Part One - A New Beginning (Loki x Reader)

Chapter Eight - Lesson One

     Queen Frigga and I walk to the library alone since she told her ladies to wait for her in the tea room. She asks me if I've had any other feelings or bad dreams since we talked about it all in the tea room yesterday.

     "No. I don't think I had any bad dreams because I felt fine when I woke up this morning. I haven't felt a mist either." My eyes get big as I get worried. "Oh no! Am I losing my magic?"

     Queen Frigga puts a hand to her mouth and chuckles softly.

     "Do not look so worried, little one. You are either born with magic or you are not. Magic is like your blood, a living force inside you. Just as your body naturally replenishes what needs replenishing, so does your magic. If you use too much before you are ready, it will leave you feeling weak. Think of it as lifting something that is too heavy, if you are not strong enough you cannot lift it at all or for too long because it is too heavy."

     "As you continue to grow and get stronger and practice, you are able to do things you were not able to do before. You had to learn how to crawl before taking your first step, how to walk before trying to run. The ability to wield your magic will be a similar experience. You will first learn about magic as you begin to build a strong foundation which all kinds of magic need. Regardless of an individual's unique affinities, one must learn how to call forth their magic, what to do before you begin to try and wield it, and discover which affinities you have in order to train properly."

     "And I will learn the beginning magic stuff while I read books for it all?"

      "There is one I would like for you to start and finish before we start developing your magic. The other two books I will give you today can be read as you begin your magic training. If you ever have any questions about anything you read you can ask me or Loki."

     I thank her again as we walk into the library. She gives me a book on the history of magic that is in Runes, a book on dream meanings, and a book on magic that I need to finish before I can start training with my magic. She places them all on a desk near a window seat and a small couch and says that I can read here and Loki can help me take my books to my room since they're too heavy for me to lift at the same time.

     "I also have two homework assignments that we will try here before we have lunch. The first one may seem rather boring, especially to a child who has so much energy to get rid of. But, it is an important skill to have in order to be able to begin training and tap into your magic."

     Queen Frigga gestures for me to follow her and we sit on the chairs near the fireplace on the other side of the library near the doors.

     "You must learn how to quiet your mind so you can call forth your magic. As you practice, it will get easier to quiet your mind and empty it to find that place in your mind where the magic is waiting to be used. To help quiet my mind, I found it was easier for me to imagine seeing anything I want to see. Then imagining a door that's far enough away that it will take you quite a few steps in order to be able to reach it."

     "As you walk closer to the door, you begin to add more detail to the door so that everything else around you fades away. Your concentration should be solely on the door and giving it more detail. When you finally get to the door, you add in a door handle or, if you had already imagined the door with a handle, then you appear a key in your hand in order to unlock and open the door."

     "What's behind the door when you open it?"

     "Your magic. This door leads to your magic and only when you go through that door can you open your mind to the magic beyond the door. Of course, as you train in opening your mind and calling forth your magic to wield it, you will be able to do it more quickly until the time comes when you do not need to concentrate on emptying your mind and going through the door. You will be able to call forth your magic as if you are picking something up. It becomes as easy as breathing and blinking."

     "Do spells work the same way?"

     "Yes and no. Your own magic will be able to be wielded at a moment's notice. Spells are far more intricate but can last for a longer period of time than magic you wield. For example, a protection spell on a home is complex and requires concentration as well as steps in a certain order, but it could last for years. Spells were first made with Runes, therefore our strongest spells are still written with Runes and Runic symbols."

     "The magic that comes from an individual will not last as long. The stronger someone's magic and their control over their magic, the longer they can use it. But even the strongest witch or sorcerer cannot sustain any magic forever alone. They can use the help of magically imbued artifacts to help sustain something, an illusion for example, but nothing lasts forever."

     "And if magic isn't given a chance to replenish and the individual does not rest, it could prove to be too much. The person will not be able to produce any magic because there is none left, or the strain can be too much on the person and the magic overwhelms them and they could die from it. And we have strayed from the subject at hand it seems. You have a sharp, intelligent mind that asks intelligent questions, little one."

     She smiles at me and I smile back as I feel my cheeks get warm. "Thank you, Queen Frigga."

     "Just Frigga, child. It is just us. So, the clearing of the mind. You can practice this every day if you would like and if you have time to. If you are able to walk up to the door, you can stop the practice. First, try to quiet your mind in a quiet place when you are alone. As you practice, you can start going outside where the natural sounds of life are around you. That alone can be distracting enough for you, but if you manage it again, try and do it in a hallway where many people move through it."

     "What if I can get to the door in a noisy, crowded place?"

     "Then you can walk faster to the door, or even run to it in order to practice the speed of quieting your mind and not simply that task itself. Once you are able to get to the door quickly, we can begin exploring going through the door. Then we will begin other kinds of fundamental magic training. The second assignment I shall give you is quite more fun than the first. You will simply try to do everyday things but with your mind."

     "Anything and everything you can think of. You can try and move things to you or push them away, try to change the colors of things, to become invisible, to move faster than you normally can, hear someone talk while being far away from them, trying to make yourself fly, talking to someone without using your voice, trying to hear what their mind is saying. Though if you do try any of the last three, please do it with either me or with Loki."

     I nod quickly and say, "I will, I promise. Can I practice that every day too?"

     "Yes, of course. Just remember not to get frustrated if you cannot do what you try to do. Your magic may not allow you to be able to do it at all or it might be too much for you to do right now and you can develop those skills with practice. Remember this is just for fun. Experimenting on your own instead of formally during a lesson."

     "You should never feel anything other than proud of yourself when it comes to your magic. Not all magic is the same just like not everyone is the same. Just because someone has a certain affinity for a particular type of magic does not mean you do. Your magical signature is unique because you are. Magical affinities are essentially an extension of the person you are. Sometimes, only one true affinity starts from the beginning and the rest grow into other affinities as you grow and explore life and magic itself."

     "I'm just happy to have magic, my lady. Any at all is enough for me."

     She smiles at me so much that I can feel it like a warm blanket around me.

     "You are such a delightful child. Shall we begin with trying to empty your mind?"

     I shake my head and say, "I can do that by myself. I want to try things while you are here! I want to try and fly!"

     Queen Frigga laughs loud after I say that and I stand up excited to try.

Author Note

If you are reading this as a completed story, you have just read a bit over 12,500 words. Here is a great place to stop and keep reading later when you're not busy or in need of sleep. It's not going anywhere, I promise. Then you can reward yourself with more reading after! Don't forget to vote please.