Light streamed through the small window, bringing Eiron to consciousness. He groaned in protest, the fog of sleep still clutching his body. Stretching, pain sharpened his thoughts. "I must have hit that Arcleum harder than I realized." He thought, inspecting a scratch that ran from his heel to his shin. It appeared mostly scabbed over, but it still stung as he brushed his fingertips across it.

He froze, his sleepy eyes alighting in excitement. "It's Ortus." He half-whispered. Now thoroughly awake, he leaped out of bed and practically flew down the stairs. Wincing at each impact he also discovered the clash yesterday had left his feet fairly bruised. The piles of Sulcar stalks and the various implements strewn about created a maze from the stairway to the only empty table.

A quick bowl of leftover stew and he was off. Normally, his parents spent their mornings around the house before tending to their Sulcar fields. But since he was occupied for the day, they had left much earlier to care for his usual plot. Glancing at the sun, he hurried his steps, the fear of having overslept spurring him onwards.

People rushed by, each focused on completing their day's work before the evening festivities. As Eiron neared the center square he noticed a few other children his age moving towards the same destination. Some looked as excited as he felt while others were attempting to hide their trepidation.

Calling out a greeting here and there, they all continued on. By the time he arrived at the square, there appeared to be around fifteen of them. They all gathered around a decoratively carved wooden post set in the exact center of town. Nervous chatter murmured across the square rising in volume, matching the arc of the sun. Light striking the bottom of the post brought with it a collective hush. In that moment of expectation, a figure emerged from the largest of the nearby buildings. With the sun warming their backs, the group studied the man intently.

Even with a slight hunch due to age, the village elder still seemed to exude a vivacity that stood in sharp contrast to his weathered features. Hands clasped behind his back, he almost glided across the cobblestone. His deep blue robe, a few shades darker than the Sulcar, fluttered in his wake. The man maintained his silence as he reached the post and took a position to the right of it. At which point, he bowed and offered a greeting. "May your prospects prosper, young ones."

Not knowing the proper response, Eiron simply returned the bow. Most of the others did the same while a couple mumbled the greeting as well. Standing straight once more, Eiron focused on the elder as he began his lecture.

"Ortus. A day which can define a person's journey through life..." He scanned across the eager faces assembled before him. "...If you let it. All have stood where you do now. Yes, even one such as I. This day, your tenth passing of the seasons, is one of discovery and wonder...yes...but also one of responsibility and restraint."

He smiled warmly; but if you looked close enough, there was sorrow, or perhaps regret, mixed in as well. "It's time." Turning, he began walking away. Eiron glanced about and found the others were just as surprised as he was. After a few moments, one of the girls shrugged and followed behind him. As if that was the secret signal, everyone else moved as well, hurrying to catch up. Eiron found himself near the back of the pack next to a blond boy who appeared as if he slept in a haystack.

"Any idea where we're going?" Eiron murmured.

"Nope."

"Well...it looks like we're headed away from the river so...could be anywhere."

"Okay." The boy stared up at the sun as they walked and then squinted at the passing buildings. Returning his focus to the back of the elder, still leading the way, he continued in silence.

Eiron waited in expectation for some great epiphany but with none forthcoming, he ventured another attempt. "I'm Eiron by the way." A grunt was the only response. "So, what's your name?"

"Oren."

"Okay then." Eiron thought. "He's probably just anxious." The Elder chose this moment to resume speaking and everyone drew closer to hear.

"Today marks not only your tenth year but also the first day of summer as I'm sure you're aware. Each of you were born closest to this Ortus ten years ago. Five days from thence, what we consider your first week passed. As you know, five weeks make a month and five months make a season. All told, today marks your 5000th day on this planet. And on such a day, it is time for you to begin learning the art of Enrichment "

By this point, they were well outside the city, in the open plains. The elder stopped with such abruptness that those following on his heels nearly crashed into him. He ignored the tumult and seated himself cross-legged in the tall grasses waving in the wind. Closing his eyes, he took a few deep breaths and seemed content to sit there forever.

Eiron looked around for any clues as to why they were standing in a circle around an old man but came up empty.

"This will do nicely." The elder's voice cut through the awkward silence as if he had never stopped speaking. "Now, sit and listen." He opened his eyes and continued as everyone complied. "We shall start with what you know. Do you know why all the adults meditate for at least an hour each day?"

Immediately, one of those seated closest to the elder spoke up. "It's because-"

"I said listen." The elder firmly interrupted. Shock turned to anger quickly on the boy's face but he held his tongue. A strange silence, broken only by the wind weaving through the grasses, filled the area.

Sitting in mild confusion, Eiron considered the situation. Was the old man crazy? The same confusion was reflected in the faces around him except for one girl. Her's was more fear than anything but contained a sliver of confidence as well. She opened her mouth as if to speak, coughed once, and then shakily started.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Um, It's because of the work, Elder." She paused but the elder didn’t react so she continued, a bit more firmly. "My mother always says, ‘The older you get the less energy you have to run about. Meditation aids in recovering from all the daily labor.’ "

The elder nodded once. "A common reason, most of you were probably told something similar. Has anyone else heard anything otherwise?"

Eiron almost spoke but stopped himself just in time. Who knew how the elder would respond. In that moment, he noticed the wind by his head pick up slightly. It stuck out from the random breezes due to the fact that he only felt it on one ear. That and the whispers. It sounded reminiscent of the wind blowing across a chimney or through a narrow crevasse.

Tentatively, he spoke. "My parents told me it was to help focus the mind. They said, 'a mind at peace aids in all aspects of living.' Is that true Elder?"

Raising an eyebrow, the elder’s eyes twinkled. "There are shades of truth in many things. The difficulty lies in sifting it out. A deeper reason, however, is one which is hidden purposely until this day. You are all old enough now to not only handle the risks physically but are also able to understand the inherent dangers. Observe!"

Fixated, Eiron noticed the elder's robe began to billow in the wind. But there was no wind at this moment. It was as if the earth itself was holding its breath in anticipation. The next oddity sent a quiet gasp through the children. It was subtle, but the elder had begun floating! Only an inch at first, but speeding his ascent, the elder rose to a full three feet off the ground. With perfect poise, the elder stared straight ahead, deep in concentration.

Shocked, they all looked on in awe. Eiron knew there were ways to gain back energy quickly, eating a Sulcar for instance, but this was beyond his wildest imaginations. An eternity of seconds later the elder descended back to sitting on the solid ground. A bit of sweat glistening on his forehead, the only sign he had dared to defy gravity.

Mind ignited, Eiron sat, dumbfounded. How was this possible? He decided to risk a question but someone beat him to it.

"Elder, how can this be?!"

"Indeed, it is a marvel. One which should not be taken lightly. Now, as I explain, close your eyes and focus. Feel the wind brush against your skin and the firmness of the ground below. Breathe it in. Let the warmth fill your lungs as you hold the air before releasing it back to the world."

Settling in, Eiron tried to calm the racing of his heart and thoughts. He could feel the wind but it felt the same as every other day. Fighting off frustration, he listened as the elder continually expanded his understanding of this new revelation.

"While you do so, I will teach you the basic principles of Enrichment. Every source of energy has more to it than simply heat or force. Thousands of years of study has been devoted to discovering all that we can and yet it still escapes our comprehension. This Essence can be borrowed and harnessed, but never stolen."

The wind died, allowing an eerie silence to settle over the plain. Moments later it returned once again.

"Just now, I pulled Essence from the air, causing it to lose strength. That Essence can be stored indefinitely, but eventually, be it by choice or by death, it must be let free once more."

Around the elder, the wind roared. A hint of something whorled about him, a sort of mist or thin fog. What little could be made out, spun around him in a vortex. The force of the air pushed against Eiron upsetting his balance; but he leaned into it, managing to maintain his equilibrium. Just as quickly as the wind had come, it abated. The grass flattened in a circle around them the only remaining sign of its strength.

"As you have seen, this Essence can cause much destruction when used recklessly. He chuckled before abruptly regaining his solemnity. "That is why it's very important each and every one of you restrain yourselves and only gather Essence while supervised." Pointing to each of them in turn, he waited until all had verbally acknowledged his warning before relaxing his stern gaze.

"In time you will be taught much but this path you now walk has no known destination. There have been many people over the generations who have devoted their lives to studying a single aspect of Essence. Even today, there are countless mysteries yet to be explored. For now however, we will begin with the basics. It's time for you to take your first step, Assimilation"

With bated breath, Eiron hung on every word. His most outrageous dream of flying across the sky like a bird was nothing compared to this revelation. And this was as real as the dirt underneath him! Unnoticed in his entrancement, the other children were equally bewitched. Sleep would certainly not be taking any of them early this night.

"You must pull the essence from the air without attempting to contain the air itself. Take a deep breath in and let it all back out. Pause in that moment between breaths. Feel the wind? Now try to sense what's behind it. The force throwing the air about. Let the wind pass but pull that force closer."

Continuing on, the elder explained the sensation in a wide range of techniques and metaphors but Eiron blocked it all out. Closing his eyes he tried to imagine the wind rushing past him. Each swell running and hiding from the force, the essence, chasing it onward.

It seemed to draw closer, looming just beyond his senses. Taking a breath deep enough to hurt his lungs, he slowly let it back out. He sat in the space before his next breath, his body feeling oddly peaceful. Seconds passed as the essence, ever so slowly, grew nearer. Pulse now pounding in his head, Eiron tried to will the essence ever closer.

It moved at an agonizingly slow pace. At this point, his throat was convulsing for air but he was afraid to disrupt his focus. Instead, he mentally reached out towards the essence, trying to pull it closer with all the might he could muster. As if a door had been flung open, the essence rushed towards him. It pierced through his skin and dispersed evenly throughout his body.

The sensation was very odd. The air essence felt connected to his physical body while also feeling distant somehow. It swirled about, constantly moving but also pulling away from him as if it wanted to escape. Nothing at all like yesterday’s rush from the Sulcar plant. Finally relenting to his screaming lungs, he drew in a breath of fresh air. He could feel it stir slightly in his chest and a fraction of the essence seemed to dissipate as he exhaled normally. Opening his eyes once more, he looked around the group

Besides Oren and the girl who was first to follow the elder, everyone seemed to be in various stages of concentration. Apparently, they were the only ones who had been successful thus far.

Turning his attention to the three of them, the elder gave further instruction. "Next you must try to keep hold of the essence you captured. Naturally, you will lose a bit as you breathe but even then, try to keep it separate from the outside air you intake. Also, assimilate as much essence as you can."

Eiron brought his focus inwards again. He grasped for the air essence but that only seemed to push it about. Scrapping that idea, he took in another breath while focusing on the essence. A small portion responded to the air inside his lungs, meshing with it, causing it to surge with vitality.

Inspired by its interaction, Eiron tried a different tact. Drawing breath yet again, this time he also pulled in more air essence with it. Success! With new essence already dispersed through the air, there was no need to pull from his larger supply.

He glanced up at the sun and was shocked to notice at least an hour had passed. Stretching his stiff back, he wiped the sweat off his brow and set about gulping down air in earnest.