War for the Skies (completed) (Book 1 of the Heroes of the Realms series)

Chapter 12

She punched some more buttons and three dummies made of wood appeared from the ground.

"Now destroy these," Ms. Flora gestured towards the puppets.

"What? How am I supposed to do that with just wind?" I asked.

"Don't worry, you can. You just have to try."

I stuck out my hands in an effort to destroy the dummies. I imagined the wind all around me, and concentrated on all of it to gather in one place to crush the dummies with force. Sweat started to trickle down my forehead.

I shut my eyes and continued to think of all the wind's pressure. It was actually pretty strong if guided correctly. I tried to focus it all towards my hands. I felt a little gust picking up, but that wasn't going to be enough to destroy three wooden dummies.

I continued focusing on all of the wind around. There was so much wind, and so much that could be done with it. Three dummies was nothing. As I thought, the wind started picking up even more, making my T-shirt wave around.

I felt really sweaty, but I couldn't stop.

I remembered the night when the Cursed attacked my house and burnt it. Rage ran through my body as the memories of my mom screaming and us running away came back. I started to get even more mad when I realized my father could have helped us, but instead he was chilling in his palace, summoning storms in the Storm Plains to see where his children were.

We were there, suffering as our mother was killed.

I started hearing the wind around me as it ran into my ears.

I was almost there.

I remembered when he destroyed my village. When that kid in the house said that his parents were taking water from the river, and the tornado was running right through it. I remembered my sister screaming as I sailed towards the tornado. I remembered the car slamming onto me and blacking out.

The wind was so strong I felt like my shirt would rip off.

I remembered the shadow I had fought and almost dying. I remembered the bolt.

Are you this mad at me, son? someone asked in my mind. Aeon.

You were the one who did this, I replied.

I was also the one who had saved you the same day your mother passed, he said.

I didn't want to believe it, but I was thinking the same thing myself.

If you knew that was me, why didn't you just pick me up? I asked.

I wanted you to make your own choices a little, see if you were worth the bolt, and you have proven yourself, he answered.

The wind started pushing me.

Why didn't you save my mother then?

I tried son, believe me. But I couldn't find you in time. I was just as sad as you to experience the tragedy, he said.

I opened my eyes and saw Ms. Flora barely hanging onto the fence.

"Don't worry about me!" she yelled over the wind. "Continue what you were doing!"

I looked at my hands and noticed dark clouds of wind were forming around them. I felt a small storm under me, and when I looked, a mini tornado was all the way up to my waist.

I was the one who brought you to the village. I was the one who helped you and your sister! Why can you not forgive me son? he said desperately.

You might've helped us, but not mom.

Son! Stop dwelling on the past! It will get you nothing! Your mom died five years ago! I know it's sad every time you think about it. So don't think about it! Focus on the mission ahead! Focus on saving the world! he said.

Are you this mean?! You don't even care about mom! I yelled.

I do! I swear I do! But son, always thinking about the past will get you nothing. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is yet to come, we have to worry about today.

He was right, but it still did make me sad.

I'm sorry dad. Just...not right now, I said. No answer.

Finally I screamed, probably the loudest I did in my life, and threw out the huge cloudy ball in my hands towards the dummies. It crashed to the one in the middle and exploded in such a huge force of wind, all of the dummies blew up into tiny pieces and were blown off the platform. Ms. Flora was about to fall out herself.

I calmed down and the wind stopped. Ms. Flora slammed against the wall in a small CLUNK!  She gave me a smile and thumbs-up and climbed back onto the platform.

"Nice job, Leon," she said, barely shocked or surprised at what had just happened.

"Thanks," I replied.

"You alright?" she asked, examining me.

"I'm fine."

I was not fine. My legs felt wobbly, as if my bones were made of jello. My arms wouldn't come back up. I felt the sleepiest I had in my life.

Ms. Flora walked over to her console and punched a few more buttons. From the bottom, a small drink the color of emeralds popped out of a tiny door.

She knelt and grabbed it, handing it over to me.

"Drink up," she said and magically made a straw appear in the glass.

I placed my mouth on the straw and slurped. When all of it was cleared, I doubled over in pain. It was as if I had swallowed acid.

"This happens," Ms. Flora said.

My esophagus burned and when the liquid had made its way into my stomach I screamed in pain as a wave of energy and burning exploded there.

After that though, I felt better.

My esophagus still burned, but it wasn't as bad, more like I had swallowed a chili pepper rather than acid.

I sighed in relief.

"What was that?" I asked my teacher.

"It's the juice of the Aspenbarrow, the fruit of the holy tree," she answered.

I handed her the cup with more energy than I intended and accidentally slammed it into her stomach.

"Sorry!" I said.

"You need to get used to controlling your energy after you drink it, Leon," she said and grabbed the glass.

She started walking back over to the console, kicking the mini door open, and placing the glass back in it.

Then she smiled.

"You did well for a first try at the dummies," she beamed.

"Thanks," I replied.

"We still have an hour and a half of training, so what do you think we should to?" she asked.

"You're asking me, what to do for training, even though you're the teacher," I said.

"Yes, why not? I'm fun that way."

"I don't really know. More dummies?"

"How about something more fun," she said then pressed some more buttons on the console. The platform suddenly grew walls and a ceiling, and then it phased into some sort of dark coliseum.

"If you're going to go to the Cursed Lands," Ms. Flora said from behind the console. "Why not fight inside one of its arenas?"