Kaskia: A Hero's Awakening

Chapter 2

"Aiden! Grab those tools and put them in the sack too." Erik told his son, pointing at a pile of tools, ranging from hammers, sheers, kitchen pots and pans. "Then put the sack in the back of the cart."

"Yes dad." Aiden replied, sulking as he grabbed each item, dropping them into the sack. "Why can't I go with you?"

"You know that you're not old enough for that yet." Erik answered, dismissing any further arguments about the subject. "Where did I put it?" He muttered, looking through his workshop, moving random objects aside that he had been working on, only to leave it unfinished to start a new project. "There it is!"

Aiden watched as his father pulled a sword from under a pile of scrap metal. Wondering why his father would need to take the weapon with him on a trip to the village just to sell supplies. Seeing the look on his son's face, Erik commented. "It's for safety. You never know if a wild animal, or worse, bandits may attack. Better to have it and not need it than to not have it and need it."

With the cart loaded, Erik said his goodbyes to his family. Hopping on the front seat of the wagon, he whistled for Ellie to join him. Eagerly, she jumped up onto the seat next to him, tail wagging happily. With a whip of the reins, Erik and Ellie trotted down the road, fading into the trees.

"Mom? Can Rina and I go play by the lake for a bit?" Aiden asked, hoping that the two of them would have some time alone to see what Rina was able to do. Aiden was anxious to find out if she truly was capable of using magic.

"Yes dear." Brittany answered. "But be back for lunch. After that we will go back to the lake and go fishing for dinner."

Aiden and Rina excitedly ran into the woods, knowing the way to the lake they had visited many times growing up. The two raced each other, dodging trees, bushes, and the occasional squirrel that bolted from their hiding places. Only taking a few minutes to get there, the duo burst from the woods to see a beautiful lake resting in the middle of the forest. Aiden walked towards the dock that his father had built when he was only a couple of years old and stared across the water. Rina strolled up beside him, staring at her brother. "What are you thinking?"

"Just thinking about how big the world is and if I will ever get to explore it." Aiden gestured to the other side of the lake. "I know we're not supposed to go to the other side, but I'm curious what's over there and beyond these woods."

"You will get to see it all one day!" Rina replied, encouraging her brother that he could see the world.

"Right." Aiden exhaled. "Magic time! Do you remember how you felt when you did it yesterday?"

"Umm. I was scared you were going to get hurt." Rina answered, rubbing tears from her eyes at the memory.

"Good. Use that feeling." Aiden replied, walking the shore of the lake. "No. Not this one." He muttered, picking up a small rock and dropping it back down. "This one, and that one." He continued as he gathered a few rocks together, placing them into a small circle near the water's edge.

"What are you doing?" Rina questioned.

"Stay here, I'll be right back. I need a stick." Aiden stated, running towards the woods briefly, then coming back with a giant stick in his hand. "This, this is your target." He continued, breaking the stick over his knee, into four even parts. Stabbing the first one into the ground at the center of the rocks. Confused, Rina nodded. Moving where her brother told her to stand, waiting as he prepared what he was doing.

"There!" Aiden said triumphantly. "That feeling, focus on it. Imagine that little stick is the boar and do what you did yesterday."

"Okay." Rina answered, concentrating on the attack from the day before. Her eyes watering as she remembered the thought of her brother being hit into a tree. "I don't feel the same thing." She stated, looking down at her hand.