"Now class, I want you all lined up along the edge of the pond," Biara said, her voice carried in the breeze of Eversong.
Her apprentices all began to dutifully take their places along the edge of the pond, preparing themselves for the day's lesson. Biara rarely taught classes, but the recent loss of several apprentices, and her duties to the council, demanded that she attempt to fill the ranks of her kind from time to time. Besides that, it was a pleasantly warm day in Eversong; the kind of day that you could lose yourself in just gazing up at the clear blue sky or smelling the scents of summer in the forest. Biara breathed deeply as she watched her students finally take their places, enjoying the moment.
"We'll use the pond as a backdrop to practice our fire magic. This will prevent any unfortunate accidents with your spells; they'll simply collide with the water if you fail to aim properly," Biara said with a smile. She paced back and forth before the assembled apprentices, studying each carefully and reaching out with her senses, searching for flaws in the magical power they had drawn within themselves.
She paused before one young apprentice and looked at her critically. The girl was trembling, barely controlling the small flow of magic she had summoned in preparation for their practice with fire spells. Gently, Biara reached out and clasped the girl's hands, letting her own magic wash over the other's power, smoothing it and shaping it so she could use it properly.
"There," Biara said softly. "You see? It's like a work of art, a small beautiful piece of yourself that you shape. Handle it with care, caress it but do not grasp at it roughly or force it. It will respond to you through your calling."
The girl relaxed slightly, feeling the magic flow more naturally now that she'd been shown how to shape the power for use in her spells. She smiled at Biara shyly, dipping her head in acknowledgement of her instructor's lesson. Biara returned the smile, straightening and releasing the girl's hands. She walked out in front of her students and looked them over with approval.
"Magic is a tool. It is YOUR tool to use as you see fit for the glory of the Sin'dorei. No other race on the face of Azeroth is as gifted as we are, and when you wield your power you should always remember this fact," Biara said in a lecturing tone. "There are some who will disparage your use of magic, or try to tell you that the destructive force you can hurl is of little material value, but they are very mistaken to suggest such things. Magic is unlimited power, and we are the ones who wield this tool upon the world around us."
Biara turned and stepped to the side, point out over the lake. "Today you will use your power to conjure fire. Do not fear the flame, for your control of it, your mastery of it, will be absolute. There will be no flame that you cannot direct and even extinguish if you use your power correctly."
A male apprentice along the edge of the group cleared his throat and spoke, "Mistress Dayfire? Since fire is so powerful, is there ever a time when we should consider that the weapon may be worse than the target we wish to strike? Can there be consequences to using too much power?"
Biara paused, the question taking her by surprise. Her gaze traveled to the waters of the lake, and her reflection there. She saw a red-haired Magistrix staring back at her, and she reached up, touching her own face. She felt the magical wards there, the energies dancing across her skin and hiding the terrible scar beneath them. For a moment, all she could do was stare into the water, seeing the faded sea-green eyes staring back at her. The arcane magic she had consumed recently had changed their color again, and it made her wonder.
Consequences. They say these wards are beautiful. Perhaps they are; perhaps they are works of art in themselves. Do they understand what they mean? Do my friends and loved ones recognize the deadly power within them, or the stark warning they bring with them about the consequences of making a mistake with magic? I wonder if they would understand, or simply assume that I am always able to control all of the power around me. Or do they fear, like Aeranor.
Like Elunearia.
Biara's eyes widened as it finally dawned on her why her lovers had fled. It was not because they didn't love her, or find her beautiful, or find her desirable.
It was because they feared her. They feared the mistakes she could make, and what it would do to her, and them.
They fear because they never truly understood my heart. That I would die for them before I would let my own ambitions cause them harm. They could never see that past the fear. And they never will.
She sighed and looked back at her apprentices, all awaiting her words. The student who had spoken had done something remarkable with his simple question; he had taught his instructor a lesson of her own. It was time to repay the favor.
"All magic, all power has consequences," Biara said softly, her voice very serious. "To fail to recognize that is to be consumed by it. It is the one thing I cannot teach you; only you can know the limits of the power that you have the ability and will to wield. I can tell you but one thing on this matter; let your heart guide you. Your heart will know when your cause is just. It will know when the power you touch is to be used for good or ill, and whether or not it will destroy you. Others will judge you by their standards, but only you have to live with yourself and the power that you've summoned."
The apprentices stood quietly for a time, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Biara gave them a few moments to contemplate her words and let their meaning sink in. They wouldn't understand of course; it would take many long years of practice and study before they could possibly understand the fact that the more power they gathered, the more alone they would be and the more they would have to judge their own actions.
They could not possibly understand yet what it would be like to face the world with nothing supporting them but their magic.
Biara nodded grimly as the thought passed from her mind; time for the lesson. "Now then apprentices, you will begin with a simple Scorch cantrip. Your target will be a mirror image that I shall summon in the center of the lake. You may begin when ready."
Many long hours of practice would pass, but the lesson of the day would not be lost on either the students or the teacher herself.
Her apprentices all began to dutifully take their places along the edge of the pond, preparing themselves for the day's lesson. Biara rarely taught classes, but the recent loss of several apprentices, and her duties to the council, demanded that she attempt to fill the ranks of her kind from time to time. Besides that, it was a pleasantly warm day in Eversong; the kind of day that you could lose yourself in just gazing up at the clear blue sky or smelling the scents of summer in the forest. Biara breathed deeply as she watched her students finally take their places, enjoying the moment.
"We'll use the pond as a backdrop to practice our fire magic. This will prevent any unfortunate accidents with your spells; they'll simply collide with the water if you fail to aim properly," Biara said with a smile. She paced back and forth before the assembled apprentices, studying each carefully and reaching out with her senses, searching for flaws in the magical power they had drawn within themselves.
She paused before one young apprentice and looked at her critically. The girl was trembling, barely controlling the small flow of magic she had summoned in preparation for their practice with fire spells. Gently, Biara reached out and clasped the girl's hands, letting her own magic wash over the other's power, smoothing it and shaping it so she could use it properly.
"There," Biara said softly. "You see? It's like a work of art, a small beautiful piece of yourself that you shape. Handle it with care, caress it but do not grasp at it roughly or force it. It will respond to you through your calling."
The girl relaxed slightly, feeling the magic flow more naturally now that she'd been shown how to shape the power for use in her spells. She smiled at Biara shyly, dipping her head in acknowledgement of her instructor's lesson. Biara returned the smile, straightening and releasing the girl's hands. She walked out in front of her students and looked them over with approval.
"Magic is a tool. It is YOUR tool to use as you see fit for the glory of the Sin'dorei. No other race on the face of Azeroth is as gifted as we are, and when you wield your power you should always remember this fact," Biara said in a lecturing tone. "There are some who will disparage your use of magic, or try to tell you that the destructive force you can hurl is of little material value, but they are very mistaken to suggest such things. Magic is unlimited power, and we are the ones who wield this tool upon the world around us."
Biara turned and stepped to the side, point out over the lake. "Today you will use your power to conjure fire. Do not fear the flame, for your control of it, your mastery of it, will be absolute. There will be no flame that you cannot direct and even extinguish if you use your power correctly."
A male apprentice along the edge of the group cleared his throat and spoke, "Mistress Dayfire? Since fire is so powerful, is there ever a time when we should consider that the weapon may be worse than the target we wish to strike? Can there be consequences to using too much power?"
Biara paused, the question taking her by surprise. Her gaze traveled to the waters of the lake, and her reflection there. She saw a red-haired Magistrix staring back at her, and she reached up, touching her own face. She felt the magical wards there, the energies dancing across her skin and hiding the terrible scar beneath them. For a moment, all she could do was stare into the water, seeing the faded sea-green eyes staring back at her. The arcane magic she had consumed recently had changed their color again, and it made her wonder.
Consequences. They say these wards are beautiful. Perhaps they are; perhaps they are works of art in themselves. Do they understand what they mean? Do my friends and loved ones recognize the deadly power within them, or the stark warning they bring with them about the consequences of making a mistake with magic? I wonder if they would understand, or simply assume that I am always able to control all of the power around me. Or do they fear, like Aeranor.
Like Elunearia.
Biara's eyes widened as it finally dawned on her why her lovers had fled. It was not because they didn't love her, or find her beautiful, or find her desirable.
It was because they feared her. They feared the mistakes she could make, and what it would do to her, and them.
They fear because they never truly understood my heart. That I would die for them before I would let my own ambitions cause them harm. They could never see that past the fear. And they never will.
She sighed and looked back at her apprentices, all awaiting her words. The student who had spoken had done something remarkable with his simple question; he had taught his instructor a lesson of her own. It was time to repay the favor.
"All magic, all power has consequences," Biara said softly, her voice very serious. "To fail to recognize that is to be consumed by it. It is the one thing I cannot teach you; only you can know the limits of the power that you have the ability and will to wield. I can tell you but one thing on this matter; let your heart guide you. Your heart will know when your cause is just. It will know when the power you touch is to be used for good or ill, and whether or not it will destroy you. Others will judge you by their standards, but only you have to live with yourself and the power that you've summoned."
The apprentices stood quietly for a time, each absorbed in their own thoughts. Biara gave them a few moments to contemplate her words and let their meaning sink in. They wouldn't understand of course; it would take many long years of practice and study before they could possibly understand the fact that the more power they gathered, the more alone they would be and the more they would have to judge their own actions.
They could not possibly understand yet what it would be like to face the world with nothing supporting them but their magic.
Biara nodded grimly as the thought passed from her mind; time for the lesson. "Now then apprentices, you will begin with a simple Scorch cantrip. Your target will be a mirror image that I shall summon in the center of the lake. You may begin when ready."
Many long hours of practice would pass, but the lesson of the day would not be lost on either the students or the teacher herself.
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