Chapter 10 - Esze Training

Without my realizing it, the sun had already crept high above us. The heat should have been unbearable as the sun beat down, but I didn't need to worry about being scorched. The tall trees surrounding us shielded my skin from the harsh rays. Their thick, leafy canopies provided shade, offering a refuge for anyone who walked beneath them.

I was in the Tenerif Forest, a vast expanse that bordered the Western Elvian Kingdom. With Almira by my side, we walked along the banks of the great river that cleaved through the heart of the forest. Every now and then, I caught Almira gazing longingly across the water, perhaps thinking of her homeland. Meanwhile, my gaze drifted to the Kelan River, the very place where I had first arrived in this world. We walked in silence, carefully stepping over the river stones and pebbles along the shore.

Here, in this quiet stretch of the forest, there was no one else around. I took off the round straw hat that Kak Shella had given me and slung it over my shoulder. Almira, ever confident in her Elvian form, walked beside me without a care. Both of us were keenly aware of our surroundings. Our sharp senses told us if anyone was near, and as long as we remained vigilant, there was no need to fear being seen. It felt free and exhilarating, allowing the wind to tousle my hair as I walked, a comfort I could never find when my head was covered.

It had been about an hour and a half since we had left the gates of Glafelden. I had no idea where Almira was taking me. Normally, when she trained me in Esze, we would go to a nearby forest. But today, she had led me farther away, following a smaller stream that twisted its way deeper into the woods. I had no objections; I simply followed her, not asking too many questions.

After another hour of walking, Almira finally stopped. Blinking in the brightness of the dappled sunlight, I saw where the stream led—a secluded pond deep within the forest. The area was humid, with little light filtering through the dense canopy. Although the sun above shone brightly, the light reaching the forest floor was scattered in thin beams, obscured by the thick foliage. The pond was relatively large, about the size of a football field. The pebbles and river rocks lining its edge seemed almost artificially arranged, giving the place a mysterious, serene quality. Hundreds of colorful fish swam joyfully in the crystal-clear waters, making the scene all the more enchanting.

"What a beautiful place!" I exclaimed, my excitement spilling over. "Are we going to practice Esze here?"

"Of course," Almira replied with a smile. "A quiet, peaceful place will help you focus better."

She placed her waist pouch on a smooth river rock. It was wide enough for her to sit on comfortably. After removing her leather shoes and setting them beside the pouch, she turned her gaze toward me. "Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and take off your sandals and join me in the pond!"

"Uh, okay!" I responded, a little startled by her tone.

I quickly kicked off my sandals and followed Almira into the water. The pond's bottom was filled with small, sharp stones, making it difficult to walk without careful steps. I had to be cautious not to trip or injure myself. As the water reached my calves, I pulled up the hem of my dress to avoid getting it wet. The dress was a gift from Shella, and I couldn't bear to ruin it.

"Why are you acting like a princess? Hurry up and follow me, or I'll stop teaching you!" Almira called out with mock impatience.

I grimaced. Fine, forget about the dress! I'd apologize to Shella later. After all, she knew I often returned home covered in dirt from training. I quickened my pace to catch up with Almira. The water in the pond deepened as we ventured farther, eventually reaching my thighs. By the time we reached the center of the pond, the water rose to our waists, and we stood there, the cool liquid swirling around us.

Almira stopped and turned to face me. "Now, Anggi, before we begin, remind me again what Esze is!"

"Huh? Why? We're not in a classroom, are we?" I protested. "What do I get for explaining it? 10 points? A class ranking?"

When Almira first taught me to use Esze, she gave a comprehensive definition of it. If explained fully, it could fill a book. Each time we began a new lesson, she often asked me the same thing. Perhaps in her mind, she thought she was teaching a class, and I was the student. It was truly irritating. All I wanted was for her to stop wasting time with such unnecessary questions.

"I just want you to remember the essence of Esze when you're not playing around," Almira explained, her tone more serious.

"Don't worry, I remember your explanation by heart. Besides, I'm not playing around," I replied, slightly irritated.

"Then say it!"

Honestly, I was getting really fed up with her. If she weren't stronger than me, I might have slapped her by now.

"Fine!" I muttered. "I'll get straight to the point. Esze is a natural phenomenon granted by the gods when they descended to earth. It is a power that allows us to control and manipulate objects, people, and the natural world. To use Esze, we need a structure inside our body. Only the Elvian and Haier-Elvian races possess this structure, so—"

"Stop!" Almira interrupted sharply. Her voice was loud enough to make me snap my mouth shut. "As you know, only Elvians and Haier-Elvians have this 'structure.' When I first met you, I saw that your Esze structure was stronger and more complex. This made your body emit an unusual aura. Over the past seven months, we've worked to suppress your Esze aura to a normal level."

"Over the last month, I've taught you the basics of wind Esze. Now, I'm going to teach you water Esze. Pay close attention!"

I nodded in agreement.

Almira walked farther into the pond, the water rising to her chest. She pulled out her Esze staff—a wooden stick that helped manifest Esze from the structure inside her body. She raised it high above her head, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

For a moment, I stood in awe, watching her. Then, the surface of the pond began to ripple gently. It felt like the ground beneath me was shaking, though the earth remained still. The fish in the water scattered, seeking refuge behind rocks. Some of the larger fish with broad fins tried to swim upstream.

My attention returned to Almira. The tip of her viglet—the Esze staff—glowed faintly. She began to rotate her hand in circles, moving it around, and the water followed her lead, swirling into a massive vortex. The water's current was strong enough to push me off balance, but luckily, I had moved further from the center of the pond. If I hadn't, I would have been sucked into the vortex.

With a focused expression, Almira raised her hand slowly. Thousands of cubic meters of water floated upward, following her viglet. She guided the water with ease, making it move across the sky. The water swirled and twisted, splitting into several smaller streams that passed between the trees, only to reunite once again. I gasped in awe, watching the spectacle unfold before me as if I were witnessing an acrobat performing an impossible stunt.

After playing with the water for a while, Almira released her concentration. The water that had been suspended in the air fell back into the pond with a loud splash, splashing all over me and staining my clothes. Shella would not be happy about this.

Almira pointed to me, signaling for me to come closer.

"That was incredible! Are you going to teach me how to do that?" I couldn't hide my excitement, my heart racing as I spoke. "That was amazing!"

"Not that easily, you know!? To master a new element, you must go through the same process you did when learning wind Esze."

"You mean the integration of the spirit?"

Almira nodded slowly.

I swallowed hard. Integrating the spirit wasn't as easy as it seemed. Your mind and soul had to connect with nature for the elemental spirits to accept you and enter your body. The elemental spirits were like abstract, invisible creatures, but Elvians referred to them as the embodiment of each of the elements that make up the earth.

To use a new element of Esze, you had to make the elemental spirit appear and enter your body. This would renew and coat your Esze structure with the elemental spirit's energy. The problem was, summoning an elemental spirit was incredibly difficult. They wouldn't appear to someone who harbored malicious intent or wasn't sincere. It had taken me more than three hours of meditation just to summon a wind spirit.

Almira kept her gaze fixed on me. I knew she was expecting me to meditate right away. I sighed deeply, then began to follow her instructions. I sat cross-legged in the water, submerging my body up to my chest. I slowly closed my eyes and started to concentrate.

When I summoned the wind spirit earlier, I focused on my friends—on the moment when we were dragged into this world because of my recklessness. We had to live as beggars, relying on the kindness of others. At that time, I had vowed to use Esze's power to protect my friends. Suddenly, a small white mist appeared in front of me. Without warning, it entered my body, and the wind spirit was mine.

I thought every spirit would be the same. I focused on the same thoughts that had worked last time. Yet, nothing happened. No water spirit appeared in front of me. I continued to meditate, but after half an hour, still no result.

"Let me offer some advice. Think about something different. What did you feel when you saw me earlier? Use your senses to feel the surroundings. You'll figure it out on your own later." Almira observed from the edge of the pond, sitting on a rock while munching on some snacks from her small bag. Seeing her eat so happily made me hungry. But it seemed she wouldn't let me join her until I completed my task.

For the umpteenth time, I tried to concentrate. I focused my thoughts on everything around me. I could feel the water temperature slowly decreasing, the chirping of birds perched on the trees, and the movement of fish swimming near my body. It felt as if I could see everything just by using my senses. I also thought about my life in this world. Despite the circumstances, I still longed to return to my original world, to reunite with my parents. I wondered what they would think if they saw me now. Their daughter, transformed into a mystical creature. They would surely be shocked.

Another two hours passed in vain. I still couldn't summon the water spirit. Frustration and disappointment consumed me. I walked out of the pond, my emotions overflowing. I slapped my hand against the water, sending a large splash into the air.

"This is a waste of time! Why do we have to ask the elemental spirits for permission to accept us? Why can't we just catch them?" I clenched my fists, grinding my teeth in frustration.

"Because they aren't animals to be hunted. Watch your words, child! The elemental spirits may be invisible, but they can still see you!" Almira snapped.

"Whatever! I don't care anymore." I turned away from the pond, preparing to shout loudly. "Damn spirits! I hope you all rot here forever!"

Just then, something hit my head from behind. It hurt. But I couldn't figure out what had been thrown. For a moment, I realized it was wind. Sure enough, when I looked back, I saw Almira with her hand raised, using Esze to direct it at me.

"What are you doing, you fool?" I shouted angrily.

Almira simply slapped her forehead and shook her head. "I didn't expect you to be this foolish. Insulting the elemental spirits?! Just speaking badly about them is forbidden, let alone cursing them. Luckily, the wind spirit that resides within your structure has already been permanently bonded. If not, it would have abandoned you by now."

I rubbed my head where she had struck me with the wind. "What's the big deal if I insult them? They deserve it!"

"The elemental spirits won't accept anyone who speaks ill of them. You're really foolish!"

Ignoring Almira's words, I muttered to myself while grabbing a food package from her waist pouch. Inside was a few pieces of egg rolls. It wasn't the most delicious thing, but it was enough to fill my stomach after hours of pointless training.

That day, we returned just before dusk. Almira had suggested more meditation in the pond, but I refused. In the end, she taught me more wind Esze techniques. Throughout the night, I couldn't stop grumbling about the elemental spirits that had made me so angry every time I remembered them.