Magic

LIonel lay in the back of the wagon near where Drindle slept. Isaac had offered them a bed and the geezer immediately said no. When Lionel asked why they didn't accept the bed, Drindle just grumbled and laid down. It appeared the old man was grouchy and didn't want to be bothered.

Lionel lay there unable to sleep. It was probably one or two in the morning. He knew they would be hitting the road early. His anxiety built as the night progressed. He kept trying to sleep but no matter what he did his mind was just too active.

'Maybe if I touch my Vervane and use some it's energy it will be easier to sleep' He reasoned with himself. He knew Drindle had told him not to do anything stupid, but he would only be touching the Vervane. He sat up quietly near the the snoring old guy. He then closed his eyes and felt for his source of power.

It took him only seconds to reach the lake of life force. His ethereal figure slowly waded into the lilac fluid. He felt the energy strengthening his mind the longer he stay in the liquid.

It felt like an hour passed. Lionel was about to leave the fluid when he had a thought. 'I wonder if I can actually use an element yet.' He opened his eyes.

The darkness still hung heavy in the air. Lionel crept to edge of the wagon and peered out. They were in the middle of the compound and Harthling was in a stable nearby. Lionel looked around. There seemed to be no one in sight save for a few guards on the top of the wall. The guard's were more than a couple hundred meters away. Lionel could only tell they were there by the torches they carried while on patrol.

'Should be fine. I'll just try fire real quick.' The boy thought. He turned to look at Drindle and ensure the geezer was still heavily snoring. Once he confirmed the old man was out, he climbed down from the wagon. Lionel walked to an open area a few meters away. He didn't want to catch anything on fire like he had the overgrown brows of the grumpy snoring man.

'This should be good' He stuck one cupped hand in front of him like he had seen Drindle do before and sat cross legged. He closed his eyes.

His ethereal figure appeared again. He reached down to the purple lake that was beneath him, and touched the flowing fluid with his immaterial hand. Lionel envisioned a flame flickering like a candle, and radiating a soft heat. He thought intently about fire when a sudden soft sensation arose in his mind.

The sensation felt like a soft breeze guiding him. He allowed the sensation to overtake him. It seemed to show Lionel the ebb and flow of his own energy pool. The undulations of his energy were almost imperceptible before. Now that he saw them though they were plain to see. There was a constant rise and fall of the purple pool. The fluid seemed to rise and fall with his body's natural processes.

He fell in sync with the flow of power. Lionel breathed in as the fluid rose and out as the fluid dropped a few millimeters. He took one final deep breath and pulled with his mind on the liquid. A sudden power seemed to assault his mind and the pool's level dropped more than 10 centimeters. His mind was on fire. Lionel willed the energy to form a flame in his hand.

"BOOOOMMMM!!"

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"A..k.. ge.. in.. wa.. no!" The old man's wisp of hair was in disarray. His eyes were bleary as he stared at Lionel.

The boy sat blinking, he couldn't make out what the old geezer said. He was only able to see what the old man was doing. Drindle climbed out of the wagon, moving quickly in Lionel's direction.

There was a bright light still floating in the sky. Lionel looked around and saw that a building was gone. Before he tried to use magic, there stood a stable not more than 10 meters from him. Now all he could see was Harthling running into the distance. Lionel couldn't understand what happened. He looked up and saw a dust cloud still burning as it floated upwards. As the light faded so too did Lionel's consciousness.

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A soft deep voice could be heard. Lionel drifted floating face up in a dark pool of liquid.

"Young one.." Lionel stirred "Young one.."

"Hmm..." Lionel opened his eyes and realized he was in his own subconscious. He looked around for the voice that had woke him.

A dark silhouetted figure stood on a solid black bank. The figure stood less than a meter from where Lionel floated. Lionel was startled at the sight of the cloaked figure, being so close. He stood quickly realizing the fluid was only knee deep.

"Young one.. we must talk before you destroy us both." The figure held out a hand to help Lionel onto the bank. The hand was a brilliant white color. Lionel stared at the hand, he couldn't see any other part of the beings features. "Come let's talk."

Lionel took the hand it felt like stone as it gripped and helped pull him onto the bank. Lionel recalled that the figure had given his name and spoke. "Dextera Domini, What do you want with me? why are you here in my subconscious?"

"All will be answered in time." The two continued walking silently until a small fire came into view. The cloaked being walked to the fire and sat cross legged on the ground. Lionel followed suit and sat opposite Dextera Domini.

The deep voice resounded again as the cloaked figure spoke. "You are no mere mage young one." The being raised his hands and pulled the cowl of his cloak down. A man with soft angelic features stared at Lionel.

The man's face was blemish free. His hair was a brilliant black and was a stark comparison to his white complexion. Lionel sat taking in the features as the man continued speaking.

"You must be careful when using magic. There are people who will try to extract your essence for their own gain." the figure spoke with a solemn expression. "Not every one is as kind as the Old One you travel with."

"Dextera Domini, what do you mean extract my essence?" Lionel had a quizzical look on his face. He couldn't understand how anyone could say Drindle was nice since the old geezer was always giving him a hard time.

"Just call me Dextera" The pale man continued to speak. "You are capable of more than most in the human realm, but you are weak now" The man waved his hand over the fire and the flame formed an image of a young boy's face Lionel had never seen before. "You have already caught the attentions of this one."

Lionel studied the face frozen in the flames. the boy looked to be fifteen or sixteen with short brown hair. "How do you know this person is after me? And what does he want from me?" Lionel spoke while not removing his eyes from the fire. He felt like he could trust what Dextera was telling him. He wasn't exactly sure what a Velthum was yet but the man sitting across from him gave off a trustworthy aura.

"I saw this young man through your eyes in the village that was destroyed" The pale man spoke while looking at the frozen flame face. "I'm afraid he felt my Amulet in you and attacked Astia looking for it"

"How do you know the name of the village? and how can you use my eyes?" More questions seemed to flood Lionel as he talked with this angelic man.

"We haven't much time left, suffice it to say what you see, I see and what you know, I know." The figure stood and pulled the cowl of his robe back up. "One more question before you wake. We won't meet again for sometime so ask wisely."

Lionel thought for a second. he wanted to know so much. Why wouldn't they meet again for sometime? Why was he being so straight forward with Lionel? finally he settled on a question that he could use immediately. "How can I use magic and become stronger without blowing something up?"

Lionel felt like the cowled man's face was smiling as a reply came. "Come closer" the boy took two steps towards the dark clad figure. "I bestow a gift" Dextera's right index finger extended and touched Lionel on his forehead, between his eyes. A horrid burning sensation filled Lionel's mind as he fell forward in pain.