《Introduction to Magic》 Prologue Fahran the Conqueror, the Undefeated, First Archmage and Grand Director of the Scattered Empire, ruler of the kingdom of mages; there he sat, on his cottage porch, in a quiet meadow, retired. He had lived a grand life, a life that coursed along his rushing blood, a life that was a brutal battle at every step, a life in which he was victorious. It was not a good life, but it was life filled with a grandeur that you could not deny. But alas, all things are like leaves in the autumn, scattering in the wind. His hair was now grey and his will was now waning. At the end of his conquest, what finally toppled this giant was but a little girl. She sold apples on the road side; fearless, she had approached the conqueror and offered an apple for 5 copper coins. Fahran, intrigued by the faith in comfort, the expectation of understanding, took out a silver coin and raised it before him. Did this little girl not know who he was? Did she know what kind of world he had grown up in? When he was growing up, an apple was not something you offered money for. No, it was something you took for yourself, it was something you stained your hands for. Eventually, Fahran let out a sigh and placed the silver in the little girl¡¯s hands before taking an apple and biting into it. It was sweet. It was sour. And the taste of it urged tears to fall from the conqueror¡¯s eyes. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. The taste of it made Fahran realize¡­ All the work he put into driving this world, into pushing it into something palatable¡­ He wanted to enjoy what little of it he could. And so, he retired to this meadow, to live out the rest of his days in peace¡­ Fahran takes some tobacco from his pouch and packs it into his pipe. He places the mouthpiece of the pipe into his mouth and with a hint of his will, a fire ignites in the bowl. He takes in a deep breath before grabbing his pen and dipping it into the inkwell. He lets out a satisfied exhale and begins to write¡­ Introduction to Magic¡­ This old man had to spend his time doing something¡­ Chapter 1 All magic begins as a seed on the edge of one''s mind, a spark, an idea. You may hear of something interesting happening in a far off land, or rumors of war, or you may see a flower that resembles an animal, and wonder how does it do that? All of these lingering thoughts on the edges of your mind are the first step to magic. They want to weave and grow, and build itself up, until one day, they are more than an idea in your mind, until one day¡­ They materialize into something substantial¡­ And that is what magic is. That is what life is. You may think, Fahran, how can thoughts be magic? They are not of the material world, how can they affect it? And I say to you, that if your landlord has the thought of evicting you and puts these thoughts onto paper, will mere thoughts be unable to affect you? If your king has the thought of going to war, and sends out draft letters to every home in the kingdom, would these thoughts be unable to affect you? Everything begins in the mind, and in truth everything is of the mind. The rocks on the ground, the seeds sprouting from the earth, and the river coursing through the land; these are all just thoughts, the mind of something much greater. But this book isn¡¯t to explore the matters of gods and the greater universe. This book is to explore magic. As mortals, what matters to us, is how is magic useful to me? How can it benefit me? If I were to ponder the question, I couldn¡¯t really give you an answer. Magic is something different to everyone, and magic has different uses for everyone. Much like how individuals can think similar thoughts; in the end, they are still unique beings, with separate personalities, separate dreams, separate desires. Magic is the same. But if I was to give an answer, I would say that magic is something we can explore for several lifetimes, it is something that can teach us so much. As such, I believe that the greatest benefit in learning magic is our own personal growth. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. There are many schools of magic, and they teach many different types of thinking. These ways of thinking can be the foundation for our ways of life. You are the victim of a thief? What do you do? One school of magic would say that the obvious answer is to destroy the thief, obliterate him, and pray for his soul in the next life. One school of magic would say, guide the thief, teach him there are better ways. Another school of magic would say, let the thief steal what he wills, if his soul can bear the burden, may the thief at least have material wealth to comfort him. As I said, all magic begins in the mind, and it is the mind that benefits the most from it. When we enter this world, we are innocent, our minds are clean, but inevitably we must face the world and all the terrible things that are possible. For this we must have a way of thinking, a way of life. Fahran takes one last puff of his pipe and puts it down on the table, before grabbing a bottle and pouring himself some alcohol. He lifts his cup and smells it before taking a healthy gulp. Fahran lets out a breath of relief. Damn, life is good. He thinks. He sets his cup down and looks at what he has written so far. Suddenly, he lets out a laugh. I must be getting old. These kids don¡¯t want to hear any of this. They want to know how to make fire sprout from their hands and cause lightning to fall from the sky. Fahran thinks with a shake of his head. Fahran picks up his pen once more¡­ Magic offers us this, and it offers us the power to face this world. With the right formula and the correct weaving of magic, one can cause lightning to fall from the skies. But in the same way, a powerful way of thinking can make it so your road is smooth. Not only would you not need lightning to aid you from the heavens, you would not even need to worry. If your way of thinking is powerful enough, you can take a stroll through hell and come out unharmed. Chapter 2 ¡°And what do I see? A dying old man greedily gasping for the breath of life he gave up long ago? Pathetic. Haha.¡± A voice calls out. Fahran looks up and sees an old friend. Fahran smiles. ¡°Old bastard. Come to gloat? To see me in this state might be my greatest shame.¡± He says with a laugh. Fahran stands up to greet his old friend, hugging him tightly. ¡°My love, how do I look? Does it seem¡­ appropriate?¡± He asks, anticipating the answer. The old man opposite Fahran smiles. ¡°It''s enough to bring a tear to my eye, old friend.¡± He says before letting out a sigh. ¡°You''ve earned this my friend. Alas, even here, you can only grasp so little.¡± He says with a shake of his head. Fahran laughs. ¡°I don¡¯t dare argue with the heavens. We can only take what we can get.¡± He says before sitting down once more and gesturing to the seat beside him. The old man sits, and the two look over the porch, indulging in the scenery. Fahran lets out a sigh. ¡°How is it, Jamahl¡­ Our work¡­ Was it worth it?¡± He says. Jamahl lets out a laugh. ¡°Maybe not to you, you old bastard. But¡­ Out there¡­ In the kingdom you built¡­ Many will inherit your will¡­ You might not see it now¡­ But eventually, the seeds will grow¡­ And that, will be glorious.¡± He says with a bitter smile. ¡°Now pass me that tobacco, old bastard. I¡¯ve been sitting here so long.¡± He says impatiently. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Fahran hands his friend his pipe and passes him his tobacco pouch. Jamahl packs the pipe and with a thought, flame ignites and he breathes in the fully flavoured smoke. ¡°Ah.¡± He exclaims with an exhale. ¡°The best tobacco always ends up in your hands. You should share more often.¡± He says, amused. ¡°So? What have you been working on here? Don¡¯t tell me you''ve been idle?¡± He says. Fahran lets out a chuckle. ¡°Just something to keep my mind occupied.¡± He says, taking a sip of alcohol. ¡°Speaking of¡­ What would you say to someone learning magic for the first time?¡± He asks, curious. ¡°Hah.¡± Jamahl says with a shake of his head. ¡°Only take what you need. What you can digest. Otherwise, it will just rot you from the inside out.¡± He says, looking back on some bitter memories. Fahran smiles. ¡°That¡¯s a good one. What else? You must have more.¡± He says. Jamahl lets out a chuckle. ¡°Here¡¯s one¡­ There¡¯s always someone better¡­¡± He says as he glances into Fahran¡¯s eyes. Fahran lets out a laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself down, you old beast. Who does not know of your savagery? No, but you¡¯re correct. Even for me¡­¡± He says as he looks at the sky. ¡°There¡¯s someone better.¡± He says before shaking his head and sighing. ¡­ ¡­ So many of you¡­ are miniscule. You¡¯re a grain of sand on a beach¡­ A piece of stardust in space¡­ But in each of you is a path to be as great as the world, as great as the universe¡­ As I see you know, you are miniscule¡­ But this is a piece of the river¡­ Down the road¡­ You are an ocean. Keep it in mind as you act in this life. Ask yourself, is this worthy of a god? Is all this good I¡¯m doing kind of lame? Would I prefer to be a war god or a good god? If you¡¯re going to walk the path of magic, you might as well walk forward with this in mind. Magic can take you further than you know possible. But to get there you must walk each grueling step. But don¡¯t look down on hardship. If you see it as I do, that hardship is heaven¡¯s consideration of your path, of your dreams. Somewhere in that hardship is a choice you¡¯ll have to make, it is something you crave, something you desperately want to be. In that fog of indecision, you¡¯ll have to walk forward. And each step forward will continue to decide your future. If you¡¯re going to walk the path of magic¡­ Walk boldly¡­ Chapter 3 But hold on a moment child¡­ Fahran lets out a laugh. Before walking forward, intent to become the greatest, there is something you should consider¡­ Where are you right now? Are you near a beach? Is it hot or cold? How humid is the air, how''s the pressure? Where you are currently, if it is a good place, it is a wonderful indicator of what you want. If it is a bad place, it is an indication of what you don''t want. At that point, you should be considering prevention methods. But if it is a good place¡­ If you feel that things are right¡­ Then you have an inkling as to what you should be aiming for. Because before that place is your path, your path of magic. So? How is it? Do you feel fire in your veins? Or is there vengeance in your soul? Are you a warrior or a saint? There¡¯s much to be said of the moment, and from it, much of the future can be divined¡­ Well, on a good day. And even divination is a path¡­ Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! But every path carries a price¡­ For example, divination robs you of the experience¡­ but at least you¡¯ll know about it. Fahran lets out another bellow. If you¡¯re a warrior, you will have enemies. If you wish to burn everything in your path, people will not care for you. If you wish to plant seeds¡­ Well, the harvest is worth it to me¡­ Fahran lets out a chuckle. ¡°What are you laughing at old man?¡± A lady says from beneath the porch stairs. Fahran looks up and his eyes widen. ¡°Child! You¡¯ve come!¡± Fahran says with a smile. ¡°What child? This child has a child of her own. Come greet grandpa, Lily.¡± The lady says as she climbs the stairs with a little girl in hand. The little girl climbs the stairs with her mother and looks at the old man. She wondered who he was, but she was a courteous girl; she waved hello. Fahran smiles. ¡°Hello, child.¡± He says, secretly delighted. Fahran looks up at the lady. ¡°Margaret. How¡¯s my brother? And your mom?¡± He asks. ¡°Dad is doing good. Like you, he spends all day idling. But he¡¯s taken up gardening. So he has something to do. Mum''s taken up volunteering at the orphanage.¡± Margaret says as she takes a seat, placing the little girl on her lap. Margaret looks at the view and lets out a sigh. ¡°So? How is it here? How¡¯s retirement?¡± She asks. Fahran smiles. ¡°It¡¯s enough. I still have things to do.¡± He says. ¡°Speaking of, I used to teach you magic. What do you wish I did better?¡± He asks, curious. Margaret lets out a bitter laugh. ¡°Don''t remind me.¡± She says with a shake of her head. ¡°You were a terrible teacher.¡± She says honestly. Fahran raises an eyebrow. ¡°How could that be? I wasn¡¯t that bad?¡± He says. Margaret lets out a sigh. ¡°You were. I think it¡¯s because you saw things at too high of a level. You couldn¡¯t understand my perspective. Some things that were obvious to you were definitely not to me. And sometimes the things you said seemed absurd, sometimes even wrong. I would spend time wondering how you were so cold, so calculating.¡± She says before looking to Fahran. She puts a hand on Fahran¡¯s arm. ¡°But somehow, I don¡¯t think it was your fault.¡± She says before letting go and hugging her child. ¡°Hmm.¡± Fahran says, considering the matter. ¡°I suppose, I can be cruel at times. But alas, sometimes the world deserves cruelty.¡± He says. Margaret lets out a bitter smile. ¡°My advice, if you decide to teach magic again¡­ Be a little gentler¡­ Some kids need space to grow¡­¡± She says. Fahran smiles. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± He says with a shake of his head. Chapter 4 ¡°Anyways, come have dinner when you have time. There are many in the city who would be happy to have you.¡± She says, before letting out a sigh. ¡°But the Sapphire College has been pestering me. They want you to give a lecture, but I''m not sure they really want it,¡± Margaret says with a laugh. Fahran smiles. ¡°Why is that?¡± He asks. Margaret puts a hand on Farhan¡¯s arm. ¡°They don¡¯t know you like I do. The beliefs behind your power. The college would see many of your teachings as wrong.¡± She says with a shake of her head. ¡°You grew to this stage by walking through flames; it is not something that the college is looking for. They wish to ensure sure and stable steps, and strong foundations. Your frivolous advice could push them to the edge.¡± She says, a bit disappointed. Fahran¡¯s eyes widen. ¡°I¡¯m not a brute, Margaret. I understand the importance of solid steps.¡± He says in defense. Margaret rubs his arm. ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s just that¡­ Is very much dependent on your mood.¡± She says with a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize it, but sometimes, there is a bite to your words. A hint of cruelty.¡± She says. Fahran lets out a sigh. ¡°I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. It was how I was raised. But maybe now¡­ Maybe I can learn to be gentle.¡± He says. Margaret smiles. ¡­ ¡­ Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. There is something to be said, about value, the worth in ideas, in people. Magic works in a similar way; it is an economy of energy. A landscape of passwords, secrets, and like all energy, it is a landscape of power. For many things, like dark magic, the energy of your spells, would require a price. Sometimes, with magic, all you require is a key, a whisper of words. Sometimes it is a completion of karma, and sometimes it¡¯s an abundance of tangled webs, accidents, bile blood, and ghosts. In addition, with magic, there is what¡¯s within you, and what¡¯s available, to the outside world. Sometimes you can call thunder from the sky, if the heavens hear your call. Sometimes, the fire, is within you, all you must do, is let it flow out. Magic, it is both giving something away, and taking it, it is in the liminal space, between these things. It is your mom¡¯s panties¡­ Fahran lets out a cough. Damn, I¡¯ve been smoking too much weed. He says, almost thinking he¡¯s gone senile. In essence, magic will exist, whether we accept it or not. It is up to those, who hear its call, to allow it to flow into the world. ¡­ ¡­ Fahran was scratching his head. He was trying to come up with a lecture for the Sapphire College, but for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t figure out to say. What would he even speak about? They were all experienced mages, so it shouldn¡¯t be anything basic. And¡­ there was a structure and flow, to the Sapphire College. A sort of¡­ nobility existed within the faculty members. These were not uneducated fools; they¡¯ve all seen the world, and their wealth of knowledge, was immense. The vastness of the world, magical law, experts in every field; masters of the mind, warriors, architects. They were a very strict bunch, and they very much held it dear to their hearts, the laws of the kingdom. Fahran lets out a sigh. I could maybe talk about something like¡­ the World Tree¡­ It¡¯s something he¡¯s taken a great interest in studying. The vast network of worlds, connected to this tree. Each branch, was essentially a portal, worlds within worlds, secrets, oceans, stories and adventure, love, humanity, wrath and the abyss, pockets, of heaven and dreams. Fahran used to think of it; exploring the World Tree, conquer and consume, what he could. But the world was such a vast place, the East and the West extend, if he had enough time, he would explore as much as he could.