Katerin grinned as she sparred with Halessia. Now she could shape lightning and manipulate it any way she wanted. Not to mention that her lightning was strong enough to singe Hallesia's skin. A feat indeed, considering most of the Caste was immune to its damaging effects, unless it was wielded by someone equally as powerful as they.

She was panting from the effort, and nowhere close to winning this bout, but she was holding her ground. Halessia was a blur, darting around the arena, and assaulting her from every angle, a mixture of storm clouds and lightning with an imposing and powerful form at the center.

"Weapons, now!" another giant called, from the side.

Katerin grinned. This was not her final test, but she was getting close. She pulled her staff from her back, and steadied her breath, quietly rejoicing. It had always been easier to form her magic though something besides her hands, and she had excelled in every class in which she got to use her staff. Halessia would not allow her any kind of advantage though, and she waited for the giant to appear, expecting one of her lightning steps, but she guessed the wrong direction. She watched the giant disappear and ducked low, spinning quickly around with her staff outstretched.

But Halessia appeared in front of where she had just been facing, and her staff swept Katerin's leg out to the side, causing her to fall. It was a simple move, that stung more than Katerin's calf. Katerin bit her lip, and did not even bother to stand. She channeled her own energy, and appeared some distance away, weaving not a ball but a bolt of lightning around the tip of her staff. "Catch!" she yelled, giddy.

Halessia grunted and charged forward, moving to meet the bolt that arced for her. She ducked, but not quite fast enough, and the bolt slammed into her shoulder. She skidded back a few inches, but continued her run.

Katerin's thought shifted away from excitement, towards worry as the giant barreled towards her. Halessia really was not planning on taking it easy on her. Even in her diminished form, she was strong, and the punch she angled for Katerin's jaw was swift.

Katerin dodged, and parried Halessia's staff strike, but then coughed out a cry as an orb of lightning burst into being in the space between them, picked her up and tossed her into the air. Katerin touched it, and dispersed its energy, with enough time to land on her feet. It was not the most graceful landing, but she was still fighting.

As much as she wished she could, she had no opportunity to show off for her audience today. She had to pass this test. Eight months of study was not something she could waste, by failing.

She had two more months, and one final test.

Kul Galysa sat watching, with an unreadable expression, her fully armored mate not far behind her, ever standing with his sword at the ready. Roahn, Fykes, and Brazen were here too. Cheering her on and gripping the railing, along with the rest of the students Katerin had trained with throughout the year. Giants, humans, elves, dragonkin, and devilkin.

She was the last to take the test today, and the only one to face Halessia, who had been preparing this for days. She thought it a purposeful thing, that she was last. They all said she was the most driven, and the thought of going last and failing after the successes of her classmates, would be an even heavier burden to bear.

Katerin ducked around the pillar, fearing another slap with Halessia's staff, and took a moment to breathe. As she gathered her thoughts, she heard the pillar to her side creaking, and felt small stones pelting her. She ran backwards, never taking her eyes off Halessia's, and pulled lighting into her hands, gripping her weapon too tightly. The lightening whipped out, wrapped around her opponent, and pulled back towards her, tripping the giant up.

*

Halessia grinned, remembering when Katerin could barely form the spells she now made to dance. She pulled herself free of the tangle, and felt a moment of regret for what she was about to do. She stepped through the storm, and appeared behind Katerin, never letting the girl guess where she might be. Her staff slammed into Katerin's side and as she fell to her knees, Halessia reached out one hand, and laid it on the girls shoulder, whispering an incantation.

Katerin's muscles all tightened and she stilled, anger flickering in her eyes and fear showing in the set of her lips. She could do no more than bare her teeth, as Halessia's spell locked her into place. But Halessia saw how badly Katerin wanted this win, how she fought so hard for it. The energy of her spell began to dissipate. You have one more chance, she thought. One.

*

Katerin pushed herself away, a frantic look in her eyes. She found her feet, and lighting-stepped away, as Halessia stalked her every move. She threw three bolts of lightning in tandem, and Halessia had to grit her teeth at the strength of them, but she did not slow. Katerin paused for a moment, shutting her eyes and ignoring Halessia, as she stalked forward.

*

Halessia began to worry. Is she giving up? Now, when she is so close? Halessia had seen her angry, had seen her driven. She knew the girl had it in her, if only she could apply herself right now, and apply her will on her own command. She slowed her steps but only a fraction, and when she reached Katerin the girls eyes were still held shut, her hands clenched upon her strange metal staff.

Halessia's smile faded, and she whipped her staff around for one final blow, feeling a hollow sadness as she imagined the blow Katerin was about to take. As it zipped through the air, Katerin's eyes opened and she let out a yell of defiance. Energy burst out from her like shrapnel from a bomb. The energy around her effused, and her eyes took on a white-blue glow. The energy sank into her veins, and cast her whole body aglow. The energy lifted Katerin into the air, and obscured her form, shrouding her in energy.

Halessia's staff struck nothing, and before she could block, the energy that had effused into Katerin exploded outward once again while she floated, throwing Halessia several feet, and slamming her back into a pillar.

*

Katerin's form stayed shrouded, and the lightning around her crackled in the air, leaving sparks to dance around her.

Halessia wiped blood from her chin, and turned to regard Kul Galysa, who was standing, leaning over the railing.

"Halt!" Kul Galysa called in a stern tone, and the room grew completely silent, with no one daring to breathe.

Halessia turned back to her student as the shroud over Katerin vanished, and she fell to the floor with little grace, gasping for air.

*

Katerin panted, straining to focus her blurry vision at the smooth white floor. She pushed herself up to her knees, and stared at the delicate blue lines along her skin, that pulsed with her heartbeat and crackled. It looked like pale ink, as it splintered at her wrist and reached for the tips of her fingers. She could feel it, too. Energy that reached from the tips of her toes to the sides of her eyes.

The room was quiet, with nary a whisper to be heard, and she looked up to Halessia with a nauseous feeling.

The cloud giants face was unreadable, and she made no move to help her stand.

"We are done for the day," Kul Galysa said, looking down at her. "Katerin, I expect to see you in my chambers, in two hours time. Someone will retrieve you." With those words the Cyclones Fist and her guard departed, and so too were the rest of the students ushered away.

"Halessia, what happened? Was that—"

The storm giant only shook her head, and strode away, exiting through the lower door.

Katerin bit her tongue to curb her anger, as the giant left. Of course she could not know, yet. The giants only offered what they wanted, when they wished. And she had learned early in the year the futility and punishment for arguing.

Katerin sat alone in the bright room for many moments, working to calm her stomach, and waiting for her heart to resume a normal pace. She watched the strange lines of energy, and hoped they might just disappear, but nothing of the kind happened. It took her three attempts to stand, without powerful dizziness knocking her down again. As she made her way out of the area, the soreness of her bout hit her like a warhorse.

As she exited the building, Fykes, Brazen, and Roahn rushed to her. A perturbed looking guard stood not too far away, eyeing them all.

"Are you alright?"

"What the hell did you do?"

"That was amazing!"

Katerin held up her hand, wincing at their enthusiasm, and taking Fykes offered arm. "I don't know, but from their faces, I don't think it was good."

Brazen grabbed her hand, and flipped it over, staring at the lines upon it. "It doesn't look like a bad thing. How does it feel?"

She choked out a laugh. "Be careful. I don't know what that was."

"You look like you need a nap," Fykes said.

"She's not gonna nap! Look at that. I wish they woulda' taught me that," Roahn said, with a grin.

"It wasn't anything they taught me..." Katerin glanced uneasily at the guard. "Lets go."

She paced about their common room for an hour and a half, ringing her hands and periodically checking if the lines had faded. Eventually there was a crisp knock on their door, and a dwarf asked them to join him, so he might take them to see the Cyclone's Fist. Katerin obliged, keeping her face as straight as possible, though she nearly vomited on the steps that led to the Halls of vengeance.

As they stood in the waiting room, Fykes grasped her hand as she passed, and tugged her into stillness. "Relax."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.

"I don't want to go in there. Halessia has yelled at me before. I don't need to anger the queen... or... the Cyclones Fist," she corrected herself.

"She isn't going to yell," Fykes said.

"Ha, ha." Katerin said, regarding him with suspicious. "Was any of your training, this nerve wracking?"

"Nope," Brazen said. "But Artovie really knows her stuff, and as long as I'm careful not to ruin anything, it's just a lot of fun."

Katerin laughed. "I'm proud of you, kid." She spoke before she could stop herself, and did not miss Roahn's triumphant grin.

"See! I told you so! You've got the weirdest kid I ever met."

"Well I didn't--" Katerin began.

Brazen turned to Roahn with a proud grin. "It takes one to know one."

Fykes snorted. "Who taught you all this attitude?"

Without hesitation, three fingers pointed to Katerin. Her mock expression broke, and her finger that pointed towards Fykes fell. "It was... a group effort?"

Before the debate could continue the large double doors at the far end of the room swung open, and a storm giant stepped into the hall. "Katerin Moonshadow! The Cyclone's fist will see you, now."