The sun rose up from the moors and with that light, little by little the denizens of the estate opened their doors for the day. Most all the other youths were ready and heading for lessons for the day.
Closer inspection on myself, I'm just snoozing when I'm awakened by a very intense and angry calling of my name...
"CONNOR!!!!!" screamed a very upset mother... my mother, Rayna Valrsen... I was late again for lessons.
"Connor! If you don't get up this instant, I'll wave water on you and freeze it!" Rayna threatened angrily.
I rolled over and groaned,"Alright. Alright. I'm getting up."
I sat up slowly and allowed my vision to adjust, before bolting for my clothes and getting ready as quickly as possible. My mother stood at the foot of the bed with one hand open palmed to the sky, and in that palm was a floating ball of water.
On its surface was what seemed to be a micro version of the sea, complete with the white caps of waves. Its hue was dark blue and the waves were a stormy sea because its wielder was quite agitated. Its purpose? An ever-present reminder of what would happen to me if I slacked off my hustle to get to lessons that I was already late for.
'I wonder if my flames will be stronger than her water...' I thought as I surveyed it from my peripheral vision, which turned out to be a bad idea as I then incidentally stubbed my toe.
"Ow! dammit all!" I cursed fumingly. bad idea...
"Conner! Watch Your Language!" Rayna snapped, and, from her palm that held the sphere, a small whip formed. She launched it at me.
Lucky for me, I had great reflexes and dodged the lash and shot out the door to my quarters into the hallway, heading to my lessons.
"I love you!" my mother called out in a chuckle.
'Crazy woman...' I shook my head with a grin.
----
"So nice of you to show up late once again, Valrsen" Professor Charles stated with a grimace as I walked in and took a seat.
"Anyways, as I was saying, Researchers believe that the kine was first seen some years after the Fall of All, an event that is believed to be the cause of the kine's appearance..." the professor continued his lecture on the history of the Kine.
"Psst... Connor... what are you doing today after this?" came a whisper to me from a girl that I thought didn't even know my name.
Her name was Bellina Seyren... the most beautiful girl in the estate. Everyone calls her Lina. She came from a neighboring Noble family. Her father married one of the Fylrey, an elite class of women who make up our defensive battlements. They all had a wind Kine, aerokinetics. Just like her mother, a month ago, she awakened with the same Kine. Beauty and power... She was the whole package. I may have been born a Valrsen, and a direct line to the most powerful pyrokinetics, but I was small framed with long dark brown hair which I clumsily pushed to the sides and back. I was of average looks.
"Psst... Connor did you hear me?" Lina whispered again.
"Yeah... yeah..." I came to from being shocked she was speaking to me, "I have no plans except to steal something from our kitchen."
"Good, me and some others are going to the quarry lake to swim, wanna go?" she whispered back.
"Yes!" I whispered back a little louder than I should have
"Valrsen! Secrets don't make friends! Stop talking during my lecture!" Professor Charles snapped before causing the air to stir around his hand.
I knew what that was, and I had no intentions of catching that particular reprimand. I quickly sat forward and looked at the Professor who continued to talk, but my mind remained elsewhere...
----
"Come On, Connor! Jump!" One of the kids called from the lake.
I was standing at the precipice of a cliff of the quarry peering down at a twenty meter drop to the water below. I gulped hard as my heart felt like it was in my throat. But, Lina was down there and this was my chance to get her attention...
I took a few steps back, and decided to go big or go home. I sprinted forward and leaped off the cliff in a front flip.
"WAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" I yelled before I hit the surface.
'SPLASH!!'
"Yeah!!!" "Woohoo!!" the others cheered as I came up for air.
"Yeah! that was awesome!" I exclaimed excitedly as my heart raced like the wild stallions of the western fields.
"You're officially awesome, Connor!" Lina grinned wide.
"Thank you!" I stated back with a smile.
Our eyes locked, and the way her green eyes sparkled against the waters of the lake and set beautifully against her ivory skin and Auburn hair, my breath was nearly taken. Her eyes searched mine for a second, then she turned and swam to one of her friends, also a daughter of a Fylrey.
'This day couldn't get any better' I thought as I swam around enjoying the water.
And like that the few of us enjoyed our evening before the sun began to set and we parted our separate ways for the night.
'Two more days until my awakening...'