Rose- Interview Part 2

Story by MigeYeFoxe on SoFurry

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#13 of Rose

Remember a few chapters back when I said a power level up meant doubling in power? Yeah, that goes out the window as soon as I decided how the completed Projected Flames work. The base form of Projected Flames is a grade D spell that throws a small ball of flame at around 30mph. The completed form moves three times as fast and is now considered a grade C spell that throws a small ball of flame at 90mph. And then we have why it's so hard for Rose to use right now. They started as ready for Grade C spells, but with each day it drops one rank, so now they're only good for rank E spells.


"If I might ask, what was the third spell?" the host asks.

"Huh?" I ask in return, confused. I don't remember putting any additional spells into it than those two.

"Well, you used three. Here," the host motions at a monitor behind us that lights up and shows me practicing in the spell labs, "is you using Projected Flames. This is what anyone using it would get. And this," the clip changes and shows some person that I don't immediately recognize so is either one of the members I'm not too familiar with or from another area. Their hand is raised up into the air and spiking bits of flame struggle to get out of their hand. They quickly slam it to the ground and a large number of snakes begin to fly out from his hand in every single direction, the recoil of the act launching him in the air a couple of feet before landing back down in the small crater he created.

"So a combination of just those two spells should produce just the distance of the Projected Flames and the fire star shape of Agni's Snakes. But this is what everyone saw of your spell yesterday."

I almost dread looking at it to be honest, knowing what happens after I launch it. But it is important to see what result they're talking about. The clip starts with me finishing up looking at my book, eliciting a few snickers in the audience for some reason or another. Then me running over to the window. It's a very strange thing to watch yourself be doing things, especially when it doesn't actually look like you. The amalgamation of fox and human do not mix well at that stage, looking off for both. I watch myself stand next to the window, take aim and begin charging up the Agni's Flames. The clip pauses for a moment.

"Now this is what the combination you described should look like. But you don't actually stop here."

The clip resumes and I see myself close my eyes and turn away but something else happens with the spell at the same time. Seemingly growing out of my right arm looks almost to be four little pillars that bend towards my left and end about half the distance between my hands. In essence it looks like I made an actual bow of some kind out of thin air to fire my spell out of. And when I let go I see the shockwave it creates which sends me flying backwards. It also seems to knock Jack over as well. The clip thankfully cuts off before I am shown crashing into the wall.

"So what we all would like to know is what that third spell was," The host continues.

"I'm not sure. I could try and recreate it if you want."

"Excellent, just what we wanted to hear. Bring on out the spell lab," the host shouts enthusiastically and a couple of stage hands bring out what looks to be a tiny little booth. Just as wide as a path in the spell labs at our base but only seems to be about four feet deep. But looking in I see a large tunnel with a barrel floating in the distance. "We had this prepared so you could demonstrate that spell for us tonight if you were able. So, by your leave."

I bow slightly again and stand up and consider a moment. "Is it all right if I take this coat off? I'm not sure it's loose enough to allow for casting Projected Flames."

"By all means, make yourself as comfortable as you need," the host nods slightly at me.

I take off my jacket carefully and fold it up and put it onto the back of my chair. I also take off the gloves since I don't know how well they'll take to using fire magic. I place those at the bottom of the chair and approach the spell lab. "If you don't mind, I'm going to leave out Agni's Flames. I don't think my body can handle that spell right now."

"I would agree. Unless you need it for that combination to work. We don't really have anything set up to handle the recoil at the moment but we can probably bring in a few mats to help soften the landing."

I smile slightly and bow again at him before pulling myself up to the spell lab and adopting the stance needed for Projected Flames. I don't notice anything different than normal and the spell seems off. I close my eyes and think. What all did I do differently. Last night I was focused on holding the Agni's flames and keeping the sigil in my mind that I didn't put any thought into using Projected Flames. I just did what felt natural for it. Perhaps that's what I need. I stand up, take a deep breath and ignore what the book says, what I know to be the way to cast it. Instead I let my body adopt whatever stance it wants. I pull both hands together and realizing I was actually holding the spells in my off hand since that one controlled the explosion I built the Projected Flames in my right hand and grabbed it and pulled it back with my left as I adopt the stance that feels natural. The spell no longer feels incomplete and when I open my eyes again I see the four bands coming off my right arm. I take a deep breath, keeping the spell taut between my hands and then unleash the spell at the barrel, watching it fly to the target far faster than what Projected Flames ordinarily does. This one seems to fly as fast if not slightly faster than a real arrow does. And when it hits the barrel it exploded in spectacular fashion.

I smile to myself, having not embarrassed myself and being able to recreate the effect without as much pain. I can tell, though, that this spell is already almost even beyond this body. Though not as painful as throwing me back into a wall, both of my arms are now sore from the exertion, like I put a bit too much force in a throw or tried lifting up something a tad bit too heavy. I shake my arms a bit and bow to the audience as they cheer a bit and return to my seat. The host does as well, having taken a position behind me and off to the side in case I did start flying back I wouldn't hit him. The host patiently waits for me to put my coat and gloves back on and sit down before speaking up again.

"So you were able to recreate it. How spectacular," he states enthusiastically as the stagehands begin carting out the spell lab.

"Yeah, but that one is probably a bit too high level a spell for my current body to use very often. My arms are sore just using it that one time."

"What was the spell you ended up using? I saw you reset and the other spell appeared."

"That was Projected Flames," I answer.

"Yes, but what else was it?" the host prods.

"That was only Projected Flames. There was no other spell put into it. As I said Projected Flames felt like an incomplete spell. What you saw was the completed form of the spell," I reply, wondering if I'm going to get in trouble for saying such things. It's really odd to be considered the expert at something you've only known for a couple days. Even more so when being the expert to a bunch of others who have known it all their lives.

"Are you quite sure of that? In all the years I've had this show and all the years I've been alive I've never seen anyone use Projected Flames and produce that effect. Are you saying that the Spell Books that are given to everyone is wrong?"

I ponder the statement, trying to think of the best way to explain it. "It's not so much wrong as not accurate," I pause, trying to describe it again without insulting anyone. I look down and see the different colors of my coat and get a bit of inspiration. "It's like this," I point to one part of my coat. "This color is red right?" I ask, getting a small nod and then point somewhere else at the jacket that's using a more orangish red. "And this one is also red, right?" I get another red. "The thing with the spell is it is like calling both these two spots the same color. They're both red but."

"But it's not entirely accurate," the host completes my statement.

"Exactly. The Projected Flames spell is not wrong. It's just that there are nuances in it that are not addressed in the spell as written. And to be fair it's not wrong for them to do it like that. As a general assessment it is better to go with a more generic form for writing out the spell so people can understand it than to write it to be as accurate as possible so that people will end up getting confused and be unable to perform the spell."

"So what are some of these nuances in the spell that you noticed?"

"Well," I state, pausing and looking to the side as I try to remember what the page specifically called for, "the spell calls for adopting the position as if firing a bow and to act it out, both physically and mentally. It also says you're supposed to hold the spell in your dominant hand. But what it doesn't say is that you are literally supposed to draw the bow. The spell is actually made in the off-hand and then moved to the dominant hand. You are supposed to be creating the arrow with your arms, rather than just holding it as if it's an arrow itself."

"I see, so then you say that it could be done by anyone? Would our audience like to see if Rose can teach me to use this so called completed form of the spell? The host asks, standing up as the audience cheers.

Knowing it'll be good for my public image to try and seem helpful I stand up as well, noting that instead of bringing the spell lab back out someone has dropped a small target from the ceiling. I guess this is another thing they potentially had prepared for. Teaching the host is another matter. Being able to feel what's wrong with a spell is one thing, being able to teach someone else what is wrong with how they're doing the spell is something much harder and more complex. I am able to eventually get him to do it sort of. It's never to the extent that I got it, but after about a couple minutes of trying to keep myself from trying to just force his hands to do what I want them to he's able to get at least closer. The bands on his bow are only half complete and very unsteady but they do eventually appear and when he releases it the spell does still fly faster than Projected Flames ordinarily would, just not as fast as mine did. The host bows a thanks to me and I bow in return.

"And that's Rose, everyone. We'll be right back after a short break and then we'll get to meet our next guest."

The rest of the show went by fairly simply. I was moved to the further eat and pretty much sat there for most the rest of the show. The other guests barely paid me any attention and I did little to try and jump in on their time. But I tried to at least make it look like I was interested in what was being said. At the end of the show I was thanked once again for coming and then escorted by that mouse thing back to the entrance. Once there I see the same soldiers standing around waiting for me. Or at least I think they're the same. Can't really tell since they all look the same. I bow briefly at the people outside that have started shouting at me again and allow myself to be led back towards the road. There is a small popping sound and I look down and see something sticking out of my stomach before everything gets dizzy. The soldiers have all gathered right around me and are half carrying me away as fast as they can as I pass out.