Shape Making

[Cloud Caelum Garr]

Frost 45 122

Garr's eyes opened to the sound of a rooster crowing, its sound echoing throughout the underground halls. He took a deep breath and sat up in his bed, stretching his arms and legs to shake off the sleep. The room was dimly lit by the Umbrium’s source of light, casting a soft glow that mimicked the light of the sun. He made his way to the small basin in the corner of his room, splashing cool water on his face and scrubbing it with soap. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, feeling a sense of excitement about the day ahead. Today's lesson was on sculpting, and Garr had been eagerly waiting for it all week.

After washing up, he got dressed in his school uniform and made the walk to his school. The halls were quiet and empty, with only a few students making their way to class. Garr joined them, walking at a brisk pace to make it to class on time. As he approached the classroom, he could hear the sound of the professor's voice echoing out from the open door. He stepped inside, greeted by the sight of the other students already hard at work. The professor’s assistants stood to the side, overseeing their homework collection and offering guidance where needed.

As he entered the classroom, he saw the professor at the front of the room, holding up a list of shapes. Garr knew what this meant. They were going to be graded on their ability to create each shape using their sculpting magic. Garr took his seat and listened as the professor explained the basics of sculpting. He talked about the importance of concentration and focus when using magic to sculpt. The professor then passed out a list of shapes, which included simple objects like balls, cubes, and cylinders, and more complex shapes like animals and human figures.

Garr's heart raced as he read through the list that’d been passed out. It was everything they were expected to make that day, and their grade depended on how well they did. He was confident in his ability to make the simple shapes, but the more complex ones seemed daunting. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves as the professor began the demonstration that they’d seen many times throughout the past weeks. Garr watched intently as the professor made a perfect sphere with ease. The professor then moved on to the cube, and Garr followed along, trying to replicate the shape as best he could.

Garr felt his fingers tingle as he focused his energy on the shape in front of him. He could feel the magic flowing through him as he tried to shape the clay into the perfect cube. After a few minutes of intense concentration, he stepped back to examine his work. It was far from perfect, with rough edges and uneven sides, but it was recognizable as a “box-like” shape.

The professor walked around the room, examining each student's work. Garr watched nervously as the professor approached his desk. The professor studied the cube for a few moments before nodding in approval. "Not bad, Garr," he said. "You could use a bit more practice, but it's a good start." He made a scribble in his notes then move on. Garr felt a sense of uneasiness wash over him. He knew he had a lot of work to do, and was unsure of whether he got a passing grade or not. He turned his attention back to the list of shapes and decided to tackle the cylinder next. The shape seemed simple enough, but Garr knew that it would require a different technique than the cube.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clear his mind of any distractions. He then focused his energy on the clay in front of him, willing it to take on the shape of a cylinder. After a few minutes of intense concentration, he opened his eyes to find a lumpy, misshapen mess in front of him. Garr let out a frustrated sigh and slumped back in his chair. He knew he could do better than this, but he couldn't seem to get the hang of the cylinder. He watched as the other students around him worked on their shapes, some struggling as he was, and others seemingly breezing through the assignment.

The professor continued to make his way around the room, offering advice and encouragement to each student. When he reached Garr's desk, he studied the misshapen cylinder for a few moments before offering a few words of wisdom. "Remember, Garr, sculpting is all about focus and control," the professor said. "You have the magic inside you to make anything you can imagine, but it takes practice and patience to hone your skills."

Garr nodded in agreement and took a deep breath, determined to get the hang of the cylinder. He closed his eyes once again and focused all his energy on the clay in front of him. After several minutes of intense concentration, he opened his eyes to find a perfectly formed cylinder sitting on his desk. Garr let out a whoop of excitement and held up the cylinder for the professor to see. The professor smiled and gave him a nod of approval before moving on to the next student. Garr felt a sense of pride and accomplishment wash over him. He knew he still had a long way to go, but he was making progress.

Garr took a deep breath as he read the final shape on the list. To sculpt water into the shape of a pyramid was a daunting task, even for someone as skilled as Garr. He knew that water was not something that held its shape, and that it required a different kind of technique to shape it. He looked around the classroom and saw that some of his classmates were already struggling with the task. Garr decided to take a different approach. He closed his eyes and focused on the water in the small bowl in front of him. He could feel its energy and knew that he had to act fast.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Garr sent a surge of magic into the water, causing it to rise up in a small column. He then focused on shaping the water into the shape of a pyramid, using all of his concentration and focus. As he worked, the water began to take on the familiar shape of a pyramid, with sharp angles and straight sides. The professor made his way around the room, watching as each student worked on their sculptures. When he got to Garr, he stopped and looked at the water pyramid with a critical eye. Garr held his breath, waiting for the professor's verdict.

Finally, the professor nodded in approval. "Very good, Garr," he said. "You managed to shape the water into the shape of a pyramid, and you did it quickly and efficiently. Well done." Garr was excited to see what other shapes he would be able to create in the future, and what other challenges the professor had in store for him and his classmates.

At the end of the exam, the professor dismissed class, aside from a handful of students who had to stay behind because their performance was lacking. As the professor began calling out the names of the students who needed to stay behind, Garr's heart rate quickened. He couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension as he waited to hear his name. The professor went through the list slowly, calling out each name with a serious tone. Garr watched as his classmates stood up, looking crestfallen as they made their way to the front of the classroom.

As the list dwindled down, Garr became more and more anxious. His palms started to sweat and his heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. He couldn't help but wonder if he had missed something or made a mistake during the exam. Finally, there were only a few names left, and Garr held his breath as the professor read them out. To his immense relief, Garr's name wasn't called. He let out a deep breath that he hadn't realized he was holding and sank back into his seat. As he looked around the room, he saw that several of his classmates had tears in their eyes or looked dejected. Garr felt a pang of sympathy for them, knowing how much work they had put into this exam.

As the dismissed students filed out of the room, Garr gathered his things and made his way to the door. As he passed by the professor, the older man caught his eye and nodded in approval. It was a small gesture, but it meant the world to Garr. He walked out of the classroom with a sense of pride and accomplishment, feeling like he had truly mastered the basics of sculpting magic.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Review

Name: Garr

XP: 8 Points, can be used for Elementalism
Lore: 3 Lores, and:
Elementalism: Shaping clay into a cylinder
Elementalism: Shaping a liquid is much harder than shaping a solid
Elementalism: Shaping water into a pyramid
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: None

Notes: Roosters can be so rude. At least they get better in a stew pot!