be thinking. It was his element, his weapon. He leaned back in the saddle, finally comfortable on the horse. He tilted his head from side to side feeling his neck pop. Up ahead, Sara was doing the same as she talked to Legon and Sasha. It was good to see her again.
* * * * *
Legon felt that sensation in his head again and stopped hitting the tent spike he was driving into the ground.
“What is it?” Sasha asked concernedly.
“I think I’m going to use magic again.” He shouldn’t be scared but he was. What if he couldn’t control this stuff? What if someone got hurt? Arkin spoke from across the camp.
“Is there something you really want done?”
“No not particularly. Actually, I could go for not feeling, well, whatever this is.”
Arkin laughed. “Come here. I think we can put that to use.”
Legon walked carefully over to the fire pit where Arkin was standing. He knew he looked like a moron, walking slowly as if he were holding a pail of water, but what if his control slipped?
“Don’t worry, you can walk normally,” Arkin said.
“I don’t know. Are you sure?” replied Legon. “I mean, how much do you know about this stuff?”
“Obviously a lot, Legon, if he hid in town for as long as he did,” Keither said.
“You don’t know that.”
“He’s right, Legon.” Arkin bent over the wood in the fire pit and uttered, “Flamma.”
As he spoke, an emerald plume of flame erupted in the pit and then turned into a normal orange fire. There was a collective gasp and Kovos jumped as if someone had thrown a snake at his feet. Legon stopped, mouth open. How was Keither able to figure it out?
“How did you do that?” Legon asked.
“It’s easy. You try.” Arkin waved his hand over the fire and it died. “Come close to the pit and place your hand over it.”
Legon knelt next to the blackened wood and placed his right hand tentatively over the still warm pit.
“Good. Now concentrate on that feeling in your head. Let it fill you.”
“Fill me?”
“When you breathe in, imagine a flower blooming in your head, like when you feel energy move through you doing the Jezeer.”
“Ok.” Legon breathed deeply and concentrated. He felt the energy grow.
“Ok, good. Now I want you to think of starting a fire, ok? Picture flames in this pit in your head.”
“Ok, got it.”
“Good. Now, concentrating on that image, say the word “Flamma” and let the energy run down your arm and out your hand.”
“Flamma.” The sensation shot down his arm like before. He jerked his hand up and with a yell from everyone, a jet of violet flame burst from his hand and into the air. Sasha and Sara screamed, but the flame only lasted a second and then died. He noticed that he was on his feet and franticly shaking his hand.
“You’re ok, Legon. Your hand is not on fire, relax,” Arkin said.
“What the hell!” He slowly shook his hand, waiting for it to burn again. The flame didn’t hurt; in fact it just felt kind of warm and good. Still, that was fire. Kovos looked amazed and excited.
“Do it again!” he shouted.
“Wha-?”
“Do it again. That was amazing. You shot fire out of your hand.”
“I know, I was there. Why are you happy about it?”
“I thought I made it clear—you shot fire from your hand! Do it again, here, at Keither this time.” Kovos reached over and grabbed Keither’s arms, holding him in front of Legon.
“Kovos!” Sasha said angrily.
“What, Sasha? He’ll be fine, come on.”
“I’m not shooting fire at your brother. That’s messed up,” Legon said.
There was the sound of suppressed laughter. He turned to see Arkin and Sara both doubled over, shaking with laughter. Sasha gave them a stern look that was fading into a smile.
“Sara, you’re laughing too?” she said.
“Yes, I can’t help it. Kovos, come on, that’s sick,” she choked out through tears.
“Let go of me,” Keither said, slapping Kovos away.
“Or what? You would have been fine. The fire was fast. It would only take off your eyebrows and some hair. Not a big deal.”
“Kovos, only a smith would think that wasn’t a big deal,” Arkin said warmly. They settled down a bit and Arkin decided that it might be a good idea for Legon to learn more about magic before trying it again. They all sat around the fire pit and waited for Arkin to start for yet another night.
“Ok, Legon, I’m sorry. Truth be told, I didn’t think you would even