After that speech, Jessie taught me the remaining elements using the same methods she used for water, but the process was significantly quicker, given all the effort I put into the water element.

  Fire warmed my body like I was huddled in bed on a cold winter morning. It didn’t hurt when the element danced in my palm. Earth mana made me feel heavy and sandy, but it wasn’t intrusive. It felt like I was at a beach with my body submerged in sand, but the sand wasn’t holding me back or restricting me. Finally, there was air. My body felt light and breezy, like wind was moving through my veins.

  Before I knew it, I had bands on my pinkie for air, ring for fire, middle for water, and pointer finger for earth, signifying I was officially a Weaver.

  When I earned all four bands, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would take to get a second one on a finger. I’d tried to get that information from Jessie, but she wouldn’t tell me. She said it would complicate my training, so I put to the back of my mind.

  With my introductory lessons completed, Jessie gave me a day off to play with my new abilities. She told me that, as part of my training, I should try to circulate all the mana elements, generate them into a ball, and constantly shift between them for a few minutes daily. It was so I could get a feeling for all four elements and increase my ability to activate, manipulate, and switch between them easier.

  Only one element could be manifested and controlled at a time, both internally or externally. I couldn’t create a fireball in my right hand and a water one in my left. But if I could make a ball of fire and then one of water right after in quick succession, it’d give me better control overall and significantly negate that inherent weakness.

  Jessie also mentioned we’d only be meeting for an hour or two in the afternoons and that my focus should now shift to Barcus and internal mana. She seemed excited when she said that and uttered something about getting her mornings back.

  As such, I decided to seek Barcus out and tell him the good news.

  Jessie told me they were usually just outside town, north of Beginner’s Rest, in an open meadow where many adventurers tended to train. Coincidentally, that was the exact place where Nigel bashed my head in with a practice sword. I headed there and found Nigel, Barcus, Bydon, and Garreth.

  Nigel was lying on the ground, huffing. Garreth stood over him with a blank, sad expression with a wooden sword hanging over his shoulder. Barcus was standing nearby, laughing, while Bydon leaned against a tree some distance away with a look of amusement on his face.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “You didn’t switch at the right time,” Garreth told Nigel. “That’s why you tripped. Your feet couldn’t handle the sudden shift in speed, and your hands threw your body weight forward. Idiot.”

  It was both mean and playful. A part of me was looking forward to being treated the same way.

  Am I a masochist? Shit, is Jessie rubbing off on me? Gods, I hope not.

  “I’m sorry,” uttered Nigel, pathetically. “It’s easy to put the mana in my legs and hands, but thinking through when to switch them is hard.”

  “But important. Keep at it,” ordered Garreth.

  “Yes, sir.” Nigel leaned his head back and groaned. His eyes spotted me. They lit up immediately. He stood and, almost like a puppy, ran my way. “Yeeeen!”

  I smiled. “Down, boy.”

  Nigel pouted when he got closer. “Stop treating me like a dog.”

  “But dogs are great, and you act just like one.”

  “So mean,” whined Nigel. “How’d your training go? Still working on manipulating water?” He smiled sheepishly. “She gave up on me after two months and just taught me the rest of the elements so she wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore. External mana isn’t for me.”

  I lifted my hand to show Nigel all the bands on my fingers. “All done.” I formed a ball of water and tossed it between my hands. “I’m a full-fledged Weaver.”

  “Wow! That’s amazing!”

  “That means you’re mine for a while?” asked Barcus loudly.

  I nodded in his direction. “Yes, sir.”

  “Never say sir to me again.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Haha…smart ass.” I heard him groan. “Don’t know if she’ll give a shit about swordsmanship if she can learn external mana in less than a week. Guess she’s a genius or something,” he whispered, but my long ears easily picked up his words.

  Nigel stood beside me and put an arm over my shoulder. “Don’t get too mad when we spar, okay? I’m sure you’ll win eventually.”

  I felt a vein pulse in my forehead. “You’ve only beaten me once.”

  “And there are many more wins to come!”

  Oh? I didn’t know he had this kind of side to him. Interesting. I can’t let him act cocky like this without repercussions, though. What kind of standard would that set?

  “Your smell might kill me first. Here, wash off.” I stopped tossing the water ball I created and dropped it over Nigel’s head. It soaked his hair and shirt. “There! Payback!” I smiled. “All better!”

  Nigel’s face turned bright red. Barcus laughed behind him.

  “I can make water, too,” said Nigel. He made water appear in his hand. It dripped carelessly, without control, between his fingers in a steady stream. “Come here. Let me return the favor.”

  “Nope!” I took off running. “Later!”

  “Come back here!” Nigel chased after me.

  The air filled with laughter.