“Set aside your usual casting foci,” stated Professore Sorentino. “You will discover on your desks a flare wand. These wands are designed to attenuate the flow of your æther into a single spell—the Ignition spell. Excess magical energy will be converted to light from the wand.”

Aldric scowled at the wand. Unlike most of his classmates, he didn't require a magical focus. Those born to their magic never did. However, he picked it up and examined it. His was a bright yellow, and had the Tarquinian numeral 6 on it. Valenora continued to use Tarquinian numerals, long after most nations within the Realms had switched to Aulonikan numbers.

“No doubt you've noticed that the wands are of various colours,” continued the Professore, “and each bears a number.” He indicated the two dozen candles in four colours - red, blue, yellow and green - at the front of the class. “As you cast, the wand will take only the energy you need to cast Ignition. Excess energy will bleed off as light. The goal of this exercise is to cast with the least amount of energy needed.”

Aldric's eyes scanned the candles, and he spotted his—the last of the yellow candles. He raised his wand, then hesitated.

It felt wrong—like the wand was already fighting him. It was part of the problem he always had with magical foci. His energy came from his bloodline; one of his great-grandparents had slain a dragon, and in the process, absorbed some of the magical energy of the mighty beast. This had tainted their family, and all of the dragonslayer's descendants had some degree of magical power.

Aldric was the most powerful in his family to date; powerful enough to earn a space at the Lyceum Arcana, the magical school of Valenora. But Scions such as himself were rare at the Lyceum. Most wizards were of noble blood, the idle rich whose position at the Lyceum was purchased. They were born with prestige and wealth, but not with magical talent.

He scowled, dragging his mind back to the exercise. The wand motion for the Ignition spell was a quarter-twist followed by a jab; he summoned the mental imagery needed to align the spell energies, and then jabbed his wand, whispering, “Ignitio.”