Legon felt that sensation in his head again and stopped hitting the tent spike he was driving into the ground.
“What is it?” Sasha asked concernedly.
“I think I’m going to use magic again.” He shouldn’t be scared but he was. What if he couldn’t control this stuff? What if someone got hurt? Arkin spoke from across the camp.
“Is there something you really want done?”
“No not particularly. Actually, I could go for not feeling, well, whatever this is.”
Arkin laughed. “Come here. I think we can put that to use.”
Legon walked carefully over to the fire pit where Arkin was standing. He knew he looked like a moron, walking slowly as if he were holding a pail of water, but what if his control slipped?
“Don’t worry, you can walk normally,” Arkin said.
“I don’t know. Are you sure?” replied Legon. “I mean, how much do you know about this stuff?”
“Obviously a lot, Legon, if he hid in town for as long as he did,” Keither said.
“You don’t know that.”
“He’s right, Legon.” Arkin bent over the wood in the fire pit and uttered, “Flamma.”
As he spoke, an emerald plume of flame erupted in the pit and then turned into a normal orange fire. There was a collective gasp and Kovos jumped as if someone had thrown a snake at his feet. Legon stopped, mouth open. How was Keither able to figure it out?
“How did you do that?” Legon asked.
“It’s easy. You try.” Arkin waved his hand over the fire and it died. “Come close to the pit and place your hand over it.”
Legon knelt next to the blackened wood and placed his right hand tentatively over the still warm pit.
“Good. Now concentrate on that feeling in your head. Let it fill you.”
“Fill me?”
“When you breathe in, imagine a flower blooming in your head, like when you feel energy move through you doing the Jezeer.”
“Ok.” Legon breathed deeply and concentrated. He felt the energy grow.
“Ok, good. Now I want you to think of starting a fire, ok? Picture flames in this pit in your head.”
“Ok, got it.”
“Good. Now, concentrating on that image, say the word “Flamma” and let the energy run down your arm and out your hand.”
“Flamma.” The sensation shot down his arm like before. He jerked his hand up and with a yell from everyone, a jet of violet flame burst from his hand and into the air. Sasha and Sara screamed, but the flame only lasted a second and then died. He noticed that he was on his feet and franticly shaking his hand.
“You’re ok, Legon. Your hand is not on fire, relax,” Arkin said.
“What the hell!” He slowly shook his hand, waiting for it to burn again. The flame didn’t hurt; in fact it just felt kind of warm and good. Still, that was fire. Kovos looked amazed and excited.
“Do it again!” he shouted.
“Wha-?”
“Do it again. That was amazing. You shot fire out of your hand.”
“I know, I was there. Why are you happy about it?”
“I thought I made it clear-you shot fire from your hand! Do it again, here, at Keither this time.” Kovos reached over and grabbed Keither’s arms, holding him in front of Legon.
“Kovos!” Sasha said angrily.
“What, Sasha? He’ll be fine, come on.”
“I’m not shooting fire at your brother. That’s messed up,” Legon said.
There was the sound of suppressed laughter. He turned to see Arkin and Sara both doubled over, shaking with laughter. Sasha gave them a stern look that was fading into a smile.
“Sara, you’re laughing too?” she said.
“Yes, I can’t help it. Kovos, come on, that’s sick,” she choked out through tears.
“Let go of me,” Keither said, slapping Kovos away.
“Or what? You would have been fine. The fire was fast. It would only take off your eyebrows and some hair. Not a big deal.”
“Kovos, only a smith would think that wasn’t a big deal,” Arkin said warmly. They settled down a bit and Arkin decided that it might be a good idea for Legon to learn more about magic before trying it again. They all sat around the fire pit and waited for Arkin to start for yet another night.
“Ok, Legon, I’m sorry. Truth be told, I didn’t think you would even produce a spark for your first time trying to use magic.”
“Well, is that bad then? And I did it by accident in Salez. I mean, is there something wrong?”
“There’s nothing wrong with you, but you must be a powerful Venefica,” Sara said. “I would think at least a class four… but wait, you’re human.” Sara turned to Arkin, looking concerned.
“A class what?” Sasha asked.
“Arkin is he part-”
“Elf? Yes, I am.” Legon filled in the gaps. Sara’s forehead knitted together and then a look of incredulity and joy crossed her face.
“You mean the Everser Vald?” Her voice was almost a whisper. The start of a tear formed in her eye.
“What di-” Legon began.
“Nothing. She said nothing,” Arkin started hurriedly. “I will explain classes to you.”
“He doesn’t know?” Sara said with hurt and anger in her voice.
“Don’t know what?” Legon asked.
“Wh-” Sara began.
“Nothing, Sara.” Arkin went from impatient to angry. Sara opened her mouth but fell silent at a murderous glance from Arkin.
“Arkin don’t you stop her, what was she saying to me?” Anger was flooding Legon as he turned to the carpenter. What was he not being told? “Tell me, I want to know!”
“You aren’t ready to know, and even if you were I cannot permit it!”
“What you can do is tell me what you’re hiding!” Legon stood and started toward Arkin slowly. He noticed Kovos by his side. Sasha reached up and grabbed his shoulder. He tried to shake it off but couldn’t.
“Legon, no. This is not the answer.”
It wasn’t the words that stopped him, but the emotions. He turned to look straight into Sasha’s glassy blue eyes. He could feel her overwhelming desire for no more violence. His anger left almost as fast as had come, and then the connection to Sasha stopped. He turned slowly to Arkin, who no longer looked angry, but rather sad.
“Arkin, what is happening?” There was fear in Legon’s voice; more than he knew he was feeling.
“I want to tell you, but I don’t. It’s a great and terrible thing. Please, I have made many vows to keep this secret. Don’t break them for me. Not yet, not now.”
“We won’t.” It was Sasha who spoke. “But please tell us what you can.”
“Sit down and I will relight the fire.”
They sat in a circle around the pit and Arkin placed a trembling hand over the pit and muttered, “Flamma.” A merry fire instantly began to crackle in the pit.
“Magic is an amazing thing. With it you can control the elements, make things grow, heal wounds, and so much more.” He paused. “You see, magic is like a muscle. You can train it and make it stronger, but like a muscle it can become worn out. You can cast a spell and feel no tiring effect on your body, but if that spell is too strong for you, then energy is pulled from your body.”
“So can you die from a spell then?” Legon asked.
Arkin looked relieved to hear the question. “No, you can’t. You can pass out but you can’t die. Once your mind loses consciousness it can’t sustain the spell. However, it can take some time to recover. Once again, think of this as a muscle. Now, there are what are called ‘classes’ to Venefica, Sara, do you know them?”
“Yes, my owner is Iumenta and a Venefica, so I learned a lot just being around him. There are eight classes.
