The first morning in the Boiling Isles was loud. Hooty was screaming at a bug, and King was demanding his "royal breakfast" which consisted of crackers and apple blood. I sat on the roof of the Owl House with the Grimoire open on my lap. The pages felt warm under my fingers.
[Me] [If I want to protect Luz from the Emperor's Coven later on, I need more than just basic mana blasts. I need something versatile.]
I thought about the word "Shield" and the book flipped to a page with a familiar symbol. It was a blue hexagon from the world of Ben 10.
Me" Mana Construct: Aegis."
A solid plate of violet energy forms in front of me. It is much denser than the shields I made back on Earth.
Eda" Leans out of a window below Hey! Sparky! Stop showing off and get down here. It's time for your sister's first lesson."
I hopped down from the roof and landed lightly on the grass. Luz was standing there with a giant smile, holding a wooden staff that was really just a fallen branch.
Luz" Leo! Eda is gonna teach us how to cast fireballs! Or maybe how to summon a giant shadow monster!"
Eda" Chuckles Slow down, kid. First, you have to feel the magic in the air. Every witch has a magic bile sac attached to their heart. You humans... well, you don't."
Luz's face fell. She looked at her chest and then at me.
Luz" But Leo can do it! Why can't I?"
Eda" Leo is a freak of nature. No offense, kid. His magic comes from his very soul. It's like he's a living battery of raw energy. You? You're just a regular squishy human."
[Me] [I hate seeing her sad. I know she finds the glyphs soon, but maybe I can speed things up.]
Me" Eda, there has to be another way. My book says that magic is everywhere. It's in the plants, the stones, even the air. If Luz can't produce it, she just needs to learn how to command what's already there."
Eda" Spoken like a true nerd. Fine. If you're so smart, you teach her the 'nature' stuff. I'm going to go take a nap and try to forget that I'm responsible for two teenagers."
Eda walks back inside, leaving us in the clearing.
Luz" Leo, do you really think I can do it? Without a magic heart?"
Me" I know you can, Luz. You just see the world differently than everyone else. That's your superpower."
I opened the Grimoire again. I wanted to find something simple for her. I found a section labeled Fullmetal Alchemist. It talked about circles and equivalent exchange.
Me" Look at this, Luz. In some worlds, people use circles to move energy. Try drawing what you feel when you look at the trees. Don't think about 'magic' as a spell. Think of it as a conversation."
Luz starts drawing in the dirt with her stick. She is focused and happy again.
While she worked, I decided to try something more advanced for myself. I looked for a movement technique. I found a page titled Bleach: Flash Step.
Me" [The book says I need to compress mana under my feet and release it in a single burst.]"
I took a deep breath. I visualized the purple energy gathering at my soles.
Me" Shunpo."
A loud "pop" sound rings out as I disappear in a blur.
I reappeared fifty feet away, crashing into a tree. My head was spinning, but I was grinning.
Me" Ow. That... worked a little too well."
Luz" Running over Leo! You just turned into a blur! Teach me that! Please!"
Me" Maybe when you're older, kid. For now, let's go see what King is up to. I think I heard him crying because he got stuck in a sweater again."
Luz" Laughing On it! Race you to the kitchen!"
Luz runs toward the house. I look down at my hands. They are still glowing with violet light.
[Me] [I'm getting stronger every day. Belos won't know what hit him when the time comes.]