"...I am willing to give you a full show"
With a cheek as flushed as red and bright as ruby I stare wide eyes at the retreating god-like bodied boy as he left in a monotone voice and a straight face that left me puzzled as to whether he was serious or just joking.
"Are you done for the day ?"
"No I am not, though I have found a clue on what I was searching for"
I replied, trying to get his image out of my head. emphasis on trying, so I just gave up and left it there
"You ?"
"I am not done for the day, I just came to take a rest and prepare for the journey next week"
"It is still next week, why are you preparing now ?"
"'Next week' is literally in two days"
He said making air quotes around his next week and I just roll my eyes and mutter under my breath 'whatever'. I go on to have my bath and decide to continue training seeing as I was going to the Sanctum of Sages soon. I ask Erastus and he goes on to explain that it was an annual friendly sparring match between this branch and the other branch in Edinburgh.
***********
I stand in the Hall of Propriety, a large building built as a training ground for students who wish to spar to trade insights on their arts and techniques, also for students who wish to settle their beefs. I stand by the side as I watch some of the students now in what I could only presume as their combat uniform spar against one another in different rings.
I see as some use weapons created from the elements they use and in some rings some fought a hand to hand combat, I was really impressed, I turn to look at Erastus and find him looking at me with his little smile
"Want to go for one ?" He asks
"Can I ?"
I ask feeling unsure
"I do not know how to use any element, I do not want to be the new kid who gets his ass handed to him"
I say turning to him with a pout, and for the first time I see a real smile on his face, not the one he gives people when they bow to him and not the little one he shows me, a real smile, and it is beautiful, making him look radiant. I suppose the person who gave him his name sure did know what they were doing. I catch myself before falling into that heavenly smile
"You will be fine, I would go easy on you"
"How do you know..."
Did he just say he would go easy on me, as in he would spar against me? I snap my head in his direction and find the usual little smile gracing his lips once more, I guess the heavenly smile was a one time thing then. But before I could protest he drags me to a corner I had not noticed and then he heads to a locker still with my hands in his, he stops in front of a locker and inputs the code and then takes out a bag and then unzips it, removing a cloth similar to the one the other students wore. And with that he let go of my hand and turns around hinting that I change.
I quickly change and give him a light tap on his shoulder to indicate I was done, he turns to give me a quick look over and he then nods and then grab my hand again but this time he does not tug me, we walk together until we reach where we were standing before and then he let go to meet one of the older looking men standing in front of one the empty rings and say something to him and then they both turn to my direction and then the old man nods and starts to walk up the ring while Erastus walks back in my direction
"I already informed him, let us head down, and on the way could you pick a ring name for yourself, mine is Crystal Saint."
He says once he reaches my side, I nod and we start to walk towards the ring, as we walk I start to think of an alias I can use but my time is cut off as we reach the ring and climb. As soon as we enter the ring, the elder walks in between us serving as a referee and he turns to Erastus to give a nod with a questioning gaze to which Erastus replied with a nod and then he turns to me with the same, a nod and a questioning nod, I reply with a nod also and then he raises his hands and in a swift motion he bring it down and immediately I feel the temperature drop significantly, I turn my head to see with a blank look on Erastus face, he had streched his right hand out and kept his left at his back, with this stance he had erased all trace of the Erastus I knew leaving a brand new person in front of me, and with that I knew the battle had begun.
I take a look at him closely to find a weak spot but I could not find any, while contemplating on what to do he was already rushing forward, his right hand weilding a long crystsl-like sword while his left was still behind him, I quickly take several steps back and then a side step to avoid meeting him head on with that attack but it still felt like it was impossible to dodge his attack.
'Does that newbie know not to get in a dueling ring with the Crystal Saint ?'
'You have said it already, he is a newbie, how do you expect him to know that no student is capable of defeating the Crystal Saint in a sword battle'
'Student ? I doubt some teachers would be able to face him if he decides to really fight '
'I heard the Crystal Saint has a new move already, I wonder if he would use it on this match
'Yes, I heard of the move too, the Crimson Crystal Confinement, I doubt he would use such high graded technique to fight against a newbie
'You are right, well I hope he uses it next week during the match'
So Erastus is the best swordsman among the student, how the hell am I supposed to defeat someone like that in a one on one battle, that is an impossible task for someone like me who has not ever thought of picking up any weapon talk less of becoming a master in it andthese students with their little voices and noise is not helping the matter. Realizing I would only lose if I kept jumping around the ring I decide to do a little trick to end this quickly. I stand still and close my eyes and then I begin to channel my energy .
'Hey look at that, what is that newbie doing ?'
'Beats me, I do not know, probably he is trying to make his move finally after jumping around
'Does not matter what move he makes, I am sure the Crystal Saint would counter it'
'Is this snow ?'
'You are right, it is snow, but are we not inside the hall, how can there be snow here ?'
'Wow, I did not know the newbie was this skilled, to make it snow inside a hall'
'It is just snow what help is that going to give him ?'
'You are right, but wait. Where is he ?'
After making everyone see that it was snowing, I proceeded to change the scenery to a snow filled field with the ring been an ice rink, and then with a wave of my hand I erase myself from everyone sight and start walking to Erastus, from all the snow and scenery change he had lost his momentum and he looked around for a moment, after that he simply stood still, closed his eyes and raised his right hand holding the sword to his chest and pointed the sword down and then with two fingers of his left hand he pointed up and sucked in a large amount of air through his mouth and then released it slowly, the sight was intriguing and I could not help but halt in my steps and watch him, after repeating his routing of sucking in air and blowing it out three times already he raised his head to look at where he saw me standing before I made myself invisible, I smiled but continued walking and immediately I took a step his neck snapped in my direction and I felt his gaze even with his eyes closed on me, like he was sure I was there and that was when it hit me, he had shut of the senses in his eyes and his nose to focus his concentration on his hear to highten his hearing and body to note the changes in the surrounding.
I smiled but continued walking and his eyes kept following me, I walked back to my original position and kept walking straight ahead but by this time he had pointed the sword directly in my path and with a slight hesitation I paused, he seemed to have noticed and with that he lowered his sword, I smiled and channeled my energy again to make a copy of me, I then instructed it to walk loudly straight toward Erastus and stand in front of him when it got to his front with a sharp nod from him, signifying he understood we both turn to face Erastos, and with a nod from him he began his walk and after a few minutes I made the snow disappear and the field fade away leaving only Erastus kneeling on one knee with his sword facing the ground and his head facing the sky, after everyone had calmed down I made myself visible once more, appearing behind Erastus with my forefinger on the back of his neck and a smile on my face.
"I believe this counts as my victory am I right ?"