Chapter Fourteen - A calamity of thousand flames

Five hours later - three longer than her class should’ve taken - Arette felt like shit.

She looked like shit too - Nex’ training had included crawling under and climbing over various obstacles, leaving her dirty from head to toe. Not to mention the bruises she got from sparring practice, half of which constituted of letting herself get hit to gain endurance.

Doubtlessly, these were the worst wounds she’d ever received.

Nonetheless, not a word of complaint had come over her lips.

Even when aches and cramps made every step an ordeal, somehow, she felt better than she did in months. Not happier, not the excited state she’d spent her time in when everything was new - but she felt like she had accomplished something.

If she was sure of one thing, it was that she would be returning tomorrow.

The three hour delay though made her quite late for her next elemental control class, so late that she did not dare take time for a bath.

And so she turned up in the ruins on the further reach of Redhall for Elemental Control, looking like hell - and smelling worse, probably, considering the mix of dried sweat and mud that caked her skin and clothes.

“Arette?” Liz whispered as she strolled up to her, looking quite shocked, “What happened to you?”

Arette shot her a quick grin, trying a shrug, but failing with the sharp pain that raced through her shoulders - courtesy to running around with bricks stacked on them.

“I got special training,” she said lightly, both proud and a little bitter.

“This looks more like torture than special training!” Liz exclaimed.

Arette laughed, through the pain in her body.

“Maybe. But it was also kinda fun,” she glowed and Liz shook her head in exasperation, no doubt thinking what kind of freak she was friends with. It only made Arette’s grin broader.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here anyways,” Liz said quietly, a sweet smile hanging on her lips.

“Why, of course,” Arette chuckled, “At least here I won’t be defeated in five seconds.”

That was kind of the reason she was looking forwards to this.

She might have overestimated her fighting abilities, but when it came to fire, her confidence was still strong. Flames licked in her veins, burned stronger in her than in anyone else.

Just then, a loud voice boomed over the area.

“Good day, everyone,” a tall man that was standing in front of the class, next to a red-skinned, small woman, addressed them, “Welcome to another class of elemental control. You know the thrill, split into your groups.”

A consenting murmur ran through the crowd as the students began to group together.

“Arette.”

Hearing her name, Arette turned, seeing that the red-skinned woman approached her. From observing the class for quite a while, Arette knew her as the instructor for fire and earth control, Merin, while her companion - and lover - Jharek took the groups for water and wind. There were other instructors too, for the non-standard elements, but they only dropped by once a week.

Merin was one of the fewer Immortals whose skin was neither black nor white, but instead a deep red, contrasting with her blonde hair. She was also slightly older than most people Arette knew, her body in its forties, her real age in the six hundreds.

“Yeah?” Arette greeted her happily, acting as if she wasn’t covered in bruises and filth.

“I see you joined Nex’ class today. If you feel up to it, you can participate in mine, too,” she said friendly, but her smile seemed strained.

“Sure I can!” Arette nodded, following her to the corner of the ruins where the other fire and earth orientated students were waiting. Liz followed, even though she was usually in the water group, obviously unwilling to part from her friend.

Arette trained her eyes on Merin. The instructor was friendly enough - but Arette knew she disliked her. Not as strongly as Kassa had, but Merin was a person who was steadfast and calm - and preferred people with a similar disposition.

All that made Arette on guard while she dealt with her, especially since Merin’s strength wasn’t too far from hers. She was an Ascendant of Clairvoyance, and on top of that very accomplished in fire and earth control, and was firmly in the middle of the Ascending state, while Arette only scaped on the higher levels.

“Last time, we worked on everyone finding spells to find better concentration and connection to your element. Everyone, please step forwards and show the others your spell.”

A murmur went through the other Immortals as Merin spoke but soon enough a middle aged looking man stepped forwards. He closed his eyes and stretched his hands out, then began to speak.

“Oh flames, gather in my hands,” he said and on his words, a small fire lit up in his palms. Arette could feel the reluctance of the flames, not quite coaxed into staying, and indeed, only a second later they puffed and vanished.

Frowning, Arette turned to Liz.

“What is he trying to do with that ridiculous speech?”

As if flames would listen to you more if you commanded them stupidly like that. Moron.

Liz looked at her with a troubled expression.

“For those of us who don’t have an innate talent, spells help us concentrate. And if we concentrate better, it’s easier to interact with the elements.”

“Huh.”

Arette wasn’t impressed. It still seemed stupid to her.

Still, one after another stepped forwards, spoke some spell and managed to get a small flame to ignite in his hands, or move a small part of earth around his feet.

One girl who looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old actually managed to let plants grow all around her, turning half of the ruins into a lush garden, which impressed Merin more than anyone before.

Soon enough, it was Liz’ turn.

Arette gave her an encouraging pat as her friend slowly crept to the front.

Liz took a deep breath, then stretched out her hands like the others before her.

“A thousand flames, a thousand stars, oh fires, I beseech you, lend me your shine,” she whispered, her voice so low it was hard to hear her.

Arette watched, feeling the desire to just ignite flames on her palms, but she knew it wouldn’t mean anything if she helped Liz cheat. So instead, she observed keenly.

But she didn’t find any flames gathering around Liz. She didn’t even see the slightest fire element in Liz’s flame, instead, the shadows in her began to move. With her concentration, they stretched out again until they clouded the area around her.

Arette’s frown deepened. She knew Liz didn’t want to harm anyone, but those shadows of hers still were misfortune and doubtlessly would cause just that, should they touch someone else.

“Liz, stop!” she called out, hoping to avoid the worst.

Merin threw her an acidic gaze, but Liz’ eyes shot open and soon fixed on her, then on her palm. Disappointment and hurt flickered over her face when she saw no flame condensed.

Then, she trudged back next to Arette.

“Why did you stop me?” she asked bitterly, “Were you too ashamed of me being a good-for-nothing that you couldn’t even watch anymore?”

“Huh?” Arette turned, “What are you talking about?”

“You stopped me because you knew I’d never make it, didn’t you?” Her voice was sour as her eyes refuses to meet Arette’s.

“I stopped you because you were about to give someone quite a severe bout of misfortune and I thought you wouldn’t be too happy if someone got hurt. But if you think so little of me, fine, I’ll not move a finger next time,” Arette’s words were laced with her own anger.

The bitterness bled out of Liz in an instant and her shoulders slumped in sadness.

“Oh,” Liz said quietly, “I- I’m sorry.”

Arette looked to her and then sighed.

“It’ll be fine. You’ll learn to control it, I’m sure.”

Liz didn’t believe her, she could see it in her eyes, but before Arette could say more, it was her turn to step in front of the others.

“Arette, as you’re new, I imagine you haven’t found a suitable spell yet?” Merin asked her as she went forwards. Merin’s eyes were scrutinizing, making Arette itchy to snap at her.

“I haven’t,” she said coldly, her eyes challenging the instructor to fault her.

“Then, please try to imagine a spell now, and use it to control a small part of earth around you.”

“Earth?” Arette echoed, ridicule in her voice. Why in all hells should she try to control earth when all of her was fire?

But there was a challenge in Merin’s eyes.

She should probably just say she didn’t know what to do. She had no idea about earth control, after all.

Alas, should wasn’t quite her favorite word.

“Fine,” she said stubbornly, raising her hand with only a slight wince at the pain tearing in her shoulder.

Then, she closed her eyes and tried to find earth around her like she did with fire.

Concentrate, Arette, she told herself, it can’t be that hard, can it?

Frown lines etched themselves onto her face.

Fire. There was fire around her, in her, blazing away. Only fire, not a shred of earth - even if she could feel the soil beneath with her feet, she couldn’t seem to sense it, at all.

Oh come on! She bit her teeth together. Maybe she needed to say something ridiculous after all?

“Oh Earth,” she began. This was ridiculous. “Move.”

If she’d had a connection to earth, she could’ve probably heard it laugh.

Nope, not even the slightest shred of connection. Not earth, not water, not air - in her was only fire.

“Arrgh,” she opened her eyes and stared frustrated at the ground.

Then she turned to Merin, her furious eyes daring her to be smug. Luckily for her, her expression remained neutral.

“I can’t do it,” she admitted unwillingly.

Merin nodded, as if she’d expected just that. It only made Arette angrier and even firmer in her belief that Merin knew very well that she was an Ascendant of Fire, not any other element, and humiliated her on purpose.

“Try fire, then,” her instructor said and it was Arette’s turn to scoff.

“I don’t need to try,” she snapped and let her hands fall.

Much like she did for Liz a week ago, she didn’t even put much effort in. With a single blink, dozens of small wisps ignited in the air around her, filling the ruins with a glowing, warm light.

At her command, they danced around, flickering on and off, growing stronger and weaker.

Just for the effect, she waved her hand upwards and let all the flames shoot towards the sky, where they merged into a single flame.

Then, she flicked her fingers and the fire fell apart into a thousand tiny sparks that slowly faded to ash.

The other Immortals in front of her stared at her with an open mouth.

Arette couldn’t prevent it, a smug smile lit up on her face.

Quite triumphant, she turned to Merin, expecting to see at least the slightest respect for her abilities on her instructor’s face.

But respect was not what she found.

Instead, terror was etched into her face.

Then, a shrill scream exploded from Merin’s mouth.

“Monster!” she yelled, her eyes hazy, almost milky, but trained directly at Arette, “How can you be here? How- how -”

Her voice rose, stuttered as if not quite there but every words was precise. Arette took a step back, every hair on her neck standing on end.

“Calamity, a thousand flames. Thousand flames, a world’s calamity. Monster! Murderer! Calamity!”

Her words made no sense but the insults she whirled at her were clear. Arette frowned. She was no murderer. In fact, she’d never harmed any being that didn’t harm her first.

“Calamity of a thousand flames, murderer of millions. Go away! You’re not welcome here! Leave!”

The last word was a scream again, making Arette retreat even further.

Jharek, alerted by his lover’s screams, came running, shooting Arette an accusing glance as he hurried towards Merin.

Merin, however still stared at Arette, panting, as the whitish haze slowly bled from her eyes.

Fear was what remained, a terror so deep that Merin’s entire body was shaking.

“Go away,” she said hoarsely to Arette, “I will not teach a monster. Leave and never come near me again.”

This time her words were slow and conscious.

Arette, still quite shocked by the events, didn’t really know what to do.

But then again, there was little she could do, considering she was just thrown out of the class, except leave. She couldn’t summon any anger either - too deep was the confusion at being screamed at like that.

So instead she glared at the pair of instructors and then abruptly turned around to leave.

Everyone stared at her, then at Merin who looked after her with disgust, hate and fear marring her face.

In the silence, every one of Arette’s steps resounded like a hit.

Once she passed Liz, her friend hurried to fall in line with her, quietly leaving the grounds together. Neither of them knew quite what to say.

As soon as they were out of sight and earshot, they turned to each other, the same question etched into their eyes.