Jastillian played with his bushy beard. “As a wizard, you’re going to have to convince them Alexandria needs more help than the elves. Try to think of something persuasive to say.”
I stared at him. I’d figured that he would do most of the talking. “Like what?”
He wiped drops of condensation from his forehead. “The truth. Speak with your heart and you’ll convince them. Some of the people that will oppose us will be very vocal. Don’t back down from them. We still respect strength. If you speak from that position, people will listen to you more.”
I nodded.
“Good. I’ll be back in an hour or so. Enjoy your bath. Not many outsiders get to experience these baths, and even fewer get to enjoy them in peace. Hang up the towels when you’re done.” Jastillian smiled. “Have fun.”
I took off my heavy wizard’s robe and boots, then my tunic and other undergarments. I crept into the heated pool, savoring every precious moment. I melted and moaned the second the water touched my skin. It was warm and comforting.
I grabbed some sponges and washed myself clean of the trials I’d been through. While I scrubbed the dirt out from under my fingernails, I couldn't help but think of the princess and what she might be going through now. She was strong, but Premier was a wizard.
I was thankful for Jastillian’s advice in dealing with other dwarves. Erlam’s ruling council was going to be a lot harder to convince than King Sharald. I wished I could have seen more of Erlam. I needed to get a feel for how the dwarves thought and what they cared about. The only thing I knew was that they didn’t care about me. That didn’t bother me. What bothered me was, did they care about Alexandria or the creatures from the Wastelands?
I sighed and squatted down farther in the water, dunking my head in. I thought about the arguments the dwarves might have and how I could counter them. I wasn’t a diplomat or a politician or any good with words. I couldn’t do this. It wasn’t good enough to try. I had to succeed. I must succeed.
I rinsed myself off. The now-brown water floated by and then circulated away, taking with it my thoughts and frustrations.
When I was done cleaning myself, I leaned back against the edge of the pool and drifted away, becoming lost in the serenity around me. The purple bruises on my thighs didn't bother me, nor did my sore muscles. My exhausted body was at peace in the warm water. It wanted me to sleep, but my mind wouldn’t let me.
I kept thinking about the girl who needed my help, the wizard who stood in my way, and the dwarves I had to convince. To calm my nerves and clear my mind, I practiced my magic.
I latched onto the water mana, creating three gigantic bubbles in the pool. I used air to force them to rise out of the water. They hovered in front of me, and then I sent them flying around the room, bringing them to a halt before they hit anything and burst. I summoned them in front of me once more, then raised my hand out of the pool. A stream of fire came forth, popping all three bubbles.
I created five more bubbles. I zipped these around the room while I shot fire out of my hands. It was a simple exercise, but using more than one type of mana simultaneously always was a strain on the user. Often-times, you had to grasp the mana both from inside yourself and from the environment. It would divide your attention and concentration and burden your mind, will, and body.
I crafted both the fire and the water into more complicated shapes as my exercise went on. Water in the shape of cats was chased down by fire dogs. Water flies flew by before being munched by a fiery praying mantis. The magic electrified the room, fire and water splashing and sizzling everywhere.
I breathed heavily, letting the exercise clear my mind, focusing only on the magic and what I had to do to maintain it. I went faster, and my spells became stronger every time I thought of Premier and how he had mocked me and wanted to harm the princess. I got so absorbed that I didn’t hear Jastillian come in.
“Lad,” Jastillian said.
His voice broke my concentration, and my fire dissipated. The water in the air stopped dead before plummeting to the ground. Water splashed on my head. I wiped it from my eyes.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Jastillian said.
“That’s all right. I was just performing some exercises.” I put a wrinkled hand to my throbbing forehead. The magic must have taken more out of me than I thought. I looked around the room, noticing that water had gotten everywhere. “Sorry about the mess.”
Jastillian laughed. “Nothing to forgive, lad. It's only water and it'll dry up sooner or later. That was quite an impressive show you just put on. It never ceases to amaze me, the things you wizards can do.”