Identity (part 1) & Acceptance (part 2)

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The day was spent using up energy physically and mentally. She was much stronger physically to the extent that she was nearing evenly matched with Lyam, although he still had the upper hand knowing more techniques and having vast experience. With the increasing power, she became able to hold progressively difficult spells for longer.

As the sun began to lower on the horizon, their shadows lengthened and the air cooled. Lyam predicted that she was nearing half way although he didn’t tell her. Now he had her focused entirely on magic, doing multiple tasks at once, making the river flow above the bank, but holding it so that it did not spread elsewhere and flood, lifting small stones in the air, making trends bend in unnatural ways and pulling rare minerals from beneath the ground.

Lyam felt that everything had gone fine all day, using enough but not too much energy; soon it would be the real challenge, the sudden increase in power, mentally. Her physical gains had ended and her mental power was well over half of most wielders back home. Holm, when would he be able to return? Now tied down with teaching the heir, the heir to not one, but two thrones, he doubted it wouldn’t be any time soon.

Suddenly the cluster of stones being levitated shot into the sky, the river began moving in reverse flow with Tsunami power, balls of gold and other rare elements appeared from below the ground, and most significantly, although Stee herself didn’t notice, the moon flashed blue. All across Aharoma and beyond, wielders would know that a blue eyed child had just turned into an adult wielder with full powers; thankfully they couldn’t tell how strong she was. As for humans, they wouldn’t have even noticed the flash.

“Release the river, drop all the stones but one slowly and controlled. With the one you keep, separate it into its separate elements. Stee released the stones and as they landed with a crash, not quite as controlled and silent as Lyam would have liked, the river returned to its normal course, spilling over the banks at first, towards the distance sea. The remaining rock wobbled in the air, Lyam hoped he had picked this task sensibly, leaving her weak yet not over tired. It had always been a mystery to wielders as to why it took so much effort to separate the different elements making up a rock; yet extracting elements such as gold from the earth was not half as tiring. The rock stilled in the air, and then different earthly toned substances moved out from the centre. Stee looked like she had used all her excess energy, but wasn’t exhausted.

“Release,” commanded Lyam.

She continued holding them.

“Release now!” he shouted.

The substances slowly moved back together, glimmering slightly as they melded to reform the stone as it was prior to separation before dropping to the ground on top of the rest of the stones with a clink.

Instantaneously Stee collapse to the ground from the sudden decrease in energy from completing the spell. Lyam walked to her side and squatted down to comfort her, grasping her small right hand between his two large ones. Letting his mind drift, he felt her powers coursing through her veins. No, he hadn’t gone too far, although she was not up to riding home, he expected her to be fully recovered in the morning. Many wielders over the years had died from attempting this task because the great decrease in energy occurred suddenly, only when the spell ended causing a most unpleasant feeling of being drained. Even if Stee had not been lower on energy from all her work throughout the day, she would not have been feeling energetic at all now.

He lifted her up and a soft moan escaped her lips as he positioned her for an easy carry home, no not home, to her home. He untied Shania and prepared her for the walk back.

“Drappa Koppa.” It had been a while since he had spoken to an animal. It was only two words in his native tongue, but not a spell like those he had taught Stee. He had translated the spells for her, but they had never conversed in his Memme, the langue of wielders and more, there was no need for her to learn it, at least not yet. The horse followed at a trot as Lyam nimbly ran away from the clearing, and out of the forest, only stopping as they neared the gate.

“Can you ride?”

“I guess,” she replied, her voice a whisper.

“Good, it will be better if I am not carrying you.”

Lyam hoisted Stee onto Shania and led them towards the gate. They approached at a steady walk. Something felt amiss to Lyam, but in her drained state, Stee wasn’t paying attention to what was happening.

Suddenly he yanked Shania’s reins around, facing them in the opposite direction, and ran away from the gate at an inhuman speed. Shania could just keep up and Stee struggled to keep her balance. A mere five minutes later they reached the edge of the forest where they slowed to a walk. Shania breathed heavily through her nose then snorted tossing her head in the air.

Lyam lead the way to the same clearing. He lifted Stee off Shania and whispered some instructions in Memme in her ear as he passed. He lay Stee down on a patch of soft grass. With his index finger, he drew a circle on the ground around her muttering words of protection under his breath. Before closing it he laid a hand on Stee’s shoulder, “Frep,” sleep. He stepped out of the circle. As he closed it lit up with a dim white light that slowly faded into darkness.

Lyam took a final glance at Stee before running at an even fast pace back to her father’s castle.