The Seventh Element

Chapter Six

We practiced breathing for fifteen minutes. To my surprise, it did help. My anxiety wasn't completely gone but instead of overwhelming me, it felt more like a pebble than a boulder sitting in my chest.

"Now that we are suitably relaxed, we can begin to practice using our powers. I'll begin with the nova and then move on to help the rest of you," Rip explained. "Until I get to you, you may use this as free time but be mindful of your fellow students who are actively learning."

The rest of the class broke their loose lines to gather in an easy circle at the water's edge, talking and laughing quietly together. This left the two of us nova standing in front of Rip.

"I always use the first day of school to get to know my nova and to get to know me. However, I understand that receiving elemental abilities is not easy and comes with a lot of upheaval in both individuals and families. So, I fully understand that you may not feel comfortable sharing something so personal with me or your fellow nova so soon and I want you to know that you are under no obligation to do so. Is everything good so far?"

The nova girl nodded and I hesitated only briefly before nodding, too.

After all, everything was not good, quite the opposite in fact but Rip was patient and understanding. Even though we didn't share the same element, he was treating me the same as the other Aqua. He wanted to help me and I desperately needed it.

Rip smiled at us, looking at the blonde girl next to me. With her light features, she reminded me of my sisters and even though it had been less than a week since I'd last seen my family, I felt a sharp tug of homesickness.

"Kaia, I understand you are from Wella-Wella and have had your powers for five months. Is there anything you'd like to share with us about yourself or your powers?" Rip asked.

Unlike my sister, this girl seemed shy, using her wavy hair as a shield though she managed a small smile for Rip.

"Um, as you can imagine, it was a surprise to my parents when I woke up on my thirteenth birthday with wavy hair instead of my usual straight. They thought I was trying out a new hairstyle even when I told them that I wasn't. Of course, how could we have guessed that I had become an elemental? Sure, we lived in Wella-Wella but so did lots of other people, most of them normal like us. You never think it can happen to you...until it does." She spoke the last words softly, head hanging and hand working the fabric of her dress.

"When I left my house and started walking along the canal, that's when things really started to go wrong. The water crested as I passed as if a boat were in the canal but there were none. Just me." Kaia's gaze drew distant and she grimaced as she recalled the experience. "Wherever I went that day, the water acted strangely. It acted almost...alive, rising or tugging or splashing as if I were willfully pulling it to me. In a way, I guess I was. I did my best to ignore it, hoping that if I did, it would all just go away," Kaia's voice trembled and she swiped her hands in front of her, as if she could push the memories and the feelings and the powers away.

As she did so, I noticed a small wave break out on the surface of the pool, cresting towards the edge though no one had touched the water. With a flick of their hand, one of the other students dropped the wave, the pool smoothing into a calm, flat surface once more.

Kaia took a deep breath to compose herself before continuing. "It wasn't until I passed a fountain and, instead of the spouting water falling gracefully into the pool below, it all pointed right towards me. I couldn't ignore it any longer. An adult Aqua named Fisher saw what happened and was able to get the water to behave normally once more. After that, he walked me home and helped me talk to my parents. Even then, it took some convincing."

"Finally, Fisher grabbed a pitcher full of water and told me to submerge my hand in it. Before I even touched the water, it had risen right out of the pitcher and wrapped itself around my hand and up my arm all the way to my elbow. That got my parents' attention, though even then my mother was skeptical, as if she thought I had agreed to help an elemental pull an elaborate hoax on my parents." She huffed a bitter laugh. "They were finally persuaded that it wasn't a trick and Fisher explained the next step was to notify the Academy and here I am."

"My earlier assessment was only to confirm that you are in fact an Aqua. Now, however, I need to know a little more in order to best help you," Rip said.

Kaia looked thoughtful. "I don't know how to control my powers; I've been too scared to try. It was mostly an inconvenience to go anywhere or do anything in Wella-Wella since if I stayed in one place for too long, water would inevitably find its way to me, resulting in some pretty embarrassing accidents," Kaia said, cheeks reddening from some unknown memory.

"Then we'll be sure to start with the basics for you and build you a good foundation before doing anything else," Rip assured.

The Aqua Mage drew a bowl of water for Kaia and, with a wave of his hand, drew the water out of the bowl and shaped it into a sphere floating in his palm. "This is what Id' like you to work on. Familiarize yourself with water and become comfortable with it. Once you do that you can begin to control it. Don't be afraid to try. I'm right here if you need me."

Kaia nodded, accepting the bowl reluctantly from Rip, her eyes shining with unease. She didn't want to be here any more than I did but, like me, it appeared that she had reached the same conclusion. We didn't have a choice on whether we had powers or whether we wanted to be Academy students but the Academy seemed to be the only place where we could regain some semblance of control in our lives.

Rip turned to me. "I remember the day your father came to the Academy looking for someone to help you. Not all of us believed his story but I could tell he did. Fantastical as it sounded, he hadn't traveled clear across the country on a whim. And then, this morning, all these months later, here you are. An ice elemental, just as your father said."

Rip studied me quietly for a moment. "I imagine you must have been trough quite a lot these past months. Other new mages at least have the knowledge that elementals exist, including those of the element they've presented with. They know there is an Academy where they can train to learn how to control their new abilities. This helps a lot for them to at least begin to wrap their heads around what life has to offer them now. But you, you had none of that. How have you been coping?"

Dare I get into my sudden struggle with my newfound powers or the sheer emptiness I felt save for my now constant anxiety? If anyone might be able to help, it would be Rip.

"Those strategies the class talked about earlier? I didn't know what they were called but I guess I did that, going outside to spend time with the animals in the snow. My family was great about the whole thing but I wasn't, and I'm still not." I clenched my hands into fists. "I never wanted these powers and they don't mean anything good."

A swirl of icy wind blew through the room and frost suddenly covered every surface.

Rip placed a hand on my arm. "Tor, breathe. I know this is overwhelming and while this may be the end of life as you knew it, life still has something new to offer you. That's why first year Academy students are referred to as nova, because this is the start of their new life as a mage."

I closed my eyes and focused, Rip's hand dropping from my arm. At first, I could feel my powers surge but then I breathed as I had just been taught. Slowly, the tightness coiled in my chest loosened and I was able to open my eyes.

"Um, Rip?" Kaia called, holding up the bowl to show the water had been frozen solid.

The others in the room had frost on their clothing and hair. They didn't look happy but didn't give me dirty looks or make any comments, simply brushing off the frost and returning to what they'd been doing before.

"Tor, do you have any control over your powers or know the extent of your abilities?" Rip asked me.

I shook my head. "I wouldn't even know where to start."

"That's alright. I do."