Dual Cultivation Path

Chapter Fifteen: Sparks of Desire

The Verdant Crest Academy hummed with the energy of a new day, its jade-tiled towers glinting under a midmorning sun that bathed the grounds in golden warmth. Roderic Vane strode alongside Barnaby Quill, their boots crunching on the stone path leading back to the Fire Element HQ, their scrolls updated with class schedules after the elemental affinity tests. Roderic's core thrummed with qi—fire and spirit now his chosen paths—his hazel eyes glinting with anticipation, though a restless heat simmered beneath, a lingering echo of his encounter with Cressida Lorne. Barnaby's sandy blond hair bounced as he walked, his pale blue eyes bright, his lopsided smile steady—wind and fire his elements, wind the stronger of the two.

Classes were starting, lectures designed to ground the novices in their chosen elements before practical training began. The Fire Element HQ loomed ahead, its red basalt walls streaked with scorch marks, smoke curling from the chimney like a dragon's breath. The massive iron door stood open, revealing the furnace-like interior where they'd tested their qi—a fitting stage for their first lesson. Roderic's grin widened, fire calling to him naturally, but Barnaby nudged him, scroll in hand. "Fire class first," he said, voice cheerful. "Think we'll learn something flashy?"

"Hope so," Roderic replied, his patched tunic swaying as they stepped inside, the heat hitting like a wave. "Burning stuff sounds better than sitting still."

The chamber was as they'd left it—walls lined with racks of glowing blades, braziers spitting flames, the air dry and blistering—but now rows of stone benches faced the central platform, already filling with novices. Twenty or so students settled in—clan heirs in silk, free admits in rags, a mix of eager and nervous faces—chatting low as they awaited the tutor. Roderic and Barnaby claimed spots near the front, the ruby orb from the test now gone, replaced by a wide slate board etched with flame runes, its surface shimmering with residual heat.

A figure stepped onto the platform, and the chatter hushed, eyes snapping forward. Seraphina Blaze—Roderic caught her name from a whisper among the students—was a vision of fire incarnate, her presence igniting the room more than the braziers ever could. She was tall and statuesque, her crimson robe clinging to a figure that was both fiery and sinfully sexy—full, round breasts pressing against the fabric, their shape unmistakable even beneath the loose cut, hips flaring wide in a sensual curve, and an ass that swayed with each step, plump and firm, drawing every gaze. Her skin was a sun-kissed bronze, glowing with a warmth that matched her element, and her hair tumbled in wild, fiery red waves past her shoulders, streaked with gold like embers caught in flame. Her eyes—amber, sharp, and smoldering—swept the room, lips painted red curling into a knowing smile that set Roderic's pulse racing.

"Welcome, novices," she said, her voice a sultry blaze, rich and warm, crackling with authority as she paced the platform, hands on her hips. "I'm Seraphina Blaze, your Fire Element tutor. You've chosen fire—or it's chosen you. Today, we begin with its essence—its heat, its hunger, its will. Pay attention, or you'll burn out."

Roderic barely heard her words, his mind tumbling into a haze of lewd thoughts that drowned out the lecture's start. Her figure—gods, that figure—consumed him, her crimson robe clinging just enough to tease the curves beneath, her breasts bouncing faintly as she gestured, her ass swaying as she turned to the slate. He imagined her closer, robe slipping off to reveal that bronze skin, those full breasts bare and pressed against him, nipples hard as he sucked them with a hunger that pulsed hot and wild in his veins. His cock stiffened, throbbing in his patched trousers, the heat in his gut—that strange, relentless simmer since the relic—flaring into a fire he couldn't quench. He shifted on the bench, jaw tight, lust coiling tight and unyielding.

She drew a rune on the slate, chalk sparking as she spoke—something about fire's dual nature, destruction and creation—but Roderic's eyes stayed glued to her, tracing the curve of her waist, the swell of her hips, imagining her bent over that platform, his hands gripping her ass, her fiery hair spilling across his chest. He knew he had to have sex soon—these urges were growing, a primal need the relic had awakened, stoked by every stunning woman he met. But the ladies who stirred him—Seraphina now, Cressida before—were leagues above him, seniors and tutors with power and polish he couldn't touch as a novice. The thought gnawed at him, frustration mixing with desire, his breath shallow as he stared.

Barnaby nudged him, his voice a low whisper. "You okay? You're zoned out."

Roderic blinked, tearing his gaze from Seraphina, his grin shaky. "Yeah—just… hot in here," he muttered, shifting again, the lie thin but enough. Barnaby raised an eyebrow, his gentle smile amused, but didn't press.

A shadow fell over them, and Roderic glanced up to see Theobald Finch sliding onto the bench beside Barnaby. The 20-year-old prodigy from the talent test—tall, wiry, with jet-black hair swept back, gray eyes glinting with quiet intensity—wore a simple gray tunic, his presence calm but commanding. His white-glowing qi had marked him as extraordinary, and now he leaned in, voice low and friendly. "Roderic, Barnaby—right? Saw you at the test. Thought I'd say hi."

Barnaby's smile widened, warm and welcoming as always. "Hey, Theobald—good to see you too. Fire class, huh? Matches that flare of yours."

"Call me Theo," he said, nodding, his smirk faint but genuine. "Fire's my first—spirit's second. You?"

"Wind's my strong one, fire's second," Barnaby replied, settling back, his ease natural. "Roderic's fire and spirit too—killed it at the test."

Theo's gray eyes flicked to Roderic, curiosity glinting. "That beyond-white glow—impressive. Friends?"

Barnaby nodded, grinning. "Yeah—he's solid. You should stick with us."

Roderic barely registered the exchange, his attention snagged back to Seraphina as she turned, her robe swishing, her breasts bouncing faintly as she tapped the slate. "Fire feeds on will," she said, her sultry voice stoking his fantasies, "but lacks control—it consumes unless you master it." He imagined mastering her—peeling that robe off, her bronze skin hot against his, her red lips parted as he sucked those magnificent breasts, her moans a blaze he'd stoke higher. His cock throbbed harder, lust drowning Theo's words, Barnaby's chatter, everything but her.

Theo nudged him, voice low. "Hey—Roderic, you in? Could use allies like you."

Roderic jolted, blinking, his grin forced as he glanced at Theo. "Uh—yeah, sure," he mumbled, barely hearing, his eyes darting back to Seraphina. Theo frowned, then smirked, following his gaze to the tutor, but said nothing, settling back with a knowing look.

Barnaby laughed softly, elbowing Roderic again. "She's something, huh? Don't drool too much."

"Trying not to," Roderic muttered, his voice strained, the heat in his gut a relentless burn. He knew it now—he needed release, soon, or these urges would unravel him. Cressida's warning, Seraphina's figure—they were out of reach, their power and status towering over his novice rank. He clenched his fists, focusing on the slate—runes, fire's nature—trying to anchor himself, but Seraphina's sexy sway kept pulling him back, a fire he couldn't quench yet.