Chapter 23: The Terror of Transmutation
A few days after Adrian recovered, he and Amber met just outside the carriage for a duel. The two of them had already learned the basics of Sorcery- Amber having done so while Adrian was bedridden- and were hoping to find a way to test their abilities in real battle. Of course, neither of them would be willing to maim the other but simple bruises were on the table.
The caravan guards, having heard that the twins would have a spar, gathered around for the event with cheerful smiles on their faces. Some of them were cooking up food while others were gathering liquor and other snacks. Within minutes, the guards eventually gathered in a circle around Adrian and Amber. Some were sitting, most were standing, but all of them were not going to move.
Daniel stood among the guards, the disapproving scowl on his face having faded away. He was one of the few who grabbed heavy liquor for their enjoyment- and he wasn't afraid to show it.
Adrian turned away from the guards and chuckled for a moment before he looked at his sister. Then he shrugged and asked, "You still have a chance to back out, you know."
"Ha!" Amber laughed. She popped her shoulder- something Adrian wasn't sure was possible- and turned to him with a wide smile on her face. Adrian winced as he recognized her expression. It was the same kind she wore whenever she beat people up at boxing practice.
Amber had always been the more violent of the two. She was expressive and honest- something that Adrian was not. Sometimes- around the time the two of them began their adolescence- Amber would have the brilliant idea to use her friends as a punching bag. This eventually turned into a habit- which later turned into a serious problem.
When she started boxing, Adrian's mother believed the problem would fix itself. She was insistent on believing Amber just needed some way to relieve her stress. Of course, having been given actual combat training and the opportunity to use her fists as she pleased, Amber turned into a woman who adored physical fights. The expression she wore now only began to show itself after her boxing days began- when she was fully intent on not holding back.
'Shit,' Adrian thought to himself. He took a step back, then flicked his fingers. Flames as bright as the sun hovered over his hands like gloves. As he moved his fingers, he willed the flames to keep close to his body- so he could control them easier.
"Alright," Daniel said as he raised his hand in the air. The guards and twins turned to Daniel in anticipation. Then, without another word, Daniel brought his hand down. The fight began in earnest. The guards, from the side, cheered as Amber took the initiative.
"Haa!" She yelled as she charged forward. Her shins suddenly turned into the legs of a cheetah, ripping the shoes she wore into shreds. Adrian watched as she suddenly exploded forward with great speed. He panicked as he tried to take a few steps back himself. Then, as he moved his fingers forward he watched as three small arrows of fire shot forward.
The first arrow, Amber dodged with ease as she crouched low to the ground. Then, before the second one even came within three feet of her, she jumped into the air. With the cheetah legs given to her from her transmutation magic, she jumped much higher than she meant. Adrian and the others watched as her figure blocked out the sun for a moment before she came crashing down.
Adrian shot another arrow in her direction, then immediately dodged to the side. The fire arrow hit Amber in the shoulder, burning her skin only slightly before it dissipated. She grunted for a moment but immediately used transmutation magic to heal her wound. She came down like a comet as she landed on the grass where Adrian used to be.
Ever since he fired the arrow, Adrian had been moving as fast as he could to get away from Amber's fists, but he hadn't moved far enough. Once she touched the grass, Amber pivoted and then dashed toward Adrian.
"Shit!" Adrian yelled as he swung his other arm. All of the flames on his hand shot forward, creating almost ten arrows of flame that shot forward with the strength of an arrow. Amber's eyes widened as she saw what seemed like a swarm of miniature suns move in her direction.
For a moment, she was lost in panic. A few of the arrows, the fastest of the few, landed against her stomach. None of them broke through to the bone, but the flames burned her skin and bruised her abdomen.
The pain shocked her out of her panic. She jumped up, this time controlling her strength, as she skillfully dodged the rest of the arrows shot toward her. Then, as she landed back on the ground, she dashed forward once more.
Adrian, having lost the flames he gathered at the beginning of the match, used what little MP he had to generate stronger flames. This time, he shot forward an arrow strong enough to break bones. It pained him to use an attack this powerful, but he knew he wouldn't stand a chance without resorting to drastic measures.
As the flames appeared before his palm, Amber chuckled.
"Seeing as how you've resorted to that, you wouldn't mind if I chose to stop holding back?" She asked. Adrian didn't have time to answer, as she used her magic only a moment later. He watched as the skin on her hands began to change. It grew larger, thickening until her skin was twice the size it was previously. By then, Adrian knew what she was doing.
Amber looked back to him, then lifted her hands in glee. Every part of her arm, from the elbows down, had been turned into steel.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" He shouted, more shocked than angry. He began to run once more but still kept his palm stretched out as he gathered the last few points of MP he had within him. Amber rushed forward as she slammed her iron fist into her palm in excitement. For a moment, Adrian saw literal sparks fly away from Amber's steel skin.
Within the next few moments of their spar, Adrian knew he had no chance. Amber was only a second away from reaching him. Her knuckles of metal seemed to whisper to him- taunting him with the inevitability of the pain he was about to experience. He yelled in determination, then let loose the result of the magic gathered near his palm.
A ray of fire as wide as a baseball bat erupted from his palm before it shot toward Amber.
She dodged it, amazingly, by ducking at just the last moment. The wave of fire continued, cleaving into the dirt behind Amber with enough force to tear it to shreds. Dirt and flames flew from the crater-like hole in the earth. For a moment, Adrian thought he had caused a miniature explosion.
In the next moment, however, the only thing he felt was regret.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone