It also touched her. At least, it felt like it did. Running up her finger was a dense jolt of something. Locked in place, she felt it continue up her arm. It crawled like a spider, deep under her skin. It streaked from her shoulder directly towards her heart. One panicked beat of that critical organ, and it struck. A flare of brightness behind her eyes mirrored the impact. It faded, leaving the forest many shades darker than before. Of course, Farha didn't notice the darkness, or frankly, even the flash. Her sole focus was the foreign interloper in her heart.

Edgar was kneeling down, blowing on a few errant sparks, when snapping twigs broke the evening stillness. Wide-eyed, his head snapped up, searching the tree line and shadows. Ahven appeared beside him, sword drawn, as the crashing drew nearer. Plunging out of the darkness was a manic creature. It tore across the clearing and plowed into Ahven. Luckily, he was able to throw his blade aside before the collision.

Now with a reassuring arm around her back, Farha could form coherent thoughts again, mostly. Trembling, she ignored the alarmed inquiries and took stock of her state. 'Breathe. Alright, I'm alive...I can still see. Deeper breaths, open airways, the shock will pass. I can deal with this.' Her self reassurances had a visible impact.

"You was right terrifying, you were, charging out from them trees. I was cert'n a Boumel would be having a hearty meal tonight."

Ahven kneeled down and tried to meet Farha's gaze, searching for harm.

"It was quite a fright. Are you well? Is there something in pursuit?"

"No...I'm fine. I think I'm fine. Well, I'm not dead yet."

With such a comforting response, Ahven and Edgar inadvertently drew closer with intense focus. Although, they each periodically scanned the parameter, searching for threats.

"I was returning with a large bundle of sticks, like you asked, when I found something...strange. It was a ball, not a ball? Something circular and grayish with many little details and folds. Anyway, I shouldn't have, and I’m sorry, but I touched it. There was this spark that raced through my arm and then I ran back here."

"A ball? Like the one you're holding?"

Farha glanced down in fear. There, resting peacefully within her hand, was the object. Revolted, she promptly turned her hand over and let it fall to the trampled ground.

"What?! How did- what is it?"

Ahven winced at the question. Edgar's sympathetic nod solidified his task, and besides, it was already too late.

"That, my dear trainee, is a Mandelbulb. An air one, to be specific."

"Okay, but what is it?"

"It's an orb that forms... See, the air and water..." Looking up to the sky, he searched for the words. Were there any that didn't carry future reprimands?

"Just tell her a what ya can. She'll know soon 'nough anyhow."

"I suppose. Listen Farha, don't share with anyone what I'm about to tell you." He nudged the orb with his foot. "This Mandelbulb-"

"Most folks just call 'em 'orbs'."

"Yes, orbs. Now, as I was saying, this...orb...holds a bit of the 'air' inside. Others can hold water or light, and in rare cases, well, I'll leave that for later. If you touch it, some of that 'air' leaves and travels along inside your body. It's quite dangerous, but you were lucky enough to find a small one.

"Looks like it's moldered too."

"Edgar, please allow me to instruct my pupil how I intend. I'm trying to limit the world-shattering revelations here."

Edgar appeared contrite, until Ahven turned his back. Then, he risked a sly wink to Farha.

"As Edgar so gratuitously pointed out, this orb has begun to molder. The longer it sits unused, the faster it deteriorates."

Farha studded the little gray orb in fascination. She moved to touch it, but a pang in her heart quickly halted the impulse. She decided to inquire further instead.

"Where do they come from?"

"Usually from creatures. Those that live in areas highly concentrated in...air...will form a collection of that energy within them. You've heard of gleaners? Besides keeping areas safe, their main source of income is harvesting these orbs and selling them to the cities. Once in a while, an area will be so thick with, air, that a Mandelbulb will form on its own. Before you ask why they form, we're not sure. Perhaps some expert in some far corner of the world has figured it out, but if so, they have declined to share it."

"That's...incredible."

"Hmm, I suppose it is. You eventually get used to it."

They both contemplated while staring down at the orb. Its many facets and curves were illuminated and hidden in turn by the fire. Edgar had been successful at last. A particularly loud crackle broke Ahven out of his musing.

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"How are you feeling? You were holding it for quite some time."

How was she feeling? Her heart still contained that...air? It tugged at her, back toward the pass.

"I feel strange. You know when you get punched in the head and it jars your whole body? It was like that when I touched it. It's still whirling about and I can feel the pressure on my heart. Will it go away?"

Ahven's instruction demeanor faded away to one of concern.

"Ah, that is much worse than I thought. You seemed to have held on to some of the air from the orb. Have a seat and try to relax."

Farha sat next to the fire, closed her eyes, and truly did try to relax. It was much easier said than done.

"Alright, now let go of the air. Let it return back to where it came from. To the sky, not the orb. We can never add to the orb, more's the pity."

The warmth of the growing fire added to the comfort of Ahven's presence. Finally, her heartbeat returned to near its normal rate. She uncurled her hands and let the air go. Success! The pressure was alleviating. It was, however, dreadfully slow. It flowed down her arms and out through her hands but she could also feel it seeping out through her pores. Her clothing hovered above her skin, a blissful sensation.

"Perfect! Now you should be back to normal."

She really wasn't. Or was this now normal existence? This constant pressure being released? She was beginning to seriously regret touching that...uh, Mandelbulb? Orb really was a more elegant name...actually...

"Why call it an orb?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean instead of 'bulb' or 'mandle'? I couldn't say. They do resemble a sphere, one with intricate protrusions...I suppose it was just easier to say. And you can open your eyes now. Feeling better with the pressure gone?"

"Uh, it's not gone though."

"What? Did you not listen? I said to let it go."

"I know! It's still going!"

"Farha this is very serious. Leave your tricks and pranks for lighter matters."

"I am serious. Can't you feel the air blowing away from me?"

Incredulous, Ahven reached over to verify her claim. Lo and behold, he could feel the air rising up from her hands.

"How peculiar. You were holding it for a while...but that still doesn't make sense. It should all leave in an instant without training...unless..."

He held his hands above Farha's, trying to get a sense of the rate of airflow. It was slow but steady. The light pressure caused his hands to drift but he could resist it simply enough. Feeling the pattern change, Farha did open her eyes. With the process already started, she was able to maintain the flow with much less focus. Ahven was there in front of her, bearing a sorrowful expression.

"Farha, I'm not really sure how to tell you this."

"Tell me what?"

"I'll start with a bit of background. You see, holding this air...it's no use, you'll know soon enough anyway. It's actually called Essence. Manipulating this essence has three distinct aspects. They are called many things in many different lands but I'll simplify them for you. There is your ability to collect, to expel, and to hold."

"Is that what I'm doing? Expelling the air...essence?"

"Exactly. This may be difficult to hear, but each person has a specific limit to how quickly they can collect or expel. Think of it like a metal pipe with water flowing through, some pipes are bigger, some are smaller. These limits appear to be random but are influenced by your parents, at least in part."

He paused to let her process. This was a lot to add to the proverbial pile. Farha bore it well. As well as she could. There were still a lot of unknowns, of potential outs. She considered the ramifications of all this new information in silence. Edgar had moved to the other side of the fire, trying to give them some semblance of privacy. The smell of the vegetables he was roasting triggered a series of stomach growls from all three of them.

"So...you're saying...I have a small one of these pipes?"

"I'm afraid so. It would be a disservice to hide this from you but I do apologize nonetheless."

"And these limits can't be changed?"

"Nobody has done so before. Perhaps you'll be the first!"

His abrupt change to a cheerful tone told Farha all she needed to know on that front. So that's how it was. She was surprised at her own disappointment. Just minutes ago she hadn't been aware that essence even existed.

"While it is terribly unfortunate, it still doesn't account for your situation fully. You're still expelling air essence which shouldn't be possible even with tiny pipes. The third aspect is holding, which should be a much more positive story. Unlike the other two, someone's ability to hold essence can be improved. It is a very slow process, one which experts devote their lives to, but it is possible."

"This is a positive thing how exactly? From the sounds of it, I will still always be limited by the other two."

"True, and again I want to stress that it is a slow process to improve holding. But, if I'm correct, you are starting from an exceptional point. Even now, you're still expelling air. This leads me to the conclusion that your capacity to hold is quite immense."

Farha tilted her head, deep in thought. Now that he mentioned it, there was a lot of air flowing around inside. At least, compared to the amount rising from her hands. She tried to look at the situation from several different angles, her words matching the deliberate pace.

"Do those with larger pipes run out of...essence quickly?"

"Wonderful! You're exactly right. Oh, and I should mention most people refer to them as channels but pipes will do for now. This is why people spend their lives trying to increase their capacity. So they won't run out when it's inconvenient or even life-threatening."

"That is good then...for me. If I can hold enough, might I never run out?"

Just then, she ran out. The air ceased to flow, the weight of her clothes dropped back fully on her frame, and her hunger became acute. What didn't cease was the tugging feeling. It hadn't even faded in intensity. It was light enough that it could be ignored, but never fully forgotten. How strange.

"I guess we shall see with time. At least for now, you aren't completely unstoppable."

Farha mirrored Ahven's smile and then glanced at the delicious food waiting to be devoured. First though, the orb.

"Is it safe to touch now?"

"What? Oh, the orb. It should be fine. Just don't pull too hard. I thought it was moldering but you likely pulled enough for it to reach this state. Ah! Maybe you're collecting ability isn't so restrained. Let's worry about that tomorrow though. It's getting quite late, and I'm getting quite hungry!"

She couldn't tell if he was only trying to cheer her up or if he genuinely thought there was hope for her ability. Farha chose to believe the latter.