Chatoyant College Book 8: From the Earth

Chapter 49: Trance

Friday, November 21

Dawn had no idea how to feel about today's magic class. So she didn't think about it. She kept talking to Corrie and Roe about their plans for the Thanksgiving holiday until Professor Lal walked into class.

She was carrying something that Dawn had never expected to see in the hands of any faerie, let alone their strait-laced magic professor: a CD player, one with large speakers. She set it down on her desk and busied herself plugging it into the wall while the class quieted down. When she straightened up, she smiled. "Class, today we are going to learn a different method for doing magic. It is called trance."

Dawn held her breath while the professor described the differences between trance and the internal magic they'd been doing, but she didn't look directly at any one person, or betray that some of her students might already have been trying it. Her description of how to do trance was very similar to the one the book had provided—until the very end.

"Trance will be fairly easy to do on campus, where everything is saturated with magic," she said. "This building, particularly, is an excellent place to practice it. You may find it easier to access trance magic while you are here, but once you have left campus, you will most likely find it much easier to access your own magic. Further, I recommend that you not attempt trance outside of the classroom until you have mastered it and have a great amount of control. This classroom is shielded, but the magic on this campus can be quite unpredictable."

Dawn looked at Corrie, who looked back at her. They were both concerned. They wanted to ask Professor Lal what she meant... but Dawn didn't want to admit that she'd been using trance magic without the professor's permission. Luckily, Kira had also noticed Professor Lal's characteristic vagueness, and she asked, "How do you mean, unpredictable? Inherent magic is already kind of hard to control sometimes."

Professor Lal nodded. "Exactly, Kira, and trance magic can be harder to control—though some of you will have more success with it, and some of you will have less. However, the magic that permeates this campus, which you will not be able to sense directly the way you sense the magic in all living beings, will still be included if you try to do magic, and it tends to have a mind of its own."

She looked around the room, but there seemed to be no other questions. "For today, you will only be learning to go into trance and sense the magic around you. Do not attempt to use any of it, and in particular do not attempt to use the magic that you will see in your classmates. That is possible, but it can be extremely dangerous for both of you."

As she turned towards her CD player, Corrie caught Dawn's eye again. "I knew it," she whispered. Dawn shook her head, confused as to what she knew, but Professor Lal was speaking again.

"Professor Agnew has kindly donated this tape—CD—for the use of all classes to learn trance magic. I trust you will find her directions more comfortable than my own would be. Please remain silent, close your eyes, and follow the instructions on the tape."

Dawn obediently closed her eyes and straightened her body, placing her feet flat on the floor as she heard Professor Lal turn on the CD player. There was a noise that she thought was static at first, but which eventually became louder and clearer, and she realized it was a recording of a moving stream. Then some soft strings—a harp, probably—started to play over it. Was this supposed to be calming music? Well, that made sense. The book had said to calm your body and mind before attempting trance, and Dawn had certainly obeyed it.

After a few minutes that seemed to last a long time, a voice began. Dawn immediately understood why Professor Lal had used this recording rather than telling them how to go into trance. Professor Agnew's voice was soft, low, and soothing—quite the opposite of Professor Lal's sharp tones.

At first she just instructed them to breathe. Then she told them to sit straight and plant their feet on the floor. Then she told them to breathe some more before finally giving them the instructions Dawn had been expecting, to imagine roots reaching from their feet down into the earth. She spent a long time on that, but of course, Dawn recalled how long it had taken her to get it right the first time.

Finally, she told them to extend their awareness outside their bodies, the exact opposite of what they'd done to find their own internal magic. Dawn couldn't help smiling at that, since it was the exact advice Corrie had given her. Professor Agnew told them to take their time and not rush it, but when they thought they were doing it right, to open their eyes and look around.