Argent Eye IV

13

After I ate some lunch, I went back into the gym to meet Alex- on the way, I noticed that she was sat at one of the computer desks. She stood up when she saw me walking towards her.

"Ah, Millie- are you up for some more tests?" She asked.

I nodded. "Sure."

She seemed happy that I was, and so led me back to the gym. "I worried that perhaps I'd tired you out too quickly." She chuckled.

"I mean, I am a little tired, but not too bad." I said.

"Good good." She said. She took me past the treadmills, and to the weights- I'd never even lifted weights before, and when I thought about it, I hadn't really used my powers to give me physical strength that often. Not intentionally, anyway.

Alex then motioned for me to take a seat.

"I mean, I think you can guess what we're about to do here." She said.

I nodded, and so we commenced. Once again, she wanted to see what I could do without the aid of any elemental powers, and then to tell her whenever I used any elements. I explained to her that all of the elements could give some degree of extra strength, but of course, she already knew this.

"Have you ever lifted anything unusually heavy?" She asked. "Like, something a human wouldn't be able to?"

I shook my head. "No, not really." I said.

"Okay, sure." She said. "I've noticed that super strength is something that builds within Argents the more they practice, so don't worry too much about not going very far today."

"Okay." I said.

"Maybe this time, just use the element that would help you the most." She said.

I nodded. Of course, metal was what would be most beneficial. It was still my weakest element, although I no longer had a mental block that stopped me from using it. It would also give me greater physical strength than any of the other elements, despite this.

"Have you thought about combining multiple elements?" Alex asked, after I successfully lifted a very heavy weight.

I frowned. "I have done it before." I said. The most elements I'd used at once was when I'd destroyed the chalice with Adam, using earth, water, air and fire, all at the same time. "Not often though, and not for this kind of thing."

She nodded. "I think that your physical strength could be greatly enhanced if you combined the metal element with the earth. I would be very interested to see your limits with this."

"I can try." I said.

"Come." She said, and took me further into the gym and through to another room. It had a huge machine in the middle of it, and at first, I wondered what it could be for. There was a platform on the floor, and also something on the ceiling.

"This machine can simulate a number of different weights." Alex began. "You need to stand in the centre of the platform, and then the compressor above you will come down and replicate the weight I have programmed into the system. For example, I could program the weight of a small car, or a bus, or even an aeroplane."

"I mean, an aeroplane might be pushing it." I chuckled. I hadn't even thought of the prospect of lifting a car- it just seemed a little extreme, and not something I've ever had to do.

"We can start off small." She said. "Whilst you work here, testing will occur every few months to see how you progress."

I nodded. "Okay." I said.

"Just stand in the middle of the platform." She instructed, and so I did. Alex pushed a few buttons that seemed to boot up the machine, before the compressor started to come down. "Are you ready?" She asked.

I looked up at the metal platform thing above my head, and then back at Alex. "I think so."

"Just say stop whenever you like." She said. "I'm going to start you off with the same weights as what we were doing out there. That will give you time to build your strength up."

"Okay." I said, and raised my hands, ready.

The compressor thing came down, and immediately I reached for the metal, channelling it through my veins and body and focusing it in my arms, legs and back. The compressor landed on my hands, and I was surprised at how much it felt like I was actually lifting something- it would go up and down whenever I pushed against it.

"Increasing weight now." Alex said, and I could feel it. I could feel the weight pushing me down, trying to crush me. If I let go, it would surely do that- I wondered if there were any safety mechanisms that stopped it if things went south.

Literally.

Alex continued to up the weight, until I was beginning to struggle with using just the metal. It wasn't enough. I could feel a bead of sweat making its way down my temple, and it took all my strength not to wipe it away and lose concentration.

"You think you can try using another element?" Alex asked, seeing me struggle.

I didn't nod, because I worried that any loss of concentration would be the end of me, however, I did as she suggested. I thought back to when I'd channelled multiple elements through my body before destroying the chalice. That was four elements, so surely two would be far easier?

Whilst keeping the metal concentrated in my muscles, I also reached out for the earth. It wasn't too difficult, seeing as we were based underground, but I had to somehow combine the earth with the metal already inside me. It felt as though the metal had filled my muscles, and now I had to make room for the earth as well. Like I had to compress them both together in the same space.

Still, I kept my focus. I envisioned the metal intertwining with the earth in my body, letting them fuse together...

Suddenly, the compressor felt a lot lighter, and I was able to push it further above my head. Soon after, Alex continued to increase the weight, until I was no longer able to bare it.

My arms felt like jelly, and my legs ached as I walked over to where Alex was- she was looking at a monitor.

"Impressive." She said. "You were able to lift the equivalent of a medium sized car. Perhaps along the lines of an Audi A4."

My eyebrows went up- I wasn't expecting to be able to lift that much. "Nice." I said.

"Indeed." She said. "And that was only combining two of your weaker elements. Perhaps eventually you will learn to use all of your elements at the same time."

I nodded, although wasn't entirely sure when that would be. Four was difficult enough, but all seven? We'd have to see.

I heard a beeping noise then, and Alex looked at her phone, and then up at me. "Oh, it's Penelope- she'd like to see you whenever you're done here." She said. "Which is now, actually. You're probably exhausted."

I chuckled- she wasn't wrong. I felt tired from using the lightning this morning, and now my muscles ached from my heavy lifting session. "Yeah, just a little." I said.

Alex smiled. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Millie." She said. "I may or may not be monitoring you tomorrow, so I will see you when I see you. All the best- one of the Dreamwalkers should be waiting outside to take you to Penelope."

She held her hand out, and I shook it, smiling. "Thanks, Alex."

"Bye, Millie." She said.

"Bye." I said, and I left.

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