Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign - By Phillip Jones Page 0,81

is a good lesson to teach on her first Peak? If the task is to command fire, this skill should be attempted by someone with keener senses. She’s just a cub, magically speaking.”

“Who’s the teacher here, you ... or me? Isn’t there something you should be sniffing while I see what her limitations are?”

Annoyed by Helga’s demeanor, Mosley lifted his leg and released a spurt onto the rug near her feet. “Perhaps I’ve already found the smell I was seeking. Shall we continue this confrontation, or shall we civilly discuss more important matters?”

Helga scowled as she shook off the moisture on her shoe and then stormed into the training room to set everything in place. She summoned two pails of water and continued to eye the wolf as she used her magic to place the buckets in close proximity in case they were needed to extinguish a flame.

Once the older sorceress calmed her nerves, she called Shalee to her side. “Child, there are many forms of fire. There are simple forms, like striking a piece of flint to start a campfire. Then there are stronger forms that burn hot enough to turn things to ash in the briefest of moments.” She snapped her fingers. “A moment this quick,” she said as she looked at Mosley to emphasize her point.

Mosley cringed.

Helga enjoyed the wolf’s discomfort, and then she turned her attention back to Shalee. “Simple or difficult, you’ll be able to use the same command for various outcomes while manipulating fire. The only difference will be what your mind tells the staff to accomplish. Let’s begin with something simple. The Elven word for fire is nuar.”

Shalee looked down at the pile of wood. “So ... you want me to set it ablaze. Seems simple enough.”

“No, Child. I want you to think of how you can achieve different outcomes. Fire can be molded to serve you in many different manners. It can be used for more than destruction or warmth. This exercise will show me your imagination and expose your limitations. I’ll give you an example of how fire can be used to intimidate your enemies.”

Helga retrieved her staff and spoke the words of power. A thick wall of flame formed. Feeling the heat, Mosley backed away to the far side of the room while Shalee felt nothing and watched in amazement as Helga walked into the flames and then turned around. She waved at her student, and after a long series of moments, she exited as the flames as they dissipated.

Helga smiled as she gave the wolf a vengeful wink. “That’s what I mean by using fire to intimidate.” Reclaiming Shalee’s eyes, she continued. “In my mind’s eye, I told the staff to allow the mutt to feel the heat. The two of us felt nothing. My mind called for the fire to be smokeless since I didn’t want the smoke to permeate the room, nor did I want the flames to burn the floor or the ceiling since they were tall. As you can see, I’m unharmed. Fire can be used to create the illusion of power.” The older sorceress turned her head. “Do you see what I mean, mutt?”

Without saying a word, Mosley lifted his leg and released a continuous stream onto the stack of mattresses. His deep, green eyes challenged Helga as he responded while cocking his head in a condescending manner. “A stream has the ability to put out a fire. Do you see what I mean, you difficult woman?”

Helga raised her staff.

Shalee intervened. “My Lord in Heaven, you two. Stop that. This is supposed to be my series of moments to train, not yours to argue.” She stepped between them so that Helga could no longer see the wolf. “Anyhoo! Let’s move along. Why don’t you guys give me some space, and I’ll whip up one of them fabulous walls of fire for ya.”

Helga pulled her attention off the wolf and placed it where it belonged. “No, no, no, Child. That was advanced magic. You’re not ready to try something of that magnitude. You must be careful and start simple.”

“Simple is boring,” Shalee protested.

Helga grinned. “Agreed, Child. Your magical foundation will fortify, but it must be formed properly. Eventually, you’ll be able to command power that equals what I’ve displayed. You may even advance to combining words, but magic like that is far beyond your abilities at the moment. For now, let’s focus on simple, practical uses of fire.”

“Tell me more about combining words,” Shalee inquired.