Zectas Volume V: The Sequestered Seminary of Sawtorn (16 page)

Smoke thought that Eleve was going to let go of him now, but then she pushed even harder. A new progress bar with the same red color appeared. He tried to look at what was written on it, but he could not read it.
Instead, a notification window popped up.

Eleve then released him, and he unintentionally slumped to the floor.
"Good choice," said Eleve. "Now, let's begin."

* * * * * * 

Squatting on white marble floors in the center of the largest training room of the seminary, Smoke and Eleve were staring at a single lit candle. The chamber was devoid of light, but Smoke could feel a subtle breeze.
"Tell me, what is it that you wish to accomplish with this training?" Eleve asked Smoke.
He thought about telling her that he was looking for the Magietrois, but decided to give the other reason.
"I'm here to gain the power to defeat Ouragan," said Smoke.
Eleve snorted, but quickly suppressed herself.
"Since you're intention is to fight against a Prime Wizard in the next few weeks, I will have to use the more unconventional methods in training you," said Eleve. "If I feel like you can't go on, I'll tell you immediately and that will be the end of it."
"Don't worry, that will never happen," sadi Smoke.
"We'll see about that," guffed Eleve. She then pointed to the candle's flame.
"The specialisation of the Fire element delivers good and sustained single target damage, as well as incredible cleave capabilities," said Eleve. "Also, Masters of the Fire have little to no mana issues."
Smoke respectfully nodded, as he was intent on learning his newly acquired ability and its mastery.
"As a Fire Elementalist, you will have access to a broad range of spells," she said. "Some are applicable for both singular or multiple target situations, while others are exclusive to one."
With a steady flame, the luminance of the the candle quintupled, as Eleve projected out four more floating lights of the same flame.
"In multiple target situations, the strategy you will use will depends on several factors," said Eleve. "Such as their resistance to Fire, their physical and magical defense, their health points, and your mastery of the element." she said, while suddenly extinguishing the flames one by one.
"Why don't you try what I just did?" she asked Smoke, pointing to the candle.
Smoke bowed down before attempting the exercise. He directed both his palms at the flickering fire. His mastery of the Earth and his experience with learning the Lightning element helped him manipulate the flames.
Slowly, the single flame flickered and two more flames floated beside it.
"That's not bad," said Eleve. She then threw a minute fireball from her hands, and it hit Smoke right in the face.
"Ouch! What was that for?" asked Smoke, rubbing his nose. Since he entered the seminary, he found himself getting more injuries than learning anything.
He had experienced strict teachers before in Saruras Village when he was learning his Manatl, but this was the first time to be under a physically abusive instructor.
"Just curious if you could deflect it," passively said Eleve. "You'll need to learn that."
"Why do you do that? Was Magietrois Florissant like this when she trained—" began Smoke, but a small fireball appeared from behind him and sent him flying across the training room.
"Talking about Magietrois Florissant is now off the table," said Eleve. "You, who are not her disciple, have no right to talk about her. If you broach the topic again, I will kick you out, understand?"
"Yes, yes, of course," said Smoke, raising himself up from his sprawled position. Despite the small fireball, it still dealt 10,000 damage points.
"Now, repeat the exercise again," said Eleve.
At once, Smoke ran back to his spot in front of the candle. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before splitting the flames into three. Sure enough, Eleve sent one of her minute fireballs at him.
Yet, this time, Smoke was able to deflect it while still maintaining the floating flames beside the candle.
They carried on with this exercise for the next two hours. Gradually, Eleve increased her miniscule fireballs to four, and Smoke could deflect two of them. With this exercise alone, he increased his Fire Manipulation ability to Beginner Level 5.
"That's enough," suddenly said Eleve. "Next, Do you know what a Fire Triangle is?"
Smoke silently shook his head. He decided it was better to stay quiet than act like he knew anything about it.
"The fire triangle represents the three prerequisites needed for a fire to exist. All three requirements must be present at the same time to have a Fire. The fire will continue to burn until one element is removed," explained Eleve. "And these three requirements are fuel, heat, and oxygen."
The elderly HighElf then pointed at the candle. "Just like that wick being burned, that plays the role of fuel. Heat or spark is when we lit it, and of course oxygen is around us. The optimum amount for oxygen to burn anything is 21%, the exact percentage of the oxygen we need to breathe."
With a wave of her hand, Eleve then snuffed out the light of the candle. She then let out an even larger flame on top of her right palm.
"Now, why do you think I can make this fire burn?" she asked Smoke. "I'm not burning my flesh, but the flames are still there. What am I using as a substitute for the three requirements?"
Smoke's body leaned in closer, as he pondered on Eleve's question.
"For oxygen, of course, it's the air. For fuel, I'm guessing that you're using your mana," answered Smoke. "But I don't know what you used for spark."
"I'm using my Gahum," answered Eleve. "Gahum is not simply mana. It is everything and nothing at the same time. It is the special catalyst that controls all elements. It changes the element into something else."
"Gahum can be used for both creation," said Eleve, summoning a small salamander next to the candle.
"Or for destruction," she went on, and the salamander turned into a fiery ball of flames as it devoured the candle into nothingness.
The training room went pitch black. Then, Eleve created a floating flame in the place of where the candle was.
"Now, why don't you try it," said Eleve.
Once more, Smoke respectfully bowed down, and faced his opened palms. He concentrated all of his mana into it, but nothing came out, not even a small spark.
"Of course nothing will come out, you idiot," said Eleve. "You still don't have the Gahum of Fire."
"The Earth element is convenient, because it is always there before you manipulate it, right?" said Eleve. "But what did you do when you used your Lightning Manipulation?"
"I had to use a special equipment to produce Lightning," answered Smoke.
Eleve nodded, scratching her cheek and chin. "I guessed as much."
"Well, there are several ways to acquire the Gahum of Fire," said Eleve. "You can go on a quest in Votl City, the one where Fire Mages receive an engraved Flame Ring socketed with an ember stone."
Smoke's face cringed at the thought of submitting himself to apprenticeship to be a Fire Mage, simply to acquire some ring.
Eleve saw his reaction and slightly smiled.
"Then, there's also the accumulation of the Fire Gahum within your own body," she said with the same stern expression.
"How do you do that?" asked Smoke.
"Hm... You could eat ten-thousand fire fennel flowers," said Eleve. "They have flaming petals that when consumed bonds with your inner organs."
"But that would take too long, as they are very scarce," said Eleve, dejected. "There is another way, but that one is next to impossible."
"What's the other way?" eagerly asked Smoke.
"You could go hunting for ember sprites, but these things are extremely rare and skittish," said Eleve. "They run and disappear as soon as they sense the presence of other species. Even if you do find one, they will only join those who are great leaders, and I'm doubtful that you will pass that."
Smoke's eyebrows instantly raised. "Really? Are you sure?"
"Positive. At least, that's what Magietrois Florissant told me," said Eleve and shrugged. "I've only ever seen them in books."
Staring at his metal orb compartment on his chest, Smoke was slightly hesitant to let his symbiote out. However, he quickly dismissed his doubt after he saw a slight purple glow from Igniz.
"To be honest, I have an ember sprite," said Smoke. "In truth he is my symbiote."
He then opened the metal orb on his chest and released the dark ember sprite.
"No! It can't be," said the old HighElf excitedly. "That's an ember sprite, but it's purple? Wait, Is that what the book called a dark ember sprite?"
Smoke humbly nodded as Igniz flew around the dark training room.
"You might have just changed my opinion of you," said Eleve. She suddenly paused and her eyes brightened. "Could this be why she chose you?"
"Who chose me?" asked Smoke, confused.
"Don't mind an old lady's babbling," she said. "Anyway, what about your symbiote? What kind of abilities have you learned with it?"
"Igniz is a he," reflexively snapped Smoke. "Please stop calling him as if he was a mere object."
"Oh, sorry," said Eleve. "Looks like you can be a bit touchy when it comes to Igniz, huh?"
An astonished Eleve stared at the blitzing dark ember sprite in the room. "He truly is a fascinating creature, isn't he?"
"Telefax Vision and Symbiote Vision," suddenly said Smoke. "Those are the only two abilities that I've learned with Igniz."
Eleve smiled. "You're in luck! Wait right here," she said and teleported out of the training room, leaving a fiery afterimage of herself.
Smoke then turned to Igniz. "At least you don't have to hide anymore," he said. "Hey, wait a minute! Was that the reason you wanted to reveal yourself?"
Igniz pretended not to listen to Smoke. Instead, the dark ember sprite energetically flew around the training room, as he enjoyed his newly gained freedom.
PLOP
Eleve suddenly reappeared in the same spot where she was squatting. In her hands was a bulky book with special leather bindings.
"I've been wanting to see this tome put to good use," she said to Smoke. "Faux, please take this."
She handed the book to him, and a notification window popped up immediately after.

After the book vanished, Eleve eagerly ordered Smoke. "Go on, use it already. Merge with Igniz!"
"Wait, before I do, I want to know more about the ability?" asked Smoke. "What exactly happens to Igniz when we're merged? Does it lessen his lifespan? Am I slowly absorbing his abilities, or even worse his essence?"
Eleve chuckled and hysterically slapped her knees. "Stop being overdramatic. Your symbiote is going to be fine… probably. Now, go on and just do it. I thought I wouldn't see this in my lifetime."
Igniz flew down near Smoke.
"Well, what do you say?" Smoke asked his symbiote. "Are you up for this?"
Letting out a bright purple flame, Igniz nodded his head in agreement.
"Alright! Let's do this!" shouted Smoke, and used their third symbiote ability. "Synergized!"
The moment Smoke activated the ability, Igniz's small flaming body was absorbed into Smoke's. Fumes started coming out of his skin. Until, two dark purple flames came out from his palms.
"I can't believe it!" said Eleve, shaking her head and loudly clapping her hands. "You actually pulled it off."
However, a notification window popped up in front of Smoke.

Smoke's life bar was steadily being depleted, and Eleve instantly noticed this as well.
"It seems your Synergized form is still not complete," said Eleve. "You will have to work on it until it doesn't hurt you anymore."
A carefree Smoke nodded. Despite the steady decrease in life, he was still widely grinning. He tried letting out several fireballs, and at once eight purple fireballs came out of his palms.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Smoke.
'The fireballs were even stronger than the ones from Igniz,' thought Smoke.
"Good, now let's really start your training," said Eleve, resuming her serious tone and even sterner appearance. "Here in Florissant Seminary, we believe that repetitive actions leads to mastery."
"Normally, you would spend numerous days, memorizing spells and incantations," explained Eleve. "Yet, due to time constraints. It would be best for you to practice being autodidactic."
"Autodidactic? What's—" began Smoke, but he was instantly cut off as Eleve teleported Smoke and herself into a survival mission.