that would make his brain function better. “That makes absolutely no sense to me.”
Selene shrugged. “I don’t have any better words to describe it.”
His next obvious course of action was talking to Arrogan, but again, the answers he got only led to more questions.
“I’ve never seen or heard of a spell that allows someone to move through earth the way she described,” said his grandfather. “Elementals were still fairly new in my day, so I’m not sure anyone had even tried doing that with an earth elemental yet either. However, I do know that some of the fae can do something similar using wild magic.”
That was promising and daunting at the same time. “I’ve got some capability with wild magic already.” He was referring mainly to his ability to alter the sensitivity of his eyesight, as well as to change the types of light he could perceive, though he had also learned to alter his other senses and even his speed and strength to a smaller degree.
Arrogan laughed. “Most third-order wizards do. You aren’t the first. We all pick up some tricks here and there, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to replicate what they do. That’s why we create spells, so we can do the things we don’t have a natural talent for.”
That shook him. “Wait, what? I thought spells were the heart of wizardry.”
“Knowledge is the heart of it, but even that doesn’t cover it fully. Maybe I should say skill, or more specifically, skill with magic,” explained Arrogan.
“Exactly, spells,” said Will.
“No, not just spells. The path you’ve set your feet upon has the most noble of goals, the mastery of magic, all magic. Spells are shortcuts we use for things we just can’t seem to master. Use a spell long enough and often enough and it becomes ingrained in your soul. At that point you no longer construct it, you simply will it to happen. It becomes more natural, like wild magic.”
“You seriously expect me to try to master all magic?”
“I do. You won’t succeed, but until you die you should continue to improve and expand your abilities. Don’t accept any limitations. That’s the first purpose of a wizard’s life.”
Will felt his forehead wrinkling as he thought about it. Worriedly, he asked, “What’s the second purpose?”
“Whatever you make it. Magic is a tool. Your talents will grow to follow your interests. Say you want to feed the world; you’ll find ways to help farmers. Maybe you want to rule the world; you’ll find ways to put yourself ahead politically. Your other purposes will change with time, but you’ll always find yourself coming back to the magic at the heart of it all, for that’s the tool that will make whatever purpose you are chasing possible.”
He gave his head a quick shake to remind himself of his original goal. “Back to the topic at hand. What do you think I should do next to figure out this spell?”
“Find someone who can do it with wild magic. If you have the right knack, maybe you can pick it up from their example, and if not, you may learn enough to create a spell.”
“So, ask Tailtiu then.” She had told him in the past that she didn’t have the ability to manipulate earth, but that she knew other fae that did.
“Just remember all the usual precautions,” said Arrogan. “But, I should ask, is there a reason you can’t use an ethereal spell to accomplish what you want? Usually that’s easier.”
Will took a minute to refresh his memory, which fortunately seemed to be improving. Arrogan had first told him about the ethereal plane when Will had begun inadvertently projecting his spirit into the astral plane. Unlike Muskeglun, Faerie, or the other more traditional planes of existence, the astral and ethereal planes were intrinsically a part of their world. There were no congruence points or places to cross. The astral plane was a purely mental plane that didn’t possess physical attributes. It touched every part of every other plane of existence. The closest thing it contained to places were areas that were being experienced by sentient minds. Hence, only the spirit could travel in the astral plane, and it could only go somewhere where the mind of someone you already knew was located.
The ethereal plane was the opposite. It was entirely physical, a plane that overlay the regular world like a poor copy. Supposedly one could travel to it and bypass obstacles in the normal world, such as a wall, and