Selena opened her palm and began chanting in a strange language. Her voice was calm and even, deliberately pronouncing every syllable. She spoke much slower than the Inquisitor or even Soltair, but I got the feeling that was only because this was a demonstration.
After a few words, bright sparks of light coalesced together, forming a series of symbols. The runes spun together, forming a single circle about her palm. They pulsed with the chant and disappeared when she stopped.
A glowing ball materialized in her hand, floating just a few inches above her palm. "This," she said dramatically, "Is magic."
I stared at it for a few seconds, itching to give it a try. Unfortunately, I could only remember a handful of the words. The runes seemed simple enough, but I had no idea how to draw them in the air.
Selena placed a hand on my shoulder. "Magic is not an art to be rushed. Ignorance or misunderstanding can often be fatal. Before you use magic, you must understand what it is and how to control it."
Nodding, I took a deep breath and suppressed my yearning spirit. Selena cleared her throat and began to lecture. I eagerly listened, memorizing every word.
"There are laws that transcend even the gods. They dictate how things work, like gravity or blood flow around the body. We can influence these laws with magic and bend reality to our will."
"What even is magic?" I asked.
"That's a topic of much debate, even among aged scholars. One thing that we agree on is that magic is throughout all things, perhaps the very thing holding everything together. It doesn't break the laws, only changes how they work. The larger the scope, the more magic is required. To command magic, a mage must sense and direct it using their mana."
"Was that mana I felt when I awakened?"
"Likely," she nodded. "It feels a little different to everyone, but look at it as a source of energy. Your life energy and strength are strongly tied to mana, and can even replace it in dire circumstances. Doing so is very dangerous, so avoid that if possible."
I nodded, filing away the warning. Although I wanted to use magic, I had no desire to shorten my second life any more than I had to. "So mana is my energy, which I use to summon magic?"
"Right. They can often be used interchangeably within a mage, but it's strictly referred to as magic once outside your soul.
I frowned at the unfamiliar term. Catching my confusion, Salena held up a finger. "Your soul is the essence of who you are and acts as a conduit for your mana. If it's damaged, like when you overuse magic, using mana becomes many times more difficult."
"Thanks," I said, absently rubbing my horn.
She smiled briefly and then gestured to the mages casting spells all around us. The brilliant lights of the magic circles reflected in her slanted elven eyes, giving her a sort of mysterious beauty. "As you can see, mana is manipulated through the use of spells, which are created and directed through magic circles. The more magic circles a spell has, the more powerful it becomes."
As she fell silent, the drone of dozens of mages' voices filled the air. As each one chanted, small glowing runes would appear, organizing themselves into magic circles until the spell was completed and an effect materialized.
"Because mana is so difficult to control, mages of times long gone created chants to aid in casting spells. The cadence, tone, and words of a chant are designed to shape and order the runes, allowing anyone with mana and the chant to cast a spell. Otherwise, you'd have to memorize the mana density, placement, and flow of each individual rune, which is all but impossible without seeing the flow of mana."
"Is it that difficult? Learning the chants seems like a hassle," I sighed. "Is it possible to learn how to see mana?"
Selena chuckled, taking up a relaxed pose. "That's just something you're born with. Almost no one in our day and age can see the flow of mana; otherwise, chants wouldn't be necessary at all."
"Oh." My tail drooped. It didn't hurt to dream, but if that's how it was, there was no sense complaining about. "So, um, how do the runes work?"
The elf straightened, taking on her lecturing tone once more. "In a spell, runes control the magic's range, scope, intensity, and direction. Everything, from the rune's placement to the amount of mana infused in each one, plays a role in executing the spell correctly. By tweaking even one out of hundreds of runes, you can completely change the spell. You can change the range of a spell, or inadvertently cause it to explode in your hands. Until you understand every single rune in your spell, and how they interact with each other, avoid modifying them in any way. Just stick with the chant, alright?"
"Okay." I nodded my head. "So, if runes direct the spell, what's the purpose of the magic circle?"
She chuckled wryly and smoothed a lock of hair behind her pointed ear. "So many questions!"
I froze, tail going stiff, and she hastily amended her expression.
"It's not a bad thing, so don't look so worried. If anything, I admire your curiosity." She cleared her throat and continued, "To answer your question, magic and circles are inextricably linked. They organize the runes and provide a circuit for the mana to flow. Without them, runes wouldn't receive the right amount of mana, and spells would collapse on themselves. Each additional magic circle adds exponential power to the spell, up to ninth level. Anything beyond that is the realm of the gods."
I nodded distantly, her words all swimming together. The sheer amount of information was a little overwhelming, but I persevered, struggling to sort it all out in my mind. This was, after all, essential to know if I ever wanted to be a mage.
Selena grinned, snapping to bring my eyes back into focus. "I think that's enough magic theory for today. Any last questions?"
I thought about it for a moment, tapping my chin. "What does it mean to have an affinity? I have an affinity for fate magic, so does that mean I can only use that kind of magic?"
"Of course not! I have a strong affinity for life magic myself, but I can cast spells of all attributes under the sixth level. Anyone with mana can cast spells of any type, provided they know the chant and have enough practice and mana. An affinity just means you naturally learn those kinds of spells faster, and they often come out stronger."
"Is the mana level related to that? Mine said ninth."
Selena gasped and stared at me with wide eyes. "Ninth? Are you sure?"
I reddened under her attention, shifting uneasily. "The Pope seemed surprised, too."
"The Pope knows? No wonder he let you live…" Her lips pursed in a frown. "Levels are more a metric of strength and potential. Having ninth-level mana means that one day, with lots of practice, experience, and knowledge, you might be able to reach the pinnacle of mortal magic. But be careful not to reach too far too soon. Arrogance is a mage's greatest foe. Weaker spells are fine, but once you start a high-level spell, it can't be stopped without severe consequences. If you run out of mana, it will draw on your soul itself for strength. Should you mess up a circle, the backlash might kill you outright."
I gasped. "It might kill me?"
"Something like that. But don't let that discourage you. Just follow my instructions, and you'll be fine."
There was a lot to process, but Selena let me have a few minutes, wandering off to instruct some other students. I underlined her warnings in my head, making it a priority to discover how much mana I had and what my current limits were.
When Selena returned, I faced her, clasping my hands together.
"Can I try casting a spell now?"