It had been a while since he had left that strange scene on the road, well, okay, three days. But to Edwin, it felt like weeks. The attack, the damsel in distress, the comedic duo that escorted him home... it was a little hard to believe that actually happened, it was too much like the movies. Edwin was enjoying the news, however. The big story right now was the mysterious attack and the unnamed hero that saved the general's daughter. Plus, they kept playing a clip of Keely. Edwin had to admit, he was quite smitten with her.
Squiggers jumped up in front of the TV, posed like a model, and made a big show of blinking her eyes. "Edwin's in love!" she said mockingly, drawing out her vowels.
Edwin threw a shoe at her which smacked the TV with a hollow clang. Squiggers stuck her tongue out and started prancing around the room, "Keely and Edwin sitting in a tree K I S S I..."
Whump! Edwin tackled her, slid a finger along the faint tatoo on his arm and she disappeared, her spirit merging with his through the contract. Just then Edwin's mom walked in. "What was that noise?"
"Sorry mom, I tripped."
"You alright?"
Edwin laughed, "it's me mom, built like a boulder, nothing's gonna hurt me."
She smiled, "I'm more worried about the house than you, I mean, are you doing okay?" she nodded at the TV.
Edwin understood what she meant, "I'm fine mom, it was just a Jeed."
His mother knew better than to take that at face value, but she decided it would be better to let it be. She smiled, "well, okay. We'll go out shopping for another one once your father finishes this project." She came over and gave Edwin a hug before leaving.
"Thanks mom..." he said as she left.
Edwin had told her about most of what happened, how the Jeed had died and how he met the O'Connors. He left out the fact that he was rather infatuated, though. Edwin still wasn't really comfortable talking to his parents about girls. It just was not a subject that came up in the house a lot. Of course, Edwin guessed that his mom probably knew anyway. She would make awkward comments during the news like, "oh, she's cute, Ed, and you saved her? haha" then she'd elbow him. Why are moms like that?
Edwin whispered, "Ariel, I summon thee." Edwin's tattoo glowed and out popped Squiggers with a sparkle.
"What'd ya do that for? ...big meanie"
Edwin sighed, "come on, you know I hate being teased like that."
"But you do like her. Why so embarrassed?"
"Meh, I don't know, I just am... okay?" Edwin paused, "haven't told anyone but you anyway."
Squiggers laughed, "haha, even that is only because I can read your mind through the contract." She nodded at the tattoo with a smug look on her face.
Edwin turned off off the TV and slouched down in his seat. His features were lost in thought for a few moments then he asked, "Squiggers, do you think I'll ever see her again?"
Squiggers tried to keep a straight face, then burst out laughing. "Bahahaha, you're hopeless!" Edwin shot her an evil look, to which she retorted, "you'll see her again on the 10:00 news! Baha-whoa!" She barely dodged Edwin's other shoe. Before she was up again Edwin had caught her. She could feel the terrible twitching torturous tickling hands of doom descend upon her. "Oh no! Stop it, bahahahahaha, sto-ahahahahahaha, oh please, wheehehehehehe..."
The two of them rolled around as Edwin tickled Squiggers and she tried to escape. Finally they both fell in a heaving heap. Squiggers was want for breath for all the laughing, and Edwin for all the tickling. As they both lay there, eyes glazed and staring through the ceiling, Edwin said, "You know, I was fine before I met Keely, and nothing has actually changed. So, what is it about her existence that troubles mine so greatly?"
"Emotions, Edwin, are something we do not have control over. Thoughts and actions, however, are a different story. They are what give our emotions shape and power. You need to stop fixating on the problem and let the solution work itself out by the will of the Great Designer." She let her words sink in then continued, "Come on, let's go train by the river, that should take your mind of things. Maybe you'll even get the hang of fire spells" she said with a wink.
Edwin sprang to life at the mention of fire. They both got up, Edwin grabbed his things and yelled to his mother as they bounded out the door. "Going out, be back for dinner!" With that they were gone. He and Ariel went tramping out through the woods behind Edwin's house to an old secluded spot they had found a while back. It was a ways off from any houses and was by a little creek. It was a natural clearing by the creek bed that was good for all sorts of exercises. The steep bank on the other side and the larger rocks made for a good place to practice balance and the like. Plus with ample brush and fallen branches around, there were ample supplies for a natural training ground. But most importantly, it was very private.
They finally arrived and Edwin asked, "you finally going to teach me some magic today?" Edwin's face exploded with anticipation.
"I'm insulted! Don't tell me you have not enjoyed learning my enhancement techniques? I worked hard to teach you those..."
"Hard you say? You sat and ate grapes while I did all sorts of absurd tasks that I'm pretty sure you made up on the spot! ...where the heck did you get the grapes anyway?" Squiggers points to a grapevine nearby. Edwin just blinked, not quite sure when that had appeared or if it were even real.
"Whether I was eating grapes or not is not important. It's time to learn some new spells!" She said, emphasizing the end of her statement.
"But... hey?! you... Oh never mind. Fire spells... what grueling task would you have me do today then?"
"Strip."
"Strip what?"
"Gah, no, I mean get naked..."
Edwin blushed.
"Oh geeze, you'll keep your drawers on."
That still wasn't doing it for Edwin. "Why on earth would you have me strip in the woods in the middle of winter? What if someone walked by?"
Ariel laughed, "you know nobody comes around here, and besides, I'll be on lookout."
"Fine, but it's still ridiculously cold. I'm wearing two jackets for goodness sakes!"
"Edwin, do you know how you learn to shape flames?"
"Of course not."
"You have to freeze, I mean really freeze. Like, you'll probably risk hypothermia and death if you fail this test."
Edwin's heart stopped for a second. He had never thought about the inherent risk in learning to use magic. In magitech devices all the reactions are controlled in a medium, often crystals and energy conducting metals. But if too much energy went through at once or the magical equations were off the wires could vaporize or the crystals explode. Edwin tried to shake the unpleasant thought of exploding there in the woods.
Ariel watched Edwin think and when she thought he had really understood what was going on she continued. "Fire magic is one of the most powerful and most destructive, but it is also more risky. I have seen several talented wizards freeze to death trying to learn just the basics. But you have two things they did not."
Edwin perked up at this.
"First, you have the blood of an ancient race of giants running in your veins. That is a powerful magical catalyst..."
"Wait, I thought the giants were powerful earth magic users, not fire." Edwin interjected.
"Well, that is true, but earth and fire are related and many forget that in The War of Three Continents, it was the giants who raised volcanoes from the earth, combining fire and earth for devastating results. But also, the giants are one of The Hunted, during the great purge of the last century it was the giants who bore the brunt of the killings since they were among the most conspicuous of the sapien races, and the most peace loving. During that time something snapped in the hearts of those gentle beings. They say that it was like watching an explosion in slow motion when a pure blooded giant's composure finally broke. There were not many who were witness to the giant's wrath and lived to tell the tale. To bring this back to you, Edwin, you are one sixth giant. Your great great grandfather was a pure blooded warrior giant, and that fire of his burns in you. The aim of this training is to wake it up."
"...and to do that I have to freeze because?"
"Your body's natural bent for self preservation will seek to compensate for the cold, but when it can't you will either die or be forced to tap a new resource of warmth."
Edwin was beginning to piece things together. "You said I have two things going for me that others did not, what is the second?"
Ariel laughed, "me of course! Our contract lets me help you form the spell correctly, so you can avoid any unseemly syntactical errors. Plus, once you have made the connection with your own inner flame you will be able to connect with mine which is considerably larger." Her eyes twinkled dangerously for a moment and Edwin wondered for the first time, was she as benign as he had assumed?
They talked a bit more about the details and Ariel described more precisely what Edwin would have to do. Finally it came down to the decision. Edwin was apprehensive. It is not easy to consciously strip down to nothing and submerge one's self into the icy creek water till hypothermia sets in and hope that ones mind is able to connect with his inner flame and then repel the cold just in time to live. But Edwin had always wanted to wield fire.
"Squiggers... if I do die... what would happen to my parents, my brothers, and friends?"
Ariel knew what he was getting at. Being privy to his most private thoughts had it's advantages at times like these. "Well, first off, I do not think you will die. But should that happen, you know I've shared your mind long enough to know what you would want to tell those you leave behind. ...I probably should not say this, but I know you feel that this risk is somewhat irresponsible given your situation. Even though you won't admit it to yourself, you are a very responsible person, other people are always a burden on your heart. I want you to complete this training, Edwin. I have a bad feeling about what the future holds and I've been intending to teach you these techniques for some time. I believe that the incident where you met Keely and your Jeed died was not an isolated one, and I would like to prepare you for whatever the future holds."
Well dang... Was all that went through Edwin's mind at that point. "That's all a little..."
"...hard to take in. I know, and I can't explain any more than that right now." Ariel paused to gather her thoughts, "so, will you follow through with this training?"
Edwin, who had sat down some time ago, stood up and stretched. "I don't see why not." He winked as he took off his shirt and jacket. In a matter of seconds he had stripped down and was standing at the edge of the little creek wondering what the best way to get in would be. Should he walk in and lay down in the deepest part in stages or just go all in at once. He was starting to shiver rather violently already and it wasn't two moments longer that he got fed up with thinking and just rushed in.
His body fell into the freezing water with a massive splash. The initial shock of the cold took Edwin's breath away and he gasped sharply for air. He was waiting for that peaceful feeling one gets when one gets used to the temperature of the water, like when the family would go to the beach over the Summer. But that feeling was not coming and Edwins heart was pounding out of his chest. He began to shiver violently shoving some of the sharper rocks in the creek into his back drawing blood. Everything in Edwin was screaming at him to get out and find warmth, but Edwin refused to get up. He could feel his heart and the large arteries feeding his brain with life sustaining blood. His extremities were shutting down, the nerves were shutting off cause of the pain of going numb. Edwin tried to think of Keely, of his family, of the instructions Ariel had given him but it all faded into the dull thud of his heart surrounded by the rushing of the freezing water. Edwin could barely make out Ariel desperately shrieking his name as his consciousness shifted to black.
...WHATTT!...
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