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Steady Gaze said:
Hmm… in terms of usefulness, Spark is likely the winner. It’s not redundant with our existing equipment, and we’ll never need to bother with rubbing sticks together or striking flint again. After learning the spell, keep reading as time allows…
[Studying] You roll a 20 (required 10). Critical success‼
After thinking on it for a minute, you come to the conclusion that Spark would be the most useful of the three spells to have. As such, you decide to learn that one, and flip through the pages until you reach the spell’s chapter.
The chapter begins by introducing three types of runes: subject runes, which refer to a target, such as a creature or a concept; aspect runes, which refer to a property of the subject, such as its shape or its colour; and command runes, which define how the aspect of a subject should be influenced.
You remember from Crystal Charm’s lessons that runes are, simply put, words of the arcane language. While thousands of them are currently known to ponykind, there are likely yet more that are not.
Honourshine: “Thousands? That must be a pain to memorize.”
Fortunately, this chapter only teaches three of them; one of each type. The first one is the highly common subject rune Locus. This rune allows the caster to designate any location within line of sight as the target, from a single point to an area within multiple points. For this spell, a single point will be used.
Thus, the caster must mentally create this point by measuring its relative position (abscissa, ordinate and applicate), and convey it to the rune in the form of an aspect (that is, an intention surrounded by a three-pointed aspect star, or tristar). Once the point is conveyed to the rune, the subject becomes defined.
To accomplish this, it is recommended for novices to take the time to stare at their target, such as the tip of the wick of a candle, until their vision solely focuses on that point alone. If an object (such as the whole wick or the candle itself), or if a different concept (such as the space around the wick) is conveyed instead, the subject will remain undefined, and the spell will fail.
Honourshine: “Hm. So if I understand this correctly, you have to think about where you’re casting your spell, not what you’re casting it at. How peculiar.”
You nod; this feels like the opposite of how the Telekinesis spell works. Still, as you read further, you begin to understand how aspect stars are used, and how intentions relate to a rune. You take a moment to memorize the Locus rune, then turn the page.
Next is the aspect rune Calor. This rune refers to a subject’s temperature. When linked to a single-pointed Locus rune, the reference simply becomes that point’s temperature, and acts as an aspect.
Honourshine: “This one seems simple enough, though I suppose the more you learn, the easier it becomes to mistakenly use the wrong one.”
You agree, and take a moment to study the Calor rune carefully, along with how it relates to the rest of the spell. You feel like you are starting to understand. The circles, the triangles, the lines and the symbols, they all begin to make sense to you.
Last is the command rune Augeo. This rune requires a prepared subject and an aspect, and instructs magic to increase the aspect of that subject. In the case of this spell, it increases the temperature of a single point, thus potentially igniting the object (or air) where it is cast.
It is noted that like most basic spells, Spark is channelled, and its potency is directly proportional to the amount of magic used (cumulatively) in casting the spell. Thus, for a novice, it may require a few seconds of unbroken concentration to successfully start a fire.
You take another moment to memorize the rune Augeo, then find a complete version of the spell on the following pages, along with descriptions of each symbol used and their purpose. At the very end, you find the spell’s magic name: Scintilla.
You stare at the pages for a few minutes, trying to commit the instructions and their order to memory… until it finally clicks. You slide out of bed, intent on giving it a try.
Honourshine: “Good idea; the night won’t get any warmer.”
You make your way downstairs and in front of the fireplace. After placing a log inside, you begin to focus on a single point upon it, and repeat the instructions in your mind. Locus… Calor… Augeo… Locus… Calor… Augeo… Suddenly, beyond the faint blue glow of your own horn, the log catches aflame.
You learn Spark!
Honourshine: “Well done, Blaze. It seems like your name was hiding this new talent of yours all along.”
You grin proudly; you’ve successfully cast your first memorized spell! And with the fireplace now lit, you figure that now would be a good time to get ready for bed. Honourshine agrees, and after a quick round to the wet room, you return upstairs to settle into bed together.
As Honourshine reaches over to turn off the lamp, you decide to tease her one last time, and ask her if you’re getting a goodnight kiss. She responds with a smirk that says it all, and with a click, the room goes dark.
You close your eyes, and begin to meditate on what you’ve learned today. But as you begin to feel the embrace of sleep taking hold of your body, you hear the rustling of sheets behind you, then a whisper.
Honourshine: “Blaze, are you still awake…?”
You hum a reply, and slowly roll over to face your foalhood friend. You crack an eye open, but it’s too dark to see. More rustling, until her warmth is right next to you.
Honourshine: “I… meant to tell you this a long time ago, but…”
Suddenly, you feel a small, gentle peck on your muzzle.
Honourshine: “… Thanks for being patient with me.”
You wrap a leg around Honourshine, and hug her close. She nestles against you just lightly enough to deny it later. And so, to the sound of her quiet breathing, you fall asleep with three words and a smile on your lips…
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