The Ytherrian Luminary

Xalin approached the young earthbender, eager to begin his training in the ways of earth manipulation. The man, tall and muscular, barely glanced at Xalin as he continued moving boulders with ease, shaping the earth beneath him like clay. The young Luminary was filled with anticipation, but as he opened his mouth to speak, the man cut him off.

"I know why you're here," the earthbender said, his voice gruff. "You want me to teach you earth manipulation, don't you?"

Xalin nodded, feeling a surge of hope. "Yes, I need to learn earthbending to complete my Luminary training. Please, teach me."

The man paused, turning his head to look at Xalin for the first time. His expression was hard, and his gaze was sharp. "I don't teach strangers, especially not those who come from the sky and think they can just waltz in here asking for favors."

Xalin's heart sank. "But I—"

The earthbender raised a hand to silence him. "I don't have time for you. But if you're serious about learning, there's a place you can go. An underground arena, just outside the town. Fighters there compete using their elemental abilities. Some of them are the best earthbenders you'll ever see. If you can hold your own there, maybe one of them will agree to teach you."

Before Xalin could argue, the man turned back to his training, dismissing him without another word.

---

In Town

The bustling town was alive with activity. People moved quickly between stalls, vendors shouted out their wares, and children ran through the streets. Xalin, Lira, and Kell had split up to cover more ground. Xalin was determined to find the underground arena the earthbender had mentioned, while Lira and Kell had their eyes set on acquiring scrolls to improve their abilities.

Lira and Kell wandered into a dimly lit shop near the town's edge, its windows covered by old, tattered curtains. The sign outside read "Captain Grey's Curiosities", and the moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by the smell of saltwater and leather. It was immediately clear that the shop was owned by pirates.

Behind the counter, a large, bearded man with an eye patch grinned at them. "Well, well, what do we have here? You two look like you're in the market for something special."

Lira and Kell exchanged a glance before stepping forward.

"We're looking for scrolls," Lira said, her tone cautious. "Blood manipulation techniques, and shadow magic."

The pirate's grin widened as he reached under the counter and pulled out two scrolls. "These are rare, valuable, and deadly. But they come at a steep price."

Kell raised an eyebrow. "How much?"

"More than you can afford, lad," the pirate laughed. "We're talking forty thousand gold pieces each."

Lira's eyes widened. "That's ridiculous. We don't have that kind of money."

Before the pirate could respond, there was a sudden commotion at the back of the shop. A little girl, no older than seven, darted through the crowd, her hands quick and nimble. In a flash, she grabbed a jewel from the counter and bolted for the door. As the pirates scrambled to catch her, the girl stomped on the ground with surprising strength, creating a hole in the earth beneath her feet. She vanished into the tunnel she created, leaving the pirates dumbfounded.

"What in the—?!" Kell exclaimed, watching as the pirates started digging at the hole, only to find that the earth had sealed itself shut.

Lira's eyes narrowed. "She was an earthbender."

Kell smirked. "Well, while they're distracted..." He eyed the scrolls and slipped them into his cloak, using his Shadow Travel skill to meld into the shadows. In an instant, he disappeared from the shop, reappearing in the forest outside of town.

---

In the Forest

Kell leaned against a tree, catching his breath after his escape. He unwrapped the stolen scrolls, his curiosity piqued by what lay within. As he opened the shadow magic scroll, his eyes widened in awe. The techniques described within were unlike anything he had seen before. One of the first spells, "Shadow Form", allowed the user to fully merge with the shadows, becoming intangible for a short time. Another, "Shadow Puppeteer", described how to control the shadows of others, manipulating their movements like marionettes.

"This... this is incredible," Kell whispered to himself.

Meanwhile, not far from where Kell sat, Lira had settled on a large rock, her attention fixed on the blood manipulation scroll. As she read through the ancient text, her mind raced. The techniques described in the scroll were powerful, far beyond what she had learned on her own. There was a spell called "Blood Marionette", which allowed the user to control their enemies by manipulating the blood within their bodies. Another, "Blood Mirage", created illusions made of blood, capable of deceiving even the sharpest eyes.

"I never knew blood magic could be this advanced," Lira said, her fingers tracing the delicate runes on the parchment.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the new knowledge they had acquired. Both were overwhelmed by the potential these scrolls held, but there was also a sense of danger. These techniques were not only powerful, but they also came with a cost—one that neither Kell nor Lira fully understood yet.

---

Meanwhile, at the Underground Arena

Xalin found himself standing before a large, stone doorway embedded into the side of a mountain. Above the entrance, carved into the stone, was the symbol of the earth—a jagged mountain peak. The arena wasn't far from the town, but its location was hidden from the average traveler. Only those who knew where to look could find it.

As Xalin entered, the sounds of cheering and clashing stone echoed through the underground hall. The arena was a massive, circular pit, with stone platforms rising and falling as fighters battled atop them. Earthbenders of all kinds were showing off their abilities, shifting the ground beneath them, creating walls, spikes, and even weapons made of stone.

Xalin's eyes darted around, taking in the sight. These were the fighters the earthbender had mentioned—men and women who had mastered earth manipulation, testing their strength in combat.

"This is it," Xalin muttered to himself. "If I'm going to learn earthbending, I need to prove myself here."

He gripped his new glider tightly, feeling the wind shift around him as he watched the battles unfold. This was the first step toward completing his training. But deep down, Xalin knew that the path ahead wouldn't be easy. The earth was a stubborn, unmoving element—one that required strength, patience, and resilience. All things he would need to master if he wanted to unlock his full potential as the Luminary.

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