Against the bright orange light of the morning sky, a bright pale purple glow shone through the satchel directly into Erzo’s eyes. It was as if he had been blinded through his eyelids. He jumped with a start and looked around frantically.

  “From the ground, and through his toes. Up his legs then out his nose. Into life and out it goes,” an empty voice said.

  Erzo looked towards his satchel towards the colorful light.

  “Is that you again grimoire?” Erzo said, rather unsure of himself.

  “Feel,” the voice replied.

  “You want me to feel from the ground first and then my body?” Erzo asked, but received no response. The glow then vanished from his satchel. “Okay, have it your way then.”

  Erzo stood in front of the tree again and placed his hand onto it. He tried to focus on his feet and could feel his mind begin to relax. The hue of his green eyes brightened with an emerald luster. They seemed to burn but it did not hurt. Erzo embraced the warmth as the energy pooled into his core. It was as if something crawled from his toes to his ankles, up his shins, and into his gut.

  Upon opening his eyes the familiar comfort of his mother returned to him. A single tear slowly danced from his eye, towards his thin lips. It felt like a hug. A tightening of the body as the mana circulated within. The leaves and trees began to sway and move with the ever-increasing wind.

  Erzo could understand what the grimoire was saying now. That he needed to feel the energy that was provided by the Ley Lines coursing through the world. He had to draw from it. But how much?

  He could remember in his recent reading, a passage that mentioned how one finds out they have an affinity for magic. The ability to connect with the energy of the Ley Lines or the natural elements. A difficult feeling of constant connection. The kind of connection that makes someone feel as if they are always being touched or held by something. A constant tug of war.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  He just remembered the hug, "Connection, huh," he murmured through his breath. Erzo could imagine it would feel uncomfortable in the way some clothing simply does not fit.

  Those that could embrace the feeling, however - Erzo focused his sights on a tree in front of him and took a few steps back. He then looked at his hand and concentrated on his palm. A prismatic, yet translucent, swirl of blue light revealed itself. The swirling ball created its own vortex of wind around his hand. The colors were extraordinary. So much so that he almost lost himself to the sight of it.

  Quickly he retracted his hand and returned his focus to the bare tree in front of him.

  Go, he thought and shoved his open palm in the direction of the tree. The sphere shot from his arm like cannon fire, blowing his arm backward. The force hurled Erzo high into the air and into a nearby the tree behind him.

  Down he tumbled and bounced from branch to branch. He wasn't one to swear, but each branch spat up a colorful exchange of words. First onto his back and then his stomach. Erzo flopped like a fish. Thankfully, he broke some of the branches in the fall. The larger branches that did not shatter were sure to threaten a bone break. If he had fallen from a higher height he might have.

  Moments later he crashed hard onto the leafy ground with nothing to cushion his fall but a few old twigs. Erzo’s eyes rolled into the back of his head.

  When Erzo woke his head was pounding and the midday sunlightpierced his eyes through the leafy gaps in the trees. It was so bright. The pain was too severe. He tried to roll onto his side but his arm didn’t respond. Erzo’s body didn’t react at all.

  Did I concentrate too hard? I thought I understood, he felt in quiet contemplation. Despite his bruised body, he only became more curious. The question “why” floated around his head like an annoying fly. He had already forgotten how much pain he was in. A trembling smile spread across his face.

  Erzo slowly turned his head towards the tree that he launched from. Careful not to move too fast and hurt himself further.

  The tree wasn’t there. The whole root stem was gone. In its place was a large crater easily the size of a small house. But nothing more. No bushes, none of the trees next to it. Nothing. Erzo laughed proudly before falling back unconscious.