A Kiss For The Alpha

Witchcraft Lessons

Magic feels so very fairy-tale-ish, a fantasy that should only be in the pages of romance novels I read and reread in my former life. But it would appear that this isn't my former life, and I am most definitely not in a romance novel, as I'm standing outside this building in which real magic is tangible and interwoven into the fabric of existence.

The Akashic Academy is now my new home-a beacon in the field of arcane knowledge-and most captivating, learning the basics of magic-something that, to me, was only a dream.

My first class on witchcraft and sorcery really opened my eyes to a whole new world of knowledge that was so alien, yet exhilarating. While Maria, the homeroom teacher, was our guide, it was Lilian who really took me through every lesson with its deeper meaning.

And whenever I stumbled upon something, there she would be, explaining it in a manner that it finally struck my head. Had it not been for her, I would have surely gotten lost within this whirlpool of technical words and jargon.

From what I have gathered, all life in the tangible world possesses within them an unseeing, intangible energy called mana. It's a little similar to electricity in the modern world, some sort of invisible force that allows everything to function.

It consists of ethereal particles called ether-the building blocks of any form of magical energy. Mana, in turn, is life itself, according to Lilian-a gift from the Goddess of Vitality, Grace, who brought life into this world and gave birth to the eternal circle of life and death.

Maria, our teacher, didn't go too deep into the myths that surrounded the Goddess of Vitality; after all, she reminded us that she wasn't a theology teacher but an advanced spellcaster professor. Anyway, my knowledge from my past life proved useful when I found out that mana was able to change its form and constitution to give origin to physical manifestations, also called elemental transfiguration.

The basic elements with which every decent witch should master and lay the very foundation of her education are fire, water, earth, and wind. Remember, all those things are not simple tools but a kind of magic itself. Curiously enough, elements can be combined in pairs, creating new ones such as ice, storm, magma, and sand. Understanding their mutual relations is very important for effective spell casting, and just this interaction forms the basis of elemental magic.

I realized that much of what is commonplace here at Akashic Academy has its roots in magic. For instance, the light bulbs I was accustomed to seeing had been replaced with lamps containing crystallized mana: crystals that absorbed mana and, with the help of rune casting-a specialized branch of witchcraft-could be made to emit light or other effects. A witch can channel her mana into a lamp and the crystal within that lamp will conjure the element of light to give light.

Even the blow dryers in the dressing rooms run off of wind stones: summoned crystals that release bursts of air when turned on. Lilian said the most awesome application of rune casting is the hot spring bath in the girls' dorms. An alchemist mixed heat, water, and earth mana stones beneath the bathhouse, creating an artificially heated natural spring. The magic is simply ingenious.

As I have come to learn, witchcraft has three great domains: spellcasting, the art of tapping into magical forces; element chanting, oft mistaken for spellcasting; and rune casting, concerned with the creation and uses of magical runes. Most often, these disciplines will cross into one another, before, during, and even after the actual casting of magic. A witch who has mastered all three domains creates new spells, extending the primitive base that her ancient tomes and grimoires have shown her.

As the class went along, Maria just seemed to assume that we'd already picked up on the basic ideas of mana and elemental magic. For our first practical activity, she asked us all to do a successful chant of a magic spell. I swallowed as the assignment made me feel both excited and nervous. On one hand, I would do my very first spell; on the other hand, this nagging doubt chewed within me: what if I had no mana inside?

With our task at hand, the class was taken outside to a wide-open area called the training hall. This was a big, almost gym-like setting sans the courts and tracks, but full of training dummies and other witch equipment that I had never seen.

The air was electric with anticipation as Maria called us together; her voice firm, steady, reassuring. Instinctively, I find myself gravitating towards Lilian, sticking close to her side, deriving a great deal of security from her, and with her by my side, able to overcome anything.

"Now, regarding the details of your training, all of you must know what flow means in the case of magic. I give you an hour to train, but afterwards I want to see from every one of you the mastery of three branches: spell-casting, elemental control, and rune-casting. Therefore, keeping that in mind.

Maria snapped her fingers and raised her right hand, fist clenched. Above each one of us had appeared little wooden wands hovering in the air. One floated down slowly into my hands as if inviting me to take it. I grasped the wand in eagerness, a feeling of excitement welling up.

"Wah.!" I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement. Now, with a real wand in my hand, I truly felt like a witch. The fear as to whether I could cast magic began to dissipate as I envisioned myself as a young, talented wizard from one of my favorite series, "Jerry Potter." I pointed the tip of my wand around me, mumbling some made-up magic spells, entering my own little world.

But just as I was getting carried away, suddenly Maria appeared at my side, gently taking my hand. A soft smile danced on her face as she shook her head.

"Fey, a wand is not a playing toy," she said. While the tone of her voice was primarily soft and indulging, I could sense something far deeper beneath the surface-a melancholy that strung a memory chord, similar to my pre-bonding sadness with Siegrid. Her words struck a chord inside my head, and in one swift moment, I bowed my head low, holding the wand between my legs.

"Listen well, one and all. A wand is a witch's weapon. Just as a knight would take his sword out into battle to cut down his enemies, so also does the witch carry her wand as an instrument of her power through which she brings destruction upon those who get in her way." Maria raised her hand again toward someone outside the window.

In an instant, quicker than the batting of an eyelash, a man emerged from the darkness, his form coalescing from the wind itself. He gave Maria a deep, profound bow. His arms and legs were all prosthetic save his left arm, and he was dressed in butler attire, which clearly indicated he served Maria as his master.

"This is my guide and escort, Sir Galahad, my loyal retainer; he'll be assisting me today, so be nice to him," Maria introduced him, and just as I had expected, my classmates were immediately drawn by the handsomeness and finesse of Sir Galahad.

"I am Sir Galahad, Maria's eyes. Her words and commands are mine to fulfill," he said, performing a low bow in our direction. His voice was as honey, and my classmates erupted into a chorus of squeals at the sound of it.

Yet, from the ten of us, only Lilian was not caught up with the fervor. I even found the voice of Sir Galahad charming; I thought he would be an excellent voice actor. Turning to Lilian, I saw her forcing a smile, though I knew well that wasn't how she felt. She was clutching her wand so tightly it seemed it might snap in two.

"Lilian, are you all right?" I asked, concerned. All this time she had been looking after me since the very first day I met her, and now, when I saw her so tense and closed in, it was an opportunity to return the courtesy. There was something on her mind, and she seemed to struggle to find the words to say it.

"I. I'm fine, really. Just haven't held a wand in a long time," Lilian replied, still trying to force that smile on her face.

"What about me? It's my very first time holding a real wand! But I know we can pass this activity and become the best witches!"

I knew she wasn't ready to say what had really bothered her, so I merely patted her back and gave some encouragement, as much for her as for me. I still had nagging doubts that I could actually cast magic, but more than ever I felt that I belonged here at the Akashic Academy.

My mind finally made up, I grasped the wand tighter, prepared to show that I- too- could turn out to be a witch.