Slowly, Dorin's eyes opened.
The first thing he saw was a tall man with flowing gold hair and golden eyes, smiling at him. He was well build with slightly bronzed skin, the bright sun shining behind him, yet he can clearly see his calm face and the gentle look in his eyes.
"Who..."
The man held out a hand. As he touched it and felt the cold, he suddenly remembered where he was, and once again, he was face to face with the hooded oracle with the cold, bony hands.
"Pan Phineas, did I do it?" asked Dorin.
"See for yourself," replied the familiar raspy voice.
Dorin looked down at his arms and saw that his aunt's seal was no longer there. He was so happy to see that he had finally mastered his lightning that he looked at Pan Phineas with a grin as he lowered himself back on the ground.
"I finally did – "
'SKRAAAA-AAAAK!!!'
Lightning entered through the windows near them and struck Dorin from every direction!
"Oh, not again!" Dorin moaned as his uniform frizzled.
"Remember, Dorin, keep your mind blank," Pan Phineas reminded him. "Keep your emotions at bay, and relax."
'Easy for you to say...' Dorin said to himself.
After all, how could a child who has always been driven by his emotions stay emotionless for so long.
"Dorin, relax," Pan Phineas repeated.
He stretched his arms out, drawing the lightning away from the young mage and sipping it all into himself.
"Relax... I am hollow..." mumbled Dorin. "I am null."
The lightning stopped.
"Now hold that thought and keep it still for 10 minutes."
"I will try."
"Woah!" Johan faced the other end of the circular tower room as several bolts of lightning entered the area and hit Dorin who lit up like a light bulb.
"Dorin!" Patrice Bennette called out, standing up from the chair where he sat with Prof. Althea and Prof. Reginald.
"It's okay, Patrice," Prof. Althea assured him. "He's in good hands."
"A-are you sure, Prof. Althea?" Johan called from the group next to theirs. It looks as if he's ready to run towards his friend.
"Yes. The high oracle, Pan Phineas, was once a Heilig prince," she explained. He is a descendant of the thunder gods, and is the only person in the whole empire who could teach Dorin to control his inborn powers."
"A Heilig prince, who is now an oracle, teaching a young thunder mage who came from no one knows where..." Mordecai said thoughtfully from Prof. Dimirtio's group. "For sure, the Empire won't stay quiet after hearing about this..."
[Aren't you from the empire yourself?] Sebastian asked, lifting his slate.
"Ah, but we are currently here as students, thus, have nothing to do with their affairs," Mordecai answered with his same light-lipped smile.
"So, the oracle is one of those traitors!" Venet hissed from the Dean's group. "And so is that bastard Dorin!"
"The oracle got his position decades before the revolt," Dean Alcion said. "He has long cut all connections with the Heilig royalty."
"That is correct," Prof Raevers followed up, "he even sided with the Empire during the revolt, so hold your tongue and think before you speak."
Venet did hold his tongue as Prof. Raevers' sharp gaze fell upon him.
"I guess you don't know since you haven't actually seen him with the hood off," Prof. Dimitrio said gently, "but Pan Phineas is a war hero who almost died during the revolt," she told the students. "Half of his body was badly burned by the fire mages who sided with the rebels. It is a miracle that he is still clinging on to life even after that incident."
"That is true, my master, the Royal Physician, Duke Quintine Almacion was the one who was tasked to heal him," said Mordecai who glimpsed at Althea. "It took him half a year to get the oracle's condition stable, and the empire still sends him to check up on Pan Phineas regularly and make sure that he is doing fine."
"He must be very important to the Empire then, that the Royal Physician who only takes care of the royal family, is ordered to check on him regularly," said Boulvar who stared as a scowling Venet.
"But of course," answered Mordecai. "He is, after all, the only remaining Thunder God that the Empire knows of, and it is essential that the three elements are present in the country."
"Even if they are known traitors?" Venet mumbled, which earned him a knock on the head from Prof. Raevers.
"Idiot, in everything, balance is important," said Prof. Raevers. "Stop spreading your ignorance."
"As the first oracles said, once the balance is disrupted then tragedies will befall the Empire," Prof. Dupont explained. "If one of the leading families die off with their powers..."
[Then the Empire will surely fall.] wrote Sebastian.
"That is why it is important for Dorin to learn about his powers and become a true Thunder God," Dean Alcione continued, "for he is the only one who could continue that bloodline."
"Well, his mother did tell him to have lots of children!" Mordecai chuckled.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Prof. Raevers frowned at him. "Anyway, that's enough gawking, let's get back to topic, won't we?"
"That's right," Prof. Dimitrio agreed.
"Hmph. Such showoffs, these Heiligs are..." Lord Ombra mumbled as he glared at the two lightning mages at the far end of the room. He gave a grumpy snort and faced his pupils. "Now, Dagon, eyes in front. Remember the spell I taught you to keep your form hidden."
"I am hungry," the child scowled at him.
"Didn't you just finish a large bag of potato chips?" Johan nudged him.
"Still hungry."
"Then hurry up so we can eat."
Lord Ombra said some words in Dragon Speech. Dagon shook himself like a dog. His wings and tail suddenly appeared, as well as the tiny horn protruding from the middle of his forehead.
"Now try the spell yourself."
Johan sighed as he watched Dagon squint his eyes and speak the words.
All he could manage was to shrink his tail to half its size.
"So what am I supposed to do while you teach Dagon?" Johan asked the dark skinned Dragon Lord.
"I don't care. Just stop bothering us," Lord Ombra answered back.
Johan grumbled as he made his way towards his friend Prof. Dupont who seemed to be having a lively conversation with the two other professors and the three students in their group.