Fireflies of the Heart by Nathan Haines

Author:Nathan Haines [Haines, Nathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Starbound Publishing

The mission was fenced by high stone to protect it from the outside. Not from enemies, but from the distracted mind: the broad courtyards became a place of repose that was free from outside distraction. The orchard was full of benches shaded by fruit trees, and Toran was meditating under one. Even though he was only ten, he was being prepared to start training with the teenage monks, and meditating on the energy of the world was an exercise that would loosen his mind so he could reach his potential. He let his mind float over the elements that were manifestations of the gods. His mind touched each one and he focused on the different shapes they formed. A ribbon of Fire could heal an animal that was weak. A cord of Water or Earth could heal different kinds of wounds. There were various loops that could heal small scratches, or could be tied off in knots and left to speed the healing of more serious injuries.

Sometimes Wind could heal sicknesses, although just as often not. He wasn’t clear on why that was, and he was beginning to accept that magic wasn’t the answer to everything and that he might want to study herbs and poultices. But for now he just pictured the various knots and weaves. He imagined the feel of the magic that worked as long as you were guiding and shaping it, and the complex motions of the knots that held a magical effect in place so that it continued even after you turned your attention elsewhere. Contemplating the nature of magic itself was his goal.

What he tried not to think of was the source of magic. He was taught about the various gods, and how they fit in with nature. There had been classes about some of the gods of places far away, how some followed gods from the sea, a type of lake that was too big for Toran to imagine. Even then, there were gods of fishermen, and they sometimes showed their power by manifesting in fish that were as long as ten people were tall! He was skeptical about this, too, but his instructors were clear that it was important to be mindful and show respect to all gods, because you never knew when you might have to cross their domains, and it was naturally bad luck to have any gods angry at you. Especially since they were the source of magic.

But the boy wondered at that, too. He had learned long ago to stop talking about “seeing” magic. Everyone else talked about “feeling” its power, and they could feel others casting, or feel when they came near to a warded spell.

He had asked why tying off spells was called “warding,” when that meant to guard something. He was told it was an ancient word that meant “to wait,” and that you could coil a spell around itself so that it waited. Further inquiries were waved off, and he had been given chores as a reward for his persistence.

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