Chapter 20 - Rare Element.

Chapter 20 - Rare Element.

I tried my best to concentrate on what Master Octavius was teaching me during class today but it didn't help that I was constantly surrounded by a mountain of gifts! "Wow, they are all really trying their hardest to win you over." Master Octavius said as he tried to walk over the gifts without falling.

I didn't know what to do and with everyone trying so hard I couldn't pick just one person. "I'm in a s-serious dilemma. Couldn't you u-use magic to solve t-this?"

Master Octavius shook his finger and tutted. "Now using magic for personal gains isn't the best lesson I could give to my precious student, now could I?" I squinted my eyes at him. "Just last w-week, you used your magic to t-tidy up your tower that looked like a l-landfill." Master Octavis flinched at my words. "Heh! She got you there!" Blessing said, enjoying his reaction. "Why don't you just hurry up and pick someone, Iridesa?" She asked me as she fluttered around me. "I can't do that. I would f-feel bad having to only choose one p-person."

Just then the door burst open and my brother came barging in. "Iridesa! Look what I got you!" I stood up startled. "B-brother, you can't barge in h-here! That is quite r-rude to master octavius!" But in comparison to my words Master Octavius just sat back in his chair relaxing. "Oh, please don't mind me. Your brother must have an important reason." Blessing rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you just want to take this chance to take a break."

Brother presented another gift wrapped box and opened it up. "I bought you the best chocolate in the kingdom! What do you think?!"

I had to admit the chocolate looked and smelled exquisite and my mouth watered at the sight of it. I quickly shook my head trying not to give in. "Brother, I-I must get back to c-class…" Before I could get rid of him I heard another voice. "Iridesa, there you are." I look back to see "Uncle!?" He walked over with a beautifully carved wooden box.

"What is g-going on!?" He smiled at me and opened the box. "I bought you this beautiful necklace to wear at the ball tomorrow night." The gems on the necklace glowed so bright we all had to shield our eyes. "I-its lovely, but I already have s-so many necklaces…"

Uncle put a finger to my lips. "Nonsense, A lady can never have too much jewelry." I gave up arguing back and tried to usher them both out the door but then Father entered. "What is going on here? Are you two disturbing her lessons?"

I was relieved to see that at least father hadn't lost his mind yet. "Now leave both of you." Father ordered them sternly, pointing at the door.

Brother pouted but uncle folded his arms as he squinted his eyes at Father. "Stop pretending you're not hiding a dress behind your back." My jaw dropped to the ground.

Father pulled out the dress from behind and cleared his throat. "I just happened to be holding on to it but since you bought it up anyway, what do you think Iridesa? I made it especially for you"

Everyone in the room was stunned at this little fact as they looked at the beautiful yellow gown in his hands adorned with roses and ribbons. Uncle and Brother looked as though they almost accepted defeat. I really loved the dress but this insanity was too much so I turned to master Octavius and pleaded desperately to fix this situation.

"Master Octavius! Please do something!" He sighed.

"Fine...." He got up from his seat lazily. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry to do this but you're all very annoying so you had it coming." They all looked confused at his words.

Master Octavius clicked his fingers and the three of them along with all the gifts went flying out with a powerful gust of wind, with the door shutting tight behind them. I collapsed back onto my chair finally able to breath. Blessing came over and sat on my shoulder. "Hang in there kid, it's only a few more hours till the Ball tomorrow." I groaned in misery at her words. "What am I t-to do…?"

Paris, Arthur and Tybalt all sat down at the table in the grand hall with a heavy atmosphere and tension between the three of them.

Paris was the first to break the silence. "Considering I'm her father it's only natural I get to be her partner at the dance. So give up already both of you." Arthur scoffed. "Please everyone knows how much she loves Arch mages and magic. It's obvious she should dance with me."

Paris glared at his brother's carefree attitude. Tybalt ignores the both of them and exclaims proudly. "Well I'm definitely more handsome then the both of you so obviously I should dance with her instead."

Paris looked at his son and spoke in a low voice. "How about we go and settle this on the training grounds. You know you can't win against me." Tybalt shrugged his shoulders "I don't care, I'll dance in a cast if I have to."

They both grew silent at his words knowing full well he will. Kore had been listening to their entire conversation and decided to interfere, very annoyed with the three of them. "Did it ever occur to you that she won't have to choose only between the three of you?"

They all looked confused. She explained. "There will be other young boys her age attending and who knows she might take an interest in one of them or they might take an interest in her and ask her to dance."

As she finished saying those words and a dark and heavy aura surrounded the three of them. The servants around them all paled in fear at the sudden ominous aura that surrounded the entire room and the three men all had a darkness in their eyes. "This is going to be a problem." Said Paris in a low voice and Arthur replied. "We'll have to make sure no young men attend the ball."

Kore slapped her palm against her face. She walked over and pounded her fist into the table causing it to break in half leaving the three of them stunned in silence "I'm dealing with the invitations and you three are to stay out of my way or else!" The three of them trembled as she glared at them with a terrifying glint in her eyes. At what point did they all begin to fear this woman but whenever it was they had a good reason to do so.

I tried my hardest not to think about the Ball and focused on producing magic like I did at the court hearing. I tried hard to concentrate and I focused on the target before me trying to shoot it with magic but no matter how much I exert myself nothing happened.

"It's p-pointless! Whatever m-magic I felt at the time is p-probably gone!" I sat onto the ground frustrated. Master Octavius sighed and sat next to me. "You're not focusing on your inner core. You're too tense." I looked at him annoyed. I've been trying my hardest to focus but it still doesn't work.

Blessing, flies over "Why don't we try using a trigger of some sort? Lots of Great mages needed some type of trigger when first starting out."

I became curious "what t-type of trigger?" Master Octavius thought for a moment and then asked me to hold out my palm. "let me see your palm." I held it out to him and he held a card onto it and focused.

"I have to first figure out exactly which type of main element you seem to accept into your core the most." I wondered about all the different types of elements and prayed I got something strong and cool like fire or water.

Master Octavius opened his eyes. "It seems you have a very rare element." I smiled at his words. Anticipating his answer. "Your main element is wind." I immediately felt disappointed. Wind may be rare but it was also the weakest type of element.

Master Octavius however seemed very happy. "How exciting, how very exciting indeed!" He walked off asking me to follow him.

"Why is it exciting? Isn't wind the most boring element of them all." He spoke excitedly "precisely why, it gives you the chance to turn into something much greater than something as common as fire element. Who's to be wowed by that?"

I thought about how literally most people would go crazy over the fire element. It is the most common and strongest element. "Sometimes we mages forget that its not the element that makes the mage powerful but the mage that makes the element powerful. Just having a strong element isn't enough.If you want to, you could easily make wind the strongest elements anyone has seen. " I doubted it. My magic affinity is so weak it's hard to believe it's even there. How am I supposed to do something like that when not even the arch mages could!

I hadn't noticed when we entered a tower and climbed all the way to the top and out onto the balcony. When I finally noticed I couldn't help but wonder what Master Ocatvius had in mind. "What are we going to do here?" I asked and Master Octavius looked at me excitedly "trigger your magic of course!"

Paris and Arthur had rushed out as soon as one of the knights came rushing voer to them in a panic bearing horrible news.

Iridesa was seen to be standing on the edge of the balcony of the highest tower in the castle!

Paris felt his blood boil and asked how she got up there in the first place and the knights who informed them replied that they were unsure but the teacher was the only other person with her.

"Exactly what were you thinking when you hired that crack head of a teacher?!" He shouted at his brother as they both ran as fast as they could.

"I was only thinking of her best interests!" Hearing these words Paris screamed back "hanging her off the balcony is what you call thinking of her best interests!?"

They both finally made it outside the tower and stopped. They looked up and both paled at the sight of Iridesa standing on the ledge with her arms out. They could see she wasn't stable at all as she kept wobbling. Paris was about to run inside when Octavius suddenly pushed her down from behind and at that moment Paris felt his blood run cold and his entire world crumbled.

I stood onto the ledge feeling dizzy at how high up we were.

I don't know why but when Master Octavius told me to stand on the ledge I obeyed like an idiot! I have a feeling brother has really been rubbing off on me lately! "M-Master Octabius, a-are you sure this w-will work!?"

Master Octavius smiled confidently as he replied. "Not in the slightest!"

I was about to scream that he had better be joking but before I could say anything he quickly pushed me from behind and I fell off the ledge. "KYAAAAAHHHH!!!!??"

I went flying as I fell down the tower, feeling the air resistance against my body and my tears flowed out flying backwards and my hair fluttered in the wind violently as the strong gust of wind pushed against me!

My heart pounded and felt as though it would explode and my stomach dropped as I continued falling through the air! I had no idea what to do! I tried to exert my magic expecting something to happen but nothing!

I continued falling and noticed my father staring back at me from the ground in horror.

At that moment I felt something inside me and closing my eyes as I channeled whatever power i felt through my body.

I didn't know what it was or if I was gonna make it but I continued to focus on my core feeling it stronger than before as my insides were all on edge as I fell through the air!

Feeling the palms of my hands go warm I opened my eyes to see a warm glow emitting through my body and I had no idea if it would work but at that instance feeling completely at loss as to what else I could try I screamed "PLEASE LET ME STOP FALLIIIIING!!!!!"

At that moment just before I almost hit the ground I stopped and floated upwards as though I was light as a feather.

"Iridesa!!!" Uncle and Father both came rushing over in shock. I looked over at them as I floated in mid air a few feet above them. "G-good morrow, L-lovely we-weather we're h-having…" I laughed feeling dizzy, I'm not sure if my mind recovered from the shock of the fall just like my hair, which stood up straight on my head.

"Oh my goodness!" I heard other voices rush over towards me. Miss Delphine, Brother and Miss Kore all came rushing over.

Still in shock I laughed as I explained casually "haha…my teacher j-just pushed me off a h-high tower.... How's your d-day been....?"

They all looked at me speechless and I continued to hover in the air slightly above them. I tried to get back down on the ground but had no idea how.

"I-if you're done p-pushing me off towers can you show m-me how to land?!" I called out to my teacher and couldn't wait till I was on the ground so I could give him a piece of my mind. But before he could reply I seemed to have done it myself as I dropped onto the ground. "Waaah!? Oof!?"

"N-never mind!" Father sighed as he picked me up. "Are you okay, you haven't damaged anything have you…um other than your hair that is…"

I replied to him. "N-no, j-just my dignity…" I laughed nervously and father glared at my teacher who stood up at the tower who casually just replied back at his murderous stare, shouting from above from the tower "What!? She's still alive isn't she?!" Fathers eyebrow twitched "I doubt the same can be said about you…" He said as he carried me back inside.

After Miss Delphine had done fixing my hair I relaxed finally. "That loony teacher! How could he risk such a thing?! What exactly goes through his head on a daily basis?!"

I laughed at her protectiveness and reassured her I was okay "I'm s-still here so p-please don't be t-too mad at him. Besides, look at w-what I can do now!"

I used my magic again and slowly floated off my seat and into the air. I was so excited at my new found power I had been practicing it all day! Miss Delphine smiled at my excitement and gently put a hand to my head, lowering me back onto the stool.

"I'm very happy for you but that was still too risky, please promise me you won't attempt such a thing again…" I smiled at her nervously knowing that is probably a promise I can't keep and she held her forehead, sighing.

"One of these days you're gonna give me a heart attack." I laughed at her words. "Now get some sleep, you have a lot to do tomorrow for the ball!" I groan remembering I still haven't picked my dance partner! "I g-guess we'll just h-have to wait till tomorrow and see…"