Young Writers Society

Derik tensed, but then laughed.

"That's cool," he repeated, unable to find another way to say it. Then he started thinking through parallels between whatever magic Kaz had and the R'hyk. Give him a point of comparison. "So, like, how's that work? Does it take your energy to channel it? So, like, limited by how tired you are?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Kaz said. "But, like, I've been zappin' things since I can remember. And my mom and dad trained the hell out of me so I'd have a lot of endurance like them so I don't get tired as easily."

He paused, feeling the exhaustion from the too-intense high clinging to him.

He probably shouldn't have blasted the tree that hard. It was a little much.

"You just gotta like, channel it," Kaz said, patting his chest. "Lightning comes from the heart, bro. You gotta feel it, but you gotta control it. It's a wild thing. If you don't tell it where to go, it has a mind of its own."

Derik nodded. So, it was more innate than learned. That was interesting. "I see. Is everyone in your realm born with it? Or something similar? One of the guards had this like... whip? But it was really water? But still choked you? I don't really know what that was about."

"Ohhhhh, yeah, that guy was a water mage," Kazimir said with a wave of his hand. "A lot of people are born with magic, but not everyone's got magic like me. Lightning's pretty rare. Earth and water and fire and stuff are super common. Typical element-type things. I've got what people call a 'niche' gene, so that makes me special. Though I think I'm special based on me being me, that's just my opinion."

He paused, forgetting Derik's original question.

"Why?"

"Just wondering." Derik shrugged, glad that Kaz didn't seem to notice his slip up of asking "from your realm" -- he'd need to be more careful with that. "Gotta know how super duper extra special you are, you know?"

Kazimir nodded.

"Yeah. You're special too. With uh, your not-magic, no-magic man," Kazimir laughed as he patted Derik on the shoulder. He paused for a second as his mind skipped a beat with his hand still on Derik's shoulder, and he spaced out.

That didn't sound right.

Derik hesitated, wondering if Kaz was going to remember. And then contemplating whether he wanted to keep it from Kaz if he didn't remember it. On one hand, it might be nice to have an unexpected edge. On the other, it was hard to say if Kaz would remember or if Derik would have to use it -- again -- and then have to reveal a lie between them.

That option seemed bad.

Derik didn't want to get his head seared if Kaz found out he'd been lied to. Best to just come out with it. "Eh, I have a little bit of magic. But it's not cool like yours."

Kazimir squinted for a moment and then patted Derik's back firmly.

"Aw, come on, all magic is cool," he said. "What kind do you have?"

Derik smirked as Kaz reassured him. It was sweet. "Mine's kinda... ah... just manipulating the natural energy of the universe, you know? Not like you do. Just, kinda, like... I can move things, keep things from moving, put things in different places. That kinda stuff."

Kazimir's eyes lit up.

"Bro, I don't even understand half of what you said but that sounds sick as hell, dude," Kazimir said. "Natural universe energy stuff... hell yeah."

"Thanks!" Derik grinned, appreciating the hype. "Mine is limited by how tired I am, though. And I'm still pretty tired from earlier. But, you know..."

Derik's eyes landed on a pebble a few meters ahead of them. He gestured at it and crooked a finger, and the rock instantly rose in the air and began floating towards them with leisurely pace Derik told it to come. Then he gently tossed it at Kaz, using the R'hyk, as if he flicked it towards him without touching it."

Kazimir let out a shocked laugh.

"BROOOOoOOOooO," he rang out, shooting out his arms to gesture at the floating rock. "THE FUCK THAT'S CRAZY!"

He caught it as it flicked towards him, looking at the rock in awe, then shifting the same expression to Derik.

"Dude. That's amazing. What do you call it?"

Derik grinned broadly, feeling accomplished that his magic delighted Kaz as much as Kaz's magic delighted him. He shrugged. "The R'hyk. It's not like an... innate? thing though, like yours is? You just kinda... do it." He shrugged again.

"Just do it," Kazimir echoed, looking down at the rock in his hands.

"I like that. Good motto."

"Yeah," Derik agreed, even though he wasn't quite sure what it was that he was agreeing to. "It's worked out for me this long."