Page 69 of Daughter of the Serpent

"How did they attain such power?" she asked, curiosity tightening in her chest.

He dragged a hand through his hair, exhaling. "Through practice. Through generations of channeling, the Hazier learned to harness magic in ways others never dared. They discovered magic isn’t just something in which to submit, or command - it’s felt. Shaped. It bends not only to will but to emotion and connection."

His words struck her.

Emotion?

Every lesson she had ever learned preached the opposite - that magic was only mastered through discipline and surrender.

Not through feeling.

Never through feeling.

She barely had time to process before he reached for her hand, a light tug urging her forward. His touch sent a current through her skin, tingling, alive. He led her toward the treeline, just beyond the cliff’s edge, where the wind carried the scent of damp earth and sea.

"The proof is in what you have already done. You are strongest when you are in the grip of your emotions," he said, his tone measured. "Though your control is weak."

She arched her brow, his flattery unbecoming as usual. "I’m aware my emotions are reckless."

"Yet," his gaze flickered over her, unreadable, "they are what make you powerful."

Her lips parted, uncertainty threading through her thoughts. "What do you mean?"

“Just watch.” He extended his hand.

Whispering something beneath his breath, a ring of fire flared to life, glowing brightly.

“Notice the fire.” He instructed.

Her eyes watched, absorbed in the flame. Slowly it grew, expanding larger and larger - flaring to life. It pulsated at his command.

“When I pour life into the flame - emotion, life force - it draws and feeds on the energy, the strength.”

Sylvie’s eyes widened.

“The Hazeier teaches not to for - go emotion, but to control them - hone them for your greatest benefit. Emotions hold great power, if you know how to harness them.”

She nodded, excitement stirring in her belly. “Why is it that we are not all taught this?” She looked at him, questioning. “Elder Runa, when we were about to rune cast, reminded us to remove our emotions, to remove our fear. Why, when they are so powerful?”

"You must understand. Emotions, attachments, bonds - those are inconvenient for those in power. They're messy and harder to control. It's easier to keep people compliant, unattached, and docile than to let them unleash their true power." he explained, stepping closer. His eyes searched her, leaving her momentarily breathless. His wildness, his pure energy of defiance, tugged at her spirit.

“Your people, they all channel magic the same way, do they not?”

Sylvie hesitated, her brows knitting together in thought. “Yes,” she replied slowly. “We’re all taught the same methods. It’s the way it has always been.”

His lips curved slightly. “And yet, my people - each of us - channeled magic differently,” he said, his amber eyes gleaming with a fire that made her breath catch. “No two warriors wielded the same. Each ability, each strength, was as distinct as the soul it stemmed from.”

Her mouth parted in surprise. “How is that possible?” she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

“Because we didn’t surrender who we were,” he explained, stepping closer, his gaze locking with hers. “We didn’t mold ourselves to the magic; we let the magic mold itself to us. Each of us forged a bond - a partnership - with it, rooted in our individuality. It flowed through us, not as a master, but as an ally, shaped by the essence of our souls.”

Sylvie’s mind raced, her thoughts reaching for anything in her memories, Godvick’s scrolls, her teachings, that resembled this. “That’s unheard of,” she whispered. “It’s not our way. We’re taught to submit to the magic, only then will it channel through us.”

His gaze softened slightly, though his voice remained steady. “That is one way. But it is not the only way.”

Her eyes searched his, considering.

“Think of the very beginning, the legends of the gods - how they came to be.” He instructed her. “Magic created all things, including the gods. It was there before anything else existed, it is what gave the gods life, and the ability to channel life to us, and the world.”

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