“You must hold your finger in the very center of the symbol until it fixes,” Elizabeth continued, putting her finger in the middle of the shield symbol. It pulsed once, and as she waved her finger in the air, the symbol followed the tip. It was as if it were fixed there by an invisible frame. This time, Elaine watched closely, her eyes wide as she took it all in. Arcturus grinned, glad that this was all new to the younger girl too. It seemed he wasn’t so far behind her after all.
“You need to maintain a steady flow of mana to your finger; otherwise the spell will disappear,” Elizabeth said, nodding at the other symbols as they faded in the air. “The most difficult part is pushing mana both to and through your finger at the same time. Like so.”
Elizabeth frowned with effort, then a thread of opaque material streamed from the symbol, pooling in the air. Sacharissa growled at the strange material, but Arcturus hushed her with a ruffle of her ears.
“You then shape it as you wish, in this case, like a shield.” The pool shifted, then folded itself into an oval that floated in front of her. “This will protect you from projectiles and other spells, even a sword blow.”
The shield dissolved into a floating globule once again; then she drew it back in through the symbol.
“You can conserve mana by absorbing the spell once you’re done with it.”
“Why don’t you make it bigger?” Elaine asked, passing her hand through the space the shield had been in.
“The thicker your shield, the more punishment it will take before it cracks and eventually shatters,” Elizabeth replied. “If you make it too wide, you lose durability. Too thick and you waste mana.”
“Maybe I can practice with Sacha,” Arcturus murmured, rubbing the demon’s head fondly. Sacharissa was his most powerful weapon. He would make sure it was not just he who benefited from his training at the academy. He looked up to see Elizabeth shaking her head.
“Unfortunately, shields are useless against a demonic attack. Should you be attacked by an orc’s demon, or any other for that matter, you will be better off using that dirk I gave you than a shield spell.”
Elaine gave a horrified gasp, holding her hands up to her mouth.
“Not that this should happen anytime soon,” Elizabeth said swiftly, as even Arcturus’s face paled. “It will be years before you graduate as a battlemage and face the orc shamans on the frontier. Not to mention that most of their demons are low level. You and Sacha shouldn’t have much trouble fending one off, even now. You too, Elaine, although your Mite is quite young. I can see it hasn’t developed its stinger yet. When it does, you’ll be able to paralyze an opponent … although an orc takes a few stings before it goes down.”
Arcturus hadn’t thought about graduating—it seemed so far away. Was that why Vocans was training them? To fight monstrous orcs in the jungles?
“Now, I think it’s time you tried to produce a wyrdlight,” Elizabeth said, sensing his mood. “Learning to shape and control one is the first step to learning spellcraft. It will leave you well prepared for when you eventually start using spells.”
“What, now?” Arcturus asked, his palms suddenly sweaty. “I haven’t even…”
“Exactly, you haven’t even tried yet. Learning by doing, that’s the summoner way. It’s all reflex at the end of the day; there’s only so much you can learn from books and lessons. Let’s see if you have a knack for it. I’ll tell you what, Elaine can try as well.” She looked for the girl and found her on the other side of the room, playing her game of tag with Valens once again. “Elaine, stop playing with your demon and pay attention! I’m told you still need to practice your wyrdlights too.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better. Now I’ll get shown up by a thirteen-year-old girl,” Arcturus muttered.
“So?” Elizabeth asked. “You’re newer to this than she is; of course she’s likely to do better. What does age or gender have to do with it?”
“Umm … nothing,” Arcturus said, shuffling his feet.
“Too right,” Elizabeth said, arching her eyebrows. “Now, most novices find it easier when they are sitting down for the first time. Why don’t you sit down with Sacha beside you. Your connection with her won’t change no matter how far away she is, but it can’t hurt.”
Arcturus settled down, cross-legged, and laid Sacharissa’s heavy head in his lap. The weight was comforting, and he twisted his fingers in her soft black fur. Her warm blue eyes gazed at him with trust before she closed them and let out a contented rumble. He followed suit, waiting for the next instructions.
Elaine sat on the ground beside him, and he sensed the young girl give Sacharissa’s tail a surreptitious stroke. The demon snorted and Arcturus heard the thwack of her tail and a yelp from Elaine.
“Serves you right,” Elizabeth said, tutting.
She knelt on the ground behind Arcturus and laid her hands on his shoulders.
“Sense the connection, where you feel Sacha’s emotions and intentions,” Elizabeth murmured, her voice soft in his ear.
Arcturus searched for the mental umbilical cord that held Sacharissa and him together. As he touched it, he felt Sacharissa shudder, then relax as he gently grasped it with his mind. Instantly, his body began to suffuse with a sensation both cold and hot, rushing through his blood with every pulse of his heart. His breath quickened.
“That’s enough, let go for now. It’s just a small spell and you don’t want to drain her. Now, take the mana and push it through your finger. As it comes out, open your eyes and try to shape it into a ball.” Elizabeth’s voice was low and confident, quelling Arcturus’s doubts. “You can do it.”
He pushed the mana out of his finger, the energy rushing through him like a white-water rapid. He snapped his eyes open, and contorted his mind, willing the mana into the shape of a rough ball. Light curled, slowly, emerging from his finger and spinning into an orb that hung in the air in front of him.
“Excellent,” Elizabeth breathed, still behind him. “Now, why don’t you try to float it up toward the ceiling.”
Arcturus’s mind felt as if it might snap; his brow furrowed so deeply he could feel the muscles cramping. He nudged the orb upward, and his heart soared as it responded to his touch. It spun and ascended, until it touched the ceiling and disappeared.
“Well done. That’s better than most students manage their first time,” Elizabeth said.
Arcturus smiled as another, much smaller ball floated aimlessly in front of him.
“I did it!” Elaine yelled, punching the air beside them.
Arcturus watched as Valens buzzed around the ball, making mock dives at it.
For a moment Arcturus stared at Elaine’s wyrdlight, watching it fly randomly around the room, like a lazy bee on a hot summer’s day.
“There ends the lesson,” Elizabeth said, grinning at Arcturus’s expression. “Next time I’ll push you harder, but it’s a great step for your first day. Before I go, are there any questions you need answering?”
Arcturus tore his eyes away from the wyrdlight and considered it. He had around a hundred questions, but so many of them seemed like they might come off as stupid.
“Is a low-level demon a weak demon?” Arcturus asked, remembering that as a Canid, Sacharissa was a level-seven demon. A Mite was only level one.