James had been a Mentor for a a few weeks now, and he was really starting to get comfortable in the area of teaching. which was good, because it was through teaching that he found that his own skills with the art where improving. which was awesome. because it helped him to hdie the fact that he was playing it by ear some of the time. Today on the other hand, today was easy. Today was shields, while they where physically taxing in terms of how much energy they took to create and sustain, they where certainly a fantastic way to build beginners stamina, and potentially save a young Wizard's life. the store was of course open for business today, which meant anyone could walk in... I guess you could imagine how likely James thought that was going to be.
James was sitting on the counter in the store, dressed ini his usual business casual, a pair of blue jeans and a button down shirt. sleeves rolled tot he elbow. The store was empty and had been most of the day, as per the usual. and in his hand he held a tightly crumpled ball of paper. "Now, Rule number one for Shields is: 'Anticipate and React'. You don't want to hold your shield up all the time. its not invisable, and it tires you out something awful to have it up and running for any extended period of time. The primary benefit to a shied is shock. it doesnt matter how you wish to channel your shield. if someone shoots at you and sees a bullet ricochet it's going to scare the bloody piss out of them." A smile and he toosed the paper ball he held in his hand a couple of times. he had Alastrina stand a good distance away, and had given her his watch, it was a shield focus. it would help her pull a shield up.
"Now my Mentor started with Rocks...thankfully, I'm actually a well balenced human being, and i think Rocks should at least wait until lesson three or four... Now you've got my watch, remember what I taught you about focusing... you need to believe in protecting yourself. take that thought, and push it through the watch. and well, if it works... we'll know." he said with a smile and held the paper ball up. "Ready?"
Alastrina had been working today within the book shop. Which wasn't to bad since well there were hardly any customers. But James was making her do homework which sucked. She thought that part was done and over with but no here she is doing homework.
Dressed in a pair of shorts that stop right above the knee with a black tank top with the saying " Got to hate me before loving me " She would be staying a good distances away from James on the counter. Her necklace which he had givin her when she arrived around her neck. But added piece was the watch which James had told her to place on to help focus her energy/power.
Trina would give a nod of her head when he asked if she was ready. Letting her mind focus and think of protecting herself. Forcing the energy that she could muster up go through the watch as she focus to help her try and place that shield up in front of her.
"Now remember, Magic is all about focus. creating a picture of what you want to do in your mind. and then using that picture to create the reality you see in your mind." James tossed the paper ball up in the air just as the face on his watch started to come to life with power. an effort of his own will and a murmured work. "Zephrys" and the wadded up ball of paper zoomed right at her face fast as it was possible for the ball to. terminal velocity wasn't very high for a wadded up ball of paper. never enough t do do any damage, just pelt the girl and fall to the floor. fortunately for her though, the shield was working. though she might not have seen it doing such, the ball slowed on its path towards her, slowly as if it had hit an invisible wall of mud. slowly immediately and veering away. coming to a total stop just over a shoulder. where the wad of paper would slowly fall and roll from her shoulder down her back and onto the floor.
"Alright Kiddo cut the juice for now. We can't have you fainting here in the store." Shields where not easy to manifest and hold up. his shield was one of the easier ones to do. as it worked with water and air magic, to absorb,disperse , and redirect projectiles that came at him."I'm impressed there. My first shielding lesson, ended up with my having a broken nose... of course my teacher wasn't as good of one as I am." he pushed up from the counter and smiled. "How're you feeling? any dizziness exhaustion?" it wouldnt have been uncommon for her to feel either of those things, she was just starting out after all.
" Well I can't focus if you are still talking..it's somewhat distracting ! " Alastrina would give him the evil eye as she was trying to focus on the shield which he wanted her to place up to stop the paper ball. Then out of the corner of her eye she saw the watch began to glow. Before noticing the paper ball coming flying at her. Which it would then slow down like in slow motion before dropping and rolling down her back.
Once that happen Trina would blink some letting herself relax letting the shield down. But it had drain a lot of her energy which made her slightly dizzy. " Uh? Why are you going around in circles ? " Before giggling and rubbing her eyes. Then would slowly lower herself to sit on the floor so everything would stop moving. " I think I used to much James ..everything moving "
"Ah, but any potential beasties aren't going to stop and wait for you to get your shiled ready. It'll be great practice one day." He smiled and pushed himself to stand from hiw place on walking over to knee down before her.
leaning forward to get a better look at her face. "well you've not ruptured any blood vessels. so I'd say you're going to be fine." a nod and he leaned back again. "Magic is all efforts of will, and as with any effort of will, too much and you can rupture blood vessels in your body. Terrible sight that is. I've seen it happen once." a paused moment to think before a sudden shake of his head.
"It's good that you're tired, it only means you've done it right. trust me... There will soon come a day where you're holding your shiled up with one hand and tossing molten rock with the other..." he reached forward and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, standing tall before he said. "Well then, When you're ready I've got another exercise for you. take a moment to catch your breath..." James once again pushed himself to sit on the counter of his book store.
" Eh? Like I don't know this? " She grumbles some as she try to make the room stop spinning. Blinking some as she looked up to ?James as he came closer to her looking her over.
"Well thanks for telling me that now. What if I ruptured something important ? And you know and bleed out? " Trina would make a face as she began to get to her feet holding onto near by stuff. Then would stand making sure she had her balance. Then raise brow looking at him. " Another exercise ? " Groans lightly .
James smiled brightly and gave a nod. leaning back on his palms watching her as she stood."well you'd have bruises. and your pretty eyes there would be blood shot." he gave a nod. and then looked over to a box of books. and then back to her. " this is an exercise in patience. that box there is in a total state od disorder, books from many different sections put in there in no particular order." he sat up again and tried to look wizardly as he sat on the counter.
"Your task is going through the box and putting the books where they belong." a collector had sold some books to James the day before, and well he was jsut too lazy to put them away. or maybe it was a genius plan one couldnt tell with James most times.
Alastrina would raise brow some looking at James. Then let her eyes follow his glaze to the box of books." You got to be kidding me? " Trina would make her way over toward the counter to pick up the box as she would look through them before coughing as dust was stirred up.
She would look to James as she would sigh. " Am I ever going to get a break with you? " Then would grumble some as she turned to make her way toward the back of the store to place the books away. She was getting bored with working and studying she hadn't even been able to explore the city. All she did was study, work ,study more ..
James couldnt help but smile some at her reaction. he certainly remembered what that was like. being young and thinking the old man was breaking your back with work. "you are getting a break, when i first started out as an apprentice I was in unniversity, and following a strict personal fitness regiment.
he gave a nod and after a moment he paused."You should start one too, a strong, fit wizard is a wizard that stays alive... " james words where spoke as if he had rattled them off a billion billion times. btu then he said. " but, we dont have to start that just yet... and your training is going really quite well.... so, what do you say to a long weekend? this friday will be pay day, and you can go, shop... or whatever you young girls do on weekends."
He wasnt his mentor, and she was a good student, unlike with his youth, she should be rewarded.
