Chapter 47 Let it flow

Chapter 47 Let it flow
They'd made the cabin a temporary base of operations to allow Rylan to completely heal before they went back on the move. They had estimated that it would take three weeks before his wounds were completely healed but to everyone's surprise including Rylan He was back in top shape in one.

“Incredible.” Yennifer said as she unwrapped the bandage and tossed it to the side while Maerik stood at the door and watched. She trailed a finger over the line that was once a gaping wound and couldn't help but feel a wave of unusual excitement. “Your body's metabolism is…”

“Inhuman.” Maerik completed curtly, but his words weren't directed to either of them, as he stared at the wound, no his eyes were on the swirling marking just above it.

“It's most likely an effect of the Mothlight.” Rylan said as he stepped down from the bed and covered up. “I need to understand this….” His voice trailed off as he stared at his palm, Yennifer turned to him then back to Maerik.

“Sir, I know we were all overjoyed that he healed quickly but I think it would be best if we exhausted the time we'd set.” Yennifer proposed. “We should use the remaining time we have to understand what that ability truly is. After all, fire only remains dangerous when proper application isn't known.”

“I understand.” He turns to Rylan. “How long would it take you to figure out this ability of yours?”

“Maybe two weeks.”

“Without modesty.”

“One.”

Maerik smiled. “Good, I'll help in anyway I can and Dravy will teach you how to properly use Arkana”

“Dravy.” Rylan repeated, the saltiness in his tone evident.

“Regardless of your opinions, he is the best at Arkana control.” Maerik clarified. “If you don't like it, be better.” He said, his piercing gaze fixed on Rylan, a challenge, and one Rylan happily accepted.

“If you don't mind.” Yennifer interrupted their shared glare. “I would like to be involved.” The smile on her face barely contained as she spoke.

“Why?” Rylan asked, starting to feel a little insulted by the amount of people getting involved in this process.

“Well it's simple really, I'm interested, I wanna see how this plays out and….” She took a step closer and completely consumed his personal space, her voice dropped. “I don't want to miss a single thing.”

Maerik was hesitant for a second but he knew Yennifer, she was a medic not because she liked healing people or anything like that but simply because she was fascinated by things that baffled her and right now, that included Rylan's foreign abilities. She was incredibly insightful and even though he trusted Rylan to figure it all out on his own, it wouldn't hurt to have another pair of eyes to fasten the process.

“Fine, but don't overstep.” Maerik reluctantly agreed.

“I won't sir.” She responded, still trying to contain her smile. Rylan looked at her wanting to protest but in the end couldn't find an actual reason why she shouldn't come so he let it go.

“All right I guess, Let's get started.” He exhaled as they walked out of the room.

The backyard of the cabin was a completely open space with nothing but dried up weeds and sand, the forest far back enough that it wouldn't interfere with anything they did, Maerik, Yennifer and Peter sat on the background porch and watched in silence while Rylan was at the far end, shirtless for some reason Dravy refused to explain, simply to piss him off, he could feel the brisk current of the air that sent occasionally shivers travelling through him but he didn't let it show. Dravy stood at the other end, fully clothed and with a smile on his face like he was enjoying the sight but he said nothing as he began to slowly walk till he was a few inches from Rylan.

“What do you know about Arkana control?”

Rylan raised a brow but answered regardless. “I know I can focus it on some parts of me to give me a boost in strength, speed—”

“Wrong.” Dravy cut off unnecessarily, a vein showed on Rylan's forehead but he remained calm.

“Then what is it?” Rylan asked through gritted teeth.

“Arkana is a force that guides every single thing we do, thinking of it as a tool to only boost you when you want it to means you are limiting yourself, for example, you use the energy from food to stand, to walk and to run, you don't only use it to fight. Arkana is exactly like that, you do not focus more energy on a part of yourself to increase your output, that's unnecessary waste, Arkana already knows what you need at that moment, so all you have to do is let it.”

“So focusing Arkana is basically forcing it to do something it was already doing.”

“Yes, how would you feel if you were about to do something then at that very moment I yelled at you to do that very thing.”

“I wouldn't want to do it.”

“Even if you still do it, you wouldn't do it as well. So what you need to do is instead of focusing your Arkana, you let it flow, you give it space to act freely and like a good government, it will serve you.”

Rylan couldn't help but chuckle at the analogy, did such a thing actually exis—then he remembered, not even bad ones remained.

“Do you think you can do it?” Dravy asked.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“The first time is the hardest, so don't get frustrated if it doesn't work out.” Dravy said plainly then took a couple steps back. “Start.”

Rylan nodded then sat down on the sandy floor, crossed his legs and closed his eyes. Immediately he could feel it, overpowering and infinite, swirling around them, the environment consumed by it but that wasn't what he was meant to be focused on so he refocused on himself, on his own being, his own existence, focused on every part of himself, from the hairs on his head down to the sole of his feet, he could feel it, the Arkana, stagnant, unchanging, He could feel the blocks he'd set in place that only opened when he gave the command, he needed then no more. He took in a gentle breath and exhaled, then took in another and let it out till the blocks began to open and Arkana once again began to flow, the relief was immediate, like he was in a lake at the perfect temperature, flowing with the current with no worries, no hanging threat, just the calm of the steady waves as he felt it moving through him, Free.

Dravy stared with wide eyes as Maerik walked to his side.

“Don't tell me—”

“He's already done it.”

“How long did it take us?”

“A week.” Dravy said with a distant look in his eyes as he stared at Rylan because not only had he just learnt the flow on his very first try, the markings of the Mothlight were now lit.