Master Of None

Years slowly passed by as the little girl grew before the alchemists’ eyes. Her questions grew the more that he showed her. The more he added fuel to the fiery brawler that wanted to learn alchemy, the more he grew attached.

”Get over here and away from the fire crystals!” this was a normal shout that everyone who knew the pair would do every day once or twice. ”You can’t just play with fire elemental mana crystals so that you might be able to use an alchemy cauldron. If you release the mana without the right skill, you will blow your fingers off and they will be nothing but ash there on the floor.”

This reprimand was due to worry but also a true fact. Many apprentice alchemists had failed the first few times they created such things. Therefore, they had clearly ignored the steps to properly use such a tool during alchemy.

”I told you I will learn it all at some point old man. Just stop trying to hold me back. I will be an alchemist and make every bit of medicine I need. Even if I have to beat the formulas from other alchemist’s heads.’’ The comment was yet another that had been used again and again.

”If every child is like you, then nothing will ever progress. Beat this person, beat that person.” The grumbling response of the old master alchemist was just the usual response.

However, he felt that this was one of the greatest alchemical tragedies ever. Never had he seen such a dedicated student that was willing to learn all manner of details. This girl had made the choice to force her way in over years and years just to learn the basics when no one would hand over the tools she needed.

But worse again, she was already a brawler. The most promising mind to ever have the chance at alchemy, was blocked from it. These stories were many, but seeing it right in front of him hit him harder. He lacked the hope needed to change this fate. But that didn’t mean he would not feed this fire. She could be a master of theory. There were scholars like that. Those that learned how to teach something they could not do.

”I know that look. Don’t give me some speech about becoming a teacher of theory. I will be a real damn alchemist some day.” with a salm, the door was shut and the girl was gone.

”Remey, you will eventually come around. You have already learned more than a basic alchemist and you aren’t even an alchemist at all.” the old man’s bittersweet tone would agave made anyone feel their heart was cracking….

”Why do your flames weaken! You are still weak. Still worthless. Still unable to even show us that you even belong here!” The entire sentence was one hit after another. The hatchling had been locked in training with the royal fire dragon for an entire year.

lesson after lesson and trial after trial had clearly made the hatchling stronger, but not fast enough. Not strong enough.?The royal fire dragon did not see a high enough level of improvement to even deem a single compliment worthy of being spoken. This was terrible.

The hatchling looked at his claws again. At the cracked and broken scales that had become that way from intense heat above what he could handle at his age. These trials were well over what anyone else would go through. But the royal dragon had decided that being harsh was the only way to bring out the true skills of this hatchling. It worked before.

Another tail slap sent the hatchling to the wall of the cave. Lava spilling around as the pool of magma was broken again and heat increased. ”Now absorb the flames from within this lava. It is all around you. Your body is made to welcome it. Justa accept it. Do not fight it!”

This left the hatchling alone yet again. The royal fire dragon leaving Ignus to suffer while surrounded by flames and lava. These lessons had been burned in to his memory. They would haunt his sleep, his waking hours, and every second he thought that he was safe. The very village he was born in to was no more than another brutal wilderness.

The bubbles from the flowing lava spat up molten rock and flame at him. He could only shield himself before it hit his damaged scales. But this didn’t stop him.

The little haggling reared up and screamed out within himself. The roar of rejection toward all that would dare challenge him. That the flames would also bend to his will. He would refuse to allow them to harm him or anything he chose to hold close.

This inner flame burned differently from any other fire dragon. I drew in unique fire mana that could not be stolen from others. That was totally his. The mana was bent to his will, to his inner flames that raged hotter than what others could manage. This was his very determination lot aflame through harsh pain…

”This is the seventh time he is so sick. We can’t afford to call on the alchemists medicine any more. Healing won’t fix Illness was like this. His body is too weak.” This was just another similar phrase said about the younger orphans around Remey. She hated hearing it.

Without thinking, she darted off again. The old master alchemist in her sights. Regardless of the time of day or state of the weather, she went to him. The only person and place that would help without offering too much money….

Ignus had grown significantly after rejecting the training of the royal fire dragon. His reward was a longer stay in the depths of the volcanos. Left to face the what alone.

But in these depths lived monsters. Stronger lava golems naturally formed. Small laval snails that spit liquid earth to defend themselves. Every battle was one that risked his life. But he stomped them down. His flames were stronger….

”You don’t have to ever come back. You can leave and make yourself a life now that you are old enough with your own system.” These kind words were ignored.

”I will be an adventurer and make enough gold for all of this. Just you watch.” Remey cracked her knuckles while heading toward a meeting of young adventurers set up because of their skills and slightly unique methods of battle…

”You are not the royal fire dragon any longer. You wasted your potential with cruelty unbefitting a real dragon. Your spit on the pride that comes with being a dragon. You will never be allowed within this village or any village again.”

Years had brought Ignus to this. When his strength grew exponentially, he ousted the current royal fire dragon and liberated the village.

The dragonkin knelt to him as he kicked out the previous royal fire dragon. But instead of leaving, flames bloomed. They all watched the previous royal fire dragon give up his life and fire for the future regardless of his past negatives.

”The village shall move to the lava fields and a young volcanoes. Prepare to understand a new flame that is stronger than what you will be capable of.

Things would change but there were still binding traditions. Things that needed to change could not and he had too little power over the entire dragon race. He had to accept that and remain weak. But he refused to do so.

The traditions must be followed. Ignus knew this. But he also knew he could push things forward toward something better too…

Walker saw fire runes stretching through the air. Heat he could not handle burned him slightly as he held back what he could. Water had flowed due to his control over water mana to cool the air too.

He swore he heard voices and other things from the eggs of pure flames he saw formed here. But he could not think of these things.

Every second was too much. But when he saw a sudden stillness, he understood something unique was happening.

The flames slowly melded with two shapes within them. A peaceful and tranquil emotion came as many strands of runes brown between?the two figures. Their minds separating while the single small flame between them split in two.

Walker released his control over everything and watched In awe as the flames took shapes of memories. People he recognized and did not know. Dragons that fought and monsters that perished. He could not understand them whatsoever.

Yet, he felt this was a step well beyond what he could ever understand until he too had stepped down a path of purity in mana.

That was when their eyes opened.

….

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