Journal Day Two, 8th of Dag, 2498
Bristel has me going through practices every three days. Today was only the second one, and I was still worn out. Don't know if I'll recover in time for the next one. I practice when I can with the alphabet. Ferti walked me through where the coffee comes from and how it's made. Turns out that he's a Visc, and sells a special brew that "rejuvenates the soul". If it's still coffee, count me out.
Journal Day Four, 14th of Dag, 2498
I made the sword today! I can sharpen the edges to make it better, and I may carve some accents on the blade. Bristel had me practice with it through the stances she taught me. It's still pretty heavy. She wants me to make a sheath for the sword out of the rock, next. Bristel promises to teach me more Tethering soon. I'm starting to wonder about that, though. It has been two weeks already.
Day Five
"If we weren't wasting time with running, this wouldn't have happened," Acacia muttered to Gelland. Gelland helping her along, shoulder under Acacia's arm, Acacia limped back to the stone outcropping. "Seriously, Gel. I'm tired of this already. I just asked for help with Tethering, and you're running me around it." Her faced flushed.
She was afraid that the longer this went on, the more chances she would have to embarrass herself. The first training session, she was defeated again and again so easily. Today, she had tripped clumsily on a rock. This woman couldn't possibly deal with her messing up forever, could she? Her best option was to get Gelland to forego endurance training and get straight to Tethering, where she was somewhat confident she'd excel. Sure, learning Densing contributed as much to becoming an Augmentor as much as Tethering, but... she couldn't quite figure out why she wasn't drawn to it as forcefully.
They stopped in front of the rock, Acacia letting go of Gelland to slump against it and took a swig of her water. Gelland let out a sigh through her nose. "You'll focus on making your sheath for the blade. Your ankle will have a bruise and your knee is just scraped. They will be fine three days from now, but we'll focus more on sparring so you don't irritate them. After they've healed, we'll get back to running."
She's relentless! Acacia thought. Gelland fetched the stone sword from out of a hollow in a nearby tree, placing it in Acacia's hands. Gelland proceeded to move through her stretches while watching her. Acacia turned over onto her knees, placing the heavy sword against the rock, tip first. "Why are we doing it this way? Why can't you just tell me what I want to know, instead of torturing me like this?"
"Because this is the way my father taught me. He knew what he was doing."
Acacia's sword began to move into the stone, little by little. She had turned the rock into liquid, sensing the matter through the sword. She was careful not to turn the blade into liquid, as well, lest she ruin the whole process. She had put so much effort into this one object, and she wasn't willing to part with it from carelessness. She moved it all the way into the rock until the stone met the hilt. Next, she reverted the gooey liquid stone back into a solid. All that was left was to turn the edges into gas to let her slide it out in a cylinder form. She could work on getting the sheath widdled down later.
"Well maybe your father isn't as smart as you like to give him credit for," Acacia scoffed, turning to meet Gelland's eyes. Gelland visibly clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes. Acacia turned back to her work. That might've gone too far. Maybe I should apologize, but will that just make her think she's right? Is she?
Not needing to hold the sword anymore, Acacia put both hands on the large rock, and was about to make the cylinder. She felt a sharp pulse and flare, from her body to her hands into the stone. She was sent yelping straight to her back by a blast. It was nearly deafening, the sound of rock scraping rock. She sat up in a jolt, dazed. Gaping, she saw two small trees fall directly behind the area of stone that had a three foot wide circle where her sword had once been, the hilt and all gone in the blast. The stone was made smooth within the circle, with not many fragments lying about. The trees were not cleanly cut, but had been broken into pieces. It was like a giant club had taken it all out.
Turning to Gelland, the woman now sat on her knees regarding the scene with hands over her mouth in shock. She looked at Acacia. "I'm so sorry- I mean, how did that happen?"
Acacia looked down at her hands. "I have no idea. I was just going to turn it to gas. But I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have said that about your dad." All my hard work- gone!
"Well, I accept your apology. Let's clean this up, quickly. Make it look more natural. We'll end practice today so people nearby won't come flocking here from the sound."
...
Later that night, feeling the drain from the day, Acacia lay in her shift on her bed staring down at Ytamar and Reia. It had been so long since their passing. Big sister will always be here with you. I'm training hard for you. I won't fail, like last time. Just watch. She wrapped her scar laden arms over herself.
Although today's session wasn't preferable, she still felt she was progressing very quickly in what Gel wanted to teach her. Her body was already transforming from mere weeks. Her legs could carry on for longer, which helped on days like today when she had to work after training. Her ankle still hurt, but the wrapping she'd gotten from the apothecary down the street had helped immensely. Ferti had hired another person at the coffee shop since business had picked up. He was quite nice to look at.
She jumped at the sound of the knock at the door. "It's Bristel." said the voice. She checked the spyhole on the door to confirm, then opened it, letting her in. Acacia held her hands behind her back, keeping Gelland from seeing them. Gelland wore a deep black hooded scarf over dark flowy clothing. "Isn't it a bit late for you to be walking around?"
"I don't worry about it too much. Kahton isn't out tonight, and I go through the darkest alleys when that's the case."
"I don't know if that assuages my fear for you," Acacia replied, frowning.
"Oh, right. plasma Densers see clearly in the dark. I thought you would've known that after the joke you made the other week about me being a 'Night Stalker'? Anyways, it's safer for me that way."
Acacia raised eyebrows at her, "I really just figured that was part of the prejudice against your people. I didn't think part of it was actually true. You're a strange woman, besides. They still have torches on the streets that you could walk near. So, what did you come to see me about?"
"I have a surprise for you three days from now. It's not Tethering. I thought I'd tell you before you got your hopes up, but I promise we'll start that next week."
"Great! I've been practicing the letters everyday. I'm ready for it."
...
Day 6
"Push through," Gelland commanded, running in front, "You have to get through this pain, just for now. You'll feel so much better after today." Slogging through the last lap, Acacia started to sprint to beat Gelland to the clearing. Though her ankle and knee still hurt, she persevered just to appease Gel. She caught up just in time to be beaten by an inch.
"You really can't let me win, can you?" Acacia huffed, hands on knees. Gelland had told her not to lie down anymore after their exercises, save for stretching.
"Nope. 'The student isn't better than their teacher', Dad would always say."
"Sounds like a rough childhood. What would your mom say?"
Gelland was quiet for a moment, "Dad said she died in childbirth. So I never knew anything else. My dad did the best he could, considering."
"I'm really sorry. I never knew my mom, either- or dad. My orphanage said that they died shortly after I was born. So your dad taught you everything you know?"
"As far as fighting, yes. He was a captain in the military before settling down with my mom in Aubury. He taught me how to attain and maintain physique, as well as some practical applications of Tethering. I got more help with that at the college there. He and I only got our Densing about two and a half years ago from a Vein."
"A captain? For this country?" Acacia grimaced. "Does that mean you're a patriot? Would you fight for this country in the Tecton War, if you weren't a fugitive?"
Gelland got into the first stretching position, gesturing for Acacia to do so. Finally she said, "I might've been that way, at one point. Back before we became Hals, I was studying to one day fight, like my father had before me. I wanted to follow in his path, and become a legend. I didn't understand why, at the time, but my father didn't want that for me. He said, 'Soldiers are made the prostitutes of war. You are charged with unspeakable things, and somehow you justify that what you do just has to be right.' I didn't think people could be treated as badly as he had said."
She spread her legs apart, putting her fingertips to the soft ground, "Then they killed my father. A hero lay dead in the dirt. No one questioned it, no investigation was made, and they said he died of natural causes in his fifties. I buried him, and no one stood by me... except for my friend, Cross. He held my hand in the rain. And that's why I'm called a murderer and a fugitive. I killed the man who murdered my father... in self defense, eventually. He held power over the 'authorities', buying them off, apparently killed my friend's parents, nearly killed my new friends. Last of all, he killed me as well."
All of that information lingered heavily in the air. Especially the last sentence. Is she being dramatic? Figurative?
"I was guilty of treason just by existing as a Hal. If that's all it takes to turn your back on people, that's no master I'm willing to serve."
"Well said, I like that. This country is shameful to act in such a way to those it should be taking care of," Acacia said, brimming with satisfaction in Gelland's answer. It also explained part of Gelland's annoying side. Being raised by a single father must have been tough, let alone if that man was suffering from his time serving this blasted country.
"Let's move on to combat," Gelland said, finishing the last stretch. I can't blame her for not wanting to talk about it, anymore. "I won't have you practice with what's left of rock, today. I do want you to understand what you did to it, though. That was your first time using the Breaker's plasma transformation. Apparently Breakers, Viscs, and Wafts make unique effects when turning their matter into plasma. After yours, I think I've seen all of them. You vaporized the rock, leaving very little behind. I've seen a Visc turn liquid into an hot, glowing form and heal others. And I've fought against a certain Waft who flung a wall at me without touching it."
That must've been what Ferti was talking about. I wonder if the coffee still tastes the same once he's changed it? "But, how did I do it? I was trying to turn the stone to gas."
Gelland smiled mischievously. "You didn't. Now get ready to fight." Acacia readied her staff. She felt stronger than she had the first day, but knew she was still no match for Gelland. Gelland attacked first, while Acacia quickly thrust upwards to ward her off. Gelland had taught her the basic techniques of both weapon and martial arts, so this primary attack wasn't unexpected. However, normally Acacia was the aggressor. This day, Gelland went on the offensive. After the initial blow from above, Gelland put welts on Acacia's ribs on both sides. "You'd already be dead by now, so ignore death and come back from it!" Gelland commanded.
Acacia and Gelland went back and forth for several minutes. Both were sweating under the sun, loose shirts billowing in the wind. Acacia was barely able to hold her staff up against the strikes Gelland threw at her. Suddenly she dropped it from an unblocked blow to her hand, Gelland throwing hers aside as well. Gelland interlaced her fingers, beginning to bear down heavily on Acacia, "Don't let me push you back!" she growled.
Acacia dropped to her knees, desperately searching for any reserves. I won't lose to her! she shouted in her mind, but not finding any way to overcome her opponent. Gelland, looking into her eyes, smiled widely at her. Suddenly Acacia felt an enormous burst of raw strength that made her want to bellow. Her fatigue faded away and her arms itched and pulsed underneath her sleeves as she quickly gained ground on Gelland. She stood tall over her opponent, pushing Gelland's feet back, creating ridges in the dirt.
Gelland released her hands, sending a kick into the side of Acacia's face. It thunked against her, as well as the punch that followed. But she, apparently oblivious, grabbed Gelland's wrist, and she heaved her off the ground, flinging her. Yelping towards the trees and striking one of them, Gelland rolled off and stood, rocking slightly. Acacia picked up her staff and rushed her, Gelland grabbing it with both hands as if to rip it away again. Acacia jerked it back with ease, then released one hand from the staff and jabbed her in the gut. Gelland fell to her knees and wretched as the rush soon withdrew from Acacia.
I did it, I beat her! Is that what people call an adrenaline rush? I've never physically felt so good in my life!
"Great... job, Acacia," Gelland choked, still looking uneasy. She sat back on the tree she'd been thrown against.
"Soldiers wish they were this strong- your training is working! I wonder how powerful you are when you get your second wind!" Acacia said, laughing.
Looking up at her, Gelland smiled. She looked like she was visibly fighting the pain in order to show it. "I hope you like your surprise! I know how you feel about your wrists and how defeated you felt in your training. Today was all yours!"
Acacia cocked her head. "What does all that mean? What do you know of my wrists?" She drew back her sleeves. Her heart sank and her breath halted. "What did you do?" she said, shaking.
"During the last session, I figured out that along with causing others to use my abilities, I could cause your plasma transformation, myself! And during the fight I made you use an ability of mine to gain immense power and healing for a time!"
Acacia's arms had tingled and pulsed during their fight. Acacia knew now what had been done to her. Her wrists were completely smooth.
"It healed you, you don't have to feel emba-"
"No! Gelland, no!" Acacia howled, wrapping her her arms around herself. "You took them from me!" She began to sob.
"What? 'No!'? What did I do, tell me what I did!"
"I wasn't embarrassed of them- I loved them! Ytamar and Reia! And you took them from me!"
"You kept hiding the scars from me, what was I supposed to think?"
"You should have asked instead of judging me and wanting to make everything better yourself and always doing what you want me to do in practice when I only asked you to teach me Tethering and being condescending enough to stage a fight where you make me win and always talking about your imaginary friend when no one cares!" Her screaming onslaught left her out of breath.
Gelland went pale. "Oh..." She stood up, attempting to give her a hug. She was shoved back down by Acacia. After a moment, she said, "What did they mean to you?"
Acacia turned away. "They were my little brother and sister. They died because of this cursed government. These scars are all I had left of them. And you, who says she's against this country, helped them in taking the last trace of them away from me. Please go away. I don't want to see you right now."
Getting back up, Gelland made to leave, but said, "They're always in your heart. The Master will always remember them too."
"Stop patronizing me. Everyone says something like that. If your master can't teach you when to talk and when you should shut your mouth, then what good are they?"
Putting her head down, Gelland made her way back to Medina Gilt. Acacia couldn't tell if she wanted to burn up in anger or just disintegrate. But she was cursed with newfound energy after their practice. Clenching her fists, she headed deeper into the woods to find more rocks and trees to blast away.
