Read Dream Magic: Awakenings for Free Online Page B

to study," Rose said.
    "Studying at night? She should be sleeping."
    "Maybe she's studying in a dream."
    Eric shuddered at the thought. "That sucks..." Spending half a day in school, the other half studying and doing homework, and then dreaming about the very same thing at night was not Eric's favorite thing. "That's one of the worst nightmares."
    Rose thought for a moment. "I don't think so. If you dream about the things you learned and not about studying itself, it can be interesting. And sometimes things make more sense in dreams, don't they?"
    Eric shrugged, and kicked at a grassy lump of earth.
    "Maybe she's having a nightmare about failing the exam," Rose said.
    "Lucy, failing an exam? Not even in a dream," Eric waved dismissively. "But... having a nightmare about being only second best? Quite possible."
    Rose snickered.
    "Hold it!" The shout came from ahead and Duke obliged. Kyle and Lyle dismounted and ran back to Eric and Rose.
    "Hi! Hello!" Lyle waved his hand in front of Eric's eyes, as if to see if he's paying attention. "We're here!"
    "Yes, I can see you," Eric said.
    "Ehehehe," Kyle simpered boastfully and pointed somewhere to Eric's left, "There!"
    Eric turned around slowly, and as he did, a sensation of heat struck him.
What...
    The heat came from a huge pillar of flames! The flames sprung up from a circle with inlaid pebbles, but there wasn't any wood or coal fueling the fire.
    Eric's jaw dropped and remained so until he processed what he saw. "I don't get it. We just came from that direction, how could we not see it?" He directed the question to Rose, but she answered only with a look of disbelief.
    Kyle stroked his imaginary beard. "Sometimes you can get someplace only if you know where you're going... or if you're awesome explorers like us!"
    "Exploration, ho!" Lyle added with a raised fist, and ran towards the fire. Kyle turned around and joined him.
    Eric wasn't so eager to go anywhere. The flames were imposing, majestic even - he couldn't help but stare. There was something about the dance of bright, shifting hues that was drawing him in...
    Eric's mild trance was broken when Kyle and Lyle reached the fire, and charged straight into its center with a battle cry.
    Are they okay?
Eric wasn't sure he could distinguish their battle cry from cries of being burned to death, but the brothers were alive and well, improvising dance-moves amidst the flames.
    There were several wooden benches nearby, spread around and facing the circle of fire. Eric noticed a young man waving to them invitingly from one of the benches. Rose nudged Eric and beckoned in the same direction. Eric mumbled in agreement and they walked over to him.
    "I hope you're not planning to rush in like those two." The young man stood up to greet them with a handshake. "Hi. Ohlson."
    Ohlson was wearing dark green jeans and a white t-shirt. His hair was cut short, but just long enough to be uncombed. Both of them shook his hand.
    "Hello. I'm Rose, and this is Eric. We weren't really tempted to. What's all this anyway?"
    "That fiery pillar? It's a high-end training supplement; used mostly for fire attunement and occasionally for cleansing rituals," Ohlson said. "Good for meditation, too."
    "What's a fire attunement?" Eric asked.
    "You don't know?" Ohlson scratched his head. "Well... if you try to use fire-based magic without some kind of attunement, the result can be unreliable and volatile. These flames were made for easy and straightforward attunement. It's just a little help so you notice the fire within, and accustom your mind to the conscious use of the fire element."
    "Is that what you're here for?" Rose asked.
    "Me? Oh, no. I'm planning to hold my first class soon, and I came here to think and prepare. Watching the flames is relaxing and makes thinking easier. To be honest, I'm not sure what I should teach!" Ohlson laughed nervously. "I have several ideas floating in my mind, but I haven't decided yet... When I figure it out, will you attend my