Page 6 of Elemental Hall: Nautica (Elemental Hall #1)

I barely weave out of the way as a sword comes toward my head. The clash of weapons is all around me, along with grunts of pain and the impact of those weapons against flesh.

I bring my own weapon up, trying a cut at my opponent’s flank. She parries it easily, grinning as she does so.

“Too slow, Sera,” Aria says, continuing to move around me smoothly, jabbing with her weapon.

It’s obvious that if this had been a real fight, I would have been dead a dozen times over. As it is, the wooden weapon is merely uncomfortable every time it jabs at my flesh, leaving reddening patches that will no doubt bruise soon enough.

“Do not stop!” our trainer shouts out. His name is Master Glebe, and he has so many scars, it seems to me that he must have fought in a hundred skirmishes. “The way of water is constant flow, finding the gaps in your foes’ defenses!”

Apparently, each of the elemental houses has its own way of fighting, and of course, before I came to Nautica, I didn’t know any of them, so I’m forced to try to pick up what I can in the middle of classes with other students who have probably been training with sword tutors since they could walk.

Students like Ash, who is currently battering away at another student with perfect form, or Nissa, who handles her weapon timidly, as if afraid of hurting someone else, but who seems skilled nonetheless. Or Orion.

It’s obvious that the water style doesn’t suit him. He’s too muscular, too strong, too… earthy. He would clearly rather plant his feet in place and hit his foes with solid swings than try to flow around them. Even so, he has the kind of skill that speaks of a natural talent for weapons and…

“Ow!” I say as Aria hits me again.

“Focus on me, not on the pretty boy,” she replies, dancing away before I can hit her back.

I flush with embarrassment. I don’t understand why everyone seems to think that there’s something between me and Orion.

All we’ve done is succeed in one challenge together and study in the same circle.

Now, there are whispers about us behind my back, and even Aria seems to want to make fun of me for it when I give her the chance.

I cut at her with my wooden sword again, trying to imagine what it would be like to be water, flowing over rocks, finding the slightest weak point.

“You’re getting closer!” Aria says. The implication is that I’m still not close enough.

Before I can answer, the teacher calls a halt to the class for today.

“You all have plenty of work to do,” Master Glebe says.

“An elementalist cannot just rely on their powers in dangerous situations. They may find themselves in a spot where they must fight with a sword, a dagger, or their fists. You must be prepared. Those of you who have not done so, study Yin’s text on the water forms of the blade. ”

This is what so much of our instruction seems to be here. A few basics shown to us in class, then a reference to some tome or scroll found in the library, followed by plenty of trying things out in practice, hoping that we’ll be able to get it right in time to spare ourselves from some pain.

For now, I know that there is no point rushing to the library to copy from that one text. There will be a rush for it, and I’ll be lucky to get near it. Better to wait and read it later, or better yet, hope that someone else I know can pass on the parts of it I need.

“All right, class dismissed,” Master Glebe calls out. “Orion, remain behind. We have visitors for you to show around.”

I see him wince. It seems that he isn’t looking forward to it. Well, that’s too bad for him. It’s what comes with being the poster boy for the Elemental Hall this year. At least I’m never likely to be asked to do something like that.

I head back to the dormitory and my room. I hear giggling from one of the rooms across the hall and it isn’t long before I see a young man come out from it, a blonde-haired girl named Mia grabbing him for a quick kiss before letting him go.

“What?” she says, catching my look in her direction. “You think we’re not allowed to have any fun here? Besides, I’m sure you’re just waiting for the moment when Orion invites you into his room.”

She turns and heads back inside. The rumors would seem fairer if I’d done anything to bring them about. If I’d kissed him, or at least shown some kind of attraction in public, or done anything other than just partner with him on one challenge.

I go back into my room, studying some of the notes I’ve made in the library.

There are so many things I need to know about.

These notes are from a class on elementalist tactics, with side notes from Trelling’s book on the subject.

It’s all about the proper balancing of elemental forces in any given group, when to push forward with fire and when to hold the line with earth, when to use the speed of those focused on one of the air sub-specialties and when to stay calm, relying on the insight of someone focused on spirit.

It’s slow going, but there are hints that we’ll be working group tactics in the next couple of weeks and I’m determined not to be behind when that happens.

It isn’t long, though, before I decide to go down to the pool where I first met the seraphin.

To see it again, to keep working on whatever strange bond there is between us.

I can feel pieces of its knowledge within me even now, about the workings of the deep oceans where even elementalists do not go.

I hurry down toward the secluded pool, hoping that it will be there today. It seems to come and go like the tide, there some days, gone others. There is a deep well of power somewhere within it, an understanding of an elemental connection beyond anything human.

I hurry there and am glad to find that the space around the pool is empty for now. Better yet, the seraphin rises from the water as I approach, letting me wade into the water, letting me run my hands along its flanks while it makes happy sounds.

I am not so foolish as to think that it is only an animal, or a pet.

I can feel the knowledge in it, the intelligence and the power.

I can see images of how whirlpools form, of the strange ways of the leviathans that live in the deep, the brightly lit coral reefs where the seraphin meet with one another.

It shows me how it shapes the water, the way it might to one of its young. I make a spout of it, then a wall, and the seraphin seems pleased, happily splashing me with its tail. Then it is gone, so suddenly that it might never have been there, disappearing back into the bay.

I don’t need to look around to know that people are approaching.

I look anyway, and am surprised to see Orion on his way down to the shore with a man and a woman, both dressed in noble finery that makes me only too aware that I am dressed in clothes more suited to diving into the water than to meeting anyone important.

The man is broad-shouldered and blond, wearing a tunic of split white and gold along with pale hose.

The woman is a little shorter than him, with piercing blue eyes and a rounded face.

She is wearing a gown better suited to a royal court than to here.

It’s impossible to escape just how similar to Orion they both look.

Orion is moving forward. “Sera, come out and meet my parents.”

His parents are here? It’s strange to think of anyone just visiting Nautica, but I guess there’s no rule explicitly forbidding it. Especially not when their family provided the land where the Hall is located. It’s simply that there’s no way my own family will ever be able to do something like this.

I get out of the water and Orion moves to intercept me.

“Play along,” he whispers. “Please, just play along.”

“Play along with what?” I whisper back.

He pulls me to him then, pressed tight against his muscular form, apparently not caring that he’s getting his tunic wet. His lips brush against my cheek, while he turns me, presumably so that his parents can’t see the shock on my face.

“So this is the girl who has stolen our son’s heart?” Orion’s father says. He sounds unsure what to make of me.

“She didn’t steal anything, Father,” Orion said. “And Sera is one of the most powerful water elementalists in our class.”

“We saw the seraphin,” Orion’s mother says. “To join with such a creature… they say that only the pure of heart, untroubled by dark emotions, can ever do so.”

I’m overwhelmed by what’s happening. I stammer out something, but I’m not even sure what I’m saying.

“Of course, it’s not fair that we’ve sprung our presence on you like this,” Orion’s father says. “But Orion has been telling us so much about the young woman he is seeing, and we had to meet you for ourselves. You sounded too good to be true.”

“I… thank you, I think,” I say. I’m still trying to work out what’s happening here.

“For now, though, we will take our leave,” Orion’s mother says. “No, no, Orion, you stay here. We’ll find our own way back. And don’t forget to dress for the occasion when you visit.”

She hugs him tight, then puts her hands on my shoulders, presumably the closest she can manage without ruining her dress.

“It was lovely to meet you, my dear. I’m so glad that Orion has found someone he cares for.”

They leave. I watch them leave, waiting very carefully until I’m sure that they’re out of sight and earshot. Then I round on Orion, unable to keep the anger off my face any longer.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m sorry,” Orion says quickly. “I had to.”

“You had to imply to your parents that there’s something going on between us? I’m pretty sure you didn’t have to do that, Orion.”

“Sera, please,” he says, holding up his hands. “They came here to talk about taking me out of training. They’d arranged a marriage…”

I take a step back from him. “I think you’d better explain.”

Orion sighs. “My parents only let me go here because they thought it would get dreams of being an elementalist out of my system. I’m from the kind of tier of nobility where it’s assumed that we’ll employ elementalists, but not be them.

Maybe a second child, if they have the talent, but not the firstborn. My job is to provide them with heirs.”

That doesn’t help my mood. “And you selected me to bring them into the world? I think I get a choice about that, Orion.”

Orion shakes his head. “It’s not that. I swear.

The fact that you don’t want me like that is part of the point.

When they started talking about setting up a marriage for me, the only way of stopping them from pushing it further was to tell them that I was already with someone.

And if it’s someone here, they won’t be so quick to try to pull me away from the Elemental Hall, not until I’m fully trained and it’s too late for them to simply call me home. ”

“And I’m the name you thought of?” I say, but I kind of understand it. After all, my own parents were trying to marry me to a man I didn’t love.

“I know, I know, but there was no time to ask.”

“At least it’s done now.” The moment I see his expression, I know it isn’t done. He looks far too thoughtful for that. “It is done with, isn’t it, Orion?”

“Think about it, Sera,” he says. “If my parents hear that I’m not seeing anyone after all, they’ll just be back. And if people think I’m with you… well, it might cut down on some of the people following me around, looking at me like…”

“You’re about to say that you’re getting too much attention from the girls here?” I say. It’s hard to keep from sighing.

Orion at least has the grace to look embarrassed.

“I told you before that people always seem to want something from me. Some of them think that they can marry into my family to go up in the world, some people think that they can gain favor with my parents… you’re the only one who doesn’t seem to care. ”

“So why should I care?” I ask. “You’re asking me to… what? Pretend I’m deeply in love with you to keep everyone at a distance? That helps you, but as far as I can see, it just makes my life more complicated.”

“It might help you, though, Sera,” Orion says.

“I know there are people who have treated you like you don’t belong here because you’re not noble born.

If they start to link you with me, and with my family, that might help.

People will leave you alone at least because they don’t want to risk upsetting me. ”

I have to admit that it’s a pleasant thought.

And it’s not as if I’m planning on falling deeply in love with anyone else here, is it?

I want to focus on learning to be an elementalist, and I don’t want to get distracted.

Maybe this pretense is my best chance. And I must admit, I really don’t want Orion to be dragged away by his parents.

“All right,” I say at last. “You want a fake girlfriend? I can do that. But you’re going to owe me for this, Orion. You’re going to owe me a lot.”