Beyond?

by Andur

  Karsen looks at the ground and kicks a pebble away. “I know, but it doesn't look cool. I mean... it just goes 'poof' and something is blasted to pieces! That's no fun! My flames go 'WOOSH!' and 'ROAR!' ! You get it?”

  Louise smacks her head and snarls at Karsen. “Do you want to fail the test? Because THAT would be uncool! So just crush the stupid dummies with the wind-fist. Coat the wind fist in flames and make a fireball that explodes if you are keen on wasting mana.”

  Karsen's eyes become wide and he smiles. “That's actually a good idea!”

  Stella sighs and gestures at the course. “I am actually not very keen on making a show in front of so many people. Especially because nobody from my family is watching me. They didn't want to sit between all those mages.”

  “What are you saying? We are watching you. So go out there and show them that talent isn't everything! You are the one who has to prove herself the most. If you shine here they make fools of themselves if they talk bad about you.” I point at the course. Well, it's a lie. Stella is very talented and smart. Probably more so than many other kids here.

  “I am actually the one with the most pressure here. My mother told me to do something that makes their jaws drop. She wants me to show off to increase the reputation of our clan.” I take a better look at the course.

  First there is a twenty metre long pool of mud. You have to get past it without losing too much time. Then you have to cover fifty metres of flat ground as fast as possible. A ten metre high pillar with a platform on top is the next hurdle. You have to climb on top of it somehow.

  While standing on the platform you have to destroy ten training dummies. They are placed on the ground around the pillar.

  That done, you just have to jump down and move a big boulder, which is blocking a gate, out of the way. Afterwards you step through the gate and you are done.

  “Have you decided on what to do?” Talia invests her time into some warm up exercises. She is the first one to take the test in our group.

  Louise nods. “It'll be hard to match Annice's show. Telekinesis is just boring in that regard. She flew onto the platform, turned around in a circle and blasted the dummies away, then she flew down and moved the boulder aside. It was really anticlimactic.”

  Stella purses her lips. “But if you are that good at telekinesis there isn't much more to do.”

  I nod. “Though I am interested in that rumoured prodigy from the Veit. It interests me to see what an enchanter can do. Especially on how she is going to deal with the dummies.”

  “Then your question is about to be answered.” Louise points at a small girl who readies herself at the start of the course. Her hair is of a dark orange and reaches down to her thighs.

  A teacher signals her to start and a magical circle with several layers appears under her. Then she jumps! It's a huge leap which carries her over the mud. Landing on the other side she starts to run, her legs moving like a machine gun.

  The pillar is taken with another jump. From the platform she points her hands at the dolls, magical circles appear under them and the dolls are crushed like toys. From there the girl jumps off the platform and touches the boulder.

  The boulder simply floats aside with a light push and the girl steps through the gate, bowing to the audience.

  “She is skilful. To enchant something with gravity magic to increase or decrease its weight is actually not that easy. And she even managed to do it from a distance.” I nod.

  Karsen shakes his head. “But why didn't she use it float up to the platform like Annice?”

  Stella answers his question. “It looks like she can just increase or decrease weight. If she had made herself weightless and propelled herself to the platform, she would have needed and astounding amount of physical control to actually hit her target. Apparently she doesn't have that, so she chose to run.”

  “Who cares! My turn!” Talia runs up to the teacher who signals her to wait until the course is repaired. But there is an army of workers and adult magicians for exactly that purpose waiting at the sidelines. Within moments the obstacle course is repaired and Talia can start her show.

  With the signal of the teacher a bubble of mana forms around her. It's the trademark move of our clan. The mana takes physical shape and Talia encases herself in a blue shimmering sphere. The sphere starts to spin while Talia is floating within it.

  Like being inside a wheel, Talia drives through the swamp and across the empty segment of the course. Reaching the pillar, a tentacle whips our of her bubble and catapults her onto the platform.

  Turning around once in a circle, Talia points at each doll and it is blasted to pieces by a sphere of condensed mana. Then she jumps down and and slices the boulder into two pieces with a thin mana tentacle. Afterwards she walks relaxedly through the gate.

  “Tch! She had to show off with that sphere of hers.” Karsen looks unhappy while he walks to the starting point.

  The teacher signals Karsen to wait until one of the older magicians fused the boulder back together.

  Then it's his turn. Karsen simply starts to run towards the mud. He stretches one hand out and a jet of flames bakes a bridge of dried dirt for Karsen. Reaching the end of the mud, Karsen keeps running normally while creating a trail of fire behind him. At the pillar he summons two jets of flames from his feet and catapults himself onto the platform.

  The dolls are dealt with by using the wind-fist. Of course Karsen adds some flames to sugar-coat the spell. The area under the pillar is bathed in a sea of fire while Karsen jumps down and places his hands on the boulder, melting his way right through.

  “It just has to burn and be hot. He doesn't care as long as those requirements are fulfilled.” Louise mumbles as she walks to the start. It takes the repair crew a while to clean up Karsen's mess, but finally it's Louise's turn.

  At the teacher's signal she forms a complicated symbol with her hands and disappears in a flash of light, reappearing on top of the platform. Then she slices the empty air with her hands, summoning blades of energy which shoot out and slice apart the dolls and the boulder below.

  Another flash of light takes her to the finish. I nod approvingly. A perfect memory is surely helpful in learning high level spells like teleport and light cutter.

  I breath out between my teeth. “They are all so flashy. How can I make it a big show if everyone stands out like that?”

  “Muh. I am sure you'll find a way.” Stella runs to the teacher and can immediately start her test. Louise didn't destroy anything beside the dolls and the boulder after all.

  Stella takes a meditation stance and glowing runes start appearing all over her skin, shining even through her clothes. Rune magic became her speciality after all. Then she leaps over the mud and onto the platform, empowered by the assist magic of the runes.

  On top of the platform she draws with her finger a complicated set of runes into the air. A glowing trail of mana is created and a set of glowing lances appears above her, nailing all dolls at once in the next moment.

  She jumps down and draws another set of runes onto the rock, reducing it to dust in the blink of and eye. Then she walks through the gate.

  I sigh and walk to the starting line. How can I impress these people? The kids here are already doing stuff that's destroying the equipment. Probably it will do if I simply go with the stuff my mother taught to me... nah... I'll show them a real spell.

  The teacher nods. I place my hands in a praying position and meditate for several seconds. There should still be enough mana around. So I close my eyes to sense the power all around me and force it under my will.

  Glowing spheres of light start appearing, but instead of forcing them into a protective sphere around me, I image a big magical circle under my feet. It should create a space time bubble, speeding up the passing of time around me.

  In short it makes me super fast! I raise one hand and release the spell. “Activate!”

  The world around me turns grey and silent while everything stops. I pu
ll a pen out of my pocket and scribble “SLOW!” onto the teacher's forehead. Then I add some good visible whiskers to his cheeks.

  Finally I decide to start the race and walk over the mud. While I am in this time frame the mud is as hard as rock.

  On my way over the clear part of the course I decide to use a stick to scrape some childish drawings and messages into the otherwise smooth and dusty ground.

  “How did it get late so soon?”

  “Time is the longest distance between two places.”

  “Time is an illusion.”

  “There is never enough time to do all you want. Unless you stop it.”

  “Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.”

  Well. I think that's enough. So I walk up to the platform and jump smoothly onto it by using levitation magic.

  From the top of the platform I cast an arcane lance for every doll. The spells actually freeze upon leaving my time frame and turn grey, hanging still in the air.

  Well. I only have enough mana to accelerate myself after all. Combined with the spacial magic to shift the air around me while I am moving it takes a lot of mana to sustain the spell. Even doing something a simple as scraping something into the ground takes a heavy burden on me. I wouldn't have been able to cast such a spell without my clan ability.

  Speaking of time, I should get going. There isn't much left according to my wristwatch. I place a curse on the boulder which should split it as soon as the time starts moving again. Or more accurately, when I slow down again.

  Then I walk around the boulder and give the teacher there a similar treatment as the one at the starting point. Afterwards I wait for my spell to run out. The world returns to its colourful state, I hear the calls of the people and my arcane lances start moving while the boulder splits.

  The teacher who should announce the end of the test beside me is still looking at the starting point while straining his neck to find out what happened.

  I decide to help him. “Ahem!”

  He turns around and ogles me with big eyes. The enhanced eyebrows I painted onto him do their part in making him look really stupid.

  13. ~Opened Eyes.~

  “Quinn is a wondrous country. Their culture is vastly different from ours. I couldn't avert my eyes from their buildings while I travelled their streets. Every single house of theirs is a work of art with paintings all over it. And the people are dressed in so many different clothes that I always had the impression that some kind of festivity was taking place.

  But even a place like that can cast a shadow onto the people who live there. The people of Quinn despise all magic like we despise the dark arts. All those who bear magic are forced to join the temples and serve the country. None of them are allowed to possess anything of their own, nor are they allowed to have relationships.

  This is a state of things which will meet its own bitter end in time. That I am sure of.”

  -Mile Riverick, Merchant

  Free City States of Nict, Nict

  Azir

  “Um, why is everyone staring at me like that? Hey, say something!” I wave my hand in front of the teacher's face. There is a heavy silence all over the training field.

  “Did... Did you just form the gathered mana into a magical circle to cast a spell?” The teacher gasps.

  I smile and nod. “But runes work just fine too. What did you think of my space time magic? Deserves a perfect score doesn't it?”

  The teacher grabs me by my shoulders and shakes me. “That's unheard of! Since when can the Zait do something like that! To cast spells from natural mana without absorbing it first! Do you know how powerful that is!?”

  I twist myself free and step back. “Duh! Don't be so shocked. Isn't that a basic thing to do when you can shape mana according to your will?”

  The teacher drops to his knees with a dead expression on his face. “You pass. All of you pass.”

  “~Hohoho!~” I hear the mad laughter of my mother and turn to face her. Seems like she came down from the stands to congratulate me. “That was wonderful Azir. You blew their minds away. I am sure that they see the Zait in another light now.” She bends down and hugs me. “And we can surely use this to our advantage!” Valda whispers into my ear.

  She lets go, but keeps kneeling in front of me. “The Veit intended to make a big show out of this event, but you stole the spotlight from their prodigy.”

  I blink. “Show? Spotlight?”

  Valda points at a group of adults. The orange haired enchanter girl from earlier is with them. The whole group is eyeing us with ill intent. “This event is a little more than it seems. The clans are using it to show off their power and to compete with each other. If a clan can show that they have powerful heirs and a bright future it has influence on the political landscape.”

  She grumbles and stands up again. “The Veit tried to persuade the Gejene to take away some of our clan's landholdings within the capital. They are the current rulers of Nict and the capital is their territory, so it is within their rights to do so. Our clan is already seen as very powerful, though a display of power could have changed the Gejene's mind about it. By showing them our full potential today, the Gejene will surely think twice about handing our holdings to the Veit. The Gejene will avoid getting on our bad side from now on. Even if they are the rulers.”

  Valda waves at the group while the grin on her face is turning vicious. “Do you see that orange haired girl who looks like she wants to break off your horns and stab you with them? That's Olivia Veit. They proclaim her to be the future of the clan because she can apply enchants from a distance.”

  I frown. “But wasn't revealing my ability really bad in that case? I am the only one in our clan who can use his ability like that.”

  “Not for long.” Valda smiles while she forms a rune for fire above her hand. It ignites and turns into a flame. “Don't worry. Your mother isn't the head of the clan for nothing. I've trained the new method of spell-casting since you first showed it to me a few years ago. Even though I am nowhere as good as you, I am good enough to give a little show. I also changed the training schedule for all of our younger children. Once they have control over the old style, they'll learn the new one. Your sister isn't the only one who'll learn the new techniques.”

  Mother is surely a frightening existence. To train in secrecy in order to keep up with me. “Dad was right when he said that you can't stand it when someone is better than you. Is there anything else I should know about our political situation that you haven't told me?”

  Valda pulls at her lower lip while thinking. “Not that I know. We are on very good terms with the Anja, since your father is from their clan. We are at odds with the Tinn, but you know that already. And today we stepped onto the toes of the Veit. I think our relationship with the other clans can be called neutral.”

  My friends join us and Talia forms two fists while jumping in front of me with sparkling eyes. “That was so cool! Can I learn that too?”

  “S... sure.” I try to force a smile onto my face.

  Valda reprimands Talia with a raised finger. “You'll learn it once you can stop your sphere from going out of control. Spinning it like that could kill you.”

  Talia presses her lips into a thin line while she is thinking about an answer. “I don't know what you are talking about. Spinning the protective sphere is my trademark move. It's best to move around, you don't even need a carriage.”

  Valda raises an eyebrow. “You clearly tried to get it back under control while it spun. Did I, the clan head, just hear a lie from a member of a branch family?”

  “Forgive me! Forgive me! I'll work on it! I lost control! I admit!” Talia prostrates herself onto all fours in front of my mother.

  “Well, I think I'll retreat for now. There is something I have to discuss with the Veit.” Valda leaves us behind and walks over to the group which is glaring at us.

  Free City States of Nict, Tri

  Louise

  We are back in our class
room. There is nothing to do at the moment, so we are just idling around. Azir busted the whole event with his show. I can't believe that he had no idea how powerful this new technique of the Zait is.

  Using natural mana to cast your spells is like using a cheat. It means that the Zait can continue to cast spells as much as they want. The only restriction is the mana which is available in the area. A magician who has such an ability can keep casting spells long after everyone else has run out of mana. There is vastly more mana in the environment than any magician has in his personal mana pool.

  The only restriction is their own concentration and endurance.

  I eye Azir while he is lolling in his chair and watching the ceiling. Sometimes I really want to know what's going on in his mind. He is trying to hide it, but I am sure that he is far ahead of everyone in his generation.

  When his mask slips from time to time he is just like an old grandfather who is teaching some youngsters a new trick. I went through great efforts to adapt my teleportation spell in order to being able to use it during combat.

  A normal teleportation would require long preparations and cast times. I worked hard to shorten the cast, but that meant increasing the complexity of the spell. He helped me to adapt the spell and even though he tried to make it look like he was just giving a helping hand, he couldn't hide that the end result was probably known to him beforehand.

  The door to the classroom opens and a familiar orange haired girl enters the classroom. Her eyes lock onto Azir and she walks over to our group. “Hey!”

  Azir's eyes wander to her. “Hi.”

  “Don't call me 'Hi'! I am Olivia Veit!” The orange head proclaims while touching her chest with a high and mighty demeanour. I think I was like her some time ago, before Azir made me join his group.

  Azir mumbles something and sits up straight. “Then don't call me 'Hey'. I am Azir Zait.”

  The girl ignores him and continues with a grant speech of her own. “I, Olivia Veit, judged you to be a worthy opponent. From now on we are rivals! Prepare yourself!” She turns and walks towards the exit.