It was an early morning for Shuto, Haruka, and Imani who were flying in the hovership to begin their mission. Imani was taking the role of pilot while Shuto and Haruka monitored the ship onboard. Shuto wanted to fly the ship, but if anyone could handle a ship best it was Imani. After all, she was the one who designed the hoverships and other transportation vehicles that the Ringmasters Society use. They were starting their mission by heading to the location in Daredevil City where Neil mentioned being attacked. Once they reached there, Imani parked the hovership on the terrace of one of the buildings and used the shielding feature to cloak the ship, so no one would notice it.
Imani, Shuto, and Haruka stepped out of the ship and headed down to the city grounds. Once they landed, Shuto said, “All right. Where’s the best place to start looking?”
“Honestly, we could leave that to me,” Imani said as she drew out her wand. Of course, this was only one of her many wands. She tapped it, transforming it into a small red contact. Once she put the contact near her right eye, it merged with it. A spherical red screen formed in front of the eye, allowing her to scan the area in detail. She began walking, scanning the ground and everything around her while Shuto and Haruka followed her.
After walking for a while, Imani stopped as her eye scanner picked up something. She bent down, seeing an unknown residue. She picked it up, noticing its purple color and slimey consistency.
“Well, that’s something we haven’t seen before,” Haruka said. “Are you picking up any data on it?”
“Not enough. All I can see is that it has a specific DNA signature on it,” Imani said. “It’ll take some time for my scanner to process who it belongs to.”
“I see,” Shuto said. “This could be our lead then.”
“Right. Once my scanner picks up who it is, we’ll have an idea of where to go from there,” Imani said.
“So, what do we do in the meantime?” Haruka asked. “A little hard to do anything if we don’t have our lead finalized yet.”
“True. If you look closely though, the residue leaks continue further north from here,” Imani said. “It’s safe to assume whoever this is headed further in this direction. We could scour forward and see if there is anything suspicious till my scanner finishes processing.”
“That’s a solid idea,” Haruka said.
“Well then. Who’s up to pilot?” Imani asked. “I can’t take command with my scanner in work mode.”
“My turn to fly then!” Shuto exclaimed as he headed back towards the hovership.
“That brother of yours, Haruka…almost like a child in some ways,” Imani said as she loaded the residue in a small container.
“You have no idea,” Haruka said, shaking her head.
***
Hours had passed for Neil and Heer as they traveled with Gourav. As it was getting close to noon, they were still making their way to Mt. Archer. And even though they were tired and fatigued, they kept going. Neil was determined to get to Mt. Archer in time.
“How much longer till we get there?” Heer asked.
“According to this GPS thing, we should be getting there by early afternoon,” Neil said as he looked at the GPS app on his phone. “That means we’ll be there before the twenty-four hours are up. That geezer better take us in then.”
“Um, guys, we may have a problem,” Gourav said.
“What’s wrong, Gourav?” Heer asked.
“Yeah, what could possibly be wrong?!” Neil exclaimed.
Suddenly, Gourav’s body glowed blue and began to shrink. He was now in his chibi form. And because of this sudden transformation, Neil and Heer screamed as the two began to fall towards the ground.
“Damn!” Gourav exclaimed as he rushed towards Neil and Heer.
“We’re gonna die!” Neil screamed. “We’re too young to die! I didn’t even get to write a will!”
“Wait, Gourav is coming for us!” Heer exclaimed.
“Hold on, guys!” Gourav shouted as he grabbed hold of Neil and Heer by their shoulders with his paws. Gourav mustered all the strength of his tiny body to safely get them to the ground. Once he did, he let them go as they landed safely. Neil and Heer were panting restlessly.
“That was too close,” Neil said. “Gourav, what the hell was that?!”
“I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t intend to make you guys fall,” Gourav said. “I think flying for an extended period of time has used up all my energy and made me revert to this form.”
“So, you can’t fly us anymore?” Heer asked.
“Not until I recharge. I was able to save you both, but it’s not possible for me to carry you both in this form for the remainder of our trip,” Gourav said.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me! We only have a few hours left! How are we gonna make it to the mountain in time?!” Neil exclaimed.
“Well, I guess we gotta start walking,” Heer said.
Neil fell to the floor, dreading the agony awaiting them.
“Wow, so dramatic,” Gourav said.
“It’ll be okay, Neil. If we start now, we should be able to make it,” Heer said. “We can even take short breaks in between.”
This could only happen to me, Neil thought. Well, I can’t give up now. I gotta keep going.
Neil got up. “All right then. We’re not gonna let this stop us from doing what we gotta do,” Neil said. “Thankfully, this GPS thing still works. Ready to go?”
Heer and Gourav nodded. Heer was especially happy to see Neil wasn’t giving up so easily. The three continued their journey on foot.
***
It was only a few more hours till Neil, Heer, and Daisy would have to reach Mt. Archer as part of Dhanush’s challenge. They kept walking and the more they walked, the more tired Neil could find himself getting. They stopped every now and then for a few minutes and even took a moment to eat the snacks they had packed. After a few hours, they finally reached the mountain.
Neil dropped to the ground, feeling more tired than ever. He looked up at Mt. Archer. It wasn’t a very tall mountain, but he could see where the name came from. The top edge of the mountain was shaped in the form of an actual archer. Neil could see the shape of a person in position with their bow and arrow.
“I can’t believe we’re here and with time to spare,” Neil said. “I feel like I’ve lost all feeling in my legs.”
“Gourav, have you recharged yet?” Heer asked.
“Let me see,” Gourav said. Gourav attempted to transform again, but this time proved futile. “Nope. Still not fully recovered.”
“But we gotta get to the top of the mountain!” Neil exclaimed.
“Well, I guess we gotta do it the hard way and climb,” Heer said. “At least Gourav can still fly in his form.”
“Hold up. You expect me to climb this thing?!” Neil exclaimed.
“Neil, we’re almost there. If we get to the top of the mountain in time, Dhanush will have to take us in like he promised,” Heer said. “It’s just one last hurdle.”
“Man, I hate when you’re right,” Neil said. “All right. Let’s do this.”
Neil knew he couldn’t quit now. Even though his legs were in pain, and he was losing all feeling in his body, he knew he was almost there. Gourav started by flying up towards the top edge while Heer transformed into her beast form to make climbing easier for her. Neil followed them, going at a much slower pace. As determined as he was, he had to admit he was getting agitated.
“Of all the places to live in, why does this man choose to live on a damn mountain?!” Neil complained as he slowly got himself up more. “I mean seriously…what era does this man live in?!”
It didn’t take long for him to realize that Heer and Gourav had already made it to the top, and he wasn’t even close. “This isn’t fair! You guys have beast forms and can do this no problem!” Neil exclaimed.
Heer transformed back into her human form and said, “Come on, Neil. You can still do this. We still have time left.”
“If you could get creative, you could maybe get here faster,” Gourav said. “You only have a few minutes now.”
“Don’t freak me out like that!” Neil cried. “Damn it. There must be an easier way for me to get up there.”
Neil took a moment to ponder even though he knew he was almost going to slip. An idea came to him. He tried to reach behind in his backpack with his right hand while he tried to hold onto the mountain rock with his left. He was trying to get his wand. As soon as he pulled it out, he lost balance and panicked as he was about to fall. But thankfully Gourav rushed in, catching Neil from behind.
“Damn, my life flashed before me!” Neil exclaimed. “Thanks, Gourav!”
“No problem, but do you have a plan?” Gourav asked. “I can’t hold you forever.”
“Just for a little bit longer. I have a plan,” Neil said as he transformed his wand into his bow and arrow. Since Gourav was backing him up, Neil was able to get hold of his bow and arrow and position himself to strike. He built up the energy in his arrow, concentrating it in a specific matter to do what he was planning on doing. Once he was ready, he fired the arrow towards the top edge and along with the arrow was an icy ladder that crystallized.
“Wow, that’s actually pretty creative,” Gourav said.
“Honestly, I was only able to do this because of Heer. She helped me understand how to concentrate my energy better,” Neil said.
“That’s great, Neil!” Heer exclaimed.
“All right, Gourav. You can let me go. I’ll climb from here,” Neil said.
“Okay, but I’ll rush to help if you fall again,” Gourav said as he let Neil go allowing Neil to start climbing the ice ladder.
Heer and Gourav cheered for Neil as he climbed up the ladder. Neil was working against the clock, going as fast as he could. It took him all the strength he had, but he finally managed to make it to the top edge with Heer helping him by pulling him up to safety.
Neil panted restlessly as he could feel the fatigue eat at him. As he slowly tried to rise up from the ground, he saw Dhanush was standing right before him, Heer, and Gourav.
“I have to say…I didn’t expect you to make it here on time,” Dhanush said.
“Well, you’re wrong, sir,” Neil said as he slowly got up. “You see me…I’m killing it. I made it…I-”
Neil passed out to the ground before he could even finish his sentence. Heer and Gourav rushed to him, trying to wake him up while Dhanush simply looked at him. He looked over the edge of the mountain, seeing the ice ladder that was running up to it. Interesting. He used his ice energy to create a ladder that would ease his climbing, Dhanush thought. This kid is smarter than I thought.
“Neil, please. Say something,” Heer said.
“He’s fine. He’s just exhausted. We can take him inside my house to rest,” Dhanush said.
Dhanush helped Neil up along with Heer and the two took him while Gourav followed them.
***
After some time had passed, Neil woke up, rubbing his eyes as he stretched his arms. He was surprised to find himself in a guest room of some sort. He got out of bed, intrigued by the room’s completely wooden structure and the old Indian paintings hanging on the walls. He stepped out of the room, seeing a dining room. At the dining table, Dhanush was seated with Heer and Gourav. As soon as Dhanush saw him, he said, “Oh, you woke up. Good.”
“How are you feeling, Neil?” Heer asked.
“I’m fine. What happened?” Neil asked.
“You passed out as soon as you got to the top of the mountain,” Gourav said. “You looked quite wonky.”
“Well, I’m fine now,” Neil said. “Come on. A deal is a deal. You gotta train us.”
“Tell me something first,” Dhanush said. “How did you form the ice ladder back there?”
Neil was surprised that Dhanush would ask him that question. He wasn’t even completely sure how he did it.
“Hmm I didn’t think too much on it,” Neil said as he sat down at the table. “I concentrated my ice energy, and then I imagined a ladder and it kinda just appeared I guess.”
“Interesting. You seem a lot more focused than when I met you a day ago,” Dhanush said.
“Well, he was pretty determined to get here,” Heer said.
“That’s right. Look, deal aside, I want to train with you. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we ended up meeting,” Neil said. “I know you think I’m all over the place, and quite frankly I am. I’m not the greatest student. Hell, I’m barely managing with the passing grades I’ve been getting. But I’m more serious than ever about becoming a better ringmaster. After the whole Madame Naga thing, I realized that becoming a better ringmaster means more than just me getting stronger. I must be a better partner as well. And with the right training, I can do that. I know I can.”
Dhanush found Neil’s words to be genuine. He thought he had figured him out a day ago, but Neil’s determination became obvious to him.
“I like your sincerity, kid,” Dhanush said. “I’ll take you and Heer as my students. However, a lot of work is going to have to come from you specifically. You have potential, but it’s going to be up to you to expand on it.”
“I won’t let you down!” Neil exclaimed. “Thank you so much! Can we start now?!”
“Don’t get too excited. You just woke up,” Dhanush said. “And it’s almost time for dinner. I should also let you know you’re not my only student here.”
Neil was puzzled. He found out what he meant as soon as he turned to see a girl and boy enter the dining room. The boy had spikey electric blue hair, hazel eyes, and wore a gray V-neck shirt with emerald pants and silver loafers. The girl had eyes like sapphires, and she wore a high-neck golden top, a gray arm warmer on her left arm, a flowy blue skirt, and gray boots. Her most striking feature was her pale blonde hair that had a cloudy blue sheen to it.
“Who are you people?” Neil asked.
“Neil, these are the other students I was talking about,” Dhanush said. “This is Katrina Mizushima and her partner, Storm.”
“Hey there,” Storm said.
“So, you’re the kid that fainted while climbing up the mountain,” Katrina said. “That’s just adorable.”
“Who are you calling adorable?!” Neil exclaimed. “And how come you’re taking them as students as well?!”
“Katrina’s mother was a former classmate of mine,” Dhanush said. “And she came here by the time I arrived back. So, I decided to take her in.”
“And how did you get to the mountain?” Neil asked Katrina.
“See us at training practice and you’ll find out how,” Katrina said as she gave Neil a wink and sat down at the table with Storm.
Just then, an old woman dressed in a green saree came out holding trays of Indian dishes. Neil looked at her and said, “Don’t tell me the old lady is your student, too.”
“Where are your manners, boy?!” the old lady exclaimed as she placed the food on the table.
“That’s my mother,” Dhanush said. “You will address her as Satyamma.”
“Your mom lives here?” Neil asked.
“She’s lived here since my father passed away a few years ago,” Dhanush said. “Did Shuto mention my sister, Mithra?”
“Not to us. I didn’t even know about you till we met at St. Tulip’s,” Neil said.
“I know about her. Krystal mentioned that she’s going to her house to convince her to train her and Prince,” Heer said.
“That’s not going to be easy. Mithra is pretty stubborn herself,” Dhanush said.
“If you continue all this chatting, the food is going to get cold,” Satyamma said.
“Okay, amma. Let’s all eat,” Dhanush said.
With that, everyone in the dining room settled down and began eating.
***
After dinner, Satyamma showed Heer to her room while Dhanush led Neil to his room. The room was small, but it looked comfortable. There was a small bed with turquoise-colored bedsheets, fluffed pillows, and a soft blanket set to the side. A nightstand with a shiny gold lamp sitting on top of it stood by the right side.
“I know it’s small,” Dhanush said. “But hopefully you will manage.”
“Oh, yeah. This is all I need. Thank you.”
“No problem. I’ll be sure to wake you up in the morning.”
“Oh, okay. How early?”
“I’ll surprise you. Good night.”
As Dhanush left the room, Neil sat down on the bed and let out a deep breath. Things were about to get real.
***
Early in the morning, Neil was unwantedly welcomed by the sound of Dhanush playing a flute ever so loudly. Neil slowly woke up, putting his hands on his ears and said, “All right! I’m up! I’m up!”
“Good,” Dhanush said. “Get ready and eat quickly. We have a lot to do today.”
“But it’s only five,” Neil said.
Neil looked at Dhanush’s face and knew he shouldn’t complain. He sighed and complied while Dhanush left the room. Neil brushed his teeth, changed his clothes, and grabbed his wand. He quickly grabbed one of the idlis that Satyamma made for breakfast as he realized everyone else had already left. Once he stepped outside of the house, he saw Heer and Gourav were waiting outside and went up to them. Dhanush was standing by as Katrina and Storm were doing some stretches.
“Okay, I’m ready,” Neil said. “What are we doing first?”
“Hold it. We can’t start till I do something first,” Dhanush said.
“Oh, come on!” Neil exclaimed as he finished eating the idli he took for breakfast. “What do you need to do?”
Neil paused as Dhanush walked up to him. He was silent and the silence was confusing him. Dhanush began waving his hand over Neil and Neil said, “Whoah. What are you doing?”
“Just relax and hold still. Also, close your eyes while you’re at it,” Dhanush said.
Neil didn’t understand what Dhanush was doing, but he went ahead and closed his eyes. Dhanush continued to wave his hand over Neil and slowly he was able to see what he needed to see: Neil’s energy system. As he analyzed what he was seeing, he noticed a small grey circle. He put his hand down and said, “Just as I suspected.”
Neil opened his eyes and said, “What? What is it?”
“I just looked at your energy system,” Dhanush said.
“What? How are you able to do that?” Neil asked.
“It’s an advanced technique. Only experienced ringmasters like me can do it,” Dhanush said.
“So, what did you see?” Gourav asked.
“Neil doesn’t just possess ice energy. He has wind energy as well,” Dhanush said.
Neil couldn’t believe his ears. In all these years, he had never heard this before.
“Hold on. How is that possible?” Heer asked. “I mean, I did always wonder about the differences between him and Aiden’s skillset, but shouldn’t he have known about this already?”
“I always thought I inherited my ice energy from Mom, and my brother got his wind and human-beast powers from Dad,” Neil said.
“Well, I see what the issue is. Your wind energy is dormant,” Dhanush said. “Honestly without my technique, you might’ve never known that you had it.”
“That explains how Aiden was able to maneuver his way through your ice back when we were in detention,” Heer said.
“But why is my wind energy dormant?” Neil asked.
“It’s rare, but it happens. People who have more than one energy source within their system are usually aware of it because the presence of both energies tends to be equal so long as you were born with them,” Dhanush said. “But in your case, your wind energy is suppressed. That’s why you haven’t utilized your full potential yet.”
“So, how do I fix it?” Neil asked.
“To train you, I’m going to help you unlock your wind energy, so that you can use it in conjunction with your ice energy,” Dhanush said.
“But Neil and I work together because we both have ice energy. Will this affect our partnership?” Heer asked.
“Not at all. I’ll be working with both of you, and the hope is that you’ll still be able to synchronize properly as a team,” Dhanush said. “Now, are you both ready?”
Neil was still processing something so new to him, but with a limited time of two weeks on their hands, he knew he had to act quickly. He turned to Heer, who nodded back at him. Neil said, “We’re ready.”
“All right then,” Dhanush said. “Katrina, Storm, you guys will be joining us down the other side.”
“Where are we going?” Neil asked.
“You’ll see,” Dhanush said as he led everyone past his house to the other side of the mountain. As they were all walking, Neil noticed Katrina was looking at him for quite a while. He asked, “What’s with you?”
“Nothing much. You’re just intriguing.”
“Intriguing in what way?”
“Just the fact that you’re taking up training with Dhanush sir. He’s not gonna go easy on you.”
“I don’t expect anything less.”
“Really?”
“There’s a reason he’s one of the best. He didn’t become the best by taking the easy route.”
“Aww, look at you.”
“Are you mocking me?!”
“Not at all. Your determination is endearing.”
What’s with this girl?! I just met her, and she’s teasing me already, Neil thought.
“So, your partner seems to get riled up a lot,” Storm told Heer.
“Yeah. He’s like that. He can be on edge sometimes, but its only because he wants to be the best.”
“I see. Well, he could lighten up a bit. This isn’t life or death.”
“He knows that, but he has a lot he wants to prove.”
It didn’t take long for everyone to get to the lake. Neil was astonished to see so much water nearby. He wondered what Dhanush was planning.
“All right. This is Lake Chandra,” Dhanush said. “Here’s where we’ll begin training.”
“Cool! How do we start?” Neil asked.
“You and your partner can stay put right now,” Dhanush said. “Katrina and Storm will go first.”
“Hold up! I didn’t come here to be a spectator!” Neil exclaimed. “I wanna train!”
“Patience is vital, Neil,” Gourav said.
“Listen to your friend,” Dhanush said. “You’ll understand what I’m doing.”
Neil pouted while Heer shook her head, knowing Neil was getting worked up.
Dhanush nodded at Katrina. Katrina did the same to Storm. She looked at Neil, smirked and said, “Watch closely. You might learn something.”
Storm transformed into his beast form. And the transformation stunned Neil. As the light faded, Storm had taken on the form of a horse. He had a light blue body with a darker blue mane and tail. He had the most glorious wings that were bright white and had a steel-like texture to them.
Katrina mounted on Storm, and he took off into the sky, soaring in the clouds. Neil watched them along with everyone else. He was in awe of the speed at which they took flight. The two of them almost resembled a shooting star amongst the clouds. Despite the amazing sight, he was confused.
“Is there a point to this?” Neil asked Dhanush.
“Wait for it,” Dhanush said. “Whenever you’re ready, Katrina!”
Hearing Dhanush’s voice, Katrina had Storm pause as they remained in the sky. She drew out her wand and it transformed into a Japanese bow. The sight of the bow stunned Neil. She’s an archer, too? Neil thought.
Storm spiraled towards the lake at full speed while Katrina prepared her energy for her arrow. The energy was a spiraling water energy that twisted and turned as the two were about to reach the lake. The sight of it all was a lot for Neil to take in. Storm himself prepared to launch a beam of water energy. Once the two got close to the lake, Katrina and Storm launched their water arrow and water energy beam combination. The two forces collided into the lake, bursting like watery fireworks. Neil was amazed at the way the water sprouted like a blooming flower. Katrina and Storm gracefully glided into the lake’s waters. Katrina continued to ride Storm as his wings brushed against the waters like the oars for a boat.
Katrina got off Storm, and he transformed back into his human form. Neil turned to see Heer and Gourav were just as amazed. He realized just how much he had underestimated Katrina.
“Wow, that was so beautiful to watch,” Heer said.
“I must agree. That was a tremendous display of grace and power,” Gourav said. “Which academy do you two go to?”
“We’re students at Lotos Caeli,” Katrina answered.
“I’ve heard of that school! Where’s it located in?” Heer asked.
“It’s on the far end of the country in Aquavania,” Storm said.
“Isn’t that right by the ocean?” Heer asked.
“It is,” Katrina said. “Our school specializes in students with elegant powers. We like to perfect the presentation of our powers with style and strength.”
“Presentation of your powers? What good does that do?” Neil asked. “Ringmasters and human-beasts are supposed to fight. Not put on a show.”
“Really? And this is coming from the boy that goes to RTA. You guys do circus shows all the time,” Katrina said.
“Well…I…,” Neil mumbled. “Ugh, fine, I’ll shut up.”
“Neil, you have a lot to learn about your own powers. I had Katrina and Storm demonstrate their powers to show the depth that magical energy can have if you utilize it properly,” Dhanush said. “You have to step up your game if you want to get stronger.”
“I know that!” Neil exclaimed.
“If you do, you must be willing to train in a manner different than just pure endurance and stamina. You have to train your mind as well,” Dhanush said. “Is that clear to you?”
I get it. He wants me to enhance my strength along with my tactical skills, Neil thought. Now that I think about it, I could use some work in that department. Neil looked over at Heer and from the look on her face, he could tell she was confident he could step up to the challenge.
“Crystal clear! I’ll do my very best!” Neil exclaimed.
Dhanush smiled. “Very well then. Let’s get started,” he said.
***
And so, training commenced. Once things started, Neil found that Dhanush really meant it when he said things weren’t going to be easy. Dhanush took Neil and Heer to another edge of the mountain. As they looked downward, Neil was uneasy as he had no idea what Dhanush was planning.
“All right. Neil, you see that pointy boulder way at the bottom?” Dhanush asked.
“Uh…yeah,” Neil said.
“I want you to strike it. Heer, you will simultaneously strike with your ice energy beam,” Dhanush said. “And Heer, I want you to do this in your human form.”
Neil looked again at the boulder. It was so far down. He had never struck a target at such a far distance. Just the idea of it was nerve-racking. As nervous as he was, he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Gourav, Katrina, and Storm, who were all watching him closely. He could tell Heer was feeling comfortable. She would be considering her energy control had improved greatly since she trained with Aiden.
Neil gulped as he looked again at the boulder. He tried to keep his cool. He drew out his wand and tapped it, turning it into his bow and arrow. Heer built up the ice energy beam in her hands while Neil prepared to fire the arrow. He built up as much energy as he could to power the arrow, thinking he needed to pack everything he got into it like how he did when they fought Madame Naga.
“Fire when you’re both in sync,” Dhanush said.
Neil could feel a tightness in his arm that was overwhelmingly discomforting. The power that Neil built up ended up feeling too much for him to handle and so, he fired the arrow. Once he realized what he did, he grew weary, wondering if it would even hit. Heer stopped building up her ice energy beam as she noticed the arrow going about in an erratic fashion. It was as if there was too much power in it for it to fire in a balanced manner. Instead, the arrow slowly slid down the mountain, eventually just turning into a huge ice patch that didn’t even reach the boulder.
“Damn. Now that’s just bad,” Gourav said.
“I’ll say,” Storm said.
“Hey! I at least tried!” Neil exclaimed.
“Did you though? You didn’t even wait for Heer,” Katrina said.
“Katrina’s right. You put too much power into the arrow, and you didn’t synchronize with Heer like I told you to,” Dhanush said.
“That’s because someone has butterfingers,” Katrina chuckled.
Heer could see Neil’s face was turning a warm red. She patted him on the shoulder and said, “It’s okay, Neil. Mistakes happen.”
“Yeah, if only I didn’t have an audience to see them,” Neil said.
“All right. Let’s try a different exercise,” Dhanush said. “Follow me.”
***
Dhanush led Neil, Heer, Gourav, Katrina, and Storm back to the lake. Dhanush directed Neil and Heer to where they should stand. Dhanush said, “Heer, I want you to let Neil handle this exercise on his own.”
“Oh, sure thing,” Heer said.
“Why?” Neil asked.
“You seem to have a problem with controlling your energy. If you want to synchronize properly with Heer, you’ll need to learn to harness your energy appropriately,” Dhanush said. “I want you to aim at the pointy boulder. It’s not too far, so it should be a good place for you to start. Strike it, but don’t break it.”
Okay, distance isn’t an issue this time, Neil thought. I can do this. I got to do this right.
Neil got his bow and arrow ready. He tried to build up as much energy into the arrow as possible. Dhanush took note of how much energy Neil was putting into the arrow and said, “That’s a little too much. You need to restrain some of that energy when dealing with a simple target.”
“What?” Neil asked as he turned to Dhanush. As soon as he spoke, Neil accidentally fired the arrow. He turned back, horrified to see the arrow moving along the lake in a zigzag fashion until it finally landed into the lake, creating an icy patch. Neil looked over, seeing Katrina and Storm giggling. He looked at Dhanush, who was simply annoyed.
“Neil, you’ll need to try again.”
“What’s the point of all of this?!”
“What do you mean?”
“How are any of these exercises going to help me? I thought you said you’d help me tap into my wind energy!”
“I did say that, but you need to control your ice energy first. Without basic control of how much ice energy you utilize, how can you expect to even tap into your wind energy?”
“Basic?! These targets are so far!”
“Well, you’re an archer. No matter how far or big the target is, you have to be able to strike it. You said you want to get stronger. You said you’d do what you must. So, what is eating at you?”
Neil was taken aback. He didn’t have an answer. He didn’t even know what to say. He looked down at the ground, feeling nothing but shame.
Dhanush sighed. “Until you can tell me what’s bothering you, I can’t proceed with your training,” he said.
Neil kept quiet. Heer was surprised to see him not even speak. It was so unlike him.
“Katrina, Storm, I’ll work with you two then,” Dhanush said.
“Fine by me,” Katrina said.
“Same here,” Storm said.
“Heer, Gourav, you’re welcome to watch if you wish,” Dhanush said.
Dhanush walked around the lake with Katrina and Storm. Heer and Gourav remained with Neil, who was still quiet. Gourav walked up to Neil with the tiny, squeaky steps of his chibi form and said, “Neil, are you okay?”
Neil still didn’t say anything. Instead, he walked away from Heer and Gourav. Heer watched him leave, saddened to see him in such a state. She wanted to talk to him but also acknowledged it would be best to leave him alone for some time.
***
In the evening, Neil remained outside of the house while everyone else was having dinner. As Heer was eating with Gourav, Dhanush, Katrina, and Storm, she couldn’t help but worry about Neil. She had never seen him look so sad before. Dhanush tried to get him to come for dinner, but Neil refused. As they continued to eat, Satyamma came back to the table with more dishes and said, “Where’s the other boy?”
“Do you mean Neil?” Gourav asked.
“Yes, where is he?! He doesn’t plan to eat?!” Satyamma exclaimed.
“He’s not in a good mood, so he’s just sitting outside,” Heer said.
“How dare he refuse to eat?!” Satyamma said. “Growing children must always eat!”
“Calm down, amma,” Dhanush said. “I’m sure he’ll eat soon.”
“If you ask me, he’s just being stubborn,” Katrina said.
“Or he’s just not feeling well,” Storm said.
“Oh, come on. He’s just being a brat,” Katrina said. “So, one day of training didn’t go well. Big deal. He should just get over it and do better tomorrow.”
“That’s very easy for you to say,” Gourav said. “You don’t even know him.”
“So?” Katrina asked.
“So, Gourav is right,” Heer said. “It’s easy for you to say he should get over his failures, but you don’t know him. You don’t know everything he’s been through or just how hard things are for him. Please don’t say anything without knowing the full story. It’s not easy for him.”
With that, Heer got up from the table after having finished her plate. She walked with Satyamma to the kitchen. Katrina was stumped upon hearing Heer talk back to her. She just met her, but she took her to be soft-spoken and quiet. Storm looked at her and said, “She sure told you off.”
“Oh, shut up, Storm,” Katrina said.
Dhanush pondered over Heer’s words as he finished his dinner. He wondered if he had been too hard on Neil.
***
One hour had passed and Neil was still sitting outside of the house by himself. He kept himself occupied with the stars in the sky. Their sheer beauty along with the calm breeze kept him at peace. His solitude changed as soon as he noticed Heer walking up to him, holding a plate of food.
“Hi,” Heer said. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
Immediately, Heer caught the sound of Neil’s stomach growling.
“Want to try that again?”
“I’m telling you I’m fine. I don’t need food.”
“Well, that’s too bad. Satyamma got this plate ready for you. She said either you eat it, or she’ll come out here and feed you herself.”
Neil gulped at the thought of Satyamma feeding him given how abrasive she could be. He sighed as Heer sat next to him, handing him the plate. He took it while Heer explained what the dishes were. Half the plate had appam, a pancake made with rice and coconut milk, and sambar, a lentil-based stew with vegetables and a tamarind broth. On the side were two gulab jamuns for dessert. He tore a small piece of the appam and mixed it with the sambar, putting it in his mouth, savoring the rich spices.
“What’s that you said about not needing food?” Heer said.
“Oh, come on. You know when I’m bluffing.”
“I also know when you’re upset. What’s bothering you?”
Neil got quiet again. He didn’t know how to answer. He wasn’t even sure if he had the words to explain how he was feeling.
“If you’re not comfortable with talking, you don’t have to. I just thought I’d ask.”
“I am comfortable talking about it with you. I just don’t know how to explain it.”
“Well, I have all night. Take as much time as you need.”
Neil took a deep breath. He knew with Heer he didn’t have to worry about being judged. She was his partner and his friend. He took a few more bites of his dinner, trying to figure out the words.
“I guess…I’m worried about myself,” Neil said. “Putting myself out there in front of the others really made me anxious. I could’ve handled it better, but I can’t help it. There’s so much weighing on me.”
“Has the revelation about your wind energy contributed to that?”
“I guess. Dhanush made it sound like I have a lot of potential. And yet, I made a complete fool of myself today.”
“Bad days happen. You let your nerves get to you. It happens to the best of us.”
“It’s not just that though. Heer, my brother surpasses me in everything. If I have so much potential, why am I so far behind? I’m starting to doubt myself. Like, I don’t know if I can actually prove my worth.”
“Prove to who? Aiden?”
“I don’t talk much about my family. There’s a reason for that.”
“I get it. You don’t have to delve too deep into it tonight.”
“I know. But I feel like I should start doing that…if you’re okay with it.”
“Go ahead.”
Neil took a deep breath. What he was about to share was not known to anyone outside of him and his family. He exhaled, feeling slightly calmer and ready to dive in.
“So, it all started with Shuto and Haruka. My parents were close friends with them since their academy days. When we were little, Dad wanted me and Aiden to train under them.”
“I see. How was that?”
“Honestly, I loved it. Aiden and I had fun. Shuto and Haruka were my idols back then. I felt like the coolest kid ever just to be taken under their wing.”
“So, you and Aiden did get along at one point?”
Neil should have known Heer would say something about that. Just recounting the past itself was weird. He could barely remember the peaceful times with Aiden.
“We had our typical siblings fights back then, but we were certainly different at that time. We always patched things up pretty easily.”
“What happened?”
“Haruka got busy with stuff at the Ringmasters Society, so Shuto was responsible for our training. Dad was pushing us harder. Even Mom to some extent as well.”
“That must have been tough on you.”
“It’s still like that now.”
Admitting it out loud made the feelings even more real for Neil. He could feel like something was pounding on his chest. It was as if he was carrying bricks inside his heart.
“Training under Shuto was getting harder, but Aiden managed just fine while I struggled to keep up. After a year, Shuto was getting ready to go abroad for some advanced training league. I wondered what would happen to me and Aiden.”
“So, what did happen?”
“He took Aiden with him.”
Heer could see the hurt on Neil’s face. She started to understand things better now. She now had an understanding as to why Neil was always so irritable around Aiden.
“Did Shuto tell you why?” Heer asked.
“No, but I don’t even need to know. The fact that he took just him said it all. He’s stronger, smarter, always got better grades in school…he’s a genius. I can’t stand it.”
“Surely Shuto doesn’t think less of you.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. My parents and everyone make me feel it all the time. I can never compare to him. That’s why I need to get stronger. I need to prove I’m just as good as him. It would be better if I could surpass him.”
Heer felt sad hearing Neil’s woes. What made her even more sad was seeing just how much his self-worth was tied to Aiden.
“I don’t know if this will mean much to you, but I don’t think you need to prove anything to anyone.”
“Heer, I wish I could believe you, but it’s just so much harder than you know.”
Heer could see the frustration build up in Neil’s face as he put his hand to his face, like he was trying to hide it. She could see his eyes were beginning to water.
“Sometimes, I look at myself in the mirror, and I see someone who’s brilliant, strong, and has all the talent in the world,” Neil said. “And I realize that’s not me.”
Before Heer could say anything, she saw tears drop from Neil’s eyes. The tears began to overflow like a waterfall as he curled up in his knees and buried his face in, sobbing. As much as Heer wanted to say something to cheer him up, she realized that he needed to feel the pain. As Neil cried, Heer leaned in closer to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.
Neil felt overwhelmed with everything he was feeling, but he felt comforted by Heer. While he continued to cry, Katrina was standing not too far. She had heard everything that Neil and Heer had talked about. As she turned to walk away, she felt a deep sense of regret.
***
Early in the morning, Neil was up and ready to start his day. He was planning to do some short exercises with Heer before redoing his training with Dhanush. Before heading out from the house, he was stopped by Satyamma, who was cooking in the kitchen. She made him eat a full-fledged breakfast that consisted of dosa and sambar. After he finished, he went outside to warm up before Heer would join him. As he began stretching, he stopped upon hearing someone’s footsteps. He turned around to see Katrina stepping outside the house. He thought he’d mind his own business, but he noticed she kept looking at him. Seeing her come down towards him, he stopped stretching and gave her his attention.
“Hey,” Katrina said.
“Uh…hey. Did you need something?”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you.”
“Okay…go ahead.”
“I…I kinda overheard your conversation with Heer last night.”
Neil didn’t say anything. He thought he would be more upset that Katrina was eavesdropping on his conversation with Heer, but he surprisingly wasn’t.
“I wanted to apologize to you,” Katrina said. “I shouldn’t have listened in on you both. And…I wanted to apologize again…for making fun of you yesterday.”
“Hold up. You’re apologizing to me?”
“Yeah. I didn’t know about your situation. I shouldn’t have judged you like that.”
“Well, thank you, I appreciate that.”
“Also, I know I’ve teased you quite a bit, but I hope we can be friends as well.”
“Oh…I don’t know about that.”
“Come on! I know I mocked you quite a lot yesterday, but I can be friendly! Let me prove it you!”
“How?”
“I think I can help you with your energy control.”
Neil was admittingly intrigued. Even though he didn’t admit it the other day, he did find Katrina’s skills to be formidable. She was also an archer just like him. So, her help would possibly be useful.
“What did you have in mind?” Neil asked.
“Follow me, and I’ll show you.”
Even though Neil wasn’t sure about Katrina, she seemed trustworthy. He decided to go along and see what she had planned. He followed her and they ended up heading toward the lake. Once they got there, they stood in front of it. Neil looked at Katrina, who was seemingly basking in the fresh breeze that came from the cool waters. He assumed she found it comforting given that she was a water magic user.
“The good thing with helping you out is that our powers aren’t too different.”
“They aren’t?”
“Hello?! Ice is just solid water, remember?”
“Oh, right. I knew that.”
“Sure.”
“Don’t tell me you brought me here just to make fun of me some more.”
“Just listen. I paid close attention to what Master Dhanush said. You’re putting too much concentration into your ice energy, which is why it’s getting erratic.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“I may not be able to help you with that wind energy of yours. However, I can help you with controlling the ice energy enough for the wind energy’s presence to become clearer to you. First, find your center.”
Katrina held both her hands out and closed her eyes. Neil paid attention to her stance and did the same. He held his hands up and while trying to remain still was hard, he did it. Katrina said, “To find your center, you need to focus on one thing. One entity. Master Dhanush would always tell me to pick something simple.”
Neil decided to think of the water. The faint scent of the lake’s water stuck with him. He concentrated on the image of the lake in his mind.
“Do you have the image in your head?” Katrina asked.
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Focus on the image and imagine that you’re aiming for it. With that aim in mind, you should be able to form an energy ball in your hands.”
Neil did as Katrina instructed. He imagined he was targeting the lake with his ice energy. He could feel the chilling tingles in his hands. Even though his eyes were closed, he could tell the ice energy was building up.
Katrina opened her eyes and smiled. “Open your eyes,” she said.
Neil opened his eyes, astonished to see the ice energy ball that formed in his hands. It was beautiful and just the perfect size.
“Whoah! I did it!” Neil exclaimed. “I can’t believe it’s that simple!”
“And you’re controlling it pretty well. The energy has been staying in one piece this whole time.”
“Man! I’m on fire! Or ice…Or something.”
“None of those worked.”
Katrina couldn’t help but chuckle at Neil’s enthusiasm.
“So, are you ready to apply what you did in practice today?” Katrina asked.
“Oh, yeah! I’m ready to show Dhanush what I’m made of!”
***
Neil and Katrina headed back to the house. Once they got there, Dhanush was just stepping out along with Heer, Gourav, and Storm. He was surprised to see Neil with Katrina considering they didn’t seem to get along much. What surprised him more was that Neil seemed different today. He certainly wasn’t as down as he was yesterday.
“Neil,” Dhanush said. “I’m glad to see you. I was wondering where you went.”
“Master Dhanush, I think I’m ready now.”
“Ready for?”
“I understand things better now. I’m ready to take my training seriously. Let me show you something.”
Neil got his hands ready. He closed his eyes, picturing the water again. He could feel its warmth and the calm breeze from it. As he continued to focus on the image, he could feel the ice energy beam form within his hands. Once he felt it was enough, he opened his eyes, happy to see the result. He looked at Dhanush and could tell that he was impressed with him.
“Well, well. You finally learned to focus your ice energy properly,” Dhanush said.
“I think my nerves really got to me,” Neil said, chuckling.
Heer was happy to see Neil succeed. She could tell he was in a much better mood compared to last night.
“I will admit, I probably was a little hard on you,” Dhanush said. “I thought it over last night, and I think I understand how to teach you to tap into your wind energy.”
“Really?! How?!”
“The issue you were facing is that you put so much emphasis on your ice energy that the wind energy can’t be released. This makes sense because you’ve been so used to your ice energy for all these years that it’s all you and your body knows.”
“So, what do I do then?”
“The best thing for me to do is to teach you how to combine the two energies into one.”
Combine my energies? Neil wondered.
“Heer, are you coming with us?” Dhanush asked.
“Oh, yes, sir,” Heer said as she came down the steps.
Dhanush led Neil and Heer towards the lake while Gourav, Katrina, and Storm followed. Once they arrived, Dhanush had Neil and Heer stand close to the lake.
“Okay, we’re going to do some basic breathing exercises,” Dhanush said.
“Breathing?” Neil asked.
“To tap into your wind energy, it would be best if I show you how I tap into my own energy,” Dhanush said. “Heer, I’m counting on you to coordinate with him.”
“Okay. Got it,” Heer said.
“Katrina, you think they got this?” Storm asked as he watched from afar with Katrina and Gourav.
“I underestimated Neil. I think he has what it takes to do this.”
“That’s a first. You actually admitted you were wrong about someone.”
“Shut up! I did help him this morning.”
“Whatever it is, I have faith in them as well,” Gourav said.
Neil took a deep breath. He looked at Heer, who gave him a look of reassurance. Neil knew that look too well now. She was here to support him.
Heer knew Neil was nervous, but she also knew he was looking far more confident in the moment than the previous day. This was the spirit he needed. And she knew she had to give him her full support.
“Are you both ready?” Dhanush asked.
Heer nodded to Neil, and he nodded back. “We’re ready,” they both said in unison.
“All right,” Dhanush said. “I need you both to close your eyes. Take deep breaths and focus.”
Neil proceeded to close his eyes along with Heer. They breathed in at the same time. Neil allowed the image of the lake to take focus in his mind. It felt calm and peaceful.
Dhanush observed both Neil and Heer’s breathing. He wasn’t surprised with Heer’s focus, but Neil’s concentration was certainly more in control this time. He said, “Okay, listen to the next step carefully. Concentrate your ice energies and form energy beams in your hands. Neil, you’ll need to take one step further.”
Neil and Heer nodded. Neil repeated what he did before. He kept his focus on the lake in his mind as he built up the ice energy in his hands. Once he felt it was enough, he looked at the ice energy beam in his hands. He looked over at Heer and hers was just about the same.
“Good work. Neil, it’s time for the next step,” Dhanush said.
“And that is?”
“Combine your breathing with your ice energy beam.”
“Huh?”
“To release the wind energy, you have to concentrate your breathing just enough to fuse with the ice energy.”
“But how do I do that?”
“Remember the image you planted in your mind that helped you focus? You have to transform the image.”
Transform the image? Neil thought. Okay, here it goes.
You can do it, Neil, Heer thought.
Neil closed his eyes, the image of the lake still in his mind. As he focused on it, he could see the lake waters moving. They were flowing with such peace. They rippled so much that it looked like the water was dancing. It was the gentle breeze that swayed it.
Dhanush said, “Neil, open your eyes.”
Neil opened his eyes and was astonished at what he saw. He could feel his ice energy beam had transformed into an icy wind energy beam. He felt the wind and ice combine all at once in his hands. Neil thought his hands would be freezing, but it felt so natural that he didn’t feel the cold air. In fact, his hands felt so light.
Heer was amazed. She knew Neil had it in him, but she never expected an outcome like the one in front of her.
“Perfect. You’ve released your wind energy, Neil,” Dhanush said. “Now I want you and Heer to combine your energy beams into one.”
“Combine them?” Heer said.
“Just go for it,” Dhanush said.
Neil and Heer released the energy beams from their hands. The energy beams collided and combined into one single ice energy beam surrounded by spiraling wind energy. It was a sight to behold.
Katrina was admittingly impressed. And from the looks on Gourav and Storm’s faces, she could tell they too were amazed.
“Wow. We did it!” Neil exclaimed.
“This is where your real training begins,” Dhanush said. “I wasn’t sure about you in the beginning, but you’ve proven you have what it takes. We’re going to have a lot of work to do. You ready for it?”
“Hell, yeah!” Neil exclaimed.
“I am as well,” Heer said.
“Well, well,” Katrina said as she walked up to Neil, Heer, and Dhanush with Daisy and Storm. “Looks like you’ll be sticking around then.”
“I guess so,” Neil said.
“In that case, you up for a little race across the lake?” Katrina asked.
“Race?” Heer asked.
“Oh, yeah! I’m down!” Neil exclaimed.
“Good. You’ll have to catch up,” Katrina said as Storm transformed into his beast form and she hopped on his back, taking off through the lake.
“Hey! That’s not fair!” Neil exclaimed. “Gourav, why don’t you transform?!”
“Now it was YOU who was challenged,” Gourav chuckled.
“Ugh! Heer, come on!” Neil exclaimed as he dashed around the lake.
“Right behind you!” Heer exclaimed as she transformed into her beast form.
Dhanush watched Neil and Heer go. He chuckled, thinking how much energy Neil and the others had. He had a feeling that things were going to get more fun for him.
The Ringmasters Society 