Cinnamon Bun by Dagger Ravens

Author:Dagger, Ravens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Four

The Embers of Magic

Milread and Noemi were both listening as Severin, who insisted that I sit across from him, spoke to me. They must have thought it was just as interesting as I did.

“Magic is ze application of mana towards a specific task. Mana, in its natural state, will reflect ze environment it is in and zat environment will in turn reflect ze mana zat suffuses it. Ze great Ostri Desert has six sand-aspect dungeons wizin it zat keep ze climate inhospitably warm and dry. Ze Darkwoods we are in is home to a dungeon zat releases marsh-aspect mana.”

“So dungeons give off mana that matches the environment?” I asked. “There are fire dungeons near volcanos and such?”

Severin made a wibbly-wobbly gesture. “Yes and no. Zis is a chicken and egg problem. You are familiar wiz ze analogy?” at my nod he continued. “Ze world produces all mana. Dungeons conduct zis mana to ze surface, like wells. Somewhere along zat path, the mana begins to resemble the environment.

Some dungeons don’t match zeir location’s ambient mana at first glance. Which is usually because mana always has two aspects. Zere is ze physical and ze metaphysical, but one of zese doesn’t matter when casting somezing as infantile as fireball. It is enough zat you are aware zat mana has aspects zat are needed to cast a spell. Ze more complex parts you can learn at anozer time.”

I shifted on the spot, eager to get to the more hands-on part of the lesson, but also curious to learn more. In the end it came down to Severin’s preference, if he wanted to get to the practical parts I was okay with that. “I’m ready,” I said.

“Calm down,” he said. “We will get zrough ze basic zeory first. Mana aspects are important, it indicates how mana will behave. Ze same spell construct zat you use for fireball can be used for a windball or pureball spell wiz only slight tweaks to ze structure. If you want to cast an actual fireball, zen you need to take your natural mana and shift its aspect to zat of fire. Or you could do ze same to ze mana in ze air around us.”

“I could conjure fireballs from nothing? Without touching my own mana… pool thing?” That sounded like it had a lot of very useful applications. Machine-gunning fireballs at my foes was a big ‘yes’ on the list of things I wanted to be able to do. As long as those foes were very mean and evil and okay to hurt and had already rejected all offers of friendship, of course. Maybe if I found them in the act of eating a baby or something.

“Yes. When you’re a level forty archmagus you can do whatever you like with the mana in ze air around you,” Severin said.

Noemi snorted a laugh. It didn’t hold her mood up for long, but she did laugh.

“So, to re-explain as I am sure I will have to do many times. Mana has what we call aspects, mirrors of certain parts of nature.

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