Incedis scanned the attentive gazes of everyone and furrowed his brows. "We're still in the Wilds, and we can't let our guard down. Please stay vigilant while I share my plans for Pax."

Pax saw his friends flush as embarrassment swept through them. Incedis was right. They’d let his announcements distract them.

"Don't worry too much." Incedis made a reassuring gesture with a hand. "I knew this would be fascinating to you, so I asked Mage Eldan to keep an eye out since she's already seen these. But it's an important lesson to remember."

Pax quickly looked around for the other mage and didn't see her, which reassured him. If he couldn't see her, then any incoming danger wouldn't be able to, either.

"Now, let's see what I have here." Incedis slid the recessed lid on the trunk open just a foot or so. He reached in and drew a sturdy leather sheath containing a knife almost long enough to be called a short sword. Pax saw the two cores embedded in the pommel and winced as he guessed what kind of blade it was.

With a wicked smile, Incedis pulled a long, deadly dagger from the sheath and held it up. The well-polished blade glinted in the afternoon sun. Then Incedis activated something in the hilt, and a crackle of bright, powerful lightning, tinged with the faintest touch of purple, shot to life, traveling up and around its edge.

"Is that—?" Amil asked, awe in his voice.

"Yes." Incedis nodded, his voice full of satisfaction. "It's a lightning dagger. I am friends with Mage Harding, who is a collector of lightning artifacts. When he heard I needed this to help one of his favorite students, he let me borrow it."

"Borrow?" Kai gave the dagger a greedy look, and Pax could tell how much the boy wanted to use something that powerful.

A hint of a frown marred Incedis' smile. "Well, he gave me a very expensive rental price. Considering the coming war, it's close to what it would cost to just buy it outright. But if we both survive, he wants it back." Incedis sheathed the knife and set it on the lid before reaching into the box for a second item. He drew out an object just over a foot long and unwrapped it to reveal a very familiar-looking cooling wand. "This was much easier to get, considering how common they are in larger kitchens or restaurants."

Rin chuckled while a shiver ran through Pax, despite the warm sun above. Pax was not looking forward to more ice training.

Setting the cooling rod on top of the lid next to the knife, Incedis reached back into the box to pull out a long, slender box. He opened it and pulled out another rod, but this one was longer and colored with various shades of green. Someone with talent had carved vines around the entire length, starting at the comfortable-looking, leather-wrapped handle and stretching along the three feet to the tapered point.

This time, it was Brynn who sucked in a surprised breath. "How did you get your hands on a growth rod? Do you know how rare those are?" She turned to the others, her eyes alight with excitement. "Depending on how many cores you're willing to spend, one of those can push a field from planting to harvest in a tenth of the usual time. Usually, they're reserved for expensive and rare plants used for alchemy."

"Exactly." Incedis gave her an impressed glance. "It was difficult finding an artifact that used Nature magic. With every city fighting to survive, there isn’t much focus going into agriculture research. But it's money well spent if it helps Pax." He aimed a look of chagrin at Pax. "We haven't been fairly compensating him for everything he's done for the rebellion. These items are just a start on my best attempt to do that."

Pax’s eyes widened at the recognition of everything he’d been doing for the rebellion. Unexpected pride and satisfaction sparked inside him, making him sit up straighter and smile.

It also made him boggle at the idea of how much his life had changed. How had he gone from being a simple street rat to becoming an essential key to the entire rebellion? Back then, he'd been so committed to not getting involved in anything outside his personal circle of friends. Things sure had changed.

"So, you have a magma artifact, too?" Tyrodon stretched up on his toes and tried to peer into the box.

Incedis nodded with a smile and reached in to unveil a single glove made from dark, blood-red leather. There were multiple slots around the wrist for cores. Thumbnail-sized ones, two each of earth and flame, currently filled four of the slots in alternating positions.

Incedis looked like a kid in a candy store as he switched out his vambrace for a much thicker one that gleamed with some kind of coating. Then he pulled on the glove and activated it. To Pax’s amazement, the surface of the glove transformed into a deep orange liquid. Thick, boiling magma swirled over the entire surface, giving off enough heat Pax could feel it from where he was sitting.

"I wouldn't recommend anyone trying this glove out unless they are a flame mage or have some significant resistance. Even then, protective gear is a good idea." Incedis gave the students a stern look of warning. "It’s lined with a special material that keeps it from destroying my hand, but that only lasts for a while before the heat transfers through the protection. It’s designed for melee fighters who would activate it briefly and only when needed."

“And that’s it.” Incedis deactivated the glove and drained the heat off before he placed it next to the other devices. When he looked up at Pax, anticipation filled his expression. “Well? Which of your secondary mana types has advanced the most? Or, if they are all relatively close, pick your favorite to train today.”

Pax took a quick look, though he was pretty sure his ice was the highest. But there was no way he wanted to start with that.

***

Lightning: Level 1 - 21/100

Ice: Level 1 - 33/100

Nature: Level 1 - 12/100

Magma: Level 1 - 13/100

***

"Three of them are about the same level." Pax made sure to look as earnest as possible. "How about we start with nature, so I can get used to training while running at the same time? I think it will be the easiest to adjust to, and I don't want to slow us down."

Next to him, Rin snorted and muttered something that sounded like 'coward,' but he ignored her.

Incedis nodded at the reasoning and didn't call Pax out on what level his fourth element was at. "We have time, and it will be difficult to combine this kind of training with running at our pace. Nature is a good choice to ease into. Let’s get going."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Everyone stood, tossing any remnants of their meals to their companions and taking a few last swallows of water. Mage Eldan walked out of the bushes to their right, hands already raised, as she cast another speed buff on everyone. In moments, they were running again, northward, ever northward.

Incedis waited a few moments for them to settle back into a rhythm with their new formation. He and Pax ran in the center with Tyrodon, Kai, and Dahni just behind them. Mage Eldan took the lead, with Bryn and Onyx by her side. Rin and Amil took the left and right, respectively, while Tasar and Warden brought up the rear. Their formation was tight enough that they could move around most obstacles but loose enough to give them room to fight without getting in each other's way.

"Are you ready?" Incedis' words startled Pax, who had fallen back into the almost meditative trance of running at a steady pace while pulsing his Sphere out every minute or so.

"Should I stop my Extrasensory Sphere spell?" Pax asked, aiming a cautious glance at the green engraved rod that bobbed in Incedis' hand while he ran.

Incedis looked thoughtful. "We don’t need you watching the sides, but we need some kind of checks underground. Can Talpa keep an eye beneath us while we work?"

I watch, Talpa sent before Pax could even ask and dove into the ground like a fish into water.

Incedis smiled, and Pax sent a pulse of gratitude to his friend.

Incedis cleared his throat and focused back on Pax. "Now, I assume you still level your paths of understanding best by experiencing the elements personally, right?"

"Well, I can gain a bit by working with elements in other mages or beasts, but nowhere near as much as if I experience the element myself."

"Perfect.” Incedis waggled the rod as he ran. “Then I'll begin with the lowest level of nature mana this can produce, and we'll go from there. I'll also start with a single minute at a time and check in to make sure you’re doing alright."

Pax grimaced with embarrassment. "I guess you heard about what happened with the cooling rod?"

"Yes. I'm surprised you didn't learn better after working to learn about Kai’s mana. New procedures require extreme caution." His voice turned harsh. "You can't take those kinds of risks with yourself anymore. You're not a random first-year whose death only affects your friends."

Pax gave him a chastened nod, knowing he needed to find a better balance between keeping himself safe and challenging himself to grow. "Let me get my Meditation and Mana Sight going. I'll hold up a hand when I'm ready for you to start."

Incedis nodded, and Pax focused on his running. He kept his stride even, placing one foot in front of the other at a steady pace, then worked to activate his mental skills. It wasn't easy, and it made him look back fondly on the time when his only challenge was keeping his eyes open while Meditating or checking his menu. Thankfully, it wasn't impossible; the additional levels and practice he'd gained in his skills had really helped.

Slowly, Pax tuned out the requirements of running, leaving them in an automatic loop. Next, he worked to steady his breathing, though it was much heavier because of his running.

Once he felt the rhythm of his breathing and circulating mana steady, he moved to the next step. Knowing he'd be working with nature, he drew up a ball of light mana before gathering equal amounts of the deep blue water and brown earth. Forcing himself not to rush, he threaded the two elements through his collected light mana.

His feet continued to pound. His lungs and heart worked to keep him at an even equilibrium. Pax could feel his mana wanting to jump out of his control and shoot into a spell. Considering that he'd usually be fighting and using his spells with this much adrenaline running through his body, it made sense. He was forcing his body to go against its ingrained habits.

It took an indeterminate amount of time for him to gain enough control that he felt his physical effort balance with his mental control of his magic. Focusing on maintaining that balance, he carefully raised his right hand to signal Incedis, without taking his eyes off the path in front of him.

The soft tap of the rod landing on his shoulder was the only warning he got. A strange and foreign mana pushed inside him. He had a moment to be grateful that it wasn't ice this time. Instead, it was bright and encouraging, a mishmash of various shades of green that moved like an eager puppy excited to greet a visitor.

He stared at it in fascination for a little too long. To his amazement, he felt his body respond to the growth spell. It was nothing huge, but as his Sight focused, he saw hair on the back of his shoulders straining to become longer. Skin and muscles closest to the effect bulged with fresh energy, sloughing off old particles and growing new ones.

He was suddenly grateful that the rod was made for plants and not people. He could just envision himself completely lopsided, with one shoulder much bigger and stronger than the others.

Distracted, the tip of one boot caught the edge of a protruding root, making him almost stumble. Thankfully, it was his elite right one, and Pax quickly recovered. But that minor lapse in his attention allowed the nature mana to spread further into his torso, making its way toward his lungs and heart.

Not wanting to risk that, Pax moved to intercept the foreign mana before it could get further out of control. He burst his prepared mix of light, earth, and water mana into a cloud and maneuvered it to corral the nature mana. He strained to control it all, surprised this was the lowest amount the rod could produce.

Sweat broke out on Pax’s brow at the effort, making him glad for the slight breeze as they ran. He pushed harder, refusing to let up on the pressure. Even though the first minute Incedis had limited him to had to be over soon, Pax wanted to make some measurable progress.

He kept surrounding and penetrating the foreign mana with his own. With a wrench of effort, he finally stalled its progress and held the nature mana still for his examination.

Fascinated, Pax dove in closer with his Sight. Nature was so much more fun to study than ice. In fact, it was obvious why it was such an opposing element. Instead of an icy stillness that stopped everything in its path, nature filled its surroundings with excitement and vitality.

Seconds passed unnoticed as Pax maintained the balance of steady running, controlling the foreign mana and delving into its secrets. He could feel insights hanging just out of reach, tantalizing and tempting.

Then his entire construction collapsed, like one of the flimsy shelters built by homeless street rats when a guard kicked it down. The nature mana disappeared in an instant, staggering him both mentally and physically.

Pax shook his head, stumbling and losing his footing. Incedis' hand grabbed him under one arm and steadied him while someone else boosted him from behind to help keep him upright.

When Pax recovered and regained his steady pace, he glared over at Incedis. "A little warning next time."

Incedis shrugged, looking unconcerned. "Your minute was up. That's all the warning you get. Besides, it's another way to train you for unexpected situations. You are too crucial to the rebellion and too vulnerable. The harder I can challenge and push you, the better."

Pax groaned but had to concede his point. "Is that the real reason you're making me do this while running through the Wilds? To push me?"

"First, we can't waste a week. But it's also the perfect opportunity to add more challenges to your studies. The only thing better would be to do this training during a battle instead of while running." Incedis gave him an evil grin and raised one brow. "Should we try that instead? I'm sure we could find a few nests to clear on our trip."

Pax's eyes widened, and he waved one hand in protest. "No, this is fine. This is plenty challenging."

"That's what I thought. So, tell me what you learned, and we'll go again."

Paxton stifled a groan and tried not to look at the sun that looked like it had hardly made any progress across the sky. Then he focused and gave Incedis a thorough report of what he’d experienced.

"Very interesting," Incedis said. “You’ll have to help me remember all this when I can write it down tonight after we make camp.”

“Oh, maybe you should work on running and writing at the same time?” Pax couldn’t resist adding a sarcastic challenge to his tone. “You know how challenges help you advance faster."

Pax heard a snort from ahead that sounded like it came from Mage Eldan, while Amil laughed out loud next to him.

"You impertinent boy." Incedis chuckled. "I suggest you focus on your own training, especially considering that one of the next steps will be to shorten your Meditation time before each session. You don't think your enemies are going to give you that much time to prepare, do you?"

Now Pax heard a suppressed chuckle from Rin's side. Pax clamped his mouth shut and got busy. Despite the difficulty of the new training, Pax wanted to advance just as much as Incedis wanted him to. Even more, Pax needed to be much stronger before they encountered the large contingent of rebels at the ruins. He didn’t doubt there would be many eager to take advantage of him. He couldn’t let them.