Apprentice? John was still trying to get used to the idea of being with other people and now he had suddenly gained a teacher. He’d been too tired earlier to think but now, after resting a little, he began looking at everything with new eyes. He had been so lonely once that he had longed for the company of squirrels. His loneliness had finally come to an end. When he had first started talking to Sor Al his voice had been gruff and hesitant. Now however he felt like he could converse with her for days.

“Jehun, do you know how to read and write?” asked Sor Al.

“Of course,” said John. “The holocube taught me the letters and numbers as soon as I was able to speak. It was quite hard understanding them in the beginning.” Ah, if only he’d known how valuable the holocube was.

“The characters are very complex,” said Sor Al. “Even I do not know all of them. We can teach each other. These letters and numbers are very important in weaving. They hold clues to the patterns one needs to weave. For example,” Sor Al pointed at an apple on the table before her, “Come,” she said, and the apple floated towards her outstretched hand. “The word ‘come’ holds these patterns,” an ancient word in white floated before them. They were similar to the runes the elves wore on their armor. John could read the word in front of him, though he had had trouble deciphering the runes earlier.

“Why are the rune words different from this?” asked John.

“Runes are interwoven through many different dimensions of the real and of aether. It is like a sentence written with a single character. You will learn how to weave runes in time. Do not be impatient.” Sor Al continued, “I wove the force that pushed the apple towards me using the elements of wind and space. The elements exist all around us. Some, like air and water are very rare in certain places, like space. They can still be found there and used. No element is truly absent, even in so called vacuums. They can exist in many forms, some invisible to even the most sophisticated detection devices.”

John nodded. “Where are the magic patterns on the word?” asked John, staring at the Astari word ‘come’.

“They are here,” Sor Al waved her hand and bright tendrils of blue shot through the white character. “Do you see the pattern? Notice the nodes and internodes, like a plant.”

John nodded again. Wizardry seemed simple enough. If magic was really this simple then everyone would be doing it. There must be more to it.

Sor Al soon placated his doubts. “Projecting aura is essentially projecting energy. You modify certain parts of it to attract certain elements. Energy can be transformed and most weaves require very precise control over energy input and output. There is a need to weave certain structures to modify the simple flow of energy into something more complex, transformers and rectifiers and such.” The holographic image zoomed in and John could see a strange network of patterns interlocked within. They were different from the overall pattern and seemed quite out of place. “The complex weaves require hundreds of these structures at different frequencies and so on. Weaving is not as easy as just superimposing a pattern in the air.”

“How do I make objects come towards me?” He couldn’t wait to try it out.

“You must first be able to see. Aura lies in all things. Even the void contains aura leaking through the aether. Once you are able to observe these threads of aura you will then be able to manipulate them into forming different patterns. To be able to see you will need more than your eyes. You will have to build a new aura circuit within your body and then learn to feel the sensation of aura all around you. And then, with the assistance of the First Tongue, you will manipulate this aura and weave all elements together. Time and space will do your bidding once you become a realm master. Since you have already mastered the written language of the Bright Ones you will have a much easier time learning to weave than many others.”

“Is that why you chose me as your student?” John asked. He’d been wondering why a powerful person would want to teach him.

“Yes,” Sor Al admitted. “Writing is an invaluable skill. These hints within words can help in creating new patterns. Now, let us get started. You are a human, so I’ve modified the perceiver circuit to better fit your body.” A holographic diagram of John’s skeleton and circulatory systems appeared before the two. “Observe the direction and rhythm of the aura flow. Think of it as a song. I will send this hologram to your room’s console. Study it there and try to imitate it.”

John nodded, “Okay.”

He followed Sor Al’s servant back to the door, and awkwardly responded to her wave of goodbye. Memories of his past life were coming back to him, and the holocube had shown him dramas containing social interactions but John was still unused to these gestures and social niceties.

Back in his room John began to practice the new aura circuit. It felt like there were clogs in the pathways within, the aura refusing to move onto this new path. After an hour of futile effort John heard a voice in his mind. It was Sor Al.

“Lianel will bring you to the dining hall for lunch. Be ready.”

“How are you talking to me?” John asked out loud. She had startled him, almost making him jump out of bed.

“The ship generates a simple telepathic link with every member aboard. It is a simple matter to communicate using it. I could use the holographic communications link if you prefer.”

“No, this is fine,” said John. He didn’t much care. John thought that some people might find it an intrusion but he was okay with it.

Sor Al’s servant soon knocked on his door and accompanied him to the large dining hall. The hall could have seated a thousand people at once. Tables and chairs made of white metal stood in neat rows and columns. There were few people in the dining hall at this hour. Wasn’t it lunch time? John noticed the strange elf, who’d been doing cartwheels and handstands on his planet, sitting towards the back of the hall with a few companions. He noticed John looking at him and excitedly waved him over, shouting something in Elvish. John grabbed a plate of food from the inner hall and followed Lianel to sit at the table of the strange elf. Though he could not communicate, John appreciated the company.

The strange elf said something to John and nodded vigorously. He then pointed to his hand and waved it, making a whoop sound. The next second his entire hand disappeared. Where had it gone? Was this strange elf a wizard as well?

“Ah ha,” laughed the strange elf and his hand reappeared. He then bowed to John who sat bemused. John wasn’t sure whether he had to bow back or clap his hands in applause. The strange elf then started singing a song. It was a merry tune, and the elves laughed with each new verse, joining in the chorus. John had learned that high elves valued dignity above all else, and were haughty and proud. The strange elf and his companions didn’t seem to care about their dignity and pride at all as they sang louder and louder. The strange elf forced John to dance on the table with him and clap his hands in time to his beat. John didn’t mind. It was nice to be around people, especially people who were so jovial. Lianel thought differently. Perhaps it was the lyrics of the songs or something else, but she seemed to get quite worked up about something and took John back to his room. It had been a long day and John soon fell asleep in his room.