"—impossible, it violates fundamental principles of—"
"—could have used that when—"
"—stormspawn actually showing discipline—"
Jorik raised his hands for silence."This is what we're offering you—a chance to transcend the artificial boundaries that have limited your magic.A chance to survive what's coming."His voice hardened."Because make no mistake—what approaches Frostforge now is unlike anything we've faced before.If we cling to our separate traditions, our ancient hatreds, we will fall.Together, we might stand."
Kaine stepped forward again."We'll divide into mixed groups," he announced, his forge-master's voice cutting through the murmurs."Each group will contain both cryomancers and storm-callers, with one of Jorik's people to guide the initial exercises."He pointed to different areas of the plateau."Group formations will be posted by the stairwell.Find your assigned area and begin immediately.We have days, not weeks, to master these techniques."
The crowd dispersed with surprising efficiency, though Kaine noted the reluctance in many faces as cryomancers found themselves assigned alongside storm-callers they'd been taught to despise.Virek approached briefly, his expression guarded.
"This contradicts centuries of magical theory, Ember," the instructor said, his whispering voice barely audible."I'm not convinced it's possible for most practitioners."
"Neither am I," Kaine admitted."But we're out of options."
Virek studied him for a long moment before nodding once, sharply, and turning away to join his assigned group.Kaine watched him go, wondering if the old instructor's cooperation was born of genuine openness or merely the pragmatism of desperation.
Jorik rejoined him as the groups began to form across the plateau."I'm with Erek's group," he said, gesturing toward the northwestern corner where a cluster of people had gathered."You should join us."
As they walked, Jorik leaned closer, pitching his voice for Kaine's ears alone."I should warn you—I've never been much of a cryomancer.I was foot infantry in the military, not an officer candidate."A self-deprecating smile crossed his face."What little I know, I picked up watching the Frostforge graduates give demonstrations.Basic forms, nothing complex."
The admission surprised Kaine.Jorik had always excelled at everything he attempted as a child, mastering skills that Kaine struggled with for months."I didn't realize," he said carefully."The way you were directing everyone, I assumed..."
Jorik shrugged."I can lead people without mastering every skill they possess."He glanced sideways at his older brother."Something I learned after leaving home."
The gentle rebuke stung more than Kaine expected, though he knew it was deserved.He had always been the serious one, the perfectionist who believed leadership required superiority in all things.Jorik had clearly developed a different approach during their years apart.
"I'll teach you properly someday," Kaine offered."When all this is over."
"I'd like that," Jorik replied, a warmth in his voice that eased something tight in Kaine's chest.
They reached Erek's group, which consisted of six cryomancers, six storm-callers, and a handful of observers who possessed neither magical affinity but had come to learn what they could.Erek was already pairing people off, his military background evident in his efficient organization.
"Ember," he called, spotting Kaine."You're with Rissa."He nodded toward a woman with intricate circular tattoos covering her forearms—one of the storm-callers from Thrum’kith.
Rissa stepped forward, sizing Kaine up with intelligent eyes.She was perhaps a few years older than him, and at least an inch taller."Let’s see if your ice is as strong as your steel," she said, her archipelago accent rolling the r's.
They found an open space at the group's edge, standing opposite each other as Erek began the lesson.The first exercise was simple in theory—each pair would attempt to create the basic barrier that Lyra and Erek had demonstrated earlier.The cryomancer would form a stable ice structure while the storm-caller channeled controlled electricity through it, neither overwhelming the other.
Simple in theory.Nearly impossible in practice, Kaine quickly discovered.
His first attempt at forming the necessary ice structure went well enough—the crystalline latticework taking shape between his palms with the familiar cold burn of cryomancy.But the moment Rissa introduced her storm energy, the structure shattered, ice shards exploding outward as her lightning overwhelmed his creation.
"Too much power," he said, shaking frost from his fingers."Try with less intensity."
Rissa frowned."That was barely a spark by storm-calling standards."She demonstrated, creating a tiny arc between her thumb and forefinger."See?Hardly anything."
Their second attempt failed similarly, though this time Kaine's ice structure dissolved rather than shattered, melting away as though the electrical current generated too much heat.
"Your ice lacks flexibility," Rissa observed, wiping condensation from her hands."It's too rigid, too...Northern."
"That's how ice works," Kaine retorted, frustration edging his voice."It's solid.Structured.That's the entire point of cryomancy."
She shook her head."Not for this.For hybrid forms, your ice needs to flow.To adapt.To welcome the storm rather than resist it."
"Ice doesn't flow," he argued, though even as he said it, he remembered the way Erek's frost had moved in currents before solidifying.
“Ice flows,” Rissa said, her mouth curving with amusement.Kaine felt a strange, weightless sensation in his stomach as her eyes met his. “Do your glaciers not move over time?”
