After getting Al's confirmation, I hugged my knees tight to my chest, staring up at the moon once again. Time dripped by as I sat there for what seemed like hours in a daze, lost in my thoughts. I released a sigh, before standing up and heading off to the forest. I needed to move my body to clear my head.
Once I reached a gigantic tree, I paused in front of it. Its branches hidden in lush leaves weaved like a web. Even after straining my neck, I could not see the top of it. I took a deep breath. I swept my right leg in a circle, striking the tree with the front of my leg; I stepped back lunged again jump kicking the tree. Hard brown bark flew in all directions, leaving two small craters in the tree. Memories gushed through me, and my emotions surged from the depths of me. All the anger, the pain, grief, everything came out as I released it all upon the tree.
I punched with my fists in quick succession. Blood spilt from my knuckles, but I didn't realize it. I returned to kicking with all the strength in my body; the tree shaking under my pressure, leaves and bark flying. Blood spewed from where my flesh struck the tree, cold sweat ran down my back, but none of it bothered me as I took all my anger and sorrow out on the innocent tree.
Al didn't disturb me allowing me to strike the tree to my heart's content injuring myself in the process. I noticed Alphar's presence close by, however, none of that mattered; I focused solely on releasing my stress. I stayed abusing the tree until the sun flared in my eyes. My body stung, covered in blood bark lodged into my wounds. I struck one last time with an open palm strike, leaving a clear indentation of my palm.
I threw my head back panting landing my gaze on Alphar who watched me the entire time refusing to leave and stood watching not uttering a squeak.
"Indigo, are you fine now?" He walked to me holding a jar of clear water. It looked like the finest delicacy for my parched throat. I threw him a stiff smile unable to speak, I grabbed the jar greedily gulping it down enjoying the cool sensation that ran down my throat, water trickled from my mouth running down my red neck burnt by the relentless sun.
Finishing the water, I huffed and turned to Alphar once more, giving him a slight smile. "Thank you, Alphar. I'm fine."
"I'm glad," his sombre expression all but vanished transforming into his jolly toothy grin, his eyes turned to crescents, it was like even his eyes were smiling. Deep inside I longed to smile like that where even my eyes glistened with joy, but my smiles now were all fake without a trace of happiness. I looked to the ground, playing with the bloodied dirt. "Indigo, I wanted to apologize for prying, I shouldn't have been so inconsiderate. You're right when you say trust isn't given overnight," his voice went low and husky his smile disappearing without a trace suddenly I felt like I was bullying a child, I never once expected an apology, I hadn't heard such words in years.
"It's okay, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that either, so... for... that... I-I'm sorry," I mumbled blushing. Alphar clasped my hands in his, pushing his face to mine, our noses almost touching. From this distance, I could see the clear purity of his shimmering yellow eyes, sharp like a snake, yet it was softer than cotton. It was such a drastic contrast.
"Thank you! Let's continue to get along!" I nodded to his excited words, awkwardly pushing him from me.
"Please don't get so close to me," he tilted his head to my words but eventually nodded his head. I went back inside plucking the bark from the wounds without a change in my expression while Alphar looked from afar wincing at each rough movement. I wondered how he could treat my other wounds before if he flinched at just this level of wound.
I washed the wound with some water and stopped the bleeding, before wrapping them in bandages. I just recovered from my other wounds and now I was injured again already. How was I going to train now?
Just as I was about to give up Al's voice sounded, 'You can absorb light elements in the day and dark elements at night,' he breathed new resolve into me. I immediately got to work. I sat on the ledge of the waterfall, closing my eyes, sinking into my mana core.
"Al, what do I do now?"
'Since you resonated to the light magic already you just have to call them to you and they'll gravitate to you, each element has a distinct feel to it what you felt in your hand when the stone broke is how it feels so just call them in by imagining that feeling,' I had already gotten used to his long-winded explanations so I picked out the important details from his 'explanation' and began reimagining that hot yet soothing feel in my hand. Just like that, I felt a warm stream flow to my chest, entering my mana core. I took a deep breath, sitting under the blazing sunlight absorbing its soothing light magic.
I sat there till the sun was setting before grabbing a quick meal and returning to the ledge to absorb the dark elements of the moon and stars. Unlike the light magic's gentle warmth, the dark element was cold as ice and carried an eerie feel.