The Brimstone Chronicles - The Book of Eternity (Book 3)

CHAPTER 8 - Heritage

"You see that branch up there?" Araneth pointed to a thick branch high up on one of the trees.

"Yeah?" Alexander saw the branch and wondered what Araneth had planned for it.

"I want you to go up there."

"Wait, what? I can't climb that tree I'd need something to wrap around it and pull myself up bit by bit. That'll take forever."

Araneth laughed, "You should pay attention to your surroundings and the events that occur around you Arch Mage. I meant I want you to phase yourself up there."

"Oh...why didn't you just say that?"

"Because I wouldn't have taught you the valuable lesson you just learnt. Survival. In order to survive anything, you must at all costs pay attention. Now, go."

It happened almost too fast and Alexander was already up there trying to hold his balance.

Araneth was laughing again, "Its okay if you fall...I actually want you to."

"Are you mad?" Alexander has now standing firmly on the branch, Araneth looked about half the size of his small finger's fingernail. "Do you have any idea how far up I am?"

"As a matter of fact I do." Araneth's voice was right behind him, and so was Araneth.

Alexander was frightened so badly he jumped and went plummeting down to earth, but there was no impact. It was a full minute before Alexander opened his eyes and fond himself floating a rough eight inches from the ground. Then he fell.

"Come on. Up."

"What is your problem?" Alexander demanded as he got off the ground and dusted off himself. He would fuss about the white clothing later.

"Problem? I have none. I'm teaching you about gravity."

"By shoving me off a branch?"

"I didn't shove anyone. Technically you jumped."

"That's beside the point!"

"Yes, and no. Anyway, enough with the distractions. Do you remember that feeling when you fell?"

"What feeling? Thinking my life was over and that I was about to die?"

"I said a feeling, not a thought."

Alexander calmed himself down and thought back to his four second descent, "A pull?"

"Precisely. Weight does not depend on the size of the object, but rather its density. Gravity is like a person, pulling. When we jump, we pull back. And then there's pushing. As an Arch Mage I'm sure you can feel the atoms around you when you focus."

"Yeah I can."

"Push them."

"Huh?"

"Push the atoms right beneath your feet."

Alexander did as instructed and slowly, he found himself being lifted off the ground as Araneth continued talking.

"Good. Space, is everything around us and inside us. All things material. All existing things are connected by atoms. With this understanding, many things can be accomplished."

"Like flying?"

"Yes, but you're not flying, you're floating. Come down."

Alexander stopped pushing and fell on his feet, "Ouch, I'll have to work on that."

"To fly, you will need to create your own gravitational field that will oppose and control earth's gravitational pull on your atoms."

"How do I do that?"