Hotto didn’t say a word when the storm finally subsided and revealed his battered Summon. The mighty Legendary Class Lou Carcolh, lay motionless on its back. The creature was completely mauled. Mustard colored mucus oozed from its fractured shell, its appendages twitched erratically and the rest of its previously regenerative body was reduced to a mangled, bubbly mess.
Master Zorya sent her Siren back to its realm and approached the challenger. She regarded him for a second. The overconfident man was just a shell of his pre-match self. His hands wavered, his fine clothes were stained and even the man’s perfectly groomed hair was a sweaty mess. He murmured something to Zorya but she didn’t seem to notice his words.
“Maybe you should have brought a sea slug,” she said, slapping him on the shoulder.
The entire audience, mostly consisting of Unagi School disciples and other villagers, burst out laughing at the mediocre joke and then rushed to the beach to embrace their local hero.
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That same evening, the entirety of the Unagi Peninsula came together to celebrate Master Zorya’s win. Elem wasn’t sure whether the people of the small fishermen’s village simply valued their summoning traditions or if they just took advantage of the situation as an excuse to have a drink and party but that distinction didn’t seem to matter much anyways. Growing up in a medium sized city such as Lightningrod, Elem thought it was touching to see that the small community came together to rejoice in the successes of their Summoning School.
The village’s main street had been transformed into a lively gathering spot, adorned with colorful lanterns and makeshift stalls overflowing with delicious foods. The aroma of freshly fried seafood, seasoned with local herbs and spices wafted through the air. Rum and ale flowed freely, and the villagers constantly broke out in song venerating their school and in particular Master Zorya and her father.
Unsurprisingly, Aja was in heaven. She loudly sang along with the others and was somehow able to carry a mountain of crispy calamari, a few shrimp skewers and whole fried fresh on one single plate.
Elem, however, found it difficult to enjoy the festivities. He had felt the same way when he visited the Spring of Rebirth. Every second he wasn't actively working towards his goal felt like a complacent waste of time; a betrayal towards the legacy of his father and the duty he had as a son. He simply couldn’t feast away into the night while his father’s murderer still helmed the Sekuheim School like some demonic imposter. Maybe after he’d deposed Ferran, then there would be time to relax. But for now, he needed to stay focused.
Elem waited for Aja to pick up another plate of food and then sneaked out. He made his way to the cliffs outside the village and found a quiet spot not too far from Unagi’s lighthouse. There, he called his Summon and began practicing cultivation forms.
If he wanted to beat Master Zorya, he had to be fully synchronized with his Kappa. He also had to come up with a strategy to mitigate the Siren’s singing powers, a problem he still didn’t have a solution for.
After a quick meditation session, they practiced some of the Kappa’s moves. The Summon kicked and dashed below the starlight skies, shooting beams of Essence infused water into the ocean. The Kappa was as sharp and determined as Elem, still growing stronger almost every time they practiced or fought together.
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“You’re talented,” interrupted a sudden voice.
Caught off guard, Elem nearly jumped into the ocean. He turned and was embarrassed to see the Unagi School’s master stand beside him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Zorya said with a smile, scratching the back of her neck. “I usually come here myself for some peace and quiet.”
She had freshened up after her match and was dressed in a light, blue silk dress. Her hair was in a long braid that cascaded down her shoulder. Elem blushed when he looked her in the eyes, somehow she’d managed to look even more stunning than a few hours before.
“Aren’t you supposed to be celebrating with your people right now?” he asked, slightly worried he was sounding rude.
Zorya shook her head.
“No… those things aren’t for me,” she said, as she walked to the edge of the cliffs and sat down. “Would you like to take a break with me?”
The thought of sitting on the edge of a cliff terrified Elem but he docked himself besides Zorya anyways. He wasn’t going to turn her down.
“We used to throw parties like these all the time for my father. Before he got sick,” she explained. “And after that, we had them for my brother but he decided he preferred traveling the world over staying on this windy little peninsula. He’s a captain on some intercontinental vessel now. The guy was always more adventurous than me.”
Elem nodded but the way she said ‘windy’ raised the hairs in his neck. Strong winds weren't something he wanted to think about while sitting on the edge of a cliff.
“And now my brother’s gone, they’ve been throwing these parties for me but I’ve been trying to stay away from them,” Zorya chuckled quietly, “it's silly, I don’t even know why I do that.”
“My father used to be a Master too, back in Lightningrod City, before he passed,” Elem didn’t know why he said it, but the words came out before he even noticed. “It must be hard to run a school at such a young age.”
“Oh you have no idea,” Zorya let out a sigh. “It is a terrible burden to have everyone look up to you and expect things from you just because you were raised by the town’s most powerful Summoner. And then there’s the challengers, they just keep coming and coming and I just can’t get used to it.”
Elem balled his fists. He was starting to feel bad for barging into Zorya’s life and challenging her out of the blue. Since leaving home, he had always focused on his own journey and his path of improvement as a Summoner, but he had never really considered the perspective of others that much.
They were quiet for a while, watching the moonlight dance on the water’s surface. In the distance, they could still hear the partying villagers but other than that, the night was peaceful. There was only a soft breeze, accompanied by the gentle sound of waves softly hitting against the cliffs.
“It's beautiful,” Elem said finally. He felt awkward for something so silly but Zorya didn’t seem to mind the comment.
“It is,” the younger master even admitted. “I think the ocean is the most beautiful thing in the world. It gives us life but it also takes what it wants. It isn’t cruel but it's not sympathetic either, it just is. Breathing, dancing, devouring. That is why we honor the ocean so much here.”
She turned to Elem with a broad smile on her face. “But let’s be honest. You’re not here to hear me babble about the ocean. You’ve come here to battle me and now you’re too polite to follow up. Don’t worry, I will do my duty as Master of the Unagi School and I accept your challenge. Actually, I can’t wait to face you and that mean Kappa of yours.”