Ren held his hand outward in front of himself and opened it slowly. Closing his eyes, he focused on the world around him as he felt the warm tingle in his fingertips begin to swell. The trickle of the river, the cold that enveloped his feet as he stood within it, and the sweet scent of flowers that hung heavy in the air, they all came rushing to him in one sensation.


    His chest thumped slowly and he felt his long dark hair tickle the side of his face as it blew gently in the sweet wind. He was aware of everything, every slight creak in his bones, the pumping of blood as it pushed within his veins - Everything.  He felt more awake with each day that passed, more alive than he ever had before and not even the thrill of battle could compare to it. It was as if he''d ascended above a normal understanding of the world and that feeling was magnificent. With each day he was learning and he had made significant progress since he''d arrived.


    He could feel her eyes on him, the intense gaze of a master watching their pupil with complete attention to detail, every stance and every movement had to be perfect for unlocking the magic that was held within him. The mental strength that the training required almost seemed too much for him. He''d spend hours sitting by the river with Taren at his side in complete silence with his mind cleared of all questions that lingered within. At first, it all seemed pointless, he noticed no change and no difference but he persisted with her encouragement, found himself slowly understanding what the art of magic was truly about.


    "You are your own conduit of power," Taren said aloud, her voice booming over the trickling river, "But remember, a bright fire can still burn out if left unchecked. If you use too much power, like the fire, you''ll burn out too. Know your limits."


    "How will I know when I''ve reached them?"


    Even with his eyes shut, he could see the grim expression that matched with her tone, "You''ll know to stop when your skin wraps tightly around your bones."


    The answer was morbid and it took Ren aback. He tried his best not to visually react to the words and if he''d failed, she never said anything.


    "And if I don''t stop?"


    "You know the answer to that," She said bluntly.


    If there was anything he''d learned about Taren, it was that she was a whole different person when it came to teaching. The change seemingly coming out of nowhere, leaving him in a state of emotional whiplash. Despite that though, he knew she was sweet and kind. The shift in personality only seemed to show him just how important the task of learning magic was. She was the warmest and coldest person he had ever met, yet there was something he found attractive in that. Every time the thought crossed his mind he had to slap himself, knowing well that he was probably several decades her junior. Though the years didn''t show on her, they certainly showed in her words and knowledge. He was simply a child in her eyes, nothing more.


    Time seemed short yet infinite simultaneously. Being so far removed from what was happening in Sciolyn had that effect and it made him feel as if the mess he found himself in didn''t even exist. With just Taren and himself, sometimes he longed for more company as the days slipped by. Ren begged for Taren to send a message to Tycon, telling him that he was alright but she insisted that she can''t spare the magic. With it draining from her body every second, he knew she was right and if she were to, it may cut their time in half and she would certainly die.


    "There are six points in your body from where you can exert magic," Taren began as Ren closed his eyes again, "Your hands, your heart, your brain, and your feet - The heart being the core and the brain is the commander. It flows from your brain to your chest then extends outward to your arms and legs, flowing like blood."


    Ren closed his eyes and focused, blocking out the sounds around him until he imagined himself in a back void of nothingness with just himself inside. He felt the warm lines pulsating and moving around his bones like veins of flame until, again, they reached his fingertips.


    "Now tense your arms and keep your shoulders loose, concentrate," Taren''s voice boomed through the imaginary void, an acoustic echo vibrating the space around him.


    He did as he was instructed, loosening his shoulders and tensing his arms, blocking the flow of the warm lines but letting what remained in his hands swell. His fingertips tingled and his palms felt hot like there was a block of fiery iron stuck under his hand, the pain was immense, yet invisible. He clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth as he felt droplets of sweat drip from his nose and forehead. The salt burned his eyes as he squeezed them tighter.  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Taren''s voice echoed through again, "Now repeat these words in your head and loosen your arms: Telerin Fi Surn."


    Beneath the pain, he tried to clear his mind.


    Telerin Fi surn!


    He let his muscles loose and suddenly flames sprouted from the palm of his hand like the release of a dam. Flowing uncontrollably high up into the air as if it were trying to burn the clouds above.


    "Pull it back down, control it!" Taren shouted.


    He closed his palm slightly in hope that it would pull the flame that sprouted so high back into a fireball but it was too much, he couldn''t control it. His first instinct was to close his palm but the force of the flames was too strong and painful, he began to panic. He heard Taren shouting but couldn''t make out a word of it, after a moment the shouting stopped and he suddenly found himself thrown by an invisible force face first into the shallow of the river. Taren rushed over and firmly placed her foot over his wrist, submerging it below the water. He watched as the water began to bubble and boil and he could feel the heat spread through the water around him. Taren quickly reached down and placed her hand over his, the bubbling stopping the moment they touched and the only sound that filled his ears was that of the river and his own panicked breaths.


    "Not bad for your first try," Taren remarked as she removed her foot from his wrist.


    "You call that ''Not bad''? I call that a brush with death."


    She took a few steps back out of the water and shrugged, "At least you didn''t incinerate yourself."


    "That was possible?"


    Taren simply nodded, her expression blank.


    Ren climbed to his feet, his clothes soaked and dripping, "Seems like something you should have told me about."


    "If I did, you wouldn''t have tried at all and besides, I wouldn''t let that happen."


    "That''s probably the nicest thing you''ve said to me all day."


    For the first time in a while, he saw a playful grin spread on her lips and he blushed, "Now that you mentioned it, that will also be the last nice thing I''ll say to you today."


    He''d always imagined her as an ethereal being of indescribable magnificence but in reality, she was simply just a woman. A special one, but a woman all the same and he liked that more than what he''d imagined her to be. As he watched her turn her back to him, white hair flowing with the movement, he smiled to her.


    You really are something.


    <hr>


    Night began to fall over the turquoise sky, making way for the pink sunset peering through the trees. They sat by a small campfire eating fish caught from the river and watching as the stars began to appear above them one by one. Ren knew that Tycon had a fascination with the stars, though he never took the time to see why. He watched them, tiny shimmering lights in the sky, seeming so close, yet so far away - Just like his friend. He wondered what he was doing and if he was okay. He hoped that someday he''d find a way out and see him again, continuing the quest they had set for themselves to save the world.


    "You did good today, you''re learning," Taren said from across the fire as she munched on a fish.


    "I''m not learning fast enough," He replied.


    Taren swallowed triumphantly and pointed at him with a fishtail, "This isn''t something you can rush, everyone learns at their own pace. If it''s worth anything to you, you''re learning quicker than I expected."


    Ren laughed, not at her but himself, "But you didn''t exactly have high expectations, to begin with."


    Taren was silent for a moment and then nodded, "Yeah," She admitted, "But what matters is that you exceeded them. If you continue to do so, you''ll reach an appropriate level to utilize your abilities in combat."


    His ears perked at those words and he felt a rush of embarrassment spread upon his face, "I thought you were done saying nice things to me today?"


    She frowned and folded her arms, "I''m making an exception."


    Ren chuckled and took a bite of the fish, "Do you really think I can reach a combat level in the time we have?"


    She nodded, "I do, but I never said it''d be easy."


    "I guess I never expected it to be. I just expected I''d be better."


    "If you keep holding on to doubt, you''ll be doomed to fail no matter how hard you try. What happened to that confidence you had?"


    Ren sighed and took a bite, "That was before I knew how difficult it would be."


    "Trial and error, it''s an effective cycle. You don''t learn something without earning it, this holds true especially when it comes to magic."


    Ren finished his meal and lied down onto his back, placing his hands under his head, "I guess you''re right."


    "I know you feel that power coursing through you like a hot river, you have the potential to learn. Now you just have to earn it. We''ll try again tomorrow with a clear mind and rested body and we''ll do it again every single day until you learn it, I promise you that."


    She was right, he could feel that power coursing through him, a potential unlocked and just waiting to be utilized. The words she said rekindled his motivation, though it seemed like a cycle of motivation, burnout, and depression. Always swinging back around and replaying all over again. That''s what it was to learn anything, not just magic. He could only learn through failure, the answer was as simple as that.


    "I think I''ll get it this time," He said aloud as he slowly closed his eyes.


    "We''ll have to see," Taren said softly, "I believe you will."


    He heard Taren rise from her seat and her footsteps disappear over the crashing of the river, leaving him alone by the firelight. He imagined just how much good he could do with the power he so desperately wanted to learn. Maybe he could teach others someday and bring the art of magic back to Sciolyn. He smiled at the thought, though that was far down the line. His thoughts began to muddle and blur as he felt sleep slowly invade his mind. An assortment of random ideas blinking in and out until he was all consumed in the peace of nothingness. Soon he was lost to the world, fallen into a deep slumber and eager for the next day to show itself.