After dinner, Harafin pulled Kevlin aside to continue their lessons. They settled once more within the glowing sphere, and Kevlin pulled out the rock.

"I still don't understand how this is going to work. Even if I somehow manage to make a connection with Tia Khoa, how will that help? I’m just the steward. I mean, I'm not creating magic like you and the other sentinels do. The only magic I can use is what the amulet captures for me." He gestured to his shirt front where the amulet rested against his skin.

“There are different sources of magic,” explained Harafin. “Learning to access and wield power what originates outside of yourself is as important as reaching the power within you. I cannot yet answer all of your questions. This is a unique situation.”

“So how do you know I can connect with Tia Khoa?”

“An educated guess. Now, concentrate.”

Kevlin bent his gaze to Tia Khoa, amazed anew at the exquisite detail of the raised emblem of the flaming sword on the face of the rock. As he stared in fascination at the crystal, the rock grew warm in his palm and his mind was again pulled into its depths.

As he sank into the deep blue nothingness of the magic of Tia Khoa, the faint pulsing rhythm swept through him with greater intensity. It vibrated through his entire being. In the very depths of his soul, he recognized it. A dormant sense he had never known awakened.

The next pulse filled him with boundless energy, as if untapped reserves deep within him had been opened. He wanted to spring into the air and shout with the thrill of being alive, so alive his entire life to that point felt like he'd lived it in a half-dream.

Something caught his eye. Any movement within the formless blue expanse was startling, so the flash of light drew his attention immediately.

It began receding. Floating within Tia Khoa's magic, he could not feel his body, so had no means to move. But as another pulse of magic washed through him like the wave of an endless sea, he willed himself forward. With a thrill of excitement, he felt it working.

He pursued, and the light began to grow in size. Little by little he drew closer. If he could just catch that will-o’-the-wisp glimmer, perhaps he would finally understand some of the mystery of the rock.

All other thought vanished as he gained slowly on the tantalizing flicker. As he drew close, he imagined he could see something moving within the light, answers just out of reach.

Just before overtaking the light and perhaps answering the mystery once and for all, his mind collided with an invisible barrier. The shock of the impact numbed him.

He hung listless until the next pulse of magic shook him from his stupor. He pushed against the invisible wall with his mind, sliding his thoughts along it like fingers seeking a door, a crack, any sign of weakness. He pounded on it, focusing all of his will on bursting through, but to no avail.

Then he sensed another presence nearby.

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He extended his senses in every direction, like questing fingers, but found nothing. Frustrated, he sagged against the unmoving barrier. For a split second something had been there, but where had it gone?

He felt it again, on the far side of the wall, although he still saw nothing but those frustrating flickers of light. He tried to call out, forming words in his mind and casting them forth.

Is anyone there?

Silence.

At that moment Harafin called him back from the stone. As soon as his vision cleared, Harafin said, "Something was different."

“There was something,” Kevlin said, trying to make sense of what he had just experienced.

"You connected with it?" Harafin’s voice quavered a little.

"Not really."

He tried to explain about following the light, encountering the invisible wall, and sensing the other presence. "Does that make any sense to you?"

"Not entirely. That you felt a presence is a great accomplishment. The presence you felt had to be the essence of Tia Khoa."

"You mean it's alive?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, but not in the same way as you or I."

Harafin held up his hand to forestall Kevlin’s next question. "I cannot explain exactly how. You must experience it for yourself. Tia Khoa has presented itself to different bearers in different ways, but never before to a steward, so I cannot tell you exactly what to expect."

"Why couldn't I reach it?"

"I do not know."

"There was something else tonight." Kevlin explained about the pulsing rhythm in the magic.

"Very good," Harafin said with a smile. "I’m glad you finally took note of that."

"You knew about it?"

"Yes. Partially because of how refreshed you appeared after submerging yourself in Tia Khoa. I imagine you feel unusually good at the moment?"

"Actually, I do." Kevlin hadn’t realized the vibrant energy he had felt within the stone had remained with him after he returned. "What is it?"

"It is known as the Rhythm of Life. It flows through everything, and all things recognize it and respond to it. You might say it is the basic rhythm of magic, or the rhythm of light."

"I don’t understand," Kevlin confessed. "But I did feel as if I recognized it. That’s when I felt the burst of energy."

"Good. Then you understand enough for tonight. I want you to think on this as we ride tomorrow. The rhythm of life is very subtle, but you can see it in the flight of birds, in the cycle of the winds, in the rhythm of the waves of the sea, and in the flickering of a fire. Recognizing it is a key to unlocking tremendous power."

"If you say so. One thing bothers me. In some ways, that rhythm reminded me of the song of Savas. Is Tia Khoa going to try to take over my mind like Savas did?”

“No, it will not. The rhythm of life provides a powerful tool for those who know how to tap it, but nothing more.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Savas is different,” Harafin said, holding Kevlin with his gaze. “The god of war seeks to dominate you and own your soul. Beware the gifts He offers, no matter how enticing He makes them.”

“Don’t worry,” Kevlin said, unnerved by the old man’s intensity. “I don’t want anything to do with Him.”

“Good. Savas thrives on war, and through you as steward, he could unleash unending conflict upon the Six Kingdoms.”

“Then take back the rock.”

“You know I cannot. You alone must bear this burden.”

Kevlin swallowed a curse and stared up at the curving dome of their little room. Trying to put his frustrations to words, he said, “I don’t want this. I feel like I’m stuck in the middle of a magical whirlwind.” He blew out a breath. “Does that make sense?”

Harafin climbed to his feet. With a gesture, the sphere of magic disappeared. He placed a hand on Kevlin's shoulder. "You did well tonight.” Then he turned and headed for his blankets.

Kevlin stood musing in the chill darkness, pondering what he had learned and wondering what else Harafin was hiding from him. He wasn’t sure if he had accomplished anything.

He had always tried to distance himself from sentinels and magic, but a door had been opened in his soul. Despite his fear, part of him was anxious to enter and behold what lay on the other side.

He avoided the group gathered around the fire, seeking the quiet of his own bedroll to try to making sense of his thoughts and feelings. He was not very successful.

Sleep was a long time in coming.