Reborn: High Strung | ONC2024

Chapter 10

Jekuthiel was calmly walking down the great steps of the Roc. His tunic was blasted to bits hanging from him, and his chest carried a wild lightning pattern burn mark. His breaths were heavy as each step sent pain through his body. At the bottom of the mountain, many Nesherin of the Roc tribe waited for him, shocked looks across their faces. Jekuthiel stopped at the top of the final set of steps and looked down upon his tribe with a new spark behind his eyes. Over the last three years, he had gone up the mountain every single day to speak with Razerin. The tribe did not like it at first, seeing it as an offense to their god, but none dared to stop Jekuthiel, and now he was seen as the one true prophet of Razerin. His word was God's word, and he had never once come down the mountain in such a state; blood dripped from his pointed ears and fresh burns festered on his torso and arms, yet his eyes held passion the Roc tribe had yet to see from their young leader in the last three years. Jekuthiel raised his arms to the sky and looked out among the familiar faces. He found disgust for them in his heart, but his words ripped across the tribe like bolts of Razerin's lightning, striking true in their hearts and minds. "I am the prophet of Razerin, the burnt soul, your fearless leader that has never once wavered among the wars of the tribes that would see us taken from our place atop the Roc!"

Flames began to whip out from behind Jekuthiel's back, rising and spreading until wide eagle-like wings of fire stretched around him without a word of notice. "I am the light that will shape all of Voltara into our domain starting today!"

Natan stood in the crowd, his face pale with shock as the thoughts raced through his mind: 'Has he really attained that power in only three years?'

"Our reign will not stop at Voltara, my brothers and sisters. We will show the layers above the strength of Razerin; we will show them my light." Jekuthiel's eyes begin to burn a bright orange color, along with his fiery wings, as he gives a flap and lifts into the air. The harsh, hot wind blasting along the faces in the crowd made them shield themselves, yet none could look away. Gavriel takes a step forward, gripping the warhammer on his back and raising it into the air, letting out a loud cry of celebration. Ziva steps after him, raising her twinblade and joining in. The previous leaders of the tribe got the whole Roc yelling in excitement for their current leaders' newfound strength; no one would stand in the way of the Roc tribe now.

***

Meira was sitting in her meditation pose next to Zev, who stood in his own pose. Lavan was across from them as they had their backs to the wall in the courtyard. They had lived in Crater for two whole months already, but the time flew by so quickly around them due to Lavan's intense training regimens. The easy part of the training was building up sethra through hours of meditation. The hard part was Lavan having them sit alone in rooms writing poetry and journaling every day. The goal was to have them. 'Be in tune with your inner self.'

The strangest of the training was what Lavan called sethra manipulation training. For a few hours, he would have all of his students produce their energy and use it in unique ways to try to learn unconventional uses or abnormalities. Zev had mentioned the strange sensation of his sethra strings entering the chameleon beast, so most of this training for him was running his strings through random plants and trying to maintain a connection with them. It felt strange each time, but he began to get used to the feeling of his sethra mixing around with foreign energies. Meira, on the other hand, already knew exactly what her knowledge of sethra could do, so her training was more combat-focused, specifically around her bow.

"Stop." Lavan said calmly, causing both of them to snap out of their meditation and look to him.

"Meira, you've hit the peak of your flame ability to generate sethra. You're as strong as you'll get without ascending."

Meira stands up with an excited glow behind her eyes. "So I'm ready to start developing my own technique finally?"

Lavan gives her a quick nod but before he can say another word she turns away from him and tosses a few books from her stuffed satchel onto the ground, soon surrounded by notes upon notes of research. Lavan laughs and walks over to Zev's side clapping a soft hand on his shoulder. "Most students give it at least some thought but she is ridiculous."

Zev had a warm expression, looking over Meira, deep in her books. "I wouldn't expect anything less from Meira. I wish I could say I've thought about it that hard."

Lavan takes his hand from Zev. "You're getting close to the peak yourself. I have to say you two have impressed me almost every single day you've been here."

Zev's heart swells with pride as a smile cracks across his face. "I've had nothing but amazing teachers; that's why I can't stop. Simon needs me."

"Aw, yes. How long has he been in Romtara?"

Zev felt his stomach turn slightly. "He's been in layer four for a little over six months now, sir."

"And in just over six months, you've gone from coal to almost the peak of flame? Not to mention your strange age; there's something very peculiar about you, Zev." Unlike when he was younger, this no longer sounded like an insult; it was praise, and it washed over him.

Before Zev could continue talking with his teacher, a brown-cloaked figure seemingly fell from the sky, landing in the center of the courtyard. Lavan turned to face the figure and gave quite the exaggerated gasp. "Saar? To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Saar stood a bit shorter than Zev, a stubby, wide man with darker tan skin and a scratchy beard to match his short black hair. His eyes were a rich chocolate color, cold and hardened. Meira and Zev's attention were snapped to the man's studded leather armor under the cloak, covered in dagger slings, and two long, curved swords at his sides. His eyes glanced at them only for a moment before locking onto Lavan. "King Erez has sent me to gather you; he requires your presence."

"Me? Only me? What of my sister?" Lavan cocked an eyebrow.

"Queen Laila is not needed, only you."

Lavan laughs softly, shaking his head. "You really have a way with words, Saar." He looks back to his two new pupils, "I'll need two weeks and permission to bring along my students here."

Saar's face twists in frustration. "King Erez does not like these games, Lavan. Come now and avoid his anger."

Lavan tilts his head at Saar. "I believe I said what I needed to say to you; go on and deliver my words, messenger boy."

Saar's anger swells, and he lifts a hand in front of him, palm facing the ground, the dirt at his feet vibrating quickly and breaking down into fine sand in specific places. Lavan didn't flinch, but Zev pressed against the wall in fear. Zev's eyes tracked the sand forming at the messenger's feet and realized he had created a traversal ring in an instant. Saar leans down on one knee, touching the center of his ring and flowing his sethra through it while staring daggers at Lavan. Lavan raises one hand, casually waving. "Goodbye, friend. See you in two weeks."

The traversal ring burst into a column of white light, leaving sand scattered around the courtyard and a ring etched into the center of the sparring arena. Lavan turns back to them and gives a cheery clap of his hands. "Well then, It looks like we have two weeks to hit inferno, hopefully!"

Zev felt his cheeks pale and his heart quicken. "Two weeks?"