The Elemental Coast

This particular coast is the place where mages in training come to test themselves. This particular shore offers them access to all five elements of life. At the age of fourteen a mage will spend a year at the coast using only their mastery of magic to survive. Mages who study at a Tower of Magi usually go with other mages their age. Gwen Maneherder did not study at Trellion's Tower of Magi. As the daughter of Trellion's Royal Magus she learned all of her magic from her mother. She will be spending her fourteenth year at the Elemental Coast alone.

When Gwen arrived at the Inn where her family usually stopped on their way to the coast she could smell the salty sea on the air. After handing her horse over to the Inn Keeper she walked the remaining distance to the shore. As she neared she could hear the swooshing sound of waves lapping at the shore. When she reached the sand she removed her sandals and pressed her feet into the soft cool gritty sand. At mid day the sand would burn but in the early morning and after sun set the sand was cool enough to walk on. Gwen walked to the spot where her family set up camp every Litha. They would not be doing so this year in honor of Gwen's year of seclusion. After setting up her tent Gwen stripped off her clothes and tossed them inside. Part of communing with the five elements required her to be skyclad.

She slipped into the trees and gathered up loose pieces of wood. A rustling in the bushes caught her attention. She looked to see a large spider emerge. It hissed and snpped its pincers as it drew closer. Gwen conjured a fire ball and hurled it at the beast. It scuttle back into the forest shrieking as flames consumed it. Gwen continued collecting wood and returned to her camp. A cool brease caressed her bare skin as she used her ability to manipulate earth to draw up enough sand to create a fire pit. The wood clattered as she dropped it into the pit. She conjured a spark and let it fall on the dry tinder. The wood snapped and crackled as the spark became a flame and the flame grew into a blaze. The heat of the fire warmed her skin as she settled on a blanket beside it. After an hour of meditation Gwen banked the fire with sand and retired to her tent.

She woke before the sun rose the next morning and made her way across the cool sand to the shallow waves. In an attempt to commune with the five elements she lay in the shallow water. As it washed around her, she sank into the wet muddy sand. Her body became one with the earth, water and air. As the sun rose and bathed her in golden light she became one with fire.

Word Count: 495