Wielder Of The Dragon Flame

Chapter 24

Asta said urgently, supporting Jabber's weight as he helped him sit.

 "Are you okay? Talk to me,bro"

Jabber's head lolled slightly, his eyes unfocused, but he managed a weak nod. 

"M'fine." 

He mumbled, the words slurred.

 "Just... used too much. Need... minute..."

Flora and Mira had rushed over as well. Flora knelt beside them, her hand going to Jabber's wrist to check his pulse. Her face was tight with concern.

"His heart rate is elevated but steady." 

She reported. 

"Jabber, can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?"

She held up three fingers in front of his face. Jabber's eyes struggled to focus, then: 

"Three."

"Good. That's good."

 Flora sat back slightly, though she kept her hand on his wrist, monitoring his pulse. 

"You pushed too hard. Manifesting that much flame, especially when you couldn't control it properly,it drained you severely."

"Told you."

 Jabber mumbled, but there was no accusation in his tone. Just weary resignation.

 "Told you it was dangerous."

"You also saved us." 

Mira pointed out, crouching down as well. Her expression was thoughtful, even.

 "That flame curved away at the last second. You did that, didn't you? Even while losing control, you managed to redirect it so it wouldn't hit us."

Jabber's eyes closed, his head dropping forward. 

"Instinct. Didn't... didn't want to hurt anyone."

"That's what I was hoping to see."

 Flora said, and there was definite satisfaction in her voice now.

 "Your flame is powerful, Jabber. Really powerful. But more than that, even when you're losing control, you have enough presence of mind to protect others. That's not a weakness,that's exactly what we need in a guild mate."

Jabber's eyes opened again, confusion written clearly on his exhausted face.

 "But I... I couldn't control it. I lost it. That's the problem. That's always the problem."

"Control can be learned." 

Flora said firmly.

 "Power like yours, combined with those protective instincts? That's rare. That's valuable." 

She looked at Asta and Mira.

 "We can work with this. We just need to figure out how to help him manage the output and give him techniques for maintaining control even under stress."

"Agreed." 

Mira said.

 "And honestly? Having someone who can fill an entire area with flames like that? That's going to be incredibly useful for certain mission types. Crowd control, area denial, creating barriers,there's a lot of tactical applications."

Asta felt Jabber's weight shift slightly as some strength returned to his limbs. The boy was still pale, still clearly exhausted, but he was recovering. His breathing was slowing, becoming more regular.

"You okay to stand?"

 Asta asked quietly.

Jabber considered, then nodded. 

"Think so."

Together, Asta and Mira helped him to his feet. Jabber swayed slightly but managed to stay upright, though he kept one hand on Asta's shoulder for support.

"That's enough flame practice for today."

 Flora declared, standing as well and brushing dust from her knees.

 "We got what we needed,a baseline understanding of everyone's capabilities. Tomorrow we can start working on actual coordination drills, but today let's keep it simple. Basic formations, communication signals, movement patterns. Nothing too strenuous."

She looked at Jabber specifically. 

"And you need to rest. Properly rest, not just sit down for five minutes and pretend you're fine. Flame exhaustion is serious,it can cause lasting damage if you push through it."

"I'm fine."

 Jabber protested weakly, but even Asta could tell it was a lie. The boy looked like he was about to collapse again at any moment.

"No, you're not." 

Asta said firmly.

 "Come on, I'll take you back to the room. You can lie down, actually rest."

"But the training…"

"Can wait." 

Flora interrupted.

 "Asta's right. The three of us can work on some basic drills without you, and you can join us tomorrow when you've recovered. That's an order from your guild leader."

She said the last part with a small smile, taking the sting out of it, but her tone made it clear this wasn't up for debate.

Jabber looked like he wanted to argue more, but another wave of exhaustion seemed to wash over him, his shoulders sagging.

 "Okay." 

He said quietly. 

"Okay."

Asta adjusted his grip, taking more of Jabber's weight.

 "We'll be back tomorrow, better than before. Come on."

They made their way out of the training yard slowly, Jabber leaning heavily on Asta with each step. Behind them, Asta could hear Flora already organizing Mira, discussing formation patterns and communication signals. 

The training would continue without them, which was good. The gui

ld needed to work even when one member was down.

But right now, Asta's priority was getting Jabber back safely and making sure he actually rested. They were guild mates now, The Ember Watch…