Wizard Dawning (The Battle Wizard Saga, No. 1) by C. M. Lance Read Free Book Online

I'm still in the happy place I guess."
    "Wise ass."
    Sig grinned bigger.
    Thor chuckled and shook his head. "Why don't we try some magic in this form and see if there are different results. First, why don't you try lighting a candle? That's one of the easier ones. Pick a candle and concentrate on it like we talked about."
    Sig picked the small candle on the right end and focused his concentration on the wick. He frowned and stared at it. He clenched his jaw and imagined it bursting into flame. He raised his hand and gestured, placing four fingers against his thumb and flicking them out; trying to simulate a fire bursting. He concentrated until sweat beaded his brow.
    Ferocious barking outside the arena door broke his concentration.
    "Sounds like Czar is back from chasing whatever moves. Why don't you let him in, but don't change back. Let's see how he reacts," Grampa said.
    Sig went to the door, bent down, grabbed the door handle, and opened the door. Czar, the family Borzoi charged in then stopped as he looked up at Sig. He trotted over in the fluid bouncing gate typical of the breed.
    Borzois or Russian Wolfhounds are one of the biggest sight hound breeds. Czar stood thirty-five inches at the shoulder and weighed one hundred and fifteen pounds. A dense double coat shielded him from Minnesota winters. Like most sight hounds, he operated in two modes; stretched out sleeping, or full speed, chasing anything moving. Full speed was close to forty miles an hour. Unfortunately, sight hounds' attention span made training difficult.
    Sig received a sniff inspection before Grampa called Czar to his side and motioned for him to heel. Czar set up obediently on Grampa's left side.
    Sig chuckled and shrugged. "You're the only one he always obeys."
    "Why don't you try it? I've always been able to do it and I don't know if it's my magic, the latent Battle Wizard, or my intense natural charm. I want to see if he obeys you better now that you've changed," Grampa Thor said.
    Sig pursed his lips. "Hmmm, Ok I'll give it a try. Czar, come, heel."
    Czar bounded over to Sig and stood on his left side facing forward, then sat at Sig's hand signal. "Wow, he obeyed better than ever before. Let's see how it works when we get him out of the arena."
    Grampa nodded. "Change back first and let's see if he has the same reaction. It's time for lunch; I'm hungry even if you aren't."
    "I hoped you'd be ready. I'm starving." Sig reached over his back to clutch the sword hilt. He rumbled "Koma aftur" and everything around him grew.
    Back to normal, he looked down. Czar still sat by his side, looking up, tail wagging. Sig raised his eyebrows. "Wow, maybe it will work. Czar, heel." He turned to his right and the Borzoi swung around him to remain by his side. Outside, the dog paced obediently next to him as they walked to the house. A squirrel dashed across the yard, toward a tree. Czar's ears perked forward and he tensed. Sig said "Heel." Czar relaxed and continued at his side.
    Sig looked to Grampa Thor as the three of them went up the stairs to the house. "If nothing else comes out of this, at least Czar pays attention now."
    Grampa smiled. "I think you'll find that you get that response from more than just Czar. Of course, nothing works with cats."
    As they left the arena, a wisp of smoke rose from a blackening spot on the wick of the small candle on the right.

 
    Meredith scrolled her pen like a pointer across the laptop screen. Zeroing in on the number desired, she wrote it in the investment journal on top of today's copy of the Wall Street Journal.
    Of the fourteen stocks highlighted with a yellow marker in the WSJ, and researched on the internet, she had a strong feeling about the growth potential of Luce Solar Power.
    She made a note in her journal to buy at the price she had scribbled in the journal and added a projected sale price.
    Her fingers raced through the commands to purchase 5,000 shares of the stock as well as the command to sell it