Zalan woke the next morning before the sun had even risen above the horizon. He felt alive, lucid, and powerful, especially compared to his state the afternoon before. He breathed in deeply, flexing his arms and reaching for his phone in his pocket, not quite having given up the habit yet. He patted his empty pocket and scoffed to himself before sitting up. The sight before him caused his mouth to drop wide open.
A few hundred feet where they camped for the night, Fran was blasting giant balls of fire into the air trying to pull them back down after emitting them. She looked frustrated and constantly ran the exercise of throwing a flame and failing to pull its entirety back down, only grasping a tiny fraction of what was created by her power.
Not far from her, but also away from the camp, was Gorb sitting cross-legged on the sand, watching Fran closely. Every few tries, Gorb would offer her a suggestion. She would take the advice seriously before her next attempt. In the meantime, Gorb was emitting a massive blast of air from below him, trying to levitate off the ground with little success beyond a second of suspension in the air. Zalan squinted, not quite understanding what his training was supposed to accomplish.
“He is trying to fly,” Yelsa said, appearing next to him and seemingly having read his mind.
“How long does it normally take to learn how to do that?” Zalan asked, lowering his voice midsentence when he realized that Rep was still fast asleep near the fire pit.
“We do not know if it is possible at all. Certainly not at his Level. He lacks the raw power to hold up hundreds of pounds of weight constantly, though he can make people jump considerably higher,” Yelsa explained. “And some temporary flight is known, but he wishes to fly across the land without touching the ground to rest.”
“Looks like he can fly in the air for a moment,” Zalan pointed out, watching Gorb’s face contort in concentration as he tried to ascend once more.
“That moment is like throwing something in the air and claiming you can make it levitate. It is not enough. Especially for him,” Yelsa intoned.
“Because he’s so big,” Zalan agreed, noting Gorb’s massive frame.
“I meant because he is not satisfied with his level of ability,” Yelsa said, amused.
“Right,” Zalan pulled at his collar, embarrassed, then quickly tried to recover. “What Level are you?”
“Have you not been told it is rude to ask someone’s Level?” Yelsa asked sharply.
“No. It’s rude?” Zalan said, further embarrassed.
“It can be. Especially for those you do not know well,” Yelsa answered, a small, knowing smile growing on her face.
“Oh, sorry,” Zalan said.
“Fran is Level Six, and Gorbonifus Level Four,” she offered, making it clear she would not go on to reveal her own.
“Oh… thanks,” Zalan said.
The two of them watched Fran throw a fireball larger than a truck in front of her, the effort making her topple backward in exhaustion and roar loudly at the sky in frustration.
“I am awake, I am awake,” Rep murmured drowsily, clearly still asleep.
“Why did you want an Air Elemental power, specifically?” Zalan asked. “Or is that rude to ask, too?”
She eyed him warily.
“Are you really not of this world?” she asked.
“I don’t know how to prove it to you, but I’m not,” Zalan said, presenting himself with his hands.
“Then keep this between us. I am also from what they might consider another world. I am from…” she leaned in to whisper. “Aetheria.”
Zalan stared, not sure how he was supposed to react to the name.
“The City in the Sky,” Yelsa added.
Zalan continued to stare, his eyebrow twitching as he tried to form the appropriate response. Yelsa was watching him expectantly.
“That’s amazing?” Zalan attempted.
“So you believe me!” she said, elated, her features going soft. “I knew I could trust you! The siblings laughed at me, calling me absurd names for even believing in such tales, but I assure you I hail from there.”
“It must be really awesome… in the sky,” Zalan nodded, immediately forgetting the name of the city.
“Similar to Gorbonifus, I wanted an Elemental Air Power to learn to fly. I wished to fly above the clouds in order to go back home,” Yelsa explained. Zalan had to suppress a smirk as he realized they were both required to call Gorb by his full name.
“Is there no other way back?” Zalan asked.
“Well, it is complicated…”
“Zalan!” Fran snapped from beyond the campsite. “Get over here. Train with us!”
Zalan looked at Yelsa who shrugged and nodded for him to go. He stood to full height slowly, not wanting to push himself after being so exhausted the day before. He took slow steps, making sure he could stay upright, all the while Fran continued to shout at him, telling him to speed up. Zalan’s newly bandaged left hand still had a painful throb run though it, but otherwise he felt significantly more rested than he did the day before. If they planned to return to Oriton, he would not be a hindrance to the group.
He stood a few feet in front of Fran who eyed him with intensity. Was it scorn? Zalan couldn’t tell by her expression.
“Are you not going to say good morning?” Fran asked.
“Oh, uh, good morning, Fran,” Zalan said, feeling silly, then turned around. “Good morning, Gorbonifus.”
Gorb nodded in response, his focus on his own training, sand whipping up as air blasted around him.
“All right, I want to see the extent of your ability after a good night’s rest,” Fran said.
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“Are you not going to say good morning?” Zalan asked her, feeling brave.
“No,” Fran replied immediately, a small grin appearing. Zalan felt even more silly now. “Now, hit me with some lightning.” Fran said as she stood in a defensive stance, at the ready. Zalan frowned with uncertainty, then turned to look at Gorb for support.
“Hey, no,” Fran snapped her fingers at him, regaining his attention. “I am speaking to you, do not try to bring someone else into this. And do not distract Gorb when he trains. Simply hit me with lightning.”
“I’m not going to attack you,” Zalan said nervously.
“Why not?”
“I… what? I don’t want to hurt you!” Zalan said, as if it were obvious.
“Hurt me?” Fran laughed. “No, that will not be possible. Go ahead and shock me, now.”
“No,” Zalan said uncomfortably.
“No?” Fran almost looked impressed that Zalan stood up to her. Her eyes pointed skyward for a moment as she thought of a solution. “Okay, look. If I can prove to you that you will not hurt me, will you strike me with lightning?”
Zalan didn’t like the bargain, his face scrunching as he became further unsettled. Was she insane? Was it a good idea to travel with her? He instinctively turned to look at Rep for his advice, but Fran snapped again, this time emitting a small flame to get his attention. He whipped back to look at her, keeping a close eye on her movements to make sure she wouldn’t throw a fireball at him. He couldn’t read her at all.
“Here,” she was holding a parchment in one hand. “Zap this piece of parchment.”
She placed it down on the sand. Zalan leaned in to look at it, seeing there was information written on it.
“It’s not important?”
“It is the map for us to go to Pludon. But we know the way home from here, so it is no longer necessary. Now, zap it,” Fran said.
Zalan looked down at it and shrugged, deciding this was much better than hurting someone real. He raised his hand at the paper and pulled at the muscle in his mind, using some of his energy to emit power. A small arc of lightning, like a piece of silly string, quickly jumped from his finger to a spot in the sand next to the paper. He missed. Zalan looked up, embarrassed, but Fran simply nodded in encouragement for him to try again. He focused and sent out another spark, this time striking the paper.
“Great!” Fran knelt down and picked up the parchment. “Look how much damage you did to something this frail.” She held it close in front of Zalan. He saw a tiny, black mark on the paper. It looked like it had been held too close to a candle, much less struck by anything powerful. He suddenly felt very underwhelmed by his Elemental Power. Wasn’t the purpose of getting this power to go up against a dragon?
“All right, now that you see how harmless you are, strike me with the lightning,” Fran said.
“Why are you so insistent on this?” Zalan said.
“I wish to know the damage that the lightning does to a living thing. We must know how well it will interact with an enemy for when we are in combat,” Fran answered.
Zalan thought about it for a moment and then reluctantly sighed and held a hand up to Fran. She grinned. He concentrated for two seconds, then let out a shock. Fran dipped out of the way, her smile unwavering as the lightning passed her harmlessly. Zalan frowned, irritated.
“Why did you move—”
“Hit me with lightning. You thought training would be on unmoving targets? There are no monsters that will wait for you to strike,” Fran said confidently.
“I’m really slow at getting the lightning out, though,” Zalan complained.
“I know. That is why we are training,” Fran nodded.
Zalan let out a dry sigh and held up his hand again. He was able to let out the lightning much faster this time, but Fran ducked under it and drove the hilt of her sword into Zalan’s stomach. He coughed and doubled over in pain, clenching his stomach.
“Fran,” Gorb warned.
“Oh, come on!” Fran complained. “I did not strike him hard! Or has he never seen battle before?”
“Fran,” Gorb repeated, his threat more serious in this intonation.
“Fine, I will only slap him with the parchment. Happy?” Fran held up the map while rolling her eyes.
“Not happy,” Zalan answered, still clutching his stomach.
“That strike was nothing,” Fran said surely. “This is good training. Be nimble, prepared to dodge any oncoming attack while you deal your own.”
“This might go a lot better if you told me what I’m supposed to learn before we train!” Zalan said, warily standing up and watching her closely.
“I am making this up as I go along,” Fran freely admitted. It brought him some comfort for her to be so forthcoming.
“Fine, so if I hit you with lightning, then I win?” Zalan said, raising his hand.
“Success in training only comes when you see your results in combat,” Fran said, then grinned wryly. “But yes. You will win.”
That was all Zalan needed to hear.
Zalan let out a streak of lightning, only for Fran to spin out of the way and slap Zalan in the face with the parchment. It didn’t hurt, but was humiliating, especially knowing that Gorb was watching. It was almost worse than the hilt to the stomach. Almost.
“Even at Level One, you can master the ability to emit your Elemental Power immediately. Get to know the feeling,” she said, snapping a finger to let out a tiny flame for effect. She made a bit of distance for him to try again.
Zalan nodded and raised his hand again, trying to read where Fran was going to be while letting out lightning. She remained in place for a moment long enough that Zalan thought he would get her for sure this time, but then she threw her foot upward, kicking sand in the air and making Zalan recoil. She took two steps forward and tapped him on the head with the map. Zalan breathed in frustration and thrust his hand out at her, an arc of lightning coming out immediately, but she was able to just bend out of the way. Her smile grew even wider, pride in her eyes.
“Well done! That was much faster!” Fran said to inspire him.
Zalan didn’t take any time to reply, shooting out his next small blast of lightning, then another after a second. Fran easily maneuvered out of the way and rolled back, a small distance from him. He pointed with both hands, trying to send out two streams at once. Fran spun one way, ready to be out of the way of both lightning strikes, but Zalan tried to anticipate this by kicking sand in the air, then letting out a shock from one hand. The strike barely missed, the sand falling away and Fran coming in for a hit with the parchment.
Zalan let her come, finally able to successfully zap her with a tiny arc of lightning just as she slapped his face once more with the parchment. The slap of parchment didn’t go all the way across his face, instead she dropped the paper midway through and gasped. Zalan beamed at his success, despite technically getting killed by the map at the same time. He felt like it was probably a tie, but they agreed it was a win if he hit her with lightning. He felt great.
“Whoa!” she laughed, feeling her abdomen where the little lightning hit her.
“Sorry, did I hurt you?” he asked, his satisfaction spilling out of him in the thought he injured her.
“Hurt me? I told you that was not possible,” Fran said, as if it were obvious. “But it made me twitch! It is an interesting power. It could cause enemies enough pause to hit them with your sword.”
“Well done!” Rep called from camp, clapping excitedly and running over. Knowing Rep was awake to witness him being slapped by the map made Zalan even more self-conscious about it. When Rep approached, he had one hand on his lip, likely nursing the wound of having bit it open the day before “That little bout at the end with two bolts of lightning was incredible!”
“Thanks,” Zalan said, excited about his power despite its lack of strength. He felt a little better about its uses now, and he hoped he could continue to train to get it stronger.
“I appreciate you not having hurt him in your training,” Rep said, clearly asleep when Fran first made him double over in pain.
“Of course,” Fran said, giving Zalan a look as he opened his mouth to answer. He thought better of it.
“Can we train some more? I feel like I’m getting the hang of this,” Zalan said to Rep, hoping to train with a less unpredictable teacher.
“If you would rather train than head back, certainly. But you can also train once we are home,” Rep answered for her.
The word “home” hit Zalan like a ton of bricks, remembering that this was some strange dream-world. None of this was real, and none of it would matter by the time he was back home. Any experience he gained or any power he achieved wouldn’t matter after the Homeseeker. He just wanted to go home and visit Mom.
“You’re right,” Zalan said firmly. “Let’s head back.”