The Rise of Wisdom, Part 1

"Now, if you experience any mental spasms—"

I raised my hand. "What kind of mental spasms are we talking about here?" 

Nurse Pennyweather—this ageless-looking, plump dryad with short frizzy hair and gold-yellow skin—began ticking a list of issues ranging from sudden impaired speech and temporary loss of memory, which she called mild symptoms, to more worrying conditions like seizures and uncontrolled bowel movement. 

"Y-yeah, these are all temporary hypothetical symptoms, right?"

From my open window, I could see a crowd of onlookers gathered right outside the infirmary's doors. They were most likely the friends of the injured novices inside, and it would be just my luck if I experienced some uncontrolled bowel movement while walking out that front door later. 

"They're very possible considering how much strain you've put on yourself." She shook her head at me. "Mana burn is no simple condition, laddie."