Chapter 8: Magic to magic

Father returned only the next day. He came to the training hall just when Cael practiced aiming with Arcane Arrows at small, mobile illusions of bats.

He watched in silence while Cael shot them down one by one, much slower than he himself would like, before speaking.

"Not bad, son, for your second day. But it's time to begin to train you properly. We will have to be quick with it, too. I hope you show much more talent than your brother."

Cael spent several seconds catching his breath before speaking. "Really?" he bit out. "Well. What would you want me to do, Father?"

"Don't talk back at me like that, first." Gianni glared. "Meditate. Restore your mana. Then, I want to see what you can do in an actual fight. Or, as close to one as we can do here."

He left after this, returning in half an hour. This time, not alone. With him came one of the family knights, a first rank mage.

"Marco!" Cael smiled at the familiar face. In the past, Marco taught Cael how to fight with rapiers. "How's your sister?"

The knight, a sharp-featured dark-haired man wearing a tunic with the Oliveira family crest on top of his own, nodded to Cael. "Thank you, signore Cael. She's been feeling good recently… Spring always does wonders for her health. But," Marco threw a glance at Gianni, "we are here to train, not to chat."

"Yes. I have little time today, son, so let's be quick. Today, I want to see all you got. Marco will be your sparring opponent. Use magic, weapons, anything you want. I will put shields on both of you—the fight will last until one of them breaks."

Cael and Marco nodded in understanding. Gianni nodded back and raised his hands.

"<Mystic veil of protection, I call upon thee! Let thy skin be covered with an unseen shield, impervious to harm and as strong as steel!>"

While his father chanted the spell, Cael focused on the flow of his mana. Thick threads flowed into the spell's mold, with only a small amount of mana leaving it to fill the air. Father's control really was much better than Cael's… He spoke much faster, too.

When he finished, a layer of magic, visible only to mind's eye, covered Cael's skin, solid and impenetrable, but not restricting his movements. Then Gianni did the same for Marco and went to stay near a far wall.

"Begin when you are ready," he said.

"Rapiers?" Marco asked, going to the rack with training weapons. Cael fell in step.

Cael frowned, thinking. He needed both hands to assist in his spellcasting, but a weapon could get handy… In the end, he chose a short dulled dagger, which he tucked in his belt. "This."

Marco shrugged and took a rapier instead. Then he walked several steps away from Cael before turning to face him. "Ready?"

Cael crouched a little and took a deep breath. A mage's head must be cool and clear at all times! Especially in battle. "Yes."

"Then come." Marco raised his hands at his sides. The corners of his lips stretched a slightest bit. "I have to give an advantage to a novice."

Cael grit his teeth, but recognized the goading for what it was. Marco knew about Cael's hotheadedness as much as Cael himself.

"Don't mind if I do," Cael threw back.

He lowered his voice and hurried to read a spell, one of those he practiced yesterday. "<Oh, winds that dance…>"

As Cael expected, Marco didn't wait for Cael to finish. With his rapier moving through the air like a magic wand, he began to chant his own spell. Cael strained to hear the words.

Marco didn't raise his voice, either, but the sound of Arcani was so familiar to Cael thanks to System that he caught the meaning of them, anyway. "<Winds of a raging hurricane…>"

'A wind blade spell,' Cael recalled.

This momentary loss of concentration made him falter and almost lose his own spell, so he quickly focused on reading the rest of it. "<…through the leaves, let my steps be as swift as the blowing breeze!>"

"<…blade of piercing wind!>"

They have finished their spells at the same time. Just as Cael's feet grew lighter, infused with magical speed, a forearm-long blade of wind, almost invisible in the clear air, flew from Marco's fingers.

But Cael was prepared, even if he couldn't trace Marco's attack well. He dashed to the side in two long, graceful steps, already chanting his next spell.

The fight began in earnest.

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