Amity

Chapter 44: Death

Dre's arms wobbled as he arrived at the outdoor training area and fell in line with his class. Excluding Kim, they were all chatting among themselves. Kim, however, stood away from the rest of the class, reading from a magazine.

"Hey, Kimmy," he said as he walked towards her.

"Oh! Hi, Ke'Undre. How are you?" She gave a bashful smile.

"Had better days. Just got done practicing with my drill instructor. My arms feel like poo-poo."

Kimmy looked as if she was trying not to break out in laughter. "I'm sorry to hear that. I saved a little bit of Marathon nectar. You can have it if you want."

"Thanks, but I couldn't. You may need it later on."

"Oh, it's no problem at all. I still have some more at my house, so I won't really miss it." She pulled out a vial of green liquid from her pocket. "Besides, you need it more than I do."

Imagining the melon taste of the nectar made his mouth water. "Okay, if you sure." She pulled the cork from the vial and handed the nectar to him. Dre downed it in one gulp, feeling strength returning to his arms. "You're awesome, dude. I'm glad to have a friend like you."

Kimmy beamed at him. "So am I."

Bianka strode in, smiling broadly. "Welcome, welcome, Apprentices! I hope you're prepared for another day in paradise." The students all mumbled to themselves. Bianka didn't seem disturbed by the lack of enthusiasm. "Today, you'll learn how to harness your elemental power at your own will.

"But first, let's recap. You know what fuels our elemental-" she moved her hands in circles, as if she was searching for a word, "might, if you will, right? In case you've forgotten, elemancy comes from our mental and emotional state. For fire elemancers, our boundless courage is what strengthens us. The more confident you are, the stronger your flames. Which brings us to today's lesson. We will focus solely on the ability to forge fire. We will start off with breathing exercises. We need our minds clear if we want to do this right." She closed her eyes as she placed her knees to the ground. The rest of the students followed.

A warm breeze blew across the grounds, washing the area with sounds of leaves brushing with the wind. Dre breathed in the refreshing air, allowing him to be swept away with the tranquil ambiance. "Clear your mind. Think of nothing but the sounds of the wind, the warmth of the sun kissing your skin. Let the gentle breeze sweep you away."

Dre closed his eyes, breathing in the clean air of Amity. In the darkness, he saw a blue light to his right. Turning to it, he saw a large spiraling circle of blue fire. Breathing heavy, he walked towards the fire, holding a hand out to it, feeling it lick his fingers. Just as he touched the light, an image appeared in his mind. In the image, a man dressed in all black flew over Kimmy, who was dressed in silver armor, surrounded by Edge Walkers. A black aura spewed from the man's gloved hand as he rushed for Kimmy.

She turned towards the man, eyes wide, before his hand went through the armor. His hand dripped with blood as it appeared through Kimmy's back.

Dre felt something in his mind snap. No!

A large, blue column of fira erupted from his hands, forcing them to the ground, his face inches away from the towering inferno. "I-I can't control it!" he bellowed as the rest of his classmates scattered away from him. Kimmy rushed towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She tried to speak to him, but the words were drowned out by the eruption.

Seconds later, the flames finally died down, and Dre slumped onto the ground, feeling worse than he did at the beginning of the exercise. Sighing, Bianka walked towards him. "I think you should take five, Dre." She tossed a Fruit of Marathon at him.