Page 7 of Elemental Hall: Nautica
One thing stands out, even among all that.
“Where are the teachers?” I ask.
Aria shakes her head. “That’s not how things work. Oh, they’ll give us classes down in the amphitheater on different aspects of elementalism, on fighting, strategy, politics, and the rest, but most of it we have to learn from each other, or from the library. They post a list of the challenges they’re planning, and the skills we’ll need. Then it’s on us to prepare.”
I’m not sure what to think about that. Coming here, I’d assumed that there would be people to teach me all the skills I need. Now, it seems that I will somehow have to work things out for myself.
“Are you going to be okay from here?” Aria asks suddenly. “Only, I told Nymyra that I would meet up with her after the challenge.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assure her. I’m not sure whether that’s true or not, but she’s already done so much to show me around. How hard can learning what I need to know in a library be?
I head into the library, taking the water gate, of course. The interior is enough to make me simply stare, up and further up. A single spiral staircase runs around and around the edge, leading up to floors above. The walls are dominated by shelves, with niches for scrolls and books. More books than I’ve seen in my life. More books than anyone could hope to read. The center of the tower is open, so it’s possible to look up all the way to the top, where a large crystal hangs, refracting the sunlight into every possible color.
There are desks and chairs dotted around the interior, while a single large notice board holds announcements. Some are fromstudents, requesting assistance or announcing gatherings. More must be from those in charge, announcing different challenges. I shudder as I read the details of the “undertow challenge,” where we will be required to make our way to an island across the bay, navigating or avoiding dangerous channels, competing to be the first ones to hold some object.
I think about what I will need to know for that and realize that in one way, I have an advantage: I already seem to have enough innate skills with water that I should be able to cross the space between two islands safely.
It means that I have the time to start looking around the library for the kind of basic information that the others here seem to take for granted. I want to know about the forms, about the elements, about everything that it takes to be an elementalist.
I seek out a scroll on the basics of air manipulation, unrolling it in front of myself, taking in the detailed notes on posture, on attuning my breath to the air around me, on gestures and movements that might help to build a connection to the air. The first exercise seems to be designed to create a cooling breeze. Nothing more than that. I settle into one of the seats, trying the movements over and over.
Nothing happens. With water, it’s as if my connection to it flows naturally. With the air, there simply isn’t the same sense of being one with it. There isn’t that ease, that sense that the air will do what I want it to do. That, presumably, is why the exercises are there.
“Are you stupid?” a voice snaps. I look up from the spot where I’m sitting to see a slender, stern-looking young man whom I recognize from the deep dive trial. What’s his name? Aria mentioned it…Ash?
“No,” I reply. “Are you?”
It’s the wrong thing to say, judging by the sudden flash of anger in his expression.
“I should have guessed that some peasant girl the recruiters found doesn’t know the rules. No working with the elements in the library. No one wants to risk you setting fire to the tower because you don’t have any control.”
“I’m working on the air,” I point out.
“You think that makes a difference?” Ash demands. He sneers at me. “I’m astonished that someone like you can even read.”
I’m up out of my seat in an instant. He smiles, dropping back into a ready fighting position.
“Oh, I would enjoy teaching you a lesson,” he says. “Especially after you showed me up by being the one to come back with the elemental mistress’s precious bracelet.”
He circles me like a predator waiting to strike.
“I’m not looking for a fight,” I say, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference to him. He keeps moving, keeps looking for his opportunity. He draws one hand back to throw a punch…
There’s another young man there then, interposing himself between us. I vaguely recognize him too from the challenge. He’s muscular and sandy-haired, now wearing a tunic over his swim shorts and sandals. He has square-jawed features that are, I must admit, quite handsome. He has the kind of deep blue eyes that it would be easy to stare into, losing myself for hours.
Currently, those eyes are locked onto Ash.
“Attacking other students, Ash?”
“She barely counts as that. And you’re interfering in my business.”
“When someone’s about to pick a fight with someone who can’t defend herself, I’m inclined tomakeit my business.”
Ash gives the newcomer a hard look. “You might want to remember that I’m still senior to you here, whoever your family is, Orion.”
He stalks off, leaving me alone with the newcomer, who looks around at me like he’s worried I’ll have come to some harm while his back’s turned.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
