A Girl and Her Demons

Training Day

Chapter Eleven: Training Day

                Most of the High Council left the room and a servant entered the room quickly to bring clothes for Scarlet. She quickly dressed and cleared her throat toward the lone High Council member who had stayed in the room. He had turned his back to her in respect. Infernal Flamestrike turned to see the new Scarlet. She looked no different but he knew that inside they had unleashed a terror upon the world.

                “Scarlet, I apologize for this sudden burst. I did not tell you what to expect.” Scarlet cut him off abruptly.

                “It’s nothing, Flamestrike. I need to understand this power and quickly. I feel power moving through me so freely. Teach me.” The Infernal had been addressed by his title for so many years that to hear his name without his title was heinous. He thought about who had said it however and decided that he could ignore this for now.

                So, they began training immediately. For hours they went over controlling the enormous power that had just been tapped. Several times Scarlet lost control of her newly learned techniques and the power multiplied the effectiveness of the spell. It exploded against the walls of the chamber. The chamber was made for this purpose however and the walls held.

                He taught her years of fire techniques within just a few hours. They went over some of the most basic uses of fire, along with some of the more advanced fighting techniques. Her control was the hardest to teach however, as the new power was just too much to hold back.

                After what seemed like a day’s worth of training to the Infernal, Scarlet maintained her composure. She did not tire at all. She wanted to push on but the Infernal sat on his chair in the back of the chamber. The Infernal beckoned Scarlet forward to sit in one of the chairs. She took the chair to the right of him.

                “Scarlet, there are four forms which are told to the High Council members exclusively. They are passed down from member to member. Four forms for each element. These forms are very powerful techniques used in dire circumstances, each one more powerful than the previous. I cannot show you how to perform these techniques within this chamber, nor can I show them to you in a training facility. I can only tell you what they are and you must use your knowledge as a powerful fire Elementalist to use them. There are several requirements that I can tell you however. The first requirement is that you must use the form previous in order to use the next. You may not use the First Form and then attempt to use the Third Form. You must have mastered both the First and Second Form to use the Third. The second requirement is that these Forms take a major toll on your body, even the First. It is encouraged that you only use the Forms during dire circumstances. If you must use them more than this, rest before you attempt to use another form.”

                “May I ask must you perform the First and the Second before you can perform the Third, or do you only need to have done it once to jump to the Third?”

                “Well, the First Form itself is a very powerful technique. The Second is a massive jump in power from the First. The Third Form I have only ever seen performed once. The Fourth Form is very dangerous and has only been recorded in pictures and none of the fire council members are even sure that the Fourth Form was used. To answer your question however, you only have had to perform the Form once in order to begin the next Form.” There was a small pause as Scarlet awaited hearing about these new Forms.

                “The First Form is called the Inferno, named after the High Council member. This is why we have our titles and only High Council members usually are told about these. The Second Form is called Flame Annihilation. The Third Form is called the Phoenix’s Bite. The Fourth Form, and the most dangerous of all, is apparently called the Phoenix’s Kiss. The Fourth Form is believed never to have been performed because the only record we have is of the Phoenix Form biting someone and it appeared to be on the mouth. The fire council believes that the Phoenix’s Kiss is something much different than the Phoenix’s Bite.”