The Currents of Magic

Chapter Twenty-Two

For the rest of the week the dreams did not return. Meyer intended to tell Ander, Cade and Damian about them, along with the strange experience with the ring, but between the double sessions with Adryn, the evening practice, and lessons with Trant, he never had the opportunity. Instead, he sunk back into his vindictive routine, his mind expending effort only in focusing on the most pressing tasks. Indeed, the one night of missed sleep seemed to have taken a tenacious toll. Even by the end of the week, Meyer felt particularly tired, and as he left Adryn's lesson, she said as much.

"Meyer, you look exhausted," she said. "Are you getting enough sleep?"

"I'm fine," said Meyer.

Adryn peered at him, and then walked to the shelf at the front of the room. She took down a bowl and a small pouch, and reached into her robe for a metal flask. She poured the contents of the flask into the bowl and then opened the pouch, sprinkling a pinch of red powder into the liquid.

"Lendanaros," she said, and returned to Meyer carrying a bowl of pink liquid. "Sit and drink this. It will freshen your spirits."

Meyer sat down on the floor and brought the bowl to his lips. The liquid was mostly tasteless, but there was a hint of fragrant sweetness. Meyer supposed that if roses were edible, this is what they would taste like. He took another sip, watching as Adryn carried a stool from the back of the room to the large windows.

She sat down, turning her gaze outside. "If consumed regularly, angel dust will cause dreaminess and lack of focus, but in moderation, it's no more potent than a strong cup of tea. Of course, angel dust stimulates our magical sense, not our body."

"Thank you," said Meyer. He didn't feel any differently, but any draught that relieved his magical sense was a welcome remedy.

"Ever since you began training with Planar Trant you have appeared slightly worn," said Adryn.

Meyer shrugged. "His lessons are tiring. We do a lot of casting."

Adryn nodded. "Casting Free Magic is generally more demanding than incantational magic, and Magical Burn can be particularly draining."

Meyer took another sip of the angel dust mixture. "There isn't a way to avoid Magical Burn, is there?" he asked.

"Not unless you stop casting Free Magic," said Adryn. "There is always a risk of Magical Burn when channeling from the Natural Currents."

"Why is that?"

Adryn turned away from the window to face him. "Master Trant never explained Magical Burn to you, did he?

"He doesn't talk much," said Meyer.

"Let me at least give you a brief understanding," said Adryn. "As I have mentioned before, a spell is a set of instructions that bring the ethereal power of the Currents into the physical universe. When a sorcerer casts a spell, she is merely executing these instructions, and thereby channeling magic into the world. If these instructions are improperly formed, the Currents will have no target in the physical universe, and the channeling process implodes. The sorcerer becomes a backstop instead of a conduit for magical power. With Incantational Magic, the instructions are already woven together in the proper form, hence eliminating the danger of Magical Burn. But with Free Magic, if a spell fails on the success axis, Magical Burn is the consequence."

Meyer sighed.

"Don't be discouraged," said Adryn. "As you hone your Free Magic skills, you will find that more often than not, the difficulty in casting Free Magic lies in placing a spell along the intentional variation axis... Perhaps you transfigure a block of wood into a table instead of a chair, yet there is no danger of Magical Burn."