Rita’s face brightened a bit at the question. "Ugh. They made us draw circles, lines, and different shapes over and over for the whole day after explaining so basic concepts to us," she massaged her neck. "My wrists and whole body hurt from sitting in one spot drawing all day."
"What, you an like spell models? Already?" Zephyr asked.
"Yeah, just the basics though," Rita replied, leaning her head back as she recounted the day’s happenings. "We learned about diums... but I already knew about diums."
"diums?" Zephyr asked for further clarification.
Rita dropped her head to level her gaze with Zephyr. "Yeah. To cast spells, there has to be a dium for the spell model to be drawn. Spell scrolls, special dust mixtures, powders in the air..." she listed off her fingers. "More experienced mages can even create a spell model in a very clear-looking environnt, right in the air without any imdiately visible dium," she said with awe. Her single basic class of the day had made her realize even more how difficult that was. It required extre skill and precise control. She couldn’t imagine having to draw even the simple lines and shapes she had without any visible dium.
"Wait..." Zephyr interrupted her train of thought. "Let get this straight. You guys must always have a dium to cast spells through, and still make sure to precisely draw the spell model, or else it would fail?" He frowned in confusion.
"Yes," Rita nodded. "We’re not like you Exalted and Half-Exalted who have this process in-built." She shrugged.
"Yeah, I know that part," he said. "But I never knew it was necessary to have a dium. I thought you all just waved your hands in the air and conjured the spell model right there and then."
Rita smiled sarcastically. "That’s because you’ve been around people who are extrely skilled at spellcasting. Madam Veronica, for example... She’s a once-in-a-generation talent, and you’ve been around her, and probably seen her cast a few tis...?" Rita asked.
"Yeah..." Zephyr gave it so real thought. It made him see Veronica in a slightly different light. The ntal acuity it required had to be high. He could see it working for basic spells that perford a simple task. But for complex spells with special effects...
He thought back to when Veronica had first co to his room back while he was still in the small town. The spell she had cast made him feel threatened. It had to have been a complex spell, and yet she had cast it stably and quickly enough that he was not able to react.
And then there was Grandmaster Oswald...
Rita was right. Zephyr had been around people that were, by all rights, outliers in spellcasting. Maybe that was also one of the reasons why the student spellcasting tournant he and Rita had seen on their tour around Freehold with their guide the other day had looked underwhelming to him. He’d thought maybe the students were beginners or sothing.
"No, that’s not right," Zephyr shook his head. "If the requirents for spellcasting is this high, then that ans only a very select few can cross the threshold to be able to cast complex spells."
"Complex— You an Grand spells?" she corrected. "Yeah, you’re right. It’s convoluted. So most people have to use pre-made spell models when it cos down to it. But you still need to actually understand what each part of the spell does for channeling to work well," she sighed, falling back down onto her back. "Urgh. I’m kind of envious of you," she groaned. "You don’t even have to think about anything. Just imagine, and it is... that’s real magic."
Zephyr blew out a breath. "Yeah, well, we have our own problems too."
Their conversation fell into a silent lull before Rita asked about Zephyr’s day in turn, and he told her about his teacher, his new residence, and skimd over the rest—just the vital points.
"For the next few days, I think I’ll mostly be in my quarters at Jon’s residence," he explained. "So, we won’t really see much." He made that clear.
Rita had no problem with it. If anything, the fact that the present Zephyr was more approachable made her have so hope. Unlike back in the small town when he was all closed up and mysterious.
They had a short supper together that evening before Zephyr left for Jon’s residence. He needed to recover to his full ntal capacity as quickly as possible and get back to comprehending words. This convergence thing had him on the tip of his toes. He wanted to have a lot more up his sleeve than simply depending on the Sanctuary’s arrangents regarding his developnt. So, he needed to make the most of every mont he could get.
.
.
.
Tartarus. The Spires of Moloch.
A massive door opened for a figure to walk into a large and dark hall, his steps echoing through the cold and silent space. He hated coming in here. The chill didn’t sit right with him. It went against his nature, and he didn’t like it. But what could he do? His liege liked it, and he knew she had no love for any of them below her, so he had no choice but to bear with it.
Speaking of her, he looked towards the massive throne made of the bones of multiple fallen enemies and powerful creatures of Tartarus. It was beautiful. He had longed to sit there for years, dreaming and hatching plans to usurp the previous owner of the seat. But with the arrival of this woman, all that vanished into thin air. She did what he had dread of doing for years within the space of re seconds. It was almost as if his previous boss was worth nothing in her eyes. And he knew it was not so. Jandarkan was anything but weak. That was why he, as his liege, stooped so low as to devise a plan to kill Jandarkan for years behind his back—sothing greatly despised in their traditions here. Open and direct confrontation through combat was the way.
So the ease with which she dispatched soone so great and mighty, the undefeated Jandarkan, shocked him to his very core. She was... a Goddess. Period. He knew no one stronger. And here, where strength was the only thing that was worshipped, it was his honor to serve her.
He looked at her regal fra seated on the throne. She looked so small in the massive seat. Not surprising, because the whole place had been tailored to bigger people like them. They were all huge in Tartarus. The smallest adults among them being so seven feet tall.
He reached the end of the hallway, and like his new master had ordered, went to the ground on one knee and bowed to pay proper respects and homage before stating his purpose.
"Your Majesty. I have a report to make."
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