Chapter 7. The Trials Of Magic

Chapter 7 The Trials of Magic

Jiar noticed that most of the cuts and bruises he had sustained during his fight with the Devil Bear had healed by themselves.

"I see you are aware of your regenerative abilities now," Althea said.

"It's amazing. What degree of injury can I heal? What about limb regeneration?"

The dark elf shook her head. "Don't go down that road, my King. Your body may regenerate fast, but you aren't immortal. Minor injuries will heal in minutes, but you definitely cannot replace limbs at your level. So I will advise you not to take huge risks."

Jiar narrowed his eyes. "Says someone who threw me into a Devil Bear's cave!"

Althea giggled. "But you came out victorious with barely a scratch. Creatures like these are a joke for your enhanced body."

The King nodded. Usually, it would take a team of mecha robots to tackle an adult Devil Bear. He killed it with a single punch. His strength was abnormal, to begin with. But something felt wrong.

"What is it, my King?" Althea asked, stepping up to him.

"The Devil Bear, why did I have to kill it? Aren't animals and beasts part of my kingdom? Isn't it my duty to protect them as well?"

The dark elf nodded. "That particular Devil Bear, I could sense its past. It had already killed over a dozen of helpless farmers and devoured them. Once a bear turns into devil breed, there is no coming back. It rages and kills until it is put down. That's the rule of nature, my King. The strong must defend itself, especially against evil."

Jiar nodded, convinced by her counsel. He got to his feet and grinned. "Alright! Teach me magic now. I can't wait!"

***

Althea led him to the hilltop this time. The climb took over half an hour. They could run up using agility, but the dark elf insisted they climbed like regular people.

"Respect the hills and mountains, my King. They are guardians of your lands."

When they reached the top, Jiar looked down the precipice and inhaled a lungful of fresh air. He could see his castle far off in the distance. A river ran across the royal forests, going around the hills. It divided the land into two microclimates. One was green and flush with blossoms, while the other was marshy and swampy.

"Close your eyes," Althea instructed, tying her hair into a little bun.

Jiar did as he was asked.

"Now, let all thoughts dissipate. Let go of your senses. You do not need them when you want to tap into magic. There should be no distractions."

The King took another deep breath and exhaled, letting himself relax and focus.

"Every mage or magic-capable person has an inner eye, often called the third eye," the dark elf explained. "When you close your eyes, the third eye opens, revealing the magical world."

"I can't see anything magical yet. Just darkness."

"Focus. Every life has sprouted from the soil. Every planet that has life has a magical core. From it branch out magical trunks, rising to the surface. From the trunks arise magical roots running across the lands. In every mage, there are magical circuits spread across the body. Once you activate them, you can tap into the land's magic."

Jiar first saw dim glowing lines. "I see something."

The lines brightened, looking like electric vines. They ran across his body and touched a thick glowing root that ran across the hill."

"I see them! The circuits and the roots!"

"Good!" Althea said. "Don't mind the roots for now. I will teach you in the future how to derive mana from magical roots. Right now, be aware of your circuits only."

Jiar nodded.

"And don't stare at the magical roots of the land for long. They may blind your inner eye."

"Understood."

"Remember the peace and tranquility you feel right now. The calmer you are while drawing mana, your spell's effect is better."

Without Althea's instructions, Jiar realized that his magical circuits drew energy from his body and converted it into mana. He could control the direction of flow according to his wish.

"What next?" he asked.

The dark elf smiled, partly impressed by how quickly he grasped the knowledge and awareness. Usually, it would take new mage weeks even to visualize magical circuits.

"Open your eyes, but don't let the awareness you feel right now dissipate."

Jiar nodded and opened his eyes. He could still feel mana coursing through his body. His instinct urged him to blast a spell.

Althea observed his impatience. "Channel your mana through your magical circuits to your hands."

Jiar took control of the flow immediately. Mana surged from all over his body and burst into his hands. He felt warm around the wrist, and the temperate was rising fast.

"Umm, what next?"

"The next step is to convert the accumulated mana into magic through a spell. Do you remember any? And more importantly, do you know the two types of incantations?"

Jiar had spent most of his childhood in the royal library. He was pretty well-versed in grimoires and therefore knew almost every general spell in existence. Moreover, he knew everything there was to know about casting spells.

"I know that there are two types of incantations. Verbal and Visual. Verbal spells are beginner-level. There are magical words for every spell, and on uttering them, magic takes form and is released."

"Exactly!" Althea said. "What else?"

"Visual incantations are for intermediate and advanced practitioners. It is when you cast spells without using magical words. You visualize the effect your spell intends to create and then cast the spell."

"Yes!" the dark elf chimed. "So let's start you off with a verbal incantation, my King! How about fire magic?"

Jiar nodded. He recalled the magical word for producing fire, uttered it aloud, and held out his right palm outwards.

"Drakna!"

Roar! His mana came bursting out, turning into a green ball of fire. The ball began accumulating more mana, turning into a massive spiral.

Althea stepped back. "Release it! Or you'll hurt us both!"

The King exhaled and let the fireball go. It hurtled towards the crown of a tree. The attack smashed against the treetop, instantly setting it aflame.

Jiar was shocked by the extent and size of his magical attack. He had seen the infantry of Luxar practicing fire magic, but their fireballs were barely larger than a pumpkin. His was over five feet in diameter!

"The mana you can generate is multiple times that of a regular mage, my King," the dark elf explained, raising her hand. A pool of water formed above the burning tree and fell on it, extinguishing the raging fire.

"Therefore, you need to exercise control," she continued. "Or you may hurt yourself. Or worse, hurt the ones you are trying to protect."

Jiar nodded apologetically. He had been so engrossed in his newfound abilities and so excited that he could finally do magic, he had forgotten his usual disciplined self.

"Alright. Let's proceed. We can try wind magic next. Wind blades, specifically, are frequently used in military battles."

Jiar scratched his chin. "The spell is 'Ventna', isn't it?"

Althea nodded. She pointed at birds flying across the forest. "Do you know this species?"

"Ulohr. Known for their characteristically large wings and sharp beaks."

"We'll target them with wind blades. Does that bother you? Killing birds?"

Jiar shook his head. "You don't need to worry about my moral conflicts, Althea," he said pensively. "Moreover, Ulohr birds breed extensively and are known pests to farmers. They fly around, ruining crops all over the kingdom. They disturb nests of peaceful birds as well. I am more than happy to put a few down."

"Great... I will stop troubling myself over such things, then, my King. Your wisdom will guide you. Now repeat the same process of generating mana, but exercise control over it this time."

Jiar nodded, raising his right palm against the forest scenery. He let the mana flow into his wrists, but at the junction of the palm, he throttled the supply, allowing only a piecemeal amount to escape.

"Ventna!"

A wisp of energy materialized before his hand. It swiveled, gathering wind, turning into a sharp blade that rotated with high velocity.

"Be careful now..." Althea murmured.

Jiar aimed at a bird and fired. The blade missed it by a yard and lodged into a Jade tree, bringing down a branch.

"You can rest before doing it again-" Althea began. But the King already had another blade materialized.

The dark elf stared as he aimed quickly, this time landing his target. The Ulohr bird screech died abruptly as it was blown into feathers.

Jiar did not stop there. He used both hands, firing wind blades right and left. In a few minutes, he had brought down two dozen Ulohr birds, the forest echoing with deathly bird screeches. The rest of the flock escaped, realizing they were being hunted.

Althea rested a hand on Jiar's shoulder. "That's enough for today, my King. You did well."

Jiar turned to her, a vein throbbing on his forehead, a strange light flashing in his eyes. Was it bloodlust?

Althea winced for a moment but then smiled. She touched his face and whispered a few magical words.

Jiar relaxed, and his undulating mana levels came to a rest.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, his kind eyes looking at her apologetically. "I got carried away."

"It's fine, my King," the dark elf said. "Magic can be overwhelming for the first time. You'll learn to restrain yourself."

Jiar nodded. Something caught his eye up in the air. A small, winged creature. Another Ulohr bird circling overhead?

As it flew nearer, they saw it was a hawk. A golden stripe was pained across its talons.

"It's a royal messenger. It must have brought a message from my court."

Jiar let the hawk approach him. He held out his arm, and the bird rested on his gauntlet. The King unfurled a note tied to its toe.

The letter read:

To His Grace, Jiar Jarezon, King and Protector of Luxar.

Our spies have reported that the city trade unions are planning a kingdom-wide rebellion! We implore you to summon the royal council to address this matter urgently!

Signed: Prime Minister Salkion.