Chapter 59: Talent vs Orb
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Chapter 59: Talent vs Orb
The moment had finally arrived. The first and final full power duel that Vir and Maiya would ever have. Their first official duel, at least. The moment Maiya had gained a sliver of proficiency in magic, shed challenged Vir to a fight. And she continued to challenge him as she got better and better, making duels between them rather commonplace.
But while the duel was exciting, it was what came after that put Vir on edge.
Tomorrow, in the dead of night, Vir and Maiya would finally make their escape. Over the past months, theyd both pleaded with Riyaneven begged himto give them a hint about what he expected of them. Anything. But the man said nothing every time.
To say that they owed him a debt was an understatement. He had saved their lives and developed them into the warriors they were today. They both wanted to do right by him. They wanted to help. But what if the man asked something unreasonable? What if he asked them to become criminals? To kill someone innocent?
The final straw was the man's silence on the hunters in the Godshollow. Ever since then, neither Vir nor Maiya had slept well at night. Were they being monitored by some unseen force?
After many arguments and emotional turmoil, theyd decided to leave. They'd go into hiding where no one could find them. There, they could take their time to hone their skills. Once they'd grown strong enough, theyd contact Riyan and honor his favor if it was a reasonable one.
Riyan might have guessed their intentions, but Vir felt it unlikely the man knew of their timing. They'd taken extra precaution to pretend like nothing was amiss.
They had contemplated leaving earlier, but Maiya found the duel too tempting to resist. Shed never managed to sneak out Tanyas B grade orbs for their mock duels, so this duel was of special interest for her.
Preparations had been made. Food, water, food for Bumpy, various odds and ends. All kept at their secret stash within the cave network to the south. The plan was a simple one. Maiya would leave for the 'spot' with Neel first. Vir would then scrape up every last morsel of prana for one final Dance activation.
He'd use the shadows to sneak out to Bumpy. This way, Riyan wouldn't suspect him of having left his room. He'd then pick up Maiya and Neel, and they'd head for Saran where theyd seek jobs to raise funds for ocean passage to the Rani Queendom.
Maiya had considered stealing Tanyas orbsthey would each fetch a small fortunebut decided against it. Riyan would no doubt pursue them. They didnt want to give Tanya any reason to, as well. Maiya had even written up a note for her, hoping shed understand their plight and not pursue them. Even then, there were no guarantees, but theyd done everything they could. The rest was up to Badraks whims.
Vir faced off against Maiya in a valley of large dunes near the oasisat the same spot theyd dueled each other repeatedly. Which meant that the prana here was all but exhausted. Barely enough for a single invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon.
While Virs prana efficiency had more than tripled, there was only so much he could do with such a limited amount of prana.
It was a concession hed made to Maiya. She got to pick the location of the duel, and she could precharge her orbs. She was smart to choose this place.
In return, Vir could use the full might of all of his Talents. Except the ones he didnt want Riyan knowing about, of course. He had to have something up his sleeve if he ended up having to fight the man. Though even with Maiyas magic, their chances of beating the Ghost of Godshollow were nearly nonexistent. They had to escape without a confrontation.
He tried not to dwell on the matter as he faced off against Maiya under a partially cloudy sky. Fate seemed to conspire against him todaythe shadows werent nearly strong enough to use the Dance, a fact Maiya was no doubt gloating about as she stared him down thirty paces away.
Their starting distance was also a compromisedistance favored Maiya, while Vir was far more lethal at close range. She wanted fifty paces. He wanted ten. They met in the middle.
Riyan walked into the center and eyed each of the combatants. The rules for this duel are simple. You will fight to surrender or when one of you is rendered incapable of continuing the fight. If you do not fight at your best, I will know. If I am unsatisfied, you will continue dueling until that changes. Precharged orbs are allowed. All Talents are allowed. Questions?
They each shook their heads, keeping their eyes on each other. Maiya wore a mejai aiming bracer on her right arm, while her left was free, hovering over a medley of orbs holstered on her belt. Like himself, she wore no armor.
Vir finalized his battle plan. Riyan's declaration meant that he'd have to go all out, whether he liked it or not. Maiya would do the same. Foremost on his mind was which Talents to useLeap, or Dance. Using one barred him from using the other, owing to the dearth of prana in this area.
Looking up at the sky, he realized that the cloud they were under would pass, and soon. Which meant that Dance could be viable. On the other hand, the winds may shift and the cloud might sit on them.
Dance was a little unique. As hed done in the training dome, he could make it look like Blink to Riyan and Tanya. Crucially, he could access the Shadow Realm while revealing nothing about the ability. That gave him an enormous edge.
He decided hed hold off on Talents for now. If the clouds didnt break, he could always use Leap. While potent, itd take several invocations to close the distance. It put him at greater risk against her magic. Dance, however, would allow him to pop up right inside her shadow. There was little she could do against that.
And she knew that. Once shed become proficient with magic, Vir had no reason to withhold the details of Dance from her, so hed confided everything. He almost wished he hadnt.
Shed no doubt seek to end things quickly. The tables had turnedstamina was no longer Virs weakness. Against a mejai, time was on his side. Range was his enemy now.
Begin! Riyan announced, Blinking away.
Vir sprinted forth to close the distance. He readied a chakram, but Maiya beat him to the punch.
She activated her precharged B grade orb, casting Ice Barrier. Prana rushed out of her orb and coalesced in front of her, cracking as it froze into a solid block of magic ice large enough to shield her entire body.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
Tch. Vir holstered his chakram around his neck. He knew from experience that the wall was all but impervious to his rusty iron disks.
Luckily, Vir knew everything about her magic. It took her an entire minute to charge a single B grade orb, and that too, only if she devoted her full concentration to the task. In the middle of a battle? Impossible.
Which meant hed be dealing primarily with C grade magic. She could charge those in just a few seconds.
Vir intended to press his charge, but Maiya had other plans. A C grade Ember arced through the air, bound for him.
He couldnt suppress a laugh and risked a glance at Tanya on the sidelines, who had her head buried in her hands. He could almost hear the woman groaning about why Maiya insisted on using Fire Affinity magic.
How many weeks did she spend charging that thing?
Maiya had no affinity for fire magic. Which meant she must have spent a hundred hours or more, diligently charging the C grade orb. All for this moment. Just so she could show off. No wonder she was looking forward to this.
The miniature fireballwhile slow and cumbersomehad been aimed at Virs feet, forcing him to break off his charge. Hed been hit with magical fire before. He had no intention of experiencing that torture ever again.
The spell hit the sand and erupted into a blaze, creating a wall of fire that prevented Vir from charging through.
The effect only lasted a couple of seconds, but that was plenty of time for Maiya to unleash her next spell. And this one, Vir did have to worry about.
Stolen story; please report.
Vir immediately let off his pressure and offered her a hand up. Instead, she brought her knees to her face and began rocking back and forth.
Maiya?
I thought I could beat you, Vir. I really did. Every waking moment I had, I spent it either on magic or sparring with you. I even hid some of my powers so Id have an upper hand!
Are you kidding me? Vir said, plopped down beside her, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain from his left arm. Slowly, he let blood circulate back to the wound to allow the clotting process to begin.
I barely got away from your attacks, he said. If youd charged your spells even a tiny bit faster, Id have been done for. That was incredibly close. It used to be that I could steamroll you, but now? You were really trying to kill me, werent you?
Maiya looked at him. Only because I knew you were good enough to take them. I had to. If I went easy on you, how could I possibly win?
Her strength was honestly monstrous. Not only could she sling C Grade wind and ice magic in rapid succession, her dagger mastery spooked Vir at times. Only accomplished mejai or highly trained Talent wielders would pose her any threat at all.
Vir used to worry for her safety. Now, it was the opposite; he worried for the safety of the poor chals dumb enough to cross her.
Im proud of you, Maiya, Vir said, patting her back. I truly mean it.
Hed worked tirelessly to get to where he was, and so had she. Shed progressed so much, taking only months to do what most mejai took years to accomplish. Of course, Vir had jumpstarted the process and helped guide her growth, but she was the one who put in all the hard work.
Once shed found the key, all it took was practice, slowly honing her prana control until she could channel more and more prana into her orbs, diligently sitting near wind and water prana sources. From there, shed worked on distancing herself from those sources until she could channel prana anywhere.
After that, it was a matter of more efficiently controlling her blood flowa task shed continue working on for years to come.
T-thanks. Well, it was close. Just wait until I can charge B grade orbs in combat. You arent gonna stand a chance!
Uh, huh. Guess well see, wont we? he said, hoping that day never came. Maiya was scary already. What kind of a monster would she be with B grade magic?
Maiyas eyes bulged. Vir! Your arm! Why didnt you say anything earlier! Youre injured so badly, we need to get help! she shouted, standing up and desperately hailing Riyan.
Youre the one who did that to me, yknow?
They are ready, Riyan said, observing the end of the duel.
Tanya remained silent.
You disagree? he asked, cocking a brow.
No. She is ready. But you have spent half a year training these two. So much time and effort spent crafting them. And yet
And yet? Riyan prompted.
You would send them away to their deaths? Tanya asked, a trickle of compassion showing through her voice.
I am not running a charity, Tanya. I took them in because I felt they would be of use to me. They understood the terms, and they agreed to them.
What you are asking is suicide. They will not understand what they are up against until it is too late!
When did you start caring about their wellbeing? Riyan said. This isnt like you.
They are both special. The boy is a prodigy, and Maiya SheI was wrong. She possesses talent. Exceptional talent. Riyan, she can become powerful! It would be a loss to Hiranya to lose her.
Riyan went silent. She will survive.
Truly? Can you think of a single traitor who has ever been spared the death sentence?
Riyan heaved a great sigh. A leader knows better than to develop ties with their subordinates. Tanya Chakar, you know this. You have seen it time and time again on the battlefield. Isnt that right, Commander?
Tanya fell silent.
Riyan looked across the dunes at Maiya, who was currently stomping their way, no doubt demanding medical help for her friend.
Are you aware? The boy and the girl intend to flee soon.
Tanyas eyes grew wide. How do you know?
Vir has been frequenting his cave cache to the south far more often lately. The two often sneak out to hold private counsels. They think they are being discreet, but I frequently tail them. They still have a long way to go if they think they can hide from me.
II see, Tanya replied.
Ensure that they fail.
Yes, sir, Tanya said, her voice devoid of life. It will be done.
Next time: 60 - Interdiction
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Chapter 59: Talent vs Orb
The moment had finally arrived. The first and final full power duel that Vir and Maiya would ever have. Their first official duel, at least. The moment Maiya had gained a sliver of proficiency in magic, shed challenged Vir to a fight. And she continued to challenge him as she got better and better, making duels between them rather commonplace.
But while the duel was exciting, it was what came after that put Vir on edge.
Tomorrow, in the dead of night, Vir and Maiya would finally make their escape. Over the past months, theyd both pleaded with Riyaneven begged himto give them a hint about what he expected of them. Anything. But the man said nothing every time.
To say that they owed him a debt was an understatement. He had saved their lives and developed them into the warriors they were today. They both wanted to do right by him. They wanted to help. But what if the man asked something unreasonable? What if he asked them to become criminals? To kill someone innocent?
The final straw was the man's silence on the hunters in the Godshollow. Ever since then, neither Vir nor Maiya had slept well at night. Were they being monitored by some unseen force?
After many arguments and emotional turmoil, theyd decided to leave. They'd go into hiding where no one could find them. There, they could take their time to hone their skills. Once they'd grown strong enough, theyd contact Riyan and honor his favor if it was a reasonable one.
Riyan might have guessed their intentions, but Vir felt it unlikely the man knew of their timing. They'd taken extra precaution to pretend like nothing was amiss.
They had contemplated leaving earlier, but Maiya found the duel too tempting to resist. Shed never managed to sneak out Tanyas B grade orbs for their mock duels, so this duel was of special interest for her.
Preparations had been made. Food, water, food for Bumpy, various odds and ends. All kept at their secret stash within the cave network to the south. The plan was a simple one. Maiya would leave for the 'spot' with Neel first. Vir would then scrape up every last morsel of prana for one final Dance activation.
He'd use the shadows to sneak out to Bumpy. This way, Riyan wouldn't suspect him of having left his room. He'd then pick up Maiya and Neel, and they'd head for Saran where theyd seek jobs to raise funds for ocean passage to the Rani Queendom.
Maiya had considered stealing Tanyas orbsthey would each fetch a small fortunebut decided against it. Riyan would no doubt pursue them. They didnt want to give Tanya any reason to, as well. Maiya had even written up a note for her, hoping shed understand their plight and not pursue them. Even then, there were no guarantees, but theyd done everything they could. The rest was up to Badraks whims.
Vir faced off against Maiya in a valley of large dunes near the oasisat the same spot theyd dueled each other repeatedly. Which meant that the prana here was all but exhausted. Barely enough for a single invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon.
While Virs prana efficiency had more than tripled, there was only so much he could do with such a limited amount of prana.
It was a concession hed made to Maiya. She got to pick the location of the duel, and she could precharge her orbs. She was smart to choose this place.
In return, Vir could use the full might of all of his Talents. Except the ones he didnt want Riyan knowing about, of course. He had to have something up his sleeve if he ended up having to fight the man. Though even with Maiyas magic, their chances of beating the Ghost of Godshollow were nearly nonexistent. They had to escape without a confrontation.
He tried not to dwell on the matter as he faced off against Maiya under a partially cloudy sky. Fate seemed to conspire against him todaythe shadows werent nearly strong enough to use the Dance, a fact Maiya was no doubt gloating about as she stared him down thirty paces away.
Their starting distance was also a compromisedistance favored Maiya, while Vir was far more lethal at close range. She wanted fifty paces. He wanted ten. They met in the middle.
Riyan walked into the center and eyed each of the combatants. The rules for this duel are simple. You will fight to surrender or when one of you is rendered incapable of continuing the fight. If you do not fight at your best, I will know. If I am unsatisfied, you will continue dueling until that changes. Precharged orbs are allowed. All Talents are allowed. Questions?
They each shook their heads, keeping their eyes on each other. Maiya wore a mejai aiming bracer on her right arm, while her left was free, hovering over a medley of orbs holstered on her belt. Like himself, she wore no armor.
Vir finalized his battle plan. Riyan's declaration meant that he'd have to go all out, whether he liked it or not. Maiya would do the same. Foremost on his mind was which Talents to useLeap, or Dance. Using one barred him from using the other, owing to the dearth of prana in this area.
Looking up at the sky, he realized that the cloud they were under would pass, and soon. Which meant that Dance could be viable. On the other hand, the winds may shift and the cloud might sit on them.
Dance was a little unique. As hed done in the training dome, he could make it look like Blink to Riyan and Tanya. Crucially, he could access the Shadow Realm while revealing nothing about the ability. That gave him an enormous edge.
He decided hed hold off on Talents for now. If the clouds didnt break, he could always use Leap. While potent, itd take several invocations to close the distance. It put him at greater risk against her magic. Dance, however, would allow him to pop up right inside her shadow. There was little she could do against that.
And she knew that. Once shed become proficient with magic, Vir had no reason to withhold the details of Dance from her, so hed confided everything. He almost wished he hadnt.
Shed no doubt seek to end things quickly. The tables had turnedstamina was no longer Virs weakness. Against a mejai, time was on his side. Range was his enemy now.
Begin! Riyan announced, Blinking away.
Vir sprinted forth to close the distance. He readied a chakram, but Maiya beat him to the punch.
She activated her precharged B grade orb, casting Ice Barrier. Prana rushed out of her orb and coalesced in front of her, cracking as it froze into a solid block of magic ice large enough to shield her entire body.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
Tch. Vir holstered his chakram around his neck. He knew from experience that the wall was all but impervious to his rusty iron disks.
Luckily, Vir knew everything about her magic. It took her an entire minute to charge a single B grade orb, and that too, only if she devoted her full concentration to the task. In the middle of a battle? Impossible.
Which meant hed be dealing primarily with C grade magic. She could charge those in just a few seconds.
Vir intended to press his charge, but Maiya had other plans. A C grade Ember arced through the air, bound for him.
He couldnt suppress a laugh and risked a glance at Tanya on the sidelines, who had her head buried in her hands. He could almost hear the woman groaning about why Maiya insisted on using Fire Affinity magic.
How many weeks did she spend charging that thing?
Maiya had no affinity for fire magic. Which meant she must have spent a hundred hours or more, diligently charging the C grade orb. All for this moment. Just so she could show off. No wonder she was looking forward to this.
The miniature fireballwhile slow and cumbersomehad been aimed at Virs feet, forcing him to break off his charge. Hed been hit with magical fire before. He had no intention of experiencing that torture ever again.
The spell hit the sand and erupted into a blaze, creating a wall of fire that prevented Vir from charging through.
The effect only lasted a couple of seconds, but that was plenty of time for Maiya to unleash her next spell. And this one, Vir did have to worry about.
Stolen story; please report.
Vir immediately let off his pressure and offered her a hand up. Instead, she brought her knees to her face and began rocking back and forth.
Maiya?
I thought I could beat you, Vir. I really did. Every waking moment I had, I spent it either on magic or sparring with you. I even hid some of my powers so Id have an upper hand!
Are you kidding me? Vir said, plopped down beside her, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain from his left arm. Slowly, he let blood circulate back to the wound to allow the clotting process to begin.
I barely got away from your attacks, he said. If youd charged your spells even a tiny bit faster, Id have been done for. That was incredibly close. It used to be that I could steamroll you, but now? You were really trying to kill me, werent you?
Maiya looked at him. Only because I knew you were good enough to take them. I had to. If I went easy on you, how could I possibly win?
Her strength was honestly monstrous. Not only could she sling C Grade wind and ice magic in rapid succession, her dagger mastery spooked Vir at times. Only accomplished mejai or highly trained Talent wielders would pose her any threat at all.
Vir used to worry for her safety. Now, it was the opposite; he worried for the safety of the poor chals dumb enough to cross her.
Im proud of you, Maiya, Vir said, patting her back. I truly mean it.
Hed worked tirelessly to get to where he was, and so had she. Shed progressed so much, taking only months to do what most mejai took years to accomplish. Of course, Vir had jumpstarted the process and helped guide her growth, but she was the one who put in all the hard work.
Once shed found the key, all it took was practice, slowly honing her prana control until she could channel more and more prana into her orbs, diligently sitting near wind and water prana sources. From there, shed worked on distancing herself from those sources until she could channel prana anywhere.
After that, it was a matter of more efficiently controlling her blood flowa task shed continue working on for years to come.
T-thanks. Well, it was close. Just wait until I can charge B grade orbs in combat. You arent gonna stand a chance!
Uh, huh. Guess well see, wont we? he said, hoping that day never came. Maiya was scary already. What kind of a monster would she be with B grade magic?
Maiyas eyes bulged. Vir! Your arm! Why didnt you say anything earlier! Youre injured so badly, we need to get help! she shouted, standing up and desperately hailing Riyan.
Youre the one who did that to me, yknow?
They are ready, Riyan said, observing the end of the duel.
Tanya remained silent.
You disagree? he asked, cocking a brow.
No. She is ready. But you have spent half a year training these two. So much time and effort spent crafting them. And yet
And yet? Riyan prompted.
You would send them away to their deaths? Tanya asked, a trickle of compassion showing through her voice.
I am not running a charity, Tanya. I took them in because I felt they would be of use to me. They understood the terms, and they agreed to them.
What you are asking is suicide. They will not understand what they are up against until it is too late!
When did you start caring about their wellbeing? Riyan said. This isnt like you.
They are both special. The boy is a prodigy, and Maiya SheI was wrong. She possesses talent. Exceptional talent. Riyan, she can become powerful! It would be a loss to Hiranya to lose her.
Riyan went silent. She will survive.
Truly? Can you think of a single traitor who has ever been spared the death sentence?
Riyan heaved a great sigh. A leader knows better than to develop ties with their subordinates. Tanya Chakar, you know this. You have seen it time and time again on the battlefield. Isnt that right, Commander?
Tanya fell silent.
Riyan looked across the dunes at Maiya, who was currently stomping their way, no doubt demanding medical help for her friend.
Are you aware? The boy and the girl intend to flee soon.
Tanyas eyes grew wide. How do you know?
Vir has been frequenting his cave cache to the south far more often lately. The two often sneak out to hold private counsels. They think they are being discreet, but I frequently tail them. They still have a long way to go if they think they can hide from me.
II see, Tanya replied.
Ensure that they fail.
Yes, sir, Tanya said, her voice devoid of life. It will be done.
Next time: 60 - Interdiction
Chapter 59: Talent vs OrbThe moment had finally arrived. The first and final full power duel that Vir and Maiya would ever have. Their first official duel, at least. The moment Maiya had gained a sliver of proficiency in magic, shed challenged Vir to a fight. And she continued to challenge him as she got better and better, making duels between them rather commonplace.But while the duel was exciting, it was what came after that put Vir on edge.Tomorrow, in the dead of night, Vir and Maiya would finally make their escape. Over the past months, theyd both pleaded with Riyaneven begged himto give them a hint about what he expected of them. Anything. But the man said nothing every time.To say that they owed him a debt was an understatement. He had saved their lives and developed them into the warriors they were today. They both wanted to do right by him. They wanted to help. But what if the man asked something unreasonable? What if he asked them to become criminals? To kill someone innocent?The final straw was the man's silence on the hunters in the Godshollow. Ever since then, neither Vir nor Maiya had slept well at night. Were they being monitored by some unseen force?After many arguments and emotional turmoil, theyd decided to leave. They'd go into hiding where no one could find them. There, they could take their time to hone their skills. Once they'd grown strong enough, theyd contact Riyan and honor his favor if it was a reasonable one.Riyan might have guessed their intentions, but Vir felt it unlikely the man knew of their timing. They'd taken extra precaution to pretend like nothing was amiss.They had contemplated leaving earlier, but Maiya found the duel too tempting to resist. Shed never managed to sneak out Tanyas B grade orbs for their mock duels, so this duel was of special interest for her.Preparations had been made. Food, water, food for Bumpy, various odds and ends. All kept at their secret stash within the cave network to the south. The plan was a simple one. Maiya would leave for the 'spot' with Neel first. Vir would then scrape up every last morsel of prana for one final Dance activation.He'd use the shadows to sneak out to Bumpy. This way, Riyan wouldn't suspect him of having left his room. He'd then pick up Maiya and Neel, and they'd head for Saran where theyd seek jobs to raise funds for ocean passage to the Rani Queendom.Maiya had considered stealing Tanyas orbsthey would each fetch a small fortunebut decided against it. Riyan would no doubt pursue them. They didnt want to give Tanya any reason to, as well. Maiya had even written up a note for her, hoping shed understand their plight and not pursue them. Even then, there were no guarantees, but theyd done everything they could. The rest was up to Badraks whims.Vir faced off against Maiya in a valley of large dunes near the oasisat the same spot theyd dueled each other repeatedly. Which meant that the prana here was all but exhausted. Barely enough for a single invocation of Dance of the Shadow Demon.While Virs prana efficiency had more than tripled, there was only so much he could do with such a limited amount of prana.It was a concession hed made to Maiya. She got to pick the location of the duel, and she could precharge her orbs. She was smart to choose this place.In return, Vir could use the full might of all of his Talents. Except the ones he didnt want Riyan knowing about, of course. He had to have something up his sleeve if he ended up having to fight the man. Though even with Maiyas magic, their chances of beating the Ghost of Godshollow were nearly nonexistent. They had to escape without a confrontation.He tried not to dwell on the matter as he faced off against Maiya under a partially cloudy sky. Fate seemed to conspire against him todaythe shadows werent nearly strong enough to use the Dance, a fact Maiya was no doubt gloating about as she stared him down thirty paces away.Their starting distance was also a compromisedistance favored Maiya, while Vir was far more lethal at close range. She wanted fifty paces. He wanted ten. They met in the middle.Riyan walked into the center and eyed each of the combatants. The rules for this duel are simple. You will fight to surrender or when one of you is rendered incapable of continuing the fight. If you do not fight at your best, I will know. If I am unsatisfied, you will continue dueling until that changes. Precharged orbs are allowed. All Talents are allowed. Questions?They each shook their heads, keeping their eyes on each other. Maiya wore a mejai aiming bracer on her right arm, while her left was free, hovering over a medley of orbs holstered on her belt. Like himself, she wore no armor.Vir finalized his battle plan. Riyan's declaration meant that he'd have to go all out, whether he liked it or not. Maiya would do the same. Foremost on his mind was which Talents to useLeap, or Dance. Using one barred him from using the other, owing to the dearth of prana in this area.Looking up at the sky, he realized that the cloud they were under would pass, and soon. Which meant that Dance could be viable. On the other hand, the winds may shift and the cloud might sit on them.Dance was a little unique. As hed done in the training dome, he could make it look like Blink to Riyan and Tanya. Crucially, he could access the Shadow Realm while revealing nothing about the ability. That gave him an enormous edge.He decided hed hold off on Talents for now. If the clouds didnt break, he could always use Leap. While potent, itd take several invocations to close the distance. It put him at greater risk against her magic. Dance, however, would allow him to pop up right inside her shadow. There was little she could do against that.And she knew that. Once shed become proficient with magic, Vir had no reason to withhold the details of Dance from her, so hed confided everything. He almost wished he hadnt.Shed no doubt seek to end things quickly. The tables had turnedstamina was no longer Virs weakness. Against a mejai, time was on his side. Range was his enemy now.Begin! Riyan announced, Blinking away.Vir sprinted forth to close the distance. He readied a chakram, but Maiya beat him to the punch.She activated her precharged B grade orb, casting Ice Barrier. Prana rushed out of her orb and coalesced in front of her, cracking as it froze into a solid block of magic ice large enough to shield her entire body.Visit noveLbin.com for the best novel reading experienceTch. Vir holstered his chakram around his neck. He knew from experience that the wall was all but impervious to his rusty iron disks.Luckily, Vir knew everything about her magic. It took her an entire minute to charge a single B grade orb, and that too, only if she devoted her full concentration to the task. In the middle of a battle? Impossible.Which meant hed be dealing primarily with C grade magic. She could charge those in just a few seconds.Vir intended to press his charge, but Maiya had other plans. A C grade Ember arced through the air, bound for him.He couldnt suppress a laugh and risked a glance at Tanya on the sidelines, who had her head buried in her hands. He could almost hear the woman groaning about why Maiya insisted on using Fire Affinity magic.How many weeks did she spend charging that thing?Maiya had no affinity for fire magic. Which meant she must have spent a hundred hours or more, diligently charging the C grade orb. All for this moment. Just so she could show off. No wonder she was looking forward to this.The miniature fireballwhile slow and cumbersomehad been aimed at Virs feet, forcing him to break off his charge. Hed been hit with magical fire before. He had no intention of experiencing that torture ever again.The spell hit the sand and erupted into a blaze, creating a wall of fire that prevented Vir from charging through.The effect only lasted a couple of seconds, but that was plenty of time for Maiya to unleash her next spell. And this one, Vir did have to worry about.Stolen story; please report.Vir immediately let off his pressure and offered her a hand up. Instead, she brought her knees to her face and began rocking back and forth.Maiya?I thought I could beat you, Vir. I really did. Every waking moment I had, I spent it either on magic or sparring with you. I even hid some of my powers so Id have an upper hand!Are you kidding me? Vir said, plopped down beside her, doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain from his left arm. Slowly, he let blood circulate back to the wound to allow the clotting process to begin.I barely got away from your attacks, he said. If youd charged your spells even a tiny bit faster, Id have been done for. That was incredibly close. It used to be that I could steamroll you, but now? You were really trying to kill me, werent you?Maiya looked at him. Only because I knew you were good enough to take them. I had to. If I went easy on you, how could I possibly win?Her strength was honestly monstrous. Not only could she sling C Grade wind and ice magic in rapid succession, her dagger mastery spooked Vir at times. Only accomplished mejai or highly trained Talent wielders would pose her any threat at all.Vir used to worry for her safety. Now, it was the opposite; he worried for the safety of the poor chals dumb enough to cross her.Im proud of you, Maiya, Vir said, patting her back. I truly mean it.Hed worked tirelessly to get to where he was, and so had she. Shed progressed so much, taking only months to do what most mejai took years to accomplish. Of course, Vir had jumpstarted the process and helped guide her growth, but she was the one who put in all the hard work.Once shed found the key, all it took was practice, slowly honing her prana control until she could channel more and more prana into her orbs, diligently sitting near wind and water prana sources. From there, shed worked on distancing herself from those sources until she could channel prana anywhere.After that, it was a matter of more efficiently controlling her blood flowa task shed continue working on for years to come.T-thanks. Well, it was close. Just wait until I can charge B grade orbs in combat. You arent gonna stand a chance!Uh, huh. Guess well see, wont we? he said, hoping that day never came. Maiya was scary already. What kind of a monster would she be with B grade magic?Maiyas eyes bulged. Vir! Your arm! Why didnt you say anything earlier! Youre injured so badly, we need to get help! she shouted, standing up and desperately hailing Riyan.Youre the one who did that to me, yknow?They are ready, Riyan said, observing the end of the duel.Tanya remained silent.You disagree? he asked, cocking a brow.No. She is ready. But you have spent half a year training these two. So much time and effort spent crafting them. And yetAnd yet? Riyan prompted.You would send them away to their deaths? Tanya asked, a trickle of compassion showing through her voice.I am not running a charity, Tanya. I took them in because I felt they would be of use to me. They understood the terms, and they agreed to them.What you are asking is suicide. They will not understand what they are up against until it is too late!When did you start caring about their wellbeing? Riyan said. This isnt like you.They are both special. The boy is a prodigy, and Maiya SheI was wrong. She possesses talent. Exceptional talent. Riyan, she can become powerful! It would be a loss to Hiranya to lose her.Riyan went silent. She will survive.Truly? Can you think of a single traitor who has ever been spared the death sentence?Riyan heaved a great sigh. A leader knows better than to develop ties with their subordinates. Tanya Chakar, you know this. You have seen it time and time again on the battlefield. Isnt that right, Commander?Tanya fell silent.Riyan looked across the dunes at Maiya, who was currently stomping their way, no doubt demanding medical help for her friend.Are you aware? The boy and the girl intend to flee soon.Tanyas eyes grew wide. How do you know?Vir has been frequenting his cave cache to the south far more often lately. The two often sneak out to hold private counsels. They think they are being discreet, but I frequently tail them. They still have a long way to go if they think they can hide from me.II see, Tanya replied.Ensure that they fail.Yes, sir, Tanya said, her voice devoid of life. It will be done.Next time: 60 - Interdiction
