The Warlock knelt down on the grass about a meter away and I looked at her for a second before returning to my book.
"What are you studying?" She asked after a moment.
"Magical theory and equations."
"Magic ratios and molding?" Sheila asked.
I nodded.
"I am curious, can I ask a question?" she asked a moment later.
I closed my book. I was apparently not getting any reading done today, "Yes." I said as I turned my head to look at her, resting it against the grass.
She frowned and brushed her long hair out of her face. "I seen you practice your magic every day, but it's always simple spells. Cantrips, even. I always thought the members of the Blue Dragonflight were all powerful mages."
Sigh.
That was just the question to ask, wasn't it.
"Apparently, I am the exception that proves the rule. I am not a natural at it, I have to practice constantly for what skills I have."
She nodded slowly and said: "I see. I turned to Fel magics to increase my own very meager magical abilities. But unless you respect it, keep it under constant control it will devour you, corrupt you."
"I have the power, just not the skill to use it." I said with a sigh. "Fel magic is not something I want to touch."
That seemed like a very horrible idea to me.
Sheila nodded. "It take a lot of willpower. But there is a certain satisfaction in fighting fire with fire. But you do need the skill to use it."
Which I didn't have. All the power in the world won't help if you are just bad at using it. In magical potential I was the same as any other blue dragon. I had the same amount of mana and regeneration of it.
I just sucked at using it.
"Even so." she continued. "I focused on demonology rather than fire or shadow magic. It seemed much more mana efficient."
Huh?
I raised my head at at that to watch her, "You summon demons?"
"And use them to fight their own kind. There are no deals made, I bind them to my will." Sheila stated, "The only thing they get from me is a bit of mana when summoned."
I tilted my head at that. "All I have seen is you throwing fire around."
The Warlock shrugged. "Most of the time there are people seeing us fight or I don't have time to prepare. It is... less ideal than I would like. But in this case you are wrong. Xerina, reveal." She said and a couple of meters away a being faded into existence.
She was definitely a she. Wings, horns, hoofed feet. Was she wearing a corset and carrying a fucking whip!?
The demon faded from view again and I turned to look at Sheila again who shrugged. "Succubi are the only demons useful in a fight that can still go invisible."
Mhmm.
Sure.
"If you say so." I said and laid my head back down. "Please, a bit of warning if you summon something else or I might kill it, thinking it's a enemy."
Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean an invisible demon isn't about to eat your face is apparently not just a saying here.
She nodded. "Of course. That's why I am telling you now. If we assault an enemy stronghold I will require a stronger minion. Something more suited for direct combat."
I nodded, "Make sense." and then I sighed, putting my head back down on my paws. "And now you know not to expect any kind of magical support from me."
Sheila frowned slightly. "Can you show me your most advanced spell? Perhaps I can help."
I mentally shrugged and half closed my eyes in concentration, molding, folding, shaping magic and light into a illusionary purple butterfly the size of her head which fluttered over to land on her hand. "Illusions is my best branch and this is the most advanced I can do right now. It's not complete either, the wings don't make any sound."
Sheila nodded and ran her hand through the illusion. "And I know why. You need to put more magic into the structure. You just use enough to form the image of the creation. For the wings to make sounds, you need to make them actually move air."
I blinked at that. "I need to make it real!?"
She grinned and shook her head. "I used to be a mage before I became a warlock. I don't use it any more, but I can do Mirror Images... this is a training stage for that, right?" She asked.
I nodded again so she continued.
"You don't make them real, but you need to give them enough of a structure to have some effect on the world around them. Make sounds, even cast spells when you do... or at least look like they do. A illusionary frostbolt might not do more than feel like being smacked, but it does make it much more difficult to know which is the real thing."
Frowning in thought, I looked at the butterfly on her shoulder. Real illusions? That sounded more like some kind of magical constructs.
"Is this the same way you can summon water elementals?" I asked.
She smiled and shook her head. "No, that involves summoning and binding one to your will or convincing one to work for you. I prefer demons though, they have more punch, even if I still could command water elementals. Now, give it a try. I think you need to put about twenty percent more mana into it."
"Just make it about twenty percent cooler. Got it."
Moving mana around and controlling it was just the biggest thing I have problems with. But just putting more power into it should be something I could handle.
Maybe.
AN// All the thanks to Grey Rook for betaing.