:"
...Is it over? I've got some studying that I really want to do."
Namely, Nathara had begun the study of ancient magic; the magic only of runes. It was often thought that while light magic was purely spiritual, magic of the anima was purely scholarly. However, as any practitioner of anima magic knew, this was simply not true. To use light magic, one must have a spiritual connection, as is common knowledge; but somewhat less common knowledge is that one also has to have a similar connection to the magic
itself with anima magic- beyond the simple aptitude to perform magic.
And for all of her natural talent with runes, Nathara simply did not have a strong connection. She could memorize all of the runes and combinations thereof she wanted; it meant nothing if she didn't have the innate connection with the magic enough for the more powerful spells. And she'd begun to despair that she would never be able to become a powerful mage. But thankfully, Maskep is a land of scholars, and of mages, and many rare things there are known. And thanks to that, Nathara learned about "dark" magic.
Dark magic required that one be able to perform magic, yes. But unlike anima magic, and most utterly unlike light magic, dark magic did
not require that connection. Ironically enough, Nathara figured that despite all of its negative connotations it often has with insanity and the like, that dark magic, that ancient magic, was really the most logical: it required only that one know the long and complicated series of runes. Nathara could do that. She could do that very, very well. Which is why she intended to get to her tent as soon as possible and continue memorizing dark magic runes. If she went the path of dark magic, then she could truly master magic.