Rebuild and Glaciers

"Where is that guy? Is it even okay for us to be doing his work?" Fergis grumbled, hauling a bundle of scrap metal toward the waiting wagon.

Cane glanced at him, choosing not to reply. It would be a little too strange to agree—considering they were all unknowingly helping himself, the masked blacksmith.

So he just nodded along whenever the others complained.

"Yeah! Where is that guy?" Clara chimed in, her freckled face flushed from exertion. Somehow, she and Dhalia had ended up grouped with them for cleanup duty.

Cane grinned, remembering introducing Fergis and Clara. The two redheads took one long look at each other.

Then, as if moved by some silent recognition, they slapped palms in mutual ginger solidarity.

"Hey," Cane said, wiping his brow. "You two want to run a mission with us sometime?"

Clara lit up instantly. "Absolutely."

Dhalia, less convinced, crossed her arms. "Wouldn't we just slow you down?"

She hesitated. "Clara specializes in crowd control, and I'm… a healer. A water-based one. But honestly, I'm not great at it."

"Do you have a focal?" Cane asked. He remembered how much it helped Neri—amplifying her magic and conserving energy.

"A focal?" Dhalia scoffed. "I'm a first-year, Cane. How would I afford something like that?"

Cane nodded thoughtfully. "Water-based healer, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I can help you make one."

Dhalia blinked, startled. "You what?"

Cane turned to Clara. "What about you?"

Clara grinned. "A focal? Nope, same boat. I do have an old blueprint, though. Handed down through my family line. Some ancestor was also wood-elemental."

"Wood?" Cane asked, intrigued.

"I'm decent at vine entanglement, snares, roots to hold enemies in place. Not flashy, but… effective. Like Dhalia said, we're not exactly prodigies."

She cast a glance at Fergis, who was—at that moment—trying to tie down the wagon tarp using a spell and accidentally igniting the rope.

He didn't notice the attention.

Cane smirked. "Focal for you too, then. Bring that blueprint to Water Element class when we start again."

Dhalia let out a dramatic sigh that made everyone laugh.

She didn't say anything—but her expression screamed I did not sign up for manual labor.

"If class ever starts again…" she muttered.

**

"Is this okay?" Sofie asked nervously, her shoulders wrapped in a towel as she followed the group toward the central fountain.

"Should be," Fergis said, tossing a glance toward Cane. "I've been feeding him regularly."

"Him?" Dhalia stopped in her tracks. "You mean the electric eel?"

Cane nodded. "The orb I used is still there in the fountain. It's just a matter of activating it again… and, well, convincing the eel to go back in."

Sofie bit her lip, hesitating slightly. She'd run into the group just after their shift helping with cleanup. When Cane and Fergis suggested a soak in the hot springs, she hadn't expected a literal eel-powered spa.

"Watch my bro work," Fergis said, puffing up proudly.

Cane chuckled and extended his hand over the water. His awareness reached into the fountain, locating the orb he'd altered with elemental structure and a heating rune. With a simple twist of will, the protesting eel was once again encased in the floating orb. It glowed brightly, then sank beneath the surface—heat blooming outward in steady waves.

"The fountain is off-limits," Fergis announced to the growing number of bystanders who hovered nearby with not-so-subtle stares.

Murmurs followed.

"Those two have taken over the fountain again."

"I tried to trap that eel myself. Got shocked half to death."

"That damned Firekiss…"

Cane grinned. Firekiss—Fergis's nickname—was the result of a dozen singed students who'd underestimated the fire prodigy.

Cane eased into the now-steaming water, sighing as the heat soaked into his bones. The others followed, settling into a circle.

"Nice, right?" he asked.

Sofie nodded, staying mostly submerged even though her swimwear was modest to begin with. "That eel… won't escape, right?"

Clara tossed an arm around her shoulders. "Relax. Nothing gets by Cane. You should see him in class. Our water instructor's a mermaid hybrid! She treats him like her favorite little brother."

The exaggerated tone made both Cane and Dhalia laugh.

Dhalia glanced curiously at Sofie. "Are you a first-year too?"

Sofie shook her head. "No. I'm not a student—I work in the kitchens."

"Really?" Clara blinked. "I could never do that."

"No?" Sofie asked with a small smile.

"No way," Clara said dramatically. "They'd fire me day one. I love food too much. Sweet food, spicy food, meat, cheese…" She launched into a list that quickly spiraled into full-on culinary praise.

"That's… a lot of food," Sofie said, amused.

Clara slumped in the water with a loud sigh. "Crap… now I'm hungry. Kitchen raid?"

"No," Dhalia replied flatly.

Sofie shrugged. "A small raid would be fine."

Cane raised an eyebrow. "Why would you tell her that?"

"My girl!" Clara beamed, hugging Sofie with one arm and sticking her tongue out at Dhalia.

The dark countertop reflected the single candle flickering in the center of the serving kitchen. Slowly, a head rose above the counter—eyes darting left, then right, then left again.

"What the hell are you doing?" Dhalia's voice made Clara jump hard enough to nearly fall backward.

Sofie laughed from the prep station, waving them inside as she lit a few more candles. "Pantry's through there. We've got fruit, bread, cheese... or if you want something sweeter, there's a frozen lemon dessert that's amazing."

Clara turned to Cane and pinched his arm. "You had an inside man this whole time and didn't say anything?"

"Sofie isn't a man," Cane replied, deadpan.

"You know what I meant!"

Sofie scooped out generous portions of the lemon dessert and passed bowls around. Clara was already licking her lips in anticipation when her eyes landed on something under the surface of the chilled treat.

"Hey… what kind of rune is that?"

Cane had been wondering the same thing. "Definitely water-based."

"Maybe it's like that orb," Dhalia suggested, leaning in. "You altered the water's structure, right? Ice is still water, just different form."

"Ask Selene if you're curious," Cane said between bites.

"No, you ask her," Clara countered, grinning.

Dhalia nodded. "Yeah, you ask her. She likes you."

Cane sighed. "Fine. I'll ask her."

Clara eyed Cane's bowl suspiciously, then frowned. "Hey… He got more than me!"

Sofie smiled sweetly without missing a beat. "Did he?"

Cane's room communicator glowed and let out a sharp ding. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes and traced the psi rune.

Classes will resume this morning.

"Short and sweet." He stretched his arms over his head. Cleanup had lasted a week. Between manual labor during the day and forging at night, he was more than ready to return to routine.

A short while later, Cane entered the Water Element classroom, offering Selene a smile and nodding politely to Arven.

"I'd like to try something today," he said.

"Selene has a curriculum she follows, regardless of how special you think you are," Arven replied, tone sharp as ever. His disdain might've been unearned—but it was certainly consistent.

"I'll decide that," Selene cut in. Her cool voice wiped the smirk off Arven's face. "What did you have in mind?"

"I'd like to develop my own water," Cane said.

Selene's brows rose slightly. "That's advanced elemental immersion." She paused, watching as more students filtered in. "Still… it doesn't hurt to try."

"And I want to help Dhalia develop hers."

That gave Selene pause. Cane's affinity with water was already beyond his rank—thanks in part to his bond with Neri and the attunement he'd gained from her focal. But for him to attempt a communal rune… and to include Dhalia?

"I'll guide you through the steps," Selene said at last. "If you can form a communal rune, it might be possible." She turned to Arven. "Find us two high-grade, self-perpetuating vials."

Arven frowned. "Those are too valuable to—"

"You're here through my forbearance, Arven. I'm sure the Fire Hall would be happy to have you back permanently." Her eyes didn't blink until he turned and left.

Selene returned her attention to Cane. "What's the nature of your experience with this?"

"I interacted directly with the water in Neri's focal," he said. "Repaired the rune. Augmented it."

Selene inhaled sharply. "That's…" She let it go. "I'll brief the class."

When Arven returned, she took the vials without a word and handed them to Cane and Dhalia.

"Today, two students will attempt to fuse their essence into water. This is a significant step in the path of a water elemental. When successful, your abilities grow exponentially. Many seniors avoid it entirely, fearing failure—but regardless of the outcome, it's an incredible learning experience."

"Seniors?" Dhalia muttered, paling. "How'd you talk me into this?"

"Just follow my lead." Cane exhaled, centering himself.

Selene nodded toward the pool. "Step in. This water is from the Great Northern Barrier. Glacial runoff—excellent for healing and for anyone inclined toward an ice path."

Cane stepped in first, submerging his hand and effortlessly drawing the water into his vial. Dhalia struggled for a few minutes, but eventually succeeded.

"You're doing fine," Selene said gently.

Dhalia turned toward Cane. "Now what?"

"Extend your hand," he said, raising his left hand with his finger pointed upward. "Touch mine. Follow my movements."

Their fingers met. Dhalia's slipped almost immediately.

"It's fine. Think of it like a game. Just shadow my moves." He traced a rune in the air—one he remembered from Neri's ancient seawater. At first, it was a mess. Dhalia kept falling behind or missing subtle shifts.

"Relax," Cane said softly. "It's just us. Let the world fade. Let doubt disappear."

Slowly, things began to shift.

After nearly twenty minutes, the rune they traced flickered—just for an instant, but it was enough.

Dhalia's eyes widened. She steadied. A dim outline formed in the air.

"Keep going. Focus."

The glow brightened with each trace, becoming more defined. Selene watched in astonishment.

A communal rune… on something this complex?

"You're ready," she said at last. "Now—choose a strong memory. Not necessarily tragic or exciting. Something that matters. Push it into the rune. Make it your own."

Cane had already submerged his senses. He floated in a deep blue sea, his presence calm and unshakable. Dhalia's presence hovered nearby, lighter, more uncertain—but steady.

He chose three memories.

The first: the pirate attack. He'd lost Jonas Ironfist that day—his mentor and friend. His breath caught in his chest, tears forming behind closed eyes.

The second: the slaver ship. The dark hold where he first met Ria and Neri. A moment of despair—but also hope.

And the third: Sofie. Her pale face. The soft touch of her first kiss.

Tragedy, hope, sweetness. Each memory was sealed into the rune and offered to the water.

"Now," Selene instructed, "push the rune into the water. Claim it."

Silence followed.

Every student held their breath.

A glow emerged from Dhalia's hand. She gasped softly—her vial now full, the water no longer neutral, but hers. Her essence shimmered in its depths.

But Cane—

The temperature in the room dropped sharply.

Frost formed on his eyelashes. His breath misted in the air.

"Dhalia—out of the pool," Selene ordered. She moved toward Cane, her expression tight. "Arven—heat us up, now!"

Arven raised both hands, fire dancing across his palms as waves of heat fought back the cold.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"He's pursuing the glacial path," Selene said. "The ice within the Northern Sea. If he succeeds—he'll be able to inscribe ice runes directly onto weapons and armor."

The frost spread rapidly.

"We're going to have to retreat!" Arven hissed. "I'm not joking—this is overwhelming."

"Shit…" Selene cursed under her breath. "The pool has frozen. He's not just channeling the glacial water—he's changing it."

A doorway formed in mid-air.

Nos stepped casually through the rift, stroking his mustache. "Frigid glacial air... just what I wanted."

He opened a smaller rift beside Cane, channeling the raging cold away.

"Interesting," he mused. "Don't overdo it, Cane. I'll trade you one common rune. No negotiation."

Selene held her class back as the air stabilized.

Then—

A sudden flash.

Cane was frozen solid.

Not unconscious. Not limp.

Encased in pure, glowing, glacial-blue ice.

Nos snapped the rift closed. "Well, he's calm now. Arven—thaw the boy, or I'll toss you into the Northern Sea." Without speaking further he faded through the floor, going wherever Nos goes.

Grumbling, Arven knelt and channeled heat gently toward the ice. Slowly, it melted.

Minutes passed.

Finally, Cane coughed and opened his eyes—meeting Selene's relieved expression.

She knelt, touching her forehead gently to his.

For a heartbeat, they shared a rush of images—personal, vulnerable, wordless.

Selene flinched and pulled back, breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me, I didn't mean to… I was worried."

"I'm fine," Cane whispered.