Finally, the time had arrived for the much-anticipated field trip, I just had to get through one more day of classes before we could set off. Well, all of us had to, as this was still just a normal weekday.

  As opposed to normally, I wasn’t waiting for my lovely first-years in my cozy classroom. Instead, I was waiting for them outside, in the grand courtyard in front of the founders’ statue.

  Unfortunately, for them, we were currently experiencing a bit of a late winter cold snap. So, whilst I was enjoying the early morning dressed in my usual black dress and sandals, they were all bunching their coats up to their necks.

  Apparently, it was close to freezing.

  Not that I felt any of it. To me, it was just merely as refreshing as the weather almost always is.

  There was even a lovely breeze that seemed to chill my students even further.

  The reason for the outdoor class were the pre-drawn spell formations around the statue’s basin. I’d spent some time before class to ‘draw’ – more like carved with magic – six similar formations that looked almost nothing like the ones I’d been teaching them so far.

  Six circles, six students per circle. Give or take.

  “A beautiful morning to all of you,” I greeted them warmly. “Today we’re going to dive into the age-old art of ritual magic.”

  “W-Why do w-we need to b-be outside for this?” Ptahhotehiss asked shakily despite the warm cloak he was wearing, showing clearly how not at home snakekin were in these temperatures.

  I nodded slowly at him and gestured around me. “Because there isn’t enough space in the classroom. And I don’t want to accidentally blow the roof off it. It’s a pain to repair.

  “Now, before I get started, I want to remind all of you that for the next four weeks, we’ll be in the capable hands of our physical and meditation instructors. For those of you who have a clear idea of whether you want to join the mage or knight department, you have until midnight today to inform me of your choice. However, regardless of what path you might choose for your last three years here, I highly recommend that you neglect either your physical or magical prowess.

  “So,” I continued, after having received a round of nods. “Let’s start with what the difference is between the standard magic system we’ve been discussing in class, and ritual magic?”

  “That it’s just another way for you to torment us,” Woolfred grumbled loudly and unhelpfully.

  Perhaps I should silence him in class again?

  “It’s a way to cast spells in a group, as opposed to alone like with the standard magic system?” Amayas, a human enby, answered more helpfully, if hesitantly.

  “Mostly, yes,” I said with a slow and thoughtful nod. “While it’s true that the standard magic system can’t be used for group casting, ritual magic isn’t strictly limited to group casting. Though, casting ritual spells alone is significantly more difficult, in both conceptualisation and mana usage. Therefore, almost all solo spells are cast with the standard magic system.”

  “Is that the… conceptualisation part, because ritual magic is so old?” Freja, the shy human girl in the class, asked carefully.

  I nodded and smirked a little. “For the most part, yes. Ritual magic is older, way older than I am. It is one of, if not the, oldest forms of magic out there, which makes it incredibly diverse and heavy with cultural influence. The exact same spell can have thousands of ways to both be drawn and cast.

  “The other part is that holding complex concepts while channelling mana isn’t all that easy to do. That’s the reason why we invented the standard magic system, which writes out the caster’s intent with building blocks, so to speak.”

  “If it’s so difficult, then how does the conceptualisation work then, if it’s cast by a multi-cultural group?” Hareon, a harekin boy that was just as studious as Aziza, asked.

  I was practically beaming at the question. “Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter. So, as all of you ought to very well know by now, the standard magic system uses symbols, runes, which draw from you own, individual concepts. A handspan, for example, is your handspan, not some standardised version of a handspan.

  “Before I can explain the difference in conceptualisations, I should first go over the structure, symbols and initialisation of ritual spells. So, for starters, the structure of the spell, as you can see, is circular, just like most common spell formations, however, is distinctly different in that it holds a starlike shape within. Or in this case, a triangle. At each corner, and intersecting the larger circle, are smaller circles, which house the required symbols and components for the spell.”

  In yet another one of my ‘impressive feats of magic made to look easy’ displays, I’d pulled up a projection made with illusion magic. I started with forming a circle, which I then filled with a triangle with a smaller circle at each point, with the smaller circles centred on the outer circle. I, then, changed the triangle into a four-pointed star, slowly changing it by adding one more point to the star. After showing a nine-pointed star, I turned it back into a triangle.

  “As you can see, each added point to the star will make the smaller circles smaller in relation to the larger, boundary circle,” I continued. “This means that with increased complexity, the physical size of the ritual circle will increase. And that’s not even accounting for adding component circles into the smaller circles.”

  I added even smaller circles to the smaller circles that lined the outside of my displayed ritual circle, again these additional circles lined the outside of the preexisting circles and connect them with a triangle as well.

  “There is, though, one place that always requires a component,” I continued, whilst removing the additional circles and returned the projection to its original, simple ritual circle of three circles connected by a triangle inside of the larger ritual circle. “In the centre of the circle, is where the spell’s core component needs to be placed. And with that, I mean dead centre. Lest you either drastically lose efficiency or, in the worst case, cause it to blow up in your face.

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  “The core component needs to be something that is both an elemental and conceptual match for the desired output of the spell. You can’t, for example, summon a fire golem with a bucket of water. Or an earth golem out of thin air.”

  “What makes a component an elemental and conceptual match?” Aziza interrupted.

  “Two things,” I answered without missing a beat due to the sudden question. “Any component that naturally matches the ritual’s output element tends to be an elemental match. Say, you pick up a handful of dirt, then that dirt is elementally compatible with a ritual that seeks to have an earth element output. However, if I were to dig deeper and use dirt or stones from where the sun hasn’t shone in ages, you’d find it to be less compatible for earth ritual, and more compatible for darkness ritual.

  “Alternatively, one can use artificery to ‘charge’ a component with a specific element. However, this is very time consuming and mana inefficient, so it’s rarely done unless the ritual needs a very specific combination of elemental and conceptual charges. Often combinations not naturally found, such as the famous light stones. Stones don’t naturally hold light elemental mana, so they’re made by ‘charging’ them with light elemental mana instead.

  “As for conceptual matches, well, that’s not dissimilar to how the runes in the standard magic system work. Dirt is earth, because we see it as part of the planet’s surface, just like stones and such. I could name them all, but I think you understand my point.”

  “You mean, they’re based off our own interpretations of the material?” Hareon asked inquisitively. “How does that work with group casting, though? Surely, there must be a way to handle all of the individual interpretations in relation to the group collective?”

  I nodded, and a proud smile tugged at my lips. Such good students, I had. “There are two ways the ritual and the casters can handle that. The first is by letting the ritual average out the individual images for each component and pictogram, as well as the chant, called collective conceptualisation. The other is by having all casters imagine the same, exact images. I’m not talking about just seeing both dirt as earth but seeing the same composition of dirt as the very same definition of earth elemental mana. This second, more complex one is called nominal conceptualisation, as casters tend to use the nominal interpretations for creating the collective images.

  “However, for today, you won’t have to worry about it, as we’ll be using collective conceptualisation, instead.”

  I added three pictograms to my displayed ritual, whilst I let the information sink in a little. The first was a crude image of a humanoid, a stick figure really. The second vaguely looked like a collar with a leash curled around it. While the third was a spiral that started in the centre of its circle and ended in the ring of its circle.

  “A ritual always needs, at minimum, three component or pictogram circles, both for stability, safety and for it to be able to work,” I continued, before anyone could ask about the pictograms. “There is one type of pictogram that is essential in all forms of conjuration rituals, namely a binding one. In this case, what you’re all going to conjure will be bound by a collar and a leash. This will establish the casters’ control over whatever their conjuring. Why does that matter?”

  “Because you don’t want to have to clean up after any rogue summons,” most of my students answered at the same time, to which I nodded.

  “That’s right. A conjured creature, elemental or spirit that isn’t properly bound, will roam freely of its own accord. This often means that whoever conjured the being is its first victim. Do. Not. Make. That. Mistake. Got it?”

  I made sure I saw each of them nod, before I continued on. Only for me to be interrupted by Aziza this time. “If they’re bound to several mages, how is control established and handled? Especially, when the group can’t reach a consensus on what to instruct the conjured being to do.”

  “I’m sure you already have an inkling as to how that works,” I said, whilst nodding towards the dragonkin girl in question. “While mages perform the ritual together, collectively, control does not. Control over the conjured being is established through will, knowledge and mana capacity. But make no mistake, just because you’ve control over the conjured being, doesn’t mean you’ve control over the mages that helped cast the ritual.

  “Now, to continue with the pictograms, as with any spell, a ritual needs to create a form for the output. In this case, we’re making a humanoid, and therefore we’re using a pictogram that, at least vaguely, resembles the humanoid form. Though, the more detailed the pictogram – the more it looks like the real thing – the more realistic the output is. However, this comes at the cost of the ritual requiring more mana to cast.

  “The last pictogram we’re using today is a spiralling one. It resembles motion, which would allow us to actually animate our conjured being. After all, an earth golem without the ability to move is just an earth statue.”

  The revelation that they’re going to conjure an earth golem was met with some excitement and impatience, while others grumbled about how basic and boring it was. There would always be those that wanted something more exciting, flashier, however this was still a classroom, and an earth golem was one of the safest things you could conjure.

  “Now,” I continued, whilst looking at the finished projection of the ritual circle. “All we need is a chant to activate the circle. As there is no standard chant, you’re free to make up your own. Any suggestions for what chant I’d need to use to activate this ritual?”

  As was often the case, an uncomfortable amount of uncomfortably eager hands shot up. I picked one as randomly as possible, only tainted by the vague hope that whoever I picked wouldn’t come up with something utterly ridiculous.

  “Oh, wiggly-waggly pebbly friend, awake from your snuggly-slumbery bed! With tippy-tappy tootsies and stompy-wompy feet, come dancey-prancey to my drum-drum beat! By the tickle of the twinkly stars, and the snuggle-huggle of Mother Ceres’ arms, risey-wise, my cuddly-muddy chum, and be my bouncy-rouncy golem-y one!” Shoshana, a human girl, said with some cutesy poses to match, very much dashing my earlier hope.

  In the ensuing silence, I could feel my eyebrow slightly twitch, whilst the students were all staring the girl. Honestly, I was impressed by how quickly she managed to come up with something that long and cutesy. Still, it was with an audible sigh that I acquiesced.

  I moved the projection down to the ground and pick up a handful of dirt, which I place in the centre of the ritual circle.

  “Oh, wiggly-wa–” I started to chant, before the girl stopped me.

  “No, no, you need to say it with love, so it knows it’s loved,” the girl scolded me, with her hands on her hips.

  “Oh, wiggly-waggly pebbly friend, wa–” I tried again, this time with more ‘love,’ as she called it. Only for her to interrupt me again.

  “No, no, no, you need to do the poses as well,” she scolded me again, as she walked out front to join me. “They’re important to convene our love for it, as well. Just follow my lead.”

  Stupefied, I did just that. I followed all of her cutesy, utterly unnecessary gestures and poses. A V-sign in front of my eye, a twirl, an air kiss towards the ritual circle, all of them. All the while, chanting as she’d instructed with more pep and cheer in my voice than it had ever held before in my long life. Not even my own children had been privy to this much sugar in my voice.

  The ritual activated and, in a rather anti-climactic manner following that long and cutesy chant, a squat little earth golem formed. It stood only barely taller than my knees, while its arms were long enough to reach the ground and its legs were so stubby they were barely non-existent.

  To my misery, though, it had a cute little bow on its head. One just like Shoshana had.

  Before the girl could squeal in delight, I ushered her back to the others and, after a few more instructions, I divided the class into six groups. Instead of dividing them equally in number, I divided them equally by mana capacity, so that each group would have roughly the same amount of total mana capacity. This was to make sure that all of them could finish up before the end of class, as a larger mana capacity meant that they could contribute more mana to the ritual and thus speed up the conjuration.

  Whilst I surveyed their workings, I couldn’t help but wonder how in the Gods’ names I’d ended up being schooled by a twelve-year-old.

  Sorry, thirteen-year-old, as she’d just had her birthday last week.

  very hard time coming up with in any of the languages I know. I just simply don't do baby-speech. because I don't understand baby-speech. Otherwise, I only use AI for research and to generate names according to a very specific set of parameters (and I tend to double check both of those). I also use it for final grammar and spelling check.

  2. There is one final general inspiration that I want to mention. The mechanism for the soul, with the tendrils crossing into the material plane from the astral plane, is something that was inspired by 's .