Beneath the Elements
The morning after Asteria's accidental use of wind had left the group shaken and stunned, a new sense of urgency pulsed beneath the surface of their camp. Not fear, exactly, but something heavier: the weight of potential, and the truth that Asteria might be far more than they had believed.
It began with a simple question.
"Do you think he can control the others too?" Cain asked quietly, sharpening his daggers by the river. The sound of steel on stone punctuated his thoughts.
Seri sat across from him, her gaze cast into the water. "I don't know. But if he can… we have to find out."
---
Day one
The morning fog clung to the training field outside Nytherion, broken only by the rhythmic clash of wood against steel and bursts of elemental energy.
Asteria stood in the center, eyes closed, arms loose at his side. Flames danced over his skin, steady and controlled.
Seri stepped forward. "We're starting with what you know. Your fire. But we'll sharpen it. Refine it. A wild blaze burns out. A steady one can melt stone."
She motioned, and the fire on her palm thinned into a thread, then split into a dozen burning needles.
"Try it."
Asteria focused, mimicking her stance. His fire surged—too thick, too fast. It burst upward in a wave, nearly singeing his eyebrows.
Mira snorted from the side. "Very subtle. I'm sure the birds three hills away felt that."
Seri remained patient. "Again."
For hours, they honed his flame—cutting, narrowing, sharpening. By sunset, he could form thin blades of fire—but only at short range, and only if he didn't blink or break focus."
---
Day Two:
"Focus on the air," Seri instructed, though she only knew tales of it. "Don't force it. Feel it. Let it answer you."
Wind was elusive. When Asteria chased it, it vanished. When he surrendered to it, it stirred.
After three failed attempts, Tarn stepped in. "Try it like a punch. You breathe, tighten your core, and strike—but don't move. Let the force carry through."
With that odd advice, Asteria exhaled sharply.
A ripple of air burst forward, toppling a wooden post.
The others froze.
"Okay," Mira muttered. "That was slightly impressive."
---
Day Three:
Mira stood before him, arms crossed, a ball of floating water swirling above her palm.
"This isn't about muscle. Water listens. It's stubborn but loyal. You don't command it—you invite it."
Asteria held out his hand over the nearby stream. He concentrated. Nothing happened.
"Relax," Mira said. "It knows you're trying too hard."
He exhaled slowly, thinking not of force, but flow. To his surprise, the stream rippled. A thin tendril of water rose and swayed like a cobra.
It fell apart a second later.
Mira grinned. "Not bad. You might make an okay apprentice one day."
---
Day Four
Cain finally stepped forward, arms folded. His earth magic had always been subtle—quiet force beneath his feet.
"Earth isn't flashy. It waits. It bears."
He stomped once. A column of stone rose beneath him.
"You don't pull it. You stand on it. Believe in your place in the world."
Asteria frowned. That didn't make much sense.
Cain stepped down. "Close your eyes. Kneel. Feel the weight of the world under you."
Asteria did. The ground vibrated faintly beneath him.
He dug his hands into the dirt, breathing deeply.
The stone beneath cracked—and rose. A small platform lifted him a foot above the ground.
Cain nodded. "Decent. Try it again tomorrow."
---
While Asteria trained, emotions simmered.
Valron kept finding reasons to partner with Mira—carrying supplies, offering sparring drills, complimenting her water strikes.
Mira wasn't blind to it. But her eyes kept drifting to Asteria.
She never said it aloud, but when she caught herself watching him train—focused, determined, catching droplets midair or launching himself into the wind—her chest felt tighter than usual.
Seri noticed.
During a break, she leaned over to Mira. "You like him."
Mira choked on her drink. "Who, the fire prince? Please. He still thinks raw meat is 'medium rare.'"
Seri raised an eyebrow. "And yet you keep staring."
Mira crossed her arms. "Maybe I just enjoy watching him fail."
"Then you must be falling hard."
---
Day Five
Valron and Tarn trained with each other daily—clashing fists, tumbling through dirt, working on joint locks and disarming techniques.
Their sweat stained the training mats, and their roars could be heard halfway across the village.
Neither had magic—but their strength was unmatched.
"We may not bend elements," Tarn said as he lifted a massive boulder. "But we can still break bones."
"Or walls," Valron added, cracking his knuckles.
Asteria often sparred with them in the evenings. They pushed him harder than the others—forcing him to rely on instincts and timing.
"Don't get soft," Tarn grunted as Asteria rolled out of a headlock. "You're the Prime. Start fighting like it."
---
Day Six
That evening, around the fire, Cain unrolled an old scroll.
"Some say the Primes could wield lightning," he said quietly.
Seri glanced at Asteria. "Too early for that. He barely handles water without sneezing."
Asteria raised a brow. "Is that a challenge?"
Cain chuckled. "More like a death wish. Lightning comes last. When you've balanced all the rest. When your soul no longer fights itself."
---
Day Seven
Asteria stood at the stream alone, early morning mist swirling around him.
He summoned flame in one hand, wind in the other. Let the stream rise.
"He grounded his stance, feeling the pressure of the stone beneath him. It didn't obey yet—but it listened."
He was far from mastering anything—but the pieces were aligning.
---
The moon hung low over Nytherion, casting silver light over the quiet training field. Sweat clung to their backs, and small burns, scrapes, and bruises marked the day's work. The campfire crackled in the center, its orange glow flickering over tired but sharpened faces.
Cain sat cross-legged, sharpening one of his throwing knives with calm precision.
"So," he said, not looking up. "Now that we've been at this for a full week… it's time you all hear where you stand."
Asteria, seated opposite him with a damp cloth around his neck, raised a brow. "You ranking us?"
"Not ranking," Cain said, flicking the blade clean. "Assessing. There's a difference. We've all been training hard, but strength comes in layers."
Mira stretched her legs out, her voice teasing. "Let me guess—I'm top-tier, and the rest of you are just pretending not to drown."
Valron scoffed. "If this were a bragging contest, Mira, you'd have been crowned queen of steam already."
She smirked. "That wasn't a denial."
Tarn leaned forward, arms crossed over his knees. "Let the quiet one speak."
Cain nodded slowly. "Alright. Here's how it looks. We're all now at level three"
He pointed his blade toward Asteria first.
"You're rising faster than I expected. Your control's still rough, especially with wind and earth, but you're pushing into the upper-mid tier. If you keep at it, you might break through before the next moon."
Asteria blinked. "Upper-mid, huh? Sounds... vaguely impressive."
"It means you're dangerous," Cain said. "But still sloppy."
"I'll take it," Asteria muttered with a half-smile. "Sloppy prince of the elements."
Mira threw a pinecone at him. "You're just excited because you finally beat me in flame bending."
"Barely," Seri added with a small smirk. "And only because I distracted her."
Asteria looked at her. "You did that on purpose?"
She sipped water from her flask. "Of course."
Cain continued. "Next—Tarn."
Tarn looked up, eyes narrowed. "What tier?"
"You don't bend elements," Cain said. "But your raw strength and endurance put you in the same upper-mid range as Asteria. Maybe even a touch higher in physical skill."
Tarn grunted with a small nod, satisfied.
Valron raised a brow. "What about me?"
"You're still in the solid mid range," Cain said, voice even. "Fast. Strategic. But not quite as durable. You take more hits than Tarn."
Valron crossed his arms. "That's because I jump into danger to save you lot."
Mira smirked. "Or maybe you're just reckless."
Valron shot her a look but said nothing.
Cain turned to Seri. "Your flame precision's exceptional. You've trained longer than most. Right now, you're holding strong in the upper tier, just under breaking through."
Seri gave a modest nod. "There's still much to master."
Mira's arms folded. "And me?"
Cain smiled slightly. "Your water control's sharp. You're sitting in the high-mid tier. Close to upper. But your emotional control affects your technique."
Mira stiffened a bit. "So I just need to get less annoyed?"
"You need to not look at Asteria every time you miss a shot," Cain said flatly.
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
Valron coughed—loudly.
Asteria looked away, ears tinged pink.
Seri just raised her eyebrows knowingly.
Mira cleared her throat. "Well, maybe if certain flame-heads didn't always have something smug to say..."
"I'm royalty now, remember?" Asteria said, grinning. "Smugness comes with the title."
Mira threw another pinecone. This one hit him square in the chest.
Cain moved on. "As for me—I'm holding mid-upper. Earth takes time to shape. Especially in bursts. But I'm stable."
"Stable and scary," Tarn muttered.
Cain didn't deny it.
"So none of us are top tier yet?" Asteria asked.
"Not yet," Cain replied. "But we're climbing. And for the first time, we have balance."
"Balance?" Valron asked.
Cain's voice dropped, more serious now. "Fire, water, wind, earth. Strength and speed. Strategy and soul. That's a rare combination, even in elite groups. And now that Asteria can touch all elements… that balance is critical."
Asteria looked around the fire at each of them—the bruises, the laughs, the old wounds healing.
Then he said, quietly, "Guess that means no one's carrying anyone. We all carry each other."
Mira looked at him, soft for a moment. Then: "Still not getting out of cooking duty, your highness."
He raised a brow. "I'll delegate it. With a commanding voice."
Seri snorted.
Valron shook his head. "You two are going to drive me mad."
Cain simply leaned back and looked up at the stars. "Rest tonight. We head for the Sanctuary at first light. And by the time we get there…"
He smiled faintly.
"…let's aim for a storm no one will see coming."
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