"I understand that. But you've got to understand that protecting this country is my job. I mean… was my job. I had to deal with foreigners like your dad. I also only kept this." He pointed at the old box on the white iron table. "Because he explained everything to me. He said that it could help you unlock your powers."
"But did he say why he left?"
John shook his head. "He said that he had to leave, and he wouldn't explain why. We got into a fight before he left."
"Okay." Rico hung his head. "I understand."
"He said that you should look for him if you got your powers. Rico, I think we should go there and kick his ass."
"Casey, come on, now."
"No dad. I hate this… it's disgusting. He had a family here and just left."
Rico actually smiled. "I said the same thing, too."
"Then we need to try." Casey honestly wanted to help. He didn't like how this situation made him feel useless to his friend. His dad shook his head, and smiled at him.
"Lloyd is equivalent to a Mid Red Sorcerer. You two don't stand a chance."
"Dad… How about you? Did you win?"
His dad gave him an offended look. "Case… I'm me. If I gave you the names to name, there aren't five people stronger than me."
Rico said. "I guess that counts as an answer?"
Casey looked at his dad. "Why are you building houses?"
"I'm studying abstract applications of earth mana. Mostly I'm doing so through the observation of my workers." John looked at their confusion. "See, I want to know the perfect shape for strength. All of the houses and restorations we do are on cement and stone structures, and roads." The longer he talked the more they looked confused. "I don't understand what you're not understanding. I study the mana placement of the earth element to make progress in my mana application."
"I still don't get it. Why don't you study volcanos instead? " Casey, thought this has something to do with his age. Maybe it affected his mind. He honestly wanted to hug his father.
"You know your expression, I feel like you're being rude, Casey." John continued explaining. "I've studied volcanos, but sometimes, logical studies, rather than natural study, can bear surprising fruit."
"One day I'll be studying ice cream?"
Rico laughed. His father finally scolded him. And, after a moment John settled and got to the important part.
"We need to go somewhere safer to try this out." He touched the box.
"How about Barritarie?" They looked at Casey. "I wanted to drop some cameras into the fish pool."
"That would be near a good spot. But we're not going to the cave. We've got other things to do." John got up and left the money for the meal under a plate. Casey got up slowly, and limped behind.
.....
The bushes and trees were a wide view; too heavy for the wind to move all of them. Their heads were covered by dust from the white quarry roads. As they had drove further, they grew higher. Trunks and tree leaves were their presence now. Casey opened the truck's window, and the smell became its third presence.
They had dropped off Rico's mom's car. She had chosen to come along.
"Man, I don't see how there aren't monsters in there?"
"Why would you say that, Rico?"
"He just says stuff sometimes."
"Rico, you've got to know what to say around company."
Rico kept quiet for the remainder of the ride.
They passed the first bridge, before the settlement, and then the road forked. On the left was a huge, flat piece of land. The sea was a short walk away, and Casey could hear it.
Casey stopped the truck. John had sat passenger and he got out in time to help, Rico's mom, Leona out of the high vehicle, she smiled brightly as he assisted her. She wore a white dress that contrasted nicely with her skin.
"I bought this land twenty years ago. I used a spell to compact the earth here, so people from the community couldn't farm on it."
"It kinda makes sense, if you think about it." It was warm, the sea breeze traveled through the thinner bushes. Casey smelt it on the wind.
Rico walked onto the land holding the box. Casey walked up and took it, and held it for him. Rico smiled.
He opened the lid. And took out the brown leather gloves inside. He slowly wore them.
The air had feelings in it, now. The air had different sounds. And the ground had life moving through it. Things that felt so natural. Even moreso than dirt, or tree bark to Rico.
That was mana.
"Casey I feel so different right now. Do you feel like this all the time."
Casey laughed. "I don't know but you should try something."
"John, what do I do?"
"You have to talk to the mana. That's the first step to it."
"Okay." He looked around and didn't know how, or which mana to talk to. "Casey, what do I say?"
"Say something that feels natural? I think you should go by instinct. Don't listen to anyone; just let it go."
Rico held out his right hand, and focused.
"Come to me."
He felt something leave his body, something that had kept him standing.
A flow of mana came from the surroundings and entered his body, and the strength that left him returned many times over.
"Casey, something changed."
"I feel a lot of mana coming from you. It feels like composite… throw a punch?"
"Okay." Rico threw a combination that took him through a high and low motion. The air whistled as he moved through the set in a blur.
His mother's mouth hung open. She hadn't ever seen a magic user up close. Her son was the first. She rubbed her head, and sighed. She hoped he'd still be safe.
"Okay. That was really good, dude. You wanna try projection now?"
"What is that? The ice thing you do?"
"Yeah but I can do more than ice, you know? Try shooting some.. fire?"
"Only a little, Rico. Hold your hand out and hold it there."
Leona gave John a worried look.
"You sure this is a good idea? Let him try water, please?"
"Okay, but he'd be fine. Rico try holding your hands up, and calling the water to you. After that pull it apart. I remember seeing Lloyd do something similar in our fight."
Rico wondered how that would work, but he did as John instructed. He got into a pose with both arms stretched overhead.
"Give me water."
Drops were pulled from the saturated sea breeze. They accumulated into a globe about as big as a boulder and rested on his palms. The clear water seemed solid to Rico, and it felt light.
He pulled, and it separated cleanly into two equal parts. Casey looked at them in a daze. This was simply amazing.
"I can't wait to heal up. We can definitely beat up your dad."