I'll cut it right here, as there's still more in the chapter, turns out I wrote a lot more than I thought I did.
Benji shook his head and motioned for Akeda to follow. “No, your training today is different. This is more of a mental exercise, and Master has a task for you. It’s better to talk with him without interruption.” Akeda stood and followed, a look of disgruntled bewilderment about him. He was directed around the mat where the other students were to a small door near the back, leading to a clearing behind the academy. Following Benji outside, he spotted his master sitting on his knees, eyes closed, meditating. As they walked through the door, Akeda’s mind was alive with thoughts; some made sense, while some were utter fantasy.
It was a single tapestry, he reasoned with himself, and it was probably older than Master, I don’t see why I’m going to get punished for accidentally starting it on fire. I’ve seen others do worse.
“Sir, he’s here,” Benji announced as he came to attention next to the door. Akeda pushed his way around Benji and looked at the master as he slowly rose to his feet, as if lifted by an invisible force.
Master Hiru was an elderly man, his face and hands wrinkled and dry. As he rose to his full height, easily a foot taller than Akeda, who was barely over five and a half feet tall, he opened his arms ever so slightly, hands at waist height, barely visible under the sleeves of his robe. “Thank you Benji, you may go. Akeda, are you ready for your lesson?” His robe, a bright white, lined with dark red stitching, swayed ever so gently in the wind, his hood resting atop his head, showing his aging white hair. As Hiru looked at Akeda, their eyes locked, and Akeda noted the fierce flames in Hiru’s forest green eyes.
“Yes, Master,” Akeda said simply, traversing the small walkway to a cushion directly in front of Hiru. He plopped onto the pillow, his knees making a small thump as they landed, his imagination going wild at what was about to happen.
His thoughts tapered off as Hiru looked down and began talking. “I know that your lessons are supposed to be inside with the rest of the students, but as I’m sure you’ve figured out already, this is not going to be an ordinary lesson. You’ve exceled at your studies and your wielding is above average for your age. You’ve even managed to surpass some graduates that left this academy years ago.” Hiru motioned for Akeda to his feet and waited until he had done so.
“The reason for this… unusual lesson is not what you might think,” Hiru continued, turning to walk down the small brick path. “As you know, this academy is to help students learn to accept, understand, and harness their fire-wielding, but this is not entirely the case. It is a place to train soldiers, warriors.” Hiru stopped moving after he had created a ten foot gap between them.
“You are a prodigy, Akeda. I saw that when I found you on the street so many years ago. This place needs heroes, it needs protecting, and THAT is why this academy was created. As dragons, demons, and other horrors continue to attack the kingdom, we occasionally need to replace soldiers who have given up the fight, fled, or died. It’s not just fire-wielders in the army, as I’m sure you could guess. There are also those who can wield other elements, mermaids from the oceans, elves from the forests, the avians and dragonkin from the mountains, as well as regular humans. All are on the front lines, and all are trying to protect our homes.” Hiru turned, his robe swirling, the fire ever brighter in his eyes. A look of savagery and hunger hung over his face as he stared at Akeda, “Show me what you learned. You don’t hold back, and I’ll see if you’re up to my task.”
Hiru’s hands came up to his face and with a wave, a jet of flames erupted from his palm, directly at Akeda.
