The Unbidden: A New World (1) (Long Parts)

Chapter 4 (Part 2)

***

"How much longer?" Thea whined.

I turned my head to glance at her. She was leaning against the inside of the wagon upside down looking up at me.

"With the rate Aurias travels, there's probably a few months left," I replied, returning my attention to the road.

Once we left the vicinity of the city and took a side road that led South, we were met with almost no traffic. We travelled for a couple weeks already, and everyday Thea asked me the same question. It felt like she was trying to get on my nerves, so I went with her plight and gave a straight answer every time.

"Hmph ... you are no fun, you know that?" she mocked, poking my cheek with her finger.

"Care for another game of cards?" Jayde piped from inside.

Thea exhaled in an annoyed tone.

"We have played all manner of cards every day. I wish to do something else!" she pouted.

"Who'd of thought God to be such a whiny child?" I mumbled.

I felt the skin on the back of my neck stand up.

"Maybe if you did anything more than sit there and stare at the road all day and sleep the second we stopped," she mocked once more.

It seemed no amount of subtle words evaded her divine ears.

"She does have a point, you have been kind of distant as of late," Jayde commented.

I looked forward, scanning the road and tree line. The warm breeze that patted my face and flowed into my robes felt almost surreal. Outside of Thea's complaining and the churning of wheels on dirt, I enjoyed every sound resonating in my ears. From the swaying of leaves in the wind to the smell of fresh air, I felt at peace.

"I guess you guys have a point. You want me to show you some magic tricks?" I asked jokingly.

"Yes!" they both exclaimed without hesitation.

"I would like to see some tricks as well," Aurias chimed.

We waited until the afternoon before stopping to eat lunch. After we finished eating, I had Aurias make sure everything was clear all around us. Once he gave us the green light, I thought about what to show them.

"My first magic trick is ... this!" I said, producing a mote of fire in my hand.

"I know 'tis not all you have," Thea yawned in mockery.

"That's correct. Each part of this trick is in stages!" I exclaimed.

I took my free hand and spun it around the mote of fire in a cone. A tight magical cone of air took hold of the mote which I set to float in front of my chest. Thea still seemed unimpressed, but Jayde was mesmerized. Aurias didn't really have any facial expressions I could read. He was a horse, after all.

From the fixed point, I created a spiral line of water below the wind cone and then created a wide suction at its base following the line of the water spiral. The flames from the mote were pulled though, riding parallel to the spiral water, creating the illusion of a spinning combination of fire and water.

"Woah..." Jayde mouthed, stunned.

"'Tis neat indeed," Thea commented.

"I have never experienced magic used in this way," Aurias said.

I picked up a medium sized stick and placed it in the center of the mote and wind cone. It quickly caught fire while being suspended in the air. I stepped back a couple feet, picked up another smaller stick and aimed it at the mote.