278: Distracted Mind

Distracted Mind

Even before Oriana could finish her sentence, their figures disappeared from that room, only to appear at some unknown place.  1

"Blargh—"

A wave of nausea washed over Oriana like a turbulent sea. It was as if she experienced motion sickness from a stormy sea voyage, but ten times worse. Oriana wanted to vomit out her last meal, but fortunately, she was only dry heaving as she kneeled on the grassy ground. 

Rosetta let her hand go. She looked at the visibly exhausted and weakened Oriana. 

"Tsk, we just teleported a small distance and here you can't even take it. Really weak and useless."

Oriana didn't have an energy to refute and continued to dry heave on the ground, kneeling on all fours. After a while, she looked up at Rosetta. "I…don't feel good…"

"Whose fault is it?" Rosetta said mockingly. "If you had studied as you're told, you would have known how to protect your body by wrapping your body with magic. Useless wench."

Oriana had nothing to say. As soon as she regained a bit of mobility, she quietly stood up. 

"Give me a day. I will make sure to finish the book before our next lesson."

Rosetta didn't comment on it and simply studied the appearance of the young witch in front of her, as if appreciating a precious work of art. "So Oriana, tell me what you want to learn first."

As Rosetta finally asked something useful to her, Oriana spoke with confidence, "I found ancient runes and formation spells to be more of my liking—"

"You have yet to read the entire book but you have already decided what  is to your liking?" Rosetta interrupted her, her tone laced with sarcasm as she questioned Oriana's choice. 

"It is out of necessity."

"Your choice surprises me. As an herbalist and a physician, I thought you would ask to learn about potion-making and healing spells."

"I know Black Witches could not learn healing spells because of our attribute, and potion-making will require a lot of ingredients from rare herbs and magical creatures which would be hard to gather. Ancient runes and formations will allow me to grow the fastest, so I can fight and protect myself when the time comes." 

Oriana looked around the surroundings. They were somewhere in the mountains, within a meadow with nothing but grass and rocks on it. 

She continued, "And I don't think my teacher brought me to such a secluded place to teach me potion-making, unless you plan to start with hunting and gathering plants to boil in a pot over a bonfire."

Rosetta chuckled. She knew her student was smart, but she could not be allowed to be a smart aleck under her wing. That personality of hers had to be tamed.

"You should be honored, my apprentice, for you will be learning from the greatest rune formation master in our entire race."

As Rosetta spoke, she pointed towards a certain empty place. 

"Stand there."

Oriana found nothing different about the place but obediently followed her teacher's order. Soon, she watched Rosetta mumbling a low chant, and Oriana could feel her using magic. It was invisible and formless, but Oriana could intuitively feel something was erected around her, covering the area.

"What did you do, Teacher?"

"Didn't  you read the chapter of ancient runes? Are you that slow to understand what I did?"

Oriana let out a shaky breath. She was a beginner. Reading written concepts didn't mean she understood them; otherwise, why would she need a witch to instruct her about the practical use of spells?

Still, Oriana did not want to be insulted again. She tried to remember the contents of the book and said, "This is a variation barrier spell created by manifesting the ancient rune for 'Shield'."

"And why did I do this?" Rosetta asked. 

Oriana remembered Yorian doing something similar back when he scried her powers. 

"To hide our presence," she answered. "Even if we use magic here, no one outside can sense us."

Rosetta didn't react to her answer and simply said, "We will begin with you tapping the energy within your core. If you ask me what it is, then forget about learning anything from me. You can be excused for ignorance, but you cannot be useless trash who—"

"I read it in the book," Oriana spoke, not telling her she had also learned about it from the kind elf. 

"Good. You have half an hour."

Oriana closed her eyes and placed her hand over her chest, focusing on the flow of darkness deep inside her. Meanwhile, her thoughts wandered back to the palace. 'I hope the conference goes well, so His Highness' mood won't sour. When I talk to him about my secret...'

After giving Oriana enough time, Rosetta frowned, "Yet to find it?"

Oriana opened her eyes, "I am trying."

"Even an untalented warlock can find his in half an hour. You must truly be trash."

Oriana decisively ignored her and once more focused on her energy core. She knew only five minutes had passed. Rosetta was simply being impatient. However, her thoughts would linger towards her worry about Arlan, about her questions about black nightshade, as well as her nightmare the night before. She could not focus on her energy core. 

She frowned inwardly and tried again and again, but the more she pressured herself, the more she failed to tap into her core. 

Zap!

"Ah…!"

The next thing Oriana knew, she was thrown a few feet away. Something had hit her body hard and she crashed on the ground, with small rocks digging into her arm and dirt marking her uniform. 

A numbing pain ran across her body. With a groan, she attempted to sit up and noticed Rosetta walking towards her with clearly a displeased look. 

"Y-You…attacked me…?"

The powerful witch looked at her student with mockery. "Attack? That is too heavy a word for such a tiny spell."

"You…why did you—"

"Want to know why I punished you?" Her voice was cold, her expression merciless. 

Anger flashed within Oriana's eyes. "You said half an hour. I would have found it—"

Rosetta kneeled on one leg as her icy gaze never left Oriana's accusing one. Her fingers held Oriana's chin and held her in place, her gaze taunting her. 

"Do you think I punished you because you failed to find your energy core?"

"Isn't it?" Oriana shot back.

"Ignorant fool." Rosetta's words felt like she wished she could cut Oriana in pieces. "You dare let your mind be distracted in my presence? Insolence!"

Magic danced within Rosetta's fingers. Oriana's expressions turned painful. Since the spell was casted with her holding Oriana's chin, the zapping sounds wreaked havoc inside Oriana as she let out a silent scream. It was not even a second long, but it was so painful, it made her lose energy in all her limbs. Her mind blanked in white hot pain.

"I..."

"I will not tolerate such disrespect. This shall be the first and last warning, Oriana."

Rosetta's fingers gripped her chin tightly, hurting her to the point it would probably leave marks, but Oriana didn't let out a single cry. She was too weak to react, yet to recover from the earlier magic attack.

"Imprint on your mind that I am not patient and neither am I generous. You waste my time once more and I will personally show you why people fear witches with the darkness attribute the most." 

pqdm.com