Lucius stood still for a moment, his wooden sword resting lightly at his side. Then, under his breath, he began to chant, his voice low but steady.
"Zephyr's Grace, grant me the—"
Arlena's eyes narrowed slightly as she observed him. 'Casting a spell without a grimoire? At his age? Impressive.'
The moment he finished the chant, he thrust his hand toward the ground. "Wind Surge!"
A rush of air swirled around his legs, forming concentrated spheres of wind that hovered just above the ground. The energy lifted him slightly, and his feet seemed to glide effortlessly across the surface, as though he were skating on invisible currents.
Without hesitation, he launched himself forward, the wooden sword in his grip ready for the strike. The wind around him roared softly, carrying him toward her with incredible speed.
As Lucius surged toward her, Arlena raised her free hand, muttering a single word under her breath. A blade of ice materialized in her grasp, shimmering with a frosty aura. She held it effortlessly with one hand, with a steady and relaxed stance.
The instant Lucius reached her, he swung his wooden sword with precision and force.
Clang!
The sound echoed through the training field as her ice sword met his weapon, stopping his attack dead in its tracks. Despite the clash, her grip remained firm, and her expression calm, as if she had anticipated the strike perfectly.
****
In this world, power revolved around elemental affinities, the innate connection individuals had to the forces of nature. The four major elements—water, fire, earth, and wind—formed the foundation of all magic. Most people were born with an affinity for one of these elements, their abilities limited to that singular path.
However, some, through rare circumstances or exceptional talent, developed affinities for secondary elements. These included more specialized forms of magic, such as light, darkness, ice, sound, and lightning.
Arlena, an accomplished mage, possessed affinities for both wind and water, which allowed her to wield ice magic with ease. Such dual affinities were already rare, but what truly set her apart was her mastery of all three elements.
Then there was Lucius...
****
While their weapons remained locked in a clash, Arlena's sharp eyes studied Lucius. His movements were swift and precise, the influence of his wind affinity evident in his enhanced speed.
Wind affinity, she thought. Fairly common. With proper training, he could become a decent warrior.
Yet, as the thought settled, a faint pang of disappointment crept into her mind. She couldn't quite place its source, but it lingered, as if she had expected something… more.
With a flick of her wrist, Arlena applied just a bit of strength to her ice sword, swinging it upward. The force broke the lock of their weapons, sending Lucius stumbling a step back. He didn't hesitate, though, instantly lunging at her again in the same wind-enhanced charge.
"This again?" she muttered under her breath, her grip firm on the icy blade. 'Was I really giving him too much credit?' she thought to herself.
But as he drew closer, something unexpected happened. A few feet short of reaching her, Lucius suddenly veered off course, spinning on his heel in a fluid 180° motion. The wind magic around him surged, carrying him behind her with startling speed, his wooden sword poised for another strike.
Arlena's reflexes kicked in instantly. She whirled around, her ice sword ready to intercept him once more.
What she saw next, however, froze her in place. 'What in the world…?'
Right there, as she turned to face him, Lucius was chanting. The words were brief but unmistakable—and they weren't for a wind spell.
Fire crackled to life around his fist, licking the air with ferocious heat.
"Ignis Strike!" he roared, thrusting his blazing fist forward in a swift, explosive motion.
Arlena's eyes widened in shock. A fire spell? she thought, her mind racing. He has an affinity for fire as well?!
The fiery punch streaked toward her face, its heat searing the air between them. Panic momentarily gripped her, forcing her to act on instinct.
BOOM!
The impact sent a fiery shockwave through the courtyard, scattering loose debris and enveloping the training ground in smoke and flames.
"Huff... Huff..."
Lucius stood, panting slightly. His breath was heavy as he watched the smoke from his fire spell swirl around him. 'Did I get her?' he thought, eyes narrowing as he waited for the fog to clear. The anticipation gnawed at him, but all he could do was wait.
Then, a sudden gust of wind began to whip through the air, sharp and forceful. The smoke parted in an instant, the clearing wind revealing the figure of Arlena, standing tall at the center of the whirlwind, completely unharmed. Not a single scorch mark marred her robes.
"That definitely caught me off guard. I'm impressed, Lucius," she said, casually dusting her robes off with a flick of her hand.
Lucius couldn't help but think, 'Hmph, I guess I shouldn't get cocky. She's still a master.' He silently acknowledged the gap between them, refocusing himself. He chose not to respond, not wanting to break his concentration.
"However," Arlena continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "the training wheels are off now. I'll be attacking you for real this time."
Her words sent a chill down Lucius' spine. The playful atmosphere had evaporated, replaced by a deadly focus in her eyes. Without hesitation, Lucius released his wind spell, feeling the energy dissipate as he planted his feet firmly in the ground, preparing himself for whatever came next.
He couldn't afford to underestimate her again. The real fight was just beginning.
Suddenly, Arlena shot toward him like a missile, her speed nothing short of incredible. The air around her seemed to ripple with the force of her movement, and Lucius's heart skipped a beat.
'How's she doing this?! Some sort of wind spell?' Lucius thought, panic creeping into his chest.
She was charging right at him, poised to strike, and his instincts screamed at him to move. Without thinking, Lucius leapt to the side, hoping to avoid a direct collision. 'If she wants to turn and come at me again, she'll have to stop and charge once more. That'll give me a chance to chant something...'
But his plan quickly crumbled.
When Arlena reached the spot where he had just been, she didn't slow down. Instead, she twisted in mid-air, executing a flawless front flip. Without losing an ounce of speed, she kicked the air with a loud gust, redirecting her momentum with perfect precision. In the blink of an eye, she was no longer where he expected—she was now facing him from a completely different angle, her trajectory altered effortlessly.
'What the heck, that's unfair?!' Lucius thought, frustration and disbelief flooding his mind as the reality of her skill sunk in.
Arlena closed the gap between them with alarming speed, her figure became a blur as she flew straight at him. Lucius, driven by pure instinct, turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, pounding his boots against the ground.
'Not good, she's going to catch up at this rate', he thought, his mind racing as fast as his legs.
Behind him, he could hear the rush of wind and the faint hum of magic gathering. Glancing over his shoulder, his fears were confirmed. Arlena had summoned several sharp ice crystals that hovered around her momentarily before hurtling toward him with deadly precision.
'Shit! I'm screwed!' Lucius thought, panic gripping him as he tried to push himself faster.
THUD!
The sound of something solid meeting flesh echoed through the air.