What Happens Next: Silvius' Story Pt2

I put the first part of this story out on the blog a bit ago (you can read it here if you haven't yet) and you chose for Silvius to go with the hermit. Well, here you go.

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I figured I could get back home quite fast, so I followed the hermit. We walked out of the clearing and he turned his head.

"Try to keep up!" he challenged. 

Then, he surprised me by transforming into a wolf! Not to be outdone, I chased after him while becoming a wolf as well. We ran through the forest at great speeds, into areas I've never been. Finally, we reached a cliff. I thought that was it, but instead he hurled himself off. He's crazy, I thought, until I saw an eagle go swooping up. I followed his example, and now we were soaring through the clouds. We flew for about 15 minutes before coming to rest on a tower far out in the mountains.

We both changed back into our natural selves. I had a million questions, but something told me he wouldn't take kindly to them. We walked down a long staircase until we reached something that resembled a living room. We sat down, and the hermit spoke.

"I am sure you have many questions," he said, "and they will be answered in due time, but for starters, just know this. The skill you posses, as you have seen, is certainty rare, but not unique. In time you will come to learn other powers. You will also be able to morph into bigger and more magical creatures. I came to find you as soon as I noticed the King's men coming to meet you. The king has captured almost anyone who had this power and used them to enforce his will. I am one of the few living people to have escaped. I will train you now so you can better defend yourself against the king."

"That sounds amazing," I responded, "but what will become of my father?"

"They will most likely leave him alone."

"And also, you mentioned magical creatures, are those a thing?"

"Why of course they are, I will introduce you to my pets shortly."

"Finally, what are you even going to train me in?"

"Well, I'm not the most skilled magician there is, but I will teach you a type of elemental magic. One is all I will have time for, so you will have to chose. I will also give you a pet that is affiliated with that element."

I still had plenty of questions I wanted answered, but I followed him into another room. I was overwhelmed by what I saw in there. It was pentagonal; each side had a different color. One wall was red, and had a fireplace, furnace, and on a perch, was a still flame. Another wall was open to the outside. It had wings hanging on a wall, and hanging over the edge, was a griffin in a cage. The third wall was painted brown. It contained a small hill, and a snake in another cage. The final wall was somehow a window into the ocean. There was a coral reef infiltrating from the wall, and a cage containing a horse with a fish tail.

"As I said," the man acknowledged, noticing my interest, "you must choose only one element to be
trained in. Maybe someone else will train you in others. If you chose fire, you will get a phoenix as a pet. If you choose air, you will get a griffin as a pet. If you choose earth, you will get a basilisk. And if you choose water, you will get a hippocampus.
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Again, I want you readers to make this choice. What element should Silvius train in. Please respond in the comments with earth, air, fire, or water, and I will write a third part based on your choice.