire crackle. How am I ever going to get home now? Traveling on foot is going to take way too long. There has to be something I can do...
When Iris had finished her breakfast, she reentered the living room. “Here’s an idea,” she proposed. “I’m scheduled to make a small batch of potions this morning. However, when my work is complete, I would be more than happy to assist you with the basics of elemental conjuring.”
Lucas turned to her with interest. “I’d like that.”
Iris smiled. “I’m estimating that I will be in the laboratory for approximately two hours. As you wait, I suggest that you continue studying the book I gave you.” She walked out of the room.
After grabbing the book, Lucas returned to the couch and pulled the blanket up to his neck. Trying to find where he had left off, he flipped through the pages of So You Want to be a Mage: A Beginner’s Guide to Conjuring through Your Elemental Center. Once he found the page, he continued reading.
After two good hours of study, Iris returned. “What have you learned so far?”
Lucas put down the book. “That conjuring is pretty complicated.”
Iris chuckled. “Other than that.”
Lucas sat up. “I read some more about techniques to focus and envision spells. Then I read about targeting and spell types. I think I might be ready to do it, but I’m not sure.”
“Would you like to try casting?” Iris asked.
Lucas was perplexed. “I thought you didn’t want me casting inside.”
Making her way upstairs, Iris said, “We can practice in the backyard. I will return momentarily.”
As she was changing, Lucas went to the washroom to collect his clothes. Inspecting them to be sure they had dried overnight, he dressed himself and proceeded back into the living room. While he was waiting for Iris, he searched through the bookshelf. Which one was it... hmmm... there! That’s the one. He grabbed The Basics of Light Magic. Hopefully I can learn how to do some healing spells. I need to fully recover as soon as possible so I can work on finding the best way back to Cymbeline.
Iris walked down the stairs a few minutes later, dressed in a long, thick light-blue coat with white trim and brown boots. Lucas turned to her. “Wait, I thought that as part of your Ice ability you weren’t affected by cold weather.”
“I am not,” she replied. “I simply enjoy wearing this attire.” Slinging a gray scarf over her shoulder, she asked, “May I offer you any additional clothing?”
Lucas nodded. “A coat and scarf, please.”
Moments later, the pair walked into the backyard. Lucas was now wearing a puffy white coat and scarf with gray gloves. He looked around, surprised at the size of Iris’s property. “Your neighbors are pretty far away for being in a city,” he commented.
Iris was flipping through The Basics of Light Magic as though she were looking for a specific page. She glanced at him. “This particular residential area of Azure is rather spacious. As an advantage of my career choice, I am one of a few residents who can afford to occupy this district. However, you’ll find that it’s quite different further into town.”
“That makes sense,” Lucas replied. “I was wondering why I wasn’t picking up the huge jumble of emotions I normally get when I go through Cymbeline.”
Iris stopped flipping through the book after reaching a certain page and pointed to a specific section of text. “Speaking of which, the first thing you should learn as a practitioner of Light magic is to control your ability to sense the emotions of others. Using the method listed here, you will be able to permit and prohibit your ability at will. It’s important that you acquire this skill first as you may find it hard to conjure while distracted by the emotions of the people around you.”
After reading the section Iris had pointed out, Lucas attempted the technique. It only took him a few tries before the calmness he had been sensing from Iris’s presence disappeared. “I think I did it this time,” he said.
Iris smiled. “Excellent. Now, let’s try conjuring.” She flipped through the book to another page. “We will start with a light orb. Orb spells are very basic and an excellent way to familiarize with the process of conjuring through your elemental center.” Iris outstretched her right arm, cupping her hand and turning her palm upward. “Start by moving your right arm into this position. Though it’s not necessary to outstretch your arm in this manner to conjure an orb, it’s a suggested method for those who are new to the process, as it gives the mage a clear focal point. You may find that physical gestures are helpful in controlling your spells, though the process is mostly mental.”
Lucas outstretched his arm as Iris had. “Alright. I guess it’s time to focus?”
Iris nodded. “Precisely. I will give you a short duration to do so using your preferred method.” Following a brief silence, she continued. “Now you must envision the spell. Your element is Light. Therefore, I suggest starting by visualizing the color yellow. Next, condense the color within your mind into a ball. Then, focus your attention to the center of your right palm. When you believe you’re ready to attempt conjuring, say ‘Lumen orbis.’”
It was silent for nearly a minute. Suddenly, Lucas shouted, “Lumen orbis!” Nothing happened. “Ugh!”
“Keep trying,” Iris encouraged. “Conjuring your first spell can be extremely frustrating. You must be patient. Repeat the process again.”
Lucas outstretched his right arm and cupped his hand. Facing his palm upward, he focused. Using all of his concentration, he visualized the color yellow and began forming it into a ball. Then, he focused as hard as he could on his right palm. “Lumen orbis!” Still, the attempt failed. Lucas groaned. Getting back into position, he tried again for a third time. “Lumen orbis!” Sadly, he was unsuccessful yet again.
Lucas was becoming frustrated. “I just can’t seem to do it, Iris. What am I doing wrong?!”
“Nothing, most likely,” she replied. “You have not failed. This is your first attempt at conjuring in your life. Your power is still ‘waking up,’ so to speak. With practice, you will be able to conjure orbs with hardly any effort at all. Observe. Glacies orbis!” Suddenly, a floating ball of ice surrounded by a glowing blue aura appeared about a foot in front of her face.
Lucas was stunned. Show off! She makes it look so easy! And she didn’t even move her hands! Iris quickly looked to her left. The ball instantly shot in the same direction, smashing into a battered old barrel and blowing it to pieces. Lucas scratched his head, “Now how the hell did you do that?!”
Iris chuckled at the remark. “Practice and patience. Do not relinquish hope so easily, Lucas. You have the potential. All you must do is apply yourself.”
Lucas outstretched his right arm and adjusted his hand into position. “Alright, if you say so. But we could be here for a while.”