"Okay," Tess said calmly. "Let's see what you've got."
They were stood in a clearing in the forest just outside the hideout. On all sides they were surrounded by nothing but wood and animals.
Marcus raised his left hand in front of him, snapping it as he moved. He immediately snapped his right hand, hidden behind his leg.
Three walls sprouted out of the Earth surrounding Tess.
'Wordless incantation? That's new.'
Fire began growing in a ball in front of Marcus's left hand. With another snap, he launched it at Tess.
'Not bad, kid.'
Tess murmured something under her breath. "Consume!" she yelled, extending her left arm.
Darkness spread from her torso, moving as if an extension of her body. It flew out towards the fire and wrapped around it, smothering it completely.
Marcus snapped his fingers again, and the walls changed.
Multiple protrusions smashed inward, toward Tess. They connected with each other, pinning her in an awkward position where she couldn't move her arms.
Marcus snapped again. The walls were ignited with flame. Before long, the flames spread along the wall inward toward Tess.
'Not bad at all, kid. If you could control your elements you'd have had me.'
Once again, she muttered something. "Dissipate!"
Her form morphed into shadow and disappeared.
Marcus looked around in an attempt to follow the shadow, but failed in the sunlight of the day. He felt a sharp chunk of metal against his throat.
"Got you. I must say though, that was tougher than I expected. You've got promise kid."
"So, you're a shadow user?"
"Among others. It fits the job, doesn't it?"
"Among others?"
"You'll see eventually. Come on, let's head back in."
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Tess led Marcus back into the hideout. She grabbed a drink and sat at a table, gesturing to Marcus that he should do the same.
"What exactly are your limits with your magic?" Tess asked. "I'm being serious, it'll help us assess how you can improve," she added in response to Marcus's look.
"Pretty much, just what you saw. I can create walls out of the ground and change them and I can change the texture of the ground to trap opponents. For fire, I can create balls of fire or other forms, but I can't really control any aspect of it."
"How often did you push yourself at the academy?"
"Not very often. I quickly reached a point of excellence while I was there, not my words, and after that I kinda just slacked off."
"And there is your problem. You see, training magic is like training your body, right? Bigger load means more stress, which in turn becomes larger muscle once it rebuilds itself. Magical power is generated through the same concept."
"Now you mention it, I think we were taught that."
"Didn't pay much attention in class?"
"Not really, especially not after a certain point."
"Don't worry. Learning's much more fun when it's practical. You'll get it soon enough."
She took a large swig of her drink before topping it back off with more. "As for the actual elements themselves, you're out of luck if you've got one you don't like. They are predetermined at birth, something to do with genetics or spirit. No one is really sure."
"So then I'm stuck with Earth and Fire? Not that I'm complaining, two elements is super cool."
"Maybe you are. Maybe you aren't. Just because the elements are determined at the same time, they're not necessarily revealed at the same time. Although, a dual elementalist with incantation-less casts is a pretty good deal."
"What about yours?" Marcus asked, trying to pry information from what he assessed was easy prey.
"Like I said, you'll see eventually." She quickly finished her drink. "The most important thing is that you realise you have what you have. and don't long for anything else. That way, you can improve what you have with maximum efficiency."
"To that end, we've got you your first mission."
"My first mission?"
"Yeah. Don't worry though, I'll be there with you. And it's a simple mission."
"What is it?"
"The ones who carried out the attack on the orphanage a few nights ago. They're going to be passing here soon in a convoy. Our job is to ambush it and exterminate them."
"Exterminate?" 'That's a harsh word.'
"Yes. It's best to dehumanise your targets, makes it easier. Exterminate them like vermin instead of killing them like people."
"Am I ready?"
"For this? Of course. It's a simple mission. If you can't do this then you shouldn't be here. Plus like I said, I'll be there."
"So it's more of a mental test than a mission, right."
"You got it!"
Marcus fell into his thoughts. He wanted revenge, he wanted answers. But he held doubts as to whether he could kill another living person.
Tess spoke as if she could read his thoughts. "That's why we treat them like vermin. It helps us avoid those feelings and thoughts that are coursing through you right now. Just keep it in mind."
"Did you go through this at first too?"
"No. I had no need to. When I was recruited, my hands were already stained with blood." She poured herself a drink and made a pained face, as if the memories hurt her. "But that's a story for another time," she said before downing the drink in one swig.
"Now, anything else you want to know?" she asked Marcus with a smile.
"No, not right now," he responded, his mind distracted by the way she had spoken previously.
"Okay, go to your room to prepare yourself. Meet me in a few hours down here, and I'll help you get set up with some equipment for the mission," Tess ordered after a brief silence.
Marcus obeyed, and physically left the table. Mentally, he had been gone for a short while, his thoughts taken by various parts of the conversation.