Chapter 1: The Forest

Once the blood is gone, I decide to try and practise using the magic again. I try to reach down and feel the burning feeling again, but it is not as easy as last time. I struggle and focus for a while until I feel the feeling again. I can feel the heat in the air, and I try to pull it towards me. I manage to form a small ball of fire above my palm, and I throw it at the nearby trees. It bursts against the wood and sets a small part of the forest on fire. YES! I exclaim mentally. I did it. It's very weak and uncontrolled, but it's there. I can use magic.This time, I feel a second feeling, this one feeling like a cold gust of wind. I reach for it.

The wind bursts out around me, ruffling my clothes and hair. I push my hair back out of my face and smile in excitement for the first time in years. I actually feel like a child for once. I try again, reaching for another feeling. I struggle to detect the feeling, but once I do, it is the easiest one and the strongest one so far. A layer of darkness covers the area. Even though I know it is there, I can still see perfectly through it. I practise more, and manage to shape a small knife out of the darkness. But when I throw it, it disappears. I'll need to practise more to do that. I try to reach for another feeling, and it takes a while, but I manage to detect a new one. This one crackles and when I try to grab it I jolt. Electricity flows through me and the nearest tree gets struck by lightning. Wow.

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I try one more time. Reaching in, I feel a strong power but then it disappears. I feel it again a moment later though. I wait for it to re-appear and then grab at it, trying to use it. For a second, I get it and then suddenly it’s gone and I throw up in front of me. I look up and realise that I have moved. Not by much, but I have. I jump up in celebration, but immediately feel nauseous and sit back down. Teleporting is not nice on the stomach apparently.

I decide to stop the magic practice and finish cleaning myself up. I head back to the tree and rest.