"Division F please move to the floor. I repeat Division F please move to the floor."
"I have to go."
Sylvia waves goodbye to me, "Good luck out there! I'll be watching from here. Emily will be in the infirmary recovering so she'll be watching with Sara and Jason, so you have nothing to worry about."
Wish I could feel the same.
I step on the floor and move to my designated area. I arrived to see Stephen standing in front of me. Only frustration began to fill my mind.
"Both of you bow to each other."
As we bow, a sense of nervousness also has taken root. I still haven't been able to conjure my flames. As I had observed in class, Stephen is a wind user. If this fight was just fighting hand to hand and with arms I would be confident that I could fend him off. Pressure Abilities are another story.
"How are you doing, Will?"
I grit my teeth. "We live in the same room you should already know."
We both pull into our stances. Stephen draws out a claymore that rests on his shoulder.
"It's been a long time since we faced each other, two years hasn't it? Both of us were co-captains of the school Futbol team."
Easy, he's just trying to rattle me.
"I promise to go easy on you Will. Everyone knows you don't have the means to win against me."
I snarl. "You needed three people to corner me in that alley."
"You almost took my girlfriend, I had to beat you down a few pegs. She was about to leave me."
"You're delusional. Even now she tries to sway me. I tell her off. She has a terrible personality and you know it."
"Enough about Serena! I'll take her back from you!"
The bell rings. Wind starts ripping around me. Stephen's eyes start glowing wind orange. As he slams his claymore into the ground as small cuts start to appear on my arms and legs.
Is your plan to win… just this Stephen?
I plant one foot after the other and use my sword to break the wind. Will Arrow will not yield.
"Is this all you got Will? I'm hardly batting an eye." The wind starts blowing stronger and faster.
"Will, you have to emit your flames! If you don't, you'll lose" Sylvia shouts from the sidelines.
My flames. MY FLAMES!
Small sparks emerge from my left hand, but it wasn't enough to make my hand take flame.
"Is that it? Doesn't seem much to me."
Come on, come on. The heat started to rise, and I could feel a warm heat in my temples.
Stephen takes a step back. "His eyes are glowing!"
My mind is so drawn to an appearing memory.
***
"Yes Irin, the key to emitting your flames is powerful emotions. A Fire user is in tune with their emotions."
Master Flintelan smiles.
I stood there on the castle grounds, flames engulfing both my hands.
"Ah ah! My hands are on fire!"
"Calm down", he reassures me, "extinguishing the flames takes a more relaxed emotion, a feeling of peace or stillness. Fury, passion, or hope are emotions that trigger a spark from within. As long as you can both reignite and smolder the coals, I believe you have a fascinating future ahead of you."
"Master Flintelan, do you have experience in fire mastery?"
My master nods to me sadly. "I have both a mastery in fire and sub-mastery in wind. Both fire and wind complement and strengthen the fire within you."
"Is it possible to master all the light elements?"
He laughs. "Let's just focus on the basics. You youth are so impatient."
I hear footsteps behind me.
"Now Flintelan, do not impede on my son's aspirations. Encourage his will to grow."
It is my father. Axia amber red eyes and dark brown hair, the king of Nansron City.
I turned to him. "Father, do you think I could practice Lighting? Liscia is making amazing progress."
I watch in awe as Liscia on the other side of the castle courtyard swings around her sword, purple lightning faintly appearing on the edges.
My father looks at Liscia and understands. "Ah, that's why you want to practice lighting. Making you and Liscia partners, the best decision I've ever made. You both push each other to excel. Changing the subject, now show me a few thrusts of your sword. I want to see what you've learned from Flintelan."
"Yes sir."
I move into my sword stance and send off a few thrusts.
"Good good, you've been practicing well. Let me show you a basic move. You're only ten after all. If you grasp this move, maybe someday you'll even surpass me." Father draws and holds out his sword. "Let's proceed. I call this move flare. It boosts both your output and your speed. If you do this well, you could even eliminate someone's defense. This technique eventually leads to a pyro's version of rippling."
Father's eyes glow as his sword is engulfed in flames. He quickly shows me a few side steps to demonstrate the increase in speed.
A voice pipes from behind us.
"Surely he won't surpass me right?" A boy with amber red eyes and dark brown hair appears behind us interrupting the demonstration. It's apparent that he's been watching for awhile.
Justin.
Father laughs and sheaths his sword. "No he won't. You'll be king someday, but your younger brother here," he rubs my hair, "he has a much important role."
I give him a confused look. "Role? Father, I don't understand."
He ruffles through my hair again and smiles. "One day you'll know Irin. Maybe someday you'll even surpass Marcus Axis, your ancestor."
Justin playfully pushes me. "My brother, the hero."
"Now now Justin. A king is nothing without his people. The king must help support the republic."
"I'll give the people the best days of their lives.
"Don't forget about me. I'm gonna fight too. Justin and Irin won't be alone." A girl with long hair is leaning onto the doorway to the castle. The way she walks toward us makes it look like her hair is floating. A fire red dress made her stand out from the dark stonework.
Lacey.
"Axias stick together right?" Lacey hugs Justin and Irin tight.
I cough, it felt like she was crushing us with her strength. "Yeah, Axias stick together."
Lacey smiles. "It better stay that way."
I throw an arm over Father's shoulder and grin. "Now how about showing me how to emit lightning…"
"Erm, master flare and I'll think about it."
"Deal."
***
As I charge at Stephen, pure blue flames lick around the red blade. Before the crackling noise envelops my hearing, I could hear a faint cheer from where my sister Sylvia is standing.
"You can do it!"
The flames start flickering. I needed to finish this fast. I am a long way from having inextinguishable flames. If only I could increase my speed, then I could split the wind.
I leap forward and slash. Stephen parries and I quickly follow up with a thrust. Sidestep, sidestep. We both keep parrying.
"Are you tired of blocking Stephen? One of us needs to win."
"I'll never give up. Never to you. Not in a million years."
Sigh.
We clash again.
"Argh."
"Stephen coincide or this won't end well for you."
'No!" Stephen pops something into his mouth.
The wind grow stronger. Stephen swings harder and the impact knocks me back a few feet. People around us were soon engulfed within his wind, preventing their own fights. The gusts were knocking them off their feet. Gashes soon rip on those close to us.
I need to invoke flare now. People are in danger! Focus! Focus! Focus my mind and channel my rage, my passion, my [hope].
Blaze forth, Flare.
The flames blaze shifting from red orange to blue, then to white. My footsteps grow quicker. I start to feel like time was beginning to slow almost to a halt. Three seconds is all I need. With one last charge, my blade soon melts Stephen's claymore like butter on toast, stopping just an inch close to his neck. The action sends his sword flying to the ground. He stands there petrified, shaking.
As he drops to the ground and whispers softly.
"I coincide."
I bow and sheath my sword, walking away. I have finally won this battle. Two long years and I finally zipped his lips.
"Thank you for this fight. Until next time Stephen. Hopefully, the next time we see each other, it'll be as friends.