The Odd Dragon Out: Reckoning of the Cinder-Born

Ginger was glad to see that some of his classmates were beginning to share his view of Professor Mara.

Every Non-Affixer was expressing their displeasure as they exited the Ample Forge with some mumbling that they didn't deserve the fate they had been 'blessed' with for the remainder of the lesson.

Having to hold their chosen weapons in silence, and in a reserved quarter of the room while Professor Mara enlightened the Affixers – just because they couldn't use Mana Essence - was foul.

The feminine portion of this excluded group who had fallen prey to the stern dragon's handsome looks, sinking in juvenile infatuation last Stride, gave the Professor a nasty re-evaluation.

Well, Professor Mara obviously didn't care.

Ginger turned out to not be the only one to feel a pinch of regret after leaving the Ample Forge empty-handed.

Unfortunately, training weapons could only be used during lessons, and with the supervision of a Professor, thus they couldn't be taken to the dormitories. This had felt absurd when Ginger first learned of it, but he had quickly realized that he wasn't in the Wild anymore.

Too bad.

At least the specific weapon he chose was now considered his for the whole year and beyond.

Because Reiss was part of Professor Mara's favorites for the Stride, Ginger had to look forward to Mana Essence Mechanisms and Manipulation on his own until the lesson ended.

In the Wild, Ancor had taught Ginger how to perceive Fetid Essence, which, because it was initially pungent once one became able to sense it, had been quite the unpleasant experience. Ancor had been in the process of teaching Ginger how to coerce it into moving as he willed, something that had proven time and time again to be a tall task because Fetid was incredibly stubborn.

Fetid Essence was thick and hard to overpower with whatever manner of invisible sensitivity any being could conjure. This was only a little less true for Shamans, as Ancor had told Ginger, but the latter didn't believe it.

The way the shabby Shaman did it so effortlessly both squashed and raised Ginger's spirits.

'Maybe Mana Essence won't be so hard to manipulate. There's a huge difference in how the two energies feel after all,' Ginger thought.

Mana Essence felt lighter, and smoother after all.

"I don't doubt that if we were to take our weapons to the dormitories, Alcaeus would skewer you in your sleep," Reiss interrupted Ginger's thoughts as they walked briskly, flanked by other First Years from First Blue.

Ginger wore a nervous smile.

"Don't say that," he said, not quite finding the idea funny.

He dreaded the thought. Perhaps the entitled dragonling would really want to vent out the recent frustrations from schoolwork by watching him die slowly.

It was a common practice in the Wild actually, at least Ancor said so. He kept referencing how he did something similar to this to a particular toad the size of a small house.

"You should have an easy time killing your first Blighted now, right? The way you raised that hammer and swung it around... I was deeply impressed," Ginger said while stifling a laugh.

Reiss frowned, his cheeks flushing.

"Well played," he said through his teeth and Ginger laughed down at him.

Of course, it was false praise.

Reiss failing to raise his weapon of choice, a long-handled hammer, had yet to prove to be anything more than a free joke for the class to come together, Non-Affixers and all, and share a good laugh at.

Ginger was an exception, but that was because he had been saving his voice for the perfect moment, which was now.

"But I am curious though. You'll be able to use your hammer well enough soon. If your Affixing Kardia can make your hammer any stronger than it already is, then you have a sure-fire way of killing your first Blighted," he said.

Reiss smirked a little at the genuine confidence Ginger had in him.

"Well, yes, but it's not like Qin Steel responds poorly to Mana Essence either. It should be as easy for everyone else without Affix-type Kardia. Unless we're given full-grown Blighted or something," he said.

"Would that really happen?" Ginger asked with concern. "I remember Professor Lyall saying something about feeding us to Blighted in our first lesson."

"Of course not! Good grief, man, don't be so gullible," Reiss said with a stern face. "Everyone's going to start picking on you if you believe everything they say."

"You have a point," Ginger said.

"Anyway, do you have enough Kardia for the rest of our lessons?"

"I think so. It's not like I used any in Professor Mara's class. Though I feel like if I let loose, it will all disappear."

Over the course of the last two busy days, Ginger had been trying to at least learn how to manage and control his Kardia before getting the opportunity to increase his stok's capacity and his overall amount.

He had yet to see any progress.

"Well, that's Alien-type Kardia for you. You better learn the Pooling quickly. We can find an upperclassman with a good head on their shoulders and ask for advice."

Ginger didn't think this would be a fruitful effort.

Searching for someone who didn't sneer and walk right past them before they even made their case felt like too much work. He wondered why Reiss even thought it was a good idea.

Looking for a Professor who would help didn't seem too hopeful of an idea either. None of them seemed to have the free time for extra classes.

Professor Lyall taught Dragon Biology and Kardia Studies in all three First Year Classes. The same was bound to be true for most instructors in some capacity.

But then a possibility hit Ginger.

"Well, Caron looked to be doing pretty well with Affixing. Maybe—"

"No way! That was a fluke!" Reiss barked immediately. "You don't actually believe she's going to master how to use her Kardia in three Strides, do you?" he added, feeling more than a little betrayed by Ginger's faith in Caron.

"Well..." Ginger said while scratching his chin.

Despite saying she wanted to join them, and making an elaborate, absurd declaration that Reiss raged at every time, Caron had not approached the two dragonlings since the day of the Second Burning.

Her demeanor didn't change, but her laziness was challenged in more notes-heavy classes when the pace of learning ramped up, something that convinced Reiss more and more that Caron was no more than a terrible liar.

In today's class though, when all the Affixers were instructed to inflict damage on rocks much like the ones Professor Mara had produced before – something Reiss never managed – Caron had done so admirably.

Imbuing her Totality-type Kardia into a four-section staff made of Qin Steel, she had managed to shatter a third of her rock with one hit.

There was certainly marvel at her feat, because she did better than at least half of the Affixers, only truly falling behind Vassilis who blew his own rock to tiny bits, and Fillys who split hers into eight portions.

The look Fillys had on her face ground Ginger the wrong way. He wished the rock had tensed when she attacked, refusing to buckle even a little bit.

Reiss pressed and rubbed his temples as though he had just gotten a headache.

"Let's consider other less ridiculous options Ginger," he said, rationalizing.

Several minutes later, the two were standing among their peers with the thickly built figure of Professor Lyall before them all.

Her lips were drawn taut into a wide V, and she looked over her round-rimmed glasses.

"What did I say - in both your classes - that we would be learning today, hmm?" she asked. "Can anyone give me a detaile-... Yes, Reiss."

Everyone turned to the dwarfish dragonling who was firmly and desperately leaping up and down to draw his Prime Instructor's attention with his hand up.

Ginger gave a wiry smile.

When he was picked, Reiss immediately blabber all he could.

"We will be learning the three basic – but fundamental – applications of Kardia. Custos Zoe, a guarding application; Contra Parousia, a countering application; and Supplementum Soma, an enhancing application," the dwarf said proudly.

Professor Lyall's lips withdrew to a less drawn-out shape.

"Correct," she said with a twinkle in her eye that made Reiss feel as though he had adequately restored his honor from Equipped Armament Creation and Usage.

"Today I intend to start you all off on mastering the fundamental abilities all dragons should know. The applications of Kardia, known informally as Pieyro, are many and varied, however all of them – and I mean all – draw from these three."

Professor Lyall marched along the line of students on the wide, dirty, silver floor.

"Some of these Pieyro manifest differently from Kardia type to Kardia type, which has caused a fair amount of debates on which group of dragons has the 'better' form of a specific Pieyro. I assure you, however, there is no such thing as 'better'. There is only the insurmountable fact of relevancy," she said, her eyes whipping from face to face.

"Now, pay close attention. I will only demonstrate once at a time."