[Session Start: The Training of Cara] [Scene: In Marta's cottage. Cara has just finished the construction of her own art supplies, guided by Marta. It has been six hours of continuous work, but she is strangely not tired.] And done! It's about time, little one. * Cara looks at what she's done and smiles. Was it really that long? You'll need to get faster, your tools will wear down faster than mine. Six hours, dearie. It's past noontime. ...wow. Didn't feel like it... * Marta cackles. * Cara scratches her head in embarrasment. That's the magic in you, child. What do I do now? You've the blood of dragons, or whatever it is that make a sorceror a sorceror. You've the gift, I can tell. All that remains is learning to use it. * Cara grins. "That's great!" But first, you're to help me concoct some potions. Must keep the money coming in, and the insects out of the fields. Now go outside and pick me some dried redleaf. It's on the racks out front. Alright... where does it grow? Eh? In those pots over there. * Marta points to some herbs growing in the corner. Oh. I get it. * Cara walks out to the racks and finds the redleaf. [Cara does not know which herb on the racks is redleaf. There are four different plants with red leaves.] * Cara sweatdrops. "Uh...which one is it?" The purple one, dear. Redleaf dries to a beautiful purple color. * Marta cackles. Oh, okay. * Cara looks for a purple one. [There is only one purple plant on the racks.] How much should I get? All of it, dear. * Cara grabs it all, then, and brings it in. You're a smart one. Most students would grab one of the red ones if they didn't know. Lesson one, child. If you don't know, ask. Guessing is hazardous. Don't do it, unless there's no other option. Eheh. I'll, um... keep that in mind. ^_^; Now, bring that over here, and take a knife from other there, and chop me a fine handful. [Fast Forward] [Scene: A week later. Potions are stocked full.] Okay, dear, I suppose it's time, then. Time? For you to start using your power, dear. Actively, I mean. Oh! Great! You've made the tools, and my stores are full of potions for now. So, pull out something to draw on. Don't use something too expensive, or too high quality. Don't want to waste good materials on practice. Okay. * Cara goes through her backpack and grabs a sheet of notes from notebook. "I'll just use the blank side of these." Ah, reusing old things, that's a good girl... You might not want to use something that high a quality, though... Um, well, what should I use? All the paper I have is like that. Wow, you've got to be rich, girl. To have actual paper, and such high quality, and it's all you have? Here, here, I'll get something else for you to use. Well, paper's really cheap where I come from. ^_^;; * Marta shuffles off into another area and returns with a small board, over which is stretched an animal skin. Here, dearie, draw on this. Okay. Now, start small... Imagine a small effect, and not something dynamic... Like what? Okay...hmm. See that statue over there? The small one, of the cute boy? * Cara looks at it. "Yes..." It's dusty, dear. I want you to draw it without dust. Concentrate while you're drawing it. And do try to get the details right. Alright. * Cara looks at the skin and VERY carefully begins to sketch the statue, concentrating on the effect. [Cara begins to feel a tingling in her fingers. Not painful, and they're not going numb... it's just a tingle.] [Twenty minutes later, Cara is finished, and the tingle vanishes.] Done! Mmmmhmm... Now look over at the statue, dear. * Cara walks over to the statue and looks at it. [The statue is free of dust. It also looks slightly different, somehow.] Uh. The statue doesn't look the same...is it because I drew it wrong? It's another lesson for you, dear. No matter how much you try, you will alter anything that you draw. You can't create a perfect reproduction. Now, pick up the picture you just drew. * Cara looks worried. "So I shouldn't use my magic on people, right?" * Cara goes and picks up the picture. Very good, dear. As you get better, you'll be better able to control what you change, but you'll always change something. Living things are better able to resist, though. * Cara nods. The pattern of a living creature, or plant has a certain... spring to it. You can alter it, and it will try to change back. And if the changes aren't too profound, it will succeed. So you have a little leeway in drawing living things. There is, however, one thing you must never do. What's that? Never interfere with the workings of Love. No love spells, no charms, nothing. Um, okay. I'm not sure how I could draw a picture that would change that, anyway. ^_^; Oh, you just don't have enough imagination, dear. How does one portray time in drawings? Changing the lighting, position of the sun, stuff like that? Or you draw a series of pictures, each adding to the story? Or just a clock? Telling a story through drawing is an ancient art. Well, yes. I know about doing that. So what if you drew two people, any two people, slowly falling in love? * Cara frowns for a bit, then blinks. "I see." Your magic would make it happen. You must never do such a thing. So, why is that such a bad thing to change, other than that it isn't very nice to do? Not only is it equivalent to rape, it will also _always_ backfire, often in the worst possible way. Love is a jealous thing, and it resents interference. O..okay, I understand. One other thing you must understand about your drawings. Sit down, dear. Brace yourself in the chair. * Cara sits back down and grabs onto the arms of the chair. * Marta walks slowly over and puts her hands on Cara's shoulders. No, don't use your hands to do it. Oh. I want you to pick up the picture. * Cara lets go. * Cara picks up the picture... I want you to feel it, feel the tingling, the magic in it. and I want you to tear the drawing in half. * Cara stares at the picture and focuses on it, then rips it in half. [The statue breaks in two, exactly the way the picture was torn. Cara blacks out.] [The next day, Cara wakes up, in Marta's bed.] Uh... Good morning. * Marta hands Cara a cup of tea. For the headache, dearie. [Cara has a splitting headache, as her head cheerfully reminds her.] * Cara takes the tea. "Um.. good morning." She takes a sip. * Cara winces at the pain in her head. Why does my head hurt so bad? Backlash. You destroyed the statue. Well, you destroyed the image of it, anyway. That was enough. I...that's right. I'm sorry... I didn't want to break your statue. bosh. It was there for training, dear. It fulfulled its purpose. Well, you've started down the path, now. Oh. So...the backlash...was it for destroying the picture, or because it destroyed the statue? Yes. ...oh. What would happen if someone else had destroyed the drawing? That all depends, dearie. * Cara drinks more of the tea. On what? On how much power you put into creating the picture, and the intent. Making a backlash free image is difficult, and quite beyond you. For now, anyway. It's an evil thing to do, in any case. But now, it's time for more practice for you, dearie. Doing chores with your magic may be boring, but it is quite educational. Now up, and I want the entire house dusted by tonight. Okay... [End Session]