Avondale by Toby Neighbors Read Free Book Online Page A

to be practiced, although Tiberius felt relatively certain that was just a popular interpretation since the cataclysm.
    He spent the day studying, and being grilled for details about the attack. There wasn’t much to tell really, and Tiberius didn’t try to exaggerate the tale. The giant creature from the blighted lands below were now the stuff of legends, and even though Avondale was attacked once or twice a year, it was easily the most exciting thing to happen in a long while.
    The physical training of the Paladin class was difficult, especially for Tiberius. They were forced to run sprints, maneuver through obstacle courses, and engage in mock battles, both with weapons and hand to hand. Normally, Tiberius dreaded the daily exercises, but he renewed his effort since reading that a wizard needed to be physically strong. He was still clumsy with a sword, but he ran hard and did every exercise exactly as he’d been shown. By the end of the day, he was exhausted, and his mind so consumed with the book of magic that he couldn’t remember any of his lessons from the day.
    He bought a bag of fruit and hurried back to the palace. He quickly went through the lessons he’d been given, not caring that most of his work was woefully inadequate. When Robere arrived, Tiberius explained that he had too much work to do to attend the family meal. The aging servant made sure that Tiberius had everything he needed and promised to send up a tray of food. When Robere finally left, Tiberius sagged back in his chair. He had done it, he had endured the long day and somehow not given away the fact that he was about to attempt magic.
    He pulled out his dagger from the wardrobe where his clothes were kept, along with the other trappings expected of an Earl’s son. He had a very fine dagger, the hilt was polished brass, the wrapping was soft lambskin, and the blade was polished steel that was engraved with an intricate design. He pulled it from the sheath and tested its blade with his thumb. It was sharp and he couldn’t hide the smile that appeared on his face.
    He pulled out an apple from the bag of fruit he’d purchased on his way home from the temple. It was shiny red, firm, and ripe. He sat it on the small table along with the dagger. Then he pulled open the trunk that was kept under his bed. He studied the contents until he was certain nothing had been disturbed. Then he removed the keepsakes he had stored on top of the book fragment. His hands were shaking with excitement when he finally unwrapped the book. He opened it and began to read. He had scanned the chapter on Sana Magus, but now he reread the portion that described the first spell.
     
    The healing arts embody the very best of magic. From simple spells, to more complex incantations, its effects are immediate and visible to all. Nothing brings the uninitiated into a favorable relation with a wizard than to see his fellow man healed.
    Magic spells are spoken or chanted in the language of the immortals, for it was with words that the gods created entire worlds. Words are powerful tools in the hands of those trained to use them. But memorizing spells is only the beginning of a wizard’s true power. Words harness the magical power that exists all around us, but just as a harness does not tame a wild horse, so too, the words of the spell do not tame the powerful magic it invokes. A wizard must then will the spell into action with the strength of his mind. The incantation will start the flow of magic, but the wizard’s will guides and directs the magic into the proper channel, or in this case, into the sick or wounded individual he is trying to heal.
    We begin with the most basic of spells, healing a simple cut. Sana Magus is effective on any living thing, which makes it both vastly beneficial to the wizard, and easy to practice, since there are many living things other than sick people which may bear the brunt of a novice wizard’s zeal. Take a piece of whole fruit, freshly picked,