Chapter 17: Elemency 101

Looking back on those days, I am astounded at just how incredibly ignorant we were. And yet, our ignorance was only matched by our arrogance. We had yet to understand that the creatures we feared so much were simply defending their own.

To them, we were the aliens. Even if we were refugees from a dying world, they owed us nothing. It might have been better for the universe if they wiped us all out. I’ve lived a very long life, and I am still not sure whether humanity’s virtues can ever outweigh their sins.

Éclair felt uneasy about what Thisimius had to say to her, and even more so about what Ryan told her after she found him playing with his bird outside the shop. Thisimius spoke with Éclair sounding genuinely troubled, which didn't happen often. He said that Ryan didn't possess much natural talent with Elemency because he was a bit of a dimwit, a bad trait for any Elemental.

But Thisimius also said that Ryan’s sheer power was beyond that of an ordinary Elemental; that if he were so inclined, Ryan could conjure flames hot enough to burn even his own tough Ogre skin. This, combined with Ryan's amateur skills, made for a very volatile mix, especially with fire being his natural element and already unstable to begin with.

            And he didn’t stop there. Powerful young Elementals destined to join the Ministry of Fire had been going missing in recent months. Ryan was one of the lucky initiates to get through that year, and just barely at that. It was uncertain who perpetuated the kidnappings, but there were plenty of enemies to go around, including those within the Tarrus government.

            Thisimius then gave Éclair a few Psionic Weapons for Ryan to test in order to determine his favored weapon: though, within proper safety shields next time. Thisimius could usually peg an initiate with the first weapon, but unsurprisingly, Ryan Uruks seemed to be an oddity. Even stranger, Ryan now held the bird he'd lost and said something about a mystical old man that he thought could be Santa Claus. 

Honestly, it’s just one thing after another with this boy. I’ll be lucky to survive five minutes with him, let alone being his teammate for life.

As Éclair and Ryan approached the suspended training arena, they found the Fire Minister and Eramar in deep discussion with one another. Éclair kept a respectful distance as per protocol, but Ryan grinned wickedly and stalked towards the pair in an odd fashion that he must have mistaken for stealth.

            “What do you think you’re doing?”

            Ryan giggled like a five-year-old. “Isn’t it obvious? They’re having a secret date. Let’s go in for a closer look.”

            Éclair rubbed her aching head as his tomfoolery started giving her a migraine. “Not only is your theory of some kind of romantic relationship between Eramar and the Minister of Fire ridiculous, but it’s forbidden to even approach the Minister of Fire without going through the proper channels.”

            “And you broke that when you waltzed into her meeting,” said Ryan, batting his eyes innocently.

            Éclair suddenly became very defensive, an effect Ryan tended to have on her. “I was given orders to do so the moment the prophecy reappeared. I had no choice.”

            “Then why don’t you ‘choose’ to do something fun for once? If they aren’t dating, then I bet that they’re talking about something uber secret and important and stuff. Isn’t it the sacred duty of Elementals to seek out the mysteries in this universe?” Éclair tried to object, but he cut her off. “My father taught me that if you want to learn something, you had to find the answers yourself. Now quit your nit-picking and let’s do something reckless.”

            Éclair was struck speechless. It infuriated her having to mince words with an ignorant prat. But as much as she hated to admit it … and she really, really hated to admit it even to herself … he made a little sense in an inane and annoying sort of way. And she had to confess that she felt a little irked at being left in the dark about the disappearances. That, combined with the fact that Éclair’s curiosity became more insatiable by the second, forced her to concede to the inevitable.

            Éclair whispered, “Okay. Just this once. But it’s not eavesdropping. It’s … gathering strategic intelligence for the betterment of the Ministry.”

            Ryan smiled that annoying grin that slowly became endearing. “Whatever floats your boat, sister.”

            Before she had the chance to change her mind, Éclair stooped into a crouch beside Ryan as they crept closer.

The two adults spoke in hushed tones. Eramar, wearing the bright red dress armor of a Wielder with a cape striped with gold and red patterns, was a middle-aged man with dark hair that grayed slightly. He had a long scar running across his face from his robotic eye, not dissimilar to the one Ryan had under his chin. Adding to his rough appearance were several smaller scars and burn marks from decades on the battlefield. His face was sharp and angular and his one good eye held the cunning and ferocity of a predator. Yet, despite his menacing appearance, Éclair thought him to be a good man, just a man who experienced the cruelties of life firsthand and became hardened because of it.

            As for Saria Kaves the Fire Minister, no one would’ve guessed that she was Eramar’s elder, and by a few centuries at that. Some Elementals aged normally, but many had psions so strong that they lived well past a normal life span, human or otherwise. Éclair didn't quite know for sure how old Saria was, but it might’ve been at least close to a millennium, still considered young by the standards of some. And in all that time, she served as Minister of Fire for thirty years.

Despite her great age, she looked to be a beautiful woman in her thirties; very attractive by most standards with a voluptuous figure that her long robes couldn’t fully hide, but possessing an inner fire that many men found intimidating. It was no secret that she remained single after a few dozen marriages that went array. Despite that, Éclair knew her to be a woman of immense strength and virtue, willing to put her life on the line to protect the Ministry of Fire and the people of Tarrus.

            With such a formidable war reputation, Saria Kaves made for quite an imposing figure, more than worthy of the title of Minister of Fire. She wore the long red and gold robes of a Minister that went all the way down to her feet. The Ministerial robes, with their long sleeves and formal appearance, were much like the white robes worn by the Monks of the Monastery, if a bit gaudier. Although, she sometimes complained that she would rather wear her old armor that she used back when she was still on active duty. Her Caucasian skin was lightly toned, and her brown eyes were almost always narrowed in suspicion. She had long, curly brunette hair like her granddaughter, Rachel, Éclair’s stepsister; although Rachel’s hair was a fair bit shorter than the Fire Minister’s. Éclair shared no relation to either Rachel or Saria, but after Éclair’s mother passed, Saria had hidden Éclair and claimed her as a relative, bestowing upon her the family name of Kaves.

            Just thinking about her family and the great tragedy that befell all of them five years ago almost brought tears to Éclair’s eyes. But she quickly wrenched her emotions under control lest she betray herself in front of the mischievous Ryan Uruks. He was intolerable enough without him making fun of her for crying. For some reason, Éclair had the faint sense of something similar happening between them at some unspecified point in time. Distracted by her feelings of déjà vu, Éclair almost forgot the conversation just as Saria said something that piqued her interest.

            “Now we're getting reports that the Ministry of Water has been increasing activity along the territory border. And you expect me to believe that this just happens to coincide with recent attacks on our young Elementals.”

            Eramar responded, “It doesn’t make sense for the Ministry of Water to attack us now. There hasn’t been a dispute between the Ministries for centuries. Why stir things up now?”

            Saria replied, “They haven’t needed much reason before. I fought in the old civil wars. I know how they think. They wait until you're most vulnerable, and then they strike at your weakest area. This time it was the children. What will it be next if we don’t strike back while we can?”

            “You know that I will defend this institution and its students with my life and soul if need be, my lady. I’ve had my share of wars too. But to rush in blindly without viable proof might result in conflict where none existed to begin with. Perhaps if you sought the council of the old one like you used to-”

            “No!” This time Saria looked angry and hurt at the same time, like Eramar had just opened an old wound. “He made his choice. He's abandoned me.” Saria paused uncomfortably for a few seconds. “Abandoned … ‘us’…We are on our own and must fend for ourselves.”

            Saria sighed, and her shoulders sagged. She suddenly seemed very tired. “I don’t want another civil war, Eramar. With what has been happening with the raids from both the Black Dragons and now the Space Pirates, a civil war could not come at a worst time. But I have also received intel that the other Ministries may be conspiring with alien forces. More than that, I know in my heart that something momentous approaches; whether for good or for ill is yet to be decided. I just want to be sure we’re ready.”

            Eramar put his hand on Saria’s shoulder reassuringly. “We will be ready. I’ll see to that myself.”

            Saria nodded and walked away. Before she left the arena, she called out to Eramar. “And please, don’t be too hard on them. Ryan, I can understand from what I remember of his parents, but I’m afraid that he has corrupted our poor Éclair as well.”

Ryan wanted to ask how Eramar had done that, but by the seriousness in the man’s eyes, or eye since he only had one, Ryan thought it best to keep his mouth shut.

            Éclair fumbled over her words. “My lord! I … I am so-”

            “That will be all, Miss Kaves,” said Eramar, holding up a finger. “As for what you heard, you are allowed to tell Leon and the other members of Squad 99, but no one else. Am I clear?”

            Éclair lowered her head like she wanted to teleport away herself. “Yes, my lord.”

            As Éclair made a quick dash to the exit, Ryan started to follow her, but Eramar teleported in front of him.

“Not you, Uruks.”

Worth a try.

Ryan had always been a bit of a wild child, so he was used to adults punishing him. But instead of scolding him, Eramar smiled in a way that made Ryan pale. “Time for your training, brat.” Eramar glanced briefly at Ryan’s feet. “You might want to put some shoes on.”

Ryan grabbed his right foot and noted the blackened sole on his skin, and then put it down. “Nah, I’m good.”

Eramar raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and said, “Suit yourself.”

            Ryan opened his mouth to ask why, but then flames suddenly engulfed all of Eramar’s body, flames much more powerful than the ones Ryan had managed to summon, and only in his hands. The orange pyro seemed to have no effect on Eramar’s clothes.

“Cool,” commented Ryan. 

            “Actually, it’s the exact opposite of cool.”

            Oh, great! Now fire puns!

            Eramar took one fiery step towards Ryan, prompting him to back away from the heat. “Your Element is fire, right?”

Ryan managed to nod his head. The flames were strangely hypnotic as if they spoke to him in a language only he understood. 

“Then let’s see how good you are at it. I’m going to try and set you on fire now. You will try to stop me.”

            Ryan thought he must have heard wrong. “What?”

            Then a dozen or so tiny fires, almost like glowing hot bullets, came at Ryan with furious speed. He managed to dodge a few before he took the rest in the chest. They hurt like hell, but luckily his chest didn’t catch fire. Eramar, still engulfed in his own personal inferno, took another step towards Ryan.

            “I’m using the lowest possible intensity so that you still have a chance of survival, but make no mistake, as an Elemental you will have to put your life on the line countless times. If you cannot survive here, then you have no chance of surviving out there.”

            Eramar pointed at him, and Ryan quickly realized that the fire bullets came from his hand as he used his index finger like a gun. Ryan jumped to avoid another barrage of fire-bullets. As Ryan jumped, he flew at least ten feet in the air, clear over Eramar’s head to land behind the Wielder.

            “Did you see that? That was like a ninja jump times ten. You can’t tell me that wasn’t cool,” boasted Ryan, hardly able to contain his enthusiasm.

            Eramar frowned in annoyance. “Did you forget that I was standing there when I set myself aflame?”

            Ryan suddenly had an intense burning sensation in his feet. The pavement he stood on glowed bright red and became so hot that his pants caught on fire. Ryan would've liked to think that he composed himself with dignity in his first battle against another Elemental, but after seeing his leg afire, he went to pieces. Ryan rolled back and forth on the ground in a vain attempt to put out the psionic flames. Even with his hardened scales, Ryan’s feet still hurt like hell from the heat.

I see why shoes are important now, thought Ryan, noting the pain in his bare feet.

Eramar sighed and spoke in a voice smothered in irritation. “It's one of the most basic forms of Elemency. Leaving a trace of your element behind to be used against your opponent when he least expects it. In this fashion, you can attack from multiple directions at the same time to keep him off-balanced and make it so that he cannot even trust the very ground he stands on.

“Despite what you have been led to believe, Elemency is not about power and brute force alone. It's about being a step ahead of your adversary, or two or even three. It’s about anticipating what he’s going to do next.”

            The flames died and Eramar's intensity diminished slightly. Ryan let out a breath of relief.

Eramar knelt down, sitting eye to eye with Ryan. “Tell me, boy, have you ever been to a circus or seen a magician?” 

            Ryan thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers and said, “Yes! When I was five, a traveling circus came to Toramirese. I saw a man eat fire. And I saw a giant talking bunny coming out of a hat that was way too small for him; but those were all tricks.”

            Eramar breathed out satisfactorily like Ryan just said something smart for a change. “Exactly, Uruks. They were all tricks. Those performers spent countless hours planning and practicing their trickery so as to dazzle the audience. To keep them guessing, keep them wondering how they did what they did, and what they were going to do next.

“It's much the same in an Elemental duel. You must do everything you can to throw your enemy off his guard. You must anticipate the attacks he will use against you and at the same time, keep him in the dark on your true intentions. Essentially, an Elemental duel is like a magic show. The only way to assure victory in a duel is to have a better trick up your sleeve than the other guy.

“It takes many years of practice to fully master the art of deception in battle. You can’t just rush into a fight half-cocked and expect to get out alive. You have to think things through. You must gauge the consequences of your every action, otherwise, Dragon blood or not, you’ll be dead before you can blink. Always remember, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

            “My father used to tell me something like that,” Ryan said quietly.

            Eramar's expression softened, almost in a friendly manner. “And where do you think he learned it? Now, if you forget everything I just said, then remember this … like every good card player knows, an Elemental must hold onto his ace until the most opportune moment. Plan ahead so that you can be sure to always have the right trick up your sleeve. It’s the only way you can make yourself ready for whatever danger may lie ahead; and trust me, for an Elemental, there are many.”

            “But I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve. I don’t know any fancy techniques like setting myself completely on fire, or disappearing, or shooting fire bullets. I’m just not that talented. Never have been.”

            “That's what we're here to remedy,” said Eramar, his gruff mannerisms returning. “Now, I want you to remember what I did to the pavement that I was standing on. It may come in handy for you.” Eramar set himself ablaze again. “Try not to look directly into my flames. Some Elementals possess psions so strong that they can affect your judgement if you allow yourself to be drawn into them.”

            And then, without further warning, a ball of fire suddenly appeared in Eramar’s hand. Eramar gave the orb of flame a good toss towards Ryan. Amazingly, Ryan caught the ball with his own hand, but the flames didn't hurt him, for Ryan’s unique red flames protected his flesh.

The ball soon vanished from Ryan's grasp and Eramar pointed at Ryan with his fire pistol finger again. This time, Ryan managed to catch every bullet in his burning hands. He became so excited about his victory that he almost forgot what Eramar had told him about leaving a trace of his element behind. Ryan realized that Eramar had been maneuvering Ryan in a circle so he stepped in the exact spot that Eramar had stood when he set himself on fire.

This time he was ready for that trick. He jumped over the hot spot, grinning at Eramar triumphantly. He expected the challenge to be over, but Eramar had other plans as he suddenly came at Ryan much faster than before and kicked Ryan in the chest with a fiery foot. Ryan absorbed the blow with a grunt before rolling away from Eramar to gain some distance.

            Eramar may not have been as strong as Grafael, but he seemed pretty close. More than that, he was a lot a faster than Grafael, and much more calculating, which meant that he moved less impulsively than the Saurian. Ryan rose to his feet, ready to retaliate as Eramar summoned more orange fireballs to his hands like earlier.

As Ryan dodged fireball after fireball, which steadily grew in intensity and size, he got the feeling that Eramar expected something from him, something he had yet to demonstrate. Then Ryan remembered the day he fought the Preservers, and how he set the water on fire, and an idea began to form in his head.

            Eramar drove Ryan steadily towards the wall to box him in. Ryan put his hand on the pillar next to the wall for support and took a breath out of exhaustion. Eramar didn’t relent as he shot fire bullets so fast that Ryan took three full in the chest. Again, they didn't wound him, but they still felt like a thousand of Grafael’s punches hitting him at once.

            As Ryan found himself trapped between the wall and Eramar, the old Elemental shook his head and said. “Well, I guess this is the best you can do right now. Do you wish to relent and finish this lesson tomorrow?”

            Ryan smiled. “Not on your life.”

            Ryan snapped his fingers. Then the pillar that Eramar stood next to … the one Ryan had grasped for support … exploded. Ryan gasped. He hadn't expected it to be so powerful, and Eramar stood within three feet of the blast.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to … to kill my teacher! I-”

Ryan stopped when he heard someone laughing. As the smoke cleared, Eramar emerged unharmed. “Exemplary, boy. Truly exemplary. You have shown mastery of an art that few within the Fire Spectrum possess. Leaving a trace of your element behind to be activated by touch is one thing, but to actually create an explosion that powerful from touch alone … you have the making of a bomb maker.

“I knew you were one when I heard that you ignited the water, which is the Elemental opposite of fire and shouldn’t be affected by flames. Although, you still don’t have a full handle on it quite yet. That explosion might've been enough to daze me if I wasn’t paying attention, but not kill. Not to worry though, we can work on that in time.”

            Ryan let loose a breath of relief. “I thought you were toast.”

            Eramar whacked Ryan on the top of the head. Amazing how quickly the man shifted from praise to violence. “And who do you think you’re dealing with, runt? I’ll be damned before I let myself get killed in a training accident by some upstart who can’t even wipe his own nose properly.”

            Ryan suddenly wiped his nose with the back of his hand, almost as if the suggestion from Eramar made him do it.

“Now, keep a few things in mind when using this power. From the few who do possess bomb-making abilities, I’ve learned there are certain rules. You should always consider the composition of the material you are attempting to infuse with your psions. Stone and dirt work very well, as you may have surmised; but metal and wood can work too, though probably less effectively.”

“Huh,” mused Ryan to himself. “That’s kinda cool I guess.” Then a dark thought came to Ryan, and he almost didn’t ask, but his curiosity overcame his hesitation. “So, can I … can I turn people I touch into bombs too?”

Eramar appraised Ryan as if he had just said something smarter than what the Wielder expected of him. “You have an inquisitive mind, even in dealing with matters most would find unpleasant. That’s a good trait for an Elemental. To answer your question, no, at least not at present. The form of Elemency you are referring to is called Bad Status. It’s a form of indirect attack that influences the internal organs of your opponent, such as using poison or other psionic techniques that don’t rely on conventional Elemency. For now, your psions are too weak to affect anyone in this way, so you should just stick to inflicting external damage using physical attacks. However, in a few years when you’ve had time to experiment and become more familiar with your explosion technique, ask me again and I will teach you more on the subject.”

Ryan wanted to learn more, but before he could open his mouth, he heard something that sounded like bells.

            Eramar gestured towards the forest with the pink leaves. “Ah, that will be the warning bell.” Eramar turned to Ryan, expecting something. “What are you waiting for, fairy princess? A kiss from prince charming? Get your ass to class or you’ll be late.”

            Ryan stiffened in horror. “I have to go to school?”

“Elemency is a proud and noble tradition going back millions of years,” crooned Ryan’s new teacher.

            Professor Grain had already taken an instant disliking to Ryan and given him the hat of shame, a combination of a giant cone and rotten fruit as a reminder to never be late again. His vehemence also might’ve had something to do with the fact that Ryan came barefooted.

Ryan sat in the strangest classroom he'd ever seen, that is to say, if he'd ever been in a classroom before. Ryan had been homeschooled by his parents, and hardly gave education a second thought while he scraped for food on the streets. The reason that he thought it all very strange was that the class moved … or seemed to move at least.

While professor Grain spoke, the walls shifted to the subject of his lecture. Massive star clusters shined throughout the classroom as well as millions of planets with different atmospheres and ecosystems of every color. The walls even gave glimpses of war history; epic battles both ancient and modern varying from humans fighting humans during a civil war to battles with aliens.

Immense armadas composed of thousands of starships lit up the room with lasers and fire. The images were so life-like that Ryan wondered if he could actually touch them. Even more interesting than the walls themselves, the desks floated at least ten feet off the ground while the professor stood suspended on a floating metal platform.

            As for Professor Grain, he was an old man, well into his sixties, with an odd scratchy voice and the face of a parrot. Not that he was a bird like Felix, his face was just similar to one. He wore no armor, but rather the gold and red dress robes worn by the honored elders of the Ministry of Fire. The elders no longer possessed the capacity to fight, but were still respected for their experience and wisdom.

            “The essence of Elemency is the manipulation of the forces that surround you, as well as the energy within your own bodies. As such, it is not a skill known only to humans; in fact, it has been suggested that a great many other races have known the secrets of Elemency long before we humans became privy to it. For those of you homo sapiens like myself, you may have realized that there are many Demihumans in our midst. The Fire Ministry has always prided itself for its respect of all lifeforms, so I expect each of you to emulate that respect in your conduct with one another. That goes for both the humans and the Demihumans in this room. Regardless of where you come from, you are Elementals of the Ministry of Fire … or at least soon will be under my tutelage.”

            Several aliens attended the class, not as many as the humans, but still enough not to go unnoticed. There was a little Half-Elf sitting in the corner, with blond hair and pointy ears. His presence kind of reminded Ryan of Henry, and his heart ached at the memory of his lost friend. Other nonhumans, or Demihumans as Grain said, dotted the room. A young Ogre sat in the center with greenish-brown skin, sharp tusks, and long, spiky ears. A good smattering of anthropomorphic animals from monkeys to turtles also dotted the room. The monkey people preferred to be called Yetis, their ancient name according to human mythology, and they were quite touchy about it. Demihumans like Mr. Kambrick who resembled turtles were usually called Kappa, though Ryan had also heard them be called Koopa. Ryan had not heard that word Demihuman used many times to refer to nonhuman aliens, but then he supposed it was just part of the terminology of the Ministry of Fire.

If you’re such an advocate of alien rights, what about half-breed rights, thought Ryan bitterly, his hat bowl of rotten fruit becoming heavier and smellier by the minute.

Ryan felt uneasy, though the aliens didn't necessarily worry him per se. Being alone for five years made Ryan a little wary about staying in a room full of any people for more than two minutes at a time. Making things worse, Ryan became aware of the fact that he was the oldest student there. All the others were seven to ten years of age. It felt as awkward as being Gulliver in the midst of little people.

Professor Grain remained unfazed by Ryan’s discomfort and rambled on as happy as a clown … a teaching clown that is. “You might be interested to know that humans and other sentient lifeforms have had dealings in the past when humans lived on their ancient homeworld of Earth. In fact, many of the legends, myths, and religions that humans developed were the direct result of interaction with aliens who visited Earth from time to time in the distant galaxy, now considered one of the forbidden galaxies. And even then, Elemency still held sway in the universe.

Grain paused, leaning forward on his floating platform as if to evaluate if the students were still listening. “Universally, those who can use Elemency are called Psionic Users. Human Elementals are Psionic Users descended from the first colonists who awakened Elemency right here on Tarrus nearly a million years ago under the leadership of our founder, Maranu Toramir. Dragons were the first Psionic Users in the universe, a trait they passed on and taught to the various Demihuman races in their travels. Humanity was the last race granted the power of Elemency, and the only race other than the Dragons to be gifted in all forms of Elemency. Though humans have been more prolific in Elemency than many races, awakening Elemental powers of greater variety and in greater numbers than most Demihumans, the art of Elemency is one that we humans are only just beginning to grasp.”

It looks like he’s in it for the long haul, and he won’t be stopping anytime soon, thought Ryan dejectedly.

“If you wish to know the source of these abilities, why we are different from the rest of our respective races, the answer lies in psionic energy. As I’m sure many of you know, Psions are the greatest sources of energy in the known universe. They manifest themselves in many different forms: liquids, gases, and crystals. The most pure and undiluted form of psionic energy can be found within Sun Gems which we Elementals harness in order to craft our psionic tools. However, the truth is they are everywhere whether we can see them or not. They reside in every molecule … hide in every atom. They are interwoven into the very fabric of nature itself.”

Riveting, thought Ryan sarcastically, trying not to fall asleep.

“Scientifically speaking, Elementals act much like a conduit for psions … a battery that can store and discharge psions in such a way to influence the elements around us and in us, hence the name Elementals. After discharging all the psions in one’s body, an Elemental will recover his psions in time, but he can do so much quicker by siphoning energy from a Sun Gem. There are four basic elements that form the foundation of every material known to sentient life. Our ancestors had the foresight to see the value of these elements.

“While scientists of the past may have dismissed these views as nothing more than superstition, they are nevertheless the building blocks of Elemency and the namesake of the four Grand Ministries of the Tarrus Empire. I believe that these four elements are fairly familiar for all of you: Earth, Fire, Air, and Water.

“Despite the fact that there are indeed many different forms of Elemency, they are nevertheless derived from these four basic elements. Even the elements of the eight lesser Ministries fall under the category of one or more of the four basic elements.”

Oh crap, I think I zoned out a little bit there!

“Now, can anyone tell me the elements of the eight lesser Ministries, as well as the basic elements they are adjacent with?” When no one answered, of course the old crow turned to Ryan. “Perhaps you, Ryan Uruks, since you obviously feel confident enough in your knowledge that you don’t feel the need to arrive to class on time?”

            “Bite me,” replied Ryan in a dull voice.

            “What?”

            “Smite me, professor. For I am as ignorant as I am tardy.” Good save, ‘cause it rhymes.

            If the professor had any comprehension of sarcasm, he didn't show it. “Hmm. Unfortunate. Anyone else?”

            One snotty nose brat that sat next to Ryan while giving him the evil eye poked his hand up and spoke in a most infuriating manner. “Life and Metal for Earth. Lightning and Lava for Fire. Sound and Poison for Air. Mist and Ice for Water.”

            The brat in question was a freckle-faced human boy who had light brown hair done in a buzz cut, dark brown eyes, and appeared to be little more than eight years old. He wore the customary red shirt and black trousers that acted as an informal school uniform. Uniforms weren’t mandatory, but they were encouraged. He also had a gap in his teeth displayed prominently whenever he gave a dopey grin, which happened a lot.

            Professor Grain nodded with approval. “Very good, Thomas Madison. Moving on.”

            As the Professor started droning on about something mundane and boring, the little twerp decided to rub it in a little as he whispered over his shoulder to Ryan. “You’re stupid, aren’t you, mister? You’ve got to be like fifty, and you’re still having to learn this stuff. That’s basic even to someone who’s not an Elemental.” 

            Ryan could hardly believe the fact that he was being bullied by an eight-year-old. He whispered back in the most menacing voice he could muster. “Kid, I’m only going to say this once. If you want to live long enough to advance to First, I suggest you shut your trap before I melt it off your face.”

“MELT IT OFF YOUR FACE,” said the child in a mocking tone.

            “Did you just-” started Ryan in stunned anger.

“DID YOU JUST!”

“I know what you’re doing, I’ve done it before, so just stop.”

“I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING, I’VE DONE IT BEFORE, SO JUST STOP!”

Ryan decided not to play the kid’s game, so he kept silent while the obnoxious boy made the most ridiculous facial expressions, and Grain didn’t do a thing. Either the old crow simply didn't care that his least favorite student was being tormented, or he was blind as a bat. Probably both.

Then Ryan got an ingeniously wicked idea. He remembered how he made the pillar explode by touching it. He remembered how he ignited the water droplets. Even if he hadn't been entirely sure how he did it at the time, he experienced it enough so that he had a fairly good handle on it. While he fought Eramar, he concentrated hard on his hand that touched the pillar. He imagined energy flowing from him and into the pillar itself. It didn’t come easily, and it left him pretty tired afterwards, but Ryan felt fairly confident in reproducing the desired effect.

With as much concentration as he could muster, Ryan tapped into the fire within himself and reached his hand forward to touch the boy’s desk. Ryan imagined energy flowing from within him into the chair, not enough to actually hurt the boy, but enough to give him a good kick in the rump. Ryan slowly took his hand away. Even as he withdrew his hand, he still felt the energy that he left inside the chair, as if he'd left a part of himself inside it.

With a flick of his fingers, Ryan released his concentration and the hover mechanism exploded, sending the little jerk flying down to the floor while still inside the floating chair. Ryan chuckled wickedly.

Maybe school isn’t that bad after all.