"This looks like a good spot to begin." Bianca pointed out as she led Elora to a platform that stood in the middle of the Artisan's home world. Interesting enough the spot they picked seem to have a flat circle podium slightly jetting out from the ground. Almost looking like it held a spot for something that might've been a statue of some kind.
Pointless observations aside the faun sat down cross legged from her friend who mirrored her posture.
"Okay so let's start with the basics. What do you know about magic?"
Elora thought about it before saying, "It's sort of a un-explainable force that can radiate from certain things like the talismans and orbs back in Avalar. Though there are a couple of races that have either been born with the ability to use it or choose to learn it to my knowledge. Honestly it feels like something that always been there."
"Your correct about pretty much all of that." Bianca nodded, "Most people don't notice how magic's very existence is a part of everyday life. Though most people don't know it, but the force behind it is a very giving thing. Trying to make a effort in helping everyone in a small way by making several objects and creatures it's conduits, or so many people have theorized."
"I have a feeling the Professor knows more about this."
The rabbit girl nodded, "Well most of what I just said was cataloged into a variety of books by certain scientists and alchemists. Though despite that, understanding where magic can come from is the first step to changing it into something you want."
"Now do you know what beings are born with magic?"
"The dragons and fairies?" She responded.
Bianca shook her head, "Nope. Fun fact, everyone has magic in them to a certain extent and the reason why is that the force of nature that 'it' loves to be a part of, is always something that is bound by life or the soul."
"You make it sound like a person."
Her friend shrugged, "Sometimes it just looks that way but that's up for debate. So besides that, let's get to how I'm going to help you use it."
Elora straighten her back as Bianca moved one hand over her lap and in a couple of seconds a small light appeared over her palm.
"Today we'll try to get you to do a harmless light spell." After saying that she balled her hand into a fist and the light blinked out of existence, "To do this, all you need is to simply draw on the magic flowing around you and bend it to your desires about how this place is too dark for you."
"Kind of a weird thing to think about when we're doing this in the middle of the day."
Bianca frowned, "Eh just don't think about the logic behind the thought process too much because it is magic after all."
After that the bunny got up from the ground and walked behind Elora. Then she placed her hands on the faun's shoulders, "Just one more thing now, this spell normally takes years to learn if you searched for the magic around you by yourself, but any novice can learn it in a couple of minutes if they have a experienced caster to help them."
"If that's the case why doesn't everyone try it?"
"Because not everyone needs magic to go about their daily lives. Look to Bentley the yeti as a example, do you think he needs to rely on casting fireballs or ice shards to deal with anybody?" She stated.
"Not really since he can brute force basically everything including the laws of physics."
"Exactly, most creatures in the world don't even bother casting spells because they've already been living a way that their bodies provide for them in a natural way. An the same can be said for beings born with magic, normally they use it to survive most of the time because they lack something. You can probably see this with dragon's to some extent since their fire breath is a part of magic just as it is a part of their bodies. Used to cook their food, deal with enemies, and it even maintains their body temperature even in cold climates."
The faun then asked, "Guessing you knew this stuff because of the Sorceress?"
Bianca rubbed her friend's shoulders slightly, "Yes, but despite that let's go back to today's lesson. I'm going to buff your awareness so that you can cast a small light spell in the palm of your hand. Keep in mind that weaker spells only need the magic that is always in the air and ground around us but the stronger stuff needs a catalyst that can absorb larger quantities at break neck speed."
"Right." An just as the faun said that she felt a unnatural vibrating sensation coming from Bianca's hands. As the seconds ticked by, her own body began to feel as if it was matching the sudden motions coming from her shoulders. Picking up it's pace as she looked down at her hands to see that they weren't moving.
"Yeah I had the same reaction too." Bianca said.
After that the vibration stopped, Elora saw the world covered in a swirl of abnormal colors. Each one transparent yet seemingly connected to either the ground or reaching off into the sky to where she couldn't see even past the clouds. Some of them were curved streaks while others rippled like flags in the wind though she saw something else now.
Looking at the ones closest to her she noticed how a bunch of twinkling light particles floated down from the random lines around them. She followed them until she realized they were all going into Bianca's body.
"So what do you think?" Her friend smiled back as the faun looked at her over her shoulder.
"It's beautiful."
"I said the same thing, so now that you can see this I'm going to tell you how to channel it. First look at one of the sources of magic around you then try to imagine your body as a vacuum."
Elora tilted her head, "A vacuum like a cleaner?"
"Yes and no, channeling is a bit of a weird thing to describe but try to think of it like how you breath. Your body sucks in air to help maintain your life and what you exhale is normally what you don't need but when you try to do it with your body and magic."
"Then what I exhale should be used for something like a spell, right?" She interrupted.
"Exactly."
Okay Elora just try to breath with your skin now, shouldn't be too weird.. She internally chanted the line in her head a couple of times as she tried her best to an push the idea into practice. It wasn't instant but over the course of what felt like ten minutes she finally saw a small particle of light come out of a green stream of magic towards her. Though it started to go back once she lost her focus when she was about to say she did it.
Quickly she tried to put herself back into her earlier trance an the particle finally floated down and passed into her body. It was beyond strange at first, since it felt like a lady bug had just crawled on her skin before it decided to turn into a drop of water that entered her body. An it was so small yet at the same time a very noticeable presence all the same.
"Judging from the look on your face you finally took some in." Bianca said as she moved back to her spot on the other side of Elora.
"Does every little one of those lights feel like this?"
"Eh, the sensation your feeling right now shows your new to this but over time magic user chalk it up as white noise as their using it. Though don't stop there you need to get a couple more if you wanna use the spell." An like that Elora tried to do the same thing again, only each time getting more difficult than the last since she felt all the energy building up inside her strangely floating around. It was like her body had become a pool filled with people who just spend their day being lazy on a inner-tube as they shouted out on mega phones that they where here.
Finally Bianca gave her the thumbs up, "Okay that should be enough, now I want you to put out your hand and think about how much brighter you'd like it to be. Though don't for all that is holy, don't rush the magic out of your body to do this spell."
"Let me guess, we'll go blind?"
"Yep."
"No pressure then." Elora chuckled nervously as she stuck out her hand and slowly she began to think about how, despite it being broad daylight, it should be brighter. Then the magic in her body began to move suddenly. Her hand flickered a small glint of light over her palm before it disappeared.
Bianca added, "Good, just like that now, but try to control that sensation."
The faun did as she was told and after a couple of more flickers she had a nearly identical light in her hand to what she saw Bianca made earlier. Though while she was amazed at this the light suddenly snuffed itself out but when Elora tried to make it again nothing happened. Suddenly she noticed her body felt normal again as her friend gave her a thumbs up.
"Okay so now that you've managed to pull that off. Try repeating this exercise for the time being."
She nodded as the rest of her evening was spent trying to practice the spell and channeling.
Meanwhile...
Spyro was still stuck in his room thinking about how Elora's day was going until Hunter finally brought the elder dragon he was hoping for, Astor. He was a ancient dragon who has on more than one occasion asked Spyro if he'd like to hear him tell a story. Though most of the time he came up with excuses, but the young dragon would listen to his elder's tales of previous dragons and their own adventures from time to time.
He figured Astor might know more about the dragon eggs and Sorceress than anyone else since he figured the elder would love to share a story or two about them. Soon the old dragon came into the room, putting most of his weight on his staff like always. While Hunter followed behind with a chair he must've stolen from the lobby just down the hall. After everyone was sitting down with the cheetah hanging off the edge of the bed, Spyro started asking some simple questions.
"How you've been Astor?" He smiled.
The old one returned the expression, "Doing better now that I've seen you're getting better lad."
"Yeah things got a little intense this time around."
The elder dragon placed his staff sideways on his lap to rest before saying, "Yep, that reminds me of the time I hung out with a peacekeeper a good thousand years ago. He was helping me move my stuff to a new house when I told him we have to reschedule since a hurricane had been accidentally summoned by a cult of crabs. Despite that he ended up stubbornly ranting on about how it was time he showed them how a peacekeeper did his job. Didn't see him until the next day when he was covered in crabs wearing these ugly looking bathrobes, spent the next couple of days trying to convince them he was a poison tree frog with wings before they let go."
Hunter was immediately put to sleep by the story while Spyro having years of experience dealing with the old dragon's tales just simply said, "Neat."
"If you like that one I got one about the time-"
Spyro interrupted, "Hey you think I could ask you about the time you and the other dragon's got banished by the Sorceress?"
"Hmm I don't see why not. Anything you wanted to know in particular?" He replied while scratching one of his largely white sideburns.
"Okay do you know if she worked with anyone back then?"
"Well she had a master who was a dragon back then but because of certain events before our banishment, his name had been forgotten to time." The old one was now raising a eyebrow at Spyro, "Did by chance that woman tell you about him?"
"No, she was mostly focused on killing me."
"It's probably for the best." He mused.
"But is that guy still around?"
"Hopefully not, it would definitely cause some old wounds to open but besides that have you tried asking any of your friend's if they might know?"
"Yeah but the ones from the Sorceress's homeland don't know about anybody that could make her that weapon in a short amount of time." Spyro paused before continuing, "So that's why I wanted to know if any of the elder dragon's might have some answers since she did banish all of you."
"Hmm well your not wrong Spyro but those events happened ages ago so I'm afraid my memory and the other elder dragon's might not be able to help you." Astor got up from his seat.
"I hope you don't mind but I've been pulled to babysit some of the little ones at this time with Nestor." After saying that he noticed the young dragon raised a eyebrow at him briefly before returning to his normally smiling expression.
"Could I ask you one more thing before you go?"
"Sure."
"If the eggs are always delivered every twelve years by the fairies, why didn't it happen back when I was, well, twelve?"
The elder paused before sighing, "Sorry I don't recall the reason why either, maybe ask someone else some other time. Now I must be going, you rest up now young one."
When Astor was gone Spyro thought about what had just happened. It kinda of surprised him that he was blown off for once instead of it being the other way around. Though he wondered if what the elder mentioned about the Sorceress being taught by a dragon had any leads he could ask Bianca about later. What was most surprising was the fact about the eggs. Astor didn't seem like the type to ignore the exact moment they would be deliver so that warranted even more questions. Questions he'll need to find after he has recovered.
He groaned at this out loud which woke up Hunter who was still hunched over the edge of his bed. Making the cheetah suddenly stammer, "I'm awake!"
Before falling on the floor in his drowsy state.
Later on until it was night...
Elora had returned to the makeshift hospital that was one of the castles littered around the Artisan's home world. She grumbled to herself that after her practice with the rabbit she had to change into her detestable nurse outfit again. Even if Spyro liked it, she still preferred the usual corset and couldn't wait for the day to come when she could throw this thing into a fire or see if her boyfriend could singe it off like he did with the wool on nearby sheep.
"I'll have to bring a change of clothes when we do that I bet." She mumbled to herself before entering Spyro's room. Noticing the purple dragon reading a scroll while a pile of books and other pieces of parchment laid next to his bed. There was even a candle lit on top of a stack to help him read as the sun came down.
He looked up instantly at her and smiled, "Welcome back."
"Good to see you found something to do." She replied.
The dragon set the scroll he was reading on the floor with the rest, "Yeah, I got Hunter to help me tell Alban that I'd need some 'light' reading materiel while I'm stuck here."
"Good to hear he's been helpful."
"Yeah but I think he just get's a kick out of all the teasing. I nearly roasted him later when he rode in on a motorized wheel chair with hotrod flames painted on the sides saying things like, yeah rough rider over here, or when everyone is gone I'm coming to your room to do donuts."
After hearing that Elora's face had a very disturbing shadow over it that sent a shiver up Spyro's spine before she took a deep breath and said, "I'll talk to him later."
"Please don't kill him."
She innocently chuckled, "Oh don't worry Spyro it hasn't happened, yet."
Just as he was about to try and protect Hunter a loud bang hit the other side of the wall behind them. Followed by some buzzing with girls laughing as the faun looked to him for a explanation.
"It's Sparx, he's been hitting off a little too hard with his admirers lately."
"Isn't he in a full body cast last I check?"
The dragon shrugged, "Apparently not having the Sorecess claws dug into your flesh makes her enchantment's effect go by faster. He's actually been fully recovered for awhile now but he likes, and I quote, his 'room service', end quote."
Spyro shivered at that last part for all the nights he lost sleep because of his friend. Granted he wanted to tell Sparx to knock it off but he just felt so guilty about how he failed to catch his friend when the dragonfly fell during the fight, he couldn't help thinking of the situation as a form of self inflicting punishment. Fortunately his girlfriend didn't believe he deserved such a thing.
"I'm going to go talk to him. Then we'll catch up, okay?"
Spyro stuttered, "R-really it's fine, I don't mind."
"We'll. Catch. Up. Okay." She stated with the same shadow over her smiling face. Afterwards she left the room and in moments he heard some of the voices on the other side started to shout. Only to hear a loud bang against the wall, followed by silence, then followed by a bunch of shadows he saw from under his doorway move towards the building's lobby.
"Bzzt Dsz." Sparx said through the closed door.
"It's alright, just remember where you are next time." He replied.
"Dzdz.."
Seconds later after his friend left, Elora came into the room looking like she blew off some steam. She then laid down next to Spyro on the bed with half lid eyes before yawning.
"You should be able to sleep with no trouble now."
He looked at her stunned briefly before saying, "Yeah-h thanks for that so do you wanna know how things went today?"
"I really do but I'm kinda of tired after all that. Think you could tell me in the morning?"
"No problem." He smiled as she closed her eyes. Though he was glad his girlfriend fell asleep instantly as he moved his body with his back facing her. After he blew out the candle in his room he couldn't help whisper to himself after all of tonight's events.
"Why did I find that hot?"
Meanwhile...
Nestor examined the nursery carefully as he tucked in the last baby dragon for the night. Fortunately once all the little ones were asleep he motioned Astor to follow him into the room to discuss his visit with Spyro. Meeting in a playroom that was still littered with toys that they would need to pick after their talk.
The much older dragon Astor pulled up a rocking chair as his green counterpart sat down on a stool.
"So he's started to notice?"
The old one nodded, "I'm afraid so. When do you think we should tell him?"
"We'll wait until the magic corrupting his wounds has left him. It's still too early to know exactly what 'other' enchantments might be stopping the fairy magic."
Astor agreed, "Yes, so we are certain it's him then?"
The green dragon dreaded what he was about to say.
"Yes, the Sorcerer has returned."
Author's Letter: Sorry about taking forever to get this chapter posted, had some real life stuff go down that's takes more priority again. The new chapters might also be getting longer wait periods before posting because of this along with somethings I'm going to address. First off there will be a chapter after a time skip that will have Elora and Spyro going to dragon shores, don't worry it'll happen peeps! Second if there are anymore Age of Fire fans coming by an skimming this story and wish I was back working on that story let me explain somethings.
First of all, I'm slowly rereading the story while correcting some spelling errors and fixing sentences that are missing key words here and there. Whenever I get further along I will also be rewriting some of the character's personalities a bit to help make things make more sense. Which is bullshit since the first chapter had the main character nearly drown during four play but regardless I'm going to go tackle that can of craziness at some point if any of those who like that story are dropping by.
Also the reason why I'm writing this story instead of jumping back to my old work is because I had a problem with my computer in the past and had to take a long break from writing so this story is to help get back into the flow of things.
Finally, I looked up the Jersey Devil and that totally was in my head when I described a hybrid back then, props to the Guest.
P.S. Happy Valentines Day everybody.