"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. 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 instead."
"Casey, come on, now." John actually smiled as he shook his head.
"No, dad. This… is disgusting. He had a family here and just left."
Rico smiled too. "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. "Then 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.
.....
Barritarie was bordered by a large forest. Its plants were dense, and a hard woody green, which showed the forest's age.
A red truck came along a black line that bisected the forest. That black line was Queens Highway. That ran most of Old Providence.
The truck drove until trees gave way to sparse patches of bushes and one of the two bridges that led into the settlement of Barritarie.
"It's really pretty out here. I never knew the lake was so big." Leona said, as some light bounced off her wide rimmed glasses.
Casey had to agree. The sun had cleared up any morning mist, leaving blue waters, and tall twisted mangroves to the sight. The clear sky topped off the scenery, quite literally.
Leona, who was Rico's mom, took a few shuttering photos on her phone as drive by. As for Rico, he sat beside her, uncharacteristically quiet now.
Casey saw him touch the wooden box gingerly, before turning his attention back to the road, again.
For a few miles the occupants made small talk, until they came to an intersection.
"Take a left right here, Case. I want Rico to have a good spot." John said.
He sat beside Casey. Prattling his fingers against the panels of the truck.
The road became quarry rock, and of course there were chunks missing. The truck handled the journey better than anything else probably would've.
Along the road they passed through swaths of mangroves. Casey had saw water on both sides. He supposed the one side was a pond, the other was obviously the big lake.
"Stop right here, Case."
Casey parked against the right of the road, assuming that there wouldn't be more than one vehicle at a time passing.
John got out and helped Leona out of the truck. He then lead them to a bushy swath.
"Move." His eyes glowed green, and roots from each plant separated from the soil. Their roots were like feet that they walked on. Before long each plant had cleared a huge opening.
The area now had a view of the lake. They all stared at John.
"How did you do that?" Casey asked.
"That was amazing." Leona whispered.
Rico's mouth hung open. "Mr. Knowles, you made them come to life?!"
"No." John shook his head. "It's just a trick. You two will pick up on stuff like this as you get older. It's concept work. In capital letters.
"So, now that we've got the space, it's time we get you initiated. Casey, help him out?"
Casey took the wooden box. The engravings were complex but worn thin. They were lines that looped around and didn't seem to represent anything in particular. At least not any language he recognized.
Casey held the box open.
Rico took out the auburn gloves. They looked like the hide of some animal. Auburn, the color seemed natural, so this animal had red skin.
He slowly wore both. Studying the engravings as he did.
"I don't really feel…" Rico's eyes tore open. Casey could imagine the experience.. In fact he had had this experience before. He had been five when he had first felt mana. It made colors, sounds, and touch so much more sensational. He would describe it as, "Wow."
"This is so… fricking amazing." Rico waved his arms, and a small wind rolled with an earthy scent.
"Case, did I do that?"
"I guess so. Wanna try something we can see? Let's try water. For me, I pull mana through my nodes and project it out. Try making a water ball Rico?"
"Be careful."
"Yes, mum." Rico focused; earlier he had moved the wind. There had been a cooler feeling in the wind. He hoped that was water.
He raised his hands up above his head. Strength left him, and his legs wavered a little.
"Dude, I feel kinda weak."
Casey pointed up and smiled. "I can imagine why."
A twenty foot in diameter globe floated overhead. Seeing something so massive hovering above him made his legs even weaker.