Summoning the reinforced flames within a week was outside of both Kargon’s and Master Avant’s expectations. However only the firebrand assumed he was ready to depart. When his master asked for a detailed report of last year’s adventures, Kargon thought it would prove his readiness to move forward. Instead he was met with an unimpressed sigh.
“With your strength, you can easily scale buildings in a single bound,” Master Avant said. “But that is besides the point. You are incapable of focusing on your flame while also exerting maximum physical effort. As a combatant reliant on his own body, that is a problem.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Kargon admitted. “How do I fix that?”
An unnerving smile crept across the master’s face. Partially because he appreciated his student’s question. More so because he knew the answer was rather displeasing. It was plainly written on the student’s face that he assumed the master had exaggerated about the difficulty of training. Within one day that idea was ground to dust.
In order to stop focusing on ignition, it had to become second nature. There was no way to do that except slow methodical training. Every morning, Kargon would meditate in the master’s office for an hour. The intention was to keep the flame in a controlled state around his arms and legs. After that he went to a different, larger training ground. The center was an empty field used for group activities with a looping track around it. Large groups of students were taught balanced combat techniques by singular mentors. During breaks they would watch Master Avant’s pupil as he ran around the track. Flames wrapped around his legs and left a charred footprint. The moment he picked up speed they dissipated. Frustrated slow steps allowed him to reignite before attempting to run again.
But this was within Kargon’s expectations. He’d never run or jumped around while ignited. What bothered him was the obvious shortcomings in combat. If he was burning and threw a full power punch, the flames would dissipate mid-swing. When focused on staying alight the attack would be significantly weaker. Worse yet was how he had to practice. There was no point in attacking empty space and the monastery could ill afford to let him burn through training dummies. Considering those options led Kargon to the most obvious opponent. Dread set in on the first day Master Avant entered his office, bo staff in hand.
Months of combat passed before Kargon could do anything but block. The caged inferno around his arms provided the perfect shield against the swift strikes. Without his magic goggles the flames obscured his vision like anyone else. Master Avant used this to his advantage to get around the firebrand and breakthrough his defense. Magically refined wood felt like a heavy metal rod as it smashed into Kargon’s legs. He fell prone and felt one end of the rod against his back. The weight was crushing for such a simple tool. Kargon grumbled and pushed himself aside with a large astral projection. It only moved him a few feet but the momentum allowed him to spin and sweep out Master Avant’s legs. The aarakocra quickly corrected himself with his wings.
“Acceptable,” he said. “Though I fail to understand why you allow yourself to get hit by even my most obvious attacks.”
“I have to face them head on.” Kargon groaned and took a seat in the grass.
“Commendable, but foolish.”
“I have to protect my allies.” The half-elf had gotten better at not slipping up regarding his feelings.
Master Avant shook his head. “I knew allowing you to train alone all those years would create bad habits but I failed to consider how reckless you are.” He landed heavily in front of his student and slammed the staff on the ground. “You must dodge attacks. With your style of combat, it is possible to turn the momentum back towards the enemy.”
Kargon stared quietly at his mentor while contemplating the lesson. It was true that he relied on his own momentum to empower attacks. Redirection would allow him to amplify them further. Not to mention he could protect others without putting his life on the line. There was little pride in falling at his allies' feet after taking attacks that could be dodged and wouldn’t put others in harm’s way. But sometimes he’d need to take an attack head on. That was simply a fact based on the life he led. Reinforced flames did a lot to weaken blows but only covered his limbs. He’d need to figure out how to fully ignite before his training was done.
Great restraint couldn’t last forever and the feeling of a staff pressing against Kargon’s chest pulled him from his thoughts. He let it push him back. With his left hand against the floor he flipped backwards while kicking his opponent away. A gruff response was the master’s sign of approval. The aarakocra rushed towards Kargon with the staff swinging in a wide arc. The half-elf deftly ducked under it and pressed forward. With the movement from both attacks to amplify a single punch, he could overpower Master Avant. The strike sent him flying back but before he could crash to the ground, the master took to the sky.
“Much better,” he said nonchalantly.
The attack was strong but not enough to phase an experienced fighter. Especially since Kargon’s focus on the attack had dispersed his flames again. There was no reason to bring attention to it as the half-elf was angrily reigniting. On a hunch, his master rushed at him again. There was no time to think. Kargon leapt over the low arc of the staff and punched downwards. It missed by a wide margin. He grumbled and turned wildly just as Master Avant smacked the staff against his student’s face. The attack pushed the half-elf to the ground but he didn’t falter. Using the speed of the fall he rolled back onto his feet. Without a thought he ran at the hovering monk.
Master Avant knew his own vice of being quick to judgement. Years of meeting different students and travelers proved his assessments correct. But surprises had come and gone. Welcoming them brought joy to his life. Giving Kargon time to think would be a detriment to the young man. Before he had the chance, Master Avant landed and dashed forward. The most obvious opening possible presented itself to Kargon’s left. A simple step forward with a heavy foot. The motion he’d practiced most from years of frustration. An attack that nearly brought his life to an end. Fury gathered behind his fist as it traveled towards Master Avant’s face. He let it get within an inch of contact before summoning an astral hand to push himself out of the way.
Kargon pivoted angrily. Magmatic movements brought him close to the master who stood wide open. Rage filled his entire being as he pressed forward.
“I see,” Master Avant said calmly.
“What?” Kargon barked back. Even with all the anger in his eyes, he stopped moving at his master’s words.
“While I am aware of your ancestry, I failed to consider its effects on you.”
“Speak plainly.”
Master Avant sighed and ran a finger across his forehead, searching for the correct words. “Fire giants are driven wild by their emotions. They are quite literally blinded by them. In place of a level head, they wield great power.”
Kargon’s left eye twitched and his head pounded. The scar across his face felt fresh and boiled his blood. Yet all the anger flowing through him didn’t force him forward. Higher reasoning prevailed in keeping him steady. He continued to consider the emotions he felt. They made no sense. Sure it was frustrating to get toyed with but Kargon felt no ill will towards his master. The longer he thought about it, the calmer he felt.
“The fire persists when I’m emotional,” he said while staring at the flames slowly extinguishing themselves. “I end up focusing on my strength without thinking about it.”
“Furthermore, your mother’s clear head keeps you calm. It covers the biggest weakness of a fire giant,” Master Avant explained.
The half-giant shook his head. “You didn’t teach me this before.”
“No, I didn’t. Your parents wanted you to learn balance. I am proud that you have learned it. But in a fight it hinders you. Contradictory to my teachings, you must succumb to your emotions in combat.”
“It’s different,” Kargon muttered.
“I assure you my reasoning is as I stated.”
“Not that. I mean the emotions. I’ve felt anger like this before. Not the times when I was a kid. I mean in Dawncaster. I was furious but it felt like joy. I could fight and move freely without a care in the world. But my focus was better. I didn’t need to calm myself down.”
“There’s a rather obvious difference, isn’t there?” Master Avant asked. “You may not see it now. It will come in due time.”
Kargon silently nodded and raised his fists. There was already enough on his mind without piling on why he felt peculiar emotions. It would push his strength over the edge. But he could barely control it yet. A few lucky attacks against Master Avant meant nothing as long as he went easy on the student. Kargon needed to simply focus on the task at hand. He took a deep breath and kept his eyes on the flying target.
The goal of his training was inherently contradictory. How was one to focus without focusing. Then again, maybe that was Kargon’s mistake in the first place. Focus was necessary to solidify and amplify his astral abilities. But flames had always come naturally to him. So much so that they ignited even when he was unconscious. Maybe the issue was that he was too adamant about summoning them.
He recalled a memory of an innocuous alcove in some distant forest. Nearly a year had passed since the party rested there. When a young beast needed warmth to break out of its shell. Vofric had given one piece of advice that Kargon had maintained since. Perpetually maintained focus allowed for dull heat. But that was unnecessary when burning wildly. It hadn’t been how Kargon trained since shattering his first conduit. Quality equipment allowed for a more forceful use of magic. Every frustrated failure was followed by an immediate reignition. There was no fuse to the match. He let out a sharp breath. Rather than a flame slowly wreathing around him, he felt a flash. Within an instant his arms and legs conflagrated.
Rage and fury burned in his mind but he remained steady. Twinkles of joy appeared and vanished rapidly. Pain and sorrow washed over him before disappearing once again. Elation and depression bombarded his senses just beneath the sturdy surface of anger. But this wasn’t unbearable. Failing to control himself would be. All Kargon could do was learn to bear the torrent of emotions colliding with his perpetual rage. This was new territory and it was his to rule.
Summoning the reinforced flames within a week was outside of both Kargon’s and Master Avant’s expectations. However only the firebrand assumed he was ready to depart. When his master asked for a detailed report of last year’s adventures, Kargon thought it would prove his readiness to move forward. Instead he was met with an unimpressed sigh.
“With your strength, you can easily scale buildings in a single bound,” Master Avant said. “But that is besides the point. You are incapable of focusing on your flame while also exerting maximum physical effort. As a combatant reliant on his own body, that is a problem.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Kargon admitted. “How do I fix that?”
An unnerving smile crept across the master’s face. Partially because he appreciated his student’s question. More so because he knew the answer was rather displeasing. It was plainly written on the student’s face that he assumed the master had exaggerated about the difficulty of training. Within one day that idea was ground to dust.
In order to stop focusing on ignition, it had to become second nature. There was no way to do that except slow methodical training. Every morning, Kargon would meditate in the master’s office for an hour. The intention was to keep the flame in a controlled state around his arms and legs. After that he went to a different, larger training ground. The center was an empty field used for group activities with a looping track around it. Large groups of students were taught balanced combat techniques by singular mentors. During breaks they would watch Master Avant’s pupil as he ran around the track. Flames wrapped around his legs and left a charred footprint. The moment he picked up speed they dissipated. Frustrated slow steps allowed him to reignite before attempting to run again.
But this was within Kargon’s expectations. He’d never run or jumped around while ignited. What bothered him was the obvious shortcomings in combat. If he was burning and threw a full power punch, the flames would dissipate mid-swing. When focused on staying alight the attack would be significantly weaker. Worse yet was how he had to practice. There was no point in attacking empty space and the monastery could ill afford to let him burn through training dummies. Considering those options led Kargon to the most obvious opponent. Dread set in on the first day Master Avant entered his office, bo staff in hand.
Months of combat passed before Kargon could do anything but block. The caged inferno around his arms provided the perfect shield against the swift strikes. Without his magic goggles the flames obscured his vision like anyone else. Master Avant used this to his advantage to get around the firebrand and breakthrough his defense. Magically refined wood felt like a heavy metal rod as it smashed into Kargon’s legs. He fell prone and felt one end of the rod against his back. The weight was crushing for such a simple tool. Kargon grumbled and pushed himself aside with a large astral projection. It only moved him a few feet but the momentum allowed him to spin and sweep out Master Avant’s legs. The aarakocra quickly corrected himself with his wings.
“Acceptable,” he said. “Though I fail to understand why you allow yourself to get hit by even my most obvious attacks.”
“I have to face them head on.” Kargon groaned and took a seat in the grass.
“Commendable, but foolish.”
“I have to protect my allies.” The half-elf had gotten better at not slipping up regarding his feelings.
Master Avant shook his head. “I knew allowing you to train alone all those years would create bad habits but I failed to consider how reckless you are.” He landed heavily in front of his student and slammed the staff on the ground. “You must dodge attacks. With your style of combat, it is possible to turn the momentum back towards the enemy.”
Kargon stared quietly at his mentor while contemplating the lesson. It was true that he relied on his own momentum to empower attacks. Redirection would allow him to amplify them further. Not to mention he could protect others without putting his life on the line. There was little pride in falling at his allies' feet after taking attacks that could be dodged and wouldn’t put others in harm’s way. But sometimes he’d need to take an attack head on. That was simply a fact based on the life he led. Reinforced flames did a lot to weaken blows but only covered his limbs. He’d need to figure out how to fully ignite before his training was done.
Great restraint couldn’t last forever and the feeling of a staff pressing against Kargon’s chest pulled him from his thoughts. He let it push him back. With his left hand against the floor he flipped backwards while kicking his opponent away. A gruff response was the master’s sign of approval. The aarakocra rushed towards Kargon with the staff swinging in a wide arc. The half-elf deftly ducked under it and pressed forward. With the movement from both attacks to amplify a single punch, he could overpower Master Avant. The strike sent him flying back but before he could crash to the ground, the master took to the sky.
“Much better,” he said nonchalantly.
The attack was strong but not enough to phase an experienced fighter. Especially since Kargon’s focus on the attack had dispersed his flames again. There was no reason to bring attention to it as the half-elf was angrily reigniting. On a hunch, his master rushed at him again. There was no time to think. Kargon leapt over the low arc of the staff and punched downwards. It missed by a wide margin. He grumbled and turned wildly just as Master Avant smacked the staff against his student’s face. The attack pushed the half-elf to the ground but he didn’t falter. Using the speed of the fall he rolled back onto his feet. Without a thought he ran at the hovering monk.
Master Avant knew his own vice of being quick to judgement. Years of meeting different students and travelers proved his assessments correct. But surprises had come and gone. Welcoming them brought joy to his life. Giving Kargon time to think would be a detriment to the young man. Before he had the chance, Master Avant landed and dashed forward. The most obvious opening possible presented itself to Kargon’s left. A simple step forward with a heavy foot. The motion he’d practiced most from years of frustration. An attack that nearly brought his life to an end. Fury gathered behind his fist as it traveled towards Master Avant’s face. He let it get within an inch of contact before summoning an astral hand to push himself out of the way.
Kargon pivoted angrily. Magmatic movements brought him close to the master who stood wide open. Rage filled his entire being as he pressed forward.
“I see,” Master Avant said calmly.
“What?” Kargon barked back. Even with all the anger in his eyes, he stopped moving at his master’s words.
“While I am aware of your ancestry, I failed to consider its effects on you.”
“Speak plainly.”
Master Avant sighed and ran a finger across his forehead, searching for the correct words. “Fire giants are driven wild by their emotions. They are quite literally blinded by them. In place of a level head, they wield great power.”
Kargon’s left eye twitched and his head pounded. The scar across his face felt fresh and boiled his blood. Yet all the anger flowing through him didn’t force him forward. Higher reasoning prevailed in keeping him steady. He continued to consider the emotions he felt. They made no sense. Sure it was frustrating to get toyed with but Kargon felt no ill will towards his master. The longer he thought about it, the calmer he felt.
“The fire persists when I’m emotional,” he said while staring at the flames slowly extinguishing themselves. “I end up focusing on my strength without thinking about it.”
“Furthermore, your mother’s clear head keeps you calm. It covers the biggest weakness of a fire giant,” Master Avant explained.
The half-giant shook his head. “You didn’t teach me this before.”
“No, I didn’t. Your parents wanted you to learn balance. I am proud that you have learned it. But in a fight it hinders you. Contradictory to my teachings, you must succumb to your emotions in combat.”
“It’s different,” Kargon muttered.
“I assure you my reasoning is as I stated.”
“Not that. I mean the emotions. I’ve felt anger like this before. Not the times when I was a kid. I mean in Dawncaster. I was furious but it felt like joy. I could fight and move freely without a care in the world. But my focus was better. I didn’t need to calm myself down.”
“There’s a rather obvious difference, isn’t there?” Master Avant asked. “You may not see it now. It will come in due time.”
Kargon silently nodded and raised his fists. There was already enough on his mind without piling on why he felt peculiar emotions. It would push his strength over the edge. But he could barely control it yet. A few lucky attacks against Master Avant meant nothing as long as he went easy on the student. Kargon needed to simply focus on the task at hand. He took a deep breath and kept his eyes on the flying target.
The goal of his training was inherently contradictory. How was one to focus without focusing. Then again, maybe that was Kargon’s mistake in the first place. Focus was necessary to solidify and amplify his astral abilities. But flames had always come naturally to him. So much so that they ignited even when he was unconscious. Maybe the issue was that he was too adamant about summoning them.
He recalled a memory of an innocuous alcove in some distant forest. Nearly a year had passed since the party rested there. When a young beast needed warmth to break out of its shell. Vofric had given one piece of advice that Kargon had maintained since. Perpetually maintained focus allowed for dull heat. But that was unnecessary when burning wildly. It hadn’t been how Kargon trained since shattering his first conduit. Quality equipment allowed for a more forceful use of magic. Every frustrated failure was followed by an immediate reignition. There was no fuse to the match. He let out a sharp breath. Rather than a flame slowly wreathing around him, he felt a flash. Within an instant his arms and legs conflagrated.
Rage and fury burned in his mind but he remained steady. Twinkles of joy appeared and vanished rapidly. Pain and sorrow washed over him before disappearing once again. Elation and depression bombarded his senses just beneath the sturdy surface of anger. But this wasn’t unbearable. Failing to control himself would be. All Kargon could do was learn to bear the torrent of emotions colliding with his perpetual rage. This was new territory and it was his to rule.
