The Crafter's Magic

Uri walked with Kelly that evening, "You were attacked?!" She asked in response to his comment about the incident with the hand of reality, "Are you okay? What did they do?"

"I am fine, Kelly, I was lucky to know about other magic than life magic," He commented, "They wanted an old text that I had read and the one that I used back in first year."

"Why would they want that?" She asked as they stopped and sat on a bench, "What good would it be for them?"

"That is still something I am missing in my analysis of why I was attacked," He sighed, "I don't know why they would want it, maybe to control it? But the magic has decided that I would be its host, not someone else."

"I don't know, Uri, I was just randomly asking that."

"I don't know either," Kelly hugged him as he looked forward, "Thanks, I think I should try and learn more about my magic if someone is going to want to get at me in such a way."

"Maybe we could see if you couldn't regain your mobility as well?"

"What would that do for me?" Uri looked at his girlfriend confused, "I am just fine with my cane."

"Yeah, but maybe we could try and get you back and able to walk?"

"Why do you want me to not use a cane?" Kelly shrugged, "Sure, we can try that, it doesn't bother me."

"Okay, I'll make a note of that," She pulled a small notebook from her pocket and turned in a way to not allow him to see what she was writing. He had never seen her use the notebook and her eagerness to hide it from him only made him more curious about it.

"Since when do you have that notebook, Kelly?" She looked back and over her shoulder at him then back to her little notebook as she tucked it away.

"Since forever, why?"

"What is in it?"

"Stuff," She smiled, it was clear he wasn't going to get an answer from her aside from the previous answer. He rolled his eyes and smiled as well, despite the attack by the two goons of the Hand of Reality, he felt safe and well with her yet his mind couldn't stop thinking that the goons had been sent by someone who wanted his magic and seemed to be very keen on getting it for themselves. He simply wasn't able to find a reason for why that was the case.

He sat down with Kelly at that evening's dinner as the teachers in training sat together in their small groups. They ate together essentially everyday during their summer breaks and tonight was no exception. The headmaster and Damia joined them at the table, which was a usual occurrence outside of the regular year, "I heard about the attack," Mrs. Solven began, "I wouldn't have expected someone to come to our academy to try and kill one of our students."

"Damia, this isn't the moment," Headmaster Solven sighed, "We need not bring it up all the time."

"Look, it is a security problem and that is important for all the students, not just for Uri," She replied, "Back to what I was saying, do you know what they wanted?"

"Damia."

"What?" Uri didn't say anything and Kelly sighed, "I am simply asking what happened."

"Someone attacked me for the magic that I learned and used to fend off the Oik, I didn't have the source to give them and then they tried to harm me," Uri replied quickly, "I am not bothered by the event, I know Kelly is now that she knows I was attacked and could've died," Damia nodded as she listened to what had happened, "That is all."

"What is this source you speak of?"

"Some old book that I burned because I didn't want someone else to unwittingly end up like me."

"Like you in what way?"

"With a leg that is essentially useless."

"Oh, about that," Kelly interjected, "What if we tried getting Uri a brace to help support his leg? So that he could walk like most people can."

"I don't see a problem with that," The headmaster said in between bites of food, "What do you think of it, Uri?"

"Might as well try, my cane doesn't bother me but Kelly thought it could be something to try," The headmaster nodded.

"I will have an automaton lead you into town, to go see the crafter," The headmaster said, "He will probably be able to help you make a brace."

"Never heard of him," Uri commented, "Who is this crafter?"

"An old acquaintance who was very talented when it came to creation, so much so that he even tried to create his own branch of magic."

"Wait, it was him?" Damia seemed surprised.

"Yes, but all that it cost him was the use of his magic and there was no actual magic branch that ended up being created," The headmaster sighed, "He found out the hard way that regular mages couldn't make their own magic," Uri began thinking, he wasn't a regular mage, he had powerful magic in his possession, maybe he could try and talk to the crafter about more than just the brace. Having a branch of magic for himself that wouldn't be limited to the ancient spells or the basic life magic he learned in class could allow him to protect himself and those around him more easily.

The sun was nearly done climbing towards its peak as Uri walked with an automaton through the small town on the outside of the academy. He had been there a few times and his name being associated with the title of Hero of Mage Haven Academy gained him more attention than he would have wanted, "Ah, good morning, Mr. Geld," A shopkeeper called out from his store as he organized his wares, "What are you doing in town today?"

"Heading to the crafter," The shopkeeper nodded his head, "But I will be passing by once I am done."

"Ah, what for? Maybe I can prepare something for you?"

"Spellbooks, empty ones," The storekeeper looked at him confused, "I am sure you have those, no?"

"I will see what I have," Mr. Grimmly replied, "You may have to go see the wand maker, maybe he can provide for you."

"Thank you," Uri turned back to the automaton, "Where is the crafter?"

"22nd Trade road, Mage Haven City," The automaton's exact answer made Uri roll his eyes, "Only a bit from here."

He walked into a small shop and looked around. The walls were decorated with a variety of staffs and wands that all looked like they were out of a fantasy story. On the tables that acted as makeshift displays were a variety of gauntlets and shields and goggles, "Anyone there?" The young mage called out. A rattle came from a door behind the counter before a voice called back.

"Just one moment," A tall man emerged from a backroom and smiled as he pushed up a pair of goggles, "Welcome to my store, what can I do for you?" He paused and looked at Uri, "I recognize you."

"I am sure you do, a lot of people do."

"Ah yes, you are Uri Geld, what can I do for you, Mr. Geld?" The young mage pointed at his leg, "Yes, a brace of some sorts?"

"I am surprised you got that."

"I have a habit of guessing things," Uri looked around, "I feel like there is more than just a brace you want."

"The headmaster told me that you had tried to create your own branch of magic."

"Ah, that," He chuckled nervously, "I did try that but it didn't turn out too well."

"How did you do it?"

"How did I fail or what did I do to make my own magic?"

"I have been given a gift or a curse, I can't quite tell," The young mage began, "I have the capacity to learn and use magic, any magic, life, death, fire, ice, storm, nature, whatever, I can use it," The crafter seemed more interested in the conversation now unlike when all he seemed to do was to go back and finish up whatever he was working on, "I have had issues with the limitations that my level in the school has put on me."

"So you want to create your own magic to have something that you truly master?" Uri nodded, "I can't help you with that, but I am sure I can dig up the old notebook I have from when I was still a student, just know you run the risk of losing your magic."

"I am aware, but that would be like breaking a curse."

"And if it works?"

"Acting on my blessing," Uri smiled as the tall man headed towards the back room, "I still want the brace however."

"Oh, I nearly forgot," He pulled a tape measure from his tool belt, "Let me take a couple measurements and then I can get to designing and making it."

"Thank you," It hadn't come to him in a very clear way, but with the headmaster telling him that there could be a way to make magic and the person who had tried it still being around made him want to try it out himself.

Moments after the crafter had left the main room of his store, he re-entered the room once more, with paper, pens and two notebooks, "I must ask, why did you want to make your own magic?"

"I wanted to test my ability to create things," The crafter replied, "I had no real test with potions or wands."

"How about spell books?" He stopped before clearing a table to place the things down, "Is that how you lost your magic?"

"To be completely honest with you, I don't know how or why I lost my magic," The man replied as he handed Uri a worn notebook, "My notes for creating magic."

"What happened when you lost your magic?" The curious young man kept pushing for answers, "How did it happen?"

"I lit up like a weak candle," Uri looked at him confused, "Must've been something to do with my magical abilities and that light quickly dimmed and was gone, I lost my storm magic completely, I couldn't even make a spark," Uri opened the spellbook, "It was a blank spellbook, I used to make them, I filled a page, then filled another, before I tried to make a completely new one."

"How do you make one?"

"Heh, it is all in my notes," He said as he began drawing Uri's brace, "How much support does that leg need?"

"Nearly all of it," The crafter nodded as Uri opened the book, "Don't go losing your magic, I wouldn't recommend messing with creation magic."

"I am not going to mess around with it, I am going to use it," The crafter sighed, "I have more magic than you think," The man combed back his long black hair with his hand before sighing again and pointing at a pair of goggles on the wall, "What about those?"

"An invention that showed me that I had no magic left, magic detection goggles," Uri hobbled over to them and handed them to the crafter. As soon as he put them near his eyes they closed violently and he turned his head away, "Ah, that hurt my eyes," The young life mage stood confused at the crafter blinked and looked around, "Okay, I don't think you will have an issue."

"What do you mean?"

"You are brighter than 100 suns, Uri," He replied, seeming nearly dumbstruck, "I, I really can't understand how someone could exist with that much magic in them."