One fortnight.

Fourteen nights. Two weeks. Half of a moon cycle. One fortnight.

That was all the time Nerluce had. Taayir said that if Nerluce ought to take a break, to rest and come at it with a clear mind. Lyana said that she was sure that it would click for him in time. Eko just gave him a pitying look before mumbling some vague words of encouragement. Aristide... well, Nerluce didn't know what Aristide was thinking.

"You seriously don't have any advice for me?" Nerluce asked.

Aristide frowned and tipped his head to one side, looking like a pathetically cute puppy as he thought. Only to say, "No."

Nerluce let out a cry of frustration.

With a huff, Aristide went back to picking hay out of one of the horses' manes. That wasn't a part of their duties but Aristide liked doing it regardless. Something about the reputation of Ethera being on the line but Nerluce was pretty sure that he did it just because he liked being around the horses. "Either it will happen or it won't," Aristide said. "I don't know why you're bothering to put so much pressure on something you have no control over."

"Oh, I don't know, probably because the result will determine whether or not I can stay in Ethera!" Nerluce cried. Whether or not he could stay with his friends, with his teachers, with Kierli. Whether or not he could stay with Aristide.

Did he seriously not care?

"Just-" Aristide pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just don't think about it too hard."

"That is not helpful," Nerluce said.

"Well, what is helpful for me most likely won't be helpful for you." Aristide opened the door of the stall that Nerluce was hanging on, pushing Nerluce back, so that he could exit. "In fact, my advice might hurt you more than help."

"I am desperate at this point," Nerluce said. "I have a fortnight to learn. One fortnight, Aristide. It doesn't matter at this point."

Aristide frowned and walked to the next stall, Lilith's. Nerluce didn't have the courage to follow him in but he did hang on the door once more. Lilith most likely wouldn't try to kill him. Most likely. She was in an awful mood lately and not even the treats Nerluce brought her seemed capable of soothing her temper. Not only was she meaner than ever, but she was also bigger than ever, her stomach swollen with foal.

Raising two fingers, Aristide collected a pool of water in the air and guided it steadily into Lilith's water bucket. If only Nerluce's Affinity was for water. Or air or earth. Fire was such a difficult element to master and Nerluce's true Affinity wasn't... well it wasn't something he ever wanted to use again.

And then, much to Nerluce's surprise, Aristide lifted his fingers again. Was he collecting more water? What for? Only... it wasn't water that formed but slowly, almost in the exact same way as the water had collected, a small pool of liquid fire appeared. Lilith snorted and stomped her hoof, irritated by the flame. Aristide dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"Did you see?" Aristide asked, not looking at Nerluce as he stoked Lilith, calming her down.

"You're extremely talented?" Nerluce said, not really sure what Aristide wanted him to see. "Taayir said that you're a once in a century talent."

Aristide scoffed. "Did you see how I created the fire?"

"Like you... created the water?" Nerluce asked.

Apparently, that stupid answer was the one that Aristide wanted as he nodded, slowly. And then, now that Lilith was steady, he turned back to Nerluce. "Not much is known about those with a Life Affinity," Aristide said. "We don't study forbidden techniques. In fact, I believe Ethera would much rather forget them entirely." He sighed and shook his head like this was something he was genuinely saddened by.

"I would much rather forget them too," Nerluce said. "Life Magick isn't something... to be used. It's cruel."

"Of course," Aristide said. "But not knowing things is cruel too."

"In what way?"

Aristide sighed and shook his head. "Nerluce, I am able to summon fire by thinking of it as water. I control it in the way I control water. That's why my fire is more... fluid than those with a Fire Affinity."

"Okay," Nerluce said. Aristide was jumping all over the place with this conversation. "What are you saying?"

"Maybe, instead of trying to summon fire as fire," Aristide said, "you ought to summon it as... life?"

"No," Nerluce said.

Aristide shrugged. "This is the reason why I thought my advice might hurt you more than help you," he said. "But this is the most common piece of advice given to anyone learning to create fire who is not of a fire Affinity."

"But-" Nerluce looked down. Lilith stomped her hoof and snorted. "That exactly Lilith!" He pointed to the mare. "Exactly that."

Aristide shot Nerluce a nasty look before he went over to stroke Lilith's neck. "Easy... easy." He gently soothed the mare. "I know. Nerluce is an idiot who wants advice but gets upset when I give it to him."

Nerluce gave Aristide an even nastier look, though his back was turned and he could not see it. "I am not upset... well I am. Angel, that just isn't practical. What if... what if... I don't summon fire and instead, I summon..." He shook his head. No. No! It wasn't worth the risk or the temptation. No. "There has to be another way."

"You could get it the normal way," Aristide said. "Just be patient with yourself."

"But I don't have the time..."

"I know," Aristide said. "I know." He turned and looked at Nerluce with something very sad in his eyes. "We could work on it in my training room. There will be no plants or animals and I could even leave you alone so that I won't be in any danger."

"Aristide..." Nerluce said. "That's... that's your room. I can't kick you out of it."

"When have you cared about giving me privacy?" Aristide asked, with a dry smile. "I am giving you permission. It will be fine."

"What if it isn't, though?" Nerluce asked.

Aristide considered this, just as he considered Nerluce's first request, head tipped and eyes far away. "Well... it is my duty to stop you. If you ever use the forbidden Magicks again." He looked down. "But... if it was an accident... well you could atone by taking your own life and then no shame will befall either your name or your family name after death."

That- that was not what Nerluce wanted to hear.

"There is no way I am doing this," Nerluce said. "I'd rather be..." Would he rather be sent home? Stripped away from the people that he loved and cared about most in this world? Would he really rather return to that icy place of cold words and colder actions? But... death? He swallowed, hard. Either way, he felt like he was gambling with his life. "How... how likely is it? When you were trying to get fire, how many times did you pull water?"

"A couple," Aristide admitted. "Water is in the air. It's... very hard to escape from." He cleared his throat. "But if there is nothing for you to summon... it is very unlikely..."

Life was hard to get away from too.

Nerluce squeezed his eyes shut. "Do you think I may accidentally summon something? Do you think that's likely? I can't- I don't want to return home. I don't want to leave."

"I think that... unless you were exceptionally talented, nothing should happen," Aristide said.

And they both knew that he was not.

Nerluce let out a sigh. "Okay. Okay, I'll try it."

Lilith stomped her hoof and whinnied.

"Do you think she's cheering for me or calling me an idiot?" Nerluce asked narrowing his eyes at the fat black horse.

Aristide stroked her a couple more times. "I think she is telling you that you ought to head to the room now," he said. "I won't need it tonight."

"Why not?" Nerluce asked.

Lilith curled her lip as if sneering at him. Nerluce sneered right back.

"Leave her alone," Aristide scolded.

"I think she's mocking me," Nerluce protested, gesturing to the restless and grumpy mare. "Lilith, don't you know that not all of us can be as infinitely talented as our Angel?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head.

In response, Lilith whinnied again and pawed at the ground.

"She really is bullying me!" Nerluce said.

"No, she is not," Aristide said, pushing open the stall. "She's going into labor. She does not care about you in the slightest."

"She's- she's what?"

Aristide paused and raised a brow. "She was due any day now. Did you not know?"

"No! I thought it would be a while more..."

"I was worried because it was taking so long," Aristide mumbled. He then shook his head to refocus himself and looked back up at Nerluce. "I am going to get the stable master and stay here to make sure the birth goes well. You are free to use my training room to your heart's content. None of the disciples should say anything to you."

"Are you sure? Do you want me to stay here with you instead?" Nerluce asked.

"I will be fine," Aristide said. "And so will Lilith. You will only get in the way and make the both of us more nervous."

Nerluce scowled. "I won't."

"You will," Aristide said. "Go. And tell Fobi to keep Kierli with her for the night. I have no idea when I'll be back."

"Alright," Nerluce said, turning to leave, but before he did he was suddenly struck with an incredibly stupid idea. He turned back around and gripped Aristide in a hug. "If I die tonight, I'm going to the gods and we are going to make your life a very misfortunate thing." He offered Aristide a weak smile. "Good luck with the horse birth."

Aristide snorted softly and, almost reluctantly, gave Nerluce the slightest hug back. "If you die tonight, I will light you an incense stick every day. Good luck."

With that, they broke apart, and with one last look, they separated for the night.