8.  Magic and Abilities

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  With the exception of Imelwain and Peter, the gathering was orderly and quiet.  Dubrick was easy to control, given the circumstances.  Gerald had been trickier, although hints that he might learn something about magic had made a huge difference.  Even so, he had balked until it became discussion topic number one.  Cynthia, on the other hand, had demanded payment to not make a fuss about how boring everything was.  Evadel had agreed readily enough.  Buying peace and quiet for a few coins was a deal that only a fool, or a beggar would pass up.  Ysen'theiril, being as she was, had found an excuse to avoid this discussion.  Evadel silently hoped that her friend would avoid bringing any more trouble around.

  The two boys, however, were being a nuisance.  They were talking excitedly about adventures and trying to make plans for some stupid heroics... and soon enough Evadel felt annoyed enough to require action.  'Sit, please.'  She waited, and took a seat herself.  When the troublemakers didn't move she smirked, and everyone else quickly found a spot to sit down.

  'Sit.'  She did not bother to raise her voice, but the force of her talent sent Imel and Peter to the floor.  They looked up at her, legs crossed and with a humorously stunned expression once each face.  'I did ask nicely.'

  'I really need to learn how to do that.'  Cynthia noted.  'Men are so stupidly bullheaded.'

  'And you could give them lessons in obstinance.  Not that I do not agree, in general, but that is a topic that can be discussed in a less formal fashion.'  The master bard raised one eyebrow.  'Now, if you want to avoid having me do something equally embarrassing you should be silent and listen.'

  With no further interruptions, Evadel finally began trying to explain what she felt she needed to... before anything more occurred for which she might be blamed.  'First, settle down and do not talk about what adventure you think you should have next.  This was something that had to happen, but I am loathe that you take another risk based on it.  Imelwain, you especially need to think before you leap at some heroic goal.'

  She paused to take a sip of tea.  He was a really good person, but his overeager nature frayed her nerves.  Perhaps because he was so kind and honest, or maybe due to all the time he had spent helping her, she felt responsible for him.  *Or, maybe I'm afraid of his mother!*  She had to admit that was a possibility.  No matter what the reason, she wanted to somehow make up for the wisdom he seemed to lack.  It was a foible, or maybe a display of love, that she had seen in her own elders.  *I'm no longer getting old, I am old.*

  'Our first topic will be on the nature of magic and abilities.  They are very closely linked.  Magic is the practice of taking energy from a source and shaping it to achieve a result.  Most magic is done using a personal well of power, a secondary form of stamina.  To accomplish something takes effort, and leaves you feeling more tired than before.  The problem is that to do anything of note requires both a very strong will and a great deal of relative power.  The benefits are that training yourself or using another source allows for massive amounts of power, and that there is a great deal of freedom.  You determine the effect through your will and the amount of power used.'

  'That is true, in simplistic terms.'  Gerald frowned.  'I have never heard of abilities like the ones used in our group though.  Please get to that!'

  'Patience.'  Evadel seared him with her glare.  'The others are hard enough to keep calm.  Abilities, yes, those fit nicely at this point.  Abilities are another form of magic.  They are something ingrained in the one who uses them.  Think of an ability as being similar to any other talent.  Just like one person may be better at judging distances than another person, the magical nature of a person may be different.  Also, like that skill in judging distance abilities can be trained, and even gained from focused training.  Most abilities are weak, and sometimes they are almost unnoticeable by comparison to sheer talent.  For instance, both Dubrick and I have talent in music and vocals, which has become a magical ability due to hard work.  Dubrick is still just beginning to explore his ability, and it is weak.  I have a stronger ability, which is in either in part or as a whole due to my greater amount of experience and training.'

  'On the other hand, some abilities just are.  Imel has an ability to use Rynthalis.  He got it from his father, who got it from exposure to the natural version.  At least, as natural as freezing lightning gets.  This is, however, not a lecture about the Ryndewaste.  The point is that some abilities are not gained through practice, although practice can enhance the use of them.  Abilities are also very limited.  They do one thing, and only one thing.  My talent can make music and stories real, which I can apply in a variety of ways... including making unruly men sit.  I have one of the more flexible abilities, but I have to be able to perfectly describe something.  I have to understand it, and know about it in depth.  I can not make a Rynthalis, because I do not really know enough.  I have seen one, but seeing it does not mean I know it or understand it.  On the other hand, Imelwain can only make Rynthalis.  He can alter the power, and direct it, but he can never make it anything other than Rynthalis.  If he were to learn a different ability, he could also use that, as each ability is a single factor that is independent of any other ability.  You could know several abilities, and use them all in sequence, but they can never be combined.'

  'Finally, where magic requires a lot of focus on willpower, and a mage knows how to utilize the different energy sources fully, an ability user does not always have the same skill.  Using too much power can drain the magical well a person has completely, and with no time to replenish the energy must come from another source.  It is easy to start draining from the body, and the damage caused by doing so can become deadly.  Imelwain was not at risk, however, as his ability was passed to him from a parent.  When a parent passes an ability on, the body and mind develop a self preservation system.  It can be broken, but you need to get learn to do so.  Instinct does not allow for it, except when facing death.  The need for that is low, however, since abilities are a part of the nature of the person.  The efficiency is very high compared to a mage using magic.'

  'So, to summarize, magic can do almost anything given enough power and a mind capable of imagining what is to happen.  Abilities are limited, doing one thing efficiently.  The power levels vary, whether due to the decision of the user or caster or due to the skill of that person.'

  Imel looked up as she finished.  'So I can get better at using that!  I...' he stopped to consider for a moment.  'You said you would tell me more about my father.  Please.'

  'Okay.  I guess I did.  There will be more, some things that should be... for your ears alone.  I will cover what can be said with everyone here first.'

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