January 30, 2019, 1:44 pm. Seconds before Ice capades begin.

The ice castle rises above me, seeming to get larger with every step I take. Which is totally possible. It did just form out of mana.

Inside, the castle is decorated with empty ice paintings, and ice sculptures with no faces. They're vaguely human in form though. Only two arms, and no sign of claws. It's weird how much more creepy that makes them than if they'd been K'tharn-like. The rooms are all sealed behind thin doors of ice, and I continue following the main hall until I enter a ballroom. Inside are several tables, set back from the grand staircase that leads down. It all seems a bit much for what's supposed to be a simple challenge.

Following the staircase, I notice one of the tables has a wavering flame over it. Even if it hadn't been the only thing of note, Smoulder's interest would've ensured it was the first thing I investigated. As we get close, the flame flickers, growing brighter for a second before returning to normal.

I'm less than three paces away when I get a notification.

"Would you like to start the basic Ice Manipulation Challenge, Control-1 for 0.1 Focus?"

Unable to help myself, I snicker at the Focus cost. Then I accept the prompt. The flame refocuses into a little round circle, a small cube of ice forming on a plate on the table as I get a new notification.

"Move the cube of Ice through the flame without letting it melt."

I glance at the cube, then back at the circle. Then back at the cube.

With a shrug, I lift the cube into the air and send it through the circle.

"Congratulations! Basic Ice Manipulation Challenge, Control-1 complete. Would you like to start Basic Ice Manipulation Challenge, Power-1 for 0.1 Focus?"

That... was it? Seriously? I didn't even...

Right, no looking gift horses in the mouth. Accepting the second prompt, the flame shifts to a solid orb.

"Suppress the flame orb with the cube of Ice provided."

Waving my hand for effect, I move the cube of ice around the flame. I don't use it directly, instead letting it form a perfect airtight cube. And I almost fail the test when Smoulder glares at me. But then the flame puffs out. Smoulder huffs as the notification dings, but settles down when the flame pops back into existence.

"Congratulations! Basic Ice Manipulation Challenge, Power-1 complete. Would you like to start Basic Ice Manipulation Challenge, Flexibilty-1 for 0.1 Focus?"

Again, I confirm the prompt. This time the flame splits into eight different flames. Then they start moving in a circle. Very, very slowly.

Instead of a cube, this time I'm given a spoked wheel, similar to the trial that Rufka ended up in. And the notification informs me I just need to keep it moving between the flames. I follow the instructions, and soon I get a notification telling me I've completed the challenge. And get a new notification asking if I'd like to try the test for Control-2. Which is the same as Control-1, except there are two flaming circles.

The entire sequence repeats, with only tiny increases in difficulty until I complete Flexibility-3.

As soon as I'm done, I get a new notification.

"Congratulations! You've completed all Basic Ice Manipulation Challenges!"

"Rewards: 0.1 Mana Edge. 1 Iron Rank Integration point."

"Zone Quest updated: Complete the Basics. Requirements 1/8 Basic Elementalist Challenge Areas Completed. Rewards: 10 iron rank integration points, 1 iron rank class progression point. Time: 12/12 days remaining."

I stare at the update, squinting my eyes. "There's no way it's that easy. Where's the challenge?"

Waiting, I glance around the ice ballroom. But the System doesn't respond by throwing another challenge my way. Sighing, I walk out of the ice castle, back to the centre island. Tipan is making her way back from the wind island, and I decide to do it next. It's just as easy.

It only takes me an hour to make it through every challenge except the fire trial. And that's only because I have to wait for Josh and Rose to finish. Who are still doing all the trials together. When they finally make their way back to the island, I cross with Smoulder. While it's as easy as the rest of the islands, it's a lot more fun with Smoulder taking an active part. Which nearly causes me to fail the first of the control challenges when she dashes through the flame I'm controlling.

But then she gets distracted by the other decorative flames, and I'm able to complete the rest of the challenges with ease, getting the usual notifications, including the quest update. And one notification I didn't expect.

"Zone Quest Hidden objective completed: Complete the Basics. Hidden requirement: Complete all Basic Challenges without failing. Rewards: 1.0 Mana Edge."

"Zone Quest updated: Complete the Basics. Requirements: Defeat the Basic Elementals with your party. Time until start: 1 hour after all party members have completed the Basic Manipulation Challenges. Rewards: 10 iron rank integration points, 1 iron rank class progression point. 12/12 days remaining."

The extra mana edge is cool, but looking at my Status, it's barely a bump up. Nice to have though for such an easy quest. And if there are more dungeons like this one, they could really add up.

Collecting Smoulder from where she's batting around a flaming rock, I make my way back to the central island. Tipan joins me soon after. Rufka is the next to join us, plopping down in the grass, completely soaked.

"I hate Water manipulation. I ever mention that?" Rufka huffs while staring at the empty sky above.

"Don't think you have," I reply, whisking the water right out of her fur while depositing the dirt to the side. "And aren't you good at it?"

"Normally, sure. But normally, I don't have to weave a stream of water through a pile of dirt without turning it into mud."

"I thought that was rather easy," Tipan remarks even as she sets a folding table between us.

"No disagreement here. It even had holes in the dirt," I say as I motion for Rufka to sit up. And more importantly, to pull out Astra's stride. Kellica just left, and she's only done four of the challenges so far.

Rufka grunts as she pushes herself up, placing the board in its usual position. "Who needs to weave water like that though? Water's for getting rid of dirt, not avoiding it."

We continue bantering, and playing Astra's stride as the others finish their trials. When Josh and Rose pass through on their way to the metal challenge, Rose mentions that he's not getting any of the quest notifications, but he is getting the Mana Edge if he completes the challenges.

I look at Smoulder, and wonder if I can get her rewards by getting her to complete the challenges. But the thought of trying to convince her to do them immediately makes me drop the idea. Smoulder will be fine without a tiny boost to her mana-edge.

When Kellica comes back from her fifth trial, the Ice Castle (which is half the size for everyone else that it was for me), she sees us playing Astra's Stride and charges over. She spends a few seconds, pointing and gasping before she plops down next to the board, peering at it intensely. "It is real, isn't it?"

"Yep. Genuine Astra's Stride," Rufka declares proudly, crossing all four arms over her chest.

"No wonder you've all been finishing these trials so quickly! You already have your manipulation skills unlocked!"

"Wait," I say, leaning across the table to stare at Kellica. "You mean you didn't? How've you been finishing the challenges?"

Should I have addressed this before we started? Have I failed as a leader already?

Kellica mumbles something I can't understand, and out of reflex, I ask, "What?"

"I... did the ones I had the skills for first. And there's a training section that lets you unlock the skill if you don't have it. But it takes half an hour," she says, staring at the ground so hard I swear she's trying to light it on fire with her mind. Which would be possible, but I don't think she's done that challenge yet.

"Hmm. Faster than getting the skills through Astra's stride," Rufka notes, moving her piece... into a space that lets Tipan skip right over her.

"Well, at least you're unlocking all the skills, right?" I ask, trying to rouse Kellica's spirits. "So it's not like it's a waste of time. And we're not in a hurry. We do have twelve days."

"Right. I'll just," Kellica turns, not looking up at any of us as she charges towards the bridge to the metal challenge. Only to slam into an invisible barrier since Josh and Rose are inside.

She shakes herself off, glancing back to catch me looking at her before dashing towards the fire challenge. As she's running, Tipan calls out, "May Astra guide you!" Rufka and I join our encouragement to Tipan's but Kellica doesn't look back as she runs across the bridge, disappearing in the haze that surrounds the challenges.

"I'm starting to think mum did her a favour," Rufka says, finally looking in Kellica's direction. And managing to give Tipan another excellent move. I'm starting to think she's doing that on purpose.

As I contemplate my own move, I ask, "Oh, what makes you say that?"

Rufka's gaze moves back to me, as she raises her right eyebrows. "Other than her obvious lack of real world experience? And apparent ostracization from other users?"

"Yeah, other than that," I reply, trying not to blush as Rufka points it out to me.

"Oh, well, the fact she doesn't have all her elemental skills unlocked. And she's one of the Taken. Either someuser really liked her or... well, like she said. They make some users become Venom mages. Disposable tool, I'd guess," Rufka says while managing to set Tipan up for a third excellent move.

Luckily, this time I planned for it, and when Tipan takes her move, I follow up with my own. Which leads to me leaving myself completely open to Rufka's next move which gets her piece all the way into its final spot. Blinking, I return my attention to the conversation. "Disposable? Why train a Venom mage at all then?"

"Interrogations," Tipan says, holding her piece but not committing to a move. "She's being trained to produce the Venoms they use in interrogations. But if she's not properly trained..."

"They're only using her for the Venom," Rufka says, leaning back from the board while shooting me a wide grin. "Which means they're not treating her properly."

"I'm glad your mum assigned her to us then," I say, realizing that Rufka has successfully gutted my next few moves. "Maybe we can... you know, be her friends."

I'm not sure if my comment distracts her, or if Rufka is playing another mind game, but her next move is worse than the ones I thought were bad earlier. "You want to be friends with her?" There's an edge to her voice, causing me to look up at her instead of the game. She has her upper eyes closed, and her lower eyes are narrowed, staring at me.

"I mean... shouldn't we? It sounds like she could use some friends," I suggest, not paying attention as I make my move. Pretty sure Rufka's got me beat anyway.

"I'd be amenable to that. She seems like a decent person. If a little naive," Tipan says as she takes her turn.

"Ha!" Rufka declares, pointing her piece at Tipan. "You calling someone naive. That's funny, Skyborne."

"I'm sorry not all of us have the same breadth of experience wallowing in the mud as you," Tipan replies, lifting her nose slightly while giving me a wink that Rufka can't see.

"Wallowing? It's called training. And not so long ago, you were the one who had no idea what was beyond... Oh," Rufka says, shaking her head as she grins at us. "Well played, Skyborne. Well played."

Tipan follows up by moving her final piece across the board, managing to win the game as she says, "I rather thought so."

Laughter fills our little island as I reset the board. It's another three hours before Kellica finishes her final trial and comes running back. A new bridge forms, accompanied by a notification we've all been waiting for.

"Quest updated: Complete the Basics. Requirements: Defeat the Minor Elementals with your party. Time until start: 59:09. Rewards: 10 iron rank integration points, 1 iron rank class progression point. 12/12 days remaining."

Watching the shapes form at the edge of the floating disc, I stand up walking towards it.

The others follow until we're all standing on the platform, surrounded by glowing elemental energy. Once we're all on the island, a new prompt appears, asking if we'd like to start the challenge early.

Accepting, we all get ready. Then the elementals attack.

I pause time, shooting off an elemental arrow at each of them. Just a test, to see how strong they are.

The answer... not even strong enough for a single arrow.

Less than a second after the challenge begins, it ends, a new notification popping up.

"Zone Quest Hidden objective completed: Complete the Basics. Hidden requirement: Defeat Basic Elementals in less than a minute. Rewards: 1.0 Mana Edge."

"Quest updated: Complete the Basics. Requirements: Defeat the Basic Elementals with your party. Time until start: 59:09. Rewards: 10 iron rank integration points, 1 iron rank class progression point. 12/12 days remaining."

"Rest area unlocked."

"Quest received: Challenge Requested, Challenge Given. Requirements: Complete the remainder of Elementalist's Peak in less than five days 0/1. Rewards: Variable. 5/5 days remaining."

Reading through it, I look around at the rest of my party before grumbling under my breath.

Cause I'm pretty sure the tighter deadline is my fault.