Specter of Ignis [Plot/Training]

It had been a fairly cold night upon Magnostadt. Zana were to clench a book at his side. It was quite late, but the studious mage that had emigrated here from Sasan had come upon an epiphany. Circular spectacles lied resting on the ends of his nose as he had been up to further research on a particular topic that piqued his interest. Is it true? Zana had read an obscure novel by a man long ago whom was said to have dabbled with the occult of ancient Reim, pagans if you will. In the rather unknown occult novel, he had learnt of a truly cruel pagan deity. It was said to lurk only within marshes or swamps where people died, and one particular infamous wetland that had plentiful of incidental deaths. It is said that the deity, commonly known as Ignis Fatuus resided here, and often deceived and deluded those who were of a depraved heart, keeping them within the swamp to suffer and perish. It was speculated that he was not quite a deity from other sources, but a phantom. In the occult novel, the Ignis Fatuus, or less commonly known as simply Manes, the deity was said to feast upon the souls of the utterly depraved for power. Those who saw him could recount lying eyes upon a swarm of blue flames, which burned what came close.

Zana: "I must figure out Ignis' magic. If his flame is indeed an azure blue, I can try and replicate that, but I need to figure out why he rested within the likes of marshes. It must be that marshes are beneficial for his magic, but just why?"

It is then that Zana had decided to visit the library to further investigate his inquiries. Combing the library for the topic of wetlands, he had lied his eyes on and found a particular book of interest. It was titled: Will o The Wisp. It had been nothing quite special. It merely was a book by a scientific mage that described why the light known as Will o The Wisp can be seen at wetlands at night. A two decade old book now, but quite relevant for Zana despite when the book was published and how unpopular Will o The Wisp had been. It seemed more like a book to just publish research findings. Zana combed the book, seeing how Gal, the mage who collected Will o The Wisp stories and did the research of the peculiar phenomenon laid out the highly beneficial info. Once he indulged further with the book, he had begun to learn how the lights are a natural occurrence made possible by the oxidation of chemicals from organic decay. It now had begun to provide credence to why Ignis or Manes lurked within swamps, but not why his flames were blue.

Zana: "Ah, why though.. ? Why blue.. ?"

Said the upset tired Zana, his head down, not knowing how he could replicate Ignis' rather infamous flame. It was then he had yet one more epiphany! Aha! Zana had just the hypthosesis he thought. It could be a failure of a hypthosis though. Yet, he did not know until he fully tried out his experiment he wished to conduct. First he had to learn enough heat magic though, followed by a lot of wind. If the ghostly flames of Ignis' dark swamp were indeed blue, and the Will o The Wisp lights were blue too, then perhaps normal fire turned blue when exposed to enough oxygen. If this hypothesis is true, Zana may be onto a brand new groundbreaking magic yet to be seen. Zana were to remain up long tonight. Investing himself eagerly into basic heat magic material and how to use oxygen from air, he studied quite literally all night. It came to be the break of morning dawn when he had at long last, fallen to sleep, within the library, books lying over him.

Eliora: "Zana~ what are you up to.. !?"

Whispered loud Eliora into the ear of asleep Zana.

Zana: "Ah- Eloriaa-"

Woke up in a heartbeat Zana, pausing, his eyes entranced by the beautiful smile of Eloria who he had begun dating, a kind and honest girl who Zana had met a year after coming to Magnostadt.

Eloria:

Eloria: "Up, sleepy head? What are these here?"

Asked the girl, seeing Zana covered with books.

Zana: "Ah.. Well, I am trying to learn heat and wind magic for the sake of research. I am deep within study right now. Wait! You know heat and wind, right? Can you help me learn? I just need to know the basics. That way, I can spend time with you and study too!"

Proposed Zana, unable to ignore his girlfriend, but also unable to ignore his study of Ignis' magic. It was his best option, so he did just that. Zana had begun to study and practice magic with Eloria, his more than generous beauty of a girlfriend. Zana smiled, having started to produce minor flickers of heat with Eloria tutoring him, he were to persist on. If he could produce just enough more heat to ignite a decent flame, he then could start to learn wind magic and how to use oxygen to feed the flame until the flame changes blue. As his girlfriend slept, he took the liberty to delve farther into Ignis, the quite widespread Will o The Wisp tales, and a plentiful of material for learning how to combine his magic. Not only did he research Ignis but he made sure to brush up on heat and wind books to further aid his practice. Zana read careful, trying to absorb and extract any useful word he could from his library books.

Zana: "Ignis.. Manes.. Are you a follower of Solomon.. ?"

Awaking from a nightmare of Ignis, Zana were to lightly grip the bridge of his spectacles to take and place them gently upon the table before him. It had been far unlike other bad dreams Zana has had, cause of how vivid his nightmare of Ignis was. It haunted him, but he had to continue his research despite his fright of Ignis and his stories. It was a dream where Ignis, Manes, himself had come to our world to lay havoc, birthed by an immense desire to end the depraved, and a lustful desire for the depraved to suffer, masses of the depraved, within one place. It frightened Zana to his core. Anyhow, he simply could not dwell on this nightmare, else his research could not get done. Zana resumed his studies, producing results within the following week and two. It had been two weeks before this, of study and practice, and frequent directing of minor wind current.

Eloria: "Alright, Zana, show me what you can do now!"

Exclaimed with thrill Eloria, prepped to see what Zana had learnt from his over a month of rigorous studies and very careful practice. Patiently focused on bending the rukh to heat to light a blaze of fire, he fed magoi to his wand and cast the spell. Woosh! It then crackled before him, burning hot and red. Zana gasped, elated. It was now time for his wind spell to follow suit. Zana directed the wind current before then separating oxygen from the flow, and feeding his dancing flame a plentiful of the chemical to oxidize the flame! It was his hope that flame could change blue and resemble Ignis' flame, as he had wished for over a month ago when he had begun to read the occult book. As more and more oxygen was provided to the flame, the color changed more and more, to a purple, and then lastly, to blue! It came into fruition, his hypothesis! It was blue! It was Ignis' flame, the ghostly blue flame. Zana gasped further, before crying out loud, celebrating his discovery.

Far later that night, Zana, as he lied in bed, sleeping, he were to open his eyes for a moment. It hung out of his window, a silver moon. It reminded him that an eclipse has not come yet, so that the world must be at peace. It was apparent now though. It had become very clear the true nature and essence of Ignis, that who is called Manes. Along with the nature of the pagan deity coming to be quite clear now, so was his vision. It was one of hell, for which his fire may burn ever so hot, so he can have the fallen suffer from his blue blazes. It was a genocide Ignis pursued. It was by the deaths of others, others who are depraved, that Ignis' flames ignited blue.

Zana: "No.. Ignis.. you are no follower of Solomon, are you? Rather, you are a defier of his will.. To wish for hell upon depraved; you are depraved."

Wordcount: 1469