After their visit to the Flight Realm, and getting their first taste of flying at long last, Spyro, Spike, and Ember returned to their various activities once more, focusing on the other lessons that Nestor and the other Artisans dragons had taught them in the past, since focusing on one thing wasn't the best thing they could be doing at the moment. As they walked away from where the portal to the Flight Realm was located Nestor informed them that they wouldn't be visiting that realm all the time, rather he would schedule the days of their lessons for them and tell them when to ready themselves for a day of flying. The Artisans Leader also told them that he was impressed with the three of them, due to the fact that they did so good on their first attempts at flying, before leaving them to their own devices as they made their way to Town Square, so they could get some lunch before doing something else, though Spike made sure to pick up his satchel along the way. Spyro and Spike were also impressed by the fact that Ember had figured out how to fly so quickly, without them making a few attempts this time around, where Ember just told them that she had studied how Nestor and the others flew and then incorporated that into their lesson.
Once they had something to eat for lunch, roasted sheep with some cheese, fruits, and vegetables, the trio headed back to Stone Hill and either relaxed for the rest of the day, since flying did take some of their energy, or picked up on what they had been doing before Nestor had them wait for him and Lucas to arrive. It wasn't long before Spike headed back to the library to see what Argus and the others had to say about the art of flying, and if there were any books on the subject that he hadn't read yet, leaving Spyro and Ember to do whatever they wanted with the rest of their day. Oddly enough the pair decided to use their time practicing a few of their combat skills together, meaning that they charged at each other and forced their sibling to dodge them, while also trying to breath on the various targets that Nestor had prepared for them when they started training in this area. He knew that they were going to practice their skills and had made sure they had the tools necessary to help them learn how to fight, even if fighting wasn't something that an Artisans dragon did, and they also made sure not to spend all their time practicing this sort of thing, as they knew that it was only a matter of time until Nestor revealed what their next lesson was and which homeworld it was in.
Spike found a number of good tomes and scrolls in the library to go with the flying lesson they had just received from Nestor, and got some interesting stories from Argus and the other scholars of the first time each of them took to the skies, an experience that none of them were going to forget, before he started studying the newest subject that Nestor had revealed to him and his siblings. There were a number of other subjects that he was interested in studying, much to the joy of Argus and the rest of his friends, and they all knew that Nestor's next lesson would only add to the list of subjects that he wanted to study, something that all of them were waiting for, since they were curious as to what lesson Spike and his siblings would be tackling next. From what Spike knew there were a few more things they had to learn, like how to wield the magic inside of them, as Cosmos' sphere test showed that all three of them had some latent talent for using magic, maybe visiting Bruno's land to see his beasts once more, and seeing what Lateef and the other Dream Weavers did with their unique brand of magic. He also knew that Spyro and Ember were excited to see what the future held for them as well, even if they didn't say it to him or the other Artisans dragons, but it was easy to determine that they thought that way, just by looking at them, making him look forward to the future as well.
As the weeks went by the trio found that Lucas returned to their homeworld a few times, mostly to open the way to the Flight Realm for them, again with their eyes closed, before joining them and Nestor as they did another flying lesson, just to see how they were growing with his own eyes, instead of waiting for Cosmos to tell him the news. Spike, during one of their breaks, asked Lucas why the entrance to this Flight Realm had to be kept a secret from everyone and why it needed a complex spell for him to open the way, one that required the three of them to close their eyes so they didn't see what he was doing, which only caused Lucas to tell him that, if he got permission from the Leaders, he'd tell him the reason why when he was older. Spyro and Ember, on the other hand, were more interested in flying around the small island and practicing their skills, showing that they really didn't care about the reason why the entrance was hidden like it was, causing Spike to sigh as he joined them, because he knew that he'd figure out the reason at some point in the future, regardless if it was because he solved it or if it was due to Lucas telling him the reason.
What really surprised them was the fact that six months after their first flight lesson, something that Spike happened to be keeping track of since there seemed to be a pattern, Nestor didn't come to them and reveal that he had some big event planned for them, like a trip to one of the other homeworlds or a lesson of some kind, leaving them to continue doing whatever they normally did. The reason they were surprised by that was because there was always some sort of plan or event for them every six months, and this was the first time such a thing didn't happen, making them wonder if Nestor was running out of things to teach them or if the other Leaders weren't ready when they originally said they would be, though it was hard to prove that without hearing it from Titan and the others. Since it appeared that nothing special was going to happen, and they weren't going to leave for one of the other four homeworlds, the trio went back to what they were doing the previous day, making sure they could breath fire and control it, even if they could only do short bursts for a second or two. They had a long ways to go before they could master the basic combat skills that all dragons learned, even if they were surprised that Nestor let them spend so much time on their training, since all of the adult Artisans dragons had forgotten how to fight due to not practicing any of their skills, but they decided not to put too much thought into the matter as they continued their training.
All three of them were sure that Nestor would spring a surprise on them and reveal what their next lesson was when they were least expecting it, maybe to tell them to always keep their guard up or expect the unexpected, but for now they focused on their other lessons as they waited for him to tell them about what their next lesson was and, more importantly, which homeworld they were visiting next.
As it turned out there was no hidden lesson on the day that Nestor usually would have set aside to teach them something important, allowing Spyro, Spike, and Ember to continue with their various lessons and the training that Ember had set for them, so they could master the basics of the combat skills Titan had shown them. The fact Nestor didn't have anything to teach them left Spike feeling a little disappointed, since he was sure that there was something else they could have learned that day, but in the end he guessed that Nestor didn't want to wear them down with all the tips and tricks that he and the other Artisans dragons knew about, allowing them to learn things on their own. Spyro and Ember weren't annoyed by the lack of a new lesson, since they wanted to finish what they were trying to master first, before adding something new to the table, though they both had the feeling that one of the Leaders would have something new to add to their list at some point, hence why they were trying to master whatever they could. Spike also spent some of his time finishing a few of his studies, so he could continue down the list he had created for himself some time ago, and found that his friends in Dark Hollow had several interesting tomes for him on the highest subjects on his list, which meant that he was going to be busy studying all the information that Argus and the others knew about.
While the days turned into weeks the trio discovered that they had grown a little since the last time they had bothered to check how tall they were, because now they were at least half way to the maximum height a young dragon could reach before they matured, meaning they were getting closer to the day when they didn't need assistance to reach certain areas of the various homeworlds and the realms the other dragons lived in. All three of them were getting better at jumping over various gaps, gliding from one spot to another, charging into the various dummies that Nestor let them use, and all of the other skills that they had been taught so far, much to the joy of the Artisans dragons, and the other dragon clans as well since they knew Nestor would tell the other Leaders about their progress at some point. The trio was fine with that, as they were sure that, at some point, Titan and the others would determine they were ready for some additional training and would call for them to visit one of the other homeworlds, they just had to be patient and wait for the Leaders to make a decision on what they were going to do next. As such the three of them continued their lessons, working together to overcome whatever problem they faced and made sure to work with their dragonflies, since Sparx, Talon, and Cinder were important as well, causing Nestor and the others to smile as they watched the trio work, showing that they were happy with how they were progressing and that they were eager to see what the future held for them.
It was the day of their sixth birthday that they finally got the news they had been waiting for, as Nestor told them that Cosmos was ready to teach them some of the basics of magic, meaning he was actually going to show them how to wield the power that was inside their bodies and use it like all Magic Crafters did. Spike was the most excited out of the trio, as he had been waiting for this day for a long time, ever since the day they learned about the types of magic and accidentally teleported his test sphere by sneezing on it, which loosed a burst of green flames that consumed the sphere and moved it, and his skill with breathing fire meant that an accident wouldn't happen again, though interestingly enough he hadn't used that power on anything since the first time he used it. He was as excited as Ember was when Nestor told them that they were finally heading to the land of the Peace Keepers so they could start learning how to fight, if not a little more than what Ember experienced, while Spyro was just curious to see what sort of lesson Cosmos had for them. Like all of the previous times they planned on leaving their homeworld, so they could visit another one, Nestor told the trio that they would be leaving in a week's time and that Cosmos was ready to start their lesson the moment they arrived at the area he had set aside for them, though Nestor had to smile as he looked at the excited expressions on the trio's faces.
A week later Spyro, Spike, and Ember stood by the tunnel that would take them right to the dock, where Marco had to be waiting for them, though all three of them were eager to head to the land of the Magic Crafters and see what Cosmos was going to teach them, and it wasn't long before Nestor joined them.
"I see you three are ready to head to Cosmos' homeworld and see what lesson he has for you." Nestor said, though he couldn't blame the trio for being excited, as all of them had some latent magical talent inside their bodies, determined by the sphere test Cosmos had given them a few years back, and they were eager to see if they could actually wield magic or if their latent talent wasn't enough for the spells they had seen during their first lesson on magic, before be beckoned to the tunnel for a moment, "Come, let us begin our journey to his domain and see what he has to teach you."
Marco, like the trio expected, was waiting for them at the end of the dock, where he helped them climb into the basket of his hot air balloon before joining them, allowing Nestor to watch for a few seconds as they took off and started heading towards the land of the Magic Crafters, before he opened his wings, took to the skies, and joined them. Both he and Marco knew that Spyro, Spike, and Ember were excited for the lesson they were going to receive, once they were handed over to Cosmos, but as the hot air balloon moved towards their destination the trio pulled out the items that usually held their attention during these flights, not that Nestor blamed them. He knew that spending an hour to two hours in a hot air balloon would get boring after awhile, especially after all the couple of hours the trio had spent on their flying skills, but at the very least he was happy to see that they had something to keep them busy, so they didn't have to think about the journey and how boring it would be if they just stared out at the surrounding area as the balloon went by. Nestor also knew that the moment they reached their destination the trio would be overjoyed to meet with Cosmos, to see what sort of lesson he had for them and if they could actually wield the power that the Magic Crafters dragons wielded all the time, and he had to admit that he was interested in seeing what they were capable of, once they completed whatever basic training was waiting for them.
About an hour and a half later, thanks to Marco's expert skill with his hot air balloon, Nestor and the trio landed on the dock that was right outside the entrance of the first chamber that Cosmos had taken them through when they first visited this homeworld, and not a few moments later the Leader walked out and smiled at all of them.
"Welcome back to the homeworld of the Magic Crafters," Cosmos said, his voice revealing that he was excited about this day as well, especially after what he had seen during the sphere test all those years ago, which is why he quickly turned around and beckoned for the group to follow after him as he lead the way to the area that he had prepared for their first magic lesson, and not even a few seconds later he heard the trio following after him, "I know all three of you are excited for what you'll be doing today, as this will be the first time you'll be able to tap into your inner magic and wield it in a manner that's similar to how all magic users, be they wizards or druids, wield the spells they spend years learning about and trying to master."
"How are we going to tap into our inner magic?" Ember asked, because she knew that it wasn't going to be easy for them to tap into the magic that Cosmos said that was inside their bodies, not like how Spike had accidentally used his fire and his own magic during the special test they had been given, something that had shocked both of the Leaders that were with them, but they had never been told how they were going to tap into their inner power.
"We're going to start with the first type of magic, Hand and Wand Magic," Cosmos replied, though at the same time they emerged from the first chamber that rested near the dock, where he turned to the right and headed to an area that contained a secret passage to the area he wanted to take the trio to, which was where they would be practicing for the foreseeable future, "but, since none of you have any idea how to tap into the magical energy that flows throughout our world, something that takes time and effort, we'll be giving you some enchanted tools to use for your first lesson, which will let you tap into the magic around us and potentially cast a spell or two before the day is over. Think about it this way, these tools will allow you to get a feel for what all magic users feel when they tap into the magic that's around them, and once you have a good idea of how to do that you won't need the tools to actually wield the power that's inside you, though there is the possibility that, if one of you did become a wizard, you might craft a staff or wand to help you out, like the one that I carry with me at all times."
Spyro, Spike, and Ember glanced at each other for a few seconds, as they were a little surprised that they were going to be using some special tools during their first lesson, but at the same time Spike determined that it made sense for Cosmos to do something like this, as it allowed them to get a feel for the magic that flowed throughout their world. They were interested in seeing what was going to happen when they finally started the lesson, especially since they had been waiting for this since the day they learned about the types of magic that existed in the world, and they were willing to use whatever tools had been prepared for them. While they were thinking about that Cosmos came to a stop and faced the wall that was in front of them, where he waved his staff at the stone in front of them, allowing the trio to watch as a new passage opened up before their eyes, just like he had done when they were learning about the types of magic that they could learn about, and once the way was open Cosmos walked forward and the group followed after him. Much like the last time they had seen this happen there was a tunnel that lead them to a new part of the Magic Crafters homeworld, where Cosmos sealed the way behind them once they were all inside the tunnel before leading the way to whatever was at the end, and at the end rested a portal, one that the trio was ready to access the moment they reached it.
When they appeared on the other side of the portal they found themselves standing in front of what appeared to be a circular area, one that clearly had various magical symbols etched into a number of stones, making the trio wonder if this was a training area of some kind, before focusing on Cosmos as he walked over to a chest that rested near them.
"Like I said, today you'll be learning how to tap into the magical energy that is all around you," Cosmos said, though even as he stated that fact, repeating what he had said earlier, he opened the chest that was in the training area and pulled out some metallic bands, ones that looked like they would fit on a dragon's head, a young dragon's head to be exact, before facing them again, "and to do that you'll need some assistance in feeling the magic that all wizards tap into when they're casting their spells, be it the magic around them or their own inner power. That is where these circlets come in, as by wearing them you'll be able to get a better understanding of how to feel the magic that's around us and get a better understanding of what I do when I cast a spell, before attempting the same thing yourself, by utilizing the circlet and what I showed you. Once you get a firm grasp on how to feel the magical energy that exists throughout this world, regardless if you can cast a spell with it or not, you won't need to use the circlet anymore, as by that point your skills will be at the level that all wizards start their studies at... but for now we'll focus on seeing what you can do with the circlets, before we move onto something more difficult."
Spike understood what Cosmos was talking about, that these circlets were the most basic of tools that a magic user, regardless if they were a Magic Crafters dragon or one of the other beings they had seen, would use in their lifetime, as they helped someone gain an understanding of the magic that was all around them and how to weave that magic into one of the many spells they could use. Once they had that basic understanding it made sense that the circlets would be retired until the next generation of magic users came around, so he nodded his head, causing his siblings to mimic his gesture not even a few seconds later, which caused Cosmos to smile as he approached where the trio ended up sitting, which was close to where the chest rested. It was in that moment that Spike noticed something interesting about the circlets, they were designed to partly disconnect in the area that rested behind the head, so someone could put one of them behind their horns without ruining the item in question, though Cosmos, having done this before, carefully slipped the circlets on around their foreheads, without hurting them, before pulling away from them. Spike noticed that all three of them were wearing circlets that were made of silver and had a small red gemstone set in the center of the piece that rested on their foreheads, which seemed to be connected to what the Magic Crafters Leader had been talking about, causing them to glance at Cosmos as he stood near the chest.
Once the circlets were on, and he was standing by the chest once more, Cosmos told the trio to close there eyes and open themselves to the magic that was all around them, something that they should be able to feel now that the circlets were in place, before going quiet as he and Nestor watched the trio.
It took a few moments for the trio to actually feel anything, which they figured made sense considering that this was the first time they were doing something like this, but in the end Spyro felt a trickle of magical energy in the air around him, something he wasn't annoyed by since he clearly had the weakest latent talent of all three of them. Ember, on the other hand, felt a stream that was somewhat larger than what her brother was feeling at the moment, not that she knew that since her eyes were closed and none of them were talking, but she focused on what Cosmos had told them to do and was trying to see what she could do at the beginning of their lesson. Both of them were amazed by what they were feeling at the moment, because Cosmos hadn't told them what it was like to actually feel the magic that was all around them, or even what happened the first time they felt the energies that all wizards, dragon or otherwise, used for their spells, and they both knew that Spike had to be excited by what they were feeling. The only thing they were curious about at the moment was how they were supposed to work with the energies that were around them, though unfortunately that seemed to be a lesson for later, since they knew that Cosmos wasn't going to teach any of them how to wield this power until they could feel the energies on their own.
Spike, however, felt more than his siblings did, as he could feel the energies all around him moving in the way that Cosmos described during their first lesson on the types of magic, free without interference from any of the magical tools that were in the training area he and his siblings were in, and he reached out with his mind for a moment, only to feel a slight breeze that hadn't been there a few seconds ago, causing his eyes to snap open.
"What was that?" Spyro asked, as he and Ember had opened their eyes as well when the breeze came out on nowhere, because it was hard to concentrate with something like that happening when they least expected it, before they turned their attention to Cosmos, figuring that he had an answer for them.
"That, Spyro, was a slight breeze that was summoned by manipulating the wind a little," Cosmos replied, though while he said that, and waved his staff a little to return the wind to it's previous state, he made it seem like the breeze was his idea, to test their concentration a little, when he knew someone else had done it, on accident no less, "I also should have told you all this at the beginning, before I put those circlets on your heads, but when you feel the magical energies in the air you should refrain from reaching out to them with your mind, since that will come later, when I feel that you're ready to try casting a spell for the first time."
He was fortunate that all Spike had done was accidentally create a breeze, without thinking to be exact, but this did show him that all three of the siblings did have some latent magical talent, and this time around, instead of Spyro or Ember leading the group in terms of skill, he knew that Spike was at the front of the pack. Instead of focusing on the breeze, and what had caused it, he had the trio return to what they had been doing for the last few moments, though this time around he made sure they were sitting down and meditating, just like all of the other magic users did when they first started their lessons. The purpose of this was to allow the trio to open themselves to the energies that were around them and maybe cast their first spell, if he felt they were ready for such a thing, but since Spike seemed to be able to do that without actually thinking about what he was doing he was curious what would happen if he actually taught them how to wield the energies they were feeling. Cosmos knew that Nestor didn't want to give the trio too much to work with, if what he heard about Ember after her first visit to the Peace Keepers homeworld was true, but he knew that Spike was a scholar and wouldn't rest until he studied everything about whatever caught his interest, and seeing how interested the young dragon was in magic he suspected that it would be best to teach him and his siblings how to wield this power.
After a few minutes, where the trio got a better hang of feeling the magical energies that were around them, Cosmos switched to another test that would give the three young dragons an idea of how they were supposed to wield the very energies they had been feeling, by forming a see-through wall in their mind and willing it to appear in front of them. He knew that the chances of one of them actually pulling this off was slim, despite what Spike had done already, but this was supposed to give them an idea of what all wizards did when they were wielding this power and he was interested in seeing if his thoughts on the matter were correct or not. At first nothing happened, which was to be expected since none of them had any idea what they were supposed to be doing, though Cosmos nodded his head as he watched the air in front of Spyro shimmer for a few seconds, which was followed by what he assumed was the wall he had asked the trio to make, as the wall that appeared had a number of holes in it and seemed ready to fall apart. That was what he expected from a young dragon that was just starting to tap into the magical energies that were all around them, so he knew that Spyro had no reason to be sad when he told him his results, and it wasn't long before Ember's wall appeared, looking a tiny bit better than her brother's, but it had holes in it and also seemed ready to collapse.
What he wasn't expecting, however, was for Spike to produce a more solid wall in front of him, one that had fewer holes than what his siblings produced and didn't look like it was about to fall apart, something that surprised him since he knew that none of them had any training in this field, and Nestor confirmed it, so he and his friend stood there for a few seconds as the trio opened their eyes to see how well they did.
"Spike, how in the world did you do that?" Spyro asked, because he had been concentrating hard on how he was supposed to project the wall into the real world, like Cosmos wanted them to, and was fine with his result, because it just showed that he needed practice before he reached the level that the other wizards were on, though he was shocked by what his brother was able to do, something that Ember was also shocked by.
"While I was focusing on what Cosmos wanted us to do, which was bringing the wall into reality, I guess I must have reached for my inner magic," Spike replied, where he stared at the wall he had created, because he was surprised by the fact that it was there to begin with, especially since it seemed better than what his siblings had made, before he chuckled for a few seconds as he realized what he had done, "which means that I used my own magic to fuel the spell that Cosmos was trying to get us to use, resulting in my wall being stronger than what you guys made."
Cosmos came to the same conclusion, that Spike must have tapped into his own inner magic and had poured a little of it into making his wall, otherwise any additional amount would have ensured a strong wall with no holes, but at the same time this showed that all three of them had potential, so he was going to make sure that Nestor had some books on magic for them to study, as he was interested in seeing what they did in the future, from the new lessons that were forming in his mind and what they did on their own.