Ra Side Story (12/13)

"So, the first thing you must know when trying to control abilities that have to do with Strands, is remember your technique for wielding them in general while trying to control them. As I've learned in The First Trial, it's different for everybody," Belle explained. She attempted to make it easy for me to visualize, summoning a brick of ice in front of the two of us.

"Since I deal with ice, and you deal with heat, a nice trick you can use with your Strands that can prepare you to use that weird staff, is to imagine melting everything. The Staff can move according to your will?" Belle asked me.

I confirmed her clarification, and listened to her small story from The First Trial that she had. She explained to me that when she was first learning to wield ice, half of the battle was getting it into the real world. By stealing the heat from her surrounding objects and putting it elsewhere, Belle was able to first bring her ice bricks into fruition when she was only nine years old. From there, her growth was explosive.

By controlling the placement of the ice that she had, Belle was able to move it by adding force to the back of the ice brick. Although it depended on the size and shape of the object, she was able to propel it further with Strands. Her ability, formed with the help of Strands, could also manipulate her ability in any way she wished. It was through this strategy that Belle was able to use the famous Incarnation, 'Time Freeze'.

"So... is there an opposite to that Incarnation that I could use because of the heat I have? Would I melt everything around me?" I asked her.

"I don't know. It's not that I don't think you could catch up to me, but I had a lot of practice with my ability. If you were to work as hard as me, you could potentially have something as powerful as Time-Freeze. However, the first time I used it I almost killed myself. Ah, good times." Belle sank against the railing behind her with a smile on her face. Her enthusiasm was...worrying.

"Really? Maybe I should stay away from that...okay, so this staff. It uses my blood, and I think that's how it functions? I controlled it pretty well against Arthur and Finlis, but in the heat of battle it just kind of happened. It doesn't really help if I rely on instinct." I told Belle. She fell out of her laugh and nodded, quickly agreeing with me.

"I would have to agree with that. You always want control over your power. Otherwise, you'll end up like Dani! Wow, that was fun." Belle chuckled and I could almost feel Dani's persistent stare from behind my back. Although, as silly as she was sounding, she was absolutely right. Losing control meant endangering my friends. Until I see Aria again, I need to find the perfect way to use this Staff.

The staff wasn't just used as a weapon, but something of utility as well. Aria was able to pole vault with it and extend it up to four times the original length. Not only that, but the staff kept it's properties when she snapped it. It was impressive to see such a versatile weapon limited by my creativity. I couldn't believe it, even Aria was influencing me now.

"So, using this staff, I can do much more than attack with it, can't I? Using just my Strands here, I can use it as a foothold, or fly with it? Do you know how to control it like that?"

"I can't do all of the work for you, can I? Go on, show me what you do know," Belle said. She placed one hand on her hip, and smiled, waiting for my display of skill.

I rose the staff up with my will, rotating it in the air and moving it around as fast as possible with a movement from my hands. While moving it with my hands, I bounced it off of the railing and slid it across the bow of the ship. After moving it all around, I placed it neatly above me, and Belle grabbed both of my hands.

"Can you move it with your mind, or just your hands?"

"Just my hands for now...I thought I could do it with my mind, but if I can, it's not consistently. Again, I don't want to do things in just the heat of battle. I want to use this for my every day life beyond this. I want to be useful in the fight against Eirikr too." I confessed. It didn't come off as the surprise I thought it would've, but still, Belle was understanding of my wants and needs.

"Take a moment to think of how you can use it uniquely. And tomorrow, we'll continue. There's talent in everything." She said.