'I don't understand why this was so easy to do.' I thought with a frown.
Wandless nonverbal magic was depicted as one of the hardest forms of magic to perform in the books and I managed it in fifteen minutes? I didn't buy it, something was up.
'What makes me different than everyone else in this world with magic?' I pondered seriously hoping that I could figure out what the issue was. When I got to the part about my past life an idea hit me and I narrowed my eyes. 'It couldn't be that, could it?' I thought in disbelief.
To put it simply the idea I had was that since I was a soul from a world without magic that didn't have magic my own ability to sense it was unnaturally high. For wizards of this world magic was always a part of them, like a limb they had from birth. As a result their minds just couldn't isolate that part of themselves to be focused on without extreme effort or skill. I on the otherhand never possessed magic until I found myself in this body and so was acutely aware of this "foreign" limb.-
It probably didn't help that the stuff seemed to lie dormant until something riled it up, like a sudden itch that draws attention to itself. I almost felt like laughing as I found out yet another advantage I had over other wizards and swore to myself to take full advantage of it. My first step was to practice drawing my magic out for use without having to strain myself or enter a meditative state. Just focusing my mind wasn't enough at the moment but I hoped the popular theory back during my previous life about magic being like a muscle held true here.-
I closed my eyes and worked to draw out that sensation again and I might be mistaken but it was ever so slightly easier this time. I didn't try to cause anything to happen though even after I felt as though I was burning up. Instead I let the sensation fade away merely observing it as it did. It was hard to describe but I felt as though it came and retreated from the center of my chest near my heart and spread through my body as though following my veins.-
'Is this how the parts of magical creatures and their blood can hold magical effects?' I pondered curiously.
It was an interesting theory if nothing else and one I may spend some time in the future testing but for now I just needed to work on getting my magic to move at will. I repeated the process of meditating on that sensation until it rose to a fever pitch before allowing it to fade away again. By the time I heard the sound of the other children stomping across the wooden floor I was willing to bet I had shaved off at least a minute from the amount of time it took me to get my magic to respond but it was not fast enough to be useful.-
I went down to the dinning room and ate the prepared porridge for breakfast and leaving the orphanage without hesitation. I went to the library again and the librarian looked at me as I entered but went back to reading her book once she saw it was me. I found the book I was reading yesterday and flipped to the page I left off on and got started on my studying for the day.-
I went through the rest of that book and two more before the sun started to down down again and I had to head back to the orphanage. Dinner was yet again more bland stew and I turned in immediately afterwards. I didn't fall asleep for at least another hour again and woke up just as early as I did the previous morning. Once again I practiced with bringing my magic up faster and faster with a noticeable picking up of speed the more I did it. I went from needing a good fifteen minutes per attempt to only needing about nine. -
Not nearly fast enough for practical usage but progress was the goal, not perfection. I didn't even know if it was possible to truly use magic without a wand on instinct but I was more than willing to put in the effort to find out. I once again ate my tasteless food and spent the rest of the day in the library. Some might say that my time would be better spent practicing with my magic but I disagreed. Like with all things you needed variety or it would cause you to burn out.-
As marvelous an experience it was to have magic I wanted it to be special and never a chore. I practiced with my magic because I enjoyed the feeling of progress it gave me, the eventual utility it might give me was only an added bonus. Reading on the otherhand was something I did because of the help it would give me later. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed doing it because knowledge was always nice but I won't say it was exactly the funnest thing to do. On the third day things changed as shortly after breakfast I got a visitor in the library.-
"Rather studious aren't you?" An older woman with a hefty build and well tanned skin with graying brown hair in messy curls asked with a bright smile.
I studied her carefully and easily identified her as a witch "Knowledge is power." I replied honestly.
She nodded "Indeed but there is more to life than just power theres love, friendship and perhaps just a bit of mischief. Why not spend some time playing with the other children?" she asked and I shook my head.
"They call me a freak and avoid me after all the strange things happened near me." I said faking loneliness.
Her smile falters at that an a sympathetic look replaces it "Poor thing, you aren't a freak I assure you, see?" she said as she took out a wooden stick-like object and with a flick of it turned the book I was holding into a flower.
I acted shocked and dropped the flower but she merely smiled kindly.
"Theres no need to be alarmed. That was a simple application of magic, the same as the strange things you mentioned and also why I am here. You like myself and many others are a wizard, someone gifted with the ability to learn and utilize magic. Here see for yourself." she said seriously while handing me a wax sealed letter.