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Cielis was the city of stonekeepers - once upon a time training generations of stonekeepers, with the size to accommodate it, nowadays, the grounds are merely utilized by two, three if they’d allowed Vigo (however, based on the events they refused to disclose, the two has suspended him from mentoring them indefinitely). So it’s something like finding two needles in a haystack.
Navin cursed. More fool him, arms crossed behind his head, feet mindlessly following the trail that snaked downhill, eyes peeking a section of the ground and finding no one. It completely slipped his mind to ask Vigo which training ground they were training in. Especially when the elder stonekeeper requested him to summon them.
Well, it’s not so bad - the lack of stonekeepers made the grounds more akin to a beautiful park to stroll into. Trees blanketed all over, leaves swaying in the breeze, light dotting the ground, a chirp from a bird here, and the trickling of water there. Other than that, it’s quiet. It’s not like he has anything better to do, when today is a reprieve from the daily classes.
A flame shot out to the sky in the distance.
His eyebrows shot up to his forehead. That just made his work easier, his pace speeding to a jog. Following the occasional flash of energy or element, it brought him to the lowermost training ground, the trees breaking out to a clearing.
It has certainly seen some action - craters burnt of otherwise littered the white, flattened soil, a few of the pillars that circled the ring did not survive the onslaught - and in the middle, Emily shoots two bursts of energy at Trellis, who simply opted to dodge instead of defending, the attack leaving two scorch marks on the pillar.
“Hey guy- WHOA??” Navin yells, ducking sideways as Trellis makes a slashing motion, a sharp gust of wind that was meant for Emily instead sliced the succeeding pillar, causing its top half to collapse on the grass.
“Navin!” Trellis snapped, worried and angry, half of his mind on the duel, half on Navin’s wellbeing. “I told you to always keep your distance!”
“What are you doing here anyway?” Emily asks, exasperated, conjuring a continuous jet of flame this time, chasing Trellis as he weaves upwards in the air, flying away out of her reach.
“Vigo is calling for both of you-” Navin coughs and winces, eyes watering from the dust. Trellis has made a slashing motion again, twice in succession, and the sharp gust homing in on Emily, who then wraps her sword with energy and cleaves through both attacks, keeping it from touching her but not the ground, kicking up debris in the air.
A shadow passes over Emily’s eyes. “I think it’s quite obvious we’re busy,” she says curtly, crouching to attack, her sword igniting with fire. In front of her, Trellis has landed, his arms sweeping in a graceful arc and no matter how many times Navin sees it, he gasps in awe, as Trellis manifests powerful streams of water out of nowhere for another offense. Did he gather them from the atmosphere?
“Whatever both of you got going on with him, I think this one is pretty important,” Navin insists, and they both pause, fire and water at a standstill, dense with tension on whether to continue to strike or not.
“He discovered something at the chambers, I don’t know what, but he looks pretty grim,” Navin says, glad to get both stonekeepers to listen to him. Emily and Trellis exchanged looks, and they both end their duel, her flaming sword going out, his water returning to the air.
“Vigo must’ve finally found it,” Trellis murmurs, fingers on his chin, mind deep in thought as all three leave the grounds, Navin leading the way.
“Whatever it is, we gotta face Vigo again regardless,” Emily mutters, displeased at the thought. “Let’s continue training when we're done.” Trellis nods his assent, all of them not sparing the training ground another glance, not realizing it will be the last time they’d ever see it.