Owen leaned against the trunk of an old tree, feeling the bark prickle against his back. A root poked at his right leg, but he knew he was unlikely to find a more comfortable spot. The leaves rustled in a light breeze. He smiled as it brushed his face. The cicadas hummed around him. A bird trilled, a sweet, clean sound: the cry of the Solitaire bird. All alone, just like him. He laughed at himself as he heard a nearby snuffling. Well, not completely alone; he had Devlin.

Fingers outstretched, Owen felt along the ground toward the noise. He felt rocks and twigs and dirt, the enormous poor’s parasol leaf that served as his umbrella, until he finally found Devlin’s wet nose. The gentle tongue licked his fingers. He ran his hand through the dog’s smooth, long-haired coat.

“I hope this is the last time we have to do this, Lin,” he said. Devlin padded closer and lay down, resting his muzzle on Owen’s leg, his tail brushing against it.

Petting his dog absently, Owen’s thoughts turned to his previous sojourns into the forest, his so-called ‘vision quests.’ He shook his head. Couldn’t they call it something else? After all, people didn’t always see their element’s manifestations. Sometimes the element was only felt, or heard. Sometimes people came back from a vision quest without having experienced any extraordinary event at all. They said they just suddenly knew.

Owen’s first quest, as per tradition, had been shortly after he had turned eighteen. His mother, worried at how her blind son would fare for three days alone in the forest, had fussed and advised and packed his bags for him. But Owen had returned without epiphany. A year later, he had insisted that he could pack his own bag (although he had employed the aid of his younger sister, whom he knew would tell no one). Still nothing, though he had returned this time covered in ant and mosquito bites. That time, too, Devlin had hurt his paw, making the journey back seem endless for both boy and dog.

Now he was 20, and there had been a hint of anxiety in his parents’ goodbyes. Almost no one made it past their 20th birthday without finding their element. It was sometimes said that those who took so long had the most powerful relationships with their elements. But it was more commonly said that those who didn’t find their elements by the time they were 20 were in Void’s possession and were either sacrificed or feared.

Owen had no idea how his condition would affect his quest, and neither did anyone else in his village. He wasn’t able to travel as far into the wilderness as most people, and he had wondered before if this impacted the elements’ ability to reach him. This time he had gone farther than the two quests before, but still hadn’t left the trail. He hoped it was far enough. His father, the village shaman, said that it wouldn’t matter as long as his intention was strong.

It was the afternoon of his third and final day. His element must reveal itself soon. Why was it taking so long? He knew there was nothing for it but to wait. Owen’s head fell back against the tree. He rested his hand on Devlin’s head and sighed, trying to ignore the rising anxiety within him.

Next Chapter: 3. Kaz - Encounter