“So, we’ve given a brief talk about all of the common elements: fire, water, ice, earth, wind, electricity, nature, light, dark, metal. However, now we’ll go into more detail about them starting today.”

The teacher had started the lesson by having the class head outside, the kids fidgeting, unable to contain their desire to just run around and play.

“Now now kids, we’re not out here to play, but to show off! First, who here uses fire?”

Several hands extended from the crowd.

“Julia. Why don’t you show us how it’s done?”

A raven-hair girl nervously stepped forward, her hands clinging to her blue overalls. Luke had wondered if she even raised her hand.

“Don’t be nervous Julia, just concentrate and you-“

Before he could finish his sentence, the girl had created fire in her right hand, the flame dancing in the late Autumn wind. Panicking, the girl threw the fire to the ground, where it began to grow by feeding off the grass.

“And this, students,” The professor kicked dirt over the fire until it was completely buried, “is why you never lose control. If no one was around, Julia could have caused a massive fire.”

As other girls began to snicker, Julia looked like she was about to cry, huffing with water forming around her eyes.

“Don’t fret girl, keep practicing and your confidence will grow. You’ll be a great fire user one day, I know it. Now, for water.”

More hands extended from the crowd.

“Maple. Show us what you can do.”

Stepping forward was a familiar sight to Luke, the short-haired brunette in a yellow dress. It didn’t take any effort on her part to create a ball of water in her hand. Moving her hands, she thinned the ball into a long whip, which she used to lash at Luke.

“Woah now, be careful with your water! You might think water would be a toy, but a well-crafted water whip could cut through metal. Thank you, Maple. Who wants to show off earth?”

The mischievous girl returned to the crowd, most not batting an eye at what happened, except for Luke who recoiled in pain. As he opened his eyes through the stinging from the bruise on his arm, the boy could see the blonde boy making his way toward the teacher.

“Ah, David, show us what an earth elemental can do.”

Pulling his leg up high and then stomping down hard, the entire ground shook and all the other students struggled to stay on their feet, many falling over.

“Good job, powerful display David! Last up is wind. Conner.”

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

With a triumph stride, the blonde boy returned to the others, a bronze skinned boy taking his place. Adjusting the glasses on his face, his took the same stance as Luke, concentrating air before blasting his audience with it.

“Not bad. Wind is hard to see, making it good for surprise. Let’s head back inside kids.”

----------------------------------------

The rest of the day was a breeze for Luke, dealing with simple mathematics and spelling. Lunch time he had found himself alone again, though now he began to enjoy the solidarity, it was a relief despite the cacophony of the cafeteria.

During recess, he had assumed he could simply sit by the swings in peace the same way he was alone during lunch. Today, however, he was approached by a familiar stranger: the nervous girl from early had approached him, carrying the same awkward demeanor.

“H-hello, you’re Luke right?”

“Yeah. I kind of forgot your name.”

Matthew had taught Luke manners a few months prior, but those lessons weren’t helping him now.

“Julia Kellu. Is the swing there…” the girl gestured to the swing next to Luke. The boy shook his head, watching the girl sit on the suspended pad.

“Luke, why didn’t you defend yourself against that mean girl earlier?”

“I couldn’t, I have no mana.”

“What, how?!”

The girl went from unsure to astonished in a second while Luke merely shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t know. I just…don’t.”

The girl faced the ground while slowly swinging back and forth.

“So, where are you from Julia?”

“Vesipia, in Umbro.”

“Umbro? Like, way north of here?”

“Yep. Vesipia is just before the mountains, but it’s still part of Umbro. What about you?”

“Oh, I live here. My house is south, near the castle.”

“Oooh, the upper-class ring?”

“No, the noble one. Like, the highest one before the castle.”

“Wow, it must be great to be nobility! My mom and dad are just farmhands.”

“Actually, it sucks. Mom spends an hour at home making breakfast and dinner, dad is gone most of the time; the only one who’s around now and then is my brother, Matt.”

“So you live with your brother then? I live with my uncle and aunt. Do you have any friends?”

“I have the princess. That’s it, really.”

“The Princess?! That sounds like the best friend anyone could ask for!”

The girl’s face was now a glowing smile, her feet kicking excitedly off the ground.

“Well, I don’t get to see her all the time. I could always use another friend.”

“Well we’re friends then!” Julia announced with a grin from ear to ear.

That was the last thing she said before running off. Luke didn’t know why, but he wasn’t going to ask. However, something about what the girl said had sounded familiar to him.

----------------------------------------

“Matt” Luke addressed his brother while he was cleaning dishes, “where is Vesipia?”

“It’s a town way up north in Umbro, where your aunt Shelly lives. Why?”

“Oh, I thought I remembered it from something. A friend said she used to live there.”

“Oh? Hey, why don’t I tell you about aunt Shelly?”

Luke’s eyes beamed with excitement. He couldn’t remember his visit to his aunt’s house because he was only two at the time.

“Well, from what I’ve been read, she was a Cavalier, a sword user who is fast and furious. When an army from Umbro was about to attack Lumina, Shelly and her companion, The Blazing Phoenix, took down the entire army.”

“Who’s the Blazing Phoenix?”

“I don’t know. Dad only says he was a friend of Shelly’s, and that he left a long time ago. Whoever he was, he helped Shelly take on over five-hundred men! He must have been super cool. Maybe one day we’ll meet him.”

“Maybe he’s Julia’s dad.”

“Julia?”

“My friend. She can control fire.”

“Well Luke, just because someone can control fire, doesn’t mean their parents can. I mean, you could be like a water and nature user, or wind and fire, or even a time user.”

“Time?”

“Yeah. They’re pretty rare, but they’re also powerful. I don’t how it works, but apparently they can go really far in a second. To them it’s like time is moving normally, but to us it’s like they blinked and moved!”

“Wow. Maybe I’ll be one of them. I’m excited just thinking about it.”

“Either way, I’m glad you made a friend.”