Page 4 of Elemental Hall: Nautica (Elemental Hall #1)

“I can’t believe that they just threw you straight into one of the challenges with no preparation!

” Aria says, as we make our way along one of the tracks that dot the network of islands.

“They give us lectures every morning and we spend most of our lives in the library to get ready for this kind of thing.”

“I can’t believe that you’re healed already,” I reply. I’d thought she was more injured than that.

Aria shrugs. “Nissa has a gift for healing. Besides, I wasn’t that badly hurt. Thanks to you. It could have been a lot worse.”

She shudders briefly, like a dark cloud passing in front of the sun, then smiles again.

“But that’s life in Nautica. All the elemental houses, from what I hear.”

I frown at the implications of that. “So, they just throw us into deadly situations again and again? Are they trying to kill us?”

Aria looks puzzled. “You don’t know the way it works here?”

I shake my head, keeping pace with her as she hurries forward. I get the feeling that she is almost never still. “I’ve heard stories about the academy, and the recruiter who found me said something about everything being a test, but beyond that… no, I don’t know how things work.”

Aria’s look of puzzlement only grows. “I… guess that’s possible.

Sorry, I’m not used to anyone who hasn’t been told how special they were since they were young.

Half of the people here have been trained by elementalists almost since they could walk, learning all the theory, preparing for this. You didn’t have any of that?”

I can only spread my hands. “I’m from a small fishing village, Aria. I’ve always liked the sea, but I never dared to dream it was anything more than that.”

“And you still made it through that challenge? That’s… I’m not sure I could have done something like that. Then again, water isn’t the element I’m best with.”

“So, everyone starts with water?” I ask. “Isn’t that impossible for anyone who doesn’t have an affinity for water?”

“Just because you don’t have a natural affinity for an element doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything with it,” Aria explains. “We can all learn the basics with each element, but obviously, we’ll always be better with some than others, and we’ll probably have to follow the forms more closely.”

“Forms?”

Her expression suggests that she still isn’t entirely sure that I’m not joking.

“Elementalists have worked out ways of thinking and feeling that let you achieve particular effects. We learn them by rote until we can achieve the effects we want. With some of the strongest elementalists, it’s hard to tell what their affinity even is. ”

“And the challenges?” I ask. It’s still hard to get over the sheer deadliness of the one we all just faced.

“The elementalists say that the best way to make progress is to immerse ourselves in situations, and… well, we’re all meant to be getting ready to potentially defend Lumina. I guess they think that we should be ready for danger. We have classes, but the challenges are what really matter.”

She keeps leading the way along the path, through the trees.

There’s a clearing there, in which a number of students are gathered.

Some seem to be practicing with their powers, summoning flames in the air or making plants rise from the earth.

Several seemed to be practicing combat techniques, throwing punches and kicks.

A stone tower stands in the middle of the clearing, so wound around with plants that it almost looks like a tree. Five doors lead into it, with stone statues above them representing the core elements: water, fire, air, earth, and spirit.

One thing stands out, even among all that.

“Where are the teachers?” I ask.

Aria shakes her head. “That’s not how things work.

Oh, they’ll give us classes down in the amphitheater on different aspects of elementalism, on fighting, strategy, politics, and the rest, but most of it we have to learn from each other, or from the library.

They post a list of the challenges they’re planning, and the skills we’ll need. Then it’s on us to prepare.”

I’m not sure what to think about that. Coming here, I’d assumed that there would be people to teach me all the skills I need. Now, it seems that I will somehow have to work things out for myself.

“Are you going to be okay from here?” Aria asks suddenly. “Only, I told Nymyra that I would meet up with her after the challenge.”

“I’ll be fine,” I assure her. I’m not sure whether that’s true or not, but she’s already done so much to show me around. How hard can learning what I need to know in a library be?

I head into the library, taking the water gate, of course.

The interior is enough to make me simply stare, up and further up.

A single spiral staircase runs around and around the edge, leading up to floors above.

The walls are dominated by shelves, with niches for scrolls and books.

More books than I’ve seen in my life. More books than anyone could hope to read.

The center of the tower is open, so it’s possible to look up all the way to the top, where a large crystal hangs, refracting the sunlight into every possible color.

There are desks and chairs dotted around the interior, while a single large notice board holds announcements.

Some are from students, requesting assistance or announcing gatherings.

More must be from those in charge, announcing different challenges.

I shudder as I read the details of the “undertow challenge,” where we will be required to make our way to an island across the bay, navigating or avoiding dangerous channels, competing to be the first ones to hold some object.

I think about what I will need to know for that and realize that in one way, I have an advantage: I already seem to have enough innate skills with water that I should be able to cross the space between two islands safely.

It means that I have the time to start looking around the library for the kind of basic information that the others here seem to take for granted. I want to know about the forms, about the elements, about everything that it takes to be an elementalist.

I seek out a scroll on the basics of air manipulation, unrolling it in front of myself, taking in the detailed notes on posture, on attuning my breath to the air around me, on gestures and movements that might help to build a connection to the air.

The first exercise seems to be designed to create a cooling breeze.

Nothing more than that. I settle into one of the seats, trying the movements over and over.

Nothing happens. With water, it’s as if my connection to it flows naturally. With the air, there simply isn’t the same sense of being one with it. There isn’t that ease, that sense that the air will do what I want it to do. That, presumably, is why the exercises are there.

“Are you stupid?” a voice snaps. I look up from the spot where I’m sitting to see a slender, stern-looking young man whom I recognize from the deep dive trial. What’s his name? Aria mentioned it…Ash?

“No,” I reply. “Are you?”

It’s the wrong thing to say, judging by the sudden flash of anger in his expression.

“I should have guessed that some peasant girl the recruiters found doesn’t know the rules. No working with the elements in the library. No one wants to risk you setting fire to the tower because you don’t have any control.”

“I’m working on the air,” I point out.

“You think that makes a difference?” Ash demands. He sneers at me. “I’m astonished that someone like you can even read.”

I’m up out of my seat in an instant. He smiles, dropping back into a ready fighting position.

“Oh, I would enjoy teaching you a lesson,” he says. “Especially after you showed me up by being the one to come back with the elemental mistress’s precious bracelet.”

He circles me like a predator waiting to strike.

“I’m not looking for a fight,” I say, but it doesn’t seem to make a difference to him. He keeps moving, keeps looking for his opportunity. He draws one hand back to throw a punch…

There’s another young man there then, interposing himself between us.

I vaguely recognize him too from the challenge.

He’s muscular and sandy-haired, now wearing a tunic over his swim shorts and sandals.

He has square-jawed features that are, I must admit, quite handsome.

He has the kind of deep blue eyes that it would be easy to stare into, losing myself for hours.

Currently, those eyes are locked onto Ash.

“Attacking other students, Ash?”

“She barely counts as that. And you’re interfering in my business.”

“When someone’s about to pick a fight with someone who can’t defend herself, I’m inclined to make it my business.”

Ash gives the newcomer a hard look. “You might want to remember that I’m still senior to you here, whoever your family is, Orion.”

He stalks off, leaving me alone with the newcomer, who looks around at me like he’s worried I’ll have come to some harm while his back’s turned.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“I’m fine. Is he always like that?”

“Ash? Pretty much. He’s one of the senior students in our class. He’s decided that puts him in charge of everyone. I’m Orion.”

“I gathered. I’m Sera.”

“I know,” he says. He looks momentarily bashful. “I asked.”

He asked? Now, why would someone like him ask about someone like me?

“You know,” he says, “what you did on the deep dive, saving Aria like that, was impressive. There are a few of us who study together in a circle. You could join us. We’re due to meet up by one of the rock pools.

A couple of people with water affinities are thinking of trying to bond with a creature. ”

“Bond?” I try very hard not to show my ignorance. I suspect that I fail, because he starts to explain.

“A lot of elementalists form a bond with a creature linked to their element. For me, it would be some kind of earth-dwelling creature. They say the link can boost your power, and that it gives you access to the kind of deep knowledge that only a magical creature can possess.”

“That sounds like something you memorized,” I say, tilting my head to one side.

He smiles. “It is. My tutors made me memorize a lot of things before I came here.”

His tutors. Because of course Orion is from a family wealthy enough to afford them.

“I’m not sure if I want to commit to bonding to something like that,” I say. I’m not sure about committing to anything right now. Not his circle. Not… anything.

“You don’t have to,” Orion says, “but in a place like this, it could be good to have every advantage you can get.”

I get the feeling that he’s someone who’s used to having every possible advantage.

Do I really want to go hang out with some guy I’ve only just met?

He’s right, though. It probably would be helpful to train with other people.

Maybe some of them can catch me up on all the things I’ve missed out on that I should know.

“All right,” I say. “Lead the way.”

He does, and I follow behind, still not really knowing the layout of the islands, still a little envious that everyone else here seems to know their way. It’s a reminder that I haven’t been here long, while they’ve all been studying already.

Orion leads the way down a path to where a curving spur of rock forms a deep pool with a small beach running in front of it.

It’s sheltered by palm trees to form a beautiful, secluded cove.

There are half a dozen students there. One young man is in the water, and I see a crab easily the same size he is scuttle out of the water, stopping in front of him and regarding him as if trying to work out what he is.

Then it scuttles back into the water without looking back.

“So close!” a girl nearby says with a laugh.

“It isn’t easy,” the young man retorts. “And you only attracted eels, Kinsey.”

They all look around as Orion and I approach.

It’s obvious that they’re all looking at him.

I mean, who wouldn’t? In any case, his presence seems to draw attention as naturally as the sun rising over the horizon would.

It takes several seconds of back-slapping and greetings before any of them notice me.

Orion introduces me. “Everyone, this is Sera. She’s the one who saved Aria. And she got the bracelet.”

“Impressive,” a young woman says. “You want her to join our circle?”

I note that she doesn’t ask me. Orion is clearly the center of attention here.

Orion nods. “I figure that, if we’re in Nautica, we might learn a lot from her.”

They might learn a lot from me? That isn’t the way I imagined this going.

“Do you want to try for a companion?” a girl named Sybil asks. She’s pretty, slender, dark-haired, with a flower in her hair that seems to move under her command.

“I wasn’t planning to,” I say.

“What’s wrong? Don’t know how? Or just don’t think you can manage it?” There’s a challenge there, and the worst part is that the others are watching me, even Orion. They’ve heard what I did, so now, of course they’re eager to see if I can do more.

“I…”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Orion says, putting a reassuring hand on my arm. If anything, though, that only pushes me to do it more. I don’t want to be just some girl he brought along out of pity. I don’t want to feel useless, because he’s been kind to me.

Steeling myself, I step into the pool.

“How am I meant to do this?” I ask.

“You don’t know?” Sybil shoots back. There’s something harder about her tone now. I see the way she looks over to Orion. There’s something proprietorial in that look.

“Just… reach out,” Orion says. “Let the creatures of the ocean feel your power. They’ll come if they’re interested.”

That’s worryingly vague, but I try it anyway. I reach out to the water, feeling it, feeling the pulse of the currents beyond the bay. For a moment, it feels foolish, but this is no different from what I did for much of my journey over.

“Nothing’s happening,” Sybil says. “Obviously, she isn’t everything you think she is, Orion.”

I hold back my irritation, reaching out deeper into the water. It’s as if I can feel everything there now, every creature, every shift of the water beneath their fins.

Something rises out of the bay to look at me. At first glance, I might mistake it for a dolphin, except that it has iridescent scales instead of smooth gray skin. A powerful tail beats the surface, and it looks at me with large, dark eyes.

I know what it is instantly. How can I not? It’s the creature that I’m named for, the one my father claims to have seen only once. A seraphin.

It drifts close to me. I reach out with a hand, resting it against those brightly colored scales. I feel a moment of connection there, a moment when it’s hard to tell where I end and it begins.

It swims lazily around the bay once. A flick of its tail makes the water form into a funnel, which it rides right to its crest as though looking out on the world. Then it dives, disappearing from view.

Somehow, though, I know that if I call it again, it will come. I’ve never wanted anything more.