The sound of horse hooves with constant rhythm and dusty clouds could be seen on the open plains. A company of over fifty people marched with a moderate speed, on their left are forest of oak trees. The day had been long. The crowd were sweating and a bit haggard, and the horses were neighing heavily, a sign that they had been galloping for hours. It was a tiring journey for everyone.
As the sun began to set on the horizon, coloring the sky in shades of orange and red, Luceran's voice cut through the march.
"Halt! We will camp here." The company stopped, and one by one, the soldiers dismounted their horses.
They had been traveling for a week, and according to their estimation, there were still another three weeks before they would arrive at their destination.
Since they have been camping for a while now, the soldiers knew exactly what to do. Some of them were immediately setting up the camp, their movements quick and efficient, showing that they had done this many times already. Others were in charge of food, taking their bows to hunt for animals in the nearby trees. The rest were looking for twigs and woods for the fire.
Overall, the soldiers were organized and disciplined, a testament to Luceran's leadership and Commander Borrin's training.
When the darkness came, the camp was a quiet place, illuminated by the crackling fire. Some of the soldiers were taking turns for watch, while others were resting in their tents, including the merchants, Ian and Liz. But not everyone was sleeping.
A bit away from the main camp, the mages were wide awake. Cassandra and her party were experimenting with spells during the night. The low hum of mana could be heard from their spot. The guards on watch could see flashes of light from the sparks of fire and the small gusts of wind coming from their direction.
"I can conjure a tornado easily, but I can't make it hold its shape for a second if it's smaller," Cassandra said, her brow furrowed in frustration. She had just managed to form a small, swirling wind, but it immediately dissipated into nothing. "The gust is just too weak." She has been trying to conjure multiple small tornadoes to swirl on her palm but to no avail. She looked frustrated as a frown could be seen on her face.
Prar, with his transparent orb glowing softly, tried to create a sphere force field on the air, but the mana just dispersed. He groaned in frustration. "My force is so chaotic. It's hard to just contain it to one spot without it bursting out." He looked exhausted for trying goodness knows how many times.
Vena is also experiencing problems. She is trying to create an small electric cage on the palm of her hand but the electrical current won't just formed. It looked more like a chaotic shambles off electrical lines intertwining on the air. Rhody and Josh however, were just observing their friends in their frustration.
Their discussion was not loud, but the night was quiet. Luceran and Kellen, who were talking by the campfire, overheard them. Luceran looked at Kellen, a silent question in his eyes. Kellen just smiled and stood up and walked toward the mages, while Luceran followed behind him.
Cassandra and her party were startled when they saw the two figures approaching them. They immediately stood up and bowed.
"Your Highness! Young Master Kellen! We apologize if we are disturbing you." Cassandra said, her voice filled with respect.
Luceran shook his head. "No, you're not disturbing us. We overheard your conversation. It seems you are having some trouble with your basic spell control."
Kellen stepped forward with a friendly smile. "Let me help you."
He sat on the grass, and the mages sat in a circle around him, looking at him with curious eyes.
"Your problems are all connected to a lack of understanding about the elements themselves," Kellen explained. "Magic isn't just about manipulating your mana and use it to create and control elements. It's about understanding the core of what you're manipulating. Think of it as elemental particles."
He raised his hand and a small, vibrant flame appeared on his palm. It didn't flicker. "Fire is not just heat. It's a constant consumption and release of energy. The particles are always moving. To make a small fire last, you must not just ignite it, but you must also learn to control the flow of particles, making sure they feed each other and don't just dissipate into the air. It's a matter of balance, a perfect give-and-take."
Josh looked at the flame on Kellen's hand with awe, understanding a new concept.
Kellen then let the flame go, and a gust of wind, a gentle one, encircled them. "Wind magic is about pushing and pulling air particles. Cassandra, your spells are too wild because you are pushing them all at once, which makes them dissipate quickly. You need to learn how to guide them, creating a path for them to move faster and with more force. The stronger the wind, the more of these particles you must control."
He then looked at Vena. "Lightning is a very fast but unstable element. It's about precision. You need to learn how to direct the flow of particles from your body and have it hit your target with immense speed and force. Your chaotic mana is perfect for this, but you need to learn to control it."
Luceran then spoke, his voice flat and clear. "Every element has its own core property. Fire is consumption. Wind is flow and speed. Lightning is precision and power. Earth is stability. It's about understanding how these particles interact and using that to your advantage."
Kellen then turned to Prar. "Your case is different, Prar. Force magic is not elemental. It's about manipulating the fundamental force of mana itself. Your wand is not for channeling elements, but for helping you focus your will and concentrate your mana to create a force. It's a difficult path, but it can be very powerful. Instead of just pushing a rock with a large force, you must learn to concentrate that force, to make it denser and more contained, so that it doesn't just dissipate."
Prar looked at his wand, a new understanding dawning on his face. He had always thought it was just a tool, but now he saw it as an extension of his will.
The discussion continued for hours. Kellen and Luceran explained the concepts in detail, drawing diagrams on the ground with sticks and using small spells as examples. The mages, who had never been taught these things before, were wide-eyed and full of questions. The night was a crash course on elemental and force magic, something they could have never learned at a backwater city like Ironmarch. The duo continued to showcased some simple elemental usage to boost their foundation. Kellen would conjure something and told them to replicate him, while also giving them a lecture on how to do it.
By the time the moon was high in the sky, the mages were better. They had learned a lot of new things, and they couldn't wait to put them into practice.
Cassandra raised her hand, and a small, stable whirlwind formed on her palm. It held its shape for a good minute before she let it go. Prar, with a new focus, managed to create a transparent orb mid-air despite looking shaky. While Vena could somehow conjure a small electrical cage on her hand despite still being unstable.
Luceran and Kellen looked at them, a hint of satisfaction on their faces. They were quite talented, it was only because of their humble background that they were slow in progress.
"I have a gift for you," Kellen said, pulling out two leather-bound books from his bag. "This is the 'Basic Knowledge of Arcana: Elements and Their Properties,' and this one is the 'Introduction to Force Magic'."
He handed the first book to Cassandra and the second one to Prar. They accepted it with trembling hands, their eyes filled with gratitude.
"Thank you, Young Master Kellen! Thank you, Your Highness!" they said, their voices full of emotion.
"No matter. Now, you have a lot to read and learn. We will see your progress in the morning," Luceran said, his voice flat but with a hint of satisfaction.
Luceran and Kellen then walked back to their tents, leaving the mages to their books and newfound knowledge. The night was getting darker. The mages after hours of practice and short lecture, found themselves exhausted and proceed to head to their tent for rest. The night was silent and peaceful.