“Dabs! I already called dabs on the first lesson!” Ori exclaimed, slamming the car door shut behind him. The rest of us stayed in the car, avoiding the downpour outside for as long as possible. The nature preserve – a tremendous swath of uninhabited forest – had closed over an hour ago, but with only one electric barrier gate blocking the dirt road entrance – and two Electromancers in the car – getting in was no problem.
“It’s dibs,” Eileen yelled out the window. “So you get nothing! –Bleh!” She quickly rolled up the window as a gust of wind blew a spray of water in her face. Ori was pouting at her from outside.
“To be fair,” Sophia said, casually waving her hand to remove the raindrops from Eileen’s face. Eileen smiled at her gratefully. “With the pouring rain, it really is the ideal condition for Aspen’s first Hydromancy lesson.”
Ted turned off the engine but left the headlights on, casting the thicket of trees ahead of us in towering, ethereal black and white shapes. All around us were colossal trees – maple, oak, pine, and many more that I couldn’t place. As I stepped out of the car, I tried to steer the buckets of rain away from my face using some feeble Auromancy, but I immediately got a dirty look from Ted when the blown-off rain blew straight into him. Aiden took out his phone flashlight, doing his best to shield it from the watery onslaught, and swept the ground until he found a handful of large, dead branches several feet away.
He gathered them in his arms and walked back over to the group, completely drenched. His thin, white buttoned shirt clung loosely to his skin, completely soaked through in a matter of minutes. Having left my jacket in the car to avoid ruining the leather, I looked down at my own t-shirt, which was clinging to me much in the same fashion. I crossed my arms self-consciously.
“Sophia, would you mind drying these out for me?” Aiden asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.
“No problem,” she replied, holding a hand over the thick branches in his arms. Trickles of water began seeping from the bark, leaving dried wood from the inside-out.
She then turned her attention skyward, and the rain suddenly stopped falling – actually, I realized, only the ten-foot radius of forest that surrounded our group was shielded from the falling rain, as though an invisible tent had been magically constructed over our now-dry heads. I marveled at the ground beneath my feet, where tiny rivers of water were trickling away in streams that snaked back out to the edge of Sophia’s Hydromantic barrier. After a moment, even the soil on which we stood was dry and covered in crunchy twigs once more, while just a few feet away, torrential rain continued to spill to the muddy forest floor, undeterred by the thick canopy of branches above.
“Sorry for the delay – that was thoughtless of me,” Sophia said, just as I realized my hair and clothes had been dried as well.
“Thank you,” Aiden said, smiling at Sophia as he knelt down to light the pile of dried branches. “I hate to admit it, but I’ve never been a big fan of heavy rain storms – or large bodies of water in general. Makes me uneasy.”
“Heh… me too,” Ted said, inching closer to the fire, which already sprouted waist-high flames. “I honestly thought it was just me.”
Aiden looked thoughtful. “I wonder if all Pyromancers are somewhat hydrophobic…?”
Ted shrugged, placing his hands deep in the flames, which he deftly parted to avoid singeing off his skin. “Maybe.”
“Me, I have the opposite problem,” Sophia said, watching the fire thoughtfully. “I get nervous when there’s no water around. Even on short walks, I just naturally gravitate towards fountains, hydrants, puddles. My adoptive parents took me camping in the desert once when I was a toddler. They said it was the fussiest they’d ever seen me. They kept having to chase me away from the cactus plants! I guess, even then, I was drawn to water.”
“Yes, but isn’t the human body something like seventy percent water?” Ori said, warming his hands over the fire. “I mean, you’re never very far from your element. I read once that humans are basically just cucumbers with anxiety.”
Sophia laughed, then grew serious again. “Yes, but it’s extremely dangerous to mess with the Water in our own bodies. And even for Hydromancers who are authorized to employ such practices in the medical field, it’s an extremely delicate process. While treating a patient with hypothermia, for example, heating the blood just slightly too much could cause instant death.”
I swallowed, thinking how close the Hydromantic guards had come to doing exactly that back in Tulsa.
“Anyway,” Sophia said, clapping her hands together, “I’d say it’s about time we get started. Are you ready to get wet again, Aspen?”
I nodded, taking one last minute to enjoy the dry warmth of the fire. Aiden gave me an encouraging smile, which I instantly returned.
Maybe we’ll be alright after all, I thought as I followed Sophia into a dark clearing of trees a few yards away.
Maybe…
“Don’t worry,” Sophia called over her shoulder to the others. “I can still maintain your water-free zone from over here.” They cheered happily from their singularly-dry spot in an otherwise waterlogged forest.
“Okay Aspen,” Sophia said, after we’d walked several yards into the clearing. She had to raise her voice over the sound of the crashing rain. “I’ve come to realize that your instincts are way past basic training, so let’s cut right to the important stuff. We’re going to incorporate Wind as well – it pairs nicely with Water.” I nodded, trying to blink the fat droplets of water from my eyelashes.
“From Aiden’s recount of what happened in Tulsa, and from our brief session yesterday, it’s evident that you’re excellent at mimicking – so watch what I do, and try to mirror it back to me.”
“I’ll do my best,” I replied, thoroughly drenched again. I wiped a few coils of sopping wet hair away from my face.
Sophia, dry and elegant as ever, was staring at the sky. All at once, drops of rain – both from the storm clouds above and the large puddles on the ground – began to coalesce above our heads into one shimmering wall of Water that steadily grew in size; much like the Hydromantic guards had constructed at the Containment Center. But after it had accumulated enough volume – about ten feet high and stretching across both our heads – it began to change shape, morphing first into a giant sphere, and then a towering five-pointed star.
“At its most basic,” Sophia said, casually transforming the watery sculptures from one massive shape to another, “Water is a molecule comprised of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms, bonded together by shared electrons. It's polarized, which means it’s charged positively at the hydrogen atoms and negatively near the single oxygen atom.” The mountain of Water shaped itself into three connected atoms – an upside-down V – to illustrate its molecular structure.
“Because of that polarity, water molecules are naturally attracted and stick to each other, forming a hydrogen bond.” The single H2O molecule suddenly split into a half-dozen smaller molecules to demonstrate, all while accumulating in volume from the downpour above.
I gaped at Sophia’s Hydromantic display, entranced. Making little orbs of Water in the shower is one thing, but this was something entirely different. And much, much bigger. From a few yards behind us, I could hear Eileen and Ori exclaiming.
“Because of that bond, Water is, by nature, quite cohesive, and therefore easy to manipulate and shape – like clay,” Sophia explained as the giant ‘molecules’ suddenly collapsed into a shallow pool directly above us, causing me to gasp. I could see the stormy sky from beneath the taut blanket of Water, its refracted image undulating like the muddy floor at the bottom of a clear pond. It was extremely fascinating – and disorienting.
“It’s hard to say why – perhaps it’s because we humans are already seventy percent Water ourselves – but Water is the most amiable and accommodating of all the Elements; even Level-One Hydromancers can usually affect it with relative significance. Because of that, Hydromancers have gotten a bit of a reputation for being ‘jocks’, as Eileen likes to say, because of all the Elementalists, they seem to have the most natural ability, and also appear to be the least interested in the ‘why’ or the ‘how’ of their Element,” Sophia smiled, gazing up at the floating lake above our heads. “As for me, being both a Hydromancer and an Auromancer allows me to appreciate the science behind my own Elements, as well as their unique pleasures.” She flashed me an uncharacteristically wicked smile then.
“Take control of it,” she directed. Her voice was soft once more, now that the rain wasn’t falling in buckets from the sky. Instead, it was steadily collecting in the growing reservoir that hovered only a few feet above our heads.
I hesitated, awed by the sheer volume of Water that had accumulated.
“Go on,” she pressed gently. “I know you can do it.”
Cautiously, on tip-toes, I raised my hand up over my head, nervously running a finger along the rippling surface. Thankfully, it didn’t leak… or collapse. With a bit more confidence, I prodded it gently with my mind, and while I could feel the immense weight of it, it didn’t falter.
“See?” Sophia asked. “Water is a very friendly Element. And its surface tension helps it maintain its cohesion, even while changing shape. Go ahead – see what you can do.”
“Okay…” I replied uneasily. I wasn’t feeling terribly confident, but I knew she wouldn’t let me look like a drowned rat in front of the others… At least, I hoped not.
Raising both arms over my head, I tried to mimic what Sophia had done in altering the water’s shape. Imagining water circling down a bathtub drain, I tried to stir it from a flat sheet and into a funnel. The water immediately inverted like a bowl and sloshed around, some raining back down on us, but it didn’t quite become the dramatic spinning top I had hoped for.
“The wind is blowing – see if you can combine the two Elements,” Sophia suggested. “Like this.”
Gusts of Wind whooshed from between the surrounding trees, encircling the cone of Water above us, which now resembled wine being swilled in a narrow goblet. I could feel Sophia back off for a moment, allowing me to take hold once more. Wind and Water momentarily flowed together, creating a deep funnel of Water that spun wildly like a twister. It stretched down to the ground in front of us, pulling rain into it from every direction. I grinned with pride as Sophia stepped forward once more.
“You can heat it,” Sophia called, as plumes of steam began billowing out from the watery cyclone, “or you can cool it,” she added, and the steam drifted away, leaving a slushy, slow-churning funnel that looked like the clear version of the frozen cherry drink Ori had given me earlier that day.
“See if you can’t freeze it further,” she suggested, motioning me to take control again. “Ted mentioned that Cryokinesis is an area where you might need some extra help.” I stared dumbly at the partially-solidified cone of Water, not quite sure where to begin.
“You’ll have to go to a calm state,” Sophia guided me, “almost like with Auromancy, to help lull the molecules into a crystalline shape. You can also cheat by cooling the air around the water – just be careful; ice is less dense than liquid Water and so its equilibrium will shift.” I nodded awkwardly, trying to absorb all the information Sophia was feeding me, while also allowing my mind – and the water – to get to a “calm” state.
Suddenly, the massive cone fell to the ground, its cold slush rapidly spreading across the forest floor. It slid neatly beneath my feet and under fallen boughs and branches. My eyes widened as it quickly hardened into a thin sheet of ice so smooth, I could see the reflection of the cloudy sky on its glassy surface. Drops of rain falling from the clouds began splashing onto my face once more as I took a tentative step forward to test its hardness. It was solid all the way through.
I stared at Sophia in amazement. “Did I do tha—aah!”
Suddenly, my foot slid out from under me, causing me to pitch backwards. Before I could even cry out, a gust of Wind sailed behind me, gently pushing me back to my feet well before the back of my head could crack against the thick sheet of ice. I gazed at Sophia with gratitude and reverence as the ice beneath my feet melted back to water. The streams gushed through the muddy grass toward the surrounding trees as rain fell freely from the clouds once more.
Instinctively, I looked up, feeling a surge of energy forming directly above us. A second later, a huge peal of lightning shattered the sky; a deafening clap of thunder soon followed.
Ori appeared suddenly at my side. “Okay, Water playtime is over!” he announced. “Everyone, remove every piece of metal from your body,” he shouted at the others, who were still watching us from beside the fire. “Not you,” he instructed me as I reached behind my head to undo the clasp on my necklace.
I breathed a sigh of relief, though the others were staring at Ori as though he were crazy. Sophia’s eyes widened as she twisted a thick ring off her finger.
“What kind of metal is your ring?” Ori called as she started for the group.
“Silver,” she answered, a puzzled look on her face.
“Excellent. Can we borrow that?”
Sophia looked momentarily conflicted, but nevertheless put the ring in Ori’s palm. “Just make sure I get that back,” she warned. “Otherwise Eileen might flay you.”
“Don’t tease me!” Ori replied playfully.
As Sophia went back to sit and warm up with the others, Aiden called out, “Please do us all a favor and don’t electrocute the world’s only living Pentamancer tonight!” Though his words appeared to be a joke, I couldn’t help but note the icy tone.
Ori rolled his eyes, muttering something about “overly-emotional Pyromancers” as he came over to me and planted the ring in the palm of my hand. I gave him a quizzical look.
“Silver is by far the most conductive metal on Earth,” Ori explained. “Because it only has one valence electron and that single electron is free to move around with little resistance.”
Above, lightning flashed again.
“Blah blah, we can discuss the science later,” he added quickly. “The point is, you can use silver to attract and amplify Lightning’s electrical current – and you can use the rainwater’s conductivity to have better control over its path. We’re gonna do some electrical target practice!”
I glanced at the others; Sophia was watching us from the dry tree stump she shared with Eileen about twenty feet away. Beside them, Aiden and Ted were staring at me intently from behind the roaring fire. I shivered, envying the fact that Sophia was conveniently keeping all of them perfectly dry.
“Anyway, no time for details, we’ll learn as we go,” Ori said, ushering me into the center of the clearing. “Just put on the ring, wait for the next bolt, and then grab it, just like you did last week. Only this time, hold onto it!”
I warily slipped on Sophia’s ring, feeling the need to ask about twenty follow-up questions, but before I could, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.
“Get ready!” Ori yelled excitedly.
Above us, a huge branch of white lightning split the sky in half. Without thinking, my hand shot into the air. The lightning flew into my palm with such force that I staggered back and nearly fell. Behind me, I vaguely registered the others’ cries of alarm.
“Aiden, get back!” Ori yelled from beside me. I didn’t dare turn around to look. “Aspen, whatever you do, don’t let go!”
I gritted my teeth, which were tingling, and forced the electricity into a blinding, writhing ball of Lightning between my palms. As the basketball-sized orb crackled with intensity, the acrid smell of something burning filled my nose. But, gasping with effort, I somehow managed to hold onto it – though I could feel it protesting from between the cage of my fingers.
It’s too much, I thought, momentarily flooded with panic.
“Don’t be afraid of it!” Ori shouted, stepping behind me and placing his hands over mine. The current settled down slightly, though the lightning’s jagged, dancing edges grew brighter as streaks of Electricity poured back and forth between the sizzling orb and my fingertips.
“This is Lightning, not Fire!” Ori said, his rough voice coming from mere centimeters behind me. “It’s not a battle of wills; don’t try to trap it – Feel it! Lightning can be shaped, coerced, enticed!”
Water poured down from the sky above. I squinted against the rain and the blinding light emanating from my hands, forcing myself to take gulps of ionized air to counteract the shadow blurring the edges of my vision. I’d nearly forgotten to breathe.
“You see that tree over there?” Ori asked. “The one on the other side of the clearing?”
I nodded with effort, feeling raw, manic energy ricocheting through my veins.
“On the count of three, I want you to throw the lightning at the tree as hard as you can – guide it toward the trunk using the raindrops for added conductivity. Okay?”
I merely grunted. Both my racing heartbeat and the thundering crashes from the clouds above were rattling in my ears.
“One!” Ori called.
The lightning, as though it understood what was to come, stirred restlessly between my fingertips.
What the hell am I doing? I gritted my teeth so hard I was afraid they might break.
“Two!”
As I raised my hands above my head, above my floating black halo of hair, the lightning suddenly lurched, as though trying to break loose from my fingers.
Easy, I found myself coaxing it. You’re almost free…
“Three!” Ori shouted.
With all my might, I flung my arms in front of my body, but the force of my throw was nothing compared to the force of the lightning. It careened away from me as though it were shot from a cannon, hurtling through and past the raindrops with such energy, it reminded me of a hungry animal tearing after its prey.
A split-second later, it catapulted into the tree with such an explosive force, I had to clamp my hands over my ears as the explosion shattered the very air around us, sending an eruption of light and sound through the clearing that was akin to a bomb detonating. Shards of white-hot coal flew into the clearing as the huge tree exploded into a thousand, thousand pieces, spraying the surrounding forest with a horizontal shower of sparks. Several moments later, as the smoke began to dissipate, I could see a half dozen small fires burning feebly in the nearby blackened grass.
That’s when I realized something about the scene was… off. The remaining trees encircling the oak I had just destroyed were outlined in glowing purple lines that appeared to burst and pop along their edges. The ghostly lines reminded me of an image of a full solar eclipse I had once seen in a book, where the sun’s fiery corona peeked out from behind the shroud of a black moon as a dancing ring of plasma.
I blinked hard. “Ori – do you see that?” I asked, pointing to the glowing trees. But the blazing lines had already disappeared, leaving only faint blue traces in an otherwise dark forest.
“What are you…” His voice trailed off as he took a tentative step towards me, and then another. “What is going on with your eye?”
I took a step back, turning my eyes downward self-consciously. “I don’t know,” I whispered.
Ori, in an uncharacteristic move for him, fell silent – as did the rest of the clearing. Even the pouring rain had slowed to a reverential drizzle.
Just then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I whipped around to find Aiden staring at me with concern plainly written on his face.
“Are you okay?” he asked. His eyebrows furrowed when my eyes rose to meet his.
I shook my head feebly. What’s wrong with me?
Several steps behind Aiden, Eileen, Sophia, and Ted had jogged over as well. They stood just a few feet behind us, staring wordlessly into the charred area of forest that used to be a towering oak tree. Eileen’s jaw was hanging open.
“I think we should go ahead and call it a day,” Ori murmured after a moment.
The rest of us nodded in agreement.