<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“As I do not wish to lose even more time for your training, yes, I am,” </span>Lucius said with no hint of anger or disappointment in his voice.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000"> “Tomorrow and every day after, you may choose your own clothing for training so long as it does not hinder your movement in anyway. If that basic rule is not followed, then I shall start choosing your outfits for your training.” </span>As Xiu finally revealed herself, Lucius’ eyes never left her face. He did not react in the slightest to the clothing that had been chosen for her. His last female apprentice had left them behind, their appearance was not his fault. It was simply a matter of convenience.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000"> “For today, I am going to teach you one of the most basic of spells,”</span>Lucius said.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“Anyone with even a hint of arcane talent can use it, so you should have no problem whatsoever using it and practicing with it safely, even outside of training and without learning how to tap into the mana I gave you.”</span><br/><br/>Lucius gestured for Xiu to stand next to him and the pillar in the middle of the room. Once she could clearly see, Lucius revealed his hands and began to move through a couple of arcane gestures. A moment later, the crystal began to glow brightly with a dark blue color -seemingly a common theme for the Darkmoon Mage- and a shower of harmless sparks rained from around the crystal.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“A gesture out of place will result in a lost spell,”</span>Lucius explained, turning to fully face Xiu.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000"> “With each gesture, I want you to focus on causing a small sensory effect. Sparks, as I did, or a smell, or coloring the pillar a different color.”</span>With each word, Lucius began to move his hands through the same gauntlet of gestures that he had performed just a moment before. However, this time, his hands were moving slower, exaggerating each subtle movement for Xiu to learn and copy.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:#ff0000">“The crystal hovering above the pillar will react to your own mana, creating a light that will glow as brightly as your potential in whatever color that suits your disposition and specialization,”</span>Lucius explained midway through the second slowed showing of the gestures.<br/><br/>There was no schedule for today’s training. Lucius would use this session as a gauge on how to progress with his latest apprentice. Everyone learned differently and at different paces. All this was for was to give her a sense of accomplishment. To give her a method to practice on her own… And to allow Lucius to experiment with that dark bead he saw within her. The crystal’s purpose would be moot if not for that small tidbit that had fascinated Lucius from the beginning. So while he was upholding his end of the bargain, he was also using this exercise to build a foundation for future experiments. If this girl could show him something new, he would be sated for decades to come with magical research. Thus, it was all a small price to pay when it came to the grand scheme of things. After being comfortable with how many times he showed Xiu the gestures, Lucius stepped back and watched. The teaching part of this exercise was done. Now it was simply on to the actual application of what she had learned.