Elements of Change

Student and Teacher

The handmade pages of Jacob's journal were soft under Ezo's touch, and he ran his fingers lightly over the lettering. He knew Jacob's handwriting, bold and dark with little flourish. He was almost afraid to turn the pages to see what message Jacob had left him.

Remec sat beside him on the shore of the new lake, and Ezo looked at him. "Why did he leave it with you?"

"You were young when he started keeping the journal. Jacob was very secretive about certain things and feared he couldn't explain them to you. He said..." He stopped and glanced at Kammon.

"You don't need to worry about what you say in front of Kammon." Ezo reassured him.

"You want me to trust the Calamity with your uncle's secrets?"

"Yes." His voice was tinged with annoyance as he had to face off against Kammon's reputation once again. Remec stared at Ezo a moment before he nodded. Ezo didn't care if Remec trusted Kammon. Ezo did, and he'd give Kammon the journal to read when he was done either way. Kammon had also known Jacob and probably understood the questions Ezo had better than anyone.

"Jacob thought the Imperium had sent people to watch him. Jacob and I had been friends since childhood. I wasn't an elementalist, but we shared some of the same adventures. He trusted me to get his writings to you. That journal is just the first. He left clues in there so you could find the others."

"Do you know what he was hiding?"

"Some of it, but knowing what and where are two different topics."

"Kammon!" a new voice filled the valley.

Kammon's flames formed a barrier around them as a blade of wind descended. Ezo wrapped the book to protect it as he turned to face their attacker.

"Voth! Why are you hunting us?" Kammon demanded.

The War-Sworn approached on horseback, but now that Kammon had called him out, Voth wasn't trying to be stealthy.

"Did you think the Imperium wouldn't chase you down?"

"Of course they'll try, but I asked why you are chasing me?" Kammon clarified.

Ezo didn't realize Kammon and Voth knew each other, but it was apparent now.

"Because I have the right to. You owe me an explanation, Kammon. You were my teacher at the University, but you hoarded your knowledge instead of sharing it. I want to know why!"

"I taught you everything I could," Kammon said. "I wasn't holding anything back, Voth."

"Bullshit! I've seen it! You wield all the elements, Kammon! And so does the spell-shade!"

"A spell-shade, is he?" Kammon laughed. "He's proved to be far more than that."

"He's just a wild user, and you shared your secrets with him."

Ezo felt the build-up of air around Voth, and he stepped closer to Remec to protect his uncle's friend.

"Why?" Voth screamed. "Why does he deserve that teaching but not me?" He sent a blunt stream of air directly at Kammon. Kammon brought a wall of earth between them but didn't press the attack. He was far stronger than Voth, even without Ezo, but he held off.

"Voth, whatever else you think, Ezo was a master of the elements before I met him. We travel together as companions, not as a student and teacher."

"Why are you lying?" Voth demanded.

"You think I need Kammon to teach me how to work the elements?" Ezo asked. "Maybe he was your teacher, but I was already in the world trying to make things better when I met Kammon. Maybe you should try it sometime, getting out of those stone walls and helping people!"

Men like Voth had decided not to come to Fair Hills and help drain the water to save the town. They refused the call for aid to help rebuild.

They stayed in their halls and passed judgment on others while people suffered.

"Ezo," Kammon whispered his name, and only then did he realize he'd wrapped himself in the elements; air, water, earth, and fire all circled.

"You have no idea what we do for the people!" Voth screamed at Ezo.

It was too much for Ezo, and when Voth tried to direct an arrow of air at him, Ezo threw a block of earth back at the War-Sworn. He didn't stop when the arrow dissipated, though. He pushed it on until Voth was tossed from his horse. The horse bolted away, and Ezo kept going. He hit Voth with stones and rippled the ground at his feet, making him lose his footing.

"Enough!" Kammon shouted.

Ezo only stopped when Kammon neutralized the War-Sworn by wrapping an air bubble around him. Kammon pulled all the air from it, leaving Voth gasping. When he fell to the ground, unconscious, Kammon let him go.

"We need to get out of here, Ezo. I won't kill him, but even without orders, Voth is stubborn."

"What did you do to him when he was your student?" Ezo asked.

Kammon built an earthen structure around Voth. Eventually, he could escape, but it would take him a day or two. Ezo approved.

"I told you I was a terrible teacher," Kammon answered. "Voth thought he was my equal, though, and that stories of my abilities were exaggerated. It was before they sent me to the front to fight. I was as arrogant as he was. I taunted him often, but unlike you, he could never keep up with me."

"Why did they let you teach?" Remec asked.

"To become an elementalist at the University, you have to prove your mastery of the elements by teaching others. As bad as I was, they only sent me the students they had little hope in or wanted to scare away from the University."

"You missed one," Ezo commented. Ember appeared in the sky above them and swooped down, herding their horse back to Ezo. "You're right, though. We need to get out of here."

"You can come with me. I live outside Mountain View, and very few know the way to my home. We should be safe for the night, at least. I assume you want to look at that journal before leaving the area completely."

Ezo nodded, then looked back at Kammon.

Kammon inclined his head toward Remec. "We gladly accept. Lead the way."

Author's Note: This really makes me want to know what Kammon was really like as a teacher! Was he impatient? Did he refuse to answer questions? Did he assign massive papers? What do you think Kammon could have done as a teacher that was so bad?