with swords? Don’t you have a battle ahead at the Blood Dagger competition? From what I understand, although I’ve never seen fights such as these in the arena, the fighting is fierce…blood is drawn, and magical healers often fail to cure wounds. Am I correct?”
Talis nodded, realization coming to his mind. He pictured the last time he’d battled in the arena. “Wear the Battle Mask and Slay the Demon…”
“Is this part of your training?”
“To overcome fear of injury and pain, wearing the battle mask is our mental protection, and slaying the demon keeps us focused on destroying our enemy…the demon in our minds.”
“Where is your fear while you battle?” Master Viridian allowed a smile to raise the corners of his lips.
“Slain…fear is the demon. How we slay the demon is to execute the movements. Dancing Butterfly, Cringing Monkey, Leaping Snake, Dragon Circles the Moon… We memorize many martial moments, train and train and train until they are habits, then in the arena the fight is against our fear and emotions…and besting our enemies.”
Master Viridian chuckled, light filling his eyes. “Sounds like the way wizards learn battle magic. And who are you fighting at the Blood Dagger competition?”
“We’re fighting Rikar and Nikulo…tomorrow.” Was it so close already? Talis pictured the haughty gaze in Rikar’s eyes this morning, and scowled, wishing he could wipe that expression off his face.
“If you apply the same principles you’ve learned in melee fighting to casting magic, you’ll do just fine. Don’t think producing magic is anything different, treat it much the same.”
Except that losing control of magic could cause you to explode and kill everyone around you, Talis thought, but he only bowed to Master Viridian. “Thank you, Master, I’ll try.” If he could only get the image of charred wizards out of his head.
Instead of staying after school to study, Talis snuck out from the Order through a side, secret tunnel and made his way to the school where Mara was supposed to be learning how to act like a lady. Not that she was a good student. She drove her teachers crazy with questions like, Why do ladies have to act so stupid? And when her manners teacher dared to suggest that Mara give up hunting and fighting, Talis had to talk Mara out of poisoning her.
The stone wall surrounding Mara’s school was easy to scale, and Talis climbed down wisteria vines and crept over to hide behind a statue to the Goddess Nestria, Ruler of the Sky. Talis tossed a pebble at the window of the classroom where Mara and several other young ladies were practicing dancing. Mara glanced outside, squinting as she spotted Talis, then focused back to her teacher, nodding and curtsying in response.
After finishing several more quick spin dances, all the girls in the class bowed to their teacher at once and filed out of the room. Talis snuck over the the side door where Mara had escaped before, and waited. If he was in luck today, dancing might be Mara’s last class.
The door squeaked open and Mara’s devilish eyes peeked through.
“You just couldn’t wait to see me… You know my teachers will kill you if they find you in here again.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ve got to talk about the Blood Dagger competition…it’s tomorrow. The Tame Shrew?” Talis lifted his fist to his mouth, as if drinking.
“I couldn’t think of a nastier, seedier tavern to plot our battle strategy against Rikar and Nikulo… Absolutely perfect.” Mara grinned maliciously and brushed a lock of Talis’s hair away from his eyes. She glanced around to see if anyone was looking, then held Talis’s hand and they made their way through the bushes and up and over the wall.
The afternoon sun filtered through olive leaves, casting quivering inky shadows across the cobblestone street. The lazy windless time of day when many citizens took naps or drank milk tea and played cards. Talis and Mara
Talis nodded, realization coming to his mind. He pictured the last time he’d battled in the arena. “Wear the Battle Mask and Slay the Demon…”
“Is this part of your training?”
“To overcome fear of injury and pain, wearing the battle mask is our mental protection, and slaying the demon keeps us focused on destroying our enemy…the demon in our minds.”
“Where is your fear while you battle?” Master Viridian allowed a smile to raise the corners of his lips.
“Slain…fear is the demon. How we slay the demon is to execute the movements. Dancing Butterfly, Cringing Monkey, Leaping Snake, Dragon Circles the Moon… We memorize many martial moments, train and train and train until they are habits, then in the arena the fight is against our fear and emotions…and besting our enemies.”
Master Viridian chuckled, light filling his eyes. “Sounds like the way wizards learn battle magic. And who are you fighting at the Blood Dagger competition?”
“We’re fighting Rikar and Nikulo…tomorrow.” Was it so close already? Talis pictured the haughty gaze in Rikar’s eyes this morning, and scowled, wishing he could wipe that expression off his face.
“If you apply the same principles you’ve learned in melee fighting to casting magic, you’ll do just fine. Don’t think producing magic is anything different, treat it much the same.”
Except that losing control of magic could cause you to explode and kill everyone around you, Talis thought, but he only bowed to Master Viridian. “Thank you, Master, I’ll try.” If he could only get the image of charred wizards out of his head.
Instead of staying after school to study, Talis snuck out from the Order through a side, secret tunnel and made his way to the school where Mara was supposed to be learning how to act like a lady. Not that she was a good student. She drove her teachers crazy with questions like, Why do ladies have to act so stupid? And when her manners teacher dared to suggest that Mara give up hunting and fighting, Talis had to talk Mara out of poisoning her.
The stone wall surrounding Mara’s school was easy to scale, and Talis climbed down wisteria vines and crept over to hide behind a statue to the Goddess Nestria, Ruler of the Sky. Talis tossed a pebble at the window of the classroom where Mara and several other young ladies were practicing dancing. Mara glanced outside, squinting as she spotted Talis, then focused back to her teacher, nodding and curtsying in response.
After finishing several more quick spin dances, all the girls in the class bowed to their teacher at once and filed out of the room. Talis snuck over the the side door where Mara had escaped before, and waited. If he was in luck today, dancing might be Mara’s last class.
The door squeaked open and Mara’s devilish eyes peeked through.
“You just couldn’t wait to see me… You know my teachers will kill you if they find you in here again.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ve got to talk about the Blood Dagger competition…it’s tomorrow. The Tame Shrew?” Talis lifted his fist to his mouth, as if drinking.
“I couldn’t think of a nastier, seedier tavern to plot our battle strategy against Rikar and Nikulo… Absolutely perfect.” Mara grinned maliciously and brushed a lock of Talis’s hair away from his eyes. She glanced around to see if anyone was looking, then held Talis’s hand and they made their way through the bushes and up and over the wall.
The afternoon sun filtered through olive leaves, casting quivering inky shadows across the cobblestone street. The lazy windless time of day when many citizens took naps or drank milk tea and played cards. Talis and Mara