Talon Academy

Chapter Eighteen

You got this. You got this. You got this.

I repeated those three words in my head as I walked into the elemental training room for the first time. It looked almost the same as the other training rooms but there were stands set out across the room. There was a large glass bowl resting on each one.

Water sat unmoving in each bowl as we all entered the room. I nervously anticipated what we were going to be doing with the water as a tall women walked into the room. From the way the sea of whispers died down instantly I figured she must be be the teacher. Biting my lower lip with anxiousness I continued to repeat those three words in my head.

I had seen the way everyone had looked at me when I entered the class; like a puzzle to be solved and understood. I hated the attention which then followed by the whispers. In such a big room where there weren't many people, the whispers were not difficult to catch and nor were the mocking tones.

"I wonder how she will do."

"She is going to fail so badly compared to the rest of us."

"I feel sorry for her, she has no chance of catching up."

"Why did it even take so long for the powers to show up."

I wondered the last question too. Why had I been the only one that didn't have a power for so long. First I fainted when I tried to find it and then it took two months before I accidently stumbled upon it. It wasn't fair that I was so far behind but like roubin had said; they weren't going to compare me to how they were at the start. I'm going to be compared to how they are now.

I nervously played with my hand as the tall teacher stepped out in front of the class and started to speak.

"Everybody go to your usual station and take out the body of water," she demanded looking at the others. They all moved to their own stations while I was the only one left standing in front of the teacher. I never felt so out of place before.

She looked me up and down before saying, "You must be the late bloomer. I'm sure you know that you will be behind the rest of the class. You have a choice now: do you want to take class separately until you somehow manage to catch up or are you willing to go straight in and catch up while staying with the class?"

I responded with a nod of my head, "I'll stay with the rest of the class." Separating would not be worth it and it made me feel even more different. I would just have to struggle with the rest of them.

"If you say so. Take the station at the end on the right hand side," with that order she turned towards the rest of the class.

I felt eyes follow my path to the empty station at the end. They pricked into my back and I felt more on edge. Turning to the teacher I tried my best to ignore them all.

As soon as the teacher spoke again all the attention was, thankfully, drawn off me and pointed towards her.

"Raise the water out of the bowl. All of you."

I knew the last bit was aimed at me. I had made the choice to stay with the class and that meant I had to do what they did. Even if I struggled to do the simplest thing.

Looking at the water I focused all my energy on the connection that drew between us. I willed it to all move up slightly and form a into a sphere.

The water shook slightly before accepting my will. It rose up into a little ball above the glass bowl and I focused my energy on keeping it still and preventing it from falling back.

"Good," she spoke with not a hint of acknowledgement to the fact that even I had done it. I expected this but it still felt bad to have my efforts not appreciated.