lisa pressed herself against the wall, her eyes wide as she watched Javir advance.
The air around them seed to thicken, crackling with magical energy.
Javir's hands began to move, her fingers weaving multiple intricate patterns in the air. Her lips moved just as quickly, muttering incantations as she kept her eyes locked on the attacker.
The assassin mirrored her actions, her own hands dancing through the air as she chanted her own spells.
Suddenly, a blue bolt shot from Javir's fingertips.
The attacker threw up a shimring barrier, the spell exploding against it in a shower of sparks. Without missing a beat, the cloaked woman retaliated, sending a wave of fire rushing towards Javir.
Javir sidestepped. The flas flew harmlessly through the air where she'd been standing a mont before.
Javir muttered another incantation and a gust of wind tried to slam the attacker from above, to bring her down to the ground, but the woman moved forward, avoiding its area of effect.
There was a certain musical elent to this fight, lisa noticed. Given what she was seeing, it didn't even process anymore that this was a fight to determine her fate. She was too busy analyzing each party's moves.
Because of how magic worked in this world, both won would cast a spell, pause, speak their incantations and draw their spellsigns in the air with their hands, then cast another spell, and repeat.
It felt like watching people shoot each other with Civil War-era firearms, having to aim, fire, and then take ti loading up another shot before aiming and firing again.
[How much of a part does prediction play in all this? How many steps ahead are they thinking?]
So many different factors showed themselves in this mont. For example, the attacker saw Javir beginning to cast one spell, stopped casting the one she'd been in the process of using, and switched to a different incantation and spellsign.
lisa was watching with wide eyes, in awe.
[If you see your opponent using a spellsign pattern you recognize, you'll be able to figure out what kind of spell they want to use before they do it, right?] lisa asked herself. [And, that factors into the whole prediction thing. Whoa.]
The two won moved like dancers locked in a deadly waltz, their spells flying back and forth in a dizzying display of magical prowess.
Barriers rose and fell, elents clashed, and the very air seed to vibrate with the force of their duel.
lisa watched on, her feeling of danger fading away to where now, all she felt was wonder as her mind raced to keep up with each spell cast.
[So this is what real magical combat looks like. Wow.]
As lisa watched the duel unfold, she realized sothing.
[I can't just stand here. I need to help sohow.]
She considered what she could do.
She didn't have the Essence to cast any spells right now. She didn't have a weapon on her. No, all she had were her two tiny hands and a heart filled with determination.
[Maybe that's all I need!]
Without fully thinking it through, lisa dashed forward.
Taking advantage of the attacker's focus on Javir, she launched herself at the woman's legs. Like a wolf bringing a giant to its knees, lisa's charge brought the woman down.
The assassin, montarily caught off guard, snarled in frustration.
"You filthy nim freak!"
With a swift kick, she sent lisa back, making her roll a few steps.
"AH!" lisa cried out. [That really hurt...]
But that split second was all Javir needed.
"Ignis, cor, penetra!" Javir's voice rang out, clear and commanding.
A lance of fla erupted from her outstretched hand, streaking through the air towards the assassin. The woman, still off-balance from lisa's tackle, tried to dodge, but she was a fraction too slow.
"ACK-"
The woman froze.
The fiery spear pierced her chest, erging from her back in a burst of heat and light. A few red drops fell on lisa's face.
For a mont, ti seed to stand still. The assassin's eyes widened in shock and pain, a choked gasp escaping her lips.
But she wasn't done yet. With a desperate surge of energy, she staggered backwards, her hand clawing at the air as if trying to grasp at the last threads of her life.
"No... not like this..." she rasped, her voice barely audible.
Javir's face was grim as she advanced, another spell already forming on her lips.
The assassin stumbled, her legs giving out beneath her. She fell to her knees, then pitched forward.
lisa found herself frozen in place as the woman's body fell towards her. With a dull thud, the assassin collapsed at lisa's feet, her lifeless eyes staring up at the young nim.
Javir wasted no ti rushing to lisa's side.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asked, helping lisa to her feet.
lisa shook her head, taking her eyes off the attacker.
"I'm fine, just a bit surprised." Her eyes narrowed as a thought occurred to her. "You got here awfully fast, though. Almost like you were... waiting."
Javir's expression shifted, a mix of guilt and admiration crossing her features.
"You truly are remarkably perceptive for your age, lisa. Yes, I used you as bait. But I swear, I never intended for you to be in any real danger."
lisa felt a flash of anger, but it quickly subsided. She understood the logic, even if she didn't like being used.
"I forgive you," lisa said after a mont. "But next ti, maybe let in on the plan?"
Javir nodded, relief evident in her eyes.
"You have my word. From this mont on, no harm will co to you. I'll make sure of it."
But lisa shook her head, a determined glint in her eye.
"That's great, but... That's not all."
"What?"
lisa inhaled. Her eyes found that assassin again.
"I can't spend every single mont of the day next to you. But, I don't want to hide or lay low. I need to be strong."
Jaavir seed to understand where this was going, but she let lisa speak.
"I want to be strong. I want you to teach to be like you, to be a real mage." She gestured at the aftermath of the magical duel. "I want to show the world what I can do. What nim can do."
"I will train you," Javir promised. "But... You're still..."
"Too young? I know," lisa nodded. "But, I don't think they care." She nodded at the assassin's body.
"No, they don't."
Javir studied lisa for a long mont, her expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a smile spread across her face.
"Very well," she said, her voice filled with a mixture of pride and resignation. "I'll teach you everything I know. But be warned, the path you're choosing won't be easy."
lisa grinned, excitent bubbling up inside her.
"I'm ready for whatever cos. I promise."
Reviews
All reviews (0)