Seed Of Speed

As the lift passed each floor, Diego was able to see into each from a side view, making him wonder how much he had seen before was real and not. The side view from the first floor, which he guessed was inside one of the rooms, was blackness and a complete lack of light as even the light within the elevator could not spill more than a few centimeters into the room. The lift descended another floor where it stopped in the middle of a large room.

There were four stations with strange tools arranged in the corners of the room and several racks of what he guessed were materials divided up the spaces. One was an easy guess with a cauldron set up in the center of the workspace, so he labeled it for alchemy. The one with a large anvil he guessed was for some kind of blacksmithing, but the anvil had five silver arms sprouting from it that all ended in needle-fine points. Of the two remaining, one had a slanted writing desk equipped with a vase of feathers in a rainbow of colors and bottles of all sorts and sizes of a crimson liquid. The other had a large block of a blue stone that was taller and wider than he was. He had no idea what the last two were for, so they drew most of his attention.

"Are you familiar with golem or talisman crafting?" Shadowbolt asked, noticing his gaze.

"No, Grand Master, I've never seen either actually," Diego replied with an embarrassed smile.

"I'm surprised, Fanflame's letter said you were the heir of the patriarch in your clan. You can simply address me as Master."

"My father is somewhat resistant to magical improvements. If I wasn't my father's son, it would be in question whether or not I would be welcome back," Diego explained.

"Eastern desert then, they still cling to the old ways."

"Yes, the Jobin Oasis is south of the Wulim Sands."

She nodded with a light smile then gestured towards the desk, "This is for talisman crafting. There are two specific mediums for talismans, jewels or specially crafted paper. Jewel talismans are made in sets and are normally used to carry messages back and forth between the holders, but they can also be used to store a powerful spell that can then be given to others to use as a means of attack or defense. The paper talismans are unique since even a true mortal, with neither chi or mana, can use the spell stored within, but that does greatly reduce the amount of power one of these talismans can have. Typically, the sect will mass produce these with rain spell or grow spells, but there are well over a hundred different types."

(What did she mean when she said chi?)

::The true name for your Solar Energy::

(And you didn't tell me this before because…?)

::Incase this world referred to it as Solar Energy, or Qi, or Internal Mana, or another hundred other names for it::

"This workstation is for golem crafting. Your senior-disciple sister, Moonfall, has recently finished her first guard-class golem core, so I gifted her this block Lunacion to create its body. When she finally decides on its form, you can ask to watch the final step," Shadowbolt said, motioning to the other station.

"I would be very interested in that," Diego replied with a smile.

"Come, the others are on their way down and the matter of affinities should be kept between master and student alone," Shadowbolt said as she walked towards the door between the alchemy and talisman stations.

Diego followed behind her and entered what seemed to be her office. It was a smaller, cozier room than any he had seen before and the walls were lined with books. There was a desk similar to the one at the talisman station in the center of the room with a plush navy-blue chair pushed under it. There was only a single, electric purple feather quill on her desk, resting in its holder next to a bottle of ink. She walked around the desk, pulled open a drawer, and took out a crystal ball.

"You need to channel each of the elements into this orb," Shadowbolt said as she handed him the ball.

Diego took the softball-size crystal ball between his hands and summoned the shadow mana in the air as he knew it was his weakest element. A black mist of tiny specks of light swirled around inside the sphere until they consolidated into two black stars.

"Next," Shadowbolt said with a nod.

A green mist entered the ball when the black stars dissipated as Diego channeled earth mana and three stars formed this time. From weakest to strongest, he switched between the elements; four for water, five for wind, and seven for fire. When he channeled his light mana into the orb, it no longer looked like a mist, but a stream of liquid white pouring inside. Once they gathered together, nine twinkling white stars floated within the clear space. It was an identical process for his thunder mana, only it was purple in color.

Grand Master Shadowbolt's eyes were wide with shock now as she only had an eight-star affinity with shadow magic, but she recovered from her surprise before he could notice. With such affinities with light and thunder, he could easily master the visual and audio effects of a spell, making him the perfect candidate for an illusionist and, if he combined it with his Soul Singer abilities, his power could grow to match the Great Founder of the sect. She knew that she needed lead him down the right path from the start, or he could be lost to the sea of mystery that was illusion magic.

Shadowbolt took the crystal ball back from him and returned it to the desk the said, "I'll prepare a course schedule for you and send it to your token once it's complete."

"Is there anything you would suggest for me to take on in Commission Hall, Master?" Diego asked.

"You are the disciple of a Grand Master; you have no business in Commission Hall unless you are taking on a task from the Request Board."

"But how will I pay for my classes?"

"Unless you are taking a class that I am not assigning, you will not need to pay for your classes," Shadowbolt said firmly. "But you are not allowed to deviate from your schedule until you have produced your custom spell and I have high requirements for you! Your custom spell must be an illusion spell that combines with your abilities as a Soul Singer and must strengthen a group of people as well as yourself."

"Yes, master," Diego said, bowing his head.

"Good, do not speak of your affinities with others as it reveals your strengths and weakness and therefore, dangerous in the wrong hands. Let's go meet you senior-disciple sisters since they are waiting on you," Shadowbolt said as she motioned to the door they had entered through before.

Diego nodded and followed Shadowbolt out the door. The three girls were now in the workshop, talking around the block of Lunacion before they stopped as the pair walked into the room. The apprentice had a curious expression while the red-haired adapt contempt on her face. The blonde adapt gave him a neutral stare as her yellow eyes were completely vacant.

"This is your new junior-disciple brother, Ishu Telryn," Shadowbolt introduced.

"But master, he took over an hour to break out of your boundary illusion, what makes him worthy?" the red-haired adapt snapped.

"Did you not hear how Master introduced him? He hasn't learned true magic yet," the blonde replied.

"Introduce yourselves," Shadowbolt ordered with a sigh.

"I am your senior-disciple sister, apprentice Moonfall," the apprentice said with excitement.

"I am Dreamcaller," the blonde said.

"Adapt Dancingflames, and that is all you may call me," the red-haired adapt huffed as she crossed her arms, angrily.

"I wish I could say Dancingflames's temper gets better with time, but it does not," Shadowbolt said, shaking her head. "Moonfall, I will entrust Ishu in your care since he will be attending several classes with you in the future."

"Leave it to me, Master," Moonfall said, pounding on her underdeveloped c.h.e.s.t.

"For now, Ishu, go to the Great Library and study some of the scrolls on the basics of the elements and mana-sensing methods. Moonfall can help you find what you need," Shadowbolt said.

"Thank you, Master, I will," Diego said with a slight bow.

She chuckled, shaking her head as she walked past the group and headed for a different door. Taking this as her chance, Adapt Dancingflames spun on her heels and walked over to the lift, taking it back up. After the platform disappear up the shaft, a new wooden platform appeared in its place.

"Come on, junior-disciple brother, Master has given me a task!" Moonfall said, still very excited.

"Alright, senior-disciple sister Moonfall," Diego chuckled.

This caused the young girl to squeal at a high pitch as Diego was reminded of Emily. She did not look much older than thirteen, if she was, and wore her sandy brown hair in pigtails to further accent her youthful appearance. She never seemed to stop smiling and her yellow eyes sparkled like citrine gemstones. He smiled as they stepped onto the lift and travel back up into the tower.