Hierohn rose from his dinner and saw that the whole canteen was empty. He started moving with quick steps up the stairs going up to fifth floor from the basement. Remembering he had to go to fire training tomorrow at dawn even though he had found the mana, he wasn't, like the other three, excused.
He reached his floor and that too was completely empty. He saw some smoke rolling up at the other end of the hallway. It was the same rolling smoke from the from the first test. Tiredly thinking to himself 'Weird. What is this doing here?' he went into his room.
At the middle of his room was standing an old man with long white hair, eyebrows, and beard. He had loving soft and warm eyes, his body seemingly in good condition. He wasn't bulky like a warrior but rather lean like a hunter. When Hierohn entered he looked at him and asked in a hurry.
'How many different kinds of particles did you feel?' His voice was soft and radiated love, it made Hierohn trust him completely.
Hierohn was slightly surprised by the sudden intrusion and questioning, but still answered his senior politely. After all according to Roland he had to be one of the wardens or even the head warden, Hierohn having met the headmaster knew it wasn't him.
'Five, honored elder. No six, I felt five others and fire.' Hierohn answered quickly.
'Six?', the elder was utterly shocked.
He thought for a second, mumbled to himself 'we can always try again, he can't be allowed to live' and then pointed a finger at Hierohn.
Hierohn felt worst pain he had ever felt and his whole body shot back with intense all-consuming pain. His whole body going tense and his back muscles pulling him into a beautiful arch. His terrified and screaming face being the only indicator of terror and pain he felt. He fell on the ground with and with another flick from the elder his body burned leaving no ashes behind just like yesterday's letter.
***
Hierohn opened his eyes, screaming with pain. After a few moments he realised he was no longer in pain and was instead in the middle of the canteen. He instantly shut his mouth and stilled his voice, his face going red. He had slipped into a Vision. Shame started overtaking him, but before it had made it any further than his head it was magnified by laughter that was ringing all around him.
'The kid had a nightmare' sounded from one side, mixed in with laughter.
'He is a fire mage who just got back from his building, he will have many others before the week is through', this jest increased the laughter even more. Making Hierohn shrink in his seat, but before he could regain himself one more keen observation was made.
'He slept in his dinner, the fire master really burns trough fresh wood', this hidden jest was followed with a few more irks and soon full hearted laughter.
'Finish your dinner then lets go to the baths, you can't go to bed like that. I'm sure you will succeed tomorrow', Roland patted Hierohn on the back and offered a few encouraging words.
Hierohn was too tired to answer him.
He eats as fast as he can and soon follows Roland towards the baths in the Outer Wall. Outer Wall was a wall like structure around the eleven inner buildings, it was in the northern entrance hall that they were welcomed by the headmaster and rewarded tokens. Right now they were headed for eastern wall where the Healer's Quarters were located. The baths were also there as the sick needed to be kept clean.
When they reached the eastern tunnel that led to sixth ward they took a door left and in there they were greeted by a small room with a fat guard, sitting on a chair obviously too small for him. In front of the guard was a stack of list with names on it.
'What's your name kid' Said a guard to Hierohn and added to Roland 'You can only visit once a week, you were here yesterday.'
'I bought a big room, I should get three a week.' Roland whined.
'Oh, your name then.' After checking them on the list he let them into the bathing area.
***
In the baths, after they both washed, Roland prepares to freeze some of a water in his hands.
'Ok, I will start chanting now. Close your eyes and try to feel my mana. That way you can soon switch over to ice.'
Hierohn sinks into the state he often used for meditation, not trying the breathing technique as meditation comes naturally to him.
He sends his mind out and looks everywhere but no matter how hard he tries he just can't feel any mana moving. But he notices another mana. It feels insignificant and cold, thinking it might be the ice mana he focuses on it. As he combs it with his mind he suddenly stops and passes out, the bath taking on a slightly sulfuric color.
Roland grabs him by the shoulder and drags him out, after few attempts of waking him he throws a towel over him, grabs his clothes and walks him to nearby Healer's Quarters.
Hierohn spends his night there having avoided meeting the merciless elder.
***
He wakes next morning to see the fire elemental master sitting next to his bed.
'Kid you are up, that's good. It seems you tried to channel more than you can take. It happens to everyone at least once but you shouldn't use magic unsupervised until having received some instructions.' Hierohn knows he hadn't channeled any magic last night, but the Vision elder last night had really scared him so he only nodded.
'Oh right, what did these other particles feel like?' He had forgotten to ask having taken great care to give Hierohn no chance to ask more about the lack of fire particles.
Hierohn thought for a while before answering. He chose to go for his best, 'I felt only transparent particles … at first, sir. And then found a few hot rounds around them.' He had made the pause after realizing his lie was about to be revealed. Thinking he had just avoided a torturous death he smiled brightly.
'Illusion particle, hardest to detect of all? Too bad it wasn't arcane though, could have made a first great fire mage in decades. Still with your natural talent you should start training in it soon. Though it will be hard it will be better than fire training and with some tokens you will have the best teacher in whole seventh ward, headmaster himself practices illusion magic.'
'Speaking of tokens you will be awarded three more tokens for your academical achievements, though in your case it seems to be raw talent that does all the work. The tokens are earned for finding your second mana so quickly.' He put a hand on Hierohn's pouch that was laying on his bedside, then got up and went to the door.
'Oh right you don't have to come to fire class today. After you have had your breakfast head straight to the basement of the Hall of Elements. There you can practice your fire and illusion magics, there should be quite few masters around too. The seeking isn't dangerous for most other elements, even I only have to stick around to make sure the house doesn't burn down.' And with hearty laughter he left.
***
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Hierohn entered the basement and to his surprise saw a twenty feet tall training hall taking over all the underground for Hall of Elements. Walking down the stairs that started near the ceiling, he could see multicolored lights flicker all around him. It was here that all the first-years were having their first touch with magic. The room was still moderately empty as many were still seeking their mana.
He picked out a tall older man from the crowd. Even if the elemental masters weren't at least twice as tall as the kids they would be identifiable by their black robes.
He walked over to him and said, 'my elemental master sent me here to train, but I don't know any spells.'
The elemental master looked at him doubtingly. 'You are already trying to skip class, no bother you will be kicked out if you can't find mana by the end of the week. So what elemental master would send a disciple to train without any spells?' As he was talking his eyes stopped on the fire emblem on his chest and understanding filled his eyes, but out of habit he still finished his question.
'Fire elemental master, sir. He sent me here to learn Illusion and Fire magic.' Hierohn didn't dare to correct him. At this masters challenging tone he was once again reminded of his latest nightmare.
'Hmm it figures, a fire apprentice. Still he shouldn't fool you with other magic until you have found your manas. Your trickery stops at your ignorance, not even he would send you here without letting you find your mana. But I will believe you if by the end of the day you can conjure some fake mist and a tiny tiny flame. Last chance to run back to your teacher, else I will drop you from this academy.' The elemental master warned with indifference.
'What are the incantations, sir'
'Heh, not willing to back down are we. Well it will come back to bite you if you lie, good luck little liar.'
After listening to the incantations for few times he had memorized them. After that he went into a corner and sat down entering the meditative state.
***
Few hours later Hierohn had found some fire mana in the air, now he started chanting. After finishing his chant he could feel a weak flame flicker on his palm before going out. He felt that the fire mana in his palm had burned out, but the mana he had found hadn't reacted. 'Damn it seems I have to channel it.'
After having tried for few more hours he took a short brake and opened his eyes, seeing that around him the training hall had emptied, everyone had gone to lunch.
Hierohn rose and started to walk out to eat too when he caught the eye of the elemental master who had taught him the incantations. He shriveled once then turned around and sat back down in his corner. 'Can't get kicked out now.'
The elemental master was feeling pretty smug right now, he had seen Hierohn light a fire on his palm for a second and already believed he had found his fire mana. But he knew that it was impossible for him to show it to him. After all it was he who was supposed to show them all how to channel mana into chants. Of course he wasn't going to kick him out of the academy, they had seven days to wake it and skipping lessons was ground for physical punishment not expulsion.
With a snicker he turned and left to go eat some lunch.
***
After a few minutes of trying to suck fire mana in, he gave up almost immediately the transparent particles started seeping into him one after another. Hierohn remembered the second incantation and started chanting it but before he finished the mana was already flowing out of him distorting reality and grabbing with it few of the dark slippery particles. Hierohn tried to stop them and finally with great effort of will succeeded.
When he opened his eyes he couldn't see further than few feet. All around him was eerie gray mist and sometimes he could almost see shadows walking in there. Weird noise caught his attention but when he tried to listen closer all he could hear was whispering. Then he heard laughter and saw a few shadows flash by him.
Hierohn had never been afraid of the unknown, so with few breaths he gathered his surprise and headed for the nearest shadow.
***
When the elemental master returned from the lunch he saw kids waiting on stairs not daring to go in.
'What's going on here, get in. Or don't you want to learn magic anymore?' With his usual indifference and mocking he addressed the children standing at the front of the entrance.
'But elemental master Hargiff, its weird down there. We can't see the stairs and someone is running up and down them.'
Hargiff frowned and with few quick steps passed through the children to stand at the doorway. What he saw or rather didn't left him in complete shock. The whole area was covered in thick fog and in there he could hear laughter and see bodies slipping through the air, finally he heard a blood chilling scream of terror and regained himself. He grabbed a crystal from inside his robe and called into it, 'hurry to the basement of the Hall of Elements, a kid has mixed few manas without supervision.'
Then he stepped into the room and with a chant created a thick icy wall on the entrance. After that he descended the stairs as quickly as possible. Sending out a web of ice around the room.
***
Hierohn was chasing after one of the voices bent on catching it. It was a sweet laughing voice of a young girl no more than three years old. But every time he got closer to it, he saw a shadow slip away and soon heard another voice. He had been wandering for what seemed days trying to find his sister again.
Suddenly he felt a chill go up his leg and into his torso, he tried to shake himself but found it impossible to do. Looking down he saw that almost all of his body had already been frozen. He let out a shrilling scream. And fell on the floor unconscious the ice covering him once again returning to the mist. As he fell the shadows stopped moving and speaking.
Soon a small strand of ice wrapped itself around his arm and Hargiff following it lifted Hierohn on his shoulder.
***
When the headmaster arrived with the Healer he saw the icy defense left on the door. He broke it with one swift kick and entered the room. Upon entering he was greeted by an impressive illusion. He immediately began chanting and soon afterwards the mist started clearing away from him. Hargiff carrying Hierohn had just reached the stairs.
Headmaster seeing the young boy felt shocked. A boy so young could channel so much mana and construct such a complicated spell. But then he remember that it had been an infusion magic of accident probably totally spending the kid. In headmasters opinion Hierohn was lucky to be alive. Had he known the truth he would have been once again even more amazed.
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AN: I was planning to continue the devious schemes from the last chapter, but it seems like they have been pushed onwards to when he meets the Elder in real life aka next chapter (I hope).