"I will admit you do have some skill with magic but only some. You are still a nameless worm who dares to chase an honour so grand that your little mind cannot even comprehend it." Uriel stated.
Inanis laughed as sweat dripped down his face. He was working on his magic circles and was now able to cast spells of the fourth circle. It was the effect of Valerian's blood. It was still increasing the boy's talent even then.
"I think that is the first time you ever complimented me." Inanis smiled.
"To tell you that your skills are not as horrible as I expected is not a compliment." Uriel scoffed. "Show me your control of the four circles you currently hold."
Magic on Idris was divided into six tiers and within those tiers the last five needed four runic circles to complete a tier.
[Zero] tier spells were spells that could only affect the caster in a slight way and not the environment around them. Hence there were no circles in this one.
To master [First] tier spells, the caster had achieve all of the first four circles, which were blue in colour, and achieve the rank of magician.
[Second] tier had the fifth to eighth circles but the circles were emerald in colour. Once one mastered the second tier, they earned the title of Mage. It was a title given to those who were truly talented.
[Third] tier was only for the gifted and lucky. The ninth to twelfth yellow circles were like knocking on the door of magic's laws. One who mastered the [Third] tier was called a Grand Magus and had profound understanding of magic. Most of the Grand Magi belonged to Great families.
The [Fourth] tier was seen as the realms of demigods. The silver thirteenth to sixteenth circles were only mastered by those who were the scions and favoured children of the divine. Then the golden circles, up to the twentieth circle, of the [Fifth] tier was solely the gods' power.
Inanis smiled and nodded. He stood tall, closed his eyes and channeled the magic within him.
Four glowing blue circles with mystic runes moving inside them appeared under his feet, each one bigger than the last and all were stable. Inanis pushed further and the four circles merged and became smaller.
A new emerald circle began to flicker. It was rigid and a little unstable but there was no doubt that the boy was attempting to breakthrough into the fifth circle though it seemed like it was going to be a struggle.
FLICK!!!!!
The fifth circle disappeared and Inanis opened his eyes in shock. He had been flicked by Uriel's finger, right on his forehead. It actually managed to draw blood!
"Do you have sand for a brain too, boy?!" Uriel shouted. "Our lessons have only began to touch on the fifth circle and you are already trying to breakthrough?"
"I have been reading a lot, Lady Uriel. I feel like I can do this." Inanis stated.
FLICK!!!!!!
"OW!" the boy howled in pain.
More blood was drawn.
"I do not care about your feelings!" She roared. "If you suffer backlash, your potential will be damaged and then how will you break past the ceiling of the [Fifth] tier?! Patience is a virtue."
If some of the Praetorian Guards heard her, they would have had to stifle their laughter to the point of nearly choking.
Uriel was one of the most impatient generals under Lord Valerian but she could not see the hypocrisy in her words.
"You mean there is more above the [Fifth] tier?" Inanis asked.
"So you read as far as the [Second] tier then decided to try it? Yours truly is the mind of a fool. If there was nothing greater than the [Fifth], how else would we be able to dominate those so called "gods"?"
"You have fought gods?!" Inanis asked in shock.
FLICK!!!!!
She had done it again. Inanis' forehead was swelling.
'Why does this hurt more than Lord Asura's punches?' he wondered as he held his forehead and using ice magic to try and cool it.
"I honestly do wish you would sometimes try to not sound so foolish, boy. You already know that my Lord is of the [Alpha] rank. Did you really think that He would not have to put the gods in their place from time to time?"
"I know He is powerful but I did not know you could fight toe to toe with gods too. You must be truly formidable. I am lucky to have you as my teacher." Inanis said, oddly in awe even though his head was throbbing.
"Too be impressed by such tiny things." Uriel spoke in an indifferent tone but her cheeks were slightly red.
'Could it be? Had Uriel been blushing?' Inanis could not help but wonder.
FLICK!!!!!
"OW!!! WHY?!" Inanis roared.
"Your thoughts were vulgar." Uriel spoke in a disgusted tone.
Inanis was stunned. "You can read my mind too?"
"No, it was written all over your face."
This response...
Inanis growled and drew on his magic. Two fireballs the size of full grown watermelons appeared on each of his hands. He flung them at Uriel. He knew they would not hurt her but he wanted to vent, consequences be d*mned.
Uriel watched as the balls of flame came toward her. She sighed and moved her hand as if swatting a fly. The flames were extinguished effortlessly.
"Perhaps you wish to spar?" She said. "So be it. I will show you real fire." Her eyes showed a little insanity. Her smile was that of someone truly deranged.
Inanis felt actual regret for the first time since he had come under their tutelage. He began to run.
*****
Inanis lay on his back. Burn marks were clear on his skin. His clothes were ripped. There were feathers everywhere. Uriel looked down at him.
"You are improving." She stated. Inanis could not even smile. He lacked the strength to do so. "You are still pathetic but now, definitely, less than before. Maybe your thick skill is capable of gaining and retaining knowledge while your body puts that knowledge into action." She finished her lesson and walked away.
*****
Asura, Lilith and Gabriel had been watching the battle between Uriel and Inanis. Asura was quite pleased by the battle and considering asking Uriel to spar with him later while Lilith had a complicated smile on her face and Gabriel maintained a stoic expression.
"She is starting to develop a liking for the boy." Lilith spoke in pleased tone. Gabriel nodded but Asura responded.
"I do not think so. Did you see how hard she was on him? Even I do not spar with the boy on that level. She could have killed him."
"She attacked in ways that made the boy see death in her actions but there was no real threat of it. She stopped when he had reached his limit." Gabriel explained. "Uriel actually went beyond the minimum effort required. She may also have high expectations for the boy."
"You too, Gabriel?" Lilith closed her eyes as she began to think about something else.
"I do. His desire to grow is what I respect. It reminds me of our Lord when He first moulded us."
"Your words tread closely to blasphemy, Gabriel." Lilith stated calmly. "No one is like Lord Valerian."
"I do not mean that. I mean the fighting spirit. The desire and will to adapt, grow and surpass limitations that wish to stop you from reaching your goal." Gabriel turned his gaze toward Lilith.
"I am not sure how this will end" Asura spoke with a sense of thoughtfulness in his words. His tone was one that his siblings rarely heard him use outside of discussions about battle tactics and training Inanis. Asura was a Seraph of action not words, "but I am sure that it will be interesting."
His smile grew and spread from ear to ear showing pearly white teeth. The other two generals agreed and siblings disappeared, each in their own directions and deciding to make boy's life hell.