Chapter 13 - Gronaan

It's been a few days since we looked down on the training and the most gorgeous woman, I have ever seen found us on the roof. For Rowan and my training's have been well rough, the excitement, and not being able to tell anyone the secret. The two of us have snuck off a few times just to be giddy about the news we received. Who knows how they will do it, or even when, she said a few days, but she could have been playing us for fools too? Our best guess is to wait. Today we are training with a purpose, rankings. Rankings are critical, our skills are chosen behind all of the categories, Combat, Support, and Scouting. I'm not the best at combat but scouting, it's like the wind loves carrying me around silently, I have spent most of my time here weightless floating around my room, and once on the field using it to dodge is a must. I wonder what my family will think once I go home or tell them I was chosen by air. I still haven't written other than the initial letter saying I am alive and healthy, chosen by an element, but not which. Well, that day will come when that day comes. For now, off to rankings.

Rains 9

Floating through the sky weightless is a blast, I didn't like it at first, dwarves aren't the best at heights at first. Using the air to pass messages along is also something I can't help but do more than I try to, screaming seems to be a little messy still, so if I have to tell someone something from a little bit further than a conversational distance. However, wind just seems to make my laughs just loud enough to make them obnoxious. An instructor, it seems like there is an infinite supply of instructors around here, and most of them are just around our age. They must be the group of chosen before us.

We fly through an obstacle course, earth's instructor raised pillars of stones with rings in the middle all around the field, and small symbols of fire lay on the ground, we have to fly through the rain stone pillars while gathering the code word on the ground for the scouting course. Rowan laid the flaming letters on the ground, of course, they spell the word loser from start to finish. Their joking just pushes me further and faster through the air and around the obstacles. The next word is you and the word can't. What are they trying to say? A burst of air drives me faster through the air, faster and faster. Next word, fail you, and finally, idiot. With the last word, my smile fills my face, what that's their message I have to get? That's it? Now to go back. I flip through the Air twisting a torrent around me to turn my abrupt spin into a gentle roll, and nothing more than a breeze fluttering through the air around me.

The pillars all in sync begin to raise and lower shifting their positions so I can't just pass through the same path I took the first go around. So much for muscle memory, well I guess I will just have to wing it. The speed I shed off came back with the challenge of the moving pillars. A rush of air bled into my ears and the barking of Avernous floating on my back pushed me blindly through each column's space. My feet hit the ground after the final tower, and I realized why Rowan put down the message they did; this course was made for someone like me. I look to Rowan and say, "Thanks for the gesture of faith dearest." Their face burst into a blush from cheek to cheek, "Shut up you dolt, what did it say, so I can pass the accuracy onto the instructor?"

"Loser, you can't fail you, idiot," I say trying not to burst into laughter. Rowan's smile filled my eyes, and they nodded to the instructor beside me saying, "I guess he can read." The instructor a little out of breath smiles back to Rowan and blurts out panting, "He can fly too. Fast. Damn." A second instructor, this one I recognized, carried Harpy's Scythe off the field with her air after the fight; begins to jot down notes from the trail, my last for the day. The crash of a body on stone rings through the air, and Tyrant Ruler falls like a feather to the ground next to me. The laugh I had been holding back burst forth from my chest in a deep bellow, "I guess you can't fly like a dwarf now can you elf?" His stare at me could cut steel and crush governments but to my relief, he began laughing as deeply as I had been.

Our laughs filled the air throughout the arena, causing signs of relief at the completion of the courses. Rowan jumped on me saying "You had the fastest time out of everyone, now we wait, let's go get some food." Rowan may go by they and them, and not act like a woman, but their curves are certainly noticeable beneath their robes. The blush erupting on my face cued them off, and the punch that landed on my shoulder will leave a bruise for a week. Their smile that followed melted my heart from flipping their robes over their face with a gust, I guess they can learn a thing or two.

As we started heading back to the center of the arena groups of instructors blocked off all of the entryways, and the one from the start of air training and one other figure stood in front of us a smile rested on both of their faces. They started speaking in sync almost as if this had been rehearsed a hundred times, "Inside you will find a list of names, if you find your name on it report back out here to the arena, we have news for you."

Existential dread filled my chest and beads of sweat began forming on my brow. What could this be about, are we getting cut from the list of students and moved to the field or made to be instructors. Will I be sent home? The fear danced through my mind and played a song of stress across Rowan's. "I'm sure all will be fine with the infamous Fallen Royal why do you look nervous," I asked my friend trying to get them to cheer up. It fell on deaf ears.

The entire group's movement back inside the walls of the arena became somber and sluggish, and the mumbles that filled and shaped the air around all of us left an eerie death march. On the field, we are forces to be reckoned with, but I guess in our heads once left to failures, grasps, and shames gaze, we are still hopeless children. "To hell with that," I shouted and darted to the exit on the wind. I guess it sparked a stampede in the rest of the chosen, the taps of air and roars of fire that build behind me push me faster to the pages hanging from the walls ahead just out of the rain. A hoard of people soaked to the bone, don't stop on a pinhead or the momentum of the masses behind them will crush me. Exactly my thought before I stopped dead in my tracks, and everyone moving like the monstrous Transitor we rode here on, collided and buried in a pile of bodies that made my bones and lungs creak under their weight. Laughs and groans filled the air in the tunnel, and the weight began to lift off of me one body at a time.

As the last person left my body I was in absolute horror, there is almost 100 of us left in just air and fire, some were injured or worse; others found themselves being sent off to places where they could make use of their talents after the growth of their bonds slowed. I dusted my pants, I know I'm delaying the inevitable, and the fact of the matter is it feels like Avernous isn't here with me. Wait, where is the squirrel? He was riding my back and then rose to my shoulder after the course. I check around me, only to see the little traitor sitting on Rowan's shoulder.

I start moving my legs, hey they still do work, most of the people whose names are on the list are in tears heading out to the arena. That's what happened every time we lost more people from our classes, people headed to their rooms an image of relief washing over them. My feet clamber to the side of Rowan's and I find myself patting them on their back, "Is it all good news for you?" They turn to me with tears in their eyes showing their fear; one word tries to leave their mouth, "No," but only their lips make the shape of the word. Stones can't weather the storm this soul before me faces daily, so I tuck my chin up and look for my name. I search the first page looking for my name, most everyone on the list are the best fighters in the class, Rowan Evaris at the top, I don't understand. Why would they send them away? Have they reached their limits? I check the second list, the people on the list are the best at supporting elements, and then it dawned on me. These are the people that are staying! I The feeling of dread struck me again, and I browse the final, it says at the bottom of the list, Gronaan Versrik.

I turn to Rowan and say a smile wide on my face, "I'm there on the paper too, did you look at the other names by any chance?" They looked at me through tear-soaked eyes, "No?" The chuckle that resonated in my chest that I tried to choke down but failed gave me away. They looked at me with the utmost suspicion, and I just strode over to them grabbing their arm. "Come on my dearest, I hope you can enjoy wherever they put you," I say the chuckle breaking free from my chest and pounding into my throat.

We are going to be fine. We are going to be fine. We are going to fine. The thought pounder through my head as a triumphant roar and more giggles I dare call them built up behind my lips. Stepping out into the rain, a refreshing wave washed over my body, and I felt Rowan get a little less tense, as several of the instructors stood talking amongst themselves, chitters and chuckles coming from the groups of them.

"What is so funny, how could they laugh at us," Rowan whispers into my ear. I don't respond just enjoy the rains pitter patter on my cheeks as I take a deep breath, my smile to wide for Rowan not to see. "What jerk, tell me now," Rowan snapped, their grip got a little hot and it forced me to pull my hand from theirs. "Look, use your eyes, look who is around us," I sent the message through the wind to her ears. Their face after looking around at everyone, was I would say priceless, I went from seeing the Fallen Royal their self, crying to murder, then finally recognition at what was happening. Harpy's Scythe bawling: Tyrant Ruler, staring into the dirt head hung in defeat. Hells, Even Lyka, the Bandit King, defeated by his own thoughts, his bound leaning against his legs, and pressing itself under a limp hand.

A whisper leaves Rowans lips close enough for me to feel her breath tickle the back of my ear, "We are what's left, that is messed up." I look to them, the blush from the whisper fading quickly; time for a little more revenge, I simply say, "well, at least with the rain, the two fresh elements being added to us today won't see the great Rowan crying." I earned the bruise that is definitely coming to my arm after that punch.

The instructors look around at the groups of us and a wall of air that showed nothing of its existence, and nothing on the other side-parted, the illusion vanished. Across to the other side of the arena, robes, ones remarkably similar to the ones we are forced to wear sit opposite of us. A roar from both sides erupts into the air, and the instructors all but fall over laughing, a young man, with pitch-black eyes, in the robes of an instructor steps to the middle of the group and speaks, everyone falls silent as the first words leave his mouth, "Welcome my fellow chosen," a small furry shape wriggles from a pocket on the chest of his robes, is that a mole? He continues, "Today is an important day, a day for all of you to be humble and grateful to your elements, for taking you this far." Avernous flew into my face on his final words, Damn critter. I feel him clamber onto the top of my head and turn to face the instructor as he continued speaking. "This day I hand you over to people better suited for the task of training you, you will no longer train here in the arena, but venture into the mountains around, with their guidance, you have all been selected for advance training. Go meet your brothers and sisters of the remaining elements, the circle of life is now whole, remember to be kind and strong for those who are weak, thank you for training with and for us, and with one last gesture we instructors hand you off, so go pack your bags after meeting everyone, and be ready to move to the Council's tower, you will continue your training there."

A cheer from instructors fills the air and seems to fall on deaf ears as all of us students, every soul stood frozen at his words advance classes! Rowan was the first to move a jet of flame launching them to the other students, well I can't be showed up. I dashed with the wind they left behind them. They landed just barely feet from the giant we saw training the other day, the first words from their mouth astounded me, "Hello, I'm Rowan, and you are?" The giant of a man laughed at the very quick response from them, "Aven is my name, and it seems like you are looking for someone?"

Rowan's eyes lit up with, I know I would die by their hands if I said this aloud, an adorable smile, "Yes! Who was that you were sparring with the other day, the girl!" I felt myself shaking my head before I could even register the action, I spoke for myself, "Aven huh, you the boy that pulled out the All-Stone now, are you?" He smiled and reached into his pocket pulling the stone of the elements from it, he looked at the rock and said, "That's what this is?" I felt my gaze gloss over, I had never seen one of them before, and they are quite possibly the most valuable thing in the entirety of the lands, I say quickly to him not trying to snap, "Put that away!" His hand shot into his pocket more quickly than my eyes could register, he must have had quite some training to react like that.

A voice like bells and eyes that I could never have forgotten popped out from behind Aven, Rowan's face scrunched up and tears welling in their eyes fell free lost in the rain tracing the lines of their face. "Lizbeth pounced on Rowan, not just a hop, actually pounced on them. Rowan's feet slipped out from under them, and the pair went sailing to the ground, landing hard and laughing, I heard a few words from Liz before laughter took them over again, "You are just helpless without me, aren't you?" I had to smile at the picture of the two reuniting and seeing the two elementals acting like they hadn't seen each other in an eternity, rolling around in the mud next to their people.

Lyka's voice came from behind me, "I thought you two were about to pick a fight with them on the first day." I looked over to him, his brown and red flaked eyes locked on Aven, "You two know each other?" Lyka smiled at Aven, "He beat me in an arm-wrestling match on the Transitor. Watch out for him, he is an actual monster." Aven could only laugh, and his eyes grew three shades softer looking into Lyka's, "Well, I guess I will have to beat you again now won't I Lyka."

I Felt the heat roil off of Lyka, and a maybe just make a hint of a blush licked at his cheeks, when the boy spoke. "Now listen you, were lucky last time Aven," his eyes grew playful as he reached out taking Aven's outstretched arm by the wrist. A smile shared by the two, like they were lifelong friends.

I turn from group I had strolled up with just as a pair of lips on a tossed blonde head collided with mine, I think they were aimed for my cheek. My face turned into a steaming mess rain like ice as the two of us staggered locked by the inadvertent kiss. Sheila as beautiful as the day we met on the Transitor pulled back her cheeks the color of apples. I searched and searched for words, what came out was "Wow."