A Journey of Reiki
Chapter Five

-Sybis-

“Harness yourself.” I sighed in frustration as Belrae spoke that same line for the hundredth time that morning.

It was the middle of our first session, and I was in pain like I hadn’t felt before. Belrae had pushed my physical limits to the end with extreme workout and constant action, always forcing me to move when I could. Until I couldn’t.

She told me this was to build my endurance, higher endurance meant more Reiki to throw around, so I was happy to oblige, but the constant asking to do more began to wear on me. My ‘fight’ with the Great Wolf, and the jog back was met with little excitement, Eliseia and I decided not to say anything. But, the adrenaline met with the run wore me out, and when I finally met with Rynvus that evening, he needed help doing a thorough cleaning of the stables and I happily obliged, filling my head with thoughts of Eliseia and our adventure, if you could call it that.

“Let’s go,” Bel chided, rousing me from my thoughts. “This is only the first session. It’ll be the worst, surely. It will get better but not if you quit, now go!” Again I ran as hard as I could through the crystalline forest. A mile in, a mile out. I had done this seven times now, and the running was beginning to hurt my legs badly, but I pressed onward without a verbal complaint, my goal still set firmly in my mind. If Belrae wanted it done, it would be done. Whatever was necessary.

I completed the final mile when she called my name. I dropped to one knee in front of her, panting heavily in the snow. I took off my ring to let the cold air float around me, cooling my body. The ring was nice when I wasn’t actively trying to cool down, and in this case, I was better off with it put away. The cool air felt nice, and Belrae’s compliment felt nicer.

“I’ve never seen someone complete this as quickly as you did. You must really want this, Sybis.” I pushed myself up, brushing the snow off me.

“Sy.” She paused, a look of confusion at my correction.

“What?”

“You may call me Sy.” I had told Rynvus the night before of my conversation and newfound apprenticeship with Belrae, and he was thrilled. He had regaled about how amazing she was at magic, and that she would be a great teacher. I was happy just to have one. We had spoken most of the night about it, and what he had been up to at the Academy. It had been a pleasant conversation though it had taken away more time from my sleep schedule than I had thought.

“Well, Sy,” She smiled, and for a moment, I almost forgot she was trying to work me to death. “I appreciate it. The next thing we do is work on your concentration.” She poked my nose gently, leaving the tip of her soft finger on my nose. “You have very little of it.” She pushed me away and began walking in the opposite direction. I took that as my cue to follow, but she stopped me in my tracks.

“Oh no, you don’t come back in.”

“Until?” She reached into her pocket and produced a crystal. This crystal was a dull white and reverberated with energy. She tossed it to me and I caught it easily enough, though the cold from the crystal itself surprised me.

“By Hitatsu’s name, why is it so cold?” She laughed and began stroking her hair subconsciously as she walked away from me.

“It is wind after all. Tell me when you’ve gotten the crystal warm!”

“Warm?” I called back to her as she began to disappear behind the trees. “How am I supposed to do that?”

“Good luck!” Her voice called back. I grunted in frustration. I found a nearby fallen log and sat on it, looking over the crystal. I put the ring back on, negating the cold of the gem itself, but the cold was more of a presence than a feeling. It looked no different from any crystal I’d ever seen before, but something told me it would be no walk in the woods to do as Bel wanted. She told me it had to do with concentration, but she didn’t tell me how, and she was right at the fact that concentration was never a strong suit of mine. I focused, or tried to, on the crystal itself, but alas, nothing happened that I could see. Focusing more didn’t help, and I soon gave up trying.

“No, this is exactly what I’m trying to work on,” I berated myself, picking the crystal back up. I was determined to prove to Bel I could do this, because I would never grow stronger without pushing myself through all the challenges presented to me. I closed my eyes and opened myself to everything that lay around me.

The wind. I took my ring off slowly and felt the bitter winds brush past me, filled with the scent of its previous passing, of its history, long or short, I did not know. The wind was shockingly cold, making me shiver, but I didn’t fight it. I let the cold become me, or I become a part of it. If I was to control the wind, I would need to come as close to it as I could.

Patience was never a virtue of mine, I was always known to fidget when I was younger, though it went away slowly with time. I could remember, but it felt forced, like the crystal wanted me to see this memory…

“Sy!” A voice called, distracting me from my play. Jillian and I were sword fighting with sticks, and she was getting better as time went on. It wouldn’t be long before she beat me…

I snapped out of it, opening my eyes to the harsh cold. I let out a deep breath and adjusted the crystal in my hand. To my surprise, I realized that the crystal had grown a little warmer, barely noticeable. I frowned. How did my memories connect to the crystal itself? Was it the memory or the focus of the memory that had altered it? The crystal slowly got colder again, back to its freezing temperature. I sighed.

“Alright Sy, diving into the past.” I stood up from the log and walked around until I found a large rock. Once I had, I cleared it off and sat upon it, crossing my legs in a comfortable position. I felt I would be sitting here awhile. I was shivering now, but I let the cold hit me, I let the cold become me. I straightened my back and set the crystal in my lap, wrapped by my hands. My hands slowly became numb, and I was thankful that I wore my fur armor. I took a few deep breaths, through the mouth out the nose, and let my eyes flutter closed. I’d never meditated myself, but I’d seen people do it before. All I heard for a few moments was my breathing, and then I remembered, in segments.

...I ran to my Aunt who called me. She’s a patient and wise woman, but strict as well. My Uncle was far more relaxed, though he had a temper as well. I ran through the fields of flowers and plants that we grew on the islands, and stumbled, falling to the ground. I scraped my knee, letting out a small groan and I wiped the blood away…

Deep breaths, focus on the breaths…

… ”Yes, Auntie?” I pushed the front door open, into our living room of sorts. Auntie sat on the chair, a book in her hand and a glass of water by her side on the table. She was a bigger woman, devoted to Athena and food and family, her trinity of purities. She lowered her glasses and looked at me sternly. I must’ve done something wrong.

“Did you feed the chickens?” I had forgotten to, excited to play with Jillian.

“No, Auntie.” She sighed, closing her book.

“Sy, you’ve got to remember your chores. Work before play makes the play even sweeter.” I hung my head shamefully.

“Yes, Auntie.” She stayed quiet for a moment.

“Come here, Sy.” My heart dropped. Was I about to get another spanking? I shuffled closer to her. “Come on, don’t be afraid you’re not in trouble, Sybis.” I walked a little faster until she could reach out and touch my shoulder. She ruffled my hair gently and pulled me into an awkward hug. She always smelled nice, like poppies. “I know life isn’t easy. I’m sorry that your Uncle and I are tough on you, but we do it because we…”

“...Love you.” I finished. I had loved that day, after she had said that, I felt warm and tingly inside as if something had opened up in me. Before I could continue the thought, a burning sensation went through my hands, and I threw the crystal away from me.

As soon as it struck the snow it hissed, melting it and forcing the snow to steam as it melted slowly to the frozen grass underneath. I looked at my hands for damage and found a marking on my hand where I held the crystal. It was a strange shape, one I had never seen before. It had seared into my hand, but the mark looked like a scar that was years old. I grabbed some snow from around me and held it in my hand until the burning sensation went away. I scrubbed at the mark, but it wouldn’t go away no matter how hard I pressed. This must be something that was supposed to happen, I couldn’t think of a reason Belrae would’ve given me a stone that would’ve burned me without a reason.

I stepped to the stone, and poked it, testing it. It had cooled down greatly, only a sliver of its original heat still present. I picked it up, examining it. It had looked no different, but to the untrained eye, that could be false. I shrugged, setting it in the crook of my arm as I walked back through the snow, back to Belrae’s cabin, my mind contemplating all the things that had just happened. Why had the stone burned me? What did the marking mean? I didn’t know. Hopefully, Bel could explain it to me. I walked up the steps and into her cabin as I thought of these. She was in the kitchen cooking something that smelled delicious.

“Welcome back.” She broke me from my thoughts. I raised the crystal.

“I did it.” She nodded. Setting down the spoon she walked over to me, wiping her hands on the apron she wore.

“Let me see your hand.” I held out my left hand, the hand that bore the burned marking. She took one look at it and seemed satisfied.

“I’m sorry I didn’t warn you about it, but if I had you’d be distracted about the oncoming pain, and not what you needed to. I’m surprised you found it as quickly as you did. The memories, I mean.”

“Well… it was more luck, Bel.” She wagged her finger at me.

“No such thing as luck. The crystal is meant to replace your memory.”

“What do you mean?” She took the stone out of my arm’s crook and observed it.

“First lesson. This is a memory stone. It helps you remember which part of your life unleashed your Reiki.”

“Unleashed my Reiki? You mean I wasn’t born with it?” She shook her head. She set the crystal on a shelf nearby and poked my heart.

“Your Reiki is a part of you, and you a part of it, however, something in your past is what taught your body to use it. Something bad, or good, or something in between. It isn’t any of my business, but what the crystal helps you do is recognize it--” She grabbed my hand, pointing at the strange markings. “--for what it is. This mark means “Sybis”. It is you, in marking, your truest nature. Your most primitive path. All magic will come forth from your truest self, from deep within. This mark helps it out of your body, a gateway, from your soul to the world around you. Does this make sense?”

The mark was how the magic would leave my body, and it was myself, my nature is written through the palm of my hand. “Yes, I think so, Master.” She seemed content, letting go of my hand.

“Now then, with your mark opened, we can finally begin to practice magic itself. But firstly, we need to figure out what you’re good at.”

“What do you mean?” She raised a finger.

“There are three main types of magic, supportive, defensive, and offensive. Everybody has something they’re better or worse at, something they dominate and something they lack in. We need to replace what you’re good at, and bad at, so we can balance you.” I understand now.

“I see. How do we do that?” She laughed.

“Oh I won’t be, Uvesilin will.” My stomach dropped. Before I could protest she ran through me verbally. “No arguing. She’s far better at it than I am.” I sighed.

“Yes, Master.” She waved me away.

“She already knows, I told her. You can replace her outback, meditating. Be ready.” I sucked up my nerves and nodded.

“Yes, Master.”

“Good luck, Sy.” I thanked her, walking outside and into the cold again. I slid my ring on, feeling the warmth embrace me wholly as I walked around the house and to the back, where A large plot of land, maybe fifteen feet by fifteen feet, lay barren from the snow. It looked like an arena, and something told me it was. In the center of it, Uvesilin sat cross-legged, meditating soundly. She had a flute in her hand, and she was playing it slowly in tune with a very sad melody I didn’t recognize. Her eyes were closed and her body swayed very slowly side to side in time with the music. I didn’t want to disturb her, so I sat in the snow twenty feet away and listened to her play. The harmony she played felt deep, meaning woven through the notes, but meaning I didn’t know. She played for only a few minutes longer, but the way she played, the way her deep velvet hair wove around her, the way her slim body moved to the music was eerily beautiful and made those few minutes feel like hours. When she opened her eyes, I was caught off guard and so was she. I scrambled to my feet and she rose to hers.

“Sybis.” She said, coldly. I felt embarrassed and intrusive, but I didn’t know why.

“I’m sorry, Uvesilin.” She smirked.

“No need to be sorry, I just didn’t expect you to be there is all, you startled me. You must’ve figured out the crystal faster than anticipated, I thought I would have at least two or three songs left.” She put the flute in her bag that sat beside her on the cleared ground. “Are you ready?” I nodded.

“What do I need to do?” her smirk became terrifying.

“Nothing much. Come over here. Take off your armor.” I frowned at her but walked to the ground she gestured to.

“Why the armor?” Her flat look pierced mine.

“I don’t want to break my fist.” Fear opposed me.

“Wait, you’re going to hit me?” She shrugged.

“Not if you’re fast enough, I suppose.” I looked towards the sky, giving all the Gods and Goddesses a slight berating. I slid my bag off, followed by my empty holster and my quiver and bow. I piled it all to the side, away from me and Uvesilin.

She cracked her knuckles and I legitimately wondered whether or not I wanted to learn magic, but only for a moment. I sighed and unstrapped my armor, sliding it up and off me, sitting it next to the rest of my belongings. I left the ring on, I needed warmth. She was wearing a dark fur coat, no armor that I could see. I figured this must be a fair fight unless she was somehow hiding a weapon of some sort. I learned a long time ago never to underestimate a female fighter, especially if they look you right in the eye. She began stretching.

“What is your Lotus?”

“I’m wind, I think a wind sorcerer.”

“An Elementalist. I can work with that. Have you ever cast a spell before? Oh wait, you just got your mark…” She stood up straight and let out a long breath. She poked herself in the chest, in between her lungs. “This is where your Reiki stays. It’s a small part of the body known as the solar plexus, and in it, your Reiki evolves and gathers to be released through your mark on your hand.” She held up her own hand, showing me her own intricate mark. “If you want to release it, you need to picture it and want it to happen. Spells are what you make them up, what you can think of. Your imagination and your Reiki levels are your only limiters.”

“So if I can think of it, I can make it happen?”

“If you have the power to make it happen. If I’m running on empty, I can’t spew the ocean into action. You need to know your limits.”

“What happens if I run out of Reiki?”

“Your body will fall into a comatose state, and sometimes you won’t wake up, depending on how hard you pushed yourself.” Her face was nothing but serious, and I made a mental note to always be careful of magic. It could be powerful, but only if used wisely.

“I understand.”

“Now, with the wind, remember that it will still act like wind unless you control it to do otherwise. Think of something simple, and try. Use the feeling from inside.” I nodded and thought of something simple.

Wind, what could be more simple for wind than a little gust of wind? I imagined a gust of wind, only enough to rustle Uvesilin’s hair. I held that thought firmly in my head and tugged at the power in my chest. I mentally prodded the area she spoke of, but only felt a light tickle, only a small well. As I thought about it, my hand began to itch, to tingle with the same cool feeling.

“Point your palm to where you want it to go, Sybis,” Uvesilin instructed quietly. I opened my eyes and pointed my palm at her. She seemed alarmed for only a moment, but she put her own hand up, and a translucent wall formed in front of her, fading away to invisibility. She nodded.

“Let it go.” I released the energy, I stopped thinking about it, and my hand went ballistic, the energy converging at the mark and then releasing with power, my hand bathed in a bright white aura. A gust of wind strong enough to knock a table on its side discharged from my hand, knocking Uvesilin back a few steps as her shield dispersed it. The only way I could describe the use of magic was like someone had just drawn my blood, a chilling sensation that flew through my body to the point of exit at my palm. That memory of my Aunt once again sparked in my mind, and the icy-cold of the crystal appeared across the palm bearing my Mark.

A lethargic feeling overcame me immediately and I fell to my knees, breathing heavily as sweat suddenly drained down my face, appearing quickly. Uvesilin was by my side in a second, helping me to my feet.

“It’s alright, don’t worry.”

“Why… am I…”

“So tired?” I nodded, thankful. It was hard to keep standing, much less put up a full sentence. “You just used magic, Sybis. For the first time. Your body needs to adjust. Give it a moment.” She let me down slowly, and I sat in the grass for minutes on end, breathing. I laid back, spread my arms, and took off my ring, letting the cool wind lower the heat on my body. Uvesilin stood beside me, looking down. Everything then clicked.

“I did… magic.” I huffed between breaths. She nodded.

“And it was impressive magic as well. Nobody’s ever made me step back with my shield. It was costly, I can see, but I have a feeling…” She let her sentence runoff, shaking her head.

“Say it,” I muttered. She rolled her eyes.

“Come in for dinner. Your ego’s big enough as it is.” I eyed her as she walked away.

“What!” I weakly shouted. “Just you wait until I recover!” She laughed, walking away, and I decided to lay in the cold a moment longer. Proud of myself for taking another step closer. I accomplished two major things today. I had casted my very first spell, and it had been impressive, and I think I got on the good side of Uvesilin. A win-win to me.