He started to move away from me, leaving me standing in front of the dragon pen. The sun had begun to climb, and a bit of warmth spread across the sky.
I knew what he was asking. I needed to practice.
He had things he could teach me, but only if I would be able to listen and recognize the power. That was what I needed to do.
I gripped the bars of the dragon pen, turning my attention to it, and focused.
It was time for me to find that power within me.
7
I paused in the main entrance of the Academy and looked over to see Master Onas. He had been staring down at a book held open in his hands, reading it while walking, of all things. He practically crashed into me. Onas was a small man, with a serious face, and he had thick glasses that always seemed to slip forward on his nose. Rumor had it that he was an incredibly powerful dragon mage, though I had found that it was difficult for me to tell who was powerful and who was not.
He looked over at me. "Ashan," he said, his voice creaking slightly until he cleared it. "I was not expecting to see you here. What are you doing?"
"I was just outside."
Onas looked toward the door before turning his attention back to me. "I see. I understand that. Many people spend time in the dragon pens, trying to harness a connection to the dragons. It can be difficult, and more than that, it can be frustrating that you do not have the ability to tap into that power in the way that you would like to."
I resisted the urge to say anything. He was not wrong, which bothered me. Not that it should. I had no reason to truly get upset.
"Why don't you come with me?" Onas asked. "I'm going to be working with a select few students this morning. I wonder if perhaps I might be able to help you find what you need."
He nodded.
It wasn't that I wanted to refuse him, but at the same time, I understood that it would be highly unlikely that anything would change—that working with him would make a difference to me or to my connection with the dragons. The more likely outcome was that I would find that I could do nothing. But I had a sense that Onas would not take no for an answer.
He guided me through the halls and led me to a doorway off the main section of the Academy, into a smallish room. A massive oak table occupied most of the room and flames crackled in the back. Alcoves on either side of the hearth contained books. Two students sat at the table. My heart sank when I realized that Brandel was one of them.
He looked over at me, smirking. "Look who’s here," he muttered to the other student sitting next to him. Dominic looked over to me, but he didn't say anything.
"I found Ashan in the hall," Onas said. "I invited him to come along. I thought that perhaps it might be better if he has an opportunity to see someone else who has demonstrated considerable talents—and you two have shown potential.”
Great. Now I had them thinking that they had considerable talents, knowing that I did not.
Of course, there was no real doubt about my lack of considerable talent. It was obvious, especially to someone like Brandel, who had used that against me time and again.
I took a seat and Onas set the book down in front of him. "Now, you know that we each have a unique technique for reaching for the power that we can harness. It is a matter of finding the way that it fills us." He glanced up at me, his eyes large through his glasses. "I trust that you can feel the heat?"
The fact that he asked was almost enough for me to change colors. A flush rolled through me. I nodded.
"Very well. I wanted to ensure that you were capable of feeling that heat. It is no shame if you are still learning."
"I can feel the heat," I said quickly.
"Probably not," Brandel said under his breath.
I shot him a look. He was younger than me, but more powerful, so in a way, that sort of balanced out.
"What I would like for you to do is to focus on the heat within yourself. You may find that it burns, or you may find that it fills you. Either way is acceptable. Find the energy and use it." He chuckled. "Of course, that is easier said than done, I am aware. I recognize that the way in which we each draw our power is unique. Why, the way that I tap into the power is different than the way that Master Jerith does. Considerably so, after all. He has such a unique approach." He shook his head. "And different enough from Master Matthew—the two of us share similarities, but also differences." He looked back down to the book. "Now. Once you have touched the heat within you, what I would like for you to do is to see if you can't push that heat out. You must find it flowing through you, and then you can push it beyond, and only when you do, can you find something more."
Immediately, Brandel and Dominic pushed on that power, and I could feel it across the table. Strangely, it seemed to have a directionality to it, the way that their power flowed, something that I could detect, though I wondered if perhaps there was something to the way that they were calling on power that allowed me to detect it. Perhaps it was Brandel's way of trying to torment me.
I wouldn't put it past him.
I felt the energy bubbling from them.
"Very good. The two of you have done quite well." He looked over to me. "And now, you must see if you can do the same," he said, his voice
