Chapter Seven: Testing Limits
Wicked Octavius Oliver Dale had never been one to focus completely during lessons, especially not with distractions like today. As Dragonite began his detailed lecture on how to hunt and defeat creatures from their various races, Wicked's mind drifted elsewhere. Specifically, it wandered to T's mesmerizing eyes, her smile, and her growing figure. Wicked shifted in his seat, zoning out more with each passing moment.
"Wicked, are you paying attention?" Dragonite's deep voice snapped him back into reality.
Without missing a beat, Wicked answered the question that had been posed before he checked out, reciting the techniques for defeating a dragon with perfect precision. Dragonite stopped mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"You've been listening the whole time?" Alexis, Dragonite's wife, ever the sharp observer, chimed in with a skeptical tone. She started throwing out questions about how to deal with elves in battle, some that were far more advanced than anything they'd ever been taught. But Wicked answered them all effortlessly.
"How do you know this?" she asked, her voice laced with genuine surprise.
Wicked shrugged casually. "My mind works a little differently," he said, scratching his head. "I've read a lot of books that I found in the village. The old man's got some incredible collections, books stolen from all over the world. I used to sneak in and read whenever I had the chance."
As she stared at him, stunned, Autumn couldn't take her eyes off Wicked. She was completely mesmerized by his abilities and how easily he was answering everything. Her admiration was written all over her face. Junior, on the other hand, was growing visibly angrier by the second.
Wicked remained oblivious to the fury building within Junior, who watched as his parents marveled at Wicked's knowledge. When Alexis complimented Wicked, that was the final straw. The shift in Junior's expression was unmistakable—his teeth clenched, his fists balled up, and a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes.
"You think you're better than me?" Junior growled, stepping forward.
Wicked blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"You think you're better at my dad's techniques than me?" Junior spat, pushing Wicked's shoulder roughly.
Wicked didn't want to fight, but he could sense this wasn't going to end without a confrontation. "Look, Junior, I didn't mean anything by it. You're a dragon, but you're also an elf. There's more to you than just—"
Before he could finish, Junior exploded, attacking Wicked with a burst of fury. Wicked immediately dodged, and the fight began. It started with swift hand-to-hand combat, Junior moving with the agility of both his dragon and elf heritage, but Wicked was faster, shifting into a falcon and darting through the air.
Junior snarled, shifting into his dragon form—a smaller version of his father's mighty form—and roared with frustration when Wicked transformed into a much larger dragon, towering over him. Wicked quickly shifted back into his human form, deliberately choosing not to fight as a dragon, which only fueled Junior's anger.
"You think I'm just a dragon?" Junior shouted, his eyes wild with rage. "I'm more than that!"
"I know," Wicked replied, still calm, "I was just saying—"
Junior lunged at him, but Wicked was faster, dodging his blows with precision. Every move Wicked made seemed effortless, his years of training kicking in as he expertly countered each attack. Autumn watched in awe, her heart racing as Wicked's skill only impressed her more, while Isabel stood by, her eyes tracking her brother's every move, knowing that things were about to escalate.
Phase by phase, the fight intensified. Junior's strikes became more desperate, his anger consuming him as Wicked outmaneuvered him at every turn. And then, as Junior's frustration peaked, he roared and fully transformed into a massive dragon, his scales shimmering in the light as he unleashed his true power.
Wicked didn't back down. Instead, he turned his attention to magic. They exchanged blows of fire, lightning, and earth. Spells cracked through the air as they fought, the tension rising with each passing second. Junior used his elemental breath, launching blasts of fire at Wicked, but Wicked countered with ice magic, freezing the flames before they reached him.
The fight reached its breaking point when Wicked, in a moment of instinct, tapped into his chaos magic. The energy surged through him uncontrollably, wrapping around Junior like a storm. He didn't mean to—it was a reflex, a response to Junior's relentless attacks—but in that moment, he almost lost control.
Before Wicked could strike a fatal blow, Isabel intervened. "Wicked, stop!" she shouted, throwing herself between them. "You're going too far!"
Her voice snapped Wicked back to reality, the chaos magic retreating as he caught his breath, suddenly aware of how close he had come to seriously harming Junior. Junior collapsed, panting heavily, his dragon form shrinking back into his elf-human hybrid.
Dragonite stepped forward, his face grim but calm. "That's enough," he said, his voice heavy with authority. He turned to Junior, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "I know you want to be like me and Aiden. But I've never wanted you to follow in my footsteps, son. I just want you to find your own path. I'm proud of you—always have been."
Junior's eyes widened, his anger fading as his father's words sunk in. He glanced at Wicked, his expression softened, though the frustration still lingered.
As the tension in the air began to dissipate, Autumn's gaze lingered on Wicked, admiration still burning in her eyes. Isabel watched, a knowing look on her face, understanding that Wicked had never meant to provoke Junior—it was just how he was, always so naturally good at everything, and sometimes people couldn't see past that.
The lesson was over, but the tension between them lingered.