‘Speech: A few months after birth, he might learn to repeat your words, even if he can not make sense of them, his speech develops fast, though his motoric skills appear underdeveloped.’
The narration addressed parents and had vivid explanations of traits to recognise in their children. I hurried to find the ones I related to.
‘Nature: You will find him wandering through the woods in awe, touching, smelling and tasting the things that surround him. He will collect rocks and leaves. He might hesitate to interfere with graft and flowers in bloom, as he recognises the flora as a living organism and will prevent you from doing the same.’
‘Thirst: He might admit to sparks or tingling inside his cheeks, hands, and stomach when confronted with unknown material. He will not rest unless he is allowed to explore his curiosity. Denying him access to mental stimuli may cause obsessive studies of self and the scrutinising of daily tasks.’
‘Magicians: He will be naturally drawn to other Magicians. An exchange of stimuli between them is advised to flourish his outstanding intelligence.’
After reading the symptoms multiple times, I sat in front of the books and doubted that it was possible, even though most of the traits spoke to me. I took my time processing the information and read a few passages of the next chapter.
I was a Mage, after all.
The lover’s cross had been nothing but a story. Claire gravitated towards me, naturally. I was relieved and couldn’t wait to tell her that she wasn’t sick, that her powers tried to awake somewhere inside of her.
The Di Centi family must’ve had a bloodline of Magicians. Tonio was the proof. But why didn’t they see it in Claire?
I skipped through the section once again, trying to find symptoms associated with dreams, nightmares, or memories. There were none, and I assumed her powers were corrupted or evolved into something different.
My thought process got vague. I made it my quest to find out the truth after the festival. But I couldn’t stop myself from reading the entire section.
As I flipped through the pages, I made an astounding discovery.
While every other species strode among the elements, Mages controlled them and formed something new. Control was a Magician’s key attribute.
Before you thought about conjuring a light orb, you had to undergo years of studies and practice. A thing that seemed so small was one of the most difficult spells. Instead of bending the elements visible to the human’s eye, you needed to collect the materials out of the air.
Even though the chapter had a scientific tone, it made me chuckle when I read the visualisation exercise.
‘Imagine you are stirring soup with a fork. A Magician might lift his arm and notice the resistance, how he pushes the air and how it swirls between his fingers, swallowing him.’
The soup surrounds us, I mocked internally, and let my arms flow through it.
It was true.
Afterwards, I tried the first exercise from Studies of a Mere Magician. Perfect for a beginner.
‘Put your hands into the soil, do not simply touch it, but detect the decayed leaves and the hummus of worms. Put your hands in water, visualise the chains of waves, how it is pushed just as it is pulled. When you take your hands out, clean and dry, you are ready for the next exercise.’
I filled up the cauldron and did as instructed.
My fingers froze and the hair on them spiked up, nothing else. There were no chains. Bloated veins peeked through my skin. I was rushing it.
I started looking for excuses and decided to pick a dress and join the festival where I would study other Magicians in their craft.
Tent-like cabins had been built around the gymnasium. Those beside the night tower were occupied by six Magicians, Tonio was one of them.
When I approached them, they all turned to me and pulled me in.
“Our newest addition,” a young man announced, “Professor Volkov’s granddaughter.”
They gathered around to shake my hand, but I bowed instead, hiding my wound.
“Everything I learned came from him,” the man nodded in excitement. “My name is Cenos Bloum, on paper I’m your alchemy Professor but you can regard me as your Tutor for general magic. We deviate from the curricula when we get bored of brewing.”
None of them hesitated to ask questions about my heritage and how I looked so different from the red-haired Gerogy. Instead of explaining myself, I said to have found my powers just recently. I tried my best not to lie. “He sent me here, to figure out if I am a Mage,” I said.
“We certainly will,” Tonio answered, to which Bloum added,
“I don’t have a doubt about it.”
The Professor grinned constantly and never missed the opportunity to encourage his students or give compliments while he walked me through the tents and presented their work—mostly potions.
“What happened to your hand?” Tonio asked. He followed me closely and must have noticed my bandage.
“Oh, that? A little breakfast accident,” I stuttered and hoped he wouldn’t see the clean cut. Its placement made my explanation sound absurd.
He tapped Bloum on the shoulder. “I’d like her to see our newest discovery, Professor.”
“Of course!”
Approaching a purple flacon, Tonio asked me to show my wound and cringed when he found a straight slit. “Breakfast accident.”
Afterwards, Bloum let a few drops fall on my palm with a pipette. “In a year, people will laugh about drinking medicine.”
At first, it burned like acid, but when I shook it off my hand, the wound disappeared.
“Byorn root,” Tonio whispered to me and winked. As a Doctor, he must have been very proud, and I let him savour his moment.
We continued the walk while Bloum explained how they distilled their potions, whereas I just cooked the ingredients, sometimes not even put them near water. I figured that it must be the difference between magic and witchcraft. He never mentioned using words or chants until we reached the end of the tent.
A tiny stage was waiting for us. Beside it, other Magicians were standing.
