Possession | | ONC 2024

Chapter 2

"Excorizo."

"Good. That's it! Do you feel it- the urge to banish what you touch? Here-" Rayla held out an oval-shaped barberry. Its aperitive aroma of sweet honey and lime made her mouth water. If it were not for the lesson, she would eat it herself.

"Now, do it again."

Rayla watched her student approach cautiously and focus- bright white hands extended. The berry lasted in her hand for only a moment before it disintegrated into nothing. Her stomach growled, jealous. Perhaps they should have used something inedible. Alas, it was too late. The spell had been cast- successfully, nonetheless.

"You did it!" Raya's heart felt full. Today had just turned triumphant, and it was cause for celebration. She wasn't a horrible teacher, after all.

"How did it feel? The mana?" Rayla pointed at Margrave's hands, which no longer glowed but now looked the same as they always did- calloused and scarred- the hands of a mage.

"It felt..." A student named Margrave, a few years younger than Rayla, gripped his palm tightly. "Extraordinary." It had been his first successful attempt at the dispelling spell. Though it was not the first spell learned, it had proved the most difficult for good reason. It was the hardest to master and, to Rayla, the most important. It worked against many things, specifically creatures of their world and the Realm.

"With more practice, I can join you in the field." He imitated the casting motion: eyes closed, palms together, then quickly extended outward.

Rayla chuckled.

"Remember, the monsters my sisters and I protect Vazrandin from are not small nor weak. There are soldiers for that. You will need much more repetition before it is safe to use this in action rather than in practice."

"Like I said, with a bit more practice. I finally understand its feeling." Margrave gave a wide smile. Despite struggling for years with the magic Rayla taught him, he never once gave up. He had confidence. Rayla valued that. If Margrave renounced magic, Rayla might be disappointed but not surprised. Spellcasting wasn't easy.

On the contrary, it was complex. To evoke a spell, the user had to understand and imagine the meaning correctly while having enough skill and mana to cast it. Unlike the sisters, Margrave was born with only a tiny magical aura, which was more than many possessed in all Vazrandin. It was lucky Rayla had sensed it at all. But a person born with abilities- even faint- should be educated on its power as well as its dangers. Practicing spells without the proper degree of mana could permanently expunge the user's casting ability and, at more dangerous degrees- it could kill them.

"Can I practice once more?" Margrave's eyes were hopeful.

"No. We are done today. Best rest."

Just as the druids believed, magic was a balance between life and death. It had to be handled with care. Of course, Rayla remained vigilant, never pushing Margrave to the point he should not be. That was the most important job as a teacher.

"We shall resume tomorrow." Several books lay on the table to be packed. There was Exousia & Mageia, Aras to Aepohdis, Vasileio tou Ruin, and Sfragisei. Rayla began to collect, putting each one into an enchanted satchel. Once there, only she could retrieve it. To anyone else, it was just an empty clothed bag.

"That is the first my eyes have seen of that." Margrave pointed to the book that Rayla now held. Sfragisei. "That is about sealing magic, is it not? Is that not your sister Veronas' magic? Are we to learn that next?"

"No- yes- or perhaps not." Rayla's mind was not made.

"What do you mean?" Margrave chuckled.

"I am not sure." Rayla put it into the bag. "I want to."