The Isles of Korrys (The Kingdom of Dragons Book 6)

II - Water and Earth

Elaya didn't want to walk too far away from Kaz and Rhenor, just far enough to give them some space for both of their sakes. The two of them certainly had a lot to talk about, and while she had no doubts that Kaz would say whatever he felt like, no matter her presence, the same couldn't be said for Rhenor. Elaya might have not known the man that well yet, but she could tell he felt awkward having a heart-to-heart with her around. She understood, she'd feel the same way.

Besides, they needed to get something to eat. None of them had eaten during their short yet too long stay in Rethan, and Elaya's stomach was growling at the mere thought of food.

She wasn't much of a hunter, and going into the small forest just a few dozen feet away from her to gather something to eat would take too long, not to mention that she might not even find anything. But she had a better idea—trying to use her magic to get a fish or two.

Elaya wasn't amazing at most kinds of magic, unfortunately, even though she could feel the strength within her soaring whenever she used it. She knew she could do it, but she didn't know how to do it properly. She'd simply had too little training. The dragons hadn't given her enough time to learn, but she suspected that had been on purpose. The less she knew, the less danger she posed. They would have no doubt let her practice properly when they were sure she would serve them when they could make sure she wouldn't turn her gift on them.

But with all that said, she wasn't completely hopeless with water magic. It was probably her second-best type of magic, which wasn't that great, but it was something. She had managed to make water move in the air before. How hard could it be to use it to throw fish out of the sea?

As she reached the sandy beach and its damp shore, she couldn't help but think back to how Corill had used magic. It wasn't even the ease with which he did so or the skill, but the fact that he'd used the force of the wind. She hadn't thought about it, not until now, with how angry and then exhausted she'd been yesterday, but now that she had the time and energy, it was mind-boggling.

She'd been told that wind was impossible to control because there was no way to make a totem out of it to use for spells, but she didn't need a totem to use magic, the same as a dragon didn't need a totem to control fire.

If controlling the wind was possible, she couldn't help but wonder what else might be. A part of her couldn't help but feel regret over the way things in Rethan had ended. Corill had wanted to teach her, and she wanted to learn. Here, she could use magic freely, and she barely knew what she was even capable of. But not with Kaz's safety and life on the line. She would never prioritize something like this over him.

Shaking her head, Elaya stretched out her hand towards the blue water. It was so clear she could see small fish nibbling at a piece of some underwater plant several feet away from her. But she would leave them alone. They were too small to bother with, even if they might be easier to catch.

If she could even manage it.

Closing her eyes, she focused on the sound of the waves gently lapping at the shore and reached out with the raw force within her, feeling the water all around her. She used to do this all the time when she'd been little, before she had even known she could use magic, except she'd done it with the earth.

It had been comforting to connect with the element, to feel its solidity and strength. It had helped her understand the earth in a way, though even Elaya herself wasn't sure she could explain what that meant. Whatever it was, it couldn't be the same as using magic, as the dragons' soldiers hadn't come for her any of the time she'd done it, but she was sure it was related. She just knew there had to be a reason she was most comfortable controlling the earth.

Feeling a tug toward the sea, Elaya opened her eyes again, feeling magic flowing through her, extending to the waters. As a small wall of water rose, only a foot tall and maybe three feet wide, Elaya couldn't help but smile, running her eyes over the constantly shifting shape she'd created.