"Review, huh? Oh, I should probably give you copies... There's plenty of spares lying around, and part of your "test" will be identifying which ones you've already actually done once I explain how to spot them."
Adelaida thumbed through her books. They were bound as simply as could be, and contained clean illustrations of the patterns that formed spells, with brief descriptions of what they did. She'd spent more time than she cared to admit carefully designing them in illustration software, utilizing digital precision to replicate the patters without flaw.
She wondered what method would be best for Michi when it came to actually creating the spells herself. Should she be taught the old ways that required painstaking, precise and perfectionist method of drawing them by hand, or should Adelaida teach her how to modernize just as she had done? Or maybe Michi would be interested in learning both. God, Adelaida felt giddy at the possibility that her student both had the proven talent and the drive for the arts.
But for now, she had to proceed.
"Spells in my art have a simple structure. You have these 'fragments'," she said, showing the breeze rune without its containing circle. Her finger traced through the pattern. "A spell is made by forming fragments into a pattern, then closing them in a circle to form a 'circuit.' That's the most basic structure there is. That's why the spell doesn't take effect until you've fully closed the circle. This also means you should never start with the outer circle first, because it's possible to accidentally fire it off before it's complete. Like for more complex spell fragments, where you can alter parameters by changing the angle or length of a line."
She paused, and then suddenly fell to a sudden realization that filled her with shame. "I, uh, forgot to mention that, didn't I? Oh god. Good thing I prepared idiot-proof beginner fragments. Oh god. You're still okay."
Adelaida thumbed through her books. They were bound as simply as could be, and contained clean illustrations of the patterns that formed spells, with brief descriptions of what they did. She'd spent more time than she cared to admit carefully designing them in illustration software, utilizing digital precision to replicate the patters without flaw.
She wondered what method would be best for Michi when it came to actually creating the spells herself. Should she be taught the old ways that required painstaking, precise and perfectionist method of drawing them by hand, or should Adelaida teach her how to modernize just as she had done? Or maybe Michi would be interested in learning both. God, Adelaida felt giddy at the possibility that her student both had the proven talent and the drive for the arts.
But for now, she had to proceed.
"Spells in my art have a simple structure. You have these 'fragments'," she said, showing the breeze rune without its containing circle. Her finger traced through the pattern. "A spell is made by forming fragments into a pattern, then closing them in a circle to form a 'circuit.' That's the most basic structure there is. That's why the spell doesn't take effect until you've fully closed the circle. This also means you should never start with the outer circle first, because it's possible to accidentally fire it off before it's complete. Like for more complex spell fragments, where you can alter parameters by changing the angle or length of a line."
She paused, and then suddenly fell to a sudden realization that filled her with shame. "I, uh, forgot to mention that, didn't I? Oh god. Good thing I prepared idiot-proof beginner fragments. Oh god. You're still okay."
