Serenity In Solitude

They scattered as the flames rose, all except one, Jane. The flames rose around her and not even a hair on her head was singed. At best she smelt of smoke.

"Warm." She said flailing her hand in the orange flame, stooping in it.

Then she started walking towards me, calm and collected. And as she was on the path, just a few feet away, she lifted her hand. It was akin to but not the same as when Mr. Rockwell conjured flames.

Then, even before she could act.

"Make a wall of white mana in front of you and through it make streaks of green, dark green, like a fence. Quick!"

I needed to act quick, and quick I did act. As I raised my hand my mana gushed forth like a waterfall as it rose, as it settled it stacked and held onto it self, holding itself upright, akin to wall. As it stacked I could see her. A smile on her face and an evil darkness in her eyes. She thought she had won.

It stacked and as it did, I did as was told and made a fence in the white green. The green soon dispersed on its own, filling the white, giving it a green hue.

As her hand stopped ahead of her I could see it, a clear orange. It would be hot. As the raw mana churned from her palms, the flame came into view. It was like water, it gushed and spread out the color being constant.

As it collided with my wall, it pushed it back, and slowly I could see it chipping away, the green fading. The flame wrapped around on many a occasion, but due to the length of the wall, I could only feel its heat.

The heat doused by the air and forced to turn a corner, was still hot enough for me to jump back out of pure instinct. The wall chipped away, holes forming and heat pouring through. At that point the wall as melting, the mana was literally folding in on itself as the flame poured through. As the flame poured through the bigger the holes got and thus, the more flame would pour through.

It was an onslaught, what I expected to be a notices attack was then approaching a minute, and with every passing second I'd step further back and the sweat on my body would reach further.

I raised my pistol slowing my breath as best I could. I aimed with my right eye to the center of the flame and inhaled. I let out my breath and with that my finger descended onto the trigger.

"Stop!" She exclaimed, and soon as she did, the flames quenched.

It was Abigale.

"We came here to scare him a little not kill him!" She was held tight onto Jane's hand, not giving her a chance to budge.

"OOps. I think that did the trick." She was smiling.

"I'm sorry. This was not my intention." Abigale said dragging Jane by the arm.

"See you around black diamond." Her free right hand touching her lips before blowing a kiss my way. I stepped to the side.

"I won't go so easy on you next time." She shouted her voice fading in the distance.

And with no explanation, they left. It was frustrating, but an eye opener none the less. I was going to get better, if not for the sake of anyone else, for the sake of myself.

I left the dome not bating an eye at the targets. I walked all the way back to my room no one looking my way, getting rid of the two was good. I entered my room and soon enough, I was lost in thought. Tossing my mask asunder, I had begun.

"How to win? " This was the question that churned in my mind. And soon I'd act on it. Knowing how to defend I needed to then attack and improve said defense. I created the wall once more and in all its glory.

I went closer, looking upon every inch and cranny. I had figured it out. Touching the wall it was solid and cold, lifeless. The streaks of green were like arteries, pumping green into the white. The hue was subtle, but just enough for it to be recognized.

I sat beside the wall focusing on the green, its color, its presence, its shape. I had to get it right, it was too big, the wall. Knocking it down a few pegs, it was now just above my knees and just as wide as my folded legs.

I focused on the green, watching its patterns, its movements. I poured more mana into the wall, this time all in the streaks, making each like a cylinder connected to the next, I sealed it. The hue disappeared and the white was apparent.

Forcing an unhealthy amount of mana into the arteries, and on que like a volcano, I let them burst. Not enough to let all the mana out but just enough to darken the hue, from a lime to a fern. It was perfect, the almost surgically placed holes, were fulfilling there purpose, I had done it.

I spent no time on the success, I had more to do. I went over to one of my uniforms and switched my pants. The scent of smoke catching my nostrils. The legs were burnt, not too bad, but enough not to be worn anymore. I folded it and put it near the others, though a little ways away. I had no bin, that was a problem for another day though.

I fastened the pants and went to the bathroom. Approaching the white walls a sink emerged. seamlessly. I tapped the pipe and water started gushing forth. This was my weapon. I gathered mana in my palms, forcing it blue. My palms covered in the stuff, I put my hands under the pipe.

As I did some of the water stopped dead in its tracks, but as soon as it did new water would push it away, carrying my mana with it.

I stood there for what seemed to be hours, the time blurring together. I turned down the tap to limit wastage but left it just high enough to preserve the corrosion, a drop per second.

As the water hit, the unstable edge of my palm would shift and as such the water would bounce off my hand escaping. I Focused on every drop of water and as they fell I added a little green to the edge of my palm, holding the water in place. At least that was the end result.

If there was too much green, the nature would simply change and thus all the water would get hardened. If there was too little it made no difference. I had to strike the balance. With every drop that slipped away each passing second, I fixed another loop hole. And soon, I could tell a loop hole before it popped up, but I'd still wait for confirmation.

And after 14,400 and one attempts, it was perfect. I had done it. The water pilled up and arranged itself like tetras. Manipulating the shape I made a floating stream. Guiding it into the the containers on my thighs, I was ready.

Leaving the bathroom, I stood in the center of the room. Focusing, and that time pouring the mana out from my thighs, I used my hands to guide it. In one smooth and elegant motion, I lifted my hands.

The water gushed forth, but instead of spewing like a hose, it came out like a blade. Swift and unforgiving. If I curved my hand the blade would curve. If I spun it spun. I was done. Checking the time I had spent more time than expected. It was almost twelve.

Taking a shower I practiced a little before going to bed. I was ready.

Though disappointingly, there was nothing. The alarm went off and I woke up, no dream, no nightmare.

I picked myself up and got ready, doing the usual. Then I realized. I hadn't eaten in days, but that could wait. Getting dressed in my uniform, I filled my containers with water and left.

I headed straight for the class, no regard for what was around me. I was ready. Entering I saw her, Jane. She sat in the middle, the princess not there yet only her and her friends. It was early so my request was reasonable, at least we had twenty minutes to wrap it up and at most thirty.

I walked right up to her and without even realizing it, I had softened my footsteps. A habit I was far in too deep to get out from.

"Jane." I reached and touched her shoulder.

"Oh God!" She jumped and turned in her seat. "Oh... it's you... sneak up on me like that again... and I'll kill you..." Her pants cut up her sentence.

"Actually, that's what I want." I said in a provoking voice.