The Threadbound series : Unraveling

Laws and Limericks

Ash

"The Law of Confluence?" Miss Kyle answered my question, her tone laced with skepticism.

"Yes, The Law of Confluence governs the combination of threads"' my words confirmed.

I gave a pointed look to the girl with blonde pigtails seated in the front row , silently giggling with her desk partner.

"And Miss Odel? Could you explain what the Law of Confluence is?" I inquired further.

"When Veil Weavers combine threads, they witness the threads intertwining and producing magical effects greater than the sum of their individual parts," Miss Odel replied with a hint of confidence.

"Correct," I nodded in approval. "Now, Veil Weavers often seek to master the art of confluence, but it's a double-edged sword. While it can amplify their magic, it also introduces complexity and unpredictability, making the control of confluence a delicate and advanced skill."

"Commander Dantes," A student raised his hand, "if one practices confluence without proper training, could it be dangerous?"

I nodded, acknowledging the importance of his question. "Indeed, Mr. Locke," I replied, my tone measured. "Practicing confluence without the necessary training and control can be perilous. It may lead to Threadburn and in more severe cases, it can even cause what we call threadbond fracturing, where the connection to a specific thread weakens or breaks resulting in the loss of magical affinities.

A young man at the back of the classroom, Mr.Jonson raised his hand, "Commander Dantes?"

"Yes,Mr Jonson" I replied, inviting his question.

"Can the combining of threads produce new magical abilities?" he inquired.

"No.It can only amplify or alter the existing abilities", I answered.

"See," I continued, "The combinations of threads can only amplify the basic affinities. For example, my primary thread is Elemental Air." I emphasized this by allowing the air to swirl around me. "My secondary thread is Void," - I opened a portal near me

-"which means I can combine the two and create—"

I made a small tornado with a portal hidden inside and sent it towards Jonson. With a flick of my wrist, I tossed my quill into the portal near me, but the quill came out of the small tornado, on the other end of the class, right into Mr. Jonsons hands.

The entire class erupted into applause, and the student looked awe-struck.

"And that, my dear class," I concluded with a smile, "is the Law of Confluence."

"Excuse me, Commander Dantes,"

"Yes, Miss Kyle?" I replied, encouraging her question.

"Then. ..Then how do some people get new abilities? It is rare, but umm.. I have heard of some people acquiring new affinities?" she pressed.

I smiled at her curiosity. "An excellent question, Miss Kyle. You see, these laws we learn are made by us, based on what we know, and let me tell you something— we do not know much"

The class chuckled, and I gave a small pause and then continued to elaborate on the subject.

"What we do know is that the Veilweave is not static"- I extended a silver glowing thread

- "it ebbs and flows with the world's events and the actions of Threadbound." - I made wave-like motions with thread. The students watched the thread intrigued.

"Major events, such as wars or natural disasters, or even certain traumatic events in the life of a Threadbound, can disrupt the balance of the Veilweave. This disruption can affect the magical abilities of Threadbound individuals, sometimes even giving rise to new threads and abilities."- I made the glowing thread to form multiple shapes - A flame , a tornado, a water drop.

I paused to gauge the students' reactions, their faces filled with curiosity and intrigue. I made the silver threads disappear.

"So, while the majority of Veil Weavers have predetermined affinities, there are exceptional cases where individuals develop new abilities due to the ever-changing nature of the Veilweave. These cases often require extensive study and research to understand fully."

Miss Odel nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information.

"Since you're all juniors, if you're interested, you can become Veil scholars in the future, study the Veilwave, and maybe I'll be teaching a class like this from your textbooks and findings," I suggested.

"But you will be an Elder by then," Mr. James thought aloud.

I chuckled at the thought. "If that's what the Weaver has in mind."

"You will become one, Commander Dantes," Miss Odel chimed in.

I smiled at her enthusiasm.

"I don't know if that's a compliment coming from all of you. It sounds like you all want my boring lectures to stop," I teased.

The class laughed, some even groaned a no.

Then I added more seriously, " Now, I think you have Affinity Training next. For the Air Elementals, Hunter Varian will take over your training for the day. As for your assignments, I expect an essay on the Laws of Veilweave. I'll be occupied with election matters, so you all can submit your essays to Hunter Serra by the end of the week. She'll be overseeing your later classes."

"Thank you, Commander Dantes" the students replied, gathering their belongings as they prepared to move on to their next class.

"Thank you all. Have a Good Day," I said, offering them a final nod before heading out.

I walked through the corridor, skillfully navigating the crowd as students shuffled here and there.

"Hey, Dantes, slow down," came the annoyingly familiar voice from behind. I increased my pace, hoping to outdistance it, but it caught up with me.

"Whoah, some of us are teaching combat techniques instead of reading out from a textbook," he huffed, sounding out of breath.

I turned to find the source of the voice, greeted by mischievous light brown eyes and a scar that, much to my dismay, was not at all ugly. Also those damn dimples when he smiles.

"Commander Raaha," I acknowledged him. He was visibly sweaty, and his cotton shirt clung to his body. Without thinking much, I swirled some air around him and dried his clothes with a flick of my fingers.

"Thanks," he muttered, still catching his breath.

"You stank," I retorted, offering that as the reason for my uncharacteristic act of kindness before turning to walk away.

"Yeah, totally not ogling at my abs," he quipped, catching up with me.I can't deny it and he doesn't have to know that. So I didn't dignify his remark with a response.

"This avoiding thing you've got going on. It will give you a bad reputation. We should be setting an example for the kids - you know, healthy competition and all," he said while pulling out a rough piece of parchment sticking out of my textbook.

"What in the—" I whisper-yelled.

"Thread weaves,

Thread binds,

Thread unravels," he read out loud.

"What is this? You're writing limericks for the Veil Gods now?" he teased, pointing at the words The Veilborn? scribbled in my awful handwriting.

"Dantes?" he waved the parchment.

I snatched it from his hands and replied, "Limericks are five-lined poems. This one is only three lines long. So it's a tercet." I didn't tell him that it was a five-lined riddle.

He laughed and walked back.

"Why are you walking back?" I asked.

He shouted, "Staff rooms for the Elemental Fire are at the opposite end of this corridor,Dantes."

I stood there for a moment, stunned, then walked away.