Max paused at the edge of the lawn.

“So we’ve discussed the worlds as sources of magic. Do you know the building blocks of that magic?

Kel thought for a moment and recited what he had learned years ago under Caaron’s tutelage. “Earth, wind, and fire. Water is a useful element as well, but the core of Sephyrian magic revolves around these three.”

“And yet, I am not here to teach you Sephyrian magic. I’m here to teach you to swim in the waters in which madmen drown. I’m here to make you an honest-to-Gibb Wizard. So expect things to get…weird. And get used to the weird.”

Kel simply nodded. He didn’t feel he had said anything requiring contradiction, but decided that shrugging it off was the best approach with his strange mentor. He looked around as she led him further from the mansion. It was a lawn the size of which Kel had never seen. Of course, he had seen plenty of fields this size, but never a manicured lawn like this. To the east stood the fountain and to the west, a single willow tree diametrically opposed within the diamond of grass.

Max gestured, her arms spread. “So what elements are present. Presently?”

“Well - water because you have a fountain. Air, which is blowing through the tree. Earth, which we are standing on. The only thing missing is fire.”

“Wrong.” The sorceress said. She snapped her finger and fire erupted in front of them, the size of a large bonfire. It burned, eerily, consuming nothing but retaining the shape of bare flames upon the lawn. It was real, though - the grass upon which it had burst quickly curled and burned, sizzling and blackening at the edges where the flames licked. Max smiled and warmed her hands, though the weather here was temperate and comfortable. “So now I want you to do what I did.”

“But I can’t do that. I don’t know that spell.”

“Exactly - spells. Spells are great tools, but they aren’t all there is to magic.”

“What do you mean.”

“I mean, calling the elements in this world is very useful for when you need effects without a pre-written spell. That’s how spells are made in the first place. They’re encoded and locked. You will be creating something from scratch.”

“So you can teach me to summon fire?

She rolled her eyes. “We’ll get to that. First, take off your shoes; we are going to attune you to the elements.”

Kel did as he was told.Feeling a little silly, he stepped out of his boots.

“Wiggle your toes. Feel the grass beneath them. Now, the dirt below that. Now, the rocks and sediment and roots below even that. I want you see if you can describe how the energy of these things feel to you. You don’t have to say it out loud. Just to yourself.”

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Kel attempted to extend his perception to his feet and below. It was grass. He could definitely feel the grass on his feet. It kinda tickled. “How is this going to help me summon fire?”

“Give it time. Keep doing that until you feel you have become attuned with the element of earth.”

He stood for a while, trying his damnedest to relax, but all he could feel was the grass. It was starting to itch a little. He fought the urge to squirm, but found himself losing concentration at an alarming rate. He opened one eye and peeked at Max. She was staring at him, a concerned frown on her face.

“Let’s try somewhere else.”

This time they walked all the way across the yard an then the meadow, down by the road-side where an aged gate creaked open into the woods surrounding the estate. They walked for another ten minutes or so down a faded path until they reached a clearing. Here, the grass was just as manicured as it was by the house, though old vines wrapped around the trees and around trellises that surrounded the garden.

There were statues scattered all about the garden, at least ten of them. An old man resting under a tree. A woman standing, palms up in supplication, a boy close to Kel’s own age sitting cross-legged in the grass.

“What is this place?” Kel asked, admiring the stonework woman.

“The element of Earth is strong here, so I made a little garden. Do you like it?”

“It’s very peaceful.” Sunlight filtered through the trees and onto moss-covered stones. Birds chirped in the background.

“That it is. Now try again; lie down this time.”

Kel did as he was told, though he felt a bit silly. The difference, however, was noticeable: The ground in this place felt like earth from his home, moist and cool and with a coppery smell tinged with the tea-smell of fallen leaves. He could feel himself becoming cool and still. The thoughts of home faded to a stillness that Kel had never experienced - he could stay like this forever if he wanted. His heartbeat slowed. His all was dark and cool and calm. Kel decided, in what little conscious thought he had left, that it wouldn’t be terrible to stay like this forever.

Forever still.

No, that wasn’t right. He had people he needed. Mother.

But it was so relaxing here.

No, there were things left undone. Finding Peri, his brother.

But you don’t need brothers when you were stone.

Friends - Jasper and Peter.

Kel’s eyes flew open. He stood up, immediately, and made sure that he could really, truly move. He tapped his foot, making sure that the ground he stood on was separate from himself.

“Welcome back.” Max smiled.

“That was scary. What happened? How long was I like that?”

“You attuned with the element of earth. A little too well, actually,” she nodded,” that was perhaps an hour, give or take.

“What would have happened if I had stayed?”

She gestured to the statues. They were so peaceful. And so lifelike…

“Wait! I could have been stuck like that forever!?”

“Not forever. Just as long as you would have liked. And the longer one rests, the more likely one is to continue resting.” That feeling, cool and dark and calm, had been very alluring. It was what death probably felt like. Kel shuddered.

“Oh relax. I wouldn’t let you turn to stone. What kind of teacher do you think I am, really? Let’s move on.”

She began to walk back up the path toward the manor.

“We’ll take a break and discuss banishing instead. It’s a little more engaging and less likely to cause drama. So tell me - Out of the animal folk’s tongues you have studied, which one gives you the most trouble?

“Avian. I was only able to study out of books, since there were no Avians in Five Pines. I thought I met a tengu once, but it was just a very odd looking person.”

“Well then, we will perform the rest of our lessons today in Avian,” she said matter-of-factly.

Kel groaned.