The First Element

I found myself longing for the armaments of a special forces soldier, a role I once embodied in my former existence. The prospect of confronting a dragon or an elusive mythical beast with a firearm was undeniably an uneven match. Yet, the satisfaction derived from such a duel would be immense. Despite the scarcity of technology in this realm, my knowledge bore the blueprint for firearm creation. All I required were the appropriate materials. However, I decided to shelve that plan, choosing instead to immerse myself in mastering the elemental powers that permeated this world. On my inaugural day, Kryo, a dragon aligned with the element of ice, initiated me into its elemental power. He presented me with a crystal, a cold, blue gem exuding wisps of frost, embodying the signature of ice.

He instructed me to hold another crystal, a blank canvas of sorts, and urged me to envision it as an ice crystal. To my astonishment, the blank crystal morphed into a twin of the ice one, save for some darker shades that distinguished it as my own. Thus, I took my first step.

The subsequent phase brought weapons into play, specifically a crossbow and a bow. I was intrigued by the presence of these tools, seemingly crafted for a being of my size and form, not for dragons or griffins. Kryo elucidated that other creatures once inhabited this world, now believed to be extinct, who wielded these weapons. Some of them were also elemental wielders. Kryo had witnessed them in his youth, before they vanished under mysterious circumstances. I refrained from probing for more information, my curiosity piqued more by the mastery of the ice element. I chose the bow over the crossbow, because it felt more familiar for reasons I couldn’t remember of. The bow was adorned with blank crystals which, upon my touch, transformed into ice crystals.

Kryo guided me to aim at a target on a wall, a black circle likely scorched by a fire dragon. I began to search for an arrow, but Kryo assured me it wasn't necessary. The arrow would materialize if I wielded the bow correctly, a task he admitted was more challenging than altering a crystal's element. For what felt like an eternity, I stood in place, cradling an empty bow, pondering over my missteps. Kryo's patience was unwavering; he offered no rush, no undue pressure. On the verge of surrendering to the crossbow, I recalled the bow I employed in the celestial realm, or whatever that place was. The image of the arrow crystallized in my mind and then materialized in my hand, a sharp, frosty projectile that nearly froze my fingers. I aimed swiftly and loosed it, watching it soar with a thick white smoke trailing behind. It found its mark on the wall with a satisfying thud. Kryo commended my efforts and proposed we advance to the next level: wielding the element without the aid of tools.

Demonstrating, he conjured ice shards and launched them with a sweep of his wing. My wings, significantly smaller and weaker than his, cast doubt on my ability to replicate his feat. However, the first step was summoning the ice shards, a task that proved more arduous than creating an arrow with the bow. Kryo advised me to visualize the shards as existing entities around me, and they would manifest. It sounded like a simple magic trick, but it was far from easy. He demonstrated the process multiple times, and I tried to mimic him, albeit unsuccessfully. After inadvertently flooding half the arena with water from the melting ice shards, I brushed against it, feeling it freeze under my touch. I inquired if this could be classified as an elemental ability, to which he responded affirmatively, albeit hesitantly. This gave me a glimmer of hope, igniting my motivation to persevere. Eventually, I managed to summon two ice shards, which promptly fell to the ground, narrowly missing me. I repeated the process, each attempt producing more shards. Eventually, the act became second nature. However, launching them proved to be a challenge. Despite multiple attempts, my wings barely stirred any air, leaving the shards motionless or rebounding dangerously close.

Then, something unexpected occurred: a gust of wind emerged from my wings, propelling the ice shards forward with considerable force. I turned to Kryo, questioning if he was the source, but he denied it, confirming it was my doing. It appeared I had awakened another element: wind.

My newfound skill filled me with awe, but I was acutely aware that I had merely scratched the surface. There was a vast expanse of knowledge to acquire and skills to refine. Fortunately, the journey became less daunting from that point.