Chapter 16: Training

 And this is a short chapter.  But it also has a lot on magic and how it works in my book.
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                                                                CHAPTER 16
   After tea, Eltobe took Grace, Russell, and Aunna outside.
    “Now, this exercise is for Grace, since she knows nothing about magic,” he instructed.  “But you two might learn something good too.  Grace!  Sit down.”  He motioned to a stump.  Grace sat.  Russell and Aunna stood to one side.  Eltobe waved his hand at the ground, and a leafy seat made entirely of ivy grew up from the loam.  Grace stared.  Eltobe seemed not to notice and sat in the chair.
    “Okay, so.  Lesson number one.”  He held up a finger.  “When the Creator made the world, he put magic inside the First Two People.  And when those People had children, the magic was passed down through the ages.  It’s in me and in you.  And everything else.  Like that.”  Eltobe pointed to a spider spinning a web in the vines of his chair.  “And that.”  He pointed to a deer which had wandered into the clearing around his house.  The deer meandered over to him and nuzzled his hand.
    “Some people can use this magic to their advantage.  It is endless, but not everyone can use the same amount.  I can use a great deal at one time.  You can use even more than me.  Aunna, your magic level is over that of the average fairy, enough to move a house at most.  Russell, I’d say the most you could move would be a bed.
    “Now, the first step is to see this magic.  Grace,” he said, “breathe.  Breathe deeply, breathe in the air.”
    Grace breathed.
    “Close your eyes!”
    Grace closed her eyes.
    “Now open them.  Is anything different?”
    Grace opened her eyes.  She looked around.  “No, everything looks the same.”
    “Okay, do it again.  This time, visualize a bright light.  Look at the sun through your eyelids, if you must.”
    Grace did as he asked.  She opened her eyes.  “Woah!! Everything’s....glowing!!  Wow!”  She looked at Russell.  “Russell, you’ve got this light inside you.....it’s not very bright.  Aunna’s got one too.  Aunna, yours is lighter than Russell’s.  Ouch!!  Eltobe, yours is very, very bright!!”
    “Good!!  Now, that’s the light in all of us.  That’s the magic.  That’s what was put there by the Creator!!”
    “This is amazing, but it hurts my eyes,” Grace said, squinting.  “How do I make it go away?”
    “Just close them again and think about what everything looks like without the glow,” Eltobe replied.  “It should go away.  I haven't had an apprentice in a while, I can't wait to train you.”
    “Um, me neither.  This is gonna be fun.  I’ve never learned magic before,” said Grace.  “Will I be good at it?”
    “That depends....I think you will be, though,” answered Eltobe.  “You have an aptitude for it already.”
    Grace grinned.  “Wonderful.”
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    Grace exhaled loudly as she tumbled into her bed.  “Whew!  Today was especially hard.”
    “I can tell,” said Aunna from where she sat on her bed.  Eltobe had taught her how to grow, so she was about four and a half feet tall.  She grew and shrank whenever it was convenient.  Aunna couldn’t wait to tell her mom, but Eltobe said that contact with the adults had been cut off for safety reasons. 
    They had been living with Eltobe for about a week.  Grace, a quick learner, was growing in her magic abilities, much to his delight.  Just a few days after they arrived, he taught her to bend some of the elements to her will.  Eltobe, Aunna, and she had built a small cabin out of the forest, similar to Eltobe’s.  Half of it was rock, and half was trees, dirt, leaves, ivy, and such.  The wizard had produced beds, shelves, two dressers, and a few other room essentials to decorate the cabin.
    Grace opened her aprentice’s notebook and began to summerize today’s lesson.  Eltobe had her do the exercise every day after his lessons.  He told her that they helped her remember what she learned and made up a good reference guide to magic.  As she wrote, Grace thought back to the first entry in her notebook.

~~~~~~~~An Overview of Magic
    There are several different kinds of magic users: witches, wizards, fairies, seers, and ornics.    
    Witches: typically human; some exeptions; usually are powerfull in healing magic; Spirit, Air, Water; potions; dealing with animals.
    Wizards: typically human; some exeptions; usually are powerfull in feats of strength; Fire, Earth, Forest; dealing with diferent races of creatures.
    Fairies: moderately strong in all elements; good with animals.
    Seers: use magic to peer into the future; see possibilities but not certainties.
    Ornics: everyone else; can use magic for very small purposes, such as moving objects or finding water, etc.
    The Creator made everything in Fantasia with magic.  That magic still lingers in all things.  Since the Creator made creatures, they have magic too.  Plants, animals, water, rock, etc, all have magic.
    One’s inner magic is divided into six elements: Spirit, Air, Water, Fire, Earth, and Forest.  Some people are stronger in specific elements than others, i.e. wizards vs. witches.  All objects in creation fall into one of the six categories. 
    To work magic, one must draw it out of the object one wants to work it on and/or the part of one’s inner magic relating to the object.  If one draws on the magic of the object, one does not become as tired after working the magic and is stronger.  One quiets one’s mind, takes the magic, and uses it.  One must visualize what one’s going to do with the magic to use it. 
    In addition to one’s inner magic, one can use magic from the earth, water, forest, air, or living beings (in the form of Spirit magic).  Each element of the earth contains the element of magic with the same name.  Spirit magic can kill those from whom it is taken, so one must leave enough magic inside it to keep the creature alive.  Evil wizards often drain the lives of those under them.
    One must never, NEVER completely drain the life of any thing.  That is the most serious form of offense to the Creator.  Killing something with magic is different than killing it without magic.  It’s almost like sucking the soul out of the object as opposed to letting the soul loose of the object.

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    “How long do you think we’ll stay with Eltobe?” asked Russell as Grace shut her notebook.
    “I don’t know,” answered Grace.  “I guess until Aunna’s mom decides what to do with us.”
    “Have you ever thought about how we’re going to get Gryzo off of the throne?”  Russell flopped down on his bed.  “I mean, we don’t have an army or anything.”
    “We’ll think of something,” encouraged Grace.  “There’s got to be tons of people who are loyal to the royal family.  I mean, Gryzo isn't exactly a nice ruler, is he?”
    “Nope,” Aunna replied.  “I bet there’s a billion creatures who are sick of Gryzo and his minions.”
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Do you like my take on magic?  Is it cool?  Confusing?  Creepy?
Tell me!
~~Zoë Wingfeather

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