The combined class between the Material Magic and Elementalism divisions was held in the academy's expansive demonstration hall. The room was fitted with reinforced wards and magical containment fields to prevent accidents, a necessary precaution when students were working with volatile forces. Kalem arrived early, setting up his station with meticulous precision, his tools and materials laid out in neat rows.
The day's objective was to experiment with how elemental forces interacted with various materials. Kalem felt in his element—pun unintended—as he examined the array of metals and crystals provided.
Then Nara arrived.
The tall she-orc strode into the room, her presence commanding attention. Her long black hair was tied back, and she wore a confident smirk that made it clear she knew she was the star of the show. Nara's bracers glowed faintly, etched with runes that thrummed with elemental energy.
Kalem glanced up from his station, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched her saunter past. He had crossed paths with her in previous classes, and while she was undeniably skilled, her arrogance grated on him.
"Alright, class," the professor began, her voice cutting through the murmurs. "Today, we'll explore the interplay between elemental manipulation and material properties. Pair up with someone from the other division to combine your skills."
Before Kalem could find a partner, Nara's voice rang out.
"Hey, you," she called, pointing at him. "You're the knife guy, right? Let's see if your tools can handle some real power."
Kalem frowned but nodded, unwilling to back down. "Fine. Let's see if you can actually control that 'real power.'"
Their task was to test the effects of elemental forces—fire, water, air, and earth—on a rare crystalline material known as Veridium. The crystal was known for its high conductivity and ability to absorb magic, making it both fascinating and dangerous to work with.
"I'll start by heating it," Nara said confidently, her hands already glowing with fiery energy. "You'll measure the changes."
"Don't go overboard," Kalem cautioned, setting up a small array of instruments to monitor the crystal's structural integrity.
Nara ignored him, focusing instead on her magic. Flames danced around her fingers, growing brighter and hotter as she directed them toward the Veridium. The crystal began to glow, its surface shimmering with iridescent colors.
"That's enough," Kalem said, his voice sharp. "It's reaching its threshold."
"Relax," Nara replied, smirking. "I've got this under control."
The crystal emitted a high-pitched hum, a clear warning sign that it was absorbing too much energy.
"Nara, stop!" Kalem barked, stepping forward to stabilize the containment field around the crystal.
"Don't tell me how to do my job," she snapped, increasing the intensity of the flames.
The hum grew louder, and a spiderweb of cracks began to spread across the crystal's surface.
"Damn it," Kalem muttered, grabbing a nearby piece of reinforced alloy. "If you won't listen, I'll have to fix your mess."
He placed the alloy against the crystal, channeling his own magic to create a barrier that could redirect some of the energy.
Nara glared at him. "You're interfering!"
"And you're about to blow up half the room!" Kalem shot back.
The two of them worked at cross purposes, their conflicting methods causing the crystal to destabilize further. Sparks flew, and the containment field flickered dangerously.
"Enough!" the professor shouted, stepping in and casting a powerful spell that enveloped the crystal in a protective cocoon. The hum subsided, and the room fell silent except for the faint crackling of residual energy.
The professor crossed her arms, her expression stern. "What exactly was that?"
"He wouldn't let me handle it!" Nara said, her tone defensive.
"She was about to cause a catastrophic failure," Kalem retorted.
The professor sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Both of you are skilled, but your egos are getting in the way of productive collaboration. Nara, you need to listen to input, especially when working with materials you're unfamiliar with. Kalem, you need to learn to adapt your methods to work with others, even if their approach is different from yours."
Kalem and Nara exchanged reluctant glances but said nothing.
"I'm pairing you two for the rest of this project," the professor continued, ignoring their groans. "You're both too talented to waste time bickering. Learn from each other, or you'll both fail this assignment."
After class, Kalem packed up his tools in silence, his jaw tight with frustration. Nara, however, seemed unbothered as she leaned against the bench next to him.
"Well," she said, smirking, "that was fun."
"Fun isn't the word I'd use," Kalem replied without looking at her.
"Oh, come on," Nara said, nudging him with her elbow. "Admit it. You were impressed by my firework display."
Kalem sighed, finally meeting her gaze. "You're talented, I'll give you that. But talent without discipline is a liability."
Nara raised an eyebrow. "And what about you? All that precision, but no flair. You'd be lost without someone to push you out of your comfort zone."
Kalem opened his mouth to retort but stopped himself. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point.
"Fine," he said grudgingly. "Maybe we can learn something from each other. But if you melt another table, I'm not taking the blame."
"Deal," Nara said, grinning.
Later that evening, Kalem and Lyra sat in the common room of the inn, going over their respective notes. Lyra had heard about the incident in class from another student and was practically vibrating with excitement to tease Kalem about it.
"So," she began, her eyes gleaming, "I heard you had a little... disagreement with Nara today."
Kalem groaned. "Not you too."
"Oh, come on," Lyra said, smirking. "I'm just saying, it's nice to know there's someone out there who can keep you on your toes. You're always so sure of yourself, and now you've met your match."
"She's not my match," Kalem muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Sure, sure," Lyra said, her tone dripping with mock seriousness. "It's not like she outshone you or anything. Oh wait—she literally did."
Kalem shot her a withering glare, but Lyra just laughed.
"She's a handful," Kalem admitted after a moment. "But she's not completely hopeless. She's got skill—just no sense of restraint."
"And you've got restraint but no flair," Lyra said, grinning. "Sounds like a perfect team to me."
Kalem rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help the small smile tugging at his lips. Despite the clash, he had to admit he was curious to see where this partnership would lead.