The Atlantean Chronicles: Call of the Sea

Chapter Fourteen

October had long since come and gone; the snow had thawed only to have more dump down from the sky, blanketing the beach once more. Diana and Reith had exchanged few words since their conversation nearly two weeks ago. She had committed herself to studying and training. Callista attempted to tutor her in sorcery but the end of each lesson always resulted in Diana losing control and Callista would quickly end the session before rushing off.

When she wasn't training with Callista, Diana was locked in her room, reading through various books Kaftor had on Atlantean culture. She soon learned their alphabet and began to understand more of her father's writings in his journal. She memorized spells in hopes that she would be able to control her mystic abilities and attempted to speak some of the Atlantean language.

Kaftor was still trying to find a way to continue her combat training without the beach at their disposal. Jacin would take Diana out to the grove to spar. The snow made it more difficult to move, but so would fighting in water and the soft powdery snow would offer more of a cushion if she fell again.

Throughout her training, Diana's mind would wander to her sister, it was the only thing pushing her. There were many times where she had felt like giving up, when she couldn't master a move or control a spell, but the thought of Arielle being held prisoner in a strange new underwater world, reminded Diana why she was doing so much training in the first place.

She soon had every spell in the book Callista had given her memorized and managed to interpret most of her father's journal.

One late November afternoon, Diana sat, engrossed in her father's journal when someone approached her bedroom door. Thunder lifted his broad head from where he lay beside Diana on her bed and pricked his ears as someone knocked on the door.

Diana looked up, her hand splayed across her father's journal as she held it open. "Come in," she said, turning back to the journal. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulder, blocking her face from view of the door.

She looked up again, tucking her hair behind her ear. Reith stood in the doorway, Jacin right behind him. Diana frowned in concern, she hadn't seen the two of them standing so close to one another, so civilly at least, in a long time.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, slowly closing the journal.

"Callista told us about your training sessions with her," Reith said.

Diana looked down, she knew what he meant. Callista must have gone to them after realizing she couldn't help Diana control her abilities.

"We want to help you," Jacin added.

Diana bit the inside of her cheek as she hesitated. The last session she'd had with Callista she had nearly sent an ice shard through the girl's chest. "I don't think I should continue..."

"Diana," Jacin stopped her and she met his gaze. "Kaftor said it himself, we've never seen someone so young with no practice have such a natural connection with the mystic elements, especially a... hybrid. You just need to learn how to control it."

"I can't, that's the problem!" she said, her voice rising in dismay.

Reith sighed. "Come with us," he said, offering his hand.

Diana rose, ignoring his offer and grabbed her coat before following them downstairs. Jacin led them to the grove, stopping in the clearing. Fresh snow had fallen the day before and the quiet clearing looked untouched as they approached. Jacin stopped in the center of the snow covered meadow. "I know Callista has explained to you that just like building up your muscles, you must start small and gradually attempt more powerful spells," he said.