The passing of time before the storm P1: Learning and Bearer

* Three weeks after arrival in the Capital *

"I'm surprised. You managed to gain somewhat advanced elemental control in no time." The Master of the shadow element said as she clapped her scalie hands. "Now I will teach you how to do this." she raised her hand and black claws formed from her claws.

"Is that what you used against that creature that night?" Ashes asked.

"Exactly." Master Senka nodded. "These are the shadow claws, the main form of melee attack of shadow dragons. Use our hand claws as a mold. Without our claws, we cannot form them. There are a few more ways of using the shadow element, but require a more advanced level of elemental control. "

"So should I focus my elemental energy on my claws?"

The shadow dragoness nodded again.

Ashes concentrated and directed his shadow-element energy toward the tips of his claws, which grew longer and covered in black.

"Wow." Ashes waved his hand in amazement "I can't make a fist with this" he thought.

"Shadow claws are not unbreakable, so be careful breaking your claws. Now. Piercing power depends on your physical strength. Watch."

The black dragoness drew out its shadow claws and pierced the platform where they were very easy.

"Now you try it."

Ashes raised his arm and lowered it hard. His hand ended up being injured trying to pierce the platform.

"Ouch!" Ashes complained. He had two claws broken now.

"See? Well, the Shadow Claws have a fighting style, which originates from a long time ago when Grand Master Zena created it. She was the only shadow dragon who managed to master the 'Dance of Dark Claws' in its perfection. I have mastered the two dances that originated in trying to mastered the original but are not the same. "

"What are those two dances?"

"The attacker and the defensive, both with different movements. Being so different steps makes it unlikely to mastered the original dance that even I have not been able to master in my one hundred and twenty years with the title of 'Elemental Master'."

"One hundred and twenty ?! Can a dragon live that long ?!" he exclaimed in his thought.

Despite the number of years that the black dragoness possessed, she looked like someone of middle age.

"From your expression, you didn't expect me to say that." Master Senka smiled "Dragons, both half-blood and normal, live for more than three hundred years approximately. After twenty, growth is very slow."

After that, the black dragoness stretched her joints, preparing to demonstrate one of two forms of the shadow claw dance.

The movements that Master Senka performed were so fluid and aggressive that seemed impossible to counterattack.

"That was the attacking dance. The defensive dance I will teach you when you master the attacking dance."

"Do all the Masters have their fighting style?"

Master Senka nodded.

"And among you, who is the strongest?" Ashes asked again.

"The strongest? Well... If Grandmaster is omitted, the strongest would be Master Erde, even though I was about to beat him in a duel several decades ago."

"I see..."

"Is there anything else you want to know?"

"How long does it take to grow?" Ashes gave a nervous laugh.

* That same afternoon, two hours before night*

Ashes yawned. He was studying the writing language that was used in this world and next to him was a mountain of many more books that were on the small desk in his room.

Something touched the window of his room. It was Gladis who came to see him.

"I thought you would be resting in your room." Ashes told Gladis as he opened the window and let her in.

"Yes, but the dragoness next door makes so much noise that I can't relax. Can I rest here?"

"Sure, as long as they don't come to inspect the rooms."

Gladis dropped her body on the bed. Her back ached due to the intensive training she had with Master Gelio.

"Where did you get all those books?" Gladis asked when she saw the pile of books on the small desk.

"This? I asked Master Lectro if I could borrow a few books from his library. I just started yesterday."

"And how was your training with Master Senka?"

"Very good. She taught me the shadow claws and the fighting style. Look."

Ashes focused his energy on his hand and generated the shadow claws.

"Only three of five?" Gladis laughed.

"Tw-Two of my claws were broken." Ashes was a bit embarrassed "I won't give more details. And how did it go for you?"

"Master Gelio taught us more ways to use our element, like this."

A flash of blue flickered in the dragoness's eyes and then froze Ashes' feet without even moving.

"Cold!"

Gladis laughed out loud.

"See? That's something Master taught us. Tell me, do you want to go exploring one of these days?"

"And where is it?" Ashes asked showing interest.

"To the valley. There is a specific area that is unknown to me."

"Okay, I'll accompany you."

"And one more thing..."

"Do you want me to wake you up when night falls?" Ashes interrupted her.

"Yes."

Gladis rested her head on her arm and closed her eyes.

* At the same time in another room *

The seven high-level dragons were gathered, waiting for the explanation from Master Lectro, who had summoned the other Masters to reveal something important.

"I have found something referring to these creatures in a book with a language that I have not seen in my vast collection. It is a language very different from those that currently exist or those that existed, but it has drawings on which I have been able to base myself to conclude. "

"Where did you find that book?" The Grandmaster asked.

"There was a false wall in the great library of the Capital. I removed that false wall and there was this book covered in cobwebs." Master Lectro replied "Returning to the topic. The creature that Senka brought back three weeks ago is the weakest class among them. There are three other classes, two that have a graphic description and one that does not. Among those two, one can use weapons heavy and the other, according to its graphic description, is equivalent to one or even two tens of the previous one. And also the book shows the elements that are ineffective against them: fire and electricity. "

"Mhm. My element is not effective?" The Elemental Master of the fire stood up and clashed his fists "That will be seen." His excitement made the room temperature rise.

"You'll only get killed!" Shouted the Elemental Master of ice, Gelio, from across the room.

"What did you say?!" The fire dragon snapped.

"Pyronus, quiet." Ordered the Grand Master.

Master Pyronus had only to obey the order of his superior.

"Besides those creatures..." Master Lectro continued "There is something else, something about a crystal and someone who bearer it. If I could discover this language, it would be easier to obtain information. I will do what I can to decipher it, Grandmaster."