Multiverse of Magic & Mistakes (Completed)

1.2.10 Chapter 10

The Mages College of Verdyn, Verdyn, July 2019.

Violet quickly found herself in a bizarre new routine. In the morning she would shower and dress in a set of loose black Mages clothes with a long teal belt, and ensure her hair and make-up looked presentable. She would then walk down to breakfast, where she usually sat at a round wooden table at the edge of the dining hall with Riley, Freddy, Cassidy and their collection of friends. The group of Novices were a few years younger than Vi, aged between thirteen to fifteen, but they seemed to take the newcomer under their wings. Over morning porridge and fruit, they asked Vi as many questions about her life back on Earth and her non-magical childhood as she asked them about growing up in Verdyn and attending the Mages College. Vi quickly learned that thirteen was the usual starting age at the Mages College. Before this they had all attended Verdyn Elementary School where, to the surprise of both the Verdynians and the Earthling, subjects taught seemed in a similar vein to subjects taught in Earth schools; reading, writing, maths, art, local geography and history. Children aged under twelve were strictly prohibited from practising magic, as they were unlikely to be able to control it.

"Of course, there have been several nasty incidents of little kids messing about with Runes!" exclaimed Freddy, his short curly hair sticking up wildly as he went on to describe an incident where a little girl started a huge forest fire, and many Mages were burned putting it out. Vi must have paled for Riley reassured her.

"I'm sure you will master control soon, Vi, and well, we have some excellent Healers around just in case not!"

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After breakfast, Vi met Rho in an empty classroom and tried to master "magical control and the appropriate amount of power required for a task" via basic Elemental spells as she had been instructed to do so by Master Reynold.

It was not easy going. It took her several minutes of intense concentration and staring at a First Rune, which had been engraved onto the wall, to locate her power. Then it took even longer focusing on a First Fire Rune and then a candle and back again before she was ready to try willing it to light. And nothing happened.

As Vi pushed her power into the candle, the most that happened was that she thought she felt a slight warm breeze. She tried again and again but still, it did not light. Rho tried different candles, placing the candle in different locations, and patiently explaining in different ways the process of casting the spell. He sat silently atop a desk whilst she tried and failed, many more times in succession. After her success of teleporting the small stone (which she kept in her pocket), Vi knew she must also be capable of pyro magic, but it was not coming easily to her.

When both of them needed a change, Rho moved onto hydro magic and opened Vi's Big Rune Book to the First Water Rune. He placed an empty mug in front of her and asked her to fill it with water. Again, Vi had spent a very long time focusing on the First Rune, drawing up some of her power, then activating the First Water Rune, and then focusing on the mug, and willing it to fill with water. This time, instead of nothing happening, the result was spectacular.

Not too long ago, in another world, Vi had booked several customers trips to Niagara Falls. The guidebook images of majestic gushing waterfalls cascading between Canada and the USA were nothing compared to the flood that suddenly poured into the classroom. A sudden torrent of cool clean water appeared mid-air, above the desk. The mug overflowed in milliseconds, water splashing out on to the table and down onto the floor, drenching both Vi and Rho, and the entire contents of the classroom. Books were ruined, desks overturned, the water rising to knee-depth before the spell ended.

To her surprise, Rho started laughing, a deep genuine laugh of amusement. Vi, water running in rivets from her long hair and sopping clothes could not help but also see the funny side. She looked around at the unintentional sea of devastation and burst out laughing. That certainly had not gone how she had expected it to. When they had both recovered, she waded through the knee-deep water of the classroom, now turned shallow swimming pool, scooped up water in the mug, which was bobbing on the surface nearby, and placed it upon one of the only desks that had not been knocked over by the sudden deluge. She waded back over to Rho and gave a mock bow.