Espex The Demon Mage. (1)

Chapter 2: Learning Flash Bang!

As morning broke Espex had already woken and had trapped breakfast for himself and Samth. It was a small local duck. He had skinned it off feathers and had roasted it over the never ending fire. Samth rubbed her eyes and threw her blonde hair from her face as she pulled herself up off the ground.

"Good morning lass. Have sweet dreams?"

Her voice silent and dry "No. All I dreamt about was big bears."

He chuckled and walked over to her with a handful of duck and a little bread. "Eat when you're done I will teach you some more magic." Like a woman possessed she munched down on the dry bread and moist duck. Barely even chewing the food it went down her throat and she almost floated up to her feet full of energy. Espex ghost white face just smiled at Samth. "Ok I taught you how to move objects with pure mana alone, but today I will teach you a spell that requires mana control and mana words." Samth looked at him with great interest. She was hooked on every word the mage spoke and was almost under a spell. "I will show you an example of this. Do you see the fire it has blazed all night long without the help of the wood you collected? That is because I used a spell to make it last the night. Now I will show you what I mean." He turned to the roaring fire cracking on the burning wood. He pointed his left seal gloved hand at the flames and spoke "Voort Vlam." With the words spoken the fire disappeared and all that was left was smoke and burnt wood. "See I said in the words of magic. Be gone fire. And thus it disappeared. For today I will teach you a self-defence spell for when we enter the city of Gord."

Samths eyes wide with wonder. She asked a question "What is the spell Espex?"

He looked down at her wide face of wonder and responded. "It will be a light spell to allow you to escape from danger. Hopefully it will not be used." He placed both his seal gloved hands together and spoke a spell. "Shanguang Dan!" the area around Espex exploded with white light blinding poor Samth. Her blue eyes absorbed all the light and she gasped and grabbed her hands over her skinny pale face. Trying to hide from the bright light to no avail. "Don't worry your sight will return soon, this spell is used to temporary blind the enemy and allow the user to escape." He was right she rubbed her eyes and slowly sight returned to the big blue giants. The first sight she saw was the dulled appearance of Espex scratching his long purple hair. "Can you see?" Samth just nodded still rubbing away the blindness. "Good now I want you to try. Place both hands together like this." he placed his seal gloved hands together like a prayer. "Then summon mana around your body like a flowing river the hands as the connector. Then say the mana words. 'Shanguang Dan' with this light will pour out of your body and blind your enemy." Finally able to fully see again Samth did what she was shown. She placed both her thin hands together. Then concentrating she summoned the mana within her small skinny body, just like Espex had shown her. Calm her mind then allow the power within her inner being drawn out and spread through her body. This simple task took her hours to accomplish then even more to use it to move objects. She felt the mana flow within her veins. The hardest part was the linking of her hands it felt like her mana stopped at each hand and went back up her arms. There was no flow this was a much harder spell than what Espex displayed it as. She was starting to sweat and it was dampening her long blonde hair. "Do not push yourself too hard Samth. We will be camping here until you master this light spell." She just nodded and went back to connecting the flow of mana between her hands. Hours passed with no real progress Samths hair was now completely wet with sweat. The seal skin was also a little on the damp side. Returning from the woods with a hare in his arm Espex walked over to the burnt out fire. Placing the hare on the ground and spreading his hand over the fire he spoke. "Roepon brand" the fire started again burning the wood. Espex placed the wood that Samth collected the day before onto the fire to give it new life. Then proceeded to skin the hare and cook it on the fire. "Come over here Samth. Have some food and rest for a while." His voice low and thick with his weird accent.

"Ok" her hands almost fell to her sides as she walked over to Espex and her food. Being tired she ate her food slowly and chewed for a change rather than just letting it slide down her throat. Both sat silent as they ate. The afternoon air was cool and fresh. Clouds in the sky threatened rain but did not deliver it. The odd small animal would wonder past the two on the outskirts of the woods but did no more than observe the strange pair. Drinking some water from a pouch Espex handed it to Samth. She slowly and painfully pulled her right frail arm up to grip it. Weak from the mana training she gulped down the water and handed the pouch back with much effort. Placing the pouch away, Espex then threw the rabbit bones into the woods. He looked at Samth still sitting on the grass with each arm at her side limp and drained. "Would you like some advice?"

"Oh please I feel the mana just go to my hand, they don't seem to want to connect."

Still standing at the edge of the woods Espex pondered rubbing his long purple hair back. "Imagine a bridge between your hands. Imagine it allowing the flow of mana between your hands."

A smile crossed her skinny face "Ah yea of course!"

"Give it an hour let your arms recover."

Espex went and sat down by the fire and both Samth and he just talked. Mostly about the city of Gord they were about to visit. He told her about the white street market place. How it was a long street full of people running back and forth buying from stalls selling everything from lands near and far. He told her about the white castle in the centre of the city protected by its large white walls. A city never been breached. Gord was the capital of Skov. The feeling arrived back into Samths thin arms and she was ready to practice once more. Espex sat back and watched her stand up and place her hands together once more. She remembered the bridge and focused it into the palm of her hand. It was working the mana was flowing from left to right, slowly but she was doing it.

Clapping his gloved hands together Espex celebrated "Great now say the magic word and think of white light!" Pride and joy in his voice.

She concentrated and thought of light in her head. Samth shouted out as loud as her voice would carry it. "Shanguang Dan!" Unlike Espex a large flash did not happen instead her entire body sort a glowed, dimly. Laugher came balling from Espex, Slapping his leg in humour. "It's not funny. It's my first time!" barked Samth.

"Don't worry my small bulb, Practice makes perfect. Now I am going to sleep and will only be woken by a large light." He placed his head onto the ground and fell to sleep.

He left Samth standing with her palms together glowing dimly. She puffed up her skinny face in defiance then released her mana turning her yellowish skin back to its light colour. The weather kept good for the afternoon and allowed some warmth for Samth to practice her new spell. All day she kept her hands together shouting the name of the spell. Each time she glowed a little more. Slowly she was making progress. She was so into her training she did not miss her dinner or the fact it was getting dark and the fire had died out. Espex lying on the ground spread out like a starfish snoring away, Oblivious to the world and what Samth was trying to accomplish. Nearing midnight Samths progress was now great. She shouted the spell out once more in the darkness making a huge flash of white light bathing the area of light and sight. Espex sat up rubbing his purple glowing eyes. In the darkness he felt his way to the worn out wood.

"Roepon Brand, Laatste De Nacht Brand." Making the fire start again then enchanting it to never go out, mixing two spells into one that Samth could yet not do. The area was now illuminated and Espex was able to see a passed out Samth on the grass snoring unladylike. "Well done lass, you're a fast learner, I would almost say a prodigy maybe me taking you was fate but tomorrow you will be tested in the white city of Gord."