Samuel instantly remembered the books he had read about minotaurs, only the few surface dwelling ones were usually nice or neutral, while the majority of them were plunderers and warriors that came from the depths of the earth. Samuel quickly dragged Erica behind him and slammed the door shut, but instead of running towards the teleportation circle he dragged Erica with him to the side of the doorway.
Just as he had anticipated the minotaur came crashing through the doorway in a matter of seconds and continued running forward expecting his prey to be running in a straight line away from the building. Only stopping after a few seconds as he saw that there was no one in front of him he quickly turned around.
Samuel saw the fear in Erica's eyes as they took cover and feeling small splinters hit him from behind, he shook Erica a bit and whispered to her. "Fight or die, now or never. I will stall him and you will cast your spells, if you want to make it up to me for before thats how you save me this time!" Samuel's words snapped her out of her fear enough for her to give him a scared nod.
Samuel quickly walked away from her so he would stand at the now broken entrance. While drawing both of his blades, his plan had bought them the few seconds they needed as he took a few steps forward. The minotaur now turned back and saw his prey, it reached behind its back and took out what looked like two giant battle axes and wielding one in each hand.
Samuel took a few more steps forward with both of his blades ready to draw the creatures attention to him. While planning in his head how long it had taken for Erica to cast her spells during their duel. He could not take this huge creature head on, the minotaur seemed to know it as well and saw his easy prey with a wide grin of bloodlust and charged forward.
Samuel used the size difference to weave out of the way for the first few blows, not even getting close enough to the minotaur to even attempt to slash at it, he had to settle for small quick slashes at the minotaurs arms which the beast barely registered.
The minotaur suddenly took a quick charge forward taking Samuel by surprise and he barely dodge the first axe as he sidestepped its forward arc slash. Samuel instantly realized to have been outmanouvered as the second axe came swinging from the left where he had sidestepped to, he brought up both his swords in an x to parry the axe.
Samuel was sent flying several meters and rolled and tumbled through the grass, quickly getting back up on his feet, while he felt that his left arm was definitely broken and his first blade had shattered into several pieces, thankfully the good sword Faleah had given to him as a present was many times the better sword and had held strong.
But against such overwhelming force even if he blocked he would be sent flying. The adrenaline pumping helped him instantly stand to his feet and not feel most of the pain from the broken arm just yet.
The minotaur would have kept charging after him, but Samuel saw that the minotaur got hit by two fireblasts in quick succession. It singed the minotaur and made it even angrier while doing almost no damage. But it did manage to send one of his battleaxes out of his hands, and being too angered by bloodlust the minotaur did not even bother collecting it and charged toward Erica instantly bearing down upon her with the remaining axe.
Samuel screamed thinking that he was about to see Erica die, but his scream suddenly woke her up from her frozen panic and she instantly casted a spell Samuel had no idea what it was, but when the axe reached her it stopped short ever so slightly. It seemed to have hit an invisible barrier that became visible only for a brief second, it was like an invisible forcefield that surrounded Erica. The minotaur grinned and quickly punched with his free hand which instantly knocked Erica into the house and probably breaking a rib or two, and she fell over unable to do anything else as she could only watch from her dazed state on the ground thinking that this was how she was going to die, but not before seeing Samuel die.
Samuel seething with anger seeing Erica go down hoped she would be alright as the minotaur quickly turned back to him, he had been too dazed to move far after the hit he sustained. But he had prepared.
Meanwhile Bregane and Tere arrived to the meadow in panic as they had been alerted of an intruder breaking in to the supposed 'safe' area. They saw Erica struggling on the ground and the minotaur raising its axe toward Samuel knowing that they would not reach Samuel in time to save him, even though they were casting their spells while running toward the minotaur.
But in the middle of their casting and running they both became so stunned by what they saw that they almost stopped completely. Almost.
Samuel raised his remaining sword above his head as all the magic he had gathered up until that moment coarsed through his body which made him literally shine with magic as well as his sword. When the minotaur brought its axe down Samuel swung his sword with such force that it cut right through the battleaxe and with a roar of anger Samuel cut through the air.
The slash filled with magic made a literal magic arc of all the gathered elements that cut the minotaurs head clean off sending it flying through the air. With only the minotaurs sudden shocked expression on its face remaining, as the rest of the body just slumped forward laying still on the ground. Samuel raised his sword above his head and screamed out in victory and the fact that he had survived.
Tere and Erica who had recovered enough to witness the scene from the ground shared the same thought. 'This is why he is a potential candidate.' Their mentors quickly reached them and quickly took out some potions, making their students drink. Samuel drank it and felt his broken bones suddenly stop hurting, while Erica felt like she could breathe again as her ribs fixed themselves instantly.
Both very tired still had to lay down and calm down, Samuel as the adrenaline failed became very tired. "Did I do good?" He asked Bregane in a quiet voice, "You did amazing kiddo!" Bregane quickly replied and urged him to finish drinking the healing potion. Thankful to see that this time the potion at least had an effect on Samuel compared to last time where no matter what they did he still kept on sleeping.
Bregane helped Samuel stand after a little bit of resting, physically and mentally from fighting before Samuel was in a much better shape than Erica, who albeit was completely healed had fallen asleep from the events. Tere carried her back to her room in the academy and Bregane made sure that Samuel also got back safe, before going to leave a report while Tere stayed with her apprentice while being close to Samuel in case he needed her.
'I cant believe Bregane never told me the kid could blade cast, that sly bastard!' She inwardly thought to herself as she was sitting next to Erica who was sleeping soundly. Both Samuel and Erica had a nice nights sleep and felt fully rested that morning, finding Tere sleeping in a chair next to her Erica had wondered in fear if something bad had happened to Samuel, but when she found Bregane sleeping on a chair outside his room she sighed out the relief and woke up her own master.
The two in turn woke up Bregane and Samuel, and all four of them proceeded to eat a large breakfast together, kind of like a small family. Which made several painful memories reappear for Samuel, especially when Bregane put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Oh and by the way! Happy 18th birthday!"