"To reiterate, the base is the most important, as the functionality of the card is defined from that. Whether the card is elemental, aetheric or has some other nature, it must reflect in the base. Then a card needs an aetheric network which has to connect the spell model with the various layers of the card.
The number of layers in a card is represented by the recipe, with the minimum number of layers being three. In that case, the layers are the case, the aetheric network, and the layer that contains the spell model."
The card they were making at the moment, Earths Boon, required five layers, and the fourth layer would be the one that contained the spell model.
Nero had always just directly bought the ingredients which contained spell models, without ever even realising it contained the spell model rather than being just another part of the recipe. This would be his first time.
"We're taught from the beginning that as humans, we lack finer control of aether because of which we cannot create our own spell models. While that's true, such an approach automatically makes one think that they can do nothing else with their aether. That's incorrect."
With the previous layers laid out, Marilyn brought out the pine cone surrounded in a pink glow, holding it out in front of Nero.
"In fact, we are completely capable of at least doing simple and straightforward things - for example, holding and preserving the spell model, among a few other things. What you have to do with this is surround the spell model with your aether as firmly as you can, without pushing your aether into the spell model.
"This will allow the spell model to tolerate the destabilisation of its existing environment. But if the destabilisation is too great, or if your flow of aether is interrupted, the spell model will collapse."
Marilyn used Fairy Lights on herself, making her aether visible for Nero to see.
Name: Fairy Lights
Image: Sparks in the darkness
Type: Illusion
Star rank: 2
Ability: [Makes aether used by target visible in the form of sparks]
Flavour text: "Twinkle twinkle little star, show me what you really are," - ???
Nero observed carefully as sparks appeared in the air in front of him, before encompassing the pine cone entirely. Just as he thought he wouldn't be able to see more, the sparks entered into the pine cone itself, merging with it, creating an illusion as if the pine cone itself was erupting.
She then placed the shining pine cone inside a small, manually operated contraption, and sprayed with a concentrated aether dust solution, before beginning to squeeze the top, pressing it down upon the cone and crushing it.
As the pine cone crumbled, Nero saw how the sparks became brighter, and seemed to tremble with greater ferocity, but they remained close together, trapped within the contraption.
Once the pine cone was thoroughly crushed, the bottom of the device unscrewed, revealing a bed of crushed cones. Yet this would be too much for the card.
Nero did not ask any questions at the moment, however, and just watched as his mother observed the product of her work.
"Every step of card crafting has been made easier these days. If you're in a rush, or are willing to accept a small dip in quality, you can use a card that will preserve the spell model during the processing period. This is an acceptable method for you to use in the future, but I still suggest you learn how to preserve the spell model yourself. If nothing else, it will improve your control of aether.
"Now that the pine cone is crushed, the spell model still exists, but not within all of these pieces. You must pick out the piece in which the spell model exists, and continuously break it down into as small a fragment as you can.
"With experience, you'll be able to feel when you're on the verge of breaking the container too much before the spell model destabilises. The smaller the container, the greater your production quality."
As if to prove her point, Marilyn picked out a specific piece of the pine cone, and discarded all the rest. Instead of continuing to crush the piece in the previous contraption, Marilyn brought out a file, and began to shave away at the sides, slowly and carefully reducing its size, until at least it took on the shape of an octagon.
Satisfied, Marilyn moved the piece and placed it on the card she was crafting, before placing the final layer. Predictably, the five layers became larger than the size of a card, not to mention misshapen due to the octagon in the middle. But if the card was successfully crafted, it would automatically adjust itself.
"This is the final question for you," Marilyn said, a very serious expression on her face as she placed a finger on the top layer of the card, and began channelling her aether within.
"There are other cards and methods you can use in every step of crafting cards, but the final step is always to channel your own aether into the card, activating it, fusing all the pieces together until they form a card.
"There is no spell model which creates the card on your behalf, nor some innate ability. If the recipe is correct, simply providing a sufficient flow of aether is enough to trigger the card creation process. During all of this, no part of the recipe called for us to describe the image, state the flavour text, determine the name, or anything of the sort.
"So my question is, how exactly does using a correct recipe, and providing a spell mode create the process whereby a card is made? How do the additional details on a card appear? What sort of magic is this? And if using the correct recipe works for creating cards, if we theoretically use a similar process for determining a recipe while forging, can we create equipment with spell models?"
"That's not one question," Nero whispered, but that was besides the point. His eyes were glued onto the card which, under the influence of the sparks flowing into it, began to change form.
From a thick, misshapen stack, it turned into a sleek, high quality card. Marilyn picked it up and handed it to Nero.
Name: Earth's Boon
Image: A small patch of grass growing in a desert
Type: Augmentation
Star rank: 0
Ability: [Increase the fertility of a small patch of land]
Flavour text: "Weeds will grow even through the walls," - ?
He channelled his aether into the card, and found the same spell model he'd found in the cone, yet this time the flow of his aether was smooth and easy. In fact, he didn't even need much of his aether to activate the card.
"I don't know," Nero said plainly, lacking even any theory about why, without any spell models to guide the aether, it was able to merge a few random ingredients into a card, or how the pertinent information was transferred. "But there should be some way to create items with spell models."
He couldn't directly state that he had already used a dagger that would passively strengthen him, since that was supposed to be a secret.
"Actually, there is a reason why I said forging items instead of creating them," said Marilyn. "They're not mainstream yet, but Kolar has already discovered a way to create items with spell models. They're working off some information shared by Nova, which means that Nova is probably even more advanced in this. It won't be long before, besides cards, we can also wield spells through our weapons.
"As for why the cards are formed… there are actually a lot of theories as to why it happens, which is just another way of saying no one actually knows yet. Even though we've been at it for a thousand years, our understanding of Eldrim cards is actually too shallow. Maybe, in the future, we will see even more changes to our understanding of the, and the world. But that's all for later.
For now, you must begin practising.
"There is no need for you to practise the entire recipe for now. Just focus on preserving the spell model as you crush the cone. Once you are successfully able to preserve the cone, and pick out the piece containing the spell model, you can begin practising the recipe. Once you have mastered this, I can teach you how to alter the spell model.
If, by the last night, you haven't mastered it, then I can only verbally tell you how to do it, and you will need to experiment on your own."
"Got it," Nero said, and grabbed one of the pine cones from his mother and focused on it. He released no sparks, since he had not used Fairy Lights, but his aether moved slowly and gently across the surface of the cone. He was in no rush.
He wanted to understand this entire process as deeply as possible. Only then could he master this long before the six day deadline his mother set.
Within the resthouse they all sat silently as Nero practised, taking a temporary refuge from the troubles of the outside world. Right now, for them, the only thing that existed was the sound of pine cones being crushed.
On the side, Edward collected all the crushed pine cones. They'd make excellent kindling for any bonfires they had. And fireworks.