The Elementalists

6.

Fire is one of the strongest elements." His voice was strong, compelling. "It is also very finicky and one of the only elements which can hurt it's master.

Fire can't burn you. Of course, you must be thinking about those countless times you may have touched a hot iron or stove or dropped some scalding water on yourself. That was when your element wasn't ascertained." He paused, eyes roaming over to make sure we were all listening. "You, as elementals, are not born with the ability to control one certain element. You are born with the ability to control several elements. It is that one element which gets stronger, it depends on your lineage mostly, but sometimes how a person is raised, their personality, their surroundings. Everything plays a factor in it."

This was new. So, either my parents were Fire elementals or someone in my lineage was. It could also be how I've had to move from place to place and continuously change but wouldn't that mean becoming Water? Constantly fluid, never in one place, always adapting to change?

But I'm Fire. This is slightly confusing. I'll get over it.

"How many of you know about the triangle?" Silence. "The triangle firefighters use?"

Realisation passed through me as murmurs built in the crowd. I hesitantly raised my hand to shoulder level and glanced around to see others slowly doing the same.

His sharp gaze ran over the four of us who'd build up courage to face him. His eyes locked onto mine. "You." He barked. "What's your name?"

I dropped my hand. "Fiera." I answered clearly, my voice was steady.

He cocked an eyebrow as a surname didn't make it's appearance and then let it pass. "Answer."

"The triangle." I began. "Heat, Fuel and Oxygen."

He nodded approval. "Good. That's it." I hid a smug smile. I liked being a teacher's pet. "The heat and the fuel, these both are provided by our body. We don't burn, our energy burns. We have a reserve." He pressed a hand to his toned stomach. "But that reserve has a limit, one you absolutely cannot go beyond. This is your first lesson: Know your limits. Going beyond your limits will kill you."

He looked over all of us to make sure the lesson had sunk in. I'd already been told this. I did play with what I could do at home but no longer than five or ten minutes. Even that exhausted me. Maybe with practice I could push or increase my limits. Mr. Leaf said there would be self-defense. Self-defense mixed with elemental training would be interesting.

"Know this now," his daughter spoke this time. Her voice was equally commanding but in a soft, lilting way. If I hadn't seen her here, I would have assumed she was Air. She had a soothing quality around her. "If you reach your limits during training, you can stop. There is no compulsion for you to continue and we won't force you to. If you're worrying about grades, don't. This class doesn't have any. You're evaluated in your practical performance at the end of each term. You can practice whatever you want, whenever you want. This gym is open 24/7. Once we teach you everything you need to know, you have free reign. Got it?"

Her eyes narrowed and the calming air around her turned cold. "Till then you will not try anything by yourself. Even if it's been passed down thought your family for generations or you've made it yourself. Do it in your own damn time. When you're here, you'll listen to us."

Her father rolled his eyes at her tough guy stance. "You could have at least introduced us." He joked to her before turning to us. "I am Ryan Ash. This is my daughter, Rhaeya Ash. Now that everything is out of the way including precautions and," he gestured to Rhaeya. "... rules. Everybody, go keep your bags and assemble in lines in front of me."

The crowd slowly dispersed.

"Faster!" Rhaeya snapped.

The crowd quickly dispersed.