He was the first one to wake up. Before dawn, four in the morning, as always. The window of their dorm was still dark. Sleep had been restless, "Old man," the kid had called him. He'd show them old.
He swung his legs off the cot, boots hitting the floor with a thud. The dorm air was cool, but his chest simmered, Fire Essence stirring like a caged beast. Yesterday's lesson with Mistress Eclipse replayed in his mind. "Strength's your lean, but you're rough," she'd said.
Rough. The word stung, a splinter under his pride.
They shuffled out. Eclipse led them to the Guildhall's open courtyard. The sky glowed faint gray as the training ground stretched wide. Eclipse stopped, turning fast. "All of your elements split. Fire over there." She pointed to a corner, three targets glowing red. "Those targets are considered hit when you hit it with Essence. Now go."
Rodrigo moved with the fireboy and two other Fire Initiates. There was a wiry girl with a dagger, a chubby boy with a staff. The cocky boy grinned, juggling flames. "Watch this, old man." He flung a fireball, wild and showy, smashing one target dead-on. He flung two more, and it hit dead on.
The girl rolled her eyes. Her dagger sparked as she sliced a thin flame cleanly and on mark. The boy swung his staff, fire bursting clumsily but hitting two targets.
Rodrigo gripped his machete, heat surging fast.
He swung hard, and flames roared out. The blade flared, a wide arc of fire scorching the ground. One target smoked, but the others stood untouched. Those slashes didn't have enough Essence.
The boy laughed, sharp and loud. "Nice miss." Rodrigo's teeth gritted, chest burning hotter. Eclipse's voice snapped over. "Focus on your weapon, like you're giving your energy to it. Aim, then swing."
He glared at the targets, pride stinging.
Aim. He'd shot rifles tighter than a whisper, so this definitely wasn't different. He focused, heat sharpening in his chest, a thin line running down his arm. The machete swung again, now faster and tighter.
A narrow flame lashed out, crude but straight, slicing the second target clean. Embers drifted, the rune flickering out. The cocky boy's smirk faded, and Eclipse smirked. "Now that's better. Keep pushing."
Soon, Mistress Eclipse called a break, and all of the kids scattered to a stone bench under a warped tree. The girl who'd stepped in the heat yesterday sat quietly, away from all the others. She tore a chocolate bar and gave half of it to Rodrigo, who was just beside her.
"Name's Lira. You're older than all of us."
He grabbed it, not answering back as he took a bite of it. Sweet, comforting, and not recommended for soldiers like him. It'd been such a long time since he'd taken a bite of chocolate.
But Lira didn't really mind. She continued as he took a bite of her own chocolate. "I'm sorry Jace's like that. He's so cocky… ugh, I hate him so much."
Rodrigo laughed, leaning back against the bench. "You're a good girl, Lira. You got the guts of a soldier, you know that?" He glanced at the calm nature of the trees around them. He wasn't used to this, or perhaps he was just too focused on training his soldiers that he didn't even notice how calm an environment could be.
"So, Lira. What's your element?"
"Water," she said, placing her whip at the table. "And this is my weapon."
Rodrigo studied the whip Lira set on the table. Its leather coils gleamed faintly, a subtle shimmer running along its length like water caught in sunlight. He nodded, impressed despite himself. "A whip. Tricky weapon. Takes skill to wield."
Lira shrugged, her quiet demeanor unshaken. "It suits me. Water flows where it wants. I just guide it." She popped the last bite of chocolate into her mouth and brushed her hands clean. "What about you? Fire, right? That machete tells it."
He glanced at the blade resting against his thigh. Its fiery etchings pulsed softly, as if alive. "It seems that way. I'm still figuring it out." He kept his tone gruff, unwilling to admit how new this all felt. A soldier didn't flounder. He adapted.
Lira tilted her head, her dark eyes sharp. "You'll get it. You've got that sense, like you've fought before."
Rodrigo's chest tightened. Memories of his men flashed through his mind. Cheron's desperate shout. Pablo's final grin. Avange's head rolling. He pushed them down, focusing on the girl beside him. "I've seen my share. How about you, kid?"
"Not like you," she said, her voice soft but steady. "Just small stuff. Thieves in the slums. My brother taught me to fend for myself before he left for the coast." She traced a finger along the whip's handle, lost in thought for a moment.
He grunted, filing that away. A fighter, even if young. That's good. He could work with that. "Your brother. Is he an Infuser too?"
She shook her head. "No. He's just strong. He said I had the spark, though. I guess he was right." A faint smile tugged at her lips, then faded as her gaze drifted to the courtyard.
Rodrigo followed her look. The cocky boy, Jace, lounged against a target, tossing a small flame between his hands. The wiry girl with the dagger practiced quick slashes nearby, her movements precise. The chubby boy with the staff sat cross-legged, poking at the dirt with a stick. Kids, all of them. Yet they wielded power he was only beginning to grasp.
Mistress Eclipse's voice cut through the air. "Break's over. Pair up. Sparring time." She strode to the center of the courtyard, her staff tapping the ground. Water glistened at its tip, a reminder of her control.
The Initiates scrambled to their feet. Jace sauntered over, his grin wide. "Hey, old man. Wanna dance? Bet I can singe that scruffy beard off your face."
Rodrigo stood, machete in hand. Heat flared in his chest, sharp and eager. "Keep talking, kid. I'll show you what old can do." He stepped forward, boots scuffing the dirt.
Eclipse raised a hand. "Rodrigo. Jace. You're up first. Fire against Fire. No blood. Just Essence. Hit the other's target to win." She pointed to two glowing runes ten paces apart, one behind each of them. "Begin when I say."
Lira whispered as she passed him, "Watch his tricks. He's fast." She moved off to pair with the dagger girl, leaving Rodrigo alone with Jace.
He planted his feet, machete gripped tight. The heat in his chest simmered, waiting. He'd fought rebels hand-to-hand, stared down rifles. A kid with fireballs didn't scare him. But this wasn't his old battlefield.
Essence changed the rules.
Eclipse's staff struck the ground. "Go."
Jace moved first. He flicked his wrist, and a fireball streaked toward Rodrigo's target. It blazed bright, wild, and fast. Rodrigo lunged, swinging his machete upward. Flames burst from the blade, clumsy but forceful, meeting the fireball midair. The two blasts collided, sparks raining down as the impact shook the air.
Jace laughed. "Not bad, grandpa. Try this." He spun, hurling two more fireballs in quick succession. One aimed for the target, the other straight at Rodrigo's chest.
Instinct kicked in. Rodrigo ducked the second shot, heat grazing his shoulder. He rolled forward, closing the gap, and swung low. His machete flared again, a wide arc of fire scorching the dirt toward Jace's target. The flames licked the rune, but the glow held strong. Too weak.
"Missed again," Jace taunted, stepping back. He clapped his hands, and a larger fireball formed, crackling with energy. "You're damn slow, old man. Strength's nothing without aim."
Rodrigo's jaw clenched. The kid was right. His swings packed power, but they lacked precision. Years of war had honed his body, not this Essence nonsense. He straightened, focusing.
Eclipse's words echoed. Aim, then swing.
Jace launched the fireball, a blazing orb twice the size of the others. It hurtled toward Rodrigo's target, promising a quick end. Rodrigo breathed deep, heat surging down his arm.
He pictured his old rifle, the steady pull of the trigger, the bullet finding its mark. The machete rose, and he swung, tight and controlled.
Whoosh!
A thin flame lashed out, sharp as a blade. It sliced through the fireball, splitting it apart, and kept going. The streak hit Jace's target dead center. The rune flared, then dimmed, extinguished.
Silence fell. Jace's mouth hung open, his next taunt dying on his lips. The wiry girl whistled low. Lira's eyes widened, a flicker of respect crossing her face.
Eclipse nodded. "Good. Strength with a hint of focus. You're learning." She turned to Jace. "Speed's useless if you're sloppy. Next pair."
Jace scowled, kicking the dirt as he stalked off. Rodrigo lowered his machete, chest heaving. The heat settled, a quiet ember once more. He'd won, but it didn't feel clean. Too much effort for one hit. He needed more.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of spars. Lira faced the dagger girl, her whip snapping with water tendrils that coiled around her opponent's strikes. The chubby boy traded slow, fiery bursts with another novice, and his staff left scorch marks on the ground. Rodrigo watched, studying their movements.
Each had a style, a rhythm. He needed to find his own.
Eclipse called them together in the afternoon, the sun high overhead. "All of you've got the basics. Now we push. Essence isn't just flash. It's will. Focus it, or it'll burn you out." She planted her staff, and water spiraled upward, forming a shimmering ring. She pointed to Rodrigo. "You. Show me control."
Rodrigo stepped forward, machete in hand. The heat in his chest stirred restlessly. He'd show her control. He focused, picturing the flame in his palm from that first day in Havenport.
The machete glowed, faint red-orange licking the steel. He held it steady, willing the fire to stay small. It flickered, then stabilized, a thin ribbon curling around the blade.
Eclipse watched, her sharp eyes unreadable. "Not bad. Hold it. Ten seconds."
He counted in his head, sweat beading on his brow. The heat pressed against his will, eager to flare. At eight, it wavered, spiking upward. He gritted his teeth, forcing it down. Ten. He released, and the flame snuffed out, leaving the machete cool.
"It's still rough, but it's solid," Eclipse said. "You've got Strength Essence in spades. Shape it, and you'll go far."
He nodded, wiping his face. Rough again. He'd heard that too much today. But solid was a start.
The others took turns. Jace conjured a flurry of small flames, fast but scattered. The dagger girl sliced precise arcs, her control tight. The staff boy managed a steady burst, though it faded quickly.
Lira's whip danced with water, fluid and graceful, earning a rare "Well done." from Eclipse.
Training stretched into the afternoon. Eclipse drilled them on focus, pairing them again for target practice. Rodrigo hit two of three this time, his flames sharper with each swing. Jace sulked, landing one. Lira struck all three, her whip cracking like thunder.
By dusk, exhaustion weighed on them. Eclipse dismissed them with a curt, "Rest. Tomorrow's harder." The Initiates trudged back to the dorm, boots dragging on stone.
Rodrigo lingered, staring at his machete. The etchings pulsed faintly like a quiet promise. He'd controlled it, if only for a moment. That ember in his chest felt stronger, less wild. He headed inside, passing Lira at the door.
"You did good today," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "Better than Jace, anyway."
He snorted. "Kid's got a mouth. I'll outpace him yet."
She smiled, small but genuine. "I bet you will." She slipped past, whip coiled over her shoulder.
He reached his cot, sitting heavy. The dorm was quiet, the others already sprawled out. He leaned the machete against the frame, its weight a comfort. His hand brushed the locket at his neck, Franca's face steady in his mind. "Day one, Ma," he muttered. "Not dead yet."
Sleep came slow, as the heat in his chest stayed within. This Guildhall was just another fight, and strength was his edge. He'd hone it until no one called him rough again. A soldier didn't settle. He conquered.