The first Training Ground disappeared and another materialized. We now stood on rocky ground.
"Your second trial is the Fortitude Trial" my Dad's voice said.
All of a sudden, the ground began to quake.
"What's going on?" Ciella seemed concerned.
"It's a Quake! The ground isn't safe! We've got to take to the Skies!" I exclaimed.
Ciella quickly accessed her menu and equipped her flight suit.
"SEAL OF ENDREGEN UNLOCK! SEAL OF KOLMNID…UNLOCK!" I called out as my cape materialized.
"Ready Ciella?" I asked.
"I'm ready" she said.
"Then let's go!" I called as I spread out my cape and began to heat the air around me.
Ciella tensed her muscles and her Wings began to flap rapidly. We both began to levitate and ascend gradually. But all of a sudden, the Quake became much worse and debris was expelled from the ground into the air towards us. I quickly extended my cape shielding Ciella and myself. I looked at her flight suit. A chunk of debris had made a crack in its wings and she was beginning to lose balance.
"Ciella…your flight suit's damaged. It's about time…I taught you how to fly utilizing flame" I said as I held her right hand to prevent her from falling to the ground. "Remember what I taught you about Flame?" I asked her.
"You said…its major trait is 'Agitation' and this is manifested when Heat is applied to molecules" she said frantically.
"Good. Now I want you to release flame from your hands and feet. You'll need to amplify it with wind and spread it over a wide surface area" I instructed.
Ciella took in a deep breath and sighed.
"You can do this" I encouraged her.
Ciella obeyed and began to release flame from her feet first. It began as short bursts of flame until she began to amplify it with wind. Then the flame emitted became constant however it was still narrow and Ciella couldn't maintain balance. I held tightly to her right hand.
"You've got to widen the flame over a wide surface area Ciella. This should cause the surrounding air to expand as the molecules of air move more rapidly as a result of agitation" I instructed.
"I'll try" Ciella said and attempted to expand the flames around her feet.
"Good, now spread out your hands. You'll need to use them as balances to keep yourself stable in the air. When you've expanded an amount of air about two thirds your own weight, you should begin to levitate" I instructed.
Ciella stretched out her left hand first and released flame. She struggled to regain balance. I reduced altitude and helped her stretch out her right hand. She emitted flame from her right hand as well.
"Good, now you've just got to maintain a constant output of flame from both your hands and legs. The flames on your hands should cover a wider surface area than those on your legs to maintain your center of gravity in midair" I instructed.
Ciella obeyed. She gradually regained balance.
"You're doing great Ciella" I encouraged her.
She smiled.
"I'm going to let go now" I said.
Ciella nodded. I gradually let go of Ciella. She was levitating all by herself now.
"Now think of this as your flight suit. To ascend, you'll need to release a greater output of flame from your hands and feet causing the air below you to expand rapidly. To descend, you'll need to gradually lower your output of flame and to glide you're going to have to spread the flame on your hands and feet over a wide surface area, causing the air beneath you to expand and thus grant you lift" I explained.
"I see" Ciella attempted what I had told her.
She didn't find it too difficult since it was quite similar to her flight suit.
"Up for some flight practice?" I asked Ciella.
She nodded. We ascended higher and flew about.
"Whoa! I can fly much faster like this than with the flight suit! It feels great!" Ciella exclaimed in excitement and inhaled the breeze flowing all about her.
"I'll repair your flight suit in case we ever enter into a challenge where you need to conserve MP" I said.
Ciella smiled at me and held my hand in midair. We flew across the skies. In the air, we were safe from the Quakes on the Ground.
"Congratulations San, Ciella, the Fortitude Trial is now complete" my Dad's voice sounded.