Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 40: A Mejai's First Lesson

And what do you think youre doing here? Tanya asked with arms crossed, shooting Vir a gaze that made him want to shrivel up and cry in some dark corner. The fully black leather pants and matching vest she wore served to amplify her terrifying presence.

I he began. All the confidence hed mustered burned away, just like that.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to push through. The solution was simpleall he had to do was look away from Tanyas predatory glare. Just want to learn by watching you train Maiya. I wont get in the way.

Absolutely not. Ill not suffer a talentless prana scorned leeching off of my student. What use does someone who can't use even utility magic have of my lessons?

But Tanya cut him off by threatening him with a transparent orb, glowing with power.

Vir ground his teeth, shooting a look of pure hatred at Tanya. Hed refrained from revealing Prana Vision for so long, but if it meant he could learn magic

No, wait! Theres another way.

C'mon, thats not fair, he heard Maiya say.

Young woman, you are in no position to talk back. I was promised someone with strength. It is clear to me you have neglected your physical training. Will you neglect your magic, too? Tanya spat, eyeing Maiya up and down. Strength is everything in this world. Weakness is a crime. You will do as I say, and you will not argue. Understood? If you wish to have my respect, earn it first.

Maiya stared her instructor down. I'm sorry. I want to learn magic, I really do. But if you wont teach him, I refuse to

Vir cut her off. Its alright, Maiya.

The last thing he wanted was for his friend to suffer on his account.

But, Vir, this isnt right!

He cracked a smile. You think this is gonna stop me?

Comprehension dawned upon Maiya, and she mouthed an O that only he could see.

He threw Tanya a glare packed with every ounce of hatred he could muster, then turned and strode out of the living room.

If she was going to be a grakking chal, hed be happy to return the favor. He doubted she possessed anything like Prana Vision, or any other way of detecting him if he was stealthy. And he had an idea about how to remain hiddenhed picked up a few tricks on the Saran trip.

Vir walked far enough down the hall to put himself out of eyesight, but not so far that he couldnt hear what they were saying. He took up a spot just inside the empty kitchen.

Let us move to my room, Tanya said. It wouldnt do for unwanted ears to eavesdrop upon us, now, would it?

Grak.So much for that plan

Would it really be that bad if Vir listened in? Maiya asked as they walked past his hiding spot.

The doors that sealed off the bedrooms were solid wood and thick. Vir had learned long ago that sounds did not pass easily through them.

But the kitchen wasnt the only place he could snoop from. Vir waited for the two to enter Tanyas bedroom, then ran to his own room and donned a white sun hoodie before stepping outside into the midmorning sun. He doubled back up the sand dune, counting the windows until he found Tanyas room.

None of the bedrooms had large windows. Instead, they all had small slits near the ceiling for ventilation. And since they were built mainly for ventilation, they were just small metal grates, only a handspan tall and a few handspans wide. The grate above Tanyas room was almost completely invisible against the desert sand, but Vir found it soon enough.

He went prone, lying on his stomach, and stuck his ear right up to the metal grate.

Introduce myself, he overheard Tanya saying. Vir cracked a grin. Her voice came through loud and clear, almost as if he was in the room itself.

There was no chance of detectioneven if she looked straight up at the window, it was far too small to see anything through it. So long as he remained quiet, he could listen all he wanted.

Of course, he did have to deal with the searing desert heat, but that was a small price to pay for mejai knowledge. If Tanyas teachings were worthwhile, hed reveal Prana Vision to her and force her to teach him.

Shouldve brought some water, he belatedly realized. Something to remember for next time.

Vir settled in and prepared himself to absorb every word the evil woman said.

I do not know how much Riyan has told you about me. Knowing him, likely little.

He hasnt said much, Maiya said.

He is a man of few words. But when he speaks, people listen. Few are as wise in the art of combat as he, but I digress, she coughed. Suffice it to say that I have worked with the genwith Riyan several times over the years. The only information you need about me is that I carry the rank of Lesser Mejai of Ash. My Balar Rank is 130. Greater Ice and Lesser Water affinities. Oh, and I have trained with the Altani.

Virs eyes lit up. The Altani knew more about the inner workings of prana than anyone else, if the rumors were to be believed. If anyone knew about the affinities only he could see, itd be them.

Riyan tells me you have aptitude. Prove it.

Vir heard Maiya yelp. Then came some shuffling sounds.

Oho? Tanya said. So he wasnt merely boasting. But that does not mean you will be able to realize your potential. This is done only through diligent training and proper instruction. I can provide the latter, but you must apply your body and soul to your training. Or else, youll remain a lowly Pranik all your life.

Vir could only guess at what had happened. Tanya must have given Maiya a magic testing orb, as Riyan had done months ago.

I wanna be a fire mejai! When can we check my affinity?

There is no test for it. Once you have learned to conduct prana, we will have to try orbs of various affinities to determine your affinity. I must warn you, however. Fire spells are difficult to wield. They may have the greatest range of all the offensive magic types, but fire affinity spells are slow and thus easily avoided. Whats more, they can burn the mejai and her allies if wielded improperly.

I dont care! Im sure Ill be good at it.

His friend was dead set on being a fire mejai as ever. He couldnt say it suited her, though.

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That remains to be seen, Tanya said. Beginning today, you will train in the mornings with me in the arts of magic. Riyan will continue training you in history and etiquette in the afternoons. And in your free time, you will hone your combat skills. Is this understood?

Yes, maam. Maiya sounded meek, but Vir knew she mustve been bursting with excitement inside.

Now, for your first lesson, Tanya said.

Vir edged closer to the metal grade, desperate not to miss a word.

Magic hurts.

Magic hurts? Maiya said.

Vir had the exact same reaction. Whats she even talking about?

Yes. Especially at the start of a mejais journey. Understand that prana is the energy of life itself. Orbs channel this energy into useful effects. As mejai, we manipulate prana to fill our orbs with sufficient energy, and supply a tiny bit more to trip the activation inscription. This process is an unnatural one, and thus, can be painful. Not every Pranik has the grit to persevere. I expect you will also fail, coddled as you were in your childhood. Be grateful that I am spending my precious time instructing you regardless.

This was news to Vir. Hed never thought that the official path to magic would be a painful one. Maybe his experiment yesterday hadnt been as crazy as hed initially thought?

First, Tanya continued, mejai must learn to detect the prana that surrounds us. Here in the Hiranya Kingdom, prana is a scarce commodity, which makes this task somewhat more difficult. Then again, it is this very lack of prana that will hone your sensitivity further than a Pranik in a prana-rich region.

Vir looked around. Even with Prana Vision in its dormant state, he could still see faint browns and whites around him. Sensing prana had never once posed a problem for him after the Godshollow. And though he called it Prana Vision, it wasnt like he needed his eyes open to see all that. He could simply sense the various affinities, which was what enabled him to look into his own bodys pathways. He couldnt imagine Maiya would have a tough time with it, given her magical aptitude.

So how exactly do you sense prana? Maiya asked.

Sit down. Cross your legs. Close your eyes.

Tanya waited for Maiya to comply, then continued. Now, breathe deeply, and empty your mind of any thoughts.

Vir joined in. He sat up and closed his eyes, attempting to follow Tanyas instructions.

Now, Tanya said, once in this state, you must feel the prana circulating around you, in the air. It is not a feeling that can be described. But you will know it when it works.

Interesting, Vir reflected. It sounded like mejai could sense prana, just perhaps not with the clarity that he could.

Thats kinda vague, Maiya complained. Got anything more I can work with?

Do not fool yourself, child. Even the most talented Praniks take months to develop this awareness. For most, it takes the better part of a year. Each morning and evening, you will sit and meditate, forcing yourself to attune to your surroundings.

A year!? Maiya shouted. Thats way too long!

Then strive to excel, Tanya said. Fear not, I shall aid you. I will precharge an ice affinity orb and set it in front you. Try to sense the prana coming from the orb.

She placed the orb down, and even with his dormant Prana Vision, Vir could sense it. The ball of transparent prana glowed like a sun to his senses. Just how powerful was the spell within it?

Once you are able to sense prana, the next step is to take hold of it.

Virs heart sped up, and it wasnt on account of the hot sun. This was the missing piece he needed. He already knew how to sense prana, he just needed guidance on how to control it.

This is done via sheer willpower. With enough strength of will, a mejai can bend the prana in the air, wrestling it under their control.

Uh any specifics? Maiya asked. Vir echoed her sentiment. Everything Tanya had said thus far was incredibly vague. Was she doing it on purpose as part of the lesson? Or did she just not know? Vir sincerely hoped it was the former.

Each mejai must discover prana for themselves. I can only guide you. You must be the one to find it. For now, focus on sensing prana.

Wait, Maiya said. If you have to use your will to control prana, how do magic testing orbs work? I can activate those just fine, cant I?

Aptitude orbs provide their own will to test your innate capacity. They are specifically designed to test those whove yet to master prana control, after all. Regular orbs do not function this way.

Hmm. You said magic hurts, though, Maiya said. How exactly does it hurt? What should I expect?

In order to wield orbs, one must offer their limbs to the gods. If the gods deem you worthy, it will hurt. There is always a cost to power. But pain is a small price to pay for access to the spells that mejai wield.

Riyan had said a similar thingthat magic was a blessing of the gods. But hed also made it clear that despite his lack of faith, he managed to wield magic just fine. Vir wondered what it all meant. Nothing hed encountered thus far seemed even remotely tied to the gods or religion.

What does it feel like? Maiya asked, anxiously. The pain, I mean

Maiya never did well with pain. This revelation must have shocked her more than it did Vir.

Tanya thought for a moment. First, the veins in your arm and hand become more visible. Your arm will turn slowly purple. There is a tingling sensation at first, then aching pain that grows stronger & stronger. Eventually, your limb becomes numb. But no one maintains magic long enough to experience those effects. You would saturate well before then.

Saturate?

Prana oversaturation, Tanya explained. It happens when too much prana builds up within your body, preventing you from casting magic for some hours. It is a message from the gods, warning us not to abuse our privilege.

This saturation concept was new to Vir, but he couldnt help but feel a bit underwhelmed by all of this. He was hoping for a set of steps he could reproduce, or concepts he could unravel. Instead, Tanya spouted only vague descriptions and meaningless superstition. He could only imagine how frustrating it must be for Maiya, who couldnt even see prana.

Tanya continued. It will be years before you get to this stage, so I will just summarize the rest. Once a Pranik can sense and control prana, they undertake a series of mental strengthening exercises. A strong mind can muster more willpower, which in turn allows them to channel prana more effectively.

Sounds rough, Maiya said.

Indeed. Some believe that children with traumatic pasts tend to become excellent mejai for this reason. The final step is to actually channel prana into an orb. This is a skill in and of itself, and requires an understanding of the orbs inscriptions and an accurate awareness of the rate at which prana needs to be channeled. Whats more, orbs crafted by different Thaumaturges all have their own unique prana flow idiosyncrasies that must be learned to wield them effectively.

Cmon Maiya, ask her whats unique about them!

What kinds of idiosyncrasies? Maiya asked, prompting Vir to pump his fist. Nice going, Maiya!

Some orbs require a trickle of prana to start, expanding into a river. Others require a more forceful approach, or the prana will simply dissipate. And of course, your compatibility with a particular affinity makes a world of difference as well.

What exactly is an affinity, though? And when will I know what affinities I have? Maiya asked.

So many questions with you! Affinities determine the rate and ease with which you can charge orbs of that particular element. There are six affinities in this world: Wind, Water, Lightning, Ice, Fire, and Life. Every magical orb in existence belongs to one of these six elements.

Vir felt like hed just been hit by an armored Ashva. Six affinities!? He knew that wasnt true. Every shred of his being wanted to shout down from above and ask her why she was lying to Maiya.

There is no test that determines which affinity you possess. Only after you are able to sense and conduct prana will we know which affinities you have, by trial and error.

What about Maiya began, but Tanya cut her off.

Enough questions! Now, sit and meditate quietly.

Maiya grumbled, but reluctantly accepted.

Vir was only half-listening. The entire conversation had lost its sheen, and there would be nothing further to gain by snooping. Vir slowly got up and made his way back inside.

As he walked, his mind replayed Tanyas words. Six affinities. Was she lying? Or did she simply not know? But shed trained with the Altani!

If they werent aware of Shadow, Earth, and Black, then did that mean all of humanity was wrong?

Or was he simply wrong about his theories? He began to concede that it might be his mistake after all.

The entire world couldnt possibly be wrong could they?

Next time: 41 - Beware of Gods Bearing Gifts

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