As Jay had said before, magic was actually quite simple, at least for the three girls. The training ground was mostly empty, giving the trio ample space to practice to their heart’s content. Kaelin found the manipulation of her element much easier with a staff in hand, and although she wasn’t able to take hers from the storage room, she had found a blunt staff lying around the field. Azura also found her element to be quite simple, but it was not as easy to versatile as water or fire. However, she found that her element had affected her physical attributes, heightening her agility and jumping ability to unnatural levels. Roselyn was the only one having trouble with her techniques. This was most likely not from a lack of skill, but rather because of a certain Elzian scholar prowling about the training grounds.
Hadwin had shown a keen interest in making Roselyn’s life as miserable as possible. She didn’t know why he chose to pester her rather than her two friends, but would rather have him bother her than cursing her friends with such a pest. The raven-haired girl tried her best to focus on what she had the most trouble with - maneuvering the fire. Unfortunately, Hadwin was making this task much harder than it should have been.
“Humans are such pitiful creatures, incapable of the simplest tasks,” the Elzian spat.
Roselyn attempted to ignore him, but he continued to walk in a lazy circle about her, making her feel more and more uncomfortable with his every word.
“An inability to control one’s magic shows that the user is incapable of controlling himself or herself. Does this ring true?”
Her eyes began to burn with suppressed rage and a small flame flickered at her fingertips. Still, she said nothing.
“Ah yes, there’s that temper. Much like Jayden’s, I see. How you manage to live with her is a concept lost to me.”
Kaelin and Azura had stopped their training. They looked to their friend with concern, uncertain if they should help or not.
Hadwin continued to circle Roselyn, but with more intensity than before. His cat-like eyes drilled into Roselyn like a predator staring down at his cornered prey. “And we cannot forget your father, can we? Commander of the Resistance is he?” The scholar was now inches away from his prey. She could feel his breath on her neck as he spoke to her from the side. “Such a disgraceful man to have such a disgraceful daughter. Is that why he is what he is? Is that why he is more a feral creature than he is a civilized being? Is it his daughter putting him to shame?”
The mention of her father was enough to push Roselyn over the edge. The flames erupted at her fingertips as she sent a fiery stream towards Hadwin’s head. He was prepared, however, and easily deflected the blast, searing Roselyn’s right forearm.
“Do not play with fire, child. Go back to your father and beg his forgiveness or hide in shame with Jayden where you both belong,” he hissed triumphantly as Roselyn fell to her knees, reeling in agony from Hadwin’s unrelenting assault. She felt her consciousness waver from the pain.
Azura suddenly leapt behind her fallen friend and pulled her from the stream of fire, and Kaelin pushed Hadwin away. “What’s your problem, Hadwin? What do you have against us?”
“This weakling! Get her out of my sights. Be gone, all of you!” Hadwin shouted furiously at the group. “This fool, burned by her own flames, will share the same fate as her father. One day, she will give up on everything, blinding herself to the world in front of her. As for the rest of you, go back to Owens. You submit yourself as her puppets. Those so willing to sacrifice their pride should not be allowed to live. You are nothing more than Cardin fodder. Be gone at once!”
With Azura’s help, Kaelin was able to place a nearly unconscious Roselyn on her back. “We have to get her back to the room,” the tall girl grunted under the weight of her friend.
“Yeah. It’s a good thing we’re leaving soon.”
Kaelin scoffed. “Yeah, I’m starting to get the feeling that he doesn’t like us very much.”
