On Cosmic Tides

Adam sipped his tea in one of the sun-drenched sitting areas of the library. It was bitterly cold outside, a late season storm deciding to defy the spring, but the mana-reinforced glass meant his library was still perfectly pleasant. After spending the bulk of the last few months in his office researching and preparing for the trial, he expected to want a break from the place. Instead he still gravitated here when he was feeling out of sorts or when he wanted to cultivate.

His attendance at the regular lessons had been intermittent while he was working on the legalities, but he still found time to practice. Laurel insisted on it. Despite how busy they all were they did at least a couple of hours of cultivation practice every day. Most of the time her easy-going attitude meant she seemed younger than him. Every once in a while, however, she turned on some sort of mystique and he remembered she was an ancient, powerful sorceress who was well over twice his age. So when she had looked at him in one of those moments and pressed the importance of practice, he listened.

This couch had consequently become his favored cultivation spot. It was comfy and cozy, covered in deep red wool, with a magic tea service unobtrusively off to the side. It was also his favorite nap spot. This morning he just took a moment to revel in being out from under the headsman's ax. Laurel was peeved at the concessions they had made to the merchants and the kingdom, but even she admitted it was a good deal for a sect as small as theirs. It also put less burden on Laurel’s personal combat ability. Adam knew she eventually wanted to go out and collect some magic resources, and this way she could take a few weeks out of the city without worrying what would be there when she returned.

Breathe in, hold, breathe out. He relaxed his mind and slipped into a cultivation trance. It was so much easier now than when he started. He could barely remember struggling to connect all those months ago. He acknowledged the thoughts and let them drift, focusing closer on the mana swirling through his body. At first, he just observed it. A large uncontrolled mass with tendrils moving in every direction, sometimes splashing into other strands as it floated through his body. There were smaller drops throughout his limbs, though most focused in his hands and eyes. He slowly moved some of the mana in his center towards the mana in his left hand. When it reached and joined together, he pulled it back and then over to the right hand. Then he repeated the process and sent it up to his eyes. He pulled it back and started the loop over, forming a circuit in his spirit. He focused on maintaining the flow at a slow but steady pace, sending just a little bit more each time.

Cultivation practice was hard to start but easy to keep going once you picked up the knack. As he continued to prod his mana along, he started thinking about the next history tome he would be translating. It promised an account of the founding of the country that would evolve into Elgin and it promised to be captivating. Then his thoughts drifted to the letter from the Scholar’s Guild sitting on his desk. The stuffy relics manning the guild had actually come through for them in the trial, and now he would have to make time for them to examine some of the books. Another fair trade, though he was the only one concerned. Laurel seemed to find it absurd anyone would kill for the mortal books but she had never seen the cutthroat nature of an academic department.

Something twanged in his center. That was probably bad. Adam refocused on his cultivation but it seemed normal. Probably enough for today. He tried to slow his mana and before he could do more than have the thought, his whole body spasmed. He screamed and promptly passed out.

******

Laurel looked down at where Adam had collapsed on the couch. The rest of the sect crowded behind her.

Lucy tugged on her sleeve and whispered, “is Mr. Adam going to be okay?”

It broke Laurel out of her musings. “Better than okay. He just aspected his mana.” She leaned in closer and peered into his core. “Ink, if I’m reading it right. Fascinating. I wouldn’t expect it so soon, but this room is the most mana infused in the sect.”

“He’s also been living and breathing books his entire adult life.” Annette added helpfully.

“Good point. That definitely helps.” Laurel looked at the rest of her initiates, putting on her best sectmaster tone. “Don’t go around trying to aspect your mana before you carve your channels. It makes the whole process much more finicky and painful.”

“I’m sorry, did you say painful?” Cooper asked.

Laurel had turned back to Adam so she didn’t see the concerned looks on the children’s faces. “Assume almost every process of increasing cultivation is painful. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Meridians are the worst though. Adam would still be conscious if he had gone in the proper order.”

“Lucy, can you pop down to your mom in the kitchen and ask her to steep some of the spiritual mint sprigs into a tea and bring it up?” The girl sprinted off to do as asked. Shouting for her mother before even leaving the library.

“Welcome back” Rebecca said, noticing Adam had started to move around.

Their Loremaster just whimpered in response to the noise. “Don’t bother yet, Rebecca, he’ll be useless for a few minutes until his spirit regulates. Again, this is why we don’t aspect before we have subconscious mana flows established, people. Take a good look. Learn this lesson.”

Laurel watched as Adam tried to open his eyes, and just moaned instead. Lucy came back in, walking as quickly as her short legs could carry her without spilling the teapot she held wrapped in a towel.

“Help is here. Drink this and stop moaning.” Laurel poured Adam a cup and handed it to him after cooling it down a bit. He quaffed the entire thing and wordlessly held it out for more. When most of the pot was gone he was able to open his eyes without crying.

“You aspected your mana. Ink, as you’d expect from a librarian.”

His voice was scratchy from screaming as he replied. “I thought you needed a natural treasure and a bunch of fancy magic to do that.”

Laurel gestured around the room. “I mean, we’ve got quite a bit of fancy magic. And the natural treasures aren’t necessary, just helpful. You should be proud though. I mean, as studpid as it was, ink is a fairly complex aspect. For something like that I’d expect most cultivators to start with water and slowly convert to something more complicated.”

“Not very fearsome though. I doubt anyone will be intimidated by what is basically a book cultivator,” Adam said.

“You only think that because you never saw Grandmaster Torrence after you accidentally damaged a book.”

Conversation devolved from there into stories of the most fearsome teachers any of them had ever had. The sect decided a special dessert was in store as a celebration of a new cultivation step and Esther outdid herself with a pastry and creme confection decorated to look like an open book leaking mana.

“Perfectly fitting for a Loremaster” Laurel proclaimed as they all dug in.