Azyl Academy (Elemental Gatherers Book 1)

by Chris Vines

  CHAPTER TEN

  “Well, shoot.” I sat and worried for a bit, then my stomach growled at me. I got up and hurried back to the food. No one was on the trail anymore, leaving me alone. I jogged the rest of the way. The smell of grilled meat drew me into the building, though I noticed many people staring at me as I walked in. I quickly grabbed food and found a seat alone. I didn’t feel like talking. Hopefully the punishment is light, and hopefully Nicky recovers fully. I think he’s an asshole, but that doesn’t mean he should be crippled. Maybe he’ll learn not to attack other people? I thought, and then snorted. I doubt it; he’ll have to change quite a lot since he was whipping a girl when I first saw him. Maybe he did deserve to be crippled. After musing for a bit, I started to eat, enjoying the richness of grilled Beast meat. Put worries off until they come to pass. I can’t change what I did, and I can’t change what the powers that be will decide. Just accept it and move on. I finished eating and got up, heading towards the classrooms again.

  I waved to Jon as I entered the library at the base of the classroom building. Again a chalkboard was set up, this time simply telling us to return to the classrooms we had before lunch. “So what happened?” Jon asked. I quickly explained how Nicky had attacked me and how I had stopped him. Then I told Jon about the visit from Counselor Sila and the admonishment not to do what I had done again.

  “I’m assuming we’ll probably have a lesson now on defending against Aether attacks, rather than waiting until they were planning on it.” I said as we approached the door.

  “You’re right!” called Counselor Sila from inside the classroom. “Everyone get in here.” Jon and I walked in, taking our seats. The rest of the class filed in, with Anberlin giving me a glare as she walked by. I nervously smiled at her. Bridget gave me a surreptitious wink as she walked by, sitting next to Anberlin. As the rest of the class grabbed their seats, Counselor Sila started speaking. “We were going to spend some time today discussing some of the major happenings behind the formation of our kingdom and the various Academies, but after an incident with Aether attacks it was decided to move the defense channeling lesson forward. Thankfully, basic defense is fairly simple, so we will spend most of this class practicing creating an Aether Shield. Now, Aiden, you will be my test subject for this lesson and all future lessons. Come up front.”

  Well, I guess I found out one element of my punishment. I’m probably going to be the test dummy for every not pleasant thing we do this year, I thought as I stood up. “Good. Now focus on your center. Revolve Aether around your center and pull it out to your chest. It will spread evenly throughout your skin if you do it correctly. No, straight out, hit the point where your sternum ends. Good, keep pulling. See how it is spreading around, evenly coating you? Excellent. Now stop, sit down, and gather some to replenish what you just used. Everyone else, try once, the proctors and I will be watching.”

  I sat down and gathered Aether. Replacing Aether that was used to do something was very quick, especially with the new rune enhancing me. It felt like there was a vacuum inside me that drew in the Aether from around me, filling my tank quickly, so to speak. “Oh, Counselor, I was wondering, how many runes can you use for your center?”

  “Good question. You can use one rune for each element, with a level up to your affinity with the element. So everyone can use eight runes, though they are limited to level zero or one runes for Low or Marginal affinities. Usually people put runes in for affinities that are Moderate or Higher, arranged around their center. Having more runes is better, but each one beyond the first does not provide the full benefit, so you’ll always want to make the center rune the strongest you have. You should wipe away that stupid rune from the starter book provided to people with no tradition. Your mother should have given you a level two rune of her affinity. Nearly always affinities are inherited from the mother.”

  “I didn’t know that. Neither did my parents. That information should be spread much farther around. I’ll wipe away both runes and redraw them and put together the others later. Thank you for the information sir.” I replied, trying to keep the annoyance from my tone.

  “Good. Also, don’t put more runes in than you have open meridians. We’ll be opening several more over the rest of the week.” A quick nod and he was moving away, going to help Jon get the procedure right.

  I took the opportunity to practice again, feeling the Aether move and flow over me. Something wasn’t right, as the Aether was bunching up on one side. “Make sure you are pulling straight out for now. Getting good at angling the Aether Shield will be useful, but you should be proficient in basic shielding first,” Mentor Gutierrez said, walking up to observe my second attempt. I quickly changed the angle, making the bunching up feeling subside. Once it was even, I stopped and gathered again.

  We spent the next hour repeatedly shielding and resting. Over this time I managed to reduce the time it took to summon the shield by nearly half. That helped reduce the lost Aether. After everyone was roughly proficient, Counselor Sila called me up again. “Now, I will call you up one at a time and demonstrate your proficiency at summoning the Aether Shield. Channel a Shield and do not release until I tell you,” he commanded me. I quickly followed his order, pulling the Aether straight out of my center and forming a shield around me.

  He looked at me, nodded, and then slapped his palm to my chest, thrusting a small amount of Aether into my shield. I rocked backward, but the shield held. It sputtered out immediately after, and I felt exhausted suddenly, like when I ran out of Aether looking at the memory stone. “Good, your Shield held. Go take a seat. I will be testing your Shields versus what a low Vapor Gatherer could produce, to verify minimum capability. Work on thickening the shield, though much more will not be possible until you advance. Next, Hill Lucas, you are up.” He said, gesturing at a tall blonde guy from the back row.

  The rest of the lesson passed quickly, with each person being tested in the same way. Only a couple people failed, and they were given instructions on how to hold better and sent to practice more. Finally, everyone had passed and we were dismissed to get ready for Physical Training. “Aiden, hold back.” Counselor Sila said. I stepped out of line for the door and waited. After everyone had left, another Counselor came in, followed by Nicolai.

  Nicolai looked at me, undisguised hatred in his eyes. “I am required to apologize for attacking you this morning. I am sorry. I will not attack you outside of a sanctioned duel or tournament again.” He said through gritted teeth.

  “Thank you.” I replied coolly. I knew this wasn’t the end of it, but it should reduce the threat here at the Academy. With my reply, he jerkily nodded at me, turned, and stalked out of the room.

  “I will be watching his behavior for the next month or so, Aiden, so you will be safe. Good luck with your studies, and work hard.” The other Counselor told me as he turned to follow Nicolai.

  “Now that that is over, head back to your room and get ready for training. You’ll need it, because you will be the demonstrator for every lesson from now on. Actions have consequences, even if they were in the best of intentions,” Counselor Sila told me after they had left.

  “Yes sir. Thank you sir, see you tomorrow.” I responded and left. I doubt that it is truly over. I need to get stronger to protect myself from him and idiots like him. Not that I needed MORE motivation towards building my strength. Time for PT.

  I wasn’t sure how long we had until PT was supposed to start, so I hurried back to my room. There I discovered my new uniforms laid out on the bed. There were six sets of loose flowing pants and tunics, each a nice jade green with black trim. I guess black trim is first tiers? Additional undergarments were provided, along with a pair of boots and a pair of moccasin-like shoes which both laced up. How did they get new shoes for everyone who joined the Academy in a day! I exclaimed in my head. I hurried to put on a uniform set and the shoes, marveling at how well they fit. I can move easily in these and the material is nicer than anything I owned back in town. After get
ting dressed, I hurried to the Physical Training fields.

  As I approached the field, a booming voice yelled out “First tiers over here!” I saw Counselor Might standing near the training dummies, with his back to them looking at the weapon racks. The racks held every kind of melee weapon I could think of, and many I had never seen before. “Get in a line in front of me, hurry up. Move, move!” he continued to bellow at us, chivvying us into place. As I hurried into line, I noticed that everyone else had changed into the uniforms, so we looked like we belonged now. From behind the weapons racks a number of older students came out. Hmm, I guess the third and fourth tiers spend a lot of time assisting the Counselors.

  “Today, we will start by selecting a weapon. Your training in the first tier will focus mostly on duels and small group fighting, as those with significant power are usually separate from the full army. In your second tier, you will go train in large group tactics at Fort Pevnost with the army training command. The second tiers are currently training there now. Here we focus on defeating other gathering experts and Beast and Elemental Beast incursions. Your training will be in the weapon most suited to you and your affinities. Now, split up and explore the weapons. Once you have made your selection, come speak to me. The Mentors here are to help you, so head their words. Now begin!”

  Nearly everyone rushed to the nearest weapons rack. Many already knew what they wanted, especially the nobles who had been trained in self-defense and specific weapon techniques for years. Those like me who had no idea and had never trained with a weapon just grabbed what looked cool to test out. After ducking under the swing of an overly enthusiastic guy’s glaive I decided to back off and wait for a clear space where I wouldn’t be accidentally impaled. I saw Louis come out with a ridiculous two-handed sword. That might be as big as the sword from Final Fantasy! He seemed to carry it with ease, even though it was nearly as tall as he was. Ming and Xiao both came out with a straight one-handed sword. Jon walked over to the Counselor holding a moderate sized triangular shield and sword. Huh, I didn’t notice the shields.

  As people grabbed weapons and moved off, it was finally clear enough that I didn’t think I’d be accidentally decapitated. I still wasn’t sure what I wanted, though I didn’t think I wanted to use a large polearm. I picked up a sword like Ming had and swung it around, but it didn’t feel right. I kept looking around. “Mentor, I was wondering why there are no ranged weapons here?” I asked as I realized there were no throwing weapons or bows.

  “Everyone will eventually have to learn both a close weapon and a ranged weapon. This is to pick the close weapon that resonates with you and your Aether. Ranged weapons are almost always the bow or crossbow and will be dealt with later on. Bows usually only go to those who want to focus on ranged attacks after they reach the second tier and higher or those who have used them before. Otherwise, crossbows are useful until you reach Core Seed level. What is your affinity and talent?” The Mentor asked me back.

  “Highest is Lighting, with Air, Fire, Metal and Earth, and 16/35.”

  “Oh, you’re Aiden!” She exclaimed, “Come on, I know just the thing!” She leaped to another rack, where she pulled out what looked like long sai. Those are like what Raphael used in The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “These are called trisula. Try them out.” She said as she handed them to me, along with a belt to hold them with.

  They were a couple of inches short of two feet, with two prongs coming out from the sides and a single long blade up the middle. Unlike normal sai, the middle blade was sharpened on one side, making the left and right hand weapons distinct. When held point out, the blade would be facing away from me, and I could hold it with the short end out to make short jabbing punches and slash with my forearms. As I held them, I felt ready. These are awesome! “Why do you think these are good for me?” I asked the Mentor.

  “Trisula are good control weapons, able to both defend and attack. They will be useful when you use Metal or Lightning techniques due to material, and are capable of channeling short Aether strikes even at lower levels. They are made from a single material and the way you hold it involves pressure on the metal at all times, so it is easier to channel Aether into and through them. This is important for you with your high talent numbers since Aether will become your primary means of combat once you hit the Core Seed level, or even earlier! Finally, if you haven’t trained in a weapon before, you can simply hold them in reverse grip and punch while practicing using the blades for defense and grow into the full capabilities of the weapon.” She held out her hands and I handed them back to her. She then demonstrated the two different grips and punched out with them in the reverse grip.

  “I’m convinced, these sound great. I will take these. Thank you.” I took them back from her and held them in the reverse grip. Punching out, they fit my arm and hands just about perfectly. On a whim, I channeled some Aether into the right hand Trisula, stepped away from the Mentor and others, and punched in a direction that no one else was in. I wasn’t going to take a chance at hurting someone. The Trisula glowed for a second and sparked at the end and that was it, but the Aether flowed through the whole thing. I could feel the Aether as it moved through the weapon, circling back into the meridian in my arm. I pushed Aether out like I was making a shield, only this time from the meridian in my forearm and into the weapon. A shield formed on the weapon, though it was sharp. Neat! I thought as I cut off the flow of Aether. I turned back to the Mentor, but she had moved off to help someone else.

  Now that I had my weapons, I walked over to Counselor Might as instructed. “Hmm, trisula. Good choice. You’ll have to work on forearm and wrist strength along with general body strength. You’ll work with Mentor Jameson, over there.” He pointed to a group of people surrounding a wiry Mentor with dark brown hair who was holding a sword and dagger.

  “Thank you sir.” I said with a bow before walking over to the group. On the way, I noticed that everyone over here had either two weapons or a double ended weapon. Looking around, I saw a group of polearms, a group of large weapon users like greatswords, a group with shields and one-handed weapons, and a group with just a one-handed weapon.

  When I reached the group, Mentor Jameson looked over at me and said “Hi, I’m Mentor Jameson Jacob. I’ll be teaching you the basics of using multiple weapons. Please introduce yourself to everyone here.”

  “I’m Kupiec Aiden, Outstanding Lightning, Excellent Air, Fire and Metal, High Earth, 16/35 talent. I chose to use the trisula and haven’t trained in them, or any weapon, before.” I responded, stopping awkwardly.

  The Mentor’s eyes opened wide and he mouthed “Ocean’s depths!” before getting control of himself. “Uh, welcome to the dual-wielders. Once everyone over there is ready,” he gestured towards the last few people picking weapons, “we will be able to begin. Join the others and do some stretches. We will be working hard for the next hour.” I looked at the rest of the group.

  The first one I recognized was Volkov Vaya, who waved as I looked at her. She had two daggers in her hands, one almost long enough to be a short sword. What is the dividing line between swords and daggers anyway? I wondered as I smiled back. Next to her stood Falconer Bridget, who held two curved machetes as her weapons of choice. Standing off to the side of them were some people I had not met yet, followed by unnamed flunky number one and something Stephan, lackey of Nicolai, who were both glaring at me. Stephan had a double bladed sword that looked impractical, while No Name held what looked like two hollow Frisbees made of metal, with some spikes coming out of them. I winked at them and walked over to Vaya and Bridget.

  “Interesting weapon choice.” Vaya commented as I approached.

  “Thank you. You as well. What did your sister pick?”

  “Bet has used a single longsword for as long as we’ve been training, so I’m sure she went with that. I’ve always like using two smaller blades instead.” We talked a bit about various people’s choices, passing time for the last few people to choose. After a couple of minutes
everyone had chosen a weapon, and our dual-wielding group had grown to twenty. The sword and shield and polearm groups were the largest, by far.

  The last to walk up was another member of my class that I hadn’t met yet, who introduced himself as “Hunter Brett, High Air, Moderate Ice, 5/17.” He was carrying two hooked blades connected by a chain. Well, that’s going to be hard to learn if he doesn’t know yet. I saw those in one of Jackie Chan’s movies. They looked awesome, but impractical.

  As he joined the group, Mentor Jameson spoke up. “Alright, now that everyone is here we can begin. You’ll be joining me here every day to exercise and learn about fighting. We’ll be together for two to three hours daily, so be prepared and eat well at lunch. And dinner. And breakfast. You’ll need the extra nutrition to fuel growth. Everyone, sheath or put away your weapons on yourselves somewhere, then run five laps around the field.”