Chapter 80: Tartarus
Rita’s face brightened a bit at the question. "Ugh. They made us draw circles, lines, and different shapes over and over for the whole day after explaining some basic concepts to us," she massaged her neck. "My wrists and whole body hurt from sitting in one spot drawing all day."
"What, you mean like spell models? Already?" Zephyr asked.
"Yeah, just the basics though," Rita replied, leaning her head back as she recounted the day’s happenings. "We learned about mediums... but I already knew about mediums."
"Mediums?" Zephyr asked for further clarification.
Rita dropped her head to level her gaze with Zephyr. "Yeah. To cast spells, there has to be a medium for the spell model to be drawn. Spell scrolls, special dust mixtures, powders in the air..." she listed off her fingers. "More experienced mages can even create a spell model in a very clear-looking environment, right in the air without any immediately visible medium," she said with awe. Her single basic class of the day had made her realize even more how difficult that was. It required extreme skill and precise control. She couldn’t imagine having to draw even the simple lines and shapes she had without any visible medium.
"Wait..." Zephyr interrupted her train of thought. "Let me get this straight. You guys must always have a medium to cast spells through, and still make sure to precisely draw the spell model, or else it would fail?" He frowned in confusion.
"Yes," Rita nodded. "We’re not like you Exalted and Half-Exalted who have this process in-built." She shrugged.
"Yeah, I know that part," he said. "But I never knew it was necessary to have a medium. I thought you all just waved your hands in the air and conjured the spell model right there and then."
Rita smiled sarcastically. "That’s because you’ve been around people who are extremely skilled at spellcasting. Madam Veronica, for example... She’s a once-in-a-generation talent, and you’ve been around her, and probably seen her cast a few times...?" Rita asked.
"Yeah..." Zephyr gave it some real thought. It made him see Veronica in a slightly different light. The mental acuity it required had to be high. He could see it working for basic spells that performed a simple task. But for complex spells with special effects...