9th of Glade, Year 125, A.o.S
Continued From HERE
ϟ The Atraxian sun still hung overhead as Vagos began his explanation of the techniques he would impart on Barakael. "The first technique is simple, called Blazing Roar. Essentially, you'll take a breath and pool aether into your mouth, before blowing it out in a stream like so." he demonstrated as a spray of fire shot into the air. "It's a basic fire technique, as you can shoot continuous streams of fire from your mouth. Or you can do it from your fingertips, fists, palms, or legs which can allow for a variety of combinations if you add it with a fighting style you prefer. The more aether you fuel the flame with the larger and wider it will become."
He motioned for Barakael to do so and he took a deep breath, before adding his aether to it and exhaling a nice flaming stream up into the air as well. He was already thinking of the applications he could use it in, keeping his enemies at a distance or allowing them in close so he could incinerate their faces. Seeing the satisfaction and his mental gears turning, Vagos smiled and moved on to the next technique. "Now this next one will allow you to bombard a single target or hit multiple foes at once, with the technique Fireball Assault."
He said as 10 small fireballs formed a halo around him, before he extended his right arm, sending them flying in rapid succession. "This technique creates a volley of small fireballs as you can see, which send flying unpredictably, assaulting the enemy or having them hone in on a singular area. Now your turn." he instructed, taking a step back to watch Barakael practice. The gladiator focused on forming his flaming halo, which appeared as such instead of singular fireballs. With a flick of his wrist, he sent out a hail of fireballs that pelted the arena wall until the fiery halo disappeared.
"Fire does agree with you, it seems. Once you can do those techniques effortlessly, I'll show you more of what I know, but I beleive these will serve you well in the fights to come. Your aether endurance will improve automatically if you adhere to your meditation and regimen. I would also encourage you to develop your own style of combat using these techniques, mixing and matching them as you see fit." Listening to his explanation, it made sense, and Barakael would definitely be creating a rigorous regimen of his own to help fortify his skill and control to wield his elemental magic effectively. This was advice that was invaluable to him, as it was key to his overall growth.
Seeing the determination in the gladiator's eyes, Vagos patted his shoulder and gestured for him to follow the seasoned elementalist. "I can sense you have grown even now from my instruction and drills, so I will impart to you a technique I believe could help you, think of it as a gift." he said as he called forth the earth around them. It sprang to life with fervor and vibrancy. "But first, you must make a choice. To align your soul with a particular element or remain a generalist. When I was given such a choice, I chose the earth, as it was all I knew growing up in the Atraxian sands. Not that I need to ask you, as it is very clear which element is fond of you, but so that the bond is clear, which element do you choose?"
Barakael smiled as it was indeed a clear answer. "Fire has always been a part of my soul, so it's the only appropriate answer. I chose the flames." he noted, and with a nod, Vagos began to concentrate on the stone he had called forth, as it moved and twisted around his form and then wind began to encircle the rock formations. Barakael was wide-eyed as he witnessed Blending for the first time. "With earth bonded to my soul, I have come to see that wind has taken a liking to me too, which allows me to blend them both into sand. Now call forth fire and see what element comes to join it. Once one does, concentrate on blending the two together."
With that instruction, Barakael conjured flames in his hand, opening himself up to which other element decided to come and join with it. Wind answered quickly, and soon he found himself seeing sparks float between his hands. Sparks at first, then it turned into a current of electricity. Barakael struggled to maintain the amount of energy that was present in his hands. "I see, electricity, lightning is a mixture of the raw destructive power of fire and the fast, rapid movement of wind. If not careful, one can misfire it and cause unwanted damage."
Vagos quickly came to supplement Barakael as he guided him in how to wield it properly. "Lightning or any form of electricity longs for release, to be directed. The energy feels as though you are being filled rapidly until you burst, and it's in that that one fires it, giving it purpose." He said as he helped stabilize the now-forming orb of lightning. "Tell me what does it feel like to you?" he asked, Barakael closing his eyes as he opened himself up to the feeling and voice of the new element. The feeling he got was hot like fire, but rapid and always moving like the wind, the voice he heard was speaking quickly, in rapid succession, and moving from one thing to another so fast it would give a normal man whiplash.
"It moves so quickly, always firing off words and ideas, wanting to go and do something, to hit something. It's almost childlike, but with the raw force that could crumble buildings." he explained. "Good, that sounds about right. Now give it purpose and send it forth." Vagos instructed, letting go of Barakael's hands so that he could fire the lightning at the arena wall. "Well done, most who blend lightning for the first time get hurt, but you seemed to have better control than most beginners." he added, patting the young gladiator on the shoulder.
"I would suggest you practice a bit more and get better acquainted with Blending, till it becomes like second nature for you. Between you and me, I think you are a shoo-in to win this year's Sand Dragon League." he began, his gaze turning the sun that still blazed over them both.
"It will be imperative for you and your path ahead to build your power. That is what will help shape the future to come, but you don't need me to tell you this, I'm sure you're smart enough to realize this." he noted. Barakael nodded in acknowledgment, coming to sit and relax on the arena floor. He couldnt wait to become more familiar with lightning and using it in combat in the coming games. He was certain that it would give him a leg up in the matches.
"That being said, as long as you listen and feel for the elements, you should do well in the craft. It's how I was able to come up with these techniques I've shown you. I haven't encountered lightning, so I dont have any expertise in what moveset to give for that, however, if you allow it to guide you and practice more in controlling its fast, volatile nature, you will be able to come up with techniques of your own." he added, gesturing for Barakael to give it a try.
Barakael began to gather aether to invite fire and wind together, blending them until a high-density orb of lightning formed at the tip of his finger, before he discharged it from said finger. He smiled excitedly as he repeated the process over and over till he was satisfied. Alternatively, he tried another approach by pointing at the iarena wall with his index finger and generating a concentrated bolt of lightning from thin air, using his aether as fuel for it.
"Well Done Barakael, you seem to have a better handle than I thought. I honestly wasnt expecting you to grasp lightning in how difficult it can be to control. But its a good sign for the growth you will have as you hone this magic." he encouraged. ϟ
"Vastian Speech"
"Tallenese Speech"
"Vallenor Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"
