Majasteik

Chapter 1

"Try"

"I-I can't, master."

"You can't try?"

"No! I can't do it at all."

"Feel and then do child."

"Feel what? I can't..."

">Sigh< first, you must believe that you can and--"

"I've tried, master. But I'm just...useless." a small boy crouched down miserably, letting out feeble sobs. The elderly man beside him lifted his chin,

"Liam, if you don't try you can't...you never will unlock your semblance and receive your calling." The small boy blinked back tears and nodded. Rising to his feet, Liam fluttered his small wings and flicked his ears forward. Concentrating, Liam lifted his arms. He rolled back the long sleeves of the cloak around his shoulders and took a deep breath. Glancing hopefully at him mentor, he focused his core energy on the object about ten feet in front of him. Small blue sparks formed around his claw-set finger tips just like the many other times he had tried this spell.

"Uh, master?" Liam's voice shook and he hesitated to continue as the sparks power intensified. The boy's mentor blinked in shock and he almost forgot his own training. Shaking his head to clear the whirling thoughts and possibilities, the old man faced Liam.

"Do not fret. Focus on the item in front of you; all you have to do is move it from one table to another. This is your last elemental test, if you do not have telekinesis or powers in that range, we will move on to the lower semblance possibilities. Just concentrate." Liam turned back to face the desk and drew in a sharp breath as the sparks turned to a watery substance and encased his hands. He knew well it was time to extend his arms, but he found himself marveling at the sparkling liquid.

"Liam, focus!" His master's voice cut into the young boy's thoughts with such force that he stumbled and lost his footing, causing the substance that had covered his fingers with such warmth and power to turn back to small flecks of magic and fly around the room with tremendous speed. The sparks bounced and crashed into many things before finding their way back into Liam's body. The small golden haired boy flattened his ears and hung his head in shame, not willing to look at his master. The elder exhaled slowly, but then nodded in approval.

"Well well well, Liam...it looks like we've found the semblance that you can conjure. It's time to get down to business."

*

A soft breeze blew through the forest of Wildclan's territory. Pixies were bustling through the undergrowth and mer-fish were singing in the small lagoon. The sun was falling below the horizon by the time that young Liam Tuso returned home. The poor green-eyed boy was exhausted and ready to sleep for the next three moons. Dodging through the airway that was already crowed by the homecoming workers, Liam took quite a long while to reach his destination. Once he flew through the open door of his house he barely had a chance to sit down before his mother was upon him,

"How did it go? Did you find your semblance? Will you find it? Tell me everything!" A slender, tall woman with white hair striped with green shook the small Drawolf by the shoulders, hitting the bruise he had gotten when he fell at the private academy.

"Mom, it went fine. But I'm still not sure if I am even meant to have a semblance...or a calling." Liam's tail dragged on the floor as he trudged over to the kitchen table. His mother followed,

"What ever do you mean sweetheart?" she stroked his ears in a gentle fashion after he had taken a seat.

"I mean...it's been so long since I started training...I..." he flicked his tail irritably and folded his small wings more firmly against his back.

"What semblance do you think you will get if you get one?" His mother massaged his neck, trying to release some of the stress her son was feeling.

"My master said I was ready to start training on tele...telekin...telekinesis?" Liam scrunched his face up at the strange pronunciation of the word. His mother's eyes widened, but she held back her excitement,

"Liam, dear, is there anyone else in your age group experiencing slow development like you?" Liam thought hard about this. He nodded slowly,

"Judy. Judy Rose hasn't found her semblance or calling either." he responded surely. But the thought of the girl made him weak. He shook his head to clear his scattering thoughts.

"Has she found out what hers is to be yet?" His mother pressed. Once again, Liam was deep in thought.

"I saw her playing with water in the air on my way home. She was outside the lagoon, by Serene Waters. Does this have a connection some how?" He asked, feeling his spirits lift. The idea of having his fate connected with Judy's made his heart flutter. His mother nodded slowly,

"I think this might...Hang on, I'll talk to your father about this." She turned. Liam jumped up,

"He's home from the Council?"

"Indeed,"his mother smiled warmly, "Go ahead, Champ." she ruffled his golden hair and returned to the kitchen. Liam smiled happily. It had been three weeks since he had seen his father and he could hardly contain his excitement.

"Permission to enter, Master Justin?" Liam held back a laugh as he knocked on his father's office door and spoke in a low, gravely voice, like his father's accountants. He heard the ruffle of paper and the scrape of a chair's legs on the ground before he heard his father's powerful voice call through the heavy wooden door with a hint of amusement,

"I know that's you Liam, get in here you goose." Liam grinned and heaved open the door before running to jump into his father's arms.

"Oh Liam, I'll never be sick of your hugs." his father smiled warmly as he looked at his son. He patted him on the arm,

"Man, papa, I'll never be able to trick you will I?" Liam played with his father's golden medallion, which hung around his neck. Justin touched Liam's nose and smiled,

"That's because I've got the semblance of Truth, goose," His father laughed and set him down, "Now, where is your mother?"Liam looked up at his father with all the innocence of a fake six year old. Justin chuckled and left the room with Liam trailing after him. 

"Okay son, go in the other room and complete your homework while your mother and I talk." His father nudged him into the living room and turned back to the kitchen. 

"Elizabeth, I felt you wanted to discuss something?" Justin hugged his wife. Elizabeth smiled and patted his cheek,

"Indeed, it's about Liam. He came home exhausted today and told me something about telekinesis and the water element. Do you think...?" she trailed off with an excited glance out the window. Justin took her hand,

"I think so...! I depends on if he can maintain the power inside and make it through training but...I do think his chances are high," the black-winged Drawolf said thoughtfully. 

"Mm, he is the Queen's son." Elizabeth sounded distant. Justin squeezed her shoulder sadly, sharing her thought. They turned to look out the large window together, out at the world they led through thick and thin...yet their thoughts only returned to the one. 

"I am sorry." Justin whispered. Elizabeth shook her head,

"Because of you we are raising an Elemental. Do not be sorry dear one." Elizabeth smiled forcefully, "I cannot ask for anyone better, Nor do I think that Queen Goldentail could find a better soul to raise her young. You are doing well Justin, do not lose the only hope you have left." She hugged him sadly, holding in tears but not doing a very good job.

"Why are you crying?" a small, curious voice came up from below. 

"Liam!" Justin and Elizabeth exclaimed in surprise down at the green-eyed boy, who still looked puzzled. They looked back at each other, smiled, and burst out laughing. They picked up Liam and swung him around,

"We are crying because we are happy and so very proud of you dear!" Elizabeth grinned and Liam smiled back from his father's arms,

"I love you, mommy." He reached out and touched her large wolf-like ears, and this small action almost caused her to cry once again, because it truly broke her heart.

«End Chapter 1»