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They had said the storm was due a few hours ago.
Erik rose early, exhilarated by the scent of rain and dampening soil that filled the air, and it made him quick to go about his daily tasks. He kept up his usual façade. No one was meant to think that today was different than any other day.
As it seemed to be, regardless of any prior agreement, Erik was always prepared to have to wake Goro up; even on days he claimed he anticipated. He was prone to falling asleep whenever and wherever he’d lay his head. It happened too often, in Erik’s opinion.
It’d begun raining hours before noon and the ground was damp and muddy. Erik kept his footsteps light and kept under tree cover; he’d walked louder through storms before, but he had promised Goro they’d keep their meetings discreet
Erik approached the little hut Goro called home. He kept his distance; approaching no further than the evergreens that obscured the house from any view of the road.
The roar of thunder cut through the air. The pitter patter of rain grew louder and heavier; the drops began to feel almost solid on his back, but he had grown accustomed to this feeling ages ago.
Erik’s eyes scanned along the ground before spotting a perfectly smooth pebble that he promptly picked up. He craned his neck to peer over to the window that he remembered to be Goro’s. He rolled his eyes and scoffed. Shutters were closed, as expected.
Erik warmed the pebble up, rubbing it between his palms. He wound his arm back before whipping the tiny stone right at the closed shutters of Goro’s room. He began counting the passing seconds under his breath.
...6...7...8...9–
A creak caught Erik’s ear as a familiar figure emerged from behind slowly opening shutters.
“You’re doing this backwards,” Goro’s voice traveled through the air to Erik, just loud enough to be heard over the looming storm. “Isn’t the princess with the long hair usually the one in the tower?”
“Well, when the day comes that you wake up on time, you can do that.” Erik retorted incredulously, throwing the length of his braided hair over his shoulder. He gestured impatiently at Goro to come down, “Coast is clear.”
Erik watched as Goro stepped over his window pane and made his way down the side of the house; remembering to leave the shutters to his room slightly ajar so as to facilitate getting back in later.
Goro landed gracefully by Erik’s side, quiet and practiced. Even as they stood there in the wavering dimness of the storm clouds above them, Erik could see Goro’s eyes light up, his expression bright and excited. His enthusiasm was contagious and Erik could feel a growing warmth fill his chest.
“Come on now,” Erik called to Goro, nudging him playfully before turning to leave, “Let’s not waste any time.”
Erik and Goro ran side by side as they made their way to their designated clearing in the woods. There, they’d take the length of the storm, and then some on other occasions, to give Goro space to test out his magic; practice under cover of the booming tempest in some relative safety.
Erik knew very little about the nature of Goro’s magic, since he had received his power through the blessing of Kord. Still, he was very determined to somehow help Goro figure out how to harness his own abilities.
Goro’s magic always felt a little foreign to Erik, yet, something about it struck familiar enough that the bits of guidance he shared somehow gave way to favorable results. Focus was difficult to maintain with how little time they were afforded to practice, and when it came to magic, precision and care wasn’t something that could be learned in a handful of hours. Still, something about Goro evoked patience within Erik that he didn’t know he had.
It was fulfilling.
Erik observed quietly as Goro repeated the incantation with a furrowed brow and a strained tone; the sixth attempt at the same spell and not one successful execution yet.
Goro was trying to do something he referred to as ‘Thunder Step’. It was meant to have some sort of quick travel effect, or so he tried to explain. At this point, it was quite beyond any of Erik’s own capabilities, but he wanted to provide support. Anyways, anything to do with thunder and lightning was right up his alley, so he liked to watch.
Erik held his breath as a deep rumble began to emanate from where Goro stood; something that hadn’t happened in previous attempts. The visual of Goro’s silhouette stuttered erratically; Erik held onto the hope that something had taken hold.
But as quickly as the magic grew did it putter out. And Goro was left standing there, unchanged and slumped over; his face drenched in rainwater, his expression deflated in frustration. Erik took a deep breath before approaching him.
“Hey, man, don’t lose focus,” Erik said as he clapped a hand over Goro’s shoulder before nudging him in the small of his back, “Stand up straight. There’s still time.”
Erik leaned on Goro’s shoulder as he raised an arm up, gesturing to a tree across the clearing. The tree was just as enormous as the others in the forest, but across the thick of its trunk, a deep, but precise, old burn scarred the surface of its bark. An old victim of a successful Lightning Bolt casting from a time before.
“Right in front of that tree. That’s what you’re aiming for, alright?” Erik instructed; he tried to keep his voice firm and assertive, but he couldn’t help but feel it waver. “That empty patch of soil? Focus on it. You can-- You will do it.”
Erik could feel Goro’s shoulders quiver under his touch. From nervousness or from excitement; he couldn’t tell.
“Do you want me to help clear your mind?” Erik asked, gesturing the somatics to Calm Emotions; a spell Erik had maybe used once or twice during their sessions to help settle both of their nerves for a moment or two.
Goro shook his head in response, though never taking his eyes off the scarred tree that sat thirty feet or so away from where he stood. Erik could feel the familiar deep rumble begin again; a sound so deep he felt the ground vibrate beneath his feet. He nodded in understanding, squeezing Goro’s shoulder in reassurance before backing away.
Erik watched with bated breath. Words of prayer to Kord ran through Erik’s mind as the rainfall intensified; thunder roared through the forest as lightning tore through the sky, haloing Goro’s silhouette for a split second. Erik squinted through the dimming light of the rolling storm clouds above them; just barely making out the look on Goro’s face as he lifted his head, his posture tense and filled with intent.
Erik could see Goro as he steeled himself, shifting his stance and digging his heels into the soil. The sonorous rolling swole, only just distinguishable from that of the squall, as the faintest hints of lightning crackled and cut the air about Goro’s figure.
Suddenly, a sharp ringing stung Erik’s ears. Loud and violent; it was like thunder, but as if played in reverse and amplified tenfold.
It happened so fast, Erik almost didn’t catch it as Goro’s form blurred out of existence, leaving behind a shallow crater in his wake; the soil kicked up in a near perfect circle within ten feet of where he previously stood.
Erik’s eyes darted about wildly as he looked for the shape of his companion anywhere along the span of the clearing, before finally landing on the spot right in front of the scarred tree that he had pointed to before. He ran up to Goro in a bit of a scramble, but was relieved to see him mostly, if not completely, unscathed.
“Goro?” Erik called to him gently.
Goro stood, turned away from Erik, in silent stillness for a moment. He glanced over as Goro’s shoulders raised, the sound of his voice reaching Erik’s ears, but his words were indistinguishable.
“Sorry?”
“I did it!” Goro yelled, abruptly whipping around. Erik’s heart lifted at the dumb goofy smile sprawled across Goro’s face. “Thank you!”
“Thank me?” Erik barely had a moment to brace himself before Goro jumped into the air, launching himself and perching square on Erik’s back. Erik readily wrapped his arms around Goro’s legs, shifting to balance their weight. “That was all you.”
“Thank you thank you thank you thank you than--” Goro repeated jovially as he wrapped an arm firmly around Erik’s shoulder and used his other arm to pump the air in celebration; very clearly oblivious to what Erik was saying under the sound of his own voice. A grin spread across Erik’s face as he mouthed a ‘thank you’ up into the sky.
“Okay, Thunderstep, we’ve got a bit more time to practice. Let’s go.”
