The Light in the Dark ✓

Chapter 8.1 Light Magic

The following day after breakfast and a quick bath in a cold stream, Iris was on her way to meet Marcus and start her first official lesson on magic. She was nervous, her hands were sweaty, and her stomach clenched. They needed all the Mages to undo the Ritual, so the pressure was extremely high. What if I'm good for nothing?

Before her anxiety got the better of her, she reached the clearing, where the Mages were practising their art. Iris located Marcus sitting with a group of laughing children. When he spotted her, he gestured for her to come.

'Meet our new student, Iris,' Marcus said to the children when the girl sat down.

'She'll be studying with us?' a little girl with a freckled face asked, wrinkling her nose. 'But she's... old!'

'Old?' Iris asked. 'I'm not old!' The others laughed.

'Now, now,' the old man said, raising his hands. 'Don't be mean, Marcela. Since there is no Order anymore, most of the young Mages don't receive any education in the magic field at all. There is nothing wrong with seeking knowledge, no matter the age. So please, help me get Iris back to speed.'

The children giggled but nodded anyway. Iris smiled; she loved how carefree they were.

'Let's review the basics today.'

'Again?' a boy with a missing front tooth groaned.

'Yes, Zack. We'll see how much you remember this time. Why don't you tell me what the Light Magic is?'

'It's the ability to use and reshape the light,' the boy replied with monotone, rolling his eyes.

'That's correct. Can everyone do that?'

'Of course not! You must have a talent!'

'And what exactly the talent means?'

'Well... that means you can draw the light?' Zack tried, but his tone lost all confidence. Iris noted all the children perked up. They hadn't heard this question before, and she had no idea either.

'Yes, but that's not what I asked about,' Marcus said with a gentle smile. 'The difference between the Mages and regular people lies in their souls. If you are lucky enough to be gifted, that means your soul is entwined with a spark of Light. Now, we all know that magical potential is different for people. Some can draw more power, while others' capacity is more limited. The more Light is woven through your soul, the more light you can gather and handle.'

'Can you see how much Light is inside of you?' one of the children asked.

'Yes, the Mages can do that. Would you like to see?' Children cheered excitedly. 'Let's do this then. But first, I need to draw some light. I don't have a fire here, so how can I do that?'

A couple of children raised their hands, jumping in place.

'Marcela?'

'You can use the sunlight reflected from some surface!'

'That's correct.' Marcus took out a small mirror from his pocket and moved it a bit to catch the sunbeams. 'Now, can I draw the light indefinitely from this source?'

'No!' all the children protested. Zack added, 'If you draw too much, the glass will shatter.'

'You're right once again. So, let's draw just a little bit.' The old man hovered his hand above the glass, and his fingers lit up visibly. 'Who wants to see their Light first?'

Children once more started jumping up and down excitedly, waving their hands in the air. Marcus laughed.

'Fine, let's see all of you. But be patient and no pushing, all right?'