Tale of the fireborn

Not seeing something doesn't mean it is not there.

Dara walked with me to the stairs. The little class already waited for me. A group of the youngest students in the fortress. „Alright, who is ready to get a tunnel tour and make some magic?", I asked. They cheered. No child will ever not think this class is awesome. It was a way of getting them involved as long as their parents weren't around or getting them something to focus on, after being left behind by death. Every child below the age of Thirteen in this Fortress is only here because their parents are soldiers or dead. Usually orphans either are adopted by commoners or soldier families. Or they stay in our fortress when I officially taking them on. For now there was only one girl no one wanted to take the responsibility. Sloan. I took her in ten years ago. I was fifteen and she was only three. Her mother having been a quiet successful assassin made everyone scared of her. I never was scared of a child.

Those kids are all smiles. Following me through the Tunnelsystem under the fortress leading us to a training field close to the first tree-line. I preferred teaching the young ones outside. Less chance to burn down the house and easier flow of energy. „What do yo think? Can you find your way back through the tunnels or not?", I asked jokingly. The shocked faces made me laugh: „No worries, I will show you back inside." „Okay", a little girl said relieved. I positioned myself smart in front of the children and sat down in the grass. I waited for the children to sit down. „Ready to start?", I waited a moment until they seemed a little calmer and not to stoked for what's coming next.

„Close your eyes and just know I have a sense for if you don't. Now just try to feel the air flowing round you. The smell of blooming flowers. The trees. The gras. Feel the earth below you. Steady as it is", I waited, let myself do it too. Feeling the softest touch by the slight wind moving along my body. My face. Through my hair.  The slightly cold earth beneath me. My grounding spot. The spot that's  always there wherever I go.

„Now, listen to your heart beating inside you", with a calm voice and mind I did my best running them through it. Slow and steady. Finding a way into your magic is not easy. The younger you learn to tap into your power the easier it is. I listened into myself. My heart started to slow down. „Now try to find that feeling that resembles energy. It can be a tingling sensation beneath your fingers. It can feel like a bomb waiting to explode. It can feel like something pulling on you. Or even pushing you", I explained. I opened my eyes. Looking through the children. I saw the few children I knew already doing it easier than the others.

Gwen and Olly still attended this class once in a while but not today. Since my niece and nephew lived here and had me all to themselves when school was off. They have already mastered this specific exercise. Just like Koa and Sloan were way more experienced with their magic than most others their age.

I waited a second and then kept going: „Try to bring that found energy out. Let it flow between your fingers. It does not have to be visible. If you feel it. It is there." More and more eyes tweeking close in concentration. Frowning foreheads. It's not easy. I saw success with every last one of them. „If you feel it, open your eyes. Keep concentrating on it and keep that energy flowing through your fingers", I demanded kindly. They followed the instructions. One after one opened their eyes. The ones taking this class the first time completely stunned by it. Not all had visible powers but kept going. I let them enjoy their first own encounter with magic. It is different when you see it and when you produce it yourself.

„Next step is not to blow up something or someone. Bring this magic to the ground and let it go", I explained and demonstrated. I focussed on my energy let it flow through me. Meeting between my hands. Visible for every last child. I kneeled down and brought my hands down to the ground and let go of my energy. Directly flowing into the ground. „Wow", came in a choir from the new children. They all tried and most succeeded. Disappointed of the magic being gone. They tried it again. This time with eyes open. Deeper and deeper frowning face stared at their hands. „Go back a few steps. Close your eyes again and feel the air. The ground. The heartbeat. Then start concentrating on your energy", I lead them again. Te only thing more complicated with the children was their expectancy of it working perfectly after mastering it once. Grown ups learning something they thought doesn't exist was more difficult but telling them to practice by themselves outside was easy.  I let them practice it three more times and the we sat down in a circle.

„Okay now, how does it feel?", I asked interested. A waterfall of words flooded on to me. After we made clear that these kinds of exercises were only done supervised and for the foreseeable future outside.  All the children were so exited. Chattering all the way back through the tunnels. Lunchtime. The kids ran in the dining hall grabbing food and finding a place. Instead of dining in the great hall I walked up a flight of stairs and walked back to the private area of the fortress. My home.