“If we had created a one hundred twenty channel focus,” asked Arenya, “what would its power have been?”

Cartalis frowned. “You’re still on that? Truthfully, nobody knows. That amount of mana in one location has never been observed. There are different theories. Most believe that the laws of physics as we understand them would cease to hold - gravity would bend, spells would amplify in ways as yet never observed or perhaps just fall apart, et cetera. It might be unstable, such that any substance imbued with so many channels would simply shatter when the mana density reaches a critical point.”

She paused for a moment. “Having said that, if the equations do hold… Even typical spells brought through a focus of that power could rend nations. It would spell destruction on a cataclysmic scale.”

Arenya’s embarrassment at trying to create something of such power increased with every word. “I suppose we should hope it isn’t possible then.”

Cartalis nodded. “Indeed.”

The two were in the undergraduate laboratory. The sterile white walls and plain tables were covered with mechanical implements of all kinds - devices for measuring ambient mana concentration and temperature, fluid injectors, specialized materials for conductivity, and countless things Arenya had no name for. The straps for the protective goggles dug into Arenya’s neck, and her wings and tail ached from being tucked inside her clothing and unable to move, but she supposed it was better than getting something corrosive on her. For once, all the students nearby were wearing very covering clothing and not just her. Although Arenya knew it wasn’t modesty motivating them, she still felt like she didn’t stand out quite as much here. Despite the noise, the room still felt relaxi -

BOOM

Well, perhaps not that relaxing. Arenya turned to see another pair of students stomping out a small fire from their own failed focus creation, then grabbing brooms to sweep away the ashes.

“That is why I suggested we imbue the raw metal with power before we forge it,” said Cartalis. “It would have made it harder to get the blade to look as you wanted, but were we to go the other way, the risk of failure would require us to forge again.”

Arenya laid out the hunk of metal, with interlocking gray and white streaks. “Yes, you were right. At least I only did some early forging. If it gets too damaged, our next attempt we can work with the raw metal like you said.”

Cartalis nodded, then grabbed many vials seemingly at random. “We should do a per-channel imbuing for the sixth onwards. The first five we can do in bulk. There’s no risk in those.”

Arenya watched as Cartalis effortlessly spread compounds across the length of the metal, made minute etchings in the surface, and used some bizarre testing apparatus to see how the mana flowed through the lines. Even some other lab students stopped in their tracks to watch Cartalis at work.

“Care to do the honors?”

Arenya blinked, noticing Cartalis’ light smirk. “You want me to…”

“To finalize the first five channels. You remember this from class, yes?”

“I do, but I’ve never had any practice with it. Don’t you think you should do this? There’s less chance of failure.”

Cartalis shook her head. “An overload won’t do much for the earliest channels. At worst, the metal will melt a bit. It won’t detonate or combust.” She pushed the metal toward Arenya. “Review the notes. Remember the lectures. You’ll succeed.”

Arenya took a deep breath and scanned over Cartalis’ notes from the channel creation lecture, cursing herself for not having paid closer attention that day. “Clear out extraneous thoughts from your mind,” she muttered to herself. “Focus on the mana flow in your veins. Place your hand on the device, and fill each prepared channel slowly. Clear out each of its impurities, and fill just to the point of overflow, but no further.”

Arenya closed her eyes, trying to force out the stress of the day’s activities and of her concern for the project. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, only for everything to return just before she placed her hand on the metal. A slight fizzling occurred, but she failed to fill even the first channel with more than a minute amount of mana. She sighed.

“I’m trying again.” Once more she closed her eyes and focused. Once more she could not rid herself of unwanted thoughts.

But an idea came to her.

Instead of merely closing her eyes, Arenya placed her right hand before her face, the fingertips just barely touching her forehead.

“Shema…” she whispered, as she began to recite each word of her most beloved prayer by heart.

The sounds of the room seemed to vanish in her ears. Each stray thought left, replaced with utmost focus. Arenya thought of nothing but the blessing, of each word and its meaning. At that moment, nothing else mattered.

“Elokeikhem, emes,” With that, she opened her eyes, placed her hand upon the barely forged metal, and focused on the energies her God had placed within her.

The metal began to glow with light. Arenya felt the mana filling the first channel with ease, washing away all impurities so quickly she didn’t have to try. As soon as the channel became full, she felt the walls bounding the mana beginning to fracture, but she redirected the flow to the second channel just in time.

Arenya focused on each individual impurity here, breaking it down and absorbing it into the flow. Sweat began to flow down her face - even the slightest lapse in concentration could mean the channel failed to fill. By the time the channel was full, she’d started to breathe heavily.

The third channel seemed difficult to even start. No wonder Cartalis had -

No! No thoughts of Cartalis, or anyone or anything else. Arenya gritted her teeth and continued. The channel filled agonizingly slowly. The mana drain on Arenya was almost painful. About halfway through the channel, she ran into a large impurity, felt by her as a massive blockade preventing mana from flowing. Her fist tightened around the metal as she tapped into her inner reserves. Her eyes began to sting as the words of the blessing resounded in her head, as she slowly, slooooowly eroded the impurity with beads of mana, until it finally dissolved.

As the third channel neared completion, felt herself beginning to sag. But she did not come this far along the third channel to falter here! She did not utter a prayer of the heart out of insincerity! She felt the will and the desires of The One Above, He Who led them from captivity, He Who saved them all from certain doom.

She willed the channel to be full, and it was. She willed it to almost reach the breaking point, almost overflowing with mana, and it was.

She willed the mana on to the fourth channel, and it wasn’t.

The design of the martial focus was for nine channels, with seven more false channels for artistic reasons. The first of the false channels lay after the third channel and the fourth, and so the difficulty in bridging between them was much harder, not to mention the increased resistance from having already filled the first three.

The last vestiges of mana drained from her, and Arenya removed her hand from the piece of metal and sagged. She was covered in sweat. An unnoticed tear had run down her cheek. Her breathing was heavy and ragged.

Yet, a smile dawned on her face. She’d done it! She’d not managed the full five channels that Cartalis had intended, but on her very first attempt, she’d done three whole channels full almost to bursting!

Scattered applause shook her out of her thoughts. The lab’s sounds hadn’t gone ignored by Arenya in her concentration, she realized - everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch her. A few walked by and clapped her on the shoulder - a sincere, if not precisely pleasant, expression of congratulation. She saw one student she didn’t recognize snicker at a mere three channels, only for one of the elder students watching over the lab to chastise him for it.

Cartalis’ arms wrapped around Arenya in a brief hug, so surprising Arenya nearly collapsed. “Are you aware your eyes began to glow with spare mana? That only happens when one is tapping into mana at a very high efficiency, such that it is flowing through one's entire body."

Arenya's voice caught in her throat as she tried to respond. After a moment, she managed to ask, "How did the channels turn out?"

 “The third channel is a little less full than it could be, but the first two are at their peak capacity. Your aptitude is impressive.” Cartalis released the hug. “I shall handle the next two. You get some rest.”

Arenya stumbled over to a nearby chair. She felt endlessly proud of her accomplishment, but nonetheless knew it wasn't her who'd filled the channels, not really.

She looked up to to heavens and uttered another quick prayer.