Chapter Seventeen
"This process is going to be very draining," Laxus starts, standing a bit off to my right, "but it will increase your magic capabilities the more often and the longer you do it. It also proves to be a good way to learn how to control the lightning. You're going to be creating a constant stream of lightning. I want you to be able to keep the lightning out for at least ten seconds before the end of the week. If you end up keeping this magic after the spell has worn off, it's going to be very useful in battles. After that we'll move onto the third step."
My eyes stay on him as he speaks, but my minds wanders back the day at the guild when I felt his exponential amount of magic energy.
Does he do this during his own training? He did say that it increases the capabilities of our magic, meaning it increases our magic energy, right?
"How long can you keep out a stream of lightning for?" Laxus looked in thought for a few moments before answering.
"I haven't done it for a while, but last I tried, it was right around five hours." I looked blankly at him for a second while my mind processed what he had said. When it did, I could feel my jaw drop in shock. Laxus looked rather amused at the look I was giving him
"Seriously? Five hours?" My voice barely made a sound, but I knew he heard it because of the smirk that played on his face. Shaking my head, I shook the shock out of my system. "Okay, I know that you have a ridiculous amount of magic energy," Laxus raise a brow at my statement. "but, honestly, even that seems like too much for you."
"I wasn't doing anything special. I was just releasing a small amount of magic over a course of time. It's a good way to see how far my magic has gotten. I never release much magic, though."
It was quiet for a few minutes as he looked to be contemplating asking me a question.
"Did you hear what Master wants me to do in a week?" I say after Laxus opens his mouth and shuts it for the umpteenth time.
Laxus took a few seconds to process that I had spoken. "All he told me was that he's going to try and talk you into training and going to the guild again. Did he say anything else to you?"
"He wants me to go on a job." I say, beginning to stretch my arms to start practicing with the new training. "One that he chooses. No later than a week from today. I'm not sure if it's going to be solo, if I'll be going with my team, if he wants me to go with you, or if he's going to pick and choose other people. I don't even know the type of job it might be."
"That idiot of an old man. You might not even be able to create lightning without having to spend time concentrating on it yet. How does he expect you to go on a job that will probably involve you using magic?" I stop listening and decide to start the training.
I begin concentrating on making an everlasting stream of lightning, call my magic and push it out with similar force and concentration as before, but it only lasts a second. I try again a few more times, but they do the same as the first.
"Hey," Laxus stops his ramblings and focuses back on me, "how do I get it to do a constant stream? I'm only managing to get it to stay a second."
"Show me." Laxus watches where he knows the lightning will appear. After I make it appear, it once again disappears after only a second.
"Kay, now watch mine." Laxus creates a pillar of lightning in his hand and brings it in front of me. "Notice a difference?"
"Ya, yours stays." I say with an annoyed voice, and I swear I see Laxus roll his eyes.
"Other than that."
"No, not really."
"If you look at mine, you'll see several different small bolts of lightning being created and each one lasting no more than a second." I look at the pillar again and focus to see what he's talking about. One bolt becoming two before disappearing, two becoming one, some smaller ones travelling up two that are close together.
"Okay, so you're wanting me to be able to create one after another for a period of time, not just make one last for longer than a second."
"Exactly." Laxus turned and began walking, saying with a simple wave, "Good luck, girly, I'm gonna be leaving for a couple days."
"Where are you going?" My eyes follow him as he walks back to the house.
"I've got to go on a job if I'm going to be keeping enough food for both you and me in the house. The Raijinshuu chose from the regular board instead of the S-class jobs. We'll be taking two jobs, so I should be back the day after tomorrow if they aren't too far." He was too far now for us to continue talking. I got up and jogged to catch up to him.
"Why don't you just go on an S-class job? You wouldn't need to take two jobs that way."
"All request will take at least two weeks to finish, and I'm running out of food here."
"I see." I said as we went up the stairs in the house.
"Ya, I doubt you want to starve here." Laxus opened the door to his room and went in.
"You're actually just going to leave me here alone? You would trust me here that much?" I stopped walking just before I'd be able to see into his room.
"Why shouldn't I?" I took a few steps forward and I was now in his doorway.
"It's just surprising." I didn't really think about my answer, I was too busy loving his room. He had huge windows with the sun casting a warm glow to the room, a huge bed that could probably fit three of him comfortably. I think Evergreen got the deep brown and tan blankets for every room, because even Laxus' and mine had them, simple bedside tables, and all the rooms had a door to the balcony, but from his room I could see it went around the side of the house and not just the front.
"I brought your money from that mission here, so just in case you need to buy something in town, I put it in a chair in the main room. Your whip is in there, too. You dropped it outside the magic circle so it was left undamaged." He turned and smirked when he saw me staring at everything in the room. Once I realized he was watching me I blushed and turned enough that I could look out of the room and away from him.
"Oh, I completely forgot about it. Thank you."
"Well, I gotta go, the train leaves in an hour. Keep training while I'm gone, if you get bored or your magic gets too low from spending all your time doing that, try something different, like sending the lightning through separate parts of your body, instead of just your hands." He walked passed me and continued walking down the stairs and out the door.
"Alright." I said even though I knew he couldn't hear me, suddenly feeling lonely.
I know, my muses, I know, it isn't three o'clock in the morning on a monday. But, I figured since Easter is this weekend I'd upload the latest chapter a little early.
I ended it on a slightly upsetting note again. It kind of reflects my mood at the moment, which was actually completely by accident. I've had Laxus leaving for a mission planned for a while, and now just happened to be the perfect time to do it.
Anywho, I hope you liked this one, and I'll be back soon and be sure to review and send me inspiration when you've got the chance.