On the tenth day after Rowan's new body manifested, his panda incarnation sat inside the spatial box, studying mimicry magic under Drake's reluctant guidance.
This was Drake's specialty. The foundation of his rise as a world-famous illusionist.
Once Rowan grasped the basics, he noticed familiar patterns. Mimicry shared conceptual overlap with transfiguration, though the execution was fundamentally different.
Traditional transfiguration could turn inanimate objects into living creatures, like transforming a desk into a pig. But those creations inherited the instincts of the creature they became and were difficult to control. Only specialized derivatives, such as conjured serpents or birds, could reliably follow commands.
Mimicry magic approached the problem from another angle.
The first application allowed creatures depicted in paintings or drawings to be summoned into reality as living constructs. A painted tiger could leap from the page and attack on command. Beginners might manage a chicken at best, which was why Drake used rabbits for stage performances.
The second application involved animating existing sculptures. A stone lion could be given life and fight as a living statue. A stone bird could even fly.
This differed sharply from simple animation spells, which merely granted motion. An animated stone bird could hop and chirp, but it would never fly. Mimicry redefined the object's function entirely.
Rowan was fully absorbed in the lesson when the lid of the box snapped open.
"Rowan! Help!" David's panicked voice rang down. "There's a wizard trying to kill me. He summoned wolves!"
"So it finally starts," Rowan thought calmly.
That could only mean one thing. The seals were broken. Horvath had come for the dragon ring and Morgana's prison.
Rowan leapt from the box and placed himself in front of David just as two snarling wolves lunged forward. With a casual sweep of his paws, he sent them flying. They struck the wall and reverted into scattered sheets of paper.
"A panda?" Horvath muttered, approaching with a cane in hand. "You keep unusual pets, boy."
"One panda won't save you," he sneered.
He pointed his cane at the metal railing of the staircase. The railing tore free, reshaping into a jagged spear that shot forward.
"Using metal against me?" Rowan scoffed.
The spear froze midair inches from his face, locked in place by invisible force.
"No matter how you pull, it's not moving," Rowan said evenly.
He flicked his paw.
The spear reversed direction and flew back faster than before.
Horvath twisted his cane, deflecting it at the last moment, but his expression sharpened.
"A spellcasting panda," he said. "Interesting."
Then the spear punched through his back and burst from his chest.
Rowan hadn't released control.
Magnetic force held the weapon in motion, and dodging once hadn't saved Horvath.
"Well," Horvath said, staring down at the metal protruding from him, more surprised than afraid.
His body dissolved into a writhing mass of cockroaches, then reformed. The spear clattered to the floor.
Rowan whistled softly. "Impressive. Physical immunity through dispersal."
Horvath raised his cane again, launching a wave of crushing force.
Rowan sensed it in advance.
"Shield," he snapped.
The invisible barrier absorbed the impact, saving him from being hurled backward.
Green light gathered in Rowan's paw.
"Avada Kedavra."
This time, Horvath's confidence vanished. He yanked a nearby trash bin into place just in time. The killing curse shattered it and dissipated.
"Powerful," Rowan muttered. "But accuracy still needs work."
He followed immediately with another spell.
"Sectumsempra."
Invisible blades sliced through the air.
Horvath reacted too late. Even dispersing couldn't prevent damage this time. When he reformed, a deep gash split his waist, refusing to heal.
Rage replaced surprise.
"You little beast!" Horvath roared. "I'll tear you apart!"
He slammed his cane into the ground.
"Stone Giant."
The floor rippled. A five-meter stone colossus clawed its way up and charged toward Rowan and David.
Rowan's eyes gleamed.
"So mimicry can be used like this too," he murmured. "Not bad."
Then he raised his paw.
"Bombarda."