Chapter 59.

PART 1.

“Today, I will teach you about magical pressure.” Said Zeko. “This is often used for intimidating your opponent, for if you are stronger than them magickly, then they will have trouble casting spells under your pressure. If the difference is too large, you can crush them with your magical pressure alone.”

“I think I remember something.” Said Hatori. “Didn’t Porus use something like this when I was summoned?”

“I wasn’t there.” Said Zeko. “But he likely did.”

“Yep. He did.” Said Josh from the side.

“Now, here's how it feels when this pressure is focused on you.” Then Zeko uncoils his magic, and Hatori feels as if he is getting crushed by something from all sides.

He always knew that mages like Zeko and Porus were very strong since they often gave the feeling of concealing their power behind a dam. But to experience it is an entirely different matter. He smiled. He remembers how he sensed Ekta’s magic, and how it didn’t have any depth at all, hidden or otherwise. Which means he was right in judging her power.

“Now, for this, you will have to focus on whom you wish to bring down your pressure on, and then focus your magic on them,” said Zeko.

“But how can I practice this?” asked Hatori. “Won’t I need a partner for this?”

“Indeed.” Smiled Zeko. “But not to worry. The training module will help you with this. Each time you get attacked from now on, you will not only have to work under the magical pressure of your attacker. But you will have to apply yourself to counter that and apply your pressure to them. good luck.”

Hatori focuses on the small growing tree nearby and tries to bring down the pressure on it. But nothing happens. “Good luck, he says.” He muttered.

He looks at his friends. “Hey, why don’t you guys let me practice on you—” they start to run away. “Oy! Come back! What kind of friends are you?”

Hatori chases after them, while Zeko chortles with laughter.

PART 2.

James observes as Hatori is attacked by a group of yantras and a shadow. The two yantras attack Hatori, while the shadow is applying magical pressure to slow him down from a distance. Nearby, Raven is taking notes of the strategies used by both sides, and James is imagining tinkering with these yantras.

Zeko’s house is full of all sorts of wonderful yantras, and he wishes to take them apart and build them back up again. But of course, these yantras are more likely to dismantle him if he tried anything without Zeko’s permission, guest or not.

“Can’t help but watch you, kid.” Said Zeko, sitting near him.

“What?” James is surprised at his sudden appearance. The man moves way too silently.

“You like yantras, don’t you?” He asked. “Hatori told me about how you two tinkered with them in the Academy.”

“I like to understand how things work.” Said James. Watching all these yantras going around doing housework and attacking his friend makes his hand itch to take them apart.

“tell you what, I’ll give you some non-functioning ones. I doubt you have seen their variety; they don’t build these models anymore.” Said Zeko. “Once you go back to the castle, you can get the basic sets of yantras to work with them.”

“I thank you for your generosity.” Said James.

“No need to be so formal, kid.” Said Zeko with a chuckle.

PART 3.

Hatori is about to begin his training, this time trying to light a candle. “Master Zeko, how will I protect myself from getting burned?” He asked.

“The training you’re doing now will protect you from getting burned by the flames of a candle, or even a campfire.” Said Zeko. “However, if someone has greater elemental knowledge than you or just simply more raw magical power, then you can be overwhelmed.”

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“Does that mean he can touch the flames?” asked Raven.

“Flames aren’t objects.” Said Zeko. “But yes, if he touched one, he won’t get burned. Though he will feel its warmth.”

“That’s a relief. I don’t want to get burned.” Said Hatori.

“Elemental magic is quite dangerous if you don’t perform it correctly. You can have stones within your body, get burnt from the inside out, get filled with water, or you can end up electrocuting yourself.” Said Zeko, horrifying the children with each new danger. “But if you train it well, you can get protection against that element.”

Hatori thinks about asking about the lightning element, but he decides not to push for it now. Right now, he should focus on what he has to do currently, and he did exactly that.

But lighting a candle is proving to be hard. His flame is either too small, so the candle doesn’t burn, or it's too large, melting the candle into a slag. But he remembers his meditation sessions, how he made the flame rise and fall with his breathing. After a few more tries, and concentrating with the same focus as the meditation, Hatori manages to light the candle.

“Good job.” Praised Zeko. “Now, light ten more without losing control.”

The celebration stops after hearing that.

PART 4.

In the night, all the boys are discussing Zeko and the lack of a family around him. “So, you’re saying you haven’t seen anyone come here from his family? Not even for once?” asked Josh.

“No.” Said Hatori. “We’re the only ones who live in the house, and aside from interacting with Nandan’s family who helps him run his farm, Porus, or that one time with Daphne’s family, I haven’t seen him interacting with anyone else.”

“Ooooooohhhhhhh! So that’s how you know Daphne.” Shin said in a teasing tone, but it goes over Hatori’s head.

“Yeah, we had dinner at her house.” This causes grins to appear on all four faces. “He even made me prepare with forks, knives, and all that devilish stuff.”

Josh laughed after hearing that. “Anyway, getting back to the point, he also lacks a surname.”

“Meaning, he is like me.” Said Shin. “Someone with no name, or a family.”

“About that,” said Hatori. “Mind clearing this up for me?”

“I’m an orphan.” Said Shin. “I don’t have a family; thus, no surname.”

“Not even a made-up one?” asked Hatori, since often orphans receive surnames randomly in his world if their names and surnames are unknown.

“The families would kill him for using their names.” Said James.

“Yeah, didn’t you know about that?” asked Shin. “Me being an orphan, I mean.”

“I did suspect something since having no last name is kind of strange here.” Said Hatori. “I know there are some places where it is not a big deal, but still. You guys need to understand that I did not grow up here. I don’t get a lot of the things, aside from the combat and the bit of magic I’m learning.”

“And I didn’t say it so openly because we’re despised everywhere.” Said Shin. “Granted, due to my musical services, I’m seen as somewhat valuable. But you can be certain that if I was living with someone else in the Academy, they would have made me sleep on the floor.”

“Or protest if you’re given a seat.” Said Hatori, remembering Avinash’s get together.

“Yeah.”

PART 5.

Zeko is leaving with five children today for the castle. “Be ready boys; we will be camping along the way.” He said.

“Oh joy…” said Hatori.

“You don’t sound happy.” Asked Josh. “Aren’t you excited about camping? I know I am.”

“Good for you,” said Hatori with a painful smile.

While his friends think of a pleasant peaceful camping trip, Hatori knows what Zeko means by camping along the way. He did the same thing when they went for dinner at Daphne’s house, making him and Neshma do all the work, while he just relaxed in the car.

How wrong they all are. At least, he’ll get to have some fun at their expense. They just don’t know what is waiting for them. They will never forget this trip.

(End.)