The ocean was much nicer and cooperative during the next two days of the voyage. I finally met the trade winds the articles on the internet promised me, but they were gentle enough that they didn’t make big waves. I had no problem with the waves, but I’m sure Rue thanked the Guiding Spirits daily for our sailing conditions.

After the first day, Mahya decided not to open the balloon again—it was too much of a headache to open and fold it. I assured her that in Nevada, in the desert, there was plenty of room, and we could fly long distances. Our basket was big enough.

This reminded me I needed to create some kind of wind spell to help Mahya navigate the balloon. I already knew the “flavor” of wind or air, but I still couldn’t replicate it. I sat with my eyes closed on the back deck, spread my mana sense as wide as it would go, and felt the mana of the surrounding wind.

This time, connecting to the wind’s mana was much easier. I didn’t know if it happened because my mind power orb grew or maybe because there were no disturbances here and the wind was “pure,” but I quickly lost myself in her.

I got to know her like a close friend. Playful and light, she dislikes staying in the same place and occasionally has tantrums, but she is never malicious. She loves to play, sing, and make music with the leaves, the waves, the sand, and anything that makes a sound. She enjoys traveling and wandering and hates being limited or constrained. I got to know her and felt a strong connection with her. I, too, was like a leaf in the universe’s wind. Flying from one world to another, wherever the winds will take me.

This part of me felt a closeness, affinity, empathy, harmony with the wind, and a connection forged between us. We were one, both of us blowing across the cosmos without roots or a place that was truly ours. But everything was ours, from the open spaces to the closed caves. We were everywhere, and every place was our domain and home, but it also wasn’t, as we had no roots to tie us down. I sank deeper and deeper into the wind, and for a fleeting moment, I felt Unity. The wind and I merged into one, and nothing could separate us.

I opened my eyes and found myself floating above the sea, and our boat about two hundred meters away from me. From the shock, I lost the connection and fell into the water. It was such a big surprise that I started flailing and swallowed some water.

Snap out of it!

I stopped flailing and let myself float for a minute to get myself under control. After feeling calm, I took out the E-foil, pumped a lot of mana into it for speed, and surfed to the boat. Meanwhile, the boat moved almost a kilometer away from me.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

When I got to the boat, Mahya came out of the saloon and asked me, “Why did you suddenly decide to jump into the water?”

“It wasn’t planned,” I replied, feeling sheepish.

“How exactly do you jump into the water without planning it?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“When the boat runs away from you.”

She looked at me with wide eyes. “Huh?!” she exclaimed.

“Don’t ask. I was trying to build a wind spell and ran into a minor snag. Don’t worry, I’m working on it,” I explained, rubbing the back of my neck.

She shook her head and muttered, “Wizards are so weird.”

“Did you get to meet many wizards?”

“One before you, and he was strange too. He would argue with fire and talk with water,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Did he tell you anything or teach you anything that could help me advance as a wizard?” I asked, half-joking.

“No. He didn’t talk to people at all, just the elements. Like I said, weird.”

“When I start talking to grass, hit me on the head to wake me up, okay?” I said, laughing.

She laughed, too, and nodded, her eyes twinkling with amusement.

After the last “accident,” I decided not to play with the wind over the ocean. If I got too connected to it, the boat might disappear over the horizon, and I wouldn’t be able to find it. Instead, I started practicing the second exercise Lis gave me. Spreading my mana sense as far as possible, I plucked a basil leaf from a sprig of herbs and practiced moving it all over my mana field. It was easier. Before, my mana would move away from my body about forty or fifty centimeters and dissipate. With an active mana field, I could control it at a distance of close to two meters. It still wasn’t even close to the size of my mana field, but it was progress in the right direction.

On the following day of sailing, I didn’t feel like practicing, reading, or doing anything related to my studies. I just wanted to enjoy the sea. Rue wanted a movie, but I explained to him we were already very close to Hawaii and occasionally saw boats or yachts, so taking out the house wasn’t a good idea. He wasn’t pleased and gave me sideways glances most of the day with mentally shouted grumblings.

In the afternoon, I took out my guitar and started strumming the strings. I didn’t play a specific song or melody. I simply relished the sound of the music, and a song composed itself in my mind. Instead of being written, it originated within me and spontaneously exploded into existence. I took a pen and paper and wrote down the lyrics to avoid forgetting them. It was a description born of my feelings and my connection with the wind. I felt she was a part of the creation and realized our connection was not completely severed.

Sea & Sky

Surrounded by sea and sky,

Sun above, trade winds high,

In this vastness, here am I,

Amidst the waves, alone, I lie.

Once, this place was home to me,

Now, a visitor, roaming free,

Exploring lands, yet roots won’t see,

Wandering wide, my destiny.

A past behind of sorrow’s song,

Pain so deep, it felt so wrong,

Loss and loneliness, days were long,

Until a guiding hand came strong.

Now, a nomad, a world to roam,

A traveler with skies, my dome,

Charting paths where dreams are sown,

Seeking joy, a place called home.

I sat and played with the guitar until I created a melody and began to sing.