Arden and I trained rigorously under Blake’s tutelage for years, constantly working towards our goals. But, ultimately, we needed to learn one thing above all else, elemental magic. 

Lying in bed, I couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement course through my body. Blake had mentioned yesterday that elemental magic was the next step. Something Arden and I had been excited to learn for a very long time. I could finally learn wind magic, the signature of House Vale.

The thought of having control over the elements filled me with a sense of awe and wonder. This is what I had been waiting for, the goal of our training, I couldn't wait to get started. I closed my eyes and let the excitement of the upcoming training wash over me as I drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the magic I would soon master.

Blake gathered Arden and me in front of him and cleared his throat. "Alright, it's time to start learning elemental magic."

Why does he have a bag today? What’s in it?, I thought, curious about what Blake brought to today’s training session.

Arden's eyes were shining with excitement, and I couldn't blame him. After years of studying under Blake, we were finally going to learn the true magic that we would use as Guardians.

"Elemental magic involves the manipulation of the four basic elements, being fire, water, wind, and earth," Blake continued. "Each element can be wielded in a whole new way once you reach a high level of mastery, for example, fire mages can manifest and control lightning, water mages can form ice, wind mages can control atmospheric pressure, and earth mages can create magma. Any mage can learn any element, but everyone has an affinity, sometimes two, these are elements that they find far easier to control. These affinities are determined by two factors, do either of you know them?"

Arden eagerly raised his hand and spoke up, "The first factor is lineage. Your parents' affinities often affect your own."

"Correct," Blake replied. "What about the other factor?"

After a few moments of silence, Blake filled in the gap, "The other factor is personality and mentality. A mage's preconceptions and beliefs about an element greatly influence how difficult it will be for them to control it."

"I see," I said. "So how do we determine our affinities?"

"The test is straightforward," Blake explained as he directed us towards the sparkling pond where we first practiced meditation. "You should have noticed that the mana in the air is made up of different elements. However, when it is absorbed into your mana channels, those properties are lost. Now, I want you to release your pure mana into the air and observe which physical element it is drawn to. Not only is releasing mana necessary for the test, but you will need to become proficient with it for elemental magic."

“To help with this, I will light a small, controlled fire over here," Blake continued as he lit a flame on a small pile of sticks. "If your mana floats towards the rocks, it means you have an earth affinity. If it floats toward the pond, it means you have a water affinity. If it floats towards the fire, it means you have a fire affinity. And if it stays floating around in the air, it means you have a wind affinity. You’ll notice that the pure mana will slowly start to transform into the element it gravitates towards."

"Kai, you're up first," Blake motioned for me to sit on the polished white rocks where we had been practicing meditation for years. I inhaled deeply and focused on the flow of mana within me, envisioning a bright stream of light circulating throughout me. I could sense the tiny openings in my mana channels all over my body. I visualized pushing the light out of these openings and dispersing into the air. I felt my mana escape, and I watched as it hovered, not being pulled toward the rocks, pond, or fire.

"Well done, Kai," Blake said with a smile. "You have a wind affinity, just as I expected. House Vale has been known for its wind magic for generations."

To be honest, I expected the same. Even if it wasn’t my primary affinity, wind magic would have still likely been the focus of my training due to my lineage. 

"Next up, Arden," Blake gestured for the youngest prince of Arboreus to sit on the white rock as I had done. Arden’s eyes were focused and determined, he closed them, then took a deep breath and let his mana flow freely from within. Nothing happened for a few seconds and the atmosphere was still and tense. Then, in a sudden burst, Arden's mana erupted and rushed towards the flame that Blake had lit.

"Well done, Arden," Blake exclaimed, surprised. "You have an incredibly potent fire affinity, which is a rare occurrence in House Sylvanmore. Your training will have to be adjusted to fit your unique abilities."

Arden was beaming with pride, his eyes shining with excitement. Fire magic had always been his desired affinity, knowing it would complement his fast and powerful fighting style if he could master lightning.

"Well done, you two," Blake praised. "Training is only going to get tougher from here on out, but it will be worth it."

Blake shifted his focus to me. "Kai, we will concentrate on refining your mana channels so that you can make the most of your abundant mana channels. As for Arden, we will concentrate on ranged combat, since you prefer to keep your distance until you spot an opening. It works well, provided that you can stay alive while fighting from a distance."

Arden and I listened intently as Blake outlined his plans for improving our combat abilities. We were both eager to become stronger.

"Earlier, I mentioned that mana release is important for elemental magic. Well, releasing your mana is just the beginning. To master elemental magic, you need to be able to control the amount of mana you release and form it into the element of your choice. Luckily, external mana that you have released from your channels is much easier to control than natural atmospheric mana." Blake explained.

Blake then turned to me once again. "As a wind mage, Kai, you'll need to train yourself to be more aware of the flow of air around you. The key to unlocking wind magic's full potential is its flexibility and mobility. You'll need to be able to control and manipulate air currents to create tornadoes, gusts of wind, and eventually, even manipulate air pressure and density."

Blake then addressed Arden. "And as a fire mage, Arden, you'll need to learn how to control the intensity of the flame. Fire magic is about harnessing the energy of the flame and transforming it into powerful blasts and intense heat. You'll learn how to ignite, extinguish, and even shape fire according to your will."

Blake demonstrated for us. "Start by releasing mana into the air, as you did before. But this time, control the amount you release and keep it close to you. Then, visualize it taking on the properties of your element. Imagine the wind or fire molding around your hand, becoming an extension of yourself. Once you can effectively control this small amount of mana, you can increase the amount and start practicing more advanced techniques."

"Practice this every day until controlling your respective elements becomes second nature. The more you practice, the more control you'll have over your mana and the stronger you'll become as a mage," Blake emphasized.

"You mentioned that training will get tougher from now on. Will there be a change in routine?" I asked Blake, eager to know his plan for our training.

"Starting tomorrow, our routine will be altered," Blake answered. "Wait here a moment."

With a confident smirk, Blake reached into his leather bag and retrieved a piece of parchment and a vial of ink. He began to pen down his thoughts with swift, bold strokes.

As Blake wrote, Arden and I stood by in quiet anticipation, eagerly waiting for the reveal of our new training regimen. 

After several minutes, Blake finished his writing, turned to us, and handed over the parchment with a proud flourish.

With bated breath, Arden and I took the parchment from Blake's outstretched hand and gazed upon it in awe. The title, scrawled in large, flowing script, said "Training Routine".

My eyes raced down the page, taking in the details of the regimen written there. I could feel Arden's excitement mirroring my own, as we both realized the incredible potential that lay before us. The routine read:

"Well, what do you two think?" Blake asked, his eyes twinkling with pride at his creation.

"Thank you, sir!" Arden and I replied in unison, our faces beaming with excitement.

Was that a tear in Arden’s eye? I was curious after noticing a slight glimmer in Arden’s eye but I didn’t want to embarrass the prince in front of Blake.