It was almost a week before I could get to Eldro’s Magic shop. Eldro was busy haggling with someone over the price of his healing potions. I decided to browse around until he was free. There are many interesting items in Eldro’s shop. A magical automated potato peeler shaped like a peanut. A magical eyeball that sent pictures to a blank slate, sort of like a video camera and TV. An ever-bouncing ball. A hat that allowed you to see in the dark. I could go on. Some were wildly impractical; some were almost usable. Finally, Eldro was free.

  “Hey Eldro. How is business going?” I asked.

  “Could be better, especially if you buy something.” He replied. Eldro always said that. I think he thought it was funny. Well maybe the first time.

  “Well, I am trying to figure out why my diagrams are working. I was thinking about the differences in the spell tomes and my diagrams. So, I am wondering if you have any basic simple spell tomes that I can use as a reference. I have the one for Cleanse but need more to see if I can see any commonality. I have already figured out that it is the magic in the tomes that teaches the spell and not the text.”

  Eldro thought for a second before he spoke, “I have three spell tomes that you should be able to use. Minor Repair, Start Fire, and Melt Wax. They are not really good for much but are basic simple spells. Almost anyone can learn them, if they have the slightest aptitude for magic. That will be 15 gold.”

  Every book he ever sold me was at least 5 gold. “Since they are basic spells, 15 gold is too much. I think 5 for the three of them is fair.”

  Haggle, haggle, haggle and 7 gold later. I owned 3 basic spell books for worthless spells.

  After the sale, Eldro asks “Why don’t you write your own spell tomes. It just takes magic ink, a blank tome, and understanding of the spell. Many magic teachers create their own tomes for their students. You should try it.”

  Damn. Magic ink. Is that the key? I just used regular ink to make my diagrams. Maybe if I used magic ink they would work. “Okay, give me a jar of magic ink, a quill, and 3 tomes. I will give it a try.”

  Eldro brought out 4 different jars of ink. Each one was about 6 ounces. Each should be good for about 15 spells each. “The quality of each jar is different. The blue is the best quality and the red is the least. The blue is 2 gold, while the red is 20 silvers. I suggest the blue, because I think you need the best for your attempts.”

  “Fine, give me two blue jars, 6 blank tomes, and 4 quills.” I said and handed him 5 gold. “Anything else you think I might be interested in?”

  “Well, as it happens, I got this special package today. You might be interested, but it will be expensive.”

  “Sounds intriguing, what is it?” I asked.

  “It is a spell tome and a book on the principles of barriers. The spell tome is for the spell Blade Barrier. This spell creates an invisible blade barrier that cuts melee attackers. If it doesn’t cut it off, it deflects the blows. The book covers the principles of the different types of barriers, their strengths and weakness. Then it goes into details about the magic used to create each. For a magic researcher, it is a primer that can lead to creating your own barriers.”

  “That does sound good. What is the price?”

  “25 golds, not haggling.” Eldro said with a serious face. That serious face meant he was not going to haggle, and it was a take it or leave it price.

  Well, what could I say except “I will take it.” A barrier spell was one on the spells I really wanted, and Blade Barrier was at the top of the list.

  “I also have several Mask of True Sight. It covers your face and allows you to see through smoke, fog, darkness. Only solid objects can stop your sight. I highly recommend it, if you are going to be fighting. Only 1 gold each.”

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  I opted for five. I thought my guards could use them while on duty.

  Eldro went into the back to fetch the package. I place my other purchases into my storage ring. When he came back, he opened the package and showed me the contents. The tome radiated strong magic, and the book was very thick. Lots of knowledge in that book, and I was satisfied with them both. I happily handed over the 30 gold pieces. I then stored both the tome and the book in my storage ring. I had been to Eldro’s shop so much that he already knew about the storage ring, so there was no reason to hide it.

  I left feeling very upbeat. I walked home but made sure not to take any alleys. Once was enough, I didn’t need more excitement today. Apparently, old dogs like me can learn new tricks.

  Back in my office in Covern House, I eagerly brought out my recently purchases supplies. I took a blank spell tome, a magic ink jar, and a quill. I decided to try writing my diagram for Cleanse as my first test. I carefully drew out the diagram, ensuring each line was straight, each curve exactly matching the picture in my mind, and finishing by writing the spell name is bold letters. As I drew, I concentrated on what the spell should do. The feeling of Cleanse when I cast it, and how it felt on myself. I could feel my will imbuing the ink as I wrote. When I put the final touches on the tome, the ink lit up and absorbed mana from me. I allowed the tome to take as much mana as it needed (about 10 times what the spell costs to cast).

  When the ink stopped glowing, I knew I had successfully created a spell tome, but didn’t know if anyone other than me would be able to use it. But that didn’t stop me from creating more spell tomes. I created one for Minor Heal, Close Wounds, and Minor Life Regenerate. Each one took at least an hour. My only interruption was when Gabriel brought lunch. I was famished, because apparently creating a spell tome took a lot of stamina as well as mana.

  It was a wonderful experience but it was also very tiring. Even though I was eager to test it out. I was too tired to visit the Adventurers Guild. Unfortunately, I couldn’t relearn the spells. Someone else would need to learn.

  I called for Gabriel. He appeared quickly, and I did an Identification on him focusing on his magical aptitude. I never tried it before, but figured what the heck.

  Gabriel has a medium-low magical aptitude only good for minor spells and using low level magic items.

  That description was better than I was hoping for. Gabriel had a chance to learn one of these spells.

  “Gabriel, how would you like to learn a spell. I just created a spell tome and need someone to see if they can learn the spell from it. The spell I think best for you is Cleanse. You can cast it on yourself, or a small area around you. I use it frequently and it is harmless.”

  “I don’t believe I have an aptitude for magic, Young Master.”

  “Actually, you have a medium low aptitude, which is perfect for this spell. If you can learn it, then my efforts will be successful, and I may be able to teach others the Minor Healing spell I created. You don’t have to try if you don’t want. But if you can learn it, there may be other utility spells I can teach you.”

  “Very well, I will give it a try, but don’t get your hopes up.”

  First, I brought out a normal diagram I had previously drawn. I went through how the magic flowed through it. I explained in detail the working of the spell itself and its expected results. Finally, I gave him the book, and told him to look at the diagram and try to understand how the magic flowed through it.

  Gabriel looked at the spell tome. His eyes went over every detail of the diagram, then he read aloud the name of the spell “Cleanse”. When he said that, the book glowed briefly, and Gabriel grabbed his head. This only lasted a second, but Gabriel slumped in his chair.

  “That was exhausting.” Gabriel said. “I felt something, but I don’t know if it was successful.”

  I took some regular ink and spilled some on his jacket. He was horrified, because he prided himself on his fastidiousness. I told him “Cast Cleanse on yourself. Think of the spell, and say Cleanse”.

  Gabriel stood up, looked at the stain and said “Cleanse”.

  The ink stained disappeared. I shouted in joy, and Gabriel stood there with a look of absolute surprise. He had cast a spell. He kept thinking to himself “I cast a spell.” His look changed to one of joy. “I cast a spell.” It was also a useful spell for him and not just a novelty. I could tell he wanted to cast it again and again, just to make sure it wasn’t a one-off.

  I took the spell tome from him, expecting to have to rewrite diagram. To my amazement, the diagram was still there and was full of magic. The magic level was a little lower, but still strong. So, not only did I create a spell tome, I created a reusable spell tome.

  I immediately wanted to try the Minor Heal spell tome, but didn’t want to overtask Gabriel. Overuse of magic can result in loss of life points and passing out. A fact I know from direct experience. I warned Gabriel of this and gave him a quick tutorial on magic and mana. He needed to be careful, and when he used the spell, if he felt tired or got a headache, he needed to stop until his mana recharged. This led to many questions from him. We talked until it was time for dinner.