Chapter 17 - Gronaan
Dwarven mines and forges have nothing on the heat of the summer sun during the heats. The season of Fire. The year is broken down into several seasons not that I have seen most of them, majority of my life I have spent it underground, in the mines. The seasons are broken into 45-day increments, there is always a little bleed but here's how it goes, the year starts fresh and anew with Petals, then Breeze, Rains, the cursed Heat, Leaves Spirit, Snows, and Chill. I have only experienced Chill, Snows, and petals before coming here, where I live it isn't easy to go outside all the time, and a noble dwarf can spend their entire life in the keep never once leaving, so for this, I am glad for my calling.
Another thing I am grateful for is the time I have gotten to spend with people I now call friends, and who don't pester me about being a noble the entire day. I want my time away from the hole in the ground I used to think of like my world as grand an adventure as I can manage. Sheila and I are both in the Scouting course, which is kind of bizarre seeing as how terrifying she is in a fight, though the only fight I have seen her in was against Liz, and to say the least that wasn't a fair fight, Lizbeth is a monster against monsters. I need to go see Rowan and Liz when I get a chance too. I think our next off day is on the fifteenth of Leaves maybe we can meet up, to catch up. It's been too long, I'm not making excuses for that but, we have all been caught up with training.
Heat 34
The breeze breaking through the trees on the mountain cools the never-ending beads of sweat forming on my brow. Today is going to be a momentous day, we are out of the city and moved onto the mountains around the city. We have been here a few times, but the difference in location each time brings in fresh sites. The trees are getting ready for the last few days of Heat and to shift to the time when the Leaves take over. Brush knee-high in most places around the summit of the mountain brims with life and the sounds of animals fills the air in all directions.
Staying on the ground isn't the job of people bound to air, but I got assigned with Sheila, and her smile is gorgeous especially when she sees new sights. I figure I will scout out the hills on foot with her. My thoughts training off to everything but why we are here, "Listen, lover boy, you should focus, who are you thinking about this time anyway," Sheila's voice breaks through the daydream and forces a rough cough from my chest. It's too bad I can't tell her how I feel right now. "Oh, no one, in particular, just a girl that makes me smile," I say jokingly.
The statement brings a frustrated face to Sheila's face, and I find the ground beneath my feet shifting so I pop into the air a few feet. Avernus love's when we take flight and I send him an apology through my thoughts because this wasn't one of those times. Sheila blew out her cheeks at me and stomped her foot sending a pillar of stone at me, letting air take hold of my body I dodged the volley of stone. "Okay, okay just so you know you make me smile too," I say flying a bit higher, his faces burst into a furious red, and several volleys of stone launch at me floating in the sky. After the enraged storm of stones stops, I gently float down next to her and place my finger squarely on her button nose. She turns a brighter red and I think I saw actual steam billow from her ears before she cooled off and let out a belly laugh.
We enjoy the chuckle for a second before continuing our walk, her smile bright and looking over to me filling my vision. The warmth of her smile fills my soul to the brim with happiness, and it is too bad I'm too flighty to give her a straight-up answer most of the time. Her smile fades from my view, and I hear her voice from over her shoulder as she strides ahead of me a bit quicker, "You know, I never assumed I would be anything but an oracle my entire life. I was expected to be born into a bloodline; both of my parents are from families with inherent magics. The day I found myself at your family's estate, the formal one not the hole in the ground you normally hide in while mining and I saw the joy in your eyes so free from everything it made me jealous." Words escaped me as she spoke her words to me, the air around me growing still as I continue to listen.
"Your smile and blush as the towel fell off you, and the girly scream that left you was more than enough to test me, I heard your calling was this year. I had not developed any inherent ability, and all's well that ends well. Did you know that inherent magic follows alongside the route identical to that of the elements, and if I am chosen by an elemental the inherent magic inside me no matter how big a flame it has, is immediately put out and dies? The pain of being chosen knowing I can't go back to the ways of my life was terrifying, this is my new life and I think I will do my best to enjoy it and not let my past hold me back." Her final words to the story were followed by a stream of gentle tears I could see rolling off of her cheeks. Her arm shot to them and with a sniffle, the tears no longer fell down her face. The next few steps fell on the world alone and no words were there to exchange the passing time of our journey.
I felt a burst of courage and let the words just come free, "You know Sheila, the girl I was thinking about, she is quite cute, she is good with her words, and so much more, I think I would like to spend a bit more time with her." Her face could kill if looks could do it, her cheeks a bright red flame of hot steel, and her cheeks puffed out. The earth again began to shift under my feet, but my next words still it, "It's you, Sheila, that's who I can't get out of my thought, that's who I keep daydreaming about, that is who I wasn't to spend time with the outside of this nonsense class, you."
Her eyes once again fill with tears and mixed with her smile breaking across her lips filled my lungs with too much. "You had better not be teasing me Gronaan Versric, I will make your world crumble if you are," She replies, rage in her eyes with the thought apparent across her face. "I would never do that dear, I know the stories you have heard and some probably most of them true, but I swear on my name I am serious," I finish. A promise, an obligation, whatever you want to call it holds a certain weight, they are full of the magic of a bond, and can weigh on the scales of your soul, it is never treated lightly, and I can feel the link of my soul to the words as I say them, this promise, the very true one can be only construed in one way to both of us truth.
The air between us became tangible to both parties, and Avernous flew to her shoulder, the little squirrel making itself on her shoulder such a cute image before my eyes. One I would like many more of. "So, let's get moving and get done with this so you can buy me some food," Sheila says her smile taking over her face. She continues what is it today, "Capture the flag?"
"Yeah, and the flag is just over the hill, but you have been walking us in circles, for no reason other than to talk huh," I say my grin playing onto my lips knowing this was her plan after all. "I would never, okay they were moving too much for me not to find it right away," she says sinking into the earth. I realize her previous statement and call after her as she disappears into the earth, "What do you mean I have to buy you food?!"