This time of year, the meadow is lovely; its flowers are painted in bright colors of lavender, amber, and indigo. Even a twisted heart inside the chest of a bitter old man would have skipped to behold the pure beauty of earth. A pegaus would take thrill when noticing how spotless the sky was, and perhaps find reason for play; indeed, this aged heart did skip around—but for an entirely different reason. It skipped out of excitement, because magic had begun to awaken, deep magic; rooted from my lord and seeping with earthly intent.

I had found out about this new talent rather suddenly on a normal morning. It had started off averagely enough, I left early with the intent to meditate before starting my daily todos. Once in a trance state of being-- my spiritual touch could not only feel the sand move beneath hooves, but the plates of earth as well. Imagine my blissful surprise?

Of course... small shivers and shakes eventually weren't enough to satisfy a growing hunger; mortal mind grew curious of this ability and began to harbor desires of stretching magical muscles as far as physical self would allow. This power was what I practiced today. Fear hugged my hooves tightly to their positions like favored friend unwilling to let go out of fear that I might fall over from the might of my own energy. Calling upon the quaking spools of power, I pushed against the very plates of earth. The smaller ones moved to my will, shaking and quivering until the whole area around me shook free and threatened to break apart.

A withheld breath released and the tremor stopped just as suddenly as it had began. My head spun a little and I was drenched in sweat, limbs shaking. Wings which were hung limp, now thrust out to cool my burning hide. Again I summoned the beast that was my birthright, and again I couldn’t not hold it for more than a little without nearly falling over from exhaustion. Gasping air hot air after a third attempt, it became frustratingly apparent that I would have to take this a little slower than sand bending.

The art of sand shifting had come easy, almost naturally; I felt like this magic would also mature and grow simpler with time. But it would take time, and patience. Both of which I had little to spare of late. Throwing head toward a high noon sun I sighed dejectedly, wondering why nothing could ever be easy? Limbs shifted to drag body toward a shady spot for thinking on how to master this technique.

You don’t realize just how much magic can take its toll until one stops casting it. My body was sweaty and feeling the fatigue from tallsun heat; right now I couldn’t think about how to master this new power like I wanted to. Instead all my brain would fantasize about was how the shade would feel once I dragged this carcass was under it.

Truthfully, I was much too young to be feeling this drained. Before any amount of space had been crossed to distant timberline a sound drifted on the wind, teasing my ears into rising from their frustrated flat state. My name and the drumming of flailing hooves. Bowed cranium automatically turns, not expecting to witness a face that had become a blessed sight in troubled times. Hototo had been like a brother to Cera, and a second son to me; always understanding and full of surprises--just like his heavenly father. Eytan trailed behind him, it wasn’t often I saw one without the other.

A welcoming smile creases my face, forcefully I straighten a bent spine from its sluggish stance to appear more tolerable of company. As the lad closes the gap between us I’m struck with realization that he seemed to have taken on a few inches since the last time we talked. Like the patched flyer at home this boy was going to tower over me within the next few months. “Midas,” he calls in simple greeting, my head extends toward him to close the final few feet between. Velvet reaches out to butt against his blue nose fondly. Sunlite eyes turn to the bear, tenors rumbling out a soft nicker, “It’s good to see you both doing so well.” More words whelp in my chest but before they could obtain life he asks a question.

"You seemed like you were struggling back there... are you alright?"

His concern warms me and makes me sigh in the same beat, a General wasn’t supposed to struggle through anything. It wasn’t very becoming of Throats honored child and it wasn’t becoming of a mentor for two nearly grown children either. Disheartened I admit, “New magic has awakened within me, but I seem to lack the strength and endurance to control it for more than a few seconds.” Not really wanting to dwell on the fact that my power was lacking in proportions that I thought it should have, I clear throat and add, “But never mind me; how are you? How is your mother?”