Read Online Knights Magi (Book 4) by Terry Mancour - Free Book Online
Authors: Terry Mancour
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ancestors or culture heroes. The gods of humanity, when they manifested in reality, were magically strange expressions of pure ideals crammed through the combined sources of thousands of minds over hundreds of years. They could appear or fade from existence as individual entities, reforming later in different form for different needs.
But they responded, theurgists theorized, primarily to the primal needs of the human mind. The gods existed because humanity willed them to exist, needed them to exist, and Callidore gave them shape. But it all began in the mind.
Beyond basic theory, which Tyndal was surprised to find fascinating but difficult to accept, Loden also gave some examples of spells of special utility . . . including one that allowed the mage to theoretically remember every word of everything he read under its influence.
It was built on the third series of Antodine glyphs most Imperial-style magi used, one of the less-common sets dealing with abstract concepts rarely useful for warding away insects or making fire dance on your palm. Tyndal had never seen much use for the set of glyphs, even as he learned it by rote back in Boval his very first year.
But once he saw them in the light of Psychomancy, suddenly many of the glyphs and sigils began to make a new kind of sense to him. When viewed in the context of the human mind, then understanding how to invoke a man’s memory or rouse his emotions might, indeed, require a sigil designed to suggest or imply, for example, as opposed to command .
When he figured out the spell’s architecture, he cast it on himself.
And he remembered every word of the book he’d just read.
Remembered it as if it was floating there in front of him.
Luin’s liver! Why the hell don’t the masters teach that one the first day? he swore silently.
Then he got started in earnest, with Bannerbane’s Introduction To Thaumaturgy and a big grin on his face. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.
* * *
After that Tyndal’s exams got a little easier.
When he met with Master Indan the next morning, he was able to rattle off – nearly by rote – the complex interplay between Will, Desire, and Intent , and how they differed, according to orthodox magical theory. By using the Blue Magic spell, he was quoting almost word-for-word from Bannerbane’s Introduction.
The words just kept spilling out, as they appeared in front of him, and he interjected just a few “If I recall correctly, ” and “I believe Master Minalan said . . .” variables in each recitation to keep it from sounding . . . too scholarly.
Master Indan was impressed. “I knew Minalan was a thaumaturge, but from what Mistress Selvedine told me about you, I had . . . well, lower expectations,” the old mage admitted.
“My master is enamored of thaumaturgy, Master,” Tyndal pointed out. “He has often given me lessons framed in terms of a thaumaturgical, as opposed to practical approach.” Considering that’s precisely what Bannerbane’s Introduction recommended, he figured it was the answer Master Indan was looking for.
“Why yes, that is the way it should be approached,” he agreed, stroking his gray beard. “But too often the pragmatic approach is preferred, simply because it is more immediately useful, particularly in an apprenticeship. An academic student, of course, usually comes to a more enlightened understanding of the science of magic. You are a credit to your master’s instruction. Let’s go into your knowledge of the theory of systems, then . . .”
At the conclusion of the examination, without revealing his official notes, the venerable Master Indan indicated that he approved of Tyndal’s impressive basic understanding of the discipline, and would report as much to his master.
That pleased the lad so much he skipped the study session
But they responded, theurgists theorized, primarily to the primal needs of the human mind. The gods existed because humanity willed them to exist, needed them to exist, and Callidore gave them shape. But it all began in the mind.
Beyond basic theory, which Tyndal was surprised to find fascinating but difficult to accept, Loden also gave some examples of spells of special utility . . . including one that allowed the mage to theoretically remember every word of everything he read under its influence.
It was built on the third series of Antodine glyphs most Imperial-style magi used, one of the less-common sets dealing with abstract concepts rarely useful for warding away insects or making fire dance on your palm. Tyndal had never seen much use for the set of glyphs, even as he learned it by rote back in Boval his very first year.
But once he saw them in the light of Psychomancy, suddenly many of the glyphs and sigils began to make a new kind of sense to him. When viewed in the context of the human mind, then understanding how to invoke a man’s memory or rouse his emotions might, indeed, require a sigil designed to suggest or imply, for example, as opposed to command .
When he figured out the spell’s architecture, he cast it on himself.
And he remembered every word of the book he’d just read.
Remembered it as if it was floating there in front of him.
Luin’s liver! Why the hell don’t the masters teach that one the first day? he swore silently.
Then he got started in earnest, with Bannerbane’s Introduction To Thaumaturgy and a big grin on his face. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.
* * *
After that Tyndal’s exams got a little easier.
When he met with Master Indan the next morning, he was able to rattle off – nearly by rote – the complex interplay between Will, Desire, and Intent , and how they differed, according to orthodox magical theory. By using the Blue Magic spell, he was quoting almost word-for-word from Bannerbane’s Introduction.
The words just kept spilling out, as they appeared in front of him, and he interjected just a few “If I recall correctly, ” and “I believe Master Minalan said . . .” variables in each recitation to keep it from sounding . . . too scholarly.
Master Indan was impressed. “I knew Minalan was a thaumaturge, but from what Mistress Selvedine told me about you, I had . . . well, lower expectations,” the old mage admitted.
“My master is enamored of thaumaturgy, Master,” Tyndal pointed out. “He has often given me lessons framed in terms of a thaumaturgical, as opposed to practical approach.” Considering that’s precisely what Bannerbane’s Introduction recommended, he figured it was the answer Master Indan was looking for.
“Why yes, that is the way it should be approached,” he agreed, stroking his gray beard. “But too often the pragmatic approach is preferred, simply because it is more immediately useful, particularly in an apprenticeship. An academic student, of course, usually comes to a more enlightened understanding of the science of magic. You are a credit to your master’s instruction. Let’s go into your knowledge of the theory of systems, then . . .”
At the conclusion of the examination, without revealing his official notes, the venerable Master Indan indicated that he approved of Tyndal’s impressive basic understanding of the discipline, and would report as much to his master.
That pleased the lad so much he skipped the study session
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