Shadow's Rising {Wing 5} Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Welcome to magic training

Jarid wasn’t sure what to say. It felt like Brazor had just bestowed a title on him. Jarid the Dragonight. But what did it mean?

“What does being a dragon… whatever, mean? If we both have dragon blood in us, then why is your title different?”

“We are Dragonthro. Humans infused with dragon blood. The type of dragon blood used will determine what element of atmospheric mana you can absorb the best,” Brazor explained. “In the case of Night Wing blood there is usually a low conversion rate in all elements. That said, I once knew a powerful Dragonight who could use multiple elements to the same degree I wielded fire. With enough training and practice you can wield magic on a scale most human mages could only dream of.”

That sounded great to Jarid. He loved practicing magic and with Brazor to train him, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he would achieve that level.

“So, what are we going to do first? I promise to train harder than a Stone Wing’s scales.”

Brazor smiled. “I like your enthusiasm but don’t expect to become a master of magic in a few short weeks. It may take months if not years for you to surpass even an average royal mage. Do you truly believe you have what it takes to leave the human world behind for that long? You already have enough magic to rival an experienced dragon rider. Why do you seek greater power? Think carefully before you answer.”

Jarid’s excitement dimmed as he considered the costs and benefits of his decision. He had already achieved his original goal, so why stay? As was often the case, everything came down to Shadow. He wanted to learn this magic so he could protect him if they got into trouble, but at the same time he didn’t want to leave his dragon brother alone any longer than was necessary.

“I do need to return soon. There is someone I want to protect waiting for me. How long would it take for you to train me in the basics?”

Brazor rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “If we pushed hard, I could probably teach you some useful tricks for fire magic and enchantment in a month or so. I’ll also help you release more of the bio-mana you possess utilizing the dragon blood within you. I wouldn’t advise trying to use atmospheric mana without more than half a year’s training. Even with dragon blood it can still be risky, and I’m not the best at it myself.”

Jarid thought about it. If he returned to the academy in two months, he should still make it in time for the promotion exam at the end of the year. Assuming the academy let him take the exam of course.

Jarid nodded to himself as he came to a decision. “I will train here for two months. I cannot stay any longer than that.”

Brazor stood and beckoned for Jarid to follow as he walked towards the main courtyard of the temple.

“Well, let’s not waste any more time then, shall we?” he said with a grin.

Once they reached the center of the main courtyard Brazor turned to Jarid with his hands on his hips.

“Alright. To start, I want you to cast a simple magic barrier. That will let me see your magic technique and output. Then I will show you the more advanced version known as magic cloak. This will protect you while walking in the mana zone outside.”

Jarid frowned in worry. He had never heard of a spell called magic barrier, yet Brazor called it simple. He was beginning to wonder if all the magic he knew was lower than what Brazor considered basic.

“Um… What element should I use for that?” he asked tentatively.

Now it was Brazor’s turn to look confused. “No element. Just form a wall of mana. Is that not the most basic form of mana manipulation they teach?”

Jarid shrugged. “I taught myself until I went to the academy, and I’ve never heard of spells without an element before.”

Brazor let out a deep sigh as he rubbed his forehead. “Those idiots. If you don’t understand how and why a spell works, then you might as well read it off a scroll. No wonder it was impossible for anyone to reach me. I’ll have to break down his understanding of magic and start from square one,” he muttered.

Jarid was feeling more depressed by the minute but when Brazor noticed his somber expression he smiled kindly.

“Don’t worry about what you missed for now. Why don’t you show me your favorite spell? I can still tell a lot from that. Just don’t use up too much of your magic. I can’t have you collapsing on me.”

Jarid nodded and straitened his shoulders. Brazor was right. He may have a lot to learn but there was still a lot of magic he could use already. With that thought, Jarid stomped the ground to make a stone pillar as a target. He then blasted it with the strongest fire ball he could muster. To Jarid’s surprise, the pillar seemed completely unaffected by the flame.

Brazor nodded while stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Very good. Your magic control and output certainly aren’t lacking.”

Jarid felt like he hadn’t really shown off his best and hurriedly asked Brazor to wait. “Can I try again? I usually break the pillar in one shot. I must have got something wrong when casting the last one.”

Brazor smiled as if something Jarid said had amused him. A pondering look crossed his face for a moment before he motioned for Jarid to proceed. “Go ahead, but this time use a water spell.”

Jarid nodded and gathered his strength to blast the pillar with a jet of water. He felt a strange resistance and pushed with all his might as he released the spell, but all that came out was a pitiful stream barely stronger than a fountain. He couldn’t understand. What was wrong with his magic? Jarid looked at Brazor questioningly.

“The availability of elements is different here than where you are from,” Brazor explained. “Look at the pillar you made. See how it is made of the same dense black marble as the temple? You used your magic to make a pillar of stone. That is a simple code that raises the rock in a given area to a designated height. The rock here has been heated and compressed for a long time which makes it quite durable and especially resistant to heat based attacks. The same occurred for your water spell. The only water available here is that which evaporates from the well. If you tried using that same spell outside the door of the temple, the only water around would be your own sweat and tears.”

Jarid nodded and looked down at his hands in wonder. He had never really questioned how his magic worked. He just did what felt right most of the time and added on what the teachers instructed later.

Brazor patted Jarid on the back. “Don’t worry kid. You’ve got talent and a good head on your shoulders. Plus, you’ve already got more magic control than I was expecting, and that is the most time-consuming part. It won’t take long for you to figure out the basics and apply it to what you already know. For now, I will walk you through making a magic barrier.”

Over the next few hours Brazor taught Jarid how to create a magic barrier and manipulate the flow of mana within his body. Then came the more advanced technique of mana cloak. The basic idea was simple; create a barrier around yourself to keep out things like heat, atmospheric mana or even enemy attacks. Before surrounding himself, Jarid had to learn the intricacies of permeability. Basically, how to allow the air he needed to breath in, while keeping out anything else. Jarid barely managed to create a small bubble he could breathe in before it came time to sleep.

By the time either of them realized how late it had become neither had the energy to try making a bed. Luckily the dragon beds, while not the most comfortable, were available and softer than the cold stone floor.

The next day Brazor had Jarid work on making his mana cloak as efficient as possible by reducing its size.

“The goal is to create a barrier as tight fitting as a cloak. Then adjust it so that you are only blocking what you need to. Eventually it will become second nature for you. I hardly even notice when I activate it to go for a walk outside the temple. Similar to how a knight reaches for his sword without realising it, any mage worth their mana will surround themselves with a barrier at the first sign of trouble.”

Suddenly a barrier appeared around Brazor. There had been no sign that he had cast the spell and the barrier itself covered him so perfectly it looked as though his body and clothes had simply started shimmering. Jarid couldn’t help but stare in awe.

Brazor canceled his magic. “Jarid. I want you to practice until you can walk around outside for an hour at minimum.” He gestured to what looked like a water clock except it had white hot magma flowing through it.

“I’ll check in on you from time to time, but you must stay close to the temple door any time you practice. I may not be able to reach you quickly so don’t be reckless.”

Jarid nodded and started practicing. He decided to start inside the temple and focus on improving the efficiency of his mana cloak. It took him hours to create a small barrier he could move around in. The first time he tried opening the door his barrier wasn’t strong enough to stop the heat and mana outside and collapsed. The second time he put extra strength into it and was able to last almost a third of the required time before he felt his mana running out. The third time he tried starting strong then adjusting from there, but everything fell apart after only a few minutes.

Jarid experimented a few more times but he was getting tired quickly. However, he realised that his mana was recharging a lot faster than usual. Brazor explained this was a result of the dense mana in the air and the dragon blood within him converting some of it. So, after a brief break, Jarid got back to practicing.

He continued going for most of the day, only taking short rests to drink and eat. As evening approached Jarid knew he was almost there. His last attempt had lasted over 50 minutes. The most difficult part now was simply keeping his concentration. The slightest lapse in attention could make him waste mana or cause the barrier to collapse from being too weak. He knew if he let himself use a bit more mana than necessary, he could pass an hour no problem, but now he didn’t care about passing. He wanted a perfect run.

Jarid took a deep breath and opened the door while activating his barrier. Surviving the initial blast of heat and mana had been the hardest part for a while, but now he barely thought about it. Once he adjusted to the resistance against his barrier, Jarid walked out and closed the door behind him. The light outside was bright but the barrier kept out most of the heat. Now it felt like sitting outside on sunny summer day, rather than the inside of a furnace.

With a deep breath Jarid sat down and focused on his barrier. He could feel the mana and heat pressing down on it in waves. More than once he had lost his concentration while following the ebb and flow of them. Jarid kept his eyes open but unfocused as he tried to think of nothing else but his barrier. But it didn’t take long before he started thinking about how beautiful the bubbling waves of lava in the lake looked. His barrier wavered as he lost focus, but he was able to catch it before the barrier collapsed. With that grim reminder of his need to pay attention, Jarid continued his vigilance.

He quickly lost track of time and simply decided to last as long as he could then check the lava clock inside. It felt peaceful as the soft bubbling of the magma drowned out the sounds from the across the lake. Suddenly, Jarid felt a hand on his shoulder and jumped, almost losing control of his barrier in the process.

“Sorry for scaring you. It is time to come in for dinner,” Brazor spoke warmly.

“How long have I been out here?” Jarid asked.

Brazor’s smile widened. “Almost two hours.”

Jarid pumped his fist in the air and allowed himself to let out a bit more mana to keep his barrier going until they were inside. As they ate, Brazor thought about the next step in Jarid’s training.

“I’m glad you were able to pick up mana cloak so quickly. All those hours of magic control really paid off, right? Anyway, I want you to keep practicing for an hour or two every day from now on. You can survive long enough to escape this place now, but I want you to be able to defend yourself without dropping it. Once you can use mana cloak without thinking about it, then you can add on other things.”

Brazor and Jarid cleaned the few plates and knives they used.

“For now, I’ll teach you magic theory and mana efficiency tricks in the evening, and we’ll do practical training in the morning. Tonight, we will be covering some of the ways mana can be used offensively.”

Brazor lead Jarid to the main chamber and held up his hand as small flames danced around his fingertips. “Your body is one of your greatest weapons. In some academies they use magically imbued weapons as well, but with this technique, anything from a sword or shield to even your pinky finger can be imbued with magic.”

Suddenly flame engulfed his entire hand. Jarid was worried at first, but he trusted Brazor not to burn himself for no reason.

“This is what I like to call, the fire dragon fist. Basically, it uses a form of mana cloak to envelop my fist in a barrier that I can combine with the fire element. At the academy where I grew up there were close quarters magic specialists known as monks who were very good at using this type of magic combined with martial arts and sometimes weapons. Certain materials like dragon scales, when made into armor, could be used to enhance these techniques. But even on their own they are quite deadly.”

Brazor approached the stone pillar Jarid had raised the day before. He took a fighting stance in front of the fire-resistant stone and punched it. There was a small explosion and the pillar was shattered. Jarid was expecting it this time, but the power Brazor displayed still amazed him.

Brazor held up his unharmed fist as it steamed from the blow. “You have to be careful that you use a strong enough barrier and some enhancement magic or you may end up harming yourself more than your enemy.”

Jarid nodded and made a mental note of it. He certainly didn’t want to end up shattering the bones in his fist rather than the target. Brazor walked back over to Jarid while playing with a small flame in his hands.

“Fire magic is fun and powerful, but you must always be vigilant, or you might get burned. That is why you need to be well versed in barrier magic. To protect yourself from your own spells. Keep that in mind moving forward. I will be showing you a few more things tonight that we can practice tomorrow, but I have something special planned first thing in the morning.”

“What?” Jarid asked, eyes glittering with excitement.

“I will explain what it means to be a Dragonthro, and all the perks that come with it. I think you are the kind of person who will both understand and utilize the power of the dragon blood within you responsibly. All I will say for now is… if you master the dragon blood within you, leveling mountains won’t be outside the realm of possibility.”