Enzo watched as the little flame sputtered and sparked in his hand. It took all of his focus to keep it there, the moment his mind wandered, the flame withered and weakened. He experimented with the flame, trying to make it brighter, or bigger, or warmer and failed at each.

“You are like us, though I have never seen or heard of a human like you,” said Talwen. “You have a Fire Affinity, you have been blessed with the ability to control fire from the moment of your birth in this world.”

Enzo looked at his palm and released the feeling of fire in his chest. The flame was instantly extinguished. His hand felt fine, a little better than before if he was honest, and not a trace of ash or burn scars to be seen. Enzo looked back into the dragon’s eyes.

“If I am like you, can you teach me to understand this power?” He asked. “If I am as rare as you say, I doubt any humans can or would be willing to help me. The last thing I want is to be a tool for someone else.”

Talwen was silent for a moment, deep in thought. The smoke of the fire between them swirled to the roof. Enzo stared into the flames and waited for her response.

I shouldn’t have asked that. I don’t even know anything about this world, I might have just asked for something sacred. I might have just gotten myself killed.

“I will teach you control,” Talwen responded eventually. “I cannot allow you to run wild and burn the world down. You are right to think others would use you if they knew what you can do. You are wrong, however, to think yourself alone. Affinities are rare, but mages are not. You humans may not be born with innate magical abilities, but there are several colleges that study and cultivate magical power.”

Regardless of what happens with this dragon and my training, I need to find out more about the world. There is a lot more going on here than I expected.

“In exchange for teaching you, you will help hunt and protect this cave,” Talwen continued. “You must train both body and mind to develop this gift. You will begin with this fire. While you will not be able to create one this size or intensity for some time, you should be able to regulate and maintain it. Begin now.”

With that, Talwen turned from the fire and Enzo, and moved out to the edge of the rear opening of the cave. The moment she turned away, the flame began to dip, forcing Enzo to drop all other thoughts and focus. He sat in front of the fire and tried to follow the same process he used to make the flame in his hand.

Breathe. Feel the warmth of the fire. Don’t let it go out. Breathe. Smell the smoke. Visualize the flickering light. Keep it warm!

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The flame flickered and danced in front of Enzo. Try as he might, it steadily dwindled from a roaring flame to mere embers circling the stone in the middle. Several minutes passed as Enzo fought tooth and nail to keep those embers going.

I just need to build a base for the fire to build from! This is so much harder than she made it sound.

Eventually, despite his best efforts, the fire finally died entirely. The cold immediately began to seep in from the stone floor of the cave. Enzo looked back up to the dragon.

“I couldn’t keep it burning,” he said, dejected.

Talwen didn’t turn to face him. She stared out of the cave, over the waves of the ocean far below. Without notice, the flames erupted around the stone circle.

“Again, human,” she said. “You will master this today or you will be bones sinking into the ocean tonight.”

Enzo paled. Surely she didn’t actually mean to kill me if I can’t get this today, right? He tried to center himself again, but the threat kept playing through his mind.

Focus on the fire. Embrace the warmth. Don’t get eaten. Smell the smoke, let it wash over you. Not like the waves of the ocean. The flame sputtered and rapidly shrank. Shit shit shit. Flames. Burning bright and strong. The warmth of a campfire, the slow crackling of embers. The sparks as the ascend the updrafts. The fire steadied a bit, no longer contracting but still only a fraction the size of the original.

I just need to breathe. Stay calm. Enzo stared into the flames and watched the rhythm of their movements. The steady dance around the red gemstone in the center was mesmerizing. He imagined the steps and patterns of the flickering light. The warmth wasn’t filling the cave but he no longer felt the chill of the stone. He sat and held his focus for what felt like hours. The flame never recovered, but neither did it die.

“Improvement, but not good enough,” came Talwen’s voice from across the cave. Enzo had forgotten the dragon was there.

“Focus on your breath. Remember, a fire is more than just light and heat,” the dragon said. “It is the surrounding temperature, it gives everything nearby energy. It is air flow, dancing on the currents of the breath of the world as well as your own breaths. It wishes for freedom and expansion. You must embrace these ideas, master them and make them a part of you. Therein lies control of your fire.”

Enzo looked outside and saw midday light. It wasn’t as late as he’d thought, but the dragon hadn’t mentioned how long he would need to maintain the fire. He was beginning to feel hungry and it was gnawing at his focus. He stood from the fire.

“I’m just going to have a bite to eat, and I’ll return to this in a minute,” he told Talwen.

“If you think that is best,” she responded. “You will master this skill by sundown and maintain the flames through the night or you will die.”