That's good, I like comedians. Always fake and easy to break.” He stepped back and smiled at her. “Good luck.”
Summer watched him march to the front of the group. He spun around, his hands behind his back, and purposely let his eyes fall on each individual.
“Today we start the most difficult part of being a wielder: the ability to control your element.”
Summer swallowed hard. She had no idea how to even summon her fire. The only time it happened was when she was basically cornered. This wasn't going to end well.
“Funny girl,” he said, pointing to Summer. “What is your last name?"
“I don't know. That's the truth."
He began pacing in front of them. “And when did you first get your fire? In other words, when is your eighteenth birthday.”
She looked down at the floor. “Next month.”
Mario paused for a brief second. He turned his head slightly; the smallest sliver of his purple eyes staring her down.
“Very young.” He scratched his beard. “That must be where the bad attitude comes from. We'll fix that.”
Summer refused to look up or acknowledge him. She hated that he had outed her after only being there for ten minutes. Blending with the other wielders was already difficult since she was only one of two fire wielders but, now she was alienated for her age.
“Look up!” he snapped.
Summer's head shot up as she locked eyes with him. He stopped and turned to face her.
“Stand straight. All of you line up next to her right now.”
At least the other wielders were just as nervous as her. They were too busy worrying about themselves to pay her much attention.
Mario started pacing again. “Some of us are lucky enough to be born with the power to use our element without needing help from the ones around us. Others are not. They have to grab the elements when they can and use them.”
He stopped and looked at them again. “Good news is I can teach you to summon your elements.” He flexed his arm. “It's like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes.”
He pointed his finger at Summer. “You first, girl. Hold your hands out and let’s see if you can call your element.”
Summer put her hands out and cursed them as they visibly shook. She stood there, staring expectantly at her hands and then Mario.
“Well go on,” he said. “Pull it to you. Focus on the fire you can feel in the pit of your stomach and move it to your hands.”
Summer bit her lip as a single drop of sweat fell down her brow. She was focused on her hands but, could feel everyone staring. It was like the field had gone completely silent and all the attention was on her. She hated it.
“Come on!” shouted Mario. “We don't have all day.”
Summer closed her eyes and exhaled. She listened to Mario and tried to find her element. As she relaxed her mind began to feel the pull of something familiar yet foreign at the same time.
Summer gasped and opened her eyes. “I can't.”
Mario marched up to her and shoved a finger into her chest. “Yes you can and you will.”
“No I don't-”
“Good,” he said, nodding his head. “You are not special. Prove them right. You're nobody.”
Summer's mouth hung open as she stared at him. News had spread a lot faster than she thought it would. Who else knew about her and why she was here? What did it actually mean that she was breaking the wielding rules by being able to use her ability at seventeen instead of the common age of eighteen?
She lowered her hands. “I don't have to prove anything to you.”
“Scared.” He laughed. “You should be because your excuses will just get you killed.”
Now Summer clenched her hands into fists. “You don't know a thing about me.”
Mario held up his hand and began listing things off with his fingers. “I know you're scared, not who the council says you are, weak, and unprepared. Did I mention scared?”
Summer could feel her hands tingling. Her anger quickly disappeared and was replaced with panic. She looked
Summer watched him march to the front of the group. He spun around, his hands behind his back, and purposely let his eyes fall on each individual.
“Today we start the most difficult part of being a wielder: the ability to control your element.”
Summer swallowed hard. She had no idea how to even summon her fire. The only time it happened was when she was basically cornered. This wasn't going to end well.
“Funny girl,” he said, pointing to Summer. “What is your last name?"
“I don't know. That's the truth."
He began pacing in front of them. “And when did you first get your fire? In other words, when is your eighteenth birthday.”
She looked down at the floor. “Next month.”
Mario paused for a brief second. He turned his head slightly; the smallest sliver of his purple eyes staring her down.
“Very young.” He scratched his beard. “That must be where the bad attitude comes from. We'll fix that.”
Summer refused to look up or acknowledge him. She hated that he had outed her after only being there for ten minutes. Blending with the other wielders was already difficult since she was only one of two fire wielders but, now she was alienated for her age.
“Look up!” he snapped.
Summer's head shot up as she locked eyes with him. He stopped and turned to face her.
“Stand straight. All of you line up next to her right now.”
At least the other wielders were just as nervous as her. They were too busy worrying about themselves to pay her much attention.
Mario started pacing again. “Some of us are lucky enough to be born with the power to use our element without needing help from the ones around us. Others are not. They have to grab the elements when they can and use them.”
He stopped and looked at them again. “Good news is I can teach you to summon your elements.” He flexed his arm. “It's like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes.”
He pointed his finger at Summer. “You first, girl. Hold your hands out and let’s see if you can call your element.”
Summer put her hands out and cursed them as they visibly shook. She stood there, staring expectantly at her hands and then Mario.
“Well go on,” he said. “Pull it to you. Focus on the fire you can feel in the pit of your stomach and move it to your hands.”
Summer bit her lip as a single drop of sweat fell down her brow. She was focused on her hands but, could feel everyone staring. It was like the field had gone completely silent and all the attention was on her. She hated it.
“Come on!” shouted Mario. “We don't have all day.”
Summer closed her eyes and exhaled. She listened to Mario and tried to find her element. As she relaxed her mind began to feel the pull of something familiar yet foreign at the same time.
Summer gasped and opened her eyes. “I can't.”
Mario marched up to her and shoved a finger into her chest. “Yes you can and you will.”
“No I don't-”
“Good,” he said, nodding his head. “You are not special. Prove them right. You're nobody.”
Summer's mouth hung open as she stared at him. News had spread a lot faster than she thought it would. Who else knew about her and why she was here? What did it actually mean that she was breaking the wielding rules by being able to use her ability at seventeen instead of the common age of eighteen?
She lowered her hands. “I don't have to prove anything to you.”
“Scared.” He laughed. “You should be because your excuses will just get you killed.”
Now Summer clenched her hands into fists. “You don't know a thing about me.”
Mario held up his hand and began listing things off with his fingers. “I know you're scared, not who the council says you are, weak, and unprepared. Did I mention scared?”
Summer could feel her hands tingling. Her anger quickly disappeared and was replaced with panic. She looked
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