RISE OF THE SWARM

The next day felt blurry and tired Liam went to all his classes he had History then Mana Channeling where he just had to watch again and finaly a calm Herbology lesson with Magister Briar. But his head wasnt in it he kept thinking about breaking the cristal that cold empty feeling and the scarry warning from the ghostly teacher. He walked through the school halls like he wasnt really there not even noticing people whispering and looking at him. The big strong academy now seemed more like a confuseing maze and he was the only one on a secret scary path.

He was walking to the library wanting to find more old books when he felt a suden warm feeling on his hand. He looked down the plain brass token from the office was shineing with a soft gold light. The light formed into a shiny arrow that pointed very seriusly down the hall to his left.

It was a summons and from how it felt he new exactly who it was from.

His heart beat hard in his chest a mix of being nervus and kinda relieved. He followed the gold arrow it zipped on ahead turning corners and takeing him through parts of the school hed never seen. It didnt go to the Headmasters tall office it went down into the old practical basment of the building and finaly stoped at a plain oak door the arrow faded away.

Before he could even knock he heard Merlins voice from inside Get in here boy dont just stand there your letting the cold air in

Liam pushed the door open the room wasnt an office it was a huge messy workshop Tables were covered with broken gajets glass balls and complicated brass machines that clicked and hummed. Paper scrols were falling out of barrells the air smelt like eletricity hot metal and old plants. In the middle of the mess Merlin was looking at a complicated drawing on the floor stareing at a piece of yelow rock that was smokeing.

Ah Liam good good youre on time thats a great thing for a student but a bad thing for someone who wants to change the world we can fix that later He threw the smokeing rock over his shoulder it landed with a clank on a pile of other broken experimants. I forgot I was suppose to be teaching you I got distracted the pipes in the alchamy wing started singing a nasty song from a long time ago it took me all morning to get them to sing a nicer tune instead.

Liam just stared not knowing what to say to that.

Merlin rubbed his hands together quickly Okay no better time to start than now Morwenna is really worryed about your special situation she thinks your going to hurt yourself or upset the other students I think your just a new kind of problem to solve He waved for Liam to follow him to an empty spot at the back The Empresss seal is just a temporery fix Your power is like a blocked up river it will find a way out and I want it to come out in a controled way not like a big disaster so we need to train

He stoped in front of a big round arch in the wall it was made of a dull gray metal and had glowing blue protectiv symbols carved all over it Merlin touched a few of the symbols talking quietly to himself the symbols flashed and the space inside the arch shimmered showing a view of a huge empty stone room.

This is my personal practice room Merlin said sounding proud it has so many protection spells you could cause a tiny apocolypse in here and everyone outside would just feel a little breze Come on

He stepped through the arch Liam waited a second then followed.

The room was huge and completly plain the walls floor and ceiling were all made from the same smooth dark gray stone The air was perfectly still and quiet the arch was the only thing there.

Alright then Merlin said turning to face Liam His playful mood was gone replaced by a serius studying look Lets talk about the idea behind it You are a null the crystal said zero but Ive never seen a power that is actualy nothing Energy cant be made from nothing or disappear it just changes form So your emptyness isnt a lack of something its a change A conversion into something we cant see or measure.

Liam looked at him feeling a little spark of hope Merlin was actualy thinking about it really thinking.

Think of mana like light Merlin went on walking back and forth a little bright easy to see full of energy Your core doesnt make light but that doesnt mean it makes nothing maybe it makes shadow not just where light isnt but the actual opposit of light A real darkness He stoped and pointed at Liam You dont have no power you eat power You change active liveing mana into something else A possible emptyness a hidden energy that breaks things down.

It was almost exactly what the woman with silver hair had said Liam stayed quiet not agreeing or disagreeing.

The Empresss seal is like a lid on a pot Merlin thought out loud it holds everything in but the pressure builds up so control isnt about makeing power yours seems to do that by itself as a reaction its about stearing the change about chooseing what to cancel out He rubbed his chin The big question is how do you steer a shadow You cant hold it but you can block the light to make one appear.

He looked right at Liam his eyes sharp I want you to try something I want you to reach for that emptyness dont try to shove it out Try to pull with it Make a point of suction a drain a small specific hunger.

It was a different way of thinking from the womans idea of circulation but it made sense Liam nodded and closed his eyes He found that quiet center inside himself Instead of trying to push the cool smooth feeling out he pictured it as a whirlpool a spinning drain He focused on a spot on the empty floor about ten feet away and he wished for that spot to become hungry.

For a long time nothing happend then he felt it A small pulling feeling a drain The still air in the room seemed to move pulled toward that spot A faint shiver like air over hot pavement apeared above the stone.

Merlin made a low impressed sound Interesting really interesting no energy coming out just a pull on the magic in the air so fascinating He sounded like Leo but with ages of curiosty behind the words Okay boy theory is one thing doing it is another Lets see it work.

He lifted his hands and his fingers started moveing in a complicated pattern in the air Sparks of gold light followed his fingers gathering together in the middle of the room The air got warm and smelt like a storm and hot rocks The sparks spun around getting bigger and forming a shape until a creature stood where there was nothing before.

It was about as high as his knees a lumpy man shaped thing made of moveing hot rock and dirt Two little orange fires glowed where its eyes should be It made a low crunching burble noise and took a heavy step forward a fist made of solid rock forming on its arm.

A small earth elemantel Merlin said his voice calm and teacher like The simplest kind not very smart Its magic is basic it pulls nearby stone to make itself stronger A simple physical type of magic.

The elemantel took another step toward Liam its rocky feet scraping on the floor.

Your job is simple Liam Merlin said leaning against the wall with his arms crossed Stop it dont fight it dont punch it youll hurt your hand Use what you are Use the idea Make a drain make it come apart.

Panic shot through Liams chest the thing was comeing at him and it clearly wanted to fight It was one thing to put out a light or break a crystal that was just sitting there this was a creature made of active liveing magic.

I dont know how Liam said moveing backward.

Of course you dont Merlin yelled back sounding cheerful Thats why were practicing Now pay attention pull dont push Let your quiet meet its noise

The elemantel jumped swinging its rock fist Liam yelled and dodged to the side The fist missed his head and hit the floor with a loud crack The hit made the stone floor shake.

Pull dont push The womans voice was in his head mixing with Merlins words A whirlpool A hunger.

He got back up moveing further away He stoped running and stood his ground He ignored the creature comeing at him and looked inside himself desprately searching for that core of nothing He found the cool smooth flow The elemantel charged again a rumbleing wave of purpose.

This time Liam didnt try to shove the energy out He focused on the elementals center on the little fire dots of its eyes He imagined his will not as a weapon but as a drain A hole in the world right infront of the creature.

He tryed He really tryed He put all his fear and focus into the thought Be hungry.

A little bit of cold answered him a small shake in the air between him and the elemantel The creature paused for just a second one of its eye lights flickering like a weak flame But it wasnt enough The drain was too weak not focused enough The elementals simple strong magic easily fought against the weak pull.

Before Liam could try again the elemantel was on him A fist of solid rock hit him in the chest.

All the air rushed out of his lungs with a painfull gasp He was thrown off his feet and landed on his back slideing across the smooth gray stone floor Pain spread across his ribs He lay there struggling to breath the room spinning above him.

The elemantel stood over him its grinding noise sounding almost happy It raised its other fist ready to smash him into the floor.

A sharp clap sound echoed through the room.

The elemantel stoped moveing Its shape fell apart instantly The hot rock cooled into dust the fire eyes went out and the whole thing fell into a pile of harmless little rocks that landed on Liams legs.

Merlin was standing over him his hand still up from when he made the clapping gesture He looked thoughtfull not mad Well thats one way to do it I guess.

Liam coughed pushing himself up on his elbows He felt more embarrased than the pain in his chest He had failed completly.

Merlin held out a hand and pulled him up The idea is right boy the doing it part needs practice You waited too long you were trying to think the emptyness into being instead of willing it Its not the same thing He brushed some little rocks off Liams shoulder Being scared gets in the way you have to be calmer than the magic you want to stop You have to be the completly still point while everything else moves.

Liam nodded his breath still comeing in short painfull gasps The hollow cold feeling in his stomache was gone replaced by a throbbing ache He hadnt just lost he had seen exactly how much he still needed to learn.

It looks like boy Merlin said his voice still full of energy that we have a lot more practicing to talk about And you you need to learn how to do that without geting hit by a bunch of mad rocks He patted Liam on the shoulder that didnt hurt First lesson pay attention to whats around you Well try again tommorow Next time well start with something easier maybe a light orb.