Bryce was quick to scoop Val up, trying not to move the others head too much to lessen the pain. He didn’t know how much pain, exactly, the other was in however could tell that it was a lot. He didn’t like seeing the other in pain, not when Bryce was technically the one to cause that pain. He carried Val over to the bed, gently placing him down and placing a pillow under his head, “Yes, it worked. But it doesn’t matter right now, do you need me to get anything for your head?”
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Val bit back a gasp of pain when Bryce picked him up. He'd thought that he would help him walk to the bed, but this was actually much better. "Ah, good." Val's lips lifted into a small smile. At least it hadn't been for nothing. "There should be a bowl of things on that table. If you could get one for me?" He waved in the general direction of the bowl. After a few too many days of simply having to wait out the pain, he'd made little pills that helped relieve a lot of it. This, of course, caused him to be able to do this a lot more, but it was worth it. Not at that exact moment, but soon. As soon as he recovered, he would start planning and scheming. They didn't have much time.
Bryce nodded, heading back over to the table. He picked up a couple of the pills, bringing them back over to Val and placing them in his hand, “Do you need any water with these?” He asked, more concerned then he should have been. Val would be okay, however he couldn’t help but be worried for the man who had saved his life. He wondered how many times Val had over worked himself to this point. Would that happen to him? Would he end up ever working himself and end up in the same amount of pain?
"No, I don't. Thank you." Val grabbed one of the pills and popped it into his mouth. The pill instantly dissolved, spreading a cool numbness over his head. It still hurt a little, but he could deal with it now. "Ah, that's better." He pushed himself into a sitting position. Now to the question of Bryce's magic. "Alright, tell me about the results of the spell. What did you find out?" If only Tahre hadn't shown up and forced Val's plans. It would have been much better if he could have seen it first-hand. It would have let him help Bryce understand and control it better. Still, he could work with this.
Bryce sat down on the floor, crossing his legs beneath him as he looked at his hands, “Fire, I think.” He replied. It was then he thought, he knew that was what it was. He’d seen the orange and blue flames twist around his body, snaking itself around his limbs before it had disappeared and now lumbered inside of him, waiting to be summoned, “It was strange. I didn’t hurt even though I felt like it was going to burn me.” Of course that hadn’t had happened, luckily but Bryce was still unsure. What if he did something wrong and the flame consumed him?
"Fire." Val nodded slowly and instantly regretted it. Nodding was a movement he'd put on his 'never do after over-working yourself' list, but Bryce's discovery had made him forget that list for a second. "Fire is good." Fire could kill people. Fire could destroy things. "That's understandable. It is a volatile form of magic. It can be dangerous if you don't learn how to properly control it. Luckily for you, I'm here." Val offered Bryce a smile. He would do everything in his power to prevent the fire inside of the man from consuming him entirely. If Bryce burned, Val would burn as well. Not literally– he didn't think– but the sentiment was there.
Bryce tried for a smile back, however it was weak and only lasted a second. Fire was dangerous. Val had said it, Bryce knew that and Val had even said that if he didn't control it then… well, he knew bad things would happen. Of course, he had to have one of the most destructive elements for his power, "Well yes, but currently you can't even move your head without being in pain so being able to control my power is going to have to wait." He didn't want to wait, he didn't want to loose control of his power but he was going to have to.
Val sighed. Bryce was obviously worried about the magic he possessed. "I know you're worried, but you'll be fine. As soon as this whole thing goes away," he gestured at his forehead, "then I'll show you. But for now, just don't try to use it." Val glanced at the extra pills in his hand. He'd never eaten two before– he'd also never needed to train the chosen one to defeat the Council before, either. It probably wouldn't end up badly and Val needed to get better right away. He popped one in his mouth and waited. The ache in his head faded to almost nothing. He didn't feel any weird side-effects either. Perfect. "I'll be good enough to move in a few minutes. Are there any questions I can answer while we wait?"
Bryce snorted, shaking his head to himself, "Hells, I don't know if I even could. I can feel it, but I don't know how to use it. A major difference." He ran a hand through his hair before leaning back on his hands. How old was it going to even take to learn how to control it? He knew that they were probably on a time limit and it was slowly running out. They were running off of borrowed time and Bryce prayed to the gods that they were given more. Especially if those people that Val knew weren't friendly. What if they found them?
"Well, lets keep it like that for now." Val gave a short laugh. The fact that Bryce didn't know how to use his magic was good at the moment, but it would prove troublesome later on. He hoped that teaching the man how to use it wouldn't take too long. And that it wouldn't end up with something on fire. Maybe it would be better to go to somewhere more fireproof than a forest. But where? Val would have to think on that, but for now, it would probably be a good idea to make sure Bryce wanted to work on his magic. Even if he didn't, he would, but Val wanted to see if he would have to convince him or not. "How opposed are you to trying out that magic in a few minutes?"
He raised a brow, looking down at his hands for a moment then back up to Val, biting at his lip, "A few minutes?" They were moving too fast, but Bryce knew that there was no going back. He had to help even though a part of him wanted to run away. Getting started on being able to use his power would be the best option, he wasn't an idiot, "I mean… as long as your head can take it."
"Yeah." Val nodded. "My head will be fine," He added, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing up. There was a slight twinge behind his eyes, but he barely noticed it. Those two pills had done their job. "And don't worry about potentially losing control. We'll go somewhere you couldn't burn. And I'll bring some burn ointment, just in case. I don't think either of us will need it, through." Val walked over to his cabinet and looked through it. The best place to teach the art of controlling fire was probably somewhere with easily accessible water and no flammable objects. There was a small lake a few minutes away from there that could do. He couldn't remember if it was that lake or a different one, but he was pretty sure there was a rock island in the lake he was thinking of. Val grabbed a small clay pot out of the cabinet and turned towards Bryce. "Are you ready?"
Burn ointment? Bryce didn’t think the fire would burn him, at least he hoped not. As the person controlling the fire, he assumed that he could somehow reason with it, make it do what he wanted. But there was always the chance, especially when this was a first time for a first time. Bryce looked at his hands, then to Val before he stood and nodded, “Yeah, yeah I’m ready.” He wasn’t, he was far from it but he had no other choice.
"Lovely." Val smiled quickly and started towards the door. Before he opened it, Val made sure there was nobody around. There was no point to having the camouflage if he just waltzed out without checking the area first. As per usual, there wasn't any living creature in the clearing. Val opened the door and hurried outside. He spun in a small circle, trying to remember where the lake was. It wasn't down the river, that was for sure. So, it should be… that way. Val started walking, hoping fiercly that this was the right way and he wasn't leading Bryce on a random hike to nowhere. First he nearly collapsed in front of him, and then he did collapse in front of him. He didn't need to add 'doesn't know where to go' to the list.
Bryce was quick to follow. Even though he didn't know why Val was rushing, there was no need to go so fast when he was probably still feeling a little out of it from the spell. But then again, he didn't know how well those pills worked and if this was a normal thing. He frowned a little when Val looked like, for a moment, he didn't know where he was going but it quickly vanished as he hurried to keep up. He wanted to look around at the surroundings, see how different it was from back home but sadly he knew he couldn't. That would had to wait.
After a few minutes of walking, the trees opened up to a small lake. Sitting near the center was a small rock island. Val gave a small sigh of relief– this had been the right way, and it was even the right lake. He scanned the shore, positive that there had been some way to get to the island that wasn't swimming. There– a collection of rocks leading towards the island. They would have to jump across, but it was better than having to conjour a boat or swim across. "This way. We'll practice on that island just in case your magic gets the best of you. I'm sure it won't, but you can never be too careful." Val started walking towards the rocks, hoping he wasn't scaring Bryce with all the precautions. Burning down the forest before the Council could wasn't on his list of things he wanted to do, though. Val jumped to the first rock, then to the second one, continuing until he reached the island.
The sight of the lake and the island had Bryce practically bursting with nerves. He wasn't exactly the biggest fan of large bodies of water however didn't want to make a fuss over it. He'd be fine, Val was there and he had bigger issues to deal with then a fear. He understood the precautions, even though it was only making his nerves worse. For a moment he watched Val cross to the island in the middle, biting his lip before he followed, albeit slowly. One jump at a time, he crossed the rocks, wobbling here and there but soon he was joining Val on the other side. He loosed a breath, "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Oh, yes. Don't worry. I will be right here if anything goes wrong– though I doubt it will." Val nodded and quickly surveyed the island. "Now, stand in the center, please?" He gestured to a spot and stepped back towards the edge of the rocks. "Okay, so, I want you to close your eyes and try to feel the magic within you. Find it and coax it out. Be gentle at first– you don't want to scare it." Val smiled softly at him. "Just try to make a small flame appear at the center of your palm. It's alright if you don't get it at first. Be patient." He clasped his hands together and nodded in encouragement. He believed that Bryce could do this. Hopefully, his advice would help the man.
Bryce did as he was told, walking into the center of the island and facing Val. Don't want to scare it? How would he scare it if it wasn't a living being? At the thought the magic rumbled in protest and Bryce blinked, clearly taken aback a little, "Okay. Okay. Patience. I can do this." He closed his eyes, shifting on his feet to make himself comfortable. He put his arm out in front of him before he focused inwards, trying to coax out that flame he had witnessed earlier, the one that responded to thoughts about it. He dug deep until he found it, focusing as he tried to gently ease it out. Nothing happened.
Val watched intently as Bryce closed his eyes. He was clearly focused, but nothing was happening. Val suppressed a sigh of impatience, reminding himself that it would probably take a little while for Bryce to connect with his magic. He wanted to provide a word or two of encouragement, but it wouldn't be a good idea to break his concentration. And so, he waited. Val turned his attention from Bryce to the water around them for a few seconds. It was dark and deep and very ominous. He knew from personal experience that it was very, very deep. It was also mysteriously empty of life, but as long as no one fell in, it was safe. It would probably be safe if someone fell in, too. He'd done in and survived, after all. Val looked back at Bryce, praying that he would create that flame.
It took a few moments. Moments where Bryce really, really wanted to scream because nothing was happening but then he felt the magic flicker in response. He felt the warmth of it follow him out of the part of him where it lay waiting and into the air, or more specifically, his palm. The flame was bigger then he had been trying to create, the reds and oranges and the slight blues waving in the gentle breeze. Bryce opened his eyes and grinned, nearly squealing in excitement. He'd done it. He'd actually been able to summon a flame.
Val's lips spread into a smile at the sight of the flame. It was beautiful, and not only because of how it looked. This was the thing that could save him. It might be destructive, but it was also his hope. "You did it!" Val sighed, taking a step towards him before remembering that he was supposed to be teaching Bryce. "Now, can you put it out?" This was a very important part of fire magic. It was fine being able to create the fire, but putting it out was crucial. If someone couldn't put it out, then they might as well be dead. That fire could burn everything to ash if given the chance. Of course, Val wasn't going to tell Bryce any of that just yet. He didn't want to cause the man any more stress.
Bryce nodded. This time the flame seemed to listen immediately, shimmering out into nothing and leaving a warm, tingling feeling on his hand, "I can't believe that just happened. I can't believe I was actually able to do that." It felt like something out of a dream. Being able to control something so beautiful and yet so scary at the same time. At least the magic seemed to listen to him now, that gave Bryce a bit more hope and comfort that he might actually be able to do this.
Val held his breath, only letting it go when the flame disappeared from Bryce's palm. "Yes, it was very nice." He hated that he had to push Bryce when he'd only just figured it out, but time was against them. "Now, can you make fire appear in both of your hands? And once you do, snuff it out after a few seconds. You need to be able to call on your magic and put it out very quickly." He gave Bryce a slightly apologetic look. When he had thought about the chosen one before, he'd imagined that he would just use the person as a living weapon. But now that Bryce was actually here… it was harder to think of him only as a weapon. It was harder to push him. Val bit his lip and stared at Bryce intently. He could think about feelings and all that later, once they were closer to victory.
Bryce once again nodded. This time he felt like it would be much easier to do so. Now that he had a connection with his magic, that he could feel it lurking, waiting for him to tell it what to do, he knew he could do this. Well, this little bit of training at least. He looked down at his hands, focusing on the exposed palm and brought out the flame. The fire danced on his skin, weaved its way around his fingers and wrists and then it was gone again.
"Perfect!" Val nodded happily. "Now, can you make a ball of fire? One that would be sturdy enough to hurl at something?" With how things were going so far, it probably wouldn't take Bryce too much time to figure out how to make a fireball. That was a wonderful addition to Val's day. He didn't know what they would use as a target, though. Val glanced towards the water and smiled slightly. Manipulating water wasn't too difficult. With two simple words, he created a large circle of ice sitting on the surface of the lake. This would not have worked if it had been windy, but thank the gods it wasn't. "Once you get a good fireball, I want you to throw it at that." He pointed at the circle of ice.
He bit his lip. Making fire appear and reappear in his hands was one thing. Making a ball of it was another. Let alone having enough control to aim it at the ice circle now on the water. A moment ago he had been confident, unfazed, ready to do anything. But now Val was leading up to the larger tests and he could feel those nerves swirling in him again. But he'd got this far, why not give it a try and see what happens? "Yeah, yeah okay, I'll have a go."
He steadied himself, making sure his feet were steady on the ground and he was ready to go. Swallowing his nerves, he brought his hands up, cupping them close together as he tried to focus his energy into a ball of flame.
Val's eyebrows furrowed at Bryce's hesitation. He could understand it. Making fireballs defianatly seemed very daunting. It was a more advanced action than simply making fire appear, but Val needed Bryce to be able to do things with his magic. And it would probably help him too, if he ever encountered an enemy that Val couldn't get to in time. He nodded, glad Bryce was deciding to try on his own accord. As Val was waiting, the faint sound of wings caught is attention. He looked up at the sky, trying to find the source of the sound. His eyes soon found a small hawk flying towards him. Oh, gods. A message. It could either be a note from the city, telling him off for sending Tahre back the way he did or an update on the Council. He hoped it was an update on the Council. Val needed to know how much time he had left to train Bryce.
Bryce didn't let the flap of the wings distract him from his task. He couldn't lose his concentration, not when there was so much riding on him to get this, to be able to use his magic to save probably hundreds of people. The magic rose, swarming up and over his hands. He opened his eyes, controlling the fire until there was enough to form a ball of hot, burning flame. Now the only challenge was aiming it at the ice and not missing. He made sure the fire was in one hand. Even though his arm was slightly shaky, he took aim and threw it at the ice, hitting the edge and flipping it over. The fire dispersed.
Val held up his arm and the hawk landed on his forearm. Although he desperately wanted to know what the message was, it seemed like Bryce was making progress. He watched as the fire grew in the man's hands, turning into a ball. Val smiled slightly. One part down. Now all he had to do was throw it at the ice cicle. Bryce's aim wasn't the best, but he hit the circle. "Hmm, pretty good for a first try. Want to try again?" He tilted his head sightly, the impacient screech of the hawk making him wince. "Alright, what do you want to tell me?" Val turned his attention to the hawk. It opened it's beak, the ancient tongue coming out instead of the usual bird sounds. He listened, his expression dropping the more he heard. "Ah… gods. Thank you." The hawk took off and disappeared into the sky. Val sighed heavily and looked back at Bryce.