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ABH - CH 7 - Perfect Practice...
🕑 Added 2024-08-13 15:30:15 +0000 UTCA/N: this is the FIRST of six releases today.
Chapter Seven
Perfect Practice…
Rise of Winter, Week 1, Day 3
“[Fire Conjuration+Fire Manipulation],” Freddie said, her wild grin spreading even further. Across the training room, Tiltham grimaced.
Freddie, however, wasn’t paying attention to the knight captain. Instead, she was focused on the flickering orb that was slowly growing a foot in front of her. The flames whipped around the air, wild and untamed. Freddie could feel the heat on her face, feel the magma flooding her veins and bursting out –fueling the orb of fire.
It drained her mana sharply when the fire erupted into existence, but its maintenance was barely drawing on her reserves. The magma had cooled to a warm drain on her veins.
As the orange flame flickered in front of her, controlled by her own power, Freddie was reminded of all the times she’d fought fire with the pure strength of her fist. Well, the strength of her fist and a fire immunity soul rune. It was a lovely twist of fate that the System recognized her affinity to Fire rather than the opposite. As Kalina, she’d never managed to add a second rune to her soul, but her original rune had been so powerful it allowed her to go up against elementals that were ranked as high as Emperor status in elsewhere. In a ring, what could beasts of fire do against her? Her, who was the natural enemy of their flame.
The answer was often a resounding: nothing. The elementals had no choice but to succumb to Kalina’s power. It will be the same here, in Gargantua, in Maeve. Monsters will bend to Freddie’s flames. She’d charr their flesh and consume their cores. She’d overcome and prove her strength to all who dared to contest her ability.
For now, she knew she was far from the elite of the world. But Freddie also knew she was above her agemates. Perhaps there were a few who could contend with her Class, but even they are limited to the experience a short life gives. A life limited to the experiences of a child. No other freshly Awakened eight-year-old could contend with her Level. Not even that freak of a Dawn that had Awakened in Autumn with an obscene Light of Divinity.
It was as a manic grin continued spreading, so wide Freddie’s cheeks hurt with the pressure of it, that she checked back into the present. That she let the flame hover before using every hint of her will to push.
And the fire flung itself a dozen feet away as if Freddie had thrown it herself.
It was only a moment, a moment of heat and licking flame and deep orange turned to black smoke, before Tiltham appeared by the growing fire on the ground, stomping it out.
The flames didn’t eat even a shred of Tiltham’s skin despite the way the woman was simply covering the fire with her body to smother it. Freddie could tell that it had nothing to do with TIltham’s armor –no, it was a mix of the older woman’s Level and the weakness in Freddie’s flames.
They were still so new.
“My Lady,” Tiltham called. “I will pull out some target dummies, enchanted to not be as easily destroyed as the hall. Give me just a moment.”
Freddie sighed and leaned against a wall while Tiltham did just that. It was barely three minutes, but Freddie could feel the magma in her veins wanting to ignite. To set the world alight. Perhaps being a [Young Lady of Flame] had changed Freddie, she wondered. Then, she laughed.
Nothing has changed between then and now except the body I’m in.
The knowledge that this world was not her original world didn’t weigh her down, didn’t make her miss elsewhere. No. Elsewhere was simply a stage. Maeve was another.
As soon as the knight captain finished setting up the three dummies, Freddie set to work.
“[Fire Conjuration+Fire Manipulation]”
This time, three flaming orbs appeared, the orange flickering light launching themselves at the training dummies.
None hit the target, though.
Freddie swore under her breath as she watched the flames singe the floorboards. As Tiltham started heading the way, Freddie waved her off. Instead, she looked deep within herself, through her skin into her mana veins, where she still felt the threads of heat connecting her to the fire a dozen feet away.
Just in case, she spoke, reaffirming her control over the fire.
“[Fire Manipulation]”
The flames were whisked away from the sensitive wooden ground and brought back to Freddie, the power in her veins calling to the warmth of the fires.
And then she launched the flames back across the hall.
Again.
And again.
And again.
For hours.
[Congratulations! Fire Conjuration is now Level 3!]
[Congratulations! Fire Manipulation is now Level 3!]
Freddie didn’t stop, even when she felt the red screens attempt to fill her vision. Instead, she shoved them to the side and launched balls of fire at the target dummies. After hitting Level 3, the flames grew hotter and began glowing a paler orange than when she first summoned them. In addition, Freddie could feel the efficiency in her mana veins increasing. With every launched orb, her aim was growing better.
Still, it wasn’t until a snap resounded from within her and her mana abruptly cut off that Freddie paused. It was as if stones were passing in her veins, and Freddie stumbled.
“I think I need a break,” she said through nauseous breaths.
Between one second and the next, Tiltham was supporting Freddie and guiding her to the edge of the training hall —where two bedrolls, a sack of jerky, and several canteens of water were waiting. Gently, the Captain of the Void lowered Freddie down to the more luxurious of the two bedrolls. Despite her sudden exhaustion, Freddie still clocked that any compliments to the bedrolls were gratuitous. The fabric Tiltham lowered her on was soft but stiff and filled with thick down.
“It’s late anyway, Lady Fredericka,” Tiltham half-frowned. “Eat, drink, and rest. Because of your Divinity, we are no longer on such a time crunch that you must sacrifice your sleep.”
“Mmmm,” Freddie agreed, grabbing some dried meat and a canteen. After a while, she blearily asked, “Did we pack any clothes for me to change into? I’m gross.”
Tiltham snorted, “If only. I’ve packed enough Quick Clean and True Wash potions to get us through our time here.”
“Ugh, gross,” Freddie complained, her voice coming out in a mumble. “I can’t even bathe?”
As Freddie began drifting off to sleep, she felt a cool mist coat her. She could feel the grime her sweat left to evaporate into nothingness. Exhausted, Freddie burrowed her way further into the bedroll. Without her flames or the magma of her mana, the barn was too cold, and the bedroll was the only thing keeping the chill at bay.
Winter had truly come.
-
Freddie woke to a nip at her nose and her face halfway to freezing. She nuzzled her bedroll with a groan as Tiltham lightly shook her shoulder.
“Up, my Lady. Dawn has arrived, and so too has the time to train.”
The pink-haired girl blinked the sleep out of her eyes and peered at the door to the training hall —propped open and putting the light dusting of snow outside on display.
That would explain why I can’t feel my face.
“I think I’d rather die.”
Tiltham didn’t look amused, “Then you’ll disappoint the Duke.”
Freddie rolled her eyes and propped herself up to grab the jerky that had rested by the bedroll overnight.
“Isn’t there a Void Captain with a personality?” Freddie grumbled.
“Not one that can keep their mouth shut,” Tiltham shot back without hesitation.
“You’re the worst, Tilly,” Freddie said with a smile before taking an aggressive bite of jerky and downing some water.
“Respectfully, please refrain from calling me as such, my Lady.” Tiltham’s face was pinched as she spoke, and Freddie couldn’t help but laugh.
“No, I don’t think I will.”
They fell into silence as they ate. Freddie, finally eating with her wits about her, couldn’t help but appreciate the tenderness of the meat.
At least it’s not field rations, I guess. She sighed to herself before standing.
She bent forward, held, bent backward, held, leaned to the left, then to the right. She pushed her arms above her head with her shoulders and leaned into a lunge with one leg and then the other. She stood on her toes and stretched out her calf.
“[Running]”
Freddie took off. No one had to tell her how important this was, even if she resented the time of day. So, Freddie ignored the world around her, listening only to the Skill. To the way it had her stretch her leg just right, the way it called her to breathe in through her nose and out her mouth, the way it shifted her balance ever so slightly.
It wasn’t the most glamorous Skill she had, Freddie thought, but she knew it would be the foundation of something greater. Simple Skills always were. Heroes of legend could evolve their generic Awakening Skills into powerhouses. Supposedly, upon evolution, sub-Skills were revealed with specializations based on the user. That was neither here nor there, and Marasha had only touched on it because Freddie had insisted that she wanted to learn how the Heros of old got so strong —strong enough to Ascend.
Freddie ran until sweat coated her. She ran until her breath eluded her. She ran until her form was held together by sheer force of will. She only stopped for water, never to complain, never to break. She ran until the red notice appeared.
[Congratulations! Running is now Level 3!]
Freddie collapsed to the ground, her sweat-coated body refusing to cool.
“Level 3 of [Running]!” She shouted to Tiltham.
Tiltham slid her pen across her clipboard, “Recorded.”
Freddie held up her fist in acknowledgment, then laid on the floor for another moment before skimming her Skills with a smile.
“Let’s give it a shot,” she mumbled to herself, “[Regenerate].”
Instead of magma, the soft warmth of sunlight filled Freddie’s veins. Within seconds, the muscles in her calf loosened, and the dull ache of Freddie’s core settled down. She let out a sigh of relief and gingerly sat up.
“I need one of those Quick Wash potions, Tilly!” She shouted.
Tiltham tutted, “They’re Quick Clean and True Wash, my Lady.”
Despite her correction, Tiltham still cracked two vials above Freddie’s head and sent a mist over her body. Freddie, awake enough to feel the full effects of the potions, let out a startled laugh at the feeling of cleanliness they gave her.
“Oh, this is a game changer.” Freddie said, “I almost don’t even miss bathing… I still have to use the bathroom, though.”
“My Lady, please,” Tiltham sighed, gesturing off to a doorway. “The bathroom is that way.”
Freddie huffed and took off. When she was back out, it was time for a snack and to attempt using [Sparkler] until it leveled.
“[Sparkler]”
A chill spread through her palm, and a small ball of light formed with multi-colored sparks shooting off. Freddie stared at it until the Skill dissipated into nothingness. It was only a few more casts before Freddie got the first message.
[Congratulations! Sparkler is now Level 2!]
Taking a deep breath, Freddie acknowledged this would be a feat of patience. Simply casting and recasting the Skill until it fizzled out would be the best training she could do for [Sparkler]. She tried to mold it, but the only thing she could do was shrink it a sliver and shift the hue to a more golden glow than the white radiance it originally gave off.
Settling onto the ground, Freddie steeled herself into an hour of repetition. No, a day. No, a week. Actually, it would be repetition for everything until she hit Level 5 in every Skill she could —save for the aura Skills that she could tell needed subjects other than Tiltham.
So, she used [Sparkler].
Again.
And again.
And again.
Comments
Hibou Ronchon
Oh, a reference to Nora
Gopard
Thanks for the chapter!
