The Beginning

Unlike the steel rods, I only had one shot, any miscalculations and I would be screwed.

"Find the balance" I murmured to myself as I stood in front of the big boulder once again. I stretched out my arms letting my flames take that form then enlarging them carefully not overshooting the output of my magic. The flames reached out being an extension of my hands and clawed onto the rock. It was heavy, meaning I had to increase the magic I was putting into my flames just a bit more.

"Find the balance," I said again, trying not to pour too much magic into moving the boulder but just enough to move it, I had decided prior that lifting the boulder would be strenuous and would cause me more trouble. I just needed to shift it enough for me to slide through. Just a bit more, inching a little more of my magic onto but the rock still wouldn't budge, I kept inching more of my magic into it and just then it dislodged.

"Right there, now maintain it," I said to myself. I slowly dragged the rock with small slight movements, droplets of sweat forming on my forehead until there was a crack big enough for me to enter. I smiled in triumph forgetting for a moment what I had been dreading. The whole reason behind training to move the boulder was to find out what was happening behind it, for all I knew they could shut it back close, hesitating for just a moment, I slipped through the crack I had created, also not giving myself enough time to collect my thoughts of the possibilities that possibly awaited me.

The entrance led into a narrow passageway which was dimly lit with torches, the smell of earth hung in the air and the ground somewhat damp, from deeper within the passage incoherent voices sounded. I waited, trying to make out what was happening or what was being said. I shouldn't have been scared, I lived with these people under the same roof, they had taken me in when I had nowhere else to go and I had known Albert for the rest of my life. I shouldn't be scared but I was. I could turn back now and wait maybe they would tell me when I was worthy enough maybe it was for the best that I did not know. Screw all that I had come this far I might as well see things through what was the worst that could happen?

My steps were dubious as I walked deeper into the dungeon their voices growing closer, now I could make out grunts and struggles, it almost sounded like people were brawling, then a cluster of voices and people talking, and I could make out more than four different people, there were definetly more than four people, not knowing exactly what to do with that information I continued forward. What was going on down here? I stopped after I saw a corner and a bright light seeped through from ahead, staggering back to hide and peering with my head the vicinity ahead came into view, and lo and behold.

There were at least 50 people here. The space I stared into was gargantuan, towering feet above and spreading wide. I tried taking things once at a time only a few feet away two men in their late twenties brawled their movements swift and precise none of them landing a blow then further in 6 women sat by a table cutting up what seemed to be food and fire beside them. Then a little into the cave to the left a man and woman sat legs crossed and their eyes closed and before them, a liquid floated, molten iron I took a guess then each of them conjuring the molten iron into the form of a dagger then spearing it towards the wall. Water users? My eyes darted to the right and I saw Emily now dressed in a pair of trousers sparring with Sarah of whom also had a pair on, their hands meeting in a cluster of sounds. More people sat out in groups either training or chattering, I looked around trying to find Albert and the old man and not finding them in the mass before me. Then things started hitting me all at once, the old man had moved a whole ass boulder, how could he do that, people in the outskirts weren't capable of that for some reason I had overlooked it and these people I was looking at, I sensed high amounts of magic, even from Sarah and Emily. I backed up adrenaline kicking in could it mean they were Fyns, no I could wield as much magic but I wasn't of Fyn lineage, there was probably a much more plausible explanation to this?

"Aren't you going to come in?" Albert's voice came from above. My eyes flew to where his voice had come from, he stood on a mezzanine which led into what seemed like rooms?

"Oh she was able to enter, finally" who had just noticed my presence, said in a convivial tone, the people who filled the room all turned to my attention. I fiddled with my hands nervously.

"Well it didn't take her long," Sarah said from beside Emily. I still stood frozen trying to make sense of each of their words.

"Come in and meet everyone, they have been itching to meet you," Emily said as she walked up to me and pulled me with her.

"I don't understand what is going on here?" I said cementing my feet to the ground so she wouldn't drag me with her.

"It was Albert's idea, we could have let you in a while ago, but he insisted we incorporate you moving the boulder into your training to control your flames" she explained.

"Wait what??" things starting to make sense, but still not explaining a lot of things.

"He knows you so well, he knew you would consider and yield, then resume your training then come back and move the boulder" she continued explaining. Arsehole, he thinks he has me all figured out, I lifted my gaze to meet his and he wore a complacent look on his face.

"What if I did not yield and crushed the boulder there and then?" I asked

"Sarah and I were betting you would, and Albert otherwise and he won" Emily giggled

"Who are all these people?" I asked hurling my eyes to the mass that had returned to what they had been doing.

"These people like you have a score to settle with the leaders ruling this land. These are people who are like you seeking freedom" the old man appeared next to Albert then moving down the stairs and towards me.

"And some of them born like you possessing the gifts of the Gods at its fullest, they are a few of them emerging from villages around the outskirts brought here by me and your father" he continued.

"My father?" I asked, the information suddenly becoming a little denser for me to understand.

"It was a project we had been working on a little before he died, he wanted a better future for you Circe and he was willing to fight for it. After he discovered the first person that possessed magic that par that of the Fyn he started getting leads from around the outskirts of similar people. Though they were countable, they were very much powerful too, we started assembling them to this place together with their families. As he went around the outskirts healing people he had a disguised agenda. And he would have never thought you would be one of them, right under his nose." the old man explained.

I stared over to the people before me, mostly populated by people around my age or just a little older. I was not alone. The idea of standing against the ruling kingdom on my own has always haunted my dreams. There were people who were going into this with me.

"How long has this plan been in motion? How long have they been training and when is the D-Day?" I asked

"You are getting ahead of yourself dear child you are still under-trained yourself, I'll make it my sole mission to get you ready, and then I will tell you our plan," the old man said.

"I shall train you Circe, properly. First, we should build on your stamina. Meet the pack then come with me" he continued then dismissing me to a group of people I took a nervous glance at.

By the time I was done meeting everyone, Emily introduced me to, I could barely remember names except for a few. An air user named Miranda two years older than me and like me born with the gift of the God's at its fullest, she had charcoal black hair and was of eastern descent, she towered a head above me her figure slim and portable, and had honey-brown eyes, she was beautiful. Then I met Isaac and Cloe the 2 water users I had seen coming in then Simon and another man I can't seem to remember his name and that summed up the people who had the gifts of the Gods at its fullest the including Sarah, Emily, and the old man I guess, there were 9 of us.

"Look at you being all social I did not think you had it in you," Albert said from behind me leaning into my ear.

"You are a piece of shit, you know that don't you," I said turning to face him.

"And that's what I get for speeding up your training? But really Circe you should stop pursuing your curiosity it will lead you to deep and dark waters one day, you have been like this since we were kids" he said

I was just about to retort when the old man called me back to him.

"Now Circe for your stamina training so you would not tire easily during battles, I'll need you to climb up Eos peak," the old man said.