𝑺𝒎𝒐𝒌𝒆 | 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑲𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒂𝒏 𝒙 𝑶𝑪

Seventeen

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She began to miss the lessons, went back to the spot that was scorched from training and it was empty. 

It seems the General took her avoiding him as confirmation that the lessons were over on her end.

She tried to train by herself, letting the inferno from within, out into the world. 

She lit a small fire using the gloves and then threw them down. She raised the fire, making it tall. She spread the fire, making it wide. Then she tried to spin the fire, moving it slowly so it would possibly be easier to make into a cylindrical shape that could protect her from all sides.

It didn't work. So she let the fire shrink back and then went to try again.

The same thing happened, so she tried again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

She was getting really frustrated.

"Get it together, Jolana!" she said to herself, "Like saints, you can make a wall of fire wide enough to cover a building but you can't make it round? How on Earth does that make sense!"

She tried one more time, raised her hands, pulled them apart, and curved them together. She strained and growled trying to hold onto and control it. The growl became a yell as she strained against nature. As she yelled she lost focus and the tall fire became a very widespread fire. She threw her hands down and looked around her. She had burned everything within about a mile of her. She was only about half a mile away from the Little Palace. 

Slowly the charred leaves began to fall from the trees, leaving a bunch of dead shrubberies and her alone.

She sighed and sat down at the center of the destruction. 

Jolana wouldn't say it out loud but seeing all that go down in flames was satisfying. She destroyed the beauty of the forest but it felt good. 

She sat with no companion, just her destruction.

-

Later, Jolana went back to the palace. She entered as though nothing had happened. Walking casually through the halls, she had her head somewhere else but was quickly brought back to reality when someone grabbed her arm.

"If you're going to destroy all the landscaping at least give some warning," the General said in a low voice. 

"So now you speak to me," she said taking her arm back

"You could've spoken to me," he retorted

"Well, I-" she started but quickly cut herself off, "Is there anything else you would like to say to me?"

"Have you heard?"

"About what?"

"About the festivities?"

"Festivities?" she said in surprise

"Well yes. People thought it would be good to have some sort of party to raise the spirits of everyone. Since it is taking a while to deal with the Fold,"

"Didn't see you as the party type?"

"I don't exactly like them but I enjoy the extravagance,"

"Extravagance? Like this is a fancy party?"

"Well yes, this is a palace. We aren't going to have like commoner parties with cheap liquor passed around,"

"So this is like a gathering of fancy people, like a gala?"

"A little less than a gala but there is a dress code,"

"A dress code?"

"You have a lot of questions," he pressed his lips together into a line

"Well, I don't do fancy parties,"

"Don't worry about it, I've sent Genya to be sure you and Alina are taken care of,"

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome,"

They then stood there unsure of what to say to each other.

"You'll be there?" he asked suddenly

"I don't know if people will want me there," she fidgeted with her hands "Everyone's kind of scared of me,"

"People fear what they can not control," he said surely, his eyes intently trained on hers.

She met his eyes and she inhaled quickly. They were a deep black color. If eyes were the window to the soul, his soul was as dark as his shadows. She realized it was her turn to speak,

"I'll try and be there,"

"Good, I want you there," he still hadn't looked away from her. He then took a little too long to say the next part, "I mean Alina will be happy to have you there,"

"Yeah of course," she held his gaze as long as he held hers, "For Alina," she gulped

He cleared his throat and quickly walked away, not saying anything else.