Rigorous training occupied nearly the next entire cycle–a full month passed before Steve decided that Jael was prepared to begin the process of unleashing that dangerous hidden spell within.
After his dedication to the practice and display of discipline, exactly forty-five days had passed. No other student in years demonstrated the level of skill possessed by Jael. So it was that, when Jael arrived for his daily training session, Steve greeted him with fervent promise. “Jael, I think you are ready to unleash your inner magick. You have shown great potential. It has been years since I have taught someone of your talent.”
“Thank you, master,” Jael replied modestly.
“First, you need to learn how to conjure stronger flames. It will greatly affect your attacks,” Steve said.
But no display of humility could keep Jael’s eagerness at bay. “I’m ready!” he answered with an eager shout.
Meanwhile, outside of Belthasar, Izabelle came across an unusual tiger called Byakko. Lightning stripes lined its back, white and black zags of needle-sharp fur. While it had the shape of a tiger, and the approximate size of a tiger, its fangs were large and protruded long, thin, and wickedly sharp. This monster was very rare indeed–a one of a kind prize for a beast tamer. While Izabelle had decent luck in her hunting escapades, this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Though her bond with Osona was still repairing after the battle with her dark side, she took the chance and summoned Osona, and ordered it to attack.
Byakko prowled on the defensive–showing no any aggression. Then Osona successfully slashed Byakko. A lightning bolt struck, and Osona roared back in pain and outrage. Shocked and partially stunned, it stood now paralysed.
“Osona! Are you all right?” Izabelle shouted. Osona shook its head, huffing and pawing the ground repeatedly, moaning a soft low injured whine. Without hesitation, Byakko rushed toward Osona to finish it. Izabelle immediately called back Osona, leaving nothing between her and the beast. With a loud roar, Byakko turned to Izabelle and made chase. She fled. A sudden lacerating wind slashed Byakko from a distance, and a familiar howl unleashed cut through the air.
“Frekkis!” Izabelle gasped.
With Byakko’s lightning speed, it dodged Frekkis’ attack easily. Frekkis cast Full Swift and encircled Byakko, twirling faster and faster, the mere speed creating multiple images of Frekkis. Byakko whirled in confusion. Frekkis seized the moment then attacked Byakko from the rear. The keen, irate tiger lashed Frekkis’ face with its bristly tail. She was thrown far away and Izabelle rushed to her. “Frekkis! No!”
As Byakko roared, Izabelle whipped back her head to see just how close at hand death was. A sudden gust of wind overthrew it, dashing the beast away. It doubled back, screamed in threat.
Frekkis rose back to her paws, dragging herself to her feet and then it became easier and easier, as if the wolf now strode on air. The surrounding air glowed luminescent green, and Izabelle puzzled. “Frekkis?”
Over the past month, not only Jael had trained to increase his magick. Frekkis too had trained, silently. As a wolf it was simply harder for her to contain and command magick within her body. But the challenge and lack of mentors who spoke her language hardly hindered Frekkis from searching and training. Though she could not relay her experience, it was but a week ago that Frekkis had dashed through the mountains in search of prey, and, upon reaching the peak of the seventh mountain, smelled something different. Here the atmosphere was thin and light, and brightness shone all around. Then a burst of green aurora came to her and consumed her, and, once the magick had entered her body, released Frekkis back to the mountaintop, dazed and confused, with no one to explain.
Now, Izabelle wondered at the sight of Frekkis luminescing green auroral energy as she walked towards Izabelle in full confidence and help. Byakko slunk around behind Frekkis and invoked lightning from its body. Sparks dashed and spattered, startling Frekkis, who suddenly charged. Something within had activated. A new learnt magickal spell called Heaven’s Wings. Large black wings, leathery and strong, sprouted from Frekkis’s shoulder blades. She soared up into the sky and dove toward Byakko, slashing a flurry of blows with her mighty claws. The tiger had no chance to react and within the blink of an eye, Byakko was thrown away.
Byakko moaned and heaved, almost unconscious when an enormous amount of lightning summoned from above and struck it. Without hesitation, Frekkis backed away and moved to Izabelle’s side in a protective fury. Suddenly, Byakko rose and roared once more, hyping up with static shivers. Its eyes flew open, glowing electric blue, its body crackling with invisible electric energy. White horn nubs pressed up against the skin above its eyes and broke through. Frekkis dashed it in attack but Byakko bent its head forward, charging and channelling its lightning into its horns. Frekkis’s new wings beat powerfully, and she flew above Byakko and slashed through the air toward it.
Byakko slunk back into the defensive, bottom wiggling in preparation to leap then thinking better, stalking and curling, breath heaving as it seemed to gather magickal powers. Frekkis cast gusts of wind along with slashes. Then with a tiger’s eerie growl, Byakko released its ultimate spell, Thunder’s Roar.
Wind and lightning mixed and mingled in the boiling pot of the sky, churning into a dissonant stormy stew that rumbled and shook as it gusted in. Dark lightning struck and scattered, blasts marking and charring, and the thunder rolled the very ground. Still in the air, Frekkis was caught up in the torrent of wind and smashed to the ground, whining once then falling unconscious, out cold. The storm exploded, and Izabelle screamed, hanging onto a tree for her life as the very air caught and tore at her. But then the gale ceased, and the lightning lessened, and finally even the last grumbling thunder was heard. Byakko skulked, exhausted from the vast output of magick power. Finally it became vulnerable.
Izabelle threw the doll. “Manikka Encagement!”
Byakko battled each tendril of entrapment magick, but eventually it was caught up by Izabelle’s spell. She gasped in delight, and scurried across to the doll, picking up her third Manikka. In this small form, the thunderous tiger looked downright cute. “I… I can’t believe it…” Tears of joy and delight welled up in Izabelle’s eyes. She could not contain her feelings and squeaked from excitement. “I have successfully captured a beast!” Then, the threat neutralised, she rushed to Frekkis and cast healing mystos. Frekkis rose unsteadily and together and they walked back to the inn.
Vaan was sitting in the inn having a drink and using his magick to stack rocks when an old mage sat down in front of him and said, “You should use your body to control rocks, not just your arms. Your body represents the earth you control.”
Vaan picked up the rock he was playing with and said, “Excuse me, but who are you?”
“Oh, pardon me my boy, forgive the intrusion. My name is Albertus Nosagga,” the old man replied.
“I see, what did you say about controlling the earth with my body?” Vaan followed up his question.
“Well, I am a telekinetic mage. I can control anything at all but to a certain extent only. Because of this limitation, I use my magick effectively. Many mages think manipulating things is channelled through arms and hands only, but they are wrong. Manipulation can be done by your feet, hips and other parts of the body as well,” Albertus explained.
“Can you teach me how to do this?” Vaan requested.
“I am sorry, I am no teacher, and I have things to attend to. I’m sure you can learn it on your own,” Albertus answered. “I thought it was a tip that may help you. That is all.”
Vaan considered this. “One last thing. I have been suffering from anger problems. I get worked up and seem to go into some kind of blind rage, a trance. I cannot control my actions and I have no awareness of my surroundings. Do you know anything about this?” Vaan asked.
“You’re an Earth mage, right? It sounds familiar. Years ago, in a small village, I saw an Earth mage having the same problem. If he overexerted himself, he would lose control and enter into a t
rance. Because of that, he left his village and went on to be a nomad. This phenomenon is also a sort of magick. It is called Fate magick. In his case, Gaea’s Rage, the Fate magick of Earth. I have been told that this rage can cause havoc to those who suffer its effects.”
“Is this Fate magick being taught?” Vaan asked.
“Oh no. Fate magick stays with one bearer only. If the mage possessing it dies, the Fate magick itself will look for a new bearer and will be passed down to another mage. No two mages can possess the same Fate magick at the same time. Every element has its own Fate magick. Though, these are all merely legends, and I cannot speak to the truth behind them. What can say? Perhaps you are merely ill in some way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my friend, I truly must be going. Good luck with your training.” Albertus rose to his feet, and he took off.
“Fate magick, huh? Strange. Could that be it? I’ve never been trained in it, never even heard of it before. I must understand the truth behind the legends,” Vaan mused to himself. Then Frekkis and Izabelle entered the inn and he let the matter slide.
Back at Demijia, Steve showed off his Fiery Soul and its conversion to Fiery Spirit. “Jael, can you do this?”
“I will try,” Jael replied, and he charged himself up with a massive Blazia.
“Now, contain it and concentrate it all at one part of your body,” Steve said.
“BLAZIAAA!” Jael shouted.
Steve once again cast Fiery Spirit toward Jael. He was always in perfect control, and calmly instructed, “Jael, reject my flames. Do it now!” he shouted.
And the words came to Jael’s mouth. He shouted: “BLAZIERGA!” An eruption of flames came forth from Jael. Overwhelmed by the magnitude of the flames he conjured, an immense amount of flames came out of him, less controlled, but ever so much more powerful.
“Do not celebrate just yet. That is just the advanced form of your Blazia. Now I will teach you your inner spell, Dragon’s Breath. Explain to me how it happened.”
“My duplicate’s right hand aimed toward me while his left hand supported his right hand, probably because of the immensity of the spell. Then large flames hurled toward me.”
“I see. Try aiming your right hand at me and put half of your flames on your right hand with your Blazierga.”
Jael raised his right hand and aimed it at Steve. Jael shouted, “Dragon’s Breath!” but nothing happened. Jael gasped for his breath, almost at his stamina limit.
“Jael, we will continue training tomorrow,” Steve said and dismissed Jael with a wave.
“Yes, master,” Jael said, and he returned to the inn.
Izabelle excitedly shared her success and the entire story of Frekkis’ battle with Byakko. They celebrated in their success, but Vaan sat in stony silence.
“Hey, Vaan, what about you? Have you acquired new spells?” Jael asked.
Vaan shook his head, looking a bit down. “Nothing yet, but I am still training my hardest.”
“That’s all right, Vaan, we still have two months until we go to Erradia,” Izabelle said, trying to lift Vaan’s spirits.
After that, they headed up to their room to retire for the evening. But Vaan tossed and turned that night, and hours after dark had fallen he still couldn’t find respite. At long last, nearing midnight, he crept out of bed and into his shoes, throwing his cloak back over his shoulders. He snuck away from the room, hoping he would not wake his friends.
Outside in front of the inn, the street was still busy with other mages and common folk still going about their business long into the night. All of them had some purpose, Vaan observed, and he stared at the ground. Sadness and frustration masked his normally cheerful face, and with no one here to keep up appearances for, he let it show and released a huge sigh, trying to move the pent up energy of frustration through. Already weeks had passed, and his friends all seemed to easily be making strides in their training. Yet he was at a standstill, with nothing other than mysteries from cryptic fools yammering advice in places of drink.
Someone tapped his shoulder. He started, saw Jael. “Oh. I’m sorry, I tried not to wake anyone–” Vaan started.
Jael sat down beside him. “Vaan, what seems to be the problem? You’ve been down for days.”
“Well.” Vaan’s eyes followed an attractive woman walking by. “Only a few more days remain until we depart for Erradia. But I still haven’t progressed in my training.”
“Don’t say that,” Jael said encouragingly. “Not gaining a new spell doesn’t mean you haven’t progressed.”
Vaan sighed. “I met an old man. He shared something with me… some tips about the full control over manipulation magick. I also asked him about my rage…” He meant to start narrating about this so-called Fate magick, but Jael interjected.
“Oh! How could I have forgotten that! Your rage!” Jael snapped his fingers. “It’s called Fate magick.”
Vaan’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you know?” “When I met Mikhal, he told me about this Fate magick.”
Jael conveyed his conversation with Mikhal, and Vaan nodded, pleased to hear the man in the tavern hadn’t been all mad. Some reassurance on the matter was good. “Vaan,” Jael said. “I think you must possess this powerful magick! It sounds ancient and powerful! We must go deeper!”
Jael always seemed to be in good spirits, and he had a way for brightening the mood. Enthusiasm splashed across Vaan’s face, and he smiled. “I suppose you’re right.”
Jael grew more serious then, though his face didn’t sober. “You are the closest human I have ever been with since my mother passed. At first you were my friend, a unique quality in of itself. You are now my brother. I will always be here for you. Just believe in yourself.”
“You certainly do brighten up anyone’s mood, Jael. That might not be magick, but it sure is one of your talents. Heck, even the queen likes you!” Vaan laughed. They chatted a little longer, basking in the dull glow of the city’s never-sleeping life. Then they returned to bed.
A few weeks passed, and they continued their training. Jael still had yet to successfully cast Dragon’s Breath in any way. Frekkis mastered Heaven’s Wings and the green aura covered her at will. Izabelle tried to summon Byakko from her Manikka and successfully tamed Byakko and trained with it. But over those few weeks, Vaan still struggled, learning nothing new.
The second month passed and Jael continued to train in Demijia. He clawed away at the process, learning Dragon’s Breath bit by bit. With small amounts of flames spewing from his hand, Jael frustratingly chipped away at the block to mastering his inner spell. Every day he trained the spell and Steve ensured Jael’s safe progress.
But Jael had unwittingly made an enemy of Drix Arkedam that very same day he bumped into him. Drix, unwilling to let it slide, began bullying Jael, picking on him whenever they met. Jael tried to avoid any fight, but a fateful day came. Drix’s friends all seemed to be there when he was on his way into Demijia, surrounding him, taunting and menacing. Steve noticed, and watched from afar, deciding to let Jael handle the situation on his own. After all, there was no better way to see Jael’s actual battle strategies than to let him face a challenge.
“What’s the matter, fire boy? You can’t go anywhere now,” Drix said menacingly.
“Let me through,” Jael said.
“No can do, boy. You are such a pain in the ass.”
“I said I was sorry for that day I bumped into you. Why can’t you let it be?”
“What did you say?” Drix said in fury and his arms were suddenly covered with flames.
“Just let me through, I don’t want any trouble.”
Drix circled him, charging a little fire spell on one hand. He teased it across his fist. “Did you know I have both fire and brute magick? Let’s see how you fare sparring with me!”
Suddenly everyone was chanting, all around him, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” over and over again and Jael’s eyes narrowed, his focus zooming in on Drix. It wasn’t Drix that worried him, it was all of his friends
.
“Maybe I can try out some of my new moves on you, twerp. After all, I can actually afford to go to this school. I spend my time here learning more than one spell. What do you think–is that all right? After all, you’d really just be helping me study,” Drix said. He flicked a tiny fire spell at Jael, which fizzled and disappeared into Jael’s shielding.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Jael said, and was cut off by a sudden punch to the nose, driving him into the city wall. He reached up, wiping away the stream of blood, but it wouldn’t stop flowing and he could taste it bitter on his lips. He grunted and straightened up.
“You know, matchsticks like you don’t have a place here in Demijia,” Drix said. “You should have stayed in whatever village you crawled out of.” He cast flames upon Jael. “Whiplash!” He conjured flaming ropes in both his hands.
Drix started to whip Jael from both sides, strapping and slicing his clothes with the continuous attacks. Jael was not injured by this assault, but his garments were shredded by each slice of cauterising flame, exposing his chiselled midriff and right nipple. Jael reddened in angry humiliation and muttered, “As you wish,” then roared, “Blazia!”
“Now we’re talking,” Drix said. “Don’t think just because you won third place in the Salamanka Race you are a strong mage. We all know that was luck.”
Jael immediately cast Blazierga. The slowly gathering crowd was amazed by his massive flames but Drix looked nothing but unimpressed. Instead, Drix rushed Jael and wreathed his own body with flames, transferring that energy through and combining it with brute magick. Drix landed a flaming punch to Jael’s face, and the force hurled Jael down to the ground, which crumbled as he smashed to the floor. “What’s the matter, fire boy? Had enough yet?”
“Come at me!” Jael snarled, and intensified his Blazierga.
Teliko Mageia: Curse of the Frozen Flame Page 14
