Elix's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Elix stood on the painted platform and lifted a small clay pot with his mind. It rose, spun, and settled back down. He tried a heavier vase next. It floated up smoothly. He smiled and reached for more. A strange heat built in his chest. It crawled down his arm and pooled in his palm. He shook his hand to cool it, but the heat grew sharper. Then flame burst from his fingers in a bright, hissing arc. The fire shot wide and struck a nearby tree. Bark caught at once. Orange flames climbed the trunk fast. Elix stepped back, stunned. He stared at his smoking hand, and the tablet at his hip glowed warm against his side. A door slammed open behind him. From a bark-walled shack tucked among the trees, a woman ran out. She thrust both hands toward a small pond. Water rose in a curling rope, flew through the air, and crashed over the burning tree. Steam hissed up in a thick white cloud. She turned to Elix, breathing hard. An antler ring carved with a family crest gleamed on her finger. Her eyes went straight to the tablet. "That belongs to me," she said. "I built this platform. I've been watching. Give it back before you burn down everything I've worked for." Elix's hand closed around the tablet. He met her gaze and shook his head. "I need it. The queen needs me to have it." The woman's jaw tightened. She did not argue. She only stepped closer, and Elix understood the easy part of his road had just ended.