We spent our free time training in the Hall Of Water. Ciella worked on improving her ability to control the elements of Water, Fire and Wind. Concordia sharpened her Extra-Sensory Perception and raw Elemental Control while the rest of us honed our various abilities. Soon, our lesson resumed.
"Today, we shall teach you about Water and its interaction with other elements as well as the effects evoked by other Elements over Water and vice versa" Aileen I informed us.
We listened closely.
"First, we shall study the relationship between Water and Fire. The commonest relationship is that of 'Nullification'. Water has the power to quench Fire under normal circumstances. However, there is a second relationship and it is that of 'Transformation'. Fire has the ability to alter the physical form of Water. Temperature is a trait predominantly associated with Heat or Fire. High Temperatures can transform Liquid Water into Gas making Water about as light as Air. On the other hand, Low Temperatures can transform Liquid Water into Solid Ice making Water about as heavy as Earth. When the Temperature is intermediate, Water retains its Liquid Form thus the relationships that exist between Fire and Water are first of all, that of Nullification and secondly, that of Transformation" Aunt Ai explained.
"Next, we'll study the relationship between Water and Wind. The predominant relationship between Water and Wind is that of Mobility. Wind can affect the motion of Waves in any Water Body such as the Sea for instance. High Winds can raise the Waves of the Sea and thus cause a great amplification in the mobility of the Ocean's Waves. The Wind can also act as a vehicle for Water when it is in the form of Vapour and can push Clouds which are vapourized quantities of Water from one location to the next thus Wind can move Water through the Earth as well as through the Skies" Aileen I explained.
"Next in line is the relationship between Water and Earth. Like the Wind, the predominant relationship between Water and Earth is also that of Mobility. Level Ground can cause stasis in the flow of Water creating stagnant pools such as Lakes and Lagoons. Sloping Lands on the other hand can amplify mobility in Water. Obstacles of Earth obstructing the flow of Water can grant Water the trait of Flexibility as the Water flows about the obstacle and heads away from it via an alternate route. A second relationship is that of Transformation. Water can alter landscapes over long periods if it maintains a constant flow. Soil Erosion is one of the ways this trait can commonly be observed. When Rivers flood their banks, they can cause a decrease in the size of lands and can thus cause an alteration to Land Boundaries. When Rivers diminish in size, lands grow but may become arid and hostile to Life. Simply put, Rivers have the power to determine how hospitable or hostile a particular geographical location is to Life. The greater the number of Rivers in a particular region, the more likely it is to be hospitable to Life. The lesser the Rivers, the more likely the land is to be hostile to Life. This trait of Rivers does not only manifest in an Ecological Sense but can also have Militaristic Implications. In places where Water is scarce, the likelihood for conflict is also predominantly high because the presence of Water is linked to the presence of Food and the presence of Food is more often than naught linked to Trade and directly linked to Survival. Thus Limited Sources Of Water can result in an escalation of Conflict" Aunt Ai explained.
"I see…it makes sense. So that's why the Virtue associated with Water is Purity and Kindness and the vice associated with Water is Decay" I realized.
Aunt Ai nodded.
"It's one way to put it" she said.
"Water has a relationship to Time as well. The Oceans and the Moon share a unique relationship which is mostly visible as a result of Lunar Gravity. The Moon aside from the Sun and the Stars is associated with Time. When the Moon is at its fullest, Lunar Gravity is typically at its strongest resulting in a significant rising of the Tides. When the Moon is at its darkest, Lunar Gravity diminishes proportionally leading to a diminishing of the Tides. The period between a Full Moon and a New Moon is what we refer to as a 'Month'. Months aside from Days make up the Calendar and some of these Months mark special Cultural Celebrations as well as Historical Celebrations thus the relationship between the Oceans and Time is that of Significance and Symbolism" Aileen I explained.
"Next, we'll study the relationship between Water and Lightning. This relationship is best described as that of Channeling. A more common term is Conductivity. This relationship of Channeling between Water and Lightning can produce a number of effects ranging from the amplification of Mobility to the amplification of Range. Lightning as you know typically follows the path of least resistance or to put it another way, the path of greatest conductivity. For this reason, when Lightning makes contact with any object, it affects a very small surface area of that object however there are some objects or materials, aside from Water, these objects can be harvested from the Earth as well; these objects possess the ability to channel or conduct lightning through themselves thus increasing the range of Lightning. When Lightning which typically flows unidirectionally, makes contact with Water, it may gain the ability to flow omnidirectionally greatly amplifying its range. Thus the relationship between Water and Lightning can best be described as that of 'Channeling'. Its effects include the amplification of Mobility and Range" Aunt Ai explained.
"This brings us finally to the relationship between Water and Light. The relationship between Water and Light is manifested mostly through Perception. As we explained earlier, Water through refraction can alter perception of distance thus causing Magnification. It can also cause Invisibility when combined with Reflection and has the power to reflect rays of Light granting any object hovering over the surface of Water a Self-Portrait. It can also diffract Light rays to alter perception of any object through alterations to the object's colour" Aileen I explained.
"These are the relationships between Water and the other elements and you may observe some of these interactions when Water makes contact with some of these elements" Aunt Ai explained.