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NeziulFlamelord and Renose Collab (Part 7)
Thomas rose as well, cracking his knuckles before picking up the sword once again. He watched and listened as Serin explained what they would be doing next and returned the stone seats to the concrete they had spring from. Eyes widened at the revelation he was given, that he was going to be the third person to ever learn this technique, though a tad dimmed by the fact that he was retreading the ground that someone in the group had already covered, though Oner had been suppressed this entire time. still, it would be something that the rest, and the Six Senses, wouldn't see coming when he did break it out.
Time to go again. Thomas nodded, holding the blade comfortably and having to hold back a chuckle at the intense look he recieved, though for what reason he didn't know. Hopefully Serin hadn't noticed. He nodded and focused, remembering what he had just finished doing, following what he had learned. then he unleashed it, a clear blast of lightning flashing forth as a solid, crackling stream from Thomas' blade to where Serin was standing, blue and super heating the air with static. Certainly, more power than he had ever used or had the need to use before in an actual fight.
Serin smirked as he felt the lightning magic come forth, feeling the will and power behind it. Much stronger than what Thomas was using when Serin first arrived. The lightning would hit Serin's blade or be pulled into it by the Runic over his body, but it did not disappear like normal. No instead another change took place. Serin's blade was now crackling with the same electricity as Thomas' magic was now trapped within, seemingly imbuing the blade with its power. "Your magic is mine now". He swung the sword to demonstrate, the blade seeming to rip and move through the air as he swung it like a lightning bolt.
"And now... you can take it back!" He then suddenly slashed the sword downward towards Thomas, the lightning magic that Thomas had just used now being sent right back at him, a bit stronger than it was before as Serin had put some of his own power into it. Serin wanting to see how Thomas would react in this situation.
That was also unexpected, as Thomas ended the spell to see Serin standing there with a blade crackling with sparks of electricity, yet it didn't dissipate like normal Runic. It hit him like a hammer as he understood. So, keep the spell around, make an elementally charged blade for your weapon. Cool. And that it was, though he did find it a tad bit hard to believe that Oner and Serin were the only other people in the various realms that could do something like this. But he wasn't gonig to voice that thought either at the moment.
Eyes widened as Serin threw the magic back from where it was held on his blade at Thomas. The situation warred with instinct, his normal reaction had this been a combat situation to dive out of the way and then retaliate. But this wasn't normal combat, it was training. And he had the feeling that Serin expected him to catch it with Runic, since that was the whole point of what they were doing. So he did that. But time was wasted and he couldn't catch everything, and he recieved shocks with tingling aftereffects for his effort. He looked over to Serin as he waved the feeling back into his fingers. "Nice."
Serin was hoping that Thomas would catch the spell with Runic, which he almost managed to do. He only missed some of it, but not too much to where it would hurt. "Heh, glad you liked it. That skill is called the Mahou Ken, or Magic Sword. You'll have to forgive me for the... less than creative name. It was four AM when I named it after first developing it, and after weeks of work on the skill and a less than healthy lack of sleep your creativity begins to leave you". Serin scratched the back of his head a little awkwardly after saying this, giving a small chuckle.
"Anyway". He cleared his throat to move on with the conversation. "This skill involves catching a spell with Runic. Instead of simply dispelling the spell you truly claim it as your own and trap it within your sword. You see as I mentioned before when you capture a spell with Runic it becomes your spell. This skill takes ultimate advantage of that as it is used to power your weapon, giving your attacks with it new properties. Not only that, but you can also either send it back from your blade bolstered with your own magic or you can dispel it and absorb the mana at anytime as you would with Runic".
Serin then took another stance, looking at Thomas again. "Close your eyes, I am going to throw another spell at you, but I won't tell you which spell, nor will I tell you when I am going to throw it. You are to capture it as you would with Runic, but instead of dispelling the spell and absorbing the Mana once its inside your sword like you normally would keep it trapped in there. Naturally it will charge your blade, giving it new magical power. This practice will not only teach you a new skill, but also train everything else that I have been teaching you as well. Now then, whenever you are ready".
Finally getting that needed feeling back, Thomas shrugged. "Not everything needs a cool name. Elegant simplicity, or something like that. So I've been told anyway." He listened on, interested, though a thought occured to him yet again, and he debated the application of it, but decided to wait for now since he wanted to cinsider the implications and the possibilities himself. For now, how to make magic swords.
THomas nodded, a bit more uncertain now. He hadn't really done this with his eyes closed before, though he knew in his mind that it should make no difference since his eyes didn't play a roll in the actual process itself. it was just the anticipation, the not knowing when it was going to hit, how much time was left, it was unnerving. But he followed the instructions and closed his eyes, the sword held in a ready position. "Go," he said.
Serin just nodded, staying silent. He walked around Thomas for a few long moments, building up magic and dispelling it to keep the mage on his toes. Training with his eyes closed would help Thomas hone his magical senses. This wasn't a beginner lesson on Runic anymore. This was an advanced lesson and thus the training would only get harder. After what seemed like forever, but was only around a minute or so, Serin suddenly cast his spell with one quick motion. It was an air spell, not that Thomas could see it, a blast of wind shooting right at Thomas as Serin hoped that all of his Runic training had paid off to allow him to do it with his eyes closed and with a spell he didn't know.
Thomas had to force himself to hold his eyes closed, ears perked as he listened for an indication of where Serin was, his magical senses picking up the flow and dissipation of Mana as he stayed still, he hair on the back of his neck prickled in anticipation. For him as well it seemed like forever, but it was almost a relief when the blow did come. He reacted, embracing the strange yet increasingly familiar nature of the Air spell, but misjudged how long it took, how long he had, and he was not fully successful, forced to hold his ground against the buffeting of wind as he let it pass silently, anger at himself growing as he waited for the next hit.
Serin was not surprised that Thomas couldn't get it on the first try. Runic wasn't exactly an easy skill in the first place, Mahou Ken being an even further advanced version of it. Serin said nothing as he built up that same suspense, this time a shorter amount of time passing as this time a swirling 'drill' like blast of flame shot at Thomas now, a bit of lightning mixed in in the middle of the swirling blast, not that Thomas could see it with his eyes, but if his senses were honed enough he could feel it with that sixth sense for magic that mages possessed.
The silence went on, Thomas's determination to get it down growing amidst his anger at himself for failing before. More time passed, still imperceptible besides the huff of his breathing and the sounds and feeling that reached him from Serin. when the spell came he was prepared, reaching out and aiming for speed, to get it as fast as possible even if he had to do brute force to make it happen. But this time he succeeded, pulling the spell in and dissipating it for Mana. But he had to do better, prove it wasn't a fluke, so he waited for another spell, or further instruction.
"Good. It seems you noticed the lightning inside as well. Keep your eyes closed. This time, instead of absorbing the spell with Runic you have to keep it trapped in your sword, where it will then charge your blade with magical power. Remember everything that I have taught you thus far and you will get this". Serin then went silent, proceeding to walk around Thomas slowly, making sure to go all around slowly, every now and again making a small leap to go into a different position on a different side of Thomas to keep him sensing, building up and dispelling Mana every now and again.
Then this time a blast of air shot from Serin, heading straight from the mage. The air was condensed into a sphere and swirling rather quickly, so it would most likely pack a punch if Thomas wasn't able to absorb it this time.
THomas grunted a response to Serin as he kept his eyes closed, drawn back into that anticipatory waiting, the sensing of that concentration of magical energy, trying to hear where he was, not a fun experience but one he accepted if it would help him get better, get stronger, win back some respect. When the orb of air came, he went to work again, speed and brute force chosen over finesse to whatever detriment that might bring, though he had yet to see one. But he was sure it would be revealed in time. the hard part was not absorbing the orb of air, but rather shunting it over to his sword, to ttrap it there. There was some leed over and loss of spell power, of mana, but he did succeed in imbuing the sword with air magic, for whatever that did.
"Good, you may open your eyes". When Thomas did open them he would see his sword, air swirling around the blade. Despite how heavy it was it now felt very light in his hand and in turn it would make him feel a little lighter as well. "Give it a few swings, then after that..." Serin drew his own sword. "Come at me". If Thomas swung it around a little he would discover that the blade was light like the wind, able to cut and move through it much easier than it could before. Once Serin figured Thomas was ready he took a stance, waiting for Thomas to make the first move.
"Show me now your skills as a swordsman. This will allow you to better hone your skills with the sword and with keeping magic in your sword while fighting, allowing you to also hone everything else I have been teaching you. Now then... whenever you are ready..."
Thomas did as requested, eyes peeling open to reveal the sword with wisps of white wind swirling around cold steel. He did as requested, noting how light and quick he could move it, despite how much it should weigh. "Alright," he replied, testing it a bit more to see how the new light weight affected the balance, then he moved in to attack Serin, using his admittedly unsophisticated style, augmented by the air spell, to try and overwhelm him, though he had a feeling that this wouldn't see much success. But he had to make the effort, so he went at it, trying to use his speed to get past Serin's guard and land a hit.
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Flamelord and Renose Collab (Part 6)
Serin went for a good half an hour (including the short breaks they would take), making sure that Thomas had a much greater grasp of the now completed Runic skill as well as the properties of other magics and more on how to connect his will to not only his magic, but the magic of others being thrown at him. Serin wiped his brow, taking off his hat as he did so before putting it back on. "Phew, I'll admit you have progressed alot in this short time. While it is far from being mastered, I would say you have a large enough grasp to use it in battle. As much as I would like to duel you now to see your progress I did say I was going to teach you two skills, so lets take a quick breather first, and maybe you can tell me about what you have learned so far and what you think of it all while we do so".
Serin waved his hand at the ground, two large 'stumps' of tone coming up from the ground as Serin used the Stone spell to give them seats, Serin sitting down on his and gesturing for Thomas to sit down across from him. "You may not be one for meditating, and truthfully niether am I. That was more Oner's thing when I last saw him three years ago, but just talking it out and me going over any questions you may have will help you understand things more. Plus, I can't have you learning this next skill while being too tired now". He chuckled a small bit at this, waiting for Thomas to sit down so they could chat, offering the other mage a bottle of water when he did finally sit down.
"Thanks," Thomas replied somewhat tiredly, sword dropping so the tip of the blade hovered near the ground, and his own feelings were somewhat evident as he moved over and sat down on the stone seat with a sigh, legs aching from the activity they had so recently had to do. He took the bottle of water gratefully and untwisted the cap, letting the cool, soothing water run down his throat and refresh him. He was so going to relax after this, now that it had become quite a different workout from what he had been intending.
He took the time to think up the questions he did have, the ones he felt comfortable with or that he needed to ask to aid his understanding. there was only one he could really think of, the one he had wanted to know the answer to earlier (since the possible question about the barrier itself had been answered in due time) "So, 'Complete' Runic. Why is it weaker to wrap it aqround your body than the sword itself? I mean, your will and your Mana come form your body, so oculdn't you generate the runic around your body first, and then extend it to the sword? Just seems backwards to me that the weapon has a greater ability to absorb spells than the full body shield does".
Serin was enjoying his own bottle of water as Thomas spoke, but stopped drinking when Thomas asked his question, the mage scratching the back of his head as he set the bottle down. "Good question actually. In truth, I never really thought of it that way, but there is indeed a reason for it. You see, Runic is the ability to absorb magic through your sword. Your sword essentially becomes like a staff in a sense, capable of holding and storing magic, which you use to replenish your magical energy. The body is not meant to be a magic staff, as it is not meant to store spells inside of it like an object is. The Complete Runic is a unique concept I thought up where you take the Runic you have in your sword and also wrap it around your body. If you may have noticed when a spell hits the Runic around your body your body does not directly absorb the mana of the spell since it is still a spell. Instead it quickly grasps the spell, moves it along the Runic around your body, then traps it in the sword, where you are then free to control it as you please. The reason why it is weaker around the body is mainly because of the additional area you have to cover, but as I mentioned before with enough time and practice you can overcome this limitation and your Runic will hold the same strength all around".
Serin nodded, thinking that was a good explanation, if a little bit long winded. "Does that make any sense? To be honest, it still confuses me just saying the explanation, but that is probably because it is so natural to me through my years of using it that I sort of forget how it works. It just becomes like breathing, so natural that you don't really think about the mechanics behind it". Serin chuckled a bit at this before taking another drink from his waterbottle, waiting for anymore questions that Thomas might have, or if he didn't have any questions maybe opinions on the things he had learned so far. Either way, they had some time to kill while they caught their breath.
Thomas listened to the explanation calmly, taking sips from his water until Serin was done and asking if it made sense. "Yeah, I guess," he replied, glancing over at one of the nearby buildings. quesitons then failed him, and he sighed as he enjoyed the rest and water. there was the issue of what to say, and how to phrase it. He didn't want to reveal any insecurities to a practical stranger, how much he felt he needed this to bolster his confidence and such, his belief in what he was doing. He just wasn't sure what to say, hough something did occur to him, so he went with that instead. "Man, I wish I'd learned this sort of style when I was first starting out as a mage. I'd be a lot farther along than I am now," he commented idly, taking another sip.
"Well there is nothing wrong with what you were taught. In fact, I say that is a better way to start off. Even Reno started off that same way. What I taught you is what is called Master Magic. Attaining mastery over your magic using your will to the point where you command the magic based upon what you desire, not based on what is in a magic book. Great wizards like Merlin-sensei also use Master Magic. It is not something one simply learns at the start, nor something one learns at all. It is a concept that must be grasped by each individual mage. It takes alot of practice in magic to be able to build up to it. It is thanks to your own magical experience that you were able to grasp it so quickly. If I had taught you this from your first day it would have taken you forever to learn just one simple spell".
Thomas had to keep from rolling his eyes amidst the response at the usage of that phrase again. It seemed that Rneo wasn't the only one to use that term with Merlin, and suddenly that little bit made a lot more sense. The rest though....He accepted it, but he had his own doubts on whether that was true. And there were differences as well, him growing up in a provincial town in the countryside rather than being trained for magic from the start. He couldn't help but wonder whether that had some impact as well and if a different childhood would have changed the calibre of mage he was today. But none of that was aired to Serin, rather his own thoughts that he kept to himself. No one wanted to know about his own childhood after all. Instead, there was just an "I see," before he finished the water bottle and looked over at the Red Mage, ready to go back to it.
Serin could tell from that one look that he was ready, so Serin quickly downed the rest of his water and stood up, stretching a little as he did so. "This next skill requires a high grasp of Runic, like the one you just achieved. It is a special skill that changes Runic from just a pure defense skill into a skill with large amounts of offensive power. It is one that I developed myself so only myself and Oner know it. You are about to become the third person to learn it". He drew his sword, waiting for Thomas to stand up before tapping both stumps of stone with the tip of his blade, the stumps retracting back into the ground to make their training area flat again.
He took a stance now, facing Thomas from a ten yard distance. "The most powerful spell you can summon. Throw it at me with all you've got, put all of your will into it and hold nothing back. Show me more of the fruits of your training". He gave Thomas a somewhat intense look, waiting for him to begin.
Serin went for a good half an hour (including the short breaks they would take), making sure that Thomas had a much greater grasp of the now completed Runic skill as well as the properties of other magics and more on how to connect his will to not only his magic, but the magic of others being thrown at him. Serin wiped his brow, taking off his hat as he did so before putting it back on. "Phew, I'll admit you have progressed alot in this short time. While it is far from being mastered, I would say you have a large enough grasp to use it in battle. As much as I would like to duel you now to see your progress I did say I was going to teach you two skills, so lets take a quick breather first, and maybe you can tell me about what you have learned so far and what you think of it all while we do so".
Serin waved his hand at the ground, two large 'stumps' of tone coming up from the ground as Serin used the Stone spell to give them seats, Serin sitting down on his and gesturing for Thomas to sit down across from him. "You may not be one for meditating, and truthfully niether am I. That was more Oner's thing when I last saw him three years ago, but just talking it out and me going over any questions you may have will help you understand things more. Plus, I can't have you learning this next skill while being too tired now". He chuckled a small bit at this, waiting for Thomas to sit down so they could chat, offering the other mage a bottle of water when he did finally sit down.
"Thanks," Thomas replied somewhat tiredly, sword dropping so the tip of the blade hovered near the ground, and his own feelings were somewhat evident as he moved over and sat down on the stone seat with a sigh, legs aching from the activity they had so recently had to do. He took the bottle of water gratefully and untwisted the cap, letting the cool, soothing water run down his throat and refresh him. He was so going to relax after this, now that it had become quite a different workout from what he had been intending.
He took the time to think up the questions he did have, the ones he felt comfortable with or that he needed to ask to aid his understanding. there was only one he could really think of, the one he had wanted to know the answer to earlier (since the possible question about the barrier itself had been answered in due time) "So, 'Complete' Runic. Why is it weaker to wrap it aqround your body than the sword itself? I mean, your will and your Mana come form your body, so oculdn't you generate the runic around your body first, and then extend it to the sword? Just seems backwards to me that the weapon has a greater ability to absorb spells than the full body shield does".
Serin was enjoying his own bottle of water as Thomas spoke, but stopped drinking when Thomas asked his question, the mage scratching the back of his head as he set the bottle down. "Good question actually. In truth, I never really thought of it that way, but there is indeed a reason for it. You see, Runic is the ability to absorb magic through your sword. Your sword essentially becomes like a staff in a sense, capable of holding and storing magic, which you use to replenish your magical energy. The body is not meant to be a magic staff, as it is not meant to store spells inside of it like an object is. The Complete Runic is a unique concept I thought up where you take the Runic you have in your sword and also wrap it around your body. If you may have noticed when a spell hits the Runic around your body your body does not directly absorb the mana of the spell since it is still a spell. Instead it quickly grasps the spell, moves it along the Runic around your body, then traps it in the sword, where you are then free to control it as you please. The reason why it is weaker around the body is mainly because of the additional area you have to cover, but as I mentioned before with enough time and practice you can overcome this limitation and your Runic will hold the same strength all around".
Serin nodded, thinking that was a good explanation, if a little bit long winded. "Does that make any sense? To be honest, it still confuses me just saying the explanation, but that is probably because it is so natural to me through my years of using it that I sort of forget how it works. It just becomes like breathing, so natural that you don't really think about the mechanics behind it". Serin chuckled a bit at this before taking another drink from his waterbottle, waiting for anymore questions that Thomas might have, or if he didn't have any questions maybe opinions on the things he had learned so far. Either way, they had some time to kill while they caught their breath.
Thomas listened to the explanation calmly, taking sips from his water until Serin was done and asking if it made sense. "Yeah, I guess," he replied, glancing over at one of the nearby buildings. quesitons then failed him, and he sighed as he enjoyed the rest and water. there was the issue of what to say, and how to phrase it. He didn't want to reveal any insecurities to a practical stranger, how much he felt he needed this to bolster his confidence and such, his belief in what he was doing. He just wasn't sure what to say, hough something did occur to him, so he went with that instead. "Man, I wish I'd learned this sort of style when I was first starting out as a mage. I'd be a lot farther along than I am now," he commented idly, taking another sip.
"Well there is nothing wrong with what you were taught. In fact, I say that is a better way to start off. Even Reno started off that same way. What I taught you is what is called Master Magic. Attaining mastery over your magic using your will to the point where you command the magic based upon what you desire, not based on what is in a magic book. Great wizards like Merlin-sensei also use Master Magic. It is not something one simply learns at the start, nor something one learns at all. It is a concept that must be grasped by each individual mage. It takes alot of practice in magic to be able to build up to it. It is thanks to your own magical experience that you were able to grasp it so quickly. If I had taught you this from your first day it would have taken you forever to learn just one simple spell".
Thomas had to keep from rolling his eyes amidst the response at the usage of that phrase again. It seemed that Rneo wasn't the only one to use that term with Merlin, and suddenly that little bit made a lot more sense. The rest though....He accepted it, but he had his own doubts on whether that was true. And there were differences as well, him growing up in a provincial town in the countryside rather than being trained for magic from the start. He couldn't help but wonder whether that had some impact as well and if a different childhood would have changed the calibre of mage he was today. But none of that was aired to Serin, rather his own thoughts that he kept to himself. No one wanted to know about his own childhood after all. Instead, there was just an "I see," before he finished the water bottle and looked over at the Red Mage, ready to go back to it.
Serin could tell from that one look that he was ready, so Serin quickly downed the rest of his water and stood up, stretching a little as he did so. "This next skill requires a high grasp of Runic, like the one you just achieved. It is a special skill that changes Runic from just a pure defense skill into a skill with large amounts of offensive power. It is one that I developed myself so only myself and Oner know it. You are about to become the third person to learn it". He drew his sword, waiting for Thomas to stand up before tapping both stumps of stone with the tip of his blade, the stumps retracting back into the ground to make their training area flat again.
He took a stance now, facing Thomas from a ten yard distance. "The most powerful spell you can summon. Throw it at me with all you've got, put all of your will into it and hold nothing back. Show me more of the fruits of your training". He gave Thomas a somewhat intense look, waiting for him to begin.
Flamelord and Renose Collab (Part 5)
"Thanks," Thomas replied gratefully, smiling a bit at the praise, before turning to the final two lessons that he had to learn. actually three, he supposed, though he was iffy on if the last one was actually Runic or not. Call it a result of phrasing. He turned to the next task at hand then, trying to remember what it was that Serin had demonstrated before that he would get to know now.
"Alright." The next task then. He closed his eyes, thought, imagined, put more effort into this than he had into absorbing spells, since he had to generate it this time rather than take it. And he was going to put all the effort he could into it. It was another willful effort to not do what he usually did, to rely on his will rather than the routines, the process he had learned previously for harnessing the magic inside him and using it. Not shaping it, but calling on it in the first place, that was difficult. At last he got it though and lashed out, A ball of flame in his hand glowing before it flew out, splitting into four burning comets that would come at Serin from different directions, to increase the chance that one would get through. He was supposed to try, after all.
Serin waited with baited anticipation to see what Thomas would do. To his pleasant surprise, that quickly became unpleasant, Serin witnessed as the boy created a fire spell, but not in the conventional sense. He had made it split into four other bursts of flame that came at Serin. This was good as it allowed Serin to demonstrate the full potential of Runic. Instead of dodging or even moving to block them with his sword he stayed still, all four burning projectiles slamming into the Red Wizard. They seemed to hit something else other than Serin though when they slammed into him, the magic then flowing up from where they hit him into his sword before he absorbed the Mana from his sword, letting out a small exhale as he did so.
"Phew. You really got the hang of it. I could feel your will and power in that spell this time, and let me tell you it was much harder to absorb than the first little fireball you threw at me. Given enough time and practice you may soon be capable of throwing spells at me that I have no chance of absorbing. That, Thomas, is how much more powerful and innovative your magic becomes when you put the force of your will into it. But for now, let us talk about Runic. What you witnessed was a Complete Runic. As I mentioned before your magic is an extension of your will, your sword an extension of your body. With your capability of quickly forming Runic inside of your sword you are capable of making your sword an extension of your will. Complete Runic takes that to the next level. As your sword is an extension of your body, Runic makes it an extension of your will. Naturally since the sword and body are also connected, you can take the Runic in your sword and wrap it around your body".
Serin sheathed his sword, taking a moment to quickly recall how he explained it to Oner before since it just came so naturally to the Red Wizard. "To do this, focus like you did when you first performed Runic. Only this time, relay the connection of your magic to your body as well. Wrap it around your body slowly, like a second skin. Your sword and the magic within becomes connected to the outside of your body as well, making your entire being linked with your magic with all of it being connected by your very will". Serin then stopped his explanation, looking at Thomas to see how well he did this next task.
Okay, not quite what he had been expecting, but Thomas did have the satisfaction of guessing that what serin would do next had to do with that apparent Barrier he had put up around himself during his first demonstration. He grinned at the further praise, glad to be getting stronger though he would need to make sure he didn't slip outside of this practice, since they were on the move quite a lot and he would have to try and remember not to fall back into old habits. Hopefully he was up to the task.
He nodded in understanding, a logical conclusion that the will that let you absorb magic with your sword could do the same for your entire body. He closed his eyes and did as instructed then, focusing on that invisible layer above the sword and stretching it to cover his entire body, though his face twisted with some effort in the process, working his mind to do whatr needed to be done. Perhaps this was easier though, with his natural understanding of the flow of Mana through the body, giving him a basis in which to translate that to something even more imperceptible such as willpower. when he thought he had it done, he nodded to Serin.
Serin watched as Thomas once again seemed to get it. "Good. Let me warn you though that there is one downside to the barrier around your body. While it allows you to still trap magic that hits your body in your sword and absorb it, the Runic around your body isn't as strong as the Runic in your sword. I am sure with practice and time you will be able to overcome this limitation just as I did. Just keep in mind that it is better to block spells with your sword to be able to absorb more of its power, but nonetheless you will still be able to absorb a bit of a spell with your body as well. As you grow in strength you will also find that you are capable of absorbing more powerful spells as well. And even if you are not capable of fully absorbing a really powerful spell, it is better to absorb some of it then it is to get hit by all of it".
He then looked at Thomas for a few moments, making sure his Runic was up to par still even after his explanation as he took a stance, letting Thomas do whatever adjustments he needed to do before getting ready. "Ill be aiming to hit you fully. Block what you can while keeping this Complete Runic up. In time putting up a Complete Runic will become as natural as blinking or breathing. But for now... try to endure this practice first". With that Serin began quickly moving around, sending combined spells, regular spells, and even spells that were unconvential to normal mages all at Thomas.
He didn't do it at one standard pace either, during this entire time he kept moving quickly on his feet with surprising agility, hoping to increase Thomas' reflexes and sword blocking skills as well. There were also spells that Thomas didn't know throwin into the mix. Water and Aero. At first during this session they were by themselves, but as things progressed Serin made Thomas work even harder by combining them with spells that Thomas did know or even shooting out small blasts of water wrapped in a small twister of air to give it a sort of large air-water bullet feel.
Again, like last time, there would only be short breaks for Serin to recharge his mana before continuing. Thomas would also notice that Serin was putting a little more strength and speed into all of his spells this time then he did last time. They were not the strength of Level 3 spells, but they certainly were above the strength of Level 2 spells, so Thomas would have to spend extra effort absorbing the extra amount of power as well. This was supposed to be the final lesson in Runic after all, Serin hoping that Thomas would realize him being able to absorb spells unfamiliar or unknown to him being the other lesson Serin was going to teach him as well, wanting Thomas to realize that the enemy may use powers or magic unknown to Thomas and that he would have to be able to grasp those as quickly as he could any other spell.
Thomas's brow furrowed as Serin explained the downside of this Complete Runic, one that didn't make real sense to him. Yeah, he could understand it being weaker in terms of the area covered, but since your body was the actual source of your mana and your will, why wouldn't that be stronger than the sword part? Unless it did have to do with the extra area covered stretching your attention and such further than just the sword would. But that didn't explain why it was stronger around the sword than the rest of your body when it was being done. He felt like he should ask, but there was also a part of him that wanted to figure it out himself, and so refused to do that. And it wasn't his other self, but rather the part of him that refused to ask for help, the prideful part of him that thought he could do it himself without assistance.
"Alright," he replied, settling into that fighting stance before the exercise began again. And nearly immediately he could feel it was harder, not just in the strength and variety of the spells used, though that wasn't a cakewalk as it was, but the effort needed to keep Runic up while keeping track of incoming spells and using the sword. He did miss some, things that kinda sorta hurt when they landed. But he could, and did, heal himself during the short breaks that came while he got his breath back, figuring this would be his workout for today. and with the continued use he began to get more used to the spells he didn't know, increased familiarity with the underlying elements and basics of them that he could tether to for when he was trying to negate them. Not that he needed to be taught that the enemy might use spells he didn't know.
So he worked, as hard as he could, to impress himself and get the most out of the short time he had, to make up for the apparent lack of training he had had in his past as much as he could. And though he was far from perfect, he would go as long as Serin did.
"Thanks," Thomas replied gratefully, smiling a bit at the praise, before turning to the final two lessons that he had to learn. actually three, he supposed, though he was iffy on if the last one was actually Runic or not. Call it a result of phrasing. He turned to the next task at hand then, trying to remember what it was that Serin had demonstrated before that he would get to know now.
"Alright." The next task then. He closed his eyes, thought, imagined, put more effort into this than he had into absorbing spells, since he had to generate it this time rather than take it. And he was going to put all the effort he could into it. It was another willful effort to not do what he usually did, to rely on his will rather than the routines, the process he had learned previously for harnessing the magic inside him and using it. Not shaping it, but calling on it in the first place, that was difficult. At last he got it though and lashed out, A ball of flame in his hand glowing before it flew out, splitting into four burning comets that would come at Serin from different directions, to increase the chance that one would get through. He was supposed to try, after all.
Serin waited with baited anticipation to see what Thomas would do. To his pleasant surprise, that quickly became unpleasant, Serin witnessed as the boy created a fire spell, but not in the conventional sense. He had made it split into four other bursts of flame that came at Serin. This was good as it allowed Serin to demonstrate the full potential of Runic. Instead of dodging or even moving to block them with his sword he stayed still, all four burning projectiles slamming into the Red Wizard. They seemed to hit something else other than Serin though when they slammed into him, the magic then flowing up from where they hit him into his sword before he absorbed the Mana from his sword, letting out a small exhale as he did so.
"Phew. You really got the hang of it. I could feel your will and power in that spell this time, and let me tell you it was much harder to absorb than the first little fireball you threw at me. Given enough time and practice you may soon be capable of throwing spells at me that I have no chance of absorbing. That, Thomas, is how much more powerful and innovative your magic becomes when you put the force of your will into it. But for now, let us talk about Runic. What you witnessed was a Complete Runic. As I mentioned before your magic is an extension of your will, your sword an extension of your body. With your capability of quickly forming Runic inside of your sword you are capable of making your sword an extension of your will. Complete Runic takes that to the next level. As your sword is an extension of your body, Runic makes it an extension of your will. Naturally since the sword and body are also connected, you can take the Runic in your sword and wrap it around your body".
Serin sheathed his sword, taking a moment to quickly recall how he explained it to Oner before since it just came so naturally to the Red Wizard. "To do this, focus like you did when you first performed Runic. Only this time, relay the connection of your magic to your body as well. Wrap it around your body slowly, like a second skin. Your sword and the magic within becomes connected to the outside of your body as well, making your entire being linked with your magic with all of it being connected by your very will". Serin then stopped his explanation, looking at Thomas to see how well he did this next task.
Okay, not quite what he had been expecting, but Thomas did have the satisfaction of guessing that what serin would do next had to do with that apparent Barrier he had put up around himself during his first demonstration. He grinned at the further praise, glad to be getting stronger though he would need to make sure he didn't slip outside of this practice, since they were on the move quite a lot and he would have to try and remember not to fall back into old habits. Hopefully he was up to the task.
He nodded in understanding, a logical conclusion that the will that let you absorb magic with your sword could do the same for your entire body. He closed his eyes and did as instructed then, focusing on that invisible layer above the sword and stretching it to cover his entire body, though his face twisted with some effort in the process, working his mind to do whatr needed to be done. Perhaps this was easier though, with his natural understanding of the flow of Mana through the body, giving him a basis in which to translate that to something even more imperceptible such as willpower. when he thought he had it done, he nodded to Serin.
Serin watched as Thomas once again seemed to get it. "Good. Let me warn you though that there is one downside to the barrier around your body. While it allows you to still trap magic that hits your body in your sword and absorb it, the Runic around your body isn't as strong as the Runic in your sword. I am sure with practice and time you will be able to overcome this limitation just as I did. Just keep in mind that it is better to block spells with your sword to be able to absorb more of its power, but nonetheless you will still be able to absorb a bit of a spell with your body as well. As you grow in strength you will also find that you are capable of absorbing more powerful spells as well. And even if you are not capable of fully absorbing a really powerful spell, it is better to absorb some of it then it is to get hit by all of it".
He then looked at Thomas for a few moments, making sure his Runic was up to par still even after his explanation as he took a stance, letting Thomas do whatever adjustments he needed to do before getting ready. "Ill be aiming to hit you fully. Block what you can while keeping this Complete Runic up. In time putting up a Complete Runic will become as natural as blinking or breathing. But for now... try to endure this practice first". With that Serin began quickly moving around, sending combined spells, regular spells, and even spells that were unconvential to normal mages all at Thomas.
He didn't do it at one standard pace either, during this entire time he kept moving quickly on his feet with surprising agility, hoping to increase Thomas' reflexes and sword blocking skills as well. There were also spells that Thomas didn't know throwin into the mix. Water and Aero. At first during this session they were by themselves, but as things progressed Serin made Thomas work even harder by combining them with spells that Thomas did know or even shooting out small blasts of water wrapped in a small twister of air to give it a sort of large air-water bullet feel.
Again, like last time, there would only be short breaks for Serin to recharge his mana before continuing. Thomas would also notice that Serin was putting a little more strength and speed into all of his spells this time then he did last time. They were not the strength of Level 3 spells, but they certainly were above the strength of Level 2 spells, so Thomas would have to spend extra effort absorbing the extra amount of power as well. This was supposed to be the final lesson in Runic after all, Serin hoping that Thomas would realize him being able to absorb spells unfamiliar or unknown to him being the other lesson Serin was going to teach him as well, wanting Thomas to realize that the enemy may use powers or magic unknown to Thomas and that he would have to be able to grasp those as quickly as he could any other spell.
Thomas's brow furrowed as Serin explained the downside of this Complete Runic, one that didn't make real sense to him. Yeah, he could understand it being weaker in terms of the area covered, but since your body was the actual source of your mana and your will, why wouldn't that be stronger than the sword part? Unless it did have to do with the extra area covered stretching your attention and such further than just the sword would. But that didn't explain why it was stronger around the sword than the rest of your body when it was being done. He felt like he should ask, but there was also a part of him that wanted to figure it out himself, and so refused to do that. And it wasn't his other self, but rather the part of him that refused to ask for help, the prideful part of him that thought he could do it himself without assistance.
"Alright," he replied, settling into that fighting stance before the exercise began again. And nearly immediately he could feel it was harder, not just in the strength and variety of the spells used, though that wasn't a cakewalk as it was, but the effort needed to keep Runic up while keeping track of incoming spells and using the sword. He did miss some, things that kinda sorta hurt when they landed. But he could, and did, heal himself during the short breaks that came while he got his breath back, figuring this would be his workout for today. and with the continued use he began to get more used to the spells he didn't know, increased familiarity with the underlying elements and basics of them that he could tether to for when he was trying to negate them. Not that he needed to be taught that the enemy might use spells he didn't know.
So he worked, as hard as he could, to impress himself and get the most out of the short time he had, to make up for the apparent lack of training he had had in his past as much as he could. And though he was far from perfect, he would go as long as Serin did.
Flamelord and Renose Collab (Part 4)
Thomas could understand being able to do this on spells one didn't know, it was just the actual application of that process that was the hard part, and it was all the more difficult when it came in tandem with another spell that he had to deal with. "Alright. Though I've never been one for meditation. Just not patient enough for it I suppose," he repleid with a shrug and a bit of a chuckle.
So then they got to it, practicing Runic, the spells, how to absorb magic, and Thomas got progressively better, his confidence increasing while his other self made idle comments that didn't really portend to anything of significance. Seemed he was willing to settle for Thomas working it out himself, which was a good thing. There was indeed no meditation that took place on his part, instead just resting in the short breaks that Serin insisted on before they returned to the hard work and practice, as he got used to doing it and fell more into the pattern of Serin's methods rather than the ones he had learned previously. He didn't feel like worrying about how it would hold up once he was back in the real world though. But he wouldn't know until he tried. And for that, he had to finish this.
"Through all of this I hope you are learning how to grasp spells as singular spells for controlling a specific element or power, rather than just a bunch of spells that all do the same thing or a more powerful version of the same thing. The ability to mold and control your magic with your will give you a much better grasp and control over your magic and will make it easier to obtain more powerful magic. To the point where you could even do something like this". While Thomas may not have been completely ready for spells unfamiliar to him yet, he figured he would take a slightly different approach.
Spells that were familiar, yet not familiar. He would wait till Thomas got ready before suddenly waving his hand at the other mage. A unity of fire and frost rushed from his hand at Thomas, the two being combined into one single spell. Of course, he gave Thomas a bit of warning as he waited for Thomas to get in a stance first before casting his spell. He didn't give a warning as to what he would do though as he wanted to see how the mage would be able to grasp this type of combination spell.
Thomas shrugged. "It's...weird. But I think I'm getting used to it," he replied, before settling in once again, ready for what came. Though it was a surprise when he did,m a single blast of frost and fire came flying at him. Fortunately he was prepared and his mind reached out, He could feel the threads, the parts of Blizzard and Fire, and he focused on them, first untangling the one friom the other with what he had learned, then preparing, his effort stretching to catch both spells, unexpected effort from two at once rather than the succession he was used to, but he was able to manage from the experience he had gained thus far. He grinned a tad in satisfaction as he waited for the next bit.
"Wow, I'm impressed. You got that one on your first try. Remember that your magic is more than just a collection of spells and incantations. It is an extension of your will. Whenever you cast a spell you put your very will into it, allowing you to mold its shape, form, and maybe even effects as you please. A fire spell could become a pillar of fire, or a dome of fire or even a wall of fire. A thunder spell could either rain lightning down from the heavens or shoot it from your fingertips. You could even turn a frost and lightning spells into a storm of chilled lightning. While you may not be practicing casting these spells now, by grasping my spells that I cast in this way and absorbing them you are, hopefully, able to obtain a better grasp at how to mold your own magic in this way".
Serin waited for Thomas to get ready once again before beginning to suddenly move a little faster around Thomas now. He wanted to keep Thomas on his toes more than ever. This time he was moving all around the small area they were in, hoping to also train the boy's reflexes as suddenly blasts of combined ice and fire shot at him from Serin in a steady succession. Serin was ramping up the training difficulty now, and hoped that Thomas could handle it. That wasn't all that came from Serin though. Lightning bolts chilled with frost, surges of electricity laced with flame, and even shards of ice holding lightning or fire within. The best way to not only grasp Runic, but also to grasp molding magic with one's will instead of by the cookie cutters that individual spells give a person was by having Thomas absorb spells created in these various ways.
Serin would continue the steady, successive onslaught until for a good bit, altering the pace every now and again. He would continue this until Thomas wanted to stop and catch a breather since Thomas wouldn't need to worry about recharging his Mana since Serin was giving him his through his spells that Thomas would hopefully be absorbing with Runic. The only breaks they took would be very short ones for Serin to recharge his mana a bit since even if they were level spells with power that was around the 'ira' level they still were draining his mana to be casting so many of them.
THomas knew some of what Serin said, his own training emphasizing Mana as a force, and using that to direct your magic within the bounds of the various spells as he had learned them. To do a wall of flame or alter the output of his magic was something he knew already, though the method of going about it was, once again, different than he was used to. to him Mana had been more connected with energy itself than with will, and it was a transitioned change. But it was hopefully one he could deal with.
He fell into a ready stance, and they began the dance again. He could immediately notice the difference though, Serin's increased speed, randomness, forcing him to work faster, harder. It was enough to work up a sweat as his mind worked and his blade thrummed to block magic. He would consider himself doing fine for the most part, though he was far from perfect, some of the magic slipping away rather than being absorbed, and at particularly hectic sections he was forced to dodge rather than get hit for lack of time to work. Each sucess was a lift, each failure something to grit his teeth at and drive him harder with the determination to do it and prove to himself that he could do it, that seemingly eternal struggle to match the other mage in their group, despite how futile it might be.
The breaks allowed him to get his breath back, wiping off his brow before they got back to the grind stone, his mind picking up more and more on that 'will' thing that seemed to be so important to Serin's style of magic. And seeing how he was doing in that, it made him wish that his past had been something else, that if he'd had a teacher such as Serin he could be so much of a better mage than he was now, more worthy of the burden placed upon him by the possession of a Keyblade. Still, no time for doubbts, and he went on responding and adapting as best he could until Serin was satisfied.
Soon enough, when Serin believed that Thomas got a much firmer grasp of both the magic he was trying to teach Thomas and of Runic the Red Wizard stopped, allowing the two of them to catch their breath. "You've gotten good at this, really good in fact. Its time for your two final lessons in Runic before we move on to the much tougher lesson. Your first final lesson is what I like to call a Complete Runic. So far you have been using your sword to block the spells and take them in, but if you noticed when I demonstrated... well... let me demonstrate one more time".
Serin drew his own blade, taking a somewhat standard stance, holding his blade in one hand while keeping his other by his side. "This time try and cast a spell at me in the way I taught you. Put your will into it. Your magic is not simply spells with already pre-determined affects. Your magic takes on the form of what you want it to be. Of what you desire it to be, within the bounds of what said element or combination of elements or magics you choose to use of course". He gave Thomas a small, confident smirk as well as a nod. "Now then, with that in mind cast your magic at me one more time. Put your very will into it to the point where your will is your magic. To the point where it is your will, not an incantation, that makes your magic come into existence".
With that said Serin stood ready to take on Thomas' magic to not only see how well Thomas grasped this magic lesson, but to also demonstrate more about Runic.
Thomas could understand being able to do this on spells one didn't know, it was just the actual application of that process that was the hard part, and it was all the more difficult when it came in tandem with another spell that he had to deal with. "Alright. Though I've never been one for meditation. Just not patient enough for it I suppose," he repleid with a shrug and a bit of a chuckle.
So then they got to it, practicing Runic, the spells, how to absorb magic, and Thomas got progressively better, his confidence increasing while his other self made idle comments that didn't really portend to anything of significance. Seemed he was willing to settle for Thomas working it out himself, which was a good thing. There was indeed no meditation that took place on his part, instead just resting in the short breaks that Serin insisted on before they returned to the hard work and practice, as he got used to doing it and fell more into the pattern of Serin's methods rather than the ones he had learned previously. He didn't feel like worrying about how it would hold up once he was back in the real world though. But he wouldn't know until he tried. And for that, he had to finish this.
"Through all of this I hope you are learning how to grasp spells as singular spells for controlling a specific element or power, rather than just a bunch of spells that all do the same thing or a more powerful version of the same thing. The ability to mold and control your magic with your will give you a much better grasp and control over your magic and will make it easier to obtain more powerful magic. To the point where you could even do something like this". While Thomas may not have been completely ready for spells unfamiliar to him yet, he figured he would take a slightly different approach.
Spells that were familiar, yet not familiar. He would wait till Thomas got ready before suddenly waving his hand at the other mage. A unity of fire and frost rushed from his hand at Thomas, the two being combined into one single spell. Of course, he gave Thomas a bit of warning as he waited for Thomas to get in a stance first before casting his spell. He didn't give a warning as to what he would do though as he wanted to see how the mage would be able to grasp this type of combination spell.
Thomas shrugged. "It's...weird. But I think I'm getting used to it," he replied, before settling in once again, ready for what came. Though it was a surprise when he did,m a single blast of frost and fire came flying at him. Fortunately he was prepared and his mind reached out, He could feel the threads, the parts of Blizzard and Fire, and he focused on them, first untangling the one friom the other with what he had learned, then preparing, his effort stretching to catch both spells, unexpected effort from two at once rather than the succession he was used to, but he was able to manage from the experience he had gained thus far. He grinned a tad in satisfaction as he waited for the next bit.
"Wow, I'm impressed. You got that one on your first try. Remember that your magic is more than just a collection of spells and incantations. It is an extension of your will. Whenever you cast a spell you put your very will into it, allowing you to mold its shape, form, and maybe even effects as you please. A fire spell could become a pillar of fire, or a dome of fire or even a wall of fire. A thunder spell could either rain lightning down from the heavens or shoot it from your fingertips. You could even turn a frost and lightning spells into a storm of chilled lightning. While you may not be practicing casting these spells now, by grasping my spells that I cast in this way and absorbing them you are, hopefully, able to obtain a better grasp at how to mold your own magic in this way".
Serin waited for Thomas to get ready once again before beginning to suddenly move a little faster around Thomas now. He wanted to keep Thomas on his toes more than ever. This time he was moving all around the small area they were in, hoping to also train the boy's reflexes as suddenly blasts of combined ice and fire shot at him from Serin in a steady succession. Serin was ramping up the training difficulty now, and hoped that Thomas could handle it. That wasn't all that came from Serin though. Lightning bolts chilled with frost, surges of electricity laced with flame, and even shards of ice holding lightning or fire within. The best way to not only grasp Runic, but also to grasp molding magic with one's will instead of by the cookie cutters that individual spells give a person was by having Thomas absorb spells created in these various ways.
Serin would continue the steady, successive onslaught until for a good bit, altering the pace every now and again. He would continue this until Thomas wanted to stop and catch a breather since Thomas wouldn't need to worry about recharging his Mana since Serin was giving him his through his spells that Thomas would hopefully be absorbing with Runic. The only breaks they took would be very short ones for Serin to recharge his mana a bit since even if they were level spells with power that was around the 'ira' level they still were draining his mana to be casting so many of them.
THomas knew some of what Serin said, his own training emphasizing Mana as a force, and using that to direct your magic within the bounds of the various spells as he had learned them. To do a wall of flame or alter the output of his magic was something he knew already, though the method of going about it was, once again, different than he was used to. to him Mana had been more connected with energy itself than with will, and it was a transitioned change. But it was hopefully one he could deal with.
He fell into a ready stance, and they began the dance again. He could immediately notice the difference though, Serin's increased speed, randomness, forcing him to work faster, harder. It was enough to work up a sweat as his mind worked and his blade thrummed to block magic. He would consider himself doing fine for the most part, though he was far from perfect, some of the magic slipping away rather than being absorbed, and at particularly hectic sections he was forced to dodge rather than get hit for lack of time to work. Each sucess was a lift, each failure something to grit his teeth at and drive him harder with the determination to do it and prove to himself that he could do it, that seemingly eternal struggle to match the other mage in their group, despite how futile it might be.
The breaks allowed him to get his breath back, wiping off his brow before they got back to the grind stone, his mind picking up more and more on that 'will' thing that seemed to be so important to Serin's style of magic. And seeing how he was doing in that, it made him wish that his past had been something else, that if he'd had a teacher such as Serin he could be so much of a better mage than he was now, more worthy of the burden placed upon him by the possession of a Keyblade. Still, no time for doubbts, and he went on responding and adapting as best he could until Serin was satisfied.
Soon enough, when Serin believed that Thomas got a much firmer grasp of both the magic he was trying to teach Thomas and of Runic the Red Wizard stopped, allowing the two of them to catch their breath. "You've gotten good at this, really good in fact. Its time for your two final lessons in Runic before we move on to the much tougher lesson. Your first final lesson is what I like to call a Complete Runic. So far you have been using your sword to block the spells and take them in, but if you noticed when I demonstrated... well... let me demonstrate one more time".
Serin drew his own blade, taking a somewhat standard stance, holding his blade in one hand while keeping his other by his side. "This time try and cast a spell at me in the way I taught you. Put your will into it. Your magic is not simply spells with already pre-determined affects. Your magic takes on the form of what you want it to be. Of what you desire it to be, within the bounds of what said element or combination of elements or magics you choose to use of course". He gave Thomas a small, confident smirk as well as a nod. "Now then, with that in mind cast your magic at me one more time. Put your very will into it to the point where your will is your magic. To the point where it is your will, not an incantation, that makes your magic come into existence".
With that said Serin stood ready to take on Thomas' magic to not only see how well Thomas grasped this magic lesson, but to also demonstrate more about Runic.
Renose & Flamelord Collab (Part 3)
Serin looked at Thomas as he seemed to have somewhat of a hard time sensing the properties of the magic, but was pleased as he saw the boy absorbing the spell into his sword and its mana into his body. He clapped a few times, a small smile on his face. "Good... good. You are quite the fast learner. I hope you have somewhat of a feel of how to use this skill now, because that was just the basics. Its gonna take a while before you are capable of using this skill in actual battle and before you are able to use the second skill I have to teach. But still, that was good. Let us try again, this time faster, as this time I won't be warning you when I throw the spell".
Serin waited for Thomas to get situated, walking slowly around in Thomas' field of vision a bit, watching Thomas' movements and how the other mage was looking at him. Suddenly Serin thrust his palm out towards Thomas once, a small jet of flame instead of a fireball this time heading straight for the other mage. Serin did not chant his spells, nor did he seem to cast them as their individual stages nor as the individual affects intended, casting instead in the same fashion Reno did, which made sense as after all Serin was the one who taught Reno how to cast spells like that.
Thomas shrugged. 'Guess we'll see," he replied, having figured as much already, though he was intrigued with the knowledge that there would be another lesson to go with this one. the more skills he got, the better it would be in his mind. To catch up, to be what he felt having the Keyblade meant, it was something he was willing to work for, though getting help from Reno's foster father was a bit off putting. But he could put that aside, and did.
So now he settled in to repeat the process, eyes following Serin as the mage paced, sword following in preparation. Still, it was a shock when the spell finally came, and it took him a few precious seconds to react, mind stretching forward. But what he felt confused him. It wasn't as simple as fire, the magic more comple, a mix of spells and a different casting. How was he supposed to disentangle them all in time? He tried, but he just wasn't getting it, maybe a lack of creativity, or just something he was missing that was simple.
Then, he got that feeling again and he knew. His other self had been guiding him, pushing him along certain paths to get it down, and that angered him, the thought that his accomplishments weren't his own, so he pushed back. Let me do it myself, he growled angrily. But that was enough of a distraction to use up his remaining time, and he had to quickly side step to dodge the spell, grimacing in anger, partially at himself, partially at his other self for messing him up. He was sure he could have got it. Probably. And his mind turned to working over what he could have done as he waited for Serin to throw at him again.
Something was going on with Thomas. Serin couldn't tell what, but something strange was happening. Still, it wasn't his place to intrude. He was simply here to teach the mage. If Thomas wanted his help with whatever else was happening then he would give it to him, but for now Serin focused on this lesson. "You have to feel the magic. Fire is Fire. It does not matter what form a fire spell is cast in, it is fire nonetheless. I taught Reno to not think of fire magic as simply a bunch of different fire spells, but instead just one singular spell to control the element of fire. The same goes with the other elemental spells. Do not try to categorize what a spell is, simply feel the spell for what it is made of and when it hits you, grasp it".
After his short speech Serin shot yet another small jet of flame at Thomas, not a fireball. He hoped that these words would help Thomas get what he was trying to covney here and would help Thomas get a better feel for magic itself, since being able to connect to magic with his very will was an ultimate way to gain a better grasp of it.
Thomas understood, but it was just hard to grasp, at odds with how he had been taught magic, how he had used it his entire life. Whether it was someone's fault was an unreasonable thing to debate, since it was just a matter of teaching styles and personal preference, but he couldn't help but wonder if learning this from the start would have made him stronger than he was now. As it was, his mind was ordered, categorical, and to try and simplify things like that was difficult when he was aware of the differences between the elemental spells as he had learned them. Another quick rebuke went out to his other self, who accepted it with some measure of grace, and Thomas could return to the matter at hand, bending his way of thinking to this new method.
Another Fire spell came, another continuation of the process. He had to force himself to relax, to ignore the various interwoven elements of the spell that characterized Fire from Fira and the others, and to just focus on the base of the spell. It unraveled like the layers of an onion until he got to the core, and then it just clicked into place and he went for it. Sitll, his grasp wasn't perfect as he grabbed for the spell, and it showed as metal heated up all of a sudden, eliciting a hiss of pain as he dropped it, rubbing at his heated hand. Fortunately it didn't hurt too much. "That could have gone better," He commented, though it was a step up from before.
Serin waved his hand, a wave of green light washing over Thomas' hands to heal the burns on his hand and alleviate the pain, the spell Water having been combined with the spell of cure as cool, soothing water had also washed over Thomas' hands. "You did good though. For one who isn't used to not categorizing magic and connecting to magic with their will you are learning quite quickly. When I taught Oner this skill he was already used to how I cast magic, but you haven't gotten that chance. The fact that within three tries you have gotten this grasp of it is a pretty big step, but you are still not ready to use it in battle".
Serin paused, a small smirk forming on his face. "Not yet anyway". With that he would wait for Thomas to pick up his sword, waiting for the other mage to get ready once again. Once he was ready Serin would walk around a few moments before this time a small jet of water erupting from his palm, and a few moments after the jet of water shot at Thomas a small surge of electricity followed. Again these were all cast in the unique way that both Serin and Reno cast their spells, not thinking of them as individualized spells, but just a spell to control a specific element in whatever way one desired, which was something that Serin was also trying to teach Thomas during their lesson in Runic.
"Thanks," Thomas replied, though leaving out the statement that he was perfectly capable of healing himself. At least the water being added didn't make his skin itch as it was healed. It was some praise though, and he accepted it and even began to look up again, that he was the person that they had seen in that small village all those years ago before he became a mage, the potential for greatness within. Some legitimate (in his mind) acknowledgement of that was a boost, to be sure.
He reached down, carefully picking up the sword while making sure it wasn't still hot to the touch, then resuming his combat position.Then water came at him, and Thunder. Water was hard, he wouldn't lie. He didn't klnow that spell and unraveling iot to get to the pure element within was a difficult task, especially compounded with the rush for time. In his haste, he changed his mind with a mental 'screw it', and switched to the Thunder, something he could more easily understand. Somehow he managed to stay standing through the jet of water and absorbed the surge of thunder, a tingling in his fingertips from that he couldn't absorb. He looked over at serin, fully expecting an air spell to dry him off, though he'd be fine if it didn;t show up. "Sorry. Not used to Water. And, you know, doing two at once," he explained with some chagrin.
Serin chuckled a small bit. "Sorry. I just got a little to into it, with your great progress and all. But still, you need to learn how to absorb spells you are unfamiliar with. Your enemies may possess dark magic or other forms of magic you may not know. Even if you do not know those spells, you need to learn how to get a feel as to what they are. But for now, lets do a little more practice with spells you do know so you can get a better hang of using the skill more quickly and absorbing more power of a spell. Then we can take a little break for you to meditate on what you have learned and then we can start with spells that are unfamiliar to you".
Serin, for about the next half hour or so with small, short breaks in between would throw balls or jets of fire at Thomas, to give him more practice. He would mix it up as well, shooting streams of icy wind or just pure shards of ice at Thomas as well as lightning bolts from his fingers or surges of electricity. He would change the pace regularly, sometimes going slow, other times going fast, all to keep Thomas on his toes. He would also help Thomas get a feel for taking in spells one after another with fire then ice, all the while hoping that Thomas was grasping more on the idea of spells as singular elements rather than spells in their individual categories and versions.
Serin looked at Thomas as he seemed to have somewhat of a hard time sensing the properties of the magic, but was pleased as he saw the boy absorbing the spell into his sword and its mana into his body. He clapped a few times, a small smile on his face. "Good... good. You are quite the fast learner. I hope you have somewhat of a feel of how to use this skill now, because that was just the basics. Its gonna take a while before you are capable of using this skill in actual battle and before you are able to use the second skill I have to teach. But still, that was good. Let us try again, this time faster, as this time I won't be warning you when I throw the spell".
Serin waited for Thomas to get situated, walking slowly around in Thomas' field of vision a bit, watching Thomas' movements and how the other mage was looking at him. Suddenly Serin thrust his palm out towards Thomas once, a small jet of flame instead of a fireball this time heading straight for the other mage. Serin did not chant his spells, nor did he seem to cast them as their individual stages nor as the individual affects intended, casting instead in the same fashion Reno did, which made sense as after all Serin was the one who taught Reno how to cast spells like that.
Thomas shrugged. 'Guess we'll see," he replied, having figured as much already, though he was intrigued with the knowledge that there would be another lesson to go with this one. the more skills he got, the better it would be in his mind. To catch up, to be what he felt having the Keyblade meant, it was something he was willing to work for, though getting help from Reno's foster father was a bit off putting. But he could put that aside, and did.
So now he settled in to repeat the process, eyes following Serin as the mage paced, sword following in preparation. Still, it was a shock when the spell finally came, and it took him a few precious seconds to react, mind stretching forward. But what he felt confused him. It wasn't as simple as fire, the magic more comple, a mix of spells and a different casting. How was he supposed to disentangle them all in time? He tried, but he just wasn't getting it, maybe a lack of creativity, or just something he was missing that was simple.
Then, he got that feeling again and he knew. His other self had been guiding him, pushing him along certain paths to get it down, and that angered him, the thought that his accomplishments weren't his own, so he pushed back. Let me do it myself, he growled angrily. But that was enough of a distraction to use up his remaining time, and he had to quickly side step to dodge the spell, grimacing in anger, partially at himself, partially at his other self for messing him up. He was sure he could have got it. Probably. And his mind turned to working over what he could have done as he waited for Serin to throw at him again.
Something was going on with Thomas. Serin couldn't tell what, but something strange was happening. Still, it wasn't his place to intrude. He was simply here to teach the mage. If Thomas wanted his help with whatever else was happening then he would give it to him, but for now Serin focused on this lesson. "You have to feel the magic. Fire is Fire. It does not matter what form a fire spell is cast in, it is fire nonetheless. I taught Reno to not think of fire magic as simply a bunch of different fire spells, but instead just one singular spell to control the element of fire. The same goes with the other elemental spells. Do not try to categorize what a spell is, simply feel the spell for what it is made of and when it hits you, grasp it".
After his short speech Serin shot yet another small jet of flame at Thomas, not a fireball. He hoped that these words would help Thomas get what he was trying to covney here and would help Thomas get a better feel for magic itself, since being able to connect to magic with his very will was an ultimate way to gain a better grasp of it.
Thomas understood, but it was just hard to grasp, at odds with how he had been taught magic, how he had used it his entire life. Whether it was someone's fault was an unreasonable thing to debate, since it was just a matter of teaching styles and personal preference, but he couldn't help but wonder if learning this from the start would have made him stronger than he was now. As it was, his mind was ordered, categorical, and to try and simplify things like that was difficult when he was aware of the differences between the elemental spells as he had learned them. Another quick rebuke went out to his other self, who accepted it with some measure of grace, and Thomas could return to the matter at hand, bending his way of thinking to this new method.
Another Fire spell came, another continuation of the process. He had to force himself to relax, to ignore the various interwoven elements of the spell that characterized Fire from Fira and the others, and to just focus on the base of the spell. It unraveled like the layers of an onion until he got to the core, and then it just clicked into place and he went for it. Sitll, his grasp wasn't perfect as he grabbed for the spell, and it showed as metal heated up all of a sudden, eliciting a hiss of pain as he dropped it, rubbing at his heated hand. Fortunately it didn't hurt too much. "That could have gone better," He commented, though it was a step up from before.
Serin waved his hand, a wave of green light washing over Thomas' hands to heal the burns on his hand and alleviate the pain, the spell Water having been combined with the spell of cure as cool, soothing water had also washed over Thomas' hands. "You did good though. For one who isn't used to not categorizing magic and connecting to magic with their will you are learning quite quickly. When I taught Oner this skill he was already used to how I cast magic, but you haven't gotten that chance. The fact that within three tries you have gotten this grasp of it is a pretty big step, but you are still not ready to use it in battle".
Serin paused, a small smirk forming on his face. "Not yet anyway". With that he would wait for Thomas to pick up his sword, waiting for the other mage to get ready once again. Once he was ready Serin would walk around a few moments before this time a small jet of water erupting from his palm, and a few moments after the jet of water shot at Thomas a small surge of electricity followed. Again these were all cast in the unique way that both Serin and Reno cast their spells, not thinking of them as individualized spells, but just a spell to control a specific element in whatever way one desired, which was something that Serin was also trying to teach Thomas during their lesson in Runic.
"Thanks," Thomas replied, though leaving out the statement that he was perfectly capable of healing himself. At least the water being added didn't make his skin itch as it was healed. It was some praise though, and he accepted it and even began to look up again, that he was the person that they had seen in that small village all those years ago before he became a mage, the potential for greatness within. Some legitimate (in his mind) acknowledgement of that was a boost, to be sure.
He reached down, carefully picking up the sword while making sure it wasn't still hot to the touch, then resuming his combat position.Then water came at him, and Thunder. Water was hard, he wouldn't lie. He didn't klnow that spell and unraveling iot to get to the pure element within was a difficult task, especially compounded with the rush for time. In his haste, he changed his mind with a mental 'screw it', and switched to the Thunder, something he could more easily understand. Somehow he managed to stay standing through the jet of water and absorbed the surge of thunder, a tingling in his fingertips from that he couldn't absorb. He looked over at serin, fully expecting an air spell to dry him off, though he'd be fine if it didn;t show up. "Sorry. Not used to Water. And, you know, doing two at once," he explained with some chagrin.
Serin chuckled a small bit. "Sorry. I just got a little to into it, with your great progress and all. But still, you need to learn how to absorb spells you are unfamiliar with. Your enemies may possess dark magic or other forms of magic you may not know. Even if you do not know those spells, you need to learn how to get a feel as to what they are. But for now, lets do a little more practice with spells you do know so you can get a better hang of using the skill more quickly and absorbing more power of a spell. Then we can take a little break for you to meditate on what you have learned and then we can start with spells that are unfamiliar to you".
Serin, for about the next half hour or so with small, short breaks in between would throw balls or jets of fire at Thomas, to give him more practice. He would mix it up as well, shooting streams of icy wind or just pure shards of ice at Thomas as well as lightning bolts from his fingers or surges of electricity. He would change the pace regularly, sometimes going slow, other times going fast, all to keep Thomas on his toes. He would also help Thomas get a feel for taking in spells one after another with fire then ice, all the while hoping that Thomas was grasping more on the idea of spells as singular elements rather than spells in their individual categories and versions.
Renose & Flamelord Collab (Part 2)
Serin watched Thomas as he played around with the sword a bit. It wasn't that great of a sword, but it wasn't terrible either, which was what the weapon was meant to be. A weapon that one wasn't too used to so that they could get a better feel for how to make a sword an extension of their body. Once Thomas got a feel for it and was ready to go, Serin nodded, looking at Thomas for a few moments before beginning to speak.
"Now to use Runic you must first know how to link your magic with your sword, or in this case how to put your very will into your blade. I gave you a weapon that you are not used to so that you can get a better feel for the process and I recommend that, in the future, you use this weapon to practice. That way when you do use it with your Keyblade you will be able to do so with much more ease. So, get into a stance that you find most comfortable, one that lets you get a feel for your sword. After that, I shall tell you the necessary steps needed for activating Runic".
Thomas cocked an eyebrow, and he glanced down at the sword. "Okay. I guess I can carry this thing around. Don't know if I'll ever use it otherwise," he replied, with a hint of resignation, but he didn't object. Whether he would continue to do as suggested once he left the world would remain to be seen, though there hadn't been much time to practice magic while they were traveling in any case. Just resting and recovering from the last fight, or moving to another one. And he supposed he had become more reluctant to practice his magic with everyone else around, his attempts to regain some kind of position or confidence that had been loist not something he wanted to show to the others.
He settled down then, blade held in two hands with legs spread, the tip pointed at Serin. He looked up, indicating that he was ready to get on with it.
Serin looked at Thomas' stance, giving him a nod. "Alright. Now close your eyes and feel your magic within you. Once you get a feeling for that, you must flow that magic into your sword, which must become an extention of not only your body, but of your will as well. This is why this skill requires knowledge of the sword, because you must be able to connect your magic with your blade. Now then... when that is done hold that for a moment, get a good feeling for what it is like to have your magic, the power of your very will, within your blade. Tell me when you are ready for the next step".
Thomas nodded, then closed his eyes, taking deep breathes as he tried to calm his mind, to get in touch with that magic inside him. It was strange, more elusive, and when he found it it seemed slightly tainted in a way, as if the darkness in his arm was seeping over into the magic thrumming through him itself. Which was probably not a good thing, though he had only noticed it now as he took the time to actually look. At least his other self didn't comment, or get in the way, and he had a feeling that it wanted him to do this, to have this ability. He supposed he could see why, since it would make him stronger, close the gap between him and the others a bit.
Though it was slippery, almost oily in a sense to his mental touch, he was able to get a hold of it, a feel of it, and he began channeling it into the sword he held, charging the materials that made up the blade with power, hoping it didn't shatter or something under the pressure of the power flowing into it. He wasn't going to lie in that he didn't totally understand everything regarding the connection between magic and will, but as time passed (and he wasn't sure how long it was), he started to get the feel for it,the feel of magic filling the sword. He also idly wondered if this was how those magic artifacts got made, but left that for another time. "Ready," he announced, eyes opening.
Serin watched Thomas as he began to get a feel of pouring magic into his sword and connecting it with his will. He was a fast learner, taking a few long minutes to get the hang of it. Once Thomas told him that he was ready Serin nodded. "Now we shall first practice absorbing a spell. To do this you must feel out the properties and power of the spell before it hits you, which is where an intimate knowledge of magic comes in. You have to be able to do this in mere moments, but for now just for practice I will take it a bit easy since this is your first time. Once you know what the magic is, the moment it hits your sword you must grab the spell's power, the very magic that makes it up, with your own magic in the blade, using the magic in your sword, and your very will, to trap it in the blade. Once its in there the spell is yours to command and you simply dispel the spell and take the mana that makes it up as your own, replenishing your own reserves".
Serin aimed his palm at Thomas, a ball of fire forming right in front of it. "Feel the spell in my hand before it hits you so that when it does you can grab it and trap it, taking its energy and magic to replenish your own. Now then, let us begin". With a slight forward thrust of his palm the ball flew from his hand, shooting right towards the other mage.
"Okay," Thomas replied, nodding in the affirmative and saving the question that leapt to his mind for afterwards, since it stood to reason that it worked in steps, so he'd be able to do what Serin had done later. It did seem a bit much, to identify the power of a spell and its composition while it was coming at you, before it could strike, then subvert control and take it for yourself, quite a bit of effort that would force you to be quick on your feet if you didn't want to get slammed with something. Though they hadn't exactly met very many Heartless who used spells, so he would be able to get a lot of practice with this 'Runic' ability before he seriously needed it. Hopefully.
He was ready then, as Serin instructed him, and as the fireball flew forward, he did as such, reaching out with his mind in a way he never had before to contact the magic moving towards him, feeling it out as it flew through the space between them. All well and good, though he flet, in the back of his mind, like it was slightly too easy.; But with nothing to go on from those thoughts, he ignored them, and forced his mind forward yet again, wrapping around the spell as he attempted to subvert control of it.
By the time he did that though, it was nearly at his location, and he quickmly snapped his sword up while struggling to maintain the conenction and blocked it, absorbing the spell before hopefully dissipating it. He could feel the mana being added to his own, and he blinked with an almost perplexed look. "Well, that was a thing."
Serin watched Thomas as he played around with the sword a bit. It wasn't that great of a sword, but it wasn't terrible either, which was what the weapon was meant to be. A weapon that one wasn't too used to so that they could get a better feel for how to make a sword an extension of their body. Once Thomas got a feel for it and was ready to go, Serin nodded, looking at Thomas for a few moments before beginning to speak.
"Now to use Runic you must first know how to link your magic with your sword, or in this case how to put your very will into your blade. I gave you a weapon that you are not used to so that you can get a better feel for the process and I recommend that, in the future, you use this weapon to practice. That way when you do use it with your Keyblade you will be able to do so with much more ease. So, get into a stance that you find most comfortable, one that lets you get a feel for your sword. After that, I shall tell you the necessary steps needed for activating Runic".
Thomas cocked an eyebrow, and he glanced down at the sword. "Okay. I guess I can carry this thing around. Don't know if I'll ever use it otherwise," he replied, with a hint of resignation, but he didn't object. Whether he would continue to do as suggested once he left the world would remain to be seen, though there hadn't been much time to practice magic while they were traveling in any case. Just resting and recovering from the last fight, or moving to another one. And he supposed he had become more reluctant to practice his magic with everyone else around, his attempts to regain some kind of position or confidence that had been loist not something he wanted to show to the others.
He settled down then, blade held in two hands with legs spread, the tip pointed at Serin. He looked up, indicating that he was ready to get on with it.
Serin looked at Thomas' stance, giving him a nod. "Alright. Now close your eyes and feel your magic within you. Once you get a feeling for that, you must flow that magic into your sword, which must become an extention of not only your body, but of your will as well. This is why this skill requires knowledge of the sword, because you must be able to connect your magic with your blade. Now then... when that is done hold that for a moment, get a good feeling for what it is like to have your magic, the power of your very will, within your blade. Tell me when you are ready for the next step".
Thomas nodded, then closed his eyes, taking deep breathes as he tried to calm his mind, to get in touch with that magic inside him. It was strange, more elusive, and when he found it it seemed slightly tainted in a way, as if the darkness in his arm was seeping over into the magic thrumming through him itself. Which was probably not a good thing, though he had only noticed it now as he took the time to actually look. At least his other self didn't comment, or get in the way, and he had a feeling that it wanted him to do this, to have this ability. He supposed he could see why, since it would make him stronger, close the gap between him and the others a bit.
Though it was slippery, almost oily in a sense to his mental touch, he was able to get a hold of it, a feel of it, and he began channeling it into the sword he held, charging the materials that made up the blade with power, hoping it didn't shatter or something under the pressure of the power flowing into it. He wasn't going to lie in that he didn't totally understand everything regarding the connection between magic and will, but as time passed (and he wasn't sure how long it was), he started to get the feel for it,the feel of magic filling the sword. He also idly wondered if this was how those magic artifacts got made, but left that for another time. "Ready," he announced, eyes opening.
Serin watched Thomas as he began to get a feel of pouring magic into his sword and connecting it with his will. He was a fast learner, taking a few long minutes to get the hang of it. Once Thomas told him that he was ready Serin nodded. "Now we shall first practice absorbing a spell. To do this you must feel out the properties and power of the spell before it hits you, which is where an intimate knowledge of magic comes in. You have to be able to do this in mere moments, but for now just for practice I will take it a bit easy since this is your first time. Once you know what the magic is, the moment it hits your sword you must grab the spell's power, the very magic that makes it up, with your own magic in the blade, using the magic in your sword, and your very will, to trap it in the blade. Once its in there the spell is yours to command and you simply dispel the spell and take the mana that makes it up as your own, replenishing your own reserves".
Serin aimed his palm at Thomas, a ball of fire forming right in front of it. "Feel the spell in my hand before it hits you so that when it does you can grab it and trap it, taking its energy and magic to replenish your own. Now then, let us begin". With a slight forward thrust of his palm the ball flew from his hand, shooting right towards the other mage.
"Okay," Thomas replied, nodding in the affirmative and saving the question that leapt to his mind for afterwards, since it stood to reason that it worked in steps, so he'd be able to do what Serin had done later. It did seem a bit much, to identify the power of a spell and its composition while it was coming at you, before it could strike, then subvert control and take it for yourself, quite a bit of effort that would force you to be quick on your feet if you didn't want to get slammed with something. Though they hadn't exactly met very many Heartless who used spells, so he would be able to get a lot of practice with this 'Runic' ability before he seriously needed it. Hopefully.
He was ready then, as Serin instructed him, and as the fireball flew forward, he did as such, reaching out with his mind in a way he never had before to contact the magic moving towards him, feeling it out as it flew through the space between them. All well and good, though he flet, in the back of his mind, like it was slightly too easy.; But with nothing to go on from those thoughts, he ignored them, and forced his mind forward yet again, wrapping around the spell as he attempted to subvert control of it.
By the time he did that though, it was nearly at his location, and he quickmly snapped his sword up while struggling to maintain the conenction and blocked it, absorbing the spell before hopefully dissipating it. He could feel the mana being added to his own, and he blinked with an almost perplexed look. "Well, that was a thing."
Renose & Flamelord Collab (Part 1)
"No no, its not bad at all. While repeatedly hitting a punching bag is an effective method of training, I am saying there are better ways to train what you are trying to train then the way you are going about it". After Thomas agreed to hearing Serin out the red mage nodded, taking a few steps back from Thomas to put a good couple of meters between the two of them. He then drew his sword, looking over the blade for a moment before pointing it at Thomas.
"For your first instruction throw one of your spells at me, as powerful as you can make it. Hold nothing back, and don't worry about me dodging. I won't move from this spot". He then held his sword in both hands, holding the weapon so the blade was perpendicular to his body at chest level. "Whenever you are ready".
Thomas shrugged, figuring that he could hardly be blamed for using a less efficient training method when he didn't know a more effective one that would get better results. His other self wasn't very helpful in that regard, though he was still working out whether he wanted to help him or not. He watched carefully as Serin took up a position a bit away from him, sword level and ready. Thomas readied his own Keyblade as well, mind focusing in anticipation.
"Alright," he replied, then turned to his magic, throwing his power into a Fira spell, going through the rhythms in his mind as he had been taught, He hadn't been too worried about Serin dodging either, since most of his enemies never really tried to dodge the magic he used anyway. Face serious, he threw out his spell, a fireball flying through the air from the tip of his Keyblade towards Serin. Let's see what happened.
Serin gave a small smirk as he closed his eyes, feeling the spell coming towards him. Just like he promised, he did not dodge. Instead of the spell hitting him though it seemed to collide with some form of barrier around him befoore the spell literally was sucked into his sword. The flames of the spell traveled through the blade for just a moment before vanishing, the very magical energy that Thomas put into the spell flowing from the Red Wizard's sword and into his body, replenishing his reserves.
After the demonstration Serin let out an exhale as he got back into a normal standing position, sheathing his sword. "What you just witnessed is one of the two skills indespensible to spellswords or red mages like us. The skill Runic. Capable of not only negating enemy magic, but capturing it and using it to replenish your own reserves of Mana. Judging from the combat techniques you were showing in your training here, I figured you possess a knowledge of swordsmanship as well as a large knowledge of magic. Both of these are key for using this skill Runic, and will be the key for the trick I am going to show you next".
Serin suddenly snapped his fingers, an iron sword appearing in his hand, which he proceeded to toss to Thomas, the blade safetly in a sheath. "For this training its best to use a weapon you aren't used to. Swing that around a few times, and when you are ready we shall proceed".
Thomas watched on intently, eyes widening at what he saw as Serin blocked his spell, literally absorbing it into his sword and negating the attack. That even elicited a reaction from his other self, who was impressed at the Red Mage's ability. He was intrigued, and the possibility of learning this skill was exciting, to go along with a tidbit more of magic he had learned from one of the texts he had grabbed from the Horned King's castle. He wasn't going to be using them after all.
"I see," Thomas replied. "Well, I'm not naturally a swordsman, but I got basic techniques after getting my Keyblade, and you pick things up during a trip where you're fighting practically every day." He hadn't considered himself as a Red Mage, rather being well rounded. He knew of the different classifications of mages, those who specialized in one form of magic or another, but he hadn't made any sort of decision on that. his attention was directed as the sheathed sword came flying at him, andf he shifted slightly to grab it with a wave, Keyblade in his other hand.
"Alright." He sent his Keyblade away in accordance with Serin's instructions, and drew the sword, getting a feel for the balance and weight of it. It was strange to hold an actual blade rather than his, this heavier and more serious than his own blade, or at least so it seemed for him. The balance wasn't too bad, though it wasn't perfect either. But it would do. After giving it a few test swings, he looked back over to Serin. "Let's go then."
"No no, its not bad at all. While repeatedly hitting a punching bag is an effective method of training, I am saying there are better ways to train what you are trying to train then the way you are going about it". After Thomas agreed to hearing Serin out the red mage nodded, taking a few steps back from Thomas to put a good couple of meters between the two of them. He then drew his sword, looking over the blade for a moment before pointing it at Thomas.
"For your first instruction throw one of your spells at me, as powerful as you can make it. Hold nothing back, and don't worry about me dodging. I won't move from this spot". He then held his sword in both hands, holding the weapon so the blade was perpendicular to his body at chest level. "Whenever you are ready".
Thomas shrugged, figuring that he could hardly be blamed for using a less efficient training method when he didn't know a more effective one that would get better results. His other self wasn't very helpful in that regard, though he was still working out whether he wanted to help him or not. He watched carefully as Serin took up a position a bit away from him, sword level and ready. Thomas readied his own Keyblade as well, mind focusing in anticipation.
"Alright," he replied, then turned to his magic, throwing his power into a Fira spell, going through the rhythms in his mind as he had been taught, He hadn't been too worried about Serin dodging either, since most of his enemies never really tried to dodge the magic he used anyway. Face serious, he threw out his spell, a fireball flying through the air from the tip of his Keyblade towards Serin. Let's see what happened.
Serin gave a small smirk as he closed his eyes, feeling the spell coming towards him. Just like he promised, he did not dodge. Instead of the spell hitting him though it seemed to collide with some form of barrier around him befoore the spell literally was sucked into his sword. The flames of the spell traveled through the blade for just a moment before vanishing, the very magical energy that Thomas put into the spell flowing from the Red Wizard's sword and into his body, replenishing his reserves.
After the demonstration Serin let out an exhale as he got back into a normal standing position, sheathing his sword. "What you just witnessed is one of the two skills indespensible to spellswords or red mages like us. The skill Runic. Capable of not only negating enemy magic, but capturing it and using it to replenish your own reserves of Mana. Judging from the combat techniques you were showing in your training here, I figured you possess a knowledge of swordsmanship as well as a large knowledge of magic. Both of these are key for using this skill Runic, and will be the key for the trick I am going to show you next".
Serin suddenly snapped his fingers, an iron sword appearing in his hand, which he proceeded to toss to Thomas, the blade safetly in a sheath. "For this training its best to use a weapon you aren't used to. Swing that around a few times, and when you are ready we shall proceed".
Thomas watched on intently, eyes widening at what he saw as Serin blocked his spell, literally absorbing it into his sword and negating the attack. That even elicited a reaction from his other self, who was impressed at the Red Mage's ability. He was intrigued, and the possibility of learning this skill was exciting, to go along with a tidbit more of magic he had learned from one of the texts he had grabbed from the Horned King's castle. He wasn't going to be using them after all.
"I see," Thomas replied. "Well, I'm not naturally a swordsman, but I got basic techniques after getting my Keyblade, and you pick things up during a trip where you're fighting practically every day." He hadn't considered himself as a Red Mage, rather being well rounded. He knew of the different classifications of mages, those who specialized in one form of magic or another, but he hadn't made any sort of decision on that. his attention was directed as the sheathed sword came flying at him, andf he shifted slightly to grab it with a wave, Keyblade in his other hand.
"Alright." He sent his Keyblade away in accordance with Serin's instructions, and drew the sword, getting a feel for the balance and weight of it. It was strange to hold an actual blade rather than his, this heavier and more serious than his own blade, or at least so it seemed for him. The balance wasn't too bad, though it wasn't perfect either. But it would do. After giving it a few test swings, he looked back over to Serin. "Let's go then."
Huge collab heading your guys' way.
Posting now, no one else post right now XD
Posting now, no one else post right now XD
He lives!
Its still other people's turn to post, not mine this time ;3
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