myself. I focused , trying to reach out and
sense the magic. It wasn’t like it was in Pax two nights ago. There was no hum, no
real feeling of the powerful energy. Instead, it was silence.
“I don’t sense it.” I told Amy.
“It is nowhere as strong here as it was in Pax. You need to wait, listen for it. It
will not be a roar, but a whisper. Tiny little strings of magic.”
I did so. I relaxed myself, letting myself sink further and further into the senses
of magic. It was like drifting in a pool, early in the morning before anyone else
was there. Tranquil, quiet, with little to nothing to feel.
And suddenly, there it was. I felt it at the edge of my senses. It felt like a string
just rubbing across the pad of a finger. Whether I just smiled in my head, or physically,
I couldn’t tell.
“I feel it.” I reported to Amy. “It’s like a string, or something like it. Just a
strand.”
“Take it, Eric.” She said. “Take a hold of it, imagine yourself wrapping it to your
will.”
I made a small hum, not wanting to take my mind away from the strand further. I brought
my mind back to the strand. I imagined taking it with one hand, and slowly wrapping
it around my finger. Tying it off simply, at least in my head, I tugged on it.
Power, just a trickle of it, flowed into me. It was fantastic. I had never felt anything
like it. It was like ice water dripping down my spine, chilling me, while it warmed
my fingers and made them crackle with life.
“Take it into you, and let it fill you.” She said. “Now, focus that energy into the
compass. Imagine it in front of you, and put your energy into it.”
I tried to think about it. I focused my thoughts on the compass, and wiled the energy
to go to it. My brain could imagine the link between the two, like a plug or an aqueduct.
But it didn’t work. I pushed and pushed, tried to force the energy into it, but it
wouldn’t budge from me. It felt hotter now in me, constantly raising my temperature.
“You are chewing your lip.” Amy said into my ear. “What is wrong?”
“I’m trying.” I grunted. “But it’s just not going into the compass.”
“You are forcing it. You cannot force magic. Stop. Let it go.”
“What?” I snapped. “What’s wrong?”
“Let go of the power. Cut it loose.”
I figured I would just ask later, when I wasn’t deep in thought. I imagined myself
tossing the string away, cutting it off of me. When I did, it was scorching hot, and
it singed where my imaginary fingers touched it.
My eyes shot open, and I grasped my hand. “Aw, son of a bitch!” I hissed. “That hurt!”
“Yea, it did.” Amy was standing just outside the circle. “Stand up, and let me see
your hand.”
I did so, and I stepped out of of the circle. On two of my fingers, where I had imagined
grasping the string, there was a fine red line, a little burn. “What? I thought that
was just in my head.”
“The magic makes it real, Eric.” She said. “Magic cannot be forced. What you have
to do is channel it. Make it into a stream that slowly puddles into the focus. You’re
not ready to push magic like that, not yet.”
“What happens when I push magic?” I asked. “When I force it?”
She smiled. “Another day, in the future, I will explain.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? You just can’t tell me?”
“That is a more destructive manner of magic than I am willing to teach you right now.
Better you grasp this simple magic first, than you try something foolish like trying
to blow up something.”
I laughed a little. “Blow up stuff? Seriously?
“Indeed. But you are definitely not ready for that. Making magic actually manifest
into something like a shield or a fireball takes practice. However, it is a very powerful
tool.”
“Could my mother and grandmother do that?” I asked.
She nodded. “They had to. Magic is a powerful force. Magic, for the most part, is
untapped most of the
sense the magic. It wasn’t like it was in Pax two nights ago. There was no hum, no
real feeling of the powerful energy. Instead, it was silence.
“I don’t sense it.” I told Amy.
“It is nowhere as strong here as it was in Pax. You need to wait, listen for it. It
will not be a roar, but a whisper. Tiny little strings of magic.”
I did so. I relaxed myself, letting myself sink further and further into the senses
of magic. It was like drifting in a pool, early in the morning before anyone else
was there. Tranquil, quiet, with little to nothing to feel.
And suddenly, there it was. I felt it at the edge of my senses. It felt like a string
just rubbing across the pad of a finger. Whether I just smiled in my head, or physically,
I couldn’t tell.
“I feel it.” I reported to Amy. “It’s like a string, or something like it. Just a
strand.”
“Take it, Eric.” She said. “Take a hold of it, imagine yourself wrapping it to your
will.”
I made a small hum, not wanting to take my mind away from the strand further. I brought
my mind back to the strand. I imagined taking it with one hand, and slowly wrapping
it around my finger. Tying it off simply, at least in my head, I tugged on it.
Power, just a trickle of it, flowed into me. It was fantastic. I had never felt anything
like it. It was like ice water dripping down my spine, chilling me, while it warmed
my fingers and made them crackle with life.
“Take it into you, and let it fill you.” She said. “Now, focus that energy into the
compass. Imagine it in front of you, and put your energy into it.”
I tried to think about it. I focused my thoughts on the compass, and wiled the energy
to go to it. My brain could imagine the link between the two, like a plug or an aqueduct.
But it didn’t work. I pushed and pushed, tried to force the energy into it, but it
wouldn’t budge from me. It felt hotter now in me, constantly raising my temperature.
“You are chewing your lip.” Amy said into my ear. “What is wrong?”
“I’m trying.” I grunted. “But it’s just not going into the compass.”
“You are forcing it. You cannot force magic. Stop. Let it go.”
“What?” I snapped. “What’s wrong?”
“Let go of the power. Cut it loose.”
I figured I would just ask later, when I wasn’t deep in thought. I imagined myself
tossing the string away, cutting it off of me. When I did, it was scorching hot, and
it singed where my imaginary fingers touched it.
My eyes shot open, and I grasped my hand. “Aw, son of a bitch!” I hissed. “That hurt!”
“Yea, it did.” Amy was standing just outside the circle. “Stand up, and let me see
your hand.”
I did so, and I stepped out of of the circle. On two of my fingers, where I had imagined
grasping the string, there was a fine red line, a little burn. “What? I thought that
was just in my head.”
“The magic makes it real, Eric.” She said. “Magic cannot be forced. What you have
to do is channel it. Make it into a stream that slowly puddles into the focus. You’re
not ready to push magic like that, not yet.”
“What happens when I push magic?” I asked. “When I force it?”
She smiled. “Another day, in the future, I will explain.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? You just can’t tell me?”
“That is a more destructive manner of magic than I am willing to teach you right now.
Better you grasp this simple magic first, than you try something foolish like trying
to blow up something.”
I laughed a little. “Blow up stuff? Seriously?
“Indeed. But you are definitely not ready for that. Making magic actually manifest
into something like a shield or a fireball takes practice. However, it is a very powerful
tool.”
“Could my mother and grandmother do that?” I asked.
She nodded. “They had to. Magic is a powerful force. Magic, for the most part, is
untapped most of the
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