Shroud Arcanum

Chapter 24: - Village of Duskdale (3)

Irys flashed a mischievous grin. "Do I need a specific reason to visit you?" Watching his flustered reaction, her smile deepened, illuminating her features and making Liam's heart skip a beat.

But she didn't leave him in suspense for long. With a playful smirk, she continued, "In all seriousness, I came to discuss our new ascended powers. How's your training going?"

Liam furrowed his brow, frustration evident in his voice. "Despite the knowledge we get, I'm struggling. I can summon basic fire, sure, but when I attempt to change it to another form, it's like it has a mind of its own. It doesn't follow my command."

Irys nodded her eyes deep in thought. "That doesn't surprise me. This power we've received is like a loan – it's not innately ours. Hence, our grasp of it is understandably limited. We've been thrust into this without even knowing the aspects of our ascension paths, only bearing the weight of its newfound power."

Liam sighed, "Any advice on how to better control it?"

Irys paused, deep in thought, before replying, "My master always emphasized understanding the true nature of energy to master its manipulation. Ascension paths not only offer knowledge but also fine-tune our bodies to be more attuned to these energies. From there, it's all about consistent practice and, importantly, innovation. You have to make the power truly yours."

Liam delved deep into his thoughts, trying to grasp the nature of his power. "Fire results from a chemical reaction, primarily when certain elements encounter oxygen," he mused.

He visualized the swirling energy within him, recognizing that this might act as the catalyst in the reaction. "If I combine this energy with the ambient oxygen, it should ignite," he concluded.

With newfound understanding, he extended his other hand, focusing intently on channeling his energy. Imagining a small sphere of his energy first forming, he visualized it, subsequently igniting the surrounding oxygen. A vibrant ball of fire danced around his finger, validating his hypothesis.

Excitedly, he turned to Irys. "Thanks to your advice, I did it!"

Irys gave a nonchalant shrug. "You can thank my master when you meet her. I just relayed what she taught me."

Liam's eyebrows furrowed with curiosity. "Meet her? Why would I encounter her?"

With a sly smile, Irys replied, "Oh, you'll see her eventually. If you don't, she might seek you out herself."

Caught off guard, Liam probed further, "Why would she find me?"

With a mysterious smile, Irys smoothly shifted the conversation. She raised her hand, and within moments, at first, a tiny pebble emerged. Slowly, over a few seconds, it expanded and reshaped, taking on the detailed appearance of a formidable greatsword. Liam stared in awe, "You can already morph your power into something so substantial?"

Irys, looking pleased, responded, "It's about familiarity. I've trained with swords for a long time. Manifesting something I know so well naturally makes the process smoother. It's like calling forth an old friend."

Liam's eyes lit up with understanding. Internally, he contemplated, "Indeed, if I shape my energy into familiar forms, I'll have a better grasp on its texture and function." As he considered the various ways he could experiment with his newfound knowledge, Irys' voice pulled him back to the present.

Irys looked at Liam, her eyes filled with a curious intensity as if seeking to confirm something. She inquired, "Can you try covering the blade of my greatsword with your fire?"

Liam hesitated for a moment, picturing the process in his mind, and then gave a tentative nod. He reached out, trying to wrap the fiery energy around the blade. To his surprise, the flames enveloped the sword seamlessly without causing any damage.

Delighted, Irys began brandishing her newly flame-coated weapon, slashing and twirling it gracefully.

At first, Liam watched in awe, captivated by the dance of flames and steel. However, his admiration quickly turned to panic as he realized they were inside a wooden house.

"Irys, wait!" he exclaimed, anxiety evident in his voice. "We're a guest here, and it's made of wood! We should practice outside before you accidentally burn this place down."

Irys pouted, her joy slightly dimmed. "Such a buzzkill," she grumbled, but even as she said it, she released her grip on the sword. The weapon dissolved into thin air as if evaporating, leaving no trace behind.

Knock knock

Upon hearing another knock, Liam thought,' Again?' He mused, surprised. 'I've had more visitors today than in the past two years at my college dorm.'

Zalya's voice filtered through the door, "Liam, have you seen Irys? I checked her room, but she wasn't there."

Before Liam could respond, Irys answered, "I'm here, Zalya. Just come in."

Zalya pushed the door open, initially mouthing an apology for the interruption. Her words, however, died in her throat as her eyes landed on the intimate view in front of her: Irys and Liam, standing close, facing each other as their hands interwoven. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, a smirk threatening at the corners of her mouth. "Did I just interrupt something... private?"

Liam, slightly flustered and missing Zalya's playful undertone, responded earnestly, "No. We were experimenting with our abilities."

Zalya looked from their interlocked hands back to their faces, clearly amused. "Experimenting, huh?"

Sensing the need to steer the conversation, Irys intervened, "Why you look for me, Zalya?"

She regained her focus, and Zalya responded, "I was hoping to use our skills for training. With your new earth manipulation and my control over metal, I think we could set up something interesting, for our practice sessions."

Irys gave a nod. "Alright, see you later, Liam."

Liam glanced back with a smile on his face. "See you at practice," he replied.

As Irys started to walk away, she paused and looked back with a playful glint in her eyes. "Umm, Liam? It's a bit hard to leave when you're still holding onto my hand."

Liam blinked, his cheeks instantly flushing a shade of red as he quickly released her hand. "Oh, sorry!" He genuinely hadn't realized he was still holding it. The warmth and comfort of the gesture had felt so natural that it escaped his notice.

Zalya raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. "You two seem to be moving rather quickly."

Irys shot Zalya a mock glare, swiftly grabbing her friend's arm and pulling her out of the room. As the door closed behind them, Liam's gaze lingered on it, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Confusion clouded his thoughts. He couldn't quite decipher why he felt the way he did.

Trick remarked nonchalantly, "Wow, Liam, your IQ just hit rock bottom, didn't it?"

Shaking his head at the momentary distraction, he asked, "Why am I overanalyzing this? Just let things happen naturally." he mumbled.

Eager to return to his practice, he recalled his earlier success with Irys's broadsword, channeling fire into its blade.

Summoning his own weapon, the talon strike, he focused on the flames that danced at his fingertips. "If I can successfully imbue any weapon with this, it'll enhance my combat capabilities significantly," he thought.

Liam focused intently, visualizing a cascade of his energy enveloping the sharp blade of the Talonstrike. With a deep breath, he willed the flames to burst forth, cloaking the weapon in a fiery embrace. Watching the flames dance and flicker along the blade's edge, a satisfied smile played on his lips. "It worked".

However, as he ceased channeling his energy, the flames waned, eventually snuffing out completely. A frown replaced his smile.

With Irys's greatsword, the process was straightforward; once imbued, the flames persisted, requiring no further effort on his part. Yet, with his Talonstrike, maintaining the fire seemed to demand a continuous supply of energy.

Liam looked at the blade, allowing his fingers to delicately trace the complex etchings and grooves that adorned its surface. "Could it be the material itself, or perhaps the skill involved in its creation?" he mused aloud.

Then, a thought struck him, causing him to pause. "Irys's greatsword is forged from her abilities... Could that be the key difference?" but fire energy with energy that made earth should conflict. It's not easy for fire to engulfed a rock and stay on without any fuel.

The more he pondered, the more questions arose, pushing him to seek answers. "I need to test this with Alric and Zalya. Comparing the result might give me some insights," he thought, making a mental note. He then immersed himself in further experiments, testing the boundaries of his flame manipulation and exploring its applications and limits.

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