The Sorcerer Who Loved Magic But Hated Reading

alaric slouched in his chair at the library table, his chin propped on one hand. A large, leather-bound book lay open before him, but he barely glanced at it. His free hand flipped the pages lazily, not caring what was written.

"This is so boring," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes drooped, and a yawn escaped his lips. He turned another page, still not looking at it.

Across the table, Elyas was engrossed in his own book, carefully studying its contents. The warm glow of the library's lamps reflected in his sharp, focused eyes. The room was quiet, save for the rustle of pages turning and Alaric's occasional sighs.

Suddenly, Elyas froze. His gaze locked onto the page in front of him, and his eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Alaric!" he said, his voice low but urgent.

Alaric blinked, startled by Elyas's tone. "What now?" he muttered, sitting up slightly, though his expression still looked bored.

Elyas turned his book to face Alaric and pointed at a glowing line of text. "Your name. It's here," he said, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Alaric frowned and leaned closer. "What are you talking about?"

Elyas tapped the shimmering words. "Look! This spell—it's about the magic you used."

Alaric stared at the page, his boredom replaced by confusion. Before he could speak, Elyas raised an eyebrow and said, "Just read them, Alaric. It's not that complicated."

His tone was gentle but firm, urging Alaric to focus. For the first time that evening, Alaric gave the book his full attention, a strange mix of curiosity and unease settling over him.

They read the book seriously, their faces stunned as they discovered more about the magic Alaric had unknowingly used. The spell was called Doom's Cascade—a dark, complex magic that could control streams of energy and direct them to powerful effects. It was meant to create torrents of magic, a cascade that could overwhelm anything in its path. Alaric's brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of it all. "Doom's Cascade… that's what I used?" he murmured, his voice barely a whisper.

Elyas nodded, his eyes wide with both excitement and concern. "Yeah, it's not just about controlling shadows—it's about controlling energy, too. That's why it felt so… overwhelming."

Alaric shook his head. "I can't even say it right. Doom's Cascade… it's hard for me."

Elyas patted Alaric's shoulder. "You can do it. You just have to get the pronunciation right. Practice makes perfect."

Alaric frowned, clearly struggling. "I keep saying Doum casda instead of Doom's Cascade. It's like my mouth can't get it right."

Elyas chuckled gently. "It's okay. Everyone stumbles at first. But you'll get it. Just keep trying."

Alaric glanced at Elyas, frustration evident on his face. "Maybe I'm just too stupid for this stuff," he muttered under his breath.

Elyas shook his head, his voice firm but encouraging. "Don't say that, Alaric. You're not stupid. You just need to keep at it. Magic is hard, but you can do it. You just need a little more time and practice."

Alaric sighed and looked away. "I don't know if I can ever get it right."

Elyas stepped closer, a reassuring smile on his face. "You'll get there. I believe in you. We're going to practice this together, remember? You don't have to do it alone."

Alaric nodded reluctantly. "I guess you're right."

Elyas's smile widened. "That's the spirit! Now, let's try it again. Focus on the name: Doom's Cascade. Think about it like a goal you're aiming for. Ready?"

Alaric took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, let's do it."

Elyas held up his own book and started reciting the spell. Alaric took a deep breath and tried again, this time forcing himself to pronounce it correctly. "Doom's Cascade."

The energy around them shimmered, reacting to the magic. Alaric's face showed a hint of satisfaction, even if it was mixed with frustration. Maybe, just maybe, he could get this right.

Alaric still struggled to get the name right. "Ah, it's okay if I don't pronounce it perfectly," he said to Elyas with a hint of frustration.

Elyas shook his head. "No, Alaric, you need to call it correctly. We sorcerers don't just use magic; we name it, too. We develop it on our own."

Alaric sighed, clearly bored by the lesson. "But it's so hard. Why do we have to do it?"

Elyas gave him a reassuring smile. "Because it matters, Alaric. You're creating your own power. You need to own it. The name is part of that."

Alaric nodded, half-heartedly, but he didn't give up. He tried again, mumbling the name under his breath. "Doom's Cascade."

Elyas's face lit up when Alaric got it right. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Alaric managed a small, satisfied smile. "Maybe… just a little better."

Elyas clapped him on the back. "I told you you'd get it. You just need to keep practicing."

Alaric's smile widened slightly. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe I just need to give it a bit more time."

Elyas nodded enthusiastically. "That's the spirit! Now we can go back to the library if we need to know more about the magic. But for now, let's take a break."

Alaric's face fell. "I don't want to go back to that place. It's boring. All those books and pronouncing stuff. It took me a whole day to get it right."

Elyas chuckled. "I know, Alaric. But it's part of learning. And who knows, we might find something important there that can help us with quests."

Alaric groaned. "I don't want to think about it right now. I just want to rest."

Elyas grinned. "Fair enough. Let's take a break today. Tomorrow, we'll head to the guild. Maybe there's a new quest waiting for us."

Alaric nodded, stretching his arms. "Yeah, a quest sounds good. Anything's better than going back to that library."

The next day, they were at the guild, looking at quests on the board. Alaric yawned, still tired from the previous day's practice, but he felt a bit more confident now that he could use Doom's Cascade Name spells correctly.