A large fireball descended from the sky, centered on Selena and I's location. I raised my hand, shielding my face from the heat and flickering light.
"Get back!" Selena cried, pushing me aside.
Activating the Eyes of Fate, I gasped in surprise. "It's a fifth circle spell!" Judging from the sheer amount of mana, it would likely devastate the entire training ground.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she quickly began casting. Six magic circle sprung about her, rotating quickly and glowing with green light. Mere moments before the fireball collided with the ground, Vines sprouted out of the ground, coiling together and forming a shield. They began small at first, but rapidly thickened over the next second, until they created a convex surface that wrapped around the fireball.
The fireball connected with the vines with a soft pop. A second later, a roar of flames erupted out, shaking the air itself. The bowl channeled it up and away from the ground, but the extreme heat sent mages scattering. As the temperature rose, I waved my hand and cast an aegis spell, shielding me from the worst of it.
As the fires finally died off, chunks of roasted vine fell from the sky, landing with heavy thuds. Before the rest came down, Selena waved her hand and the entire mass dissolved into green light, disappearing entirely. Silence reined over the field for a few seconds, as we all stared at the blue sky above.
"Who did that?" Selena shouted, looking over the assembled mages.
Everyone was quiet for a time, looking around at each other nervously. I saw a few shaking hands and pale faces, undoubtedly sacred after the unexpected brush with death.
A slow clap sounded out, and all eyes turned to a tall, handsome mage. "I'm afraid the fault lies with me," he said, bowing slightly.
"Vorinth," she said, gritting her teeth. "What exactly happened here."
"Hmm, nothing much. I was simply practicing a spell and it went awry. Foruntaly-" he let out a wide smile "-you were here to stop it. Who knows what might have happened otherwise."
His unapologetic attitude grated on my nerves, but I kept my tongue and glanced at Father Ithris. While he had been dozing before, his eyes flashed with a dangerous light.
"Why you…" Selena said, hands squeezing tightly into fists.
"Excuse me," Father Ithris said. Smirking arrogantly, VOrinth turned to him, but immediately paled. "Father! Forgive my ignorance. I was unaware you were here today. About that spell, it was simply-"
"I don't care about that, prince Vorinth. Your magic was actually very impressive. It's just the small matter of rules. You're aware the Divine rule by law and order, correct?"
"Yes, Father."
"Are you also aware that no spell cast within the Divine Throne can be higher than fourth-circle?"
"yes…"
"Then why exactly were you 'practicing' a fifth-circle spell?"
"The fault is mine, I acted without thought." Although his head was bowed penitently, his eyes flashed with hatred, boring through me. Was he actually aiming for me the whole time? I took an unconscious step back, troubled by the thought.
"If you acknowledge your mistake, I shall not press the issue."
"But Father! He clearly endangered the-"
"Enough," Father Ithris said, waving his hand dismissively. "Let's not trouble ourselves any further here. Besides, aren't you in hot water yourself?"
Selena fell quiet, looking at the ground. She stiffened as the Father pat her on the shoulder as though comforting a child, turning her head.
"Come along, slave," he said, turning to walk away. "I'll not waste any more time here."
"What's going on?" I asked Selena as I passed by.
The shadow across her face deepened. "Every year, mage instructors are supposed to prove themselves with contributions to the field of magic. It's a part of their qualifications and a sign of their capabilities. I've been… distracted, this year, and haven't been able ot properly research anything." She looked up and forced a smile." But don't worry about me. I'll take care of everything. "
Before I could say anything, the elf turned and walked away, yelling at the mages to get back to work. I could sense some hesitation in her, and… regret?
" Slave, stop wasting my time!"
Putting Selena from my thoughts, I ran after Father Ithris. I expected him to be impatient, but a small smile tweaked his lips the whole way back, and I could sometimes hear him humming.
"What is it?" I finally asked.
"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow. Staring at me. His smile disappeared, returning to his old, sour face so quickly I wondered if it was ever there.
"Nothing."
"Good. Now let's get the library and get this over with. I have some rather pressing appointments this afternoon, and I will not be delayed further."
"Yes Father."
The librarians were their typical dismissive selves when we first arrived, but Father Ithris said a few choice words about his irritation, and they shaped up immediately. They respectfully answered all my questions and guided me to the section about runes. Occasionally, one would start to say something disparaging or use a curse, but they always caught their tongue, casting fearful glances at Father Ithris.
I shook my head ruefully. This was even better than going alone! I shot a sneaky glance at the Father, who had fallen into one of the chairs. He was a bothersome man, but all my other problems disappeared. I could deal with that.
Digging through the books, I found a volume on runes for beginners and settled onto one of the padded couches. Less than twenty minutes later, soft snores came from Father Ithris, causing me to look up. He had fallen asleep, head bowed and hands folded. Looks like I get to spend more time than I thought.