[Studying] You roll a 17 (required 10). Success!

You take a moment to consider the usefulness of each spell, and reason that Camouflage best complements your adventurer's lifestyle. With that decided, you curiously turn to the spell's page, and resume your studies.

As before, the chapter begins by introducing a few runes. First is the subject rune Aer which you recognize from the magic circle around the ship's mast. As its name suggests, it is used to target a number of gaseous substances which form the air — not to be confused with the physical element of air.

When conjuncted with a Locus rune, it allows a spell to exclude any intersecting solid or liquid matter from a targetted area. As such, a sphere centred on the caster becomes a surface-bound bubble.

You realize that while rune conjunction within arcane circles is a simple matter, attempting to do the same without them would be incredibly complex. You are glad to have taken the time to understand them before continuing.

Next is the aspect rune Lux which refers to the light emitted by objects to render them visible — not to be confused with the ethereal element of light. This rune is widely used in sight-related illusion spells such as this one.

By manipulating light to bend around an area, observers outside of that area perceive what exists behind it, but not within it. This principle can be used to conceal anything within that area from view.

Just as the audacity to think that it sounds simple enough creeps into your mind, you begin to flip through the next few pages and, much to your consternation, realize that the spell's instructions span across a dozen of them...

As noon approaches, the ship's crew gathers below decks and lock the doors behind them. Within minutes, the sun begins to dim in the late morning sky, then fades away into eternal night. The cool ocean wind is replaced with a frigid stillness, frosting the thick windows of your cabin over in an instant.

Then, steam begins to blow around the sides of the ship as its flaming spar melts a path forward through a frozen sea. And as dancing azure lights begin to fill the heavens, and the calm waters turn to fields of snow and glowing ice, you leave behind the Celestial Sea, and enter the Unknown.

You spend the rest of the day practising your magic, lounging about with your friends, and playing cards with the crew. Without any sun or moonlight to keep track of the time, you find yourself checking your pocket watch more frequently than ever before.

Sunshine Berry: "I hear you! I was just as confused the first time we made it past the Barrier."

Moonflower: "Are we in like a super big cave or somethin'?"

Sunshine Berry: "No, nothing like that. Well... actually, you could say that skies are kind of like giant domes, and Equestria is inside one of them.

We used to think that there was a wall of ice all around the ocean, but as it turns out, that's just where our sky ends. Everything outside of it is just really, really cold — it's all ice!"

You figure that given the tropical weather you were promised, you imagine that the Kirin Empire must have a sky of its own.

Sunshine Berry: "It does! And tropical is right — every time I've been there, it's been warm as toast. I think they keep it summer all year long there, and if you stay long enough, you girls are definitely going to start feeling it."

At the mention of summer, Moonflower begins to rummage through her satchel.

Moonflower: "... Shoot! I forgot my special toy!"

You grin, and assure the bat pony that you'll let her borrow yours.

Moonflower: "Heehee...! Thanks, Blazer!"

But when you turn to playfully make the same offer to Honourshine, a thin knowing grin on her lips makes you immediately eat your own words.

Honourshine: "Yes, big brother?"

... Maybe not.

The next morning, you wake up in the dark of night, and light your cabin's lamps. It may be a while still before you memorize the Camouflage spell, but you are confident that you could cast it with your spellbook in hoof.

That said, the day is still young, and you have yet to decide what you would like to do next. You could either try memorizing this spell or learning another, or take a break from your studies altogether and read about something else instead.