Chapter 11: Elementalist

Everything around him became focused, and Kestever could sense the elements flowing around. Standing on the arena floor gave him a different perspective than being in the stadium seats. The elements were closer, and he felt the density of each available element. It was time for him to show what he was made of. His opponent was a bit older than he was, and he could tell this wasn't the first semester this student had attended. He had to be at least in his third semester, based on how he was strutting around the stage. Kestevere sighed as he looked at the student who was reveling in the cheers that began to ring out. Showboating wasn't something that Kestevere was too kind towards, and his disdain made him eager to take this guy down.

Kestevere recognized the other student as someone who had gotten to the fifth round before losing to Ricard last month. Kest knew this would be a challenging fight, but he had no choice but to win if he wanted to look good for graduation selection. Even though getting to the sixth round was guaranteed graduation with all of the requisite classes completed, Kestevere wasn't willing to settle for less than his very best. He and the other student both took fighting positions before the referee lowered his arm for combat to begin.

His opponent gathered wind around his feet and leaped into the air, but Kestevere could see what the other student was doing. The air element around them was being pulled and manipulated by the mana as if it were a spider's web. Up close, Kestevere could see the elements combining to form larger pockets of air. He could see everything coming together as if it had been there all along, and that's what kept him safe when he noticed the air beginning to turn around the arrow. Without his elemental sight, he wouldn't have been able to evade the arrow that spiraled towards him. As Kestevere rolled back onto his feet, he remembered what Trysta said about evolving while fighting and trying new things. The second arrow quickly followed the first, and Kestevere reached a hand towards the oncoming arrow to seize control of the air element that was propelling it. It was like taking something from another person's hand. Kestevere realized that his opponent collected and released the mana instead of guiding it. With a shout of desperation, Kestevere took control of the element and guided it back to the arrow-firing student. By the time it reached the student, it had reached deadly velocity and narrowly missed him. This disrupted the ambient air element enough that the student fell a dozen feet to the ground, but he managed to stay on his feet. He tossed the bow to the side and began striding towards Kestevere.

"How did you do that? How did you fire the arrow back at me?" He growled.

"I don't know, but that isn't the end of my experiments," Kestevere said with a smile crossing his face. He sent mana into the arena, spreading it as widely as possible. The other student dashed towards Kestevere, but he was blocked by an arena tile that rose in front of him. Three other tiles rose and boxed him in before he rose again into the sky. Kestevere tried to wrestle control of the air from the other student. It was still being carefully controlled, so he couldn't do too much aside from disrupting the flight slightly. Rather than wasting the mana and focus, Kestevere used the control he'd spread across the arena to make the rest of the tiles rise. He shouted once again as the mana drained from him, and his strained mana pathways struggled with the pressure on them. With a final push of effort, he encased the other student before he could do anything else, and what was once an arena became a box to seal the other student fully.

Kestevere gasped for breath and collapsed to the ground, fully drained of mana. The count began by the referee, and the match concluded after the count of ten. The student inside tried to escape the cage, but he could not. Kestevere's mana had forged a bond that wasn't broken even after releasing his focus from manipulating the elements. The stone was compacted so the student inside could not cut through with his sword, even with the reinforcement he'd developed. Kestevere watched as the referee, who he recognized as one of the other mana manipulation teachers, created a twister around the stone box and shredded it by increasing the velocity of the air. It was a rare chance to view someone much stronger than any of the students in the school using magic.

The other student emerged from the box unharmed. Kestevere recognized the necessity for focusing intent when using magic so that people perceived as friendly wouldn't be harmed. Kestevere left the arena after his opponent was released and did his best to look okay. Still, he exhausted himself with what he pulled. It would be a few hours before he would have to fight again, and he breathed a sigh of relief as he sat on the bench in the waiting area. He wasn't sure what he needed to do to fully realize the potential of his new ability. Still, he didn't have to wonder long because Sven walked down from the view area above. Kestevere had grown more cautious of the man over the past two months. Between impromptu hunting excursions and throwing him into dangerous situations, he had become experienced in avoiding his mentor. Still, apparently, he needed to be better.

"Looks like you picked up a new trick, kid," his mentor said, smirking.

"Looks like it," Kestevere responded coyly, rising to his feet in an effort to get away. Before he could move, Sven was beside him, insisting that he sit back down and explain what he'd learned. Kestevere could not go anywhere with an arm around his shoulder and the pressure of a demi-human level warrior upon him. He sighed, exasperated with his mentor.

"I was watching the matches earlier, and I started being able to see things. I can see the elements floating around, the locations, and how much there is. I don't know how to really use the information yet, but I know that this is the next level for me," Kestevere explained as he looked up to see the expression on Sven's face. His mentor's brow furrowed; whether in confusion or concern, Kestevere wasn't sure.

"You may be more unique than I thought, Kestevere Avalon. Perhaps calling you a genius in your own right would be permissible. Still, I would hate to boost your already inflated ego," Sven said with a deep chuckle. Kestevere felt more concerned about his mentor's laughter than he'd ever felt about the escapades he was dragged into.

"This ability of yours is something you wouldn't normally awaken to or be aware of for another six years. Upon visiting the Church of the Divine, you would be gifted a blessing. Some people receive these blessings early and have a second blessing bestowed later. For others, it's merely passed along by their lineage. No one can say what the case is for you, but I do know that you are in the middle of awakening to your blessing. It could happen today or years from now, but you have to train it. You have to embrace it," Sven explained, returning to his serious demeanor.

"How am I supposed to train something I don't know about?" Kestevere asked.

"You experiment with it. Read about it. Ask the right people the right questions. These are all options that are available to you. If you don't push yourself to improve, all you'll ever be is mediocre. The son of a Baron that uses his position as accreditation instead of earning merit based on your own actions," Sven lectured. Kestevere nodded in response, unsure of what he could say. His position as the son of a Baron weighed upon his mind often, and he never felt sure of his own actions. Was he doing the right thing? Was he good enough to take the mantle of Baron upon himself one day? The answers were unclear, and he had put them off, hoping that the answer would become clear. He knew it was time to embrace the position, especially since he was on his own.

"I understand," Kestevere began, holding his head in his hands. "Even if I am unique or strong or have special abilities, it doesn't make it special. It makes me blessed, and I owe being the best I can be to the world."

"Good, at least you're accepting your new role. So, how'd you like a hint about some possibilities for your new abilities?" Sven asked with a rare smile playing upon his lips. Kestevere immediately began bouncing in anticipation of the answer, repeatedly asking Sven to explain.

"Alright, settle down. As much as you may have wanted to be a strong soldier focusing on close-quarters combat, your specialty may lie elsewhere. Mana manipulation comes naturally to you, and with your ability to sense the elements within the world, you may very well be an elemental specialist. Elementalists, as they're known, aren't rare, but they are indispensable. The power to level mountains, sink islands, or call the very sky itself to kneel are but a few of an elementalist's strengths," Sven began. He then held his palm out, facing upwards, telling Kestevere to watch as he began to create a small spiral of flames.

"Tell me what you see occurring when I create this flame. What can you perceive?" Sven asked Kestevere, a curious glint appearing in his eyes.

"There wasn't any fire there. You converted it from pure mana into an element. It's twisting the mana into a new form and twists and turns into that spiraling flame. You aren't just moving the mana around using the flames themselves, but twisting it by turning the flame with air controlled by your mana," Kestevere said, his eyes glowing with specks of the elements. Blue, brown, green, and red moved in his eyes like the elements themselves were drawn into the core of his being.

"Good, you can recognize what's happening. What's more, you also seem to understand the abilities at work. That'll make what I say next easier on you," Sven sighed. He kept Kestevere in suspense momentarily before beginning his explanation with a grin. "I'm no longer your mentor after this weekend. You'll need a new mentor; I know someone perfect for you. I know who you're against in this tournament, so you'll have to impress me to convince me to help you."

"How am I supposed to do that? I'm against Gerold in the fifth round and know I don't stand a chance!" Kestevere stammered.

"Don't whine. I said, impress me, not wipe out the competition. Put your best foot forward, or you won't get the assistance I'm offering," Sven scolded. He stood up with a grunt, scowling at the bench that they'd sat on. Kestevere wasn't a fan of wooden bench either, but he had the sense not to show discomfort in the face of Sven's offer.

"I'll give it all I've got. I'll show you what I can do," Kestevere proclaimed, standing from the bench too quickly and finding himself falling before he was caught by Sven.

"You need to rest. Get your mana back, and figure out how not to run out in the next fight. If it were a battlefield, you would have died. Mana is your lifeline," Sven snapped, tossing Kestevere back onto the bench. "I'll be waiting to see what you learn."

Kestevere pouted as he watched Sven walking away, frustrated that Sven was right. He sighed as he watched the contestants walk through the tunnel to the stadium above, staggered to the medics, or moved to replace and turn in the broken weapons or gear they wouldn't use because they'd lost. Kestevere watched Trysta walk down the stairs that led to the stadium seats, preparing for her next match. Kestevere was anxious seeing her go to her next match and realized that the duels were taking less time this month. People were improving, and the gap was widening between the students who had been here longer than others. Some were outstanding and proved that tenure didn't equate to strength, and those diamonds in the rough were going to be his competition going forward. It wasn't going to be as easy as last month.

Kestevere returned to the seats above after some of his strength returned, but by the time he reached his seat, Trysta's match had been completed. He wished he'd seen her fight again to learn about the secrets behind her strength. Any information could be used to progress in his new journey, and he wasn't above watching others to learn how to beat them. Trysta returned to the top and joined Kestevere as the matches continued. The two discussed the ongoing fights until Trysta turned to Kestevere with a suspicious look in her eyes.

"So. It looks like you decided to take a chance in your match," she teased. Kestevere's face flushed, and Trysta continued what she was saying, "You found something out, and you used that guy's magic against him. How'd ya do it?"

"W-well, I just saw the air and turned it back on him," Kestevere stammered, closing and releasing his hand. It was like grabbing the magic."

"So you took what he used and just turned it around? I wonder if it's like the mana drain?" Trysta pondered.

"Maybe. I can feel and move the elements, so it's similar to mana manipulation," Kestevere agreed.

"Then why are you still manipulating mana so much? Shouldn't you be able to use the raw elements instead," Trysta asked, her hand twisting her hair. After a few moments of Kestevere's silence, she turned to him and saw his shocked face.

"You have got to be kidding me!" He shouted, drawing looks of surprise from other students at his outburst. He covered his face, peering between his fingers at Trysta. "That's what Master Sven was talking about. I don't know why I didn't think of that!"

"Well, you did just start learning about this," Trysta said with a giggle, adding to Kestevere's embarrassment. Luckily for him, Gerold walked up to him at that moment.

"Looks like you two are having fun. What're you talking about," Gerold asked with a smirk.

"Kest just found out he can-" Kestevere cut Trysta off with a finger on his lips.

"I'll tell you on one condition, Gerold. A little trade of information since this would help you in our fight," Kestevere proposed. Gerold placed a hand on his chin, thinking for a few moments before agreeing. "Good. I'll tell you the basics. Apparently, I'm able to see elements, and I'm learning to manipulate what I see. From what my mentor told me, I might specialize in being an Elementalist!"

"Oh, really? Well, sounds like you're ahead of the curve. Normally, it takes a while to figure that out, but you're well on your way!" Gerold said, his laughter ringing out until he was grabbing his stomach. He collected himself before asking Kestevere about his request.

"I want to know how your lightning works," Kestevere said curtly.

"Hmm, is that it. I guess I can tell you," Gerold teased, "Here's all you need to know! I get all static-y, then it charges up, and then it gets zappy."

Kestevere and Trysta looked at him in two different ways. Kestevere found himself dumbfounded, and Trysta began laughing, snorting between breaths until the three of them were all laughing and drawing more attention than Kestevere's outburst earlier. Once their tears were dried, Kestevere requested that Gerold show him just a bit of his lightning creation. Kestevere's eyes adjusted to his elemental sight, and he began to see the process that created magic. It began slowly, but the magic particles started to rub against one another until the static began building. The electric element formed between Gerold's fingers until the electricity began bouncing between his fingers. He finished it by firing the lightning into the sky, propelled by injecting magic into the electricity to feed the strength and speed of the attack. It was a small example of what was possible, but Kestevere realized that lightning magic had a weakness. The attack was nearly instantaneous, but the buildup took a while. Kestevere took in all the information he could get, realizing that magic was a medium or a force. Still, it wasn't something pure that could be used like the elements that Kestevere could see. Kestevere's fight was up, and he thanked Gerold while jumping from his seat, knowing he was late. He ran to the edge of the stadium seating area and leaped off, floating in the air down to the arena.

"Nice and flashy Kest! I thought you hated flashy," Gerold yelled teasingly from the stadium seats.

"I'll show you flashy," Kest murmured as the referee's hand was lowered and the match began. Kestevere's opponent was heavily armored and wielded a lance and great shield. Kestevere laughed under his breath at how good his luck was. The magic around him began to vibrate, and the static was generated. His opponent formed a wall of earth around him, but Kestevere watched as the caster's hold on the magic was released. Kestevere lowered the walls by moving the elements back to their place of rest, and the heavily armored student used the falling walls to launch himself toward Kestevere.

Kestevere abandoned lowering the wall of earth and reached out to the air to slow his assailant's descent. However, he could not entirely stop the other student and had to dive out of the way to avoid a direct hit. He crashed along the ground and quickly lifted himself up before seeing the tip of a lance approaching his body. Kestevere twisted out of the way, narrowly evading being impaled, and grabbed a hold of the handle of the lance. Kestevere reached out to the water below, and a geyser lifted the armored student into the sky. He pushed all the static he generated through the water, and the water spout became a column of electricity that shocked his opponent entirely, thanks to being drenched and the metal of the armor. Kestevere's mana reserves were at half his maximum because he'd used the elements available instead of fighting against them with his own mana control.

Kestevere left the arena as his opponent was carried to the medics, knowing that this fight was a stepping stone to his path of advancement. With a sigh, he returned to the seats to observe the remainder of the duels for the day.

* * *

The remainder of the battles weren't significant, and soon, the tournament's first day came to a close. Kestevere left the city's stadium with the rest of his friends after enjoying the dinner that was served on-site. Despite knowing that tomorrow would be more difficult, Kestevere looked forward to it. The look on Gerold's face when Kestevere used lightning in the second round was worth the risk he'd taken. Kestevere agreed that Trysta was right. Taking risks in battle, especially when there isn't the risk of death, raised his strength and experience more than playing it safe ever would. Kestevere walked through the city with these thoughts in his head before he arrived at the training area. Everything he'd experienced today was new, and he didn't feel comfortable going into tomorrow's matches without practicing some new tricks.

Kestevere started stepping into one of the training zones so that he could become familiar with his new abilities, but he realized that someone was already here working on their abilities. When Kestevere looked closer, activating his magic and elemental senses, he saw that it was intense magic. There were very few students who were that strong, and the magic being used blocked out his senses. No light was held within the mana, and no elements were being used. Pure darkness surged forward in bursts, and Kestevere shook at the power. He had to escape the pure rage fueling the attacks within that training zone, so he imbued his body with mana before running off to the dormitories, the cold sweat still rolling down his body. He quickly and quietly, so that he didn't disturb the sleeping Gerold, showered before collapsing into bed and falling into a deep sleep filled with darkness and malevolence.

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