The Knights of Aragon

Chapter 33

I collide with a trunk of a tree after pushing my body to run for what feels like eternity. My muscles are sore and tightening by the second. I pant into the bark, trying to keep the air in my lungs. "That's it," Vera rubs my shoulder blades in comfort, "we'll stop here for camp." I bump my forehead against the tree and breathe in and out consistently. "You and Goosey can stay here while the rest of us gather wood and other supplies." Goosey grabs my hand that I had around the tree and helps me sit down. I look at Rhydian and Draxum. Sweat glisten their foreheads and both are worried about me. I can see it in their faces.

   I turn my head away from them and meet Goosey's wide eyes. Her frizzy brown hair is up now, away from her face. "How're you doing?" She gives me a shaky smile. "I'm fine," she answers with a sniffle. I glance around to make sure that the others are out of earshot. "How far away was I from all of you?" She sits down next to me with her knees tucked under her chin. "It took a while to for us to climb up, and by the time we got up, we couldn't see what was happening," she pauses as a weird look crosses her face, "I had strange feelings at the pit of my stomach. Vera told me that I was probably in shock." I lick my seemingly dry lips and clear my throat. "I'm going to ask you something, Goosey, and I need you to be honest with me." She nods her head eagerly. I search her hazel eyes. I could be wrong, and she isn't what I think she is.

"Have you ever done something impossible?"

Goosey's easy going smile freezes and turns tense. So, I continue, "For example, have you accelerated the growth of a plant or accidentally set something on fire?" She moves her eyes from to her hands on her lap. She's not going to say anything unless I prove myself trustworthy. "That feeling that you had before and after meeting the basilisk was you sensing remnants of magic." Goosey refuses to meet my gaze. "I felt it too. It is old, but it was incredibly powerful," I continue to explain as her eyes flicker with curiosity, "Each sorcerer or sorceress has mark or a signature. Others with magic can sense it depending on how strong their will is." Her lips part as I fall silent. This time, willing her to speak. Willing her to satisfy her curiosity.

"Will? What'd you mean?"

"Mm, soul, energy, whatever you want to call it." Her lips form a small 'o'. I lean my head back, enjoying the relief that's spreading through my muscles. "I don't know how I do it, Val. It just happens," she begins to say, in a small voice, "I didn't notice it at first but things would grow whenever I would touch it. When I got angry, it would start to rain, or fire would just erupt out of nowhere. I never understood it, but I've learned to control it. Stop it, at least." It's completely normal for kids have spontaneous bursts of magic occur, but what she described isn't really something that normally happens. "You're an elemental sorceress!" I exclaim, my eyes widening in surprise. "What's an elemental?" I look at her more closely, her eyes, hair, nose and mouth. I don't know what I'm looking for but she's becoming a mystery. "It's someone who can access all the natural elements easily. Most take years if not their whole lives trying to tap into them." My eyes zone into the distance as I remember the memory that the basilisk gave me. "While others steal it."

Goosey blanches in fear. "Does that mean my powers are bad?" My eyes snap back at her face, wiping away the horrifying images. "Oh, gods no! Your powers are not bad, and neither are you." She lets out a sigh of relief. "How did you learn all of this? Who taught you?" I let out a nervous laugh as I observe the others drop the firewood on the ground. "I had a few mentors, here and there, but I mostly taught myself." Goosey eyes the firewood and glances at Vera and Gawain. We sit in silence for a while. I watch the sky slowly turn a dark shade of blue. "What are the different natural elements?" I stretch my arms and legs a bit and shift my body closer to her. "Well, they're really like a source, something to draw from. Many utilize the earth as a source for healing. Dirt, plants, herbs. Others draw from water, but from there it truly gets tricky." Goosey drinks it all in. Everything I tell her; she just absorbs it. I can only imagine how alone she felt keeping her identity to herself.