The sun was up.
She was walking back towards the estate after her run.
Her heavy footsteps on the countryside road kicking up dust every time she lifts her foot.
She was soaked through.
But she felt better than her previous run.
Slowly, the daily practice with Ella was starting to pay off.
She was just sweating a bit less than the last run.
Or perhaps she was just imagining it.
On the way back to her estate, something caught her attention.
There seemed to be a riot brewing just outside the outer palisade.
She found a screen of trees that was just thick enough to conceal her.
At least from the crowd that was paying little heed to her.
It was the delivery convoy. A line of RazenHeir recruits was holding the line against a mob that was trying to push their way into the delivery carts.
"Ivory berries. That's my breakfast they are trying to mob."
Hikari watched on.
Normally, she would want to avoid getting involved as much as possible.
Accidentally crushing a person, even common peasants and beggars would cause endless problems for her Lady Ria.
The RazenHeir recruits valiantly held the line, but they were severely outnumbered by farmers who matched them in physical strength.
"I better do something. But what?"
As she repositioned herself for a better view, her ankle accidentally slid out of her flat.
Her morning run was released in a burst.
It smells bad even for her.
"Hope I can do something about this before my next major battle. It does put me at a tactical disadvantage."
The wind brushed against her silvery hair as she slid her flats back on.
"Maybe I should air them a bit before getting back to the estate. But that would release them onto the town folk."
She continued observing the unfolding riot over her breakfast.
The line was buckling.
Hikari looked around.
Perhaps she could grab a tree trunk.
"It's been a while. But I think I was banned from doing crowd control. I think I'll break a ribcage if I use that. Or worse."
She shrugs.
It's better to stay out of trouble.
Just as she was about to get up, her stomach growled.
She looked over at the riot.
The carts were carrying at least several days worth of food for her.
"I guess I have to do something."
She looked down at her flats.
They were coated in a dry outer layer of brown.
She took them off.
Her socks touched the raw earth of the countryside.
"At least this isn't a fresh pair."
The wind blew.
Hikari paused.
All of a sudden the riot started dying down.
"Urk, what's that smell?"
The rioters wrapped their arms around their faces.
This was the defender's chance.
They seized the moment, pushing the rioters back, knocking them off balance with all their remaining strength.
Unlike the rioters, they were not equally affected by the sudden stench.
Hikari watched.
She felt herself blushing.
"Fine."
She pinched her flats with one hand and lifted them up above the tree line.
Then, she lifted one foot out off the ground and pointed her sole in the direction of the riot.
As the wind died down, she channeled her mana and telekinetically pushed the air, artificially creating her own.
It worked.
The crowd soon dispersed.
Grumbling and moaning as they limped back into the woods.
Hikari quickly put her flats back on and snuck away.
She was back at the estate.
She paused in front of her chambers.
Her normal stretch exercises.
She could hear the head maid stomping towards her.
Before she was caught, she strides past her curtain door.
She paused at the doorway.
Her chambers were empty.
Her armour pieces to her left.
She glanced at the ground before her feet.
There was nothing but a doormat lying still on stone.
She undressed and washed up.
Her breakfast was delayed so she started her meditation.
Fortunately, mana control exercises could be safely done on an empty stomach.
She closed her eyes and focused in.
A sudden gush of energy coursed through her body.
She felt nauseous, but she held it in.
Slowly, she reduced the flow, holding it as steady as she could.
It was still shaky, but it was a flow where she could maintain a steady, low powered barrage for an extended period.
Or maintain her gliding for long distances.
Her physical condition was stabilizing.
It felt better to get back into a regular training regime.
She was still sweating more than she should.
Feeling confident, she held out her hands, palms facing the ceiling.
She held the position to stabilize her mana flow again.
Then, she channeled it to her hands.
A spark, followed by a brilliant RazenHeir flame illuminating the entire room.
The flame touched the ceiling igniting it.
"Ivory berries." Hikari cursed.
She opened her eyes and looked up.
The ceiling of stone burned with the RazenHeir flame
She stood up and raised her palm touching the ceiling.
"Retrieve"
The flames were sucked back into her hand.
Luckily, the stone her chamber was made of does not get easily charred.
She had avoided using her flames since she cleared the last mana vein.
Unlike her telekinesis, casting her flames does cause blowback which the RazenHeir knights take at least a year's training before attempting their first cast.
Her hands felt warm.
As though some fibres buried within her arm were just untangled.
She felt strong.
The flames she just unleashed with just a small fraction of her power was enough to burn a dire ent.
Not immediately, as the RazenHeir flames take a while to burn their foes.
But it was enough power to eventually consume their foe and would have taken beyond an adept level mage to dispel.
"Look, Ria."
She looked around her chambers.
It was empty.
She sat back down and continued her training.
She was burning up just a little.
Using the technique Ella taught her, she expelled the excess heat from her body.
"Your breakfast is here."
The stablehand's voice came from outside.
Her food crate arrived.
It was slightly delayed, but it arrived nonetheless.
The curtains opened and Ella appeared.
Hikari just finished dropping the ingredients in.
Ella started the stove.
As their breakfast cooked, Hikari meditated with Ela.
They practiced regulating Hikari's body temperature.
Hikari opens her eyes.
Cupping her palms together, she released a burst of wyvern flame.
The flame pillar touched the ceiling and scorched it.
Wyvern flame burns stronger but its harder to maintain its form when exposed to the air.
"I guess I don't mind some bad decor."
She felt the heat in her hands.
Ella slithered back in front of her and placed her scaled claws on her palms.
"(Release the heat. Relax.)"
Hikari relaxed and allowed the half wyvern to do her work.
She felt the heat leaving her hands.
There was just a lingering numb feeling.
She looked up.
Ella looked at her with her tamed eyes, smiling at her attentively, her tail wagging.
"How am I?"
"(Ella thinks Hikari is doing great. Hikari is learning Ella's mana flow well.)"
"Thats good."
She tried to move her fingers.
It was normal.
"I feel good too. I'm not sweating as much."
"(Ella is happy. But)"
Hikari looks at Ella.
"(Ella thinks Hikari's mana flow is still unstable. But Hikari's body seems fine? Ella thinks Hikari might be worried about something.)"
Hikari blinks at her quietly.
The cauldron lid starts knocking.
"Let's eat first."