It had been six years since Triton and Kagu's first encounter. After staying for a couple days, Triton extended a formal invitation to Kagu to live as nobility among his family, adopting the last name Wynter. It actually wasn't uncommon for the lost and disadvantaged to be taken in at this particular mansion. People came and went, not everyone was always treated with the same kindness. However, despite the constantly shifting company, the young boy, well on his way to becoming a man, was able to make a really good friend.
Alastair was brought into the mansion almost a year after Kagu was, showing immediate promise in the manipulation of Haijin. He, like Kagu who was equally gifted, were given special treatment in comparison to everyone else. It seemed that even in this controlled ecosystem, the gifted fluorished while the commoners were doomed to fail. However, even among the most outstanding of people Alistair and Kagu hit it off imediately, spending much of their time together.
"Alistair! Wanna go grab lunch after your tutoring session?!" Kagu shouted from the balcony to Alistair, who was walking across the courtyard on ground level.
"Of course!" He shouted back, grinning upon seeing his best friend.
"Meet at the kitchen in an hour!" Kagu yelled over his shoulder as he started running away.
They were both the same age, twelve, and would be turning thirteen in almost six months. Throughout their stay at the Wynter manor, they had been raised in preparation of thier thirteenth birthday. It was then that they would discover their affinity and specialization. Every day, without fail, they were taught in the ways of the mage. Learning incantations, how to signal spells, theory, alchemy, and even things like hand-to-hand combat. It was in such lessons where Kagu realized that he was far different from everyone else. When learning to chant spells, he realized that he could actually see the Haijin that he was manipulating, and in private discovered that he didn't actually need incantations to cast. However, while this was unique and powerful, his status as a prodigy stopped there.
Despite all his efforts, he showed no affinity for a particular element, and lacked even a single specialization. It wasn't uncommon for young magicians to discover their affinity or specialization before the official examination, yet he hadn't discovered either. Triton had been putting pressure on him to discover these things beforehand, but still he failed. Besides Kagu and Alistair, there were also four other students who had managed to stay at the mansion. There were once several more, approaching even the hundreds, however Kagu had been told that they grew homesick or missed their loved ones and so forsook their opportunity at knowledge and traveled home.
"It's so idiotic," Kagu thought, a grim look on his face, "they were given the opportunity of a lifetime, to become a powerful and respected mage. We've been taken care of, sponsored, nurtured, and all those other students just threw away their opportunity at a brighter future. I get Triton's an ass, but some people possess no foresight."
Despite his kind attitude when they first met, Triton actually revealed to be a very harsh and cruel teacher. Months after his commitment to his new home life, it became apparent that his "nice guy" attitude was all an act. He became very brutish and cruel. Kagu hated it, but chose to ignore it because of the kindness that he'd been shown at their meeting. There were four elements that each mage could manipulate, earth, fire, water, and air. By using your body as a conduit for the world's Haijin, it was possible to bring powerful spells to fruition. The ability to control any element outside of those four was strictly part of your specializiation as a mage. Some can control space, and some even time, although the number of people capable of such feats could be counted on one hand.
Reminiscing, Kagu started to wonder what he should do to pass the time before lunch.
-"I might as well go out back and practice some of the new spells that I've neen working on. Flame Nova has proven to be extremely difficult to nail down. I might as well try to practice it some more before my evaluation in the coming months."-
Walking toward the back of the mansion where the training grounds were, he silently pondered the structure of the spell and how he could finally get over his block.
-"It makes no sense. When performing the spell, Triton always absorbs the Haijin into his palms, then condensing it and blasting it out in what really amounts to a large scale fireball. It doesn't make any sense why he stops there. It shouldn't be difficult to absorb more Haijin into his fingers, or even his arm, and increase the potency of the spell."-
Finally arriving at the training grounds, he began practicing the spell. Even though his teacher made it seem so easy, it was very difficult to condense such a large amount of Haijin into the palm of his hands. Not only that, but to manifest those same particles in the world as a flame, instead of just dispersing them was another matter on its own.
-"Gah! This is so dumb! I've been working on this spell for weeks and I can't even get the basics down! Alistair learned it in two days, this should not be so difficult! Maybe if I try absorbing the Haijin into my entire body, I can conduct it through my arms and create a similar effect."-
Doing exactly what he said he would, he began absorbing the world's Haijin and trying to push i through his body.
-"Now I know why they don't absorb it through more than their palms, this is taking far too long. And...it's becoming difficult to control..."-
As Kagu began harnessing more and more Haijin, he realized that he could no longer control it. An unimaginable pain began harnessing his body, he couldn't keep from pulling in more and more.
"Damn it all! I can't stop absorbing it! Someone help! GAH-"
He pitched forward, falling on the ground as his skin started growing a fluorescent red. As per the spell he was trying to perform, the Haijin was converting to fire, yet he still hadn't managed to force it out of his body. He noticed people running towards him across the field, yet even he knew that it was too late. In a last ditch effort for survival, he willed every bit of Haijin to his hands, hoping to dispell the mass destruction that he was bringing into existence. Yet it wasn't enough.
"Everyone! GET BACK!"