Free Elements (Tear of God Book 1) by Raymond Henri Page B

time really messed with his internal clock.
    “Remember to only go as far as you can see when you reach the forest. Use your new vision to pick your direction, and stay two steps ahead. Once you see the Capitol from the range, pick another landmark in that direction to locate when the city isn’t in view. When you come to the roads, you’ll know the way, and the running will seem very easy then.”
    “Thanks, mom.” Mink hugged her.
    “Thank you, Mink. I hope you know how huge this thing is that you’re doing. I’ll head back to your dad now. Stay safe. God’s grace be your keep.” Nyam kissed Mink’s forehead and sprinted off to the west. He tried to keep an eye on her, but every time he found his focus, she moved out of range again. Twilight was upon them, and his mom hadn’t gone through this much effort just to have him stand around. He pivoted carefully on his heels and aimed himself at the chosen destination of the tree.
    The darker night grew, the harder it was for Mink to select his footing. The gentle rises and falls of the foothills did make for easier passage than the terrain at higher elevations. He navigated the shadows of the landscape, wondering when one of Georra’s seven moons would clear the horizon to illuminate his way. He remembered seeing at least three of them last night when he got up to relieve himself. It could be hours until their light would aid his travel.

 

     
     
    B Y THE time two moons had crested beyond Mink’s right to the north, he was breathing hard and caught his eyes closing too long when they blinked. He was unmistakably fighting off sleep at very high speed. He worked up the nerve to try some boost bar, wanting to see what effect would come from only one small bite.
    It tasted like rot. He almost stopped running to retch, but it went down smooth enough and almost instantly shook him awake. One more slightly larger bite of the foul, crunchy bar and he was hyper enough to sprint with reckless abandon. He doubted he could free fall faster. He might actually be able to beat a Lightning user in a race. Maybe even that rotting Blin.
    His yellow-festooned tree on the horizon beckoned, daring for him to increase his speed. He decided to see how fast he could go. The Regenerative Cells effect would kick in if he couldn’t handle it, even if he did accidentally bounce for a quarter mile or so. He broke through to a speed where it felt like he was standing still, watching the environment fly by. He checked his hubris with the reminder that hundreds of thousands of Elementalists were probably capable of traveling faster. Still, he knew he’d have no problem maintaining this speed for the rest of the night.
    In the quiet, dark hours of the morning, Mink reached the forest. Or, rather, struck his first tree. It came out of nowhere. Mink hardly had time to take inventory of his injuries as he careened off the first tree and into a couple of others like a hotshot ball. He rose carefully, shook off the pain, and laughed at himself. Judging from the position of the moons and absence of dawn over the range, he had a few hours left of this night. Still amped from his sampling of the boost bar, Mink decided to press on more carefully through the forest.
    Jumping up the final slope to the tree took less effort than running, and helped him control his path. At last, he reached his tree guide and patted it appreciatively, taking in its unique nature. The limbs, upon closer inspection, were deliberately bent to one side, probably by a Wood user’s Manipulation effect. Judging by its sun-faded and tattered look, the yellow sailcloth had been tied around it years ago. This tree had obviously been dedicated to use as a landmark for travelers in the wilderness. Having reached his first checkpoint ahead of schedule, the approaching morning opened up with possibility.
    As Mink looked out toward Octernal from atop the Great Barrier Range, he saw the tree served for travelers on both sides. Pockets