Chapter 5 – A Test of Elements
Aeron trailed behind Jinx down the
winding hallways of the academy, his thoughts racing through the chaos of the
past few days. Intense training, unfamiliar faces, and the looming pressure of
the royal mandate weighed heavily on him. Yet, there was something grounding
about Jinx. Her relentless enthusiasm for magic and invention pulled him out of
his head and into the moment, though her brisk pace often left him struggling
to keep up.
"Ready to see your magic through a
whole new lens?" Jinx asked, flashing him a grin. Her crystal goggles were
already strapped to her head, the many-faceted lenses glinting faintly in the
dim hallway light.
Aeron raised an eyebrow,
intrigued. "What kind of lens are we talking about?"
Jinx stopped before a hidden door
behind a heavy tapestry. Pushing it open, she revealed a circular arena, its
high walls inscribed with ancient, faintly glowing runes. "This room is
enchanted," she explained, adjusting her goggles. "No one will sense what we're
doing in here. It's private—perfect for studying your earth blade."
"My earth blade?" Aeron chuckled,
a hint of disbelief in his tone. "Didn't realize it fascinated you that much."
"Fascinated?" Jinx squinted at him
through her lenses. "Aeron, your hilt is a piece of lost history. Of course I'm
interested. I'd be a fool not to study it up close."
She motioned for him to prepare,
already stepping toward the center of the arena. Aeron shrugged off his cloak,
revealing Ob, his spider companion, nestled on his back. The spider stretched
its long legs, crawling down to the floor with deliberate movements. About the
size of a backpack now, Ob surveyed the room with sharp, calculating eyes.
"Ob's gotten bigger!" Jinx knelt
down to study him, her grin widening. "Look at you, little guy, all grown up."
Ob clicked his mandibles softly,
keeping a cautious distance. Aeron could feel his companion's watchful gaze,
already assessing the room for threats.
"Alright, enough chitchat. Let's
see your blade," Jinx said, her voice tinged with excitement as she flipped a
dial on her goggles.
Aeron exhaled deeply, centering
himself. Extending his hand, he let his energy flow into the hilt. The familiar
weight of stone and metal formed in his grip, the earth blade taking shape. Its
solid, grounded presence felt like an extension of himself.
Jinx leaned in close, her goggles
whirring softly as she adjusted the lenses. "Fascinating," she murmured. "The
runes on the hilt… They're stabilizing the flow of your magic, guiding it into
the blade's shape."
"What do you see?" Aeron asked,
moving through slow, deliberate stances with the blade.
Jinx didn't look up from her
analysis. "Your energy has a pattern. It's fluid but powerful, like a current
channeled through the runes. Without them, the blade would collapse, wouldn't
it?"
He nodded, adjusting his grip to
test the blade's responsiveness. Jinx's observations were surprisingly astute.
The blade hummed faintly with energy, steady and firm, responding as though it
were alive.
Ob watched silently, his many eyes
reflecting the faint glow of Aeron's magic. Something in their connection
shifted. Aeron could sense it—a resonance deep in the earth beneath his feet,
subtle but undeniably present.
After a few minutes, Aeron let the
blade dissolve back into the hilt. "Well?" he asked, curious about her
findings.
Jinx was already scribbling in her
notebook, her goggles pushed up to her forehead. "I think… I can make your hilt
more efficient. The runes are brilliant, but they're a bit outdated. A few
tweaks and your blade could channel energy even faster."
Before Aeron could respond, a
small sound drew their attention. Ob was tapping his legs lightly against
scattered stones, and faint vibrations rippled through the ground beneath him.
The stones shifted subtly, seemingly in response to his touch.
"Did you see that?" Jinx gasped,
gripping Aeron's arm. "Ob's reacting to your magic!"
Aeron crouched beside the spider,
watching closely as Ob continued his curious tapping. The faint energy flowing
from the ground into the stones felt familiar—a mimicry of Aeron's own
connection to the earth. Pride swelled within him. "Looks like someone's
learning a few new tricks."
Jinx adjusted her goggles again,
observing intently. "It's not just mimicry—he's resonating with the element.
The connection is subtle now, but if he keeps growing…"
"He might be more than a lookout,"
Aeron finished, patting Ob gently. "What do you think, Ob? Ready to train with
us?"
Ob responded with a soft chitter,
then shot a line of webbing at a nearby target, pulling himself forward with
smooth precision. Aeron smiled, already imagining how his companion's agility
could be an asset in battle.
"You two are going to make quite
the team," Jinx said with a laugh, standing up. "He's like a miniature mount in
training."
Aeron nodded, imagining Ob's
potential as he grew. "One step at a time."
Their moment was interrupted by
the sound of the door creaking open. Aeron turned to see his rival, Kelton,
leaning against the doorway with a smug expression. His gaze flicked between
Aeron's hilt and Jinx's goggles, the spark of jealousy in his eyes unmistakable.
"Nice setup," Kelton drawled.
"Private training sessions, fancy gadgets… Even got yourself a pet spider.
Adorable."
Jinx's jaw tightened, but she held
her ground. "Better than wasting time posing in the main arena."
Kelton smirked, unfazed. "We'll
see if any of this helps you in the tournament." With a mocking salute, he
turned and disappeared down the hall.
Jinx rolled her eyes, muttering
under her breath. "He's just scared because you're actually innovating."
Aeron shrugged, brushing off the
insult. "Let him talk. I'll let my training speak for itself."
They packed up and left the arena,
Jinx animatedly explaining her plans to refine the hilt's runes. Aeron
listened, her enthusiasm infectious, while Ob padded silently at his heels, his
eyes flicking toward the workshop's shimmering runes and crystals.
As Jinx pulled out her sketches
and crystal samples, Aeron felt a surge of gratitude. For the first time in
weeks, he felt like he wasn't walking this path alone. With a loyal companion
and an inventive friend at his side, he was ready for whatever came next.