Free Stormwielder (The Sword of Light Trilogy Book 1) by Aaron Hodges Page A

in Oaksville. If he could control his magic, perhaps he could take his first step on that journey.
    Alastair’s eyes bored into his own. At last, he nodded. “Very well, I will teach you.”
    Eric felt a rush of elation. He sat back against his log, a smile tugging at his lips. For the first time in years he felt a touch of hope. “Do you think it’s safe to light a fire, before we get started?” The night had closed in; he could barely make out Alastair’s silhouette in the faint light. Somewhere in the darkness an owl began to hoot. Soon other creatures would begin to prowl the night.
    “I think that’s a good idea,” he shrugged his wounded shoulder. “I’m still too weak for an encounter with some of the animals that stalk these woods and a fire will keep them at bay. I think both the Baronian’s and villagers will be occupied with each other tonight,” he moved over to the horses. “It’s a good thing you collected the firewood before night fell.”
    A few minutes later they had a merry fire crackling. Eric stretched out his hands towards the blaze, feeling the chill flee before its heat. The fire cast the tiny clearing in a warm glow.
    “How old are you, Eric?” Alastair asked.
    “Seventeen. A man since last month. Why?”
    Alastair chuckled. “Just curious. So young, but yes, you are by rights a man.”
    They fell into silence. Eric stared into the fire, deep in thought. When he finally spoke his voice was soft. “What is magic? It’s not the cheap potions and gimmicks of the street venders. So what is it?” he flicked another stick into the flames. Sparks rose up, drifting for a moment on a gentle breeze before fading.
    “No, magic is not a human creation. It is a part of nature. It comes from the forces that move us, the energy that drives the weather, the light of the sun. It is the harnessing of the energy stored in everything on this planet. Only a lucky few have the power to tap into this energy, and even then, there are limitations. For starters a person can only be connected to one of the Elements.”
    “What do you mean by the Elements?”
    Alastair frowned. “Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself. The forces of magic are divided into three Elements – the Light, the Earth, and the Sky. Most people control just a small part of an Element. For instance, I am able to manipulate the forces of attraction between objects. That comes from the Light Element. But I cannot control fire, or light itself, which are other aspects of the Light.”
    “And mine?”
    “Your magic is different. From what I have seen, it seems you may control all facets of the Sky. And while it is the weakest of the Elements, that is no laughing matter.”
    “It didn’t seem weak when I created that storm,” Eric replied bitterly.
    “No. But you should also understand, our magic cannot create. Only the gods can create something out of nothing.”
    Eric tilted his head. “What do you mean? That storm certainly seemed to come from nowhere!”
    “Yes, but that is because it came from somewhere else! Your magic manipulates the weather, Eric, but it does not conjure it from nothing. The magic within you drew that storm to Oaksville and made it larger by pulling in other weather systems. But it was not created .”
    Eric ran his hands through his hair, trying to process the new information. The magic was a part of him, a part of everything, but only certain people could control it. Magic could manipulate the world but could not create new forces.  His head still ached from the beating Gabriel had given him.
    “…night,” lost in thought, Eric only caught Alastair’s last word.
    “Sorry?”
    “I think that it would be best if we stop for the night. A good night’s rest will do you good. As I said, magic come from within you – and when you use it, it draws on your life force. That can be exhausting, in fact I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long. I’ll keep watch, since I slept all day. We’ll leave before