Chapter 12: A Balm for the Mind
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Chapter 12: A Balm for the Mind
A Balm for the Mind
For the first time since his arrival, Martel went to his class in elemental magic with confidence. As novices streamed past him, their own lesson finished, he did not mind their glances or giggling remarks. Walking inside, he found Alastair returning the hall to its normal state. Earth became smooth, water filtered out from the dirt and stones and back to the channel, and the lamps on the walls were reignited.
"You're here on the bell," the master remarked.
"I did it," Martel told him excitedly.
Master Alastair's expression turned to a smile. "Show me."
One foot on either side of the circular channel, Martel stared down at the water. From it, drops began to rise into the air. One after the other until his focus broke and they fell back down.
The teacher slapped his hands together. "Well done, boy!"
"Thank you, master," Martel replied, feeling pride wash over him.
"The exercises worked."
Martel hesitated to explain, as it might sound like criticism of his teacher's methods, but his desire to be truthful won out. "I don't quite know how it worked, to be honest. It was the other night, I stood by my window and watched the stars. And somehow, I just felt like a door opening inside of me, and magic flowed through."
The Master of Elements watched him with a scrutinising gaze that Martel could not dissect. "If that's what was needed, I'm glad. Now the real work begins."
"I can't wait, master."
"But first, there's something I must explain to you."
"Yes?"Ñøv€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on Ñôv€lß¡n.
"Once you've unlocked your powers properly, you'll begin to use magic for much longer periods of time," Master Alastair began to explain. "You will find that doing so tires you out."
"Tires me? Like, if I have been running?"
"Come on, Guillaume," Maximilian said impatiently. "It is colder than the Nether out here. Leave the boy be."
"Yeah, you have a whole lesson tomorrow to put the peasant in his place," the third boy interjected.
"True enough," said the young nobleman. "You and I will have lots and lots of lessons together, is that not so, scarecrow?"
Martel's hands felt hot. Like the flame stood ready to burst out. As Cheval's laughter spread across the clearing, the novice took deep breaths. Finally, the mocking voice became lower as the mageknight walked away, following his companions inside.
~
After his second lesson, Martel had lost his appetite for practising in the courtyard. Instead, he went to the astronomy tower, though not to work on his chart; he had no stomach either for another encounter with Eleanor. Rather, he went all the way to the top. Up here, above the noise and smells of the city, he finally felt free to breathe again. Only the lonely cry of a seagull disturbed him.
He looked up as dusk arrived, slowly pulling the curtain of stars over the sky. Martel still did not know what had happened; how their light had helped him with his magic. He had so much to learn. He understood that in the grand scheme of things, the other students did not matter. Only attaining his silver wand as a weather mage. Far above him, the star Glund blinked.
~
After supper, Martel retired to his room. He would practise in the safety of his own chamber, avoiding any disturbance. Already, he felt that he had improved. He could do more than simply affect the water; it moved as he wanted, albeit unsteadily and only in small amounts. His range was also far too limited for someone meant to call rain down from the sky in times of drought.
A knock interrupted him. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Martel got up and pulled his door open. His mouth fell down a little in surprise, seeing Eleanor outside.
"Oh good, I found you." She stood, shifting her weight from leg to leg as if nervous. "We mageknights use this for bruises and such." She extended her hand, which held a jar. "If you empty it, the apothecary would like the jar back. In the infirmary."
Martel accepted the proffered item, looking from Eleanor down to his hand. "Thanks," he mumbled, still taken aback.
"My pleasure." Still looking uneasy, she turned away. "Goodnight."
It took Martel a moment to remember his manners. "Goodnight," he muttered, barely possible for her to hear as she was already at the stairs.
Stepping back to close and lock his door, Martel smelled the contents of the jar. It had a strange odour, unfamiliar to him. He considered briefly if this was some kind of trickery, but dismissed the thought. While he found it strange that Eleanor would show him any courtesy, she seemed the sort to speak her mind rather than resort to underhanded ways if she meant to harm him.
Cautiously, Martel dug out some of the ointment and spread it across his miscoloured arm. It took a few moments before a cooling sensation set in and the ache lessened. Satisfied, Martel proceeded to apply the balm elsewhere on his limbs where needed. Sitting down on his bed, he placed the jar on his commode before leaning back to enjoy the relief. It only occurred to him later that such medicine would have to be costly, and quite possibly, Eleanor had paid for it with her own coin.
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Chapter 12: A Balm for the Mind
A Balm for the Mind
For the first time since his arrival, Martel went to his class in elemental magic with confidence. As novices streamed past him, their own lesson finished, he did not mind their glances or giggling remarks. Walking inside, he found Alastair returning the hall to its normal state. Earth became smooth, water filtered out from the dirt and stones and back to the channel, and the lamps on the walls were reignited.
"You're here on the bell," the master remarked.
"I did it," Martel told him excitedly.
Master Alastair's expression turned to a smile. "Show me."
One foot on either side of the circular channel, Martel stared down at the water. From it, drops began to rise into the air. One after the other until his focus broke and they fell back down.
The teacher slapped his hands together. "Well done, boy!"
"Thank you, master," Martel replied, feeling pride wash over him.
"The exercises worked."
Martel hesitated to explain, as it might sound like criticism of his teacher's methods, but his desire to be truthful won out. "I don't quite know how it worked, to be honest. It was the other night, I stood by my window and watched the stars. And somehow, I just felt like a door opening inside of me, and magic flowed through."
The Master of Elements watched him with a scrutinising gaze that Martel could not dissect. "If that's what was needed, I'm glad. Now the real work begins."
"I can't wait, master."
"But first, there's something I must explain to you."
"Yes?"Ñøv€lRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on Ñôv€lß¡n.
"Once you've unlocked your powers properly, you'll begin to use magic for much longer periods of time," Master Alastair began to explain. "You will find that doing so tires you out."
"Tires me? Like, if I have been running?"
"Come on, Guillaume," Maximilian said impatiently. "It is colder than the Nether out here. Leave the boy be."
"Yeah, you have a whole lesson tomorrow to put the peasant in his place," the third boy interjected.
"True enough," said the young nobleman. "You and I will have lots and lots of lessons together, is that not so, scarecrow?"
Martel's hands felt hot. Like the flame stood ready to burst out. As Cheval's laughter spread across the clearing, the novice took deep breaths. Finally, the mocking voice became lower as the mageknight walked away, following his companions inside.
~
After his second lesson, Martel had lost his appetite for practising in the courtyard. Instead, he went to the astronomy tower, though not to work on his chart; he had no stomach either for another encounter with Eleanor. Rather, he went all the way to the top. Up here, above the noise and smells of the city, he finally felt free to breathe again. Only the lonely cry of a seagull disturbed him.
He looked up as dusk arrived, slowly pulling the curtain of stars over the sky. Martel still did not know what had happened; how their light had helped him with his magic. He had so much to learn. He understood that in the grand scheme of things, the other students did not matter. Only attaining his silver wand as a weather mage. Far above him, the star Glund blinked.
~
After supper, Martel retired to his room. He would practise in the safety of his own chamber, avoiding any disturbance. Already, he felt that he had improved. He could do more than simply affect the water; it moved as he wanted, albeit unsteadily and only in small amounts. His range was also far too limited for someone meant to call rain down from the sky in times of drought.
A knock interrupted him. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Martel got up and pulled his door open. His mouth fell down a little in surprise, seeing Eleanor outside.
"Oh good, I found you." She stood, shifting her weight from leg to leg as if nervous. "We mageknights use this for bruises and such." She extended her hand, which held a jar. "If you empty it, the apothecary would like the jar back. In the infirmary."
Martel accepted the proffered item, looking from Eleanor down to his hand. "Thanks," he mumbled, still taken aback.
"My pleasure." Still looking uneasy, she turned away. "Goodnight."
It took Martel a moment to remember his manners. "Goodnight," he muttered, barely possible for her to hear as she was already at the stairs.
Stepping back to close and lock his door, Martel smelled the contents of the jar. It had a strange odour, unfamiliar to him. He considered briefly if this was some kind of trickery, but dismissed the thought. While he found it strange that Eleanor would show him any courtesy, she seemed the sort to speak her mind rather than resort to underhanded ways if she meant to harm him.
Cautiously, Martel dug out some of the ointment and spread it across his miscoloured arm. It took a few moments before a cooling sensation set in and the ache lessened. Satisfied, Martel proceeded to apply the balm elsewhere on his limbs where needed. Sitting down on his bed, he placed the jar on his commode before leaning back to enjoy the relief. It only occurred to him later that such medicine would have to be costly, and quite possibly, Eleanor had paid for it with her own coin.
Chapter 12: A Balm for the MindA Balm for the MindFor the first time since his arrival, Martel went to his class in elemental magic with confidence. As novices streamed past him, their own lesson finished, he did not mind their glances or giggling remarks. Walking inside, he found Alastair returning the hall to its normal state. Earth became smooth, water filtered out from the dirt and stones and back to the channel, and the lamps on the walls were reignited."You're here on the bell," the master remarked."I did it," Martel told him excitedly.Master Alastair's expression turned to a smile. "Show me."One foot on either side of the circular channel, Martel stared down at the water. From it, drops began to rise into the air. One after the other until his focus broke and they fell back down.The teacher slapped his hands together. "Well done, boy!""Thank you, master," Martel replied, feeling pride wash over him."The exercises worked."Martel hesitated to explain, as it might sound like criticism of his teacher's methods, but his desire to be truthful won out. "I don't quite know how it worked, to be honest. It was the other night, I stood by my window and watched the stars. And somehow, I just felt like a door opening inside of me, and magic flowed through."The Master of Elements watched him with a scrutinising gaze that Martel could not dissect. "If that's what was needed, I'm glad. Now the real work begins.""I can't wait, master.""But first, there's something I must explain to you.""Yes?"NvlRapture marked the initial hosting of this chapter on Novln."Once you've unlocked your powers properly, you'll begin to use magic for much longer periods of time," Master Alastair began to explain. "You will find that doing so tires you out.""Tires me? Like, if I have been running?""Come on, Guillaume," Maximilian said impatiently. "It is colder than the Nether out here. Leave the boy be.""Yeah, you have a whole lesson tomorrow to put the peasant in his place," the third boy interjected."True enough," said the young nobleman. "You and I will have lots and lots of lessons together, is that not so, scarecrow?"Martel's hands felt hot. Like the flame stood ready to burst out. As Cheval's laughter spread across the clearing, the novice took deep breaths. Finally, the mocking voice became lower as the mageknight walked away, following his companions inside.~After his second lesson, Martel had lost his appetite for practising in the courtyard. Instead, he went to the astronomy tower, though not to work on his chart; he had no stomach either for another encounter with Eleanor. Rather, he went all the way to the top. Up here, above the noise and smells of the city, he finally felt free to breathe again. Only the lonely cry of a seagull disturbed him.He looked up as dusk arrived, slowly pulling the curtain of stars over the sky. Martel still did not know what had happened; how their light had helped him with his magic. He had so much to learn. He understood that in the grand scheme of things, the other students did not matter. Only attaining his silver wand as a weather mage. Far above him, the star Glund blinked.~After supper, Martel retired to his room. He would practise in the safety of his own chamber, avoiding any disturbance. Already, he felt that he had improved. He could do more than simply affect the water; it moved as he wanted, albeit unsteadily and only in small amounts. His range was also far too limited for someone meant to call rain down from the sky in times of drought.A knock interrupted him. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Martel got up and pulled his door open. His mouth fell down a little in surprise, seeing Eleanor outside."Oh good, I found you." She stood, shifting her weight from leg to leg as if nervous. "We mageknights use this for bruises and such." She extended her hand, which held a jar. "If you empty it, the apothecary would like the jar back. In the infirmary."Martel accepted the proffered item, looking from Eleanor down to his hand. "Thanks," he mumbled, still taken aback."My pleasure." Still looking uneasy, she turned away. "Goodnight."It took Martel a moment to remember his manners. "Goodnight," he muttered, barely possible for her to hear as she was already at the stairs.Stepping back to close and lock his door, Martel smelled the contents of the jar. It had a strange odour, unfamiliar to him. He considered briefly if this was some kind of trickery, but dismissed the thought. While he found it strange that Eleanor would show him any courtesy, she seemed the sort to speak her mind rather than resort to underhanded ways if she meant to harm him.Cautiously, Martel dug out some of the ointment and spread it across his miscoloured arm. It took a few moments before a cooling sensation set in and the ache lessened. Satisfied, Martel proceeded to apply the balm elsewhere on his limbs where needed. Sitting down on his bed, he placed the jar on his commode before leaning back to enjoy the relief. It only occurred to him later that such medicine would have to be costly, and quite possibly, Eleanor had paid for it with her own coin.
