Up to the bones (Tomco)

Chapter 7- Whispers

-I breathe.

Marco tried, but the situation was somewhat confusing.

They were sitting on the floor, he was facing Tom and Star some distance away, watching the scene. On the floor, between the demon and him, there were four objects. A candle burning in a candelabrum, a pot with earth, a fan and a glass of water. Tom, at that moment, was reaching for his fan, and Marco did not fully understand what he should do with it.

-It is to know if your skills are elementary- clarified the girl -And so we will not throw you into the river if you have fire powers.

Tom's third eye looked jaded, but he said nothing.

"Is this magical, or something like that?" Marco asked.

-Only if you have any ability related to its elements- said the devil. He took the candlestick, and pointed the flame with a finger. "See how it moves?" The flame began to dance, until it was completely flat, as if a container had been placed on it. "It's because my abilities are related to fire.

-I think mine do not have much to do with the wind ...

"And the wings?" Star asked.

-Well, yes, admitted the human.

He put the fan on the floor, and went for the glass. She looked at him and saw nothing abnormal about him. He pointed to the water, and ordered a drop to rise on the surface. He thought hard. Nothing happened, and he put the glass back on the floor. He took the pot, and felt the rough material under his fingers. He smiled a little at the smell of the slightly damp earth, and thought it would be interesting if he could mold the clay or other materials with his skills. The earth seemed comfortable, cozy as a bed with loom-woven blankets on a snowy winter morning. There, sitting cross-legged, he almost smiled at the thought of lying there, smelling the life of the earth while he rested, in that state in which he had not yet slept, listening to his surroundings, as if it were a murmur similar to that of a lullaby...

-Framework.

What made him come back to himself was not Tom's hand on his arm, but the tone with which he had spoken. Too fast, as if he cared something. But there was nothing to worry about. It was not that the floor was going to open and he went to sleep at the foundations of the house. They were on the first floor, after all.

-What? - he asked, with a slightly soft tone. He blinked, confused.

-Try with this- the demon said, taking the pot and reaching for the candelabra.

Marco, not exactly upset but not happy, observed the flame and thought about imitating what Tom had done. It should not be so difficult. For a moment he thought about blowing, but it would be nothing useful. What if I extinguished the flame? Before, when they used lanterns or similar, they protected the flames with a glass campaign, so that the wind did not turn off the light. The flame, when they stopped moving the candelabrum, became more regular, up and down, below, and Marco thought he could make the flame go horizontal. Down, down, down ... and a wisp of smoke came out from the tip of the wick, now with a tiny orange and fiery dot that was turning gray.

He looked at the candle, surprised.

The smoke was forming what appeared to be a semicircle, but it was only a couple of seconds.

"And that?" He asked, to no one in particular.

- That you are not a Fire Master, Marco. Tom will continue with the title in this city.

Marco looked at Star, who was smiling.

-It means we have to keep trying- Tom took the objects, placed them in a box of what appeared to be a shiny black material, as if it were polished stone, and started to take out others. He left something cold and uneven in the boy's hands. "Try this.