More to learn.

The next morning was dreadful. 

The nightly dream was cryptic as ever, I mean, I don't see why i'm subjected to this council's torture. Well, aside from that, I was subjected to all manner of horror when my father- no he doesn't deserve that title any longer- when Milon questioned me on my time with Eliot.

If it wasn't for my convenient cover, I would have been caught.

"So…" my father's voice reached out like a snake aiming to ruin my morning. "Have fun with the healer boy."

"No! A-and I'll have you know he's a swordsman." I got slightly flustered as a girl as cute and righteous as I should never been questioned.

"Really- then what were you two scandalous kids doing in the forest almost all night." He asked, thinking he had won this discussion. Fortunately, I refuse to lose.

"HAHAHA- practicing magic of course. Looks and power are my specialties." I boasted as I should.

"Uh huh." He agreed with a level of doubt. "Magic huh? Well that book you took can't help with that. It was based on ancient magic theory, it was your sister's favourite. So who taught you?"

"Well Elliot. He knows some magic basics, I can even make a water ball!" I blurted with unparalleled enthusiasm.

"Did Elliot do a demonstration?"

"Well no- but."

"Why not." He shot like a bullet.

"He said it was too hard to focus." I said this and failed to consider what horror would await me next.

Of course they started laughing, my brother cackled ridiculously and my mother and father both tried to stifle a chuckle, so much so my mother's face was red.

-After that charade-

"Do you learn to mana breathe?" The same irritating man asked.

"Uh no."

"So you didn't learn to let mana flow in and out of your body." Now Edwin-a asked.

"Uh no."

"Mya… how do you plan to accel your swordsmanship if you don't practice mana breathing. You won't be fast enough or strong enough without it. There's no chance you can beat Rose if you don't even try to train right."

Frustration flared inside of me as he invoked my younger sister's name. She may be more talented but I can still like magic even if I won't be the best. I don't need fancy techniques, I just want to have fun.

Visible annoyance flashed upon my face. I knew it and so did they. I have hated Rose since she first left for the academy. She was a traitor. 

Infuriated I blabbered to a very busy Eliot. I stood over him while he cleaned, packed, lighted fires, and even cooked. However, I got bored of waiting so I went to go train and forced him to promise he'd meet up with me later.

I took another book with me this time, it was on mana manipulation. However it was on the modern application of shaping one's own mana into weapons walls and trinkets prior making it elemental. This means you could be more precise before you influence it into earth, water, air, or fire depending on your affinity. For blades this means that they would be extraordinarily sharp. Infact, it even recommends this technique be coated around swords for the skilled swordsman.

To practice it recommended forming balls of mana- although it warned me that the mana would absorb and destroy whatever it touched if it was condensed enough. If it wasn't condescended it would push and repel whatever is close to it like a consistent shockwave. I could see why urban police lean towards this…

I formed my first ball but it petered out as my focus broke. It popped and crackled as if it were a determined soap bubble.

A quick sigh and a lean against a tree later, I was prepared to try again.

My second ball was a condensed ball of mana- that actually worked. You know what this means! I'm powerful and cute! 

I swirled the ball all around and allowed it to absorb everything in its path, infact, I didn't stop until I locked eyes with a rather furious squirrel who was now missing half of its tree. Obviously, I released the spell and absorbed my mana back with the first half of the mana breathing technique.

It's a simple technique, you pull mana in from the environment and push out the excess. The best mages can do this consistently to build up a large mana reserve that will always replenish it. It's quite useful especially considering that the ambient mana you attract will reinforce your body, making you stronger, faster, and more durable.

I was preparing to try a non-concentrated mana ball when it started to rain. How frustrating, I walked through the forest quickly back to the camp when I realised that I didn't want to see my family right now, and Eliot hadn't come to find me so he must be working.

My mind wondered for a bit when I remembered a cavern me and Eliot found when we were exploring yesterday. Perfect!