Fire Emblem: Before Awakening

Energy and Patience

Anna

"Mom?"

"Yes, Little Bird?"

"I want to learn magic."

Mom stared down at her bowl of stew, the campfire crackling between us. "...Is there any particular reason why?"

I set my bowl down. "I remember you promised me that you would," I said. I was only five at the time, but I remember it clear as day. "I'm almost thirteen. I think that I'm ready to learn."

To my surprise, she nodded. "Very well. I will teach you. But, magic requires a lot of energy and patience to learn. Do you think you can handle it?"

A wide smile painted my lips. "Of course! I'll be the best student ever!"

She chuckled. "I don't doubt that, my dear." She began rummaging through her bag, taking out a few tomes. "It's a bit late to start practically learning, so I'll tell you of a few basics. There are three main types of battle magic: fire, thunder, wind, and dark. When first learning, a mage will stick to one type. They can learn the others over time, but learning too many at once is very stressful on the user. However, dark magic cannot be used by any normal mage. It is a dangerous art that is not meant for the faint. Ylisse mainly uses elemental magic, while Plegia is known for training in dark."

I stared in awe. "Wooooow..." If I could see myself, I could guarantee my eyes were gleaming. "What magic can you use?"

"Elemental," she replied. "My mother and father taught me in magic arts, and they were both skilled in elemental. I could have used dark magic as well, but I chose not to." She fidgeted with her hands. "And you, young lady, are not allowed to dabble in dark arts. I... I'm not sure if it will have any negative effect on you, but I would rather not risk it."

I nodded slowly. "...All right. I'll stay away." Dark magic sounds really scary, anyway.

"How you determine which element to master in is determined by the caster," she explained. "Those who are more calm and collected tend to gravitate towards wind. People who seek power and strength usually chose fire. Lastly, those who are quick on their feet and want a snappy yet powerful attack lean towards thunder."

"Which element did you start with?"

"Thunder." Her hand brushed against a yellow tome. "Would you like this to be your starting spell?"

I felt a tug in my heart towards the idea. Thunder really sounds cool to control! I feel like this is meant to be! "Yeah! I want to learn thunder!"

Mom giggled. "Very well, love. We'll begin tomorrow. Right now, you should get plenty of rest. You'll certainly need it."

I nodded vigorously. "Ok, Mom!" I prepared my bedroll. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

...

I held the thunder tome in my hands, moving it around to get a better feel of it. Inside the pages were arcane symbols. It looked like a mess of letters and drawings, but I assumed that they were important for the spell to work. Some of the runes I recognized - my lessons with Percy included reading ancient texts - but some were completely new.

"Don't be intimidated by the text. Most mages don't completely understand them until they are adults," Mom said. "Those who do understand during their early teen years are due to heavy study as children."

I nodded, balancing the tome in one hand. "Right."

She circled around me. "Remember, tones deteriorate over time like most weapons; either from improper care or overuse."

As my eyes scanned over the pages, I felt a faint spark. Is this what's supposed to happen? 

"In exchange for casting a spell, you use a bit of your energy. Most magic varies on how much energy is needed," Mom explained. "In the past, even the easiest of spells required a lot of energy. Mages were quick to fall on the battlefield due to how damaging casting was. Over the years, scholars have found ways to change this. And although spells still require energy, it is not as dangerous to use magic. Overtime, your skills will improve and spells will be easier to cast. You're young now, and starting out. Basic spells will require a lot of energy. All you need to do is remain patient and allow the magic to build with its own time."

I drew in a breath, closing my eyes. Focus. Focus. I must focus.

"Now, imagine you and the tome are one. Allow yourself to feel its energy. Let it fill and manifest your being. When you're ready, force this energy out."

Electricity. Imagine lightning. Now, imagine it coming out of your hand. I can control it.

My eyes shot open as I released my building energy.

Nothing.

I clenched my fist. "Dang it! I thought I had it!" Am I doing this wrong? What if I can't perform magic at all?

Then, I heard Mom chuckling. "At ease, my dear. You won't get it on the first try, that's for sure. No one can." Her voice was soft and reassuring. "It's all right. Remember what I said: patience is key."

"Yes, Mom..." I muttered. But I want it to work now! "I'm going to try again."

She nodded. "It may help to use a verbal cue. Shout 'thunder' as you release you're energy."

Ok...I'll try that... I can do this.

I am in control.

"Thunder!"

As I shouted, a few sparks danced across my palm. I stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape."I-I..."

"Now, don't get upset. It may not have been big, but-"

"I DID IT!" I jumped with joy, hugging the tome against my chest. "I CAN USE MAGIC!"

Mom giggled. "Indeed you can, love. And you'll master it in no time. I promise you that."

I can't believe this! I'm learning magic! This is so cool! I can't wait to see how far I can come with this!

*****

I'm worldbuilding with magic, people. Also Anna fluff. Things are gonna be a bit fluffy. Thank you so for 5K reads! It means so much to me! Thank you so much for reading and look forward to reading more!