Nariah jerked awake. She looked around and realized that she was in her own dormitory; noting that nothing was out of place except for the silhouette of Viktoria who was on her knees meditating naked in the moonlight that shown through the window.

   “You’re awake,” Viktoria says; her eyes still closed.

   “Why are you here?” Nariah asks coldly staring at the ceiling.

   “I am doing what your master has asked of me.”

   “Does that include forcing me into fights and putting me in harm’s way?”

   “Your master has instructed me to take advantage of every opportunity that has the potential to help you grow.” Viktoria looks at Nariah. “You were not in a situation that you could not handle.”

   “I could have been killed.” Nariah reasons

   “Don’t be absurd, compared to the brutalities of your master, Kane’s power doesn’t even come close. Every single one of his attacks should have been brushed aside and his last attack is the best he has to offer, if it wasn’t for his enchanted items, you could have taken the blast head-on without a scratch. Kane!” She spat. “He deserves the name.”

   “How so?” Nariah asks curiously.

   “There is an old story of two brothers, one was caster the other was not. Their father also a caster, was deeply proud of his son not only for being like him but also because he was the firstborn and would inherit everything from his father. Needless to say, the father favored him more than the younger brother. One day when the brothers were much older they went out into the forest and the younger brother slew the older in a jealous rage and using a type of dark magic, he took his older brother’s power becoming a caster himself. With his newly acquired abilities, he rushed back home to show his father, excited by the prospect of gaining his father’s favor. But when he returned home his father already knew what had transpired, he cursed his son and banished him from his lands. The son’s name was Kane. Edwin is just as devious he would do anything to achieve the title of master.” Viktoria paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “But this story has little bearing on my task.”

   “Your task?”

   “Yes, it is my duty; set forth by your master, that I help you understand your magic abilities and how to control them. From what your master has told me, your achievements have been mostly gained by primal instinct rather than control, while some primal instinct is good it is better if those skills are honed.”

   “And why has my master chosen you.”

   “He did not give me a reason, nor did I question him, he just gave me the task.”

   “Why is it so important that I learn anything beyond the basics? Casters haven’t been part of the military in a century and the people in the city act as if we are plagued, casting us aside as if we have no use.”

   “Clearly, you are oblivious to the things happening outside of these walls.”

   “I don’t concern myself with what goes on outside these walls, I’ve accepted that I will live and die in this place,” Nariah says helplessly, her eyes still fixed on the ceiling.

   “It’s unfortunate you believe that, because it may be something outside these walls that causes you to die here,” Viktoria replies, a grim expression on her face.

   “My magic ability is nothing more than an inconvenience, keeping me from living a normal life.”

   “Then you are stupid!” Viktoria snaps, “The story I told is a warning to all casters, there are people out there that would kill us for our power whether to take it or because they fear it. It’s astonishing that you don’t comprehend what heights can be reached, by simply being born a caster.”

   “What more is there to understand about our magic abilities, the more I use it, the less I fatigue from it, and in theory, the more powerful I’ll become.”

   “You sound like a child and a true beginner in the art. There is more to it than that. In order for you to gain true power…”

   “Spare me the lecture Viktoria,” she took a breath then exhaled slowly.

   “Very well, it’s very apparent that you will only learn the difficult way. Just remember without control you put your life at risk every time you conjure even the most basic of spells. Nariah doesn’t reply but instead drifts back to sleep leaving Viktoria to her meditations.

The sound of her footsteps echoed down the corridor in a consistent rhythmic pattern. Unaware of her cloaked pursuers; she makes one turn then another down a side passage. After exiting the passage, and entering a large room, she stops to look around, she was underground; but where. The stone was slate gray no different from any other common stone that would be used to lay the foundation of a large-scale structure. Another indication she was underground was the cold of the stone against her feet. In the center of the room was a pedestal, on it an object irradiated with a brilliant light that was the only light source in the room. She took several steps forward her left arm stretched out to grasp the object. At that moment when she expected her fingers to clutch the item, her body jerked forward violently and she looked down, gazing at the growing crimson spot on her chest. She turned around but no one was there, except dozens of corpses that were splayed across the ground, lying in puddles of blood. A cloaked figure suddenly appeared in front of her and thrusts a sword through her chest, she felt herself slowly drifting to the ground everything around her going black. 

   Nariah awoke suddenly.

   “Bad dream?” Viktoria asks dryly. She was sitting in a chair next to Nariah’s bed her hand out in front of her, palm facing up, two small balls of fire rotating above her skin, parallel to one another. They eventually merge together before Viktoria closes her hand causing the flames to extinguish.

   “Why do you ask?” Nariah replies

   “You have tossed and turned for most of the night, I figured you must be having a bad dream.”

   “I’m fine.”

   “Very well,” Viktoria says standing to her feet. “Come we must leave quickly before they close the main doors to the academy.”

   “I must speak with my master,” Nariah stated the moment they stepped within the confines of the academy walls.

   “There is no reason for you to disturb your master,” Viktoria said grabbing Nariah’s arm before she could depart.

   “I must speak with my master,” Nariah said again pulling her arm from Viktoria.

   “As I said before, you have no reason to disturb your master, unless you wish to feel his wrath so early in the day.” Viktoria snapped.

   “What do you mean?”

   “Until I have successfully finished training you, and have given him a full progress report, you are not to be in contact with your master and I would refrain from trying to relay any grievances with this arrangement either, the outcome could be life-threatening. ” Viktoria explained, Nariah grew angry, for a moment she thought Viktoria might be lying but cringed at the idea of what may happen if she was not and she did in fact disturb her master. However, the last part of Viktoria’s explanation agitated her the most.

   “Was that a threat?” Nariah snarled

   “It was merely a warning Nariah,” Viktoria says calmly. “A warning that you’re better off learning from me, for the time being, than with your master.” she paused to let Nariah regain her composure “Let’s continue on unless you wish to begin your lesson here in the hallway.”

   “Where are we going?”

   “To the South Tower; and hopefully away from any distraction.”

   It was hot. Although no direct sunlight entered the room at the top of the tower, to Nariah, it had seemed as if the combined heat of the entire academy was being vented through this one room. She sat crossed-legged on the floor, the room wasn’t very big a little larger than the size of her own dorm, however much more spacious due to the lack of furniture. As she sat in the center of the floor, Viktoria paced while giving her instructions.

   “It is very important that you understand the magic abilities you currently possess and the abilities you may gain in the future are only possible for two reasons. The first reason is probably the simplest, it’s in your blood. Individuals that are able to conjure spells with a simple thought naturally have an abundance of magical energy within them. However, you will find there are those in the world that are not born magic users and they rely on enchanted items, tomes, spell books, wands, etc, in order to cast magic. At first, it was widely thought that you must be born with the magic ability in order to wield it but that theory has since been discarded. This brings me to the second reason; it surrounds us. Magical energy can be found in all things that exist, it was believed by the ancients long before The Collapse, that this world along with other worlds were made up of magic energy and casters were innately more in sync with this energy allowing them to bend it to their will.

   “I’m not a child, spare me the fairytales.”

   “As you wish. Regardless of where your magic comes from, you have to be attuned with it in order to control it and grow stronger.” Viktoria glanced at Nariah, who she could tell was losing what little interest she had in what she was saying. “The easiest way to become aware of the energy flowing through you is meditation,” Viktoria says as she sits down in front of Nariah, adjusting herself into a similar posture. “Other ways are through study, through practice, and through sparring or fighting, but you have to understand your own body.” She paused for a moment wondering how well this would go. “Today we will begin with mediation, I brought you up here so you can focus without distraction.”

   “How will I know when I’m attuned with my magic energy?” Nariah asks a hint of sincere curiosity in her voice.

   “Unfortunately it’s not the same for everyone,” this answer was not what Nariah wanted to hear.

   “If you don’t tell me what to look for, how will I know once I’ve found it?” 

   “As I said it’s already in you. You have to be open to it and allow it to flow freely through you, at which point you will have a better understanding of how to control it.” Nariah grew irritated, Viktoria sounded like her master but she was only a few years older than her. She let out a long slow exhale while closing her eyes,

   “I would have a better time watching grass grow than being stuck in this miserably hot room with you,” she said out loud

   “Focus on clearing your mind Nariah,” Viktoria says softly, ignoring her comment

   “I don’t understand.” Nariah snapped. 

   “Quiet your mind, Nariah, embrace the calm of the void.”

   “Void?”

   “As in ‘nothingness,” Viktoria explains. “Try breathing steady while keeping your mind from drifting into random thoughts.” Nariah tried to exhale her frustration. Her mind wandered aimlessly and for a moment she thought she would rather spar with her master than continue on with this exercise. Looking to see if Nariah was truly mediating Viktoria reached over, waving her hand in front of Nariahs face.

   “Why are doing that?” Nariah asks her eyes still closed.

   “You’re not concentrating,” Viktoria responds

   “How can I if you’re waving your hand in front of my face?” Nariah argues, embarrassed that she had been caught pretending to meditate.

   “Your focus shouldn’t be on what’s going on in front of your face, but rather the conscious link between you and your magic energy.”

   “How am I to know when I have achieved this conscious link?”

   “As I said before, I cannot tell you, not only is it different for everyone, your master has already warned me about your cunning.”

   “I don’t know what you mean?”

   “It means, I’m not going to tell you how you should feel, so that you may try to deceive me in the days to come,” Viktoria replies. Nariah tries to hide a sly smile.

   They sat in the tower for hours, Viktoria continuously lecturing Nariah on the importance of meditative exercises, stressing that great heights in a magical world cannot be achieved without it. Nariah only half-listened to what she had to say, she had never thought about achieving anything, after all, she was an orphan taken in by the academy. 

   Most of the day had passed by the time Viktoria had finished with Nariah, who was more than glad once she was able to get out of that muggy room. She made her way through the many hallways of the academy avoiding the courtyard, she had a feeling that students might be dueling again or at least one student, in particular, was dueling and wanted to avoid any conflict that may arise. She continued on her journey until she had finally made it to the secret garden. Nariah loved this place, there were only a dozen or so different plant species, far different from the normal gardens on the campus grounds where a lot of the food for that students was grown. This place was very exotic, most of the plant life emitting their own soft hazy glow, while no sunlight entered this particular area of the school. Another reason Nariah liked this place was because only the masters knew of it, as far as she was aware, she happened across it one day some years ago and figured this must be how the masters supply their alchemical potions. The garden was fairly large, for being inside the academies walls. She started down the stone path she always took when she came here which led her to her favorite spot,  an absurdly large willow tree surround by a crystal clear pond. Although she didn’t quite know how water managed its way in around the enormous tree, she always stood for a moment awestruck, admiring the dynamic visual. At first glance, the trunk of the tree seemed normal however you could see in some places where the bark was cracked thin veins of brilliant blue, while the leaves and other various veins that clung to the tree irradiated in various neon colors, mostly hues of green, blue and purple. Nariah climbed the tree, finding the spot she liked to sit in the most, leaned back against the trunk, taking in the intoxicating surroundings that she never grew tired of, and let out a long slow exhale. As she sat there, eyes closed, breathing easy, she felt a prickling sensation in her hands as if her hands had fallen asleep. She casually rubbed her hands together until the sensation left, crossed her arms in front of her then closed her eyes, letting the frustrations of the day pass away.

Thank you for reading this installment of Betrayal Nariah's Origin, I hope you enjoyed it.

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