Chapter 12: wind circle

After their bizarre encounter with the talking tree, Andy left feeling they had forgotten something, the whole 'bark therapy' situation had been a little ridiculous, but Thorn had declared him as worthy of the tree's wisdom, which, in Andy's mind, was a major win. Still, as they went further into the forest, Andy couldn't shake the feeling that they were forgetting something what was it?

Lira was beside him, of course, the grin on her face never faded away. "you survived the tree's demands. But you are forgetting something," she said her tone was a little mockery. "not many wisp gods can do that."

"I am not a wisp god," Andy grumbled. "at least not yet."

"Right, because that's what you need the most now, an ego," Lira said with a snicker.

Andy rolled his eyes, but they turned back and came back to the then. The tree was waiting for them, its branches now noticeably perkier, as if it had been revitalized by Andy's so-called care. It was a little strange to see a tree so…emotional, but here they were.

"Ah, you have returned!" Thorn boomed. "now that you have proven you can be gentle with bark.."

"wait a minute, first where is the wisdom you said I almost forgot. Said Andy

"you can get my wisdom when you complete the next task." Said thorn

"Wait why another task." Asked Andy confused.

Thorn smiles "I never said there is only one task."

Andy exchanged a wary glance with Lira. "so what's the next task?"

"Now, you must prove your worthy of the title of 'wisp god'." Thorn's voice took on a mystical tone. "to do so, you must create the perfect gust of wind. But not just one that flows effortlessly, harmonizing with your magic. It will be the mark of your true potential!"

Andy blinked. "wait…circular? Like a circle of wind?"

Thorn's branches rustled as if nodding. "exactly! A perfect circle, sounds simple, right?"

Andy stared at the tree in disbelief "That's your big test? I am supposed to summon a wind circle? No more tests right?

"yes, a wind circle, you be surprised what you can do if you can summon a perfect circle," Thorn said as if that made perfect sense. "now go! Create the wind! And make sure it's a perfect circle!"

Lira floated nearby, looking positively delighted as she knew what Andy was capable of. "I am sure this will go perfectly," she said. "now, go Andy show him how well you can handle basic wind magic."

"I can do this!" Andy said, his face full of determination. "All alright, here goes nothing!"

With a deep breath, Andy focused. He tried to call upon the magic that he had been getting used to, the mana flowed through him like an invincible current. He attempted to create a simple gust of wind, something that would move in a circle, but as he pushed his mana outward, the result was…. Chaotic.

Instead of a neat, circular breeze, because of more mana a swirling vortex of air exploded around him, whipping the leaves into frenzied motion. The ground beneath his glowing form was tossed into the air, and thorn's branches groaned under the gust's Intensity.

"whoops!" Andy yelped, trying to regain control. "that's not what we want!"

Lira, who had floated a few places back, watching in amusement. "if the test was creating a Chaos instead of a circle. Then you could have passed the test with flying colors."

Thorn, meanwhile, seemed unbothered. "you have failed, wisp. But do not be depressed. Try again! The circle must be maintained, like a perfect dance."

Andy groaned. "that is impossible."

But there was no escaping Thorn's expecting gaze, so Andy steeled himself and tried again. He took a deep breath and refocused, trying to summon the mana in a controlled, and then circulate it. He waved his hand well. His glowing wisp self through the air, concentrating on creating the wind.

This time, he managed to summon a gust, but it was far from a circle. I steady, it was a series of whirling spirals, like miniature tornadoes that seemed to chase each other around. They bounced off one another, creating more wind that sent thorn's branches trembling again.

"ugh, I can't…!" Andy groaned in frustration.

But Thorn interrupted its voice booking in approval. "It's not bad! The spirals are interesting. You have found a rhythm! Keep going!"

Andy blinked. "wait, you think that's good?"

Thorn's bark creaked. "in a way, yes. But still, a circle must be made! Try once more, wisp! Let me see the potential of a wisp god!"

Andy, despite his frustration, felt a spark of confidence within him. He focused again, his energy flowing through him. But this time, instead of trying to force the wind into a perfect circle, he let go. He let the mana move, to spin and dance however it wanted

And then almost by accident, the wind began to shift. It wasn't a perfect Circle, but it was something near it. The guest swirled around him, moving in a smooth, unpredictable rhythm, like a dance of nature itself. It flowed naturally, guided by his energy but not forced into anything. "this.. is right.

The guest swirled gracefully, catching the air in a way that made even thorn's enormous branches sway beautifully.

"Ahh," Thorn said, his voice full of admiration. "that's it! You have done the wind doesn't need to be forced into a circle it needs to flow like the mana within you. You have passed!"

Andy hovered there, feeling a sense of pride. He had actually done it. Even though it had been messy and frustrating, he had somehow managed to make the wind work the way, naturally not forcing it, like a dance.

"You did it," Lira said, her tone full of surprise. "I guess you are not completely hopeless after all."

Andy turned to her, a mischievous glint in his eye. "you will get used to it in the future."

Thorn's voice interrupted them. "you may have passed this test, wisp. But the journey to becoming a true wisp god is far from over! Continue to nurture your magic, and perhaps one day you may become wind itself!"

Andy groaned at the thought of even more magical tests, but deep down, he felt a strange sense of excitement. The thorn test had taught him that sometimes it's better to let things free.

Lira, still floating beside him, gave him a small smile. "One step at a time wisp. One step at a time.