A Bored Lich

"I swear to the goddess that I will not harm the Demis."

Opli nodded: "I will stick to calling you Cerlius if you don't mind. So, what's the plan?  Will we try to find the instructors or we take the demons out one at a time? No matter which we go with, i want to gather Demis along the way."

"Training," Doevm said as he limped over to the sturdy desk and sat on it.

"Training?" Menla snorted indignantly. "The more time we waste, the more Demis die."

Doevm gestured to the icicles at the Demis' feet: "I have stakes in this too, but right now you're both dead weights. I will turn you both into something competent enough to fight alongside."

"Speak for yourself," Menla said as she pointed at Doevm's stump, her willingness sinking like the frown across her face. "Unless you have a spell that can make Olpi and I stronger?"

"No, this spell is for me," Doevm said as he set his spear down. A magic circle appeared around his stump, much different in design to the spells the first-years had been taught. Yet, at the same time, it was familiar. The foundation of the magic circle, the golden threads of the holy element, were woven into an intricate, web-like weave. A deadly, black spider sat in the web, one composed of the dark element. It was compound magic.

"With human magic, a mage must imagine one of six elements they use. The more creative or focused a mage is, the stronger the spell. Experience can make it easier to focus on a specific element, hence why many specialize. Coastal areas give birth to water mages, who know the flow of water like the back of their hand. Traumatic memories of fire can bring life to mages that wield mighty flames.

With compound magic however, one must imagine two elements at once. When your focus is split, the result weakens. From a rational standpoint, compound magic should be inefficient. That's why beginning mages have so much trouble with it. It doesn't work, unless you can picture both elements just as clearly as you can one individual element. If you can do that, your spells will work against the demons."

Olpi rubbed her chin. "So you're saying that we can't do compound magic because we have the wrong picture in our heads? It's not a matter of skill like the instructors have been saying it is. That means even Menla and I can do it if we discover the right image."

Doevm nodded. "Mostly. There is a component of skill, but you have mastered that particular aspect already. You are stagnating because your teachings stem from ignorance. Students here never question their teachings, so nothing ever changes. Instead of focusing on the design of the magic circle itself, imagine the product.

When combining fire and earth for example, do not picture them as two separate images. Picture magma, the product of heat and the earth. That way, you can call upon the properties and characteristics of both elements. You can create tunnels through mountains by melting the very stone. You can make walls of solid, unmoving flame. You can even cause metal to heat up from a distance."

He grabbed his spear and sliced the skin off the tip of his stump. Mana rose up from his chest and shot through the magic circle, which traveled past the stump. "Look closely," he sputtered, trying not to wince at the pain. "Picture the product, not the components."

Mana was transformed into bone, from which muscles, tendons, and skin sprouted. The mana he had stolen ran out just as he finished the toes. He leapt to his feet. It wasn't his best work, but at least he could stand.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Menla exclaimed as realization dawned on her. "It's so simple. That's it? We can do compound magic now?"

Doevm shrugged. "You can try. It all depends on how hard you've worked over this past week. You may have the right image now, but if your foundation is unfinished, your compound magic circles will collapse."

In a few moments Menla and Olpi had learned what most couldn't in a month. Magic circles appeared and disappeared. Trial and error resulted in questions that were answered in only a few choice words. The Demis' compound spells weren't perfect, nor did they have any semblance of control, but at least they had something to fight with. Bits of magma, dust, and crystal covered the classroom floor by the time the three left. 

"What's wrong Menla?" Olpi asked upon seeing her dwarven friend frown.

"I feel like I cheated," Menla replied. "I'm not complaining, but it feels like all our effort was just a waste of time. Why go to school if what's taught there is wrong?"

Olpi glanced back at the classroom: "I felt the same way at first, but I think it's a little more complicated than that. Just look at the spell the demon used on me or the spell Cerlius used on the demon. The way Cerlius talks about magic, it made me think that we've been grasping at straws our whole lives. We're weak. I'm glad he's on our side."

Doevm, who was only a few feet ahead of them, was silent for a few moments. Several expressions conflicted; annoyance, understanding, and confusion. He hesitated: "If it wasn't for your previous training, where you all threw your heads against a wall time and time again, my explanation wouldn't have stuck. You would have heard my words but not understood the meaning."

"I think I would have understood that explanation no matter what stage I was at," Menla muttered, but Doevm heard her.

He raised an eyebrow: "You think you're the first people I've taught? It's not enough to just picture magma and throw mana into the air. Your previous practice helped you form a compound magic circle. You had already developed a foundation. I simply changed the structure you built upon it." The Demis nodded, but not because they understood. They just didn't want to seem ungrateful.

As soon as they emerged into one of the hallways, the smell hit them. Bodies lay everywhere, both human and demon alike. The third-year students had more powerful spells than compound magic at their disposal, but the sudden attack had given them little chance to use them. Doevm frowned, for each and every body was seemingly damaged too much to be resurrected. 'I wonder,' he thought. 'Was this intentional?'

It was quiet back at the classroom, but the further they went, the louder the fighting got.