Kynier shifted yet another blank piece of paper towards him. He wrote at the top of the sheet Table of Contents. Now that he had several ideas on what it was the he was going to include in the book, it would be good to start formulating the layout. What Kynier had compiled already in his outlining was a considerable amount, despite how some of the sections would not contain much material. In all honesty this was something that Kynier should not be attempting to do. He was no master at anything. Not really even an expert at any of the skill either.
This was probably a very hubris undertaking. Many of the disciplines he was going to list were things Kynier had not even dabbled in. Some of them he never intended to. The rest he had barely gotten an understanding of their foundation principles, with a few exceptions. Kynier gave himself a mental shake. This was predominately an informative endeavor. But ultimately, he decided not to list all the names of the various disciplines. They should be made into their own books with more detailed information than what he would’ve included with this one. The mages in the world that were like him, the current generation of their lineage of tutelage, would not find this type of book very educational. However, it would be valuable to those that were undergoing self-teaching. All Kynier really needed to include were the generalizations, terminology, and perhaps a few diagrams or illustrations for clarity.
So, the first thing he wrote down underneath “Table of Contents” was Terminology. Kynier made a hyphen below it and listed Djed, Initiation, Res, Astral Body, Personal Magic, and World Magic. After that Kynier’s astral hand set down the quill. He moved the limp hand onto the desk top and set his other hand down next to it. With the astral hand Kynier brought it back in length to match that of his physical form. At the same time, he mentally willed more Djed to come and encompass the other. It was a test of sorts. To see if it was possible to attach one part and detach another at the same time.
It seemed like a possibility. Moving his detached astral form felt no different than moving his body like normal. So, it did not require much mental activity to just set it down. But if he wanted to avoid unnecessary pain then he’d have to set it down carefully. Kynier took several long breaths before evoking more djed. The energies were beginning to feel thin from so many extensive uses of Reimancy and these bursts required for activating Projection. But still he took what he needed and sent the mystic power to engulf his arm.
With the sensation of a joint popping, the astral form of his right arm began to detach. At the same time Kynier settled his left astral arm. It wasn’t truly simultaneous. Just very closely paired. But Kynier was able to get one out and the other in without actually causing physical pain from the schism. Although, when he reached for the sheet of paper with his left hand, the entire arm began to spasm. Kynier groaned and pulled it back to his chest. Overgiving. Which meant that his right arm would do the same. When he tried to pick up the magic quill the small feather felt heavy. His astral form was getting fatigued from the constant use.
So Kynier brought the right arm back to synchronize with his physical body again. As he expected, the right arm also began to convulse in spasms. As far as overgiving went it was a small discomfort. The mage stood up and walked around while waiting for his arms to cease their involuntary actions. Whether it took ten chimes or a full bell, Kynier could not tell. He wondered if there was a way to make it possible to tell what time it was, or at least how much time had passed. What if he were to purchase an bellglass? It wouldn’t let one accurately tell what time it was, but at least how much had passed.
When his arms and hand at last stopped spasming, Kynier went back to the desk and made a not about the bellglass. Then he sat down and switched his focus back to the actual book. Several lines had been laid out on the first page. In his right hand he took up the Might Quill and refreshed the ink on its tip. Scooting closer and straightening his back, Kynier began writing down more the description of Djed. He started off with the origin of the word, the roots to Nader-canoch. That its meaning was tied to how everything in the world was infused with Djed on at least a small scale.
By the end of the first page he was ready to continue with how it was that souls were a near endless font that produced djed. That mages used the power to perform magic. He did not go into how the world used to be capable of things would seem miraculous to the modern mage. Kynier did not intend for this to be a history book though he would need to include a little of it at times probably. Flipping the page over, Kynier set down the Mighty Quill in exchange for the charcoal and measuring stick. The second page would be able to fit an additional line compared to the first since it did not possess a header.
While there was still more to do, some more finishing touches he could perform, the mage would not do any of them today. The resources of his soul needed time to replenish. Which would require rest and sustenance. While that happened, he was now able to do something else productive. Though it was impossible to say how long it would take for him to complete this task. Kynier had never written anything like this before. Sure, he had the journal upstairs in the master suite which he cataloged all the knowledge he had acquired about the main three gangs and a few of the smaller ones. But that was for him and written in a way that his mind could process easily while others may have difficulty comprehending.
This was something else entirely. The language needed to be simple and direct. If what he wrote came out convoluted it would fail to deliver its messages. Something the mage had enough difficulty with in his words without it spilling into his writing. Once the last of the soft lines had been drawn tools were exchanged again. With a small twist to loosen his back first, Kynier sat in a straight-backed posture and continued with his calligraphy. There must be something he could get to help make this process easier.
