The Storm Tower | Vol.4, The Eldenarian Artifacts ✓

5.

Imogen was a lot better at casting than Sebastian gave her credit for.

It kind of irked him. She was a natural, which didn't make sense considering she was only half magician. And that half wasn't even an Eldair. The girl's mother had been a Solair—a low-level caster.

Realistically, Imogen shouldn't have been able to cast more than a simple cleaning spell.

Yet, there she was, pelting Sebastian's violet shield charm with an assault of stunning spells.

"Yield!" she shouted from across the dueling platform.

Gritting his teeth, Sebastian dropped his charm and dodged her attacks. He dipped his shoulders and wove in and out of her striking range. She might have been able to throw the magic, but she hadn't quite mastered the accuracy part yet.

That was good for him. She would've had him frozen in the middle of the dueling platform by now if her aim was any better.

"I'm taking it easy on you!" he shouted back.

He wasn't. While he wasn't going all out, he definitely wasn't taking it easy. He took training seriously; it didn't matter if he was dueling a Shade or some halfling Ordinaire.

Apparently, so did Imogen.

That was why the pair of them were training in the wee hours of the morning in the dueling grounds just outside of the Eldai barracks that guarded the Eldenarian Council buildings. This place was usually full of Eldai practicing their casting. The faint smell of sulfur left over from the past spells lingered in the air.

A simple set of pillars shaped into a circle framed the three dueling platforms in the center. Brown patchwork tarps had been thrown over the wooden stanchions that rose above the sandstone pillars. Racks of weapons were pushed off to the side, along with a few benches and practice dummies. Seven flags—each belonging to one of the original houses of magic—hung in the air between the pillars.

Sebastian and Imogen were fighting on the main platform, which sat in the dead center of the dueling grounds. Specks of glimmering eldricite lined the frame of the wooden deck, providing a small source of light in the disappearing twilight.

"Taking it easy..." Imogen kissed her teeth. "Yeah, right." She cocked her arm back and readied a blasting spell.

Gulping, Sebastian hit the deck.

His elbows and forearms rubbed uncomfortably against the dusty tarp covering the stone platform they were battling on. He popped up to his feet with a grimace. That was going to leave a nasty burn later.

"Alright," he grumbled. "Time to end this."

He cupped his hands together before spreading them apart while twisting his fingers. A swirling sphere of dark purple magic floated between his palms. With a grunt, he pushed it toward his adversary. It hurtled at her faster than a bullet.

She hit the ground and skidded across the tarp. Her short hair fell into her face as a cloud of thick dust floated around her.

Through the haze, he noticed her body went limp.

Sebastian froze. His eyes widened.

Oh no.

He rushed over to her, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. Sweat formed on his temple as he knelt beside her. The girl's eyes were closed and it didn't look like she was breathing. He could see the traces of magic floating from her chest where his spell hit her.

It wasn't supposed to kill her. It shouldn't have killed her. That spell couldn't have done more than knock the wind from her lungs.

But she was still an Ordinaire. Perhaps his magic was too much for her body to—