Air Control

Silax spent a long time thinking about the mystery of Elara's origin, and her possession of Orenda-Sigils. He decided he was going to do some investigation when he got back, and he made some preliminary plans on the matter.

It was now time for him to see the changes to his Nexus and what those changes brought along with them.

Silax closed his eyes and entered his Nexus. He approached the Devouring Void sigil and saw that the sigil now looked slightly different. The point of the octagram at the top was different from the other seven points.

The other points still squirmed and writhed around, but this particular point furled around itself, making it shorter than the other points. It looked like a closed fist wrapped around something, its dark color was also tinged with a silver light.

Silax moved closer to the sigil, he placed his hand on the part of the black sigil that permeated with silver light.

He was immediately drawn into the point that was furled around itself, and in front of him was the Orenda-Sigil for air, glowing with silver light.

The Orenda-Sigil for air was an equilateral triangular with each side imbued with equal importance. This reflected the balanced and ever-shifting nature of air. 

At each corner and the center of the triangle, intricate runes are etched on it. The runes held the key to unlocking the sigil's power and helped in harnessing the power of the element of air.

At the top of the triangle was a rune resembling a swirling vortex, this represented the ever-changing nature of air.

At the bottom right was a rune resembling a bird in flight, this represented the speed and agility of the wind.

At the bottom left was a rune shaped like a jagged blade, symbolizing the cutting edge and sharpness of air.

At the center of the triangle was a rune resembling an open hand. This rune acted as a focal point, helping to control the element of air. It channeled the user's will and amplified the power of the other runes.

Seeing the sigils made him recall certain memories. The sigil and its elements had been taught him by Arod, one of the people assigned to take care of him when he still lived with his parents.

Arod had always indulged him, having long conversations with him, and answering any question he asked. One of Silax favorite topics were Orenda-Sigils, and although Arod never said much about the other elements, he gave a detailed description for the sigil of air.

No matter how many times Silax asked him about it, he would always answer. Silax had once told him that he would someday become a spiritualist, and Arod had told him that he was sure he could do it.

Silax opened his eyes

He had to test it.

Curiosity was like a live wire in his gut, and Silax decided to explore his newfound talents.

He started simple.

He took out some bandages from his bag and tore a piece of it, placing it on his palm. He focused on the piece of cloth and with a thought a gentle breeze nudged it. The cloth fluttered upwards, swirling in a lazy dance before settling back down.

Silax tried again and the piece of cloth began swirling in a miniature cyclone above his palm. The wind ripped through the hall, sending dust scattering everywhere.

Emboldened by this, he took out his dirk from its sheath and placed it on the floor in front of him. He visualized a stronger gust of air, just enough to push it forward. A miniature tornado formed in his hand, then gracefully propelled itself towards the blade, sending it spinning a few feet forward.

Silax then decided to take it a step further. He placed one hand over another, creating a space between both of his palms. He imagined the air compressing, building pressure in his hands, then he released it.

A forceful blast of air crashed towards the blade. The blade exploded forward and rocketed across the hall, slamming into the wall with a satisfying thwack.

He made attempt to pick up the blade, he pictured a gentle current lifting it towards him from across the room, but no wind manifested. He got up from where he sat and moved closer to it, then he tried again. This time around it worked, with a mental flick, the blade sailed through the air, landing neatly in his hand.

It seemed there was a limit to how far away he could generate wind. He made different attempts and tried different things to figure the range of his ability. He could only generate wind within a hundred feet around him, but if he created the wind or blasted air away, it could travel farther than a hundred feet.

Silax concluded that the range probably had to do with the fact that he had just gotten the Orenda-Sigil. The longer he had the sigil, and the more orenda flowed through his body, the more his range would increase.

Next up was testing his defenses. He envisioned a swirling vortex around himself, deflecting anything that might come his way. He took out one of his throwing knives and tossed it into the air, then concentrated.

The knife spun into the air, then the pull of gravity dragged it back down, falling towards him. The knife hit the invisible current, spun wildly before being flung away from him.

Silax tried again, this time he threw a few more knives and included his dirk in the lineup. The weapons twirled towards him, then got caught in the current, some were deflected, but two managed to go through, which he dodged.

The dirk which was right above his head also passed through the flow of air, he moved aside, barely managing to catch it in time. The blade was too heavy to be affected by the wind that swirled around him.

'Seems defense needs more work.'

Focusing on the air around his feet, Silax imagined himself lighter than air. He took a tentative step forward. To his surprise, his foot seemed to glide across the floor, barely making a sound.

He took more steps and he moved with newfound agility, a silent shadow in the grand hall. This would be perfect for sneaking when he needed to move around stealthily.

Feeling more confident, he decided to test the air's ability to move him. He imagined a current lifting him off the ground. Suddenly, he felt a whoosh of air beneath his feet, raising him a good six inches before gently lowering him back down.

Flight was definitely not in the cards yet, but levitation seemed a possibility. He closed his eyes, picturing himself surrounded by a soft, invisible bubble of air. With a mental push, he felt himself lift slightly off the ground, hovering a few inches for a glorious, weightless moment.

That too, just like every other ability, would take more time.

After several hours of trying out different things, Silax sank back down onto the floor. This was a hint to what he strived for. It wasn't just about manipulating air; it was about manipulating the very fabric of the world around him.

He had spent most of the time working on the precision of his control. Although he got some good results, some things left him frustrated.

He had tried to conjure a massive tornado, picturing a swirling vortex reaching up to the ceiling, but nothing happened.

It seemed there were limitations to his power. He sighed, realizing he had a lot to learn, but the possibilities were endless.

He also had to take breaks periodically, so has to let his orenda refill. The Orenda-Sigils passively absorbed orenda from the atmosphere and stored them in the Nexus.

Orenda also flowed into the body of a spiritualist, gradually strengthening it. When they got to the first saturation level, their physical strength doubles, although it was nothing compared to the increase in the elemental control.

This was because elves were elemental beings, their strength lying more in the metaphysical than in the physical.