Finally came the earth mana. The light brown motes flicked and floated like the others, but unlike the others, they were far more densely packed together. I reached between the Ethereal and Between once more, and felt the earthen mana's coarse embrace. Like reaching my hand into a barrel of sand and rocks, the mana felt sharp and a little difficult to focus with. It was stable and strong, sure, but it also had a unique property in that it actually felt like I was handling something physical rather than solely Ethereal mana.
As I observed the way the earth mana moved, I'd noticed that in the barrel, there was a bit of dark moss along with it. For whatever reason, the phthalo-colored moss took on the shape of Meliss' eyes, glaring at me hatefully. My emotions began to spiral, as the memory of last night's turmoil began to play in my mind. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to sever my concentration with the second stage, but the resulting lack of emotional control caused the dirt around me to respond accordingly.
Like my mother had done with the platforms during our training session, though not to the same level, my body was lifted a few meters into the air on a platform of solid earth, as vast amounts of dust and rocks kicked up around me in a torrent. "Thoma, control your emotions!" I could hear Anwill calling out, but it was no use.
Hey, fuck-nugget, you might want to calm down, my brother mentally transmitted, but I ignored it.
I was struggling too much emotionally, and I knew it. My control was decent, at best, but through the forceful pushing of my emotions, it began to grow far beyond what I'd imagined. I could feel the earth's mana responding to my emotions, swirling and spiraling into various small tornadoes, as the air's mana began to respond as well, followed closely behind by the water and fire's. Torrents of all four elements began swirling in front of and around me, growing larger and larger in size as I felt my emotional control slip away.
Son, you need to calm down! Please, you're losing control. Focus on the task at hand, my mother shouted in my mind. I'm trying, but I… I need help. I feel so alone. Lost. Worthless, I sent back, feeling the tears begin to stream down my face once more. It's okay, she began calmly, transmitting the warm, maternal smile through our mental connection.
We're right here. Bernar, me, your friends and training partners. We're all right here, Thoma. You're not alone; never were, and never will be. Your worth isn't determined by other people's treatment or opinions of you, it's how you feel about yourself and how you treat those around you. I know it doesn't feel like it, especially not with the clouds of sadness and loss looming overhead, or the pain you feel in your heart and core, she continued, her soothing voice flowing through my mind like warmed honey.
But, regardless of whatever you have believed until this point in time, know that you are worthy, you are loved, and most importantly, you are capable of overcoming any and all adversity. Regardless of your own perceived inabilities, or feelings of desperation and sadness, you must push through, she said, her voice becoming a little more firm as she began to sense a change in my mental state.
Be as strong as the earth, as malleable as the water, as transparent as the air, and as voracious as the flames. The world does not wait for you, nor is it kind to any and all who venture into it. It is cruel, callous, and dangerous, but instead of letting it control us, we can always control how we respond to it. Now, heed my words, hone your emotions, and focus. Call out to the elements and control them, she commanded in a soothing, yet forceful voice.
Her words struck me like a bucket of cold water on a winter's morning. Suddenly, I realized just how far I had let this drag on, deciding then and there that I would have to apologize once this was over. Feeling the four elements' mana surrounding me, I reached through the Ethereal once more, grabbing every tendril I could and lifted the swirling torrents up to where their bases were at the same height I was.
I held it for a few moments, but struggled to keep my focus like my mother had told me to do. There was something I was missing, and when I echoed her words in my mind one last time, I recalled her telling me to call out to the elements, almost like it were a test of my mental fortitude. I could feel them; the same feelings I'd felt during my fight with the pair of ochelons. They resurfaced, only this time, my will became words resounding in my head.
Hear me, heed me, and seethe with my rage. Bend to my will and become my blade. Make me sharp and keen of mind, sundering all, leave naught behind, I thought, tipping my head forward and glaring at my remaining targets from beneath a furrowed brow.
Tipping the swirling elemental tendrils upward, and using the same technique I'd used for my Flamebolt, I kept rotating and coalescing the multi-sourced mana around me. With my clenched jaw loosening and releasing a slow, guttural scream of a pure and unadulterated rage; leaning into the scorching feeling as heavily as I could while my eyes leaked copious amounts of mana.
I launched everything around me toward the remaining targets, obliterating not only them, but circular sections of the titanic trees behind them as well. The leaves from those trees fell loosely to the ground, as the blackened holes I left in the trees sizzled and smoked.
As the mana dissipated from my eyes, the earthen platform I stood upon began to descend back into its original position. I allowed myself a moment and took a deep breath, feeling the mana around me once more. Reminding myself of my mother's words, I tugged and pulled at each individual tendril of mana one last time like flexing a muscle I'd just found out I had. I could hear the crushing of rock, the flowing of wind and air, and the crackling of the flames in its trough.
I finally mustered the courage to turn around and look at those who had witnessed the whole thing. My mother was looking at me proudly, but the rest of them, my brother included, were standing there with their eyes wide open and mouths agape.
"I-I told you he was a monster," Anwill mouthed quietly to Aurae, who could only nod her head in shocked agreement. "Didn't think you were going to pull out of that one, little brother," Bernar said, crossing his arms and giving me a wry smile. "Oh, so now you doubt me?" I replied, raising an eyebrow as I wiped the remainder of a tear from my cheek. "That was… incredible, Thoma. I knew you were good with a sword but that was something else entirely," Vyra said, as Haldir and Derion nodded in agreement beside her.
"Welcome back," my mother said, wrapping me in a tight hug. I felt her squeeze her arms once, and then took a step back, holding me by my shoulders. "Who knew a breakup would be the catalyst for you to control not one, two or three elements simultaneously, but four? Not to mention at such a high intensity," she said sardonically. I allowed myself a short chuckle not because I had to, but because her words truly resonated with me, and I wanted to try to stick to that new perspective, even if it meant forcing a chuckle or two in that moment. "Thanks, mom. You saved my ass back there. I… I don't know what I would've done without you here," I said earnestly.
"Well, if I hadn't, I'm sure Aurae would've found a way to shut you down," she shrugged, stepping aside for the queen herself to approach me. "I think I speak for everyone here, including my husband, who's been in meetings since before you even woke up, that we're all very proud of you and your progress," Aurae stated with a warm smile. "Too bad my daughter wasn't here to see it," she said suggestively.
"Your daughter was instrumental in my success, your majesty. Without her instructions during our meditation sessions, I would never have been able to reach the third stage, let alone control them as I did," I said, giving her a low and respectful bow. "I see. Well, then, where is the instrument of your success?" she asked coyly. "Right here, and I did manage to catch the end of it, no thanks to him for not waking me up," Ysevel said from the entrance to the training area as she emphasized the last few words. Aurae and my mother's faces held the same expressions at varying levels of intensity, though one was far less subtle than the other, which I took in stride.
"W-well, you needed to rest," I said, scratching my cheek and looking away with a nervous smile on my face. "I can always nap during the day, and as frustrated as I am with you, I do have to admit that I'm very proud of you. Welcome to the third stage," she said with a wry smile. "Thanks for everything, Ysevel," I said warmly. "It's nothing, really," she said, averting her gaze from both of our mothers.
"So, are we just going to stand around here, or are we going to train? I've got a few things I would like to teach him," Vyra said, plunging the base of her spear into the packed earth. "Hey, I want in on it, too!" my brother added. "Just because he can cast a few fancy looking spells means his head is going to be a little bigger than it already is. Besides, it's kind of my duty as his older brother to kick his ass and make sure that doesn't happen," he said with a malicious smile.
I knew they were just trying to distract me from the previous night's events, so I just let it happen, heeding my mother's words once more. Still, it was a good feeling to know that I truly wasn't as alone as I thought.
"A four-on-one sparring session? How is that fair? I only just attained the third stage, and already you want to pit me against people who have been in the fourth and above for decades longer?" I asked, spreading my arms widely. "How about all five of you, including Anwill, against me?" my mother asked. "Nope, you'd kill us," we responded in unison as if we shared the same brain. My mother chuckled and raised her hands placatingly.
"Alright, alright. Just thought I would offer," she chuckled.