As her training progressed, the disbelieving, quizzical look on Alex’s face was replaced by a small grim smile. She was quickly becoming an opponent rather than a student.
She’d learnt to be quick and balanced on any landscape – as comfortable on icy lakes and uncertain rocks as she was on flat grassland.
She’d always been a quick study.
He pulled her to her feet. “You always need to be aware, ready – “
Allyra nodded – this was one of his favorite lessons. “I know, I know. Because your enemy isn’t going to wait for you.” She parroted back at him.
“Fine – if you know it, how do you explain what just happened?” Alex demanded. “And don’t say nothing is wrong, because despite my best efforts you are still a poor liar!”
She narrowed her eyes at him, instantly annoyed. This was an argument they’d had too many times to count. There was enough hopeful idealism left in her to wish for a world where the truth would always be enough. Alex argued, that for her to have any hope of surviving, she’d have to become a much more convincing liar.
There was one specific lie Alex wanted her to master – the story she’d have to supply to the Council upon her return to the world. It was a story concocted to protect her, hiding the existence of Alex and Mandla, the training she’d received and above all else, her Elemental Gift.
To sell the story, she’d have to convince the Council that she was an Atmospheric, able to see nothing but air within the Between. Her survival would become one of blind luck.
It required breathtaking amounts of lying from her and she struggled to keep her facts straight, especially when Alex fired random questions at her.
Alex liked to spring these question and answer sessions on her at the most inopportune times. Between sparring sessions; during sparring sessions; or even as she was about to drop off to sleep. There was no time considered off limits.
“What caused your first injury?” He’d ask.
“I fell over a rock…” She’d fire back, pleasantly pleased by how quickly she’d managed to come up with such a convincing answer.
“Wrong!” Alex would shout back, “You can’t see the damn rock if you’re an Atmospheric, so how would you know it was a rock?”
“It felt like a rock…” She’d scramble to reply, trying to maintain some level of dignity.
“No! Keep it simple. We chose Atmospheric because it’s easy – you can say you don’t know because you simply didn’t see it!”
Normally at this point Alex would give her a disparaging and frustrated look, making her feel about as useful as a cockroach, before continuing with his questioning.
“How long did you spend in the Between?”
“I’m not sure.” She’d reply, following his advice, trying not to fuel Alex’s ire.
“Care to elaborate?” His voice would be all sweetness and honey, which she’d learnt to recognize as a sure sign of worse things to come.
“No…”
“Not at all? You didn’t notice any indication of time? No changes in light, no sound of movement?”
“No.” She’d reply, sticking stubbornly to her story.
“Pull yourself together!” He’d yell. “I don’t even believe you! How do you expect the Council to?”
“Would you perhaps prefer if I cried a bit? Tears on demand might make them pity me.” She’d retort caustically.
“It certainly wouldn’t hurt.“ He’d say, his bitter words cutting through her.
At this point one of them would walk away, trying to preserve whatever goodwill still existed between them. It was a significant point of contention between them, guaranteed to start an argument.
With some difficulty, Allyra swallowed her anger. Alex knew her well enough that her distraction hadn’t escaped his notice and now he was testing her by bringing up the one subject certain to anger her.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her irritation. If she failed at lying to him now, she might have to explain Mandla’s warning. Worse still, she might have to ask Alex to explain it and she just wasn’t sure she was ready to hear his answer.
The seconds ticked by as she fought to master her emotions.
“So? Care to tell me what’s wrong?” Alex asked again.
“It’s nothing.” She replied blithely, rolling her eyes at his disbelieving look. “At least, it’s the same nothing – just general worry that I’m not going to be able to control the Elements or my Gift won’t be powerful enough.”
It rolled off her tongue smoothly and she managed to keep her expression neutral, aiming for politely interested while ignoring her pounding heart.
She managed to pull it off.
Not because she was learning to become a better liar, rather because it wasn’t strictly a lie. She’d been plagued with worry about her ability to control her Gift from the minute Alex first tried to explain the concept to her.
In any case, it was the perfect reply. As well as Alex knew her, she’d also leant a few tricks about him and this subject was guaranteed to launch him into his favorite lecture about controlling the Elements.
Alex could teach her all the physical tricks here in the Between, molding her into someone that was faster, stronger, stealthier and more agile than most. But once she returned to her body – she would need to master more than just the physical aspect – she would need to master the Elements. Once in the Trials, her opponents would have more than just physical weapons in their arsenal, they would call on the Elements against her.
And so he lectured her, outlining – in minute detail – how to control and focus Fire, Earth, Air and Water. All the while, limited by the inability to actually demonstrate his lessons.
“Why?” She’d asked him, the first time he’d tried to explain, when she’d been exasperated by all the different concepts bouncing wildly around
