章節 23: Settling In
After following The Ancient One, Liam arrived in a different room from the one he had woken up in. Looking around, he noticed his belongings already stacked in the corner of the room, as if The Ancient One had predicted his stay.
Curious, he asked, "Did you foresee our conversation?"
The Ancient One smiled gently and shook her head. "No, just a feeling."
"Take your time to settle in," she added. "Afterward, go to the courtyard and wait for a teacher to begin your training."
"Alright, thank you," Liam replied.
Once The Ancient One left, Liam began unpacking his suitcase. As he did, he replayed the earlier conversation in his mind. 'While she could see that I have knowledge of the future and was reborn here, which I somewhat expected, she didn't mention anything about what brought me here or how I gained that knowledge.' He paused in thought, folding a shirt. 'Maybe she knows more than she's told me, like with Strange, who wasn't ready for the truth yet according to her. Not that it matters for now anyway.'
After finishing unpacking, he opened his laptop and sent an email to his grandfather. 'Settled in the new area. Gonna be here for a while, love you.' Short and vague, but it would enough. Clicking send, Liam headed downstairs toward the courtyard, where he had been told to wait for his teacher.
About fifteen minutes later, someone else appeared—someone Liam instantly recognized from the movies. Mordo. The same man who would one day train Doctor Strange, and would later become the Mage Hunter. His behaviour was just as Liam remembered from the films, serious but kind.
"So," Mordo said, with a smile on his face as he looked Liam up and down, "you are the one The Ancient One has asked me to train."
"Yes," Liam responded. "Liam Hawthorne. Nice to meet you."
Mordo gave a brief nod, getting more serious, his eyes narrowed as he assessed Liam. "The Ancient One sees something in you, so I trust her judgment. But know that her trust is not easily earned, and neither is mine. You will be tested, and you will need more than just the desire to learn."
Liam could tell Mordo ment what he said despite the smile on his face. Mordo was still super loyal to The Ancient One currently, not knowing that she is using dark energy to prolong her life.
"I understand," Liam replied. "I'm ready to learn."
Mordo responded. "Good. You will need that resolve. Follow me."
As they walked through the corridors of Kamar-Taj, Mordo continued. "The Ancient One's teachings are not merely about power. They are about responsibility, about maintaining the balance of this world. The path you are about to walk is not easy, but it is the right one."
They arrived at the library. The shelves were filled with ancient books, and the air smelled of old paper. In the corner, the librarian—a man whose life would later be cut short by Kaecilius—stood silently, watching.
"This is Master Drumm. He guards this library and will help you choose the right teachings," Mordo introduced him.
Mordo gestured to the shelves. "These are the foundational texts. Begin with them. They will teach you the principles you need to understand before we begin your formal training."
Liam nodded as Mordo continued, "The Ancient One believes you can learn, but it is your discipline and dedication that will determine how far you go."
"I will leave you now," Mordo said. "Read these books, and once you have absorbed their teachings, seek me out again. Only then will your training truly begin."
Mordo turned and left, leaving Liam alone with Master Drumm.
As Mordo exited, Liam turned to Master Drumm, who had been observing the conversation in silence. The librarian approached, holding two books.
"You are just starting out with magic?" Drumm asked, his voice calm and measured. "I am Drumm, the person in charge here. If you need help finding teachings in the future, come ask me." He handed Liam the books. "For now, you'll need these."
Liam took the books and glanced at the titles. The first read Mystical Foundations Arts, while the second was titled Dimensional Theory: Energy Extraction and Manipulation.
"Thank you," Liam said gratefully, realizing how important these first steps were, as he had no idea how to draw energy from other dimensions, let alone manipulate it.
Master Drumm nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. "Take your time. Magic is not something which can be rushed. It will reveal itself in time."
Liam returned to his room, laying the books out on the desk before him. 'It's finally starting.' Who wouldn't be excited, everybody has dreamed of using magic in their lives and so did he. He flipped open the first book, Dimensional Theory: Energy Extraction and Manipulation, and began reading.
As Liam read through the first few pages, he quickly realized it wasn't as easy as Doctor Strange had made it seem in the movies. The concept of manipulating energy and drawing it from different dimensions hadn't been highlighted accurately in the films.
As he continued reading, Liam came to the conclusion that while understanding the theory was important, actually drawing energy from another dimension was a very difficult process—and manipulating it seemed even worse.
Opening the second book to skim through, he found that it focused more on the history of the sanctums and it's ways. It detailed the lives of previous Ancient Ones and gave information about the founder of the sanctums.
"This is going to take a while to read and learn, isn't it?" Liam thought to himself.
章節 24: Basic Practice
Making this is rather difficult since there is not a real explanation for how the mages were trained in the movies, if something sounds strange or doesn't add up, please tell me so I can improve it and my own understanding.
After a couple of days, Liam had finished reading both books and felt confident that he understood it's teachings. He headed downstairs, where he would search for Mordo who would help him through his first practical lessons.
When Liam arrived, he found Mordo in the middle of teaching a group of students. "Hello, Mordo," Liam greeted him. "I've finished reading the books, and I think I understand the teachings. Can I start practicing now?"
Mordo raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "That was quick. Most take weeks, to understand and accept the basics of magic. But if you're ready, we can begin. In a few minutes, a group of students, who joined the sanctum a few months before you, will arrive. You can join their training session today. They're working on the basics."
"What will the basic training involve?" Liam asked.
"The training will begin with energy manipulation, where you'll learn to form a basic spell circle. The second part will focus on sling ring practice. However don't expect to master this quickly. Most people take years just to learn the very basics of the arts," Mordo explained.
After waiting a short while, a group of about 15 students approached. They all varied in age, appearance and gender. Leading them was an older man with a mustache, likely their instructor, as he had been a part of the Sanctum longer than they had. Liam recalled from reading Mystic Foundations Arts that there was a clear hierarchy within Kamar-Taj. Though he knew he wouldn't be treated like the others, having been personally chosen by The Ancient One. 'Thank god for that.' Liam couldn't help but say.
Mordo briefly spoke with the instructor that had a mustache before motioning fr Liam to join the group.
"Today, we begin with the first lesson: drawing basic magic circles," Mordo announced. "Watch the movements carefully and follow my lead."
Liam copying the motions, traced the air with his hands, but saw no visible results. Mordo approached him, watching closely.
"Your movements are too stiff," Mordo observed. "Relax. Magic requires flow. Loosen up and focus on connecting to the dimension you're trying to draw energy from."
Liam adjusted his stance, relaxing his shoulders and focused his mind on the motions.
"Better," Mordo nodded approvingly. "Now, close your eyes and focus on another dimension. Keep the motions going and let the energy flow."
Following Mordo's instructions, Liam began to feel something change. The darkness from having closed eyes seemed to brighten as he focused inside himself, seeking a connection.
"That's it. Don't force it—let it come to you," Mordo encouraged. "Think of it like a river; you can't control it through force. Let it flow naturally."
Liam, hearing what Mordo said stopped attempting to force the energy out and relaxed his mind, he felt a sudden rush of warm energy flowing through him. He opened his eyes to see faint orange sparks flickering in the air before him.
"Well done," Mordo praised. "You're starting to feel the connection. But now you need to refine your technique. Right now, you're letting energy leak out of your body and barely manage to draw anything into the actual spell. You'll need to focus more on guiding it, not letting it go to waste by letting it flow out of your body."
"For beginners, there's only so much energy you can pull from another dimension. After a few more attempts, take a break."
Liam nodded and went through the motions again. This time, he closed his eyes and concentrated more on making the connection. He could feel the energy more clearly now, as if he opened a small door to an ocean. Opening his eyes, he saw more sparks than before, though still far from the level of control he wanted. As the energy flow disappeared, he realized something important: each attempt to draw the energy was becoming easier as he improved the connection he had with the different dimension.
After a few more tries, Mordo instructed Liam to stop and rest.''We are moving on to sling ring practice next, I want you to gain some experience in that too before your energy runs out.''
A few minutes later, Mordo disappeared into a side room and returned holding a wooden tray, on which several sling rings were placed
.
As the students lined up to receive their sling rings, Liam followed their actions. When it was his turn, he couldn't help but ask, "Mordo, you said these students have been here for months. Why don't they have their own sling rings yet?"
Mordo gave him a serious look. "Students who haven't mastered the sling ring aren't allowed to keep them. It's too dangerous. In the past, inexperienced mages have accidentally opened portals to other dimensions, sometimes bringing monsters or even natural disasters through. One incident involved someone opening a portal to the middle of an ocean and drowning because they didn't know how to close it."
Hearing this sent a chill down Liam's spine. He carefully took a sling ring from the tray and slid it onto his fingers, feeling the cold metal around his hand. He couldn't help but feel excited. The idea of creating portals to travel anywhere was one of the things that excited him most about magic.
Joining the other students, Liam began practicing the sling ring techniques. He watched their motions closely, copying the way they made circles in the air. Closing his eyes, he focused on drawing energy through the connection he had made earlier. This time, more orange sparks began to appear as he repeated the motions.
With each try, the sparks grew slightly brighter and increased in number.
Mordo eventually approached him again.
"You're making progress, but that's enough for today," Mordo said. "You need to rest. Tomorrow, I want you to come two hours earlier. We'll start with basic martial arts, and I'll show you how magic and combat techniques work together."
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