Divine Power
“What truly is the power gods hold? From the limited knowledge we have, even after thousands of years, no one has been able to answer this question. There have been many theories pertaining to this puzzling question. We know that our bodies don’t truly create energy within ourselves, whether that is Ki or Mana. We simply gather the ambient energy, aether, natural energy, or whatever you want to call it. However it is more fitting to call it unrefined mana, magic is the core energy of everything.”
- Excerpt from Divinity, Research Paper by Scholar Dralin Noven.
….
El stood alone in his room, while a rare occurrence, did happen. He had been getting better when it came to being away from people. However, it wasn’t because he wanted to. Leaning down he pushed himself against his bed. With a simple hand movement, something slowly crawled out from under his bed. Sitting atop his hand a figurine of a knight stood.
As he experimented and trained his gift he had gotten into the habit of making things. Since he had so little mana he knew that he couldn’t make big attacks like during the trial. So he trained his control and making detailed art pushed him to his limits. That last attack of creating and manipulating his ice like that was almost too effective. Being able to outmaneuver a god’s spatial awareness was too attractive. At first, he had only wished to be able to do that last attack more easily.
When experimenting earlier he was able to control the ice with relative ease. Creating very simple but twisting movements as the ice came forward. Quickly, however, he realized how hard it was to make sharp turns. As he tried making rapid changes to its course it would either not be able to turn it again or he wouldn’t be able to gauge the distance properly and miss.
Both of these problems stemmed from his lack of fine control. His gift obviously helped him but he himself wasn’t able to think that fast. So to pull out the most potential he could he would continue to make items as quickly as possible. A decorative set of armor sat right outside his room. The complexity of its detailed decorative armor was great for this. As well, the human form helped train his ability to manipulate the size and creation of ice and the many different shapes helped to expand his arsenal.
As he practiced, however, he noticed something peculiar. If he created an item or something similar multiple times he slowly built a connection to it. It was faint at first, no more than a buzzing in his ears or a small pressure on the back of his head. However, as he kept making the knight, progressively getting better and faster at creating them, the feeling grew greater. At first, he found it easier to move around after creating it. Swinging the arms around and making it walk; controlling it like a puppet. Doing this every day since then for weeks he continued. Until he finally made a perfect recreation. At that point, he didn’t even need to try to move and manipulate it.
Then today, this morning he had no classes and Ianna was running late. So he made a new set. This time however he tried to make it with realistic movement in mind. Creating a skeleton with moveable joints and laying the armor on top instead of infusing it onto the model. Something clicked when he had finished creating it and without any commands, it shifted to salute him.
Jumping back he almost crashed into his desk but with Ianna coming back soon he hid it under his bed. It was now 5 or so and he was finally back in his room. Lifting it up to eye level he continued to observe it. There were no golem inscriptions atop the figure and he had not forced a soul to possess it. So how did it move?
It reminds me of what Master En was talking about, Shamanism. As magic was first being created, in the era of the lost, all types of magic were being created. The type used today was simply the easiest to teach and spread. A combination of spell circles and spoken runes made it very versatile and allowed the easy recording of spells. Shamanism however utilized equipment and potions more than anything. Their rituals were able to apply special effects and magics to items that they create and could even empower them quickly. As well since they didn’t actually harness the mana in the air, instead of willing or asking it they received protection from a different god. The unnamed god of nature had blessed them before the god of magic could give them terrifyingly powerful abilities. One of such was granting life to inanimate objects.
This is very similar but I can see the difference. Shamans and mages are both able to grant “sentience” but the difference is that mages have to use something already there or construct it like a golem. I’m pretty sure that this is the latter. It isn’t truly sentient, from the pressure I’m feeling I’m pretty sure it is using my own knowledge to move. I’m almost controlling it subconsciously but one step further. The sub – sub conscious?
…
As the wind spread through the verdant plains of Alos a small girl could be seen running through the grass. Not far behind a knight could be seen chasing her. The anger in his face became apparent as he slowly caught up, “ GET BACK HERE YOU!”
“AHHHHHHHHHHHH”
The girl screamed but continued running. Running over a hill she got down and slid the slope before turning back towards the village. As they ran through the village many people looked but didn’t act. Simply moving out of their way when they approached. Of the many villagers watching one man moved to help.
“Hey what are you doing! Get the guards or something we need to help her!”
“Ah- Are you new here?”
Mouth open the man turned. A woman walking out from her home approached him.
“What does that have to do with anything? We should help her!”
Grabbing his shoulder to stop him she turned her head, “Listen.”
Steering his head the two watched as the knight finally caught up to the small girl. Suddenly speeding up with the use of magic to make his armor lighter he came from behind. Grabbing her he lifted her from the ground, the giggles from the girl audible even from where the two stood.
“Princess please! Attend your other classes! You can’t just run from math!”
