In can be said that what magic wills, magic is. All things are magic because magic makes up everything. Therefore, can it truly be surprising, dear readers, that magic touches one’s very own soul?

Yes, there are those that say souls do not exist. That our actions and thoughts are the product of one’s mind only. And to those I say: You are right. And you are also fools. Damned, small-minded fools. Yes, of course the mind directs and guides us. But can your little feeble minds not be able to accept two truths simultaneously? The mind guides the body, but it is the souls which acts as the fulcrum. The center of one’s being, the quintessential central element.

And in more practical terms, soul magic already exists. Spells and Skills alike target it, in name and bearing both. Yet to only be convinced by so pragmatic arguments is to know yourself culturally inferior.

And magic? Magic permeates all parts of one’s being.

“This guy really likes to hear himself talk.” Michael stated. “And he seems like he has a bone to pick with… somebody.”

“He was just really into his subject.” Melissa told him. “I went back to ask Granusha about him and he apparently wrote this book back when magical affinities were still being discovered. He had to fight a lot of contradicting opinions to have his voice heard.”

“I see. Well, good for him.”

They were all sharing a reading room. And in tis case all means Michael, Micah, Melissa and Erea. Bob couldn’t make it, thought the gaindel would have probably been a better fit, since his big friend was a lot more studious than Micah. Who was currently reading a thin book that could only be categorized as an ‘ancient gossip tabloid’.

Still, it was nice. Their ‘faction’ was finally starting to educate themselves and stride to improve. To… lesser or greater success. They couldn’t talk about it, not with Erea being there, but it gave Michael a satisfied feeling to know that they were doing something else to better themselves other than getting in trouble.

After he had found this book and learned it might help him with Sinestra’s magic, he had proposed a short study session the following day. Micah had looked at him funny, with Erea coming in a close second, but Michael had managed to convince his elf that books could also be written about fighting. Admittedly, it took him another visit to Granusha, but he managed to obtain a journal-type book about using fire-based Spells in combat. Not a tome, but the elf seemed to like it, seeing as how she stopped moving after opening the book.

Melissa was the one to convince Micah, by finding the lurid book of one Grand Mage’s exploits around the academy. Which the lycan was gobbling up.

It takes all sorts, I guess.

Still, at least they were all doing something productive. Michael returned to his book, hoping to find what he was after, though he skipped ahead of the endless diatribes.

And with that, dear readers, I now reach the prime motif of this work. Magical Affinities. You may have never heard of them and that is quite alright. At the time I am writing this book few have and I suspect not many will have need of such knowledge even centuries after my passing. That is because such knowledge is not quintessential to being a mage. Everyone can sling Spells. Indeed, some may even reach greatness without ever knowing what ‘color’ their magic is shaded. Yes, it is a specialized type of information. But one that is worthy!

From my experiments, I have found that few mages start with an affinity. Their magical ‘core’, if one believes on such things, is pure. Or better to say, raw. Open to all possibilities. Yet, as a Mage grows and learns they not only shape magic, but are shaped by it in turn. The taste and feel of one’s own magic become colored by the Spells they had cast, but also by the Spells they had endured. Indeed, any magical emanation is enough to perturb one’s internal mana. Firing a Flame Elemental could be enough, at low enough levels, but such disturbance may come in time. Gnosis, for example, has developed over time its own type of magical influence. That is why those that allow it and are drawn to the academy can become veritable living manifestations of its influence. They may even gain Classes, such as |Exemplar| or Class variations, such as |Gnosian -|.

Yet, that which is given can also be found. I have seen few mages which showed signs of magical affinity without being affected by magic in turn, but that is neither here nor there. My work is only beginning and I cannot know all. But this I know: If one has wielded magic in sufficient quantities or for long enough, then the chances that such a mage has developed no magical affinity, even partial, is minimal at best.

You may ask, so what? So what is I have a magical affinity? Why should I care, if it will not limit me and if it will not force a Class upon me?

My dear readers, knowledge is strength! To know one’s magical affinities is to know the pats of least resistance. Of internal truths. Yes, one can become great without ever knowing it. But by knowing it, one can become great faster. And since we are not all elves, time is of the essence, as they say.

Included at the end of this book is inscribed magical ‘test’, if you will, one that will allow you to discover your magical affinities and –

Michael wasted no more time reading after that. He jumped up from the couch he was laying in and frantically flipped his way to the end of the book.

“Found something?” Melissa asked, sounding amused.

“I- hold on… Yes! Here it is.” he grinned, showing the magical diagram to them.

It glowed slightly and it seemed curious enough to make even Erea turn.

“Looks… magicky enough.” Micah shrugged. “What’s it do?”

“From what the author says, it can tell one what their magical affinity is.”

“Interesting.” Melissa hummed. “How does it work?”

“Uhm, one second.” Michael said, turning the book back around. “So… right. It says here that one needs to place a drop of blood in the center of this thing and then place their hand on top of it. Once you start channeling mana into it, it will analyze and display the perceived magical affinities. And there’re a few more paragraphs detailing how to interpret them.”

“Kelunad said that mages who use blood magic are cheaters.” Erea mentioned, before frowning. “Though… that may just have been because of the Bloodlinked.”

“Mm, Aspertus might just have used it to decrease the mana cost. Direct mana links have that benefit.”

“Yes. Very cool. Now, wanna try it?” Michael grinned.

The group shared a look and shrugged. They had no direct reason to do it, but it was interesting enough to try. The first to come forwards was Melissa. Michael laid the book down on a table and the girl pricked her hand with a dagger, before placing it on the diagram. Once she started to channel her mana, the effect manifested itself.

A swirl of fluid gas started to waft upwards, though it was less like smoke and more like… a hologram. One that flickered and waved. And in it, streams of color started taking shape, some more amorphous than others. Very little color actually and quite diffuse.

“Oh, wow. The mana pull is stronger than I expected. Guess it was designed for stronger mages.”

“Huh. Interesting.”

“Yes, very.” She smiled. “Now hurry up.”

He read the book, with the others reading over his shoulder and started to interpret what he saw.

“So, it says that your magical reservoir is average for a Mage under the Level of 15. You only have a slight affinity for bound magic and a slightly better affinity for channeling magic. No elemental magic. And… that’s it.” he said, feeling slightly bad. “Sorry.”

“That’s alright.” She said, taking her hand off the book.

She smiled, though she seemed a little sad. Perhaps sensing it and wishing to come to her aid, Erea stepped forwards.

“My turn. So, I just cut my palm and start using it, right?”

“Yup.”

The elf niched her palm and placed it, though it took her a second to channel her magic. However, once she did, the magical hologram bloomed to life, more vivid than it was for Melissa.

“Right, let’s see. It says that you have a general elemental affinity, but more pronounced for earth type magic. Earth, stone… nothing with metal. But at this level, you could start to work your way towards a Class specialization, if you wanted. Above average magical reservoir too. You also have a light affinity for physical enhancement magic. And a very slight affinity for quick casting. Guess that’s from all the fighting.”

Erea grinned, but Michael noticed something else. A slight twirl, almost silver in color and faint. But it was continually swimming around the image in a slow spiral.

“And… this thing right here. I almost missed it, but this means you also have an affinity for racial magic. And the color means… oh. Right, duh. Elven magic, whatever that means.”

Surprisingly, Erea yanked her hand away from the book, collapsing the image. She looked peeved, but she gave Michael a forced smile.

“Yeah, nah. I’m good with the regular elemental affinities. Not that I intend to specialize. Though… hmm. Maybe ask Kelunad about it for me?”

“Will do.” He smiled. “Right, who’s next? Micah?”

“Why aren’t you doing it?”

“I will. But ‘ll have to both channel my mana and interpret the results. And I’d rather do it last.”

“Fine, fine.” The lycan good-naturedly complained. “Let’s see what type of awesome I am.”

“The sheds too much hair kind. Now come on.”

Micah pricked his palm as well and placed it on the diagram. The magical image appeared reasonably fast, but it was different from the others. It still had the same colorful swirls and shapes, but the background wasn’t the same white-ish haze it as for the others. Instead, the general color was darker and roiling. Like smoke or rain clouds.

“Uhm… I don’t know what the grey background means, but I recognize the other signs. You also have a racial affinity.” Michael said, spotting the same spiral, only this time it was grey-green in color. “Lycan magic. It’s a lot stronger than Erea’s, but nothing major. You also have a general elemental affinity, though it’s faint. Average magical reservoir too…”

“So I suck?” the lycan laughed.

“I don’t judge Micah.” Michael grinned, earning himself a wallop over the head. “Ouch! Fine, let me check this some more. But there’s nothing more out there. Maybe try channeling some more mana?”

“The things I do for knowledge.”

But the lycan did channel more of his mana into the diagram and it showed. Increasingly, the image grew wider and clearer. And… a new shape started to come into view. It was flickering in and out of sight, from beyond the smoke screen that was nor clearly resembling roiling clouds of magical energy.

“Almost. I can almost see it. Give it a little more.”

“Oh, come on, I was planning on practicing my-“

“You were planning on napping. Don’t be lazy.”

“Fine.” Micah muttered, but focused once again.

Now he was starting to see it. It was spiral of magic, once that slightly resembled his previous one and the one from Erea. But it looked like it was spasming, contorting and bending instead of flying around. It was also switching colors, between red and green and grey. Those colors meant things, according to the book, but the shades were off. And Micah already had a race. He was about to ask Micah, to stop it, since it didn’t make sense to him anyway, when he saw his friends face.

He was white and sweating. His eyes were wide and it looked like he was in a trance or a waking nightmare. Michael was about to push him away from the book, thinking the book had sucked away too much of his magic, when Micah roared a word.

“Bahin!”

A wave of magical energy swept them all off their feet and sent them crashing into the surrounding furniture.