"Dad, I really want to learn magic," I spoke these words out into the air in between us. My eyes were fixed on his face, watching for some kind of reaction.
His lips curved up slightly as though foreshadowing some implication in the twinkle of his eyes. And guess what he said. ''By the way, as he has always been calm and steady in his voice, he told me that he would be sending me to someone very special: a man - or a woman - eminent in the arcane arts.''
Not just any magic, he elaborated, but the specific disciplines that would resonate with my inherent aptitudes, at least that's what he had surmised. However, my ambition didn't solely lie in mastering spells; I was also going to dedicate effort to build the network, a project of significant personal importance.
The destination he spoke of was called Kondansa. Just saying the name seemed to bring it alive with an invisible pulse. I had heard stories about this place from the whispering wind; it was called the heartland, a place that had existed as the nexus of potent Qi - a lifeforce so profound that one could almost feel it in the soil.
It was said that within this environment, absorbing magical knowledge would be significantly at speed, the ambient energy acting as a catalyst to understanding. By the way, I had gleaned some information from 'Quirk' himself, or rather, about him
He was supposed to be my mentor, my guide in the mystical arts. He was said to be rather stern. As far as I've gathered, the man is an old geezer, a venerable figure steeped in tradition and demanding in his tutelage.
Stepping out of the room, the familiar confines of my personal space receding behind me, my eyes immediately fell upon "Quirk".
He stood near the entrance, his presence radiating a quiet intensity. Without hesitation, I lifted my hand and sent him a casual wave, a gesture of acknowledgment and perhaps a touch of nervous anticipation.
Leaving that aside for the moment, the reality of my impending departure began to sink in. I was already prepared for this transition, my bags packed and my mind buzzing with an almost uncontrollable excitement.
All the important artifacts and knowledge I had acquired from Leviathan securely packed within my travel satchel, or so I initially thought.
A fleeting moment of mental inventory revealed that not absolutely everything had made the cut, a few cherished trinkets remaining behind. Furthermore, beyond the allure of magical training, I was also keenly aware that I was going to meet one of his disciples, another individual molded by the strict hand of "Quirk."
[Note: My thoughts on this are that it introduces an interesting dynamic and potential for both camaraderie as well as rivalry. It also indicates that there will be a master-servant relationship and an extremely structured approach towards learning.]
***
The transition had reached a swift climax, and we found ourselves now under the tranquil land called "Zen." It had air which manifested a kind of peace - or rather a really palpable calmness to those deep into the bones.
That would have been a perfect place for the main control network for a project that would need stability and certain less disturbed energies. Well, but that is nothing for a Notion right now.
"What a nice place,"
I said aloud, the words spilling involuntarily while taking in that serene vista. So, anyway, the journey well began; the first leg successfully accomplished.
From my house I had gone on, with four guards entrusted with personal security, all of them able-bodied. However, it seemed that fate had another thing in store for me.
Purely by bad luck, we had got ambushed. Suddenly, a swarm of goblins emerged from the surrounding foliage with grotesque shapes and chittering voices, launching an attack.
Thought flashed through my bewildered mind: what on earth are goblins doing here in the demon world? Seemed all the more incongruous, odd piece in an already fantastical world.
Meanwhile, as this strange query rang in my head, one of the guards - a rock-solid being with a terribly calm composure - began to advance on the oncoming army.
Let me tell you something funny: the goblins just turned around and fled when they saw the guard advancing.
And these oaths passed under their breaths died in their mouths as they disappeared into the underbrush, chittering further and further away in the distance.
These creatures' retreat was not associated with fisticuffs; merely the twin power-house aura which the guard exuded, the invisible wave that came forth from him, drove the goblins away.
I almost wondered whether my opinion about combat could have been tainted rather unfairly by the many novels and anime I had consumed over the years.
Indeed, how simple goblins are: guards decide almost all of their lives training and then just fight down by simple monsters.
An almost-laudably plot device to legitimize that the protagonist is so strong. Oh, give me a break. Most young main characters in these stories seem to be able to beat even Dragon-level monsters after the age of ten or even earlier, far from even feeling improbable.
I think these series maybe ought to try presenting a more complicated and diverse view of power dynamics. But then again, that thought turned inward. I, too, was presuming to be a main character in my own story.
Then why would I not have those sS-level powers common to all fictional protagonists? The difference was quite amazing, punishingly minor but fleetingly annoying.
The journey were hours later continued relieves breath and seems movement. And at last, we reached the place to which I had been so eagerly going.
It was Kondansa. Here was an air that carried an almost palpable energy: not mere Qi, but something closer to pure intellect-the strongest IQ I had ever sensed. This was so strong that even my very new magical senses could practically feel that bright hum penetrating the atmosphere itself.
The broader and longer journey was now narrowed to the particular point: the house of the old noodle.
However, the last leg of our trip to his secluded home was also not an arduous nor lengthy one. It had been a long distance, but the destination was definitely at the end.