Magic Practice

Location: Gloria's Temple / Serina's Chamber

Time: Y1502 / 34th day of the Ice Moon

POV: Liara

*knock* *knock* "May I come in?" (Meridia)

Looks like Meridia decided to pay us a visit as I lay on the bed like a worm...

*whisper* "Meridia, you know what happened yesterday. Liara is~ (Serina)

*whisper* "That's why I'm here. Practice will keep her mind off things." (Meridia)

I heard that.

I don't feel like doing anything.

[What Meridia says is true. Training will do you some good. Brooding over what can't be changed is of no use to anyone. Yesterday's~ events~ hit you hard, and you know it.] (Doctor Me)

I don't feel like training. I barely feel like breathing.

[Doctor's orders.] (Doctor Me)

Whatever...

"It's alright, Mother. I want to practice magic too." (Liara)

*enter* "First I want to know something. How do you feel about Thomen and Ramia?" (Meridia)

"Meridia!" (Serina)

*glare* (Meridia)

"..." (Serina)

Straight to the point.

So, she wants to force me to deal with my emotions.

I'm sad, but it's nothing I can't deal with. Well, if I were a normal two years old girl, this would definitely mess me up. Well... If I were a normal, normal two years old girl I wouldn't even be able to speak properly...

I'd better act up.

"I hated Thomen. But I didn't hate Sister Ramia. They died because of me!" *cry* (Liara)

*hug tightly* "Meridia, that's too much!" (Serina)

"If she doesn't deal with it now, the burden will weight upon her for her entire life. Believe me, I know." (Meridia)

"..." (Serina)

"Thomen tried to kill you. Ramia failed to protect you. It was the High Priestess who judged them and granted them a quick death. You bear no sin, Liara." (Meridia)

*sniff* (Liara)

[You closed the waterworks a bit too quickly?] (Doctor Me)

I'm the Gifted One.

[Fair enough. Just make sure you open up to us all later.] (Doctor Me)

Meridia is still blind, but I feel like she is trying to look inside me and understand how I really feel. Creepy.

"Alright. Enough of sinners, forget them. More importantly, can you show me the barrier you used, Liara?" (Meridia)

"I..." *look away* (Liara)

There is no reason I shouldn't show her, but since it's today I'll resist just a little.

[I'm sure you just want to be pampered by Serina some more.] (Gamer Me)

"I just want you to practice magic. Nothing more." (Meridia)

“It's okay if you show her, my sweet Liara.” *smile* (Serina)

*nod* "Alright. Can you leave some room for me?" (Liara)

"Of course. Just don't overdo it, ok?" (Serina)

“I won't, Mother.” *smile* (Liara)

Mother let go of me. The room is small, only about two meters by three. Meridia and Serina sits on the bed, this leave me with about one meter free in every direction. More than enough.

I start dancing, weaving threads on the tips of my fingers.

"What!!! Why do you move!?! I taught you to be still!" (Meridia)

"It's faster this way! Look!" (Liara)

This is the first time I show them my original way of collimating magic threads from aether.

Meridia's way is the way everyone knows. Discovered by the ones that came before them, long ago. They collimate a single magic thread by thinking of moving a 3D point in the air.

Science Me made had me try many experiments when I was alone. We discovered Meridia's way was slow and inefficient. We developed a new way of making magic threads.

I move my fingers so that I' don't have to visualize moving points in 3D space, but the collimating location becomes a fixed point in near of my fingers, very close to my body. This increase the collimating speed by a factor of twenty.

On top of that, I weave ten threads at once at the tips of my fingers.

Overall, my way of weaving is a two hundred fold improvement! Sure enough, in a matter of ten seconds I weaved ten extremely long, thick and regular threads that obeys my will.

"How... Who taught you that???" (Meridia)

Meridia is shocked. Her magic sight allow her to see the magic I gathered.

"I tried different things myself. And this way feels faster?" (Liara)

Now to use the threads I just weaved.

(Liara)

At my will, the long threads arrange themselves in a grid. Slowly, the individual threads lose their form and bleed together in the shape of a dome. I anchor the roots of the threads to the ground and will the barrier to become real and elastic.

It's still something Science Me is trying to understand, but magic obeys the will of the caster.

There. It is done.

"... It's an invisible wall alright. Serina. I want you to try and unravel Liara's barrier." (Meridia)

"I never saw a barrier done this way. I don't think I can unravel it." (Serina)

"Just try. Liara, is it hard to maintain? How long can you keep this up?" (Meridia)

"As long as I want? It's not really hard once it's weaved." (Liara)

Meridia is carefully watching. I mean with her magic sight... She is blind.

Mother come close to me. She try to push the barrier with her hands, getting a feel for it.

Mother starts weaving magic herself, then she hover her hands over the top of my barrier.

(Serina)

Oh? An anti-magic spell? I feel a force acting against the threads that forms my barrier. It tries to sever them, separate them, dissolve them back into aether again.

But it's so weak!

Mother used a single short and flimsy thread to weave her anti-magic spell. This barrier is made from thick long threads. Furthermore, Science Me designed this barrier to automatically heal holes in it. As long as I'm focusing on it, and as long as I weave more magic threads to power it, this barrier won't even get thinner.

"... That's enough, Serina. Liara's barrier is reforming faster than you can destroy it." (Meridia)

Mother looks shocked.

"I... I didn't analyze your barrier properly back then. No wonder Bella couldn't unravel it! This is incredible!" (Serina)

"Liara, your barrier is poorly done. A sloppy job." (Meridia)

Of course my barrier is poo~

??? Wait, what?!?

"That's not what you wanted to hear, right? But it's the truth." (Meridia)

Even Mother is looking at Meridia in disbelief! What she is saying is downright absurd!

"But... Even Mother can't unravel it! Why is this barrier bad???" (Liara)

"You'll see in a moment. Liara, unravel your barrier. Serina, weave one yourself." (Meridia)

[You little... !!!] (Science Me)

[Calm down, Science Me. Let's see where Meridia is going with this.] (Explorer Me)

I do as Meridia say and unravel my barrier.

(Liara)

"So that's how you unravel it? You have much to learn still, Gifted One." (Meridia)

[That's it! Liara! Show her the next prototype spell we were developing!] (Science Me)

[Calm down! Meridia was the greatest mage in the continent. She practiced magic for decades and received knowledge developed over centuries by her ancestors. Is it that hard to believe that she knows something that we didn't discover in two moons worth of studies?] (Doctor Me)

Or maybe she just wants to humble me.

We'll see.

Serina take my place and starts weaving.

Slow. Three minutes of weaving and a single flimsy magic thread about ten cm long is all she could weave.

(Serina)

... It's so different.

The thread she collimated is getting shorter, and magic is forming around Mother's tall and slim body. The barrier is only half a meter in diameter, and a little over two meters in height. But the barrier is not made of threads...

"Liara. Describe what you can see." (Meridia)

"Mother is using the magic thread to... To harden the air?" (Liara)

"Excellent! Your magic sight is fully developed already. What else?" (Meridia)

"Mother built the barrier using only a weak and short magic thread." (Liara)

[... Really, Liara?] (Explorer Me)

... *look down* (Serina)

“Ah! I didn't mean~ (Liara)

“It's ok. I know my sweet Liara is a better mage than I.” *smile* (Serina)

“That's not it!~ (Liara)

"This is exactly it. Liara, you built your barrier out of an unthinkable amount of magic threads. Nobody would do it like that. Nobody could. We magi have to make things happen with only a small amount of magic." (Meridia)

"But if I can weave lots of magic, why do I need spells that only use little of it?" (Liara)

"Excellent question, Liara. Tell me, was the barrier that you weaved against Thomen as good as the one you showed me just now?" (Meridia)

"... No. It was thin and full of holes. I had to weave it in an hurry. I almost didn't make it, and..." (Liara)

*hug tightly* (Serina)

Mother hugs me. I was really in danger back then. Even more than she knew.

Wait... She is hugging me? Did I just slip past her barrier???

"You realized. You are quick witted, Liara. Serina's invisible wall can let things through if she wants.” (Meridia)

Amazing! We barely scratched the surface of what we can do!

*scoff* [Like those primitives could have it all figured out. Give me time and I'll show you what can be done.] (Science Me)

“About the other matter. In battle, it's hard to weave lots of magic. When the push comes to shove, you need spells that can work quickly and with limited resources. Serina's invisible wall is far more flexible and useful compared to yours. You have much to learn." (Meridia)

[See, it was not a bad idea to listen to the former greatest mage.] (Explorer Me)

[Perhaps listening to her will not be a total waste of time... I just hope she won't hold us back once we start making REAL progress in magic.] (Science Me)

[Meridia has nothing to lose. I'm confident she won't hold us back.] (Doctor Me)

Let's hope!

"Liara, can you show me the way you weave magic again? The way I taught you is the established way that has been in use for centuries. If this can be taught to our Sisters... Liara, you may have discovered by accident a better way of weaving magic!" (Meridia)

[BY ACCIDENT?!? We discovered it because we are not blindfolded fanatics! Unlike you! You old witch!!!] (Science Me)

Science Me really doesn't like being proved wrong by a religious leader.

[She didn't prove me wrong!!!] (Science Me)

[We still have much to learn. It'll be more efficient to work alongside her. Wouldn't you think so, Science Me?] (Doctor Me)

[... fine ...] (Science Me)

Uhm... Guys... Don't I get a say in this?

And about showing them, I don't think I have a choice. I had to use my original way of collimating threads for my spell against Thomen. No one might have noticed, but if they did... Lying about this gives me no advantage and could make others aware that I have things to hide, losing the baby status advantage.

"Uhm~ If I can do it, I think others can do it too?" (Liara)

"Maybe. Liara, you may not have noticed, but your aptitude for magic is impossibly high. I don't think any human with as much aptitude as you has ever lived. There will be many things only you can do. You, and nobody else. Be aware of that." (Meridia)

"I want to try your way of weaving, Liara. Be a good teacher to me, alright?" *smile* (Serina)

"Yes, Mother!" *smile* (Liara)

If mother becomes stronger, she'll be safer.

It's decided! I'll teach Mother my way of collimating magic threads.

It's actually easier than Meridia's way, so she will learn how to do it for sure.

New Year's Eve

Location: Victoria

Time: Y1502 / 50th day of the Ice Moon

POV: Liara

Today is the last day of the year, and just like in our world, there are great celebrations all around the city. All around the known world.

Today I'll leave the temple for the first time in my life.

I'm excited!

"This dress look really good on you, Liara." (Serina)

*smile* (Liara)

All the Sisters are wearing their ceremonial dresses. When I became an Initiate, I was given one used by children. It's a simple one piece dress. It looks cheap and is greyish white. Mother borrowed some sawing equipment and embroiled some nice detail with a golden thread. It's too big for me and doesn't fit well. I'll have to be careful not to trip.

I would like a mirror to look at myself, but I guess they are too expansive. Mother doesn't have one. My hair now reach to my shoulders. Mother helped me making a braid. I wonder how I look.

[You are starting to like being pretty? You are embracing being a girl! Good for you!] (Explorer Me)

Shut up!!!

"Let's go Liara, it's almost time." (Serina)

We reach the courtyard. The Sisters are preparing to make a procession.

There is a glorious looking banner made of gold, with a flag of the church. A white stylized sun with triangles as rays on a red background.

Last night, during dinner, we cast votes to decide who would carry it. It's a big honour, apparently. Carlotta, an healer in training, won. She is grinning hear to ear. She looks really happy. Mother was second for a few votes. She looks disappointed.

"Mother, you can be with me this way!" (Liara)

*smile* (Serina)

After about half an hour pass. It's dusk, the sun is setting down. All the sisters have formed in a column of five. About five hundred Sisters will participate.

There are about 100 guards accompanying us. It's the church's private militia. I see them often patrolling the temple or the wall. They are armed with a short spear and a round shield. As far as I can tell, they are male and female in equal measure, but most of them are Dark Skins.

We start walking on the path that leads to the large gate. The walls of the temple are made of white stone and are about ten meters tall and two meters thick. The gate opens.

**cheer** (Crowd)

"All praise Gloria!!!"

"May Gloria's blessing be upon us!!!"

That's a lot of people!

The road outside the temple is at least ten meters wide, and paved in stone. There are draining channels on the side. It's well made. Around us there are two stories buildings. Some made of wood, some made of stones. Shops, inns and taverns. They are marked by wooden or stony signs with images of beds, candles, animals. Not many can read after all.

Soldiers with cheap looking armour and wooden spears are acting as barrier, leaving the centre of the road to us. City guards I guess.

Uhm... There is something wrong with the crowd. I'd say eight out of ten are women. There is barely any adult or old men here! The only men are children or young adults.

"You look worried, Liara. Are you afraid? Don't worry, I'll protect you. Relax." (Serina)

"Mother. Where are all the men?" (Liara)

"That... I'll tell you when you grow up, alright?" (Serina)

Mother looks worried for a second. Whatever it is, it's not something pleasant.

[Maybe it's just that man are patrolling the outer wall of the city to keep everyone safe] (Science Me)

That doesn't sounds right. Why would Mother be worried if that were the case?

[Maybe they are at war? It's not like you would notice inside the temple] (Science Me)

Might be. I hope it's nothing too bad. A part from Thomen's assault, things are working out fairly well for me. I need time to master magic.

We walk slowly for about half an hour. We pass squares with market stalls and shops. This must be their commercial area. Many of the stall sells food. This must be a good day for them!

The scenery change. Abruptly, there are no more building, and the large road lead directly into a gigantic plaza, filled to the brim with people. I can see the city walls beyond that, so we are still inside the city. What a waste of space.

"This is the Memorial Square, Liara. It was built to honour our dead." (Serina)

Sounds like there is a story behind this place. And Mother will not tell me because I'm too young.

[That's fine. We are already struggling with magic, reading, writing and adapting to this world's social norms. There is no need to make it even harder.] (Bookworm Me)

I guess you are right.

We stop about fifty meters from the centre of the plaza. There is an elevated platform, about thirty meters wide with steep steps. On top of the platform a large and tall pillar, and on top of the pillar a bracer. It really looks like a memorial for the dead.

The altar is protected by two lines of soldiers, wearing expensive looking golden armours with fine details, red ribbons and rich looking helmets. They are some kind of elite unit?

[A public event, guards... I'm pretty sure the rulers of the city are going to appear soon] (Science Me)

**loud cheer** (Crowd)

Your guess was on point. Guards are escorting what look like the royal family. They take their place on top of the platform. They are all Fair Skins. In the front there is a middle aged man and woman. They must be King and Queen. The King wears a blue military uniform and a crown, while the Queen wears a pompous red dress and a tiara.

Behind them, there are one boy and four girls of different ages. They are prince and princesses surely.

"Liara, this is your first time seeing them. That's the royal family. They rule over this kingdom." (Serina)

The queen raises her hand, and silence falls.

"My faithful subjects! Today, we gather to remember those we lost~ (Queen)

Her voice is loud, and I don't doubt it can be heard in all corners of the plaza. Some kind of voice amplifying magic?

The queen makes a long and passionate speech about a war that happened seventeen years ago and an attack made by some kind of cult inside the city. I can see adult people in the crowd crying. Must have been a big deal.

Using magic for a suicide bombing... I guess it's the human nature.

~would be all. Now, I leave the stage to the High Priestess of Gloria." (Queen)

**loud cheers** (Crowd)

(High priestess Amigarde)

**awe** (Crowd)

"People of Victoria! As is now tradition~ (Amigarde)

Amigarde took the stage undressed and weaved a spell. She drew a big banner of the church in the air for everyone to see. The people seems impressed.

After that, she made a speech about how generous Gloria is and have the ill come forward and receive Gloria's blessing. Apparently healing is the speciality of the church.

[Their version of public healthcare. Interesting.] (Science Me)

"I must go too. Don't get lost, Liara. I leave you to Bella's care" (Serina)

"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her." (Bella)

"Be safe, Mother." (Liara)

The guards of the temple make the ill form a queue, and the healers starts doing their job.

To the citizen, especially the poorer looking ones, this must look like saints performing miracles. I can almost see sparkles in their eyes. And the way they cry when healed!

[I agree. The church might be doing this for prestige and to gather more followers, but still, they are doing lots of good today. They are acting like a real relief agency.] (Doctor Me)

[... They are making those people better. The church may be flawed both in methods and belief. But the results of their healing is undeniable.] (Science Me)

This is the first time I see what the church does outside the walls, and I must say it's better than I expected... I have mixed feelings. Sometime the church feels evil, like when they burned Ramia and Thomen at the stake. Other times they seem a force of good, like today.

[Pure evil and pure good are as rare in this world as in ours. At the end of the day most people are just trying their best to get by.] (Explorer Me)

Amigarde left the altar, the next host take her place. A beautiful Dark Skin woman wearing a see through green dress. What's with this world and going around like this??? Have some decency!

"Victoria! I am the Green Fairy, and I have the honour of leading the Cult of Fertility! As you know,~ (Green Fairy)

She sounds like a nut job! She is talking on how war and magic killed most male, and how as living creatures they must fight them with love? What does she even mean? ...

About fifty meters from us there is a large crowd of people wearing nothing but leaves and flowers... they starts... mating... What the hell.

[Our old world was a very diverse place. There are place where you can be imprisoned and even put to death just for kissing, and other places where people go around wearing nothing at all too. Don't judge them.] (Bookworm Me)

[Did I tell you that time when to find the location of a ruin I had to pass an initiation ritual in a tribe, and that ritual was about~ (Explorer Me)

NOOO! You already showed me, and I don't want to see that memory ever again!!

"Liara, it's your first time seeing that, right? Don't worry, they are not harming each others. This is how we humans make children. You see~ (Bella)

She is giving me 'The Talk' while people are mating in the middle of a plaza. I want to disappear already.

[Try not to look like this, alright? Children your age are not supposed to worry about this kind of stuffs.] (Doctor Me)

I'm trying. But they are not making it easy.

"Citizen of Victoria. I'm Lenbor, and this year I have the honour of representing the Craftsmen Guild~ (Lenbor)

Thank god, the next host takes the stage. I have something else to focus on.

This young man looks like the ideal blacksmith. He is tall and muscular. He carries a large decorated hammer and wears a leather apron.

He says that in the back of the plaza they set up many temporary forges, and people going to compete in creating an item. Other craftsmen will evaluate the items, and the best one will be rewarded. The citizens are free to watch.

In short, they made a competition. Very creative! This festival really is diverse. Each power in the city is showing off their crafts.

The smith leave, and the oldest princess steps forward.

"Victoria! I'm Aurora, princess and heir to the throne.~ (Princess Aurora)

This looks like the closing speech. The princess basically tells people to enjoy themselves.

After that, the young princess undress and prepare to weave a great magic. She is really a beautiful girl. After about one minute she is ready. The plaza is silent. The crowd is looking forward to this.

(Princess Aurora)

A ball of light forms above her head and starts rising up in the night sky. After it's high enough, the ball explode in a rainbow of colors, with colored flakes of light slowly falling down.

It's a firework! She made a firework with magic! It's quite a large magic as well. She is a better mage than even Amigarde. I can weave stronger spells than the princess, but I still can't handle the finer details like her. I'm impressed.

After she is finished, the royal family, the smith, the High Priestess, and the Green Fairy leave the altar, and what look like the medieval version of a rock band take the stage.

They set up their drums, and play something that sound like a tribal rhythm.

The Memorial Square becomes really noisy, with people talking, dancing and just having fun. Sisters around me close their eyes and starts praying Gloria, the Cult of Fertility is... well... Smoke and hammering noises come from the other side of the altar. It seems the craftsmen have started their competition as well.

It looks like this will go on all night long.

Annual Report

Location: Gloria's Temple / Council Chamber

Time: Y1503 / 2nd day of the Bloom Moon

Each year reports come from all satellite temples detailing how things fare. The council, the highest authority in the curch meets behind closed door to decide what is to be done.

"It seems that despite all the set backs, the situation is now stabilizing." (Pernida)

"Meagre consolation. Compared to last year, we lost more than half of our territories. Along with the donations in food, gold and children that come with them. Our church is a pale shadow of our glory days." (Kamila)

"I'm still in the process of reorganizing our units, but our losses are catastrophic. The Order lost six out of every ten experienced knights compared to last year. Still, last moon we lost none. Focusing on defense of a smaller territory is working." (Teoren)

"It seems that the call of cutting our losses was the right one, Amigarde. And your performance during the new year festival was inspired. You are improving." (Vaerminia)

"Vaerminia, Amigarde is facing a very difficult situation. She deserve more~ (Pernida)

"It's alright. I'm just happy we avoided total collapse." (Amigarde)

*enter* "I finished compiling the reports of the festival." *hand over parchment* (Geneva)

"Donations are up from last year in all our remaining temples. Uhm... Interesting. It seems Serina this festival was the best healer. She cured 68 peoples. Last year she healed 16." (Amigarde)

"That's impressive." (Cassandra)

"That's more than impressive. How did she manage to improve this much?" (Pernida)

"Let's call Carminia and Serina here. We will ask them directly." (Kamila)

"No. My guess is that the Meridia has something to do with Serina's improvement. She is often seen entering Serina's chambers. A moon from now there will be the Yearly Ranking. We'll have our answers then. There is no need to let them know that they are under close scrutiny." (Vaerminia)

"I agree. It's unfortunate we can't observe Serina's chambers directly, but she would surely find out. And the situation does not warrant for it... As for our next topic, did you think about my proposal?" (Amigarde)

"It's far too early. We'll consider it again in a few moons." (Teoren)