Chapter 10
"Still, look on the bright side," I said. "Technology has its conveniences. For instance, I got to see that brilliant spell you cast online."
Mel laughed. His shadow suddenly detached itself from his body, stood beside him, and bowed to me.
"Wow!" I gave a start. "So it wasn't Black Magic?"
"No, it's actually a neutral spell. Once awakened, a shadow can do more than kill. Its movements have to be directed by its controller." As Mel spoke, his shadow walked to the table, poured a glass of water, and handed it to me. "I can maintain the spell for about fifteen minutes when controlling a single shadow. I originally invented it to help me go downstairs and fetch things..."
I couldn't help laughing. Such a spectacular spell of mass destruction had such a warm, down-to-earth origin.
I solemnly said to the shadow, "Thank you!"
Mel said cheerfully, "I named this spell 'Shadow Dance.' If you'd like, I can teach you! It isn't difficult. With your abilities, you'll master it in no time."
"!" I exclaimed in delight. "Really? That's wonderful! You're so generous!"
Mel bit his lip and seemed a little embarrassed. He quickly said, "Um... I liked that magic shield you used in the library just now. Ordinary shields can only defend against physical attacks, but yours can even restrict the area a spell affects. It's amazing!"
His words made my face feel warm too. His eyes were surprisingly bright as he looked at me, like two blue magic crystals full of magic, brilliant and clear. I found myself gazing into them, reluctant to look away, so I said, "I invented it to keep my student from blowing herself up with a fireball... I can teach you that too. It isn't difficult either!"
"That would be wonderful!" Mel said excitedly.
Chapter 10
The only flaw in the room was that it had no clock, so we had no way of knowing the time. As a result, we focused all our energy on learning from each other. An equally gifted mage made the best teacher and friend, not to mention... watching Mel cast spells was a visual treat in itself.
It was as if I had returned to my childhood, to the first time I encountered magic and felt the joy of magic flowing through my fingertips. That same feeling filled my heart now.
We guided each other. Mel soon cast a brilliant, steady shield, while my shadow could already applaud him.
Smiling broadly, Mel said to me, "Absolute Protection. What do you think? Let's call this shield Absolute Protection... I mean, since you haven't named it, allow me to take the liberty. It can withstand physical attacks and even suppress the effects of spells. I think the name is fitting enough, though I can't guarantee it hasn't been used before. Forgive me, I'm not very good at rhetoric."
"No, that's a great name! Mel, you're much better at naming things than I am," I replied.
Great, now the shield spell had a name!
Next, Mel cast Absolute Protection while I used the Shadow Dance he had taught me to attack his shield, so we could both practice our newly learned spells in action.
We wished our sentences could be extended indefinitely so we wouldn't have to worry about time flying by. By now, we wanted to split every minute eight ways, but when we grew sleepy, we still had to stop. A spellcaster needed to keep their mental energy replenished, so getting enough rest was just as important as practicing hard.
Practicing spells against each other like that had been utterly exhilarating!
So we lay down side by side on the soft floor, completely content. Neither of us wanted to bother with the two single beds by the wall. They were too far apart for a convenient chat.
Mel's shadow brought us pillows, while mine fluffed up the blanket until it was soft and comfortable, then spread it over us. After that, we put up our Absolute Protection shields, forming a dome over us. The magic gave off a soft, pale blue glow that served nicely as a light after we switched off the lamps, making us feel safe and relaxed.
Mel lay beside me and gestured with his eyes at the shadows wandering nearby. "I've always wanted to improve this spell. I want the shadows to be able to cast spells, like the images created by the Mirror Image Spell, but right now, shadows still only have the physical ability to touch solid objects. They can't be used to cast spells."
"But the images can't really cast spells either. It's an illusion. They can only copy the mage's movements exactly; they just look as if they can cast spells," I said. "Like special effects in a movie, it's all fake. Most mages only use that spell to confuse their enemies for a little while."
"True... Speaking of movies, let's go see one after we get out. I heard a new film is coming out soon, about a famous dark mage from history. I really admire that dark mage."
"Oh, I heard about it too," I said. "It's about the life of Hailianna, the high priest of the Shadow Moon Temple who was active six thousand years ago, the most celebrated dark spellcaster in history. He's my idol too! He was also an outstanding necromancer, and every one of his liches was remarkable, but... um, have you paid attention to the actor? I don't particularly like him. I don't think he's a good fit."
"Really? Is he a bad actor?" Mel asked.
"Not exactly. I just don't think he fits the character's appearance or temperament!" I nodded and went on to explain to Mel, "I don't think the actor looks much like the descriptions in the history books. Although the portraits kept in the temple have long since blurred with age, you can still get a general sense of his bearing. That actor is very popular with young people... but he looks too healthy and lively, while High Priest Hailianna was the very traditionally gloomy sort of dark mage."
Mel's shadow shook its head in confusion beside him. Mel himself said, "Wow, Xipei, you know so much! I don't know anything about actors. I rarely pay attention to
the entertainment industry
."
"I'm embarrassed to say my student is a die-hard fan of that actor, so that's how I know." Moli had told me all this entertainment news. Well, I had to say, Moli had been very successful at keeping me from losing touch with modern society.
"Speaking of which, how many students do you have?"
"Strictly speaking, one," I answered.
"I only have one too," Mel said. Then he looked surprised and asked, "Um, can your student be a die-hard fan of lots of people at once?"
The thought made me both angry and amused. "Yes, that girl counts her 'dream men' every day. She makes huge posters of each of them and puts them up by her bed, and she updates them with recent photos every so often. If she put that energy into studying spells, her future would be limitless."
"Ah, my student's a girl too. She's absorbed in online games every day, and her 'dream men' are all game characters. She also likes playing the 'mage class.' Heaven knows why she loves mages so much but won't work at becoming a qualified mage herself, and goes into games to 'play' one instead... Oh, she also likes nail art. When I taught her to mix magical reagents, the first thing she thought about was whether the color would look good on her nails!" Mel was clearly frustrated too, shaking his head repeatedly. "It makes my blood boil. If I were a mage from ancient times, I'd worry I might accidentally turn her into experimental material!"
Well, that made me feel like we were haggard parents worrying ourselves sick over our children's studies.
"Same here!" I said, feeling his pain. "Besides my student, I have lots of publicly assigned assistants in my lab. They're usually lovely kids, but the moment they start working with spells, they get so stupid I want to blast them with a forbidden spell and have some peace and quiet!"
Mel reacted rather strongly to my words. He sat up, propping up his upper body and looking down at me with a very serious expression.
"Xipei, I haven't asked yet. What do you do for a living now? You said publicly assigned assistants-are you a government employee?" At that, Mel's expression turned sympathetic and concerned, and his brows knitted. Clearly, mentioning the government reminded him of those Magic Council members fighting with chairs.