4 Chapter 4: Impending War

The Kingdom of Eostra, home of the first, bringer of order, has been

in a deadlock with the Empire of Cronica, in this kingdom, the class system

originated, ether was discovered and prosperity overflowed, but as time

pass, selfish people will stand up to get all of this for their own. On the

day we arrived at the academy to undergo training, news of the war

breaking out, even in the middle of the capital, travelled so fast, so I

assume it's a pretty big clash outside these walls.

After we went away, we never received any word from the guild, and

but the news of war breaking out the outskirts of town spread like wildfire.

It really gives us the feeling of unease but at our state, we can't do any

help and would just get in the way, the vanguard of the kingdom mobilized

to aid the guilds in the outskirts, but we have no idea on what's

happening outside these walls.

One week has passed since we left for the academy, Thea and Sol

are proceeding with their class up training, the day we reached the

academy Elder Eldrich instructed us specifically "Thea and Sol, follow the

instructors to your appropriate quarters, after you get ready, proceed to

the east wing of the academy, there you will meet your new masters. As

for you Razael…." I was confined to my room and was not given any

instructions.

So every morning, I went on asking anything" "As for now, come with me,

we will start your training back at my place, the academy won't be able to

handle the things that will happen." "uh, ma'am, may I ask something?"

I asked raising my hand like a kid "Yes child." She answered quickly "

Do I have permission to leave the academy?"

"When you are with me, you don't need permission to do

anything! It will be on my account!" as she says this, I quickly dashed in

my room and gathered all my belongings, I am excited, I'm about to start

my training too, we departed from the academy around noon and stopped

at the foot of a mountain near the east gate of the kingdom, we traveled

fast by flying on the back of a Griffon, a creature with features of both

lion and eagle in one body.

"Uh ma'am?" I asked "I would prefer being called master child." She

answered me without even looking "uh, master?" I asked again "What is it

child?" she answer now smiling at me "What are we doing in front of this

mountain? Is this where I'm training?" "I don't live in the plains child, this

mountain is my home." As she was saying this, she started weaving runes

with her hands and pushed them forward, as the runes flew forward

towards a large rock, the mountain began rumbling *Rumble Rumble

Rumble* and a large gate was shown, "Come now child no time to be

awestruck, I believe you want to start your delayed training right?" we

entered the mountain as soon as the gate fully opened, as soon as we

enter the main room of her home, Master Scarletta summoned a familiar, a

sylph, a wind nature fairy, and looks at me "Follow my familiar to your

quarters, once you have unpacked your things, you will come back here at

once." "YES, Master!"

Marching with the familiar, I noticed that the mountain is like a

maze, with twist, turns and dead ends, as if it was once a liar of creatures,

we arrived at my room and it's neatly prepared, I unpacked my things and

equipped my armor and a dagger, I left my room and to my surprise, the

hallway changed, and the path I traveled is gone, and now it's going to be

a challenge to find my way towards the main room, "Chrono Enchant:

Analyze!", I scanned the paths and discovered ether marks, leading to the

direction directly opposite of what I think the main room is, I started to

follow the markings, steadily, and cautiously, every turn I make, the paths

seemed to change, everything became different, torches began to appear,

fork paths, random doors, but I kept on following the markings. It seems

like forever, but alas, I stumbled upon a door with a marking on it, once I

opened it, I am in the main room greeted by the sylph Master summoned.

The familiar flew up to Master at the upper level of the room, reading,

"Hmm, Faster than I would have expected, it only took you half a day,

that's good." "Half a day?!" I shouted in my head.

Master looked at me smiling "Yes, you have been wandering around

those paths for half a day, but you have a good sense on how to use

your spells, this place is created with magic, magic in which change

according to the trial runner's abilities. And this is your first trial." "Did I

pass?" I asked "Yes you did, now eat and rest, don't worry, your room is

now nearby, through that door, two doors down." "Master seems to have

noticed my worries of wandering back to my room." I ate at a table where

food is abundant for just two people to be eating, after that, I went to

bed, the next day. "I want you to cast all your tier-1 spell 100 times not

using your Chrono Enchant." "All?! But…" "What's the matter? Already

giving up?" master smirked at me, "When should I begin Master?" after

hearing this, Master smiled at me and say "Now of course!" *Rumble

Rumble Rumble* A big chunk of the walls moved to reveal a big dome like

structure, with targets everywhere. "Every target here will only disappear

once you hit them with spells 100 times.

Begin!" "Lumen Shot!", "Fire

Shot!", "Aqua Splash!", "Aero Burst!", "Thunder Shot!", "Shadow Bolt!" I

hurled spell after spell, I made 35 targets disappear, but there are more,

more to hit, I feel my ether pool slowly getting drained, probably because

of the fluctuations in the ether I put in my spells, this is tiring, but for

every spell I cast, I can feel my breathe getting heavier, my tier-1 spells

don't consume too much ether now, my target count became more

numerous, 35 to 60, 60 to 84, 84 to 102, time seemed to stay still inside

this dome.

I kept on hurling spells as long as I can, I feel the ether exiting my

body, it's exhausting, I wanted to stop but I know I can't, I want to

become stronger, I want to become better. Around 120 targets vanished,

and I am about to lose consciousness, my legs gave out, and as I fell to

the ground, master appeared in front of me with a horrified face, saying

something like "Unbelievable" then I passed out.

"Razael…" "hm?" "Razael.. Are you alright?" "What?" "Do you hear

me? Razael?!" A familiar voice was calling to me, sounds like Master

Scarletta, as I opened my eyes, I saw master sitting beside me, her face

was full of distress, "Master?" "Thank the Goddess your back!" she was

obviously worried, her eyes we're covered in exhaustion, "What happened

Mast- AAARGH!" A sharp pain in my chest began to erupt, it feels like

something is piercing me.

"Razael! Drink this! Immediately!" I drank the

item that master gave me without hesitation, as it enters my body, I can

feel the pain subsiding, "Master what is happening to me?" I ask with a

look of confusion "Do you remember your training?" She asked, with a

serious look on her face "I placed you in there to prevent the ether to

enter your body, in order to exhaust your reserves and gain mastery over

your spells." *groan* My stomach let out a loud noise "Ehehehe, master,

I'm hungry, how long have I been out?" I asked scratching my head "About

two weeks after that training." "TWO WEEKS?!" "What the heck happened

to me?! Two weeks is a very long time to be unconscious!" "Well anyway,

I'm going to get you meal, stay there and rest, don't push yourself." She

went out my room and seconds later she is back with a hot meal, this

place is rather nifty, to be able to reach the place you desire within

seconds.

While I was eating, Master Scarletta continued with the story "You

see Razael, that Training was designed to make your body be able to

absorb ether more, the more you can absorb, the more fluid and effortless

spells will be, and by that, you won't deplete your ether reserves too

quick." "Now I understand the point of that training." I said with a smile

"Yes, and now, ether is trying to flow into you in a rapid pace, because

you emptied your reserves, the medicine a gave you prevents ether to

enter your body, once it wears off, you will feel that pain again. So it's

much better if you enter the training chamber." "Do we not have some

potions to restore ether?" I asked "Well, if we do that, you won't improve

at all, what we need to do is let it enter you in a controlled pace." She

answered. "Alright Master, I put my faith in you." I answered with a smile.

After I ate, master and I went in the training chamber. "Alright little boy,

sit on that rock, and pose as if you are meditating, think if a stream,

flowing into you, and never break your concentration or else we will do this

again." She said with concern "I will do my best!"

I began to concentrate, find my center, breath in and out, and relax.

"I will be opening a small hole on the wall to let some ether in, be

ready!" master commanded me with concern in her voice. "I'm ready." I

answered without breaking my focus. I can feel the ether swirling in the

room, in my mind, I can see them flowing in, it entered my body, letting it

flow in, and preventing it to be absorb too fast, it hurts, the more I

absorb, the more pain I felt, "Ngh.." as I let out a sound of pain, master

immediately sealed the opening. "How are you feeling?" she asked "I'm

alright master, the pain slowly builds up but I think I can manage." I say to

reassure master.

The whole day, it was meditation and rest, no spells, no combat

training, just focusing on recovering my ether, which took a while to get a

hang of, is this the consequence of having an enormous ether reserve? Or

is this the backlash of my lack of mastery in controlling my own ether.

Either way, it took me two days before we moved on with this recovery

training, and rested for two days, within those days, I practiced basic

combat with master, and read books about ether. I'm wondering why we

are doing just this, It doesn't feel like a class up training, but I can't say

something like that to Master's face, that would be rude, I will just keep it

up with this training until something changes with the flow.

-end