Ch 1.11: Class

“So, you’ve come to the academy of Endrin, in hopes that you will serve well the nation of Endrin.” The teacher for Elaina’s first ever class at Endrin, Practical Aspect Applications, was a gruff woman that looked to be in her fifties, pacing across the ground, arms locked behind a stiffly straight back. She had a strong, angular face, and gray hair speckled with strands of black that cropped short and slicked back. “I was once Captain Calivahn, but you may call me Madame Calivahn.”

Every first year seemed to have met for this class, packed into the sand field that served as the academy’s training ground. It was Elaina’s only class for the day, and set to last two hours, which didn’t quite add up to her, but she couldn’t complain about her first class being outside on a nice, crisp spring morning. “Now,” Calivahn continued. “You may be wondering why there’s so many of you here with one lonely teacher, how I can teach so many of you. Well, I can’t. Different aspects and different students require different teaching methodologies, so today some of the second-years are going to help me sort you lot into smaller lots that will actually be manageable.”

Three students walked out from behind the crowd of first years. Elaina couldn’t believe it, but she recognized each of them. Two were the student watch members she’d managed to sneak past only two nights prior, and the last one was the one she didn’t manage to sneak past, the student watch captain herself, Tira, leading the other two with a smirk, glancing across the first years as if they were her prey.

“First, you’ll separate into three groups so we can evaluate you. To my right, those of you with external aspects, my middle, internal aspects, and on the left I want the worldly aspects. If you don’t know which you are, see one of my aides.” External, internal, and worldly. Elaina’s was classified as an environmental targeting aspect, by the System at least. She guessed it wasn’t an internal aspect, since she had the ability to augment it to self targeting, but she wasn’t sure if it would be considered worldly or external.

She looked at the movement of the other students, curious about how the groups would be lining up. The middle section, internal aspects, was by far the largest group, with the other smaller sections flanking it. Most of the students moved with purpose, and why wouldn’t they? The vast majority of them had been illegally practicing for months to a year. Still, some small number approached the student watch members that had been enlisted as teacher's aides, and Elaina decided to join in.

Most of the unsure students were going to the male watch member in front of the middle group. Elaina didn’t want to crowd him any more, so she walked over to the aide on her right currently wrangling those who had worldly aspects, Tira.

“Alright freshers, if you’re a manifester, on the field. Sole manipulators, off to the side. Those still unsure, see me.” The natural authority in Tira’s voice moved the students along, forming two files of about fifteen students each. By the time Elaina got to Tira she was just finishing up sending off two students to their place. When she saw Elaina, Tira smiled and reached out to mess with her hair.

“Well now, do we get to play together, or are you just coming to say 'hi?'’”

Elaina backed away, blushing at the contact. “I’m not sure where I’m supposed to be, exactly. I don’t think I’m self targeting, err, internal targeting, but I don’t know exactly where I do fit either.”

“Oh, that’s easy. Have you had a chance to mess around with your aspect yet?”

“A little.” It was the truth. Elaina may have had her aspect for a day longer than most people thought she had, but she still had far less experience than probably anyone else in the school.

“What’s it do?”

“I can create rope. Rope and chains.”

“Alright, you’re definitely worldly Aspected then. You just create, or can you move them too?”

“I can move them, yeah.”

“Sweet!” Tira clapped as she beamed. “You’re a manifester-manipulator. I can only manipulate myself, actually. Go ahead and get in line on the field for now; I’ll get to you in order.”

“Yes ma’am.” Elaina winced as she said it, but Tira just laughed. She didn’t know why she felt the need to address her like that.

As she turned back to the end of the line Elaina got a glimpse of the far group from her, the similarly small external Aspected, and the person in front of its file, Waine Ferris. At least I don’t have to be paired up with him. She still had business with him, what with him about to be selling near nude pictures of her to the entire school, but if she was about to spend the rest of her school life in class with a group, she’d prefer him not be in it.

The rest of Waine’s crowd were similarly absent from Elaina’s group, save one. Prisma was in the middle of the line of students on the field, chatting away with those around her with a smile on her face, not a care in the world. As Elaina walked by their eyes locked, and Prisma’s face fell into a frown. She really does hate me…

Elaina continued to the back of the line. She watched as the group of students in front were tested according to Tira’s instruction. Manifesters, this group was called. Some would also be manipulators apparently, and those that were only manipulators waited off to the sides.

It didn’t take long to grasp the terminology. Everyone in front of Elaina, the manifesters, could create something from nothing, at least temporarily, and those who could also control what they created were also manipulators. Elaina really should have been paying attention during her class’s Awakening— she knew that— but as it stood this was her first chance to find out about the aspects of her classmates.

Most seemed… Generic? Underwhelming? Elaina realized hers kind of was as well, now that she thought about it. Endrin students were supposed to be like the Stormshines, commanding thunder and lightning, leveling armies. In this group, sure, there was a guy that could create a sword, a girl that could conjure and shoot a crossbow bolt from her hands. Those were impossible feats, fantastical, but still so mundane compared to the stories.

Prisma walked up. “Alright, fresher,” Tira said. “Show me.” Prisma closed her eyes and took one deep breath, simply standing there. She seemed nervous, and Elaina began to sweat, both from anticipation and the humidity. Does she have stage fright? The entire field of students watched Prisma, each of them sweating in the scorching field. Elaina herself was almost drenched now, the sweltering air of the… The sweltering air of the early morning? In the first week of spring?

“Heat,” Prisma said, waving her arm in an arc towards the sky, a plume of fire erupting from her hand as she did, a flame magnitudes larger than the bonfires that would grace Elaina’s village on the winter solstice, an inferno that would have engulfed numerous of her classmates if it were directed anywhere but straight up, still threatening to engulf those standing near Prisma even as she directed it away from them.

This was the power Elaina had imagined. The others would get better, learn to do more with their aspects, but there was a level of mastery that Prisma had innately, that factor that ensured the top families of the nation remained at the top. These were the types of people that Elaina heard stories about, and the gap between them and even the middle-tier students at Endrin was astounding.

The crowd of students watching gasped in unison, the air around them returning to the natural brisk chill of early spring as Prisma released her aspect. “I can control the ambient heat around me,” Prisma continued. “Sorry for any discomfort, but that’s the only way I can demonstrate that. I also produce fire, and I’m still working on manipulating existing flames, but I can do that as well.”

Tira was flustered, pulling at her collar with one hand and using her jacket to fan herself with the other. “Well, your placement is obvious, at the least. You can go stand with the other manipulators for now, but off to the side. You’re in a group of your own for now.”

Elaina felt bad for the boy who came next and showed what was admittedly an impressive display of conjuring a trio of dogs that looked ready and willing to do combat, but it still felt hollow and lacking. After Prisma’s display, anything would be a disappointment, and Elaina was just glad she didn’t have to be the one to follow it up.

Eventually though, it was her turn. “Right then, Elaina, you’re the last one of the manifesters.” Tira smiled at Elaina as she crept forward. “Let’s see what the faculty were all abuzz about last night.”

The faculty? Right, Elaina’s Awakening had been, unusual. Elaina didn’t think that Tira was trying to freak her out, but the pressure wasn’t helping. It wasn’t embarrassment, which would actually be a good thing, just anxiety.

Elaina swallowed, raising a hand. “So, my thing, my aspect is Restraint.” She conjured a length of rope, only a few feet long, dancing it around in the air. “I can make rope, I guess. And also chains.” She let the rope disintegrate before creating a chain, the metal falling to the ground. “Oh yeah, uhm, those are kind of heavy, so it’s hard to lift them. I can still move them though.” The chain slithered like a sad snake.

Tira pursed her lips as the students waiting in the wing laughed. “Err, anything else?”

“Ah— No, not really.”

“Well, go stand in with the other manifesters, the regular group.”

Elaina bowed her head, the chain dematerializing as well. “Yes ma’am.” She started to walk away before Tira’s hand fell on her shoulder.

“You haven’t had the head start the others have. Your placement isn’t set in stone, so work hard and prove them wrong.”

Elaina stormed off to the side of the field without responding, joining the others, the “regular group.” She knew Tira was right, that even having a class didn’t mean her aspect was inherently stronger. She needed training, and that’s what she was here for, right? It still stung.

“Now then, you three,” Tira said, motioning towards Prisma and two others that had been grouped with her, the dog boy and a girl who could make and control water, “are going to be in Advanced Manipulation. The rest of you that have been tested will be in Standard Manifestation or Standard Manipulation. I’ll consult with Ole’ Calivahn to make sure you’re in the right spot for your aspect. Alright, sole manipulators, rally to me by the equipment stand over there so I can see what you can do. If you’ve been tested, the next hour or so is free training. Actually work, don’t slack off.”

The students dispersed, the tested students grouping off on the field as the untested manipulators went off with Tira to a rack with all sorts of weapons and mundane instruments alike. Since they weren’t able to manifest anything, apparently they needed to have something to use their aspect on.

Elaina ended up alone, again. She wasn’t going the let the time go to waste though. Face flush with both embarrassment and anger, she conjured up a chain again, a real chain with actual length, and whipped it into the sand. She wished for a target dummy, anything to actually attack as she repeatedly pounded the ground with the metal links she’d made.

She did that for only a minute before she wore herself out. Damnit, if I’d been able to do at least that… She’d still not be on the level of Prisma, not even the dog boy or the water girl, but she wouldn’t have looked so pitiful. She wiped sweat off her brow, looking up to see if Prisma was heating the area again. She wasn’t, it was just exertion.

A crack rang out from behind, and Elaina moaned, pleasure radiating from her groin as an equal amount of pain struck across her leg, [Pain Response] activating. She whipped around to see Waine Ferris standing behind her holding a literal whip in his hands, smirking his stupid face.

“The worldly Aspected sure do have some fun toys over here. What’s a dud doing with them though?”

Elaina gritted her teeth, exhaling through her nose. “What do you want?”

“I’m actually not here for you.” He motioned behind him, to a short girl with glasses and shoulder length, messy black hair, her green eyes as wide as a deer who just realized she’d accidentally walked into a butcher’s shop. She was, well, not large, but soft, filling out her uniform fully in a way that most others didn’t. “I’m here to introduce Prisma to your replacement. She’s got an external aspect like me. You know, something actually useful.”

“Hey!” the girl squeaked out. “I— I didn’t even—”

“What the fuck is going on over here?” Tira shouted, storming over from the equipment rack, eyes drilling holes through Waine.

Waine threw his hand up, laughing away. “Just having some fun with my classmate. Is teasing a crime now, officer?”

“Give me that whip now,” Tira said, extending her hand, “and you won’t have the displeasure of learning what I can do with it, Ferris.”

Waine cocked an eyebrow. “Wow, you know who I am and still have this much guts.” He tossed the coiled whip, Tira snatching it out of the air. “I’m honestly impressed, especially for someone of your pedigree.”

Tira rolled her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be bothering your own teacher’s aide?”

Waine threw his hands up. “I’m tested already, Advanced External Targeting, and I have business here besides. I’m meeting one of my practicum partners to introduce our last group member,” he said, pointing his thumb to the girl behind.

The girl shook her head. “I— I still—”

“Elaina,” Tira said. “Are you really practicum partners with this kid?”

“No no,” Waine said. “Not her. I was just saying hi to her as we walked to Prisma. We’ll be going now.” He turned back to Elaina. “By the way, if you ever want to do some modeling again, let me know.”

Tira cocked her head. “Modeling?”

Waine laughed, grabbing the arm of the girl he was with and dragging her off as he spoke. “Ya, she was kind enough to do some underwear modeling for me. If you want any pics, they’re five gold a pop. Just gotta offload ’em to the printer later today.”

Elaina’s heart sunk. She’d hoped until now that it was just a rumor, that it wasn’t actually happening. Later today though? There wasn’t even any time to stop it.

CRACK! CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK!

The field froze, everyone turning to Tira. Elaina hadn’t seen what she’d done to make such a sound, the repeated, near continuous cracks of the whip, but she saw her face. Tira’s nostrils flared, eyes crunched into the shape of knives as she stomped towards a dumbstruck Waine. “What the fuck did you just say?”

“Hey hey!” Waine said, stumbling backwards and falling on his ass in the sand. “She agreed to it! It was entirely her idea, even! Right , Elaina?” Waine looked at her, begging, pleading, all confidence gone as Tira stopped in front of him, looming over.

“Is that true?” Tira asked.

“What the hell is going on here, Waine?” Prisma’s voice. She was running over from her group, panting as she trudged through the sand.

“Elaina,” Tira said. “Is it true?”

Elaina bowed her head. There was fear in Waine’s eyes, and she had power now. But that power was temporary, borrowed power from Tira. If she had her own power, something that could stand up to him, put fear into him, she might’ve been able to tell the truth. Tears streamed from her eyes as she uttered her response, “Yes, it’s true. I volunteered so they’d let me hang out with them.”

Waine got up, chuckling nervously. “See! We’re all good.” He brushed sand off his uniform pants, shaking his head. “Thanks for telling the truth, Elaina. Really appreciate it.”

“Bullshit!” Tira said sticking a finger into Waine’s chest. “I know what you’re doing, you sniveling little shit. I’m the head of the student watch, and—”

“Now now, officer, let’s not be too hasty. I’m sure you know that nothing here can be proven as untoward. If a student wants to be a little slut, I guess you’d be in your right to write her up for unbecoming conduct, but when it was all her idea, can you really go after the guy she pressured into doing it?” He pushed her finger off his chest. “Do you really think that’s going to work?”

Tira ground her teeth, pushing his hand away. “A duel,” she said. “A duel, and you erase the pictures, all of them, if you lose."

“What?” Waine looked dumbfounded. “You don’t have anything to offer me, and even with my power I’m not stupid enough to challenge a second-year worldly Aspected.”

“You’re not going to be dueling me,” Tira said. Elaina was the one dumbfounded now. If it wasn’t Tira that was dueling, who was it? And why was everyone looking to Elaina of all people for the answer?

Oh.