Chapter 17: Elemency 101

Looking back on those days, I am astounded at just how incredibly ignorant we were. And yet, our ignorance was only matched by our arrogance. We had yet to understand that the creatures we feared so much were simply defending their own.

To them, we were the aliens. Even if we were refugees from a dying world, they owed us nothing. It might have been better for the universe if they wiped us all out. I’ve lived a very long life, and I am still not sure whether humanity’s virtues can ever outweigh their sins.

Éclair felt uneasy about what Thisimius had to say to her, and even more so about what Ryan told her after she found him playing with his bird outside the shop. Thisimius spoke with Éclair sounding genuinely troubled, which didn’t happen often. He said that Ryan didn’t possess much natural talent with Elemency because he was a bit of a dimwit, a bad trait for any Elemental.

But Thisimius also said that Ryan’s sheer power was beyond that of an ordinary Elemental; that if he were so inclined, Ryan could conjure flames hot enough to burn even his own tough Ogre skin. This, combined with Ryan’s amateur skills, made for a very volatile mix, especially with fire being his natural element and already unstable to begin with.

And he didn’t stop there. Powerful young Elementals destined to join the Ministry of Fire had been going missing in recent months. Ryan was one of the lucky initiates to get through that year, and just barely at that. It was uncertain who perpetuated the kidnappings, but there were plenty of enemies to go around, including those within the Tarrus government.

Thisimius then gave Éclair a few psionic weapons for Ryan to test in order to determine his favored weapon: though, within proper safety shields next time. Thisimius could usually peg an initiate with the first weapon, but unsurprisingly, Ryan Uruks seemed to be an oddity. Even stranger, Ryan now held the bird he’d lost and said something about a mystical old man that he thought could be Santa Claus.

Honestly, it’s just one thing after another with this boy. I’ll be lucky to survive five minutes with him, let alone being his teammate for life.

As Éclair and Ryan approached the suspended training arena, they found the Fire Minister and Eramar in deep discussion with one another. Éclair kept a respectful distance as per protocol, but Ryan grinned wickedly and stalked towards the pair in an odd fashion that he must have mistaken for stealth.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Ryan giggled like a five-year-old. “Isn’t it obvious? They’re having a secret date. Let’s go in for a closer look.”

Éclair rubbed her aching head as his tomfoolery started giving her a migraine. “Not only is your theory of some kind of romantic relationship between Eramar and the Minister of Fire ridiculous, but it’s forbidden to even approach the Minister of Fire without going through the proper channels.”

“And you broke that when you waltzed into her meeting,” said Ryan, batting his eyes innocently.

Éclair suddenly became very defensive, an effect Ryan tended to have on her. “I was given orders to do so the moment the prophecy reappeared. I had no choice.”

“Then why don’t you ‘choose’ to do something fun for once? If they aren’t dating, then I bet that they’re talking about something uber secret and important and stuff. Isn’t it the sacred duty of Elementals to seek out the mysteries in this universe?” Éclair tried to object, but he cut her off. “My father taught me that if you want to learn something, you had to find the answers yourself. Now quit your nit-picking and let’s do something reckless.”

Éclair was struck speechless. It infuriated her having to mince words with an ignorant prat. But as much as she hated to admit it ... and she really, really hated to admit it even to herself ... he made a little sense in an inane and annoying sort of way. And she had to confess that she felt a little irked at being left in the dark about the disappearances. That, combined with the fact that Éclair’s curiosity became more insatiable by the second, forced her to concede to the inevitable.

Éclair whispered, “Okay. Just this once. But it’s not eavesdropping. It’s ... gathering strategic intelligence for the betterment of the Ministry.”

Ryan smiled that annoying grin that slowly became endearing. “Whatever floats your boat, sister.”

Before she had the chance to change her mind, Éclair stooped into a crouch beside Ryan as they crept closer.

The two adults spoke in hushed tones. Eramar, wearing the bright red dress armor of a Wielder with a cape striped with gold and red patterns, was a middle-aged man with dark hair that grayed slightly. He had a long scar running across his face from his robotic eye, not dissimilar to the one Ryan had under his chin. Adding to his rough appearance were several smaller scars and burn marks from decades on the battlefield. His face was sharp and angular and his one good eye held the cunning and ferocity of a predator. Yet, despite his menacing appearance, Éclair thought him to be a good man, just a man who experienced the cruelties of life firsthand and became hardened because of it.

As for Saria Kaves the Fire Minister, no one would’ve guessed that she was Eramar’s elder, and by a few centuries at that. Some Elementals aged normally, but many had psions so strong that they lived well past a normal life span, human or otherwise. Éclair didn’t quite know for sure how old Saria was, but it might’ve been at least close to a millennium, still considered young by the standards of some. And in all that time, she served as Minister of Fire for thirty years.

Despite her great age, she looked to be a beautiful woman in her thirties; very attractive by most standards with a voluptuous figure that her long robes couldn’t fully hide, but possessing an inner fire that many men found intimidating. It was no secret that she remained single after a few dozen marriages that went array. Despite that, Éclair knew her to be a woman of immense strength and virtue, willing to put her life on the line to protect the Ministry of Fire and the people of Tarrus.

With such a formidable war reputation, Saria Kaves made for quite an imposing figure, more than worthy of the title of Minister of Fire. She wore the long red and gold robes of a Minister that went all the way down to her feet. The Ministerial robes, with their long sleeves and formal appearance, were much like the white robes worn by the Monks of the Monastery, if a bit gaudier. Although, she sometimes complained that she would rather wear her old armor that she used back when she was still on active duty. Her skin was lightly toned, and her brown eyes were almost always narrowed in suspicion. She had shoulder-length brunette hair that was curly like her granddaughter, Rachel, Éclair’s step-sister. Éclair shared no relation to either Rachel or Saria, but after Éclair’s mother passed, Saria had hidden Éclair and claimed her as her grandchild, bestowing upon her the family name of Kaves.

Just thinking about her family and the great tragedy that befell all of them five years ago almost brought tears to Éclair’s eyes. But she quickly wrenched her emotions under control lest she betray herself in front of the mischievous Ryan Uruks. He was intolerable enough without him making fun of her for crying. For some reason, Éclair had the faint sense of something similar happening between them at some unspecified point in time. Distracted by her feelings of déjà vu, Éclair almost forgot the conversation just as Saria said something that piqued her interest.

“Now we’re getting reports that the Ministry of Water has been increasing activity along the territory border. And you expect me to believe that this just happens to coincide with recent attacks on our young Elementals.”

Eramar responded, “It doesn’t make sense for the Ministry of Water to attack us now. There hasn’t been a dispute between the Ministries for centuries. Why stir things up now?”

Saria replied, “They haven’t needed much reason before. I fought in the old civil wars. I know how they think. They wait until you’re most vulnerable, and then they strike at your weakest area. This time it was the children. What will it be next if we don’t strike back while we can?”

“You know that I will defend this institution and its students with my life and soul if need be, my lady. I’ve had my share of wars too. But to rush in blindly without viable proof might result in conflict where none existed to begin with. Perhaps if you sought the council of the old one like you used to-”

“No!” This time Saria looked angry and hurt at the same time, like Eramar had just opened an old wound. “He made his choice. He’s abandoned me.” Saria paused uncomfortably for a few seconds. “Abandoned... ‘us’ ... We are on our own and must fend for ourselves.”

Saria sighed, and her shoulders sagged. She suddenly seemed very tired. “I don’t want another civil war, Eramar. With what has been happening with the raids from both the Black Dragons and now the Space Pirates, a civil war could not come at a worst time. But I have also received intel that the other Ministries may be conspiring with alien forces. More than that, I know in my heart that something momentous approaches; whether for good or for ill is yet to be decided. I just want to be sure we’re ready.”

Eramar put his hand on Saria’s shoulder reassuringly. “We will be ready. I’ll see to that myself.”

Saria nodded and walked away. Before she left the arena, she called out to Eramar. “And please, don’t be too hard on them. Ryan, I can understand from what I remember of his parents, but I’m afraid that he has corrupted our poor Éclair as well.”

Ryan wanted to ask how Eramar had done that, but by the seriousness in the man’s eyes, or eye since he only had one, Ryan thought it best to keep his mouth shut.

Éclair fumbled over her words. “My lord! I ... I am so-”

“That will be all, Miss Kaves,” said Eramar, holding up a finger. “As for what you heard, you are allowed to tell Leon and the other members of Squad 99, but no one else. Am I clear?”

Éclair lowered her head like she wanted to teleport away herself. “Yes, my lord.”

As Éclair made a quick dash to the exit, Ryan started to follow her, but Eramar teleported in front of him.

“Not you, Uruks.”

Worth a try.

Ryan had always been a bit of a wild child, so he was used to adults punishing him. But instead of scolding him, Eramar smiled in a way that made Ryan pale. “Time for your training, brat.” Eramar glanced briefly at Ryan’s feet. “You might want to put some shoes on.”

Ryan grabbed his right foot and noted the blackened sole on his skin, and then put it down. “Nah, I’m good.”

Eramar raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and said, “Suit yourself.”

Ryan opened his mouth to ask why, but then flames suddenly engulfed all of Eramar’s body, flames much more powerful than the ones Ryan had managed to summon, and only in his hands. The orange pyro seemed to have no effect on Eramar’s clothes.

“Cool,” commented Ryan.

“Actually, it’s the exact opposite of cool.”

Oh, great! Now fire puns!

Eramar took one fiery step towards Ryan, prompting him to back away from the heat. “Your Element is fire, right?”

Ryan managed to nod his head. The flames were strangely hypnotic as if they spoke to him in a language only he understood.

“Then let’s see how good you are at it. I’m going to try and set you on fire now. You will try to stop me.”

Ryan thought he must have heard wrong. “What?”

Then a dozen or so tiny fires, almost like glowing hot bullets, came at Ryan with furious speed. He managed to dodge a few before he took the rest in the chest. They hurt like hell, but luckily his chest didn’t catch fire. Eramar, still engulfed in his own personal inferno, took another step towards Ryan.

“I’m using the lowest possible intensity so that you still have a chance of survival, but make no mistake, as an Elemental you will have to put your life on the line countless times. If you cannot survive here, then you have no chance of surviving out there.”

Eramar pointed at him, and Ryan quickly realized that the fire bullets came from his hand as he used his index finger like a gun. Ryan jumped to avoid another barrage of fire-bullets. As Ryan jumped, he flew at least ten feet in the air, clear over Eramar’s head to land behind the Wielder.

“Did you see that? That was like a ninja jump times ten. You can’t tell me that wasn’t cool,” boasted Ryan, hardly able to contain his enthusiasm.

Eramar frowned in annoyance. “Did you forget that I was standing there when I set myself aflame?”

Ryan suddenly had an intense burning sensation in his feet. The pavement he stood on glowed bright red and became so hot that his pants caught on fire. Ryan would’ve liked to think that he composed himself with dignity in his first battle against another Elemental, but after seeing his leg afire, he went to pieces. Ryan rolled back and forth on the ground in a vain attempt to put out the psionic flames. Even with his hardened scales, Ryan’s feet still hurt like hell from the heat.

I see why shoes are important now, thought Ryan, noting the pain in his bare feet.

Eramar sighed and spoke in a voice smothered in irritation. “It’s one of the most basic forms of Elemency. Leaving a trace of your element behind to be used against your opponent when he least expects it. In this fashion, you can attack from multiple directions at the same time to keep him off-balanced and make it so that he cannot even trust the very ground he stands on.

“Despite what you have been led to believe, Elemency is not about power and brute force alone. It’s about being a step ahead of your adversary, or two or even three. It’s about anticipating what he’s going to do next.”

The flames died and Eramar’s intensity diminished slightly. Ryan let out a breath of relief.

Eramar knelt down, sitting eye to eye with Ryan. “Tell me, boy, have you ever been to a circus or seen a magician?”

Ryan thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers and said, “Yes! When I was five, a traveling circus came to Toramirese. I saw a man eat fire. And I saw a giant talking bunny coming out of a hat that was way too small for him; but those were all tricks.”

Eramar breathed out satisfactorily like Ryan just said something smart for a change. “Exactly, Uruks. They were all tricks. Those performers spent countless hours planning and practicing their trickery so as to dazzle the audience. To keep them guessing, keep them wondering how they did what they did, and what they were going to do next.

“It’s much the same in an Elemental duel. You must do everything you can to throw your enemy off his guard. You must anticipate the attacks he will use against you and at the same time, keep him in the dark on your true intentions. Essentially, an Elemental duel is like a magic show. The only way to assure victory in a duel is to have a better trick up your sleeve than the other guy.

“It takes many years of practice to fully master the art of deception in battle. You can’t just rush into a fight half-cocked and expect to get out alive. You have to think things through. You must gauge the consequences of your every action, otherwise, Dragon blood or not, you’ll be dead before you can blink. Always remember, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

“My father used to tell me something like that,” Ryan said quietly.

Eramar’s expression softened, almost in a friendly manner. “And where do you think he learned it? Now, if you forget everything I just said, then remember this ... like every good card player knows, an Elemental must hold onto his ace until the most opportune moment. Plan ahead so that you can be sure to always have the right trick up your sleeve. It’s the only way you can make yourself ready for whatever danger may lie ahead; and trust me, for an Elemental, there are many.”

“But I don’t have any tricks up my sleeve. I don’t know any fancy techniques like setting myself completely on fire, or disappearing, or shooting fire bullets. I’m just not that talented. Never have been.”

“That’s what we’re here to remedy,” said Eramar, his gruff mannerisms returning. “Now, I want you to remember what I did to the pavement that I was standing on. It may come in handy for you.” Eramar set himself ablaze again. “Try not to look directly into my flames. Some Elementals possess psions so strong that they can affect your judgement if you allow yourself to be drawn into them.”

And then, without further warning, a ball of fire suddenly appeared in Eramar’s hand. Eramar gave the orb of flame a good toss towards Ryan. Amazingly, Ryan caught the ball with his own hand, but the flames didn’t hurt him, for Ryan’s unique red flames protected his flesh.