Fireflies of the Heart

By Nathan Haines

Magic harnesses the elements that make up the world itself.  The gods give this ability to those who open their minds.

Giovin has spent decades serving the Sun, seeking out those with the spark of magic for training.  In a remote little village, there is a little boy who surrounds himself with fireflies every night.

And Toran has an ability no one has ever known.

Come along with Toran as he starts on his path to learning more about magic and the world around him in "Fireflies of the Heart."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Starbound Publishing
• Release date: Jun 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201543945

Nathan Haines

Nathan Haines loves computers and videogames, and spends a lot of time reminiscing about old ones he's owned. He can often be found typing on an Alphasmart Neo so that he will not be tempted by those old computers or videogames. Nathan Haines writes sci-fi and fantasy stories, and sometimes he writes stories set on Earth that remind him of growing up. He has also translated novels from the X-Universe game series from Egosoft into English so more readers can enjoy them. He has written a friendly guide to the Ubuntu operating system. A hybrid author who enjoys stiff drinks, moonlit walks on the beach, and five-star reviews on his books, he can be found on the Web at https://www.nhaines.com/

Book preview

Fireflies of the Heart

Giovin concentrated on his outstretched hand, concentrated on the energy that surrounded it. Earth stood below, unchanging and patient, above a foundation of Water, deep and ancient. Sun wheeled slowly above. And there, between, Wind billowed and swirled in tiny, almost imperceptible eddies. He focused on Sun, above it all, and then considered Wind, feeling how it rolled across the back of his hand as he turned it. What would it reveal to him? He waited and listened.

He stopped his spell, and his eyes opened. The energies faded, carried away in the breeze, but he smiled to himself. The world around him rushed back stronger than before. The thick, warm smell of grass in the daytime heat, the sunlight falling on him through the leaves of the tree, and the smooth, hard birch bark at his back. Giovin took a deep breath, savoring the richness of the smells. In a minute, his senses would fall back to normal again. But he had his answer now.

First, he said a prayer to Sun, old and wise, bringer of life, who shined on all and saw everything. He stood up as quickly as his old joints would allow him. He hadn’t yet needed a staff and wouldn’t start using one now. The time for that would come, eventually, but it was one more thing to carry and he preferred to travel light. He tugged his tabard down, and looked up toward the sky. The sun had begun to sink toward the horizon, although there would be hours before dusk. He sipped from his waterskin, then approached his horse, which was idly inspecting the grass for any missed thistles. Giovin climbed into the saddle and patted his mount. The horse sniffed and lifted its head, turning back towards the road to continue their eastward journey.

Giovin was at home on the road, where he had wandered for decades. His purpose in life was to wander the paths and trails that branched out from the ancient road that ran across the plains from Merovar on the ocean all the way to Bemaron, far off in the deserts beyond the