Natural Magic

Chapter 23 - Daylight

It was like his blood had awakened. It was the best way describe to himself what the power coursing through him felt like. His mind blossomed and his bones were filled with lighting. Chicken was now awash with internal power. His mind was drowning in it, tumbling about. Something else, maybe the mind of the power itself, was in his head with him.

This will do, the voice said, though it sounded disappointed.

It didn’t reverberate. It didn’t tremble the air. The words appeared fully formed in his head, involuntarily, and were gone as quickly.

The turmoil subsided and he examined the changes. He could flap the wings as easily as an arm or leg. In doing so, he stirred the air and knocked Amerigo over. He apologized and helped his friend back to his feet.

Taking Amerigo’s arm in his hand, the spectral claws sliced through the sleeves of the kelp robe and Amerigo pulled his arm back in pain. Blood pooled in neat little lines along his arm.

“I barely touched you,” Chicken said as they both stared at his new wounds. He shook his hands in frustration.

“How do I turn it off?” he said with a growl.

Amerigo saw a pulse of blue light come from Chicken’s mouth. Getting to his feet and carefully taking his friend’s arm, he made a gesture, bringing his hand to his mouth and casting it straight away.

“You want me,” Chicken said, puzzled, “to projectile vomit?”

Amerigo waved away the words as he shook his head. He tried again. With no pantomime, he took his friend by the shoulders and pointed Chicken away from himself.

Chicken shouted mightily at the darkness. The faintest blue pulse came out, but he noticed it this time.

“Oh! Fire! I can breathe fire?”

He cleared his throat and tried to breathe aggressively.

There was more flame this time. It spouted a foot from his face, much like in the imagination of every child discovering what freezing air does to their breath.

More like this, came the coldly condescending inner voice. Before Chicken could get the question out, the power inside him did something. It happened without even the use of his lungs, feeling most like an exhalation of the soul.

A hearty tongue of blue fire lit up the cavern with a sound like a waterfall of mercury, lasting for whole seconds before ending abruptly. A grin to spread on Amerigo’s face and his eyes began to sparkle.

With the jet of fire cut off and shadows having reclaimed lost territory, Chicken carefully turned to his friend. The front of the gnome was completely dry.

“What,” he said calmly, though breathlessly and with exaggerated gestures, “is happening?”

Your greatest desire, came the reply. The power within him had spoken again.

“And who are you?” Chicken asked no one in particular.

Amerigo looked shocked.

“Not you, the voice.”

Amerigo tapped his own head questioningly.

“Yeah, there’s a voice in my head that’s not me.”

Amerigo nodded knowingly, case solved.

I can give you what you want, the voice said. Images of his home flashed before him.

I can save them for you. Images of his family. Images of Auntie.

“Ok,” he said determinedly. “That’s what I want. Let’s do it!” This was looking like a pretty good deal.

The power coiled around Chicken’s mind.