Training Days

Aphele POV

As someone who was raised in the Earth Province, it has the most significance to me coming back home. Though I never once dreamed that we would be going to the almost mythic military base Legendo (a legend in Esperanto). I feel like it encapsulated, the deep and enriching focus, on the legacy in the earth province incredibly well. It was famous for being an almost breeding ground created by the Elementals for many specialists that have to lead the best and the brightest on the way to becoming the next elementals. Many of these men and women would go on their way to becoming specialists that would govern Terra itself as political figures, aids to the Elementals, and paragons of law and order. For me, it was an honor to even be within 10 feet of such a place. And with my new achievement literally in the palms of my hands, I hope that I could make some severe progress of getting mastery over metal. And with it, I think I could be the leader that my team deserves.

It took us from morning to about mid-afternoon, on to arrive. The trip was mostly a bit of a luxurious blur as due to the vast size of the earth province and the trade on the Spirit province, there was a heavily packed monorail system that made travel very easy. Even with the fact that we had gotten on one of the best expresses, I was still antsy to get there as wanted to get to work on my swordsmanship as it's been a while since I had focused particularly on the weapon. When training with my mother, she wanted me to be a jack of trades rather than a specialized bruiser. So during the ride, I just did some of my courses and did possible research on war tactics. I wasn't exactly worried about my predicament as I was banking that my "teacher" could help.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about meeting him in person. Guru Drippy was easily one of Terra's most prolific scientists. Three years ago, he premiered in a way that revolutionized how we use mana., Plus it didn't hurt that he was also a great specialist to boot. So it was only natural that I am confident he could help me.

When our trip was finally over upon my leaving the train, experiencing the crisp air of the fall whipping at my face, I noticed that I was the only one of my team that moved. My other team members occupied with the deals and food. 1 minute later, I found Mai chatting up with a clique of friends, Lunaire buried in her archive, Brandon with a doggie bag, and Deon was having his arm full of cards from various businesses. I sighed while realizing that I was going to have to do with these pack of misfits as well. By the time we finally made it to Legendo, it was I starting to be mid-afternoon a little tired. Still, it didn't diminish the grandiose site's nature of the place one bit. That nature that was amplified, especially with the fact that the surrounding area was a large plain of rocks formations. It was,s an immense establishment with the main building having a set of multiple short obelisks each filled with names. The other officer level specialists guided us toward our cabins and the mess hall as they explained the Guru was still preparing for his announcement and so was too busy to greet us properly. I found it a bit rude, but what can you do.

I decided to hang around the mess hall and interact with everyone. I found the others packed relatively close to each other. Brandon, Mai, and Deon were together chatting up with a couple of guys and gals and seemed to be working for the crowd with Lunaire, almost drawn in close to them from the gravity of there charisma. I hesitated for a minute, I've stated earlier, and I would say that I always tread that line on extraverted and introverted. Though in a surprising twist before I could melt in, I get a fact from Lunaire.

"So, um, did you know that always have 30 earth specialists on staff just for upkeep?"

The fun fact threw me for a loop, but I decided to be polite, and we had a good conversation with a couple of the intellectuals of the mess hall. Eventually, we head back in, and I decided to sleep early by the next day. I quickly woke up the others(at the cost getting nearly strangled and paralyzed by my peers), but with Mai and Brandon managed to save me, and we walked towards the training ground. Still, before that, we were forced to get name tags, which I found sensible, given that they were a couple of thousand here.

We were waiting there until a group of Officers called to us to get our attention as from above I saw something. It looked like a flying top, but my eyes focused on seeing that the top wasn't a top but a man. With his descent, I finally saw the grand figure himself. On top of the spinning pad of water revealed a middle-aged man in his 50-60 years with his skin in a brownish hue and a black robe with blue wave accents. His most defining feature had to be his heterochromia eyes that shown blue and grey. And with a single gesture, the water instantly flew into his robe as if it wasn't there. He then was thrown a microphone and began to speak.

"Now that I have garnered your attention, I guess it's finally time we went down to business."

He then yawned drastically and rubbed his eyes.

"Sorry about that, I've been working, on my intro for so long I lost track of time last night. It's sporadic that I have so many fans to teach at once."

A slight chuckle burst from the crowd as he continued.

"And let's say over these next few months I don't want to miss even a second up. For you see young Rookie's in the next four months, from now if you pass the trials ahead, you shall ascend into the next level of the glorious specialist's ranks. If you follow my plan, every single one of you will become Deputy by the time I'm done."

A proverbial mist of uneasiness surrounded the crowd and even a couple of outbursts. Rookie's usually taking about 6 to 8 months to graduate to the next level, and now he's asking us to do this in literally half the time. It was certainly one way to grab attention.

"I can already hear your complaints and frankly I if you have a problem I suggest you shove those complaints you have right down your throat and choke on them. You've all choose to become specialists of your own volition, and unlike the generations that can before, you don't have the luxury of time on your side. If you gave up when things get a little hard, you're an insult to the name. I designed this in the effort to make up for the lack of training you experienced before getting shipped off. All of you who experienced the battle of Beterano know the taste of what we're dealing with. You can't get stronger in the time available to you, and we can't guarantee your safety every time I'm just realistic. So that is why we are here to demonstrate the bulk of what you're learning."

Out of the blue, another person made their dramatic appearance (seriously what gives). A small figure a little shorter than Drippy(whom I've said was) (5,2) appeared while doing a quintuple backflip to the stage. My eyes focused on seeing the figure was a middle-aged woman with even darker skin and jet black hair tied into dreadlocks. Her outfit was nothing more than a sliver gi with a black sash on her open right arm. She gave a warm smile to the crowd, but before she can say anything, Brandon suddenly leaped out of the group and started to run towards Drippy.

The woman signaled the Officers to cease any preventive action as she charged straight to Brandon's head-on. Brandon used every technique in his vast arsenal, but all were in vain as he didn't land a single blow. The mysterious woman never removing the smile from her face weaved through every savage attack. Unexpectedly she moved in to give Brandon a huge hug, completely trapping him in her submission. Brandon had a look of playful resistance as he tried to escape, but he is unfortunately thrown down.

"Dang it. I thought I had you," he said.

"Well, you didn't' though excellent effort. Your best 5 out of your 1,012 attempts," she then turned towards the other Officers calming them from further action.

She picked up Brandon and explained what happened.

"Sorry about that, this us one of my students, and he made a promise to me that next time we met each other again, we would engage in our usual sparring match. But now that he is here, I think he can give a better intro than I can, so take the mic, Brandon!"

Brandon awkwardly took the mic but quickly regained his confidence and spoke to us.

"This is my mot- I mean master Basa who runs the school Roaring Aura! While not having the most modest school, she is a legend in her own right. And I can attest to that. You better be able to keep up, or she will leave you in the dust."

"Don't think yours as fast as you think you are either. I am going to whip you and your buddies into shape, especially so watch out!"

She slapped him on the back as he made his way back to us as Drippy took back control.

"Our four months together will be divided up into three basic lessons: Mana control, synchro techniques, and special techniques. And I know that since this generation is so keen on visualization rather than instruction, I guess I have to show you one of my greatest achievements."

One of the earth Officer had set up a boulder that was about 100 ft away. Once in it was fully developed, Guru set up all the water that he had retrieved before and condensed it all to a single dot. He then moved his left hand in a gun position and "fired" The bullet trailed with impressive speed, and before I realize where it went, the boulder exploded! However, shockingly, the water stood in mid-air as Guru Drippy's mana flared, and using a series of hand gestures, the bullet came back to him as if the entire ordeal never happened.

"This is my greatest attack: the Infinite Hydro Bullet, my modification on the ever-popular hydro bullet technique. Despite my label as an elementist, I had to become a specialist to fund my research. And all along the way, I met a lot of people and went through the rigors of failure hundreds of times. But it finally paid off in the end with this very technique. With my mastery over my mana nodes and control, I've created a silent, fast, and powerful technique that also requires no extra water — thus covering my weakness of being able only to draw a limited amount of water from the atmosphere. In many ways, I'm proud of you for having the courage to come this far but also sad that you can't afford to make as many mistakes as I. That is why you must count on each other all the more hence why the Synchro techniques are all, the more important for your survival. And to demonstrate how a proper synchro technique, I have asked Basa to help me demonstrate."

"Thank you, Guru," Basa said, jumping in while new boulders ascended.

"Now some of the strongest techniques in the Wildstyle martial art is the King Leo Grand Slash, but it puts a huge strain on the body. It condenses the mana in your body into a single part in the form of a wave of force. However, the rebound from such an effect can be very dangerous: an untrained person at the very worse can be life-altering injuries. However, Guru, the smart cookie he comes up with something that saves me from the hassle."

The Hydro bullet soon moved to Basa's right leg, and from the union, I could feel their mana operate on a form of resonance. They both called out.

"Queen Aquarius Titanic Slash," they both called out.

Basa launched her leg like a canon, and the water completely obliterates the boulder into mere rubble. Basa looked with confidence as her leg remained unharmed.

She looked back at us and stated.

"See, with Guru acting like a cast, I was able to make a long-range attack with no form of rebound. And hopefully, by the end of this training session, you all will be able to prepare for any scenario. Now let's skip the long dialogue scenes and get to work!"

With the starting bell ringing in my head, I realized that these four months were undoubtedly going to be difficult.

Brandon's POV

With Basa's amazing introduction, I knew if I didn't "confront" her right, then I was going to end up making things worse than I already had. Basa and I were about as close as a mother and son as could get, but by the war, I was supposed to stay out of it due to my age of 17, and of course, Basa's worry over me. However, I knew by the time I had even gone to St.Leon, I would be old enough, and I didn't want to waste time with the chance of becoming specialists being so close. So I convinced my sister(who was already thinking about participating herself) to go with me and spent hours apologizing to my dad and Basa over what happened. I knew I was selfish in my dream, and as soon as I had the chance to go back home, I promised I was going to make a proper apology. And I also knew that I was going to train so much harder to make sure that I was never a burden to my sister upon our journey together.

On a lighter note, our archives officially put through the "Guru Drippy Course." We were supposed to get at least a month and a half on mana conditioning and the four principles of it. Mana augmentation: enhances the body to its limits and protects from harm, mana sense: Aggravating and suppressing your mana outwards to sense yourself and others, mana flow: the dictation of where the should go and mana force: enforcing your mana on an object. After that and the synchro classes, we are supposed to present a synchro technique and one new special technique to Drippy so that we may ascend to the next step. Every day he and Basa said that they were was available for 5 hours in 30 minutes segments to help with the techniques.

However, I wanted to go to Basa for my training as I felt like the best trump card I could come up with was the King Lion Grand Slash. However, over the first three weeks of the mana conditioning, I quickly ran into difficulties. I don't know what it was like for the others. It felt as though throughout the lessons that I was accessing some hidden energy bar that I had never known about till now. However, I only was able to learn the surface level as Basa was continually breaking me in like a pair of shoes every day. If everyone was running a mile, I was forced to run 3. 100 pushups turned into 200 for me. Even when I had that 30 min, private lessons were more an excuse to use me as a borderline punching bag. Every hit and word unleashed from her, he'd take aggression and heartbreak with a little bit of sorrowful understanding. It was only a matter of time before I realized that I wasn't the only person who got put through the wringer.

One day we were all eating a tasty breakfast In the mess hall. I noticed quickly we were all very silent and tired, with Deon being so tired he was continually fading in and out of consciousness. Mai sensed I was what was that word... right perplexed as she gently explained the situation.

"Um, Brandon, I know that you and Basa had always been close, but I think that you've upset here in an awful way."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, um, it seems as though she's aimed a little bit of that rage as us as well."

"What makes you think that?"

"How about the fact that hoodlum made me run 10 miles without using my element, and 10 hours later, when I finished, she said I was worthless," Deon said.

I quickly realized it and nearly broke my Milk bottle in retaliation with my anger. I'm okay with her taking her passion out on me, but I draw the line with my friends. The only one that can make fun of Deon's twig-like legs but us!

I walked straight up to Basa when she was eating with Drippy, and I asked her to meet me in a private place. Being angry was always an unfamiliar feeling to me. But still, I kept it under control as I explained what I wanted.

"Look, I get why you're mad at me. But my teammates don't have anything to do with my decision," I said with clarity.

"Brandon, I'm not mad at what you did, I'm furious! You of all people should have taken my warnings to heart. You of all people should realize what this job took from me. I became a teacher so that people were strong enough to make sure they could see their families again. And in many ways, Brandon, you are the son that I could never have. But all you've think you accomplished has been dumb luck. And I am not going to let you leap into an ambitious early grave because of my weakness. But if you think you're ready, if you think that you can survive what's horrors lay in wait. Then midnight tonight come to the training field and if you can't lay an even single blow by time using everything at your disposal. By morning your journey as a specialist ends until this war ends. The world will have to see how great you and your element are another time."

A mix of fear and sadness took over as any form of resistance was silenced by the predatory facade. But I couldn't help but think about one thing as I walked off. And it was ironically Basa's first lesson to me.

"The minute that you believe you can't is the minute you truly give up. No one decides how far you can go, not even you."

Even with such a threat, I felt that it was only appropriate that I told my friends. However, when I told them about my situation 5 seconds later, I find Mai bursting through my door and grabbing me by my collar with saying a "what" so loud that my eardrums nearly burst. The others came in, but with much less oh, yeah enthusiasm.

"If that she-beast thinks she's getting away with this, she has another thing coming."

"I agree, you chose to become a specialist, she can't just muscle you into doing what she wants. She pushes you, she pushes all of us," said Aphele.

I felt like I was in the middle of a whirlwind and inferno, but I still managed to make myself known.

"Look guys Basa is no she-beast for starters. She is doing this to protect me and me alone. I'll fight this fight alone. I don't want my drama troubling any of you."

"Well, I don't know about you, but I feel your drama every time we talk. And as much as I hate getting up, I kind of hate having Mai sob about it," Lunaire said with annoyance.

"Plus, your comrades in arms with the man who shines above all. You very well can't count me out of this venture," Deon said.

I felt a little awestruck, but I didn't see in any noticeable pity in their eyes. And upon what Basa, Zero, and Drippy said, I realized that I might have more faults than I thought. Maybe in my act to be fearless and prove my worth, I had never decided to fear my worst qualities. I always knew I was limited in many ways, but I thought that was an excuse to push harder. But I guess that also could mean specific tasks can't do alone.

"Fine, let's make sure we all live to take another step."

Midnight fell as I walked to the location alone. Basa picked a couple of numerous rock pillars in the surrounding area. The quiet night was only interrupted by the scamping of the stalking of the little critters below. Then in the seeming center of it, all Basa laid and wait like an apex predator. When she sensed my presence, she got up from her position. And she smiled with pride at me.

"That's what I love about you the most, Brandon; you always do try your best."

"That I do, and you always did see the best in me."

"Yeah, that's what teachers do Brandon, they lead their students in the right path, and hopefully, this fight will send you on your way."

"Hopefully."

With no words left, we let our fists do the talking. We run out in a full sprint towards each other, but right before we could make contact, a blast of light hits Basa in the head as I unleashed my Ramming knee. Sadly she still blocked the blow and pushed me away. When I landed, she looked confused but not for long as a sharp gale of wind creates a small dust cloud out of nowhere. Beneath my feet pads of shadow appeared, increasing my speed exponentially, I quickly got accustomed to my increasing momentum. I pull off a joey dropkick that misses Basa misses by only a hair as she was about to slam me into the ground, but again she gets interrupted when Mai flies in and saves me from her deadly grasp. Still, everything was going according to plan as Deon shot a blast of lighting at a puddle of water that Mai created in her diversion Basa twinged in pain as the volts rampaged across her body.

"Well, I certainly wasn't' expecting that," Basa said, slightly annoyed.

"You said by whatever means Basa, and you know what they say, nothing divides and conquers like a common enemy."

"And don't worry Basa, Brandon's hit will still be the only the matters, in the long run, think of us as a package deal with that hit, "Aphele said from above a column.

"Fine, if you're a package deal, then I guess I have to up the ante!"

Basa unfurled a small volley of blows on the ground itself. Rocks of all sizes started to scrounge up the ground only for Basa's hand to glow blue with pulsing mana.

"Deflector Claw!"

She spun around until she was nothing but a blur, and with her momentum, every rock was sent spiraling in our direction. Mai and I were intercepting every stone. But with a twinge of fear in my eyes, I quickly bent backward as fast as possible, avoiding a Gorilla Clothesline that buries Mai in the dirt! If Lunaire hadn't helped with a small bed of shadow, she would have been taken out of the fight immediately. Deon released a flurry of light beams at my teacher, but she again avoids it by speeding off but adapting to the situation, Deon summoned a wall of light that corners her momentarily to tank the onslaught with her bare body!

However, an idea formed in my head as I texted the others to change the plan. Deon stopped his onslaught only for Lunaire to have her tendrils tie and sink Basa in the earth while Aphele and Mai hold her down. With everything in place, Deon did what I asked and summoned numerous mid-air shields where I rebounded off them to unleash my rhino axe kick right on my teacher! Still, even with all this, she broke free from her bindings to unleash another devastating technique.

"Wildstyle: Hypersonic whale!"

She clapped her hands, and a deafening shockwave blows us all away. Using wind and fire, respectively, Aphele and Mai had a nice landing while Lunaire and Deon caught me head-on. With the five of us together, we stared down the oncoming beast.

"I'll admit your far more impressive than expected. It's almost overwhelming, even for me. But If this is all you have, then it isn't enough."

"Then why are you being such a pain in the ass and help us instead! Just stop so we can all get some damn rest!" said Lunaire.

"Ever since I met Brandon, I've been teaching him, training him so he could walk down this path. But this is a world at war the world with an enemy, unlike any other. You're all gifted young kids, but Beterano was just the start. I already lost one child; I'm not losing him."

"You already taught me everything I know, Basa. I'm not the little boy who you trained all those years ago. I'm ready for what's ahead, and I don't care if it takes all night. I'll prove that right here and now!"

We all charged towards Basa with the will of an inferno! The battle was long and arduous. For hours we tried strategy over strategy, each failing against her impressive might. I lost even semblance of myself until like an alarm in my head. I saw you say almost about to break. With only Mai and I left, we engaged in one last desperate run. She created another dust cloud to cover my presence, and as my teacher blew it away, but it was too late. She finally relented for a split second as I landed a punch from above!

I stared at my hand in disbelief, but I sadly couldn't appreciate the joy of my victory as I was already starting to suffer from the full effects of my exhaustion.

Next, when I open my eyes, I see that I'm in the infirmary along with the others with Basa sitting over me. I was the only one that was awake. Her face was one of both pride, anger, and sadness, but in the end, when she noticed my glaring eyes, she morphed into acceptance.

"So this what the whole empty nest feels like. Not going to lie, it does hurt like a mother. You know I was only trying to help, right?"

"I know why you did what you did. Honestly, I'm madder at myself for causing things to escalate the way they did. And I owe these guys a lot for pulling my butt out of the fire. I'm always going to have you in my life, and I'll always be in yours; that's a promise."

We hugged each other in solidarity, and as I laid in my bed, I thought about what all the bad stuff that laid in wait for me. But then again, I never have been good at thinking ahead, so I did what I usually did. Just roll with the punches. That's all we can do anyway.