Chapter 270: CHAPTER 270

The first week was probably the hardest, not particularly because of the pain, I am familiar with pain, but adding to everything else I was already struggling with, adding a new, entirely strange routine was hard.

The dynamic stretches I could manage, but the constant reaching into the centre of my chi and sitting with it for minutes that stretched like hours, that's where the problem lay.

My Chi didn't know me personally like everyone else did because I'd spent my growing years living without it.

So we understood how to use each other, it took back from me what I took from it, but there was this strange animosity we had against each other.

Me to it because of the orphanage incident and the chi to me because of the pills I took afterwards.

None of these was our fault, and it was easy to get over after we'd had that nonverbal conversation.

The power settled right underneath it and after this, I could see it.

Reach out to it and just be aware of its existence.

We'd not even gotten to the main issue that I thought was her purpose here because as our training progressed, it was becoming clear that the separation of powers was the least of my problems.

I'd been sitting on the small fence of the training ground waiting for Madam Vespera but passing time by watching the warriors train hard.

One of them had just asked me to spar with her when she arrived on the Steed she was assigned.

"You're going to bring down a mountain today," she announced as she climbed down.

"Sorry?"

"Follow me, Alira."

I'd learned not to ask too many questions but at this point, it felt like I needed to find a trusted adult.

We walked past the barracks and deeper into the forest behind it.

There wasn't too much greenery, just the feet of lots of mountains and volcanic eruptions.

She stopped in front of one hell of a rock that towered above four others and she looked at it and nodded.

"This one doesn't have any fire in it so we should be safe."

"What if you're wrong? No, don't answer that yet, why am I.. bringing down a mountain? How's that going on help me?"

"You've been begging to shoot from the big guns since we began training. So this is your chance. We're done with the smaller things. So blow the damn thing to bits for me."

"First of all, I can burn things, not blow them. Second, I still can't separate the powers, or have you forgotten that part?"

"Well first of all," she bent over to my face, "I don't like your attitude and second, you can separate your powers. You just haven't done it yet."

"How then do you know I can?"

"Have you forgotten I can see the future?"

"I still don't understand how that works."

"No one does. I just know things but I don't need to close my eyes to know I'll whip your ass in the next minute if you don't start working. You have a power inside you, use it. Let's see what it can actually do."

Then she stepped back, and I had to drag my eyes away to actually think.

If Zade were here, he'd probably be able to pull the thing off the ground or Draco could make his shadows tear it down bit by bit.

But what can I do?

Can stone burn?

But no, it's not my dragon's power in supposed to be using, and I'm not even supposed to, Valyra is heavily pregnant.

"Well, there's no harm in trying," I mumbled to myself and lifted my hands forward, shutting my eyes.

The process she'd taught me to reach my chi was easier to achieve now.

Close my eyes, darken my mind and eliminate all thoughts.

The powers in me can only function in solitary space.

I could tell my stomach was already getting brighter and if anyone was watching, it would look like I'd swallowed a light bulb.

But it's not my Chi I was using today, neither was it the lines in my head that connected to it from my dragons.

I was looking for something that lay deeper, barely active and almost asleep.

It was a red ball, like one of those Christmas decorations Momma Cora loved to make me hang on the tree as part of our traditions.

Now that I was looking at it, I didn't really know what to do.

"It can tell your intentions, Alira. But do you really want to destroy this mountain? Why do you want to destroy it?"

I didn't open my eyes because I was scared of spoiling my concentration, "because you asked me to?"

"No. That makes it my intention, not yours. Why do you want to bring this mountain down?"

"I.. I don't know.. to show you my power?"

"Hmm. Pride is a good motivation. But there's gotta be something else in there, Alira. What do you really want to achieve at the end of this training?"

"To .. I want to know what I can do so that when I face my enemies, I'm not scared or unsure. I'll be able to save my loved ones. So I have to blow up this mountain, because it represents the bigger enemy in the future."

My hands began feeling warm and I was tempted to open my eyes and disconnect but fearing it would stop, I turned off every distraction.

But nothing was happening.

Just the sound of my breathing and Madam Vespera's snake-like throat sounds.

I waited, and poured the intentions in harder, hoping it would unlock something, but still nothing.

Frustrated, I open my eyes and instantly jumped back in fright.

"Bloody hell," I whispered, looking at the burning mountain.

"It seems you can burn anything if you put your mind to it," my instructor said with a grin.

"I did that?"

"Yes. And that brings me to the next lesson," she said, her voice suddenly turning dark.

She pulled me around to face her.

"I can't see it clearly but there's a sacrifice required of you."

"You know?" I gasped, "Please don't tell them."

"It's not my place to do that. But I must advise you, don't get in the way of fate. They have woven this particular thread as a trap for you. Your power wasn't meant to be in someone they can't control and they plan to take you back to the underworld the moment you finish your assignment. So no matter what you do, allow their plans to succeed."

"No," I shook my head, "there must be another way."

"Alira.."

"No way, Madam Vespera, I'm not accepting their judgement," I pulled away, walking off from the tears threatening to spill, "I'll find a way."

"Alira!"