The day was coming to a close, so Elaruîn brought Fay to a safe area to rest for the night. The boy looked spent, and the Eluwyn didn't want to strain his core to a dangerous level.
So far, they had confirmed that Fay could use the electric whip to defeat the Wyrmling.
Illusion magic, meanwhile, was the second part of his training. While illusions might not directly harm other creatures—at least not when used by a beginner—they were highly effective for controlling the flow of battle.
Fay practiced creating distractions, conjuring false images of familiar beasts, and hiding his own creatures among them. It became difficult for any observer to discern which ones were real.
The boy was a tactical genius, adapting on the fly with ease.
[You did well, kid. I've learned plenty just watching you. What you need now is refinement, a process that normally takes years. But you've already begun shaping tactics in a flash. We'll train for two more days before we face the creature. Rest well tonight—you'll need it for what's to come.]
Fay nodded, excited by his teacher's praise. It wasn't often that the old man—who looked no older than a teenager—said anything besides barking orders.
"Yes! I'll work hard, thanks!"
Fay began setting up a place to sleep. They had nothing but leaves for bedding, but his were the softest kind, handed to him by a strange creature that resembled a lizard.
His teacher called it Lirosyl, but Fay didn't dare call it by name.
Though small, the creature's presence radiated power—at least ten times greater than Grin's. Fay was convinced it could kill him with a single flick of its whip if offended, so he kept quiet.
"Good. You can accommodate yourself in any situation," Elaruîn said. "It's something we warriors learn young."
Fay nodded and curled up to sleep.
The next morning, however, he didn't feel well. His body ached—especially his chest—so he remained still, waiting for his body to adjust.
[Just what I expected. You did train hard, Fay. Now take this tea—it should help. But we'll start slowly today. Training your vision to detect movement from farther away will suffice.]
Fay looked up at his teacher, expecting drill-sergeant Elaruîn to order him to run around and get warmed up. Instead, he was given time to rest.
At least, that's what he believed at first.
The next few hours turned into torture for his eyes.
He had to track Lirosyl as it moved through the forest, using its vines to swing from one point to another so quickly it made Fay dizzy.
Still, he didn't give up.
He knew this skill was essential for tracking creatures, and if there was one thing he wanted, it was to become someone capable of hunting anything—or anyone—that tried to harm him or his sister.
He was well aware of the hums and the danger they posed.
Just because he was under the protection of the two tribes didn't mean he could relax.
Fay adjusted his vision, narrowing his focus to detect only movement. He forced himself to ignore the bright brown glow of the earth and the green hue of the wind that stirred the leaves.
It was hard, but not impossible. He concentrated solely on the swift creature circling him.
His task was simple in theory: use his illusion skill to create a rock and throw it at the creature.
If one of the illusionary stones struck Lirosyl, he would pass the test.
But executing it was exhausting. Not only did he have to maintain his focus, but he also had to create illusions that mimicked real stones with enough realism to land a believable hit.
Any cheating—like making the stone move after throwing—would result in him doing pushups.
The morning passed, and part of the afternoon, until at last he succeeded.
That was when he was handed a large bowl of soup.
[You finally hit Lirosyl. That's good, Fay. My creature is as old as I am, so I know exactly how fast it can move. Now rest again. Eat this quickly—the illusion of the bowl is set to last a maximum of ten minutes.]
Fay nodded and began devouring the food in seconds. He had only eaten a bread-like meal for breakfast, so this was a welcome reward.
He then examined the bowl carefully. It looked so real he wondered: if he dropped it, would it shatter like a real bowl or simply vanish?
[Looks like you're trying to learn something new. That's good. Well then—try it. It's not like I'll lose much if you break it.] ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel⁂fire.net
At his teacher's words, Fay tossed the bowl to the ground and watched as it shattered into pieces, exactly as if it were made of real ceramic.
Then Elaruîn stepped forward and placed his hand over the fragments.
That was when Fay saw it: each piece began to dissolve back into raw aether, which was quickly drawn into his teacher's palm and absorbed.
Sure, Fay could probably create something similar with time, but he had just witnessed two remarkable things: first, the illusion was so detailed it behaved like a real object, even down to breaking apart.
Second, and more importantly, the aether within those fragments remained stable—they didn't vanish or scatter.
They simply lingered until called back. It was as if the magic had never truly left his teacher's grasp. As if the aether still belonged to him, obedient and waiting.
[That is your next lesson—the one I wished you had used yesterday: to mark the aether as your own. That way, it won't matter what form you give it. It will always return to your core as raw energy… because it was yours from the start.]
Fay was flabbergasted by such a method. He hadn't even considered it possible and immediately began to imagine how it was done.
[Relax. It will be easier than what you did yesterday with the mind magic. Take some time to digest everything—both your thoughts and your food—and then we'll begin.]