<span style="font-family: 'Georgia'"><span style="font-size: 15px">Sebastian watched Ayaan approach like a falcon stalking its prey. Of course, the boy didn't even glance in his direction, all of his attention focused on Lady Lydia. Sebastian feared he'd scared the boy so much that it had become irreparable. <br/>
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The lady sighed dramatically, pulling Sebastian's attention reluctantly in her direction as well. She snuffed out her pipe and then waved flippantly off to the side. "Go. Sit. I must show this brute what I can do."<br/>
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Sebastian bristled at the second use of the insult. He wanted to see what this woman was capable of, especially in the presence of a supposedly powerful Accendo, before he got his revenge. And he didn't want Lydia to retaliate on Ayaan for Sebastian's own bad behavior. She struck him as the type to do something like that. <br/>
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The woman rose from her seat and went to sit on the grass in the middle of the small clearing they were in. Sebastian had to note that this was good practice. When training with the earth element, it was always good form to be as close to the earth itself as possible. It made it easier to channel when you were still new at the element. Lydia closed her eyes and leaned forward, pressing her palms against the grass. She began to hum softly, a common technique to help focusing with elementals. Sebastian felt the familiar charge of magic in the atmosphere, the hair on his arms standing straight. <br/>
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First, Lydia demonstrated her Ventus abilities. A gentle breeze arose from the north, twirling through Sebastian's fingers and rifling through his hair. And then Lydia's eyes snapped open, a wicked grin curving her mouth. She curled her hand into a fist and yanked it towards her chest. Sebastian felt all of the air whoosh from his lungs on an involuntary gasp. He tried desperately to suck it back in, but to no avail. Lydia was blocking the air from re-entering his luns. He gasped uselessly, but refused to flounder or claw at his neck. She would have to stop eventually. <br/>
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But she wasn't stopping. Sebastian's face went red and then began to turn a sickly shade of purple. He crumbled to one knee, catching himself with one hand against the ground so that he didn't tumble completely. He made eye contact with Lydia, calling her bluff. She was not going to kill him. She still needed something from him.<br/>
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Lydia rolled her eyes and released her fist. Sebastian gasped loudly, pulling hair hungrily back into his lungs. He coughed and hacked, staggering back to his feet and stumbling back to his chair. He clutched at his neck, watching Lydia with a dark expression as he caught his breath. The lady didn't say a word, pressing her palm back against the grass and closing her eyes again. A satisfied smirk still curled the edges of her mouth. <br/>
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Next, she showed him her Undus abilities. The dew from the morning that still lingered on the grass slowly ascended, hovering in mid air for several seconds before Lydia sent it all flying at Sebastian. He closed his eyes, barely flinching as he was assaulted by the water. When he swiped the excess from his eyes and opened them again, Lydia's were also open and watching him with that same smug expression as before. <br/>
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Suddenly, Sebastian began to feel hot all over. He wanted to shrug off his heavy trench coat, but didn't want to give Lydia the satisfaction. The heat continued to climb inside of Sebastian. He felt his face reddening and sweat breaking out across his brow. She was boiling his blood. The thought filled Sebastian with anxiety, but still he refused to react. Unsatisfied, Lydia stretched her hand out to him, palm facing Sebastian. She then twirled her hand in a sweeping motion, flipping it over in a circular motion so that her palm faced the sky and then jerking her hand upwards. Against his will, Sebastian jerked to his feet and then continued to rise upwards until he toes could no longer reach the ground. <br/>
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Smirking again, Lydia curled her hand into a fist abruptly. Sebastian let out a grunt of surprise, feeling like his body was being compressed from all sides. This was some seriously powerful Undus work, something only a naturally born Undus would be able to accomplish and even then they would need the help of an Accendo. Sebastian gritted his teeth, thrashing uselessly. <br/>
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"Lydia," he snapped, his voice louder than normal, though still rather quiet for most men. <br/>
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She rolled her eyes again, but released him. Sebastian crumbled to the ground, panting as his body finally began to cool off. He glanced up at Lydia again but she was already back in her meditative stance, eyes closed.  A slight crease formed in her brow as she struggled to call upon the next ability. She was able to pull up small clumps of dirt and mold them into balls, and she was able to grow a few small weeds, but that was the extent of it. Which was very relieving after what Sebastian had just been through. <br/>
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He sent an anxious glance in Ayaan's direction. How powerful <i>was </i>this boy?</span></span>