Guardian of the Pines

Cor let this pine register in his senses. Magic flowed to his fingertip, and he touched a spark to the cambium.

It circled the tree. Lines of light traveled up and down the tree's fluid system, reaching the branch tips and spreading through the needles to set them aglow. At his feet, the magic flowed into the tangle of roots.

A grin crept over his face at the soft blue-green glow that matched the pine's needle color. "Quite healthy," he said.

Without him...they will die.

At sixteen, Cor can pro...