Chapter 5

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                                Chapter 5: Practice and Prediction

            It was the longest elevator ride, ever.  Or at least it felt like it.  Ether was the only one inside and his heart raced faster and faster with every floor that he passed.

            He’d been to the top floor of Headquarters plenty of times, though.  He’d even had meetings with Mr. Raine before.  He really had no reason to be nervous.

            Except for the fact that his Meeting Request form was stamped with a big, red “URGENT” on the front.  But that was it, really.

            Well, there was also that other minor detail.  Just the fact that Vincent Clarke’s rise to power and tyranny was probably Ether’s fault.

            And then there was that boy at his school who caused quite an uproar the other day.  Ether was probably dealing with his first young mage as a Scout and he didn’t quite know how to handle it.

            Ding.

            Ether wiped his sweaty palms on his frilly, white shirt and flattened his hair.  The elevator doors slid open with a terrible grinding noise and Ether stepped out.

            The hallway to Mr. Raine’s office was long and the walk was typically pleasant.  It was carpeted with an olive green and burgundy pattern and the walls were thick mahogany, clad in pictures of previous CIMPLE leaders.  A slow and steady jazz song always rung out from the speakers in the ceiling, too.  But today was different.  The hallway seemed endless and Ether felt as if he were walking to his death.

            He reached the brilliant double doors to Mr. Raine’s office and swiped his identification card through the door authenticator.  He could hear the gentle voice paging Mr. Raine inside the office:  Mr. Ether.  Department One. Identification number nine one six zero zero one three nine nine.  Scout.

            Seconds later, the same voice was playing on Ether’s side of the door: Access granted.  Welcome.  Please step away from the doors.

            There was a clicking noise and the doors opened out slowly.  The sunlight coming from the windows in Raine’s office was almost blinding in contrast to the dark hallway that Ether had just walked.

            “Good morning, Ether!  Please, have a seat.  We have much to discuss,” said Raine.

            Ether did as he was told and took his chair in front of Raine’s desk.  “Hello, sir.”

            “How many times must I ask you to call me Sanford?  You know me much better than nearly everyone who happens to grace this building.  That being said, I have called you up today to learn a bit more about you,” said Raine, pointing at Ether.

            “Sanford, let us be honest.  You have brought me here to ask me about Mr. Clarke, have you not?”

            Raine shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  “Well, alright then.  Yes, that is – I thought we would get there eventually, yes,” he fumbled.

            “Alright.  Then why don’t we cut to the chase?  What is it that you would like to know?” asked Ether.

            Despite having to indulge in more secrets about his past and Vincent Clarke, Ether had caught Raine off guard and was now in the power position of the meeting, which made him feel much more relaxed.

            Raine shuffled through a folder on his desk and pulled out a yellow piece of paper.

            “Let me see here,” he said, scanning the paper.  “Yes, I thought that we would start with some basics.  First, when was the last time that you talked to him in person?”

            “I believe it was just before I left Britain to come here, four years ago.  I had just turned twenty one.  After all, Vincent is the sole reason for my departure in the first place and for this extra burden that has been placed upon our shoulders,” said Ether.

            “Indeed, extra security measures are a bit of a hassle, but your safety is of great value to us, Ether.  It is hard to believe that Clarke has been stirring up trouble for over four years now,” said Raine.

            “Longer than that, I assure you,” Ether said, coldly.

            Raine cracked his knuckles and picked up another piece of paper and examined it.  “Let’s go back to why you left in the first place, if that is alright with you?”

            “Sanford.  We have been through this.  I assure you that I have not withheld any information regarding that particular subject.”

            “Please, Ether.  One more time.”

            Ether sighed.  “To put it plainly, he killed my mother.  Sometime after that, my father went missing.  I could only assume that Vincent had killed him as well.  That could only mean that I was his next intended target.  I would have been foolish to stay in Britain any longer than I had.”

            There was a moment of silence.  Only the faint hustle and bustle of activities on the lower floors could be heard.

            “Had you considered trying to reason with him?  Discover his motives?” asked Raine.

            Of course he had.  It was his biggest regret.  He could have tried talking to Vincent, maybe even stopped his terror.  But he chose to run.  Like a coward.  Ether was at fault for everything, but did not want to admit it to anyone other than himself.

            “Reason with a murderous lunatic?” said Ether.  “I assure you, Sanford, that would have been impossible.  He would have killed me on the spot.”

            “But what about protection?  Bodyguards or something.  Even if he tried to Skirmish with you, you would have had help.”

            “Skirmish with him?  Ha!”  Ether was laughing sarcastically and obnoxiously.  “Me, Skirmish with the most powerful mage in two thousand years... that’s a laugh, Raine.”

            “I understand that he is a powerful water mage, Ether, and that it would be dangerous for you to Skirmish alone.  But with help from others, he could be subdued and – “

            “No, Sanford.  I’m afraid that you don’t understand.  He cannot be beaten so easily.  Do you have any idea why I fled for my life?  Why I refer to him as the strongest mage in two thousand years?”

            Raine looked confused.  He pondered this thought for a moment and then his eyes shot open in intense shock.

            “You can’t possibly mean… he’s – “

            “A Quadramage, yes”

            “And you… you are sure of this?”

            “I have witnessed it firsthand.  He kept quiet for years as to not draw attention to himself.  But now that he is on his quest for power, I assume that it is out in the open as a form of intimidation.  He knows no bounds.”

            Raine turned a ghostly shade of white.  “Amazing… the power of all four elements… very dangerous, indeed.  But wouldn’t that mean that you – “

            “No.  It is not as you would think,” said Ether.

            “I am sorry,” said Raine.  “This actually leads me to my next question.  It has been seven days since the murder in Britain’s headquarters and Clarke has yet to take further action.  Do you have any inkling as to what his motives are?  Is he preparing for war?”

            “He could be.  He is a very intelligent man.  But he is also very careful.  He typically waits until he is comfortable with his power or the given situation before he strikes.  The man does not know failure.”

            “But he has an army at his feet now!  He is practically a dictator at this point.  To top it off, he is an all-powerful Quadramage.  What more could he need?”

            “I am not sure, Sanford.  We can only continue to wait and speculate – “

            And then a thought struck him.  It made him feel sick.  Vincent was always so fascinated by it.  Years ago, it was all he talked about.  An obsession, almost.  An object of legend that he thought to be true.

            “Sanford,” said Ether, doing his best to remain calm.  “I think you should plant another spy in Britain.”

            “What?  Now?  After our first has gone missing?  Ether, it is too risky.  Men are not expendable, we can’t simply just – “

            “Sanford… I have a terrible feeling that he is seeking the Book of the Four Mages.”

*                        *                    *

            The flame danced in Kirk’s wide eyes before Aiden tossed it to the ground where it fizzled out from the wet morning dew.

            “Amazing!  See?  I knew we’d figure it out!” Kirk yelled with excitement.

            Aiden gave a subtle laugh.  “Yeah, we did, didn’t we?”

            “That is so cool, man.  So cool.  So what’s the secret?  How’d you figure it out?”

            “Well, it sounds odd, but I had a little bit of help.  I’ve been having these… dreams,” said Aiden.

            Aiden explained his dreams about Cafaran to Kirk.  Kirk listened attentively and did not interrupt once.  He didn’t look the least bit shocked, either.  After all, his best friend had just produced a fireball out of his palm… there probably wasn’t much left that could shock him.

            “Wow, that’s intense,” said Kirk.  “This Cafaran guy… why is he helping you, again?”

            “Good question,” said Aiden.  To be honest, he had not even thought about that himself.  It really was strange.  “They’re just dreams, though.  Maybe it’s just my brain doing guesswork and creating this guy in my mind to coach me, if that makes any sense.  I mean, in the one dream, he knew about me being on the beach with – never mind.  What I mean is… he knows things about me that only I could know.  So unless there’s some sort of mystical telepathy nonsense going on, which we know isn’t possible, then it’s just a dream.”

            “Hey, man, don’t count it out.  If I had told you two weeks ago that you’d be doing real magic you would have laughed in my face,” said Kirk.

            “I don’t know.  I guess.  It just doesn’t seem plausible.  But at the same time, the dreams seem so real.  It doesn’t matter, though.  I can do it, and that’s what counts.  Right?”

            Kirk nodded.  Then he started pacing in circles, as if deep in thought.  Aiden let him ponder this for a moment before he froze and turned to look at Aiden.

            “Hey… so if you can do it now, that means you can teach me, doesn’t it?”

            Aiden was afraid that Kirk would ask him this.  He wasn’t entirely certain that he could teach him.  A lot of it had to do with inner focus and mental images.  Those kinds of things are hard to plant into others’ minds. It would just be easier if Kirk could read his mind than have him try to explain it.  Not only that, but Aiden had only learned to harness this power less than a few hours ago.  He liked feeling a bit, well, superior.  For once, he could do something that Kirk could not that wasn’t related to academics.  He wasn’t so sure he wanted to give that up just yet.

            Aiden shrugged.  “I’m not sure,” he said, truthfully.  “The best I can tell you is just… do what Cafaran told me to do in the dream.”

            “Okay,” said Kirk.

            It took every bit of Aiden not to laugh.  Kirk had his eyes closed and his face was screwed up as if he were going to the bathroom.  His hands were shaking and twitching and he was breathing very deeply and slowly.  His lips were moving slightly and Aiden could barely make out that Kirk was talking to himself.  It was quite a sight.

            Kirk opened his eyes and stared down at his hands.  There was nothing.  He sighed and immediately tried again, looking just as ridiculous as last time.  Knowing Kirk, he would be here all day trying over and over.  Sometimes his determination was a bit too much.  After a few more attempts and more absurd facial expressions, Aiden laughed.

            “Yeah, real funny,” said Kirk.  “Just remember that I didn’t laugh at you even when you asked me to beat you up.”

            “Sorry,” said Aiden, still chuckling.  “You’re right.  But you look funny doing it.  It’s kind of like you’re trying too hard.  You should relax more. It’s the best way to concentrate.  Cafaran said control is everything, anyway.”

            Kirk nodded and tried again.  He did look much more relaxed this time.  However, he quickly broke his focus and turned to Aiden.

            “Let me see your ring,” said Kirk.

            “What?”

            “I need it.  I just realized that I don’t have an interbum or whatever and – “

            “Hang on.  Intagrum – for one.  And two, I’ve never taken this ring off for longer than a few seconds.  I wouldn’t feel right without it,” confessed Aiden.

            “Come on, man, please.  I don’t have an Intagrum.  And if I do, I have no idea what it is or if it works the way yours does.  But we know yours works.  Just let me try it.  Please?”

            It was difficult to refuse his best friend.  Aiden thought about all of the support Kirk had given him over the past few days.  He brought him to Ridgeway and sat with him, very patiently, waiting for something to happen.  He never got mad or upset and was nothing but encouraging.  There was no denying that Aiden owed him this favor, to say the least.  He began sliding the ring off of his finger.

            “Thanks, Aiden.  You’re the best,” said Kirk.

            “No problem.  Just… be careful with it, okay?”

            As soon as the ring left his finger, a strange feeling captured Aiden.  He felt colder and shuddered a bit under the warm, morning sun.  His senses felt less sharp.  The flowers and greenery of the field didn’t smell the same.  His vision blurred for a second and he swore that he could hear the birds singing a different tune.  Cafaran really wasn’t kidding when he said that the ring augmented Aiden’s abilities.

            Kirk gave a couple of more attempts with the ring on.  Sometimes he switched it from finger to finger and even changed hands.  Nothing seemed to work.  There was absolutely no sign of magic happening.  For the first time in his life, Kirk looked a little discouraged.

            “Hey, man, don’t sweat it,” said Aiden.  “Remember what you told me the other day?  Can’t expect to be a professional after – what – two hours?”

            Kirk smiled.  “Yeah, you’re right.  This is pretty tough stuff, man.  I give you credit for being able to do it.  Trying to focus like that is mentally exhausting,” he said as he pushed up his hair with his sweatband and rubbed his forehead.

            “And I’ll return the favor, you know.  I’ll head out here every afternoon with you if I have to until you can do it, too.  By the way, have you given any thought to what you would do with your magic?  Assuming that you’ll be able to do it, of course… it’s gets complicated when you think about it because – “

            “Hold up.  I have to be able to do it first.  Once I can, then we can start thinking about all that other stuff.  I don’t want to get sidetracked.  Focus is everything, you said it yourself.”

            Aiden nodded.  “Hey, do you want to take a break for now?  We skipped breakfast and I could really go for a sandwich downtown.”

            “Yeah, that’s fine.  I don’t want to burn myself out, either.  And who knows… maybe the oh-so-wise Cafaran will have an idea about how to help me.”

            Aiden laughed.  “Maybe, yeah.”

But Aiden did not see that green and white checkered couch for nearly a month.  Every night he would go to bed and hope to see Cafaran, but always woke up disappointed.  Except for the nights when he dreamed of Myriah.  But that was equally as frustrating.  He’d been so caught up in magic with Kirk that he hadn’t had time to pluck up the courage to talk to her.  It’s not even like she was hard to track down, either.  They had three classes together and she was typically alone whenever he saw her.  But she made him feel weak in the knees and Aiden found himself forgetting what he was going to say any time he thought about turning to talk to her.

            And on top of that, Dylan was acting strangely, too.  He seemed to have a short fuse and would get fired up over silly things.  And his comments were getting a bit rude.  Saying things like, “huddle in the corner without me again,” or something.  Aiden wasn’t really sure. He didn’t have time to pay attention to that.

In fact, it was hard to focus on anything else at the moment, what with magic and all of the schoolwork he’d been doing.  His teachers were definitely overworking him and Hazzlok’s class was just downright unfair.  The workload was intense and Aiden wasn’t exactly excellent at Chemistry to begin with.  He was well on his way to receive his first ever “B” and did not want to have to stay after school with Hazzlok for extra help.  He, too, was acting strangely toward Aiden.  Instead of the loathing that he displayed on the first day of class, he was sometimes overly nice.  He also seemed a little nervous.  Maybe he was just trying to make up for being a jerk on the first day, but it didn’t make Aiden like him any better.

Aiden was at least thankful that his parents didn’t question him, either.  They had no idea what he was doing at Ridgeway.  They just believed that he was going to play Frisbee with Kirk every day.  It made sense, though.  He came home tired and sweaty each night, so it was a pretty feasible lie.

For a full month, Aiden and Kirk knew only homework, magic, and sleeping.  They exhausted themselves, day in and day out.  Kirk’s progress was grim.  There was hardly any, actually.  Either he was much slower than Aiden, or he simply would never be able to do it.  Hopefully it was the former.

On the other hand, Aiden used their time at Ridgeway to practice his own skills.  Aside from merely creating a ball of fire, he could now extinguish it in his hand, make it hover around him, or juggle two or three of them in his hands.  He was quite talented with his magic.  And while this sometimes motivated Kirk to try harder, it also made him feel a bit down on himself.  Aiden tried not to overdo it.

But one Friday evening, he did overdo it.  It was brilliant, though.  He made a fireball the size of a watermelon and couldn’t put it out.  Kirk had to dig a quick hole with his hands so that they could douse the fire with dirt clods.  More mentally drained than ever, they quit early and went home.  Aiden’s pillow never felt so good.

He felt that strange, familiar sensation.  Like he was being sucked through the floor.

“You are a great friend, Mr. Brande.”

“Cafaran!”

“Hello again.  Yes, you are a true friend, indeed.  As you may have already guessed, I have been watching you still.  Your willingness to help Kirk is quite admirable.  Even going as far as letting him borrow your Intagrum.”

“Well, yeah.  I mean, it’s only fair.  He helped me, so I said I’d help him.  It’s the right thing to do,” said Aiden.

“Truly noble.  Spoken like one who seeks fairness and justice.  As you know now, teaching one to use magic is no easy task.”

“Yeah, seriously.  It seemed so much easier when you told me what to do.  But I guess it’s because this is a dream and all,” said Aiden.

“Ah, well that may be part of it.  But there is another very important reason as to why you cannot teach him to do what you do.”

“And I assume that you’re going to tell me what this is?” asked Aiden.

“That is correct.  For one, he needs his own Intagrum.  An Intagrum is a soul-bound object, meaning it only works for its true owner.  And secondly, Kirk will never be able to produce a flame.”

Aiden froze.  He felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck.  This seemed to be a trending feeling when he visited Cafaran.  He was nearly at a loss for words. 

“So… we’ve been wasting our time?” he squeaked.  “But he wants to do it so badly.  It would crush him if I told him that.  He doesn’t know how to deal with that kind of rejection, trust me.”

“Come now, Mr. Brande.  Again, you are failing to think this through sensibly.  What did I say first?”

“That he needs an Intagrum?”

“Yes.  Now why would I say that if it were impossible for him to perform magic?”

“But… you said he could never produce a flame…”

“Exactly.  You think magic stays contained in just fire?  I said that he couldn’t produce a flame.  Think.”

As usual, Aiden was dumbfounded as he sat on the couch across from Cafaran.  “I’m sorry, Caf.  I know you have a lot of faith in me but I’m pretty lost here.”

Cafaran gave a small laugh and smiled.  He clapped his hands together and leaned forward.  “Ah, yes.  Of course you would not know this.  I just wanted to see how far you’ve stretched your mind over the past month.  Anyway… just the ramblings of a bored, old man.  Allow me to explain.”

Cafaran slowly stood up and began pacing around the coffee table.  He gestured Aiden to help himself to a cookie and then heaved a deep sigh.

“As I said before, magic does not exist solely within the realm of fire.  Depending on how well you’ve been paying attention in your Latin or Chemistry classes, you may know of the four classical Greek elements, yes?”

“I – well, maybe.  I think I remember something from Latin.  Earth, fire, wind, water?”

“Very good.  You see, it was the Greeks and Romans who invented magic in the first place.  This is how the stories of the gods and goddesses were created.  Those who could not do magic or notice it merely passed it off as an act of the gods.  Magic was also the reason for the creation of some of the first government, for containment purposes.  And we can also assume that it was probably the reason for many early wars.”

“Okay, thanks for the history lesson but… how is that relevant?” asked Aiden.

“Patience!  But yes, I suppose I went off on a bit of a tangent.  That brings me back to the four elements, which are essential to magic.  You see, every person has some sort of elemental affinity, whether they are a mage or not.  And most of the time, it is quite easy to figure out based upon their personality.  The best way to explain it is to think of some of those clichéd metaphors they teach you in school.

“For example, if someone has a bad temper or they get upset easily, you could say that they’re ‘hot-headed’ or maybe that they have a ‘short fuse.’  This could be a clue that they are affiliated with the fire element.  If someone isn’t very receptive of others and has a hard time being nice at first, you could say that they are as ‘cold as ice,’ and so forth.  Is it starting to make sense?”

Aiden nodded in agreement.  “So, if you said Kirk could never produce a flame, then he’s definitely not fire.  But what would he be, then?”

Cafaran shrugged.  “And why are you asking me this?  He’s your friend, not mine.  If anyone should be able to answer that question, I would think that it would be you, Mr. Brande.”

“Good point,” said Aiden, feeling slightly defeated.  “Well, he’s very determined.  He’s also a good friend, he’s very creative, and he’s insanely athletic.  I mean, I tried to catch him a while back and it was just impossible.  But the list goes on.”

“Slow down.  I think you may have answered this question already.  Think about what you just told me.”

Aiden thought for a moment.  “He’s… quick?”

“Yes, I think that is a very good starting point,” said Cafaran, smiling.  “Which of the four elements would you say most associates with quickness?  Well, three, rather.  I don’t think you and Kirk would get along too well if he were associated with water.”

“Right... um… well fire spreads pretty quickly, but you’ve pretty much ruled that out.  So that leaves earth and wind.  When I think of earth I think of dirt and rocks, and that just sounds slow… so I’d have to guess wind.”

Cafaran smiled and sat down.  “I think that is a fair assumption, Mr. Brande.  You continue to impress me.  What a fine young man you are growing to be.  I must say, your fireball this afternoon was quite good.  Perhaps a little more control is needed, but it was excellent nonetheless.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Cafaran glanced at the wall of clocks.  “I am afraid it’s that time again.  I don’t think we will be seeing each other for a while, so I wish you the best of luck in helping Kirk.”

Aiden felt the room start to get blurry.  He was getting that strange sensation in his gut.  But he needed to know something.

“Wait!” he cried.

The room straightened itself.  The couch felt more defined.  The smell of the cookies was more prominent.

“Yes, Mr. Brande?”

“Why… are you helping me?”

Cafaran smiled yet again.  “But this is a dream, is it not?”

“I don’t know.  Sometimes I don’t think so.  So in case that it isn’t… why me?”

“Well, let’s just say that I have a good feeling about you.  I think you are worth watching and one day you will be very important.”

“What do you mean?  Important to who or what?”

“To me, for one.  And, if my hunch is correct, the fate of the world.”

The room blurred and spun on the spot.  He was sucked through the couch before he could respond.

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 : Ridgeway

            “Hey, Dad, you’re home early.  Hope you don’t mind Kirk coming home with me… we’re going to head down by the park,” Aiden called to his father.

            “Sure.  Hey, Kirk, what’s happenin’?”

            Kirk stifled a smirk.  Bruce Brande greeted all of Aiden’s friends this way every single time, so eventually it became a running joke between Aiden, Kirk, and Dylan to make fun of it.  Bruce was tall with a bit of a lesser-rustic build.  He sported a bushy brown mustache and a tattered muddle of a hairdo that had a tint of orange to it.  His face was dressed in a mess of freckles that looked like a poor connect-the-dots puzzle.  It was evident where Aiden got most of his looks from, minus the fair skin from his mother.

            “Not much, probably gonna go toss a disc around,” Kirk replied.

            “Man, you guys and that Frisbee, huh?”  He paused for a second and drew a deep breath.  “Hey, Aiden… do you think it’s a good idea to be running around after yesterday’s events?  Especially if you don’t know what’s wrong,” said Bruce.

            “I’m fine, Dad,” Aiden said quickly.

            “Alrighty.  Just… take it easy, I guess.”

            “We’ll be back around dark.  Pizza tonight?” asked Aiden.

            “Before dark.  And yeah, fine with me.”

            “Okay, see ya,” said Aiden, opening the front door.

            “Later, Papa Brande!” chimed Kirk.

            The two began their trek to Ridgeway Road, which was only about a twenty minute walk from Aiden’s house.  It was an easy walk, too.  Aiden and Kirk’s small town of Quincy was pretty quiet.  Nothing exciting ever happened: nobody had a gigantic and immaculate house, no accidents ever occurred, there was practically no crime, no celebrities lived there, none of the school sports teams were any good, and the town was so small that everybody knew everybody.  In fact, the town was pretty boring, to put it mildly.

            They soon reached Ridgeway Road, which had to be one of the creepiest roads in town.  There were no houses on it and the street was long and twisted with many sharp turns, making it impossible to see who or what was coming around the corner.  There was a lone street lamp near the stop sign at the far end, but other than that, there was not a trace of light after the sun set behind the tall trees on the west side of the road.  The east side was even spookier because half of it was clad in thorny shrubs and cluttered trees, while the other was home to uncharacteristically long cattails, which supposedly blocked the view of the Quincy Bay.

            “There’s the guardrail.”  Aiden pointed.  “Is that where we go?” he asked.

            “Yeah, that’s it.  Just walk behind it and follow me along the stream real close… there’s a ton of sticker bushes that I’d rather not have to pull you out of,” said Kirk.

            After receiving a few shallow cuts on their arms from weaving through a hundred feet of jagged shrubs, the vegetation began to open up.  The high, three o’ clock sun painted quite a beautiful picture as it peeked its way through small gaps in the large tree branches overhead.  Aged leaves cluttered the ground and the clear stream sparkled in the sun spots, displaying a habitat of tadpoles, frogs, and small, yellow snakes that Aiden quickly moved away from… he hated snakes.

            “Pretty cool, huh?” said Kirk.

            “Yeah, but, um… a lot of this is flammable.”

            Kirk laughed.  “We’re not there yet.  Still about three hundred yards to go – haven’t even hit the split yet.  Just… thought I’d point out the scenery…”  He grimaced, so Aiden took a guess.

            “This is where you used to take Angela, isn’t it?”

            Kirk frowned, drew a deep breath, and sighed.  “Yeah, she loved it…”

            “Come on, take me further.  We’ve got magic to do,” said Aiden, grinning.

            At that, Kirk smiled, and they pressed on. 

            No more than five minutes later, they reached the split and went left as Kirk had instructed.  Judging by the amount of slithering reptiles they had seen so far, Aiden really did not care to see what was over to the right.  The stream began to close up and eventually reached a dead stop at a solid wall of six-feet tall, yellow grasses.

            “Over here!” called Kirk.  “It’s a bit thinner this way… less chance of getting Deer Ticks,” he chuckled.

            Aiden didn’t exactly find this funny, but humored Kirk with a grin and followed him into the tall grasses.  With some minor struggling, they reached a large, open field.  Ridgeway Field.

            It really was as Kirk had explained: big and full of a whole lot of nothing.  It was just about the size of a Major League Baseball field and it looked like one, too, with mixed patches of dirt and grass and a small mound in the middle with a chunk of concrete jutting out of the side.

            Aiden smiled.  “It’s perfect,” he said.

            The two made their way out to the middle by the dirt mound and stopped so that they were far enough from the trees and taller grasses.

            “Okay, now what?” asked Kirk, excitedly.

            Aiden paused.  It wasn’t until now that he realized that they had come here without a plan.  He still had no idea how to produce a flame at will, and didn’t even know how to go about trying again.  He was even starting to doubt that it ever happened in the first place.  Maybe he was going crazy and Kirk was just playing along to make him feel better.  What if something else caused the fire and the smoke had made him delusional?  He decided to be honest.

            “No idea,” Aiden sighed.  “I tried to tell you that before.  I don’t know where to begin.  Hell, I don’t even know if it even happened anymore.”

            “Stop – it did happen.  You said it did, and I believe you.  And the hospital?  That wasn’t a trick lighter or something.  You did it.  It’s real.”

            Aiden thought about this for a moment.  Kirk was right.  “I guess so, yeah,” he said.

            “Good, now why don’t we just start out with things that we do know,” Kirk said matter-of-factly.

            “Alright.”  Aiden paused to think.  “For one, both times, I was really sweaty.  Maybe that’s important.  Also, I was really, really mad… and kind of embarrassed at the same time.  So… I’m not really sure how that fits together,” he confessed.

            “Well, let’s just start with the first one, then.  Come on, catch me.” And he instantly took off at a run.

            “What?  Are you serious – Hey!  My old man told me to take it easy!” he yelled.

            He was only wasting his breath, though.  Kirk was a good distance away, taunting him.  Aiden charged after him.

            To paint a clearer picture, a kid who was average-at-best at anything that involved physical activity was chasing one of the school’s top Track runners.  It was like a small pickup truck trying to catch one of those NASCAR vehicles all decked out in Tide colors and Cheerios emblems – All he could do was wait for Kirk to run out of gas.

            Which could take hours.

            Or days.

            Or maybe never.

            Ten minutes later, Aiden hunched over to catch his breath and waved one hand, signaling that he’d given up.

            Kirk jogged back over and looked as if he’d only just walked up a small flight of stairs.

            “Good enough?” Kirk chuckled.

            “Ya think?” Aiden panted.  His face was beaded with sweat.

            “Okay, give it a shot.”  It was easy to see that Kirk was excited.

            “Jeez, man… I’m not a runner like you.  Can’t I get a minute to catch my breath?” he heaved.

            Aiden paced around in a circle with his hands on his hips for a long minute.

            “So, now we just wait?” asked Kirk.

            Aiden shrugged and did just that.  They waited in silence, hopeful and attentive.

            But nothing happened.

            No fire, no spark, not even a glow.

            They both sighed.

            “You’re useless.  I don’t even know why I bothered wasting my time with you today,” said Kirk.

            “Excuse me?” said Aiden, clearly startled.

            “Yeah, that’s right.  You’re just a nutjob.   I mean, really, magic?  What, are you six years old again?  Grow up!”

            Aiden couldn’t believe his ears.  His best friend, of all people… He was furious.

            “You look like you want to hit me,” said Kirk.

            “Yeah?  Well, maybe I do right now.”

            “Ha!  You’d have to catch me first, though.  Not that you ever could –“

            “WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!?” Aiden yelled.

            And then Kirk smiled.

            “Good.  It worked,” he said.

            Aiden was confused.  And he still really wanted to punch Kirk in the face. “What?”

            “I was only trying to get you mad.  You said you were angry both times when it happened.”

            “Oh… I suppose it didn’t work then.  Did anything strange happen to me?”

            “No, but for a second there I really thought you were going to slug me,” said Kirk.

            They both laughed.  And then Aiden had an idea.

            “Hit me,” said Aiden.

            “Huh?”

            “Just do it.  I have a plan.”

            Kirk gazed at him skeptically.

            “Come on, man, we’re losing daylight here.  Sock me.”

            “Don’t be an ass.  I’m not going to hit – “

            “C’mon, pansy.  Just do it!  Don’t be a – “

            WHAM

            Kirk’s fist connected with his chest.  For a small guy, he really packed a wallop.  Aiden shoved Kirk in retaliation, as if to say Keep going.  Kirk got the message and continued brawling with his best friend.

            Aiden had an idea.  Maybe it wasn’t the best idea, but it was an idea nonetheless.

            He balled his fists in rage and stared at them, feeling the full assault from Kirk completely unguarded.  His knuckles were white.  He strained so hard that he thought he might pass out.

            Any second now he thought.

            His face was pouring with sweat and veins protruded in his neck like a complicated pipeline on the verge of bursting.  He focused harder than ever on his fists.  Kirk gave him another heavy shot to the chest and Aiden fell to the ground.

            He was drained.  Kirk didn’t look too hot, himself.  He took a knee to get level with Aiden.

            “Now why the hell did you make me do that?” said Kirk.

            Aiden was wincing and struggling for breath yet again.  “I don’t know.  I thought… it would work.  I was focusing on my hands and everything.  Desperate idea, I guess…” he sighed.

            “Hey, man, don’t worry about it.  We’ll figure it out.  I’ll come here every day with you if I have to.”

            “You know, I’m starting to think that you want this more than I do.”

            They laughed.

            Kirk had always been that way, though.  Determined like no other.  When he put his mind to it, there was absolutely no stopping him, no matter how many times he had to fail before he achieved success.  That’s probably why he was so athletic.  His confidence was unparalleled.  He made a great coach, which was good for Aiden – most of the time he needed it.

            “Here,” said Kirk, helping Aiden to his feet.  “A few more tries, but I’m not beating you up again,” said Kirk.

            Aiden smiled.  “How sweet of you.  Gonna take me out to dinner afterward?”

            “Funny… Maybe I should hit you.”

            After an hour’s worth of sweating, straining, and frustration, no progress was made.  They decided to call it quits and head back to the Brande’s for dinner.

            Kirk was being so encouraging that Aiden did his best not to show it, but he was bummed.

            “We’ll get it.  I mean, it’s just like anything else, really.  Can’t expect to be a professional after two days,” said Kirk.

            And it was fairly true.

            Aiden and Kirk spent the remainder of the week completely focused on magic.  They did nothing but conjure new ideas in their classes and went to Ridgeway every day after school until dark to practice.  Despite their efforts, they made no discoveries and were nothing short of exhausted by the end of the week.  Friday night’s session ran well into dark and Aiden got home later than usual.  He wolfed down his dinner, took the world’s quickest shower, and went right to bed.

            He flipped his pillow over and fell asleep almost immediately.

            He was sitting on a large chunk of rock, with his toes in the sand, looking out at the sunset across the calm sea.  The sound was soothing.  It was warm and slightly breezy.  Maybe it was like paradise.

            And then she was there.  Myriah. 

She was walking over to him.  She smiled and waved.  Her hair was let down and was swaying gently in the ocean breeze.  She looked absolutely stunning.

            She sat down next to him and smiled again.  Aiden returned it as she leaned in close to him.  He took her hand in his and laced their fingers together.  He wrapped his other arm around her and brought her in even closer.

            For a moment, they sat in silence, watching and listening to the waves.

            “Don’t you wish we could just stay forever?” he asked.  “Leave it all behind.  Run away.  You know?”

            She turned her head away from the sea and looked at him.  She was so gentle, so innocent.  It was like she was melting in his arms.

            “Sometimes.  But I know we have to stay.  And I don’t mind.  You’ll keep me safe,” she said in almost a whisper.

            There was a longing in her eyes, bluer than the sea they sat by.  Aiden smiled as she leaned her face in closer to his.

            “And… there’s something I wanted to tell you…” she said.

            She closed her eyes and was suddenly only an inch from his face.  He closed his, too.

            Maybe their lips met.  Aiden wasn’t exactly sure.  It had been a long time since he’d kissed a girl.  Maybe he had forgotten what it felt like.  It seemed weird.  Like his body was being sucked through the sand.  The sound of the sea faded.  The warmth left his body.  The sunset disappeared.

            He was sitting on a green and white checkered couch, awkwardly holding a pillow.  He looked across the table in front of him and saw the old man smiling and giving a small laugh.

            “Perhaps I should have waited another minute to bring you back,” he said.

            Aiden felt his cheeks turn a pale shade of pink.  “You… saw?” he asked.

            The old man nodded.  “Yes, and it’s part of why I brought you back.  You hardly know this girl and you’re already dreaming of her.  Maybe you should talk to her once before you continue doing such things.  It is a bit odd, you know.”

            Aiden felt quite embarrassed.  “Gee, thanks for the advice.  What are you, my grandfather?” he asked sarcastically.   

            “No, but speaking of him – well, why don’t you get comfortable and we’ll talk about the real reason for why you’re here.  Have a cookie.”

            Aiden obliged and took one.  It was just as soft and delicious as it had been last time.  Aiden looked at the old man and gave a nod of approval.  “Okay,” he said. “But before we get started, who are you?”

            “I told you before that I do not wish to tell you just yet.”

            “Alright, fine.  What about a nickname or something?  I can’t just call you Old Man or Gramps,” said Aiden.

            The old man chuckled.  “I am not fond of aliases, but I do see your point, Mr. Brande.”  He paused for a half minute.  “You may call me Cafaran.”

            “Nice to meet you, Cafaran,” said Aiden.

            “Thank you, Mr. Brande.  Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?  I have been watching you all week.”

            “What do you mean?” asked Aiden.

            “I meant what I said.  I have been watching you.  And Kirk.  And what you’ve been doing at the meadow.”

            Aiden was taken aback.  How did he know?  How was he watching him?  His heart began to race from nervousness.

            But this was only a dream.  Wasn’t it?  Isn’t that what Cafaran said last time?

            “You look a bit shocked.  Let’s just say that I am a very old, but very wise man, and in many ways, I am like you.”

            “I don’t know about wise.  Cryptic, more like.  You never make sense,” said Aiden, truthfully.

            “Come now, Mr. Brande.  You are more intelligent than that!  But, alas, you have had a long and tiring week.  I will put it plainly… I am a mage, just like you.”

            Aiden was not sure why, but this made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

            “Mage?”

            “Yes, a mage.  Magic user.  Wizard.  Warlock.  Whatever you’d like to call it, but we refer to ourselves as mages.  We have extraordinary powers, as you might have noticed during your locker room incident.”

            “So it was real.  Or, is real, rather.  Good to know I wasn’t just hallucinating,” said Aiden.

            “Ah, but this is just a dream after all.  Maybe you can’t be certain.”

            “Why must you rain on my parade?” asked Aiden.

            Cafaran chuckled.  “I am merely poking fun.  Lighten up, Mr. Brande.  This is something worth being excited about.”

            “Excited?  More like frustrated.  I can’t do it anymore.  It was a one – well, two time deal.”

            “Oh, but you can.  That brings me to my next point.  I am going to teach you how to control your magic.  Would you like that?”

            Aiden nearly fell off of the couch.  Hopefully this wasn’t one of those dreams that ends right before the good part happens.  He’d had enough of that already.  This dream seemed different than the last one, though.  It was more real.

            “Well, yeah, of course,” said Aiden.

            “Good.  Now I must commend you for your efforts so far.  You are…what is the expression?  Close but no cigar?  Anyway, you were right to think of your hands.  You may thank that which you are fumbling with at this very moment.”

            Aiden looked down and realized that he was toying nervously with his gold ring.  He stopped and held it up, puzzled.  “This?”

            “Indeed.  Your grandfather’s ring is your Intagrum.”

            “My what?”

            “Intagrum.  It sort of means ‘connection’ or ‘link’.  It is an ordinary object, treasured by the owner, that augment’s his or her magic abilities.  In your case, it is your grandfather’s ring.  Unless you care to disagree?”

            Aiden carefully examined the ring, thinking about Cafaran’s words.  “I suppose you’re right.  I always wear it.  I think of it as my good luck charm and – ohhhhh, now it really makes sense.  The ring didn’t melt when my hands were on fire both times!”

            “Precisely!  See?  You are quite intelligent, Mr. Brande.  Yes, the ring did not melt because it is what drew out your power in the first place.”

            “So, all I have to do is use the ring?”

            “Patience, please.  Let me finish,” said Cafaran.  “The ring is significant, yes.  Casting spells is no easy task at first, but like many other things, it eventually becomes second nature after doing it enough.  It takes a great deal of emotion to cast your first spell.  And usually the second and third as well.  The sensation of great anger, sadness, determination, and so on will typically cloud the focal process of a cast.”

            “Not sure if I’m following.  So is there an incantation or some phrase I have to say or something?  I don’t quite get it.”

            “To put it more simply, it involves great focus.  Think about what you want to do.  Let the spell form in your mind, and then follow it through your bloodstream.  Depending on your level of focus and the type of spell, it will grow stronger as it passes through different chambers in your body.  Watch it travel through you and release it through your Intagrum.”

            Aiden took in every word.  “So, I did all of that when I was angry?”

            “Probably not all of that.  That is why the spell was out of control and you nearly torched your entire school.  Focus is an essential part to control.  Why don’t you give it a try?”

            “Here?” asked Aiden.  “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll burn your house down?”

            “No.  For one, I trust you.  And two, I am a mage, as I told you before.  I could put out any flame you could muster right now.”

            “Gee, thanks for the confidence booster.  So, I can do magic in dreams then?”

            “Some dreams are more real than you’d think.”  He winked and gestured Aiden to stand up.  “Go on, try it out,” he said with a smile.  “I will guide you through it.”

            Aiden stood up, straight and tall.

            “Let’s try to create a fireball.  About the size of a baseball will do.  Form the image in your mind.”

            Aiden nodded.  I want to create a fireball, he thought.  Small enough to throw or catch.  I want to feel it in my hand.  And a picture of a flaming ball appeared within his head.

            “Close your eyes, it will help,” said Cafaran.  “Now, let it travel through you.  Be direct.  Right from your mind to your left hand and out through your ring.”

            Aiden kept his eyes shut tight.  The ball of fire began to move within his mind.  It rolled down his neck, as if he were swallowing it, and moved through his heart from chamber to chamber.  It didn’t bounce, but rolled quite smoothly down his arm.  He could feel the hair standing up on his forearms as it rolled down to his palm.  He pictured the ring, glinting with the reflection of the flame.  He felt a small surge of heat.

            “Open your eyes, Mr. Brande,” said Cafaran.

            Aiden did as he was told and saw exactly what he had pictured in his mind.  A fireball about the size of his palm floated just an inch above his hand, soundless and warm.  It danced around and spun in his hand as if it were bending to Aiden’s very will.  The feeling was incredible.  His eyes lit up and he was grinning wider than ever.

            “Now, let us find a use for it.  Throw it at the wall.  Don’t worry, you won’t cause any damage,” said Cafaran.

            Aiden was slightly startled by this, but he did not break his focus.  He nodded in agreement and took a step to his left to face the wall of many clocks.  He took aim at a twelve thirty with a brass pendulum and wound up his arm like a pitcher.  He threw with a great force and watched the fireball leave his hands, soaring through the air with grace.  The ball connected with its intended target and ignited the clock.  It began to melt underneath the flames.

            “I’m sorry!  You said it wouldn’t –“

            “It is alright.  Just watch,” said Cafaran quite calmly.

            He waved his arm and it looked as though an invisible bucket of water dumped itself on the clock.  The flames were doused and the clock was steaming with a steady hiss.  Cafaran waved his hand once more and the clock began to reform.  Within seconds, it looked the same as it did just moments ago.

            “Excellent, Mr. Brande.  Very good indeed.”

            Aiden could not help but grin.  “Thank you, Cafaran.”

            “Any time,” he said.  “Oh, dear, speaking of which, I have kept you for too long again.  Forgive me, Mr. Brande.  Do well to remember what I have told you.  I am certain that we will meet again.”  He smiled his usual smile and nodded.

            He felt like he was being sucked through the floor.  The last thing he saw was the warm smile.

            Aiden rolled over in his bed and opened his eyes.  The sun was up.  This was good enough for him.  He snatched up his cell phone and began dialing furiously.  He waited patiently for someone to pick up.

            “Hello?  Aiden, it’s like eight in the morning, dude.”

            “Kirk!  Get up, we’re going to Ridgeway.  I have something I need to show you.”