Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc 2] Ch. 6 Sorcery's Message

Nerys

Another pause. "Sorcery, the study of the sources of magic and it's manipulation. Sorcerers, those who use sorcery. The title mage is polarized by the notion that one can study fire, wind, or dark magic and is ultimately bound by the elements. Sorcery digs a little deeper and asks the question, where does magic come from? So I'm here to paint a picture and give you a history lesson. Now I'm sure that some of you are rolling your eyes and saying, 'No professor Turner, not a lecture. School hasn't even started yet.' But I'm about to tell you the history they won't teach you here. The secret and shameful truth of magic. I'm about to get in trouble because I'm about to tell you this, I am sticking my neck on the line."

Professor turner pointed at his neck to emphasize his point. "Most of you are familiar with Beast Strengthening, a special technique that can only be utilized by the beastkin. But what if I told you that a long time ago, we all had comparable magic similar to their beast strengthening but an event happened that not only caused us to turn our backs on it, but we began to call it evil and taboo. That event was when the Spirits gave us their version of magic. That ancient and primal magic was natural and in harmony with out lives, in all rights it was safer than spirit magic. The Spirits took what we knew from that magic and broke it down to aid us in better understanding and using their magic. But when we used those techniques with the old magic it caused nothing but catastrophe."

"The old masters understood the risks and warned against mixing the two, but over time their descendants decided that because it wasn't the latest and greatest thing that it must be obsolete. They ran a campaign to prevent later generations from even considering it as an option. How? They gave it a dirty name, Blood magic. They called it evil, they stifled anyone as mad who pursued the mysteries of magic, especially blood magic. All the while they unknowingly continued to used runes, magic circles, and chants Shamelessly bastardized from Sigils, the building block of Blood magic."

All around Professor floated Sigils in the air. A few of which I recognized, many that I didn't, and my heart pounded in joy. "Blood magic Sigils, this is a moment in history and the first time students have ever been able to see the true beginnings of magic as you know them. Now, watch." He held up his hands and the pieces of the Sigils peeled away in segments revealing the contemporary Runes many knew and there were a few gasps. A few of the Sigils remained while others had portions filled in with runes and formed magic circles.

"Magic circles were originally designed to contain and manipulate the most powerful of Sigils, but the process used even more Blood magic techniques to perfect. However, they weren't evil or wrong, they gave us a gift and we should appreciate it. We now have two sources of magic inside of us. One that we have reclaimed by naming it Primal Life magic, and the other the spirits have given us called spirit magic. But those aren't the only sources of magic. With Ley Magic from the Ley lines, artifacts that are charged with magic, Magic from the aether around us, Magic from the living things like mammals and fauna, and magic from Dark World." As his spoke he created an even more fantastic light show with magic.

"We don't study elements under the prejudices of the mages of this age. We study the sources of all magic and as the difficult questions that nobody else will ask. We accept that all magic can be dangerous, but we don't let that stop us from understanding it." He waved his hands and all the magic in the air disappeared.

"I won't split hairs with you. I have a year to train a new generation of Sorcerers, we have been given a list of requirements that we must accomplish, but if we do ,every Sorcerer will be granted full tuition and the full support of the Magus Archana in their research, guaranteed by Grand Magus Shiro."

There was a round of applause, but even I could tell there was a punishment for failure. And by Professor Turner's expression it wasn't good.

"You may get excited, relish in the adventure and wonder of sorcery, of new ideas coming together, and new magics being examined. We have a year to shine as brightly as we can against the tides of adversity we will face. My sorcerers must be fearless, ruthless, brave, reckless, strong, vast, and innovative. Maybe you've felt like you never belonged in the magical society of today? Maybe you had an idea, but never felt like you could express your thoughts without being called foolish? Maybe you've even felt held back by the limits of Mage society?"

I felt my face flush with excitement. It was like he was talking to me. Lizzy grabbed my hand and we grinned at each other while trying to hold in our excitement.

"Sorcery is a new field, fresh from the bindings of tradition and old men telling us what to do. We stand together, and together we will rise to the Archana's challenge... or together we will fall..." Professor Turner swallowed nervously, and it was like he threw at brick at my heart as anxiety stopped me in my tracks.

"Every great opportunity comes with it's risks. This is not a game, this is not a joke, this is not an act with an agenda. If we goof around and fall short... every Sorcerer will be expelled... And I will face a punishment much worse. The only condition for reentry for an expelled sorcerer is to personally retrieve a dungeon heart from the Lost Peninsula."

My blood chilled and instantly I knew that was too great of a risk to ask of my brother and Macsen. I closed my eyes and lost hope as many students already began to stand up. But Lizzy held fast to my hand so I couldn't move.

There was an echoing blast and I knew that if I had been standing, I would have been knocked back into my chair. I turned up my eyes and I saw many tipped over students and the two sorcerers looked more intimidating than I could have imagined.

They stomped on the stand twice more on the stage and two more blasts of energy that pushed over anyone that was still standing.

They spoke in sync and I tingled all over.

""We are making history, Ley, primal, spirit, artifact, and chantless magic at the same time.""

I was born with a strong affinity for magic. Feeling the magic around me in the world was natural for me. That's how I learned magic. The blood magic within me was easier to manipulate to my will then the spiritual chanting magic I was always taught. But I could also sense the magic in the world around me and the magic in the ley lines below the world as they ebbed and flowed although I'd never discovered a way to tap into them. But as a magic circle drew itself in the air in front of them, I felt a cocktail of magics culminated I even felt the ley lines react and the magic stretch from below into the circle as well.

The magic circle was made up of one larger circle and several different circles with different symbols placed asymmetrically throughout the circle. It shone with the brilliance of something new and something... straight out of a fairy tale.

The magic circle glowed and began to form a shape. In a flash of light, the magic exploded into thousands of small creatures. Each one manifested as a small girl with butterfly wings colorful dresses that looked like flowers. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Thousands of colorful beings giggled and fluttered around.

Professor Turner spoke calmly. "Many of you came here to become magic knights, others dream of becoming adventurers, and some of you are here because it is expected of you. Thank you for joining us. But today is a day in history. From this point on, every Sorcerer will be known as a person who carves their own fate. I'm talking to the Daring. Those who will jump into the unknown with incredible risk. But what you can gain from it is a price that cannot be measured. Sorcery has one very important message, and if you leave here with nothing else, I hope that you will take this to heart.

It's okay to ask questions."