Dreiki's bare feet crunched beneath waist-deep snow. Even with his own magic to keep himself from getting frostbitten, the persistent usage of his magic was more exhausting than he thought it would be. Not only did he need to maintain warmth for himself, but he also needed to maintain warmth for everyone else Savekio had forced to walk barefoot in the snow.
While it was good practice for controlling his output of magic, it was taxing when paired with how they had to scale rocky hiking trails, and treacherous cliffsides. Apparently, these mountains they were going through were only the precursor to Mt.Arukuniir’s mountain range.
Dreiki hoped, at the very least, he and everyone else would get to wear their shoes by then. Lost in his thoughts, his foot caught onto a rock hidden beneath the snow and sent him tumbling.
Rixam snatched him by his collar, leaving Dreiki’s legs to dangle over the edge.
Savekio was looking back, seeming relieved that he hadn’t needed to rescue Dreiki himself.
“You alright?” He asked.
“Yeah, I'm alright.” Dreiki said as Rixam carried him back to the trail.
“You’re still focusing too much effort towards your magic.”
Dreiki grit his teeth, melting the snow on his clothes, “No, I’m fine.” He exhaled, a cloud of warmth billowing from his maw.
“Think of why I don’t need your magic to keep myself warm.” Savekio said, gesturing to his bare feet. He had even taken his furs off, only wearing a single scarf. The majority of their furs and coats were now snugly secured to Ezo. At least the jolly bat drake was warm and happy.
“Didn’t you say this was related to being able to read those pages?”
“I did.”
“So then-”
“Think, my disciple. How am I shielded from the elements without using my magic while you and your friends must use your magic to shield yourselves?”
“It’s no surprise the battle master of the Ventator Knights is tough!” Rixam said in mild frustration. He had been ensuring the brutal winds of the mountain were at least a bit more manageable.
Luna had also been pushing as much snow out of the way as possible. Between them all they were surviving without serious exposure, but Savekio had none of that.
“No, I think he means there’s something other than magic that can be used to defend from the elements.”
“Bing-Bong!” Savekio said.
“Even if this ‘force’ comes out to protect us from our own magic, that doesn’t mean it’s the only time it comes out, or that it’s related exclusively to magic.” A cruel wind blasted Dreiki’s face with numbing cold.
“These winds are insane!” Rixam said, re-establishing his spell.
“Welcome to the Altix,” Savekio said with a hardy laugh, “It will only get worse from here!”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
There was a collective groan from the children. Dreiki wanted to join them, but something in him fixated on the puzzle presented instead. This wasn’t just Savekio being cruel to them. It was a lesson.
Savekio didn’t want them to suffer or simply survive and come out of this mountain exhausted. It was a lesson against brute force and perseverance if anything. They had to figure out how to walk undisturbed by the mountains like he was.
Despite their collective effort to use their magic to fight off the cold, it had not worked. The wind blew in his face again. He felt ice crystals forming in his eyebrows, and his skin tightened from the cold.
“Can you stop allowing the wind to get through? It’s annoying!” Luna snapped.
“If it wasn’t for me, I wouldn’t be the only one capable of flying away!”
Moral was starting to get low, and Dreiki felt no closer to the answer than he was before. Why didn't his flames ever hurt him?
Trying to figure out how to control that protective force was like trying to control his heartbeat. It was certainly possible, Savekio was proof of that, but how much control could he really have at the end of the day? And how would he know if he had controlled it in the first place?
What if he could create a hole in it and burn himself with his own magic? He looked at his hand, which had turned a dark red at this point. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
He clapped his hands together and wreathed them in orange flame.
What if… He focused on his hands; On that feeling of insulation from magic. Stretch it apart, form a hole in that insulation. Dig through it until-
Dreiki winced, jerking his hands and extinguishing the fire.
“What happened? Are you alright?” Luna asked.
“Yeah, I was just surprised. I’ve never burned myself with my own magic before.” He said, looking at the burn mark on the back of his hand before it healed.
“You burned yourself with your own magic? How is that possible?”
“I’ve got an idea.”
Dreiki moved ahead, out of the air bubble Rixam had created for them. He felt like he was going to suffocate from the cold air. Rixam really had been doing a lot to help them so far.
He reignited his hands, focusing on that insulation again. He imagined himself turning it into a pair of gloves. The wind blasted his flames away, but the gloves remained for a split second. He repeated it again and again.
If I can make a hole in it, then I can stretch it too.
He envisioned it as a coat and soon felt it spread down his arms. It only remained for a few seconds, but those few seconds of warmth on his arms were the signs that he was on the right path. He looked to Savekio, picking up one detail which he hadn’t fully comprehended earlier.
Even though Savekio was wearing a scarf, tunic, and trousers, none of that fabric was caught in the wind. It was hanging normally as if he was completely isolated from the winds in a different way than a wind user like Rixam.
It’s not just magic. What if it’s also the reason we can grow so strong, and heal so quickly? Why did Savekio never have thunder follow him no matter how fast he moved? What caused a xiozian’s innate magic resistance?
“On more hint, since you’re getting close,” Savekio said, ”Have you ever wondered why talking with someone, or eating good food repairs your soul?”
“I have, but…”
“What do you think carries that nourishment from the physical to the ethereal? After all, our relationships and love for one another is a matter of the mind, and our food a matter of the body. So how is it that this transfers to our souls?”
That’s it!
Dreiki felt that coat expand around his body in an instant. The wind stopped completely.
“I’ve got it!”
Savekio smiled at him, “Congratulations, my disciple. You have successfully awakened your Ux for the first time.”