"Wait… What?"
Confusion washed over Louise like a tidal wave, swiping any semblance of understanding she thought she had of magic.
Which, seeing Iza's magic was from at least another world, was understandable. Seeing things separate from a technique you've been practicing for years can be extraordinarily jarring.
Izaneus, seeing this. Understood he needed a different tactic to explain it. Or, what he knew of it, at the very least.
He'd had no teacher back at his home, no one to guide him through magic as Louise had, he understood there were facets of the arcane he simply couldn't understand, or hadn't considered. Any number of possibilities really. All he had were books on magic, and his own experimentation.
"Okay.. Uh.., let's try like this.." He stated, conjuring a small flame to his hand.
"With this small spell, I draw from the source of flame. This source is whatever you imagine fire to be, but whatever you believe it to be, it will always be at least fire, heat, and the like."
This only served to confuse Louise more, how could fire be anything she desired it to be? How could… "ugh.." She groaned, getting a migraine as her thoughts ran rampant.
"Okay! Maybe we should… Focus on it like this. You're drawing on facets, concepts, and elements that make up reality. Parts of a whole. That you manipulate, change, and draw upon to fuel your magic"
This made it easier to understand, as Louise showed by her slowly relaxing posture. Giving Izaneus a renewed vigor to his explanation.
" It may be easier to imagine my magic as a drifting mist you pull on, using its essence to form an effect of your desire." He stated, seeing Louise sigh, the majority of her stress dying down.
"You can always use your own source as well, as we all have it, and we use it when we use the essences of other sources." He continued, causing Louise to raise an eyebrow.
"What's the difference from using our source from others?" She wondered fairly, considering Iza's magic was so versatile, it seemed like it could do anything.
What would be the use of using your own source instead of drawing on these infinite external forces.
"Well for one. Researches back home equated it to the true source, I'm not exactly how honest that might be bu-"
"The True Source?" Louise repeated, cutting her impromptu instructor off mid sentence.
With a sigh, Iza explained.
"The beginning of all magic the origin of all sources, all magic. Including our own, the researchers equated i-"
" Why wouldn't we just use that source instead of the byproducts?" She questioned, and while these questions were fair ones, Izaneus couldn't help but feel his patience running thin and his annoyance rising up with each interruption.
"We can't." He thought of continuing his previous topic but thought it best to let her get her questions out.
"Why not?" Louise questioned, just as Iza predicted.
"We don't know. All we do know is that we can't, but we equate it to our own source, because our source can create flame, lightning, poison or whatever else your mind can think of. It can do as much as we speculate the true source can."
Louise found this all skeptical. How was it possible he didn't know so much about his own magic?
"There's a lot I don't know about my magic, and frankly, that's as worrying as it is exciting. I can't explain to you the secrets of the arcane, but wouldn't it be fun to find out? That was my thought when I first felt it all."
Something compelled Louise to nod. Something within her. Pushing her along this ridiculous roller coaster… even worse.
Making her agree.
"It would… but I came here to learn your method of casting." She stated, wanting to get back on track.
"Of course, first. Close your Eyes Louise." Izaneus instructed. Learning from Shiki, others simply couldn't feel magic the way he did.
Louise felt her skepticality come back full force. Raising an eyebrow as to why this was needed.
"Just this once, trust me?" He asked pleadingly. A portion of him for some reason, genuinely wanted to help her learn magic. So as she reluctantly closed her eyes, he grasped hold of her hands, and channeled a little bit of his internal reservoir of magic through her. Feeling her shiver, he asked.
" Do you feel that?"
On the receiving end, Louise felt something familiar, yet foreign enter her, it was so… Similar to willpower, yet so indescribably different.
It was though she'd had a taste of an entirely separate universe.
Her eyes snapped open, and she suddenly felt it all around her, the grass held a power she'd never expected, the earth below it even more so. She pulled on that power. And the ground in front of her shifted to her will. Ending in a sharp edge pointed toward her.
Her eyes widened as the realization came to her, she'd casted magic.
She'd casted magic.
She'd… finally casted magic.
Tears, and the most gigantic smile came to her face.
Iza watched as Louise snapped her eyes open, seemingly overwhelmed by the amount of stimuli suddenly given to her. He was about to console her when he saw her attention shift to the ground, as he watched her pull the earth toward her in a small sharp spire.
Well. He surmised. She appears to have gotten the same feeling Izaneus always felt. He smiled, watching as what she'd done dawned on her. It was… moving for her, he could tell by the tears. If nothing else about her shouted how insanely ecstatic she was to be casting.
Before he could react however, she suddenly leapt from her seat among the grass, and bolted in a random direction, throwing spires of solid stone upward in random directions. Pulling the air from its natural state and blasting dandelions from their peace.
Oh the euphoria she felt! The joy of magic, of this wondrous form she'd sought for SO long finally within her grasp! It was too much to bear! She didn't even know what she was doing, all she knew was that she was using magic. And that was far more than enough for her.
Izaneus chased after her, calling out her name, pleading with her to stop. She was going to expend herself painfully if she continued casting so haphazardly.
She didn't hear him however, the joy she felt tuned out anything that wasn't giggles of happiness as she flung another spire of earth into the air. Or shot a ball of fire into the air.
Hang on.. Why did she Suddenly.. Feel so...
Sleepy..
In her euphoric state, she had completely exhausted every last bit of energy within herself. Which brought about a painful twilight compared to her earlier blazing skies.
Coughing painfully as Izaneus finally reached her, the lucky shade of a small tree saving her from the sun's boundless rage, she soon found herself panting heavily, a mighty smile still firmly pressed upon her faced, even as she heaved for air.
"I… am a mage… I.. Am.. Good.." Being the last words she stayed before falling asleep
Iza sighed as he found himself picking her up. To bring her back to the room they were going to earlier. Without teaching her magic.
This was going to be a long week.
Raven hair flashed by as an academy staff member rushed through the hallways, having been tasked with the arduous journey of looking for a certain, normally studious, student.
Louise Valliere.
Although normally patient, this servant member in particular found it mildly frustrating that this student in specific would miss class, seeing how adamant she normally was about being on time for said classes.
And now if she didn't find the Young Valliere, she would surely be made to forego food later in the evening.
"Louise!! Stop!!"
The raven haired staff member turned toward the source of the noise outside. Now she knew where Louise was.
Bolting through the hallways with the speed and ferocity of her supper on the line, she quickly found her way outside…
Where she was immediately faced with a rather strange sight.
Valliere was casting.
It was no secret on campus she wasn't exactly the most… magically apt. Seeing as the only spell she'd cast successfully was the recent summoning ritual.
But… now she was throwing up spell after spell. As easily as breathing, her familiar following close behind.
"Louise!! Stop Dammit!!!" He shouted, concern lining his words.
It wasn't long after that said Louise stumbled, and collapsed.
Much to the chagrin of her summon, who, after a moment or two of making sure she was okay, stood. And went about returning the spires of stone and rock to their original state. And making sure the blasts of fire she sent skyward had safely dissipated.
With that, he finally went about picking her up, before noticing the maid standing. Watching this bizarre spectacle. He appeared to sigh before waving her over.
Without missing a beat she strode over to him, looking down at Louise shocked. How had she gone from there? From being the best room destruction to casting so easily. Even with the…
Seemingly tiring side effect it seemed to have.
"How did…?" The raven haired servant questioned curiously, needing an answer.
"Oh, she used just a tad too much magic. Tired herself out, something horrible." Louise's familiar politely explained.
"Oh…" The servant responded plainly, before gulping. A rather risky question coming to mind, something she simply.. felt she should ask.
"Are you teaching her..?"
The familiar in response to this, raised a curious eyebrow of his own, crossing his arms in a regal manner, using the manners he was quite obviously drilled into using.
" I am.. Why, pray tell, do you ask?" He questioned himself. Wanting a rather direct answer, than beat around a bush the person in front of him was obviously trying to place.
"W-well… would you mind too terribly if I attended your next lesson..?" She continued, following the feeling in her gut.
To this, Iza sighed in relief, his original impression was she was about to blame Louise's current predicament on him. Something he didn't generally appreciate.
But it turned out to be something rather bearable.
"I don't mind. But would you mind helping me.. Carry her? To her room? I'm afraid the spells i have don't cover carrying bodies."
Gasping at the fact that she hadn't even offered to help before asking about herself, she quickly hoisted one arm of the unconscious mage over her shoulder. There seemed to be a lot of premature sleeping habits going around.
"Lovely!" Grunted Iza as he grabbed her other arm.
"My name.. Ugh.. Is Izaneus.. Shaltrou, Phortea.. Yours is..?" He grunted painfully, not used to carrying others, even people as light as Louise.
"S-Siesta sir.." She grunted alongside him, pulling the majority of Louise's weight, and heartily wishing he put his pupil on a diet.
"Lovely.. N-nice to meat you Sies...ta. U- uhm.. M- my.." He began vigorously stuttering as they neared the hill down to the academy
"What.. Is i- it sir..?" She questioned.
"My grip.." He responded hastily, doing what he could to remedy his current situation
"W-what about your g-grip… Oh No.."
"S-slipping!"
"N-no!! Don't let her fal-" she stuttered out before the young wizard let go of his new pupil, and The newly Named Siesta found herself being dragged along. Quickly losing her balance and tumbling along with the unconscious Louise.
This was going to be a LONG week.
Heyo! welcome to the newest chapter everyone! hope y'all had a merry Christmas and the happiest beginning to the new year, I had a lotta time to think and ponder, and eat cheese.
cheese on new years eve is very delightful, and also, turns out sweets and ice cream is too.
lotsa food and happy times over here, so I really hope everyone else had the same feeling.
on an entirely more on track note, how's everyone enjoying this thus far? I'm having a blast writing something like this, but are you all having the same blast reading?
anyway! it's rather late! so goodnight everybody, and I'll be sure to continue on with Wizardly pursuits!! bye bye!!