Book 2, Chapter 106 - Instructing the Instructors (2/2)

Focus. One problem at a time.

He had to convince these three. Not just to make his time here easier, but to avoid that bastard Frost’s schemes. He felt he understood the relic’s nature now, and with a leap soared three meters into the air. At the peak of his trajectory, he poured his psychic energy into the boots and pushed. The boots bore down, glowing with light, then released a burst of teal energy.

It was like stepping on a spring.

With a whoosh he rocketed another eight or nine meters, fast and hard to control. He almost smashed into the ground, but luckily he managed to push off with his hands and flip back into the air. He ultimately landed nimbly on his feet.

The three instructors stared in shock. He’d channeled the boots!

He had the ability to use wind-type relics!

What was even harder to understand was that even if he did have the talent for wind relics, he’d only just put those boots on. How could he have mastered them right away? Demonhunters needed time to become familiar with their tools, to break them in. That process could be as quick as a week or as long as six months, then they were confident enough to use a relic properly. Before that point their power was unstable. Cloudhawk, however, simply slipped the windstep boots onto his feet and could use them naturally.

For his part, Cloudhawk didn’t know he was doing something so extraordinary. He stamped his feet illustratively and sighed with satisfaction. “Nice boots. Just walking across the breeze, they deserve their reputation. With these you can rush right through the enemy like a gust of wind. Only…”

Natessa saw him hesitate and pressed for more. “Only what?”

“The windstep boots aren’t just about windbursts to get you up in the air.” He looked down at the teal boots as he spoke. “I’m pretty sure they’re also a nasty weapon!”

Natessa was speechless.

Like most demonhunters from aristocratic families, the windstep boots were a family heirloom. Never once had anyone in her family suggested these boots could be used offensively. It was natural for her to doubt Cloudhawk’s assertion.

He knew that merely saying so wasn’t going to convince them, but he wasn’t intending to deceive anyone. “Well, talking about it isn’t going to prove anything. You’ll see when we try. Look closely.”

Practice dummies were arrayed around the training areas. They were the same sort he’d seen at the House of Demonhunters, designed to test relics.

With a deep breath Cloudhawk focused his intention on his feet. The pair of boots began to radiated with a teal hue and air concentrated around them, rippling. Violent gusts centered on the relic, and under Cloudhawk’s guidance started to coalesce. Bit by bit it started to form an orb of power.

“Watch!”

Cloudhawk lifted a foot. The teal orb rose with it.

He swung his leg, and the orb shot out. It struck the wooden dummy and abruptly released all its stored energy at once. The flood of power blew a chunk off the model, like a truck plowed through it. The impact sent it spiraling through the air where it hit the ground with a thud, ten meters away.

“What do you think? Now do you believe me?” Cloudhawk turned back to the instructors. “Your boots are able to condense air, allowing you to walk on it but also throw it out like a bomb. I’m sure Instructor Windham’s combat effectively will double once she masters this.”

Each of them openly gaped at the young man.

Natessa was amazed to find that, with a minor adjustment, the boots she used to traipse across the sky could also be used as an attack relic.

“Here, let me give these back.” Cloudhawk removed the windstep boots and handed them back to Natessa. Over the last several days he’d paid close attention to the instructors – Natessa and Dumont particularly – so he was well prepared. “As for the specifics, I’d be happy to explain them once the mission is complete.”

So that was how he planned to deal with this problem, she realized. He was worth something now, he had to come back alive.

What about Frost? It didn’t matter! Hell’s Valley was an independent organization, elysian rules didn’t apply to them. At worst some of the families might kick up a fuss, but that wasn’t worth losing sleep over.

But Eckard had a bad feeling about this.

Instructors weren’t afraid of training a bunch of idiots. What troubled them most was finding a student with talent. There was a chance they could surpass their teachers. How could they have any peace then? The way things were looking with Cloudhawk, he’d already reached that point and more. Nothing good was going to come of this!