Guardian of Elements

Chapter 12 - Training

"So, what is your favorite element?" asked Verilion.

Kate didn't hesitate.

"It's water. Flowing peacefully, it can replenish, it can restore. It gives life."

"Very well, let's start with it."

Verilion led her to the little pond, hidden in bushes. A tiny stream was nurturing it through a crack in the stone wall behind it, and there was moss all over.

"So? Show me what you can do," ordered Verilion.

Kate raised several water orbs, moving them in strange patterns above the surface. One by one, she let them drop back. Then, she created a long water snake, moved it in spirals and let it descend back. Verilion didn't look impressed.

"That's maybe just for fun, but what about something useful?"

"Well, sometimes I use water to cool myself down, but that's about it. I've never really had to use it for something else."

"There is much more to use water for. I believe Fellas showed you how to get water to drink here?"

"Yes, you have to dig a hole and..."

"Yes, yes," Verilion interrupted her. "They might have to do it this way, but you can get water wherever you want. Because water is part of air, as thin, invisible mist. Now close your eyes."

Kate did so.

"You don't have to, but it will help you concentrate. And now, try to conjure water from air. Imagine water drops and connect them together."

She wasn't sure what to do exactly, but she did as he said. As her Shard started to glow in azure, small water drops began to gather in front of her, creating bigger ones. When she opened her eyes again, a small water orb was levitating in front of her.

"Good job. Now you'll never run out of drink again."

"Wow, I had no idea this could be done!" Kate was impressed by herself.

"It can, as you see. Now take some rest. I'll show you more in the evening." With that, he simply flew into the canopy.

But Kate was eager to try more. They barely began, and she had no need for resting. She looked at the water ball, which was still hanging in midair, and got an idea. She closed her eyes again and tried to cool it down. Although winters in her forest weren't cold enough to freeze rivers, she knew that ice was just frozen water, so cooling the orb enough should transform it into ice.

But it didn't work. She didn't know how to make it colder, this wasn't one of the elements she could control. So instead, she tried something else: to remove the heat around it. She imagined little flames all around the orb, and slowly tuned them down. This was very demanding on her concentration, she had never attempted something like that before. But this time, she was successful. The orb slowly began to solidify. White patterns were running through it, and when Kate opened her eyes again, there was a white ball of ice in front of her.

This was different. It wasn't hard and unchanging like stone, nor it was pliant like water. It was... slippery. Before she knew it, the ice ball slipped out of her holding and dropped back into the pond with a loud splash and began to melt rapidly. Kate was amazed. But when she took a step towards it, the grass under her feet cracked. She looked down. A small area around her was covered in hoarfrost, and the air was cold as in winter.

"As I said before, you're clever, but you have to learn a lot." Verilion was standing next to her again. "Don't worry, it will melt soon. But this time, really do take a break."