The Hunters: Paranormal many shots

Magic Bitches

"Focus, Annalise," Giarn said as he circled Annie. "You need to visualize the magic."

Annie was squeezing her eyes tightly, trying to imagine what magic looked like. She came up blank and huffed, opening her eyes. "This is impossible," she complained. "How am I supposed to do this? We don't have magic on my planet, I have no idea where to even start."

Giarn stopped in front of her, hands behind his back. "No magic? Is that what you think?"

Annie threw her hands up and rolled her eyes. "We have practical illusions, slight of hand and card tricks."

Giarn grinned. "Are you sure that's all you have?"

Annie bent over and picked up a leather flask at her feet, popped the top and took a swig of water. It tasted different than Earth's; cleaner and slightly sweet. She thought for a bit, absentmindedly tonguing her lip ring. "I mean; we have people that think they can do magic. Wiccan's, Tarot readers and...I guess some Satanists attempt magic."

Giarn nodded slowly. "What makes you think it's not real?"

Annie laughed. "Nothing ever happens. They cast these spells and never get the results they want."

"But how do you know?"

Annie grit her teeth. She knew he was leading up to some big lesson and was frustrated that she couldn't see what he was getting at. Deep down she was aware that a large part of this frustration was due to the fact they had been at this for months and gotten nowhere.

Giarn could see her struggling. "I think part of the problem is that you have an expectation of what magic should be," he said. "You have a preconception that is blocking you from fully understanding it." He held out his hand and a small ball of fire burst to life in his palm. "This is what magic looks like to most Terrans. You expect it to be physical, tangible. Yes, magic does manifest itself like this in many cases but not so much on your planet. You see, magic adapts and changes based on the reality it is in. While it is completely possible to create this kind of magic in your world, it is far more common for it to manifest in the form of small manipulations of flow and energy."

Annie had no idea what he was talking about. "Huh?" She grumbled.

Giarn laughed, closing his hand and snuffing out the fire. "Let me try explaining it another way. Terran magic is more often geared towards things like trying to micromanage and manipulate the flow of life for personal gain. Mix ingredients in the right way and repeat and incantation that vibrates reality in a certain way to allow for a bit more luck to come your way. Brew a liquid that when consumed alters your chemical state in a way that makes you less shy and more likely to flirt. Magic in your world isn't a big light show or huge fiery explosions. It's subtle and precise. Yes, many people attempt it to no avail but that doesn't mean it's not there. More often than not you don't even realize you've been successful. Humans are impatient and needy. If they don't perceive some immediate and noticeable change, they think they have failed. Magic is the art of managing chaos."

Annie scratched her head, reflecting on all this. She did comprehend much of what he was saying, although she still had much to think on. "So, is that why I'm not making any progress?"

Giarn cocked his head. "You think you aren't getting anywhere?"

She shrugged and hung her head. "Have you seen any magic?"

"Yes."

Annie's head snapped up. "What? When?"

Giarn rubbed his stubble, eyes staring up in thought. "Two weeks ago, was when I first noticed it."

Annie's jaw dropped. "What? I never saw anything. What did...how?"

"It wasn't a complete casting but every day for the last two weeks the magnitude of magical energy you've been producing has been rising steadily. Casting a spell to completion for the first time is a tremendous feat; in some cases, it can take an apprentice well into their second year to create even a small ember. The fact that you have been able produce this much energy in such a small amount of time is phenomenal. I've seen Xincali achieve less in longer time."