Arcane (The Arinthian Line Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

hand to the rock and made the tiniest beckoning motion, envisioning it coming to him.
    It slid forward.
    He jumped up and down, whooping and hollering. He could not believe it—he had done the impossible, something straight out of a children’s tale! He was so excited that he tripped on his robe and tumbled downhill, stopping in time to see Mrs. Stone watching from the lip of the cave.
    “Mrs. Stone, I did it!” he shouted between coughs, “I made a rock move—!”
    “Maybe you are not destined to carry rocks around the rest of your life after all. Are you certain you would not prefer tending to people’s horses and scrubbing their boots? It is what happens to those that do not progress far in degree.”
    “No, Mrs. Stone, definitely not!” He stood up and brushed himself off, eager to try again.
    “Then you ought to practice. I shall return in a few hours to test you—if I do not see movement, you will be doing this all day tomorrow.”
    He quickly began on a new pile of rocks and, although he still had to use his hands, was occasionally able to lighten the load with his mind. The amount of mental energy involved was enormous though and he almost preferred the physical labor. Nonetheless, by the end of the day he felt he was beginning to understand the essence of mentally pushing and pulling rocks.
    At dusk, Mrs. Stone stepped outside. The dying sun bathed her in crimson light as she drew a shawl around her shoulders. It rippled in the cold wind. “Come up here, Augum.”
    Shivering, he did as he was told, hoping to pass the test before the first snow. As it was, he had a splitting headache and every muscle was sore.
    “Do you feel you have made progress?”
    “Yes.”
    “ Yes, Mrs. Stone . Now let us see if you have indeed learned something today. Those two stones you failed moving this morning—try moving them again.”
    Augum gazed upon them with hawk eyes. Furrowing his brow in concentration, he willed them to move.
    Nothing happened.
    “I see. It appears you will be doing this again tomorrow.” She turned to go back in.
    “No, wait—! I mean … please wait, Mrs. Stone.”
    She stopped at the door, sighing.
    Augum steeled himself. A moment of silence passed as he stared at the stones dispassionately, seeing them for what they were—two stones he could bend to his will. He calmly raised his arm and made a tiny gesture.
    They smashed together, obliterating to smithereens.
    He collapsed, head throbbing, a gigantic grin on his face.
    Mrs. Stone’s silver brows rose as she observed him. “Arcanery consumes energy through focus. The sharper and stronger your mind grows, the less energy you will expend. With practice, your ability to concentrate will improve, allowing you to cast spells of a more complex nature. This is the second principle. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, Mrs. Stone.”
    “You are quick to embrace the path, Augum. Consider yourself lucky. You have passed your first test. I will test you two more times before I decide if you are worthy to be my apprentice.” She turned to go.
    “Mrs. Stone, wait—what’s the name of the spell?”
    “Telekinesis. Now, supper awaits.” She padded back inside leaving the door slightly ajar.
    Telekinesis. A strange word for a strange spell. Then a thrill ran up and down his spine; he actually moved something with his mind!
    His stomach groaned as he caught the scent of roasted turkey. If not for his hunger and the biting cold, he would have gladly slept then and there.
    He trudged inside, sat at the table and heartily ate spinach, boiled carrot and, of course, a succulent roasted turkey, washing it all down with freshly squeezed orange juice, something he only had once, and in summer. He wondered where Mrs. Stone managed to get fresh oranges, or for that matter, how she even brought food up the mountain. Seeing her immersed in a big book, he decided not to ask.
    After another wordless meal, he cleaned up, bid Mrs. Stone good night (“Humph”), and