Weight of Worlds

Grev gave Ranvir an odd look. They were walking away from lunch and towards their next class, light.

“Are you okay?” Grev asked him. Ranvir looked to the ring of worn dirt following the walls of the campus.

“I… didn’t hate physical?” Ranvir replied, giving his friend an almost questioning look.

“Yeah, it’s normal.”

“It is?”

“Beginners get quick gains. In these last two weeks you’ve improved a lot. Both you and Esmund. When combined with the low-powered healing we get from bright-torches and you’re pretty much set.”

“Healing?” Ranvir knew of the bright-torches, they were literally impossible to miss. The metal sticks used instead of torches, where a light tethered could attach a ball of light. They each had an anchor formation attached at the tip of their spike, like the copper chips inserted into the school uniforms. It was how the uniforms could fit everyone, and why Grev’s fit better than a normal one. His was just a normal well-tailored uniform in the elusrian colors.

“Yeah, it’s only people like Master Stjarna and his students that light the torches.” Grev answered. Ranvir blinked, realizing he’d let his mind wander. “I asked Ayvir about it in class one time.” Grev explained, with a wave of his hand.

Ranvir nodded, since they had class together he would get to study under the Academy’s newest Master along with his friend. He wasn’t sure what to think of that yet. Ayvir wasn’t just the newest Master, he was also one of the youngest. Ever. He wasn’t even thirty, yet.

“Is he any good? Master Ayvir, that is.”

Grev gave him a worryingly mischievous smile. “You’ll find out.”

Ranvir shook his head at his friend’s acting. They continued on arriving at the appointed field a few minutes before class began, which left them a little extra time to talk.

However when Ranvir turned to his friend, he found Grev was no longer smiling. Nor did he have the seemingly ever-present gleam of good humor in his eye. His face had turned hard and focused, no longer receptive to talk.

Taking the hint, Ranvir took a step away from his friend wondering what the change in attitude was. At first he assumed it was related to one of the other students in the class, but no one approached or even looked at them. Other than a few glances towards Ranvir, and some muttered words sounding vaguely like ‘Cold front’.

Soon the bell swept across the campus like a strong wind, Teacher Ayvir showed up alongside it. He quickly ordered all the students into neat rows and had them sit down on the grass. His eyes caught Ranvir’s for a second and nodded in acknowledgment.

Maybe this won’t be so bad… Ranvir thought, hopefully.

Class seemed to start like most others he’d seen at this point. Everyone was reaching for tether-space. Before Ranvir could do so himself, he saw Ayvir kneel next to a student, and begin a whispered conversation.

Someone was talking next to Ranvir, it was enough that he curiously left his tether. He hadn’t yet tried to manipulate it, still worried about Master Svenar’s warning. He had a lot of class to get through too, he’d have time.

Opening his eyes, he saw Ayvir whispering to the student in front of him.

“So how does that change what you’re going to try today?”

“I think I’m going to feel how it warms my skin, while I’m with my tether.”

“Good, good.” The teacher clapped the student on the back, smiling broadly. Apparently, that had been the last student on that row because he went to Ranvir next.

“Hello.” Ayvir said, offering a hand. Ranvir took it tentatively, feeling a little worried at the closeness and attention from the Master. “I’m Teacher Ayvir, though you can also call me Master Ayvir.” Ranvir could visibly see the pride in the young Master’s eyes.

“Yes, Master Ayvir.” He replied, before belatedly adding. “I’m Ranvir.”

“Nice to meet you, Ranvir. I have two questions that I ask all my students. You don’t have to answer them right now, but I want you to think about it.”

“Yes, Master.”

“What is something you’ve noticed about your element? About space? And will that affect how you’re going to train today?”

Ranvir opened his mouth, but stopped before speaking. He took in a deep breath. “I don’t know, Teacher.” He cleared his throat. “I still haven’t felt the pressure yet. So I can’t even sense space.”

Ayvir cocked his head, before laying a calming hand on Ranvir’s shoulder. “Take a deep breath, Ranvir.”

It was only then Ranvir noticed just how shallowly he’d been breathing. If he was still in physical he would probably be passing out.

“That’s better. We’re going to work on that in class, by the end of the week you’ll be sure to sense your element. That wasn’t actually what the question though.” Master Ayvir’s voice was slow and without accusation. “I wanted to know something you’ve noticed about your element. You might’ve sensed it, or maybe you just saw it, or thought about it. It’s an idea you have about space.”

Ranvir nodded, continuing to take long slow breaths. “Okay, Master.”

“Now, I’m just going to finish up with the last students, then I’m going to come back and we’re going to work on sensing pressure.”

With that the young Teacher stepped away. Ranvir shook his head slightly, taking another deep breath. He pushed against his chest entering tether-space.

Ayvir had to pull him away from his meditation, when he finished his talk with the last student.

“I want to know how far you’ve come, first.” Ayvir explained. “Obviously, you can regularly reach your tether, but how long can you stay with it?”

“At least fifteen minutes, probably more.”

Ayvir frowned at his response, but didn’t explain. “Alright, I want you to go inside and listen to me, can you do that?”

Ranvir nodded, entering his tether with brief press against his chest.

“Can you hear me, Ranvir?” It was a little faded, but clear. “Nod, if you can.” That took a little longer for him, but eventually Ranvir figured out the movement. “Good. Now see if you can find the pressure, pushing against yo-“

It was like the difference between night and day, Ranvir felt it the moment Master Ayvir asked for the pressure pushing against him. It was everywhere and he immediately let it in. As it entered it began filling the space, pushing him through instead of out. He left tether-space though he was still aware of it, in the same way he was aware of his body while with his tether.

His eyes snapped open, space was… everything. The sheer astonishment caused him to lose grip. Tether-space closed off, pulling him all the way out of the exercise.

It was jarring enough that he would’ve fallen over, if not for Ayvir catching him.

“That wasn’t so hard was it?” Ayvir said with a smile. “What changed?”

“Well…” It felt so obvious when Ayvir explained it, that now he felt embarrassed about it. “You explained the pressure coming from outside, trying to get in…”

“Yes, of course…” Ayvir sounded like he was still waiting for an answer.

Ranvir’s gaze flicked to Grev, who seemed completely taken with his tether.

“That’s it…” Ranvir replied, cringing slightly. “I sensed the pressure coming outside-in, instead of inside-out.”

Ayvir blinked. “You’re a manipulator, of course it would be coming from outside… Master Floki should’ve covered-“ Ranvir could see the thunderclouds moving behind Ayvir’s eyes. Viscous light rose from the now golden orbs. “Come with me.”

Ranvir jumped to his feet, his stomach doing sickly yellow somersaults of fear. As he followed behind the angry Master, emanating the pressure of the sun. It felt like the Ingra, the Face of Wrath, had stepped away from her other forms, descending into his mortal body.

Ranvir could feel his own meager power buckling under Teacher Ayvir’s. The shouts of alarm and pleas for answers from the other students told him he wasn’t alone. Ranvir was too caught up in the Master’s wrath to comprehend anything other than his stomach flipping with fear.

Every step felt like it would bow him under the force. Even other field’s students were exclaiming and crying out about the sun striding amongst them.

Ranvir followed numbly, keeping as close as he physically could without the power bowing him over. He fiddled with his necklace, trying to calm the raging yellow nausea in his stomach. He wasn’t successful.

As they made steady progress towards Master Floki’s class, Ranvir heard vague question. ‘Who’s the student with the Master?’ ‘Isn’t that the space kid?’ ‘What did Cold Front do now?’.

He would’ve probably felt worse about it, if he didn’t feel like throwing up just from standing too close to Ayvir.

“Master Floki!” The Teacher spoke loudly, without yelling. His voice had an odd timbre to it. It flowed out farther than it should. Ranvir noticed a few of the student wincing, despite Ayvir only speaking in a conversational tone.

“Young Master Ayvir.” Floki had gotten up from his chair, waving a student down. Ranvir recognized Torben, the weird fanatic. He’d been the strongest performer in the class.

Was he really going to protect Master Floki? The idea shocked Ranvir out of his yellow fear induced nausea, the sheer bright-blue astonishment simply couldn’t compute with his current mindset.

As he escaped the emotional grip of the Lancer’s power, he staggered a few steps away before falling to his knees.

Hauling for air like an over-worked horse, Ranvir stared intently at the ground.

“What is your job?” Ayvir sounded angrier than before.

“We’re teachers.” Floki voice was calm. Ranvir admired it, his arms were shaking trying to keep him up.

“I certainly am. But I don’t know about you.”

“Now that’s hardly-“

“If you’re about to say fair, you’re taking your own life in your hands.”

“I think you’re forgetting yourself. I was a Master before you were even a student at this academy!”

“I earned my position on the battlefield. I spent eight years on the front lines, leading the fight against the flesh-torn. I’ve fought side-by-side with Anva-Diin The Unkillable. Akashin The Endless taught me more about combat and leading troops, than you could’ve learned in your entire life.”

The field was getting noticeably brighter as Ayvir continued his speech. “I am Ayvir, Lancer of Light, Brightflesh, Cloak of Stars. If you don’t think I could kill you with the snap of my fingers, then you’ve grown more arrogant and foolish in your old age, than any ten Masters put together.”

“What is going on?” The inquiry was soft, but the voice wasn’t alone. Ranvir blinked realizing he’d fallen onto his face. He watched a thread of his uniform unraveled before him, rising lightly into the sky and disintegrating. “Calm yourself, please Master Ayvir.”

I recognize that voice… Ranvir thought, but his entire being had just gone a cold-white, refusing to process his actual surroundings.

“Svenar, I was going to talk with you next.” Ayvir continued, his voice still carrying that ominous power. “What is the process for teaching a student to manifest their ability?”

Ranvir twitched his fingers along the grass, watching it break apart before his eyes. The scene was fascinating.

“What is…” Svenar paused. “This is about Ranvir then?”

“Just answer the question.”

“Teach them to access tether-space, once they can hold the space steady enough that they can observe the outside, they can usually sense their element.”

“What is this about?” Floki’s sounded shaken, his voice quivering audibly.

“What is the respective processes for generators and manipulators?”

“Inside going out for generators, and outside going in for manipulators. What is this about, Ayvir?” Svenar was getting noticeably short with his own replies.

“So tell me why Ranvir was searching for inside pressure going out, when he’s known to be our only space manipulator?”

Ranvir rubbed another grass straw between his fingers watching it turn to dust, fine enough that the slight wind was carrying it off. It sort of looked like smoke. Wetting his lips, he noted how dry and… sharp the air was. In the background Master Floki was babbling.

The pressure lessened. It suddenly felt like air was forced back into Ranvir, his thoughts gathering cohesion. Purple confusion cluttered his mind, as he heaved a massive breath of fresh air. The world spun as he coughed from the all too violent breathing.

“This is as much my fault, as it is Master Floki’s.” Svenar sounded tired. Ranvir stifled another cough, trying to avoid drawing attention to himself. “I should’ve checked with him from the very beginning of my class, instead of assuming.”

“Yes, you should have. Do you know how long it took me to get him to express his power? Less than five minutes! Yet he’s been wallowing for two weeks, trying to be something he is not.”

“I forgot! I’ve been teaching here for thirty-five years. I’ve never taught a manipulator.” Master Floki’s cowed voice was shrill and panicked.

“You got complacent and lazy. That’s what happened. Maybe it’s time to brush up on your teaching skills. The world’s gone far in the last thirty years.” Ayvir snarled. “The headmaster will hear of this.”

The pressure lessened once more as footsteps sounded out. A deep cough escaped one of the Masters, if Ranvir was any guess, it would be Floki. A hand landed on Ranvir’s shoulder helping him to his feet.

“Are you okay?” He blinked into Ayvir’s normal blue eyes, no longer mimicking the visage of the sun.

He tried to speak, but had swallow before getting the words out. “Y- yes, M- Master.”

“Your eyes are dilated, you should go back to your dorm and rest. Do you have weapons class?”

Ranvir tried to speak, but couldn’t get the words out. He nodded.

“You can go, but only if you feel up to it. You don’t need to feel any pressure. Otherwise, get as much rest as you can. I’ll talk to your teacher.” Ranvir nodded and Ayvir released him.

It took Ranvir longer than it should to orient himself. Even as he began walking towards the dorm, he wasn’t entirely sure of the direction until he heard the door close behind him.

When he got to his room he passed out for the rest of the day. He didn’t wake up when Grev, Sansir and Esmund went to check up on him. Nor when they left for their last classes. Not until they brought him back dinner, the scent bringing him back to awareness.