Chapter 164: Cantrips

Chapter 164: Cantrips

Stryg rolled the silver locket between his hands. Feli had picked it out for him, she said it matched his silvery hair. Stryg did not particularly share her reasoning, he simply liked how it shined under the moonlight.

Stryg opened the locket and admired the ebon coin inside. He had to admit it was not the most well-hidden of places for an expensive ebon coin, but if someone wanted to steal it they would have to rip it off his corpse.

Stryg, eyes off the shiny necklace, Loh tapped her foot.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Sorry, master, he placed the locket over his neck.

His eye caught sight of the silver bracelet on his wrist; an amethyst infixed right at the center of chain links. The bracelet was a birthday gift from Loh, it was common practice among drow magi, it symbolized the bond between a master and her apprentice.

Stryg sat up straight in his chair, Im ready and listening.

Good, Loh nodded.

She glanced at the empty classroom she had arranged for their training session.

Stryg, I know this can all get a little dry after a few hours of lecturing, but trust me, youll need to learn all of this if you ever wish to be a competent grey mage. Curse spells arent like ward spells, the arrangement of the arcane words are incredibly important, as is the intent.

He raised his hand, I get having to write the words in the correct order, but what do you mean by intent?

Imagine you casted red spell, a wall of wards meant to fend off against water. Now, no matter what sort of water hits that wall it will be stopped. It doesnt matter if it was rain, a blue torrent spell, or a glass of water, the ward spell will block all of it.

Unless I run out of red mana or the ward is overwhelmed, Stryg added.

Quite right. Curses are different, say you cast a curse that stops someone from breathing entirely.

Can you teach me that!? Strygs eyes widened.

Dont get ahead of yourself. Youre still a novice, not even an adept, let alone a master, which is what youll need to be to learn that spell.

So its just like the shadow tendrils spell, he sighed.

Yes, now stop interrupting, Loh flicked his forehead. As I was saying, imagine you cast an asphyxiation curse, how does the curse know which person to target. Unlike the ward spell that simply stops all water, the asphyxiation curse wont attack every person.

Um, you throw the curse spell at them?

Sometimes, but that isnt the point right now. Intent is how you target your opponent with a curse. As you write every single arcane word you have to keep in mind the exact intent of your spell and who it will target, otherwise the curse spell will simply fizzle and do nothing.

That seems time-consuming, difficult even, especially in the middle of battle, Stryg noted to himself.

Indeed. There are several spell-forms that have long cast times, wards, curses, alchemy, and of course, enchanting. In general, the more time a spell requires to cast the longer it will last. Most spells take a second to cast and fade away just as fast, like a flame bolt. Some spells, like curses and wards, can take up to a few minutes to cast, but they can also last several minutes. Whereas an enchantment can take months or even years to finish, yet an enchanted object can last for centuries under the right circumstances.

I still dont see how that helps me while Im under attack, Stryg said doubtfully.

Loh shrugged, Fair enough. You are already quite skilled at writing the arcane language, so I dont think it would take you that long to write and cast a curse spell. Oftentimes grey magi will stay in the back of a battle until they can finish casting their curses. Nonetheless, grey magi found a way to be effective in battle even without preparation. Cantrips.

Cantrips? Stryg cocked his head to the side.

Yep. A cantrip is a single-word curse spell. While the effects are weaker than a regular curse, they can be cast very quickly.

That makes sense, Stryg nodded. Master What about the opposite?

Hm?

Can we make our curses last longer if we take more time writing them?

Thats not usually how it works. Although, there exist a few curses that can last years.

Can you teach me those? Stryg asked eagerly.

No, they are very advanced spells, even for me.

Oh, I see, his shoulders slumped.

I can teach you the three basic cantrips right now though, she smiled.

Really!? Strygs slit pupils went round.

Stand up and let's begin, she clapped.

Yes, master!

Come in, Loh called out.

The door swung open, a dark elf stepped inside. He was carrying a large cage.

Good afternoon, Vayu smiled.

Stryg bowed his head, Good afternoon, Professor Glaz.

Did you bring what I asked for? Loh asked.

Right here, Vayu pointed at the cage.

Inside the cage were a dozen white mice with beady red eyes. Loh grabbed the cage and placed it on one of the desks.

She gave a side glance to Vayu, ...Thanks.

It was my pleasure, he smiled brightly.

Whats all of this for? Stryg asked.

I thought it best if you had an actual target for your curses. I asked Vayu to grab some mice from the purple magis department, Loh said.

My department carries lots of different kinds of small animals, the students use them as practice targets for their mind spells, Vayu said.

I see. Im guessing Ill be using one of these for mind spells sooner or later, then? Stryg asked.

Sooner than you think, Vayu winked.

For today well be focusing on cantrips, Loh said.

Cantrips? Loh, youre teaching Stryg cantrips? Vayu said, startled.

They are single sigil spells, she said lightheartedly.

That doesnt make them easier to cast.

Theyre basic cantrips, she crossed her arms.

Even basic cantrips are considered adept ranked spells. Vayu leaned towards Lohs ear and whispered, I know Strygs talented, but you're setting him up for disappointment.

I can still hear you, Stryg said.

Ah, Vayu scratched the back of his head.

Stryg ignored his teachers and opened the cage.

Careful, they might bite, Loh raised her arm in warning.

Theyre just mice, Stryg reached his hand inside the cage.

The mice scampered backward, one jumped forward and nibbled at his blue finger, but his skin was too tough to leave a mark. The goblins clawed fingers curled around the mouse and lifted it up. Stryg pulled his hand out and closed the cage. The mouse squirmed in his hand futilely.

With his other hand, Stryg began writing the rigidity cantrip. He placed the mouse on the table and casted the curse. The grey sigil shot out and snapped onto the mouses white fur. The rodent squealed and fell over stiff, its tail gave an odd twitch every few seconds.

I did it, Stryg smiled excitedly.

Well done, Loh patted his shoulder.

Ill be damned, Vayu muttered.

Loh wrapped her arm around her apprentice and grinned, Stryg may not be an adept yet, but Ill shape him up to be one before the mage tourney next year. Hell sweep the competition, I swear it.

Strygs cheeks turned a shade darker. She believed in him, he wouldnt let her down.

Talented in both purple and grey magic. Im starting to understand what you see in him, Vayu smiled.

~~~

The guards at the apartments front gate recognized Stryg and stepped aside for him. The young goblin stretched his arms behind his back and sighed in contentment. It had been a long yet satisfying day of training. He felt like he was finally making some real progress as a prime mage; he was beginning to have a grasp over his chromatic colors.

Stryg began making his way over to the stables to see Rhian when he spotted a luxurious carriage parked at the back of the apartment building. It was strange, such carriages would usually display House crests, yet this one had none. What was even odder was that he recognized the scent of the person inside the carriage.

Stryg tilted his head, Maeve?