Page 19 of The Song of Sunrise (The Prentice Teller #1)

Elementation

T he corridors are packed with cadets eager to get to their next class as Ramona and I work our way toward the west tower to Elementation with Professor Gregorio.

“Part of me knew I would always be a Sun’cher like the rest of my family, but a small part was holding out to be a Moon’cher just to piss them off,” Ramona says as she taps her newly adorned golden Sun’cher patch on her shoulder that she just received in Introduction to Talent class this morning.

With Ramona finally placed, all first year students are now officially sorted to their assigned faction.

“Well, at least you get to train with me and Leaf!”

Her cheeks blush ever so slightly at the mention of Leaf's name, but I decide not to push. Leaf had impressed all of the first years with his accurate archery and saber skills. He was equally as lethal, and shirtless, as Castor while practicing.

Shit, now my cheeks are heating too.

We walk into another one of the levitating glass lifts run by source magic. It’s incredible the different uses magic can have. Ramona presses the polished black stone with the number ten engraved and practically bounces with excitement.

“Hold the door!” Selene comes rushing toward the doorway, her dark curls wild. “Elementation?” she asks in a huff as she tries to catch her breath.

Ramona, for once, seems at a loss for words.

I jump in, “Yes. Come in.”

“Thanks. Ran straight from my library shift,” she adds more to herself than to us.

She hastily runs her fingers through her hair and slings a large book bag over her shoulders.

“Clarance is a long time friend of my father. He would definitely pass along if his perfectly studious almost-daughter missed a class.” Her voice drips with sarcasm.

“Clarance?"

“Professor Gregorio,” Ramona and Selene answer in unison.

My eyes darts between them. The level of awkwardness exuding from Ramona starts to become unbearable just as the door opens and an ethereal voice announces, Level Ten - Elementation and General Classrooms.

Ramona grabs my hand and rushes out toward an alcove. I hiss from the sudden jerk of movement.

“Well… Are you going to tell me why you are being so weird?” I ask.

Ramona tucks a strand of hair behind her ears and looks out the large windows that overlook the surrounding small mountains and forest.

“Fine,” she relents. “It’ll get out soon anyways. Selene and I hooked up. We were together this summer, but she decided to call it quits before classes started.”

Oh , that’s interesting. Selene and Ramona are both from legacy families. Maybe they grew up together and have a history of friendship.

“She is beautiful,” I say, looking at Selene. She is smiling and chatting with another cadet I cannot see from this angle. Her dark skin gleams like moonlight. Her hair effortlessly curls down her back in soft ringlets.

“Akemi. Not helping,” Ramona grits through her teeth.

I laugh, this time grabbing her arm and leading us back into the classroom. We sit near the back.

Professor Gregorio sprints into the room, his long Watcher blue robes fluttering wildly behind him. His mousey brown hair in disarray, blood drops from his bulbous nose and from the corners of his mouth down his long, rust-colored beard. He falls to his knees. Selene rushes to help.

“ Professor! ” she yells and kneels down.

In a matter of seconds, Selene is facing the class, eyes wide in fear. The professor is holding a knife to her throat, his previously bloodied face completely clean and grinning. A few students jump out of their seats, some yell, and others clap.

What in the Sun Goddess is going on? Before I can piece it all together, the professor begins to talk.

“ Myrage . An optical illusion that Sun’chers can create by bending the light rays around them.” Professor Gregorio removes the knife from Selene’s face. She smiles as he offers her a hand to stand, not fazed one bit that a knife was to her clavicle only moments prior.

She must have been in on the demonstration because of the closeness she mentioned the professor has with her father.

I join the other cadets in clapping as Selene makes her way back to her seat. These professors enjoy drama almost as much as Tellers. This was a performance like any other.

“Thank you, Selene, for your cooperation.” He nods in her direction. “I would be kidding myself if I said this was not my favorite part of starting a new class of cadets.”

The class laughs, and I can already tell this might be my favorite subject.

“Now, mastering a convincing myrage comes later on in your training. Can someone tell me why this particular skill might be useful for Watchers?”

Multiple hands raise. I keep my eyes lowered, trying to avoid the professor’s gaze, though my mind is already spinning with the possibilities of how casting a myrage could help.

Professor Gregorio calls on Leo to answer. “A myrage could help a Sun’cher change their appearance, and confuse the enemies!”

“You are not wrong, as that is what I demonstrated today. What do you think?”

When no one answers, I look up to see the professor staring right at me.

I pause for a moment before answering. Thoughts swirl in my mind like the start of a Telling.

“I guess it could help in a variety of ways,” I begin, grateful for my overactive imagination that Rosie used to scold me for.

“You could create an illusion of a peaceful field while an army prepares for battle. Make a WatchTower appear occupied when really it’s empty, tricking the enemy so the Watchers could sneak up from an unsuspecting spot.

Maybe even use it to make an army appear larger than it really is, intimidating the opponent! ”

I had always loved brainstorming with Marrow for new story ideas but had never thought this skill would be useful at the Watch.

“Brilliant mind, Akemi! That is a second-stone Watcher level of strategic thinking. There are so many possibilities where mastering this skill can be extremely useful,” Professor Gregorio praises me, and I can feel the smallest flames of pride spreading in my chest.

Maybe I can do this after all.

Across the room, Sabra rolls her eyes dramatically. The people around her laugh.

My flame sputters.

“Today we will start small. Sun’chers, you will be working with me on this side of the room conjuring sunfyre , fire manipulation basics. Moon’chers, you will be working with an advanced third-stone Moon’cher on that side of the room.”

My heart skips a beat as Castor appears in the office door frame behind the desk. He must have been waiting there this whole time.

“You’ll be working on channeling lunaflow , the water manipulation counterpart to sunfyre ,” Professor Gregorio explains, then lifts a small woven basket full of silver and gold rings, each adorned with a small channeling stone.

“Each of you takes a practice ring for the remainder of the class. Once you pass finals, you’ll be designated your personal sun or moon stone, but until then, you will borrow these. ”

In many ways, this is the moment I’ve been waiting for. Donning my own practice ring and actually learning to channel the Source. I cannot help but smile as the class stands, grabs a sun or moon channeling stone, and heads toward our respective sides.

I can feel someone watching me, like an ice cube melting down my spine.

I look over my shoulder, and sure enough, Castor is staring at me from the other side of the room cloaked in shadows.

His lips curve upward when our eyes meet.

An invisible string pulls tight between us, sending waves of energy back and forth along the line.

I let my smile widen for a moment, then join Ramona.

“We are definitely going to talk about that ”—Ramona swishes her finger back and forth between Castor and me—“later.”

“Don't be so obvious.” I shove her hand down to her side, and she chuckles. We pick seats next to the other Sun’chers.

“Everyone, put on your practice rings,” Professor Gregorio instructs.

My hand tingles the moment it’s on, as if waking up my body to the magic that had been around me this whole time. It’s an odd sensation of awareness. The colors around me are more vivid, more alive, like I was living in a duller version of the world previously.

Humans need channeling stones to manipulate the Source, whereas Elves and Underlings are born with the ability. After the Breaking, the world erupted in chaos. Some say the Source was there all along, unleashing from the innermost layers of the planet’s core when the ground broke in half.

Awaking the Underworld below.

When the Old World became the new.

Decades passed, and eventually a new breed of humans was born with the Source: the Elves. They later clustered to the north, splitting into tribes and ruling their own, separate from the humans.

It is the history we all know. Myself especially as a Prentice Teller responsible for passing along the knowledge of the battles and wars that came shortly thereafter. But being at the Academy, holding a channeling stone, was eerie, like muddied memories from deep in my past clicked into place.

I twirl the small golden practice ring on my finger.

“Sunfyre starts as a small spark but can grow to a large-scale fire if mastered,” the professor says.

I gasp as his fingertips begin to glow then he lowers them to a small pile of twigs.

“The first step is to concentrate on the Source around us. It is always flowing around us, but it takes energy to pull it into your channeling stone. Imagine yourself sucking in a deep breath.”

All of us Sun’chers watch with eagerness.

“You will feel the Source pooling within you. It’s challenging to trap and hold. First-Stones aren’t expected to store any Source energy, but rather expel it right away. Watch this movement carefully.” He presses his pointer finger to his thumb and releases abruptly.

A small spark erupts from his fingers, setting the small stick pile aflame, just like Leaf did during our travels.

I clap alongside my fellow cadets.

The professor demonstrates to us once more, breaking down the hand signal—which turns out is very important for casting sunfyre .

“Now let’s take the rest of class to practice channeling sunfyre ,” Professor Gregorio instructs.

We spread out, one cadet per small pile of sticks.

“Close your eyes, concentrate on the Source around you. It’s a little different for everyone. For me, it looks like swirling golden sun rays.”

I close my eyes and try to open my awareness.

“Once you see it, breathe in deeply. Will the Source to pool in your channeling stone.”

Some cadets make startled sounds, as if already feeling the effects of the Source.

I open my eyes. Ramona is smiling. Both Hevel twins, Leo and Lacerta, already have glowing fingertips. At least Sabra looks like she is deeply concentrating.

Exhaling in frustration, I close my eyes again.

The only thing I see is the blackish-brown underside of my eyelids.

“Pull the Source in as much as possible. You might feel uncomfortable. Then practice the hand motion I demonstrated before while saying the incantation: sunfyre .”

“Ah!” Ramona jolts as sparks ignite from her fingertips.

Breaking concentration for the second time, I open my eyes. Her pile of sticks is already burning brightly. “Nice, Ramona!” I say, proud of my friend and her natural ability despite my own shortcomings.

“Your parents would be proud.” Gregorio adds.

My heart skips a beat. And just like that, a familiar loneliness sinks into my gut. The tallies I scratched on my bedroom wall were both companions and daily reminders of that lonesomeness. I’m used to feeling this way only once a day, as I scratch a piece of my sorrow into each mark.

“Thank you, Professor,” Ramona says slumping in her chair. “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said it takes a toll on your energy. I feel completely drained!”

The professor chuckles. “Over time, you’ll build up a stronger tolerance for the Source. Though some find channeling with one stone too unbearable at times—which is perfectly acceptable, I might add. It’s why we have such a strong WatchGuard program.”

“I’d rather die than be assigned as a magic-less WatchGuard,” Sabra says under her breath.

Professor Gregorio pivots to face Sabra. “Watch your tone, Cadet Clyopsko.”

For the rest of class, I try to refocus on channeling sunfyre , but I cannot seem to get past the first step of pulling the Source magic in.

Only once did I see the golden swirls of sun Source magic, and my fingers even began to glow, but then I was so startled that I lost my concentration and it slipped away.

By the end of the class, every Sun’cher affiliated cadet had created at least one spark or small cluster of flames.

All except for me.