The Kingdom of Eostra, home of the first, bringer of order, has been
in a deadlock with the Empire of Cronica, in this kingdom, the class system
originated, ether was discovered and prosperity overflowed, but as time
pass, selfish people will stand up to get all of this for their own. On the
day we arrived at the academy to undergo training, news of the war
breaking out, even in the middle of the capital, travelled so fast, so I
assume it's a pretty big clash outside these walls.
After we went away, we never received any word from the guild, and
but the news of war breaking out the outskirts of town spread like wildfire.
It really gives us the feeling of unease but at our state, we can't do any
help and would just get in the way, the vanguard of the kingdom mobilized
to aid the guilds in the outskirts, but we have no idea on what's
happening outside these walls.
One week has passed since we left for the academy, Thea and Sol
are proceeding with their class up training, the day we reached the
academy Elder Eldrich instructed us specifically "Thea and Sol, follow the
instructors to your appropriate quarters, after you get ready, proceed to
the east wing of the academy, there you will meet your new masters. As
for you Razael…." I was confined to my room and was not given any
instructions.
So every morning, I went on asking anything" "As for now, come with me,
we will start your training back at my place, the academy won't be able to
handle the things that will happen." "uh, ma'am, may I ask something?"
I asked raising my hand like a kid "Yes child." She answered quickly "
Do I have permission to leave the academy?"
"When you are with me, you don't need permission to do
anything! It will be on my account!" as she says this, I quickly dashed in
my room and gathered all my belongings, I am excited, I'm about to start
my training too, we departed from the academy around noon and stopped
at the foot of a mountain near the east gate of the kingdom, we traveled
fast by flying on the back of a Griffon, a creature with features of both
lion and eagle in one body.
"Uh ma'am?" I asked "I would prefer being called master child." She
answered me without even looking "uh, master?" I asked again "What is it
child?" she answer now smiling at me "What are we doing in front of this
mountain? Is this where I'm training?" "I don't live in the plains child, this
mountain is my home." As she was saying this, she started weaving runes
with her hands and pushed them forward, as the runes flew forward
towards a large rock, the mountain began rumbling *Rumble Rumble
Rumble* and a large gate was shown, "Come now child no time to be
awestruck, I believe you want to start your delayed training right?" we
entered the mountain as soon as the gate fully opened, as soon as we
enter the main room of her home, Master Scarletta summoned a familiar, a
sylph, a wind nature fairy, and looks at me "Follow my familiar to your
quarters, once you have unpacked your things, you will come back here at
once." "YES, Master!"
Marching with the familiar, I noticed that the mountain is like a
maze, with twist, turns and dead ends, as if it was once a liar of creatures,
we arrived at my room and it's neatly prepared, I unpacked my things and
equipped my armor and a dagger, I left my room and to my surprise, the
hallway changed, and the path I traveled is gone, and now it's going to be
a challenge to find my way towards the main room, "Chrono Enchant:
Analyze!", I scanned the paths and discovered ether marks, leading to the
direction directly opposite of what I think the main room is, I started to
follow the markings, steadily, and cautiously, every turn I make, the paths
seemed to change, everything became different, torches began to appear,
fork paths, random doors, but I kept on following the markings. It seems
like forever, but alas, I stumbled upon a door with a marking on it, once I
opened it, I am in the main room greeted by the sylph Master summoned.
The familiar flew up to Master at the upper level of the room, reading,
"Hmm, Faster than I would have expected, it only took you half a day,
that's good." "Half a day?!" I shouted in my head.
Master looked at me smiling "Yes, you have been wandering around
those paths for half a day, but you have a good sense on how to use
your spells, this place is created with magic, magic in which change
according to the trial runner's abilities. And this is your first trial." "Did I
pass?" I asked "Yes you did, now eat and rest, don't worry, your room is
now nearby, through that door, two doors down." "Master seems to have
noticed my worries of wandering back to my room." I ate at a table where
food is abundant for just two people to be eating, after that, I went to
bed, the next day. "I want you to cast all your tier-1 spell 100 times not
using your Chrono Enchant." "All?! But…" "What's the matter? Already
giving up?" master smirked at me, "When should I begin Master?" after
hearing this, Master smiled at me and say "Now of course!" *Rumble
Rumble Rumble* A big chunk of the walls moved to reveal a big dome like
structure, with targets everywhere. "Every target here will only disappear
once you hit them with spells 100 times.
Begin!" "Lumen Shot!", "Fire
Shot!", "Aqua Splash!", "Aero Burst!", "Thunder Shot!", "Shadow Bolt!" I
hurled spell after spell, I made 35 targets disappear, but there are more,
more to hit, I feel my ether pool slowly getting drained, probably because
of the fluctuations in the ether I put in my spells, this is tiring, but for
every spell I cast, I can feel my breathe getting heavier, my tier-1 spells
don't consume too much ether now, my target count became more
numerous, 35 to 60, 60 to 84, 84 to 102, time seemed to stay still inside
this dome.
I kept on hurling spells as long as I can, I feel the ether exiting my
body, it's exhausting, I wanted to stop but I know I can't, I want to
become stronger, I want to become better. Around 120 targets vanished,
and I am about to lose consciousness, my legs gave out, and as I fell to
the ground, master appeared in front of me with a horrified face, saying
something like "Unbelievable" then I passed out.
"Razael…" "hm?" "Razael.. Are you alright?" "What?" "Do you hear
me? Razael?!" A familiar voice was calling to me, sounds like Master
Scarletta, as I opened my eyes, I saw master sitting beside me, her face
was full of distress, "Master?" "Thank the Goddess your back!" she was
obviously worried, her eyes we're covered in exhaustion, "What happened
Mast- AAARGH!" A sharp pain in my chest began to erupt, it feels like
something is piercing me.
"Razael! Drink this! Immediately!" I drank the
item that master gave me without hesitation, as it enters my body, I can
feel the pain subsiding, "Master what is happening to me?" I ask with a
look of confusion "Do you remember your training?" She asked, with a
serious look on her face "I placed you in there to prevent the ether to
enter your body, in order to exhaust your reserves and gain mastery over
your spells." *groan* My stomach let out a loud noise "Ehehehe, master,
I'm hungry, how long have I been out?" I asked scratching my head "About
two weeks after that training." "TWO WEEKS?!" "What the heck happened
to me?! Two weeks is a very long time to be unconscious!" "Well anyway,
I'm going to get you meal, stay there and rest, don't push yourself." She
went out my room and seconds later she is back with a hot meal, this
place is rather nifty, to be able to reach the place you desire within
seconds.
While I was eating, Master Scarletta continued with the story "You
see Razael, that Training was designed to make your body be able to
absorb ether more, the more you can absorb, the more fluid and effortless
spells will be, and by that, you won't deplete your ether reserves too
quick." "Now I understand the point of that training." I said with a smile
"Yes, and now, ether is trying to flow into you in a rapid pace, because
you emptied your reserves, the medicine a gave you prevents ether to
enter your body, once it wears off, you will feel that pain again. So it's
much better if you enter the training chamber." "Do we not have some
potions to restore ether?" I asked "Well, if we do that, you won't improve
at all, what we need to do is let it enter you in a controlled pace." She
answered. "Alright Master, I put my faith in you." I answered with a smile.
After I ate, master and I went in the training chamber. "Alright little boy,
sit on that rock, and pose as if you are meditating, think if a stream,
flowing into you, and never break your concentration or else we will do this
again." She said with concern "I will do my best!"
I began to concentrate, find my center, breath in and out, and relax.
"I will be opening a small hole on the wall to let some ether in, be
ready!" master commanded me with concern in her voice. "I'm ready." I
answered without breaking my focus. I can feel the ether swirling in the
room, in my mind, I can see them flowing in, it entered my body, letting it
flow in, and preventing it to be absorb too fast, it hurts, the more I
absorb, the more pain I felt, "Ngh.." as I let out a sound of pain, master
immediately sealed the opening. "How are you feeling?" she asked "I'm
alright master, the pain slowly builds up but I think I can manage." I say to
reassure master.
The whole day, it was meditation and rest, no spells, no combat
training, just focusing on recovering my ether, which took a while to get a
hang of, is this the consequence of having an enormous ether reserve? Or
is this the backlash of my lack of mastery in controlling my own ether.
Either way, it took me two days before we moved on with this recovery
training, and rested for two days, within those days, I practiced basic
combat with master, and read books about ether. I'm wondering why we
are doing just this, It doesn't feel like a class up training, but I can't say
something like that to Master's face, that would be rude, I will just keep it
up with this training until something changes with the flow.
-end