ALL NOVEL Chapter 84: Lessons in Sparks 2.
There was an area in the great manor’s back that was rather secluded.
It was near the stream of the river that Natalya had visited with Mavin in their rather small outing.
Elea stood in her training outfit while her head slightly leaned backwards.
Natalya eyed the little lady, and made Elna, who wore a tunic and pants, to stand in position.
“It is only through practice and experience that one is able to protect oneself. Of course, the spark is limited, and I advise against using it against people with guns. If you do not have my concurrent casting, and could not deploy your spell within a second, then use a gun instead. okay?” she reminded calmly.
Natalya placed her feet apart. “Of course, I shall teach you the ways of producing another layer of shield on your skin. Elna, would you mind?”
“Will...this be okay, Teacher?” Elna loaded the crossbow.
“It will be alright. As much I wanted to make you fire a gun than this. I rather not attract the attention of the guards and my husband. Go ahead. You can shoot it, right?”
Elna nodded. She pointed the sight of the crossbow at Natalya and fired. Natalya muttered and before the head of the bolt could piece her chest. It was deflected from her as if the wind had slapped it.
“What happened?” Elna lowered her crossbow.
“Protection from arrows. Although you would have to create a far more complex spell than this to repel bullets and artillery shells.”
“Can you do that, Teacher?”
“Of course, but at the moment I could only take one artillery shell before my protective shields shatters. Then again, if my husband were to strike me with a black iron blade, it would nullify this.”
“Black iron?”
“It is a strange iron that could repel, nullify, and sometimes disable the spark. There are legends in the archives of Sal-Ven-Tor in Holmia that there was a great traveler that came down from the sky. It was said that this great traveler had strange red eyes and produced the black iron from him. It was said that the traveler was the one who had helped in defeating the imperator and the kin that the imperator had back then.”
“Then we should avoid it?”
“Of course, but the chances of someone possessing black iron is minimal. It is Holmia, Norad, and our home possesses the most of the black iron there is. Of course, it would be best if you know that such iron existed. If your spell is bounced off by this iron, then it would be best if you cast a gun in their direction instead.”
Elea nodded. She placed the crossbow on the base of the tree. Elea stood up in a stance and faced Natalya. It was then that Natalya started muttering individual words and letters that suddenly turned and formed into these floating fireflies that were the size of an apple.
“Orbs are rather dangerous. I may have taught you in the past days how to form your layers, but it would be best if you do not underestimate this. It is one of the most dangerous weapons that Magi’s like us are able to wield when faced against a hostile.”
Natalya quieted. “I do like to remind you two again. There are currently only three of us that are able to wield the bloom again because I had imparted a part of my crest, turning you two into my kin. When you become kin, you become part of me. We formed an invisible bond that allows us to circulate the spark within ourselves. Think of me as the heart and brain of this ‘body’ while you two have become my organs who benefit from me. Because I have the draw of spark within me that you two are able to use this spark to draw from the leftovers of the world. There are only a few of us who are able to draw from the spark so do not worry about running out of spark.
"Think of the world as a globe filled with water, and this globe there was a hole where water comes in. The water is the spark, and throughout the years this globe has been filled with the spark."
All that was natural remained.
Natalya had already somewhat suspected this was the case, but only through seeing that vision that she was able to gain enlightenment and find a way to restore half of her abilities. She was not like when she still had the full crest on the back of her hand. Although the hole where the spark had come from had been shut by her husband and made it rather impossible for anyone other than her for now to wield the spark.
Nonetheless, it was only because she had that enlightenment given by the vision that she was able to wield the bloom of her spark again. Humans are beings that always find a way to regain what they have lost through ingenuity. There are long-lived humans that should be able to create inferior crests that they could remove. She was sure that the Nullers would be the first to regain their crests because of their natural genius in creating technology.
Not to mention that with the appearance of the bomb that they should be desperate enough to find a way to regain what they had lost. The Magi’s would be dependent on their artifacts to sustain themselves, but it wouldn’t be long until some Master would be able to replicate a crest that could attract the spark again.
Natalya guessed that Minerva would be the first, she thought. That woman in Holmia was always someone who had the most attunement to the spark other than her. It wouldn’t be long until she regains the ability to use her spark again. By that time she would hide their presence from the rest of the Magi’s and the Nullers who are rather eager to accumulate their knowledge.
Not to mention that the Royal Huntsmen wouldn’t allow them to take a single step in the Empire after their Great Silence. Who would want to take a step into the Empire that had successfully slaughtered and drove out the Magi and the Nullers who are supposed to be ‘capable’ and ‘fearsome’ within two days?
She was safe because she was in the domain of the Hounds of Lazon. Not to mention that no one would bat an eye to them in the heart of the capital, and in the home of the Tomas Family as well.
They would be asking for a beating if they dare to try entering this domain. With her mind racing to different directions, Natalya shrugged her thoughts for now and let the orb move.
Elea became wary and fumbled her spell and was tapped by the orb. Elna had a better reaction. She produced a wisp of solidified ball of fire and aimed her hand like a pistol. The orb that Natalya created was forced to defend, and at the same time counter Elna.
But Elna raised her left arm and swept the bead of flame, raised her right hand, and swiped it against the orb, scattering a part of it. She was about to finish off the orb when the orb moved below her and made an upper movement which hit right on the left rib and armpit, forcing her to stand down, and shriek.
Elea hurried to make the same movement when Natalya led the orb with her finger and had it blast water on Elea’s face, shutting her mouth, and making her stop mid-cast of her spell.
Elna tried to compose herself, but Natalya didn’t let her. By the time the orbs completed three movements, the two ladies were forced into a spot where they could not move and had been pinned down. Elea reluctantly raised her arms in protest and pouted. Elna followed after, seeing that there was no way out.
Natalya regarded the two with a smile. “You two should know that one of our weaknesses is that we use words to guide the spark into forming. These words of powers are what helps us form these words into a spell. With my mastery, I could do without the use of the words, but you two are still seedlings in regard to casting a spell.”
Natalya stayed her gaze on Elna. “Elna, you have a better reaction to the spells, but remember that although it is good to be reliant on your shielding. You shouldn’t do that when there is no need to. If it was a bullet you were trying to sweep or a knife then it would have caused a crack on your shield. One or more blows would have been terrible. As for the shriek and flinching, that can be fixed within time and constant practice,” she then moved her eyes to Elea. “As for you little girl, you still have so much to go. Do not worry, you are still young, and have time in improving your skills.”
Elea beamed. “Thank you, teacher!”
Natalya nodded. “For now I should demonstrate.”
The two stepped back while Natalya spread her palms in their direction. With a few words of power they were covered in ten layers of shielding. “Ten layers that cover elemental protection and the necessary shielding such as protection from projectiles and melee weapons. Now stand still and let me have you experience what it’s like to have ten layers on your skin.”
With a snap of her finger, the orbs that floated replicated themselves into ten individual orbs. Elna and Elea stood in attention at the sight of these orbs. Then without a notice, the orbs released beams and lines that were bouncing projectiles side by side, shredding the ten layers that protected them. Each projectile was ripping through shields at such extreme speeds that the two ladies could not even catch where the projectiles were going. They became a blur that Natalya didn’t see the figure of the two while she was manipulating the spell to their best potential. She made sure that the ladies were able to experience the strength and weakness of the ten-layered shielding that she had developed.
Five minutes after the start of the spell. The orbs slowly died down and the shielding that covered the two ladies shattered into glass-like fragments that then dispersed into light.
“How was it?”
“Terrible, but satisfying,” Elna said. There was a shine in the young lady’s eyes. She acted as if she was savoring the feeling of being protected by the shielding. Natalya turned to Elea and saw the little girl amazed and awed. Her eyes sparkling with greed and desire that Natalya couldn’t help but rubbed her palm on the little girl’s head to calm her down.
“Now, now, the shielding is a wonderful thing to have. But you must treat it as a necessary vital part of your body. Do not let yourself get hurt and if possible, try your best to avoid any part of you getting hurt. Some may think differently, but I assure you that shielding is the first thing that you ladies must first master. The spark is a tool that can kill and protect. I have been wielding the spark long enough that I know what it can do. I choose you two because you two are now my kin, and that you have sworn to me that you will only use what I have imparted for your self-protection.”
Natalya had used the spark to do what she wanted. In the end, in those visions, she couldn’t protect a damn thing. With this ‘second chance’ she was willing to teach it to these two who have unfortunate days coming them. If she hadn’t received those visions, those ‘memories’. Would she have bothered? No, definitely no, but knowing what was going to happen means that she had the choice to either let it pass or offer a hand towards them.
Natalya had grown fond of Elea. She was a sweet little girl and she didn’t want such an unfortunate fate to happen to her. Most of all, she didn’t want to see the future where her husband would become a Ghost again.
She wanted something better than that hateful vision of a possible future.
