After seeing off Basila with her father, I found Nadira stepping next to me, her gaze fixed upon me with a curious expression. The meadow's golden light danced in her eyes as she spoke, "I remember who you are now, Saika. Your former master is the great Storm Archmage, is he not?"
Her words caught me by surprise, as it was rare for anyone outside of my past life to know about my connection to such a renowned figure. Still, I nodded, acknowledging her astute observation. "To have the greatest elementalist of our time as your master and walk away to become a Spiritmancer..." she trailed off, seemingly intrigued by the choices I had made.
"That's one of the reasons I left. I couldn't stand hearing your 'powerful,' 'great,' 'astonishing' master, blah, blah, blah, any longer," I explained, a hint of frustration slipping into my voice. "I want to be recognized for my own achievements, not riding on the coattails of an earlier generation," I declared with absolute determination. My decision to pursue the path of a Spiritmancer had been a deliberate choice to forge my own destiny and embrace my unique abilities.
Nadira's expression softened, and she looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and admiration. "How strange," she mused, as if contemplating something profound.
"What's strange?" I responded, curious about her thoughts.
"You're stubborn, I'll give you that," she replied, her gaze never leaving mine. "Your determination makes me feel..." she paused for a moment, searching for the right words to convey her emotions. "Perhaps I'm overthinking it. Seems to be a common condition for Spiritmancers, doesn't it?" she continued, her voice tinged with a hint of humor.
I couldn't help but smile at her observation. There was an underlying truth to her words—I had encountered many Spiritmancers in my travels, each with their own unwavering determination and a certain complexity that often defied explanation.
"Most of us spend too much time dreaming of mountaintops while forgetting to watch the ground beneath our feet. We stumble and fall more than we'd like to admit," Nadira shared, her words holding a sense of wisdom that transcended her mysterious persona. "I admire your determination," she added, her gaze intense as it locked onto mine. "And I accept your challenge. I won't hold back!"
"Finally!" I said with a grin, appreciating her willingness to face me in a genuine test of power and skill.