Ethari's eyebrows went up into his bangs, but he smiled. "They're fine, don't worry. Though, I expected Rayla to be the one asking, not you."
"Oh, um, not about them specifically." The prince flailed his arms in front of him, looking off to the side. "I meant, like, how it happens and stuff. I just kinda want to know about magic in general, and Rayla told me this happened because of magic, and humans are going to start learning magic, so I just…" He slouched and let his arms fall, looking at the floor. "I thought we should probably know about this."
He looked up at the elf with his posture still slouched and Ethari quickly looked aside, running one hand over his bump and fiddling with something at his belt with the other. "I'm not really sure I'm the best person to talk to. I mean, I just tinker with magic, really. Maybe you should-"
"Please." The single word cut the elf off mid-sentence and he looked back at the boy standing almost in his doorway. He'd straightened and one hand was slightly extended towards the elf, palm up in a pleading motion.
Well, how could he refuse such a yearning for more knowledge? "I suppose I can answer at least some of your questions, though someone a bit more skilled would probably know more." He gestured to the bench by the worktable. "Shall we?" The prince nodded eagerly and crossed the room to the bench where he plonked himself down and looked at Ethari expectantly. The smith sat next to him on an angle. "Well, what do you want to know?"
For a few seconds, the boy said nothing, gaze turning inward as he turned the question over in his head. "Can you just start at the beginning? Like, why is it only mages that this happens too?"
Well, that was a simple enough thing to answer. "Well, I should probably start by telling you that magic, specifically the six primal sources, can think for themselves somewhat." Callum's eyes widened to dinner plates and Ethari laughed. "I know, it's strange. We don't know a whole lot about them, but there are a few things they've revealed to us. For instance, we know they can tell the difference between, say, a regular person using their inherent magical powers, and someone going beyond that."
"What do you mean?" The prince leaned towards the elf.
Ethari wracked his brain for an analogy that would make sense to a human. His eyes landed on the simple embroidery at the top of the prince's tunic. "Let's say that magic is like sewing." He picked at the side of his tunic and found the seam. "Elves doing instinctual magic, like Rayla turning invisible, are like regular sewing. Everyone can do it, but it's nothing special, and you can't see it unless you're looking for it." Callum nodded and tensed slightly when Ethari pointed at his collar. "Elves doing magic on purpose are like embroidery."
The prince looked at his collar again and asked, "It takes more skill and you can see it easier?"
He smiled at the youth. "Exactly. Primal sources can feel it more keenly when mages use their power, and they can keep watch over them. That's different for each source." The boy nodded and opened his mouth to ask a question but Ethari cut him off. "I only know about the Moon Arcanum, though. You'd have better luck asking your Skywing friend about the other sources." He drooped on the bench, which made the elf smile.
He perked up at the expression, his back straightening as he asked, "So what's the Moon Arcanum like?"
To Callum's surprise, a flush rose on the elf's face. "She's a lot like an overbearing mother, actually. The moon is traditionally seen as feminine, and the Arcanum is one of the reasons for that. Mages are like her…special children, I suppose." He rubbed the back of his neck and hunched over slightly, making his bump less noticeable and putting his eyes on the same level as Callum's. Still a bit bashful, he glanced to the side at the prince. "When I met her in my dream, I felt like I was sixteen years old again."
"Dream? What do you mean by that?"
Ethari uncurled from his hunched position and grinned a tad. Callum was straddling the bench now with his hands placed firmly on the wood in front of him. Leaning forward eagerly, he was the picture of an attentive pupil. "That's another part of this process." He turned and looked at the prince again, though he didn't straddle the bench. Getting his leg over the top with his belly in the way would have been a bit too awkward. "The night that the child is given to a mage, they have a dream where their Arcanum speaks to them. The dreams are all different depending on the mage and the Arcanum involved."
"What was yours like?" Even as he asked the question, an old memory tickled the back of Callum's mind. 'Don't worry, you'll like it.'
"That's not something I'll ever forget," Ethari stated, and began to tell his story.
Slowly, Ethari ran the sand paper over the last curve and rocked back on his heels to survey his work. The cradle was a thing of beauty, with beautiful light brown wood carved into gentle curves. Just big enough for a firm bed mat and a tiny baby, and he stuck his hand in to run a finger along the bottom of the inside. Sliding along the smooth surface, his skin detected no more bumps or rough patches to be sanded down. His other palm gently ran along the top, lingering on the garland of flowers he'd carved in just below the rim at the mother's request. It was the couple's first child, after all. The cradle would hopefully see many more children after this first bundle of joy, so it was worth it to put a little more care and embellishment into the simple piece of furniture. Goodness knows he had had the time, with Runaan and Rayla already gone on their mission.
He picked up the cradle from the middle of his workshop and was about to walk over to the entrance to place it near the other finished items when a voice spoke up from the door. "Well, at least you already know how to build one." He turned around to welcome the newcomer. She was an older woman, hair white as was typical of the Moonshadow elves and face creased with worry lines.
With his smile broadening and head dipping with respect, Ethari gestured towards the small piece of furniture. "Would you like to take a closer look?"
To his mild surprise she rolled her eyes and looked at him rather sternly. "Foolish boy. I am not the one you should be making a cradle for." She took a step forward, suddenly much closer to him than before. Before he could take a step away, she prodded at his stomach with a single finger. "They will need your expertise far sooner than I will."
I've actually had most of this finished for a long time. The dream was what took me so long. I also thought it was a pretty good stopping point. I need to give the next part it's proper dues. But here's also the preliminary world-building!
