"Yes, finally," she walked straight, exiting the forest and headed towards a stone temple, its stone bricks damaged and cracked.
Multiple pillars were set outside, trees and vines growing all around the structure. The building seemed to have been ruined from some sort of siege.
"The temple of Feng Popo," Daniela sighed, walking towards it, the stone path green from moss, "it is a secret, but inside the temple is an elixir of ventus."
The stone path crumbled under the pressure of her foot, "This place is very old."
Just before the entrance of the temple there were two statues of two women extending their hands towards the sky.
"This place has a lot of ambient mana," she said, the wind gathering around her hand, "this must be a high mana zone."
Feng Popo was the goddess of wind, and the two statues represent the people offering their faith to her.
A high mana zone usually refers to the gathering of mana in concentrated amounts, powerful enough to increase a mage's powers if they enter the zone.
She reached the entrance, a large stone door with multiple engravings in it. The symbols were mostly characters all circling around a single spot at the center of the door.
"Now what am I supposed to do?" Daniela thought for a second.
"System window," she summoned it, the popup menu waiting readily for her choice. "Let's go with scan," she pressed on it, looking intently at the door.
APPRAISAL COMPLETE
A set of green ethereal words manifested on top of the words, Only the one who whispers with the gale may enter the threshold of the queen.
"One who whispers with the gale? The real protagonist Archibald came here with Miss Shia. Miss Shia being a seven star was able to open it with just a touch but I'm not even a one star," Daniela's smile faded.
"Maybe it means a Ventus mage, this circle..." she slid her fingers slightly around the circular pattern, "that's it, it's a source code."
Her palms clasped as she brought the two together, closing her eyes she began concentrating, the wind around her swirling for a second before calming down.
"Yep, that should be it," she places her right hand on the pattern, her palm pressing against it.
Blue light spread from the point to all the words on the gate lighting up, the blue words shimmering as the stone structure shook faintly.
"Yes it worked," she thought trying to pull out her hand, but it remained stuck, unable to pull it out. "Huh? What's this now, shit," but instead of panicking she stopped and thought.
After a moment Daniela steadies herself and pushes the door. The central pattern disappears as the doors opened, the stone doors screeching through the floor as they swung open wide.
"Phew, finally in," she walks in and sits on the floor, taking in a deep breath.
"Oh, my dress," she stood up as she struggled looking behind her, dusting herself. "I forgot the damn uniforms were white."
"Don't worry," a small voice came from behind, "your clot—"
"Mana coalesce and amalgamate, Mana bullet," Daniela shouted, turning back and launching the spell at ye unknown voice.
"Aahhh," the voice screamed as it flew out of the strikes path, barely dodging it.
"What are you?" Daniela asked, her voice stern unlike before, pointing her hand towards the source of the voice.
"Calm down," a small ball of teal clouds headed towards her, "I'm just a dweller here in the temple."
"Tell me the truth," Daniela prepared for another shot, "or I'll shoot again."
"Oh, child you can't kill me, I'm just a spirit living in here," the voice came closer, the cloud around it disappearing to reveal a small ball with a pair of eyes and a mouth.
"Wait, spirit?" her eyes widened in surprise, 'But Daniela could never see spirits, is it because of me?'
"Yes, a spirit," the ball of clouds voice raised in pride, "I am a great spirit who wandered these lands for a long time."
"Really?"
"My name is Zephyr, the great spirit of the west wind."
"I've always heard of great spirits and what kind of magnificent beings they are," Daniela looked at it, slightly poking the ball of fluff.
"Heehee, stop tickling me," it replied trying to act annoyed, but clearly enjoying the special treatment.
"Very well, I shall allow you to form a contract with me—"
"No, I don't want to form a contract," she replied, her voice remained stern, feigning innocence, "I do not want such a gracious being such as yourself to be stuck with a person such as myself."
"You flatter me, but please I want to get out of this temple and I need a contractor to do it, and you seem to be a mage capable of using wind, you should be able to do it," the ball of the cloud tried to convince her.
Why is it trying so hard? High grade spirits don't try this hard for a contract, besides, why wasn't it able to leave the temple?
"Fine, what are the terms?" Daniela lets out a firm sigh and asks, "how do we do it?"
"Tell me your name, and press your palm against this," a small black circle with multiple engravings appeared on thin air, a dark aura permeating from it.
Daniela pushed her hand against it despite her dark premonition telling her not to, but a smirk tugged at her lips, threatening to spill.
The dark circle glowed deep black, "Now say your name," the ball of clouds said pleasantly.
"Daniela Von Marcellonius," she said.
The cloud pressed itself against the circle, its voice changing to a darker and deeper tone, "Haha, foolish girl you have fallen for my trap."
_________________________
"What was all that about, old man?" Finn asked Jack, looking up at him.
"What?" Jack scanned Finn, noticing the boy besides him, "Her or the sound?"
Finn smirks at Jack, "Her and the sound."
"Well the sound is part of the teaching, and her... well she asked me out on a duel but I rejected her."
"Why did you do that old man?"
"Why do you want me to do that?"
"Well, for one your reputation isn't exactly the best and a duel with her could have cleaned it up, and second of all you are strong," Finn poked at Jack's chest.
"Stop with that," Jack puts his hands over his and pushes it off, "I don't want to fight, besides you don't throw a gun, idiot."
"You were watching?"
"I was there, and a gun? Let me guess, you were looking at weapons and you felt the urge to pick it up."
"How did you know that old man?"
"Well, like I said, they call me Jack of all trade."
"Well Jack of all trade, how's your class?"
"Well, she's amazing, maybe even better than you in talent."
"Oh, really?"
"Yep, she was good with the sword even General Thomas wanted her as a disciple," Jack said.
Finn raised an eyebrow to the response, "You mean the old man with white hair?"
"Hey, he's the general, and he also wanted you as a disciple but seeing as how you're using a gun, he was disappointed."
"When did that happen?"
"Haha, I'd love to catch up but maybe you guys should go."
"Oh, yeah. See you later old man."
The two walked off, Donatello turning back to get a look at Jack.
Donatello leaned in, curious about the relation between the two, "How did you meet the professor?"
"I was poor, and looking for a job. He was offering jobs well, he wasn't exactly offering jobs, but he gave me—"
"I'd love to hear you been through heaven and hell together tales but cut it down."
"Well he helped me and then I found out he used to be this really infamous knight back in his day, but then had some problems."
"Yeah, the Thorne brothers issue, right? So is he really the bad guy like the rumors make him out to be?"
"I don't think so, I'll tell you later," Finn said, the two reaching the training grounds.
Most of the children were just walking around because the professor was yet to be seen anywhere.
"Hey where is Alan, he was with us when we came out of the class, right?" Finn asked.
"Oh, he said he had something to do, he'll be back."
"Ehem," Charla cleared her throat grabbing everyone's attention, "everyone form six lines, and take out your weapons."
The students all scurried around trying to form the lines fast, trying their best not to make a mess.
Six lines were formed, each of the consisting of both girls and boys standing together mixed. Both Finn and Donatello got out in the front of the fourth one, Finn standing behind Donatello.
"Alright, I assume all of you have gotten comfortable with your weapons," she moved back, unveiling a stationary dummy, "Now all of you will strike the dummy with full force, and the score it displays will be recorded."
"Now, we'll begin."
_________________________
"Guess we'll have to keep the practical here, the training ground seems to have been borrowed," Jack explained to Nichole.
"Um, professor, sorry about the damages," Nichole apologized,"I promise, I won't make such a mista—"
"Hey, hey, stop right there," Jack kneeled down, "don't be like that, I already told you it's nothing, just stop worrying."
"But you might get in trouble for it, I don't wa—"
"Stop," Jack said kindly, "you don't have to worry about those kinds of things, let the grown ups take care of it."
"Oo, becoming a father now, are we, Jack?" the count manifested besides him, doing his regular rounds of making an appearance to tease him.
"Shoo,shoo, evil spirit, go away," Jack waved at where the count was.
"Professor what are you doing?" Nichole stared at him in utter confusion, her professor waving at the air.
Jack laughed nervously, trying to cover up his slipup, "Your professor is just senile, it's nothing."
What was that? Nichole continued to stare at him in confusion.
_________________________