Ignite: The Archangels Chronicles

Kneeling in the soft grass, breathing in all the hot and sweet smells of the jungle, Azreal tried to focus on her breathing in the intoxicating scent of jasmine and exhaling the dark exhaustion that haunts her continuously.

Nadie was trying to get her to focus on letting the magic settle over her and not letting it take over everything that she is.

"The key to mastering your powers is learning to control yourself and your emotions first. If you feel frightened and desperate so will your magic. It will overcome you, consume you." Nadie instructed.

Fighting the urge to say something sarcastic about how much better this is making her feel when she hears rustling of branches and out steps Cameron, once again making all the noise in the world.

"How is the magic going?" He says as he plops down next to Azreal in the grass folding his legs.

Before Azreal can answer him, Nadie lets out an exasperated sigh and says "Excuse me, this is a closed session. Wielding magic isn't for the faint of heart or those who cant protect themselves from stray fireballs."

Camerons eyebrows almost hit his hairline as he looked at Azreal, impressed "You can throw fireballs now? Wow you are really are progressing!"

"I wouldn't mock me if I were you, darling" and she let a bit of that wicked malic shine through her eyes that she was struggling with day and night to keep contained.

Cameron lifts his hands in surrender and started to get up. "I was only hoping to help, but it looks like the two of you have it covered." He said, as he started to dust off his backside.

Nadie started looking curiously between the two of us; something obviously brewing in that crazy old mind of hers.

Azreal shook her head and said "I don't like that look, when someone has that look in their eyes it usually means they're about to say something absolutely insane."

Cameron immediately pipes up "Oh how i do love the insane idea or two" He chuckles softly.

But he's the only one laughing.

"Why don't you two try a little exercise that might help you focus your power better. You seem to only have any control over it when your trying to help someone. Lets see if you can wield it to not harm someone. Put a shield around Cameron. It doesn't matter in what manner your magic manifests. Try to focus on creating a dome around him." Nadie says as if it weren't the worst idea she's had yet.

"Absolutely not, i won't use Cameron as my test dummy." Azreal chirps. Cameron scoffs, and lift his hand to his c.h.e.s.t "why i think i should get a say in my being used or not. And I, of course, choose to be used. So do your worst." He brings his fingers to his chin in mock thought "or should I say do your best?" Azreal sighed heavily and tried to focus on that well of power, attempting to draw out just a fraction, a whisper, of what is roiling beneath her skin.

All at once the clearing catches on fire, but not real fire, black fire the stuff that sears your nerves but doesn't melt your skin instead it burns you from the inside out, leaking in through your pores as you inhale burning up your lungs.

Nadie quickly throws up a few wards and the fire goes out. But that doesn't stop Cameron from doubling over, coughing out smoke that won't come. Nadie quickly bites her finger and uses the blood to paint a crude mark on Cameron's shoulder. His coughing fit starts to dissipate the second shes finished, and when Cameron looks up he's crying tears of blood.

Azreal gasped loudly and fumbled backwards. Cameron starts towards her saying "what's wrong are you okay?"

Azreal looks up to find his face dry and perfectly smooth, no blood no tears. Az shook her head as if to rid herself of the image. " I just,.. I'm fine. Are you okay?" Looking Cameron up and down taking a mental note on his stance, what side he's favoring, looking for any signs he may be distressed.

"Calm down, I'm fine Azreal. No need to keep looking at me like you can see my bones through my skin, it's freaky."

An exasperated puff came out of Azreals mouth as she replied, "freaky, really?" And rolled her eyes. Azreal crossed her arms lazily gesturing with a hand, "Thorough is more accurate".

Now it was Cameron's turn to roll his eyes.

Nadie clapped her hands and a brutal wind shot through the clearing, almost knocking cameron and Azreal to their knees.

"If you two are finished squabbling, we have a long day ahead of us."

************************************

The next three hours were full of apprentice magic drills, things Azreal had learned as a child but in a different way. Pain casting is a very common practice for the underlings who have yet to come into their true powers.

Nadie's way was more controlled and came from feeling and being connected to the elements. Azreal was finally making progress with earth and air magic, but when she tried to get water to slip through and around her fingers it either splashes back in her face or falls to the ground.

'And don't even get me started on fire magic.'

The only improvement I've made in that field is that she can put out the huge fires she starts on her own rather than have the old crone hobble about cutting fingers and waving them frantically around casting air spells to snuff out her raging fires.

'Now that she think about it, that sounds like less of an improvement.'

Frustrated that her water once again pooled in her palm and flowed right between her fingers and onto the burnt grass beneath her boots.

"We need to head back to camp and help others prepare for dinner and the push to Langu, we can't stay here much longer."

Nadie looked up from the plants she's using to make tonics for the injured and says "Are you sure that's why you want to go back to camp? Or are you frustrated that you have not learned in a few hours how to control and manipulate magic that, usually, an archangel would train all her life to master? Give yourself time, child."

Azreal knew this would be a challenge, but she didn't have time to give herself. Her people needed a leader who can protect them, provide shelter and food. Not some barely m.a.t.u.r.ed halfbreed that can't even keep water from spilling.

Noticing Azreals dark mood shift across her face Cameron walked over and said "You're advancing much faster than any magic wielder I've seen."

Az eyebrows furrowed as she asked him "If your parents were herbalists, how would you know about the rate of which an offensive magic grows?"

Cameron's eyes turned into crescents as his hand went behind to rub the back of his head and said "Well, at least, I assume your advancing much further than normal" he huffed out a nervous laugh, obviously not knowing what he's talking about.

Noticing his slight blush and embarrassment, Azreal decided to take the awkward compliment and not question it further. "Ah, thanks, I guess." She mumbled. "We should get heading back to camp, it's going to be dusk soon."

Cameron was still flushed but he meet Azreals eyes and his face shifted to a look of excitement as he exclaimed "I'm starved! Almost dying really works up quite the appetite!" And Az smacked his arm playfully while Cameron darted ahead into the thick foliage back to the camp.

'That boy is absolutely out of his mind' Azreal thought to herself.