“So, how much do you actually know about affinities, Lucas?”

  Magnus’ question as the group started to make their way towards the Hunter’s Guild made the teen stop and think. Fay had told him about a lot of things, but she’d given him quick and brief bits of information since they were rushing to try and get back to Helstrum.

  “Not a lot,” He replied after a second.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Lucas could see Fay cringe at his honest words.

  “We were in a bit of a rush,” She admitted. “So, I was explaining the bare bones and answering some of his questions. I figured we would have more time when we got home.”

  Magnus sighed and shook his head, though Lucas could see the fond looking grin that the man wore. He gestured the teens over towards one of the many benches set up between the first ring and the sprawling park at the center of town.

  “Well, before we go and get you tested, we should probably make sure you understand things first. I’ll explain a bit more about affinities and how all this is going to work. Sound good?”

  It wasn’t like Lucas had any reason to disagree. “Sure.”

  “No one is really sure how our affinities are assigned to us. The common belief is that it’s based off of our souls and that determines what affinities we’re most in tune with. The theory does have some credence to it, since some people have unlocked or discovered a new affinity for certain magics after traumatic experiences or major moments. If Fay hasn’t already explained it, a person’s magic tends to awaken between their fifteenth and eighteenth birthday. Some rare cases have been found of someone’s magic awakening a bit before then, but never any past the eighteenth birthday.”

  “Fay explained that part to me,” Lucas confirmed. “I got mine on my birthday.”

  “That’s lucky of you,” Magnus replied, unknowingly mirroring his daughter’s words from days before. “No one knows why, but eighteen is the hard cutoff point. After that, a person’s magic will not awaken.”

  Deep down, there was a part of Lucas that wondered if he would have been better off not having gotten his magic. But as he looked around at the world he found himself in, those thoughts were pushed down.

  “A person is guaranteed to have at least one affinity but can have up to three naturally. One and two are common, while having three is pretty rare,” The man explained.

  “You said naturally. What does that mean?” Lucas asked.

  “The most affinities that anyone has ever been documented as having upon awakening their magic has been three. But for people who have less than three, it’s possible to awaken an affinity to an element that you normally don’t have any connection to.”

  “Let me guess,” Lucas cut in, seeing the firm expression on Magnus’ face. “It’s not easy?”

  “No, not at all. The best way that’s been found to awaken a new affinity has been to subject yourself to a massive amount of a mana of the chosen type, or to spend a very long time in an area where that particular type of mana is dense. The easiest and safest method that’s been found has been for blacksmith apprentices to awaken a fire affinity by spending many hours meditating and absorbing mana within a forge. It can be dangerous, though, and many have suffered heat stroke and some have even died from it. Others will sail into the ocean and attempt to do the same, spending days or weeks attempting to connect to the element of water.”

  “Is it really worth it?” Lucas asked.

  “For some, it is,” Magnus replied. “You have to understand, Lucas. Not everyone ends up with an affinity that they’re happy with. Some are willing to do dangerous things to get a better affinity. And in this world, there are plenty of places dense with mana that aligns itself heavily towards certain elements. But they all have their risks.”

  It was easy to see how seriously Fay’s father took the matter of gaining a new affinity. If it was even half as dangerous as he made it sound, Lucas could see why.

  “It is possible to learn magics without an affinity, of course,” Magnus added, trying to improve the mood. “Just because someone doesn’t have an affinity for a particular type of magic doesn’t mean it’s impossible to learn it, but it can be very hard. And some affinities are a lot harder than others.”

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  “Dad’s actually learning Runic magic,” Fay explained, looking proudly at her father.

  “It’s not easy,” The man confirmed. “But it’s one of the few magics that are easier to learn without help.”

  “What do you mean?” Lucas asked.

  “So, to use some examples I’ve already used, for things like fire magic or water magic it’s easiest to learn how to do them with the help of someone who has an affinity for them. Getting a sense for how the mana flows and how it’s used can help you figure out how to do it yourself. But for something like Runic magic, it’s all about the actual runes themselves and how much mana you use. Some of the best runesmiths around have made entire manuals explaining what runes do what.”

  Magnus actually pulled out a small little book from his pocket, handing it over so that Lucas could look it over.

  Inside, Lucas found page upon page of sketched out runes, with detailed writing explaining what each and every one did.

  “Runic magic is one of the easiest and hardest magics to learn, because you have to be absurdly precise with everything. One wrong move and the whole thing fails. Too much or too little magic? It fails. Over time, I could probably learn Wind magic if I wanted to by having Fay subject me to enough of her techniques. But with Runic magic, I can learn it on my own with this little book,” He explained, taking the book back and putting it away once more.

  “So I could learn how to do something like this, too?” Lucas asked. His mind immediately went to all the magical technology that he’d seen so far and how either enchantments, runes, or both were the source of their power.

  “Slow down a bit, kid. You should figure out your own affinities, first. Who knows, maybe you’ll start off with an affinity for runes,” The man joked.

  Lucas was a bit confused, though. “What does the actual affinity for it do if you can learn it pretty easily without the affinity?”

  “People with a natural affinity for Runic magic pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe runes. Ideas come very easily to them based on what they’re working on. It’s not perfect and they still need to put in the work, but a natural affinity for it basically makes the process of making runes far easier.” Magnus explained.

  He reached out and patted Lucas on the shoulder, making sure to avoid Dusk’s comfy spot she was sprawled out across. “And like I said, don’t focus on that right now. Your own affinities should come first before you try to get any more. Learning how to do magic that isn’t tied to your affinity can take a lot of time, effort, and training. Try mastering your own affinities before trying to learn some new magic.”

  “Now, am I forgetting anything?” Magnus asked as he looked towards his daughter for help.

  Lucas watched Fay tap her chin a few times, deep in thought before her eyes widened.

  “We already talked about passive benefits…” She mumbled. “Oh! The different types of magic!”

  “Good call, Fay. Alright, last lesson before we go find out what magics you can do,” He said. “Affinities have roughly been broken down into three categories. Those three are combat magic, enhancement magic, and utility magic.”

  “Combat magic means that it’s a magic that can deal damage, right? But what about the rest?” Lucas asked.

  “Actually, combat magic is a bit more varied than that. Any magic that could reasonably be used in combat counts. A lot of the time, those magics can deal damage, like my Fire magics, but it could also include things like restricting movement, creating distance like Fay’s Wind magic can, and much more,” Magnus explained.

  “Enhancement magic focuses on, well, enhancing things. My Speed magic counts for that since I can use it to enhance my own speed. Other people can make objects more durable, or make themselves stronger, or even use magic to make their songs carry magical effects,” Fay jumped in.

  Lucas couldn’t help but think of a DnD bard when he heard that last bit. Putting magic into songs just sounded so very similar.

  “And utility magics tend to vary wildly in what they can do. It’s a broad term for any magic that’s more useful outside of combat situations than inside of it,” Magnus continued. “Any magic capable of teleporting falls under the category. Runic and Enchantment magic do, as well. And so does my Metal affinity, as it’s one of the most popular affinities that you’ll find in most blacksmithing shops. I even know a therapist who has an affinity for Emotion.”

  “But isn’t there some level of overlap? Like Fay’s Speed magic can absolutely be used in combat,” Lucas pointed out, noting a flaw in the system.

  “You’re right, it’s far from a perfect system, since plenty of affinities can fit into multiple categories, but it works to make things easier to categorize and work with,” Magnus replied.

  “For example, my Metal affinity could be put into combat or utility depending on how I use it,” He added. “There are plenty of affinities that a person could end up with, but don’t let the category it falls in restrict you. Magic is all about imagination and creativity, willing your magic to do what you want. Not every idea will work out, but people come up with new uses for common affinities all the time.”

  “Ok, now that that’s done, let’s go see what Lucas’ affinities are!” Fay interrupted, jumping to her feet and grabbing Lucas’ hands to pull him up as well.

  “Slow down, kiddo,” Magnus laughed as he got to his feet. “He can’t do that if you pull his arms off.”

  Fay had the decency to blush and quickly let go of Lucas’ hands before quickly speeding off towards the Hunter’s Guild.

  “Better follow her before she runs off again,” Magnus joked.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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