“Correct, Flight Sergeant, though as the sea is in constant movement, I can also use this pillar to bring up the electrical charge.”
“Wow!” Fin jumped up and down and clapped. “Can you? Can you do that? Can we see?”
Flight Captain Shi simply looked at him without expression. “No.”
Fin stopped and lost his smile.
“We are here today to look at howyoucan control your magic.”
“Mine?” Fin asked. “What’s to control? I either glow or I don’t.”
“Because you have not been trained to do any differently,” Shi said.
“Trained?” I asked. “When you said about training Fin’s magic, I thought you meant his mind magic, his talking to dragons.”
“That will come later,” Shi said.
“Why not now?” Fin asked. “I like talking to dragons.”
The flight captain walked back to us and knelt down with Fin. “I know you do, Mister Segast, but the mind is a very sensitive organ, human or dragon. It is very easily damaged. If you were to do something accidentally, you could potentiallycause serious pain or damage to a dragon, possibly even kill one.”
“I would never!” Fin pouted.
“You would never do sointentionally,” Shi agreed. “That is why I used the word accidentally. So, before we start exploring your mind magic, I want to ensure that you have the mental discipline to fully control your light magic. If you hone your skill with your light, then you will learn the control necessary to work with minds. Do you understand?”
Fin looked up at me, his bottom lip out slightly. I raised my brows and nodded towards the flight captain. Fin turned back to him. “’Spose.”
“Fin,” I warned.
Fin huffed, glanced at me and then back to Shi. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Then we will begin.”
Shi moved to sit cross-legged and invited Fin to do the same sitting directly in front of him. Then Shi looked up at me. “You may sit or stand to watch this, but I would appreciate it if you could move at least two paces back. That way I can be sure that the power I am sensing is Fin’s and Fin’s alone.”
I moved back three paces, folded my towel into a square and sat on that, not cross-legged, but with my knees drawn up so I could watch over them.
Shi sat, his back and neck very straight, and rested his hands, palms up on his knees. “Now, Mister Segast, would you show me your glow?”
Watching the two of them was incredible. Shi was calm personified, he barely moved as he worked with Fin. I noticed that as Fin’s glow showed, Shi’s fingertips wavered. As Fin continued to glow, Shi’s fingers and thumbs came together, never quite touching, almost as if he were testing the quality of a fabric. His breathing was slow and measured, and heencouraged Fin to follow his lead, to straighten his back, to measure his breaths, to concentrate.
That was not natural for a five-year-old, but I thought Fin did admirably well. I also spotted Shi giving me the side-eye at one point, and I found myself shifting position to sit cross-legged, back straight, breathing controlled and regular. It wasn’t the most comfortable position I’d ever sat in, but I could see, with practice, how it might become so.
Fin struggled and occasionally groaned as he tried to follow Shi’s instruction. But then, at last, he managed to concentrate all his glow into his hands.
“I did it!” he cried. At which point, the glow shone from every inch of uncovered skin.
“Yes, Mister Segast,” Shi spoke carefully. “For a moment there, you did. Next time, you will find it easier, and we will work on your levels of control some more. Good work, Mister Segast, you are dismissed.”
Fin leapt to his feet. My older bones took longer to lever me upright.
“Not you, Flight Sergeant,” Shi said. “Your training has yet to begin.”
Fin giggled. “Can I stay?”
“Do you not have homework to complete for the morrow?” I asked.
His little face grumped. “Yes, Dad.”
