A View Form Above

As the horses trampled through the forest, the trees were strangely quiet. Zekka was not. “When I last saw Frick, he was talking to Crest. That little baker loves to fight. Did you know that he killed fifteen Grix by placing a Bomb in a freshly baked bread? They must have been hungry. We were inside a Grix town, and only four of us left. He made four loaves at their local bakery. We ate, and they exploded. It was delicious and beautiful.” She paused to think about the memory.

Zekka was powerful, her abilities rivaled Frick’s own. A moment came for May to take this moment to learn more about Frick’s source of power. “How is your magic doing?” May asked.

Zekka was riding next to her. It’s the strangest thing; I can’t even touch the Arcane; my muscles are completely gone.”

“Muscles?” May questioned.

“Our magic is like a muscle; you pull on it and something happens. Malgastiflorian Taught us that the ‘muscles’ pull on the Divine Arcane’s will, allowing what needs to be done, to be done.” Zekka explained, then continued, but May stopped listening. May had been feeling different herself; the trees were quiet. Rain began to fall. May became concerned; even the rain was silent. Zekka was still talking. “Malgastiflorian explained to me that the divine arcane chooses his disciples with great care. It took him hours to... ”

Zekka looked at May confusedly and asked, “What was that?”

It was May’s turn to be confused. “I didn’t say anything.” The rain came down a little harder. Zekka turned back.

“Malgastiflorian taught me how to use the Arcane muscles.” She paused to look at May. “You know it’s rude to interrupt someone when they are talking.” She had a frustrated look that made May laugh.

“I have said nothing.” A raindrop landed on her nose. May put it all together. “What is it saying?” she asked

“I can’t tell it’s like, half words.” May smiled a knowing smile. “How do you pull on the muscle.” Zekka put her hood up.

“It’s a feeling like sight or sound; your mind can find them and tug on them if you do. Well, different things happen. Once I pulled on an arcane muscle, it broke my leg. Another time, I pulled on an arcane sliver. A visible muscle. It teleported me into a Grixan laboratory, where they were looking into the different applications for their new incendiary devices. They were harvesting Magic from a different place. They were stealing it from the Divine Arcane; it is among the possibilities he holds so dear.”

May could feel the muscles. She understood better than to pull on anything. The muscles, confirmed what she thought. She began to laugh loudly. “I think we switched Powers!”

“How could anyone do that?” Zekka asked rhetorically, knowing full well the muscles could do literally anything. May was still laughing. Frustration grew visible on her face.

“You know you should lower the hood; not many new Nature disciples have the chance to hear the rain on their first day.” Zekka did what May asked. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back and putting her face into the rain. They rode like that for longer than May expected. She thought that the last time she was in the river, it always had a lot to say; rain was no exception, only it was more helpful.

“They are more talkative than me.” Zekka said, wiping off her face. Returning her eyes to the forest.

May laughed again. “What did they say?”

“Erik is on the move, he is going to the town to the north.”

“You should keep your eyes on the trees too. They are a little more quiet.”

Zekka Pointed into the distance. “We should head that way. We will save a day.”

“It’s nice to have friends in nature, isn’t it, Zekka?”

“There is a muscle that feels a little like the muscle that rides through your pinky finger. Look for it.”

“May searched for the feeling she described, asking, “What does it do?”

“If it is my magic, it will remove several decades from your age.” Zekka explained smiling

When she found it, May thought for a moment, “I like my face.”

“We need to know it’s my magic, pull gently.” there was a caution to Zekka tone that worried her, she slowly pulled on the muscle. The wrinkles on her face faded, then returned when she let go.

“I knew it,” she said, suddenly distracted, staring into the foliage

“What are they saying?” May asked

She had a confused look on her face. “They said, ‘Erik is fleeing. Help Erik, For Frick’s sake’.”

“Nature does not deceive; something even bigger than the war is going on.” May warned.