Ebudae Read Free Page A

Ebudae.
    “And just because it’s old doesn’t mean it’s
more powerful.” Ebudae smoothed the scroll out with a hand. “It is powerful, but it’s also one of the best-written spells
I’ve ever seen. You’ll be able to cast it fast with little negative
effect.”
    Pelya became more interested. “I like that.
What exactly does it do?”
    “It clears your mind so you can focus and
make decisions faster. Then it coats your mind in an eggshell
barrier that’s soft on the inside and hard on the outside,” Ebudae
explained excitedly. “Very few spells will be able to break through
it to befuddle your mind.”
    “How long does it last?”
    “It’s strong for two or three hours and then
it fades away gradually over a few hours after that. Of course
it’ll go away faster if spells do hit it, so keep that in
mind.”
    “Right.” Pelya gave a sharp nod of
acknowledgement. “Standard stuff.” She unhooked her sword and laid
it on one of the tables.
    “Good, let’s start with the gestures.”
Ebudae performed a series of six hand motions, each of which
gracefully flowed into the next. She loved watching her hands as
the long fingers danced through the air. It was her favorite part
of casting.
    Pelya stared at the movement before looking
at Ebudae in frustration. “I can’t move my hands like that.” She
held them up in the air. “They’re strong and fast, but yours move
like hummingbirds and are as delicate as porcelain.”
    Ebudae sighed in exasperation. She wished
her friend could just duplicate the motion, but knew it was
expecting too much of anyone. Taking a deep breath, she
strengthened her resolve and began going through the gestures one
at a time.
    After an hour, Pelya was doing a good job.
It would never be as precise and fluid as Ebudae, but doing it
correctly was the important thing. “I’m comfortable with that even
if it does feel like my fingers are going to tie themselves around
my thumbs.” Pelya grinned wryly. “What’s next?”
    “The words.” Ebudae glanced at the scroll to
make certain she had them all fresh in her mind. “The language is
smooth and pretty. I love the way the words caress my tongue. We
can sit for this part.” She picked up the scroll and they went to a
couch to sit down. “We’re going to go over each and every syllable
at first. Then we’ll start stringing them together.”
    It took another hour until Pelya could say
the entire incantation with confidence. They ate a snack and rested
awhile before continuing.
    “Alright. Now it’s time to put it all
together. We’ll start with individual components of the spell,
combining words and gestures. Between each one, we’ll discharge any
energy gathered.” Ebudae pointed at a pair of silver rods set in a
large bowl of murky water. The water had ingredients that soaked
magical energy to help the discharge.
    “Are there any ingredients or items that I
have to use?” Pelya asked.
    Such things were common for many spells, but
this one didn’t need those things. “No. The gestures and words are
works of art in my opinion. You’ll be able to cast it with just
those.”
    Pelya nodded and began. They took it through
the six parts of the spell over the next half hour, pausing between
each part to discharge energy. “I’m ready.” There were beads of
sweat on Pelya’s forehead. It required great effort to manipulate a
spell, even in parts.
    “Are you confident in your ability to cast
the spell without error?” Ebudae asked the question intently. If a
person casting a spell doubted their ability, it would be easy for
it all to go terribly wrong. Things could still go wrong, but the
caster had to recognize and accept that without fear in order to
proceed.
    “I am.” The answer was simple and
determination in Pelya’s eyes lent weight to their truth.
    “Good. Stand in the middle of the circles
and cast the spell.” Ebudae pointed at the large, concentric
circles in the corner of the room. They made up a ward