Ball Games [[Fic]]
Posted: September 18th, 2016, 2:20 pm
Nathanel Carridus
It wasn't that Nate minded a crowd. In fact, the Soldier quite revelled in it. So the people around him, looking at the fireball he held in his hands, he didn't mind in the slightest.
It wasn't anything too impressive to most people. Making a ball of fire was quite standard in the life of a Soldier. But this one moved a little differently to the rest, and it changed colours as Nate adjusted the thread of Air and Fire just so. He twirled it in his hands dramatically, an unnecessary but enjoyable gesture.
This wasn't what Nate had in mind when someone suggested everyone get their balls out, but it was pretty fun in its own right.
"How do you do it?" asked one of the other Soldiers, his thin moustache twitching. Nate grinned at the man and clapped his hands together, causing the ball to disappear.
"Let's have a lesson," he declared in response. He gestured for the fellow and anyone else interested, to follow him and take a seat. It wasn't the channelling grounds but hey, they were in a relatively safe place and it was only fire. What could possibly go wrong? .... apart from the burned walls in that room, and the melted candles, and the table he had set on fire... absolutely nothing. Nate sat down with his legs crossed, thick arms resting on his legs. He looked at the five other Soldiers sitting in front of him, feeling a little pleased that they were looking to him for instruction. He'd been a Soldier for a couple of years now, and he liked to think he could help a guy out if they asked for it.
"Alright so," Nate seized Saidin and held as much as he could - not an unusual amount for a Soldier. He grabbed at Fire and Air, weaving them deftly together and showing the men how he did it. "So the trick here is the ratio," he said. "You use too much Air and you get a ball of light like what the Novices make. Too much Fire and it's just a fireball." The ball rested in his hands, flickering with no heat. "This is a balancing act."
The results were often too flamey, so a couple of guys managed to singe their hands, but luckily Sien was there and he was a dab hand at Healing, so they Healed up and carried on. Nate watched, pleased, and made a few corrections here and there. "Great job! I can see you're all trying and putting lots of work in," he encouraged. "Now then, to change the colour of the flame, you need to tweak the Air just so..." he changed his ball to a soft blue instead, grinning even in the void. A few more deft flicks of Air and he switched the colours more quickly, showing off now but hey, it was harmless fun and he liked the praise. It was something to do with the way the Air and Fire reacted to one another but Nate just knew what he needed to do to change the colours, and did it. It was more instinct than book learning but then, Nate was not really a book learner and he improved by physical application. Probably why he enjoyed being a Drin, actually. Besides all of this the Soldier was actually rather naturally inclined towards Fire weaves compared to the others.
The Soldiers attempted to copy Nate as well and he watched, offering a few corrections here and there. The men were all similarly inclined towards Fire weaves, but then men normally were compared to women, but it was nice to not have to work with the slowest of them constantly as they all picked it up fairly evenly.
"Nate," Sien said, his own ball a pale orange, "this colour changing thing, can it be done with all Fire weaves?"
"Sure," Nate said. "A normal fireball would be easiest but yeah, whatever weave you wanted that was mostly fire I guess." He shrugged, but then a smirk crossed his face. "Wanna go throw some fireballs at targets and see what colours we can make them explode? I know a great way of adding Earth to make it more explodey..."
"Is that not toying with the power frivolously?" asked Jeremiah, who would make an excellent White if he ever became an Asha'man. You could tell because like most Whites he had no real friends.
"Because changing the colour of your balls isn't?" Nate asked, eyebrows raised. "It was just an idea. And anyway, we'd need a Dedicated to do some actual training without getting hauled to the Master of Soldiers." Nate tried not to think about the last time he'd ended up there. That Aiel was just plain creepy, which added to the extra creepiness a White possessed meant that he tried to avoid the place as much as possible, and yet somehow he was there most weeks with some punishment or other. At least they were varied punishments?
Another Soldier made his way over and Nate figured he wanted in on the action. What the chubby fellow said though was "Nate, the Master of Soldiers sent for you. I'd make it quick."
"Oh bother," Nate grumbled. Ball games would have to wait.
It wasn't anything too impressive to most people. Making a ball of fire was quite standard in the life of a Soldier. But this one moved a little differently to the rest, and it changed colours as Nate adjusted the thread of Air and Fire just so. He twirled it in his hands dramatically, an unnecessary but enjoyable gesture.
This wasn't what Nate had in mind when someone suggested everyone get their balls out, but it was pretty fun in its own right.
"How do you do it?" asked one of the other Soldiers, his thin moustache twitching. Nate grinned at the man and clapped his hands together, causing the ball to disappear.
"Let's have a lesson," he declared in response. He gestured for the fellow and anyone else interested, to follow him and take a seat. It wasn't the channelling grounds but hey, they were in a relatively safe place and it was only fire. What could possibly go wrong? .... apart from the burned walls in that room, and the melted candles, and the table he had set on fire... absolutely nothing. Nate sat down with his legs crossed, thick arms resting on his legs. He looked at the five other Soldiers sitting in front of him, feeling a little pleased that they were looking to him for instruction. He'd been a Soldier for a couple of years now, and he liked to think he could help a guy out if they asked for it.
"Alright so," Nate seized Saidin and held as much as he could - not an unusual amount for a Soldier. He grabbed at Fire and Air, weaving them deftly together and showing the men how he did it. "So the trick here is the ratio," he said. "You use too much Air and you get a ball of light like what the Novices make. Too much Fire and it's just a fireball." The ball rested in his hands, flickering with no heat. "This is a balancing act."
The results were often too flamey, so a couple of guys managed to singe their hands, but luckily Sien was there and he was a dab hand at Healing, so they Healed up and carried on. Nate watched, pleased, and made a few corrections here and there. "Great job! I can see you're all trying and putting lots of work in," he encouraged. "Now then, to change the colour of the flame, you need to tweak the Air just so..." he changed his ball to a soft blue instead, grinning even in the void. A few more deft flicks of Air and he switched the colours more quickly, showing off now but hey, it was harmless fun and he liked the praise. It was something to do with the way the Air and Fire reacted to one another but Nate just knew what he needed to do to change the colours, and did it. It was more instinct than book learning but then, Nate was not really a book learner and he improved by physical application. Probably why he enjoyed being a Drin, actually. Besides all of this the Soldier was actually rather naturally inclined towards Fire weaves compared to the others.
The Soldiers attempted to copy Nate as well and he watched, offering a few corrections here and there. The men were all similarly inclined towards Fire weaves, but then men normally were compared to women, but it was nice to not have to work with the slowest of them constantly as they all picked it up fairly evenly.
"Nate," Sien said, his own ball a pale orange, "this colour changing thing, can it be done with all Fire weaves?"
"Sure," Nate said. "A normal fireball would be easiest but yeah, whatever weave you wanted that was mostly fire I guess." He shrugged, but then a smirk crossed his face. "Wanna go throw some fireballs at targets and see what colours we can make them explode? I know a great way of adding Earth to make it more explodey..."
"Is that not toying with the power frivolously?" asked Jeremiah, who would make an excellent White if he ever became an Asha'man. You could tell because like most Whites he had no real friends.
"Because changing the colour of your balls isn't?" Nate asked, eyebrows raised. "It was just an idea. And anyway, we'd need a Dedicated to do some actual training without getting hauled to the Master of Soldiers." Nate tried not to think about the last time he'd ended up there. That Aiel was just plain creepy, which added to the extra creepiness a White possessed meant that he tried to avoid the place as much as possible, and yet somehow he was there most weeks with some punishment or other. At least they were varied punishments?
Another Soldier made his way over and Nate figured he wanted in on the action. What the chubby fellow said though was "Nate, the Master of Soldiers sent for you. I'd make it quick."
"Oh bother," Nate grumbled. Ball games would have to wait.