Old Vin led them down the path a little ways until they ended on a sandy beach. Though pitted with footprints, it was mostly flat for a mile until it reached the ocean. Here, Garrett’s soon-to-be mentor stopped and held up a hand.

“Your first lesson is in breathing,” he instructed. “You think you know how to breathe, but you do not, not as a Drifter should.”

“How do we breathe then?” Garrett asked.

“Impudence will only get you so far.” Vin glared at him, his blindness not impeding the intensity of the stare. “What was your name?”

“Garrett.”

“It's 'Apprentice’ now. Or don't you wish to follow the Way of Aer?”

He swallowed. “Yes.”

“Yes, Master.”

Garrett grit his teeth. He'd never been big on authority. Maybe it was having one too many doctors dictating his life. Still, he said, “Yes, Master.”

“Good. Now, as for breathing. When you inhale, don't just suck in breath without feeling it. To use Aer, you must feel the magic that is everywhere around us. Try it now.”

Garrett closed his eyes and breathed in, concentrating on the air as Vin instructed. Though he'd treasured every easy breath he'd taken in Elementia, suddenly it was if he were breathing anew. Now he felt not only the sensations of cool, life-giving air; he felt the latent POWER in it. How had he missed it there before?

A gasp from next to him let him know Jina had felt the same. Garrett grinned and held the breath, feeling the power roiling around inside him.

“Air is not meant to be trapped,” Vin chastised. “Release it, slowly.”

Garrett did as instructed, but a bit faster than he intended. He noticed a distinctive pressure in the air around his mouth.

“Slowly, I said,” their master snapped irritably. “You must be careful with power. Well, you both have the Drifter's touch. At least I'm not wasting my time.”

“What do we do to use it?” Garrett asked eagerly. “To, I don't know, cast spells.”

Old Vin’s eyebrows raised. “Are we hedge witches? I think not, Apprentice. Drifters do not cast SPELLS. We bend the wind to our will, influence it to move as we would.”

It seemed like he was splitting hairs, but Garrett let it go. “How do we do that, then?”

Jina shot him a look, but Garrett ignored it. He was enjoying himself, but he was itching to get to the magic. Besides, the village didn't have time for them to waste with mumbo jumbo.

“Rushing along,” Vin muttered. “But your heart is true, Apprentice. Fine. It is far earlier than I prefer — I made my apprentices of old just breathe for a week before any further instruction — but I suppose time is short. I will teach you two Forms now, and test your mastery of them.”

Forms — that was the preferred way of referring to what were essentially spells in Elementia. Garrett dug his feet into the sand impatiently, but held his tongue.

“So he does have some patience after all. Good. You may need it to learn the Forms.” Vin pressed his hands together in front of him and nodded his head, then parted them in a martial stance. Garrett mirrored him, and Jina, realizing the lesson had begun, followed after.

“The first,” the old Drifter said. “A simple punch of air, used in combat situations. You just breathe in as I taught you, then punch your hand forward, like so.” Vin sucked in a breath and exhaled it in a burst as he thrust his hand forward. A sharp burst of wind rushed between Garrett and Jina with such force he was afraid it might cut him.

He grinned and tried it himself. Holding his hands flat and with one forward, one back, as Vin had, he sucked in a power-filled breath and exhaled as he thrust his hand forward. The air that rushed from his hand wasn't nearly as powerful as Vin’s but it was strong enough that Garrett saw it whip up sand where it passed.

Type: Offensive, Single-target

Level: Apprentice

Cost: 10 mana

Range: 3 meters

Channel Time: 0.1 seconds

Cooldown: 0 seconds

Effect: Inflict 20 wind damage.

>

“Good, Apprentice,” Vin said grudgingly. “And you?”

Jina flushed and did the same as me. It took her two tries, but finally she managed a small puff of air. The old Drifter shrugged. “It comes more quickly to some than others. But do not fear; it does not mean it will be any less strongly with you later.”

Jina bowed gratefully and shared a smile with Garrett. He was just glad she was getting the hang of it as well.

“Now, we should practice this, but we must move on for now. The second Form is defensive, and best used with some sort of staff or poles.” He positioned his hands so they crossed in front of each other. “Spin out your hands with a longer exhale like so.” He demonstrated. As he spun his hands around each other, a swirl of wind cascaded out before him, tossing into his pupils. Garrett had to take a step back to recover his balance, and he saw Jina stumble out of the corner of his eye as well.

Vin smiled in satisfaction. “This might deflect projectiles if you're quick, or knock opponents backwards if you're strong. Now, try it.”

Taking the same stance as their master, Garrett breathed out and spun his hands. A small swirl of air formed, not powerful enough to knock even a pebble out of the way, but it whipped up sand into his eyes.

Type: Defensive

Level: Apprentice

Cost: 20 mana

Range: In front of caster

Channel Time: 1 second

Cooldown: 10 seconds

Effect: Block weak projectile damage for 5 seconds.

>

He scrubbed at them as Vin laughed. “Both of you, well done! Ah, I remember what it was to first learn the Way.” His head tilted back and he smiled to himself. “Capable pupils put me in a mind of it once more.” He shook his head. “But we have other things we must do, do we not?”

Once again, Vin pressed his hands together and bowed, then began walking back up the path. Or he meant to, but the sand had sent him off track, and Jina went running to catch his arm and lead him straight.

Garrett didn't follow for a moment but stared at his hands. He'd just done magic, real magic. Or as real as it would ever feel. He didn't know how he could ever give this up. The way he worked the Forms, even if he wasn't strong now, felt so natural to him it seemed wrong that in real life he couldn't do the same. Or even breathe normally, much less of Aer.

He shook his head and followed after the pair. He couldn't think of real life, not when he was really just delving into what Elementia was all about.

Besides, he had a village to save.