Merri nodded. He tried not to be too proud of himself, for it was the surest way for him not to succeed again for a while, but pride was a difficult beast to contend with, even for him, who rarely let himself be proud of himself for anything. As such, when he tried the spell again with Father Luscini's further direction, the obelisk turned purple once more.
He frowned, but he didn't give up. He let the spell around the obelisk wear off before he tried again. This time, nothing. Merri sighed; had the last time been a fluke, then? But like last time, the third try was the charm, though it had given him the same result as before.
Okay, now try it the way Father Luscini described, he firmly told himself. Sustain it.
The green glow now was still faint, but it lasted twice as long as before. "It's a start?" he asked Father Luscini with a cringe.