[Avain Manor] Elements of Change

[Miro]

18th day of Summer, 512 AV

Long meditation sessions in the courtyard had become commonplace in the past few days. However, a much more rare occasion was actual reimancy training. Since the events at the start of the season, Miro had found himself reaching a new capacity in the art of reifying elements. With the addition to earth, his skill in reimancy were nearing their peak. All four of the base elements were under his command, and according to his mother, such a status was legendary. With this in mind, Miro had taken to practicing light transmutations the past few days, but today was even more special. His training today would finally give him status as a true mage, for he would master his staff.

For today’s training, Miro knew he would need absolute concentration. He shifted Ionu’s Light in his hand, gripping it tight. The pale wood was held outwards, making it feel heavier, but his arm did not waver. Today was different, the staff seemed willing to accept Miro’s touch. With all of the experiences before showing him it was possible to flow djed through it hinted at its potential, but this was different. It seemed to have a charged feeling, sending pulses outwards like shallow breaths that sent a tingling sensation through his hands and up his arm.

Yes, he could feel it, Ionu’s Light had a presence, a mind of its own, reaching out. As his curiosity grew, so did his need to realize Yasminy’s expectations. He claimed the staff to be special, despite its rather bland appearance. Miro did not feel worthy, or special enough to wield it, however the fact remained that there were no coincidences in Alvadas. Ionu, Yasminy, even Yagame, Miro truly was meant to have this gift, because he was meant for more.

Since acquiring Ender, Miro’s familiar, he had found him to be little more than a critical piece of jewelry, existing in this realm only to break Miro’s confidence. ”Give it up. You may not be able to see it, but it is very clear to me, that is just a piece of wood. You see across the courtyard, that dying tree there? They are the same thing. If you are going to waste our time here, I will have no choice but to leave.”

Honestly, Miro had found more comfort in his insults than anything. While it often irritated him, he loved the attention. To have a companion, one who would always be with him, it was a dream come true. Today especially, he was glad to have Ender around. He could not blame him for watning to leave, but his training had to get done, one way or another. ”Sorry, Ender, You know I have to do this. Give me a moment, I will make you a bed, just relax out of the way.”

Though in normal circumstances, Ender would not reply to such a thing, today seemed a bit special. ”In the shade, if you would. Oh, and do not make me wait all day.” Being talked to in such a way was, as always, a treat. It was every wizards dream to be ridiculed by someone saved from a worse fate. The best part was being stuck with that someone for life. Part of Miro was annoyed enough to grit his teeth, but another part of him thought how funny it would be from the other side, causing him to smile.

An odd look adorned the boy’s face. Part angry, part happy, but all creepy. The kind of look you expect the crazed mage to carry before experimenting on a child. ”Miro, remember, if you hurt me it hurts you too!” To sense fear in Ender was even more funny. Almost as if he was afraid that his words could set Miro off. It made his grin creep further across his face. A slight chuckle began to work its way up his throat, unable to be muffled.

The creepiness only grew. Now he was not only smiling, but laughing, uncontrollably at that. He reached down, grabbing the gem attached to his wrist and throwing it upwards. It hung in the air, transforming to its natural state, a ball of ice. ”Ender, I would never hurt you. Not when it would hurt me as well. You know, there are worse things. Have you ever been trapped in a place you couldn’t get out of before?”

Miro began to focus his djed to his hand, causing it to flow out and into the air. Continuing the stream, he directed it to a shady corner, layering it across the ground. It took a small amount of djed, and only half a chime when done casually. Result was that of a res block, at the top in the center a niche was made, roughly Ender’s size, for him to rest in. It became ice, giving Ender a nest to stay in while he would train. ”There, now, get! I need to focus, so go there, and be quiet. I swear, only when I want you quiet do you talk.”

Silence, finally, no more distractions. The boy had a quiet mind and could continue on where he left off. Yes, he remembered where he left off. His fate, the way he was meant for great things, it all made sense. Yasminy was gone, but what he left was a tool and a goal. Yagame had left him with a reminder of what he was to overcome, a bracelet covered in white charms, decorated with maroon etchings, the damned thing. And Ionu proved to be the greatest challenge of all. His control of Alvadas was supreme. All the power, mystery, they were his dangerous games, each citizen only a tool for entertainment, the sick bastard.

It was all the push he needed. The staff reacted to djed, so djed is what he would give it. He flowed his energy down, shifting and spiraling, giving him a sense of its structure in detail. The more of his djed he flowed into it, the less shallow the pulses seemed, the more confidence he gained. His eyes became unfocused, disabling his sight and whiting his eyes. Everything faded out, except for the flow into the less than average piece of wood. In his mind’s eye, he could see the curve of the wood, its density, feel the material, every knick and splinter, even something more.

Ionu’s Light held a charge, like a life or sorts. He could feel Yasminy’s presence when holding it, and he could feel it responding to his curious djed. When he called out, it responded, now if only he could understand. It craved magic, of this he was sure, but how did a staff use magic? Miro thought back to his magic lessons, the info had been drilled in time after time. Was there something, anything at all? No, his mother knew nothing. And if she did, it was not shared.

Yasminy though, he had explained more. Power was not something he could wield, but something ever present. His gift was not this staff, not a weapon, but discipline. Mastering discipline meant mastering the staff. It was something that was given, not taken, such a power was amazing. The old frail man seemed to have found that power. At that time, Miro was so foolish, questioning the man, treating him so harshly. For all of Miro’s arrogance, he still rewarded him. Miro let his arm drop, lowering his staff to the ground. His confidence and the fire in his spirit died.

Miro could not proceed, not in this way. He had learned one thing from the man, though. Power, discipline, deception, all are based on perception. A gift to one man, a curse to another. Power to one, weakness to another. A useful lesson, a new friend, could be corruption and a foe in a clever guise. Yagame had tricked Miro, disguising the man as herself, but perhaps it was that illusion that was truth. Of course, Miro had not done wrong, but was faced with one last test before mastering the staff.

A bracelet on his left wrist that he eyed carefully, unsure why it was given to him. Then he turned his gaze to his right hand, the staff resting on the ground. It was time for him to choose, what did Miro truly believe in? He saw it daily, reality was an illusion, and the concept of an illusion was the only illusion. Because something was not as it appeared, a guise, does not make it any less real. And yet who was to decide what was real, what was right? Nobody, there was no answer. No illusion, no discipline, no rights and wrongs, only perceptions.

It was only a test to see who survived to enforce change and influence on others. In order to make your ideals exist, one needed to influence things. Those who live make the truth, the justice, and to the victor go the spoils. He was alive and he felt spoiled. It was decided, Miro was to leave Alvadas, but when he returned, he would seek out his new found friend. A woman who sought Miro out of all people in the city, Yagame. She bore a gift, leading him in the right direction, or what would be perceived as such, at least.

Finally, his mind was clear of guilt, he could proceed with his training. His discipline was perfect already, his power absolute and his goals would become reality. For the first time, Miro raised arms with his new mindset. He would not fear the power the staff would afford him, or crave the answers lost by the weak. It was time he left his mind out of it, and he would allow the staff to work with him, not for him.

Miro began to flow his djed into the staff once again. It passed through with no resistance, as natural as it would from any other part of his body. When it reached the tip and began to pool, his mind was tasked with creating res. A cool tingling feeling swept across his skin, like a breeze in Taldera. He could feel the link with his severed soul, his djed leaving his body, changing form. Miro could see the translucent aqua colored substance, now he only needed to make it real.

With absolute confidence, he began to wave his staff in a triangular formation in the air, preparing and rehearsing a verse. ”Ionu shed light, Reimancy take form, my soul is false, my words impure. My future is bright, my magic a storm. My will’s walls...restrain no more!” With the end of the incantation, his djed broke the threshold, becoming res. He continued to paint the shape in the sky, willing his res to follow.

Miro brought the staff down to rest at his side, holding it as a walking stick. The proud boy smiled up at his accomplishment, hoping that on this day the protector of Alvadas smiled down on him. In front of him he saw the symbol of Ionu, an inverted azure triangle. Whether his homage to the god was a symbol of allegiance or defiance was for the god to decide himself, as all things were. Though he was not the only critic present.

”Explain what that was to me. If I had to guess, the wood talked to you, right? It told you to make a fool of yourself. It was amusing, I will admit. Is it magic? Making you seem even more idiotic than usual, I had thought it impossible. Definitely magic.” It was true, incantations were often silly, but magic was like that. All of his gestures and incantations were quite childish, it was however quite effective. ”You are right, it told me these magical words. But, wait, what is this? There is more. Kill. Ender. Melt the ice!”

Ender had baited him in, and a bite he would get. It had been something Miro had done before, teasing the poor creature. Often enough, the creature failed to understand when a joke was being played on him. Normally, when afraid Ender yelled at Miro to help him. But, when it was the person he turned to for protection threatening him, he always remained silent. It was unclear to Miro if the creature knew better and didn’t care or was too afraid to move, but either way, he could not resist.

The mage pointed his staff towards the creatures, walking forward at an eerie slow pace. Suddenly he stopped, lowering the staff to the ground. Miro began to slowly open his mouth, so far, that it began to hurt his jaw a bit. Why he did such things was beyond him, but he craved the thrill it gave him to scare the summon. He snapped his jaw shut, readying to speak in a dark tone. ”Did I not tell you...” A smile broke the serious expression on his face. In a much friendlier tone he continued. ”I need you to let me be Ender. It is important I focus. No more distractions, or we could end up hurt.”

”Lo mene virsas, I will make a friend of you yet. You will see, eventually that is, you don’t need to be afraid anymore. I am meant for great things, Ender. You are too, even if you close your eyes for now.” Miro lowered his head to the ground, turning away from the corner where his familiar rest. He wished he could say those things to the strange orb of ice, but it was not time. Miro was still weak, and until he could keep everybody safe, he had no right to make any promises. He lifted his head, a slight smirk on his lips. Once again his attention turned to his staff, the link was still there.

There was a complete change in Miro’s connectivity with the staff. It felt as if all the djed he pooled broke through, like a dam giving out allowing water to flow once again. His res had fallen to the ground, waiting for Miro’s attention once more. Recently the element of earth became available, giving him new possibilities. Just as fire had given him access to steam and lightning, earth would also multiply his possibilities. It made the most sense to combine them into new elements in the order of his mastery.

First, at the age of six, Miro gained control of his primary element. After being initiated by his mother, he did not speak to her for a whole week. A hard feat for a young boy who only knew one person in the world. He spent months training with his mother, meditating, practicing emitting his res, gaining confidence in his skills. Each week she would take him to the river, giving him a chance to test his elemental affinity.

Miro was to test his res with natural resources to practice with. He would start by attempting to flow his res into the ground, to attempt to shift rocks and dirt, yet nothing would ever happen. Then his mother would create a flame, and Miro would attempt to pull the flames from her grasps. Miro found himself unable to even get close to the fire, let alone control it. Then he was to control the breezes, yet still, he found nothing there. It was the running water in which Miro found his first elemental ally, and since then the bond has only strengthened.

Water became ice, that became steam, and now, it would become one element stronger. It seemed simple in fact, this combination would be a breeze. In nature, water and earth combined to become mud. Reimancy would be much the same, he was sure. Miro called his res to break apart and hover before him, in three balls. he closed his eyes for a moment, focusing his djed in his staff-wielding arm. When it built, he pictured the djed seeping in and through the surface of Ionu’s Light, forcing this vision to fruition with the slightest bit of willpower.

Out came his res, taking the form of a gas. It radiated from the end of the staff, separating to meet with the rest of his res. As it reached its target he willed it to take a liquid form, growing the spheres that rest in front of the boy. ”There, one for each element. Now, let’s see what we can do.” Miro focused his attention on the leftmost ball. First, he began to transmute earth, taking the form of dirt, much like that he was standing on. As it began to reify, he then began to form water, attracting each element to be held inside.

Now, he had done a little practice, and as he very well knew, it was easy. He could make the elements effortlessly separate, but now he would create a new element. Miro began to transmute both elements at once, picturing in his mind a grainy wet mud, just as full of dirt as it was water. Continuing to transmute more of the ball, his res lost its capacity to hold it, causing the substance to fall and splat on the ground below. Miro smirked, water could not be any more simple, and was now mastered. ”One down, two to go.”

A few years after learning water, Miro learned to harness another element. Something that came as a surprise. Along with his daily res training, he was required to do meditation to become closer to the elements. One day, while training his res manipulations, he noticed a strong gust of wind, oddly attracted to his res, swirling around it. It took weeks of intense meditation and training, but he was finally able to produce the element of air. His horizons as a reimancer widened greatly, finding himself able to make custom elements by combination. It was at that time he began to wonder what would happen when all elements were forged into one.

This second element that allowed him a greater harmony with ice would be the next step in perfecting reimancy. Miro focused on the second of the res balls. He converted it to a gaseous form, looking like a blue mist that hovered in front of him. He began to swirl the res in a ring, a small vortex of sorts. Then he began to transmute some of his res to air, and as he attracted it, the swirling res gained force and intensity. Water was easy, it could be predicted, but air seemed to combine in unique ways.

Miro lifted his left hand, opening his palm and facing it towards his spell. With his right arm, he directed the staff at it, slowly willing it to move away from him. Though it was not easy to control and maintain the spell, Miro was able to split his focus to try and envision and discover how the elements would combine. Air in ice chilled the water to freezing. In lightning, it aided the fire in combustion. For earth, what could it do? They seemed opposites, and yet fire and water, holding a similar relationship, combined flawlessly. Water became the base, being modified by the fire.

A base element and a modifying element, perhaps there was something to this observation. He examined each of his custom elements, able to identify their creation based on one element modifying another. Apart from combining derived elements with both fundamental and other derived elements, he would master their combinations. But it was possible he could switch base and modifying elements for different results, and then use those new elements to create infinitely more. For now, he would settle to use this information to assist in creating just one combination, but there was more to find. It was something to meditate on, yes, but right now he needed to focus on the spell at hand.

For this combination, the reimancer would use air as the base, and earth as the modifier, again choosing dirt. In mud, the dirt as the base took on some of the water’s liquid properties, finding a middle ground. If earth took the properties of air, what would happen? Mud flowed like thick water, how did that translate here? Thin earth, capable of flowing like thick air? It sounded like dust. Yes, dust, that must be how it would manifest. For this, Miro would need to observe it after being transmuted. Meaning he would need more res to control it.

Miro took control of the last of his res, transforming it too to a gaseous state. It embraced the edges of the already spinning ring, ready to hold the spell after transmutation. Now, he began to focus on the res in the center, creating a vision in his mind. Soil, being eroded away by harsh winds, taking the smallest particles of earth to be carried in on the breeze. Light, thin sediments of soil, only able to be seen when the light hit it just right. With it finally in mind and his res in place, he was ready to finish the spell.

All that was left was the actual transmutation. Miro began to transform much of the res, turning it into fine particles of earth, simultaneously changing the rest into a current of wind, once again increasing the spells rotation speed. The surrounding res worked as a conduit for the spell to travel along while keeping it contained. It looked like a murky brown torrent of air, holding a rather threatening appearance. He needed to know what would happen if bare skin came into contact with it, to see if it had combat use.

His hand was still out, aiding in controlling the spell. The wizard slowly began to pull the spell towards him, beginning to flinch, even before it came within touching distance. Keeping it in control was easy, so he would only ease his way into it for as long as he deemed necessary. The spell came close, only inches away now. He could start to feel the sting of the few particles that strayed out. The closer it came in, the more it buffeted his palm, quickly becoming intolerable. It forced him to cast the res away, releasing his hold on the elements, allowing them flow naturally.

A cloud of dust swept into the air before cascading down to settle on the earth. Miro looked at his hand, it was covered in tiny scratches that stung. Some of them looked as if they were starting to bleed. With a strong enough current of wind, the dust could be quite an effective tool. ”Another element down. Now, only fire is left. Steam and lightning are both quite formidable. I expect no less this time around.” Continuing on, ready to finish the set, he would use earth again as the base. ”Just enough res to get through. Since I am using earth as my base, I should rely on the natural element beneath my feet.”

Miro dropped his res to the ground, forcing it to seep into the hard soil below him. He willed the earth to become attracted, giving him control of it too. It was time to finish his training. ”This time I will focus on burning earth. Then I will finish things off by testing my new capabilities.” The reimancer focused on the earth saturated with res. His mind filled with images of earth burning like cinders, the ground bursting forth with heat. He began to back away, keeping his distance from the spell. With a strong force of will he pushed the idea to reality, burning the ground with all of his might.

Before him the ground began to grow red, gaining red hot intensity. Before much had happened the res was spent. It still glowed with a great amount of heat, but he would need more res to create any change. Miro pointed his staff down at the earth, channeling his res through its tip and into the ground. A steady stream of res began to fill the reddened earth, attracting it to condense the mass. When the heated area was completely contained in res, he focused his mind once more.

Earth that burned so hot that it melted like ice. He imagined it becoming more red until it began to break away and melt. It was something easy to imagine, but to try and transmute his res to such a state was not. Miro began to reify more heat, to try and transform the raw burning rock. The earth began to burn hotter sending smoke and waves of heat forth. Still, Miro pressed the transmutation further, using every bit of res to heat the earth. Before long all of his res again was spent, and the result was frightening.

Red and black earth bubbled and released tremendous amounts of heat. The earth resembled a puddle of thick reddened mud, too hot for Miro to be near. He backed away further, not wanting to get close to the creation. He was unsure if he would be able to recreate the result, but he would have to try. To really see if he had learned anything, he would attempt to create each new element without preparation. Looking it over, he noted it cooling quite quickly, becoming black on the surface, still showing red at its core.

Miro was confident in what he had started out with, but the newer elements quickly became foreign. Working with earth was new, and air was a tricky element. Air was hard to contain, yes, but fire, that was something even more difficult. While air wants to escape, fire wants to share its massive amounts of energy. Spells created from it had devastating destructive power. Without discipline, such elements would be useless.

To create on more powerful spells, Miro would need to focus harder. His curious will to experiment was not nearly enough. It was time he got serious. Well, as serious as he needed to perform well. He could stand to get a good body warm up, to find a center and put his full efforts into it, but there were better ways. Most of his time after these last sessions would reflect via meditation and practice. As a wizard he would grow not only in the bond with his magic and the discipline, but with himself.

Using his magic every day was not foreign, but to use all of reimancy’s potential, there was little need. The only element Miro ever used for any practical purpose was ice. It could form most simple constructs and even be used as a weapon He could use it to protect his friends even, able to release it at any moment. The cold however was not friendly to most. Miro believed ice to be the greatest element, but there was great potential in all elements.

Water and air combined to create ice by cooling the water, creating stability. That stability could easily be reversed, giving it versatility. However earth and fire had an even greater potential in terms of destruction. Earth was stable, solid, it needed no cold to be sturdy. Fire added an amazing amount of energy. By adding energy to stability, he created the most destructive element he had seen yet. He hardly wanted to know what it would do to an enemy.

The thought of being burned badly horrified Miro. It disturbed him, but the destructive power was tempting. ”An enemy is hardly worth the use of my ice. It is a gift, not something to be wasted on those hated by me. I will find a way to keep my friends warm while blanketed by ice, a worthy cause. I pray Morwen will give me the strength.” His mind and body were starting to feel weathered, but his spirit still ached to fight on.

Miro backed to the shade near Ender. He didn’t feel energetic at all, no matter how much he wished he could will it to just happen. It was not as simple as just telling himself to feel more. What he needed was to put himself in a scenario, to force feelings out. The boy closed his eyes and winded his mind back. Back, seasons ago, before he even met Kinneas.

All alone he sat. Unable to feel anything at all. Not even Morwen’s frozen hands reached out to him. Though he sat alone for days, he did not feel hunger. The moon came and went but Miro noticed nothing. His mind was blank, his eyes without any color at all. Everything was lost to him, even his magic was foreign. A mage with no will was not magic. Without feeling, the want to create, no magic could be produced.

Why was Miro alone, broken, ready to die? It was his heart dying. He lived until the age of 12 with his mother, learning magic everyday. Discipline was beat into his spirit, his body forced to endure as much as possible. Every day his mind was nurtured. Meditating and practicing magic, and the rest of his time was spent listening to stories and dreaming. It made him happy to learn and grow stronger in the arcane arts. The more he learned, the closer he became with his mother, and the more he began to understand her.

But, as he came to realize more about her, he found something disturbing. Inside his mother, he began to sense a pain. The more Miro progressed in his magic, the more he impressed her. She would often take pride in his accomplishments, but it could be sensed that there was an equal amount of pain. The young boy would often ask about his father, but it was not until he was much older that she would explain her past.

Around the time of his tenth birthday, Miro began to hear stories of his father. They were wonderful, teaching him so many things. There was one thing however, he wished not to learn. It became apparent after a while, the source of his mother’s unhappiness. It was not a pain of loss, but rather that of betrayal. His mother teaching magic was killing her inside. It was this realization that filled him with rage. So much that one day he lost control.

Anger overtook Miro, causing him to erupt in a destructive rage. He destroyed everything around him. His possessions, his home, even his mother. When he was done, all was lost. Being far too much for him to handle, he left that place, and sat alone, only concerned with forcing himself to forget. Inside him the pain from that event was locked away. Though imprisoned, it was not gone. Its presence remained constant in the wizard’s life.

Over the years, the emotions began to rise closer and closer to the surface. In times of stress small reminders would surface, threatening to set Miro off on another rampage. As of late, the reminders were coming more often. With Kinneas gone, the lost and lonely mindset ached to return. The contained pain rested on fault lines that threatened to erupt the more that his emotions built.

During his life as a mage, Miro grew intimate with himself. He knew of the anger and pain, but kept it held inside, unable to acknowledge it. His once hot rage that boiled with passion had cooled and frozen into a calm demeanor that allowed clarity of thought. But just as it was necessary for ice to melt away, his emotions also sought a release. During times of grief, reimancy proved to be an outlet, though a dangerous one. Even more dangerous still, he was able to tap into his rage, using it to fuel more powerful spells.

In his mind, once again he was alone. That distressed feeling began to take over his heart. Nobody was around him, nobody even cared if he lived. The only things in this world he had left were Morwen, who in all of his life, he had never met her once. And Ender, who ridiculed him and only stayed with him for survival. Pain grew, moving to the pit of his stomach. He felt like he was going to be sick, the tension contracting his stomach as if it were going to implode.

It hurt, but he fought though. It was his fault he was alone. He was weak, and it made him feel worthless. ”I’ll never let you forget. You will always remember this day, the power I am capable of!” Miro opened his eyes wide, taking in the light. They shone crimson, ignited with intense passion, an obsession with destruction. The boy felt nothing but aggression, to display his strength using reimancy.

”Look at me! Look at what true strength is! It is the world that is weak, not I.” The angry reimancer threw his staff away from him and drew in a deep breath. His mind was not filled with thoughts, but rather emotions. His eyes rolled back as he began to let out the air from his lungs in the form of a roar. Pushing out the air, he also pulled res from his skin. All over his body, the pores flooded blue air outwards, forming a dense fog in the air that blocked out the sun.

By the time his voice had died down, he had produced thrice the amount used before. His body felt faint, causing him to stagger backwards. The rage was still there, even if his body and mind could not keep up. It needed release, and his lessons needed resolution. Miro raised his arms to the sky, commanding the fog to swirl before the sun. Stray rays broke through, lighting the yard in odd shapes and designs. It all ended here.

First, Miro began by thinking of the reddened mud that stained his clothing when he was found. A burst of excitement shot through him, as his mind flashed with the rough texture of the earth. He forced down a stream of liquid res from the cloud, transmuting it to a thick stream of slushy mud. He slammed it upon the ground and splattered it outwards, hitting Miro with what was little more than wet dirt.

Creating mud did nothing for him, only building his anger more, wanting a more bold release. Now he called down his res, beginning to swirl it around a dummy. Miro’s mind flashed the image of settling red sand on top of Keido’s corpse. The rage he had felt that caused him to slip up and kill him. The boy began to walk towards the cloud, swirling it faster the closer he came. When his hands reached and touched it, he began to transmute his earth to a cloud of dust and attract it.

Though he closed his eyes, he could still see the damage being done to his body. Closer he walked still, entering the cloud of small sharp particles. Each of them nicked his body, sending a small tinge of pleasure through him. After a few moments, he could feel blood trickling from his arms and face, his clothes had began to tatter as well. When the pleasure of pain ceased to thrill him, he released the attraction, stopping the cycling res.

Still, it was not nearly enough to seal away the pain and anger. He needed to see the things around him burn. The remainder of his res condensed around the dummy, forming a shell that he solidified. What he saw before him, a reflection. The dummy placed there by a much younger and inexperienced Miro. Its purpose was simply to help him grow stronger. But that childish fear of weakness, it was not part of him any longer.

Standing only a few feet from the dummy was a mage trained from childhood to master the elements. He did not need any more guidance, nor did he need any reminders of his weakness. This entire place was a worthless reminder of days passed. He needed nothing Alvadas had to offer. He had outgrown it long ago. It was time for him to move on, to shatter the fears and inhibitions of the past. He was beyond childish restraints.

They, like the rest of his problems would burn away. Miro brought the image of fire into his mind, covering his targets like a blanket, igniting and melting them away, like unwanted ice in the midst of summer. Everything in his way would ignite into a bright display of passion. No longer was restraint needed when dealing with a problem. Fear only limited his discipline. It was that fear that clouded his mind. Discipline meant not only knowing when to back off, but to also know when to face the flames.

Rage finally subsided, and clarity found the mage’s mind. ”I can face this heat.” Miro held his arm above his head, his fist facing the sky. He opened his fist to to the sky, speaking a familiar incantation loudly. ”Fiise!”, he let the words light the fiery transmutation. A coat of lava covered the dummy, causing it to burst into flames, instantly scorching Miro’s face.

His first instinct was to turn away, but he fought it. He tried not to think of his roasting flesh, to think of words like melt, char, sear, yet was only able to last a few moments. The cowardly man turned his face before stumbling back, clasping his hand to it. His instincts allowed him to almost instantly soothe his face with ice cold water. It flowed from the fingertips and palms of both his hands, gripping his face as he kicked his feet on the ground. On top of the cuts from dust, he could add a burn to the left side of his face.

Miro sat breathing heavily, a new sensation coming over his body. Despite turning away from the flame, for the first time in his life he had stood against fire. It was against his nature, being born an Ice Reaver, but he did what was impossible until now. From the ache of his face, he feared a scar. If he was left with a reminder, it would be one of accomplishment.

Ice was not his only ally. All elements obeyed his will, and none were complete without the others. Looking back, he could see what had happened to the dummy. It was nothing more than a pile of blackened earth, still showing signs of fire flowing red in its veins. Miro grabbed his staff, a bit displeased with himself for abusing it, though it seemed unharmed. The rest of the mess was left behind. Well, except for one mess he did not mean to create.

”Miro you fool! Why did you harm us? You are not the only to feel such a burn, you incompetent fool! I said nothing, because of your warnings. Yet, I leave you be with your magics and this is the result. I forbid you to use this abomination of an element again, you lightfacing imbecile.” Those words burned the oblivious boy more than the lava, his face becoming despondent.

”But Ender, you don’t need to be afraid. I, we can, but I...” Before Miro could even finish getting his statement out he was cut off, something that Ender had never done before. ”No Miro! I need to be afraid more than ever. To be paired with such a reckless Lightfacer, just my luck. I had thought better of you. Let me be, I am done hearing your empty words.”

Tears built in the helpless child’s eyes. He turned his head towards the ground, causing a few of them to spill downwards. In all of their time together, Ender had never seen Miro cry, let alone caused it. ”I can protect us now, Ender. You may not like me, but I still love you. You’re my best friend. I won’t let anything happen to you, a promise for all time.” He wiped his face, trying to mask any signs of hurt.

Miro was done with the courtyard. He was done with the house, done with the city, just done. It was time for him to pack the rest of his things and move on. Only Lhex knew what would come next, but that did not cause the mage fear. Though his emotions were unstable, he felt he had an amount of control on them. Someday he would let the anger out and control it. Not today, not soon, but someday.

[Fallacy]

XP Award! Name:Miro XP Award: Familiarity- 3 Reimancy- 3 Philosophy- 2 Observation- 3 Lore: Reality: Defined by Those who Live Training with Mother Reimancy: Creating Mud Reimancy: Creating Dust Reimancy: Creating Steam Reimancy: Creating Lava Reimancy Rampage: Emotional Release Taming Ionu's Light Staff Familiar Troubles The Sweet Release of Rage Notes: Hand Injury from Dust Spell Lava/Fire burns on Face Looong solo with a lots of character development mixed with magic training. The realizations were interesting though. Is he truly strong? We will see. Any questions or concerns about the rewards gained please send a PM