ã€ŠMagic Continent Zeroã€‹


 Chapter 1: Magic Academy Test Part 1

    It was a long walk into the heart of province zero of the continent Lee thought. He had passed through town by town over the last 3 weeks. Sometimes able to hitch a ride on a horse cart, but often just forced to walk. His parents were only able to give him 3 gold coins to use on his trip. They were poor farmers and he was grateful for anything they could give him, but still it was barely enough for food.

    Comfortable lodgings were rare on his journey and often he slept in the woods or in a barn. The morning before arriving to his final destination he changed into the only decent clothes he carried. He also took a swim in a nearby river so he would look presentable for the entrance exam. He was afraid if he looked too unkempt he might get turned away before ever given a chance.

    The smell and dirt had come off and his clothes looked in good shape though slightly worn. He knew he would look out of place with those nobles, but once in the academy he would get to wear uniforms like all the rest and receive free food and room. The continent paid for it all and was happy to do so.

    They wanted to nurture young wizards to strengthen themselves against other sections of the continent. but most of all out of fear of a 2nd demon invasion. It''s true the demons took very great loses during the first invasion but the scars from that still existed in the hearts of those old enough to remember.

    He went through his pockets and found only 3 silver coins left. In this world it is important to note 1 gold coin is worth 10 silver coins and 1 silver is worth 10 copper coins. It was enough for a decent meal so he stopped at a nearby inn to sit down and order a delicious dish of spiced boar soup. It cost a full silver coin but it was worth it.

    Soon with his stomach full he stepped out and looked at the clock tower at the very top of the huge academy. It was 30 minutes before noon. He''d better get in line and register himself. As he got in line behind other commoners such as himself he was perhaps still one of the worst dressed in the bunch.

    As he stood waiting to speak to the guard up at the front by the large metal gate, a beautiful red headed noble girl, in one of the most beautiful and expensive blue dresses he had ever seen, walked out of a carriage and slowly went to the front of the line.

    ¡°Hey, no cutting!¡± Someone in front of him yelled

    "Nobles don''t need to wait on the likes of you! If you don''t like it, leave!" The guard came up to him and yelled.

    The young voice didn''t speak up again. It was so quiet after that he could even hear the girl at the front of the line.

    "Name, Age and former school?" the guard asked more politely than he did to anyone else so far.

    "Mary Saint Cloud, 16, Great Arts Jr. Academy" The girl answered.

    "Nothing less from a Saint Cloud! The great hall is right there; your test will begin soon" the guard told her. She walked away without saying anything else or looking back.

    This was not a single occurrence. More and more nobles arrived now and simply were moved to the front of the line. Most of them were either from the Great Arts Jr, Academy, The Phoenix Jr. Academy or the Dragon Jr. Academy. A few of the nobles were from none of these but listed famous magic tutors and were ushered in.

    Some nobles were kind but many were rude and entitled. The worst of all was a tall skinny black haired youth by the name of David Rain. He went so far as to push a commoner out of his way who didn''t move fast enough for him. The guards didn''t say anything but it was clear they found that unusual.

    Soon it would be his turn to see the guards at the front. The requirements to get into the school were simple. You just had to pass the test they assigned and be 16 or younger. You also had to reside in the 0 territory. The continent use to have 10 territories 0-9. However 9 and 8 were now behind the barrier and completely cut off even from being able to see what was going on inside.

    So for now only 0-7 existed and each had their own magic school for advanced youngsters. Soon it was River''s turn.

    "Name, age and former school?" The guard said giving him a dismissive look over.

    "Lee River, 16, No magic school or teacher in the registry."

    "Okay, in that case go to the training area, Next!" the guard didn''t even bother to look at him again. He just pointed in the direction of the training area and moved on.

    He noticed the nobles were taken to the great hall while most of the commoners were motioned to the training area on the other side of the school. He walked through the doors and took his seat. Beside him sat a smaller boy with glasses, blond hair and a nervous look about him. He fidgeted for a while nervously.

    "Hey, any guess why they told us to come here?" the boy finally turned to asked Lee.

    "They probably want to test us separate from the nobles before the main test. I assume they figure it will speed it up and most of us won''t pass in any case." Lee sank back in his chair tilting his head back and closing his eyes. He said this still leaning back and not moving.

    "Another test? That lowers our odds of passing even more!" The young boy beside him fretted He buried his head in his hands. Lee could tell this boy was the type to not have confidence in himself.

    "I don''t think so. It probably won''t be that difficult and if you have the talent to pass the other test this one is likely just an extra pain to deal with but doesn''t decrease you chances" Lee said.

    "I suppose so. I''m Derrick Hill by the way the way. What''s your name?" The boy looked a little more revealed and he held his hand out to shake.

    "Lee River, pleased to meet you!" Lee smiled for the first time since he got in line for this place and shook his hand. Lee liked how all the commoners had practical last names about actual real world things. He felt it gave them more weight than fancy noble names.

    The idea long ago was thought that commoners should have names that signify the world they live in. They can''t touch the high above nobles. Nobles tended to have names like Sun, Cloud or Eagle; generally anything high above the land. The practice was old and nobles no longer controlled everything in the continent they were still rich and powerful existences. Most of them still thought little about commoners and there was little the commoners could do about it. River and Hill talked more until it appeared everyone was here and the test was ready.

    "Okay¡± the teacher said ¡°first I would like to welcome you all to the Academy and wish you the best of luck. For those of you who don''t know; the entrance ceremony of the academy consists of 2 test. The written and the match tournament. You need to score an average of above 45 between the 2 test to pass. Of course only the top 100 in the matches get points. The highest gets 100, the 2nd highest 99 and so on.

    The top 10 in the matches will pass of course no matter what but we do want our students to do their best and not slack on the test even if sure of their strength! That being said you can still enter the school if the head master believes you showed sufficient magical talent in the matches and got a 90 on the test or higher! It is tough but very possible.

    However, before we get to all that we want to do just a quick little magic test find if you have a sufficient magic ability; so we know you are not completely defenseless at the matches. Please one by one quickly come up to this orb and cast a level 1 elemental spell and touch it. If it glows you can move on to the other 2 test. If not, we will thank you for your trouble but ask you to leave. We have no time to waste so let¡¯s begin immediately".

    She immediately pointed to the people in the front. They came up one by one and had 10 seconds to cast a spell that reached level 1 grade magic. Lee saw why they did this test. Many of these people could do magic but it wasn''t often even powerful enough to be grade 1. Many must have studied as best they could but came here with mostly just hopes and dreams.

    It was failure after failure. However, a few did pass. A cute looking brown haired girl, he thought he heard her name was Clover when in the line. A young boy named Root and another girl named Meadows. He guessed there were 9 failures or more for every 1 that passed about; maybe less. He saw Hill sitting next to him and his nerves were worse than ever.

    "You can''t get all nervous. It only makes it harder to do magic." River told him. Hill heard his words and calmed his heart.

    "Which of the elements are you best at? Wind, Earth, Fire, Lightning or Water?" Lee asked.

    "Water" Hill replied.

    "Good, now just picture in your mind the stillness of a lake of water. Be calm and flexible like it in your thoughts. I can sense a good level of magic in you. Just relax and you will do fine¡± Lee told him.

    "You can sense magic?" Hill looked at him strangely. River realized he said something strange it seems. Rivers thought a moment of what to say next.

    "I mean, I have the feeling you are a strong magic user is all, haha" he lied. Suddenly only those at the back were left. Hill was pointed at to come up first. River sitting next to him would be next.

    Hill calmed down and touched the orb with 1 hand and the other he held in the air. River saw the water start to appear swirling. To others it appeared like the water just begin existing from nothing. River however saw the familiar pull that existed around magic. Of space and substance in the air being sucked in and transformed into water. The Orb showed .75, .83 .96 then 1.04 and even went up all the way to 1.45.

    "Well done, one of our best scores today!" The teacher gave him a pat on the back. Hill looked relieved. Next she pointed to River. He put his hand on the orb. He didn''t raise his other hand but left it by his side. No one else did this. The people who were left who passed started to chuckle as well as those yet to take the test. It just looked so silly.

    "Would you like to raise your hand in the air young man?" The teacher asked.

    "Why should it matter where my hand is?" The teacher was a bit stunned by Lee''s comment. Most everyone naturally raised their hand up or away when using magic. River decided to summon wind magic. He got a scratch on his ear and took his hand off the orb to get at it.

    "There will be no extra time stalling. I suggest you get your hand back on the orb." The teacher said in an annoyed voice. River simply put his hand back on the orb once he was done and it read 1.00 and held there steadily.

    The teacher was surprised. River had gathered the power of wind, she could tell, but this is all he could do? Yes, it was passing but just barely. By his side she saw a fairly feeble wind element swirling. It appeared well below level 1 and weak but the orb made no mistakes.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    "Okay, you pass, over there with the others" she ordered.

    He walked over and sat down. Soon it was over and after the hundreds of commoners who showed up only 24 passed. River had the lowest score of them all. They were told to go to the great hall with the nobles who were admitted in already. It was clearly assumed this would be not needed for the nobles but River wondered if all of them would be able to do level 1 element magic, probably not.

    "Don''t worry what anyone says! Passing is passing and that is all the matters. Once in the academy we will all be the same." On the way the the hall Hill tried to cheer him up. He was happy now having finished as one of the best. River''s instinct on him was correct. He clearly was a good person who didn''t look down on anyone.

    Once in the hall all 500 of the students were welcomed and told how glad the teachers were to have them here. They were told that if they didn''t pass the entrance examine, but they showed well here, the teachers would give them a recommendation for one of the other less elite magic schools in area zero. He wished them all the best and then had guards hand out test to every student in the hall.

    The test had 10 questions on it about magic each worth 10 points. River was very confident there was not a single issue he would have with this. That was until he saw the test. He realized not a single question made sense to him.

    He looked over question 1. An attacker 50 away is summoning a level 5 fire Golem with level 3 water resistance. How powerful of a water spell should you summon to counter it?

    That simply made no sense. No one would summon a Fire Golem or any Golem of high grade 50 feet away from you. Summoning is one of the most time consuming spells to cast and uses a lot of mana. Surely you should just run up and attack them before it is summoned to conserve mana right? He thought to himself. There was no way that was not the right thing to do. He wrote it down.

    He was the first to hand in his test with all 10 questions answered and did so in 10 minutes. This made the teachers very curious and excited. When they reviewed his test they shot him dirty looks. Many thought he was a waste of time and just made up answers cause he couldn''t answer the question properly. How could this student not prepare for such an illustrious exam?

    After everyone handed in the test results were posted. Very few managed to score 100 but a few names he recognized were Eagle, Cloud, and Clover among a few others. Hill looked to have gotten 9 of 10 securing his spot in the academy. Most got 8 or 7 with a few with 6 and 5. 4 Was thought to be extremely bad and embarrassing. No one here got a 3 2 or 1.

    Only River got a 0 and everyone whispered about it. They all thought it was a joke and he simply should not have shown up just to embarrass himself. To pass he would now have to finish in the top 10, obviously lacking knowledge about magic.

    The top 10 were almost always held by high born nobles. Only very rarely would a commoner get a spot. The passing depends on the average points between your match ranking and test; no one has ever passed before scoring less than a 5 of 10 on the written test. Most of the people who scored that low are very bad at magic though perhaps a few were just horrible at taking test and were nervous.

    The principle of the school told them the matches would now begin. Obviously they would need to be held in various spots as there were near 1000 to get to. The top matches would be held in the training room which was now being turned into a grand hall so spectators could watch. A few of the top ranked tested students got a bye to make the matches single elimination.

    All the students who got all 10 questions right were able to get a bye, Hill also got one luckily. The rest of the students would start their matches immediately by random draw. Generally a teacher took 32 students and had them fight in a tournament in one of the smaller training rooms. The winner would then move on and the fight in the main matches. A few notable nobles were in his group and it was assumed one would rise up from that bunch. The teacher named Leaf told all the students to come with him to a training room.

    "Okay!" He said "My name is Peter Leaf. Welcome to the training matches. Let¡¯s get through this as quickly as possible. Waiting is one of my dislikes. Just do your best even if you don''t think you can win. I''ll be watching and taking notes so do your best and it could impress me." With that he pointed to River and another student who was also a commoner. River assumed he wanted him out of this as fast as possible but didn¡¯t want to give him an opponent who would be too dangerous.

    "You two get into the ring. Listen to the rules everyone cause I will only say it once. Repeating myself is one of my dislikes. You may use any magic you wish to beat your opponent. The only issue is no killing is allowed. If we believe you are trying to do so I''ll stop you and you''ll be disqualified and expelled immediately! The fight is over if I rule it is or the other person gives up or is knocked out. Don''t worry, every one of the teachers instructing the matches can use healing magic.¡±

    He stopped to see if there would be any questions. No one had any so he simply stepped out of the ring and pointed to the River and his opponent.

    "Begin!" Leaf said. He was looking closely waiting to stop the match once River was in trouble.

    River''s opponent looked at him and smiled thinking this was just as good as a bye. He began to summon fire element. Once you summoned magic you had to mold it by chanting a spell and then you could cast it. The higher the level and the more control and focus of mind you had the more power the spell you could summon.

    "Oh fire of the dragon! I ask thee, give me your mighty fire bolt so I may dispatch thy enemy and AUGHF-" he was soon falling to the ground. As the student was focused on chanting his spell River ran across the short ring and simply punched him in the face. It was a pretty hard punch too. Did he cast some kind of spell on his hands?

    "No fair! Hey teacher, he hit me!" the student complained. The teacher didn''t say anything but just looked on a bit amused and gave out a laugh.

    "No fair? This is a fight. Are you serious? The teacher said we can use magic to fight. He didn''t say we had to. If you plan use that long incantation with only 20 feet between us and leave yourself wide open then how am I not supposed to hit you?" River said standing over him.

    "Hey, is this legal?" The commoner said looking to the teacher.

    "Well, I didn''t say it wasn''t strictly... going by the rule it''s about who wins the fight in the end. Most people just use magic cause it is more powerful but you don''t have to I suppose. Also, you should be looking at your opponent, he was kind enough to stop but the match is still ongoing" Leaf said.

    "You cheating son of a ARFGH-!" the student tried to say to before River struck him again.

    "Give up, I don''t want to hurt you but I am not going to lose either¡± River said while kicking him on the ground.

    "Oh fire of the Drag-" the student was punched again and again trying to say his long spell. Finally he tried to hit back but it was easily blocked and countered. He was beaten and bleeding on the floor

    "Okay! I give up!"

    "River advances! Let this be a lesson to all of you. Just because you use magic, your opponent may not. Be it sword, arrows, fist, rocks or a pillow, the fight is decided by who wins. Be careful before you decide to use a spell and remember your enemy will not care how you want to fight or what kind of fight you consider fair" Leaf instructed the other students.

    With this River took a seat and relaxed. He looked at his fist and saw a few bruises and figured it would be good to wrap it for the next match. He had no idea if his opponent would leave himself so open, but he didn''t want to hurt his hands if he could take advantage again.

    Soon the other matches were over and there were 16 students left. River was picked to fight again this time against a noble. He stepped into the ring and the noble had a bitter smile on his face.

    "You cheating bastard. At least you made my job easier. I''m not going to fall for your dirty tricks¡± the student told him with smug confidence. River simply stretched in the ring and waiting for the start of the match.

    "Begin" the teacher said. The noble quickly backed up and summoned earth magic. He gave a short chant

    "Oh earth I ask thee, show your might!" Earth was then formed and made into a ball shape and shot at River.

    River dodged to the left. Again the noble used the same spell. His idea was keep a distance and use a quick spell so River would not dare close the gap. River knew this spell and the issue with it. It was fast but it was simple. Once launched the earth could not change directions. Summoning earth was one of the more mana intensive spells as it was so solid and heavy.

    Generally one should use earth for defense though it can be powerful offensively in the right situations. He continued to dodge and soon the floor was covered in dirty and rock. Mana is energy in the human body mixed with your spiritual awareness of magic in nature. There are no free rides. Magic just like running is a form of spending energy. Everything must come from something.

    He remembered all the running he was made to do. He thought he would go insane and hated every second of it. However he knew without energy there is no magic. Dodging a few paces here and there was easier than casting a spell.

    "You Damn cockroach. All you can do is dodge." The student said this breathing hard and tired. River decided he had a great chance now to attack. He ran straight at his opponent.

    "You think I''m too weak to cast my spell? You fool!" He cast his spell at River again.

    To this point River has dodged only to the left and right. This time he dodged below and picked up a rock throwing it towards his opponent. His opponent was stunned that River threw the rock. The teacher was alarmed. This was very dangerous. His opponent put his hands in front of his head to block. The rock didn''t connect. It sailed past him. He moved his arms away from his eyes.

    "Owe my eyes! I''m blind!" The student yelled. River had dirt in his other hand and tossed it into his opponents eyes the moment he left his arms down.

    "Think carefully before you use a spell. If your opponent is clever he will use it against you" River told him.

    "You commoner scum!" the noble yelled. He cast his spell again where he heard River''s voice but he only heard it cut air. River knew he might do that so moved right after speaking.

    "Commoner scum?" River asked. He didn''t ask his opponent to yield this time. With a right hook he knocked his opponent out cold.

    The teacher was speechless. Perhaps 1 match without using magic but 2? He declared River the winner. As the arena was being cleaned up he walked up to him.

    "Well that was interesting River. I just want to check, you can use magic right?" Leaf asked.

    "Of course, I had to pass the magic test to get in right?" River laughed.

    "So why didn''t you use it? Did you not think it would work or it was too weak?" Leaf asked him.

    "Well, it''s hard to say what magic is strong and what is weak. It''s all relative really when you think about it. If you are asking if I think I could have beaten my opponents with magic then yes. As for why I have not; magic requires mana. Dodging and hitting requires less and frankly a lot of students here don''t seem to understand that even as a wizard you must be prepared for any and all attacks. An arrow can kill you just as much as a powerful spell" River stated flatly.

    "So you''re doing it for their benefit?" Leaf asked.

    "If it benefits them that is good. That is not my main concern though. I simply want to win and move on and study here to see what I can learn." River answered.

    The matches continued. He had equally strong if not stronger opponents in the next 2 fights. They were aware he liked to hit and use close combat to fight; even knowing that they seemed to have no answer for his attacks. He made the boy in his 3rd match give up after beating him up and the girl he made her give up after putting her in a submission hold.

    It was now the final match until they got to the main event. This was a very well-known noble and the one everyone thought would come out of this tournament as the one to represent this group. He had won easily so far with overwhelming and quick magic. He disdained the way River had won and planned to humiliate him badly before he let him forfeit.

    "You think you can win without using magic this time?" The match started and River after observing his opponents matches decided to run directly at him. The arrogant noble by the name of David Rain laughed as Lee ran towards him.

    "Probably I can" Lee said.

    The noble began to summon his lightning element. It can strike fast and is powerful but you must be precise to use it as the area it hits is small and is easy to miss without good control. Right before he was about to cast his lightning right into River he felt his foot slip.

    Something was pushing against and pushing it forward. He was being taken off balance and fell on his back. His lighting magic flew out of his hand and up towards the ceiling. River struck him on the ground and he was soon spitting blood.

    "How? what happened? Did you get someone to cheat for you from behind?" David asked.

    ¡°Just cause an opponent is in front of you doesn''t mean the attack will come from there. Yes, magic must come from my body but if I just use a little misdirection it is easy to make it slip behind me and go below the ring and pop up behind you. Wind magic can be very hard to see if you don''t look carefully. That was your mistake."

    "Impossible! I would have heard you cast it! You did it before the match! That''s cheating." He kept spitting up blood.

    "In a real fight an opponent won''t just do things in front of you. They might have prepared something beforehand; it is good to keep that in mind. That being said; I didn''t cast this before the match. It was cast before I ran to you. I simply didn''t use a chant to do so" Lee told him.

    "What, no chant?" David was shocked.

    "Correct, chants exist to help the mind focus the spell. Strictly speaking, they aren''t needed if one focuses correctly." Soon his opponent gave up. The teacher was in shock. Not many can cast a spell without chanting. Particularly not young wizards like these often.

    He could only do it for a few spells himself and he was one of the most powerful wizards at this school. This also made him one of the most powerful wizards in the zero province.

    "Well, this might be an interesting freshman class after all." Leaf smiled to himself and said quietly

 Chapter 2: Magic Academy Test Part 2

    River exited the ring and took a seat away from the other students. They had no idea how someone they believed to be so completely untalented could have defeated them. A few of the students admired his tenacious attitude and saw it as a chance to improve themselves. The majority did not.

    They felt using anything but magic was below a true wizard and when they saw River it was a slap in the face of those ideals. The teacher got up in front of the students and congratulated them all on a job well done. He informed them that each of the students who won their bracket would go on to the main tournament and would be competing for the top 16 slotted points.

    Those were of course, the students who would receive 100-85 points. However, there was still the other students who were competing for 84-1.

    "Alright, the 7 students who made it into the final 8 but failed to win here will get to go on and fight for the match points in another tournament. As to the rest of you, you will receive a 0 in the match part of the tournament. It is my determination everyone here showed enough magic ability to enter into the academy.

    This is, of course, provided your score averages 45 over both test. If that is not the case we thank you for your time and I plan to give you all a recommendation to other top schools. Leave your information with the front office on your way out and good luck."

    It was said the head master would determine who passed but he simply could not be everywhere at once and usually listened to what the instructors recommended.

    That was rather a short good bye River thought. Doing it this way they must have lost a lot of potentially very good wizards over the years. However, they no doubt kept enough talented ones that they probably didn''t care. A few of the students who scored 0 here were able to stay. Most would not.

    Of the 24 students who failed to make the top 8 only 3 stayed in the school. The rest left with slumped heads and some were even in tears. River did the math in his head and figured if similar outcomes happened in the other tournaments then the class who applied was already cut in about 1/3rd. It would be cut even further as not all the other students would get points in the consolation tournament and even for some who did it might not be enough.

    None of that was his concern at the moment. He planned to look only forward to the matter at hand. He wondered how his friend Hill did in these matches. He had a score of 90 on the written test and so would pass no matter what, but he was curious none the less.

    The teacher used his healing magic to heal any leftover injuries the students had before the next set of matches began. It was announced there would be a short rest to give students a chance to regain their mana and socialize. Most went to the training center to get a good seat for the main event.

    River went to the training center himself as he could think of nothing else to do. It was a large and lavish room. The walls went up well over 50 feet high and it must have been nearly 1000 feet long and wide. Large ancient looking support beams held up the massive ceiling. Surprisingly only 4 of them were needed.

    River assumed there must have been some sort of magical support to hold up the great structure. He walked over to see the list of the top 16 students who would be in the tournaments. One name he immediately recognized was Mary Saint Cloud, a noble who cut him and the commoners when they were waiting in line.

    Besides him all of the other 15 names listed was a noble. It was about the result he expected. He knew the nobles would come into this school with a huge advantage over most other commoners. The commoners admitted in would have a good chance to close the gap depending on their hard work.

    He looked over to the other bracket that was to decide the remaining top 100 outside the top 16. His was happy to see Derrick Hill made that list. Just as he was looking, Hill walked up from behind him. ¡°Wow, so you made the top 16? That is really incredible. I was told a commoner has not made the top 16 for years!¡±

    River simple shrugged. ¡°Perhaps it was that my opponents weren¡¯t too strong? I really don¡¯t know, this is the first time I''ve ever been in contact with wizards my own age¡±. Hill found this very odd. Generally wizards were constantly in contact with each other to learn about different kinds of magic and measure themselves.

    ¡°So how many wizards have you met so far Lee?¡±

    ¡°Only my teacher, besides him no one else, before coming here.¡±

    Learning magic through a single wizard and not associating with others was incredibly rare Hill knew. He was about to inquire further but it was then announced the next matches would be starting.

    Hill and River wished each other good luck and went on to fight in their respective brackets. Hill would be fighting in one of the smaller training rooms outside of the main training hall. A few teachers went with them to monitor and referee the matches.

    River saw a fair amount of people were going to watch those as well but most of them stayed in the main hall afraid to miss anything from the highest ranked fights. He sat with the 15 other students on a bench. It seemed a number of them knew each other.

    Most were social, laughing and enjoying having even made it to these matches. He noticed a few were very silent and focused. Obviously some of them expected to get this far and were determined to make the top ranking. Of all of the students it seemed Mary was the most focused on these matches.

    A pot was put in front of the students by a teacher. Each student put their hand inside to pull out a small piece of paper with a number on it. The head master explained the reason. ¡°The structure of this tournament is as follows. First #1 will fight #2, #3 will fight #4 and so on until #15 and #16 fight.

    The 8 advancing students will each go in that same order with whoever won. As for the 8 students who lose they will have their own tournament to decide the lower 8 spots in the ranking. The same will happen for the losers of each round. Those matches will be held elsewhere and not in the main hall. Please, do not get discouraged if you lose and remember you can still fight and improve your rank a good deal.¡±

    River pulled out #3 and looked for who pulled out number #4. It was a noble by the name of Tom Sky. Unlike other nobles he had met, Tom seemed to be incredibly friendly. Tom walked over to Lee to shake his hand ¡°congratulations on making it this far, being one of the first commoners in a while to do so is a huge achievement. You must have worked very hard no doubt; but then again so have I. Let¡¯s have a good clean match and may the best wizard win¡±.

    Tom had a large easy smile during this entire exachange. River could find no lie in his words or his face so smiled back. ¡°You know, most nobles don¡¯t think I''m even worth talking to except to insult. I''m sure none of them would offer to shake my hand."

    Sky sighed. ¡°Yeah, most nobles grew up listening to their parents and other nobles. They live sheltered lives and only hear their parents complain about how the commoners unfairly took power away from them. I guess when that is all you ever hear about commoners, forming such bad opinions is bound to happen in many cases.¡±

    River agreed with this but he still thought it was no excuse to treat someone as lesser than yourself. Before they could discuss it more it was announced the first matches would begin. They both sat down to see the fight against #1 and #2. It was Mary Saint Cloud vs an opponent he had not seen yet. It appeared to him she seemed to favor the wind element magic.

    The opponent looked to be more water based. As soon as the match began her opponent cast a spell that created an incredible amount of water that spread over the ring floor. River thought it was a fairly smart move. It would save him the trouble of having to do a chant to create any more water and would make the entire ring his domain. Of course that all depended on how well Mary can defend against it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Before he could do anything else Mary simply summoned the wind element and chanted. It was not a direct attack at her opponent but it caused a whirlwind around her that blew the water away from her. She held out her hand and chanted now meaning to strike.

    Her opponent was surprised by such a powerful wind magic being used and his water being blown away. He prepated to counter her attack with a water attack of his own.

    He didn¡¯t know why, but it appeared his attack was ready first. He shot it directly at her. Mary stood still and took the attack. The wind still being created in her hand blew the water attack away with ease. She kept infusing more power into her palm and that made it much more powerful than his.

    Now with her opponent disarmed she finally unleashed her spell. Her opponent was knocked clear out of the ring. The match stopped with Mary declared the winner. Most were shocked by her talent. River heard whispers behind him in the seats. ¡°So that is the beautiful genius of the Cloud family. No doubt she will be as strong as her grandfather someday!¡±

    River looking at the match was fairly impressed with her pure magical power but found it all to be a bit too straight forward. Such attacks were powerful but would only work if your opponent stubbornly attacked head on and was clearly visible in an open flat area.

    Sky and himself were the next ones called into the ring. Though Sky was kind to him he could tell he had a strong desire to win and felt a great deal of confidence. The match began and Sky simply waited and watched what River would do. It was the first time River felt an opponent using any kind of strategy and not just raw power. He smiled and thought to himself ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see how you handle this attack.¡±

    In his hand Lee gathered a small amount of mana and created a tornado without a chant. Sky was clearly surprised but held his ground as it was thrown at him. He summoned earth magic and chanted at a quick speed to meet the attack in the air. He looked at River ¡°Wind magic is it? Seems you have a bad match up with earth. Can you use other forms?¡±

    ¡°No, wind is all I''ve been taught so far. I was told until I master it I should keep my trap shut about learning anything else."

    ¡°Wow, that is a harsh teacher you''ve got there. Too bad for you, I''ve mastered 3 elements and will now only use earth. You really should be careful what information you give your opponents you know.¡±

    River thought he was probably using the term ''mastered'' fairly losely. ¡°Mastering 3 elements? That would be truly impressive if you''ve done that already.¡±

    Sky put earth defenses around him to guard against the wind. He knew wind was weak against earth just as the mountain cuts the wind. On the other hand he didn¡¯t want to fire a bunch of earth based attacks as Lee as they drain mana too quickly. For offense he had both water and fire. They would be more effeicient for attacking. He decided fire would be risky to use against wind as it could make his opponents attacks stronger and blew back in his face if he messed up.

    Water was probably the better option. Behind his defense he held out 2 hands and put water element in each.

    ¡°This is the first time I''ve seen a student here focus mana in both hands. That must be very rare even for top wizards in this school.¡±

    Sky laughed and hi comment. ¡°Of course, it takes double the concentration to summon in both hands. If you want, you can resign now. You have to admit your position is highly unfavorable and I really have no wish to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°We''ll just have to see how it goes. I have no plans to resign from this fight.¡±

    Sky¡¯s face turned sullen. He shouted at River ¡°As you wish! I don¡¯t plan to lose either.¡± He fired both spells at River. They moved quickly towards him but were just plain old straight shots. River managed to dodge them fairly easily.

    ¡°Two spells at once is great, but if you''re predictable then it''s meaningless. Also, neither spell was all that strong even if it hit me. You had to drop the power low to use both hands. Duel casting is a great skill but not you''re not ready to use it for practical combat yet.¡±

    Sky was annoyed ¡°Well you can say as you like, but I can just keep shooting till I finally hit you. Nothing has changed.¡±

    River started to cast wind magic ¡°You said you mastered 3 elements. I still have yet to master wind. I was told to master an element is just not about summoning strong power but being able to use it in various and unique ways. For instance, I was told it could not have been said I''ve fully mastered wind till I found out how to fight its supposed weakness of earth element properly.¡±

    Sky was a bit surprised ¡°What do you mean fight earth element properly? Wind is simply weak to earth. The only thing to do is either use another element or have stronger magic. As the saying goes the mountain stands tall and cuts through wind.¡±

    ¡°I was taught that saying as well. But I was also taught as wind is cut it also wraps around the mountain. You must make a weakness into strength and find ways to make disadvantage into advantage. Only then can it be said you truly mastered the element.¡±

    He summoned a fairly large amount of wind magic in his hand and Sky started to worry. He decided to build up his defenses more with earth to prepare for the blast making less and less openings in his defense. River started to run at him with the wind element in tornado form

    ¡°Let me give you one last piece of advice Tom Sky. While defense is important and it''s smart to pick an opposing element to fight my wind: you focused too much on defense and became unable to move. To win a battle you must attack and for all attack and all of life, movement is required.¡±

    Sky put both hands together and launched a large water blast as River was running towards him. Using both hands and a large amount of mana he would make the blast so big it would be impossible to dodge by ducking left or right.

    River with one hand holding his large wind attacked pointed his other towards the floor and instantly created a gust of wind to push him off the ground and over the attack. He landed next to Sky and the opening in the earth defense he built.

    ¡°That was a good example of how to use both hands when casting magic. Being able to use different spells and attack different locations is required to use duel casting well.¡± He shot the wind attack through the opening where Sky¡¯s hands were poking out of.

    With nowhere for the wind to escape due to the earth defense the wind attack was kept inside and spun around hitting Sky against the earth walls he created. River soon cancelled his magic when he felt enough damage was done to his opponent.

    Sky slumped down and the earth walls crumbled. He looked up to River. "You know, you are really something else.¡±

    ¡°I had to show off a lot of my abilities to beat you. I think you are pretty impressive too. You can grow a great deal more if you stop listening to bad advice on magic. If you want I can give you a few of my opinions.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing¡± Sky said ¡°As for this match I don¡¯t think I can fight anymore more. I quit.¡±

    River was declared the winner. Everyone was very surprised by him. Duel casting and no chants. This was something very few students who came in here were able to do, even nobles. It was unheard of for a commoner to be able to do them just upon entering.

    Mary observed the match and her next opponent slipping back into his chair She gave him a sideways look. ¡°Who cares if the opponent is a commoner or noble or demon. The winner and strongest is all that matters. I will be the strongest in the zero province and then the whole continent.¡±

    Sky was healed and told to wait outside in another training room to fight the other losers in round one. River turned to Mary. ¡°You seem very determined to win this and be the strongest. Do you have any particular reason why Ms. Saint Cloud?¡±

    ¡°I have no reason to answer your question. Also, if you think you''re the only one here who can duel cast or cast without speaking a chant you are mistaken.¡±

    The rest of the matches went by. Before long it was on to the next round. River and Mary entered the ring together. Mary took faced him with a look of complete determination. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to show any mercy to you. I saw the tricks you used on your last opponent, they won¡¯t work on me.¡±

    River smiled, ¡°I really like the motivation you have. I think with that determination you will go on to be a great wizard.¡± Just as the match was about to be announced River turned to the head master. ¡°Excuse me sir, if possible, I¡¯d like to forfeit the rest of the tournament.¡±

    Everyone was in shock. No one had ever forfeited before a match in this tournament. Perhaps they may be unable to continue to fight after a particularly rough battle. But not outright forfeiting The headmaster asked the student ¡°why is it you wish to forfeit this match? Don¡¯t you want to see if you can make the top ranking?¡±

    Rivers shook his head ¡°I''m not really concerned about it. I believe if I quit now I will be ranked 8th best and have 93 points. That gives me a high enough total to make it into the school correct? That is all I was looking to do.¡±

    The headmaster paused to consider. ¡°That is so. If you do not wish to fight anymore no one will try to force you.¡±

    River gave a slight bow ¡°thank you head master¡± and began to walk out of the ring.

    Mary was ready to shoot fire from her eyes ¡°What the hell do you think you are doing? Are you that scared to fight me?¡±

    River shrugged. ¡°Why do you care? You get to move on to the next round without using any mana. That''s good for you isn¡¯t it?

    She yelled ¡°NO, it''s not good. Now if I win people will point out I had a free match and got to save my mana. I want to show clearly that when I win it''s based on my abilities and nothing else."

    River stood still a moment and thought about what she said. ¡°Well, I guess you''ll just need to figure out another way to prove yourself Ms.Saint Cloud. After thinking about it, I came to the conclusion that''s simply not my problem.¡±

    As he walked out of the ring the people booed him feeling they were cheated out seeing a match. Mary would go on to win the tournament. Some did bring up that she got a free pass and it gave her an unfair edge in the later rounds as she suspected they might.

    River was just happy to be enrolled. His only goal in coming here was to learn the magic other wizards used and how they treated it, gain experience in the outside world and see if he could make friends. Of course there was that other reason. The main reason he was told to come here. If things didn''t work out then finding a few strong allies wouldn''t be a bad idea either.

 Chapter 3: First Day of Class and Setting Out

    After the tournament was over Lee decided to take a look at the posted final results. He finished in 8th place due to his forfeit, Tom Sky finished 9th and Mary Saint Cloud finished 1st. The arrogant student who is the lightning user whose name he later learned was David Rain he beat in the finals in his bracket finished 19th, Derrick Hill finished 78th.

    River thought to himself that in a single day he sure managed to meet a lot of interesting wizards. He wondered if they were fairly normal compared to other wizards or if they were a strange group. He simply didn¡¯t have enough experience dealing with other wizards to know for sure.

    Usually the talk of the day would be the top finishers. In particular, Mary Saint Cloud who came from a well-known noble family and finished in 1st would usually get the most attention. This year it was the 8th place finisher Lee River who was being talked about.

    Not for his performance in the ring which as impressive as it was is not something other wizards have not seen students do before. It was the fact he forfeited when he did which was so odd. Once it was known he received a 0 on the written examine the fact he managed to finish so high in the fights was of great interest.

    How could someone with such a bad understanding of magic do so well? People were wondering aloud, was it just a fluke or did he cheat? Most felt it was perhaps a reflection of this year¡¯s students being a fairly unremarkable bunch.

    In any case, he received the necessary points so making him leave was impossible going by the school¡¯s rules. They would simply need to wait and see how he did. Once it was all sorted out by the teachers and head master the total amount was 117 new students coming into the school this year.

    They were gathered into the auditorium to hear a speech from the head master of the school. The speech was focused mostly on congratulations to the new students for making it, as well as encouraging them to continue to work hard and learn great magic.

    He also reminded them they were the continent¡¯s and province¡¯s hope for a better future. With this the male students were assigned rooms in the men¡¯s freshman wing and the women were assigned to the ladies freshman wing.

    After arriving at his room Rivers was in shock. He was born on a small farm with a poor family. Seeing the comforts this room offered was an entirely new experience for him. He would have his own table, chairs, pantry, couch, bathroom, bathtub and toilet. The pantry from his point of view was loaded with food.

    From his window he could see a great view of the city below. Surely he thought this is how nobles must live! Nobles seeing the same room would consider such a situation the bare necessities that they would simply make due with. This school was about training their magic after all, not a vacation. He heard a knock on his door. When he answered it there stood his friend Derrick Hill.

    After being invited in Hill gave the room a look over. ¡°!ow, this place is really something huh?¡± looking around the room with the same kind of amazement Lee River had.

    ¡°Yes, I would say it is. I wonder how they can afford it all?¡±

    ¡°Top magic schools are funded very well by the government. Many graduates here will go on to be key military power for the province and perhaps whole continent. One trained magician has the power of 20 knights at least!" River learned a number of interested things from Derrick as they continued to converse.

    They talked a bit more about the matches they had. Hill was clearly impressed with River¡¯s power and told him all the commoners who made it into the school were rooting for him. He told River about the nasty rumors started that he may have somehow cheated.

    River was told by his master once that people who often use the words cheater or unfair are just trying to explain their own lack of ability. He decided not to talk about his master or his words. He had been instructed not to.

    Soon they parted ways and decided to get some sleep. The new school year would start tomorrow and River could not wait to see what it was like! In the morning all the students got up and were ushered into the cafeteria to have breakfast and be assigned to their teachers.

    Not all 117 students could fit in one class so they were broken down into several classes. River was assigned to class 5 and was told to report there after breakfast, He along with others was given directions on where the freshmen classes where located. All the classes were randomly assigned he was told, so the number of your class had no meaning.

    River arrived at class 5 and was happy to see his friend Hill was there. The class also included Tom Sky, Mary Saint Cloud, David Rain and Amanda Clover. He remembered she was one of the commoners he saw pass the test of power. He didn¡¯t recognize any of the other students but he assumed he would get to know them a bit as time went on.

    After taking his seat he gave the class a long slow look over. It appeared to be a fairly plain room for such an amazing school. It was just normal desk, chairs, a blackboard and large windows facing towards the town square. The only thing odd about the room he thought was its size. It seemed you could fit double the amount of people in easily.

    Tom Sky sat beside him interrupting his thoughts ¡°Hey River, how you liking the school? I noticed you were looking around a lot, anything on your mind?¡±

    River turned to him. ¡°It just seems plain for being such a famous school. These rooms seem pretty big though I suppose.¡±

    Sky gave a small laugh ¡°the reason why it''s bigger than a normal classroom is so when we do our practice magic we have enough room for it. You''ll find that the whole school itself, but particularly the classrooms, are reinforced with earth magic to make them sturdier. If they didn¡¯t do that the repair cost may get out of hand.¡±

    Sky gave the room a quick look around ¡°You know I see some people in here who finished above me in the rankings. I wonder if I was facing someone other than you if I could have gotten higher. I was easily the best of the student eliminated in round 1.

    River shook his head. ¡°People are always so concerned about rankings here.¡±

    Sky leaned back ¡°Well noble houses compete in a number of ways. One is just by pure wealth but the other is by demonstrating the magical power in the family. Obviously the noble families fighting each other in the middle of town and causing all sorts of damage would be breaking the laws of the province. This is one of the few places we are able to battle each other for rank.¡±

    Sky continued ¡°9th best isn¡¯t all that bad I suppose, for now... My Sky house hasn¡¯t scored such a high ranking in in the last 10 years, since my older brother from the main family I mean. I really was hoping to take one of the top 2 or 3 spots!¡±

    Sky took a quick look at Mary ¡°Generally those spots are usually held by the Cloud, Star and Sun families who are known for particularly powerful magic. They have many strong branch families and buy away the best teachers even from other noble houses.¡± Tom Sky went on to explain a bit more about Branch and Main houses to River who the concept was entirely new to.

    Right as it was being explained a familiar face walked in the room. It was the man who refereed his matches in the first tournament he fought in River recall.

    He drew his name on the board behind him and addressed the class ¡°Hello new students of Magic Academy Province Zero! I will be your teacher for the year. I''ve met a few of you already but for the rest of you my name is Peter Leaf. I went to this very same academy that you are sitting in right now. I suppose you will want to know a bit about me. For likes, like I magic. As for dislikes I dislike teenagers, particularly arrogant ones who use magic, any questions?¡±

    The whole class was in a stunned silence. ¡°Good, as it turns out, questions are among my dislikes. Now I want you to introduce yourselves to the class. Just say your likes and dislikes and a bit about yourself.¡± He pointed to the girl sitting in the front ¡°You''ll go first. We''ll go left to right and then the next row back. Don¡¯t take too long. Taking too long to do things is also among my dislikes.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    The young brown hair girl stood up. ¡°M-my name is Amanda Clover. I like fire magic and I hope we can be friends.¡± She sat down blushing heavily. Clearly she was very shy.

    Mary stood up ¡°I''m Mary Saint Cloud. I like my house and being the best. I don¡¯t like people who are in my way or people who give others any reason to think I''m not the best by quitting matches." She sat down and shot a look full of daggers are River.

    Hill stood up ¡°I''m Derrick Hill. I like making weapons with my family. I mean, we are blacksmiths by trade and have been for generations. It was actually how I was able to learn about magic. A wizard wanted armor but didn¡¯t have any money to pay for it. He was willing to pay in the form of lessons for me. My dad jumped at the chance and that¡¯s I why I''m here.¡±

    David Rain stood up ¡°I''m David from the Rain house. I ''m here to learn the mysteries of magic and not hand to hand combat. I like lightning magic and to put people in their place who think they are something special when they just got lucky."

    Tom Sky stood up ¡°I''m Tom Sky. I enjoy learning all the mysteries of magic and pushing myself to the limits. The only things I dislike are people who believe being from a noble house makes them better than everyone else.¡± David shot him a look.

    River stood up ¡°My name is Lee River. I''m here to learn about magic from other wizards and gain experience with how the outside world treats and views magic.¡± The rest of the students introduced themselves as well.

    After the introductions Leaf stood up. ¡°First I''ll teach you the basics of the basics. Some of you know this and some perhaps don¡¯t but it is important information to go over. In this continent we divide wizards up into ranks. It isn¡¯t a perfect system but it helps to give an estimate of magical power and more importantly, it provides an estimate for a provinces military power by keeping track of how strong their wizards are.

    The ranks are from lowest to highest; G, F, E, D, C, B, A and S.

    G rank is for amateur wizards who have some magic power. Mostly they are just young people learning magic or amateur users. F is for new magic students going to an official magic academy like this. That is where almost all of you are right now.

    E rank is what most magic students in the 2nd grade here are. D rank is the 3rd year students in this academy. That is the last year in this academy as well. If you are able to graduate here you will do so as C rank wizards.

    C rank is considered the first rank of a true wizard. B rank wizards are particularly powerful wizards. A ranked wizards are the some of the strongest wizards in the continent. As for S rank they is particularly rare. Only a few wizards in the whole of province Zero have such a ranking. Most wizards, even those with good talent, usually never make it beyond the B rank.¡±

    Leaf paused for a moment to be sure everyone was still following him. ¡°With that out of the way I will now talk you to all about the general structure of magic. As you all know magic comes from mana. Mana is the mix of your body¡¯s natural energy with magical ability.

    For instance if one is to make fire magic they must call out their own body¡¯s energy and mix it with the energy in nature. In most cases this involves lifting your hand in the air but sometimes putting your hand in the dirt or a body of water can achieve better results depending on if you are using earth or water magic. If you were to stick your hand in water you could use your energy and the energy in nature to manipulate the water without having to create any water from the environment.

    This is more efficient as it saves a good deal of your own energy since you don¡¯t need to create water. For the types of elements used in magic there tend to be 5 main types. They are fire, wind, water, earth and lightning magic. These are the most usual and most commonly used forms of magic.

    Of course, there are other kinds of magic like temporary body enhancement or light and darkness magic but those are harder to control and can be very dangerous to the user if not controlled properly. I once remember a wizard using body enhancement to make himself able to run at 3 times his normal speed.

    It''s something you must focus and maintain concentration precisely while doing it. Just loosing focus for one moment caused him to end up breaking both his legs. It took him a year to be able to move normally again as they were so badly damaged. It could be said he was lucky it wasn¡¯t worse.

    Those kinds of skills we will only start to teach in the 3rd year and only limited amounts. If you manage to graduate here there will be places you can go to learn more about those types of magic. They tend to take many years to truly master. I only mention them now because I wish to give a complete overview on all forms of magic. Are there any questions?¡±

    No one in the class spoke up. The teacher continued to talk about meditation to learn to better use your own energy and control nature¡¯s energy more efficiently. The more control you had the more of your own energy you could save. This allows one to perform more spells and stronger spells.

    More magic theory was spoken of and general tips for the students in the class. The Nobles knew most of the information if not all of it. The few commoners in the class were hearing some information for the first time and were carefully listening and taking notes.

    River listened very carefully to the teacher. He was learning very slowly that the things he had been taught about magic by his master and what this school taught about magic where not entirely the same. Yes the basics where generally covered the same but he was surprised to hear no mention of the importance of building their own stamina.

    This was something his teacher stressed. He recalled him saying ¡°meditation can only take you so far. In the end the amount of magic will in large part depend on the energy the body can emit. There are no short cuts in this. If you want to be able to create powerful magic over and over you need the stamina for your body to produce that energy over and over.¡±

    He thought about the first time he heard that speech and noticed he was grabbing his leg. He was remembering the seemingly endless amount of running he did. He still ran every day but it was more to maintain the stamina he gained than to gain more.

    He remembered his teacher also told him at this point he had no doubt plenty of natural energy and his efforts would better be focused learning and mastering control of magic in his body and mind. River was taught the mind is where magic starts. The clearer and more vivid the picture in your mind¡¯s eye and the more clear the intent the better the magic would be. River¡¯s thoughts were broken by his teacher ispeaking up.

    ¡°Anyway, that is enough of this endless explaining. You should know, too much explaining is among my dislikes. I prefer a more practical type of approach when it comes to learning magic. The best thing to do is just get real life experience. That is why tomorrow I plan to take this class on a field trip to the forest outside of town!¡± The class murmured a moment than got quiet.

    ¡°There I will watch you use your magic to hunt, fight wild animals if need be and camp. Since this is for magic training you are to bring absolutely nothing except the clothes on your back and just maybe 1 or 2 personal items not related to survival or necessities. I plan to have us sleep there overnight and come back in the morning.

    Also, just as precaution, I would ask you not to mention to anyone outside the school we plan to go on this trip.¡± The class erupted with this news. River imagined the nobles probably never spent a single night in the wild in their lives. This would no doubt be a very interesting experience.

    As they left the class River saw some students who were very excited and some doing some angry mumbling. Tom seemed particularly excited and started to ask both Hill and River if they have ever camped in the wild before.

    Clover, the shy quiet girl, seemed scared but determined and as usual didn¡¯t speak or look at anyone. Rain was very disappointed and felt this was a waste of time when he could be learning more about powerful magic. Mary Saint Cloud seemed uninteresting about everything and was in a rush to leave to get back to her room to practice magic.

    That night River, Hill and Sky got together to talk in River¡¯s room more about the upcoming event. Sky even decided to give Hill a few pointers he felt would be useful about water magic which they both used. River was glad to see they were fast becoming friends with each other. Eventually they parted ways and the morning came. After breakfast the class met outside the main gates of the school.

    Peter Leaf looked over his class at the gates. ¡°Okay, we will head out and hopefully get to our destination deep in the woods before lunch time. If we are not there by then we will just keep going till we are. Only once we are there will I permit you to try and go to catch some lunch for yourself.¡±

    Peter laughed ¡°I hope that motivates you all to get there in a timely fashion. One of my dislikes is taking a long time to get somewhere!¡± He quickly had a look at what each student brought. He was happy to see no one tried to sneak in any hunting equipment, food, water or camping supplies. With that all sorted out they set off in the direction of the woods.

    *****

    Watching the school gate from the neighboring town were 3 men. The first said to the others ¡°so the information we got last night was good after all. It appears it''s just the one teacher taking these kids to the woods alone!¡±

    "Yes, I recognize the Cloud brat. She will for sure fetch a good price. It seems they have a Rain and Sky there as well. No point turning down the money right?¡±

    ¡°What about the other kids? Think they are worth the trouble to get?¡±

    ¡°Probably not, if they become too much of a nuisance we¡¯ll just kill them. It would send a good message to the other families to pay up."

    ¡°Though it''s just one man, the teacher is from the famous zero province academy; I doubt he would bring them out by himself if he wasn¡¯t confident."

    ¡°Well, if it looks like you two are having trouble I¡¯ll step in just this one time. I haven¡¯t had a good fight in a while; I just hope these teachers are as strong as their reputation promises.¡± The three men quickly and quietly slipped into the forest.

 Chapter 4: Setting Camp and The Hunt Begins

    The students and teacher soon passed through town and into the forest. The hike was long and the pace was kept steady but brisk. At times they were able to follow trails but often they had to walk in the wilderness. As the sun continued to rise higher they walked up and down hills and through the thicket.

    Peter Leaf used earth magic to open ways though the brushes ¡°if you''re finding it difficult to walk though this forest just use your magic in the difficult spots to open a path. Everything but fire magic should be fine.¡±

    Many of the students looked worn out but none requested a break. The only one of his students who didn¡¯t look worn out at all was River. In fact he looked perfectly normal, as if this wasn¡¯t difficult work for him at all. Leaf thought ¡°he does seem to be use to doing phyical activies.¡±

    They took a short break about half way to their destination.¡°We''re making good time my dear students. I think we will be there by mid sun.¡±

    David Rain could no long stand all this useless walking about inthe woods. ¡°This is all ridiculous! Here we are, hiking in the woods instead of learning magic. It''s all such a waste of time!¡±

    Peter turned to him. "Well, what if you go to war and get separated from your troops in the forest due to the fighting? Do you plan to just sit and wait for someone to get you?¡± Rain said nothing to this.

    Clover was worried by his comment about going to war. ¡°D-do you think we''ll go to war anytime soon?¡±

    Leaf saw her worried face and tried to calm here. ¡°I doubt it, the provinces are competitive with each other and some squabbles happen from time to time, but no one appears eager to want to fight. When it comes to the demons we have heard nothing from them either since the last great war. I don¡¯t think those are things you should worry about dear.¡±

    The way the last line was said left a question in the air.Sky wanted to know what it was Mr. Leaf thought was of concern. ¡°So then you think there are things we should worry about?¡±

    ¡°Well, I would say the greatest threat right now is rogue wizards. As you know Mr. Sky, main houses tend to keep most of the wealth and power in a family. Famous and powerful houses have many branches and though they share the glory of a great name most of their work goes to the betterment of the main house.¡±

    David Rain hated the way Peter talked about Main house like they were doing something wrong. ¡°Those houses are proud to serve the main house! Yes, they must tribute to the main house to keep it strong but it''s for the good of everyone. We can¡¯t be strong if we divide resources to each person equally. The Branch houses of the Rain family live happily, given respect by all they pass. No one would dear cross anyone in the Rain house, even a branch member.

    Leaf nodded. ¡°It''s true the branch families have certain benefits and they certainly are rich compared to a commoner. However, some of those branch families see it as a form of highly prestigious servitude. They''ll never get to advance beyond a certain rank and must bow to the head house in all things or risk being cast out and losing their name. I can understand their frustration.¡±

    So what does this have to do with rogue wizards?¡± River thought this was something definitrly worth knowing.

    ¡°Rogue wizards are usually commoners who felt stepped on by nobles or noble wizards from branch houses who are fed up with the system. They often cause trouble in the continent with their magic. Sometimes by destruction and sometimes by theft; some have even been known to murder other wizards who cross them.

    Mary talked for the first time all morning. ¡°A true wizard should have the power to deal with any rogue scum that comes along. Usually they are nothing but 3rd and 2nd rate wizards anyway; if they lose to such trash then shame on them for being poor wizards in the first place."

    Leaf gave her a sideways look. He was concerned she didn''t take this kidn of threat seriously enough. ¡°Usually they tend to be 3rd and 2nd rate, usually¡­¡±

    The break ended and thet got up to continue on their walk. Just as the sun was about to reach mid height in the sky they came to their destination. Leaf was proud of his students. ¡°Good job reaching this place before noon! Now then, since we are here you lot should all look to set up camp and get some food. Of course, you''ll need to set up my camp and get my food as well, getting my own food is one of my dislikes!¡±

    With that he sat on a log and waited to see what the students would do. He gave no further instruction and just observed. Sky walked in front of the students ¡°well, I guess we should all divide duties between ourselves to get things done more quickly. First I¡¯d ask if anyone has any task they¡¯d like to do over others?¡±

    David stood in front of him ¡°So you think you are good enough to be our leader? Obviously it should be a noble from a great house like me or at least Ms. Cloud!¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Mary sat down on a log ¡°stop interrupting him. This is wasting time and I¡¯m hungry.¡± She shot him a very mean look and he growled a bit only to sit down on a log.

    Sky continued once he saw this spat as over. ¡°I guess we should look for food as well as build shelters and fires. As for water we can just make that ourselves but food will be the problem.¡±

    River stood up ¡°If it''s food I have a few suggestions. I think some of you should go into the woods to hunt and see what you can find. As for myself, I''ll go towards that mountain¡± he pointed to a mountain away in the distance that had a large waterfall. "I could check to see if there are fish and if so, I could bring a few back."

    Sky looked in the direction River motioned to. ¡°That seems a long ways off. Maybe someone should go with you?¡±

    River shook his head. ¡°I think I would move faster on my own. With my wind magic it would be easy to get around anything in my way.. I can be back within an hour probably.¡± No one seemed to object, so River decided to put down anything unneeded and head towards the mountain.

    ¡°Make sure not to quit this time and turn back half way. You should be careful not to break your leg too; you might not be found for a while and be in agony." Mary gave him a dirty look that indicated she would very much like to get a broken leg."

    River just smiled ¡°thank you for the warning Ms. Cloud¡± and left. She was enraged. Why is that bastard always smiling and being polite? Did he not care if he offended her? Was he not worried she may use the influence of her house on him?

    She shook her head. No, she wouldn¡¯t use the influence of her house. She would absolutely crush him and bring him to heel with her own power and ability. She would simply continue to be the best in her class and laugh at him when he failed to pass the first year and was forced to leave.

    They all started setting up camp. Sky used his earth magic to create shelters for everyone. He made sure they were sturdy but had a reasonable amount of privacy and comfort. He ended up making one for each student and the teacher.

    David Rain used his lightning magic to split trees open and to break them down into smaller logs. They could be used to make chairs or fire wood. Mary used wind on the ground to push away all the loose brush and make the area more open.

    Amanda Clover used fire magic to set up a few small fires and a main one in the center of camp. The rest of the students scouted the area to see if they could find something to hunt but only managed to bring back a few vegetables.

    ***

    The 3 men were in the forest hidden having just seen all the other students come back ¡°I counted them again but we are still one student short. Do you know where he is?"

    ¡°I saw him go towards that mountain over there some time ago. He is just a commoner anyway. Not worth bothering over. All the other students are here including ones we want. I see no point waiting."

    ¡°Yes, the longer we wait the more chances we''re seen or some other teacher may even come along to check on them. We should move now!¡±

    ***

    Peter Leaf was sitting on the same log leaning against a tree. He turned his head slightly towards the forest, only to again lean back against the tree and assumed an even more relaxed pose. Suddenly to all the students shock he cast powerful water magic into the forest. It blasted many trees over and the students froze in their boots. ¡°Whose there?¡± Peter yelled ¡°There should be no other wizards in this area!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, so you were able to find us? No less from a wizard at the zero province academy!¡± 3 men walked out from the woods slowly in black cloaks with mask covering their faces. Two wore a white mask and one of the men wore a golden mask.

    ¡°Why are you here and what do you want?¡± Leaf walked in front of his students.

    The one in the golden mask spoke ¡°Well, we came here just because these kids are so cute. We''re looking to adopt a few of them. We decided on the Cloud, Sky and Rain students. As for the rest of you, please don¡¯t feel too disappointed."

    All the students but particularly the ones he named were standing on pins and needles. Mary spoke up first ¡°I already have a family, be gone unless you wish to be put in the ground today.¡±

    The one in the gold mask dropped his polite tone. ¡°Silence brat, I ''m very strict and don¡¯t take back talk. If you want to stay in one piece you will learn to keep your mouth shut when told. This can be easy or hard for you. Don¡¯t be foolish.¡±

    Peter Leaf motioned the students to back up. ¡°Come now, no need to make threats. How about this? Walk away right now and I¡¯ll let you go. It isn¡¯t too late for you to not be the ones to make a foolish mistake here.¡± Peter talked big but he was honestly concerned. The 2 in the white mask he could tell knew how to handle themselves fairly well. They were good enough he couldn''t completely ignore them, He felt a very different pressure from the one in the gold mask. He was going to be difficult.

    He took a moment to take stock of the situation. One of his students wasn''t here. Clearly they only wanted the high born nobles; probably for ransom. He hated it but he couldn¡¯t risk the lives of the rest of his students for just 1. He knew Rivers had a good head and most importantly they were most likely not interested in him. He could make his way back on his own. For now he had to focus on the students he could do something about.

    Peter turned his head slightly to his students and whispered so the 3 men couldn¡¯t hear ¡°I want all of you to go back to the school as fast as you can. Just focus on getting there. Use fire magic or anything else you want. Make sure to stay together, do not separate. They will count on you to run and panic. Together you are strong, especially you 3¡± he looked to Mary, Sky and Rain.

    ¡°Fight together and keep each other safe and you¡¯ll be okay. I doubt I can hold all 3 here so expect to be pursued. As soon as I attack run as fast as you can¡± he turned back to the 3 and said nothing else to the students. He would just need to hope they would not hesitate and do as he said.

    The one in the gold mask chuckled ¡°all done saying your goodbyes to them? It won¡¯t matter in the end. The moment you decided not to meekly give them up you were a dead man.¡±

    Peter said nothing back to him. He cast wind magic in one hand and fire magic in the other.

    ¡°Duel casting different elements?¡± One of the white masked men turned to the gold masked one. ¡°It seems these teachers live up to their reputations.¡±

    Peter yelled ¡°Run now and don¡¯t look back!¡± as he cast both magics at once and made a powerful flame that flew towards the 3 men.

    One of the men in the white mask smiled ¡°time to start the hunt!¡±

 Chapter 5: The Shame of the House of Sun

    The giant ball of fire infused with wind magic traveled toward the 3 masked men. It would have to be blocked. One of the white masked men jumped in front of the other 2 putting his hands on the ground and cast earth magic to build a thick wall. The fire magic hit and was forced into the open air above where it died.

    The white masked man who cast the earth magic turned to the gold mask man ¡°it''s as you thought, he sure wanted to start off big!¡±

    The gold mask nodded. ¡°Yes, he wanted to buy those kids some time. Good job with the wall. I''m sure it took a lot of mana to make, but he used a fair amount too.¡±

    The wall fell down in front of the 3 men, having been dispelled. The gold mask man spoke to Peter ¡°that is some powerful magic you used. You managed to give those kids a pretty good head start, but it''s meaningless. I assume you planned to set the forest on fire to get some attention too? We won''t be letting that happen. No one is coming to help you.¡±

    Peter saw one of the white masked men was breathing hard. He must have been the one to cast the earth magic. His own attack took a lot out of him as well.. He knew his stamina would not last enough to beat all 3 if he just kept using large attacks. Worst of all, the most troublesome gold masked man was completely fresh. He would need to conserve his power more from now on.

    The gold mask man told the white masked man who didn''t build the wall ¡°go around him and make sure those kids don''t get too far. We''ll catch up with you when we''re done here.¡±

    ¡°Don''t worry, I won''t let even one escape". He ran sideways into the forest and then started to loop around to go towards the students.

    ¡°Damn he''s quick¡± Peter muttered to himself. He wanted to chase after him to buy the students more time but he dared not turn his back on the 2. His best chance would be to try to defeat them and double back.

    ******

    River was about half way between the camp and the mountain when he heard the large explosion of fire magic. "That attack was meant to kill, something is wrong!¡± He quickly turned and used his wind magic. He knew whatever was going on he would need to get back as soon as possible.

    *******

    Peter stood in front of the 2 men. He knew fighting 2 opponents at once was going to be very difficult. Even a fairly weak wizard could land a lethal strike if you were distracted. He thought of using earth based defenses but dismissed the idea. He needed to conserve as much stamina as possible. He would use wind power to try to move faster and dodge.

    The gold masked man stepped forward. ¡°Well then, as much as I like a good stare down I don''t like to leave my associates waiting.¡± He quickly cast lightning magic. Lightning magic was great for offense but it usually took time to gather and aim accurately; that was its weakness. This lightning magic was gathered and fired so quickly Peter barely had any time to react.

    He dodged to the left with wind magic avoiding the attack by hair''s breadth. Right where he was standing a moment before was black and smoking. Another attack shot at him and he dodged back and to the right. This time he was a little more ready for it and faster to react. He looked up and noticed he lost track of the white masked man.

    Water based attacks came shooting at him from the left. He saw the white masked man and cast wind against the water to push it away. He barely noticed the lighting coming the 3<sup>rd</sup> time and couldn''t dodge it completely. He jumped back and to the left but smelt burning flesh and then pain on right arm. He managed to avoid most it. Thankfully he could still move his arm normally.

    The Gold masked man smiled ¡°I would give you a chance to give up, but it''s far to late for that. I don''t like to go back on my word. I said you were a dead man and there are many lonely holes in the ground that need someone to fill them after all.¡±

    Peter knew fighting 2 against 1 was not going to work. He had no choice but to take a risk even though it would use so much mana... He also needed to avoid those lightning attacks. He had one idea that could work.

    He gathered wind magic in his hand and shot it towards the white masked man. He made it so big it would be impossible to dodge. ¡°Fool, I only need block it and your attack is wasted!¡± He used earth magic to build a defense. That blocked off the white masked man''s his vision of the fight.

    Peter then jumped to the right. He didn''t have time to look up at the gold masked man to see if an attack was coming or not. He knew the last time he focused on the white masked man the gold masked man choose to attack with that opening. He only hoped if the attack did come he dodged in such a way as to avoid all or most of it.

    As it so happens the attack did come right as he was dodging. He managed to avoid the worst of it but it partly got his left leg. ¡°Damn, that leg will be hard to move on.¡± He then turned his attention towards the gold masked man who was no doubt preparing for another lightning attack. Without having to worry about the white masked man for a few moments he poured his power into water magic.

    Water magic also used up a lot of stamina, it was thick and heavy but he had no choice. Water magic, if you''re able to use enough of it, naturally goes around and over defenses.

    Peter cast the water element and for the first time used a chant. It was his most powerful spell ¡°water element tidal wave!¡± he screamed.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    At first the man in the gold mask was planning to use earth to block it. However the wave just grew larger and larger. ¡°How much mana is he pouring into that?¡± He would need to use too much earth magic to block it.. He decided it was best to retreat into the forest and let the massive wave disperse naturally.

    As he saw the gold masked man retreat peter quickly moved towards the white masked man who had just dispelled his earth magic. ¡°Let''s see how you fend by yourself!¡± Peter gathered earth magic in his hand and ran as fast as he could towards the white masked man. ¡°Damn, this leg is slowing me down too much!¡± He pushed himself forward with wind magic

    ¡°Fool, you want to fight me in such a condition? I need no help to defeat the likes of you like this!¡± The white masked man shot water magic towards him.

    Peter launched his own attacks at the white masked man using earth based magic. With his speed from pushing himself with wind magic and the naturally heaviness of earth magic he cut through the attacks and hit his opponent. One of the enemy''s water based attacks hit him which stopped his motion and knocked him back. He felt a rib or 2 break.

    He looked at the white masked man. The attacks which hit him cut through the opponent''s water magic which slowed them down, but they were still effective. He was breathing but in agony. He appeared to have a broken arm and perhaps a leg. Peter failed to take his life but at least he seemed unable to fight anymore. Peter breathed heavily. He used more mana than he wanted for that attack. He knew he was running out fast.

    ¡°Well well, look what you did to my comrade.¡± The Gold masked man said emerging from the woods looking no worse for wear. ¡°No matter, I never needed his help to beat you from the start. Since I''m going to kill you anyway ,I''ll let you in on a little secret.¡± He lifted his hand towards the gold mask covering the top part of his face and took it off.

    Peter was in shock ¡°You! You''re the shame of the house of sun!¡±

    He let his mask drop ¡°You know, I use to hate that name, but it has grown on me over the years. The only trouble is my face is too well known. Having to wear a mask all the time is annoying. I guess out here I can be at ease taking it off.¡±

    Peter shot him a look of pure disdain. ¡°Whatever you think of the Sun house, what you did was disgusting. That boy from the main house you attacked had burns so deep on his body even the best healers in their house could do anything about the scars. He''s lucky to be alive.¡±

    ¡°It was unfortunate we were interrupted. That arrogant main house brat thought just because he was from the main sun house the whole world belonged to him. I wanted to roast him slowly and teach him a lessen about looking down on the branch house. I guess I should''ve roasted him a bit faster.¡±

    ¡°He was young and could have changed! What you did was cruel and evil.¡±

    ¡°He was old enough to know how to treat me like a dog! To remind me every moment that he was from the main house and I was destined to be nothing but a glorified lackey! You''re a commoner and yet you defend that?¡± The man stepped forward summoning a large amount of fire magic in his hand. It grew larger as he walked towards Peter. His face was filled with hate.

    Peter yelled ¡°the world is changing. Yes it''s happening slowly but every year I see more and more nobles treating commoners well. The answer is not to crush them all, we can continue to work hard and change them together.¡±

    The man laughed ¡°I no longer care about branch houses or main houses; commoner nor nobles. It matters not in the least to me. I learned long time ago, this world only rewards those who take from others like the nobles took from the commoners and the main houses take from the branch houses. I will take what I want because I''m strong enough to do so. It''s that simple. Anyone who looks down on me or gets in my way is an enemy.¡±

    Peter shot him a look of hate ¡°You''ve really become a twisted bastard haven''t you ''Shame of the House of Sun''?¡±

    ¡°The opinions of sheep doesn''t matter to the wolf. Now turn to ash you sheep.¡± The Shame of the House of Sun cast the massive fire attack towards Peter. He couldn''t move well so he had to use earth magic to block. As the fire was blocked by the earth and dispersed ''the shame'' appeared beside him. He had used body enhancement magic to speed up and close the distance.

    ¡°So long sheep.¡± He blasted him with wind magic and blew him up into the air. As he was coming down he built up fire magic ¡°Fire of the sun, devour all creation before me¡± he chanted. He shot a fire attack so powerful and big the very air seemed to be burnt out of existence. Below it also engulfed the ground turning everything black as is passed over.

    Peter knew if that touched him he would be instantly incinerated. He could only think of one thing to do, though it might kill him anyway. He cast wind magic up into the air and pushed himself at an incredible speed towards the ground. He hit it and heard bones crack. He couldn''t soften his landing. There was no time.

    He instantly used as much mana as he could to cast as much earth magic over him as possible. He hoped the fire would flow over him and his earth magic would be enough to shield him. He had no idea how bad his injuries were. He was sure he at least broke a leg and maybe had life threatening internal injuries, but he had no time to take stock. He continued to cover himself in earth magic as he felt the heat approach even under the earth shield he built.

    *****

    The students ran through the forest as fast as they could, Sky huffed barely keeping his breath. ¡°What about River? What if they find him?¡±

    David Rain pushed himself hard to keep going. ¡°Did you see those guys? There''s nothing we can do. We have no choice but to run and get help.¡±

    Amanda Clover''s hair was damp and sticking to her face. ¡°Y-you once said River was the resourceful type. I''m sure he''ll be okay¡±. She would have probably felt more shy and blushed if she didn''t feel like she was running for her life.

    Derrick Hill was luckily in pretty decent shape but not use to this much running. ¡°It''s okay, once we get help from the school we''ll find him. Focus on getting back. The path is already cleared from when we came in. If we use our magic and go all out we can get there in 30 minutes probably.¡±

    Mary Cloud scoffed ¡°I hate being forced to run from those pieces of trash. If only I was a bit older and knew more magic I would have crushed them. Besides that gold masked guy they didn''t look like much anyway.¡±

    ¡°He''s right about you; you need to be taught your place don''t you? Such a mouthy little brat you are¡± the white masked man landed on the path in front of them. ¡°Getting back to get help? No, I won''t allow that. Now come quietly or do I need to kill a few of your classmates to get you to cooperate?¡±

    Sky knew even if they gave themselves up there was not guarantee they would let the others live. ¡°He''s alone. Teacher is probably holding off the other two. I say we fight together and beat him as quickly as possible and then continue to get help.¡±

    The white masked man turned towards Sky ¡°Just for that arrogance I think I''ll have you lose an arm after I am done catching all of you. Then I''ll watch you cry yourself to sleep later remembering having to watch your classmates die 1 by 1."

    He summoned lightning magic in his hand ¡°Now then, who do you get to see die first? How about you?¡± He looked at Derrick Hill.

 Chapter 6: Students of Class 5 Fight

    Derrick Hill heard the wizard''s words and with them he felt death tightening a noose around his neck. For a moment, just a single moment, he felt himself freeze and his mind go blank. As if with blinding fear he had already accepted his fate. Seeing the palm point directly at him with the lightning magic ready to no doubt go through his heart Derrick snapped out of it.

    ¡°Earth wall!¡± he chanted gathering earth magic. He wall went up around him but was fairly weak. He was not yet proficient using earth magic. With no idea what else to do he ducked behind it. The lighting shot through the wall and over him. The wall doing little to stop the magic was enough for him to avoid the lightning by making his attacker lose track of his location behind it.

    Sky shouted ¡°water arrow.¡± The arrows cut throw the air and toward the white masked wizard.

    The wizard met them in midair with well-aimed wind magic to push them away. He then used the same wind magic to quickly blow Sky backward and into a tree which he hit with a large thump ¡°serves you right brat; now sit quietly and watch.¡±

    Mary Saint Cloud used her wind magic to move fast and attempted to circle behind the white masked man.

    David Rain was chanting a lightning magic spell that looked particularly nasty.

    The white masked wizard thought ''even though they''re all brats, a few of them are pretty good. I don''t want to have to worry about so many at one time. Let¡¯s cut those numbers down. He chanted a spell and a great earth wall began to build around him on all 4 sides. It was thick and heavy. It protected him from any spell the kids were likely capable of casting.

    He then used a great amount of wind magic inside and weakened the structure of the wall. He forced his wind magic to explode in all directions creating a large gust of wind and turning the earth magic into projectiles.

    Most of the students were unable to avoid the blast and many were knocked out or incapacitated. The white masked wizard gave a look around and saw only 5 students still standing. David Rain and the blonde hair commoner boy he threatened to kill earlier seemed to have used magic to block the attack.

    He was surprised to see the commoner boy had stood in front of the Sky brat who was conscious but slumped against a tree. What a pest that commoner brat was. He saw Mary Saint Cloud had managed to avoid the attack entirely with her wind magic. There was also a brown haired commoner girl who stood behind a tree to avoid the attack. Maybe she had been there for a while. He couldn''t be sure.

    He looked at the kids ¡°truly impressive. I didn''t think so many of you would still be standing after that. Now this is looking much more manageable. I wonder out of all of you who will be the last to fall.¡±

    *****

    The shame of the house of sun looked over the forest. There was no way that man could have avoided such an attack. He surely must be dead. He used water magic to put out the fires. He hoped his attacks didn''t attract too much attention. Perhaps if he put out the fire they could go undetected for a bit longer and have a full day''s head start before anyone knew the kids were gone.

    After putting out the fire he went to the white masked man on the ground. ¡°Looks like that teacher got you pretty good. I do wish I had more powerful companions.¡±

    ¡°Help me, my body is broken and I think I might be dying."

    ¡°Don''t be so damn dramatic, it''s just a few broken bones and some internal injuries.¡±

    ¡°Please use your healing magic, it hurts all over¡± he asked.

    The Shame knew of all the types of magic in the world, healing magic was one of the most draining. He used a good amount of mana already to defeat that teacher. He probably had maybe half of his usual power. He got angry and went overboard using such a spell. Half would be more than enough to handle the kids he knew but what if another wizard came?

    ¡°Fine, but I''m only going to heal your bones and the serious internal injuries. The cuts and strains I won''t fix. I want to save my mana in case another wizard comes along¡±. He healed the white masked man of those injuries. The white masked man still felt pain all over his body but it was less and he could get up and walk around at least.

    The shame stood up. ¡°I''m going to go make sure everything is all set with the kids and get them back to this spot. You stay here and gather your mana as best you can. Be sure we''re not leaving anything behind that''s important or can identify us.¡± He picked up his gold mask, put it on and then went into the forest.

    *****

    As River was making his way towards the camp he noticed whatever was happening there was over. There was no more magic being used in that area. He heard and felt magic in a slightly different direction. "Should I go to camp first or towards the fight going on right now?"

    He wanted answers of what was going on at the camp but if lives were in danger right now he had to go there first. He changed direction and went towards where the magic was now being cast.

    *****

    Derrick Hill knew he had to get all the other classmates who were now unconscious or hurt too badly to move to a safe spot. He turned to Tom Sky ¡°can you still move and fight?¡±

    Tom Sky said ¡°Of course! This is nothing; I just had the wind knocked out of me.¡±

    Derrick could tell he was hurt but he was still able to help. ¡°Amanda and I will move those that are hurt out of the way while the others keep him busy. As soon we are done we will rejoin the fight.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Amanda hesitated for a moment ¡°O-okay, yes, we must keep them from getting caught up in the fight.¡±

    The white masked man replied ¡°That''s so sweet of you two; do you think everything will just go as you want?¡±

    Mary Saint Cloud shot a strong gust of wind magic at him. He blocked it with his own wind magic. Mary then used wind magic in her other hand to push herself to the left and shot quickly again. The white masked man didn''t expect this and had to dodge out of the way as he had no time to cast any spells. The wind nicked his shoulder and made shallow cuts.

    ¡°You overestimate yourself¡± she hissed with disdain. ¡°I''m no ordinary student. I''m the pride of the Saint Cloud family and I shall one day be the strongest wizard in the world. You''ll not even be a worthy footnote in my history.¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth you dumb bit-¡± lightning came at him shot from David Rain. The white masked man was able to dodge it this time as he was on his toes from the last series of attacks.. Feeling himself boxed in he had no choice but to cast a powerful earth spell around himself.

    ¡°Damn these kids may be more trouble than I thought.¡± Again he did the same tactic and made it explode with wind magic. He hoped to hit a few of them but seeing the attack before they were ready for it and able to block it or dodge it.

    He saw Mary blocked it with wind; however David Rain blocked it with lightning. He recalled it was only element he had used so far. If that was all he could us then he could take advantage of it, lightning magic takes the longest time to prepare between attacks, a tradeoff for its strong damage to a single target with relatively low mana use.

    He used a strong, large wind attack on Mary which pushed her back into the woods and caused himself to jet towards David Rain. He was still preparing his next attack and not yet ready to defend himself. The white mask man unleashed a water attack which probably broke a few of David''s ribs.

    David Rain squirmed on the ground in pain ¡°you''re nothing but criminal scum¡± he yelled at the man through his gritted teeth and pain.

    The wizard''s anger came to the surface ¡°just for that I''m going to break both your arms brat.¡± The white masked man was getting ready to shoot 2 powerful wind spells at David. Just before he did Amanda jumped out from behind a tree and after chanting unleashed a powerful fire magic on him. ¡°Leave him alone!¡±

    He quickly used water magic to block as much as possible as the size was too large to dodge. He felt pain shooting through his arm. He smelled burned flesh and saw his left armed was pretty badly charred. He would be unable to use it until it was healed.

    He turned on her ¡°I''m going to kill you for that you filthy commoner!¡± He shot a powerful water magic in her direction.

    Amanda had managed avoid attacks by either dodging them or getting behind trees. Unlike most of the student fighting she couldn''t yet use magic without a chant. Coming out from the forest to protect David left her exposed to the enemy. The attack was too big to dodge and with no time to do anything to try to block it with magic she covered her body and head with her arms as best she could.

    The force of the impact knocked her off her feet and she lay on the ground with a broken leg. She screamed in pain.

    ¡°I''m surprised you are still alive, I guess I didn''t put enough into that.¡± He walked towards to her to end her life

    ¡°Leave her alone¡± David yelled from the ground. He tried to get up and do something but he could barely move. With his body in such a state it was hard to focus and control his mana.

    "What''s this? A Brat from the Rain house caring about some stupid commoner girl? That''s a surprise indeed."

    Amanda lay on the grass helplessly looking on as the wizard approached. David knew she had risked herself to save him and now she found herself in such a state and about to die because she tried to help him. He never thought to care about the filthy commoners in all his life until this moment. For the first time he found himself caring about a commoner.

    ¡°I swear if you touch her again, I''ll spend the rest of my life tracking you down. I swear it on the house of Rain!¡±

    ¡°Big talk for someone in your predicament, you were powerless to keep yourself from getting in such a state and now you''ll be powerless to save her life. Lament at your own incompetence. It''s that which caused her to die.¡± He summoned lightning magic in his good hand and aimed it at her heart.

    Suddenly he felt a humongous surge of magic and looked across the field. It was Tom Sky having cast giant earth elements attacks in his hands. Tom smiled ¡°Do you think I''ve been doing nothing all this time fool? This is my most powerful attack passed down in the Sky house for generations. This will be the end of you!¡±

    He shot both earth element balls at the white masked man. However, their aim was odd. They were heading towards him but they were aimed too high. Clearly they would go above him and miss. What kind of silly attack was this?

    Suddenly Tom yelled ¡°Now!¡±

    Mary came out from behind a tree which was close to the one Clovercame out from behind of. With her wind magic she pushed him away from Clover and backwards. The spell was already cast by the time he saw her so he had almost no time to react ¡°damn she can cast fast."

    Right after being puhed back some 30 feet he saw the Hill brat. He was casting a spell already. The last part he heard was ¡°great water barrier¡±. A giant barrier of water appeared and swept over himself and the other students. The white masked man thought; what was the point of such a spell?

    He only realized then, he lost track of the 2 giant earth balls. They were now directly above him. Before he could do anything he realized what was about to happen ¡°You, you brats!¡±

    Both earth balls had a massive amount of wind magic in them. It was similar to the attack the white masked man used. However, it''s much more difficult to have a magic inside another magic absent your body and throwing it than to be physically located in the center of magic and controlling the layers.

    Tom let loose the wind magic inside of both the balls of earth magic. From all directions powerful earth magic was shot at incredibly high speeds. Maybe if it only came from one spot he could have blocked or dodged but coming from everywhere it was impossible.

    Derrick Hill''s water based defense was not as good as earth based defense but it was thick and a decent distance away from the blast, even he was worried for a moment it wouldn''t hold up. After it was over Hill let the water barrier disperse and dropped to his knees in exhaustion. That took a lot out of him.

    The students saw the white masked man. The mask was no longer covering his face but it would have been impossible to tell what he looked like. His body was mangled and his life was gone.

    ¡°We did it¡± Hill said trying to catch his breath.

    David Rain tried to get up. ¡°How is the commoner gir-; I mean, how is Amanda?¡±

    Mary motioned for David to stay down for now. ¡°I''ll check on her, do any of you know any healing magic? It''ll be hard to move like this¡± they all shook their heads no.

    Derrick Hill rubbed his eyes and tried to think of the best move. ¡°Carrying everyone obviously isn''t an option; I¡¯d say one of us goes to school as quick as possible and the others stay to hide the injured and defend them if needed.¡±

    Mary nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go. I can get there the fastest with my wind magic, but you''ll have to watch over everyone else till I get back Hill.¡±

    Before she could leave she heard a voice ¡°Well, I don''t know if I should be more impressed or angry. You actually managed to kill my comrade. I guess I''ll have to punish you for that. But it shows you may be worth more than i thought.¡± The gold masked walked out of the forrest.

 Chapter 7: The Merciless Sun

    The gold masked wizard used lightning magic but this was not a small exact casting. It was a large net of lightning cast over the entire area. Mary managed to dodge with her wind but Amanda, David and Derrick were unable to move fast enough being wounded and exhausted.

    Their bodies jerked inside the lightning magic and went limp. ¡°Don''t worry young lady, I didn''t kill them. Now they won''t be waking up anytime soon. I sure did go to a lot of trouble to get you brats but I know you¡¯re all worth it¡±.

    He casually walked towards Mary like a man without a care in the world; his golden mask reflecting against the sun gave him the look of having the shining face of an angel or demon.

    Mary cast wind magic to try to maneuver but was shot down with water magic. She fell hard on her arm and felt a sharp pain in it; luckily it wasn''t broken. ¡°You¡¯re too slow and predictable girl. Once you push off with your magic you only go in one direction. Unless you can quickly change direction in midair such maneuvers are meaningless¡±.

    She screamed at him ¡°You bastard! I am Mary Saint Cloud from the house of Cloud! I will not be looked down upon by scum like you. I will be the greatest wizard who has ever existed!¡±

    She shot wind magic at him and as much as it hurt to use her other arm she used it to expelled wind magic to move faster. He shot a spell of water magic at her again and she moved the arm shooting wind magic below her with the arm other arm behind. She went up and over his spell and at the same time launched herself at him.

    He laughed ¡°you just made yourself a vulnerable target moron girl!¡±

    She sneered ¡°You will pay for your crimes scum!¡±

    She put both hands in front of her. Suddenly wind magic gathered in her hands at amazing speed and flew at him with great haste. Such a large amount and so quick too; he had rarely seen anyone cast so fast before. Truly such a talent!

    He struggled to build an earth wall between them but the magic was moving fast and the distance felt so short now. Dodging was completely impossible he knew.

    Not a moment before he finished the wall the spell struck it and broke through. He felt a strong wind push him back a few steps but nothing more. The wall he quickly built managed to block nearly all of the force of the attack. Mary was in shock.

    She had tested it on so many great wizards from her house at similar distances and they had all said she would likely not meet any foe that could manage to block it. They themselves barely could stop that attack from such a distance and they were some of the best wizards in her Cloud house.

    ¡°No, that''s impossible¡± she said. She started to prepare another wind attack after her momentary disbelief but it was too late. She was hit with a water attack and knocked off her feet.

    *****

    Peter slowly dispelled the earth magic covering him. The heat felt intense, even with the earth shield he no doubt had a few burns but at least he avoided being cooked alive. As he dispelled the earth magic he noticed where he was laying the land dipped slightly.

    If he happened to land somewhere completely level he was not sure his shield would have been enough to keep him alive. It seems the terrain helped the fire pass over him. He realized he had a leg and arm broken. He would need to do something about it fast if he was going to follow after his students.

    Not too far away he saw the white masked wizard beaten up but alive sitting on a log meditating. He sensed the white masked man was trying to gather energy and mana. Usually the stronger the magic the easier it is for a wizard the sense it and the better the wizard the easier still. If such was not the case then killing even the strongest wizards would be a relatively simple matter of hiding and attack from behind.

    When a wizard is mediating such as the white mask wizard is doing they become less aware of their surroundings. Peter slowly and quietly built up the earth element in his palm. He knew if the man only turned he would see him now and this attack would fail. Then he would be the one who would die.

    Soon the attack was ready and peter begged the gods he didn''t move or notice. He fired the earth magic. The white wizard was in deep concentration and lost all sense of his surroundings. He fell to the ground without even knowing what happened.

    Peter breathed a sigh of relief ¡°one down¡± he said to himself. He needed to get to the students as quickly as possible. He needed to heal himself to move but if he healed all of his body he would have no mana left to fight at this point. He focused on healing his leg. His arm he had no choice but to leave broken for now.

    He tore off his sleeve and used it to make a sling. He started to run as fast as he could where he felt magic being used. ¡°Damn this body, it''s going to take me too long to get there; much too long¡±.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    *****

    The gold masked wizard gave a quick look to the Sky boy. He had barely any mana left and couldn''t move. He was of no concern. He turned his attention back to the Cloud girl ¡°I must say that was an amazing attack for a wizard your age. Your house will not doubt pay top dollar to get such a talented rose back¡±.

    She clutched her chest where his water magic hit her while she laid on the ground ¡°I will not be an object to be sold by the likes of you, I am from the great house of Cloud. You are nothing but criminal scum. I will see you hunted down like the disgusting rat you are!¡±

    The Shame of the House of Sun''s eyes caught fire with anger ¡°Great house this, great house that, you are all the same. I hate you arrogant main house brats. I hated the look on your smug faces then and I hate it more now. You think you can treat us all like disposable henchman that are only here to do your bidding¡±.

    Mary tried to cast magic again but was kicked in the stomach

    ¡°I once knew a brat like you from an arrogant main house. I taught him a lesson that his true place was below me. That he was only alive by my grace. I think you need to be taught the same. This is a technique I developed just so I could play with him to my heart¡¯s content. To think I would find a brat like you who needs to be taught the same lesson¡±.

    He put his hand on her body and lightning ran through her. She tried to scream in pain but could not. He took his hand away and she fell limp. She tried to move but found it was impossible. She tried to gather magic but her body wouldn''t work properly. She felt like a puppet with her strings cut.

    ¡°W-what did you-¡± she said as best the she could. The words came out soft and difficultly. She found she could barely move her neck and mouth but everything else was entirely hopeless.

    ¡°Wonderful, is it not? It took me a while to get it just right. You will find for the next few hours you will be unable to move or cast any magic. Your body¡¯s nervous and energy systems will not listen to you no matter how much you struggle. This is how I was able to play with the last brat that crossed me.¡±

    He lifted her by her neck till her knees barely touched the ground. She kept her face like stone and didn''t look at him. She didn''t want to let him see her fear.

    ¡°Well look at you, trying to keep a brave face are we? You now you do look like a lovely little rose. I think you would look lovelier in agony¡±. He gathered lightning in his hand and put it against her. She twitched uncontrollably and bit her lip to stop the scream. She managed to mostly keep the same face; mostly.

    ¡°Tough little girl aren''t we? But believe me; I can see how scared you are. I see it deep in your eyes. I have seen those eyes so many times, but it never gets old. You would think it would but it never does¡±. He shocked her again with lightning magic.

    This time she let out a little cry but bit her lip soon after. It felt like all her nerves were on fire. She couldn''t hold back the tears from flowing no matter how much she tried. The pain in her body demanded them. Her stone face now had tears falling down it.

    ¡°A lot people talk to me about shame; how I should feel shame for the things I did. I think it¡¯s fun to see those same high born nobles feel the shame they talk about so much¡± He ripped off her shirt. Her chest was only now covered by a bra and her hands instinctively tried to reach up to cover herself but they simply hung limp at her side no matter how hard she tried to move them.

    She felt humiliated and even more helpless now. For someone like her who had so much pride in her house as she did being treated in such a way was simply too much to bare.

    He shocked her again with lightning magic. She couldn''t hold back anymore. Why was this happening to her? She worked so hard. She just wanted to be the best and live up to her family¡¯s expectations. She wanted them to be proud of her. She tried to defend everyone here like a true strong Cloud heir would.

    She didn''t want this. She was so young and had been through so much. She hurt all over and couldn''t cover herself. Where was her father? Why wasn''t anyone coming to help her? Didn''t she deserve to be help? Why must she suffer like this? She wanted it to stop. She needed it to stop. She couldn''t stop it. Why won''t anyone help me?

    The sobs came now like the flood gates had opened. She wanted this pain and humiliation to end. She felt a warm wet sensation go down her leg. That took her over the limit ¡°Please stop, please no more! I''m sorry, just don''t hurt me anymore!¡±

    He laughed ¡°There we go brat! I knew you were weak all along. You put on a tough face but look at you now? Don''t you feel stupid for all your silly boasting?¡± The laugh grew louder ¡°oh, we are not stopping. I am going to teach you a lesson. I told you when we first met that I would; don''t you remember? You have not yet begun to beg for forgiveness¡±. He prepared another lighting attack.

    He felt a large rock hit lower back and knock him down. He dropped Mary and felt a pain in his ribs. He turned around ¡°who dares to interrupt me? It seems I have someone else to teach a lesson to!¡±

    Sky watched as Lee River emerged from the woods. He didn''t say a word. His face was filled with hate. Sky never saw such a focused and dangerous look on Lee¡¯s face. If he made that same look to Sky he would get on his knees and beg for his life.

    Tom snapped out of it ¡°River leave, he is too strong. Try to go get help; there is nothing you can do.¡±

    Mary still sobbing looked at him and then to the ground ¡°run River. I''m sorry for what I said to you before; just leave.¡±

    He said ¡°I promise I will leave. But you 2 must promise on the name of the houses of Sky and Cloud that you will never speak of what you see me do here today¡±

    Of course they knew running away would bring him great shame. No wonder he wouldn''t want it known. They both swore on their houses never to speak of it as long as he left.

    Lee River smiled a murderous smile ¡°I shall leave as promised then, after I¡¯ve kill that bastard. Remember you two swore never to speak of this. I intend to hold you to that¡±

    The Gold masked man laughed ¡°it¡¯s amazing how you all fail to know your place. You interrupted my fun. Like I¡¯d let you leave. I will make you suffer for that as well. I''ll deal with you then the dirty red haired brat on the ground.¡±

    River said ¡°Those are some pitiful last words. No need to be worried, I doubt anyone would buy you a tombstone for you to leave such trash on anyway¡± he stepped forward.

 Chapter 8: Lee River

    ¡°You did well with your little speech brat, but just like the rest of these kids you''re all talk. Obviously you''ve live in a small pond all your life and have no idea what horrors exist in the world, but you''re about to learn. It will be the last lesson you ever learn. Your friends beat that white masked C rank wizard and you think you are a match for me, an A class?¡±

    Lee River continued to walk slowly towards his opponent and started gathering wind magic in both hands. Lee said ¡°I know exactly what I''m up against. For instance, I can tell you have used a lot of mana already. I''d guess you now only have about 1/3<sup>rd</sup> of your usual mana available. Probably not even that much.¡±

    The Shame was taken aback ¡°well not many wizards can sense mana so well. Few can feel how much an opponent has and even fewer how much they usually possess. Even if that is the case I don''t need much mana to defeat an amateur like you.¡±

    Feeling mana was one of his strongest points and now this gold masked man was thinking about his mana reserves. River reminding him how low he was caused him worry and may cause him to be too conservative and be defensive. Perhaps he would hesitate to use powerful mana consuming spells. This was what River wanted.

    River started using his wind magic in both hands to move. He made a big display of it to demonstrate his relative abundance of mana. The gold masked man summoned water magic but he did not fire it. He held onto it almost jealously.

    In reality it wouldn''t consume all that much of his remaining mana but no longer experiencing the thrill of torturing his victim he became more clear minded and realized that his body was becoming tired.

    River closed the distance and right before he got too close he shot a wind attack on the ground that kicked up dirt and dust. ¡°Damn brat, you think a trick like that will work on me?¡± He tried to sense from which direction he would attack at. No attack came.

    As the air cleared he looked around him to see River standing by Sky holding Mary Saint Cloud. He laid her on the ground slowly next to Sky. He took off his outer shirt and put it over her body to cover her.

    As he did this she tensed but stayed silent still not risking to speak anymore unless more sobs would come out. She knew she needed to say something to thank him or encourage him to run before it was too late but she couldn''t think of anything to say. She slightly turned her haed as best she could to speak to him. He had already turned and walked back towards the gold masked man.

    ''Why couldn''t I say anything? Shouldn''t I have at least thanked him as a proper house of Cloud member should and promise to return the favor 3 fold?'' She thought to herself and again felt like she let her house down. First by crying and now by not acting in a dignified manor. She pushed those thoughts aside and continued to watch the fight.

    ¡°All that to get the girl away from me? So pointless, no matter what you try to do I will not let any of you escape.¡±

    River said nothing and again began to use wind magic to move faster.

    ¡°Fool, the girl tried the same thing, that won''t help you!¡± he decided he had been too passive and began to shoot at him with his water magic. He was sure he would hit him several times but he kept missing. Why was he missing now when he hit the girl so easily doing what seemed like the same thing?

    He observed closely and noticed now that the pure freedom of movement was on an entirely different level. Most wizards cast with their hands stretched out in front of them or stretched out fully to the side. This young boy cast wind magic at odd angles.

    He noticed the boy never stopped gathering energy even with casting. Usually the lag time between casting and gather new energy to make into mana to use made the movements more committal in nature. The speed at which he cast spells may even be a hair faster than the Cloud girl.

    For someone to gather mana and cast spells so fast required an enormous amount of energy and mana control. He had never heard of anyone doing it so fast. Even with the elders of his old Sun house he never saw anything like this.

    True these things were not seen as overly important after you reach a certain level. Most tend to worry about the power of their spells once they can gather mana as a fairly fast rate and focus on that. To continuously train mana gathering and control would be seen as wasted effort. What kind of training had this boy done to be able to do this?

    ¡°You''re a fast little brat I''ll give you that but all you can do is move well. You''re magic is still 3<sup>rd</sup> rate at best!¡±

    Lee said nothing back as he was observed his opponent and how he reacted to his movements. While it may seem like what Lee was doing was burning through a large amount of mana it wasn''t the case. All the wind spells were short and compacted.

    He remembered what his master once told him ¡°In life and death situations people will usually act cautiously when they first attack. If you''re opponent lets you observe him without attacking do so. However when you attack it is not longer time for caution. Trust your observations and use his own caution against him.¡±

    He saw this wizard was favoring the ribs where he was struck by Lee''s rock. He hadn''t moved around too much since then if he could help it. Lee saw he was still unsure of Lee''s movements and looking for an opening. Lee knew now was a time to attack and try to land a lethal strike if he could.

    He kept doing his odd movement but was now closing in quickly. The gold masked man launched a water attack at him and barely missed. Lee closed fast and direct now that his opponent had just cast a spell. The gold masked man prepared another attack and launched it at point blank range. Lee took his hand which held wind and launched his own attack against it.

    The power knocked both back slightly but neither was very powerful; Lee charged forward. The wizard tried to gather a spell but Lee didn''t bother. He knew they were too close for it to be ready. The gold masked man never expected the young wizard to just charge at him without a spell and was caught off guard. Lee punched him in the mouth where the mask didn''t cover. His head flew backward.

    After seeing the smaller young man in his range he tried to grab him but was kneed in his hurt ribs. He doubled over in the pain ¡°you little br-¡± he was elbowed in the face and rolled with it as best he could. He mask broke and stopped some of the impact but it still hurt. He began to gather magic to attack him. Lee simply grabbed a rock and threw it at his knee. It hurt the that knee badly.

    The masked man then began firing large amounts of water magic as quick as he could. Lee used his wind magic to back up while avoiding them. It was not as decisive as he hoped. Lee wanted to blow a hole threw his chest with that wind attack but the masked man he was able to gather his water magic too fast and blocked it. Lee did damage but he doubted he would get so close again as easily.

    Lee saw in the wizard''s eye he was done conserving energy. He now wanted to kill Lee above all and damn the consequences. He assumed he had help coming anyway if need be.

    The wizard gathered lighting magic and began to cast it over and over trying to kill Lee but Lee managed to avoid the attacks. ¡°Damn you, I will not rest till you are dead. I don''t care about this job anymore. You are all a bunch of damn brats I am going to put you all in the ground for mocking me like this¡±.

    He was preparing a large attack but pointed his hand at Mary and Tom. ¡°Are you going to block it or let them die?¡±

    Lee knew it was a trap but he had no choice. He used wind magic to close the distance quickly. This was going to be a strong attack and he would have no choice but to face it head on. He used one hand to help him close the distance and with the other he built a massive wind attack that started to take shape as a tornado.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Just as he was about to close the distance entirely, as expected, the attack was turned away from Mary and Sky and on him. He met it with his wind tornado but it wasn''t enough to fully block the powerful lightning magic.

    Both were knocked back and the wind kicked up dirt and dust in the air making it hard to see anything again. When the dust settled Lee River was on the ground and banged up. Lee saw the man walking towards him lightning magic in hard.

    ¡°You don''t look like you can move so well now brat. Without that mobility you probably aren''t much are you? You should have focused on stronger attacks. Your weak attacks are what will cost you. Now I plan to make you suffer¡±.

    Lee said to him ¡°the power of an attack isn''t everything. It is how well and wisely you use the attacks you have that matters, your ploy was obvious. I knew you were trying to lure me in¡±.

    ¡°Obvious or not it worked! Enough talk, time for you to suffer just like I made that girl suf-¡± Lee waited for this moment when he was most focused and committed to his attack.

    Back when the dirt was in the air Lee set up a wind arrow and slowly directed it to the forest. Doing his best to not make it use too much power so it would stay unnoticed. Now with the wizard distracted and totally focused on Lee he let it loose.

    It was much like the attack Lee used on David Rain in the academy examine but this time meant to kill and set up more carefully.

    This wizard was not as inexperienced as Rain. Right before it was about to hit him from behind he felt the magic and tried to move out of the way. The injuries on his body slowed him down and what he usually would have avoided instead went cleanly through his right arm.

    He screamed in pain and his magic dissipated in the air. He stared at River ¡°You, you will die for this!¡± he tried to build up magic in his other hand but to make an entirely new attack would take much too long. River had already started building his next magic attack the instant he let loose the wind arrow. He shot a powerful wind magic at the wizard and knocked him on his back.

    The wizard tried to gather magic but Lee shot him with wind magic again and again. He didn''t go for a large finishing attack. He kept using quick spell after quick spell giving him no window or chance to respond. Lee walked over him as he did this.

    Wind spell after wind spell broke the wizard''s body until he was spitting up blood and not able to move. ¡°You-you damn brat, I s-swear I will kill you¡±. Lee River looked down on him with merciless eyes. He was not going to give him a chance to do so.

    Suddenly fear was on his face ¡°You can''t kill me, t-take me back to face trial.¡± Lee ignored him continuing to build the attack ¡°you are a commoner, why do this for those despicable noble houses? What have they ever given you but disdain?¡±

    Mary spoke behind him ¡°Lee, you don''t need to dirty your hands. Take him back to face trial, they will no doubt execute him anyway. I doubt he will admit to being beaten by a student¡±

    Sky spoke ¡°River, show him mercy. A mercy he would never show us. Be the better man and let him live to face trail¡±.

    Hope shown on the wizards face. Surely the boy would listen to his friends! ¡°Please. I won''t come back for you, I swear it! I will never-¡±

    Lee shot him through the heart with his spell. Lee walked towards them to check on them more closely. ¡°I can''t believe you did that Lee.¡±

    Mary spoke up in his defense and for the first time in a while sounded more like her old self. ¡°He executed evil, there is nothing wrong with that. My Cloud house has done the same in the past. There was no wrong in it¡±.

    Sky spoke up ¡°didn''t you just a moment ago implore him not to do it?¡±

    Mary paused and then said ¡°what''s done is done. He was evil and was going to die anyway. I say good riddance. Also, didn''t your attack kill that white masked wizard? Why are you so worried about the trash being desposed of all the sudden?¡±

    Sky yelled ¡°That was in self defense; a life or death situation. This was an opponent who could no longer fight!¡±

    River softly said ¡°I apologize to both of you for that, I just didn''t want to make the same mistake again¡±.

    Sky asked ¡°what mistake?¡±

    River looked thoughtful for a moment like he may answer, but then said nothing.

    Just as the silence hung in the air Peter Leaf walked out from the woods in hasty searching around ¡°Are you all okay? Did the shame of the house of sun come her yet?¡±

    Before they could answer him he saw the body dead body of him on the ground. Who could have possibly done this? Certainly not the students. Even Mary Saint Cloud would be no match for him.

    Mary shocked asked ¡°he was the Shame of the House of Sun? One of the most famous rogue wizards?¡±

    Sky was shocked as well but managed to gather his wits ¡°A powerful wizard came out from the forest seeing the commotion and defeated him¡±.

    Peter Leaf asked ¡°Who was he?¡±

    Mary spoke up ¡°We don''t know, he didn''t tell us his name and said not too look for him. That he didn''t want his identity to be known¡±.

    Peter wanted to know more but he needed to be sure the students were okay first. ¡°Where are the rest of the students? Are they all okay?¡±

    Sky said ¡°they are all alive and will recover. We dragged most of the class away from the fight in the woods back there¡± he motioned the direction.

    ¡°Rain, Clover and Hill are close to the direction you came in. They are on the ground but should be okay¡± River said.

    Peter was silent and looked over the body of another wizard he assumed was the other white masked wizard. ¡°We need to go get help from the school as soon as possible to carry them back and treat injuries as well as security¡±

    River said ¡°I''ll go, I won''t be long¡±. It was agreed upon quickly. He could still move fairly quickly.

    When he came back he brought several teachers and guards with medical equipment. They healed and gathered all the students. Mary was unable to walk back under her own power due to the attack used on her but was able to use her body perfectly fine a few hours after getting back.

    That night River and Sky went to see her. Once they got privacy they were sure to go over their story of exactly what happened to the Shame of the house of Sun. What the wizard who killed him looked like and what exactly happened in the meantime. Both Sky and Cloud kept their word to tell no one; even Hill, Clover or Rain of the truth.

    The Cloud and Rain houses caused a huge uproar over the events, enraged that their heirs were put in such danger and called for the school to fire Peter Leaf and the headmaster who authorized the trip as well as demanded to find who tipped off these rogue wizards.

    In the end due to the insistence of their children they decided to not not pursue any firings of teachers but still wanted to know who at that school contacted them and why. Was it on purpose or just a mistake? No information came forward but everyone in the school was now looking closely into the matter.

    Normal classes for class 5 resumed 2 days after the events. David Rain was still fairly arrogant but did talk to Hill and particularly Amanda Clover on occasion. He still didn''t care much for River but with what happened he saw their old differences as less important.

    Amanda Clover was still very shy but she no longer stuttered over the first letter of every sentence when speaking with her classmates.

    Derrick Hill and Tom Sky still were good friends and better than ever now. Both were still the closest friends to Lee River. Derrick felt Tom in some ways was closer to Lee than him but in other way more distant. Tom had a great opinion of and admiration for Lee, but he still felt odd about hanging out with a student who he saw execute a man no matter how evil the man was.

    As for River he felt relieved and confused. He let part of the cat out of the bag with having Tom and Mary see him fight like that. He knew soon questions would come about how and where he learned such magic from? Especially with him being a commoner.

    As class ended Mary waited for him outside and to talk with him alone. Once they were alone she said ¡°I wanted to tell you thank you. I didn''t say it before but I wanted to say it now. The house of Cloud repays its debts 3 times over and I will pay you back for this!¡±

    Lee was surprised, ¡°You don''t need to pay me back; keeping my secret is enough.¡±

    ¡°I will pay you back! Pride demands it¡±. She paused and blushed ¡°but you did see me without a shirt on so that is already at least 1/3<sup>rd</sup> of the payment!¡±

    Lee didn''t know what to say so he made a joke ¡°I thought you''d say that is at least 2/3rds of the payment.¡±

    Mary was annoyed by his comment. ¡°Well how much did you look you pervert?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t look I swear!¡±

    Mary retorted ¡°So you''re saying I''m not attractive?¡±

    Lee couldn''t handle this woman. To start with he didn''t see many young people his age near were he grew up and even less young girls. Lee said ¡°sorry, I''ll go¡±.

    ¡°Wait, don''t go¡± Mary then turned shy but steeled herself. ¡°I am Mary Saint Cloud and I will become the greatest wizard who has ever existed.¡±

    She paused ¡°to make up for looking at me I demand you teach me some of the magic you did. If you do we will be even for you looking at me. It will be easier to pay you back once I''m stronger. That''s why I want to do it. That is the only reason!¡± She said this with unnecessary conviction.

    Lee still didn''t see a way he could refuse. What if he refused and she told people what she saw? He sighed and said ¡°very well Ms. Saint Cloud. I''ll teach you what I can.¡±

    ¡°Good, We''ll start our training tonight, I''ll see you then i suppose." She turned to leave but paused ¡°by the way, you may call me Mary from now on.¡±

    ¡°Okay then Mary, see you tonight.¡±

    Mary blushed ¡°Goodbye!¡± she said in a far too forceful manner then walked away quickly.

    River thought this would be such a bother. He hadn''t been told to not teach some of the things he knew but also knew his master would not want him to teach too much without his permission. He decided to write to him about it to see what he should do.

    On the way back to his room he started to think about the first time he ever met his master. Those old memories from years ago filled his mind as he recalled the past.

    *****

    River woke up in bed. It was his 8<sup>th</sup> birthday today. He didn''t know then today was the day his life would be changed forever.

 Chapter 9: Origin of a River

    Lee River woke up on the morning of his 8<sup>th</sup> birthday. After a long stretch and look outside the window on a beautiful spring day he jumped out of bed and went to what substituted as a bathroom. In reality, it was a small closet with minor modifications. He grabbed a bucket of water and used it to wash himself. He would need to refill the bucket later today by the stream.

    With this done he put on some reasonably clean clothes and went down to see his mother and father who were already awake and in the kitchen. His mother was a pretty but thin woman. Though 28 she looked younger and had the look being frail but River knew if he made her mad she could appear anything but frail.

    His father was medium height but built strongly due to his years of farm work. At first you would think him to be a fearsome man but his large care free smile was disarming and he treated everyone he met kindly.

    ¡°Happy Birthday Lee¡± his father said

    ¡°Happy Birthday sweetie¡± his mother said giving him a warm hug ¡°today we''ll be making one of your favorites; boar stew, but it won''t be ready till tonight. For now have some eggs, they are already on the table and will be cold soon¡±.

    Lee said ¡°Thank you mom¡±. As he was sitting down to eat he asked ¡°but boar isn''t cheap, can we really afford it?¡±

    His father on the other end of the table turned to him and said ¡°You don''t need to worry about such things, that''s our job. Besides, we already bought it and now that is here I am really looking forward to it. If you don''t want any then I''ll eat it all myself¡± he said with a grin.

    ¡°No, I want some!¡± Lee said

    ¡°Then no more talk about money from you!¡± His father said ruffling his hair. ¡°Now as it is your birthday I will take mercy on you and let you have all your chores off for today. If I here one peep about you asking if that is really okay then I plan to give you double the usual amount to do for a week and that is final¡±.

    Lee didn''t dare speak. He ate his breakfast and casually talked with his parents about things he did yesterday while not on the farm. They also told him about things they saw going into town. As soon as he was done he said ¡°thank you mom, that was delicious. I''m going to go out and play now. I''ll be back before dusk. Lee said while leaing the house.

    His mother said to his father ¡°that boy worries far too much for an 8 year old. I wish he could be like more kids his age and play instead of helping us here all the time¡±

    His father said ¡°I''m trying my best, but since those horses got sick and died last year it put us so far behind. I had to buy new ones and we can''t afford any help. The debt is hard enough to pay back as it is. In half a year we will be even again I think¡±.

    His mother said ¡°I can help you more if you need me, you know that dear¡±

    Hi father quickly said ¡°No, you have enough on your plate as it is with everything you do around the house. Also those clothes you sew and sell are being more then helpful enough. I can''t ask you to do anymore¡±. He got up and decided to begin his work day.

    *****

    Lee River played by the stream. It was his favorite spot and usually he wouldn''t be bothered there by the boys who picked on him. He wasn''t sure exactly why they hated him. He thought maybe it was just cause he was younger and smaller and there was nothing he could do about them picking on him accept try to away run faster than they could chase him.

    Sadly, he didn''t always get away and some days he had to make up excuses for the bruises to his parents. He didn''t want to worry them. He knew they tried to hide it but he could tell they were worried about other grown up things and he didn''t want them to have to be concerned with this problems too. If only he was stronger he could keep the bullies away and help his dad with the farm.

    He then did something you had done every day for the past few year. He turned towards a tree in the woods and yelled ¡°water attack¡± pointing his finger at the tree. Just like every other time before nothing happened. He wanted to be a wizard ever since the day those boy first beat him up but especially last year since his parent''s horses died and they began to look thinner and more over worked.

    He didn''t know exactly how but he was sure if he was a wizard he could somehow fix everything for them. Wizards after all could do everything! Just like in the story his dad told him about the great wizard who fought off the demons. He could move mountains and turn day into night and even lift 10 ox all by himself!

    He was sure a wizard could do all those things and more. He was determined to be one now and practiced every day during the past year. Sadly his practices if they can even be called that had yet to amount to anything.

    Lee yelled again ¡°water attack, water attack!¡± Again nothing happened. He tried it without looking at the tree and while jumping up and down. He tried focusing really hard on the tree or his finger and then focusing really hard on water. That reminded him he needed to pee.

    After he peed he tried again to attack the tree with water. After a while he walked to the tree and saw not a single scratch was on the bark. What was he doing wrong?

    ¡°Nice water attack you stupid goat¡±. 2 older boys from other near by farms saw him and and were laughing. ¡°You think just saying water attack over and over will let you cast water spells? Is your deadbeat father unable to feed you anything but rocks and now that''s all you have for brains?¡±

    Lee yelled back ¡°my dad isn''t a deadbeat and you don''t know what you''re talking about!¡±

    ¡°Talking back? I guess you do have rocks for brains after all¡± The 2 boys started to walk faster towards him. Just as Lee was turning to run another boy jumped out from behind a tree and grabbed him. He was the oldest and meanest one of all of them. Already 10 years old and 20 pounds bigger than River he had no chance to escape from his grip.

    ¡°Where are you going Lee? You think you can make fun of my friends and just run? Maybe I should show you how to do a real water attack!¡± He started to force Lee towards the steam. The other 2 boys were there by now and following the older ones lead. Together they pushed Lee in the fairly shallow stream. It was only 3 feet deep there but still up to River''s chest.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Lee fell into the stream and dirtied his best clothes. Clothes his mother had spent a long time making for him. He felt he hit a rock with his arm. It was just a scratch and there was only a little blood but he ripped his shirt. The other boys laughed at him as he grabbed the bank of the stream. He had no choice but to grab there. He didn''t dare try to swim across.

    ¡°You jerks, you ruined the clothes my mom made! Why don''t try to pick on someone your own age!¡±

    The 3 boys laughed and the oldest said ¡°Oh, is the little baby going to cry for his mommy or deadbeat daddy?¡±

    Lee in all his anger turned to the oldest boy and said ¡°at least my dad isn''t a drunk who can''t hold a job like yours!¡± He never dared speak like that to the oldest boy till now. He knew it was a sore spot for him and usually he just tried to take his beatings quietly and move on with his day.

    With his shirt being ruined that his mom worked so hard on and his dad insulted when he saw how hard his das was trying every day he simply couldn''t help himself.

    The 3 boys stopped laughing and the oldest one walked towards him and bended down, all the humor was gone from his eyes ¡°what the hell did you say you little shit?¡±

    The other boys stopped laughing and look scared for a moment. They were worried this would escalate too much now. One said ¡°who cares what this turd says, just smack him around and lets go¡±.

    The oldest boy ignored this and said ¡°I am going to teach you a lesson about opening your mouth you useless piss ant¡±. He grabbed Lee''s head and forced it under the water.

    The other 2 boys looked on a bit concerned but didn''t dare try to stop him. Lee struggled to get his head above water but he could only manage for a few short breaths before being pushed under again. He felt he may actually drown for a moment. He then heard a voice in the distance say ¡°What the hell do you idiots think you''re doing?¡±

    Lee felt the pressure go off his head and he grabbed onto the bank for dear life breathing in air and coughing up water. He looked around to see who had spoken. It was a young kid about the same age and size and Lee but this kid had a look of confidence on his face Lee was not use to seeing.

    ¡°You know, you might actually kill someone like that. Do you think so little about your actions?¡± The kid had short dirty blond hair, green eyes and just a few freckles here and there. Lee had never seen this person before.

    The old boy forgetting Lee for a moment walked towards the kid and said ¡°I am in the middle of something right now, if you know what''s best for you then you''ll run away right now before I teach you a lesson too.¡±

    The child just smiled and walked towards him ¡°That''s my line. You''re going to leave that boy alone or I''m going to have to teach you a lesson you won''t soon forget¡±.

    With this the oldest boy charged this blond hair child. River watched on expecting the worst to happen. How could such a small kid do anything to older boy? Right as the distance was completely closed and the first punch was thrown the blond haired child grabbed the old boy''s wrist and used the momentum to toss him to the ground.

    This hurt the older boy but he was soon again up and taking another swing at this mysterious child. It was easily blocked and the block was followed through into an elbow into the stomach all in one smooth motion.

    The child said ¡°My dad doesn''t want me to fight so I''d rather not beat all of you up. But if you keep attacking you won''t give me much choice¡±.

    The oldest boy clutched his stomach and said ¡°You''ll pay for this you little bug¡±. He ran in opposite direction his 2 friend running quickly behind.

    Lee was still in the stream watching in shock. His mouth was slightly open and he was amazing by what he saw. How could someone who was so much smaller beat a bigger opponent? He had never seen anything like it in his life.

    The blonde haired kid walked towards River and offered a hand up ¡°Are you okay?¡± the child asked.

    Lee took the hand and said ¡°I''m fine, just a scratch. My shirt is what I''m worried about. What you did was amazing by the way. How did you learn to do that?¡±

    The child spoke ¡°Well my father taught me a lot about fighting. My uncle is one of the Zero provinces elite solders. My father was thinking about joining as well but decided to be a blacksmith instead. Still, he easily could have joined the elite corps just like my uncle. He is one of the strongest guys in the whole continent!

    All Lee could say is ¡°Wow, no wonder. If I could fight like that I don''t think those guys would ever bother me again! Oh, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot to ask your name¡±.

    The short blond haired kid said ¡°I hate my full name, so just call me Al¡±.

    Lee said ¡°Nice to meet you Al, I''m Lee¡±.

    Al said ¡°Well Lee it''s nice to meet you too, my dad just moved into this town and I don''t know anyone yet¡±.

    Lee said ¡°Well, I''ve lived here all my life and if you want I can show you around the place¡±.

    Al smiled ¡°That would be great, if you want I can teach you how to fight¡±.

    Lee replied ¡°Sure, that sounds great!¡± They talked more as they got to know each other. It was the first time in his life Lee felt he made a true friend.

    As they continue to talk about their parents and their lives Lee asked ¡°so what brings you out here?¡±

    Al said ¡°Well I am looking to get frogs. I brought a bag and any I find I plan to put in there and bring home so my mom can cook them¡±.

    Lee was shocked ¡°You eat frogs!¡±

    Al said ¡°Yeah, a lot of people eat frogs. It isn''t that strange you know!¡± Al gave a huff and turned his head. Lee seeing that laughed and in return Al laughed.

    After a while Al said ¡°Well I only found a few and I am out of time. I need to get back now but I plan to come back tomorrow and look for some. If you are here we can look together. Then I can show you a little about fighting and you can tell me about some good spots to go¡±.

    Lee agreed thinking this was a great idea. Al and him talked about a time to meet and then bid farewell. Lee figured he may as well start to head home too. It wasn''t that late but he needed to change his shirt in any case.

    Before he decided to go home he thought it would be nice to hunt for a frog or 2 to have ready for Al by tomorrow. He decided to take a quick walk into the woods where he has heard them croak before. He never walked into the woods too far before, but since he played by them so much he felt comfortable going fairly deeply into them today to have a look.

    He found one frog and then after walking more deeply found another. The deeper he walked the more he heard. After walking intothe woods about half a mile he decided it was time to give up and turn back. Just as he started to take a few steps back he heard a large growl. He turned around to see giant cat walking towards him. It must have been well over 100 lbs. He didn''t like the look it was giving him.

    He tried to yell at it and threw rock on the ground to scare it away but that wasn''t working. The large cat kept walking closer and drooling. Its eyes were fixed on him. Back in the stream he thought he might die. Now he felt sure of it. He turned to run in no specific direction screaming at the top of his lungs. The cat was much too fast. Before he made it more than a few feet he felt claws scratch his leg.

    He fell sprawling to the ground in pain. As he hit the ground the top of his head struck a rock, blood flowed on the forest floor from his leg wound and the world with spinning now with the hit to his head. The cat turned towards River ready to finish off its prey.

    Right before the cat could leap on him and get to his throat a water attack struck it knocking it backwards. It turned around enraged ready to took for the disturbance and deal with it. Another attack struck it causing the cat to fall hard to the ground. It quickly got up and ran deep into the woods away from the attacker.

    River felt himself bleeding badly. His vision was turning blurry. He looked up to see a tall thin figure with a short white beard standing over him. It was the last thing he saw before passing out.

    The old man standing over Lee sighed and said to himself ¡°And here I thought I''d have a nice peaceful day to myself¡±.

 Chapter 10: The Old Man

    River awoke in a large bed in an unfamiliar room. As he sat up he felt for the deep scratches on his leg and the scrap he got from the rook earlier that day. Neither were there. The skin was smooth and without a blemish on it. Could it have been a dream? No, there was no way it all was a dream.

    On the chair next to him were his shirt and pants. He didn''t know how it happened but the blood stains and rips were gone. After putting his clothes on he exited the room slowly being cautious.

    As he walked towards the den he saw the tall old man he had seen just before he passed out. He was throwing wood on a fire and cooking some stew in a pot held above it. Without turning around the old man asked ¡°how are you feeling?¡±

    River was silent for a moment and then said ¡°I''m feeling good, thank you¡±.

    ¡°The stew will be ready in a little while. You should eat something before you leave¡±. He said this stirring the pot with his right arm, still not turning around. His other arm was covered by a long sleeve that went so far down River couldn''t even see his left hand

    River asked the old man ¡°Why are my injuries gone?

    The old man finally turned and said ¡°I take it you already have a guess. Why don''t you tell me what you think?¡±

    River softly said ¡°magic?¡±

    The old man said ¡°If I told you anything different would you believe me?¡± River stood silently for a moment and then shook his head. The old man said ¡°then I suppose there was no need to ask in the first place was there boy?¡±

    River again looked to the spot his injuries would have been. ¡°So magic can heal injuries?¡±

    The old man said ¡°Some injuries it can. It is more accurate to say magic allows your body to heal itself faster and better. It isn''t like it can heal everything though¡±.

    River asked ¡°So how did you get the blood out of my clothes?¡±

    The old man said ¡°water magic, if one is so inclined, can be used to clean things by washing them.¡±

    The boy asked ¡°Then how did you fix the holes in my shirt?¡±

    The old man turned and walked slowly towards the boy towering over and looking down on him. The wrinkles on his face made him appear ancient and all knowing. He raised his right arm to the sky and looked upward ¡°my boy, that is the greatest power of all!¡± Then he bent down to look at the River and said ¡°Nothing less than my famous buttonhole stitch!¡±

    River stood there dumbfounded ¡°are you serious?¡±

    The old man said ¡°of course, look at that stitch work, if you can even see it! It blends so well into the clothes that it''s all but invisible. I''ve thought about letting the world know about my talents but after careful consideration I think it be too much of a bother. Consider yourself lucky to be graced with such an honor. Leaves you speechless, does it not?¡±

    River was speechless. He couldn''t believe this old man he was in such awe of earlier for his ability to heal could be such an idiot. He shook his head to clear the cobwebs out and said ¡°it''s wonderful, thank you¡±.

    The old man looked back to his stew and gave it a stir. Seeing the fire was dying down a bit he made a small fire spell and cast it under the pot. The boy was it shock. Yes it was a tiny spell but magic was magic! If he ever wanted to learn how to do magic he couldn''t let this chance slip through his fingers.

    River said ¡°excuse me sir.¡± The old man turned to face him. River continued ¡°if it isn''t too much trouble would you mind.... could you please teach me!¡±

    The old man thought to himself for a moment and after a long time said ¡°very well, if that is what you really want, then wait here.¡±

    River couldn''t believe his good luck! Finally he would learn the secrets of magic! It was something he had dreamed about his whole life and worked hard at for every day and now he would finally have his chance.

    The old man returned with some fabric and a box and set it all on the small table in front of River. He opened the box in which was an assortment of needles and thread. The old man said ¡°the first rule about stitching is you must remember to be careful not to stick yourself. After that it is a matter of concentration and making sure each stitch is equal distance apart.¡±

    The boy interrupted and said ¡°um, thank you sir for the thought but I actually was wondering about learning magic perhaps?¡±

    The old man stood there silently for a moment and then laughed ¡°oh, of course that is what you meant, how silly of me!¡± As he laughed River laughed too more to be polite than because he found it funny.

    The old man said ¡°Oh I should have known that is what you meant, I can''t believe I made such a foolish mistake. Well my dear boy, of course I won''t teach you magic¡±. He then went back to stirring his stew.

    River again was in shock ¡°do you mind if I ask why not?¡±

    The old man said ¡°Oh, I don''t mind you asking at all dear boy. The answer is I don''t wish to teach you or anyone else about magic. This stew is really smelling good!¡±

    River said ¡°But magic is something I have been wanting to learn for a very long time¡±.

    The old man laughed ¡°A boy as young as you has the nerve to say ''a very long time''? I will have you know I have had trips to the bathroom that have taken longer than you have been alive¡±.

    River said ¡°I can pay you!¡±

    The old man said ¡°Oh you can? How much can you pay me?¡±

    River thought for a moment and said ¡°two frogs!¡±

    The old man said "I already took those, they are in the stew right now¡±.

    River said ¡°but they''re mine!¡±

    The old man said ¡°Well considering I saved your life, healed your injuries, fixed your clothes and plan to feed you; I would say for me to call 2 frogs even would be very generous¡±.

    River had no idea what to say to this. Obviously he couldn''t say he was wrong. He only weakly uttered ¡°I can bring you more frogs!¡±

    The old man laughed and said ¡°Okay my dear boy, if you bring me one thousand frogs then maybe I will consider teaching you magic¡±.

    River yelled ¡°But that isn''t possible!¡±

    The old man said ¡°really?¡± he mocked . ¡°Well then it sounds like the perfect amount!¡±

    The old man gave him some stew and said ¡°You should eat this and go. It will be getting dark soon and your parents will start to worry¡±.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    River ate his soup but felt defeated. Here he had a chance to finally learn magic and this stubborn old man wouldn''t teach him a thing. He felt for the first time in his life he would never be able to achieve his dream. They ate the rest of the meal in silence and quickly.

    The old man walked River to his front door and pointed out a little used path for him. ¡°You can go down this path safely. You have no need to worry about large cats or bears or anything else. They are usually not in this part of the woods and I have made it so they will not appear again. I would walk you out of the forest myself, but as you can see I''m an old man and like to be left alone. So good luck with your search for learning magic, goodbye!¡±

    With that the old man shut the door. River stood still for a moment hoping the old man would pop out and say ''of course I shall teach you magic''. It didn''t happen, so he started to walk. Who knows when he would meet someone else who had magic. Would he ever? Certainly magic was more common in other parts of the continent but in poor farming areas such as this or neighboring towns it was incredibly rare.

    If he wanted to learn he was sure the old man was the way. How could he get the old man to teach him though? He hated that old man''s self satisfied laugh and his joke about needing 1000 frogs to teach him. River stopped for a moment and got an idea. A wide big white grinned appeared on his face. That was it!

    River skipped home the rest of the way, getting home just before it got dark. When asked about his day by his parents he left out the parts about the old man, the bullies and the big cat. That night he enjoyed his boar stew and went soundly to bed.

    The next day he woke up with a vigor his parents had never seen before. He got ready in a hurry and started to rush to finish his chores one after another. Then he went to help his father with farming and got his usual day''s work done by lunch time. After he ate he asked his parents if he could go out to play. Seeing he got everything done they wanted him to do today they decided to let him.

    He went down to the stream and into the woods to hunt for frogs; as many as he could find. When he saw Al he stopped a bit to play together. Al decided to show him a few basic fighting moves and stances. They agreed to meet there tomorrow to play and train.

    By the time he was done Lee found 12 frogs. It would get dark soon so he decided he should set off now. He walked into the forest and onto the path he took to leave the old mans house yesterday. Reversing his steps he soon found himself on the front door and knocked.

    After a moment the old man opened the door and looked down ¡°oh, its you again. Something you want? Perhaps to thank me for yesterday with sweets made by your mother? That would be very nice and all but really, I just prefer to be left alone¡±.

    River said ¡°No, I am not here to thank you. I am here cause I want to learn magic!¡±

    The old man laughed and said ¡°It seems you forgot about our talk yesterday. I have no plans to teach you or anyone else magic. Now if you''ll excuse me-¡±

    River interrupted ¡°You said if I got you 1000 frogs you''d teach me magic?¡±

    The old man asked ¡°What?¡±

    River took the sack by his side and emptied it on the old man''s steps. Out fell 12 frogs, River said ¡°that''s 12. I will be back tomorrow with more¡±.

    The old man said ¡°You didn''t listen too closely. I said maybe I¡¯d consider teaching you. I never said I would. Even if you bring me 1000 frogs I am not going to teach you anything so you may as well give up. I don''t want 1000 frogs in any case so this bribe won''t work¡±

    River said ¡°You promised to consider it if I did... are you a liar?¡±

    The old man for the first time looked mad ¡°you should be careful with your words boy! I am no liar¡±.

    River said ¡°Neither am I!¡± I will being you 1000 frogs and make you consider it!¡±

    The old man said ¡°I will just consider it and say no.¡±

    River said ¡°Then I will bring you 1000 more frogs and make you consider it again¡±

    The old man said ¡°If you wish to waste your time that is fine by me!¡± and closed the door.

    River yelled ¡°I will make you consider it again and again and again until you teach me!¡± and left.

    The next day was the same. River did his chores then his helped his father with work on the farm. Again he was finished by lunch. He went off to find frogs and trained with Al. After saying goodbye he gathered frogs and went back to the old man''s house.

    He knocked on the door ¡°go away boy, I am busy and will not teach you!¡±

    River said ¡°I have 15 more frogs. I guess I will just leave them on your steps if you won''t answer. See you tomorrow!¡±

    The old man yelled ¡°don''t come back!¡±

    The next day River did his chores and farm work. He trained and played with Al and brought more frogs to the old. The old man didn''t say anything when he knocked this time. River yelled ¡°I know you''re there and I am leaving the frogs. This brings the total up to 37¡±.

    Days repeated like this over and over again. Once the old man realized silence wouldn''t work he said ¡°keep this up and I will tell your parents you are harassing an old man!¡±

    River said ¡°Then I will tell them and everyone else you use magic!¡±

    The old man said ¡°Why would they believe you?¡±

    River said ¡°Cause like I said before, I don''t lie. Why would they believe you over their own son?¡± With that he dumped frogs on his step and left.

    This continued for a month. River was getting pretty good at sparing with Al and he was now up to 341 frogs with the old man.

    This time when he knocked the old man answered ¡°why do you want to learn magic from me so much? Surely you could find someone else who would teach. With all the effort you put into bugging me I''m sure if you put the same effort into finding someone else you could¡±.

    River said ¡°There is no one else. No one knows magic around here but you. The few people in the town that pass through that know magic would charge too much. My parents can''t afford that¡±.

    The old man said ¡°listen, I''m an old man. I just want to be left alone. Surely you understand that. All I hear at night now are these damn frog croaking. When I walk outside I am liable to step on them if I''m not careful. Can''t you stop bringing them here?¡±

    River said ¡°I will if you agree to teach me magic¡±

    The old man paced back and forth looking at the boy. He had not slept well in a week and saw the determination in the boys eyes. How long would he keep this up? Surely he would give up at some point right? Still the walk here and back and the finding of the frogs, how many hours did that take? No, he would need to come up with something different if he wanted the boy to leave him alone.

    ¡°Fine!¡± the old man said ¡°I will consider teaching you but you need to pass my test to prove you are serious and worthy of being my student. If you do that I''ll teach you!¡±

    River said ¡°Name it, I am sure I can accomplish anything you give me if it''s fair!¡±

    The old man said ¡°Okay there are a few things you need to do. The first is remove all these frogs from my house and property. You will come back every day to remove them until I don''t hear a peep. That is the easy part though. The next part will be difficult... more difficult than anything you have ever attempted before. I think it will no doubt break your spirit if you dare attempt it. This is your last chance to turn back!¡±

    River said ¡°I am ready for anything you give me sir!¡±

    The old man said ¡°Okay, wait here...¡± He left to go get something from his room and came back. He dropped a thick heavy book on the floor in front of River ¡°There it is¡±.

    River picked up the heavy book and said ¡°I don''t understand¡±

    The old man retorted ¡°What do you mean you don''t understand? This is what you must do. You must memorize every single part of this book. Did you think magic was all flashy spells and explosions?¡± The old man laughed.

    ¡°No! It involves more than anything else learning principles and studying. This is a book I wrote myself about the beginning principles of magic. It''s only the the basics though and pretty simple to be honest. Once you learn that book I have many other books for you to learn. But you must memorize them all. Read them cover to cover, over and over again until you know everything by heart¡±.

    River said ¡°That isn''t fair! You said it be fair!¡±

    The old man laughed and said ¡°Open the book and pick a page and paragraph¡±.

    The boy picked page 453 and the 4<sup>th</sup> paragraph down. The old man said unable to see the book ¡°let me see... oh I know... that is on the basis of water magic theory.

    It says ''Water magic is based on the elements of hydrogen and oxygen. When matter transforms to create water all matter is sucked in and transformed equally. Where many wizards make a mistake is the failure to recognize the oxygen they use to create water is already present in the air. Therefore in theory if one were use the oxygen in the air to make water the mana saved by doing so would be significant''

    Does that sound about right boy?¡±

    River looked at the lines on the page. It was word for word correct. ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    The old man laughed ¡°I memorized it. No magic, no tricks, just hard work. Did you think being a wizard would be easy?

    River said ¡°of course not!¡±

    The old man said ¡°good, after you get the frogs out of here you are to take that book home and read it over and over until you can quote it verbatim just like I did!¡±

    River asked ¡°verbatim?¡±

    The old man say ¡°it means word for word¡±. The old man left for a second time and came back with a large dictionary. ¡°That contains the meaning of every word. If you don''t know what a word means then look it up. Reading without understanding is pointless¡±.

    River held both books. Together they weighed a lot for his 8 year old frame.

    The old man said ¡°well want to give up yet boy?¡±

    River said ¡°no chance!¡±

    The old man watched the boy go outside to gather frogs and thought to himself ¡°The boy has guts, I''ll give him that. He''ll give up after a while I''m sure...¡±

 Chapter 11: The Training Begins

    nd</sup> book ready by the time I''m back!¡± As he turned to walk away the old man firmly believe he would not see the boy again or that the next time he did the boy will have finally admitted defeat.

    nd</sup> book. He said ¡°This one will be harder than the last one. It will probably take you over two months to fully memorize. Why not just give up now?¡±

    nd</sup> book. The old man said ¡°There''s no way you learned everything in that book in a single month! It''s 300 pages longer and much more complex!¡±

    rd</sup> and 4<sup>th</sup> books where just as long as the 2<sup>nd</sup> book and had even more complex concepts of magic. Again the boy finished both in one month each and was able to answer every question the old man asked. It was then the old man realized if he kept giving him book after book this boy would just keep reading them and coming back. He would need to try something else to be rid of the boy.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    You old fool, how could you have not seen it coming? You''re not fit to be a teacher to any student and you know it. It''s your fault he died. It''s your fault that barrier went up. It''s all cause you''re not fit to teach anyone¡±.

    He took a look out the window and saw the boy still rubbing the numbness out of his legs and trying to keep them from cramping up ¡°You promised yourself never to teach another student again¡±.

    The old man realized now how much he missed talking about and teaching magic; and how lonely he had been all these years. He had actually began to look forward to the boy coming over. For all the hemming and hawing made; he really had started to look forward to it.

    He would only teach the boy a little and then find a suitable teacher for him. There must be someone he could find. He would only teach him a little bit and that''s all... that''s all. He said it to himself over and over until he believed it again; mostly he believed it anyway.

 Chapter 12: A Dainty Flower

    It had been 2 months since River had started doing the back and forth runs from the rock to the tree. He ran 5 times a week and the other 2 days he used that extra time to read the books the old man gave him. He had just started the 7<sup>th</sup> book.

    This one fascinated him the most since the first book. It had to do a lot with wind magic which for some reason he found himself more drawn too than other forms. There was no single best magic; Each had its own strengths and weaknesses. River liked the idea of being able to move around quickly and the freeing feeling movement could give you.

    This also marked his sixth month training with Al. He had become a pretty decent fighter and grown a little physically in the past 6 months making him just a bit bigger than Al was. Still he was no match but he no longer felt that Al was going too easy on him.

    The fact he felt his sparring partner now had to try to block his attacks and escape his grips was a great accomplishment. Just a few weeks ago he was walking home from the old man''s place and had a run in with the bully who held him under water before.

    He was no doubt looking forward to the chance to get Lee alone and by proxy take out his aggression on Al; who he had decided to steer clear of. Lee was able to fight the bully off without taking a single hit. When he thought in his minds eye of what he saw Al do when Al was serious he still knew he had a long way to go.

    That fight looked smooth and effortless; his looked anything but smooth. It was still effective enough in either case. Lee never got bothered from those bullies again after that day.

    While sparing with his friend Lee decided to let the cat out of the bag about the old man. The old man didn''t say that he couldn''t tell some people he was learning magic. He had to however promise not to say who was teaching him as the old man didn''t wish to be bothered by anyone.

    Lee said ¡°Al, if I tell you a secret will you promise not to tell anyone?¡±

    Al said ¡°I will promise as long as it isn''t anything bad. Is that okay?¡±

    Lee said ¡°It isn''t bad, it''s just something I don''t want being spread around¡±.

    Al shrugged, still sparing with River while they talked ¡°okay, what''s your secret?¡±

    Lee hesitated for a moment ¡°I am learning magic from someone¡±.

    Al stopped on a dime ¡°You''re really learning magic? Who are you learning it from?¡±

    Lee said ¡°I can''t tell you, I was sworn not to say who was teaching me. I was also asked not to spread it around too much. I was told it was okay if I told a few people as they might be curious where I am and my teacher would rather I not have to lie about it¡±.

    Al said ¡°Well don''t just stand there! Show me some magic!¡±

    River said ¡°I can''t actually do any spells yet. I have been asking about it but he has said it is safer now just to read and build up my body''s energy with running. He told me they are things I would need to do anyway and may as well do it now so when he does teach me some spells they are safer to use¡±.

    Al now sparring again said ¡°So how do you know he isn''t just lying to you about the whole magic thing?¡±

    River said ¡°I saw him actually do magic. I don''t think he would have me do all this just to lie to me and tell me it is all a joke. What would be the point? The books he gave me to read are the real deal too. I don''t know how I know, but I can just tell. When I read them the words and ideas fill my mind. I don''t know how to describe it except to say when I read it, it''s like I feel the magic in the words.

    Al said ¡°That is pretty amazing. Do you think he would teach me? I think it''d be fun to learn!¡±

    River said ¡°I can ask but I don''t think so. Maybe he wouldn''t mind if I teach you a little though. I can ask¡±

    Al gave a wide smile ¡°thanks Lee, you''re the best!¡±

    River kept sparring ¡°I don''t know why you need magic though. If I was as strong a guy as you I wouldn''t worry much about learning magic¡±.

    Al looked confused ¡°what do you mean by that?¡±

    Lee said ¡°I just mean if I could be just as strong as a guy like you I think that would be enough, that''s all¡±.

    Al gave Lee a strange look while continuing to spar ¡°Lee, don''t you know I''m a girl?¡±

    Lee said ¡°What?¡± and dropped his hands in shock. This resulted in him getting a bloody nose and hitting the ground.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Al was in distress seeing what she just did to Lee. She never thought he would leave himself so open. ¡°Lee, are you okay? I''m so sorry, I didn''t think you would drop your guard like that¡±.

    Lee checked his nose; it wasn''t bleeding all that bad. He was mostly stunned by the news. ¡°Are you just messing with me? Al is a boy''s name after all!¡±

    Al crossed her arms and said ¡°I told you I hate my full name and to just call me Al for short!¡±

    Lee said ¡°So what is your full name than?¡±

    She looked at him ¡°You need to promise not to laugh!¡±

    Lee said ¡°I promise I won''t, now just tell me. I told you a secret too you know!¡±

    She blushed and said ¡°Alura¡±

    Lee was puzzled ¡°Why do you not like it? It think it sounds really pretty¡±.

    Alura said ¡°I don''t like it cause it''s too girlie! I wanna be able to fight and run and do all the fun things I see boys do! I don''t want to be all worried about flowers or dancing or stuff like that!¡±

    Lee guessed that made sense. He didn''t much like that stuff either and couldn''t figure why other girls did. He said ¡°well, I''ll keep calling you Al if you want but it seems kind of dull in comparison¡±. Lee thought for a moment and said ¡°wait, you said your house name is Flowers before right?¡±

    She said ¡°yeah, my did isn''t a big fan of it but my mom loves it¡±.

    Lee smiled and said ¡°So you''re name is Alura Flowers? That''s funny. It almost sounds like an alluring flower. Like a rose that is so beautiful you can''t help but want to pick it or something.¡±

    To Lee''s surprise Alura got really angry at that and cracked her knuckles ¡°haha, that is pretty funny right? I''m just such a dainty little flower aren''t I? How about we spar a bit when I''m serious then?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Wait, I didn''t mean it like that! I just... Ahhh!¡±

    Lee had been training very hard. That turned out to be a very good thing. He managed to dodge most of the punches Alura threw at him in her rage. Most of them....

    Later that day he was at the old man''s place. The old man saw a few more bruises than usual. ¡°Did those boys beat you up again boy? I thought you said they weren''t a problem anymore¡±.

    Lee said ¡°No, this is from my friend Al. She got really mad at me today¡±.

    The old man said ¡°She? You always talked about her like she was a boy?¡±

    Lee said in defense ¡°I thought she was. She dresses like one and acts like one and has short hair like one. She should have made it more clear!¡±.

    The old man sighed and said ¡°maybe you aren''t as sharp as I once thought. At least about some things anyway. You are still young though¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I''m not that young. I am 8 and a half now¡±.

    The old man laughed ¡°Oh yes, how could I forget how old you were. No doubt you will get married soon and have kids of your own in short order. Before you that how about you pick up the pace! If you can talk this much you are not running hard enough. Today lets do 500 laps. A big strong man like you should find that to be no problem¡±.

    The old man in the past few months has become more social with Lee. He had decided as long as he was letting him come here he may as well practice a bit of conversation with him. It has been a while since he had someone to talk to and he could hear a little news about the outside world as well.

    Lee was on the ground panting after completing his 500 laps. He remembered only a few months ago how hard 200 laps was. 500 was certainly no easier but he was able to do it now without having to stop to walk at all.

    Lee said ¡°By the way, I told Al that I''m learning magic and she wanted to know if you would teach her some. I told her you probably wouldn''t want to but she asked me to ask you so...¡±

    The old man said ¡°Why would I take her on as a student when I''m not going to take you on either? As I told you before, I am only teaching you a bit until we find you a more suitable teacher¡±.

    Lee had heard him say this over and over. Though it didn''t seem to make sense with what was going on he knew better than to say anything.

    Lee asked ¡°would you mind then if I teach her some of the stuff you showed me?¡±

    The old man thought for a moment and said ¡°That is fine, if I ever teach you anything I don''t want you to show her you must promise not to do so¡±. Lee agreed to this. The old man crossed his arms and said ¡°I''ll not be giving out the books again either. If you are to teach her it must all come from your memory and knowledge. If you truly know those book it shouldn''t matter, correct?¡±

    Lee figured this was some kind of trap just to make him work harder. He wasn''t worried in the least as he knew those books cover to cover.

    Now the old man decided to touch on a more difficult subject. He''d mentioned it in the past few weeks but now really had to put his foot down. He said to Lee ¡°now that you are spending so much time here I want to be sure your parents know what you''re doing. I don''t like doing this behind their backs.

    Lee had put off telling his parents. He was worried they may make him stop thinking it was too dangerous or if he had this much time to learn something else it was about time he helped around the farm more. Lee said ¡°I haven''t told them yet. I am just waiting for the right time¡±.

    The old man said ¡°I see, well the right time is tonight. And just to be sure you told them I''d like you to ask them to invite me over to meet them. This way I''ll know you are not pulling any tricks¡±.

    Lee said ¡°what if they don''t want to have you over?¡±

    The old man said ¡°Then I''ll take it that they disprove of me teaching you and your training will have to stop¡±.

    Lee could not let that happen no matter what. Lee said ¡°I''ll talk to them and make sure that doesn''t happen. I''ll also see if I can convince them to have you over for dinner. My mom is a really good cook¡±.

    The old man said ¡°If that happens I would like to bring them some food instead of them cooking for me. With what you told me about your family they don''t have much to spare and I don''t want to put them out. Tell them if they want me over for dinner then I would ask for the honor to bring the food for you all as an apology¡±.

    Lee said ¡°Yes sir! I know they''ll want to have you over and have you keep showing me magic!¡±

    Lee after his training left to return home for the day at his usual time. He greeted his mother who was cooking dinner. His father was still finishing up his days work on the farm. He thought of telling her then but thought it would be better to do it when both were together.

    It wasn''t until he was sitting down to eat that he broke the news. ¡°Mother, father, there is something I want to talk to you about. I want you to promise to not get mad though¡±.

 Chapter 13: Questions About The Future

    Lee sat at the table awaiting his parent''s response.

    Lee''s father said ¡°I can''t promise to not get mad. I can promise to not love you any less. Now tell use what is going on,¡±

    Lee''s mother said ¡°What''s on your mind sweetie? Whatever it is I promise we''ll listen carefully. You know you can tell us anything¡±.

    Lee said ¡°Well, it''s like this. On my 8<sup>th</sup> birthday, you know, the day I meant Al.... oh, Al I a girl by the way..¡±

    Lee''s father said ¡°Really? You always talked about her like she was a boy!¡±

    Lee said ¡°I thought she was! I only found out she wasn''t today and...¡±

    Lee''s mother gave a stern look at then Lee''s father. She said ¡°I take it this isn''t what you wanted to say right sweetie? Now tell us what''s going on?¡±

    Lee stopped for a moment to compose himself and then continued ¡°Anyway, she told me that day she was looking for frogs. I wanted to help her find some for the next day so I went into the woods you see..¡±

    Lee''s father interrupted ¡°You went into those woods by yourself!? Lee that could be very dangerous!¡±

    Lee''s mother shushed him again and said ¡°go on dear, what else¡±.

    Lee said ¡°Well, I went deeper and deeper into the woods and I met this old man. I discovered that he could use magic and so I convinced him to teach me. After that he let me take a few books home to read at first. The past 2 months we''ve been doing some more training and I have been over there a lot more. He said if I''m going to continue to see him I had to tell you both and get your permission to do so¡±.

    Lee mother said ¡°You mean this has been going on for 6 months and you never told us? Lee, how could you keep something like this from us?!

    Lee sunk down in his chair ¡°I was afraid you wouldn''t let me go... I really want to learn magic. It isn''t like I lied to you you know...¡±

    Lee''s mother stood up from her chair and said ¡°not telling us something like this is the same as lying, you know we don''t approve of lying Lee.¡±

    Lee was sure she was going to ground him and say he couldn''t go again. He felt his heart being crushed by the thought.

    Lee''s father spoke ¡°So this has gone on for 6 months? Have you actually seen him use any magic or is he just some crazy old man?¡±

    Lee''s mother spoke up and said ¡°That isn''t the point!¡±

    Lee''s father said ¡°I''m not happy about Lee lying to us either. However, we need to know if he is actually learning magic. Learning magic certainly isn''t a bad idea. If he can really learn magic that could give him a chance to have a better life than we could give him. It''s something we need to keep in mind.¡±

    Lee''s mother sat down and said ¡°He''s probably just some dangerous crazy old man! Even if he does know magic why would he live all alone in the woods like that! It is highly suspicious! I don''t think I want my son around such a person¡±.

    Lee''s father said ¡°It certainly seems odd, however he is a wizard so maybe he has some reason that makes sense for wanting to do that. We don''t know any wizards so we don''t know why they may do the things they do¡±.

    Lee''s mother said ¡°He could just be a dangerous criminal too!¡±

    The silence filled the room. Lee broke it by saying ¡°He told me to tell you. He also said the only way he would keep teaching me is if he met you and got your permission in person. He said it is the only way he would know I talked to you for sure and it was important. If he was a criminal why would he do that?¡±

    Silence again filled the room. After a while Lee''s mother spoke up ¡°Well obviously we need to meet him before we even consider letting him see you again! I don''t know if that is even worth doing. Maybe we should make it end right now and keep you home for a month to teach you a lesson¡±

    Lee''s father spoke ¡°I don''t know... Lee seems to be okay. I think Lee¡¯s probably right, if he was dangerous to be around he wouldn''t send Lee home to tell us he wanted to meet. I think it is worth at least meeting him before deciding for sure¡±.

    Lee''s mother sighed and said ¡°I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to meet him. But I don''t want my only child going to that place alone again until we do meet him though. He just seems really suspicious and it seems risky to me.¡±

    Lee''s father spoke ¡°Well it would take an hour away from work to go there with Lee just to deliver a message saying it''s okay to meet us. I really don''t want to take any time off work if I can help it¡±. He turned to his wife ¡°I know you are needed here and the money you make is important to us. Since Lee has been so many times already I don''t see how one more can hurt¡±.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Lee''s mother said ¡°Fine, he can go back one more time alone. But I want to know exactly how long it will take him to get there and back. If he is one minute late I''m calling the town patrol to go after him and going to get you myself as well.¡±

    Lee''s mother turned to him and said ¡°about how long does it take you to get there and back normally?¡±

    Lee said ¡°about an hour I guess. The woods are pretty close and it is a little less than 30 minutes to walk to it from where the woods start.¡±

    Lee''s mother said ¡°If we decide to let you go tomorrow... and we will talk about it later tonight so it''s no sure thing... but if we do I want you back through our front door not 1 second later than 45 minutes. I will be watching the clock and if you are one second late we call the whole thing off I am going to get you myself and you''re grounded.

    Lee agreed and tried to look sad. Inside he was positively giddy. He felt sure they would at least agree to meet the old man. That was step one he was unsure he would even get. He had to be sure the old man made a good impression and Lee had to stress to his parents what a great opportunity this was for him too!

    Lee''s father said ¡°If we choose to have him over it may as well be for dinner don''t you think dear?¡±\

    Lee''s mother snorted ¡°I expect you''d want me to make something special for the man who has been seeing our son behind our backs don''t you? Weren''t you worried about taking a mere hour off work just a while ago?¡±

    Lee said ¡°my teacher told me to tell you... if you decided you do want him over for dinner he would like to bring his own food as a thank you for inviting him and an apology for this being hidden for so long¡±.

    Lee''s mother seemed even more angry ¡°My, isn''t he full of himself? Just assuming we would invite him over for dinner. Are all wizards so full of themselves or is it just this one?¡±.

    Lee''s father stepped in ¡°I don''t think he meant it like that dear. I think he is just trying to be nice and apologetic. We should let him I think, if he insist. He may have strange taste as well so it could be for the best. To turn down his attempt to apologize would be rude¡±.

    Lee''s mother stood up and said ¡°fine. Have it all you''re way then!¡± and she went to the bedroom and slammed the door.

    Lee''s dad slumped down in his chair and looked to River ¡°I guess you aren''t the only one in trouble tonight huh?¡± Lee laughed a bit at this. Then Lee''s father said ¡°You might think the way she acts is odd sometimes... She is only like that cause she wants to be sure you''re safe. She loves you fiercely¡±.

    Lee''s father leaned back in his chair ¡°She blames herself that she couldn''t give me more children and feels like she let me down. I tell her it isn''t her fault but she is the kind of woman who puts it all on her shoulders. She''s strong like that. She always feels badly for you that she could never give you a brother or sister to play with. She sees how alone you look sometimes and cries herself to sleep at night¡±.

    He then leaned closely toward Lee ¡°I''m only telling you this so you know how much you mean to her. How much it hurts her when you lie or when you put yourself in danger. Lee, I''m not really all that mad you kept this from me honestly. I''m more mad you kept it from her. Now she''ll feel like she couldn''t keep track of you and protect you. She''ll blame herself for that and feel like she let you down again as a mother¡±.

    Lee''s father looked down and then back up to Lee. ¡°The reason I''m telling you this now is because I think you''re old enough to understand it. Before you put yourself in such a situation again try to think of the ones you are most important to and think if it''s worth making them cry and worry¡±.

    Lee said ¡°yes sir, I''m sorry¡±.

    Lee'' father said ¡°Now about this wizard... are you sure it''s safe to meet him and go in the forest? If not I''ll go with you. Tell me honestly and remember if you get yourself hurt how it would make your mother feel¡±.

    Lee said ¡°It''s safe, I¡¯m sure of it. The wizard said he made sure it would be safe to go in the woods. I don''t know how he does it but I have not seen even a poisonous mushroom since I have been seeing him. The old man is a good guy too. I know deep down he is so it will be fine¡±.

    Lee''s father gave a long pause and said ¡°you''re sure?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Yes, I won''t let my mother cry again. I''m sure¡±.

    Lee''s father stood up ¡°Then I think you will be able to go alone to see him tomorrow. You better be sure to hurry and be back fast though. I''m sure your mother is serious about that 45 minutes. She may even make it a shorter time if I don''t talk her down from that. Anyway, get to bed. You''ll still be in trouble for lying but for now get some sleep. Tomorrow we will see your wizard and tell you what we think¡±.

    Lee got up and walked to his room. He felt a mix of happiness for this moving forward and sadness for the betrayal of his parent'' trust.

    He climbed into bed and grabbed the magic book which laid by it. He wasn''t sure how well he could focus tonight but he swore he would never take a day off from reading until he was a wizard. He would not make sure never to break any promises again. Not just for himself but he figured if his parents hated lying so much they would hate it even more if he ever broke his word.

    *****

    Lee''s father knocked on the door and then walked inside. ¡°Hey, honey. I talked to Lee and tried to make him realize how wrong it was to keep this from us. I think I really got through to him. I doubt he will keep anything like this from us again¡±.

    She was on her bed with her head against the pillow ¡°that''s good...¡± is all she said.

    Lee''s father laid next to her ¡°I''m sure he will be safe tomorrow. I think the 45 minute thing is a good idea. That was very smart of your¡±.

    She didn''t move ¡°Thanks...¡±

    He cuddled her ¡°There is no way you could have known he was up to this. I''m at just as much fault for not knowing. You shouldn''t shoulder everything yourself. I couldn''t ask for a better mother for my son or wife to me; you know that. And I promise, if after tomorrow you are not absolutely convinced it''s okay to let him continue with this we''ll stop it and I''ll fully support your decision¡±.

    She let out a soft weep ¡°I just want him safe. I can''t stand the thought of something happening to my baby boy¡±.

    Lee''s father said ¡°I want him safe too, we''ll make sure he is together¡±. They held each other for a while after that and then drifted off to sleep. They knew tomorrow would be a big day. It could decide the rest of the course of Lee''s life. If they agreed to let him continue would they point him towards a great and glorious future or down a dark and dangerous path? Sooner or later, if they let him continue they knew they''d have an answer someday.

 chapter 14: Parent Teacher Conference

    It was just before evening and River''s parents were expecting the wizard at any moment. Earlier in the day River, under the watchful eye of his mother, left the house just after lunch. His mother reminded him if he was not back in 45 minutes she would raise up the whole town and move heaven and earth to find him. She would also see to it that he was grounded for a the rest of his natural life.

    Thanks to his running regiment River had no issue getting back with time to spare. This distance would usually take a bit over an hour to walk, but if he ran he could make it in about half the time. He went at a nice steady pace alternating jogging and walking. He passed by Alura before going into the woods. Lee told her he could not play with her now but he would talk to her tomorrow.

    As it turns out Alura was short on time today as well; so it wasn''t a bad idea to agree to meet tomorrow. Lee ran to the old man''s house and hurriedly knocked on the door. When the old man answered Lee quickly explained the situation and that he needed to get back immediately.

    The old man said ¡°I understand, tell your parents I''ll be there a little before dusk¡±.

    Lee answered back he''d do so and ran home. As it turns out he got back with only a few minutes to spare. He probably should have ran a bit harder but no harm was done.

    River spent the rest of the day helping his father on the farm. Before long it was almost time for the old man to arrive. Even with him insisting on bringing food to them as an apology his mother decided she may as well get some bread and water ready. She didn''t like this whole thing from the start but she would be caught dead failing to be an improper host.

    Lee''s father decided to finish his farm work early today so he had time to wash up and look presentable for their guest. It has been a while since they''ve had a guest, and he was a wizard to boot. He would be sure to look a good as possible for this rare occasion.

    It wasn''t long from the time they finished their preparations till they heard a knock on the door. At least he was the prompt type; his mother thought. The door opened and in that space now stood the figure of a tall skinny old man. Lee''s father thought maybe he was just shy of half a foot taller than him but he wouldn''t be surprised if he weighed 30 lbs less.

    He wore a dark blue robe that came off as more casual than wizard like. River''s father half expected him to have a wizard''s hat of same kind, or perhaps a staff or wand like he''d heard of in fables. All that was on the old man''s head was short thinning white hair and a short grizzled beard. His face looked old but his eyes had a young energy and sharpness to them. Neither spoke for a short moment.

    The old man said ¡°This is the River house if I''m not mistaken?¡±

    The father said ¡°Yes, I''m Lee River''s father, it is good too meet you. Please come in and make yourself at home¡±.

    ¡°Thank you kindly for your hospitality¡± the old man said. He picked up a pot he''d placed down at the entrance of the door way and walked into the house. He took a quick look around and placed it on the nearest table he could find.

    ¡°And you must be Lee''s mother. I''ve heard many good things about you¡± the old man said

    ¡°Thank you for your kind words¡± Lee''s mother said in a curt manor

    The old man looked around for Lee and gave him a small nod but nothing more. Clearly he was here to speak to Lee''s parents more than Lee. ¡°Firstly, I would like to apologize for imposing. I must admit I feel I have put you in a position where you may have felt pressured to agree to this meeting on short notice.

    Secondly, I would like to apologize for spending so much time with your son without your permission. Please know, it was not my intention for that to happen and I take full responsibility for it going on without your knowledge as long as it did. I hope you can forgive me for both. If given the chance I would like to reveal everything to you that has happened. I believe you as parents have a right to know the full truth¡±.

    Lee''s father said ¡°that would be very appreciated. We understand sometimes things can get a bit out of hand. Of course we''re not mad at you, we''re just concerned about our son¡±.

    Lee''s mother spoke ¡°please have a seat at the table. The food will get cold so we should eat first. After that we would both like to hear your story¡±.

    They all sat down around the table and Lee''s mother filled all their bowls with the stew the old man had brought. She poured water in each cup and placed cut up bread on the center of the table..

    After they finished the meal the old man said ¡°I shall tell you everything now. I believe you''ll many questions for me at different points during this story. If possible I''d like to get through the entire story first and then answer whatever question you have¡±.

    He was true to his word and did not leave out a single detail. He mentioned the first meeting with the big cat which brought him and Lee together. Lee''s stunt with the frogs which eventually caused the old man to decide to start giving him books. Making Lee run back and forth recently in the past 2 months and telling Lee he would try to find him a proper teacher.

    Lee got a few looks about some facts he omitted that they were told. When they saw Lee''s face they knew it was all true. The old man did not plan to leave even the smallest detail out. Lee was honestly impressed with his memory and ability to recall entire conversations accurately that happened months ago. Even when it didn''t paint Lee or the old man in a very good light.Stolen story; please report.

    ¡°Well, that is the whole story. I know I should have insisted on this meeting a while ago but I simply just kept trying to convince myself it would only be a bit longer till we were done but it never turned out to be true. I humbly ask your forgiveness¡±.

    After both parents came to grips with their son''s close brush with death and received assurances no other dangerous animals were there when Lee went to visit him again they started to ask other question as well apologize for Lee''s behavior.

    The old man waved a hand in the air ¡°Io¡¯s fine about the frogs. I ''m really not mad about it. Yes, at first I was not very happy it happened; but the more I see of Lee''s character the more I see it as an example of his determination. If I were a young lad in his position I wonder if I would''ve the guts to do the same to try to achieve my dream¡±.

    Lee was happy to hear that. He still thought he might get in trouble for it but he got the impression it might slide in the context of bigger things going on right now.

    Lee father said ¡°forgive me sir, I don''t know if it is impolite to ask this or not. But we have heard of your ability to do magic from Lee only. If possible we''d like to see a very small example¡±.

    The old man said ¡°Oh of course you''d want to. If I were in your shoes I would ask the same!¡± With that he lifted up his hand and silently created water. He used it to refill his drink. ¡°That is always a handy trick to have¡±.

    Lee''s mother and father have seen some magic before; but seeing it up close in your own home was an entirely new experience.

    Lee''s mother broke the silence ¡°That was very impressive. It being impressive is part of the problem though. I''m sure that''s only a small example of what can be done with magic. During this magic training, dealing with such powerful forces., it could become very easy to injury yourself badly couldn''t it¡±?

    The old man quickly said back ¡°Yes, that is true. Magic can be dangerous to learn. The same could be said of course of sword fighting, farming or riding horses. The difference is with magic the mistakes you make can be even bigger. You are correct to be concerned about it.

    It''s worth noting that when I teach students the risk is lower than usual. I focus on control above all else. That does make mistakes less likely but accidents are still possible and that would be something young Lee must deal with if he wishes to walk this path. To this point I have taught him nothing he could use to hurt himself. But if we continue that time will come.

    Lee father said ¡°Now, lets assume we were to allow him to continue to learn and you wanted to keep teaching him till you find a new teacher, as you said. What would be the chances he gets into a school of magic and how would that effect his life?¡±

    The old man sat back ¡°at the rate he is going right now if he doesn¡¯t get into a magic school I would be surprised. While I believe his natural talent isn''t good his determination is first rate and his willingness to master the fundamentals and listen opposed to going for big showy spells will work well for his later development in magic.

    If he is still doing magic by age 16 I''ll recommend the school I think would be best for him. At this point I see no reason to think in 7 and a half more years if his commitment holds up he should have any problem entering Zero Province Magic Academy.¡±

    His parents shouted in unison ¡°Zero Province Magic Academy?¡± They were surprised to hear the name mentioned. Even they knew the kind of school it was. The graduates of the academy never wanted for anything in life again. The never expected such an optimistic outlook was possible.

    River''s mother asked ¡°are you sure he could get in there? What are you basing that on?¡±

    The old man said ¡°well, the most important thing of all. The love of magic.¡±

    Both of Lee''s parents were silent for a moment. Though a few things about the story this old man told them were not to their liking they could not deny that Lee had a strong love of magic. They were surprised they had never noticed this about him before. Yes he had mentioned magic in the past but they never heard of him being so serious and dedicated to anything before as he has been to magic.

    With this in mind they could imagine the pain caused by denying their son the chance to continue in this journey. Surely such a thing would be far too cruel. They gave each other a look and turned to the old man. They asked ¡°would you mind if we go to our room to talk in private for a moment?¡±

    The old man answered ¡°of course, this is your house. Do as you please¡±.

    After they walked to their bedroom and closed the door the old man turned to Lee ¡°you know, the directions you gave me on how to find your house were not that good. Luckily there were not many other farms too close by¡±.

    This joke did nothing to make Lee smile. He asked ¡°Do you think they will let me keep learning magic with you?¡± Lee asked nervously fidgeting in his chair.

    The old man said ¡°in my experience, parents if given the option to do like to take away something their child loves as much as you love magic. We shall see soon though. Worrying will not change the outcome¡±.

    After a short while the parents emerged from their bedroom and sat back down at the table. Lee''s father said ¡°we apologize for having to leave you like that. Anyway, we discussed it and decided if you wished to keep have Lee coming over to learn magic we would not stand in the way¡±.

    Lee could hardly contain hi happiness. He practically jumped out of his chair to hug his father and mother. They couldn''t help but laugh at seeing this. Lee''s father said ¡°just a moment son, there are a few conditions we have¡±.

    Lee''s mother spoke ¡°first off all, if you are to teach our son we would like to pay you for your time. We do like like to have things done for free for us. We believe if you give training to our son you should be paid for it as long as you are doing it¡±.

    The old man spoke ¡°if you speak of money, I promise you I have more than I can spend. If you insist on a form of payment your company on occasion would be more than enough. I admit I''ve gotten accustomed to loneliest over the years. Since a few months ago I''ve found it have gotten accustomed to not being alone. If you will allow me to come over and eat your food once a week that would be payment enough for me I assure you.¡±

    His parents agreed to this after being assured he had more than enough money and anything they could give him in that regard wouldn''t matter. Lee''s mother spoke again ¡°the second thing we ask if you consult us before doing anything dangerous. We understand this training will not be entirely without the chance of injury but we want to stay informed on what is going on.

    The old man agreed ¡°that is only fair. I promise you at least for the next year you have nothing to worry about. Beyond that I will keep you informed and be sure to have your consent on everything. When I find a new teacher for Lee I will make sure he is as careful as I am¡±.

    The old man had not yet figured out himself what the other 3 people at this table knew. That there would be no new teacher and he had already accepted Lee as his student. It would take him another year to fully realize that fact and never mentioned this hypothetical other teacher again.

    The three ate their meal and got to knew each other more. The only thing that was not discussed was the old man''s past which he took great pains not to allow to become a subject for conversation.

 Chapter 15: Mana and Magic

    Over the next 6 months Lee continued to read the books the old man gave him. He now not only had a good base understanding of magic but he also understood the theory behind the use of all 5 of the so called ''magical elements''. The old man said he would learn about light and shadow magic in the years to come but it was still far beyond him.

    Lee''s stamina had grown much over the months. He was now running 500 laps between the rock and the tree 5 days a week. If the distance was measured it would be discovered that 100 laps was about equal to 1 mile. He could do that distance now in just a little over an hour at a good steady pace.

    After River ran, the old man taught him to use a form of meditation. Guiding the boy with his own mana. he helped Lee find his own mana center. He told lee to visualize the mana inside himself and spin it around in a circular motion inside his body. Doing this was mentally exhausting, but he did as the old man instructed.

    Lee found the more he did it the more mana he felt in his body. It was as if spinning it around was stimulating it to grow and activate. If Lee were to describe the feel of mana inside his body he would describe it at as a cold liquid that heated up when you forced it to compact.

    The old man stressed how important mana control was to a wizard. He would say to Lee ¡°control of mana is the single most important aspect of magic. Being able to control the amount and shape of mana even in the hardest situations was the most important a skill a that wizard had to master¡±.

    Lee followed the old man''s instructions. He tried to take the mana from his center and lead it to his hand. At first it felt unnatural, but eventually it became as if he was moving any other part of his body. He just needed he pull out a small amount of mana and force it to the location he wanted.

    Lee held out his hand and heard the old man''s voice ¡°I want you to gather an amount of mana the shape of a coin in your hand. No bigger and no smaller. Do it in the exact shape as perfect as you can make it¡±.

    He tried over and over to do this, but once the mana left his body it became much hard to control. Even when he managed to make it the shape of a coin it was hard to hold it in that shape and he would lose control of it. It took him a few a months to be able to do it perfectly. After that the old man picked different small shapes Lee would make with his mana. Each time became slightly easier than the last.

    Once Lee got use to controlling the shape of his mana the old man told him he had to learn to manifest it in his hand faster. When he tried to do this he wasn''t able to maintain control of the shape of his mana. The rush to bring the mana to his hand caused him to lose control of it.

    The old man said ¡°start slowly young River, focus on going as fast as you can while controlling it and speed it up slowly over time¡±.

    River did just that. He felt the mana in his center and pushed it out to his hand and used it to make a perfect shape. He increased the pace slightly faster and faster.

    When not training with the old man he spent much of his time playing and practicing with Alura. He would never call her that loud but he much preferred that name to Al. He still was no where near as good as her but he found his training with magic taught him focus which made him also a better fighter.

    He had gotten good enough that now Alura could hold back nearly nothing when defending. She still could block every attack and counter every hold he tried to use but he felt she was forced to push herself now to do so.

    They had spent so much time together that it wasn''t long before Lee''s parents asked to meet her. When she came over to meet his parents Lee immediately noticed how differently she acted compared to her gruff out going self with him. She acted in a reserved and highly respect manor that took him off guard.

    Lee found when he finally met her parents she didn''t hold back the least. After hearing that she had been teaching him martial arts, her father tried to challenge Lee to an exhibition to see how good he had gotten. His wife and Alura managed to talk him out of it which River was very grateful for.

    The next 6 months continued in this similar fashion. Training and playing with Alura and training with the old man. As the time passed the old man''s weekly visit to Lee''s house became more natural and eventually his parents and the old man warmed up to one another.

    *****

    Today was the day of Lee''s 9<sup>th</sup> birthday.

    When Lee knocked on the old man''s door to return the 12<sup>th</sup> book he had given him the old man asked ¡°what did you think this book? Do you have any questions about it?¡±

    Lee said ¡°The only question I had was when it comes to turning mana into actual magic. I think I understand the concept but I have no experience doing it so I¡¯m not sure if I truly understand¡±.

    The old man said ¡°That is a great question to ask. It just so happens today will be your first day to begin manipulating mana into magic¡±.

    Lee jumped up with excitement ¡°I finally get to use magic? I feel like I¡¯m finally going to be a real wizard!¡± The old man took joy in watching the young Lee celebrate. It reminded him how he felt when he first started using magic.

    The old man said ¡°Enough of that now. I''ve only given you permission to use magic and will show you how. Whether you can achieve it or not is entirely up to your ability¡±. The old man told Lee to sit down and start to gather mana into his hand.

    Lee sat down cross legged. He held his hands open, one palm one on of the top of the other, and began to focus mana into his hand. The old man sensed he was doing it correctly. ¡°That¡¯s very good Lee. Now I want you to expand the mana outwards in your hand and mix it with the energy and matter of nature. Right before you think you are going to lose control of it you will need to compress it back into your hand¡±.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Lee let the mana expand. It felt like it was going to go out of his control and become absorbed by the energy of nature. Before he lost control he forced the mana back into his hand feeling. It grab nature energy and matter with it. He thought he was successful at first, until then the mana he collected fizzled out and passed back into nature.

    The old man said ¡°Try it again Lee. You need to let it gather in more nature energy before you compress it¡±. Lee tried again and let his mana expand even more. He lost control of it and was unable to bring it back. The old man said ¡°just keep trying till you get the hang of it¡±.

    Lee tried the rest of the day but was no closer to success. After a week he was getting very frustrated with his inability to gather in nature¡¯s energy and mix it with his own. He started to pull out grass and throw it into the air in frustration as almost a way to try to teach nature a lesson.

    The old man at the end of the week said to Lee ¡°your frustration is amusing but not helpful. If you ever wish to accomplish this you must be at peace with yourself. Anger and impatience only make it more difficult¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I just can¡¯t find a way to do it. Either I don¡¯t bring enough nature energy in or lose control of my mana¡±.

    The old man laughed ¡°Well what did I teach you all that mana control for if not for this? Even when you let your mana expand how do you allow yourself lose control of it so easily? Your mana is part of yourself. You must think of it as an extension of your body just like another arm. No matter how much I let my mana expand I would never lose control of it¡±.

    The old man walked away saying nothing else. Lee calmed himself and focused again. He let mana expand but not as much as before. Now he focused on keeping hold if it. Before he let it expand without trying to control it and focusing on gathering nature energy. Now he was trying to slow the expansion down. He was at the point when he was getting close to losing control of it.

    It was incredibly difficult but he held it there. Only after he had a firm hold on it did he let it expand a little more. When he felt he used lose control of it he used all his focus to hold on to it. He did this over and over until he lost control of his mana.

    hen he gathered more mana and repeated the process. He continued until he was spreading his mana out nearly twice as much as before. He compressed the mana mixed with energy and felt it stabilize for a moment. It soon vanished after but it was stable!

    He did the same thing again. He was able to stabilize it a bit longer after compressing it. He attempted this until he finally was able to create a stable compression of his mana and nature energy.

    The old man walked up behind him ¡°well done Lee. You know what to do now correct?¡±

    Lee with incredible concentration gave a small ¡°yes sir.¡± He began to say over and over a simple wind chant. He pictured the wind in his mind. Its shape, its speed and how it should feel. He began to will the magic in his hand into that shape. It turned into a small tornado but soon was unstable and gone.

    The old man said ¡°Well done Lee, try it a few more times and then go home. You have used up a lot of mana today and we don¡¯t want you so tired you are unable to do anything tomorrow. The books and knowledge I have given you will be a great help with this. In the end you must simply experience it with your own body¡±.

    Lee said ¡°yes sir¡± and again began the whole process over.

    The old man said ¡°one last thing Lee, I know wind is your favorite and it seems you have a natural inclination toward it. I want you to only use wind magic until you¡¯ve mastered it¡±.

    Lee said ¡°When will I know that I have mastered it?¡±

    The old man said ¡°To master it you must be able to use the magic in every way it can be used and fully understand its strengths and weakness. You must understand how those strengths can be used against you and its weaknesses against your opponent. If you are still unsure if you have mastered it or not then I will simply tell you. Now hurry up brat, it''s getting late and I wish to have dinner soon!¡±

    The old man went back into his house. Lee made a few more attempts and then left for the night.

    Month after month passed by for Lee as he practiced creating wind magic; once he could do so consistently the old man told him ¡°I suppose that¡¯s not bad for a turtle, but to be a wizard you must do it faster!¡± When Lee increased his speed his success rate when down. Every time he started to get the hang of it again the old man demand he gather and cast his magic more quickly.

    The old man said ¡°when that cat was about to eat you, could I have just asked it to hold on a moment while I cast my spell? Of course I couldn¡¯t! There are times when you must be able to call on magic instantly. If you can''t it could be the difference between life and death. Not just your own but perhaps of those you care about the most¡±.

    Lee continued to try to cast the same basic spell over and over again. While he was chanting the old man said ¡°no more chanting! It slows you down, the mind is faster than the mouth. You must be able to cast at nearly the speed of thought. What if you don¡¯t have time to say even a single word? Do you plan to just give up and die?¡±

    Lee stopped chanting and found it became much more difficult to even cast magic not to mention trying to do it quickly. Lee said ¡°if I don¡¯t chant the spell it makes it almost impossible to create the magic¡±.

    The old man said ¡°chants are for novices at best. If you wish to stay a novice we can stop your training right now¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I will not stop! I will be a great wizard and right the wrongs I see in this world and help my family¡±.

    The old man said ¡°well, you can¡¯t do that just by talking; and that goes for magic too if you want me to keep using my precious time teaching you¡±.

    Lee kept his mouth shut and focused. It took a full month until he was able to make his spell as quickly as he could before. After another month he found without the need to chant to make his spell he could even go faster than before.

    The old man started to teach Lee more spells as time went by. Even doing that he kept emphasizing the basics of control of mana and speed of casting. When Lee asked why he was not learning more powerful spells the old man said ¡°you wish to be a great wizard don¡¯t you? A great wizard is much like a great temple. To build it large and strong the foundation must be top notch. If the foundation isn¡¯t strong you''ll find you''ll have limits later on¡±.

    Lee was a bit disappointed he wasn¡¯t learning more powerful spells but he figured the old man was probably right. Lee under his instruction focused on the fundamentals of control and casting speed even if it was with generally unimpressive spells.

    This is how the rest of the year passed for Lee. Every day training with the old man and then going home to read the magic books the old man gave him. He continued play and train with Alura almost every day. He continued to become a better fighter but he felt as though he may never close the gap completely. Still, he was happy with his improvement.

    *****

    Today was the day of Lee''s 10<sup>th</sup> birthday

    He knocked on the old man''s door and was promptly greeted.

    ¡°Happy birthday Lee¡± the old man said. ¡°It just so happens I got you a very special gift today.¡±

    Lee was surprised. The old man didn¡¯t give him a gift his last birthday. Lee asked ¡°wow, that¡¯s so nice of you! What''s your gift?¡±

    The old man said ¡°well, starting today, we will incorporate dueling into your training¡±.

    Lee was surprised ¡°but there are no young wizards here for me to fight.¡±

    The old man said ¡°That is unfortunate. I suppose I''ll have to do then. Please be sure to take it easy on an old man like me!¡± The old man gave out a great laugh after that. Lee didn''t like the sound of that.

    He had a strong feeling he wouldn''t be the one who had to worry about taking it easy

 Chapter 16: Sparring Practice

    Lee was shocked that he was going to need to duel the old wizard.  He asked ¡°Well if we are going to duel what are the rules?¡±

    The old man smiled.  ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say the rules are the same you¡¯re likely to get from a real opponent¡±

    Before Lee could say anything else the old man fired a water spell that knocked him off his feet.  Lee grabbed his chest and yelled up ¡°that hurt!  I wasn¡¯t ready¡±.

    The old man said ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.   Why don¡¯t you get up, clean yourself off and tell me when you¡¯re ready?¡±   Right as Lee was getting up the old man shot another attack.  Lee used wind magic to block it and quickly got to his feet.

    ¡°That was a dirty trick!¡± Lee said

    The old man laughed back ¡°Oh please young River, I¡¯m holding back a great deal.   Keep in mind when you face a real opponent they will not be so polite or wait for you to be ready¡±.  He shot multiple water attacks at Lee.  Lee blocked 2 and dodged the other.

    The old man commented ¡°that training with your young friend has made you pretty nimble.  That is uncommon for wizards.  You should keep that in mind¡±.  The old man shot a few more spells and Lee was unable to evade or block them all this time.

    Lee was on the ground again clutching his stomach.  ¡°This is unfair!  When you shoot so many it¡¯s impossible for me to block or dodge them all¡±.

    The old man asked ¡°what is it you told me you liked wind magic so much?  You said you wanted the ability to use it to move around quickly.   As you read in those books, when it comes to blocking, wind is one of the worst forms of magic.  But, if you¡¯re able to use it to help you move, you should be able to dodge these attacks with ease.

    He shot a few more water spells at river.  The old man intentionally used water because it was easy to see and he could control how hard the impact was.  It was ideal for teaching defense.

    Lee tried to use wind magic to dodge the attacks but failed to control it properly.  He lost his balance and tumbled on the ground.  The old man said ¡°if you use too much power you might end up hurting yourself.    Was all that control and speed training I taught you for nothing brat?¡±

    The old man fired again. This time Lee was able to evade it; he knocked himself a little off balance but stayed on his feet.  The spar went on for about 10 minutes.  The old man said ¡°we¡¯re done for today.  You did well for your first time¡±.

    River kept his guard up ¡°how do I know this isn¡¯t a trick?¡±

    The old man answered ¡°It would be counterproductive to have you worried about a sneak attack while we train other things.  You can trust me that we will have no more sparring today.  I¡¯m disappointed you never tried to counter attack though.  Be sure to come up with an attack plan tomorrow¡±.

    River could tell the old man was telling the truth so let his guard down.  He walked up to Lee and said ¡°I¡¯ve taught you a lot on how to be a wizard; but I want you to keep something in mind.   While what I teach you is correct, it is up to you to make it your own.  As you continue down this path, you will learn you need to find your own style to fit your unique strengths¡±.

    Lee asked the old man ¡°what are my strengths?¡±

    The old man laughed ¡°that¡¯s something you should know better than I.  To name one, I¡¯d say the fact you¡¯re learning martial arts.  Most wizards will find a mix martial arts and magic hard to deal with.  I myself have almost entirely focused on magic, my martial arts skill novice at best.  You keep your ability to fight in mind as you face opponents¡±.

    They continued with their usual training the rest of the day.  The old wizard watched over Lee¡¯s progress with a growing pride.  Most youngsters would complain about the endless repetition of fundaments but Lee did them whole heartedly and with effort.  Even if his talent was 3<sup>rd</sup> rate his work ethic was second to none.

    The old man thought of his past experiences with magic.  Though he reached great heights he felt it was delayed because of weak fundamentals.  Due to his amazing natural talent he was able to make up for it and even as an adult get great results, but he was a rare exception.

    For most wizards you¡¯re stuck with the fundamentals you¡¯ve cultivated in your youth.  Though the old wizard was unsure of an exact age where training them becomes nearly pointless; he would guess once you get past the early 20s your body¡¯s fundaments are engraved and will not easily change.

    The old man had learned well from his past mistakes and developed what he was sure, would be the best methods for training young wizards.  Lee was receiving that instruction.  Though Lee may lag behind other young wizards for now in terms of raw magical power as he grew he would eventually reach heights that would leave them all in dust.  Well, almost all other wizards.    This was not his first student after all.

    He only now realized he was sad to have not seen many of them for so long.    He now knew in his heart Lee would be his final student, and this time he made sure to know his young students heart well.   He made sure there was no evil in it.  He hoped Lee and others he had trained would pass his teachings on to other worthy students after he was gone.

    Of course he was in no hurry to go just yet.  He knew before he left this world he had past mistakes to correct.  If it was the last thing he ever did he would be sure it was done.  The old man was pulled out of his thoughts by Lee ¡°it¡¯s getting dark now.  I need to go home but I¡¯ll be back tomorrow.  This time I¡¯ll have a plan ready for our spar, you just wait!¡±

    The old man laughed ¡°we¡¯ll see about that young brat¡±.

    Sparring became part of their regular training.  The old man believed in a practical approach to teaching and if one must ever use magic to fight, the best way to prepare was to practicing dueling over and over again.  As time when on Lee developed more techniques which were entirely his own.  He also incorporated more martial arts into his dueling.

    As weeks turns to months and months to years he continued to evolve his techniques.  He learned to cast spells nearly as fast as the old man.   His control over his magic increased and he was even able control some of his spells in the air.   The more powerful the spell the harder it is to control once released but being able to control even fairly simple and weak magic isn¡¯t easy.

    The old man emphasized using magic in creative ways.  He trained Lee on how to sense the magic in others so attacks there were unseen could be dodged or blocked.  The old man stressed how important this skill was.  He said ¡°remember, even with unremarkable magic, if you¡¯re caught off guard it can be deadly¡±.

    Lee felt a little bad the old man never directly taught Alura but she didn¡¯t complain about it.  She was happy to learn by Lee teaching her as she taught him how to fight.  Though she liked learning about magic her passion was more in hand to hand combat.    The years that went by were a happy time for Lee, Alura, the old man and Lee¡¯s family.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    *****

    Lee woke up on his 14<sup>th</sup> birthday.  After getting ready he headed down stairs to meet his mother and father.

    Lee¡¯s father said ¡°happy birthday.   You¡¯re growing up so fast; it seems only yesterday that you use to sit on my knee¡±

    Lee¡¯s mother said ¡°happy birthday sweetie, we¡¯re making your favorite again, boar stew.   It will be ready later tonight and you¡¯re teacher and Alura are coming over as well to celebrate¡±.  As she hugged him she noticed this was the first birthday Lee would be taller than her.   Yes it was only by maybe an inch, but still she was sad her baby boy was growing up.

    Lee asked his father ¡°do you want me to help you with the farm work today?¡±

    Lee father said ¡°no, take the day off and go meet your friend.  Actually, I¡¯m going to give you 3 silver coins to go into town and have some fun¡±.

    Lee hesitated saying ¡°father, I don¡¯t think we can afford that.  Getting the day off is already more than enough of a gift. Add the boar stew on top of it and I couldn¡¯t ask for anymore¡±.

    Lee¡¯s father brushed the comment aside and placed the money in his hand ¡°its fine Lee.  You don¡¯t get to go into town to have fun very often.  Usually whenever you go it¡¯s delivering something or picking it up.   The farm is doing well now.  We are fully out of debt and have been for a while.  Now go enjoy yourself.  You¡¯re only young once¡±.

    After a little more convincing Lee agreed to take the money and to use it to have a fun day on the town.  Before Lee left his mother asked him ¡°by the way Lee, we¡¯re curious.  How are you and Alura getting along these days?¡±

    Lee was confused ¡°we¡¯re getting along great of course.  She¡¯s my best friend after all.  Why do you ask?¡±

    Lee¡¯s mother went to sit with her husband at the table ¡°No reason, be sure to have fun and take her with you too.  It¡¯s more fun to go with someone else after all, right?¡±

    Lee agreed, of course it was more fun to go into town and have fun with a friend rather than alone.   Knowing she would be coming over for dinner he said to his parents ¡°remember, she doesn¡¯t like to be called Alura in person.  Stick with Al or Allie¡±.  Lee left the house to go to the stream.

    Lee¡¯s father said to his wife ¡°he sure isn¡¯t very perceptive when it comes to the ladies is he?¡±

    She raised her eyebrows at his comment ¡°look who¡¯s talking¡± and sipped from her glass.

    Knowing today was Lee¡¯s birthday and he¡¯d get the day off, Alura agreed to meet him in the morning instead of after Lunch.  They still met each other near the stream where they first met.  It was a natural half point between their 2 houses.

    Alura was there early in her usual clothes but was holding a bag she had brought with her.  When Lee came she waved to him.  ¡°Hello Lee, happy birthday!¡±

    Lee answered back ¡°Hello Al, so what¡¯s in the bag?  I thought we agreed not to give each other presents on our birthdays?¡±

    Alura said ¡°oh, that¡¯s for later.  Anyway, you¡¯re parents told me they wanted to you go and have fun in town so I brought something along for that.  Still, I want to keep our tradition of a daily sparring match alive before we go, if that¡¯s okay with you?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve gotten close to beating you a few time recently.  You better watch out today!¡±.

    She laughed ¡°Big talk for a man who has never won even once!  You¡¯ve gotten close a few times recently just cause of luck and you know it!¡±  She put the bag on the ground and stepped into the open field.  They squared off against each other and took their stances.

    Its true Lee had gotten close to defeating her numerous times; increasingly so over the past six months.  They never thought about it much, but the reason why was clear.  Lee was growing bigger and developing more muscle.   Alura had grown too but Lee was starting to outpace her.  She found she had to be much more careful with all her holds or he would counter them and over power her.

    She was still the more skilled of the 2 and that was a gap that might never close.  She had trained since she was 3 by some of the best fighters in the entire continent.   But Lee had been trained by her for 6 years now and was clearly highly skilled too.  His execution was only slightly worse than hers.  But his weight and strength advantage had grown.  He easily had 10 pounds of muscle more at this point.

    Alura tried to strike him but couldn¡¯t get through his defense.   The strikes that did hit where not clean and she felt he was able to brush off the comparatively weak attacks.  She saw him over extend trying to get a hold on her and countered it.  She took him to the ground to try to lock her hold in and force him to give up.  She pulled hard with all her might but she couldn¡¯t get it fully locked in place.

    He knew what she was up to and fought with all his might.  He was in a worse position than her and she had used her superior skills to get him there.  She would not let him escape easily.  She felt him start to give just a bit.  Right when she thought she was about to win she felt him trying to break her hold.

    Even being in a better position she felt her grip on him loosening.  He was turning on the ground making it hard for her to keep her hold.  She felt a great surge of strength from him and he was free and putting her in a lock of his own.  She tried to get away but being on the ground she didn¡¯t have the mobility.

    She attempted to counter him but on the ground she could move liked she wanted.  This reminded her of the same feeling she felt when training with her father.  The force being used was just too strong and her arms and body could not resist.   She felt it lock it.  She tried to escape but the hold was tight and expertly done.  One of her arms was now pinned and the other was in a useless position to do anything.

    She tried to generate power from her hips but on the ground with his weight on her it was meaningless.  She couldn¡¯t break the hold.  Her face turned red in anger ¡°let me go!¡±

    Lee said ¡°then you give up?¡±

    Alura said ¡°I¡¯m not admitting to anything.  Now let me go!¡±

    Lee laughed and said ¡°come on, don¡¯t be like this.  This is the first time I beat you.  Can¡¯t you give me some credit or at least admit defeat this once?¡±

    She turned her head away from him and said nothing.  Lee saw a strange red blush appear on her face he didn¡¯t understand.  He felt like it would be best just to let her up though even if she didn¡¯t want to admit he won.  He released her stood up offering her a hand.

    She took it but didn¡¯t look at him.  She turned away from him started kicking up clumps of grass and rocks.  Lee said ¡°come on don¡¯t be a sore loser.  How many times have you beaten me?  Look, we all have to lose sometime don¡¯t we?¡±

    She turned to him and said ¡°don¡¯t think this changes anything!  I¡¯ll beat you next time for sure!¡±  Lee thought she would with a look that determined.  She stared at the stream silently for a long time.  ¡°Do you remember the first time we met and I protected you from those bullies?¡±

    Lee said ¡°of course I do.  I¡¯ll always remember that day.  You really helped me out.  I¡¯m sad I got picked on, but seeing how it was able to make the 2 of us friends, I¡¯d say it was worth it¡±.

    She smiled at that.  ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot since then.  I thought you were the weakness kid I¡¯ve ever seen, but look at you now.  You managed to even beat me.  You¡¯ve gotten strong Lee¡±.

    Lee smiled ¡°it¡¯s all thanks to your training.¡±

    Alura was quiet for a while and said ¡°So you agreed you¡¯ve changed...  Do you think I¡¯ve changed too?¡±

    Lee looked at Alura.  She had gotten taller.  Lee remembered when she had shorter hair like most boys, but she grew it out over the past few years and now in a ponytail it fell below her neck.  Her green eyes were always eye catching.  He also noticed she was starting to get more feminine curves too.  Not that he really cared.  She was like a sister to him after all.  But he had to admit a lot of boys his aged did stop to look at her now.

    Lee said ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve definitely changed a lot too.   You¡¯re really starting to more look grown up Al¡±.

    She smiled as he said that ¡°You know Lee, it¡¯s okay if you call me Alura, but just you.   To everyone else it¡¯s Allie¡±.

    Lee asked ¡°when did you stop wanting to be called Al?¡±

    She laughed ¡°that was a while ago.  You¡¯re the only one who still did it¡±.

    Lee wasn¡¯t aware of when that started to happen.  He said ¡°Okay, Alura it is then¡±.

    Alura turned to Lee with a slight redness in her cheeks ¡°Lee, if you get stronger than me then you need to promise to protect me alright?¡±

    Lee was taken aback by this.  He always knew her as someone who would hate others to protect her.  Still he needed to answered ¡°of course I¡¯d protect you.  You know that!¡±

    She walked up to him, now less than a foot from his face ¡°No matter what?¡±

    Lee was confused by this but said ¡°Of course, no matter what¡±.  She blushed and turned away.  Lee asked ¡°are you feeling okay?  I thought you always wanted to be the type to protect yourself¡±.

    She laughed and gave a shy innocent look.  ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯d be okay being protected, if it was you¡±.

    She picked up her bag and said ¡°well, we had our match, now let¡¯s go into town.  Your treat right?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Yeah my treat, I know you aren¡¯t the type to pay if you don¡¯t have to.¡±  He teased

    She laughed and said ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind being paid for as long as it¡¯s¡­ well, I anyone I guess¡± she teased.

 Chapter 17: Worst First Date Ever

    Lee and Alura walked into town side by side. They were both in a good mood but Alura seemed to be particularly happy. Right as they were entered town they stopped by a tavern. Alura said ¡°just wait here, I¡¯ll be right out in a few minutes¡±.

    Before Lee could say anything she rushed inside. He decided to use the time waiting to think of what to do. They could go play some games. Maybe pay a singer for a song. Just walking around the town itself would be nice too. But where would be a really good spot to eat?

    As he was pondering this he saw Alura step out of the tavern. When he saw her his jaw dropped in surprise. She changed out of the clothes she had used to train and spar with him before and was in a very beautiful white dress with matching heels. It was the first time he had ever seen her wear such a thing. He was surprised by how well it looked on her. He never thought of her wearing clothing like that.

    She looked at him in silence as if waiting for him to say something. Finally she asked ¡°so, what do you think? Does it look good?¡±

    Lee smiled ¡°It really does, I¡¯ve never seen you in a dress before. I thought you said you didn¡¯t like all that girlie stuff like dresses and dancing.¡±

    She rolled her eyes ¡°people can change their mind you know. Not everything we say at 8 or 9 is how we''ll feel for the rest of our lives. As it so happens, I usually don¡¯t like those things just for your information; but for certain occasions they can be fun. To be honest, it isn¡¯t that bad except the heels are a uncomfortable and hard to move it¡±.

    Lee said ¡°If you want, you can take them off.¡±

    She gave Lee the kind of look where he felt she might slap him over the head. She simply answered ¡°you know Lee; sometimes you can be really stupid. Are you sure you¡¯re 14 today and not 10?¡± Before Lee could answer she sighed and said ¡°just forget it, so what do you want to do? Let¡¯s be sure to have fun today. That''s the most important thing after all¡±.

    This whole conversation threw Lee off a bit. The buy time to think of how he should react to that Lee asked ¡°so where are the clothes you were wearing when we walk into town?¡±

    Alura answered ¡°the girl who works here is a friend of mind. She''s holding on to them for me¡±.

    Lee still wasn¡¯t sure why what he said wrong. He decided it was best to ignore it and move on with plans for today. ¡°Well, I was thinking we could go and find some games to play. There isn¡¯t a fair in town but I know where they have a few ''fair like'' games year round that I always wanted to try¡±.

    She smiled and said ¡°well then, let¡¯s go. Today is your birthday so I¡¯ll do anything you want¡± she blushed and then said ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll go do the things you want to do. Games and activities and things like that¡±.

    Lee laughed and said ¡°well of course, it¡¯s my birthday after all. When it¡¯s your birthday I¡¯d do anything you¡¯d ask me¡±.

    She shook her head and said ¡°Lee, just show me where the games are¡±. As they were walking Lee thought he heard her whisper ¡°anything?¡± When he asked her what she said she insisted she didn¡¯t say a word.

    Once they arrived at the games booth Lee made sure to give them both an equal chance to play. One was a game involving tossing rings around bottles. Another one they played was throwing darts at a target. If you got any in the middle you''d win a prize. Lee found it nearly impossible to do. In the end he used just a little bit of wind magic to help him hit the target but made sure not to get caught using it.

    He gave Alura the prize which was fluffy bunny doll. The man who ran the games said ¡°I just want to say, I think you two make such a cute couple¡±.

    Before Lee could tell him they were just friends Alura said ¡°thank you so much!¡± to the man and grabbed Lee to pull him away.

    Lee asked her ¡°Why did you say that?¡±

    She just shrugged and said ¡°Why do you care so much if he thinks we¡¯re a couple? Does it matter to you what he thinks?¡±

    Lee said ¡°I guess not¡±.

    Her brow furrowed together as she asked with a hint of annoyance ¡°Then do you think I¡¯m not cute enough to be someone¡¯s girlfriend?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Of course not, you look really cute, especially in that dress. I didn¡¯t mean it like that at all!¡±

    She smiled at that and said ¡°thank you Lee. You know, a lot of guys recently have started to say how cute I look. I¡¯m turning 14 as well in a month. What do you think about other guys asking me out?¡±

    Lee said ¡°I don''t know. I guess I never thought of it. Have you said yes to any dates?¡±

    Alura said ¡°Why do you ask? Would you care if I did?¡±

    Lee answered ¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯d like to meet any guy you¡¯d like to date. I don¡¯t want you with some jerk or anything¡±.

    Alura was a bit annoyed by the answer ¡°Well, just for your peace of mind, I haven¡¯t gone out with anyone. I am very picky about the kind of man I¡¯d let take me out¡±.

    Lee said ¡°picky how?¡±

    Alura paused for a long moment and said ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡±

    Lee said ¡°Fine, be that way. Anyway, I¡¯m hungry. There''s this particular tavern I want to eat at, but it''s on the other side of town. I heard it has really good chicken¡±.

    Alura said ¡°that¡¯s a long way to walk around the main street. Can we cut through the alleys?¡±

    Lee answered ¡°I think we can. I should be able to at least get us close and then we can find it easily on the main street. It''s such a pain the main street is in a U like shape in this town¡±.

    Alura answered ¡°well, I¡¯m pretty hungry too so let¡¯s see take the short cut.¡±

    They decided to go through the alleys. There were a lot of houses back there that were rented out and a few small shops, but not many. Lee wished he went to town more. Lee hoped it would be a nearly straight path but there were more turns here than he thought there would be. Lee asked ¡°I feel like we keep getting turned around in here. Do you want to just go back to the main street?¡±

    ¡°Well hello there kids. What are you doing here? Did you get lost?¡± A man in a black clothes asked.

    Alura answered ¡°we''re just trying to find the main street. Is it close to here?¡±

    The man said ¡°the main street? Well, you must have gotten turned around a lot. You''re nowhere near the main street young lady¡±.

    Lee didn¡¯t like how he said that. He saw the look on Alura and saw she didn¡¯t like it either. Lee said ¡°Well, then we''ll just find our way back then. ¡°

    Another man came out from the shadows ¡°why do you want to go back so fast? You''re being mighty unfriendly.¡± As he said that 2 more man appeared from around the corner.

    Lee was now looking around at the area more closely. This was clearly a part of town you didn¡¯t want to be in. He only saw abandoned homes and business. ¡°Tell you what, for being so rude how about you compensate us? Everything you have on you should do it. You really hurt my feelings after all¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I¡¯m not giving you anything. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll walk away. You¡¯re picking the wrong people to try to rob¡±.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The 4 of them laughed ¡°you talk pretty tough; trying to impress the young lady no doubt? I can see why. She''s a very cute girl¡±. He gave Alura a long look up and down ¡°your boyfriend is about to get very badly hurt. Maybe you could convince us not to hurt him too bad if you decide to be really nice to me behind this alley..¡±

    She gave him a deadly look ¡°you know, I was going to tell you to walk away for your own good before you said that. Now I''ve decided I¡¯m not going to let you walk away unharmed¡±. She pointed at him and turned to Lee ¡°I want to deal with this one without interference. Can you take care of the other three for me?¡±

    Lee rolled his eyes ¡°fine, just be sure to not get blood on your dress. It looks expensive¡±. Lee faced the other three men.

    Just as the man was about to say some remark Alura interrupted ¡°I¡¯m pretty hungry, let¡¯s get this over with quick¡±. He was enraged by her comments but more by her lack of fear. He charged at her looking to give her a good punch in the stomach. She stood her ground and simply pushed his hooked punched down towards the ground. He was knocked off balance by his own swing. His momentum making him slight tip forward and left.

    Alura elbowed him in the jaw and nose as he fell downward increasing the force of the impact. Blood gushed from his mouth and nose and 2 teeth feel on the pavement. He covered his face laying on the ground giving out muffled screams and moans as blood fell through the gaps in his fingers and gathered in a small puddle on the ground.

    The other 3 men charged at River seeing their leader hurt; one head on and 2 from the sides. The one charging River straight on drew his arm as far back as he could and then through his punch at River. Lee ducked it and using his momentum he brought his knee up towards the man¡¯s stomach. The attacker clutched his stomach and sank to the ground, perhaps a rib broken or two.

    With the other two quickly closing in from either side he extended his arms towards them and opened his hands. He shot wind magic from both hands that pushed them back hard against the alley walls. Lee walked toward the man on the ground who was clutching at his chest to deliver a knock out blow.

    The man said ¡°please, no more! I already have a few broken ribs. I give up!¡±

    Lee said ¡°you were going to rob us and then let your friend have his way with my companion. All that and you think you can just walk away without learning your lesson?¡±

    The man said ¡°please! I didn¡¯t know he was going to say that. I just met these people recently. I need the money for my sister. I lost my job and had no choice but to steal to bring us food till I find a new one. All I wanted was a little money. I didn¡¯t want to hurt anyone. After hearing what he said I would have left this group and never have come back. Can¡¯t you please understand? Isn¡¯t there someone you would steal for to feed as well?¡±

    Lee hesitated. He bent down towards the man and asked ¡°how badly are you hurt?¡±

    Te man was holding his stomach and replied ¡°you broke a few ribs at least. It¡¯s hard to breath¡±. He doubled over even more in pain turning towards the ground.

    Lee said ¡°look, I can use healing magic to help-¡° the man snapped up from his position and struck Lee in the stomach. Instantly Lee noticed It felt very odd. He had never been hit like this before. Way did it feel different? He looked down and he saw on the end of the man¡¯s hand was a knife. At least it was the end of a knife. Where was the rest? Why was he holding a broken knife against him? Why was the area around it turning red? He felt an odd, cold sensation.

    The man pulled the knife out and blood from Lee¡¯s stomach began to spill on stone pathway of the alley. Alura screamed ¡°LEE!¡± she tried to turn and run to him but in her haste to do so her heel broke. She had turned too fast and with too much force. She felt herself fall off balance and used her hand to brace her fall. As she was pulling herself up to run towards him she felt a strong kick in her side.

    The man she elbowed in the face was now standing up. The force of his kick sent her slightly in the air and knocked the wind out of her. She tried to get up but he kicked her again. She grabbed his leg and tried to pull him down to the ground but was unable to breath and didn¡¯t have the energy to force him off his feet. Just as she was trying to do it one the men Lee used wind magic on was on top of her and grabbed her.

    ¡°Feisty little bitch isn¡¯t she? Look what she did to your face.¡± He said.

    The man she struck spit blood on the alley floor and said to her ¡°you''re going to regret ever pissing me off¡±. He pulled a knife out and slide it across her cheek drawing a little blood. ¡°I am going to make sure no man will ever want to look at your soon to be deformed face again. ¡°You better enjoy what I''m about to do to you, cause I¡¯ll be the last guy to ever touch you¡±. He kicked her over and over again.

    She tried to block and fight back but with the other man holding her down it was impossible. He was much stronger than her and she was already hurt. After they were sure she couldn¡¯t fight back the man said ¡°I¡¯ll go first, you¡¯ll all get a turn after. I¡¯ll wait till after we''re done to cut her up¡±.

    The man next to him said ¡°what about the other one?¡±

    The man with the bloody face grabbed Alura by the wrist and began to drag her into the alley. ¡°Check him for money. If he dies tell me, I don¡¯t want to leave any witnesses in that case¡±.

    Lee was on the street bleeding and being kicked and punched by 2 men. Now that the initial shock had passed he knew he had been stabbed and was bleeding badly. He managed to turn on his front and put his hand over his wound. He felt the others kicking and hitting him.

    He closed his eyes and blocked it out. He knew he had to help Alura. His hesitation got him stabbed and caused her to go off guard. If anything happened to her it would be his fault. He tried to ignore the beating and pain as best her could and focused on healing his wound. He needed to stop the bleeding before anything else. He felt their hits letting up as he laid still.

    Someone asked ¡°did he pass out?¡± Another said ¡°he might be dead, maybe you got an artery or something. There is a lot of blood after all.¡±

    The stop in the attack made it easier for Lee to heal the wound. Though they beat fairly badly besides the wound they didn¡¯t do that much debilitating. They were not true fighters. They didn¡¯t know where to aim for weak spots or the best ways to attack vulnerable areas. A lot of kicks had hit his arms and he felt his ribs were at most cracked but he could still move somewhat. The wound was now healed in his stomach and Lee was breathing more easily.

    He heard Alura¡¯s voice ask weakly ¡°Lee, are you okay?¡±

    He heard a couple large slaps ¡°Still fighting? It¡¯s useless you dumb bitch. You¡¯re only making this harder on yourself!¡±

    He heard Alura grunt in pain and start to scream out cry his name. He felt an anger rise up inside himself he¡¯d never felt. The other 3 were huddled a little away from him asking what they should do if he was dead. They probably would need to kill the girl too they decided. Lee turned on his back and looked up at them with pure hatred ¡°you¡¯re all going to die¡±.

    His body was in bad shape but he still had a large amount of mana. Before they could react he used a powerful gust of wind. It blew them high into the air up over 10 feet and into the wall behind them which was over 15 feet away. He heard bones crack on impact. As they fell to the ground they were all he saw at least 2 of them had legs bending in unnatural ways. He didn''t know if they were alive or dead. He didn''t care.

    Lee picked himself up and walked toward the Alley ¡°Alura?!¡± He limped as he walked slowly. His palm faced the alley. Out walked the man holding her in front of him with a knife to her throat. Her dress was ripped but still on. Lee was thankful for that.

    The man said ¡°you make one wrong move and I¡¯ll slit her pretty little throat¡±.

    Lee walked closer and closer. The man yelled ¡°stop walking towards me or I¡¯ll kill her!¡±

    Lee chanted a spell while looking at the man. A small and shape looking wind spell now rested in his hand. Lee said ¡°if you hurt her, I¡¯ll cut you into tiny pieces¡­ slowly¡±.

    Alura with all the strength she had left used her hands to grab the arm holding the knife and pull it up and away from her. It was only a few inches but it was enough. Let shot his spell at the man¡¯s hand. He dropped the knife, his wrist was over half severed and blood poured out of it. He screamed and let go of Alura. He tried to rip off part of his shirt with his good hand and wrap it around his wrist.

    He yelled to Lee ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done! My hand, oh my god it hurts. There¡¯s so much blood. I don¡¯t want to die!¡±

    Lee walked towards him still holding up his palm. The man said ¡°please, I swear I won''t ever appear before you again. I didn¡¯t mean it. Please, you need to take me to a hospital. I''m worried I''ll bleed out at this rate¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll never hesitate to protect someone again¡±. With that he used a large gust of wind to push him hard against the a nearby alley wall. The man hit it and went limp. Lee turned to Alura he asked ¡°are you okay? I¡¯m so sorry about this. It¡¯s all my fault¡±.

    She weakly said ¡°it¡¯s not your fault Lee. Don¡¯t blame yourself. In any case, I fought him and he didn¡¯t get what he wanted. I think my father would be proud of me¡±. She smiled at him trying to be brave but tears were in her eyes. Lee bent down and held her. She put her head against his chest and cried.

    ¡°Lee, thank you. I was so scared. I thought you might be dead. I called for you but you didn¡¯t answer¡±. She cried more ¡°but I knew you¡¯d save me. You promised right. And you¡¯d never break a promise to me. So I knew I would be okay¡±.

    Lee felt pathetic. He knew a large part of them getting out of this was luck. His mistake almost cost him his life; but more importantly, her life. Lee said ¡°I¡¯m going to heal you now, hold still¡±. He began to run healing magic all through her body. Healing his knife stab before cost him a lot of mana, but he would be damned if he wasn''t going to heal her completely.

    He closed his eyes and focused his mana and control. He felt himself starting to run out but he pushed though. He wasn¡¯t able to sense how bad her injuries where anymore. He was too exhausted. Soon she shook him ¡°Lee, you can stop. I¡¯m fine now¡±.

    He looked down at her. He could tell she was fine. The internal injuries were all gone; all that was left was a little bruising and the small scar on her cheek. He put his hand over it to try to heal it but he had no mana left. Lee said ¡°sorry, it looks like I can¡¯t heal the scar on your cheek. I hope you can forgive me¡±.

    She said ¡°It¡¯s fine Lee, now heal yourself¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I¡¯m tired. I used too much¡­¡± he fell to the floor unconscious.

    Alura cried ¡°Lee? LEE?¡± He didn¡¯t respond. She got up and ran to get help.

 Chapter 18: Healing and Moving Forward

    Alura returned with town guards and a doctor as fast as she could. 2 of the men would need to go to a hospital to have the bones in their legs fixed. It would take them a long time until they were able to walk. Another would never have any feeling below his waist or movement in his legs. The man who assaulted Alura would live despite the heavy blood loss. His hand would never work again.

    All four were heading to the hospital and then to the dungeons. As for Lee, his injuries were tended to but not overly serious since he healed the stab wound. But when it comes to over use of mana, the only solution is rest. It wasn''t until mid afternoon that he woke up. Alura was sitting next to him. She had changed back into her training clothes by now.

    Lee woke and tried to sit up in bed ¡°Lee, how are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere? Do you want some water?¡± Alura blurt out question after question not giving Lee a chance to answer.

    Lee said ¡°I''m fine. More importantly, how are you?¡±

    Alura said ¡°Don''t worry, I''m okay. I sent a message to your parents about what happened and they''re coming down to get you. One of them went to tell the wizard as well so don''t worry about that. He will be there for dinner at your house tonight so you can talk there¡±.

    Lee slowly nodded his head to acknowledge he heard what she said. Lee looked Alura in the eyes and said ¡°I''m so sorry. If it wasn''t for me you wouldn''t have been caught off guard. That piece of scum hit you and grabbed you and....¡± He stopped short and then blurted out another thought. You''re dress is ruined too. That couldn''t have been cheap¡±. All Lee could think to say after that was ¡°I promise you, next time I''ll be stronger.¡±

    Alura put her arms around him ¡°it''s okay. Don''t blame yourself. You saved me Lee. You were stabbed in the stomach and you still managed to stop them. I''m so proud of you. I feel useless. I was fighting just one guy and I managed to screw that up. I''m not good at healing magic like you so I couldn''t fix your injuries like you did mine. I''ll be stronger next time too¡±.

    Just as she said that she heard a door burst open. ¡°Oh my sweet baby boy! Look what they did to you!¡± Lee mother rushed to in. Alura managed to break the hug just before Lee''s mother could see it. She would be way to embarrassed by that.

    Lee answered back ¡°I''m find, don''t worry. I''m just a little tired¡±.

    Lee''s mother said ¡°Do you want something to eat or drink sweetie? Just name anything and mother will get it for¡±.

    Lee answered ¡°just some water and maybe a piece of bread would be fine. Thank you mother¡±.

    Alura handed Lee''s mother 4 silver coins ¡°this is what we didn''t spend when out. You should have it back¡±.

    Lee''s mother said ¡°thank you dear, I''ll be right back!¡±

    After she left Lee asked ¡°does she know I was stabbed?¡±

    Alura said ¡°Only I and the doctor know. I swore him to secrecy¡±.

    Lee said ¡°Good, if she found out I was stabbed I think she would try to never let me leave the house again¡±. Lee was silent for a moment and said ¡°does your father know what that man tried to do to you?¡±

    Alura said ¡°considering the state of the dress it was impossible to lie about. I could try to ask them not to tell him but their too scared of my father. While you were asleep he was here to checked on me. About an hour ago he went to the dungeon when he heard they were finally transferred there¡±.

    Lee didn''t ask what she thought he was going to do. He figured whatever it was that man would deserve it and worse. Lee meant to kill him with his wind attack. He only held back because he wanted to be sure he had enough power to heal Alura.

    After a while Lee'' mom returned. She brought in a pitcher of water and a bag full of bread for Lee. Of course it was way more than he would need; but what else would he expect from her given the situation?

    After Lee was feeling a little stronger and was allowed to leave. Alura left too saying she wanted to change her clothes for dinner tonight. Lee asked her to bring the dress she wore today as he thought the old wizard could maybe do something about it. When Lee got home his father had jut arrived there.

    ¡°Lee, I went to the hospital to see you but by the time I got there you''ve both left. I guess we took different routes to get back here. How are you feeling?¡±

    Lee answered ¡°just a little tired after the walk home. I want to rest in my bed until dinner if that''s okay¡±. Of course they said it was.

    A little under 2 hours later they woke Lee up to tell him the food was ready and everyone had arrived. Lee walked down stairs to see Alura and the old wizard¡±.

    The old wizard said ¡°I heard about your run in today Lee. That is a nasty business. Why don''t you sit down here and I will see what I can do for the wounds you still have¡± Lee agreed to do so. While the hospital applied aid, being healed by a wizard was more effective.

    Lee sat down and the old man placed a hand on his shoulder. The old man had used healing magic on him a number of times before and Lee felt the familiar power running through his body. He noticed the old man lift an eye brow slightly. He put his hand over Lee'' stomach for a moment. Then gave Lee a pat on the back and said ¡°all done! There will be a little light scaring but nothing too bad.

    Lee turned to the old man and asked ¡°can you do something for Alura? That small scar on her cheek she got today is something I really would like you to heal if you can¡±.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The old man wrinkled his brow¡°I can try to help if she wishes but as you know healing magic doesn''t do much to fix scaring. Particularly when not applied right away to a wound¡±.

    Alura simply said ¡°it''s fine sir. I''m not worried about it. If you can make it a little less noticeable that would be nice but don''t think I''ll be heart broken if you can''t¡±.

    The old wizard said ¡°very well then, I''ll do what I can¡±. He put his hand on her cheek and closed his eyes attempting to focus. After a short while he opened them and said ¡°that is the best I can do I''m afraid¡±.

    Alura looked at herself in the mirror and gave a smile ¡°I think you did great, it''s lighter than before. Unless someone really looks closely they would have a hard time seeing it¡±.

    Lee agreed the old man had done a great job. But Lee would always know the scar is there. It would remind him of his failure and that he had to train harder in the future. Lee asked the old wizard ¡°there is one last thing I would like to ask you if you''d be so kind. Alura brought a dress here today. If you could take it home and see what you can do about it that would be great¡±.

    The old man agreed ¡°of course, I shall do what I can for lovely young Allie. It''s sad this had to happen today. And here I was all excited to come tonight and hear about your date¡±.

    Lee was about to say they were just friends but Alura interrupted ¡°So is dinner almost ready Mrs. River? I have to admit, I''ve looked forward to this all day. I do love your boar stew!¡±

    They ate together talking about past days that were more pleasant. As they finished and the old man prepared to leave Lee asked to speak with him outside for a moment since they didn''t get any time to meet up today. His parents said it was fine and were cleaning up as he was leaving.

    Outside the house the old man said to Lee ¡°I''m sorry you had to go through this. Obviously, some things happened you wish didn''t. The important thing is you and Allie are in one piece. Hopefully this is an experience you can learn from and build on. If you do that then it will not have been in vain¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I hesitated, I realize my mistake. It''s like you said. A single moment of dropping your guard even for the most powerful wizard can be deadly. I almost learned that far too well today¡±.

    The wizard ask ¡°do your parent know you were stabbed?¡±

    Lee said ¡°No, and I don''t plan to tell them. Did you fix the wound when you healed me?¡±

    The old man said ¡°I did what I could but you will still have a small scar. Lucky it''s right on the area your belly button is so it will be easy to cover up¡±.

    Lee said ¡°thank you old wizard. Don''t you think it''s odd you never told me your name?¡±

    The wizard answered ¡°it really isn''t that impressive of a name¡±.

    Lee was silent for a moment and then said ¡°you''re the wizard from the story aren''t you? You''re the one who helped humanity fight back the demon invasion.¡±

    The old wizard asked ¡°What makes you think that?¡±

    Lee answered ¡°a lot of things. For one, I''ve never heard a version of the story where that old wizard gave his name. Obviously he is a very private person... like someone else I know¡±.

    The old wizard said ¡°well that is hardly proof of anything¡±.

    Lee continued ¡°You fit the same age. From what I''ve gather from the story when he helped fight off the demon invasion the wizard was in his late 20s or early 30s. No exact age was given by the wizard but most people who saw him agree that is how he looked¡±.

    Lee river continued ¡°Let''s say he was exactly 30 when the demon invasion came to an end. For the next 10 years it''s said he wondered around the continent before he decided to find children to pass on his direction knowledge of magic. He over the next 10 years he found the children he wanted to teach and trained them. Then about 18 years ago the barrier up and he was not heard from again¡±

    Lee continued ¡°add all that together and you get a man about 68 years old give or take a few year. I would say that is your age about. Not to mentioned I was able to see one of the paintings of the old wizard recently. The hair is brown and longer and the face is fuller but I''m pretty sure it''s you from your younger days¡±.

    The old man laughed ¡°basing it on age and a picture? A lot of wizards are around that are my age. As for the picture, if you look at 2 different paintings you''re likely to get 2 very different looking faces. Of course you''ll find one that looks like a young me.¡±

    Finally Lee said ¡°most importantly, I have seen your magic. I can sense how strong it is even when you hold back. I''ve had this suspicion a while to be honest¡±.

    The old wizard said ¡°and if I was that wizard, what would you think?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Well, it would be interesting for sure, I would still think of you as the old man you''ve always been to me though... almost like an adoptive grandfather¡±. Lee was surprised to hear that come out her his mouth. He only realized now it was true.

    The old wizard smiled at that last comment and then laughed ¡°I''m a couple years younger than 68 just so you know. This beard and hair style makes me just look a tiny bit older than I am.¡±

    Lee asked ¡°so you admit you''re him?¡±

    The old wizard shook his head ¡°I admit nothing. Now I''m off to my house. I shall see you tomorrow!

    As he left Lee saw Alura''s father walking up the road. It appeared he was not about to let her walk home alone tonight. Lee could understand why given what happened this morning. Soon Lee''s evening turned to night.

    The next day dawned and Lee went about his usual routine. It wasn''t until he was at the old man''s house that he noticed something odd something odd. The old man was already waiting for Lee outside the house with a package sitting on his stairs.

    Lee asked ¡°What''s going on? This is very usually for you to be waiting out here for me¡±.

    The old man handed him a package that held Alura''s fixed dress and answered ¡°there is something I have to check out in a few other provinces, but it will take a little while. I''m afraid I''ll be gone for close to 2 years¡±.

    Lee was in shock. He asked ¡°but who is going to teach me then? Is this about what I said last night?¡±

    The old man waved his hand in the air dismissively ¡°no it isn''t about any of that. As for who will teach you... well, you have all the books you can read in my library which you are welcome too. Also, to be frank I don''t have anymore to teach you at the moment. Simply go on growing your powers stronger and focus on duel casting. Part of learning to be a great wizard is learning how to teach yourself.

    Eventually you will encounter things I never showed you or prepared you for and you need to be able to learn from it or adapt to fight it¡±.

    Lee hung his head done in sadly and asked ¡°why are you going?¡±

    The old man answered ¡°I''ve heard stories about the barrier and I want to examine it at various parts all over the continent. I want to see for myself if they are true¡±.

    Lee asked ¡°when will you be back?¡±

    The old man said ¡°I''ll be back hopefully in time for your 16th birthday and before the magic academy exams happen. Don''t worry Lee, even as you are now I would say you''d be able to get into the school of your choice. Keep working on your power and control.¡±

    The old man stood up ¡°I really need to set out now because daylight is wasting. I''ll see you soon though River my boy! 2 years may seem long but it will fly by before you know it.¡±

    After their good byes the old man gave him the keys to his house and a few more tips on things to work on while he was gone. After that he made his way towards town to find a carriage to travel in. Lee sat on the front step of the old man''s house. He would be sad not to see his friend for nearly 2 years. He would need to be sure the next time he saw him that he was a student he could be proud of.

    He stood up to go to the library. He would not waste this time. The old man was right. Two years would go by before he knew it and he needed to make as much progress as possible. The old man turned out to be right as usual. The time went by quickly.

 Chapter 19: The Return

    Alura''s 16<sup>th</sup> birthday and three months before the magic academy exam.

    *****

    River walked into the open field. During the time since his 14<sup>th</sup> birthday he had grown bigger and stronger. The daily training had made his muscles prominent for his age. He stood 5''8 and a solid 160 lbs. While he was strong, he made sure to focus on his quickness and agility the most, so he would be able to dodge magic spells. He took his fighting stance.

    Alura stood confidently in her stance. She stood 5''4 and 130 lbs. Her curves had become more noticeable in the last 2 years. Her green eyes had the same color at the fertile grass. Back when she and River first met it would be easily to mistake her for a boy. Now it would be impossible. She had become more deadly but also more beautiful.

    She ran at Lee and attacked holding nothing bad. Her punches landed heavily on Lee''s arms. He blocked them but was still amazed by how much force she could generate. She closed distance and tried to use her elbows and knees. Lee backed away managing to block and dodge every attack. He would rather dodge than block those heavy hits, but it was all he could do to keep from letting one get through his guard.

    Lee tried to go for a hold but she jumped back. Over the last year she had learned it was a bad idea to get into grappling range with Lee. He had simply become too strong. She ducked down and tried to sweep him at the knees. Lee dodged only by a hair and then closed. He threw straights at her body and forced her to block them. He was not putting his entire force in the punches anymore.

    Ever since a little over a year ago when he started to see the bruises form on her arms. It was then he had decided to hold back on his power a bit. He struck with an open fist until he could grab her wrist. Once he got her, he pulled her to him. She shifted her weight with the quickness of lightning and got her hand on on his wrist; grabbing the hand that grabbed her and used the hold to try to get him on the ground and get his back. He needed to follow her throw or his wrist may break.

    Without him noticing she managed to used her leg to kick his foot out from under him, causing him to lose his balance a he tried to control his landing. He used the momentum of the fall and the strength of the grip he still had on her to pull her with him and they both went down together. She couldn''t get to his back like she wanted to. Both were on the ground but Alura had the better position. She tried to get up but he kept her in the dirt with him.

    When she couldn''t get up she tried to user her superior position to win by getting an arm bar. She found his arm had no give. She felt herself was actually the one starting to give. He was using his other hand and and leg to try to get her on her back. She knew this was going badly for her and in a last ditch effort she let go of her hold on him entirely and tried to used all her strength to jump away. She thought she might have done it but then she felt his hand re-establish it grip.

    In a matter of a few seconds after that it was over. Lee had her in an inescapable hold. She scoffed at her predicament and said ¡°fine, I give up¡±. She hated how use she had gotten to saying that these days.

    She remembered the first time he''d won when he was 14. It wasn''t until next month that he managed to win again. It continued to happen more and more as the year went on. By the end of that year winning had became a rare event for her. Once Lee turned 15 she had managed to beat him only 1 time and that was when he had just recently turned 15. It now had been a year since she had won a match with him and it kept seeming more like she would never be able to again.

    Lee let go and sat down on the grass to rest. Even when he won his matches with her it was still exhausting. Alura sat up but stayed on the ground next to him. Lee said ¡°you know, you really should incorporate more magic attacks into your fighting style.¡±

    She answered back ¡°I incorporate it enough. Besides, didn''t you say we shouldn''t use magic in our sparring matches?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Yes, but only because I don''t want to do too much damage to the surrounding area. I''ve taught you everything about magic that I know. We use it more often when we fight from now on and you should be more confident in your magic skills¡±.

    Alura answered ¡°I suppose I¡¯m okay at it, but I can''t even duel cast yet. I''m not some sort of magic freak like who puts in hours of work in every night¡±. She laid back down on the ground as they shared silence. ¡°You really have gotten strong Lee, I think the old wizard would be proud of you. Any update on when he''s coming back?¡±

    Lee said ¡°hopefully sometime today, but it could be later. In the letter he sent he also mentioned the Zero Province Magic Academy will have an acceptance exam in about 3 months and that is where he thinks I should go¡±.

    Alura asked ¡°Did he say why it should be that school?¡±

    Lee answered ¡°He said he would tell me more when he get''s here. But it sounds like it might be the best out of all of them in Province Zero from what I''ve heard¡±.

    Alura said ¡°The best huh? How strong do you think the other wizards are that go there?¡±

    Lee said ¡°I''ve no idea, the old man is the only wizard I have ever trained with unless I also count you.. I bet they''re probably pretty strong though. When I get there I suppose I''ll just have to feel it out¡±. Lee turned to her and asked ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to come too? You could at least try to get in¡±.

    Alura said ¡°No, I like magic, but being a wizard isn''t for me. I think I''ll just learn at my own pace and stick with martial arts. Maybe I''ll join the elite core of guards in a few years¡±.

    She turned to Lee and said ¡°Hey, do you remember when we were 8? You were a funny kid. You use to think mothers and fathers where just friends who got married so they could see each other every day¡±. She giggled a bit remembering the memory.

    Lee said ¡°don''t remind me. I said a lot of dumb stuff as a kid¡±

    Alura continued ¡°and you asked me if I wanted to marry you so we could play together every day¡±.

    Lee said ¡°And I told my mother and father. They had a good laugh about it. They explained it to me and for a whole month whenever I was going to see you they would say ''so you''re off to see your finance?¡±

    Alura answered ¡°yeah, finance...¡± She was thinking of saying more for a moment but decided against it. After a while she asked ¡°so if you get into the school how long till we''ll see other other again?¡±

    Lee said ¡°Well, I guess it won''t be for almost a year. We get the summer season off so I suppose I''ll be home for that. Besides the summer break, if there''s a long enough break for me to get here and back then I''ll definitely come here to see you, my parents and the old man¡±.

    Alura stood up and said ¡°well, lets at least enjoy the next 3 months! I''ve got to go for now but I''ll see you tomorrow my dear finance!¡± she laughed as she left.

    As she left Lee yelled ¡°don''t say that! People will get the wrong idea!¡± She didn''t even turn around to his complaint. River sighed and then said to himself ¡°well, I guess I may as well go home. I have farm work and some magic practice I could do¡±.

    When the old man left he gave River full access to his house and library of books. River continued to read. He found the inner workings of magic endlessly fascinating and could tell learning all of this was just as important as strengthening his magic.

    He couldn''t wait till the old man saw him. Over the past 2 years he had gotten over twice as strong. The fundamentals that were built within allowed for him to enter a period of fast growth. When Alura was in the mood they could duel with magic to practice. She wasn''t as interested in it as him and he often had to hold back a good deal but it still was good practice.

    Mostly, he had to practice alone in the forest so he wouldn''t hurt anyone. As he''d gotten to the door of his house he heard lively conversation within. He opened it to see his parents sitting down around the table having lunch with the old man. Lee''s mother said ¡°Lee, look who just came into town!¡±

    After Lee''s excitement subsided, which including jumping and a hug that was a bit too strong, he sat down at the table and joined them for lunch. The old man talked a lot about his journey around the continent and some of the interesting things he had seen, but not about his actual mission. Lee had told him not to worry his parents about it until he knew for sure if anything was going on.

    After eating, the old man asked if he could borrow Lee for a few hours to catch up. Lee''s parents agreed of course. They needed to get back to their daily work anyway. The two talked casually as they walked to the old man'' house. The old wizard said ¡°Look how much you''ve grown Lee. Maybe if you keep eating healthy you''ll be almost as tall as me¡±.

    Lee said ¡°I doubt that, but I think we may almost weigh the same as this point seeing how skinny as you are¡±.

    The old man laughed ¡°I have more muscle on me than it looks like I do¡±.

    Lee had to admit, the old man did move around well and never seemed to show signs of being tired. They talked more as they got to the old man''s house. He was happy to see Lee kept it in good shape for him while he was gone.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The old man said ¡°well Lee, I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions, but first things first. I want to see how far you have come in your training. We''re going to have a little duel, if you''re up for it¡±.

    Lee answered ¡°that''s fine by me. Just be careful. I have gotten a lot stronger these last 2 years¡±.

    The old man answered ¡°Lee, I very much hope that''s true¡±.

    They stepped out into the forest and away from the house before they begun. The old man started casting a few spells in rapid succession. Lee managed to dodge almost all of them with the use of his wind magic and natural agility. The few he couldn''t dodge were easily blocked. After he dodged the last attack he immediately fired wind magic behind him to launch himself forward and close the gap between them.

    The old wizard said ¡°you''re learning well. But that''s too simple an approach¡±. The old man with a cast speed faster than Lee had ever seen before shot a few balls of water magic to intercept Lee. Lee used his other hand to maneuver to the left and away from them. The old man summoned an earth wall there which Lee ran into with a loud thud.

    ¡°You have quick reactions and really improved your duel casting. But, to be honest, I was expecting a bit more. Is this as far as you''ve come?¡± The old man was intentionally trying to bait Lee to use everything he had. It was working.

    Lee in his anger said ¡°be ready to be impressed!¡± He moved away from the wall and used wind magic to blow dirt up in the air around the old man which blocked his view. The old man blew the dirt and dust away with wind only to see a large ball of wind magic coming towards him. He blocked it with water magic of his own. Lee seemed to have vanished. The old man couldn''t see him anywhere.

    The old man sensed a large amount of magic coming directly from above. A dozen winds arrows controlled by Lee fired downward towards him. The old man smiled ¡°not bad, surely most normal wizards would be confused by this and left open¡±. He ignored the arrows from above and shot a large amount of water magic at the earth wall he had built. As he suspected, Lee was hiding behind it readying a spell to use for when the old man blocked the arrows, believing that would leave an opening.

    ¡°You have become very adapt at hiding your presence when you want to¡±. The old man said this casually while raising his hand above and casting magic to block the arrows coming downward towards him.

    As he said this Lee answered ¡°you''ve left yourself open!¡± From the woods came a quick, small, ball of wind energy. Lee launched himself directly at the old man and prepared his own attack. He had placed the magic in the woods in the short time the old man''s vision was obscured by the dirt in the air. Preparing for this one moment.

    The old wizard smiled and wrapped his own wind spell around Lee''s incoming attack from behind. He diverted it just slightly enough to miss him, while at the same time speeding it up and aiming it to hit Lee who was but a few yards away now. Lee was knocked back to the ground . The old man said ¡°well done Lee, you''ve grown even more than I hoped. Let''s end the sparring for today. I''ve much to tell you¡±.

    The old man offered Lee a hand to help him up. Lee took it feeling a strong pain in his ribs and used healing magic on it while they walked back to the old man''s house. Lee thought he had gotten stronger but it seemed like it was was not enough to do anything by mildly amuse the old man. That is all his duels have ever been to him. Just how strong was he? Lee asked ¡°so you said I¡¯ve grown, do you think I''ll be able to get into that magic academy you told me about?¡±

    The old wizard laughed ¡°well Lee, let''s just say I have confidence in my student. It''ll work out somehow. But that written exam though could be an issue...¡±

    Lee was shocked ¡°why? I studied every day!¡±

    The old man said ¡°Don''t worry about it. Keep doing your studies as you have been and don''t worry about their test. There''s a tournament for the exams as well and I think you''re likely to do enough in that to get in.¡± The old man thought for a moment and then added ¡°Oh Lee, I want you to remember, if they test your magic power, please only use just enough to pass¡±.

    The old man sat in his chair and motioned for Lee to sit across from him. The old man said ¡°well, I¡¯ll get right down to business Lee. I spent about 2 years checking on the barrier and I have some news. To make a long story short, over the last 20 years it has weakened¡±.

    Lee said ¡°well that''s a good thing right? Then provinces 8 and 9 can rejoin the continent and families can be reunited¡±.

    The old man said ¡°I hope that is the case, but I have a suspicion that it will not be so simple. Lee, it''s time I told you a little more about me. It won''t be everything, but it''ll be enough to explain what I think the situation is and the very important role I want you to play in my plans¡±.

    Lee was silent, he had hoped to hear more about the old man and what he was doing but this was sudden. The old wizard said ¡°for now, I don''t want you to repeat anything I''m telling you to anyone. It may be too dangerous. You must promise¡±. Lee promised.

    The old man continued ¡°you have suspected for a while now that I''m the wizard from the story you heard about, correct?¡± Lee nodded it was so. The old wizard said ¡°well, your suspicion is correct. I am that wizard. I''m the one who helped the human continent push back the demon continent in the great war.

    After that, as you know, I wandered around the continent being offered positions and jobs by all the provinces. They tried to use my power to strengthen themselves and gain influence over the other provinces. It was just like the bickering they were doing before the demon invasion that made them too weak to defend it the first time. The fools had learned nothing¡±. The old man showed anger on his face over this. He continued.

    ¡°Well, in the end I decided that if I gave the secrets of magic that I''ve learned to the outside world that it wouldn''t solve anything. It would only make conflicts more deadly and cause more damage. So I decided instead of that to pass my knowledge on to a small number of students. I journeyed around the entire continent finding a students who I thought were good hearted and wanted to learn.

    Their parents were happy to let me teach them. Who wouldn''t want their child to learn magic from the greatest wizard who ever lived? So I taught them. They lived with me the majority of the year. The ones who had families went home to see them at times but a few were orphans and stayed with me year round. I thought of these students like my own adopted children. I never had any of my own.

    Perhaps it was cause I got too close that I couldn''t see the deception happening in front of me. I constantly think, if I somehow could have done more to teach right from wrong, if things could''ve been different then maybe I could''ve stopped in all from happening. In any case, when it looked like me and the rest of my students were about to die one of my best students sacrificed himself and created the barrier.

    The wasn''t the plan of course, but it was the only option left. If that evil scheme had succeeded and we all died then there would have been no one left to stop the ambitions of... Well, it would have been an even worse outcome. However, the price was not just the life of my student but it left about 1/3<sup>rd</sup> of the total population of the continent sealed off. Just as they now couldn''t get to us, neither could we get to them.

    It''s my personal hope that the wizards and people in those provinces managed to fight and resist. Deep in my heart, I don''t believe that is what happened. When that barrier went up, the power of that one student in particular was not all that far behind my own. Their genius may even surpass mine.

    What I think happened is, knowing their resourcefulness, power and ambition, is that they eventually managed to take over the provinces and reshaped them in their image. If that barrier comes down, I''m unsure of what we''ll face. But we need to be ready¡±.

    The old man looked to Lee and said ¡°I blame myself for the death of my student and the barrier that went up. I swore to never teach again as I believed it proved I was not fit to teach anyone. That is why I was so against teaching you Lee. I can not tell you the joy it has given me to raise such a fine student. I''m glad the last one I shall teach is you¡±.

    Lee was touched by the old man''s words and silent for a time. After being silent for a moment Lee asked ¡°if that is the case, what should we do about all this? How do we get ready?¡±

    The old man said ¡°that is why I want you to go to that school. I want you to get a sense for how strong the wizards and students are there. If you make some trusted friends who can help you then all the better. Mostly, I want to see if you can find disciples of any of my students still in the continent. If possible, I''d like to see them and talk about the barrier.

    Besides myself, they should be the strongest wizards in the continent and together we can perhaps do something to strengthen the barrier and stop any more holes from forming in it¡±.

    Lee asked ¡°holes formed in the barrier?¡±

    The old man said ¡°Yes, it would be more accurate to say they were made from wizards inside the barrier. From my examination, they only lasted a short while and each time perhaps only 1 or maybe 2 people could be sent through. Over the last two years I sensed 5 such events, but it''s possible a few more escaped my attention. They have started to happen in shorter intervals as the barrier has weakened¡±.

    River asked ¡°do you think your student is outside the barrier now?¡±

    The old man pondered and answered ¡°no, I would sense my own students, I think, if they were to use such magic . Besides, they are sly. Even being strong, they wouldn''t put themselves in the open like that to face me, my students and all of the rest of the 8 provinces with only a few solders. They would only directly confront us if they were sure of their victory.¡±

    The old man stood up and said ¡°Between now and the next 3 months, we''ll train and make sure you''re as strong as possible. Keep in mind, the people who have escaped the barrier are likely their agents, looking for myself, my students or any disciples we have. For your safety and that of your family, you shouldn''t let anyone know about you. I would expect anyone they sent would be very powerful. So you need to be careful. Very careful.¡±

    Over the next 3 months Lee trained with the old man and Alura. His parents managed to save up 3 gold coins for his journey to the magic academy. They couldn''t afford a carriage to take him but they would be sure he would have enough money to eat. The old man brushed it off insisting he would be fine and any trouble he met along the way should be scared of him and not the other way around.

    On the day Lee left he received a very emotional goodbye from his parents. They told him how proud they''ve become and they were confident he would be able to become a great wizard and have the life they wished for him. That they would hope to see him very soon when he was on break. Not surprisingly, his mother was in tears.

    What was surprising was Alure. For perhaps only the 2<sup>nd</sup> time, Lee saw Alura was in tears. She gave him a strong tight hug and whispered so softly he could barely hear ¡°you know, I would be if you asked¡±. When Lee asked what she said Alura didn''t answer. She just said ¡°be sure to write! If you forget me I''ll never forgive you!¡±

    Lee promised to write his parents, the old man and Alura. The he set off on his journey with nothing but the clothes on his back, the good clothes in his bag and 3 gold coins.

    *****

    Present day

    Lee had just finished his first training practice with Mary. He expected she would be pretty intense as he had seen her in matches but he was not expecting this level of desperate training. He asked her ¡°Mary, I understand you want to get strong, but there is no rush. We have 3 years till we graduate after all. We can go at a steadier pace. You have no chance of failing the year end test¡±.

    Mary gave him an angry look and said ¡°I''m not worried about 3 years from now. That fight against ''The Shame of the House of Sun'' made me realize how far I have to go. Most of all I want to be strong enough so I can get to fight in the school continent tournament and test myself against all the other young wizards.¡±

    Lee asked ¡°What the heck is the school continent tournament?¡±

 Chapter 20: The Grand Tournament

    ¡°Are you telling you don''t know about the end of year tournament which every school in the pronvince competes in?¡± Mary Saint Cloud was shocked by Lee''s lack of knowledge.

    ¡°No, I''ve never heard of it. Is it really that big of a deal?¡± Lee asked.

    ¡°Yes, it''s the single most important magical event of the entire continent!¡±

    ¡°But most of the students here are not yet qualified to be true wizards. Why would a contest involving students be so important?¡± Lee was confused by how this could be so.

    ¡°It''s a tournemnt to measure the strength of each province compared to the others. It allows each province to know where they stand as far as overall power and influence in the continent. The reason they do it with students and not their A or S ranked wizards is so their top wizards do not risk losing face. Such a loss would be much more embarrassing for a province.

    While the people who compete are only students, talented individuals will always be talented. It''s a fairly reliable indicator of your provinces wizarding power in the near future. Usually it''s difficult for first year students to represent their school in the tournament. Each school is only allowed to send 5 students and most of them end up being 3<sup>rd</sup> and 2<sup>nd</sup> years¡± Mary gave a huff of frustration.

    ¡°I plan to be a representative of this school, and I expect you''ll be too. As a Saint Cloud even as a first year it''ll be expected of me to be on the team. That''s why I''m so insistent on this training. It''s true there''s no shame for the current me being overwhelmed by an A rank wizard; but the fact I needed help to defeat a lowly C rank is simply not good enough!¡± This was something she would have decided even without the tournament of course.

    ¡°The ranked you were able to beat that A ranked wizard.... I have never heard of a first year able to accomplish such a feat.¡± She gave Lee a long look of suspicion and curiousity.

    ¡°Well, it wasn''t like he was at his absolute best either. Like I said, he had used the majority of his mana before fighting me. Even with that being the case it wasn''t like I was able to win easily. In a completely even fight I don''t know if I would have won.¡± Lee was trying very hard to be dismissive of his accomplishment so as to attract a little less suspicion.

    ¡°!hat doen''t mattee!¡± Mary felt the need to be particularly clear on her point. ¡°Don''t try to downplay what you did. If you can fight against an A rank then there is no reason I shouldn''t be able to do the same. I won''t rest until I have surpassed your level.¡±

    ¡°So how are we selected to be on the school tournament and what happens if we get on?¡± River didn''t like the way this discussion was going. He decided to change the talk back to the tournament.

    ¡°The selection is based solely on power. There will be a tournament held for every student in the school who wishes to enter. Most of the students will find it pointless and decide not to even try but a fair amount will. Some just to test their power.

    As you know, the school will drop students out if they are not powerful enough to move up in grade by the years end. That means there are less upper classmen but they are all pretty strong. As of now, there are 117 first years, 75 second years and 41 thrid years. It is not uncommon for the nearly every 3<sup>rd</sup> year to compete. Probably a dozen second years who think they have a chance will try as well. Maybe 3 or 4 first years but usually they have no chance.¡±

    ¡°So it should work out to a near 64 person tournament with maybe a few byes thrown in to make it work?¡± River did the math in his head quickly. It was always something he was pretty good with.

    ¡°That would be my guess.¡± Mary considered the odds and the difficultly.

    River considered not entering the tournament at all for a moment. It seemed like a rather big hassle. Then he recalled the mission the old man gave him to try to find disciples of the old man''s other students. If this tournament truly brought together the most talented youngsters in all the continent surely there was no better chance to fine disciples of those students. It may blow his cover but he knew it was a risk he had to take.

    ¡°Okay, I''ll get into the tournament as well. Tell me, what are our schools odds of making it deep into this tournament?¡± Lee knew to see the most students possible it would be best to go as deep as they could.

    ¡°Honestly, not very good. While most hate to admit it; zero province has been one of the weakest for a while. It can''t be helped, the population here is smaller than any other province and so the pool of wizards is naturally smaller too. The reputation of the school itself has not been good even within the province itself. The last 2 years this school didn''t even win the right to reprsent zero province.

    That is very abnormal as this school traditionally is suppose to be the flag ship school of the province and attract the best wizards. In recent years many other good young wizards have opted to go to other schools. There was serious talk in my family if I should attend here even though the Saint Cloud family has a long tradition dating back hundreds of year of going to this school¡±.

    ¡°They went to a great deal of trouble to recruite me in hopes I would be a genius to bring them back to the formor glory they held. Also, my family thought doing just that would go a long way to showing the greatness of our house.¡± Mary said this part in particular with pride.

    ¡°So first we need to fight to be selected to represent the school, then we need to fight to represent the province and then we fight the other provinces representatives. Is that correct?¡± Lee wanted to be sure this was the case. It seemed fair straight forward to him when put that way.

    Mary nodded that was the case. Lee didn''t like hearing this school was so behind others. He knew to have the best chance to meet other disciples that could lead him to formor students of his master he needed to go as deep as possible. He wasn''t sure how the matches would work. Even if he could always win his fights that may not be enough. He had to make sure he had a team that would allow him to go far. He walked up to Mary with excitement.

    ¡°Not only are we both going to enter that tournament. We''re going to win. It would be more accurate to say we can''t afford to lose.¡± Mary wondered what he meant by that last part. She also noticed when he was this close how big and well built he was. She thought it would be very easy for him to reach out and pull her close and.... no, what was she thinking? She had to focus on more important things!

    ¡°We will win for sure! Once I''m stronger we''ll have a great chance!¡± Mary looked away and blushed while she said this; but she managed to get the words out.

    Lee thought for a moment. If they absolutely had to win, then best chance was to train most of the students that would compete personally to raise them up to a good level. By now he''d realized the magic ability of students in this school was a few notches below what he expected coming in. He figured it be safe to assume he was the strongest at the entire school out of all the students and maybe most of the teachers too. It was time to tell Mary his plan.

    ¡°I''m going to tell Hill, Clover and Rain about what happened when that wizard I fought. I''m going to give them and Tom Sky a chance to join our training sessions if they want. I hope they do, if not I''d have to find some way to convince them.¡± River hoped that was not the case.

    ¡°Didn''t you say you didn''t want it getting out how strong you were? Weren''t you worried it might make people ask questions about you?¡± To be honest Mary had wondered this too. Was he just a once in a century type genius or was he taught by some particularly powerful wizard? She decided not to ask as she knew it''s a subject he wouldn''t discuss most likely in any case.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°Well I''ll be getting a good amount of attention anyway when I make the school team. Hopefully I won''t need to reveal my full ability in this tournamnt. As far as them knowing the truth about that; I know them well enough to be sure I can trust them not to tell if I ask. It''ll be okay.¡± Lee said this with full confidence. Even if not, what option did he have. The barrier would not wait forever.

    The next day Lee gathered his fellow class 5 friends together to discuss the truth about what happened with the wizard and his hope for the school to win the entire tournament at the end of the year. All of them agreed to join the training sessions in an attempt to gain more power.

    ¡°Well, how does the schedule for all this work? It seems kind of big for all that fighting to happen at once.¡± Derrick Hill was the firt to ask about the tournament

    ¡°It''ll take place in stages. A month before the school year ends we will have our matches to decided who represents the school. All schools have their own timeline but generally they like to know what their roster is a good deal in advance. The rest of the school year those students are given time off to either train with the school''s teachers or their own private tutors.¡± Mary explain for all of them who didn''t know. Tom and David knew of course but listened quietly.

    ¡°After the school year ends, the schools in each province fight in their own tournament to decide the province representative. After that, there''s a rest period for a week. Then we''ll travel to the continent''s capital where fight to determine the strongest in the continent.¡± Mary made sure to think if she wa leaving any important information out.

    ¡°I would love to train for this and get stronger. But do you really think we as mere first years can really hope to get stronger than the 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup> year students in a single year?¡± David Rain asked Lee.

    ¡°Most of the students here have been receiving great training before they even to the school and top notch instruction for over 2 years. We have only been here a few weeks. Can we will catch up and surpass them?¡± Amanda Clover was very concerned about this point. Derrick shared those concerns too.

    ¡°I think we have a good chance. They have trained longer but we''ll train smarter. When it comes to training, the quality of ours will be better. We can make up for the extra years they have trained most likely.¡± Lee said thi wanting to assure Amanda and Derrick.

    ¡°I woulld say that it will be harder for Amanda and Derrick to catch up. Unlike Sky, Cloud and Rain they didn''t have as strong a foundation built up before coming here. It''s still possible and might even be better to start from mostly scratch.¡± Lee didn''t want them dicouraged.

    Rain was sad to see Amanda''s face with this comment. He had always felt it was his birthright to receive the best training and more resources than the lowly commoners before coming to this school. To be honestly, these were the most interaction he had had with commoners in his life in just the past few days. His thoughts and beliefs were changing.

    ¡°We can not help what is. If Hill and Clover are behind then we will just need to do all we can to help them catch up. This will be hard enough to do even with Myself, Cloud and Rain. If winning this is as important as you say then we can''t afford to slow down for them if they can''t catch up. Hopefully that won''t be the case'' but if it is do you have a way to help them catch up with us after all this is over?¡± Tom wanted to back up River but also wanted to looked practical towards the future.

    ¡°I''m pretty sure I know someone who can help. He was hesitant at first when I wrote to him; but he agreed that at the end of the school year with that month break we could all go to meet him and train. If they are still behind they will be allowed to stay and train while we fight in the tournament. Believe me, if I know him the way I think I do they will pass us if we slack off too much¡±. Lee said this with a mind to be as encouragin as possible. He firmly believe positive attitudes helped training. When asked who he was speaking about, Lee gave no other details.

    ¡°For now don''t worry about that and lets just focus on our training. It''ll focus a number things, like making sure all your magic is being done without speaking, speed of casting and mana control. Expect to have to train those things and much more!¡± With that said, they went on to set a training schedule.

    *****

    The Zero Province Dragon Academy.

    At another school in the zero province, preperations by the students and teachers were under way. The teacher spoke to the headmaster as he trained the students. The crop this year was good but not as good as last year he thought.

    ¡°I hope this year we won''t have any slip ups. We have represented zero province 2 times in a row but we still have not made it past the first round of the conitent tournament.¡± The teacher felt great frustration and knew blame was being linked to his teaching of the students.

    ¡°It''s true we''ve only managed to get so far the past few year but this year will be different. With our new notariety of being on the verge of becoming the premier school in zero province we''ve been able to attach new students and houses we could not before. Did you not hear about the recent transfer students we will be getting?¡± The headmaster asked this very sure he had not heard. He just wanted to build up the importance of his announcement to the teacher for fun.

    I ''ve heard of no such transfer students. What are you talking about headmaster?¡±

    ¡°I''ve only confirmed it from a letter in the past few minutes. It appears the Star house has taken notice of us and will be sending over some of their most promising youngsters from their branch houses as well as one from the main house!¡± A larger ugly smiled formed on the headmaster''s face.

    ¡°A main house Star is coming here? Why here though? They tend to stick to provinces 3 and 4 don''t they?¡±

    ¡°The Star house is part of the big houses 3 along with the Sun and Cloud house. The most powerful housed in the currently continent. You''re correct they have generally sent their main and branch house members to mostly province 3 and 4. To send house members to province 0 which is the heart of the Cloud terroritory can only mean one thing.¡± The headmaster paused to let this sink in for the teacher.

    ¡°They believe the Cloud family is in decline and want to expand their influence!¡± The thought was unheard of to the teacher. None of the large houses had tried such a bold move in the past 100 years. Each tend to stick to their area of influence and left well enough alone believing conflict would only weaken them and even if they achieved victory it would be a pyrrhic one.

    I believe that is the case as well. Seeing Zero province academy yet again get another main house Cloud child even with our recent success was frustrating for me personally. The Sky house will now be using a lot of their influence in this area to show themselves as superior to declining Clouds. If they can absorb the Cloud''s influence and power even the mighty Sun house would not be their eqaul.¡± The headmaster smiled ad took delight at the thought of the Cloud house which has slighted his school all these year falling.

    ¡°Accepting a Star house memeber here is a slap in the face of the Cloud house! When they hear about it they''ll use their power to crush our school.¡± The teacher felt a shake in his knees. To simply cross the Cloud house in their own backyard was a terrifying thought.

    ¡°That will be an issue only if the Cloud house still has the power to do anything, If the Star house wins then the Clouds will lose face and many branch families and sworn houses will see the Cloud''s weakness and side with Sky house. If we win then we will be rewarded greatly by the Stars for backing them and taking the risk!¡± The headmaster saw imagines of his school standing above all others. He may even be able to be the defacto leader of zero province. The Star''s were none for being generous to those loyal to them.

    ¡°I''m confident we''ll win of course, but to bet so much and take such a risk seems....¡± The teacher too knew the benefits of victory. But the Cloud family had stayed in power in part for being vicious to those who stepped out of line.

    ¡°Our students are already strong. Add into that the 3<sup>rd</sup> year Star boy and we will very possibly win the entire tournamnt. Zero province is all but won already.¡± The headmaster''s smile get even wider. He had saved this part for last. The reason for his total confidence.

    ¡°So who is this secret weapon?¡±

    ¡°Vladimir Star, grandson of the head of the house and 2<sup>nd</sup> in line behind his older brother to lead after his father is made the head of the Star house.¡± Nothing else need to be said. The name was too well known for further talk to be needed.

    ¡°They would go so far to send us such a talent? He just entered his 3<sup>rd</sup> year is already known to be an A rank wizard.¡± The teacher was shocked. For the Star house to send their prized student here was bold even for them.

    ¡°Exactly. The Cloud house has only the 1<sup>st</sup> year girl, even if shes a genius like they say she can''t compete. She is talented but unseasoned and young. They have no one to match him. All the same, we should keep a watch on their school and keep this under wraps as long as we can. I have learned to be cautious even if I believe victory is sure.¡± The headmaster was ruthless and calculating. Even with a sure victory he would leave nothing to chance. No act of God was to be permitted to make failure even a dream.

    ¡°And what do we do if we get any reports from Zero Province Acamedy that a student or two of theirs could be a problem?¡± The teacher believed he knew the answer to this question. Too much was at stake. Still, he needed to be sure that if he acted he would be safe from retribution.

    ¡°There will be no problems permitted to exist.¡± The tone the headmaster spoke in was unmistakable. He would not say it outloud ever. He was too clever for that, but the meaning was clear.

    ¡°Yes sir, I understand.¡±

 Chapter 21: Training class 5

    Lee River sat in his room alone with the letter he received from the old man. It was one he had been waiting for ever since he sent his own letter about a week ago. In it he explained what the tournament was and talked about the friends he had made. That he planned to train and prepare them for the tournament and his hopes that if he went far enough he may be able to use it as a way to find the old man''s students. He quickly opened it.

    *****

    Dear Lee,

    I''m happy to hear you''re doing well. Your parents and Allie have missed you a great deal. I''m glad to hear you''re making friends at school. When it comes to your idea to train your friends and go into the tournament to try to find someone being taught by one of my former students; I must admit it gave me pause. At first I was not keen on the idea. It''ll put you in the public eye and that could be very dangerous.

    Sadly, it appears we can''t wait around forever. I''ve come no closer to tracking down any of them myself; so for now there is no better option than to follow your plan. I only ask you be careful and remember; Even if you find my students, if something happen to you then it''s meaningless to me. Take care and stay safe.

    -the old man

    *****

    Lee was honestly surprised the old man didn''t tell him to give up on the idea and that it was too dangerous. Lee probably wouldn''t have fully followed that advice but he was surprised none the less. There was only one reason why the old man didn''t do it. The situation was more dire than he was letting on. Perhaps if he didn''t find the other students within the next few years the barrier would come down completely.

    He felt more urgency now than ever. Since he had decided to participate in the tournament and make sure to have a team with him who could help him get to the very end he had looked closely at the student body. No one in the 2<sup>nd</sup> year class was truly exceptional. When it comes to the 3<sup>rd</sup> years he thought the student president was fairly strong and perhaps could be helpful going forward.

    The rest of the 3<sup>rd</sup> years were barely stronger than Mary Saint Cloud right now. She would pass them all by the end of the year, even without his help. Clearly she was a great talent. He had learned being from the main Cloud house as well as one of the potential heirs clearly meant a great deal. They must have invested a lot of time and money into her training. On top of that she truly was a great talent that shinned above others and would definitely be a good ally.

    Tom Sky would be a strong ally as well and his talent wasn''t far behind hers. Lee was sure he could make him become a great teammate. The problem was the others. Rain, Lee had learned, wasn''t naturally spectacular. His training from top teachers in the past had made him stronger than almost all other first years here but his natural ability with mana control didn''t exist. Hill and Clover both had much more pure talent but were so far behind Rain as far as experience. He would need to find the best training for all of them to raise them up quickly.

    River woke up the next day and went to his classes. He didn''t bother to listen much to what the teacher said about magic theory. He already knew all of it and realized a fair amount of what they taught was incorrect. He did learn what kind of answers they''d like to hear and learned to give them. In his classes he mostly practiced mana control sitting at his desk and planned on how to best train his friends.

    At night they all met and trained together. For Derrick Hill and Amanda Clover he didn''t even let them spar. He had them solely focus on mana training for now. He told them both to do it every waking hour they could.

    ¡°I''m not trying to complain, but why don''t we get to spar with the others and work on duel casting and larger spells?¡± Amanda was worried this would make her fall behind even more.

    Lee answered. ¡°Your mana control foundations are both too low. You only have so many years to build up your foundation. You both are far behind in this aspect. Unless you want yourselves to be limited with your power in the future you need to put all of your effort into this for now.¡±

    Derrick Hill was equally concerned. ¡°But we are falling behind them even more like this! It''s like you''re saying that no matter what we do we''ll never catch up!¡±

    Lee thought for a moment on how best to explain it to them. ¡°Doesn''t a rider who stops to fix a broken wheel in his carriage also fall behind the riders who go on ahead?¡± They both nodded this was true.

    ¡°That''s what both of you are right now in comparison to be blunt. Don''t worry. I promise you''ll be able to catch up and be strong if you apply yourselves. If you focus truly mastering mana control with all your being you''ll be able to train more efficiently. If you get good enough at it they''ll be the ones unable to keep up with you!

    Of course, they can try to master mana control to the same degree. So you''ll just need to stay ahead of the rest of them with it comes to mana control. I believe both of you very possibly can if you push yourselves. You both have good overall talent but I sense a particularly excellent ability to feel and control mana in you two. More than the others and perhaps even myself to be honest. Keep training and you''ll reach great heights, I promise.¡±

    They agreed and went back to controlling their mana, spinning it within their bodies. Lee walked behind them and tried to feel their mana. ¡°I''m going to put a hand on your shoulder so I can feel the flow of your mana. Don''t let me break your concentration.¡± He put a hand on Hill''s shoulder

    ¡°You need to compact the mana more as your spin it inside yourself. Also, keep focusing on the mana as it is spun. This is not like a bowl of water with you spinning a spoon in it. You are the pool of water and you control it yourself. Make sure to feel and control all of it as you spin it.¡±

    Derrick wrinkled his brow and focused more ¡°I''ll try.¡±

    He walked over to Amanda and put his hand on her shoulder. Rain shot a look at Lee and made an annoyed face but went back to his training. No one but Tom Sky saw it. Amanda didn''t mind as she was too focused on her training and knew Lee was a man she could trust not to do anything indecent. She was focusing harder than Derrick. While Lee had spoken to both as if they were at in same position, she believed she was the most behind of all. She would need to put in the most effort to catch up.

    Lee focused on the mana flow in her body. ¡°You''re control and concentration is great but you''re actually trying too hard and spinning it too fast. If you put too much force and effort into controlling it you will tire yourself faster. Slow down the amount you are spinning the mana in your body and instead focus on the flow above all. When you do this perfectly it should almost feel as you are simply guiding a spin and flow that''s natural.¡±

    Amanda exhaled and tried to relax her body more ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try my best.¡±

    David Rain saw his hand was still on her shoulder. He decided that had gone on long enough and asked ¡°what about me Lee? What should I do?¡± He said it as much due to eagerness to increase his power and annoyance for Lee having a hand on Amanda. Not that she was his girlfriend or anything. He just didn''t like other guys touching her is all. For purely protective reasons, at least he told himself that.

    Lee turned to David ¡°we''ll talk after we''re done training for the day. I want to give you some one on one training and tips.¡±

    David thought that was odd but there was nothing to be done about it. He continued to train with Tom Sky. Lee walked over to them ¡°How about you spar with Ms. Cloud for a bit David. I want to go over something with Tom.¡±

    David nodded and walked over to Mary to spar. She never held back so he wasn''t the least bit happy about fighting with her.

    ¡°So what do you want to talk to me about Lee?¡± Tom was curious what Lee would have to say

    ¡°You''re a fairly well rounded wizard but you still have not recognized your biggest weakness even though I told you it in our first match.¡± Tom was confused. He remembered the match but wasn''t sure what Lee meant. Lee saw his confusion.

    ¡°You''re immobile Tom. In our match you barely moved from your spot on the floor. I told you during the match didn''t I? For attack and life movement was vital. I heard about your fight with that white masked wizard. You were hit by such a simple attack and you were knocked into the tree. It was all because you couldn''t move.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Tom thought for a moment. He supposed now that he thought about it he has been a bit of a sitting duck. ¡°I guess that''s true, but what else am I to do? I''m only good at using water, earth and fire magic. The only time I use wind magic is for my families ultimate technique and it takes forever to set it up because I¡¯m so poor with wind magic. And wind is the magic that has to do with mobility the most right?¡±

    River expected this ¡°It''s true that other elements of magic aren''t so good for movement. Water can be used to an extent but the amount of mana needed to push yourself with water magic is much larger and overall it''s not a good idea to use it in such away. That''s why magic won''t be our main focus. I want you to be able to use water magic to move in a pinch, but most of your training will focus on pure natural agility.¡±

    Tom Sky was confused ¡°but that isn''t even magic training.¡±

    Lee River said ¡°no, but it''s the kind of training that will keep you alive. This won''t be like combat training were you need to learn to fight. This will solely be training yourself to be quick, fast and react nearly instantly¡±.

    ¡°How will I train that?¡±

    Lee smiled ¡°don''t worry, I have a great idea.¡± He held up his hand and shot wind magic at Tom knocking him to the ground.

    ¡°Dammit Lee, that hurt!¡±

    Lee smiled a wicked smile. ¡°I have no doubt about that, but it won''t hurt as much as this one will!¡± Tom rolled to the side to avoid the wind attack. ¡°Rolling is fine, but you really need to get on your feet Tom.¡± He shot a few more spells at him. Tom dodged two but blocked the third with magic. Lee lowered his hand. ¡°No more use of magic in our training unless I tell you to. This is non-negotiable.¡±

    Tom was in shock ¡°that''s insane! I''m a wizard and you''re telling me to not practice magic or mana control?¡±

    ¡°You can practice mana control but no magic or spells. I''m not here to debate, but to instruct. You''re here to be trained by me. I promised you I''d make you as strong as I could and that''s what I intend to do. If you don''t want to do it my way then I''ll need to ask you to leave. I can''t explain right now, but it''s very important we win this tournament and I can''t afford to waste any of my efforts Tom.¡±

    Tom was silent for a moment. Surely Lee would not steer him wrong but it was a tough idea to accept. Finally he gave an exhale and reigned himself to it. ¡°Fine, no magic until you say. I hope I don''t regret this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you Tom. Trust me, you''ll become stronger if you stick with this. Oh I almost forgot, I brought you something that I want you to wear under your clothes from now on.¡± He walked over to a table and grabbed a bag he had brought into the room before they started training. He handed it to Tom. When he took the bag it dropped to the floor pulling his arm with it.

    ¡°What the hell is in this?¡± Tom tried to pick it up but only could with great effort. How did Lee walk with this so casually?

    ¡°Weighted clothing. Overall it''s 75 lbs. I got you 2 sets. One 25 lb set and one 50 lb set when you get strong enough. Put on the 25 lb set now if you''d please. It''s an adjustable vest with ankle and wrist weights. It should be fairly comfortable. Once it''s on we''ll continue your training. Make sure to wear it all day, every day from now on.¡± Lee said this very casually like it wasn''t a big deal. Tom started to wonder if Lee wasn''t a bit crazy.

    Tom put on the weights though he felt a bit uncomfortable taking off his shirt to put this on under it in front of everyone. He was surprised what a difference he felt just wearing 25 more pounds. Moving was slower and it took him more effort and get his weight going in one direction quickly.

    After getting it on Lee made him stand a distance away and began to shoot at him with wind attacks. Lee made him dodge attack after attack. Soon Tom''s calfs were absolutely on fire. He felt tired and his breath was short but Lee made him keep going. Only stopping once Tom was about to fall over.

    Lee told Rain to train with Sky so he could move on to Mary. Frankly there wasn''t all that much he had to do with her except teach the fundamentals. She was pretty far ahead of the others and already was a fairly mobile fire who could duel cast a decent amount and do so silently. ¡°I''d like to check your mana control again Mary, if you wouldn''t mind.¡±

    She blushed with the thought of him touching her but acted defiant and indifferent. ¡°Like I¡¯d care. Go ahead but don''t get any ideas.¡± She turned her back and Lee put his hand on her shoulder.

    Lee tried to understand everything about her mana system. ¡°Overall you have good mana control but if you want to go further it needs to be better all around. Every day focus on one thing and try to improve that. If you try to improve everything at the same time you''ll get nowhere. Today focus on compression, tomorrow shape control outside the body and the day after the flow of mana as you spin it within yourself.¡±

    ¡°Fine, now if you''re done remove your hand immediately. I don''t want you feeling like you can be so familiar with me. It isn''t like we''re a couple or anything so you''re to touch me only the limited amount of time needed to check my mana control. Is that understood?¡±

    Lee sighed to himself as he removed his hand. He walked in front of her ¡°very well Mary. When not doing mana control I want you to work on your cast speed. It''s true you''re faster than most, but if you could be just a little faster it would truly become a weapon for you against nearly any level of opponent. Let me show you what I mean. Cast your wind spell straight at me and try to knock me down.¡±

    Lee backed up till he stood a mere 10 from her. She was annoyed he stood so close and asked her to attack him. He was a bit too arrogant. She shot without warning. Lee blocked it easily.

    ¡°I''m not starting my spell until I''ve already seen you start to cast yours. 10 feet should be incredibly difficult to for any wizard to block if you can gather mana, create a spell and get it out fast enough. The reason your spell isn''t even close to reaching me is cause by the time you cast your spell, due to how slow your mana gathering from nature is compared to mine, I''ve already caught up.¡±

    Mary got angry at his words and cast another spell. Lee blocked it easily and took a step forward. She tried again and again was blocked. Lee took another step forward decreasing the distance again. Only 8 feet stood between them. Then 7 feet, 6 feet, 5 feet, 4 feet... Lee stopped there for a while. He was struggling to block them now. Still he didn''t let a single one hit. She always prided herself on her speed. She felt like he was stepping on her pride by doing this.

    ¡°You''re cast speed is excellent. You pride yourself on it I bet. It must be maddening how I can block it from such a range. I might be able to get this close to you now, but if you could gather nature energy 1/10<sup>th</sup> of a second faster I would need to stand at least 10 feet back to block it, if not more. When it comes to mana, just a little faster can make a large difference. We''ll work on this until I need to stand 10 feet back to block you. After that we''ll work on increasing the power of our spells.¡±

    As practice finishing Lee was quite proud of his friends, ¡°Good job everyone. Remember what I''ve said to work on and we''ll meet back here tomorrow. David, stay after so we can talk a bit about your training.¡±

    After they all left Lee walked up to David. Lee paused for a second. This would be difficult to say. ¡°There''s no easy way to say this David so I''ll just say it. To be completely honest, your talent for magic is bad. Only slightly better than mine. The difference is I was taught by a wizard who had methods that would work around even the worst talent since I was 8. You were taught with conventional methods all your life.¡±

    ¡°So what are you saying?¡±

    ¡°This means it''ll be particularly hard for you to keep up with the others as this training goes forward. You need to build up your foundation a lot more. They can build theirs up a good deal in a mere year. For you it will take many years to be able to build them up the same amount.

    This doesn''t mean you still can''t be a great wizard in the future or that you are limited by how great you can be. But it does mean you''ll soon lag behind the others in magical ability. Maybe before the year is over. You''ll be able to possibly catch up after a few years if you can master the fundamentals effectively but there are no short cuts in building them.¡±

    David yelled in a rage ¡°I don''t accept that! You''re telling me that there''s nothing I can do to change it no matter how hard I work? That is completely unfair!¡±

    ¡°Sadly, life isn''t always fair. But just because life isn''t always fair doesn''t mean life isn''t full of possibilities. ¡°

    ¡°What do you mean? What possibilities?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought you wouldn''t like this news so I figured out a way for you to keep up with the others while you make up your lack of foundation. As a bonus. It''ll also give you a way to possibly surpass them all once you have caught up.¡± Lee hoped this would cheer David up.

    ¡°What is it? Some special spell or magical training?¡±

    ¡°No, like I said, you will fall behind in magic. That is why as you train your fundamentals you''ll also learn martial arts. This is the best way for you to keep up with them for now. They are better off training their magic to gain power. Since that will be harder for you, we''ll have you train your body as well. Wizards who can fight well are rare. It seems I''m the first one any of you has ever seen. Remember how great an advantage that was in our fight?¡±

    David was silent for a moment ¡°I guess so... but will I really be able to keep up with them like that?¡±

    ¡°It depends on how hard you work. It isn''t like your magic is bad. You can use many powerful spells and I''m not telling you to abandon using magic in a real fight. Like I said, you''ll be able to be a great wizard and able to catch up in magical power eventually if you work hard. But if you don''t focus on fundamentals like mana control and density now it will be impossible to do so later. You only have so many years to develop those skills. Don''t waste your chance to do it.¡±

    David nodded ¡°fine, I''ll focus on mana control and fundamentals of magic and learn martial arts.¡±

    Lee put a hand on his shoulder ¡°don''t be sad, you''ll soon see how powerful this will make you and how fierce a wizard too! The only downside is your training will be the most painful of all.¡±

    ¡°That''s okay. I can take anything as long as I get stronger!¡±

    Lee smiled ¡°I''m glad to hear so, that''s a good spirit to have. Now for our first lesson. What to if an opponent lets you get to close to them.¡± Lee moved like lightning. His hand moved from David''s shoulder to his wrist. Lee turned his hips in and flipped David over his shoulder and onto the ground.

    David let out a slow ¡°oooooowe....¡±

    ¡°Now, the next step, how to subdue an opponent on the ground. There are a lot of ways to do this and they are all rather painful. Let''s go over a few.¡±

    ¡°Can we start over? I wasn''t ready. That hurts! It feels like my wrist is about to break! What are you doing to my leg? I don''t think it can bend that far BACK! Wait, not the neck. NOT THE NECK!¡±

 Chapter 22: Late Night Visit

    Tom Sky sat during a lecture along with his fellow class 5 students. The weights he was wearing all day had begun to take their toll on him. He started to dread Peter Leaf telling him to stand up to do a magical demonstration of some kind. The prospect of having to move anymore than he absolutely had to was not a happy one.

    David Rain found it painful to move but almost as painful just to sit. He spared for about 30 minutes after everyone else had left with Lee. He was struck, thrown around and his body was twisted in ways he had never imagined it would be. He hated the smirk on Lee''s face at the end of training. He remembered Lee saying ¡°you have no need to worry. Everything we did will leave only minor damage so there''s no reason we can''t train tomorrow.¡±

    He hated it but there would be no other way to keep up with everyone else. He had long suspected what Lee told him about his natural talent being low. He was happy it would not limit him in the future but he hated the thought of everyone passing him in magic ability.

    Derrick Hill and Amanda Clover practiced their mana control in class. Lee could already feel changes within them. Was it because they were such good talents or was it because neither had truly had a decent teacher in the past? Lee thought perhaps both played a part. In either case, he could tell what he was teaching them was working well.

    Perhaps just as importantly, it built up their confidence. Both seem tended to lack confidence in their magic ability a great deal; probably because of their lack of a solid background. Lee decided on top of their mana training he would need to find time to sit them down together and talk about some magic theories that was not being discussed in this class.

    On top of that, he would need to have magical duels with them so they could get use to being in combat. This was perhaps their biggest issue. There was nothing for it but to let them fight and gain experience. He was happy Sky, Rain and Cloud were from noble houses in this regard. Even though he know things they were taught were wrong a fair amount of the time, the practical experience with spars and dealing with magic was useful.

    And then there was Mary Saint Cloud. She was following his regiment but Lee was honestly unsure of how best to teach here. It wasn''t like she was bad in any single area. Her talent was clearly top notch. He supposed the Cloud house became one of the big 3 in the continent because their bloodline held such natural talent. She was probably exceptional even for them.

    Her mana control was good but had a few fundamental flaws. Lee realized in some ways it would be easier to teach this entirely from scratch than to try to fix so many minor problems that added up to a big one. She had a lot of good habits. To go further they would need to be broken to make better ones.

    The old man was described magic a bit like a wheel. You can do most of it right but if you have just a few flaws suddenly it is like a wooden wheel that isn''t perfectly round. If it has cracks and dents that makes it''s roll harder and less natural you will find twice the effort gets you only half as far. Just as it doesn''t take many imperfections to make a wheel not work correctly it doesn''t make many imperfections to limit your magical ability drastically.

    As the days went on with their training, Mary grew frustrated. It felt to her like she was going 1 step forward and 2 steps back. She thought she was actually becoming a worse wizard as this training went on. In some ways she was correct. Lee telling her to break her habits and tendencies and build new ones caused her to actually decline a bit in ability for a while. What was once smooth and natural was tossed aside for the new.

    Much of the way Lee told her to channel and control her mana felt wrong and she would often mess it up. Her frustration and anger at the situation had everyone else who crossed her path on their toes. She had asked Lee to train her to get stronger. Yet she was actually a worse wizard right now than when she started. It was becoming too much to stand.

    ¡°What you''re teaching me isn''t working! I''m making a fool out of myself in front of the whole school. I tried to do a very simple magic demonstration when asked and I failed to even cast the spell. A main house Cloud not being able to cast a simple spell? Do you know how ridiculous and shameful that is? It is like a frog that can''t leap.¡±

    ¡°Mary, I told you before. This is going to be very difficult for you. I know you have been taught magic a very particularly way all your life. Now I''m telling you to do something different and it feels unnatural and wrong when you try to. But I swear I am not lying to you. This will make you stronger. You just need to give it time and have patience¡±. Lee couldn''t afford to not have Mary on board with this.

    She was getting restless but agreed. In the end the difference in ability between her and Lee was enough so that she would give this the time it needed to work. At least that was what Lee was hoping.

    The training with Tom was going well. He was still slow in his 25lb weights but now he was able to get through the day without wanting to cry. The worst part of the training is when he failed to dodge a spell and was knocked down. Lee would continue to fire on him even being on the ground. Getting up with all the weight on himself was hard to accomplish quickly. But the motivation insured he did.

    Derrick and Amanda had been doing well with their training. Amanda in particular had come a long way. She turned out to really have a great natural feel for mana control. They were becoming better able to control their magic and increase their power. He still had a lot for them to work on and they were still a long time away from duel casting or casting without making any chants but he had hopes they would be able to do those before long.

    Tom was still fairly miserable lugging around all that extra weight but he was showing signs of improvement. He had began to move quicker and reaction faster when dodging attacks. Lee when firing spells at him intentionally made them hard to dodge but just off the mark enough so they were possible to dodge. Slowly he started to move the spells closer and closer to the center of Tom''s body.

    Lee was having a lot of fun teaching David Rain. He hadn''t realized till he started to spar how much he''d missed it. Sparing daily before coming to this school and then suddenly not doing so was something he missed without even realizing it. Rain wasn''t must of an opponent of course, but he was determined and showed good toughness with his ability to stand up time after time.

    The training went on with a mix of sparring and instruction. Lee didn''t tell the others why he wanted to teach David martial arts as opposed to magic skills as he thought that being public would embarrass him. David after getting over this had began to embrace his training. Whenever David needed encouragement to get back up Tom told Lee he should talk to Amanda and instruct her while David was on the ground.

    Lee didn''t know why, but he found this to be very effective. David would always get right back up and declare he was ready for more. Their sparring continued until Lee knew he was completely spent physically. When that happened he told David to work on his mana control. He sat in the corner with Amanda and Derrick while they also practiced theirs.

    He made sure to watch them practice their mana control the first few weeks just to be sure they were doing everything as he wanted them to. Even one minor mistake would have drastic consequences for their mana training. Soon he would have them do all their mana training on their own time and focus on other things here. But it was important to be sure it was done correctly before that happened.

    As time went on that is exactly what did happened. The only one who still needed to be coached when it came to mana control was Mary. Lee knew these bad habits would take a while to break but she seemed unwilling to just sit by and do mana training alone while everyone else trained in other things.

    To try to solve the problem Lee shared his idea. ¡°Well, if you don''t want to train your mana here then we need to find a time to do it together. If you prefer, we can go to your room after this training is over and we can do it there.¡±

    Mary responded a bit too loudly so that the other 4 almost heard ¡°you want to come to my room tonight?!¡± When they turned towards her wondering what it was she said she simply waved her hands at them ¡°never mind! Go back to your training. Do you have so much time to spare?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    She said very softly to Lee with the red on her cheeks almost matching the red of her hair ¡°that would be okay I suppose..... just don''t get any funny ideas!¡±

    ¡°What kind of funny ideas would I get?¡± Lee was unsure of what she meant

    She was angered at his comment and turned around saying ¡°idiot¡±softly. She gave out a huff ¡°you''ll need to come late so that no one sees you. Usually there are magical barriers in place to keep a student from entering another student''s room at night. Luckily, my family knows how to deal with them. One of the benefits of being a Saint Cloud. I''ll make it so the barrier to my room is down just before midnight. Come at that time¡±.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be careful to not been seen. I don''t want to get you in any trouble¡±. She nodded and then they went back to their training. They finished just a bit before 9. This was as late as they were usually allowed to be out. They casually went back to their own rooms and wished each other a good night.

    Mary casually walked back to her room. She casually waved to a few other nobles she knew were also retiring for the night. She casually closed the door behind her. Her back pushed against the door and she started to breath hard and quickly. She felt a strong nervous energy in her body and a slight nervous sweat on her forehead. ¡°What am I getting so nervous about? So Lee is coming to my room, at midnight, alone. No big deal.¡±

    She ran to the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror. There was no reason not to make sure she was presentable. She was from the main Cloud house after all, and should always represent them proudly. Maybe she should do something to make her hair look a bit better. Her makeup wasn''t as good as it was when put on early this morning. She did sweat a bit from the training. A shower wouldn''t be a bad idea. She may as well put on some fresh perfume on if she was taking a shower.

    She went through these task one by one. She knew she should dress as conservatively as her school uniform. Then again, it was her room. Why shouldn''t she be able to dress a little more comfortable in here? She looked over her clothing. Surely she shouldn''t wear something like the tight top and short shorts she saw in her closet. Wouldn''t that be a bit too revealing?

    Then again, why shouldn''t she? She certainly had nothing that she felt embarrassed about showing. Her body was just the right amount of curvy and well proportioned. She stood a proud 5''5 with a thin frame. Her skin was pale and healthy. The bruises from her fight against ''The Shame of the House of Sun'' had all faded. Her blue eyes reminded those who saw them of ocean water. She was the pride of her house in talent and beauty. Of course she couldn''t wear something so revealing...

    *****

    Lee left his room just a little before midnight. He moved slowly and silently through the halls. He knew it would be horrible for his plans if he embarrassed her and so took great care moving towards her room. He probably should have left a little earlier to give himself more time if he was going to move so slowly.

    Before long he was at her door. He remembered now they never talked about how it was he should enter. Should he just walk in or give the door the slightest of knocks. It''s unlikely anyone would hear if he knocked very lightly but he didn''t want to make any noise at all if possible. In the end he figured it would be best just to open it slightly. He looked around, then slowly opened the door a crack and whispered ¡°Mary?¡±

    She pulled the door open gave a quick look around and then pulled Lee inside shutting the door behind him quickly. She was clearly not happy ¡°what you are doing? Are you trying to get caught? Just get in here already instead of standing around outside like an idiot. Also, your late. I started to get worried you fell asleep. I can''t leave my door defenses down all night you know!¡±

    Lee answered back a meek ¡°I''m sorry, I''ll do that from now on and be here on time¡±. He gave her a look over.

    In the end she didn''t wear the short shorts and the tight and smallish top she saw before. She put them on at first but in the last 30 minutes decided on an outfit just a bit more revealing. Now her belly button was clearly visible and her chest pushed against the blue colored top that matched her eyes. Her shorts covered less than half of the skin aboce her knees.

    She blushed and looked away ¡°what are you looking at?¡± She put her an arm around her stomach feeling a little to embarrassed. With him standing there. not in theory but in reality, her boldness had faded. She had to fight the urge to turn around. She knew if she did the shorts would also do a good job of giving him a great view her butt. Not that there was anything wrong with it.

    ¡°it''s just you look different is all. I''ve never seen you without your school uniform so I was just surprised¡±. Lee figured she must not like something about how she looked. He should probably say something to try to make here feel better. That is what you were suppose to do in this situation, right? What did his father say to his mother again when she felt like this? Now he remembered!

    ¡°Don''t worry, no matter what you wear, you''ll always look like the worlds most beautiful woman to me!¡± Mary''s face went scarlet red at that comment. Lee was terrible at dealing with women. He just didn''t understand them. Did he say the wrong thing again?

    Mary turned away a bit and smiled; turned back to him a good deal more happy than he had ever seen her. ¡°Well, of course! I mean, not that I care what you think about how I look. But it''s nice to know you aren''t totally blind. I''m sure you feel lucky you get to see a beauty like me. I suppose you have some good sense at times so you''re not entirely hopeless.¡±

    She let her hand drop and felt a bit better about her situation ¡°but don''t get any ideas. I just like to be comfortable at night. It''s my room after all and since you insisted on coming to teach me at this time of night, don''t expect me to change the way I dress to suit you! That would be arrogant. You''re just going to have to get use to it. Just remember, even if you begged me for a thousand years it isn''t like you would ever have a chance with me!¡±

    She turned a bit shy again ¡°but if you beg and cry enough I might take pity on you. Probably not, but I just always live by the saying of ''never say never; you know.¡± Lee was lost at what she meant by all of this. Clearly she still didn''t like him but it seems she was at least willing to tolerate him. That was all he needed for his purposes. He did hope they would grow to be friends someday.

    ¡°I understand, well in that case lets not waste time and begin our training. I am sure you don''t want to be up all night with me.¡± Lee moved to an open spot on the floor.

    ¡°Of course not! What would I possibly want to do all night up with the likes of you!¡± She said this a bit too loud. After Lee reminder her to quiet down they sat opposite one another and began the training. Lee tried to sense her energy as she tried to control it. Tonight they were going to practice control of mana outside the body.

    As the training continued Lee gave more and more tips but it seemed she just couldn''t do it the way he instructed her to. There was nothing else he could think to do to help her. In the end he was left with no choice. ¡°Mary, I want you to put your hand on my stomach and try to feel how my mana flows. Try to notice how it''s different compared to yours. Would you mind doing that?¡±

    She was silent for a moment. ¡°Well, if there''s absolutely no other way.... I suppose it can''t be helped.¡± Lee took her hand and placed it under his shirt and over where his mana system was.

    ¡°Now I want you to concentrate and try to feel out what I¡¯m doing. From where you''re hand is, even one not skilled at feeling mana should be able to sense it.¡± With that he lifted his hand and began to form mana. Hr Controlled the shape and size of the mana he released it outwardly. ¡°Do you think you understand what I¡¯m doing?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Mary paused before saying this ¡°give me a little more time. I want to be sure I really get this down. It''s important after all so I will need to take my time!¡± Lee waited until she said she was ready. He asked her to now lift here hand up and shape her mana outwardly. To try to copy what she felt from him. There was improvement from before but it still wasn''t exactly right.

    ¡°Mary, I need to get a better sense of your mana flow. There is some small mistake being made and I can''t tell what it is without direct contact with your mana system. I am afraid I''ll need to put my hand on your stomach to get a better idea of what the problem is.¡± She blushed to match her hair.

    ¡°Do what you have to do. Just remember no matter how beautiful you think I won''t forgive you if you try to take advantage of me.¡± She felt him put his hand on her stomach and lower chest right where the rib started. His hand felt big, strong and warm against her smooth skin. She almost put her hand over his but stopped herself.

    ¡°That is odd, it seems your mana has gone out of focus. Are you okay Mary?¡±

    ¡°I''m just fine, give me a moment will you!¡± She slowed her heart beat and tried to focus her mana. It took a few seconds but in the end she was able to do it. As she tried to control her mana outside of her body Lee found the problem.

    ¡°You''re fully compressing from below. That is throwing everything off just a bit. You need to do it completely equally on all sides¡±. As he did this she started to improve. Now she was controlling the mana outside her body nearly perfectly. It would simply be a matter of practice now. He went to pull his hand away.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Lee gave her a puzzled look. ¡°Well, this is very important after all. Let''s try it a few more times just to make sure. You can never be too careful right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose that''s true¡± Lee pressed his hand back firmly against her.

    ¡°Yeah, you can never be too careful you know...¡± she closed her eyes focusing on the warmness of his hand. Wondering if he may try to put his other arm around her and pull her to him. She would of course not allow that. Well, maybe just a little...

    ¡°You''re losing control of your mana again it seems.¡±

    Mary blushed ¡°It''s fine! I wasn''t thinking of anything indecent! I just need time to get the hang of it!¡±

    There lessens continued for a few more weeks. Lee thought she was doing perfectly fine after just single week of one on one training. Mary demanded more, she wanted to be sure her mana form was perfect no doubt. He admired her determination. She would be a great ally to have in the tournament with that kind of spirit.

 Chapter 23: Held After Class

    Lee sat in class listening to Peter Leaf talk about magic. Leaf called upon 2 students to do a demonstration of the earth wall spell. These 2 students weren''t particularly skilled with earth magic and only managed create a small, weak wall. Peter Leaf patted both on the back. ¡°That was a good attempt my dear students; but you must get better results then this if you wish to pass my upcoming test. Bad results are among my dislikes!¡±

    River didn''t particularly like a lot of the teachers here. He did have a soft spot for Peter though. He heard the story of how Peter almost died in an attempt to give the other students a chance to escape. How he fought on the same level of ''The Shame of the House of Sun''. He chased after him even in his weakened state and for all he knew going towards death in a last ditch effort to try to save his students only to find him defeated.

    It was through Mary that Lee and the rest of his friends were able to hear the details of Peter''s fight. Peter of course made a full report to the school about the incident. That report, as any report of note in zero province would, made it''s way to the Cloud house to be read by the Elders. Mary was informed by her house of the details of the report as they believed it would be to her benefit to know.

    It was awkward for the school to have their private reports known to a student. In the end, it was the Cloud house''s wish and there was nothing they could do about it. Lee was still unsure how he felt about Mary as a person but he respected that she went to the defense of Peter Leaf. It would be fair to say she was the main reason he still had a job at this school.

    Lee imagined most teachers would find that an odd situation to navigate. Teaching a student responsible for you still being a teacher. Peter, to his credit, never let it show and treated her no differently than any other student. Lee thought maybe Mary liked that about him but he couldn''t be sure. As far as he knew Mary didn''t like anything except her house and growing stronger. In any case, he was glad Peter was still his teacher.

    Soon the bell rang letting the students know there would be an hour break for lunch. Just as Lee was getting ready to leave Peter called out ¡°Lee, I''d like you to stay after class. I want to talk to you about your school work.¡±

    Lee found this odd as he always did he work in class at an acceptable level and handed in all his assignments. There was nothing to be done about it but to stay and hear what the problem was. It was such a pity to lose some of his precious lunch time. Many of the students here found the lunches comparatively bland. Lee had rarely eaten half this good. He hoped this meeting would end quickly.

    Peter walked to the door of the class ¡°if you don''t mind River, I''d like to take a quick walk around the campus while we talk. Staying too long in a stuffy classroom is one of my dislikes after all.¡± Lee had no objection a he felt the same way. It would work up his appetite more which would allow him to hopefully have a few extra bites of food.

    They walked through the hall and out to the court yard silently. Lee again became amazed by the pure size and luxuriousness of this school. Peter intentionally walked further out to be away from other people. ¡°Lee, I want to talk to you more about that wizard you saw fight ''The Shame of the House of Sun''. We still have not found anyone of the description.¡±

    Lee shrugged ¡°well, if a wizard that powerful doesn''t want to be found, I doubt he will be.¡±

    Peter smiled ¡°you know Lee, I see a lot of myself in you. I too was not born a noble. When I got into this school I was looked down on and seen as an after thought, even by the teachers. They didn''t want to waste too much time on a commoner when they could teacher and train nobles from famous families. I don''t fully blame them for that. Those types are more likely to be great wizards. No one wants to see their effort wasted after all.¡±

    Lee was unsure of what to say to this ¡°it''s seems it''s not as bad anymore compared to what you described. The commoners are almost given as much time as the nobles from what I can see. I guess we have come a long way since you were a student here.¡±

    Peter gave Lee a sideways look ¡°well, if I may be so boastful. I think I am mostly to thank for that. I was the first commoner since the reform, which made sure commoners had equal protections under the law, to graduate top of my class. It changed the way a lot of the teachers here thought. Since I joined the faculty a mere 3 years after graduating, I''ve tried to instill a more balanced culture. Having a home grown star student come back to teach has given me a lot of sway in my 7 years teaching here.¡±

    Lee paused for a moment. ¡°So what you''re telling me is.... you''re only 28 year old?¡±

    ¡°That is what you took from that story?¡±

    ¡°Well, I just thought you were older. I mean the scruffy beard and...¡± Lee thought listing off the things that made Peter look older than he was would be impolite. He didn''t have a great knack for social customs but he knew age was often a touchy subject for people.

    ¡°How old did you think I was then?¡± Peter stopped walking and crossed his arms.

    ¡°Well, I didn''t have any particular age in mind.¡± Lee of course was lying. He thought Peter was for sure over 40 years old before hearing his real age.

    ¡°Don''t be like that, I can take it. Just tell me already. Having to ask over and over is among my dislikes.¡±

    ¡°Well, if I had to guess without knowing; I''d say maybe 40?¡±

    Peter Leaf grabbed his head and shrieked to the sky ¡°40?! Do I look that old? I''m still a young man! Looking old is my greatest dislike of all!¡± He lamented and tried to feel for a bald spot in his hair. He wasn''t getting one was he?

    Lee was saddened but oddly amused by all this. He then remembered lunch. ¡°Well, I probably misspoke with that 40 comment. I''d say 35 tops! Anyway, I am curious what you wanted to talk about. Lunch waits for no student after all.¡±

    Peter took his hands out of his hair and composed himself. ¡°Yes, we should get down to business.¡± He sat on a bench near a small pond by the school and motioned Lee to sit next to him. Ducks were in the pond enjoying the summer sun and slight breeze.

    Peter looked at them and spoke ¡°as I told you, I was a commoner just like you. A lot of people see that as a disadvantage here. I''m not so sure about that. It''s true we tend to have less of a background with magic. But we also possess skills and experiences these nobles don''t. For instance before coming to this school I helped my father as a woods guide and trapper. We would help people get their cargo moved to difficult to cross parts of the country and hunt game as needed to keep us all fed.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Lee looking at Peter could picture that. He seemed like the gruff sort to do such a job. Peter continued on ¡°wizards can do a great many things, but tracking and knowing their way around the forest without getting lost isn''t usually one of them. That''s why I was confident enough to take you all out by myself. If I didn''t know the woods so well I would have never tried to go alone.

    Anyway, the point of me telling you all of this is because I want you to know that I¡¯m aware the story you told me and the school is a lie. There was no other wizard there. If there was, I no doubt would see his tracks. When I didn''t see them I thought perhaps he traveled through the trees; but after looking in them I saw no evidence. Just to be sure, I checked the ground around where the fight took place. Even going as far out as a mile in any direction. There was no evidence anyone was ever there.¡±

    Lee tried to think quickly ¡°are you saying a wizard can''t hide their tracks if they wish?¡±

    Peter smiled ¡°Oh, I''m sure they could if they wanted to. But they never do. Maybe you might think to do that if you are setting up a trap. But most wizards are nobles who wouldn''t even think to do something like hide their tracks. Even ones that would try wouldn''t be able to fool me. I helped track down people with my father before becoming a wizard. They tried to hide their tracks but always left a trace.¡±

    Lee tried to play dumb ¡°well, then I guess it''s a mystery. I don''t know how or why a wizard would do that. It seems they were able to. I''m afraid I have nothing more to add.¡±

    Peter ignored this ¡°It was nearly equally unbelievable to believe a first year magic student would have a chance to beat such a wizard, even in a weakened state. I tried to find any reason why I could be wrong and maybe have missed something. After examining the area carefully I am left with only one option to believe. Somehow you beat ''The Shame''. I don''t know how, but you did it.¡±

    ¡°Have you told anyone else you''re theory?¡±

    ¡°No, and I don''t plan to. Believing that we have a first year student who might be near as strong as me would be too much for them to accept. What I named as proof, they are nobles would dismiss because they couldn''t understand it. I''m not about to allow myself to be ridiculed all year. That''s among my dislikes! I just want you to be aware I know the truth. At least part of it.¡±

    Lee didn''t know what else to say ¡°well, don''t worry. I don''t plan to cause trouble. I''m probably not as strong as you think anyway. He was in a weakened state already and it was mostly luck that I won.¡±

    Peter looked straight ahead at the ducks ¡°I hope that''s not true. I''ve heard a troubling report about the Zero Province Dragon Academy. It seems something very big is going to happen this year if my informant is correct. If the information is true then I believe you might be the only hope our school and perhaps the province has. I''m talking to you now because I absolutely need to be sure you''re going to be on our team this year.¡±

    Lee was puzzled ¡°what are you talking about? What did you hear?¡±

    ¡°I heard a rumor that the Star house is going to make a power play to try to gain influence in zero province at this years tournament. They are giving our main rival school a roster of talented youngsters to help them defeat us. The most troublesome report of all is they are actually sending a student by the name of Vladimir Star. Perhaps that name means nothing to you but he is arguably the strongest student currently in any school in the entire continent.

    It''s being said even at the age of only 18 and a 3<sup>rd</sup> year student that he may already possesses an A rank. It''s believed he is one of the few wizards who is destined to be S class when he fully matures. Truly a talent we likely see only every 5 to 10 years. For him to be our opponent would almost certainly spell our certain defeat.¡±

    Lee thought about this for a moment. He understood why he himself cared so much about winning, but why was it so important to Peter? Was this a matter of pride for him? Finally Lee simply spoke ¡°I understand that you want our school to win the tournament but I don''t see why you are so worried about this. You''re acting like if we lose it will be a matter of life and death.¡±

    ¡°It will be a matter of life and death young River. I don''t think you fully understand what this move means. The Star house is coming into zero province and with this move will be laying claim on it as theirs. The Cloud house will lose influence and be seen as weak. It will fight back vs the Star house. Probably not with blood directly but politics and economics.

    When this power struggle happens it will be long and drawn out. No matter who wins the whole province and continent will suffer. The nobles will be fine but the commoners like always will feel the hit the hardest. Money will go from programs to help them to help the houses in their fight. These houses in the end control the politics of this continent after all.

    Credit will dry up and unemployment will skyrocket. Crime will go up and it will lead to more violence. people will starve as we head for a depression.

    It will almost entirely be felt by the commoners and will go on as long as the houses fight for dominance.  Even if it takes 5, 10 or 20 years. We must not let that happen no matter what. In my opinion, the only way to prevent that is for our school with a Cloud heir to beat their Star heir. The Star house would lose some face if that happened but the effects of that would be minor in comparison and are unavoidable at this point.

    This is why I''m talking to you young River. What we need now is a student who defies logic. There is probably no 3<sup>rd</sup> year or 2<sup>nd</sup> year at this school who can hope to defeat even the minions sent along with Vlad by the Star house. Defeating Vlad is utterly impossible for any of our students. Even I''m not fully sure I would be able to defeat him to be honest. This is why I''m asking you to do so.¡±

    Lee was surprised by this. Yes, he wanted to advance in the tournament but beating this Vlad boy, assuming he even could, it seemed like that would be far too much exposure for him. Hopefully it wouldn''t come to that. He knew Peter wouldn''t drop this and would keep on about it until he got an answer that either gave him hope of crushed it.

    Lee stood up and turned towards the school. Before he left he turned to Peter. ¡°I don''t want you to ask questions and I don''t plan to give you any explanations. I might be able to beat this Vlad but I won''t know until I face him. For various reasons, it''s also important to me to win this tournament and I plan to do so. If I may be so boastful, if you want our school to win then it would be best do to everything you can to help my plans.¡±

    Peter smiled ¡°you''re a devious little snake, I''m happy to see that. I hope it will be of help. Don''t steal my phrases though. That is one of my dislikes!¡± He laughed and stood up. ¡°If I can help you out then I''ll be sure to do just that. Any resources you need I''ll get them for you so just ask. Like I said, I carry a lot of sway here.¡± They started to walk back towards the school.

    Lee thought of something ¡°if you want to help, then I would ask you give myself, David. Tom, Mary, Amanda and Derrick a few classes off here and there. I''m trying to train them to build a team strong enough to win the tournament. It would be easier if we had a few days without classes each month to just train all day.¡±

    Peter nodded ¡°I can make that work, I don''t know where you''re training but I can probably get you a better spot and more resources if you want. Even if you want to keep this quiet I should be able to get you anything you need.¡±

    Lee smiled ¡°good, thank you. Every little bit helps of course and I won''t turn down any resources I can get. The only issue is I don''t know who will be in charge the students who qualify and decide who makes the team. If we get a bad ref or stubborn teacher who doesn''t believe first years should be on the team it could ruin everything.¡±

    ¡°You don''t need to worry about that. I put in for that spot the instant I heard what was happening at the Dragon academy. I''ll be the teacher in charge of the students who qualify and I will be sure the refs in the tournament are fair.¡±

    Lee was surprised ¡°already making moves to put yourself in position before you even had my answer? It seems like your the one whose a devious snake.¡±

    Peter shot Lee a sideways look ¡°I just always like to be in position to make fate be as I want it to be. Events unfolding without them having my express permission to do so is one of my dislikes after all.¡±

 Chapter 24: Wash Away Despair

    Later that night Lee was conducting training practice with his classmates. He decided at the end of practice to tell him all about his conversation with Peter Leaf and give them all the information he was given. There was shock and apprehension by all of his friends. It seemed Lee was the only person in this entire school who hadn''t heard of Vladimir Star. He was famous talent known all around the continent. The top talents and wizards on the continent were common knowledge outside of Lee''s town it seemed.

    Every student but Lee could name every single S ranked wizard in all the continent and knew of the most likely candidates to join the S rank. On the current continent there were only 9 wizards had the S ranking. It was widely believed Vladimir Star was destined to join that esteemed group within the next 10 years.

    The heads of the Cloud, Sun and Star house were all S ranked wizards and considered the 3 strongest wizards in all the continent. The Sun and Star houses both had another S ranked wizard besides the head of their house. This put the Cloud house in a difficult spot.

    Currently only the head of the Cloud house, Mary''s grandfather, was S ranked. He was not getting any younger, and there was much concern about the future of the house. The Cloud house always had at least one S ranked wizard for the past 300 years. Even with a fairly large number of A ranked wizards, it was not enough to save face. It was believed that they didn''t have anyone in the main or the branch houses who was promising enough to be S ranked.

    Mary, of course, had another opinion about that and she was determined to one day become an S ranked wizard. The Cloud house believed she would became an A ranked wizard and nothing more. This was a large disappointment to the family. Yet another child who had a direct bloodline with their very powerful grandfather that could not achieve S rank. They were running out of time and no one else from her parent''s generation was going to have any more children.

    Mary started to hear whispers before she came this to school. It seemed they believed the best chance to get an S ranked wizard before her grandfather passed was to have her become a mother sooner rather than later. As each year passed those whispers would no doubt become louder. She worried her grandfather would all but force her to marry a man with a strong magical constitution before she was even 20.

    She was free to marry who she wished, but if the head of the Cloud house demanded it and she refused there would be dire consequences. In the worst case she might be expelled by the house and forced to give up the right to her last name. This was one of the reasons why she was desperate to get stronger. The strong may do as they wish. If she showed she had a good likelihood to become S ranked then her standing within her house would improve and her wants would be a greater consideration.

    Tom''s Uncle was head of the Sky house and the only other S class ranked wizard in zero province. Before him, the Sky house wasn''t seen to be worth of much note, but having an S class wizard as their head lifted them out of obscurity and into a position of power. The Cloud house went to great lengths to keep strong ties as well as subtle control over the Sky house. They couldn''t afford to lose their loyalty.

    The Sun house was considered the most powerful of the big 3 houses. They had a number of young talented wizards and they hoped they could nurture another to S rank soon that would give them a total of 3. If they did, it would be the first time in many decades any of the main houses had had 3 S ranked wizards. A few of the names tossed about had been Augustus Sun and Marcus Sun. Someone apparently heard the name Victoria Sun thrown around too but that was a rather new one little was known about her. The Sun house had clearly been the strongest of the big 3 over the last 20 years.

    Before the barrier went up there was a 4<sup>th</sup> house whose name was mentioned with the other 3 for hundreds of years. At this point it was a mere after thought. People had given up hope the barrier would ever fall. That great houses'' place in history had closed. The other 3 great houses publicly spoke of what a shame it was but privately could hardly contain their joy. One less rival to deal with.

    Besides these, there was an S class wizard in the Falcon House, it was in the area generally considered to be controlled by the Star house, which meant many considered him one of their number. Another S ranked was from the Dragon house and another was actually a commoner with the last name Mud. Both of whom were in the area considered controlled by the Sun house.

    To put it another way....

    The Sun house had 2 S ranked wizards and 2 more in their area of control with several great young prospects as well as many stronger A rank wizards.

    The Star house had 2 S rank wizards and 1 more in their area control and perhaps the best prospect in all the continent.

    The Cloud house had 1 S rank wizard with 1 more in their area of control and no currently promising prospects for any others.

    After all this was explained to River, he began to understand why the Star house was acting so boldly. They saw the Cloud house as weak and were worried the Sun house would only grow stronger in the future. If they managed to subdue the Cloud house there was a good chance they could bring Tom''s S ranked uncle to their side as well as other strong A ranked wizards that were loyal to the Cloud house.

    Lee now understood the standing of the various houses as well as the standing of pretty much the entire continent as a whole. But there was still one thing he didn''t understand. ¡°What about the great wizard from the stories who helped defeat the demons and all of his students? Surely they would be considered S rank as well?¡±

    Tom Sky shook his head ¡°after the barrier went up no one has heard about the great wizard or any of his students since. It''s thought that either he and the rest of them died while the barrier went up or are all on the other side of it. While it''s said there was some sort of betrayal by one of his students and the others and him went into hiding no one really knows where that story came from.¡±

    ¡°My father told me it''s just wishful thinking¡± Derrick added. ¡°I heard, it''s exaggerated how strong he and his students really were. Some people even think the old wizard went crazy and killed them all because they weren''t good enough for him. Most of his students were orphans or unwanted children from lowly noble houses so ee don''t even known who many of his students were.

    The ones that were known never went back to their houses. If they are still alive. it''s unlikely anyone would even know what they looked liked. As far as how strong the wizard really was, while he did tip the balance of power in the great war and impressive stories are spoken of the things he did; most educated people agree it''s unlikely he was as strong as the stories suggest. He was probably only slightly stronger than the current heads of the Star, Sun and Cloud house they say.¡±

    Lee Riven didn''t say anything to this. He''d never met any of the heads of the Star, Cloud or Sun houses but he got the suspicion the old wizard was be a good deal stronger than any of them. This talk which had started to become a more popular theory might be something pushed by the Star, Cloud and Sun houses to save face.

    The only part of this story he believed was the children the old man took who actually had parent might have been more willing to give them up than the old man let on. Not that it really mattered to Lee. His goal was still the same and this new information\ didn''t change anything. He still to win the tournament and use it to try to find the old man''s students.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    While he believed in his ability to achieve this goal; when he looked in the faces on everyone else he was surprised. They had gone pale as the news sunk in about what the Star house was doing and that their prized youth would be competing against them. Everyone had a flat and defeated look on their face.

    ¡°Surely, you all still think we can win? You aren''t going to give up are you?¡±

    ¡°No, we won''t stop training River, it''s just...¡± Amanda tried to find the words ¡°we just might need to change our expectations.¡±

    ¡°What are you all getting so down about? So the Star house wants to come here and play their little games? So what? You aren''t about to let such a small thing demoralizing you this much are you?¡±

    Tom looked at the ground and kicked a pebble. ¡°I don''t think you really understand the power of the Star house. Not even counting Vladimir, they are sending over a number of very strong students no doubt. Id''s be shocked if any of them will be below B rank. I want to be hopeful too. I really do. But...¡±

    ¡°Mary, surely you will not take this laying down? You plan to train and defeat that cocky Star house don''t you?¡± Lee believed her fire and desire to win was as strong as his. It was one of the few things he admired about her.

    Mary stood up and cast strong wind magic against the magically enforced wall ¡°Dammit! I hate the damn Star house! Don''t they realize they''re going to ruin my life? Why do I have to get pushed around like this? This is totally unfair! Why did they have send these people? And Vladimir too...¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Are you just going to give up?¡±

    ¡°You''ve never seen him fight. I have.¡± Mary compose herself. ¡°I understand you''re strong River, but this is an A rank wizard who has been handed down every secret technique the Star house has. The Shame of the House of Sun you fought didn''t have his family''s secret techniques. In a lot of ways that makes Vladimir a lot more dangerous. He won''t be weakened before you fight him either like ''The Shame'' was.

    If anything, the Star house will use every dirty trick they can to make sure you''re the one in a weakened state. There isn''t much my Cloud house can do to stop them from having things their way. I''m proud of my house, but to be totally honest, they''re putting a great deal of effort into keeping up their reputation. They have declined more than most people realize. The powerful name we have is just as important as our actual power to the influence we possess these days.... probably more important.¡±

    Lee River looked to David Rain to say something positive. He didn''t say a thing. It was only then that he realized everyone but him had already given up. They all believed Lee River was powerful and they must have seen some effects from the training. But Lee knew the effects wouldn''t truly show up until many months later. Clearly they felt he was no match for Vladimir and they would be no match for anyone else the Star house may send to fight.

    Lee fully understood how bad this situation was. If they were this demoralized the training would suffer. Then they would really have no chance to win. He was confident in his own power but unsure of how the Star house may bend the rules. Even if he could win his match, if everyone else lost it wouldn''t matter. He had to do something to change their current mindset.

    *****

    Peter Leaf was in his room preparing his lesson plan for tomorrow. He also had a few letters and notes he wanted to read to update him on the current situation. When it came to any plans and movements of the Star house he wanted to know as much as he could. He learned long ago that information was just as, and sometimes more important than, your physical strength.

    Right as he finished his lesson plan and started to go over his notes on the Star house he heard a small knock on his door. Who would be knocking this time of night. Perhaps the headmaster already found someone out. He opened the door only to see Lee River and some of his classmates.

    ¡°Well it''s nice to see you Lee and it''s nice to see some of my other wonderful students too. However, it''s a little late to pay such a visit. If you want to talk I think tomorrow would certainly be a better time.¡±

    ¡°I''m afraid this can''t wait Mr. Leaf. It''s about what we discussed earlier today. I would like you to come with us. We have a very important matter to discuss about the upcoming tournament.¡± Lee had a very insistent look on his face.

    ¡°Very well, let''s go then. The sooner we get this done the better and I don''t want to be found wondering the halls here at night. Not that I would get in the same trouble you all would, but annoying questions might be asked.¡± He followed Lee and the other students to an isolated training area.

    ¡°Teacher, you said before you were unsure if you could beat Vlad yourself correct? That means you are also not fully sure you can''t either correct?¡±

    Peter thought about this for a minute. ¡°I don''t know for sure so I can only guess. I suppose it would be pretty close either way. I would suppose at this very moment I''d have a slight advantage over him in power. By the end of the school year who knows if that would be the case The Star house also has a number of techniques and that would be where the greatest problems would be.¡±

    ¡°If you''re about his strength then that''s perfect.¡± Lee walked up on the stage. ¡°I want you to have a match with me.¡±

    Peter was shocked ¡°What? A student fighting a teacher in a match? I never heard of such a thing... and a first year at that.¡±

    ¡°If you are about as strong as Vlad then this will be a good test for where I currently stand against him correct? I think this is something we can''t afford not to do.¡± Lee face showed his determined and clear intend not to back down from this.

    ¡°You can''t be serious!¡± Mary had half a mind to run on stage and pull him off. ¡°Just face the facts, you won''t be defeating Vladimir Star. Now get off that stage before you get hurt trying to do something stupid!¡±

    ¡°I do plan to fight Vladimir but ideally I won''t be the one to beat him. If things go as I want I hope that will be you Mary.¡± Lee didn''t take his eyes off hers. He wanted her to see that he was serious in what he said.

    ¡°Lee don''t be silly. Mary is an exceptional talent but for now she is D ranked... maybe she''ll make C ranked by years end. To expect her to beat a talent like Vladimir who has 2 years more experience is absurd.¡± Peter walked on stage and and was trying to coax him into stepping down.

    ¡°By the time our training is over by years end I expect everyone in this room to be strong enough to beat a B ranked wizard. Also when it comes to tricks why can''t we use a few of our own? If the Star house isn''t going to fight fair than why should we?¡± Lee squared off against Peter preparing to attack.

    ¡°Strong enough to beat B rank? You can''t believe that can you? You say B rank like it''s nothing. Maybe for you it''s possible but not everyone is lucky enough to be as blessed by talent as you.¡± Peter wanted to try to calm Lee down but every instinct screamed that he couldn''t let his guard down with the way Lee was looking. Without even thinking he started to take a fighting stance to match Lee''s.

    ¡°The problem with everyone here is you are assuming what your limits will be before you even try. That is the way which leads only to failure. You''re wrong about me Mr. Leaf. I have the worst talent of anyone in this room. The reason I got to where I am is knowledge and hard work. It''s a path anyone can walk. I''m going to make everyone, including yourself, believe our victory is possible.

    You came to be earlier asking me to help you achieve a miracle victory. You acted like it was us going against great odds to change the inevitable winds of fate. I should have said something then but I was foolish missed the meaning of your words. Now with my friends and you here I fully understand what the problem is. The problem is you all believe we are looking for a ray of hope in the darkness.

    I say that the opposite is true. I believe when the time comes we will be an overwhelming force that will make the Star house the ones praying to any gods who will listen for a miracle. The only way that won''t be the case is if we continue to think it''s hopeless. If we train thinking it''s pointless the training will become just that.¡±

    Peter shook his head ¡°Lee, it isn''t that I don''t want to win. I asked you try to join the school team to increase the odds. Bur it''s still currently impossible. Maybe if we can coax the Sun house into interfering or sending a few students over we might have a shot but as of now we simply don''t have a winning hand. I plan to try to do that too or anything else I can to win. I just don''t wan you to have unrealistic expectations. Idealism and a positive attitude alone can''t change the situation.¡±

    ¡°No it can''t, strength is what allows one to change the situation. That''s why I''m going to have you help me demonstrate how strong our hand is right now. I suggest you come at me with everything you''ve got. If you try to hold back even a bit; it''ll be over before you even have a chance.¡±

    Before Peter could say anything else he was forced to take a step back. Not from a spell or a punch. It was purely the pressure Lee exuded. His stance, his mana, the energy he was pulling in from nature.

    Peter gathered his own mana in response. His senses sharped. His heart beat increased. ¡°If you''re going to talk so much then you need to back it up my precious student. People who can''t back up what they say and deliver on their promises are one of my dislikes.¡±

 Chapter 25: A Fight Between A Ranks

    Peter observed River carefully. One may expect a young man such as him to charge in boldly. Instead he backed up to create a bit more distance. This was a new opponent Lee had never seen fight. He wanted to be sure no matter what attack came he had enough time and space to react. Peter realizing the situation decided if River was so kind as to let him set the pace; he would take the invitation.

    Peter summoned fire magic in one hand and wind in the other. River knew what this meant. It was a skill he had seen his teacher use before but one he had never attempted himself. He was told to stick with wind magic until he truly mastered it so combining magics wasn''t in his skill set. Peter was aware of the fact River only used wind and decided on this spell as it was likely too big to dodge and impossible to block with wind unless he wanted to use up all his mana.

    He fired the giant spell at River to see how he would react. He expected River to run away or dodge. Instead he saw through the thick flames River running toward the fire. He used wind magic behind himself to gain even more speed. Peter thought of trying to pull back the spell but it was too late. ¡°Stop you damn fool, you''ll kill yourself!¡±

    Once only 10 paces from the flames Lee put both hands in front of him and unleashed a large, concentrated form of wind magic into the fire. It caused a small hole to appear in the giant wall of fire. As quickly as it formed the whole started to close. Lee ran at full speed and used wind magic behind him to get through the hole before it closed. The bottoms of his shoes had a slight burn. He rolled as he fell to the ground to mitigate the momentum of his impact and sprung to his feet. He dashed towards Peter.

    ¡°You crazy son of a bitch¡± was all Peter could get out before he blocked the punch. He saw Lee tried to sweep his leg but he managed to jump back. He hadn''t fought hand to hand for a long time, but wood guides were a rough lot. Though not highly skilled, he was familiar with combat. He tried to strike at Lee. Peter was a large man who stood about 6''2 and 225lbs of muscle. While not highly skilled the force pushed Lee back.

    Lee shot a few wind spells at Peter which he blocked with his own wind magic. Lee shot more and more at a frantic pace but Peter managed to block them all. A few even missed their mark entirely. Clearly this was him testing Peter''s speed. Peter grinned ¡°did you really believe you could overwhelm me with just pure number of attacks young wizard?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn''t¡± Peter sensed several spells coming at him from behind. When did they get there? Wait, some of Lee''s spells missed entirely... Was it on purpose? Did he really managed to mix in spells he could control with straight spells built for speed? To change from one spell to another and back so quick and seamlessly... That tricky bastard.

    Peter quickly built multiple earth walls around him. It used a lot of mana but he was able to block the spells from all 4 directions. 2 of the spells hit him before he could finishing casting the walls and raise his defenses. He felt a stinging pain in his rib and leg. It didn''t feel like anything was broken but the damage would slow him down if he didn''t heal it. He focused on doing that quickly while he thought he had a chance.

    He felt magic above his head. Lee sent a few spells above the walls and straight down. Peter blocked with wind magic but the blast of colliding magics in a small space forced him to his knees. He smiled to himself. He expected River to be strong but this was totally beyond his expectations. Lee may already be an A ranked level wizard. Probably on the lower end of A but at worst a very Strong B.

    Peter used wind to explode the walls around him. He saw River had slide to the ground to dodge the earth debris in the air. Peter shot a number of small fire attacks at him. He knew River would need to be careful with how he dealt with fire attacks as a wind user. Lee was strong but still was a one trick pony when it came to magic. How would he deal with this?

    If a wizard tried to block fire magic by shooting wind magic into it that could turn into a very bad situation. He would have to shoot a large enough amount of wind to blow the spell away and make it disperse. If you used to little you would only make the spell larger and double your damage. It put the wizard into a bad situation.

    Either you had to use a lot of mana to block or you could try to use just enough to block the spell. If you were wrong and didn''t use enough you would regret it dearly. This is why wizards who used wind were taught to be excessive if such a situation even if it put them at a disadvantage for long fights.

    Lee dodged the first spell but the 2<sup>nd</sup> was too accurate. He would have to block. He''d been working on this skill for a while. He hadn''t had the chance to try it out in real life when he first read about it in one of the old man''s books. The old man refused to train him in it saying his mana control was still not good enough. Now was as good a time as ever. He gathered a fairly meager wind spell that used just about as much mana as Peter''s fire spell.

    He bent his knee slightly and lowered his hand containing the ball of wind as low as he could while not changing his posture. When the fire ball was just about to hit him he stood straight up as quick as he could using all his muscles and speed born from his martial arts training. He raised his hand open palm towards the ceiling. At about chest level he released the spell and shot it upwards. This created a large vertical gust in the air.

    The wind was only there for a moment but it came right as the the fireball was in front of Lee. It followed the strong gust up and dispersed in the air. Lee found he had to duck a bit to keep from getting his head burnt. He smelled a little of his hair burning and quickly patted it out.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Peter was shocked. He had never seen or heard of such a thing. As if it would answer his question he shot another fire ball at Lee and watched closely. Lee did the exact same move to block. Only this time, he managed to not get his hair burnt. Where did he learn that skill?

    Peter had used more mana than Lee to this point. He didn''t know who had more mana between the two but he didn''t want to walk down that path in the hopes he had more. So far none of his attacks worked. He would need to try something else. These straight forward attacks in an attempt to over power him were not working.

    Lee was honestly surprised that spell worked so well. He expected to have to deal with a few burns the first time but it worked out well. He felt like he could say he just about had truly mastered wind magic. He would need to force the old man to finally teach him some other form when he next saw him. He could probably teach himself if he had no other choice but it would definitely be better to learn from the old man.

    What was he thinking? He was in the middle of a fight and this wasn''t an opponent he could afford to relax around. So far Lee was the only one who had landed any attacks but he also escaped his opponent''s by only a hair. In some cases that was literally true. He hadn''t managed to land a good shot yet. He hoped to find a way to get close to him again, but this opponent was bigger and stronger than ''The Shame'' and knew how to handle himself. He would need to be careful if he got close. A quick in and out attack would be best.

    It was time to go on the offensive. He spent too much time sitting back and reacting. Before he could attack Peter knelled and placed his palm on the ground. Various earth walls sprung up all over the stage. 5? No 10. Now 20? What the hell was he planning? This no doubt used a fair amount of mana.

    Peter went behind one of the walls and out of Lee''s view. He felt a shaking and magic being used underneath the stage. What the hell was Peter planning? Before he could think any more he saw Peter run out from behind the wall and shoot water magic at him. River blocked and dodged when possible. There were numerous and quick attacks. Some even missed and hit walls to the side of him.

    While the walls blocked some of Peters attacks they also made it hard for River to land anything. These obstacles would make it easier to get close to each other. Is that really what he wanted? Did he think he was so much stronger than Lee he would have the advantage in close combat? Peter ran from wall to wall closing the distance bit by bit. Soon he was a mere 15 feet away.

    He hid behind a wall and shot a few spells at Lee. Lee did the same. More and more spells were shot at the wall Peter was behind. Lee decided he would pin him down and close the distance. If Peter wanted to get into a close fight with him then so be it. Lee was confident in his skills and knew he would be more than a match for his teacher.

    Lee slowly closed the distance using his spells to keep him pinned behind the wall. He was happy with the job he was doing. Peter had not been able to return a single attack for a while now. When Lee was 5 feet away he heard foot steps behind him and felt magic.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± He turned and saw Peter running at him and shooting water magic. How did he get behind me? There''s no way. He was hit by the water magic and knocked off his feet. He managed to stand but Peter kept running and closed the distance completely. With Lee Just being hurt by the water magic he was a sitting duck. Peter pulled his arm back for a right hook.

    Lee saw it coming but his body felt stiff around his ribs where the water spell hit him which limited his movement He dodged the punch partly and tried to roll with the rest as best he could. He avoided getting knocked out but it still hurt and blood was running down his mouth. His roll created distance and he used wind magic to create more. He passed the wall peter was hiding behind. He saw right behind the wall was a hole.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    He went through that hole to get behind me? Perhaps he used water magic to make it more slick and a little wind to help push himself through.... Was it created with the magic he felt underneath him? He had no more time to consider. Peter used wind magic to close the distance with Lee. He could tell Lee was hurt and wanted to finish it before he could recover. He had used a great deal of mana and wanted to end it here.

    Lee used wind attack after wind attack to try to push him back. Peter matched all his wind attacks. The 2 were at a stand still. Lee thought this was just fine. He probably had more mana at this point. Just then Peter after casting so many wind attacks cast a fire spell. A wind attack of Lee''s was already in the air and hit it. It grew larger and much more powerful. With Lee''s injured rib there was no way to dodge.

    The trick he had used before wouldn''t stop a spell this strong. He had no choice. He gathered wind in both hands. As Lee bent down his hurt ribs ached but he saw no other option. He quickly sprung up from the position and using wind magic from both his hands he shot a massive amount of wind magic upwards while raising his hands toward the ceiling. This was a much stronger version of his spell and managed to force it up and away. He felt a burn on the tips of a few fingers.

    With the flames now gone Lee could see Peter running towards him with his arm back ready to punch and a wind spell in his other hand. He managed to get only a few feet away while Lee was focused on that fire spell. Lee''s hands where high above him and useless. He continued his upwards motion and used it to bend backwards while bringing his leg up in a straight kick. Peter was committed to his attack. His punched missed by just an inch and the kick landed on his chin making his mouth fill with blood.

    ''Go down you bastard! '' Lee thought. Peter would have been knocked out for sure if he was the same height as Lee. But being taller took a little off the kick. It still knocked his head back. As Peter fell backward he shot the wind spell in his hand. It hit Lee and knocked him to the floor. Both fell down in great pain. And then stood up in just as much pain.

    Lee unleashed a lot of mana in that sequence. The water attack that hit him before and the wind attack now were a bigger problem. His body no longer moved how he wanted it to. Peter wouldn''t give him time to heal. He was in a real pickle. He knew he had no chance to dodge even a slow spell. He had lost all his precious mobility. He had to finish it with the next attack before his opponent knew he couldn''t move. He''d bait him to come at him and use an all or nothing attack.

    Peter felt his head spinning. He had bet a lot on those attacks. He barely had 1/10<sup>th</sup> his mana left. He knew Lee had a lot more left than him. If this went on it would be unfavorable. He knew he had to end it here if he had any hopes to win. He was sure his attacks had an effect but Lee managed to stand up. What a tough bastard. He would need to use a spell that would knock him on his ass for good. Lee probably couldn''t move all that well anymore so he''d try to get close and end it before he ran out of mana.

    ¡°What are you waiting for teacher? Unless you feel like giving up that is. If you wanna run with your tail between your legs I won''t stop you.¡±

    ¡°You damn brat, I''m going to take that arrogant smile off your face once and for all. It''s still too early for you to talk down to the likes of me. Let''s end it.¡±

    Lee smiled ¡°Well, don''t let me wait forever teacher. Old men who make me wait around forever cause they move so slow are one of my dislikes!¡± Lee gave a big laugh at his comment.

    Peter dashed at him with great anger burning in his eyes. He ran straight in with a large magical attack in hand. Lee stood in his spot building his own attack in both hands ready to bet it all on this one moment. Before their attacks met Mary used her wind magic to ran between them.

    ¡°What the hell are you two doing? Are you trying to kill each other!?¡± Both were committed to using their magic so were forced to shot it upwards in different directions just avoiding hitting Mary.

    Peter yelled ¡°What the hell do you think you''re doing Mary?¡±

    ¡°That''s what I wanna ask you two!¡±

    ¡°We were just about to decide the winner! Why did you interrupt?¡± Lee shook his head in disbelief.

    ¡°Why? Did you both forget this was a match that''s main purpose was to see if Lee had a chance to beat. Vladimir? You two were about to put each other in the hospital for weeks or maybe even kill each other. What would that have accomplished?¡± Mary couldn''t believe they would take this so far.

    As if they awoke from a dream both seemed to snap out of it. They had gotten caught up in their fight and lost themselves in it. Lee can never remember this happening to him. He saw Peter had great shame in his eyes. He knew what he was thinking. How could I come at once of my students with such determination to crush him? What kind of teacher would do that?

    ¡°You''re right Mary, we both lost our head and forgot the purpose of the match. To make it worse, I did everything I could to antagonize Mr. Leaf. The fault should clearly fall mostly on me. I know better than this. I was trained to be better than this.¡±

    Leaf shook his head ¡°I''m at fault the most. As the adult I should have taken a step back and realized the situation. I apologize Lee.¡±

    Lee was about to say it was okay and reassure him. But when he tried he coughed up blood and fell to his knee. He was hurt worse than he thought. He quickly used healing magic on his injured ribs and body. He spit the blood out of his mouth and onto the stage.

    ¡°Lee are you okay?¡± Mary rushed to his side as did Mr. Leaf. Soon Tom, David, Amanda and Derrick were there too.

    ¡°I''ll be okay. I just got my ass kicked is all. These injuries are ones I can heal. It''s your win Peter. I was in worst shape than I realized. There is no way I would have been able to keep standing if our attacks collided now that I think about it. The impact would have knocked me down and I doubt I would have gotten up again after taking a fall like that.¡±

    Peter shook his head ¡°I was running on fumes. I don''t know if I would have had enough power to do that¡±.

    ¡°I can feel how much mana you have left. I know you had enough. It''s my loss.¡± Lee smiled and shook his head at himself. Getting himself in such a sorry state. So this is an A ranked wizard. Vladimir may even be stronger and that match probably won''t end up being fair like this one was. He would need to be sure to improve before the match. As he was now victory was unlikely. But he had time.

    He was running out of mana but his injuries were not fully healed. He wouldn''t sleep well tonight. He certainly couldn''t go down to the school infirmary. He would need to explain how he got in such a state. Peter placed his hand on him and used his mana to help heal his injuries. ¡°Peter, you shouldn''t do that. You don''t have much mana left and you don''t want to drain yourself.¡±

    ¡°It''s fine. You''re my student and I''m responsible for your safety. It''s the least I can do.¡±

    Between his and Peter''s mana they barely managed to completely heal his injuries. Sadly there was nothing they could do about Peter''s injuries. He would just need to sleep and heal them in the morning. The good news was compared to River they were pretty mild.

    ¡°You''re right River¡± Peter put a hand on his back.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Those Star bastards are the ones who should be shacking in their boots. Not us. By the time the tournament comes around they won''t know what hit them till it''s too late.

    He looked at the others. Hope and determination returned to their faces. It had been stupid what Lee and Peter did, but seeing Lee able to hold his own head to head with an A ranked wizard like Peter and come off a well as he did gave them hope. Maybe he could beat Vladimir. Could they get strong enough to do their part? Lee saw them questioning themselves.

    ¡°So Peter, as far as you know, will they have any other wizards in the tournament besides me and Vladimir who are around A rank in our match against them?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it. If there was another A ranked student it would likely be one from the Sun house. I haven''t heard of such a wizard and even if there was one they would certainly take no part in this fight. I think they will just sit back and wait to see who comes out on top then make their move as they see fit.¡±

    ¡°So you''re saying the rest are B rank at most?¡± Lee asked him.

    ¡°I think that''s true. I would expect they would have enough resources to not need to rely on any C rank wizards.¡±

    ¡°Then there''s no problem. By the years end I think everyone here can be at least B rank.¡±

    ¡°Lee, I might believe maybe Mary, but the rest?¡±

    ¡°Tell me, how you see them? Be brutally honest. As far as you know how strong are Mary, Tom, David, Amanda and Derrick?¡±

    Peter exhaled ¡°to be brutally honest and to use plus or minus as a way to be more accurate... Mary D-, Tom E+, David E, Amanda F, Derrick F-.¡±

    Derrick looked fairly down... The general rule was 1<sup>st</sup> years are generally in the F range, 2<sup>nd</sup> years were generally in the E range and 3<sup>rd</sup> years were generally in the D range. If you were C rank it meant you were considered strong enough to graduate and become a true wizard. Even though some wizards made C and even B rank before ending their 3<sup>rd</sup> year they always stayed until the 3 years were over unless there was a national emergency that needed them.

    ¡°So that was your impression of each when they entered the school a few weeks ago correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that''s when I got to see their rankings and got a feel for their current magical power.¡±

    ¡°And you think it takes about a year for a 1<sup>st</sup> year student to get from F to E generally?¡±

    ¡°Usually that is the case, yes.¡± Peter answered.

    ¡°I want you to feel Derrick''s mana and tell me what you think his level is.¡± Lee smiled.

    ¡°Fine, if you insist I suppose.¡± Peter put his hand on Derrick''s shoulder and closed his eyes as he felt for his mana center... they shot open.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Peter looked at Derrick in amazement.

    ¡°What did you sense Mr. Leaf?¡± Derrick asked looking a bit concerned now.

    ¡°You''ve gone from F- to F+ in a few weeks... That''s not possible.¡±

    Lee knew Derrick has had the most drastic change of any other them so far. Part of that was cause he was the weakest of all of them but still his work ethic had been very good.

    ¡°I can promise you the rest of them are growing fast too. It will slow down as they start to hit C rank I''d guess but I think B rank isn''t the lofty unattainable goal you think it is. Just wait and see. They will grow so fast you won''t even believe it.¡±

    Peter shook his head. He didn''t become B rank until he was out of school for 2 years. It took him 7 more to attain A rank. The blood, sweat and tireless work to gain those elite ranked in front of this progress appeared like a sick joke. He turned to River ¡°I have no idea the kind of training you are doing but if it''s okay with you I''d sure like to try it.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I only ask you don''t share it with anyone else.¡± Lee was willing to teach Peter just as much as the others. He knew he was a trustworthy fellow. But he worried about his age. Peter was already 28. The results would likely not be good or perhaps there would be no results at all. His mana system may already be firmly set in place and not able to change. However, there was no reason not to at least try.

    Peter seemed to have some interesting attacks and strategies as well. With his help the training of his friends could likely improve. Having another wizard to divide the work between could only help. Lee had made a big boast, but making the rest of his friends at least B rank by years end was a race against time. He knew if he was to succeed in that goal there was no other way. He would need the old man''s help to train them.

 Chapter 26: The Selection Tournament

    It wasn''t long before the Cloud house and the Zero Province Academy learned what the Star house was doing. At first there was disbelief and indignation. Once they accepted the reality of the situation the Cloud house got to work on the best way to counter attack. It was clear that they should pool their resources into one school.

    It just so happened right now that they didn''t have many branch or main house members in the proper age range. Never the less, they used all their influence to transfer several students to the Zero Province Academy. Though none of them could hope to match Vladimir Star they did manage to find several strong very strong students that they hoped could make a difference.

    If they couldn''t deal with Vladimir then their best bet was to try to win the other matches. They were not overly hopeful. By now the names of other students who were transferred were known and their background was looked into. At the least they would be low B ranked wizards. In most years such talented 3<sup>rd</sup> year wizards would be considered the super elite who would be the top end fighters to decide the fate of the main tournament. This was not most years.

    The Cloud house would pool all their resources into training the best they had but many whispered it was hopeless. Perhaps if Mary Saint Cloud was a few years older she could have been a fine ace of the team and at least win one match for sure, as long she she was not matched up with Vladimir. Sadly this was not the case. Being too young and inexperienced, she was ignored in favor of the top of the 3<sup>rd</sup> year crop.

    That was fine by her and the rest of the group being trained by Lee and Peter. Peter, now being a member of this group, would sit in on the training and was becoming a very valuable resource. He didn''t know much about Lee''s mana or magic techniques but he had a wealth of fighting experience and plenty of techniques of his own. Lee and him talked about their training practice before each session to be sure there would be no miscommunication or stepping on each others toes.

    While the practicing was going well it was becoming clearer to Lee they were on pace to fall short of where he needed them to be. He planned to use the time in the month after the selection tournament for his school to take everyone back to his village and train with the old man. He believed knowing how important this was that the old man would become a temporary teacher for his friends just this once.

    One month wouldn''t be enough time. It took Lee 3 weeks to travel from his town to the school. Even if it was by foot, he assumed it would probably take at least 3 days even with the fastest possible means of travel. Mary recommended carriages with the fastest horses that could be rotated every day when they stopped at the bigger towns along the way. Though tricky, such a thing could be arranged with letters and using the name of her house. Not to mention the wealth of the Cloud house.

    Assuming an entire week would be wasted going back and forth they would have only 3 to train. That was simply not enough time. After a discussion of what to do about this it was Mary who came up with the solution on how to solve such an issue.

    ¡°Well, the tournament for our school is done a month before school ends at the schools own discretion right? What if Peter pushed for it to be done earlier? They might be open to that if you argue that the sooner we know who our fighters are the sooner we can pour all our resources into training them?¡±

    It was a very smart idea. After discussing it they decided it would be best to not even mention it till about 2 months before the end of the year. If mentioned too soon they may rush to do it before Lee''s group was ready. It would be tricky to balance the timing. They would have to be at least decent C ranks to take the spots but would need to leave enough time to hope make it up to B before the tournament started.

    Each jump was harder than the last. In the month they have been training Amanda and Derrick had moved out of F rank. River assumed they would be able to get to D rank almost as fast. The problems really started after that. Much of this rapid growth was due to improvements upon some foundations already built in their body from years of training.

    They didn''t control mana entirely properly but before starting this training they were at least use to the feeling of controlling it. Their mana supply had been built up over the years and with a few minor changes it would be expanded and more efficiently used. Soon these easy gains would make way to the harder gains of building upwards on the entirely new abilities they would need.

    Mary, David and Tom had similar gains but to a smaller degree as there where less mistakes that needed fixing. Still they held a strong advantage over the others. Peter had only been with Lee for about a week at this point. Lee had taught him the new techniques for controlling mana but so far he was seeing absolutely no results. It may be as Lee feared and his mana system had become to set in it''s way.

    Perhaps the old man would be able to do something about it but Lee sadly had no answers to his problems. When Lee told Peter about the situation he was depressed but determined to not give up. Lee didn''t tell him many details about his teacher but only that he may be able to help. That was all the motivation Peter needed. He knew if he continued on his current path his growth would only be minor from now on. He had come to realize he was hitting his limits with his current training. Any hope was better than none.

    So Peter continued training his mana the way Lee showed him. He had the hoped that even if he saw no results if it even had a 1% chance of making any changes more likely in the future when he met the boy''s master it was more than worth doing.

    The next 6 months continued like this. Tom Sky had long ago moved on to the 50 lb weight and had become fairly nimble in it. He longed to take it off and to discover what his true quickness had become but Lee would not let him do it till one week before the tournament. He thought that would be a good amount of time for Tom to become use to the new feel of his body. His mana control had become excellent and his magic much stronger and creative.

    David Rain, as Lee knew he would, had improved the least in this time. Still, his powers had improved a good deal. So much so that it would make any normal student so jealous they would turn greener than the grass with envy and wonder what they had wasted all year doing. His martial arts skills had come a long way. Though still clumsy compared to Lee he had a good natural body for it. His punches and kicks packed power and if you let him grab you and were not quick to defend the match would be decided.

    Derrick had grown in a very interesting way. His water magic had made great leaps but in the mean time Peter had also focused on teaching him earth magic. This was mostly under Derrick''s insistence. After seeing the fight between Peter and Lee he saw the value of earth magic and the tricks one could do with it. His style slowly reflected this more and more .

    While others focused on power techniques he followed more in the footsteps of Lee. He found interesting ways to use his magic and often thought several steps ahead of his opponent. The more Lee got to know him the more he realized what a sharp mind he had. He had practically learned magic by himself with only a few lessons and an old book after all.

    His talent was good but his most dangerous weapon was his intellect. He was a true genius who never really showed it due to lack of confidence. As he gained more confidence it appeared more often. He came to be a great adviser for Lee when it came plans on how to deal with the tournament and discussing new tricks that could be used in a fight. The were things Lee never would have thought of by himself. Surely he was a great ally to have on your side.

    Amanda''s shyness, at least within the group, had completely vanished at this point. She was still painfully shy around outsiders but felt comfortable and let her personality show with her friends When she wanted to, she could be pretty hilarious. And when she finally wore her hair in a way that stopped covering her face her cuteness could be seen. She had started to be approach by more boys in the class but politely and shyly declined.

    Her mana control was actually starting to catch up to Lee. Truly she had a pretty amazing natural talent in that area. When Lee talked to them about the importance of physical stamina and how much it was undervalued Amanda took it to heart the most. All of the group was in decent shape, as it was known physical stamina helped with mana control, but Amanda took it to another level. By the end of six months she could nearly keep pace with Lee on his runs.

    There was a strong fire under that shy personality. This combined with her mana control turned out to give her the best magical stamina of anyone in the class including River. In a long drawn out battle she would be impossible to deal with for nearly any opponent.

    Mary was still the best of group but the the gap had closed a decent amount. It took a while but she was happy to see the results of the training. The gap between her and Lee was still clear but it had turned from what felt like an ocean apart to more of a giant lake. It still felt huge but at least she could almost see the other side now. When they fought she was far inferior but not completely overwhelmed and helpless.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Today I floated the idea about moving up the tournament to the headmaster¡±. Peter paused to make sure they were all listening. ¡°I''ve no doubt it will soon be discussed with the Cloud house and we''ll have an answer sometime tomorrow. It seems very hopeful. The advantage of getting 2 months instead of 1 to train our representatives to fight the Dragon Academy and the Star brats seems clear.

    I expect they will probably rush to have the tournament as soon as possible once they have decided. Probably no later than the start of next week if I''m any judge. You have all come a long way. It would have been nice to train a little longer but we''re simply running out of time if we want to stick to the plan.¡±

    All the students agreed it was true. None of them were worried to hear the news. They had been expecting it very soon and were excited to test their new skills. It just so happened Peter got a chance to talk one on one to the headmaster today alone and couldn''t pass up the chance to do so.

    ¡°Great, this is better anyway.¡± Lee turned towards the rest of them. ¡°I want to get these matches behind us as soon as possible and we can move on to more important things. Tom, go ahead and take off the weights now. I want you to get use to fighting at your own body weight as soon as possible. For now, I would like Peter to do a quick measuring of our power to tell us where we stand.¡±

    Lee could have done this himself but he very intentionally wanted this to come from Peter. He felt bad about how he has undercut him. It wouldn''t be wrong to say at this point Peter could be argued to be more student than teacher to Lee. He wanted him to keep the teacher relationship with the others as much as possible. He decided not to share the fact he could sense levels too to help Mr. Leaf in that regard.

    ¡°Okay, all of you stand in a line and I''ll check you one by one.¡± To help give them the idea of if they were considered a strong, weak or average level in their rank Peter had gotten use to using plus or minus terms. These terms were not usually used but not entirely unheard of. ¡°Derrick C rank, Amanda C rank, David... C- rank.¡±

    Peter knew he shouldn''t have paused but that surprised him. David started ahead of both before but now was behind. He had worked just as hard too. ¡°It''s okay, I was expecting that. Magical rank isn''t everything. It''s about who wins the fight in the end. I may be this rank but I am the most deadly C rank you are ever likely to meet.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear it, I''m sure the other students won''t know what hit them!¡± Peter gave him a pat on the back and moved on. ¡°Tom C+ rank, Mary B- rank. Good job both of you. No one you are likely to meet will be your match in our school''s tournament. I would ask you both try to hide a bit of your power. We don''t want to attract too much attention yet. Who knows what those star bastards might do.¡±

    Peter put his hand on Lee to feel his level but Lee walked away from him. It made it look like a pat on the back. ¡°Good job everyone. We already finished our training so I think we can call it a night. I''m sure we''ll all do great at the school tournament. Just fight smart and don''t make any big mistakes and we should all have no problems. I don''t want to undersell the difficulty of this but in the end I don''t expect any of us to lose. Look at this as a practice run and match experience.¡±

    They all agreed they would do so and left for the night happy with the news. Lee had purposely not asked Peter to measure their level for the last 3 months. He wanted them to be enthusiastic and excited about their growth before they fought. While he believed their in their victory he would be certain to leave nothing to chance. He made a mental note to talk to Derrick about if there were any ways to set it up so they wouldn''t meet each other till the end. They could still make the team if they won enough consolation matches but it be better to avoid too much of that.

    ¡°You intentionally didn''t want me to tell them your power, right Lee?¡±

    ¡°I didn''t think it would be a good idea to do that in front of them. I want them to still have the proper respect for your power that they should.¡±

    ¡°You''ve moved from A- to A in just 6 months. That is a very big jump in the time frame. At this rate you''ll be the youngest wizard to make S class I''ve ever heard of. Our fight before was close. If we fought now I doubt I would have much of a chance.¡± Peter smiled, half proud of his student but half feeling defeated at his own inability to improve. He had made barely any progress these last 6 months. His rate of growth had been slowing down more and more recently. At this rate one day he may be as strong as Lee is right now, but that would be all.

    ¡°When we finish this tournament you''ll be our chaperone and go with us to meet my teacher. I think there''s a good chance he can do something about your situation. Don''t lose hope.¡± Lee tried to sound as confident as he could, but honestly he wasn''t sure. Wasn''t it his own teacher who hammered home how important it was to build these foundations while still young. Then again, he also said he had been an exception and managed to find a way around it. So it wasn''t entirely hopeless either.

    Peter could read between the lines. Lee was many things but he wasn''t a good liar. He knew his odds weren''t good. But not good was better than what his present situation would have been had he never met Lee. He would happily take it. They bid good night to each other and retired to their rooms.

    When alone, Lee sat on his bed and reread his letters. Some from his parents, some from the old man and some from Alura. He missed all of them terribly. He started to miss them even more now as the prospect of meeting them got closer and closer. ¡°Only a few more weeks.¡± He didn''t know if he was speaking to himself or the letters, as if those precious people could hear his voice through them.

    The next week passed by quickly. The training was always intense but now it was even more so. They soon learned the school tournament would take place the following Monday and into Tuesday if need be. Lee wanted to talk to Derrick and Peter about possible ways to try to set things up so they could mostly avoid fighting each other.

    ¡°Actually, I''ve already taken care of that.¡± Derrick didn''t even stop his mana training while sharing this.

    ¡°How the hell did you do that? This is suppose to be all randomized. They made sure of it.¡± Peter was in disbelief.

    ¡°Yes it was, they had a random draw and wrote down the results. Those went badly for use. Luckily, the results seemed to have gotten misplaced and they had to hurriedly order a new random draw. This was done quickly with less ceremonial fanfare. It was done by two teachers in a back room who pulled out pieces of paper with the students names on them.

    They simply decided to place the information on the headmaster''s desk because it turned out he was away on business to see the cloud house the day it went missing. They sent him a letter to saying they lost they results and had to quickly make new ones. I intercepted it to be sure the results were not included before I put it in the outgoing mail. Then I simply replaced their results.¡±

    ¡°That''s a bold move Derrick, but what if the teachers remember those results or have them written down somewhere else? Won''t they wonder what happened?¡± Peter thought this plan was rather reckless.

    ¡°Well, to fix that I sent them a letter under the headmaster''s name. They were informed he was so furious over the losing of the results he considered tossing them out of school then and there. The letter states he will do the draw himself when he gets back and to never mention this ugly mess again or he simply won''t be able to contain his anger.¡±

    Lee gave out a laugh. ¡°Well, I think that will work. It''s rather risky though. What if you were caught or something went differently than you expected?¡±

    Derrick shook his head ¡°I would''ve made sure not to get caught no matter what. If something went differently. I would just form a different plan on the fly. It wasn''t like I thought this would go exactly as it did. I had a number of ideas to use depending on how things played out. In the end I doubt anyone will really look too closely at it. The worse thing that happens is they do another draw. If that happens I''ll just find a way to fix that too.¡±

    Lee was shocked. This timid Derrick could be quite the sly and sneaky character when need be. He was just glad he was on their side. As it turns out no one seemed to look deeply into the matter. Particularly not the two teachers who did the random draw. If anything they took to avoiding the headmaster all together.. What had Derrick put in the letter he sent to them? It was probably better not to ask.

    This morning of the tournament all the students woke up and went to have breakfast. Classes were suspended for the day. Even those not competing would get to watch the event. It was something even the observers were excitedly looking forward to all year. In the end, just a bit under 64 students applied. It seems some of the transfers scared others off from competing.

    Lee stretched with his fellow mates. Peter would have to referee and play neutral but he kept a sharp eye on Lee and the others not wanting to miss what they were doing.

    ¡°I wonder what they''ll say when a bunch of first years are on top of the school rankings?¡± David asked.

    ¡°They''ll likely be in too much pain to say anything. Probably a good deal of moaning though.¡±

    Amanda gave a shy smile.

    ¡°Come on everyone, they''re our fellow classmates, we can''t be too rough. But there is that one asshole... Mike something... I''ll point him out to whoever gets him.¡± Tom thought when it comes to him they could be a bit rough.

    ¡°Remember everyone, conceal your abilities as much as the matches allow. We should assume the Star house has eyes here. Don''t give them any free information.¡± Derrick looked carefully for anything that appeared out of place.

    ¡°I don''t care if they''re here or not! Let them watch if they want. I''ll show them what happens when they dare to cross the Cloud house.¡± Mary hoped they were watching. Her only regret is there were no Stars to fight today.

    ¡°Tom, I have that Mike guy. Are you sure he deserves it?¡± Lee wanted to know if Tom was serious.

    ¡°When he heard you talk about how much you loved you''re mom''s homemade boar stew he said you were a momma''s boy and mentioned several things he''d rather have your mother do for him besides make boar stew.¡± Amanda told him

    ¡°Son of a bitch...¡± Lee angrily walked toward the ring.

    ¡°Is that true Amanda?¡± David whispered.

    ¡°Well... It was either he said that or commented on my chest size apparently not being impressive enough. I can''t seem to remember which it was.¡± She smiled putting her hands behind her and skipped to the ring to watch the match.

    ¡°David, just between you and me. If you ever do end up going out with her; make sure you don''t piss her off.¡± Tom patted his back before walking to the ring. He didn''t want to miss this. Mike really was an asshole.

    ¡°This is getting old. Just confess your feelings already. This will or won''t you routine is starting to bore me.¡± Mary starting to walk.

    ¡°Maybe you should follow your own advice or is it house Cloud tradition to act like an 8 year old girl who pushes and insults the boy she likes?¡± Mary blushed at his comment.

    ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about!¡± She quickly walked to the ring with David chuckling at her red face as he went towards the ring as well. He didn''t want to miss this. Mike really was a bit of an asshole after all.

 Chapter 27: The Selection Tournament Part 2

    Lee stepped down from the stage after winning his match. He was handed a rag to wipe some blood off of hands hands for Tom. Mike would need help to get off the stage and was still incoherently apologizing and begging for the beating to stop. As it so happens, after this event Mike made sure to treat his fellow school mates a lot kinder. Lee had barely used any spells to win. He preferred to win this match with his fist.

    ¡°So who fights next?¡± Lee was still trying to get some of his opponents blood off his fist but seemed to be in a pretty good mood.

    ¡°Me! Seeing you fight got me pumped up I can''t wait for these arrogant high born nobles to see what us commoners can do!¡± Amanda gave a smile to Lee and Derrick. They shook their head a little and looked away. When she turned to Mary and Tom they were giving her a silent look of disapproval. David was slumped over in a depressed state.

    ¡°Sorry for being a high born noble I guess. If you hate me so much I''ll leave you alone.¡± David started to slowly meander away.

    ¡°Wait! I didn''t mean you 3! I think you''re all great. Don''t be so sad David. I''m sorry, I didn''t mean it like that.¡± When she saw David''s miserable face that looked on the verge of tears she couldn''t think of anything else to say to make him feel better. In a spur of the moment reaction she decided to put her arms around him and give him a soft friendly hug.

    She couldn''t see David''s face change but it went from sad to shocked to red. Then perhaps he was showing a bit too much enjoyment at the moment then the others were comfortable seeing. ¡°It''s okay Amanda. I feel much better now. I know you didn''t mean it like that.¡±

    She let go with a smile on her face. ¡°Thank you. I''m sorry, I''ll be more careful with what I say from now on. I didn''t know you were so sensitive. It surprised me.¡± Amanda walked away to prepare for her match. David hurried to catch up with her. He was saying something about how while he was sensitive he also wanted to remind her he had very manly qualities too.

    ¡°Wow, David really seems to like hugs huh? I never would have guessed.¡± Lee looked to the others. They gave him a look of utter disbelief. Was he really this dense?

    ¡°Idiot.¡± Derrick walked to join Amanda and David.

    ¡°Idiot.¡± Sky followed him.

    ¡°Biggest idiot!¡± Mary walked behind the others. Lee thought he heard some remark from Derrick to Mary. Something about ''good luck cracking that nut. It seems a little thick.'' Lee couldn''t catch it exactly. He did see Mary give Derrick a kick in the ass and tell him to shut up or she''ll break his legs. Lee figured it wasn''t all that important and he should focus on the matches.

    When he finally got to the ring Amanda''s opponent was already inside. As Amanda was getting warmed up beside her friends she caught a glimpse of the crowd. She started to blush at the thought of all these strangers watching her. She moved some hair from behind her ear to cover her face and walked into the ring.

    The referee was one of the teachers from the school that the group had seen around but didn''t know. He turned to the opponent. ¡°Ready?¡±

    ¡°I''m ready.¡± It was a 3<sup>rd</sup> year who they saw around school and not one of the transfers. The referee than asked the same question to Amanda.

    ¡°R-ready!¡± She blushed even heavier at having to speak in front of all these strangers but she took her stand and tapped into her mana. The referee to the delight of the crowd screamed for them to begin. She could hear the cheers and it cause her to tense and loose control her mana slightly. Her opponent summoned a fire spell. Amanda was very good with fire already but in the last 6 months she had been learning water from Peter. Now was as good a time as any.

    She let out a breath to tried and relax. She focused her mana and brought it out to mix with nature. She mixed them together and transformed the matter in the air into the water magic she could control and launched it at his fire ball. It was the same process every wizard uses. The difference is her spell had a cast speed twice as fast as her opponent. It caught everyone off guard.

    The 2 spells met in midair and the fire was easily destroyed, the remaining water hit her opponent and knocked him off his feet. It was not a strong hit but it certainly helped set the pace. He couldn''t hope to dodge or create another spell to stop it. The cast speed caught him by surprise. He had never seen a student do it so fast.

    Cast speed was one of the things Lee was determined to work on with everyone. He was taught cast speed to a wizard is almost as vital as mana control itself. After all, what good is being a wizard if you are dead before you can even create your spell? They had all grown faster at this. Due to mana control Amanda now almost rivaled Lee''s speed. Between her and Mary he honestly couldn''t tell which was the quicker one. Mary would insist it was still her of course.

    Her opponent stood up cautious and more weary. He was surprised just now but would not be caught off guard again. He decided to use earth to mount a bit of defense while he observed. Amanda would have none of that. She started to cast water spell after water spell at him. His earth wall did not have time to be fully built and he had no choice but to cast his own water spells to block.

    Amanda speed up more forcing her opponent to keep pace. He was being pushed back by her onslaught. A more experienced wizard may know how to deal with such an attack. This one was not experienced. Amanda simply speed up more and more. The opponent started to get tired with this pace but Amanda didn''t seem the least bit fazed.

    ¡°What is with this girl? Is her mana stamina endless?¡± Soon an attack went through his guard and hit him in the chest. This broke his defense and knocked him in the air and outside the ring. 4 other spells hit him while he fell that were already launched before he was hit with the first one.

    ¡°Winner ¨C Amanda Clover.¡± The crowd gave a loud applause. Another first year winner. That other boy won but it was mostly by hitting his opponent and non-magical means. Surely some kind of fluke. Here was a real talent they could cheer on. As she walked off stage she heard the crowd''s murmurs.

    ¡°Looks like our school has a pretty amazing first year talent.¡± ¡°Someone told me she is actually a commoner.¡± ¡°Wow, a commoner? Imagine how far she may go in a few years.¡± ¡°I sort of like cheering for the under dog, go all the way young lady!¡± ¡°Her hair is covering part of her face but if you look closely she is pretty cute.¡± ¡°Her body isn''t half bad either, she might be able to get a fan club if she just showed off her face some more.¡±

    Amanda''s face went more red and her pace quickened. She jumped off the stage and into her crowd of friends like a lone fish in the sea looking for it''s school to blend it. She let out a big sigh and sat in a chair around them. She checked to see if the crowd could see her right now but when she saw the bodies of her friends were blocking them out she relaxed and put her hair back behind her ear.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°Are the crowds always going to be this big? Please tell me if we get to the other tournaments there will be smaller and more exclusive crowds.¡±

    ¡°They will only be getting bigger. You''ll just need to get use to it.¡± Mary was always the type who didn''t beat around the bush. She also didn''t like how shy Amanda was around other people. She saw it as a weakness she should look to over come. Mary of course was not the least bit shy and nor did she lack any confidence in herself. At least most of the time... The matches moved on.

    Tom was the next one in the group to be up. His opponent would be one of the transfers brought here from the Cloud house. There were about 10 of them all together and most people thought the team of this school would be made up of the best in this group. All of them watched this match very closely. They were unsure of how strong this one was compared to the original students here but they assumed it would go a long way to showing them what they would be up against.

    Tom and his opponent entered the ring. Lee noticed that Tom had become a lot more agile with his training. He had thought it would absolutely be the best move but there was still a shadow of a doubt in his mind. This match would be the test of that. The referee asked if each fighter was ready. Tom agreed he was and the young women who he was facing also agreed. The referee told them to begin.

    Tom immediately retreated. He wanted his opponent to make the first move so he could test out just how far his agility would take him. Since he didn''t attack his opponent took the pace. She created fire in her hand and shot it at Tom. Tom easily dodged to one side against such a slow attack. Lee was surprised by just how agile Tom had become. A number of other spells were cast at him and he simply dived to the right or left as needed.

    He quickly sprung back to his feet when he dived use the rolling motion and the momentum built to pop right back up. In other cases when the spell could be avoided by just a few quick step a burst of quickness he could do that easily as well. He could go from stand still to a few feet over and nearly an instant. Any spell against him would have to be incredibly accurate or fast to even have a chance of hitting him. In which case just plain old blocking with his own magic would be the last line of defense.

    His opponent was started to get frustrated by all this dodging. ¡°Are you just going to run around all day like a defeated dog or do you plan to attack?¡±

    Tom smiled at the comment and then ran towards her. He was closing the distance quickly. The young women let fire fill her hand but in this case didn''t release it. She held it and transformed into into something like the crude shape of a sword. It wasn''t meant to cut but to be short range offensive magic.

    ¡°You''ll regret making me use this! This is the secret technique of my dragonfly house!¡± Tom had seen a few moves like this before though none of them used fire. It gave it an unpredictable reach and width. She swung at him over and over again. Tom deftly backed away and managed to dodge every single swing. A few were a bit too close for comfort. He felt a mild burning on his left arm and left leg. It seems the indefinite shape was more trouble than he first thought.

    It was only because his agility had come so far and he had gotten so use to dodging that he was able to build up water magic in his palms. Usually to move so much would make it too hard for a wizard to focus and create a spell. Tom had been training just for such a situations. This time he stood his ground against here.

    Her swing came from directly in front and in a downward direction. He used the water spell in his left hand and shot it against her fire sword. It was a fairly massive water spell he''d built up. The sword vanished and her hands were now wrapped around empty air. With the water spell in his right hand he pointed to her stomach and released it. The forced brought her to the ground but not out of the ring. She was holding her ribs and appeared to be in great pain.

    She slowly tried to stand up but only made it to one knee. She refused to give up but it was clear she could no longer continue. The referee was forced to stop the fight and declare Tom the winner. As it turned out the girl was never able to get to her feet without assistance. She was helped off and healing magic was applied. Lee saw to the minor burns on Tom and used his magic to heal him.

    ¡°So what do you think Tom? Will they be a problem?¡± Derrick was by his side and checking on the healing of his injuries.

    ¡°Well, they certainly aren''t weak. I never felt like I would lose to be honest but it wasn''t easy. I suppose the question is if she is one of the weakest or strongest in the group. If the others are a few levels stronger than her then they could potentially be trouble.

    Next was Derrick''s turn. His match was also against one of the transfer students. He would need to be on his guard. He wasn''t quite as strong as Tom but he had a few strategies he wanted to try out before it got to the fight with the Star house. Hopefully this transfer student would be a good test subject. He walked to the ring a bit to giddy to try out some of his ideas.

    Amanda shook her head at the expression. ¡°I hate when he starts scheming and gets that look. He reminds me of some typical mad scientist bent on taking over the world.¡± Lee gave a laugh at this comment.

    ¡°You say that like it''s a bad thing. As long he''s a mad scientists on our side and that works for me.¡± Lee also was curious to see what ideas Derrick would think up to be honest. He had been giving Lee a few good ideas on attack patterns lately bur probably saved some of his favorites for himself.

    Mary looked at how the two of them spoke. She felt Lee, Amanda and Derrick had some kind of special relationship she as a noble could never be a part of. There was a closeness and understanding between them about how their lives, before coming here, had been lived. She didn''t mind Derrick but for some reason it annoyed her a little how casually and friendly Lee was with Amanda. Why couldn''t she and him be like that?

    ¡°Something on your mind Mary?¡± Tom saw the look on her face.

    ¡°It''s nothing. I just think it''s odd how Lee is so close and able to talk so easily with everyone else but me in this group.... especially Amanda it seems.¡±

    ¡°I see. You don''t need to worry. I''m pretty sure they''re just friends. As for why they can talk so easily. I would guess that is cause Amanda has never been stand offish or insulting towards Lee. It probably makes him feel more comfortable in opening up. Maybe if you were a bit more kind and less desperate to show everyone else how you don''t like him he might start being able to talk to you the same way.¡±

    Tom expected Mary to give her usual comments about how she was a member of the proud Cloud house and didn''t really care for his opinion. Instead for the first time Tom saw Mary look and act a bit more softly. ¡°You say it like it''s so easy. It isn''t that I don''t want to. It''s just...¡±

    Tom could have guessed. The responsibilities of the Cloud house. The fear of looking vulnerable. What her family may say if she brought home a commoner for a boyfriend. These matters are not always easy. ¡°It''s okay, just go at you''re own pace. But remember you need to start to put forth more effort sooner rather than later. I don''t think Lee is going to be so dense forever and when people learn about his talents a lot more ladies will probably show an interest. Don''t wait too long.¡±

    Mary for the first time didn''t protest at someone mentioning her interest in River. She simply walked away lost in her thoughts. When she came out of them Derrick and his opponent were already on stage and the referee yelled for the match to start.

    ¡°Sorry commoner boy. You''re got a bad draw. I saw your friend there defeated one of the other transfer students. She frankly was the weakest of the bunch. If you''re smart you''ll just resign right here and now you first year commoner trash.¡± He expected any amount of the usual reactions from his words.

    Commoners who he had faced gave him harsh empty threats back. Sometimes they charged in anger only to be beaten in a few moments. Some went silent with fear, realizing their opponent planned to show no mercy. But Derrick did something he never saw his commoner opponent''s do before. He smiled.

    ¡°What the hell are you smiling about commoner trash?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was honestly concerned you see. Here I was coming on stage with all kinds of ideas about how to really make a total fool out of my opponent. I would have felt bad and held back if you had a kind heart and open mind. Now that I see you are an arrogant brat that spouts nonsense like a fountain does water I''m over joyed. I can feel free to test my ideas on you without my pesky conscious in the way.¡± The smile grew even larger.

    ¡°You''re right Amanda¡± Lee motioned toward Derrick. ¡°I''m really starting to not like when he smiles like that.¡±

 Chapter 28: The Selection Tournament Part 3

    Derrick''s smile was making everyone uneasy, not just his opponent. Though his opponent was confident, that look made him hesitate. The referee seemed concerned as well. As if this young man may do something a bit extreme. After asking if each was ready he announced that they could begin. The transfer student took some distance backward to see what this weird young man had planned.

    ¡°Well, if you plan to just run I suppose now is a good time to test out some ideas.¡± He put his hand against the stage floor and wall of earth magic appeared between the two. It was enough to block out the view of them between each other. The transfer student wasn''t sure what this wizard was planning so he took a few more steps back and prepared to block any attacks that were to come.

    He heard the crowd watching grow louder and louder in shock pointing the the stage. What the hell was that bastard doing? It seemed like it was going to be something big. He fired a few spells at the earth wall but the weird wizard didn''t seem to fire any back. He took a few steps closer to the wall and launched a few more spells at it.

    The crowd only grew louder. What was going on? What was he doing?

    ¡°Come on, with the way to crowd was acting you should have been more alter.¡± The voice came directly behind him by only a few feet. A strong water spell hit him in the back and he fell forward doubled over in pain. That was impossible! How could he possibly get behind me?

    ¡° You seemed confused for some reason. Did you really get fooled by such a simple trick?¡±

    ¡°There''s no way you could have gotten behind me! I was watching the whole time!¡±

    ¡°Well you were locked in 2 dimensional thinking I''m afraid. You didn''t even consider another area I could be. I wasn''t on top of the stage while you were shooting spells at that wall.¡±

    ¡°If you go outside the stage that means you lose. Why were you not disqualified?¡±

    ¡°Actually, the rules state the one to touch the floor or anything besides the stage that connects to he floor loses. As long as I don''t do that I can choose to be not on the stage if I so please.¡±

    ¡°But, it''s not like you can fly? How?¡±

    ¡°Well, I thought of making a tunnel under the ring but that would use far too much mana. Instead I decided to use earth magic to make a ledge around the corner of the ring just above where the floor is. It''s connected to the ring and not the floor so it''s completely within the rules to walk, or in this case, crawl on. I simply went around and get behind you. Like I said a rather simply trick.¡±

    Derrick seemed almost disappointed such a thing worked. He was hoping his opponent would be smarter and he would get to try some more elaborate ideas outs. At least the transfer student was standing up. He was glad he had some guts. He may as well try another idea. He gathered water in his hand and looked straight at his opponent.

    ¡°I''m going to do something else now. You are pretty strong but if you fall for silly tricks it means nothing. Try to see through this one okay. I have a few more ideas I want to try before this match is done.¡± With that he turned the water into mist and it soon covered the entire stage. It became hard to see more than a few feet in front of you. Soon water spells were being fired at him through the fog. He blocked them with his own water spells.

    Mist was a fairly common trick to do with water. Did he really think such a thing made him special? He started to get the hang of this game and matched the spells quicker and easier. His opponent may be a bit sly but they were just about equal strength he thought. It wasn''t like he would lose to such commoner trash.

    Soon the mist fell to their knees. Seems this trick was wearing off! He saw the commoner brat shooting water spells at him on the end of the stage. He started to return the spells with more and power power. In his other hand he was building a fairly large amount of water magic.

    This was a technique his house taught him and it seemed only fitting to be the thing to shut this uppity commoner up. He ran towards him in straight line. Then he remembered the mist was still covering below his knees. No doubt there would be something he was suppose trip on between the two. Like he would fall for such a thing! He took a detour and ran wider.

    ¡°What''s happening? Are you getting lost?¡± Derrick continued to launch spells at him amused by this little maneuver.

    ¡°I''m not going to trip over whatever trap you sent. You won''t fool me again you commoner traaaaa!¡±

    He screamed as the floor completely came out from under him. He was only about 10 feet from this commoner? What happened? Did he dig pits everywhere?

    ¡°Jeez, I told you not to fall for such simple tricks didn''t I?¡± Derrick shook his head and lifted the fog. The transfer student had fallen completely out of the ring. But why? Derrick we clearly standing on the ring in front him. At least that is what he thought. Derrick was actually onside the ring but standing on a plank made of earth magic that was attached the the ring in a long curve so a to leave a big empty gap between himself and the ring. The same gap the student fell to the floor between.

    Derrick shook his head and jumped off. ¡°That was rather disappointing. I hope they send me someone with a brain next time. You need some deception to win a match you know. Brawn alone will get you no where.¡± Derrick walked over to his friends among the chirping of the crowd. They were disappointed they didn''t get to see a clash of magic but this was something new and interesting. Though he didn''t do much damage to his opponent it was clearly one sided.

    ¡°Good job Derrick. Very fun and interesting.¡± Lee really enjoyed watching matches like these. It was a nice change of pace.

    ¡°It was only okay. I mean, would you have fallen for either of those tricks?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess we''ll never know now that I''ve seen them haha.¡± He rubbed the back of his head.

    ¡°You wouldn''t have. When it comes to fighting you have a great sense of how top avoid traps like that. I need to think of more creative ones. I''ll use one or two on my next match. Winning purely with magical skill could be nice too but I''d like to avoid showing off my magic a much as I can.¡±

    David patted Derrick on the back. ¡°That was a good job. You really have turned into a bit of a trickster haven''t you? But you''re not the only one whose changed. My match is next and I can''t wait for everyone to see how strong I¡¯ve gotten.¡±

    Mary simply looked bored ¡°I can''t believe I have to go last. I would have much preferred to see some action by now.¡±

    ¡°Come on Mary, don''t be like that. We need to support each other. Don''t you also want to see what David can do now? He has been training his body every day with workouts and sparring on top of his magic training. I think it will be exciting to see him use that!¡± Amanda gave David a friendly smile.

    David returned it two fold! ¡°You just wait Amanda. If you want to see my fighting so much I''ll win this next match without even using magic!¡±

    ¡°Haha, come on now David, you don''t really need to do that. It seems pretty risk and...¡± Amanda was trying to talk him out of it but he had already run on the stage. She shook her head. ¡°I hope he doesn''t get hurt. His opponent isn''t one of those transfer students but beating a 3<sup>rd</sup> year without magic sounds pretty tough.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Let''s wait and see how he does. If he looks like he is having trouble just yell at him to use magic along with the rest of us. You''ll need to yell the loudest though as your voice doesn''t really carry well.¡± As it turns out, her voice carried just fine. But if they needed to get a message to David; Tom knew the best way was to hear Amanda loud and clear.

    The opponent walked on to the stage. The referee asked if both were ready, and when they said they were he let the match begin. David wasted no time and ran straight at his opponent. He had gotten strong, fast and agile to go along with his martial arts techniques. He was able to close the distance by foot quickly, but not quick enough. The opponent summoned fire magic and launched it at David.

    David jumped and then rolled to the right to avoid the spell. He used the momentum of the roll and turned back on his feet quickly to continue to run at his opponent. A few more shots came. He had to dodge going backwards. He knew if he used magic it would be much easier to close in, but he wanted to see how far these skills could take him. If he just so happened to impress Amanda with his strength and fighting ability; well, he couldn''t help that.

    The match went on and the more spells fired at him the more use he got use to dodging them. The young man shooting the spells realized from long range he was just wasting mana and would need to get closer to have a chance to land a hit. David ran forward when his opponent closed the distance. Before he was in striking range, a large fire spell was cast. He had no choice but to roll backwards and to the side. He took a nasty burn on his arm.

    He could still fight but it was disheartening. He couldn''t get in fast enough no matter how much he tried. Surely Lee could have figured out someway to get in. Something to throw his opponent off. He looked around the stage. It was flat and empty with nothing in it. He decided no matter what he wouldn''t go back on his word, but this was looking bad. Wasn''t there something he could do?

    ¡°Just use magic already you idiot!¡± Amanda scream at him from inside her group of friends. She looked around them and then the crows was now looking at her. She grew bright red. She hated all these eyes on her. She mumbled to her friends ¡°weren''t we all going to shout it at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I think we all agreed to shout it on 5.¡± Derrick lied.

    ¡°You said 3!¡± Amanda shot him a glare.

    ¡°Oh did I? My mistake.¡± He did say 3 and then told everyone else to not say a thing. He figured this would have the best effect. That idiot David better not lose here. They couldn''t afford that.

    David smiled and shook his head. Was this all he could accomplish hand to hand? Was this what he had put in all the time and training for? If this is all he could do then he would never be able to keep up with the others in total strength as they grew stronger. He hated to ignore Amanda''s plea but he hated more the thought of being weak and needing her to save him again. He wanted the strength to save her next time.

    Like lightning, an idea came to him. He dropped down to fix his shoes. This would be a little tricky but it could work. His opponent observed him. He knew using magic before he closed the distance was a bad idea and would just waste mana. If he moved toward him too quickly it would just make it easier for his opponent to try to close in. Moving slow and steady was best.

    He didn''t know why, but his opponent either couldn''t use magic or refused to. If that was the case this would be an easy win. He built the fire magic bigger and bigger in his palm. He would end this match with the next strike. He noticed something was weird about the way his opponent was running but couldn''t place it. It was almost like his leg was hurt. It didn''t matter. Without magic he had no chance.

    David was now about as close as he got last time he was struck with a fire spell. He knew his opponent was about to use his magic. It was time to counter attack. After thinking about it, he realized though the ring was flat and had nothing inside it that didn''t mean he had no tools he could make use of. He kicked his loosened shoe off using great force. It flew towards his opponents face. He covered himself by instinct.

    His did the same with the 2<sup>nd</sup> shoe as the opponent was recovering. This missed slight but it was close to the opponent and he protected his head with his arm. When his arm went down he was finally able to see again. David was only a few steps away. He put his hand in front to launch the fire. If he shot it point blank it may burn himself a little, but it be a KO for sure.

    To his shock, David used one if his hands and pushed the hand holding the fire spell away as he ran in. What was he doing? Did he want to burn his arm off or something? Ignoring the pain and the smell of burning flesh David gave him a full strength right hook. The student was knocked out before hitting the ground. David was declared the winning and teachers rushed in to see about his injuries. Burns could be tricky. If not healed immediately they would leave scars. They were able to heal him quick enough and avoid any scarring luckily

    As he walked over to see the group the first one who spoke to him was Amanda. She looked like she was about to slap him across the face. She settled for a smack on the top of the head. ¡°What the hell do you think you were doing? Why did you have to get all burned like that just to show off for everyone? From now on, use magic! You could have had serious scars too!¡±

    David apologized but was very happy to see her reaction. Nobody else really stepped in to say much as they didn''t want to ruin a nice moment for David

    ¡°Enough of this silliness. It''s time for the main event. I just hope it''s someone worth fighting. I''m not here to play games or test my power. I will do as any Saint Cloud would and go all out from the start immediately and crush them. I plan to show my family''s transfers weren''t needed when a Saint Cloud was here all along.¡±

    David rolled his eyes. He got close to Amanda and whispered in his best imitation ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Mary and I''m from the great Saint Cloud house. You don''t know about it? Then let me tell you how great it is! When we take a bath, it''s left cleaner from us having used it. When we use water spells, the rain get jealous. When we Saint Clouds pass gas-¡±

    ¡°Did you say something about the Saint Cloud house?¡± Mary turned wondering what they were whispering, but she was sure she heard Saint Cloud.

    ¡°Just how lucky they are to have you Mary!¡± David lied.

    ¡°Ummm, thank you. I guess you''re right. I mean it''s pretty great anyway but still, their lucky to have me to be their standard one day.¡±

    As Mary turned around Amanda tried to contain her giggling. She failed but was able to be silent enough not to be heard.

    Mary had to wait for a few more matched to finish and then was able to get on the stage. It was some 3<sup>rd</sup> year from their school. She was frustrated she didn''t get a transfer student. This one would have to do. When the referee let the fight begin Mary''s opponent instantly shot a wind spell at her.

    Mary dodged using wind in one hand and then used the other to help close the distance. These were not the straight and predictable movements she had used before. She had learned to control both hands independently and cast magic at different times in different directions. She wanted the complete freedom of movement River seemed to have.

    She weaved between the spells shot by her opponent, all the while closing the distance. During one very close attack she pointed both hands below herself to go into the air and over the spell. She then used magic to rush back to the ground straight at her opponent. He almost certainly wouldn''t have time to block if she went at him straight. That would have been the same technique she tried to use on ''The Shame''.

    She decided to evolve it further. The last second before the attack she added yet another quick change in direction. She built up wind magic in both hands and right before she was about to collide with the opponent she used one hand to launch herself to the opponents left which in this case was away from the hand casting the magic. She only missed colliding with him by a few feet. It was still a little sloppy.

    Mary let the spell go and hit clean knocking the opponent out. The match took only 15 seconds and was the fastest match of the first round.

    Derrick shook his head. ¡°So much for holding back I guess.¡± No one was really listening. Well, nothing he could do about it now. With that the round ended and only 32 students remained.

    The next round was much like the last. Mary won by overwhelming and outclassing her opponent. Derrick used trickery and well time magical attacks. Amanda used her mana stamina and quick casting to suppress opponents.. Tom used his agility to make most attacks useless and then finished with his high level magic. David used a devastating mix of hand to hand combat and magical attacks. Lee did only the minimum amount to win and hide his power.

    All of them could have won their matches in a straight up magical duel without their honed specialties. But this tournament was a chance to really practice and define their own styles. They found what worked best for them and were preparing it for the tournament yet to come.

    They advanced steadily round to round. All made it into the final 8. These 8 would make up the 5 man team and 3 ranked alternates. Lee and Derrick threw their matches against Amanda and Tom. Mary and David were able to win their matches and place in the top 4 and lock up spots on the team. Derrick and Lee both beat their opponents and then Lee threw his match against Derrick to become the first alternate.

    They didn''t yet know whose spot Lee would take when it came time to fight the Star house. They decided it would be a problem for another day. The continent was in shock to hear the news of a team made entirely of first year wizards. Never in the history of the tournament had such a thing happened.

    The plan was now for the 6 young wizards and Peter Leaf to finally meet this mysterious teacher of Lee River. Perhaps the next challenge would prove to be more problematic than the tournament. How were they to keep the meddling Cloud and Star houses out of their affairs?

 Chapter 29: Travel and Reunion

    The Star House

    ¡°It''s true sir Viktor, it seems the Zero Province Academy has indeed selected their team and all of them are 1<sup>st</sup> year wizards!¡± Viktor sat in the Star estate which spanned nearly a square mile. He was the uncle of Vladimir Star and the S ranked head of the Star house. Considered to be one of the 3 strongest wizards in all the continent. Everyone in the Star house would claim him to be the strongest of all. But the Cloud and Sun houses would make the same boast of their head.

    ¡°Well that is rather unusual. And you said one of them is a girl from the Cloud family correct?¡± He rubbed his chin as he pondered. He was confident before making a move into the heart of Cloud territory that he held a winning hand. There had been much discussion over what was the potential power of the Cloud house and in the end they were sure it could be easily suppressed.

    He knew of no young wizards who would be able to stand in the way of his demonstration of absolute authority and superiority over the Cloud house. They had many spys in zero province who looked into the total military power of the Cloud house as well as their current 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup> year wizards just to be sure there would be no surprises.

    Maybe a bunch of first years meant the Cloud house and the houses that backed them were weaker than he was even led to believe. After all, if they were the best they could do then surely there shouldn''t be a problem. But he didn''t like the fact that they were all unknowns. They would need to gather more information.

    ¡°You said you kept tabs on all the Cloud family members currently able to potentially take part in this tournament. You did a check on this Mary correct?¡± He tried to recall the name. He made it a point to keep track on all the descendents of the main houses. If he recalled correctly she was one of the grandchildren of the current head of the Cloud house.

    ¡°Yes house head¡± one of his numerous lackeys spoke. ¡°We checked on her. We weren''t able to get much information as she had lived her life nearly entirely on the Cloud estate before going to the school. From what we could find out it seems her talent is good but not spectacular. At most she should have been C rank right. At least that was our understanding of when she entered the school. The report is that at the tournament she was clearly too much for her opponents and is currently estimated to be B rank at most!¡±

    He kept looking down at the piece of paper sent by the men placed at the tournament. The bird took 2 days to fly here but it was a pretty fast way to communicate over large distances. It seemed they may had underestimated the Cloud girl. The other first years who would make the team seemed to be fairly strong as well and used a number of odd techniques and abilities. It''s not likely they would be a match for the team of young wizards the Star house prepared. Not to mention Vladimir Star. As he went over all the information in the letter the head of house listened intently again and nodded.

    The bottom line was this. Before these surprises happened they were confident they would win. Now there were a number of unknown factors. They probably were changes for the better but it still was something to be cautious of. No mistakes could be allowed. They had already made their move and were now totally committed to this effort.

    ¡°Tell them to follow the first years wherever they go. Keep an eye on them. I want to know where they are and what they''re doing at all times. If it looks like they will be some kind of problem for us then they are to act as they see fit.¡± Viktor Star said this as if talking about potentially murdering young wizards was just another typical business item for the day.

    It wasn''t like it was unheard of. Everyone knew these big houses would do anything to protect their power. All of them had been believe to order murders in the past for various reasons. Of course no direct evidence of these crimes would ever be found. The order to keep a watch on the wizard would be sent by pigeon. The order to do whatever was needed would be sent by a trusted man of the Star house and spoken of in a whisper once. Then never spoken of again.

    The people who would follow the young wizards and potentially execute the order would not be official Star house members but wizards who were totally loyal and well compensated. Nothing would ever lead back to the star house if something was done. This was the most delicate and important of matters. They would send over only the best for the job to make sure that if the job had to be done it was done right.

    *****

    Zero province Academy. 2 days ago.

    The entire group met in their normal training room the night after the tournament. It was a little later than usual as they didn''t want to be disturbed during their conversation. It seemed this little trip to meet Lee''s master would not be as easy as they first hoped.

    ¡°That''s right, you heard me. The Cloud house has decided to send a bunch of their top members to the Zero Province Academy and check up on us and our training. It seems they want to take over our training and assess our current abilities.¡± Mary was furious at the news. She knew her house would no doubt be interested in what was going on. But to be forced to tell her friends they would so blatantly interfere...

    ¡°If they interfere then what do we do? Can we still go to see Lee''s teacher?¡± Tom was concerned. Not just for their training but for Peter Leaf.

    ¡°No, I don''t think we can. If the Cloud house decides to come here I''m afraid I''d have to ask you all to not only not go with me, but to also not continue the specific techniques I''ve taught you while they are here.¡± Lee was sad to say this but there was nothing else to do. It would put them in a bad spot and make winning unlikely but he couldn''t risk these training techniques getting out into the world.

    ¡°What? But look how far we''ve come. You want us to just stop? If we do that we will barely get any stronger before we fight the Dragon Academy with the Star transfer students. Didn''t you say you needed to win this tournament for some reason?¡± Amanda couldn''t believe that he would just throw away something so important to him.

    ¡°Did you ever tell anyone besides us at this school where your from or give them any information that would be able to lead them back to your home town?¡± The wheels in Derricks head were turning.

    ¡°No, when I first got here I was asked what magic schools I had previously attended and what teachers if any I had. After I said I didn''t have a known school or wizard the guard at the gate was rather dismissive and just sent me in to be tested with the rest of the commoners. I guess he figured I''d fail and was busy. No one else ever bothered to ask.¡±

    Derrick smiled happy to hear this was the case. ¡°Good, then there should be a problem. It seems you were just too unimportant to follow up on and once you got accepted they screwed up by not asking for any type of contact information. That isn''t unusual at this school. They are so focused on the nobles that they don''t always get around to first year wizards who they think will fail out.¡±

    Lee was kind of annoyed that he was so unimportant to the school. Now that he was an alternate to the team he was sure that was about to change. The head master had asked to see him in the morning to go over some things. It seemed they now deemed him someone who they should pay attention to. Derrick broke Lee''s thought and continued to finish his point.

    ¡°It seems to me the best thing for us to do is leave tonight to Lee''s home town.¡± Leaving in the middle of the night seemed rather extreme. Then again, they wouldn''t know the exact direction they would go and they could get a great start. Some members of their party were fairly well known and would need to keep hidden for parts of the journey if they left. Most could walk around very easily without trouble.

    Peter shook his head. ¡°I don''t think you know what you''re talking about. You are throwing a slap in the face of the Cloud house and endangering your positions at this school. I can''t say I think that is a smart idea. Besides, how would we get there? Wasn''t the plan to use Mary''s Cloud house connections and money? Walking there and back would defeat the entire purpose.¡±

    ¡°As far as money. I''m afraid that would fall on you Mr. Leaf. This is a chance to perhaps fix your mana system and allow it to grow again. Can we really put a price on that? If you don''t have any money then I know where the school keeps some savings for emergencies. I should be able to easily break in and take it if need be.¡±

    Peter never considered Derrick may do something like that. Surely a situation like this where so much potential violence could be unleashed if they lost called for seeing the great good. A fairly minor theft would be a small price to pay. As would his job at this school. He nodded ¡°Okay Derrick, but you don''t need to steal. I can pay our way and anyone who wants to come is welcome. Assuming Lee agrees to the idea.¡±

    ¡°Oh I was planning to go back to see him and my family in any case even if I had to walk.¡±

    ¡°I''m coming!¡± Amanda didn''t hesitate for a moment. ¡°I don''t plan to just sit here and do nothing for two months when I have a chance to grow more. As long as it''s no trouble then you can count me in.¡±

    Right after Amanda said she would come along so did David. This time it wasn''t just because Amanda wanted to go. He would have come along regardless. He wanted to overcome his talent issues as fast as possible. If this man Lee spoke of could help then he would happily go.

    Tom and Derrick were on board as well. Tom after seeing how Lee had mastered wind magic felt he lacked true mastery of his own magic. He wanted to see what this old wizard Lee spoke of could do. Derrick never considered the possibility of not coming. But he was kind of annoyed he wouldn''t get to break into the school treasury. He didn''t like to steal but it seemed like a fun challenge.

    ¡°I''ll be coming to! I don''t like how my house is acting right now and I don''t care if they get mad at me. Before this I was just an after thought to them and now they wish to come here and tell me what to do? I don''t plan to let that happen. A great house must follow it''s great leaders after all. When I become theirs I''ll fix the very few problems they still have.¡±.

    The others were surprised. This was the most negative comment she had ever mentioned when it came to her house. It still managed to sound like a slightly back handed compliment none the less. Mary also told the group that her house had given her a little spending money for her year here just in case she needed anything. This little spending money to her was an unheard of amount to Lee of 50 gold coins.

    It''s what his father made in an entire year. The 3 gold coins he had given Lee had been a fairly sizable chunk of their savings. To hear the Cloud house gave out 50 gold coins for spending cash without a thought was a great shock.

    ¡°Of that 50 how much do you have left Mary?¡± Lee hoped it was enough. It would probably take 5 to ride down and 5 to ride back. Not counting food. Mary went red when he asked. She had mentioned the money to make a point that they could easily go there. She only now remembered how poor Lee''s family was and what a large amount it must seem to him.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°All 50 gold coins. Money really isn''t a big deal to me. I don''t care for nice things or amazing food. I only want to train and grow stronger. I would only use it if there was something important or some form of emergency. Frankly I could care less about how much money my house has or anyone else. For instance whoever I were to go out with it wouldn''t matter to me if they were the richest in the world or the poorest. It means that little to me. Just so you know.¡± She blushed when she said that part at the end.

    ¡°Well then I guess we''re all going. If the Cloud house will be here in the morning then we need to head out now. I suggest we pack up only what we need and leave. Only a few changes of clothes. If someone sees any of us taking a lot of luggage it would raise questions. Be sure it can fit in a small bag. If we need anything along the way which can be bought then leave it. We''ll meet at the school gate in 15 minutes.¡± Peter looked around to all of them and was no sign of hesitation.

    All of them went to their rooms packing only a few changes of clothes and maybe just a few snacks. Everything else would be left. They met at the gate at about 15 minutes without being seen and headed into the near by town. Derrick talked with a man who ran a carriage business and secured one for himself and his sick mother to head the next town over. Of course his sick mother was too weak to come herself.

    They would be going to the next town over to see a doctor and absolutely needed to get there tonight so they could see him first thing in the morning He had to pay extra for the late night and suddenness of the job but soon himself and the driver were off. Once they got to their destination Lee came out and with a quick right hook knocked the driver out cold. They put a gold coin in his pocket and a note saying they would be back with the carriage in 2 months and they would be sure to compensate the owner at a later date.

    All of them got inside of the carriage and were off on their journey to Lee''s home town. A few times along the way they would sell the houses and buy new ones which were fresh to make as much speed as possible They would be sure when they finally returned the carriage the owner would have better horses when he lef. It didn''t cost too much really. They only lost 1 gold coin in each transaction.

    They stopped rarely on their trip. They were in a rush to get there quickly but they were also sure the Cloud house would track them down if they didn''t move quickly. They only stopped for an inn once and they made sure to not all go to the same one. Also they paid for food as they could along the way which they could eat in the carriage so they wouldn''t need to stop and risk being seen .

    When they slept it was often inside the carriage. They rarely got a good nights sleep. Mary suffered the most of all. Not only was she the one least use to sleeping in such arrangements but on the 2<sup>nd</sup> night when she woke up against one of the corners in the carriage she found Lee asleep leaning over her. His hand fell limp on her leg and his head on her shoulder not far from her chest.

    Her first reaction was to jump up and yell at Lee for getting too familiar. When she saw he was completely out cold in his sleep she figured this wasn''t so bad. He felt big and warm against her. The touch of his hand on her leg and his face this close to hers. She thought if she could manage to turn just a little more towards him it would be like he was almost on top of her.

    She dismissed such a thought of course. She stayed awake for an hour unable to sleep as that and other thoughts went through her head. In the end she did try to move more facing him it but almost woke him up. She stayed still now feeling frustrated but still enjoying the sensation. She only got 3 hours of sleep that night.

    As dawn broke on the 3<sup>rd</sup> day Lee was excited. They had been near constantly on the road for 80 hours but he was now starting to see a lot familiar things. He assured them it would not be long now. He had sent letters to his parents, master and Alura before the tournament and they were no doubt expecting to see him and his friends soon.

    As they were getting closer and closer they started to ask more about Lee and his life here. This place seemed very odd to Tom, David and Mary who all had never really seen a farming village before. They asked about how they lived here day to day and the old wizard and his family.

    ¡°Well, I met the wizard I told you about when I was 8 years old. That was actually the same time I met Al too. That''s what we called my friend back then as they were not a fan of their full name. In any case, I eventually managed to get the old wizard to teach me about magic. It was a large struggle though. I had to basically drives him crazy by putting frogs on his property until he agreed!¡± They all found this rather humorous.

    ¡°Did the old wizard teach you how to fight too?¡± David was curious to know about the person who taught Lee who taught him.

    ¡°That was my friend Al. Al''s father is strong enough to be in the elite guards and the Uncle is actually in them. He made captain last I heard and is considered one of the strongest hand to hand fighters in all the continent. While Al isn''t as strong physically as either; from a technique stand point I''d say Al is just as good if not maybe better. I actually sparred with the father and uncle a few times. I lost but they were even bigger than Peter and knew all the same fighting skills I did.¡±

    David was surprised. ¡°Wow, Al must really be something. Do you think you can maybe set up a match between us. I''m getting tired of fighting just you all the time you know, and I''d love to fight the person who trained you.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing. Just be careful. I tend to hold back a fair amount. Al isn''t the type to hold back when when it comes to fighting so you''d better look out.¡± Lee shook his head. Why didn''t she ever learn to take it easy?

    He talked more about his parents and the old wizard but the time for talk was soon over. They were finally at his house. Lee got off and knocked on the door. He heard a rush to get to the door and backed away as it swung open. It was his mother. She saw him and her eyes instantly filled with tears as she hugged him.

    ¡°My baby boy is finally home! It''s been so long! How are you feeling? Are you eating well enough? We''re cooking boar stew tonight just cause we knew you were coming. Have you grown another inch or so? Oh honey, I missed you so much.¡± Lee hugged back a bit embarrassed but still happy to see his mother after such a long time.

    ¡°I missed you too mother. Is father home?¡± She released him from her strong hug and put her arms around herself.

    ¡°No, he just went on a delivery into town but will be back within the hour. I''m sorry. I guess I should invite your friends in first and give them something to drink. You have made so many friends it seems. I knew you would! Oh. Alura is here too. She is just in the wash room as she has been working a little here today. She wanted to be sure to see you as soon as you got here.¡±

    Lee friends were surprised. Who was this Alura? Lee never mentioned a female friend he was close to .

    Before Lee''s mother could usher them into her house a young women ran out of the house and threw her arms around Lee. She had long lush blond hair. Her eyes were as green as a leaf on a tree. Her face was beautiful and her body was well proportioned in her very pretty but slightly tight dress. Her chest was large for one her age and her lips were more red than Mary''s hair.

    ¡°Lee! I missed you so much! I hope you''re enjoying that school as much as your letters say you are. I was worried you wouldn''t be able to make it today and I would have worn this dress for nothing. Do you like it?¡± She backed away to show off her dress. It was similar to the one she wore when they went out on his 14<sup>th</sup> birthday.

    Tom was the first to ask what everyone was thinking ¡°Umm Lee. I hate to interrupt but I''m curious who this is. You never mentioned you had another... friend?¡±

    ¡°What you do you mean? This is my friend Al that I told you about.¡±

    ¡°That''s Al? The one who trained you how to fight is her?¡± David was in shock. Did Lee really expect him to have a fist fight with a girl?

    Alura rolled her eyes ¡°are you still calling me Al to your friends. I told you didn''t I? I go by Allie now. Being called Al caused to much confusion.¡±

    ¡°So you''re the one who taught Lee how to fight?¡± David tried to shake the cobwebs out of his head.

    ¡°Yes I am, you seem surprised. Are you David by chance? The one Lee has been training with? He mentioned that in a letter.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sorry. I''m David Rain. I was just surprised is all. I was expecting someone who looked.... well, not like you.¡±

    Alura got annoyed and walked towards him ¡°What do you mean by that? Do I not look good enough for you for you or something? You know fighting isn''t about who''s the most attractive.¡±

    ¡°No, I didn''t mean it like that. You''re one of he most beautiful girls I''ve ever seen.¡± He looked to Amanda who was now watching him talk. ¡°I mean, I think all the ladies here are beautiful too. It isn''t like I am saying one is better than the other. I just mean I didn''t know I would be sparring with a small girl like you is all. I was expecting a large man. So I was just surprised.¡± He tried to laugh away the situation.

    Alura gave him cold look and then broke into a smile. ¡°I can understand that. I mean look at me. Little old me being a fighter? That''s just silly isn''t it? How could a helpless little dainty flower like myself ever hope to fight and win against big strong man like you right?¡± She gave him a big laugh until he laughed nervously with her.

    Then like lightning she grabbed him by the wrist and flung him over her shoulder and onto the ground. She put her foot behind his head and locked his arm around her leg while twisting the wrist just an inch away from breaking. ¡°Never underestimate you''re opponent no matter what they look like. If I wanted to I could break your arm in 3 different places right now and make it useless for the rest of your life, all due to your carelessness.¡±

    She released him. ¡°Don''t be so full of yourself novice. You still have a lot to learn about martial arts. 6 months of training doesn''t come close to making you my equal. If you are going to train with me you better show me the respect as your teacher I deserve.¡±

    Lee shook his head ¡°I warned you David. She isn''t as nice a teacher as me.¡±

    Suddenly Alura went from stern to soft. ¡°Come on Lee. Don''t make me sound mean. This is just the best way to teach someone. I wouldn''t actually hurt a friend of yours. Sorry if I made you mad. If you want I¡¯ll be nice to him from now on.¡± She got close to Lee''s side and grabbed his hand as she said this sounding sincerely apologetic. It was clear she didn''t want to do anything to make Lee angry in the first few minutes of seeing him after so long.

    ¡°No, you''re right Allie. I''m didn''t mean to make it sound like you did something bad. I''m sure you''ll teach him in whatever way is best. I believe in your abilities. Look what they did for me after all.¡±

    Her smile could light up the night. ¡°Thank you Lee, I''ll do my best to take care of your friend so don''t worry!¡±

    Mary coughed ¡°You too seem pretty close for friends. Not that I mind at all of course. I just know about the importance appearances. After all, it''s one of the things a potential heir to the Cloud house must learn. Anyway, I just would hate if someone got the wrong idea about your friendship being more than it is. I can understand how that could be annoying.¡±

    Alura gave her a dirty look and then smiled. ¡°Oh don''t worry. It''s fine if we look close. I am Lee''s fiance after all!¡± She gave Lee a big hug while saying this.

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Mary''s fist balled in shock and anger.

    ¡°Don''t say that Allie, people will get the wrong idea!¡± Lee''s knew Alura liked to joke around but this was taking it a bit far.

    ¡°What? You asked to be my fiance before. Are you going back on your word now? That''s really unmanly of you.¡± She hugged him tighter and smiled looking at Mary''s face.

    ¡°I said that when I was 8 years old. Come on and stop kidding around.¡± Lee slightly pushed her away.

    ¡°I''m sorry Lee. I just couldn''t help seeing the looks on your friends faces is all. It was priceless. Especially Mary. She seemed to find that joke really entertaining! You were right about her in one of those letters you sent. She does talk about the Cloud house a lot.¡±

    Alura knew Lee was blind to seeing the signs of interest that women tended to have in him. She read through his letters numerous times and everything she saw on Mary''s face when she made that comment confirmed what she suspected.

    Mary laughed ¡°that was a funny joke you made. I guess going by Lee''s face the thought of marrying you never crossed his mind. That''s what made that joke really work!¡±

    ¡°Your being so kind to think my joke is funny. Maybe I should reward you with a free martial arts lesson. I promise to be gentle to your tiny thin body. It''s a good thing your chest isn''t that big. A chest like that won''t get in the way. My chest is MUCH bigger than yours and can sure be a bother.¡± She started to walk toward Mary with a large smile.

    ¡°That''s so generous but I think I''ll just focus on magic. After all, I have a very delicate and feminine frame unlike yours. You''re muscles are just so big sometimes I wonder if you''re really a women. What an achievement!¡± Mary walked towards Allie with a large smile.

    Alura put her hand on Mary''s shoulder. ¡°How about I show you 1 little hold. It''s really is no trouble at all I promise!¡±

    Mary summoned wind magic to both her hands ¡°I must decline, but if you want I can show you some wind magic. I''ll take it very easy on you so no worries!¡± Both kept large smiles on their face for the entire interaction.

    Lee smiled and turned to the rest of his friends. ¡°They look like they''re really getting along! I hope they''ll be great friend soon.¡±

    Peter shook his head. ¡°This old wizard must be the worlds greatest teacher if he was able to get anything through that head of yours.¡±

 Chapter 30: Mending the Leaf

    After Peter stepped in and ended the ''friendly'' exchange between Alura and Mary they were ushered inside Lee''s house. Lee''s mother poured a glass of water for everyone and started the boar stew which she was making just for Lee''s arrival. While cooking, she talked to all of Lee''s friends and told them of the nice things Lee had to say in the letters he sent.

    Alura also talked to each one of Lee''s new friends. They wanted to hear more about Lee''s younger years.. She concluded them to be a very friendly and interesting bunch. Except for Mary of course. Alura liked Tom and David well enough, but she couldn''t help but connect more with Amanda, Derrick and Mr. Leaf who all had a more similar background to hers.

    Soon Lee''s father was home and greeted him with a hug. The same questions his mother asked about how school was going were repeated. Clearly he was proud of his son and happy to see he was well on his way to a more lucrative life.

    Mary couldn''t help looking around the home in shock. She knew Lee didn''t come from a high class noble family but this was well beyond her expectations. It seemed to be more like a dwelling than an actually home. The chairs and walls were old. There were no creature comforts. The furniture was solid wood with no padding. It made her feel like a spoiled brat by how she lived in comparison.

    She wondered what Lee thought when she mentioned her great and rich Cloud house when this was the kind of place he called home. Her fingers dug into her knees and she again felt the large gap between them. She stole a glance at Alura who was sitting shoulder to shoulder with Lee. She seemed to be from a similar world to his and they''d known each other for years.

    Mary wasn''t stuck up about her looks but she knew she was admired. Her main concern was always growing stronger and if someone thought she was nothing but a pretty face she would be quick to correct them on the matter. But looking are Allie she suddenly couldn''t help but compare herself. Something she made it a point never to do.

    Lee''s mother called her Alura when she first mentioned her, was that her real name? It''s true Alura''s chest was bigger, her eyes were beautiful as was the rest of her face. Her smile came easy and she moved and acted with a freedom that was wild and captivating. Mary''s couldn''t smile so freely. She had to be the representative of the great Cloud house at all times.

    Many men had confessed their feelings to Mary and even have gone so far as to ask for her hand from her grandfather. Now the one man she ever wanted to desire her seemed to have his perfect match sitting beside him. She felt an ache in her heart. Perhaps she really had no chance at all. Her thoughts were broken as a bowl of boar stew was put in front of her.

    She thanked Lee''s mother for the bowl and tried a little. It was just as good as Lee had said. It still didn''t measure up to the elaborate meals she had on the Cloud house estate with several cooks and courses. But for one pot and one meal it was rather wonderful.

    ¡°Thank you for the boar stew mother, that was great! I knew it must have put you to a lot of trouble.¡± Lee sat back in his chair enjoying the feeling of the stew in his stomach.

    ¡°None at all dear and I won''t hear any more appreciation from you. I am just glad you are back home for a while. You said you would get to stay here about 2 months right dear?¡±

    ¡°That''s what the plan is. We''ll be training here with the old man for about 2 months before we all head back to school. Speaking of which, I hate to eat and run, but we really should see him before the day is out. I''ll be back before nightfall. As for my friends, they have plenty of money and in one of my letters I asked Allie to make arrangements for them at a nearby Inn. Obviously they can''t all fit here.¡±

    Lee gave his mother and father a hug before they he left for the rest of the day. His group and Alura walked into the woods and down the trial to the old wizards house. On the way they talked about a number of topics and stories. The single thing no one brought up was Peter Leaf''s hope that the old wizard may be able to do something about his mana system. Lee desperately hoped the old wizard had some kind of idea up his sleeve.

    Once at the house Lee knocked three times. The old man answered. The smile on his face was ear to ear. ¡°It''s nice to see you again Lee, and these must be the friends you mentioned.¡± He greeted them one by one. So this was the man who taught Lee? He was certainly tall. It was rare for them to see someone taller than Mr. Leaf. But unlike Mr. Leaf who was young and strongly built, this old man was thin and lanky looking. Almost frail.

    More than his looks, he just didn''t give off the aura of a man who seemed to have great magic. Perhaps he was more of an academic than an actual magic user? The old man shook the hands of each of Lee''s friends one by one. Peter Leaf was the last of the bunch to receive a handshake from the old wizard.

    As the old thin wrinkled fingers closed around his palm. Peter felt for the mana and magical ability within the old man. His eyes shot wide open. His chin went down and his pulse quickened. He looked to the hand as if he was now holding a poisonous snake. He pulled it away and took a step backwards by instinct.

    ¡°Something wrong with my handshake, Peter my boy?¡± The old man''s eyes locked on to his. Peter felt a pressure like he never knew in all his life. If he said or did the wrong thing. This man could instantly kill him as if he was squashing a bug. Who the hell was he? How was he so strong? Was he hiding even more power?

    ¡°No, sorry. I was just surprised is all.¡± Peter calmed himself. While he felt the enormous power this wizard possessed, he had been nothing but friendly to Peter. What he did just now would be considered the height of rudeness. He was about to apologize but the old man waved his hand.

    ¡°Don''t worry about it. I quite understand.¡± The rest of Lee''s friends were confused on what just happened. Lee was not in the least bit confused. The old man turned to Lee with a playful smirk on his face.

    ¡°I read your letters, you''ve grown since we last saw each other. You even have gone so far as to challenge me to a rematch. You remember how badly I bet you before you left. Now you want to come to me after so little time has passed and act as if you were my equal? How arrogant. I see I didn''t beat you badly enough last time!¡±

    ¡°If you think I''ll be in your shadow forever you''re mistaken. I''ve practiced my skills everyday! I''ve grown more than you could ever imagine since our last match. If you wish to see your student surpass you then hurry up and let''s begin!¡±

    The old man crossed his arms. ¡°Very well, but I doubt your ego will be able to recover from this beating. I''ll be right back¡± With that he walked inside the house. Lee'' friends nervously stood behind him. Peter was the most nervous.

    ¡°You are challenging your teacher right now? But you just got here?¡± Tom couldn''t believe how quickly they moved from a fond meeting to a match. It seems this was a strict teacher after all.

    ¡°Lee, I felt what kind of power your teacher has. I would ask you to withdraw and not make him angry.¡± Peter didn''t want his dear student to face such a monster.

    ¡°This is a long time coming. I need to show him once and for all I''ll not be in his shadow the rest of my life.¡±

    The old man walked outside holding two boxes. ¡°You may pick the box you want. The tools within are exactly the same. I''ll even allow you to make the first move. Aren''t I the kindest teacher any student could ask for?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°If you''ll be so generous then I''ll act without hesitation!¡± Lee quickly grabbed a box and in a flash it was open. His hands began to move like lighting. The old man did the same. The needle moved effortlessly through the fabric. Both used great skill and speed as the sewed 2 pieces of cloth together. Lee''s friends and Peter were dumbfounded. What the hell was all that build up for?

    Both finished and held up the 2 pieces of cloth that were now tightly stitched together.

    ¡°Haha, didn''t I tell you? You''re 100 years too early to face me. That stitch work is so ugly not even a mother could love it!¡± The old man sneered.

    ¡°Like hell! What is with your inconsistent distance between stitches? Are your hands starting to get a bit shaky with old age?¡± Lee was not backing down.

    They looked at the rest of the group as if to get some sort of verdict. Lee locked eyes on Amanda. ¡°Amanda, you said you sewed in the past. Who did you think won?¡± Both Lee and the old men held up their works in total confidence.

    Amanda put here hand to her chin. ¡°I''m not sure who won. All I know is that it''s the rest of us who have lost.¡± She laughed a bit nervously and put her hand behind her head.

    The old wizard looked at his cloth and then at her. ¡°Obviously she''s biased and that''s why she didn''t name a winner!¡±

    ¡°I think you''re just being a sore loser.¡± Lee stuck up his nose.

    Peter seeing this was going to go on far too long stepped in. ¡°Thank you for having us over by the way. All of us appreciate it. Lee has told us so many nice things about you.¡±

    ¡°Haha, did he now? Well I guess he wanted to be sure not to scare you all away. In any case, I''m up to date on what''s been going on. Lee has been very good about sending letters to me at least once a week. It seems he wishes for me to temporarily oversee the training of your students and take a look at you as well. Do I have that correct?¡±

    Peter was surprised by how direct the old wizard was being. Being direct would save time and they couldn''t afford to waste much of it. Peter preferred it that way. ¡°Yes, but I''m a secondary concern. If you don''t wish to trouble yourself over me I would more than understand. Above all these children must be made stronger so we can prevent a chain of events that would lead to a lot of misery.¡±

    The old man waved his hand in the air. ¡°Yes, yes I¡¯m aware.¡± The old man didn''t need anyone to tell him how important winning this tournament was. The reasons Peter had for wanting to win were comparatively minor compared to the reasons the old man had. The barrier had grown even weaker in the last 6 months and the process was speeding up. If nothing happened then in less than 2 years it may break down completely.

    The old man motioned Peter forward. ¡°First, I wanna to take a look at you.¡± Peter walked to him and the old man put his hand over Peter''s mana center. He looked into one eye and then the other. He then put his hands over Peter'' palms.

    ¡°Go ahead and gather some mana for me in your palms. Tell me, how old are you Peter and since when have you felt your growth really start to slow down?¡±

    ¡°I''m 28 years old and since 3 years ago.¡±

    The old man nodded. ¡°And I see you have been doing the mana control techniques Lee taught you.¡± It wasn''t a question. But Peter felt he should say something.

    ¡°Yes, he taught me some mana control techniques.¡±

    ¡°That'' good. If not for that your mana system would have settled completely in place and there would be nothing I could hope to do.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you can fix it?!¡± Peter couldn''t hide his excitement.

    ¡°Maybe, it depends. At this point it''s nearly settled in place. Even if I did try to fix it there is no guarantee it would work. Also, there is great risk to attempting it. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn''t try it frankly.¡± The old wizard let go of Peter''s palms and stepped back, his hand moved to his chin pondering the possibilities.

    ¡°What kind of risk?¡±

    ¡°In the best case, it would work. You may even grow a bit stronger and then you''ll be able to continue your growth. In the worse cases, you may be unable to gather mana ever again. It may even cost you your life.¡± The old man let that hang in the air. He wanted to make clear how risky this would be.

    Peter gave a smile and hearty laugh. ¡°I''m not afraid of a little risk. If I wanted to live like that I would''ve never became a wizard in the first place. Playing it safe is one of my dislikes after all.¡±

    The old man smiled ¡°Then we should start today. There''s no point waiting. The longer we wait the lower the chances of success. First things first. Until we''re done, you can''t use your mana for any reason. If you do, you''ll almost certainly damage your mana system beyond repair. I''ll need to give you daily mana treatments. It will forcefully push my mana throughout your mana system and attempt to correct the errors within it.¡±

    ¡°Will that be painful?¡±

    ¡°It will no doubt be excruciating. We''ll need to do this for 2 to 3 hours a day. Once we start a session we can not stop until I''ve finished and it must be done every single day or your mana system will completely settle and we''ll be unable to ever try again. Once your mana system is where we want it I''ll need to forcefully set it in place. This will be the most dangerous and painful part. Also we''ll need a special medicine with help it stay just as I set it. A medicine from a flower I currently don''t have.¡±

    Lee stepped towards the old man. ¡°Where''s the plant? Can we go buy it?¡±

    ¡°No, it isn''t something that''s sold. There''s nothing to do but to go and pick it ourselves. That''s the problem.¡±

    ¡°How big of a problem? Where is it?¡± Peter had a worried look on his face.

    ¡°It''s native to somewhere in province 6. It''s called the black rose and looks exactly how it sounds. I have a picture of it in one of my books. Once you see it there is no mistaking it. Which is a very good thing, as Lee will be the one to go and get it.¡± Lee and Peter were both shocked to hear this.

    ¡°But Lee needs to be here to train to so he can defeat Vladimir Star. If he leaves to get this it could ruin everything!¡± Peter wanted desperately to fix his mana system but he knew he was not as important as the goal of winning. He hated it, but this plan would need to be put on hold until after the tournament.

    ¡°Let''s forget about it for now and then do it after the tournament in that case. I want Lee to train to his fullest in the next 2 months.¡± The old man shook his head at Peter''s words.

    ¡°This simply can''t wait that long. Doing the mana training Lee taught you can extend the time to fix it but not by much. If not for that this would have already been impossible. If we wait another few months your odds drop dramatically and the risk goes up even further. I wouldn''t even attempt it at that point. This is now or never. If you want any reasonable chance to succeed we need to act now.¡±

    ¡°Then I guess it''s never. There are matters too important to risk over me.¡±

    Lee patted Peter on the back ¡°I''ll be going to get the black rose no matter what you say. I''ll just train as best I can on the way. There''s no way I''d lose to Vladimir. In any case, if I knew the old man as well as me then you''d think by the time he''s done with everyone else, you won''t need me to win.¡±

    Before Peter could say anything else Lee asked the old wizard ¡°Let me see what that rose looks like. I''ll also need a map. I''ve never been out of province 0.¡±

    Peter was about to object but the old man interrupted. ¡°Save you''re breath. If you know anything about this young man, then you''ll know once he make up his mind about something, it''s pointless to try to talk him out of it.¡±

    The old man went into the house and came out with a map and along with a piece of paper with a picture of the black rose. He folded it up and handed it to River. ¡°I circled on the map about where you want to be to find it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I''ll be setting out to get it first thing in the morning.¡±

    The old wizard smiled. ¡°That''s what I hoped you''d say. I''d hate for your family and friends not to get a chance to have at least 1 dinner with you before you left.¡±

    Peter was planning to try to talk Lee out of going so he could to stay and train. He saw it was pointless though. As a teacher he would have to make sure to be worthy of such a student. He would also need to be sure to do something in the future to make it up to him.

    The old wizard took the rest of the afternoon to lay the foundations for teaching Lee''s friends. He gave them some new training exercises to practice tonight. Once they were under way he started his work with Peter. Peter now would not be allowed to his mana again until this entire process was over.

    After the old man was finished with Peter for the day they all left and went back to Lee''s house to have dinner. Alura and Lee''s parents were sad to hear the news that Lee would be leaving them after just getting back to go on a trip to province 6. They understood the reason and Peter Leaf apologized to them for cutting their reunion so short.

    After the food was eaten and the conversation began to die down it was clear that it was time to call it a night. Alura made Lee promised he would see her again before he left. With that she lead Lee''s companions to the Inn she had prepared. Mary paid for the rooms 2 months fully in advanced.

    The following morning all of Lee''s companions and Alura had breakfast at the inn and went to the old man''s house for their first full day of training. Lee gave his parents a hug and said his good byes to them before going to the old wizard''s house. The old wizard estimated it would take at least 6 weeks total to make the round trip. Lee said his good byes to his friends and promised to be back before 2 months were up. He set out towards province 6. There was no time to waste if he was to make it back in time for the tournament.

 Chapter 31: The Old Mans Training

    The Star House

    He held the message in his hand and walked hurriedly towards the room. He knocked upon the heavily wooded door. Only after being commanded to enter did he do so.

    ¡°Head, we just received word from our informants. It seems the team of Zero Province Students has gone missing. It''s believe they left to go to some unknown location to train. The only information we have so far is they stole a carriage and horses. They were spotted heading west. It seems they sold the horses and bought new ones along the way but after that we lost them, as did the Cloud house.¡±

    The head of the Star house grabbed the message from his minion''s hand. He read every word. ¡°I want to double the amount of assets we have in the area. I want them doing anything they have to do to get information. Give them gold for bribes and tell them to break some fingers if need be. I want to know where they''ve gone and what they''re up to.¡±

    He tossed the paper on the ground in anger. ¡°I want to have some men following the Cloud house investigation as well. Keeps tabs on them. Who they talk to and where they''re going. They might even be able to lead us to them. Is that special unit I told you to get ready in place?¡± He was referring to the order he gave a few days ago to get a small group together as a potential assassination squad.

    ¡°Yes head, they are standing by on the border of province zero waiting for a location from our investigators.¡± The group of 3 wizards was small but powerful. Due to being a small unit they were able to move quickly. While not true members of the Star house they have long since been bought. Each was a talented and deadly A ranked wizard.

    ¡°Good, I want them to move into position when we know where they are. Tell them to use their own judgment on what action is required. The unknowns and oddities around this situation are only growing. I want it dealt with.¡± The Head went to his desk and began to write messages on small pieces of paper. Nothing must be left to chance.

    *****

    The Old Wizards''s house

    Mid sun had just passed. River had already been gone for nearly half a day. The entirety of Class 5, Peter and Alura were at the old wizards house. He told them that if they wished for his teachings they must be prepared to come early and leave late. He was not about to waste any of his remaining years on students who were not committed to learning.

    He looked over at Tom''s training. ¡°I read in Lee''s letters that he wanted to instill a lot of agility in you. That seems very wise to me. You lack a natural knack for wind magic or so I have been told. Is that correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even though my families ultimate technique requires wind magic it takes me a long time to create it.¡±

    ¡°I see, I was also told you can freely use fire, earth and water. How do you feel your skill with each is?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good I guess. But when I see how well Lee uses wind magic it makes me see how silly I was to think I''d really mastered how to use 3 elements. Once I saw how he fought with just one it made me realize how much I lack in each.¡±

    ¡°I''m glad you see it that way. For the next 2 months I want you only to focus on using 1 element. That element will be water.¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, but why water instead of fire that can do more damage or earth which has better defense?¡±

    ¡°More damage or better defense all depends on how you use your skills. As for why water; it''s the best fit for you to learn right now. You move freely and quickly. Earth magic for defense is good but it won''t be as useful if your style involves a lot of moving around. Fire is powerful and can cause a lot of damage over a large area but it won''t offer much protection if you fail to dodge an attack.

    Water isn''t spectacular in any one area but it is the most balanced of all elements and is flexible like your movements. It can be a fail safe shield and a strong attack.¡± The old man told him this while he was watch a bird peeking away at the trunk of a tree. It was almost as if he said it like he was repeating basic math to a small child. Only after he was done speaking did it he back at Tom.

    ¡°I have a book on water magic I''m going to lend you. Every night when you leave here I want you to read it. Read it until you can remember ever piece of information in it. That is the training that is best for you right now. Keep up on your agility too. A movement target is the best kind to be.¡±

    ¡°Isn''t it better to be no target at all?¡±

    The old man gave him a small smile. ¡°Yes, but that isn''t always an option those of us who walk the path of magic have. A wizard that doesn''t know he''s a target is even worse than a still target. You can pick up your book when you''re done training for the day.¡±

    ¡°When will I be done though?¡±

    The old wizard laughed. ¡°When I tell you you''re done of course!¡± He walked away and Tom went back to his mana training. He came to Derrick who was practicing earth magic. He watch him creating dust and trying to control the density of the earth walls he created. Making them thin but very strong and at other tons large and soft.

    ¡°So you''re the wizard who taught Lee, frankly I was wondering what kind of man you''d be.¡±

    ¡°Oh you were? Well what''s your opinion of me so far?¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, you show a lot of different faces to different people. You sometimes come off as comical and aloof but other times you sound rather profound. If it was all an act to throw people off I could understand it. But I don''t think it is. If I had to say what kind of man you are I would say complex and mysterious. But a good person.¡±

    The old man rubbed his chin. ¡°Lee is dense about some things but he tends to be a pretty bright boy in other areas. He was able to tell be a good deal about you in his letters. You''re a very clever and sneaky one. A lot of people think only dumb people or easy to understand. I personally believe usually people who are clever are just as simple in their own way.¡±

    Derrick stopped his training ¡°Are you saying you can see through me or that I¡¯m easy for you to understand? That would be a first.¡±

    ¡°I''m just going to give you advice as one clever man to another; no matter how hard you try or how well you prepare things won''t always go as you want. People look to the clever ones to make the best choices. When we succeed it is expected because we''re clever. When we fail it''s because we''re lazy or incompetent. The more clever we are the more our failures hurt us. When you fail, and you will some day. Don''t let it break you.¡±

    Derrick had long stopped his training and stared at the old wizard. ¡°Did your failures break you?¡±

    The old wizard ignored the question. ¡°As for your training, I see you''re trying to experiment with magic and you have a lot of great schemes. Frankly, you lack powerful magic. From everything I read from Lee you don''t possess a single attack that you can rely upon to turn the tables in your favor. While I know it goes against your nature a bit. Brute force is something we can''t neglect. I want you to focus on earth magic.¡±

    ¡°What kind of spell do you want me to learn to use with earth magic?¡±

    ¡°That is for your to decide. As long as it is big and powerful do what feels natural. Tonight I''ll give you a book on earth magic. Learn every bit. Earth is often used for defense but when used for attack it can be devastating if used right or a massive failure and mana drain if used wrong. You''ll just need to find a way to be clever and not fail when you use it.¡±

    He left Derrick''s side without saying another word and went over to see Amanda. She had already got her running in for the day and was practicing mana control. ¡°Hello Amanda. It''s so nice to finally get the chance to talk to you. I heard a lot about you from Lee. He told me you can keep up with his running and your mana training is going very well.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, I can keep up with him running and my mana stamina is good I suppose¡± She blushed and didn''t look the old wizard in the eye.

    ¡°He also told me you''re shy when meeting new people for the first time. I can understand that. You seemed like quite the fun character when we first saw each other. I hope you get use to me soon!¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    ¡°W-well we were around all my friends then and I felt more comfortable. Talking to a new person one on one isn''t easy for me.¡±

    The old wizard summoned fire in his hand. ¡°I very much understand how that can be tough. To be totally honest, I''m not a fan of meeting new people either. I guess with age I just managed to get more use to it but it''s never easy. Lee told me you use fire and water. Is that correct?¡±

    Amanda nodded and summoned fire and then water in her palm to show the old man. ¡°I see. Most people who favor fire tend to be just as fiery on the inside. You''re no exception I can tell, even if you''re a little shy at first. Once people get to know you your personality burns brightly.¡±

    Amanda blushed a bit as his words. ¡°But your shyness and timidness can be things which cause you to get hurt or get others hurt. Lee told me if the first match in the school tournament you had a moment of hesitation. That''s fine for a school match but in the real world against a skilled opponent it can get you killed. Your talent and stamina are good but need to learn to take the pace and overwhelm from the beginning.

    Winning a stamina battle is difficult and against multiple opponent''s a bad strategy. From now on you are to only use fire. It''s a flashy element and powerful. With great stamina it can be an overwhelming force. You personally don''t have the ability to dodge or have enough time to learn enough able water to make it be a good defense. So your path is to have confidence is your stamina and set the tone from the beginning. You can''t be shy or nervous around crowds or hesitate. Not in the tournament or the real world.¡±

    With that he left her side and went to see David. He was practicing his martial arts with Alura. Even being bigger and stronger he was constantly getting thrown around. He had long abandoned any inclination to hold back. Any punch or kick he attempted was redirected uselessly and every hold he tried to use was counter.

    ¡°Alura, would you be willing to train on your own for a bit while I talk to David?¡± She agreed and walked over to a near by tree. Treating it like an opponent as she dived in and out landing strikes.

    ¡°I see your martial arts training is going well. Don''t be too discouraged. Alura has been training since she could walk. You have only been at it for 6 months. Of course you still have a long way to go. As far a your magic I heard about it in Lee''s letters. I''m sorry to hear you are having troubles and your growth is slower than the others.

    I think once Lee returns with the Black Rose I''ll be able to do something to help with that. It won''t entirely fix the problem but ut it could help shrink the amount of time you need to do build up your base a substantial amount and give you an outside chance to keep pace with your friends.¡±

    David stood on edge. Even with his martial arts practice he felt himself only fall further and further behind his friends each day. If that was some way to help him,eEven if only a bit, he would jump at the chance. ¡°That would be great if you could do anything at all. Thank you so much sir!¡±

    The old wizard waved his thanks away with his hand. ¡°Don''t act like it''s entirely charitable. It''s being done for my benefit as well and Lee is the one actually journeying to get it. Once I have the black rose it''ll be very easy to make what I need. If anything you should thank Lee when he comes back. Now moving on to the more important topic. Your preferred magic is the lightning element correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, that''s correct. I''m trying to learn more elements but lightning is what I''ve been using my whole life.¡±

    The old man gave him a smile. ¡°You''re a very respectful young man. You''ve certainly changed a lot since the first few letters I received about you. Lightning is a wonderfully powerful offense magic. For defense it''s fairly useless and so it as recently fallen out of favor in most circles. I think that''s because most people don''t understand what to do with it. They charge up very powerful magic spells and are left vulnerable. That is why you are no longer going to use magic in that way for the next 2 months.¡±

    ¡°So what am I to do then?¡±

    ¡°You are going to focus on creating small and quick lightning spells. Do not focus on the damage or power. You are to focus on speed and size of the the spell. Most wizards when they use lightning believe the best action is a single bolt of raw power through a wizards heart. While this can be deadly the time to set it up is too long and a single shot can be dodged. If a wizard is on guard.

    Think of your lightning from now on as making large quick webs of lightning that branch out. Don''t worry if they don''t contain enough power to do serious damage to an opponent. Just stunning them for a moment is all you need to do. After all, that would allow you to close the distance or back away. It''s a way for you to use lightning as defense and offense. Not by making a shield or wall but by stopping our opponent''s movements even if just for a moment. I''ll give you a book on lightning magic to read.¡±

    With that he moved on to Mary. She practicing various kinds of wind magic. She gave him a look over her shoulder and continued to train. ¡°Are you here to give me some pointers too? I watched you going around to everyone else.¡±

    The old man chuckled. ¡°Do you believe you''re too good to receive some advice?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I came here to get better after all. I don''t care if help can come from the worlds most powerful wizard or a first time magic user. If it can help me in my goal to become the strongest I''ll happily take any help I get.¡±

    The old wizard scratched his short white beard. ¡°So your goal is to become the strongest. I''ve heard such was the case Ms. Saint Cloud. I''m curious about your obsession with being the strongest. Why is that so important?¡±

    Mary stopped her training for a split second and started again. ¡°To bring new glory to the Cloud house of course.¡±

    The old man shook his head. ¡°You don''t need to tell me the real reasons if you don''t want to. You''re a bad liar but only cause you dislike to lie. That''s why I know you''re a good person and so whatever reasons you have I''m sure that are not malevolent. As far as your training goes, as of now I have nothing I can teach you at the moment except one thing.¡±

    Mary was a bit disappointed to come all the way just to learn one thing. ¡°And what''s that?¡±

    ¡°That you should stop doing the magic techniques everyone teaches you. I don''t mean your mana training. That should stay as is. I speak of the way in which you use magic. I would say in all of your years you''ve never tried to develop anything for yourself. No doubt you were taught by strong wizards as a child and told what was the proper way.

    When you saw Lee fight your first inclination was that he must have all the answers and instantly asked him to train you. Once you heard I trained him you came here to receiving training from me. You have always looked to others to show you the way not realizing if your goal is to be truly strong you must eventually look to find new paths for yourself.¡±

    ¡°So what your saying is your not going to teach me anything?¡±

    ¡°No young Ms. Cloud. I will teach you and show you the way. I''m not saying you shouldn''t listen to me or others. All information we have is passed down and gathered for us by our ancestors after all. However, if we don''t push to discover the new then we will never advance beyond a certain point. During your time here I want you to develop a magic spell that is entirely your own. I''ll give you a book on wind magic. You can learn from it and use it as a reference to develop an attack of your own.¡±

    Mary was about to ask how she would go about developing her own attack but the old wizard had already moved on. It made him sad that he needed to leave a student who came for him to help without any answers but knew it was the best thing for now. He motioned Peter Leaf over. A signal he was ready to start their daily session.

    Peter gave a look around to all the kids. ¡°I don''t know why but I was expecting you to be doing more drills and hands on training. This seems much more relaxed than some of the things Lee described.¡±

    The old man gave a look over the crowd of young people. ¡°This is what they need for the moment. I don''t plan to go soft on them forever. Besides they''re still a bit exhausted from the travel. Before I make them regret coming here I need to give them time to recover.¡±

    Peter looked to the horizon. ¡°I wonder how River is doing.¡±

    ¡°He''ll be fine. There''s a reason I wanted him to go. While he could grow stronger if he stayed this is also the best training for him. He''s fairly sharp but naive and ignorant of many things. My hope is him seeing more of the world might do him some good. This town has always been a notoriously conservative area. I think it''s time he got to see certain realities up close.¡±

    Peter laughed. ¡°Province 6 is known for being anything but conservative. Maybe if certain practices are thrown in his face enough he may get a clue.¡± He looked to Mary and then gave Alura a long look. ¡°So your saying as strong as Alura''s come on he''s never thought about those things? She certainly isn''t trying to be subtle.¡±

    The old man shook his head. ¡°The poor girl. Hopefully Lee comes back with a new appreciation for how lucky he is. But even if that''s the case it looks like she now has some competition.¡± The old wizard gave a look to Mary.

    ¡°She actually thinks she''s hiding it well you know. In her defense, the Cloud house is highly conservative too. I doubt she ever got to interact socially with a boy before coming to school. She really is a great girl though. Most people don''t know about it, but I know enough about the Cloud house to know just difficult her life has been and I admire how hard she is fighting her fate. Frankly, I''m rooting for her.¡±

    Peter laid down on the ground and the old man put his arms over his chest and stomach and started to force his mana into Peter''s mana system. ¡°Alura has fought against her own status as well. She is an incredibly hard worked and will be the first women to enter the elite guard force in nearly a decade when she''s finally ready to join.. She has helped teach and supported Lee every step of the way. A very sweet girl. Frankly, I¡¯m rooting for her.¡±

    The pain started to run through Peter. He felt his mana system being pulled, stretched and ripped away from it''s currently location slowly but surely. The old man didn''t lie about how much this treatment hurt. ¡°Well, we''ll just need to wait and see. Interfering with these matters is one of my dislikes.¡±

    The old man saw the grimace on Peter''s face. He grew a bit concerned. ¡°I can take this easier on you if you''d like. This looks even more painful than I thought it be.¡±

    Peter looked to the old man. ¡°If you take it easy will it make succeeding less likely?¡±

    ¡°Only by a very small amount.¡±

    ¡°If you make it hurt worse will it make succeeding more likely?¡±

    ¡°By a much smaller amount and the pain will be twice as much.¡±

    Peter grabbed a small stick and put it above his mouth. ¡°Please do what gives me the best chance to succeed. This small amount of pain is nothing. Frankly.. argh. I''m about to fall asleep here.¡± He put the stick in his mouth and bit down.

    The old man gave his head a small nod. ¡°I''m starting to see why Lee was so insistent on trying to help you.¡± He poured more magic into Peter. Peter bit down hard. A vein on his neck pulsed. His eyes bulged and sweat started to drip off of him. To the old man''s surprise he didn''t make a single sound the entire 2 hours.

 Chapter 32: Entering Province 6

    For the 2<sup>nd</sup> time this year, River was undertaking a long journey alone. At least this time he had a decent amount of gold. With the Cloud house as his unofficial sponsor he would rarely need to sleep outside. Getting a good night''s sleep increased his efficiency traveling. On a few rare occasions he even took a carriage for a day but it wasn''t something he could afford to do too often.

    When traveling by foot he was much more liberal with his use of wind magic to quicken his pace than he was when traveling to Zero Province Academy. The certainty of not being in the open at night where he may possible need to fight bandits or run away gave him the freedom to tire himself out during the day. Due to all of these reasons he was going over twice the pace he was when going deep into the heart of province zero.

    It was a good thing too. He would need to keep this up if he wanted to make it back in time. The continent was shaped mostly like a giant circle with the usual irregularities one would expect from nature. If you were to look at the size and shape of it on a map from another world; one might say it reminded them a lot of Australia except a bit more round and larger.

    Each of the 10 provinces was shaped nearly the same. They almost looked like each was a slice taken out of the circle but not all provinces were the same size. Province 9 was the largest by far. A spoil from years long since past. Province 4 was the mirror province across from 9 but was in fact the smallest province. It was argued if province 9 should still be considered the largest with it and province 8 being behind the barrier. Those in charge could never reach a conclusion.

    Zero Province Academy was close to the heart of province zero. Lee lived further inward and so was closer to the center of the entire continent. This means his distance to province 6 was now closer than it would have been at his school. It was a long way to go but not impossible. The Center of the continent was a demilitarized zone that was capital of the entire continent. It was busy and crowded and would no doubt slow him down if he tried to pass directly through it.

    He went around the capital as quickly he could. He did get stopped by a few guards who were stationed around outskirts of the capital He just told a quick lie about being in a hurry to see his sick mother. Considering his age they were eager to let him go and get back to more important business without looking any deeper.

    There weren''t enough guards to secure the boarders of each province. There was also no true need to have so many. The provinces didn''t have much in the way of immigration as each section of people tended to hold loyalty to their province of birth. As far as having guards in case another war with a province broke out; that was not being done much these days as there was no signs of conflict brewing.

    The sustained peace for 30 years had made each province conclude paying a large number of guards to protect their boarder would be far too expensive a task and serve little reason. If citizens saw an outsider they would simply report him if they felt he was a threat and guards would pick up and questions such rift raft on a case by case basis. This made it easy for River to enter province 6.

    He took out the picture of the black rose and looked at it again. He then took out the map and estimated where he was. He still hard a long way to go to get to the circled spot on the map where the old man believed the black rose was likely to be. It would be close to the heart of province 6 but he wasn''t about to let a few extra miles in his journey stop him.

    That night he went into a large town to hunt for an inn. In the very liberal province 6 town he saw things he had never seen before. Couples in the streets kissing each other with public displays of affection. Women in this warmer province were wearing outfits that showed off their legs, arms and chest. The outfits were literally half the size and made with thinner fabric of those worn by women in his town.

    ¡°Hey cutie, looking for a good time?¡± A slightly older but slender and cute women said behind him.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m really just looking for a bed to crawl into.¡± She gave him a intrigued smile. She ran her hand over her neck and leaned back against the inn behind her.

    ¡°Aren''t we all? If you want, I''ll show you a room right up here and I''ll see to it you get a chance to really relax tonight.¡±

    ¡°That sounds great! How much is it here?¡±

    ¡°1/2 a gold coin. Worth every bit. That''s guaranteed by the house.¡± River had been given 10 gold coins and had only spent 2. It was a lot to spend on a single nights sleep but frankly he was tired from his long day and it wasn''t like he was going to run out if he over spent just tonight.

    ¡°Okay, it''s a little more expensive then I''m use to but you got yourself a deal.¡± The women in her early 20s smiled a seductive smile that Lee took as friendly.

    ¡°Then follow me up. You''re pretty big for your age. Are you big everywhere else I wonder?¡±

    Lee laughed looking at his hands and feet. ¡°I guess so.¡± He followed her up the stairs. A man by the counter gave her a nod. She gave him a hand signal of some kind back. He wrote something down on the large ledger in front of him.

    She showed Lee into his room and sat on the bed. ¡°So, everything to your liking? We take care of everything here. It''s all top notch. We like to keep our customers coming back you know.¡± Lee didn''t find the room to be all that impressive but didn''t want to say so.

    She used her finger to signal him closer. She leaned back and opened her legs. Her skirt was short and her top was tight and low cut. The smile and look on her face was what Lee found the most curious. It seemed very nice in an odd sort of way he couldn''t place. ¡°You know, we don''t often get to have big, strong, fit men like you here. I guess tonight¡¯s my lucky night. I almost gave you a discount.

    Lee stood in front of her. ¡°Well, your boss would get mad if you just gave discounts cause you liked the customers right? But thanks anyway.¡± She laughed at his comment.

    ¡°You''re a sweet one. I always find many of the sweet ones have a secret rough side to them. Shall we find out?¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    ¡°I''m not sure what you mean exact-¡± She grabbed his hand and placed it on her top. He was now cupping something round and soft. He froze at the new sensation. He had heard about this being done before with married couples. But this was only something a husband and wife would ever do. No women who was not married to a man would ever allow him to do this to her.

    She put her hands on his hips and pulled him close to her face. She cupped his butt from behind. ¡°We have a policy here. Before we really start the money needs to go on the dresser. Be a good guy and do that for me. Then we can continue and I''ll let you know why we''re worth ? gold coin. Just cause your cute, I''ll throw in a little extra surprise that usually cost you another half.¡± She gave him a wink.

    Lee felt a stirring in his pants. She bit her lips and looked into his eyes. His hand still rested on her breast. He let go quickly as if he was holding a snake in his hand and backed up.

    ¡°Ummm, I''m sorry. I just... There was some misunderstanding. I didn''t... I''ve never.... That did feel really good though. Um, Thanks? I need to go. But you are were really great!¡± He turned around too fast and tripped over his feet. He quickly got up and walked quickly towards the door.

    ¡°Come on, don''t be like that. We can make it 3/8ths a gold coin!¡± He closed the door and quickly walked down the stairs and out of the house in a cold sweat. There was no way that just happened. Things like that don''t just happen do they? He was always taught to even think of a women like that who wasn''t your wife or at least your finance was fairly insulting. He tried his best to push such thoughts aside.

    He was told women too do not think about such things with men who aren''t there husband. At least they shouldn''t. He honestly didn''t know what to think at this point except that sensation in his hand was nice. The way she held his hips felt pretty good too. And the way she bit her lip. He could still turn back...

    What was he thinking? Absolutely not! What would his mother or father think if they knew he did that kind of thing? Particularly with a women who did it for money. He had heard stories about them but this was his first time actually seeing one. Women like them were not in province zero. They were told if they wanted to make money that way then to leave and go to any of the other provinces that welcomed such depravity.

    Still, if it felt that good could it really be all that bad? He needed a drink. Lee wasn''t a big drinker but he knew he needed one tonight. He walked into a near by tavern. It was a busy and rowdy night by Lee''s standards. For province 6 it was a fairly tamed mid week night.

    ¡°What will you be having?¡± the young cute bartender asked as she cleaned a cup with a rag.

    ¡°Whatever cheap red wine you have.¡± She got a pouch that hung off the wall and poured it into a glass. She set it lightly in front of Lee.

    ¡°Someone looks like he is having quite a night. If I didn''t know any better I''d say you just saw a ghost.¡±

    ¡°Not exactly.¡± He quickly downed half the glass and leaned back closing his eyes. He took a few breaths and tried to slow down his heart.

    ¡°Well, something bad obviously happened? Perhaps you found out you''re girl is screwing around behind your back or did you get turned down by a fine young lass? I''ve heard it all before, if you want to get it off your chest.¡±

    Lee took another larger gulp. ¡°Well, it wasn''t anything bad actually. More just shocking I¡¯d say¡±

    ¡°Well, are you going to keep it to yourself or spill it?¡±

    ¡°I went to a brothel tonight for the first time in my life.¡± He finished his wine and signaled for a refill.

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay, victory stories are fun sometimes but it doesn''t mean much when you paid the girl you know.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t know it was a brothel. I thought she was just trying to help me get a room.¡± She gave him an odd look and refilled his glass.

    ¡°How could you not know she was a working girl? They way they dress and act certainly doesn''t lead people to mistakes that often.¡± This bar maid had heard a lot of stories before, but this was the first time she ever heard a customer of hers say he accidentally ended up going to a brothel.

    ¡°I guess the fact I''ve never seen one is a big reason. I''m from an area where that thing just isn''t thought about much.¡± He started to drink again. Feeling a bit more warm, relaxed and open.

    ¡°So what? Are you one of those prudes from province zero or something?¡±

    ¡°We''re not prudes! We''re just traditional is all.¡±

    ¡°You are!¡± She was proud her guess was right ¡°So it was a bit too much for you huh? What happened exactly?¡±

    ¡°Well, to be frank; she put my hand on her... chest. Then she grabbed my waist area and said I should pay before we started. After that I realized what was going on and I left.¡±

    ¡°Well, a free breast grab isn''t bad I suppose. Be careful now. Some of them will try to track you down and make you pay for that.¡± She gave him a quick look over a bit curious now. Could a good looking kid like this really be so inexperience that he would be so panicked about a little grab?

    ¡°That can''t be the first time you felt a girl''s chest right?¡± She looked at him in a way that demanded his gaze. He looked back and gave a small shrug that signaled a yes.

    ¡°Well you must have at least made out with a few girls right? I mean, really now. You must have a few that like you?¡± Her smiled vanished slowly as she looked at his blank face that stared at his now half empty wine glass.

    ¡°I told you, we''re traditional. Kissing a girl isn''t something you do just with any women after all. Only one that you''ve been in a seriously relationship with for a while. I was told you should wait till you''re older to form such relationships in any case.¡±

    She leaned forward, put her hand behind his head and kissed him. He froze being to shocked to return it. She pulled back and smiled at him as she started to clean a glass again. He touched his mouth then dropped his hand. She laughed at his expression.

    ¡°Well this ain''t province zero young man. That one was on the house just because it was long past due. Let me give you some advice. No one really thinks that way. Whoever taught you that almost certainly didn''t act all proper when they were younger. I''m not saying go crazy without restraint like some people around here, but you need to live life.¡±

    He looked at her and then laughed. ¡°You just stole my first kiss.¡±

    ¡°Well, you should have given it out sooner, I¡¯m not giving it back.¡± River found himself giving her a look over. Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was the night so far. Maybe it was she was the first women he ever kissed. But he started to look at her in a way he never looked at any women before.

    ¡°Hey now, don''t get any bright ideas. The wine is the only thing I¡¯m selling tonight and the kiss is all you''re getting from me.¡± She said this as she was given him a good look over too. Turn around was fair play after all.

    ¡°Sorry, that was rude of me. I meant no disrespect to you as a lady.¡±

    ¡°There you go, getting all traditional again. Well, I¡¯m not giving you another lesson. But another drink is an option.¡±

    ¡°No thanks, I think I''m done for the night. Two is my limit before I start to make a real ass out of myself. Think you can point me in the direction of an inn, just a bed with no girl in it this time?¡±

    She gave a laugh at his joke. ¡°There''s a nice one 3 businesses down. They''ll charge you a fair rate if you given them my name. Good luck in the future. Maybe in a few years you could come back and if you''ve learned some moves you can ask me out on a date; if I¡¯m not too old for you by then.¡±

    He paid his tab and pushed in his chair. ¡°Too old? What you really mean if is some better looking fellow hasn''t stolen my chance with you right?¡±

    ¡°You need work but you''re a pretty smooth talker. Sure, if that hasn''t happened come back in a few years.¡±

    He left the bar and found the inn just where she said it be. He gave her name and it became the cheapest and best inn he has slept in so far.

    When you woke up he continued on his journey across province 6. It seemed he would come to find the unexpected and new here. He had better be prepared if the next surprises were not so pleasant.

 Chapter 33: The Black Rose

    The training continued from the old wizard.

    Amanda was developing larger and fiercer attacks which she lacked. Tom had become flexible with his magic and his attacks more diverse. Derrick was in the middle of developing a trump card based on pure destructive power. David had changed gears from pure power to speed and area of effect spells when not sparring with Alura.

    Mary was the only one in the group whose training seemed not to be going to well. She had been reading the book the old wizard gave her on wind magic. It held a lot of interesting information which she was not aware of but she felt it wasn''t helping her in her mission to develop attacks and a style of her own. She sat beside a tree by the old man''s house in contemplation.

    ¡°Something on your mind Ms. Cloud?¡± The old man strolled up to her with his usual carefree attitude.

    ¡°I just don''t know what I should be doing. Everyone else seems so certain in their approach while I¡¯m not doing anything to truly move forward.¡±

    The old wizard rubbed his thumb over the short white beard on his chin. ¡°It''s hard to do something you''ve never done before. To decide on the attacks you''ll create you must know what your style is. To know your style you must know where you''re strong and where you''re weak. You train everything and attempt to be well balanced in all areas. That can be good but also bad.¡±

    ¡°How can being balanced everywhere possibly be bad? Shouldn''t one strive for balance?¡±

    ¡°Only to the extent where a weakness doesn''t become detrimental. You should look for the things you do well and focus on building upon those. Your desperation to be too balanced has started to slow you down. If you put too much time into being balance and raising your weaknesses to equal your strengths it becomes inefficient.

    You have to put in 3 times the effort to improve a natural weakness to the same level as a natural strength. In the end you spend the majority of your time training your weaknesses and not your strengths. Then your natural strengths will only be a shadow of what they should be.¡±

    Mary considered his words. She had noticed as she had grown stronger more and more time was being spent on her weaknesses and it was starting to cost her growth in other areas. After all, there were only so many hours in the day to train. ¡°So does that mean Lee has weaknesses too?¡±

    The old man laughed. ¡°Of course he does. Have you noticed that every time you''ve seen him fight he doesn''t tend to use big flashy spells?¡±

    Mary thought back on this. It''s true in his fights with The Shame and Peter it was his variety of attacks, control and trickery that made him fearsome. They both used stronger attacks than him in their fights and Lee never used one to match. ¡°I did notice that. Is he perhaps not very good with large scale spells?¡±

    The old wizard nodded. ¡°That is so. When he creates too much mana he has a hard time controlling it all and so his large scale spells are not as strong as they could be. He can do them if he really wants but it''s his weakest point as a wizard right now. It will need to be raised up soon but not at the expense of working on areas in which he''s strong.¡±

    Mary was happy to hear the old wizard tell her that sometimes Lee struggles too. It made her feel that even though he was human, just like her. Mary was taken out of her thoughts by the old wizard looking into the distance. He motioned to it.

    ¡°In any case, Lee will not be back for a while and I have not gotten to have a decent match in a long time. I wonder if you''d like to spar with me. There''s no better way to learn about your strengths and weaknesses than to find them in combat.¡±

    Mary looked to the field. ¡°Sure, if you''d be willing I''d be glad to face you. How intense does it tend to get? Is it a full contact spar?¡±

    The old wizard gave her a sly smile. ¡°You may use any attack or spell you wish. Truly attempt with all you have to beat. As for myself, I promise to go no harder on you than I do on Lee.¡± The way he said it made Her nervous. But she couldn''t miss the chance to have a spar with the wizard who taught Lee.

    *****

    Province 6

    Lee made his way closer and closer to the heart of province 6. He had become more use to the culture and now started to pay it little mind. People kissing on the street use to be shocking the first time he saw it but it was now ignored. He passed by brothels still a little embarrassed but giving out polite declines.

    The art in the cities were often either sexual or abstract. Province Zero didn''t care much for art. They were a people more focused on the matters of the day like work and carrying out one''s duty. He found it all rather fascinating. He made a mental note to come back here sometime when he had more of a chance to really explore the culture of this place. Perhaps he should make it a point to visit every province.

    Besides his small town which he almost never left and his journey to province zero academy he hadn''t seen much this world had to offer. Now he was starting to realize what a pity that was. Along the way he attempted to practice his magic but there was often very little he could do. Most days he used it to help him increase his speed by constantly using wind magic to push himself.

    On the occasions he travels in a carriage he practiced a little but those days were mostly spent building his stamina back up. While constantly using magic was a certain training in itself it wasn''t the best way to go about things. As the old man taught him, not all effort is equal, but it wasn''t like it was entirely useless either.

    This is how his journey went day after day. He had started to become anxious. It wasn''t until almost 4 weeks that he had reach the area on the map which the old wizard circled. He had hoped to find black roses all over the place but that was not the case. Even though it was grown here it was a wild flower. He would need to spend precious time hunting for it.

    There was nothing that could be done about it. He had asked a few passers by and even showed them the picture. Only 1 of them had ever seen the flower before and he had no idea where Lee may be able to pick some. As far as the people knew they served no medical purpose and were hardly the types of flowers prized by women. Often a black rose was seen as bad luck.

    He tried to make a systematic search of the area. He knew his time was running short and it seemed less and less likely as each day passed that he would be able to find it before he had to turn back.

    Lee awoke at an inn. Right after having breakfast began his search again that was bringing him deeper into province 6. If he didn''t find it by tomorrow he would need to turn back empty handed or risk missing the tournament. He hoped he wasn''t faced with that choice.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    Lee sat down under the shade of a tree to take a break. As he caught his breath and got out of the sun he saw something that looked black on the ground in the distance.

    He quickly went over to investigate. He pulled out the paper and examined the image on it with what he was looking at. There was no mistake that these were indeed black roses! He hurriedly grabbed one and felt a prick on his finger. He sucked the blood and was more careful and delicate with the next grab. He pulled 6 up by their roots.

    He probably would only need 1 but why go all this way and not take extra? Maybe if he was lucky the old man would be able to grow some of his own.

    ¡°Halt! State your business and tell us why you''ve trespassed on our land!¡±

    Lee turned to see 2 men in their mid 30s and a girl who looked to be about his age. ¡°I''m sorry, I didn''t know I was on anyone''s land. As for my business I have only come here to sight see a bit. I sincerely apologize for any offense I have caused.¡±

    Lee stuffed the flowers into a pouch and stood up. He felt magic from all 3 of them. He wasn''t sure exactly how strong they were but they surely weren''t weaklings.

    ¡°You think that''s good enough? You wonder into the territory of Sun House and believe saying that you''re sorry and sight seeing means you can just come any time you please?¡±

    Lee knew province 6 was considered the strong hold of the sun house. He was hoping to avoid stepping onto their lands but he had no clue where they started or ended. That wasn''t marked on the map.

    ¡°I again apologize. If you wish I''ll even go so far as to bow so you know I am truly sincere. I''ll immediately leave your lands and never return if you''ll forgive my offense this once.¡±

    One of the guards stood more aggressively. ¡°You''ll need to come with us and report the to Sun house. Only after we''ve fully interrogated you and have looked into your background will you be allowed to leave.¡±

    Lee didn''t want any trouble. He could probably deal with this situation but if the Sun House gave chase it could make things rather difficult.

    The young women spoke for the first time. ¡°Why did you pick those flowers?¡±

    Lee tried to quickly think of the best way out of this situation. ¡°My mother is sick. I thought some flowers would make her feel better. I want to get back to her as soon as possible. Could you please let me go this time if I promise never to trespass on your land again?¡± She gave him a measured looked and tossed a gold piece on the ground.

    ¡°You''re free to go. You may use that gold piece to buy your mother some flowers. Put back the ones you took. They are on our land and belong to us.¡±

    The guard spoke up. ¡°Young Miss, we can''t just let him go. There are procedures we must follow!¡±

    ¡°Those procedures are decided by the main Sun House are they not?¡±

    ¡°Yes miss.¡±

    ¡°Then never contradict me again.¡± The guard didn''t like it but he kept his tongue and gave the other a look as if for help. He shook his head as if saying ''you''re on your own''.

    Lee looked over the scene. He wasn''t sure of the situation but it seemed this young girl was of some importance in the Sun house and these 2 men were escorts. He moved his gaze away from the guards and to address the young lady.

    ¡°My mother''s favorite flowers are black roses young miss. If it isn''t too much trouble I would rather give these to her. Also, I would feel awful about taking your money. I know these roses are not highly valued and here is the only place I was able to find them.¡± Lee tried to play it off as innocent.

    Lee felt like the young women was trying to examination him. Almost as if to peak into his mind. She dropped 4 more gold coins on the ground.

    ¡°That''s 5 gold coins now. With that you''ll be able to buy your sick mother some medicine. A much better gift than roses don''t you think? But you will be putting the flowers back.¡±

    ¡°You''re ladyship is so generous offering to buy medicine for my mother. Truly the Sun House is the greatest of all. But I would ask to please let me keep the flowers. They are of no value to you and if you let me go with them I would sing the praises of the sun house until the day I die!¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Why do they matter so much to you Ms. of the Sun house?¡±

    ¡°Why do you want them so much?¡± Lee didn''t want to admit he was lying before but it seemed like it was the best option at this point.

    ¡°The young Miss is too clever for me. Indeed I came here solely to find these flowers. In them they have a medicine which can help a friend of mine. That is why I want them. I apologizing for lying earlier. I thought it would be simpler if I did. Please, if you''d allow me, I''d like to leave with the black rose to help my friend.¡±

    The young miss walked closer to him and examined his face as if looking for a lie. ¡°I have never heard of the black rose being a medicine. But it does explain why you want them so much. What does it do exactly?¡±

    ¡°My friend is having an issue with his mana system. These will be able to help him.¡±

    ¡°How do they work?¡±

    ¡°I honestly don''t know. I''m bringing them to an old man who says he knows how to prepare them. I didn''t ask how he would do so. I was just in a rush to get them. Time is of the essence.¡±

    ¡°You''re accent is odd. Where are you from young traveler?¡±

    Lee figured he may as well tell the truth again. He never knew he had an accent though. ¡°I''m from province zero. Frankly, from my perspective I think you all are the ones with the accent.¡± He hoped the joke would add a certain levity to the situation.

    A guard walked up towards Lee ¡°And I guess you trespassed into province 6 without going through the proper channels too. If I''m incorrect let me see your papers.¡±

    ¡°I have none. I am not a noble. Nor does my family have the money to get them for me. It would have taken too long to get them after I knew I had to travel here and my friend needs this medicine now.¡±

    The guard turned to the young women. ¡°He could just be a spy from the Cloud house. We should bring him back for questioning!¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°A spy wouldn''t stop to pick flowers and wonder through the open parts of our land were a patrol might see. He also seems a bit young to be a spy.¡±

    She turned her back to Lee ¡°You''re free to go. Good luck with your friend. You may take that money as well if you want. Don''t let anyone say the Sun house isn''t charitable.¡±

    ¡°Thank you miss. If I may ask. what''s your name? I just hate to keep calling someone miss and I like to pay back favors. A name makes it easier.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are to ask the young miss her name? Be lucky she-¡± The young miss started to laugh. Truly, a commoner wanting to know her name to pay her back, a women of the most powerful house? This was a very amusing young man indeed.

    ¡°My name is Victoria Sun. And what''s yours young man?¡±

    ¡°I''m Lee River. Just Lee is fine though.¡±

    ¡°Well, just Victoria is fine for me.¡±

    ¡°I''ll remember it, thank you Victoria.¡± The guards clearly didn''t like some commoner calling her by her first name. Something even they didn''t dare to do. After seeing the young man ignore the gold on the ground one of the guards picked it up and put it in his pouch and fell in behind Victoria.

    Just as they were parting ways all 4 of them turned their heads.

    Lee felt there were two... no three people. All of which could use powerful magic. They stepped out from the forest and into view of the group. They looked over to Lee and then losing interest looked to the group of Victoria Sun and here 2 escorts. ¡°Well, it''s so nice to see you out and about young miss. So far away from the strong hold of the Sun house too. Very fortunate for us.¡±

    A guard spoke up. ¡°You best be on your way if you don''t want any trouble. The Sun house doesn''t take offenses laying down. If you turn back now you''ll be let off with only a warning.¡±

    ¡°Hush up you 2<sup>nd</sup> rate wizard trash. We''re here for the girl and you will either hand her over or die.¡±

    ¡°I''m not going anywhere with you. Leave now or I will not be forgiving.¡± Victoria''s face was like steel. She didn''t betray any sign of fear of lack of confidence.

    ¡°Leave now? Are you serious? Do you know how long we''ve waiting for a Sun house member to step far enough away from the main house so we could act? No, we''ll be taking you with us. Now order your men to stand down. If you resist we''ll kill them all and that commoner brat too.¡±

    ¡°He has nothing to do with this. You''re affairs are with me. Leave civilians out of it.¡± She knew her guards were reasonably strong and have sworn their lives to defend her. They were paid well and pledged to do such. To drag someone who was not connected with her house into this was a low tactic.

    She turned to Lee and gave him a comforting smile. ¡°Threat not young Lee, no one here shall lay a single finger on you. The sun house always keeps it''s word.¡±

    Lee honestly was touched by her. She showed him kindness even after he lied to her and now was promising to protect him from these men. A very generous spirit. He didn''t want to show off his power but certainly he could not let such a person come to harm. He walked towards her and her guards. She expected him to step behind her but instead of stepped in front.

    ¡°I''ve dealt with rogue wizards in the past. I don''t leave them alive. I would offer to let you go but you''ve already been given that offer twice. I don''t plan to give you a 3<sup>rd</sup> chance.¡±

    Victoria was annoyed. ¡°Now isn''t the time for showboating. Let me and my men handle this!¡±

    Lee smiled ¡°I''ll be fine Victoria, I plan to pay back that favor right now.¡±

 Chapter 34: The Black Roses Thorns

    They Lee and the 3 rogue wizards squared off against each other. Lee couldn''t feel their power 100% accurately from this distance but he had a good idea of what he was facing. They all felt like they were somewhere in the B range. Not as strong as him or The Shame but strong none the less.

    He felt confident if it was just him alone vs such wizards he would be able to eventually defeat all of them only suffering minor injuries. The 3 wizards from the Sun house may be a problem more than a help. He remembered when The Shame drew him into an attack using his friends. If one of them got caught it may happen again. He would be to be careful about that possibility, but not to the extent that he would get himself killed.

    He knew the 2 guards were decent wizards but not a strong as any of the ones in front of him. As for Victoria he sensed very little magic ability. Maybe E rank or so which he found a bit odd. Every other instinct he had about her said she should be stronger than that. Perhaps it was just the way she carried herself? Either way he should regard her as the weakest for now and focus the mot on keeping an eye on her.

    He circled the wizards going to the left. Part of him wanted to stand between the 3 rogue wizards and those from the Sun house. But he knew putting himself in a position where all 3 could attack him at once would be too dangerous. It was better if he could face them 1 on 1. He hoped the guards would be enough of a deterrent and make them charge at him first.

    Once he had all 3 of them spaced in a line one behind the other from his position he ran towards the man who stood closest to him. The rogue wizard ran towards Lee with another right behind him. Lee created 2 wind spells in his hand and released both in his direction.

    The spells missed the wizard to the right and left. The rogue wizard prepared a fire spell. Lee used wind magic to move backwards. The rogue wizard watching his prey retreat doubled his effort to close the distance.

    He launched his fire ball at Lee from a close distance. Lee gathering wind magic in his hand used the same defense he did against Peter. He''d improved his ability to use the spell since then. The wind gusted upward in front of him and launched the attack uselessly into the the air. The rogue wizard looked behind him to see if a comrade was getting ready to follow up his attack.

    No one was behind him. When he looked back they saw both of them were a good distance away. He was sure at least one of them followed after him when he started to run towards Lee.

    ¡°Wondering where your friend is?¡± Lee gathered wind in both hands. ¡°You really thought I was aiming for you and missed with those spells? I was using them to push your backup away. It was so thoughtful of you to pursue me so fiercely and get us away from your friends. Now it can be just the 2 of us without any inference.¡±

    The wizard tried to gather a spell but it was too late. Lee used wind to push himself towards the enemy and let loose with the other at close range before his opponent could react. It was a very sharp wind spell meant to cut. Lee wanted to strike his throat but instead got him along the chest. It wasn''t a lethal but it didn''t matter.

    The spell the rogue wizard formed in his hand fizzled out as he instinctively focus on the injury. Blood flowed down his chest. He brought his hands to the deep gash instinctive to try to stop the bleeding. He only noticed River again when he was right in front of him. He tried to lunge and grab him. Lee slipped easy to the side. He grabbed the extended arm of his opponent, positioning his weight against him and then with a quick spin and tug dislocated it the arm.

    With now only one arm his opponent could use Lee easily managed to put him in a headlock. There was a quick snap and the body fell to the ground. Lee turned to the other 2 men who stood some distance away but were looking on. They were shocked by what they had just seen. The ruthless efficiency of it all. Those of the Sun house were even more shocked. He seemed so meek and polite just a while ago.

    One man yelled to the other ¡°Grab the girl! Let''s get out of here as soon as possible!¡± They leaped towards Victoria Sun. She took a pose as if she was about to act and then seemed as if she decided against it. Lee''s plan had worked too well. He had lead the first wizard away from the others but he was now too far away himself.

    He was about to use wind magic to close the distance when he felt magic coming from his left from inside the forest. A spell of lightning rushed towards him. He barely felt it coming in time to dodge. Where he would have been a second earlier there was a black smoking spot of earth. ¡°So there was one more rat hidden in the woods. You were farther away than the others. I didn''t sense your magic at all.¡±

    The man stepped out from behind the tree line in which he''d hidden himself. ¡°Someone has to make sure the gateway route in clear. I would have come here earlier had I known we had a troublesome punk like you here¡±

    ¡°Well come an attack me already. I have a place to be soon so let''s not waste any time.¡±

    ¡°Don''t think it''ll be that easy brat. The only reason you beat my comrade is he underestimated you cause you. I won''t make that mistake.¡±

    ¡°That''s indeed a comforting thought. By all means, believe what you like.¡±

    *****

    The guards saw the pair of rogue wizards quickly approaching. The kid seemed to be doing alright and they couldn''t afford to worry about him at the moment. These 2 were not opponents they could take their eyes off of. The guards were fairly confident in their skills. They were at the pinnacle of C rank and would soon both be B rank. Rogue trash were rarely any higher than low C.

    The one the boy fought earlier appeared to be somewhere in B rank but surely they can not all be that strong. B ranked wizards don''t just grow on trees! What these guards didn''t know is this lately rogue wizards had found the pickers to be rather slim. Kidnapping was right now the best way to make money but that didn''t pay all that well either unless you got someone truly important.

    Those people were often guarded by fairly strong wizards and so usually it would be impossible for a typical band of rogue wizards to have much of a chance. That is unless some of the stronger rogue wizards decided, out of desperation, to band together to achieve such a goal. This was such a group. They even tried to recruit the Shame of the House of Sun before he died to be their ace in the hole in case something weird happened.

    Sadly he died before they could get in contact with him. Still, their group of B ranked wizards should be able to handle such a task as stealing a main house children from some 2<sup>nd</sup> rate guards if they waited for the right chance. They''d waited for nearly a month until such a chance appeared. They would not let these trash guards and some uppity kid get in their way.

    One of the rogues used a large fire spell. A guard countered with a large earth wall which the other guard and Victoria got behind. After the fire was stopped a guard used water magic in an attempt to push the attacks back. The rogue 2<sup>nd</sup> rogue wizard responded with even more powerful water magic.

    It was becoming clear the guards were being pushed into a corner by the pair of rogues. They started to feel desperate. ¡°Young Miss, we''ll hold them off. You should get out of here as soon as possible.¡±

    Before she could respond they ran out from behind the earth wall and towards the rogues. Victoria was shocked but their reckless actions. If these fools were going to get themselves killed then there no longer any choice. She had to act.

    She stood behind the earth wall and gathered mana. She felt it flow throughout her body as it went around every muscles and bone. It ran over her skin like a thin coat and then she began to inject that very mana into he muscles. She knew if she made a mistake she could gravely injure herself but she couldn''t stand back and watch his guards get killed.

    *****

    Lee stood over the body of his 2<sup>nd</sup> opponent. This one didn''t fall for any cheap tricks or baits. Lee felt a slight burn on his right arm where the opponent''s attack grazed. He knew it was minor and could be ignored for now. He turned his attention to the fight taking place with the guards and the other 2 rogues. They had just run out from behind an earth wall and were doing an attack of pure desperation.

    Lee figured they were probably hoping to buy time for Victoria to escape. Lee used wind magic to run towards them. One guard attempted a suicide attack against the rogue wizard. Both were struck by the spell of the other. The guard appeared to be bleeding badly but as long as he was healed within the next few minutes Lee was sure he could saved. The rogue took a nasty attack to inflict that damage. They laid on the ground unconscious together.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    The 2<sup>nd</sup> guard tried to do the same but his opponent dodged the attempt. With the attempt successfully dodged the guard was left exposed. The rogue wizard took the opportunity to use a quickly made earth spell to try to knock his head clear off. It was too rushed and lacked power. The rogue determine not to let the opening be missed couldn''t put even half the needed mana into the spell to make it have the effect he wanted.

    The guard fell limply on the ground knocked out from the impact. Before the rogue could finish the job Lee had closed the distance. The rogue wizard was too caught up in what he was doing and didn''t notice Lee''s till it was too late. He tried to block the wind spell Lee fired but couldn''t gather the needed mana before it connected. He was knocked on his back.

    Lee saw to it the rogue would never stood up again. In a few more moments the fight was over. Lee felt eyes on him and turned. Victoria eyes were locked on him with and odd expression on her face. Part impressed and part suspicious.

    ¡°I could tell you were strong, but this is beyond what I thought.¡± She walked out from behind the wall and towards him. Lee hated having to show his power here. He wanted to keep it concealed as much as possible until there was no choice.

    Before Lee could respond he heard a rustle and the rogue next to the bleeding guard stood up. Looking around he saw all his comrades dead and feeling his own internal injuries he knew there was no escape. A decision came to his mind instantly as he looked down to the bleeding guard beneath his feet.

    ¡°You bastards.... I''ll at least take one of you with me!¡± His palm faced the guard on the ground while he creating a deadly lightning spell.

    Lee used his wind magic to this maximum ability. Holding nothing back rushed towards the rogue. He moved like an eagle falling towards the water the catch a fish. Moving at his maximum speed he believed he would just barely make it in time to save the guard. Right before he got there Victoria appeared in front of the rogue. She held her fingers straight out and brought her hand down towards his arm in a chopping motion.

    The rogue''s hand and part of his arm which had just finished preparing the spell flow into the air and landed 10 feet from his body. He looked at his arm as if not understanding why it was no longer there. Victoria''s hand swept across his neck and a moment later the rogue''s head fell on the ground. The body soon followed.

    Lee wasn''t shocked by the brutality or the blood. He was shocked by her movements. They started from about equal distance; perhaps she was even a bit further away than him. Yet she managed to get to this man 3 steps faster than he would have. Lee was highly confident in his speed with the use of wind magic. But this young women no older than he was perhaps just a bit faster.

    She looked towards Lee now with concerned eyes. ¡°Do you know healing magic? My guard is bleeding very badly.¡± Lee shook his head to clear the cobwebs out. He quickly knelt down next to the man and started to heal his wounds.

    ¡°That was body enhancement magic was it not? I''ve never seen it used before but I heard of it.¡± Lee continued to heal. By now the bleeding had all but stopped.

    ¡°Yes, it''s very dangerous and so I try not to use it but I felt I had no choice in this situation. I was about to take care of these two pieces of rogue filth but then you showed up and did it for me.¡±

    ¡°Why didn''t you help me earlier?¡±

    ¡°I could tell you were strong. Once you stepped in front of me I was able to get a read on your power. I figured you were at least high B rank. I wanted to see if you could handle the situation with my guards so I wouldn''t need to jump in. As it turns out you''re probably closer to A rank now that I¡¯ve gotten to see you in action.¡±

    Lee didn''t know of other wizards other than him or the old man who could read power at a distance. This sun house seemed to be something to be feared indeed. ¡°So you let me do all the work? Why hide your power? I felt you were around E rank or so before. Clearly that''s not the case.¡±

    ¡°You were hiding yours too. We all have our reasons. I don''t plan to give mine unless you give yours. In any case, didn''t you want the chance to pay me back? I gave it to you.¡± Lee said nothing to that. He certainly didn''t plan to share his reasons for hiding his power. The man below him was now healed but still unconscious. He gave Victoria Sun an appraising look.

    She stood about 5''7 and was lean but firmly built looking slender but athletic. Her raven hair and pale skin with blue eyes would''ve given her an almost haunting look had her face not looked so innocent. He tried to read her magic level again but with the enhancement magic deactivated he only sensed around E rank. She was hiding it from him again. That''s a skill that be good for him to learn as well.

    He thought of grabbing her hand to feel her magic directly. He doubted she would be able to hide it with direct bodily contract. However, that would be far too rude. Not to mention she would be able to feel his exactly level.

    Lee and Victoria silently walked over and knelt down to check on the other guard. He was knocked out but otherwise fine.

    Right as Lee was standing up Victoria spoke. ¡°Do not worry any further. I''ll be sure to see to it both get back safely. You have done more than enough.¡±

    Lee looked at the sun in the sky. It was past noon and he really needed to start heading back with the black roses. He felt kind of odd leaving Victoria all of the sudden. He felt there was much more to her but sadly there was no time to look into it further. He felt this uncertainty in the back of his head like there was something he should learn about her that was important.

    ¡°Are you going to be competing in the continent wide tournament? If so I might be able to see you there as I''ll be competing in it.¡± Lee positioned the pouch containing the black roses to his side.

    ¡°Yes, I''m 16 and I''ll be competing, but I doubt I''ll be showing the power there that I showed here. The older members of my Sun house will want the attention and I don''t plan to get in their way. Speaking of which, I''d appreciate you not spreading rumors about what you saw. If you promise me that I promise to do the same with you.¡±

    Lee smiled and shook his head. It was a very polite way to say you were blackmailing someone. Not that he didn''t plan to do the same to here if she didn''t say it first. ¡°I was thinking the same thing. In any case I need to get going. Hopefully we meet again at the continent level!¡±

    With that Lee left with the pouch full of half a dozen black roses. He still felt in the back of his mind that there was something he wasn''t seeing that he should have.

    *****

    Night came and Victoria Sun was sitting in her room at the Sun estate. She had helped her guards come to and helped get them back the Sun estate. They made it half way before a Sun patrol found them and gave assistance. Along the way Victoria ordered them to say it was them who defeated the 4 wizards. She promised no one would ever contradict the story.

    They hated lying to the head of the sun house but they had never known her to not keep a promise and the reward for their great deed of 100 gold coins each which eased their conscious.

    Victoria waited until everyone else was in bed and snuck out of her room. She slipped out of the estate and into the nearby town that sat below it. After this turn and that turn she finally arrived at a very typical looking house. She carefully placed 3 knocks on the door..

    The lights turned on and the door was answered by a women in her mid 30s. She looked down at Victoria with a yawn. ¡°Kind of late for a house visit don''t you think?¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry master. I thought you would want to hear this tonight.¡±

    The women sighed and waved her inside. Victoria quickly walked in. ¡°I''ll put on some tea. Since you came all the way here and woke me up I suppose it must be important.¡±

    After the tea was made they both sat down across each other at a wooden table. Victoria told her the events of the entire day The women listened carefully sipping her tea. After Victoria finished the women leaned back in her chair going over what she had just heard.

    ¡°I''m surprised a boy your age is so strong. Very curious. I''m glad you were able to use the magic I''ve taught you so well. It''s unfortunate you needed to show it in front of someone else though...¡±

    ¡°I know you said not to show my skills till I''m older but there was no choice. I thought a man was about to die.¡±

    ¡°I didn''t say I was mad at you. You did the right thing. In any case, I doubt this boy will be telling anyone else about what he saw if he doesn''t want rumors of himself being spread. What noble house did he come from anyway?¡±

    ¡°He said he was a commoner.¡±

    ¡°Commoner huh? Very odd. He must be a fairly rich one to find such good teachers. In any case I doubt you have anything to be worried about.¡±

    Victoria let out a relaxed huff. She didn''t think she had to be worried but it was nice to hear someone she trusted say the same. She got up and decided it was about time to got back to her room. Before she was at the door the women asked her one more question.

    ¡°Oh by the way. What flower was he so fixated on picking?¡±

    ¡°The Black Rose.¡±

    ¡°The Black Rose?¡± She stood from her seat. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°He said he needed it to make medicine. A friend of his was having problems with his mana system and he said an old man knew how to fix it but he needed the black rose to do it.¡±

    The women walked quickly toward Victoria in a rush. ¡°An old man wanted the black rose for that? Was he tall? Did he have a beard? Did he say what he looked like?¡±

    Victoria tried to think. ¡°No. Just that he was old.¡±

    The women paced around. Could it be him? She hadn''t heard anything for years. Frankly she thought he might be dead at this point. Could her old master really be alive? It was probably all just a coincidence. But for the first time in 20 years maybe she had a chance to see him again. The last time she saw him he looked so broken and defeated. Promising never to teach again. She never saw anyone is so much pain.

    ¡°Did this boy say where he and this old man lived exactly or where he''d be tonight? I''d like to talk to him myself if possible¡±

    ¡°No, I''m sorry. He did say he was joining the great tournament though. If he makes it far enough you may be able to speak to him yourself.¡±

    She paced back and forth in her thoughts.. ¡°If his master is who I think it may be and what you told me is accurate then I suspect he''ll make it that far. As long as his team isn''t too bad that is. I hate to leave it up to that though.¡±

    She knew she needed to talk to her master if he was still alive. The sooner the better. This barrier would be coming down eventually if they didn''t act. She needed to be sure that didn''t happen. If anyone could do anything about it, then it was him. She thanked Victoria for coming to her with this news and then encouraged her to get back to her room before someone found her missing. The door closed and the women was left alone with her thoughts.

    ¡°Lee River is it? I think we have much to discuss.¡±

 Chapter 35: A Desperate Situation

    Cloud house Patrol ¨C a few weeks ago

    ¡°So a kid who matched that description exchanged horses here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he offered me his own horse in exchange for one here about 2 months ago. From what I could tell it was just as good as mine. Maybe even a little younger. They were pushing the poor beast hard and wore him out. It was a full day until he was any good to me. He claimed he was just in a big hurry and wanted fresh legs. I had no reason to doubt him. At least by the looks of his horse he was in a big hurry.¡±

    The Cloud house members looked at each other and handed the man 3 bronze coins for the information. The story fit with another they had picked up. Using the other location and this one they now could figure out the general direction they were heading.

    ¡°We need to send a bird back to the Cloud house and tell them what we''ve learned. If we hurry we might be able to find them before reinforcements even get here.¡±

    They were happy to finally have things going their way. The search had not been going well and the trail had gone cold. This was just the break they needed to show the main house that they could be of use. Hopefully they would be greatly rewarded.

    They rode through the woods back to their camp to write the message and release a bird. A spell of lightning came from the forest and pieced one of the men through the heart. His comrade looked around to try to find the origin of the magic but a wind spell hit him from behind and blood gushed from the side of his neck. He fell off his horse onto the ground in a heap.

    Two wizards stepped out of the woods from the Sky house. ¡°It seems they finally were able to find out some useful information. We need to send a bird immediately to the Sky house. As for these two we need to drag them deep into the forest where they won''t be seen.¡± The two wizards tied the horses to a tree and started to drag the bodies deep into the woods.

    *****  Present time

    Lee was happy to finally be back in province zero.. If he moved at a good pace he''d be able to make it to the old man''s house before nightfall. He''d cut it pretty close but was sure there was enough time to do what needed to be done and then make it back for the school tournament.

    He touched the pouch again that held the black roses. He had done everything he could to keep them fresh and alive. As of right now they looked almost no different from the day he''d picked them. That was probably a good sign. He still had hopes a few could be replanted in the old man''s garden. Who knows when they may need some again.

    *****

    The old man''s house

    The old wizard looked over the students. Even he was surprised by the progress they managed to make in a mere 2 months. It wouldn''t have been possible if not for what Lee had taught them up to this point. It also wouldn''t have been possible if they weren''t highly driven. It was a relief to know that Lee has managed to find such dependable friends. Alura was busy with her father today but everyone else was lively in their training.

    He walked to them one by one to give them instruction on what was best to do to wrap up the last days of their training. They all were quick to agree and tried to implement his ideas as best they could. It was only Mary who was on alter and concerned when he approach. That concern was soon changed to relief when he informed here there would be no one on one training matches with him today.

    She was of the opinion he didn''t hold back enough and for the first time started to feel bad for Lee. Even after all their matches she still couldn''t be sure just how strong he was. but he was clearly above A rank at the least. Maybe even above S is such a thing was even possible. It was tricky because he never showed more than he had to.

    The main concern on all their minds was when Lee would get back. The old wizard was still giving Peter treatments and at this point he couldn''t stop them. If the treatments stopped it would likely destroy his mana system which had become unstable due to the prolonged treatment. To try to change a mana system that was almost stuck in it''s way was proving trickier than even the old man believed.

    Even if Lee came right now he still had not done enough to set Peter''s mana system the way it needed to be. If he tried to force it then it may become entirely unstable. The last week it had become stubbornly stuck. It gave the old wizard cause for concern. He knew trying to do this to someone as old as Peter would carry risk but he didn''t know such a thing could even happen.

    ¡°Peter, shall we start today''s treatment?¡±

    ¡°What about the kids? Don''t they need more instruction?¡±

    ¡°No, they''ll be fine I¡¯m sure. We should really get started.¡±

    Peter was no fool. The old man had not shared his concerns but Peter noticed the treatments had started to go longer and longer and the old man could not entirely hide his uneasiness. He laid down as the old wizards puts his hands above him. He pushed his mana into Peter''s mana system and slowly tried to nudge and reroute his mana system.

    Peter had gotten use to the pain to a degree. Something he didn''t believe would be possible.

    ¡°Something''s wrong, isn''t it?¡± Peter managed to get out through gritted teeth.

    ¡°It''ll be fine. We''re just going through a rough patch right now. Soon we''ll be on the other side of it and ready for Lee to bring the black rose so we can finish up.¡±

    ¡°I can see this is taking more effort for you then it use to. Tell me what''s going.¡±

    As they continued their conversation the students of class 5 talked to each other as they took a break from training.

    ¡°Lee should be getting back soon right? We can only afford to wait another day at most.¡± Tom drank some water as he leaned against a tree.

    ¡°He knows the time as well as any of us. He''ll be back before it''s too late. I just hope he doesn''t come back empty handed.¡± Derrick sat and calmly trained his mana in a light meditation.

    ¡°Don''t worry about Lee. When has he ever let us down? He''ll be back soon and then we''ll all be off to the tournament. I can''t wait to see the look on Vladimir''s face when Lee beats him!¡± Amanda laid on the grass looking up to the sky.

    ¡°When he comes back, which one of us will sit out?¡± David hoped it wouldn''t be him.

    ¡°Once we get a feel for Vladimir''s teammates we''ll decide then based on what the best match ups are. Remember, all we need to do is split the other 2 when Lee wins so don''t take any unneeded risk.¡± Mary of course planned to be one of the 2 wins. She was sure no one they had to offer would be a match for her after Vladimir was dealt with.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    *****

    The Sky house''s assassination squad listened to the conversation. They had found them yesterday and been observing the training for the past 24 hours. After a group of Sky house members killed and hide the body''s of the men who finally picked up on the trail the Sky house narrowed their search. It took some time to find the exact location as they didn''t expect them to head to such a small farming village that was just like a hundred others in the area.

    Once they found the location they left and reported the information to the Sky House who sent word to the small covert team for 3 there right now. After careful examination they believed this group of students posed little threat. It was clear Mary Saint Cloud was the ace and she was not a match for Vladimir. The others while strong would not be able to make up the difference. They concluded at first it was wise not to act.

    Even if they wanted to act they were unsure of what to do. Of course Peter Leaf was an A ranked wizard. All the treatments had happened in the old man''s house and they had no way to tell he wasn''t as strong as usual. They didn''t recognize the old wizard but they could tell by his training with Mary he wasn''t weak either. Probably A rank as well they assumed, but it was hard to tell from a distance. Avoiding detection was of the utmost importance to their mission unless there was no other choice.

    Assuming the old wizard was A rank as well that would be 2 A ranks and a bunch of fairly strong kids. There was a chance they could wipe them all out but also there was a chance they could be wiped out too. In either case it would be too big and messy a fight. This should be done quietly so they would have time to clean up the mess and keep the Sky house name clean if they had to act.

    Luckily there appeared to be no need. That was until they heard about this Lee. The way they spoke of him they were completely confident he would be able to beat Vladimir Sky. They hadn''t heard of him until this moment but it appeared he was a secret weapon of some kind and would replace one of them. If Vladimir lost then who knows what may happen. Clearly this Lee had to be killed.

    The listened to try to get an idea of which direction he would come from but there was no more news. They only knew he would probably come sometime today or tomorrow. For now they would wait until the time was right. They watched the students as they continued their break.

    *****

    Peter was worried that if something didn''t change soon he may need to stay behind. The old man had told him the truth about his situation. Until his mana system was fixed there would be no good in leaving. At best he would become powerless and it might even be potentially deadly to stop.

    ¡°I hope this is solved before Lee comes back. Being a hindrance is among my dislikes.¡± The pain wasn''t letting up even while nothing was being accomplished. Peter was resolute not to complain.

    ¡°Sooner or later we''ll get past this. They aren''t helpless babies and can find their own way back without you, you know.¡± The old man continued the careful methodical treatment.

    ¡°Well, in any case I bet Lee will have a few good stories to tell us when he....¡± Peters mouth froze He tried to move his hand and then the rest of his body. It was like stone. Suddenly everything unfroze. A wave of fiery pain unlike anything he had felt before washed over him. He screamed.

    The old wizard felt Peter''s mana system give. Suddenly it was loose. Not just loose and unstuck, it was loose entirely in his body. He had never heard of anything like this happening. It felt like it might collapse upon itself at any moment. He poured his mana into Peter and wrapped it around his mana system.

    He tried to make it into the ideal shape and place it as he wanted. Nothing stuck. He tried again. As he let go it started to collapse and he was forced to hold it with his mana. Something had gone horribly wrong. If the old man let loose for a second Peter''s mana system would be entirely destroyed and he would die. No matter how much the old man tried he couldn''t fix it with his mana alone.

    When the old wizard he had fixed his own mana system he had changed it and been able to lay it firmly down. He used the medicine made by the black rose to keep it locked in place but at least it stuck as he wanted it to while the medicine did it''s work. Perhaps it was because Peter was older and his mana system was more set in it''s way? He should have foreseen such a complication.

    The students ran in after hearing Peter''s scream. By this point he had passed out from the pain. His heart rate was high and he was sweating everywhere. ¡°What happened to him?¡± The group was scared to see their teacher in such a state.

    ¡°We need River to get back here as soon as possible. I can hold his mana system together for the time being but as some point I will run out of mana myself. When that happens if his mana system isn''t set firmly in place he''ll die. We need the black rose so we can set it while I hold it in place.¡±

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Amanda was at a loss. They needed to get River here faster but how?

    ¡°We need to send out some kind of signal.¡± Derrick looked to David. ¡°Your lightning magic is our best option. Lets go outside. You''ll need to shoot it into the sky as high as you can. We''ll see if we can get his attention if it''s close by. If big enough it can be seen for over very long distances.¡± They rushed outside as the other 3 stayed with the old man and peter.

    Now outside David gathered a large amount of Lightning magic. Derrick told him to gather more and more until it was at the limit of what he could control. Derrick back away as David shot the lightning magic straight up into the sky. It wasn''t powerful but it reached thousands of feet high and was clearly visible even in the day time.

    *****

    Lee was in the walking along a path when he saw the lightning. If he was right that was about where the old man''s house was. It was still a good distance away. Why were they doing that? It wasn''t an offensive nor defensive spell. Maybe training? No. That wasn''t it either. Something was wrong. He didn''t know what was wrong but it was clear he''d better hurry and find out.

    He gathered a whirl wind in his hand and made it larger and larger before flinging the tornado into the sky. He made sure it sucked up plenty of dirt so that it would be visible. He wanted to let them know he was close and on his way. They just needed to hang on. If he went all out he could make it in 2 hours. Maybe less. He gathered wind magic and used it to vastly increase his speed.

    *****

    ¡°Did you see that Derrick! That tornado! That must be Lee! He isn''t that far away.¡±

    ¡°Let''s go and tell the others quickly!¡± Derrick ran back inside the old man''s house with David following close behind.

    The old man continued to hold Peter''s mana system in place. Why was it was already this difficult? At this rate he wouldn''t even make it a quarter of the day. Derrick and David ran in with excited looks on their faces.

    ¡°I signaled Lee with my lightning and he signaled us back. He''s not far. If I had to guess he will be here in only a few hours.¡± Relief washed over all their faces. The old man''s face then went rigid as he turned his head facing the left wall in his house.

    ¡°Which way is Lee coming from?¡± The old wizard looked at David. David pointed in the direction the old man had just looked. The old man shook his head.

    ¡°I should have known. I let my guard down it seems.¡± He turned to the students who were gathered around him.

    ¡°I just felt a magical presence. Three of them. They used magic to go towards the direction that Lee signaled you from. They are moving further away from us and closer to him as I speak. They''re strong but also sneaky. I don''t know how long they''ve been here but I would guess their intentions aren''t good.¡±

    The old man looked down at Peter and then towards where he felt the 3 wizards going. He couldn''t just let his student die. But if he left, Peter would die. Would Lee be able to forgive him for that?

    ¡°We''ll go and give Lee a hand!¡± Mary stood before the wizard. ¡°We didn''t train all this time for nothing. Personally I;m curious to see just how strong I''ve gotten!¡± All of the students looked at each other and nodded.

    ¡°Lee saved our lives before. If we don''t help him we''re nothing but cowards.¡± Tom wasn''t about to let his friend fight alone.

    ¡°An attack on one of us is the same as an attack on all of us.¡± Amanda wasn''t about to be left out.

    ¡°I won''t let anyone lay kill Lee until I am able to pay him back for all the beatings he''s given me!¡± David still hadn''t even beaten Alura yet either. This time if he got the chance he would save Amanda too.

    ¡°Don''t be too rash.¡± The old wizard warned them. ¡°I could tell that each of those 3 are almost as strong as Peter. Are you still so sure you want to go?¡±

    ¡°I think we''ll be okay. There are some strategies I want to try against strong opponents anyway.¡±

    The old man pondered for a moment what would be the best choice.

    ¡°Very well then. Be careful and bring my student and those black roses back as quickly as you can!¡± Perhaps the correct move was to let Peter die. But in the end he couldn''t do it. Partly because he knew one couldn''t measure life so simply and part because he had watched over this group for the past 2 months and knew they had grown stronger. He hoped he wasn''t being a fool again.

 Chapter 36: The Ambush

    Lee ran through the woods at a fast pace towards the old man''s house. He''d tied the pouch containing the black roses around his back to keep the wind resistance from crushing them. Sweat dripped from his body as he pushed himself harder using magic to increase his speed. He''d never moved at such speeds for such a long period of time.

    He wanted to get there quickly but was also taught by the old man to always think before he acted. He needed to be sure when he got there he wouldn''t be in such bad shape that he would become a burden. He also didn''t want to move so fast that he couldn''t stay on his guard. While he suspected it was some kind of signal for him to hurry up; he also considered it could be some kind of warning.

    If that was the case then he shouldn''t have thrown that spell into the air and announced his location to the entire world. He doubted that was the case. If there was some trouble then surely the old man could handle it. Lee knew his strength as well as anyone even if he''d never seen the true depth of it. In any case, it wouldn''t hurt to be careful.

    As it turns out, that lesson from the old man saved his life. He detected a fire spell coming at him from above and behind. It was fast and powerful. If it hit him he likely would have been dead. He dodged it by only an arms length. He raced to get out of the open. A water spell came from directly ahead. He used wind to push himself backwards and to the side. There were two enemies it seemed.

    He was about to return fire but they backed up deep into the words and didn''t create any more magic. He couldn''t detect them from that distance unless they were casting. Directly above him he suddenly felt a large amount of earth magic. It was compressed and moving fast. It then broke apart and came down like heavy piercing rain over a large area.

    There was no dodging it and so he used wind as a shield.. As he was blocking it a fire spell came from the left. He used one hand to continue to block the earth from above and with his other he caused an upward gust to force the fire ball up into the air. A water spell came from the back. He quickly moved his other hand to block it with another wind spell.

    While doing this he lost concentration on the wind wall about him and a piece of earth went through cutting him along the back in a long thin slice. The blood felt warm on his back. He blocked the water blast and then tried to make a run into the woods. He sensed more spells attack him while running and used wind element to dodge. He now knew there were 3 enemies, at least he hoped it was only 3.

    He tried to get away but one always stayed ahead of him and forced him to the side. They seemed to be staying in some kind of triangle formation so that he couldn''t escape. Whenever he tried to run toward one to break through the other 2 would use magic from behind and he''d need to come up short.

    If he tried to double back to one of the wizards behind him the other 2 would close in and again he would be forced to retreat. Clearly this was something they had practice and done before. If they were much weaker than him there may have been an easy way to handle it but they were not weak in the least.. All 3 of them felt like they were in the A rank.

    Another flurry of spells came at him. He was a bit slow with his dodge and a wind spell got him. He felt a small but deep cut across his arm. Now there were 2 places blood was leaving him. He was forced to constantly move which made it hard for the wound to close. He didn''t have enough time to do any healing magic. It required too much concentration and he would practically need to stand still.

    He felt himself growing tired and knew that a bad sign if things continued this way. There was no choice but to try to break though even if it was reckless. He used more wind magic to push forward even faster. It was the same speed he used to close the gap with the man who was about to kill Victoria Sun''s guard. The one in front used magic to try to stop him but Lee dodged to the left at the last moment.

    The other 2 were on his heels and launching spells at him. He couldn''t afford to block them as that would slow him down. He dodged going to the left and forward and then to the right and forward. The first spell he managed to dodge cleanly. The 2<sup>nd</sup> one would''ve hit him if not for a tree which blocked it. Hitting a quick moving target in the woods was no easy task.

    He faced the man in front of him. For the first time he got a good look at one of his pursuers. An older wizard in his young 30s. Lee went straight for him. Usually he would have liked to take his time and faint to the side but the other 2 were closing fast and he needed to go the quickest route possible. The wizard shot a water spell directly at Lee and Lee fired a spell of his own.

    The collision exploded in mid air. Lee went straight through it and built up a wind spell in his hand. The other wizard going backwards built up a wind spell as well to throw when Lee threw his; but Lee didn''t throw his spell at the wizard. He intended to use it to cut right through him with his hand. If the other wizard shot his spell Lee would just block it with the wind gathered in his hand and continue his attack.

    The other wizard seeing Lee hold his spell held his own. They swung their arms once in range of each other. At the last second the wizard realizing Lee was about to kill him came up short on his attack. Lee got him deep across the chest but not enough to be lethal. Even though the wizard pull up short he still cut Lee pretty deeply on his side. Lee felt blood flew from a third spot on his body. The other wizard fell to the ground cover him wounds and Lee ran past him.

    Lee''s vision started to blur as he put his arm over the cut on his side and forced himself forward. Spells came from behind by the other 2 wizards. Even though Lee was ahead they were starting to gain on him. Were they getting faster or was he slowing down? He tried his best to dodge but his magic was getting harder to use and every time he used his right hand to push himself with wind he would need to stop covering the wound and more blood would come out.

    A spell came from his right and behind. He attempted to use wind to dodge but his reaction was too slow. He dodge it but the blast was too close and made him tumble across the ground. He tried to stand up but he had badly turned his ankle. He forced himself up to face the 2 wizards. It''d be impossible to run away now.

    ¡°You''re damn fast boy. No one has given us this much trouble in a while.¡±

    Lee spat on the ground. A little blood came out with the spit.. ¡°I killed your friend. If you don''t want to join him you''d better be off.¡±

    ¡°Just who did you say you killed?¡± A 3<sup>rd</sup> man walked out of the woods. Blood was on his shirt but there was no wound. He could use healing magic too?

    ¡°If you want to keep fighting it won''t be easy. I don''t know what your goal is but I plan to take you all with me.¡±

    ¡°Our goal is your life young Lee. I suggest you stop the fighting now. If you do I can give you a painless death. Continue to struggle and you''ll only make it worse for yourself. You''re a smart boy. You know you have no chance to win or even take one of you with us. Make the wise choice.¡±

    ¡°Has anyone ever taken that deal?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. But a few ended up wishing they had. Who wants to suffer through broken bone and cut off limbs?¡±

    Lee used wind on the ground. Maybe if he made a smoke screen he could get away. With a bunch of dirt thrown up in the air he felt spells came towards him. He used his one good leg to jump to the side. He got to his feet and began to move as fast as he could with his badly limping foot. Each time he put it down shot pain through his leg. A water spell was coming directly at him. He tried to block with wind he was now too to act slow and got knocked on his back.

    He tried to push himself up with the same arm which cast the wind but but he felt pain shoot through it. It was broken. He used his other arm to get to his feet. Just as he stood a fire spell came at him. He diverted it into the air but the quick jerky motion hurt his leg and arm badly. A ball of earth came from the side. He tried to use wind to block but was too late.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    He''d only managed to block part of it. Most of it missed but part of the earth spell hit him in the ribs. . The impact knocked him to the ground and he felt a number of ribs break. It hard to breath now much more blood was being spit up.

    ¡°Okay, he''s down. Let''s finish this up and get out of here.¡±

    Lee tried to used magic but everything felt fuzzy. It was as if his own body felt heavy but at the same time distant. He saw a wizard standing over him. He saw him gathering wind in his hand. Lee tried to gather wind himself but his hand wouldn''t move. He remembered he needed to get the black roses to the old man.

    What about Peter? It was still on his back right? Yes the attack had missed it. That was good. He just needed to get up now and go find the old man and everything would be alright. Why couldn''t he just stand up like always? Reality snapped back as he saw the spell was ready. This was it. He was going to die. He should have told his parents he loved them more. That was the thought on his mind as tears started to fill his eyes.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± A spell of lighting came at the man. He dodged quickly jumping backwards. The other 2 turned their heads to see the commotion. A wall of giant fire was coming at all 3. One used an earth wall in preparation to block. Lee thought dimly that he was about to be burned to death. Then the spell was canceled just short of him.

    ¡°They''re just here to distract us! Kill the boy!¡±

    One of the men fired an fire spell directly at Lee. Right before it was about to hit Lee felt a gust of wind and then a familiar shape cast the same spell Lee had done many times before. It sent the fire up into the sky where it dispersed.. The form in front of him spoke.

    ¡°This guy here is under the protection of the Cloud house. If you want to live you''d better turn tail and run.¡±

    ¡°Mary?¡± Lee''s vision cleared.

    ¡°I told you the Cloud house pays its debts didn¡¯t I?. Just relax. We''ll take it from here.¡±

    He saw other familiar faces around him. Derrick, David, Amanda and Tom. Where were the old man and Peter? Surely they should have come.

    ¡°Where are the others?¡±

    Derrick quickly whispered to Lee ¡°they''re busy right now. It''s a long story. Do you have the black rose and do you have enough mana to heal yourself?¡±

    Lee took stock of his mana. ¡°I think I can slow the bleeding a bit at least. I have the dark roses in my pouch.¡±

    Derrick nodded. He took the pouch off Lee and tossed it to David. ¡°Slow the bleeding as best you can. Don''t worry about anything else.¡±

    Lee didn''t need to be told twice. He slowly was able to move his one good hand towards the gash in his side. He managed to stop the bleeding there but was now out of mana. He still had 2 other serious cuts on him. Before he could think of what to do next his consciousness faded.

    ¡°Is he dead?¡± Amanda asked in a worried tone.

    ¡°He''s still breathing¡± Tom bent down to check his heart rate. ¡°He has a pretty steady pulse too.¡± It wasn''t very strong which was worrying.. He''d need first aid soon or he wasn''t going to make it.

    The three wizards looked over the 5 students. ¡°Don''t throw your lives away here. Give us the boy and we''ll let you live.¡±

    ¡°Let''s do it just like we discussed!¡± Derrick yelled out. ¡°Mary you''re the striker. Tom do support from the outside. I''ll be the home base which directs the attacks. Amanda you provide the fire power. David, you''re the physically strongest. Get Lee back to the old man''s house as quick as you can.¡±

    Mary stood in front of the others. Tom went way out to her left. He would be on his own confident he could dodge if need be. Amanda was to the right but only half the distance away Tom was. Derrick stood behind both Amanda and Mary so he could exam the fight and give support to either. David quickly wrapped cloth around Lee''s wounds. He picked him up and put him over his shoulder. He stood behind the rest preparing to make a break for the old man''s house.

    The wizard in front of the other 2 laughed. ¡°You foolish children. Do you wish to die so young?¡±

    ¡°David, don''t waste time, get going we''ll hold them off.¡± Tom was anxious to start. David ran into the forest behind the rest straight in the direction of the old man''s house.

    ¡°Should we give chase?¡±

    ¡°No, we''ll just quickly deal with these four then finish him off later. He won''t be able to move that fast carrying that much weight around.¡±

    ¡°Mary, we''re depending on you to set things up like we need them.¡± Derrick then motioned Amanda to begin.

    Amanda built a large fire wall that went almost as high as the tree''s and pushed it towards the wizards. It grew wider as it went forward.

    ¡°What a waste of mana!¡± One of the wizard built a large earth wall to block the attack. Derrick seeing the earth wall built fired his own earth spell at it to break through a large section of the wall. Seeing the fire was about to be upon them one of the wizards created a water spell to block it.

    Black smoke filled the air as the water and fire struck each other. Tom from the side fired a number of water attacks. The wizards seeing them coming acted accordingly. One blocked and the other counter attacked with his own water spells. Tom easily dodged them wuth his agility while keeping their attention sending more spells at them.

    Mary burst through the black smock at great speed. It had acted as a smoke screen for her and gave them almost no warning time of her appearance. They had not expected such a bold move. She used her wind to knock the wizard furthest on the left backward and to the left away from the other 2. They tried to attack her but she quickly backed out and disappeared into the black smoke.

    ¡°Are you okay!?¡± One of the wizards yelled to the one who was knocked away.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. It was weak. There just kids after all.¡±

    He could feel the magic of the 4 in front of him. He wanted to keep track of their movements incase they tried anything else that was tricky. He heard fast foot steps running at him from behind. He turned to see it was that David brat. Wasn''t he carrying Lee towards the old man''s house? Way was he here?

    David hadn''t used any magic to get into his position and out from behind the wizard from the cover of the woods. Because he didn''t use any magic and just his speed to close the distance he wasn''t noticed until he was only a few yards away. The wizard gathered fire magic in his hand. It was time to show these young upstarts how foolish they were being.

    David summoned lightning to his hand. The wizard, seeing this, thought he being foolish. Lightning magic took a long time to prepare and was best used for long distance assassination. His own attack would be ready long before the boys.

    The lightning didn''t build and focus to a single point in David''s hand but dispersed quickly in all directions. It was so fast and wide it was impossible to dodge from this distance. It was an attack the wizard had never heard of before. It made his ability to react to it in any meaningful way impossible.

    When it hit him it didn''t hurt exactly but his body stiffened and went numb. His knees buckled and he felt like he may fall over. It was suddenly hard to control any part of his body. He knew lightning could cause this kind of effect on the body but usually it was incidental. The pure destructive power was usually the main concern.

    David was now right in front of him. He gave him a punch to the diaphragm which knocked all the air out of him. A shot to the chin caused him to stumble backwards and off balance. The effects of the lightning had worn off but he was completely dazed by the physical assault. Mary with great speed came up from behind him as if she expected this outcome from the beginning. She let loose a wind attack directed at his neck and his head fell to the ground followed by his body.

    The other 2 wizards were shocked. ¡°You, you damn kids!¡±

    David and Mary circled around to enemies to walk over to Derrick and Amanda''s location. ¡°It was a great plan Derrick. It went just as we hoped.¡±

    Not knowing what else to say one of the wizards complained. ¡°Weren''t you going to bring your friend back to the old wizards house?¡±

    Derrick laughed at this. ¡°Honestly, why would you ever believe anything your enemy says on the battle field?¡±

    Derrick whispered to David ¡°this time go back to the old man''s house for real. Lee''s in really bad shape and the old man will need those black roses to save Peter. Come back as soon as you can just in case.¡± David nodded his head and ran back behind them into the forest where he had placed Lee and the pouch.

    The 2 wizards looked at each other. Could this be another bluff and would he attack again from the forest? This is exactly what Derrick wanted them to be concerned about. The threat of an attack can be just as effect as an actual attack in certain situations.

    Tom walked over to the others. ¡°Well what now clever guy? One attack is all we had time to organize on the way here.¡±

    ¡°We''ll just need to figure it out I guess. I''ll direct from behind the the lines and supply defense. It sad to say it, but my attack potential isn''t all that good compared to you 3 right now. These are A rank wizards after all. Anything I try would just be useless I think.¡±

    Mary scoffed ¡°That'' fine. Just run things from behind the scenes. Leave the troublesome stuff to me. I want to teach these bastards a lesson after what they did to Lee anyway.¡± She clenched her hand in a fist as she looked at the 2 remaining wizards.

    Amanda was breathing hard ¡°that last attacked used a lot of mana. But I think I can do something that big maybe 2 more times.¡±

    ¡°2 more times is plenty.¡± Derrick gave her a smile.

    ¡°Tom, you''re job is to be Mary''s back up. When she goes in you go right after here. I''ll stay back and guard Amanda while she pins them down and give some support. Mary, you just worry about attacking as long as Tom is at your back. If one of those wizards makes a break for me and Amanda our defense won''t hold long. Tom, you''ll need to retreat to us. Mary you cover him as he pulls back while pulling back yourself. That''s the hardest job of all but if it''s you then you can do it.¡±

    ¡°You''re a sweet talker sometimes. Maybe you should try it when not getting a girl to fight your battles for you.¡± Mary lifted an eyebrow as she said it. That was her making her best attempt at being playful. She then turned towards the 2 wizards. She started to get an excited look anticipating the thrill of testing her improved strength.

    ¡°But Mary, you should know girls who fight my battles for me are my favorite type!¡± He gave them the smile of a mad scientist. As if he was about to see the results of some diabolical experiment.

    Amanda looked to Tom nervously. ¡°Maybe we should get new friends.¡±

 Chapter 37: Growth

    Tom Sky walked away from the group and in to the open field. He started to gather water magic and prepared counter any attack the 2 wizards may use. They were still on guard for the David who they thought was perhaps hiding out in the woods and looking to ambush them again.

    Mary used her wind magic to move in and Tom quickly followed. While Tom did his best to keep up he couldn''t help but lag behind her speed. She''d improved her wind magic and speed a good deal in the last 2 months. There was still a difference between the way she and Lee moved but the gap had close a fair amount.

    Amanda summoned another large fire spell with Derrick beside her giving directions. For now he encouraged her to hold the magic she had gathered until the time was right to use it.

    Derrick knelt on the ground and put his palm against the earth. He slowly started to spread earth magic under the surface of the earth. It went out in a spider web like shape in all directions but mostly towards the area where the 2 wizards were standing.

    Derrick had experimented to see if it was possible to make spikes or vine like objects pop up from under the ground and but it seemed either impossible or far too advanced for him. Even the old wizard had stated he wasn''t sure if earth magic could be used in such a way. While such abilities may be forever out of his grasp he was determined to find a way to use it so that he would be able control the area under which his opponent stood.

    He wanted to be sure even if he had to change locations in a hurry there would still be many spots were he could access the magic he was putting into the ground and manipulate it. It used a lot of mana but once done it would give him several options he could use to help his friends.

    While this was happened Mary moved towards the wizards. She used wind magic to move to the left and then the right of them as well as back and sometimes forth. She also mixed in relatively slow movements with quicker ones to give her opponents more of a sense of randomness. She fired a few wind spells but they were easily blocked. The ones they fired at her were easily dodged.

    Mary realized it was too hard to take them down together. She would have to get them away from each other. Gathering a large amount of wind magic that she spun faster and faster in her palm; it begun to take the shape of a small tornado. Even as it started to blow the dirt around her into the air Mary only built it up more. Only when it threatened to suck her in did she release it towards them.

    She quickly used wind to back away as the spell grew even stronger now releasing the the extra magic she put inside it. She heard a shouted warning from behind and saw Amanda was getting ready to use the a fire spell Mary moved out of Amanda''s line of attack. The fire came not like an overwhelming wall but like the pressured water out of a hose fire directly at the 2 wizards.

    Derrick acted before they could due to his preparation. A large wall come out of the earth between them. The fire hit the tornado Mary built and pushed it forward quicker. The tornado caught aflame and the spinning funnel of fire burned the earth as it travels towards them leaving a trail of fire in its wake. With the earth wall between them the wizards couldn''t retreat together. One escaped to the the left and the other to the right.

    Amanda kept pumping in more and more fire into the tornado and pushed it all the way to the woods and back several hundred yards. Now there was a barrier of fire separating the two wizards that hopefully would stand for at least a few minutes.

    Mary seeing what was about to happen as the had gone to the right side where one of the wizards would be forced to escape to. She was happy her prediction was correct, ¡°I''ll keep the one here occupied, you 3 deal with the other one!¡±

    Derrick was about to protest but Amanda seeing that interrupted him before he could. ¡°There''s no changing her mind. Lets just finish this one up as fast as possible so we can help her.¡± Seeing there was no point in arguing, Derrick focused his attention on the wizard on the left side. He still kept an eye to the right just in case.

    Tom realizing what was happening took the lead position and started to use his agility to close the distance between the other wizard and himself. Seeing it was 3 against 1 wizard became much more defensive in how he acted. Tom moved in quicker using water to try to make the wizard slip. He also mixed in mist to try to create misdirection. It accomplishing nothing as the wizard easily blocked and saw through his attacks.

    Derrick put himself in his opponent''s thought process. It seemed this one was fine to just wait them out as his partner had a 1 on 1 fight with Mary. No doubt he believed such a fight would go in his friends favor. He wasn''t wrong. Derrick turned to see the fight between Mary and the wizard on that side. From his position he could easily view both fights. Mary was blocking and dodging all of her opponent''s attacks but was being pushed back. She was struggle just to survive.

    ¡°Amanda, we don''t have a choice. I need you to get close to Tom and help him out with that wizard. Don''t worry about defense or blocking. I still have a lot of earth magic laid under the ground in that area. I promise if an attack comes at you, I''ll block it. We need to act now while we still have them separated. Mary won''t be able to hold out for long.¡±

    ¡°I was planning to do that anyway without you asking me. I can hit a large attack up close and it takes too much time to build them. Instead I¡¯ll use constant small scale attacks and see if I can force him into a corner.¡± She stole one last look at Mary, beginning to see the desperation build on her face and she ran towards the other wizard.

    Using the stamina she had built up she began to fire a steady amount of small fire attacks at the wizard. She made sure to land some behind him and to the sides to try to limit his movement. It seemed like an impossible task as he simply summoned water to block the most troublesome ones that she launched.

    Tom seeing Mary join the fight realized the situation must have turned desperate. He hadn''t used much earth and fire magic recently but got an idea that might help turn the tides quickly. He moved closer to the wizard easily dodging his spells as he did so. With Amanda using a large amount of fire spells against him it was easier to get into range for his plan as now he was only receiving half of the wizards attention.

    *****

    David felt sweat dripping down his back as he carried Lee to the old man''s house. He''d gotten much stronger these past months but this was the heaviest thing he''d ever carried and what felt like a short distance before now felt much longer. At least the weight was on his legs and not on his arms as he carried Lee over his shoulders with his elbows hooked around Lee''s leg and arm.

    Finally after what seemed to take forever he saw the old man''s house. He ran inside careful not to hit Lee''s head on the door frane. As he passed the old man he saw the effort on his face as he continued to keep Peter''s mana system from being destroyed. Between deep labored breaths the old wizard got out the words. ¡°How is he?¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°He''s hurt pretty bad and lost a lot of blood. He isn''t in danger of dying this second though. Lee did good. He managed to stay alive till we got there and got the Black Rose.¡± David set Lee down on a nearby chair and quickly checked him. After seeing his breathing was fairly steady and the bandages he put on his wounds were still holding he took the pouch and went to the old man.

    ¡°What do you want me to do with the black rose?¡±

    ¡°You''ll need take off the petals and mix them in a small bowl of water. Grind them inside until the water turns black. Once it does slowly pour it into Peter''s mouth.¡± It was all the old wizard could get out before he started to tip over. He caught himself and focused back on Peter. This was even more draining than he thought. His stamina isn''t what it once was.

    David grabbed a small bowl. He poured in water and then took off the petals of a black rose and placed them inside. He started to grind them up using a small wooden tool.

    *****

    Tom noticed Amanda was starting to tire out. She had already used 2 very large spells and now had continuously fired a number of small ones. If he had done the same he would have already been passed out on the ground. But now he was finally ready to put his plan into action having secured what he needed subtly and gotten close enough.

    He, along with Amanda, had started to use only fire magic against the wizard. The wizard in response blocked their spells with water. The wizard started to feel fairly tired himself forced to block all of their magic and so was using the minimum amount of magic needed to block their attacks. Tom build up a small, weak and feeble fire spell in his hand and launched it towards the wizard''s head from a close distance.

    The wizard seeing this imagined it meant the boy must have started to tire out if he was using such a weak spell. It seemed these kids knew nothing about pacing themselves and were being reckless with their use of magic. He created a small water spell and set it on a course to meet the spell the boy sent. He needed to focus on the bigger and more dangerous magic the girl had.

    As tom knew would happen, his spell was put out by a very small amount of water magic. But the small amount of water used the put out the fire did nothing to slow down the rock Tom had hidden inside the spell. It hit the wizard''s head, he fell to one knee grabbing the side of his skull which was bleeding from the impact.

    Not wasting the chance created Amanda shot a ball of fire at the wizard. He only realized it was coming when it was too late. His legs where the spell hit him burst into flames. He flopped around and tried to use water magic to put out the burning. As he did this Tom get behind him and gathered heavy earth magic into his hand. He launched it towards the wizard''s head and neck. He heard the neck break and saw the wizard fall to the ground lifeless. His bottom half still on fire.

    Derrick seeing the enemy down now focused all of his attention on Mary''s fight. Her situation had only gotten worse since the fight started and she was now in a full retreat. He kept moving in and throwing out lethal attacks. Each was just barely blocked or dodged. Derrick saw that he was about to launch the attack. The one he planned to finish her with. He put his hand on the ground and watched closely.

    When wizard''s put all their effort and concentration on an attack like this one was about to they would also be defenseless. Mary knocked off balance and saw the spell her opponent planned to kill her with. Derrick activated the earth magic that was underground and forced up a clomp of dirt in front of wizard''s foot as he stepped into to deliver the attack. He tripped over it and landed face down. The spell uselessly hit the ground.

    As he tried to get up Mary quickly delivered an attack that went through his chest. The wizard now lay soundless on the ground. The 4 walked towards each other. The fire wall died down. Tom used water magic to try to put out the fire in the woods. Derrick mixed earth into the air around the fire to try to suffocate it. Eventually they got it under control and put it out.

    Mary took stock of her injuries. They were a little annoying but nothing serious. The rest though tired from mana use where mostly unhurt. They started to head back to the old man''s house.

    *****

    David poured the mixture into Peter''s mouth. It was a slow process but he''d managed to get him to swallow nearly all of it. The old wizard couldn''t help him as the he was still busy keeping Peter''s mana system from being destroyed. One last pour and all of it was gone.

    David turned towards Lee to check on him. His condition had not improved but at least it had not gotten any worse. With nothing left he could help with and he got up and went to the door to get back to his friends who may still be fighting. Before he could open it himself the door opened before him. Mary, Amanda, Tom and Derrick walked though. All of them looked worn out but the not hurt too bad.

    Each side quickly gave the other an update. While they all wanted to stay it was decided one of them should go to Lee''s parents and the other to town to get Alura and bring a doctor if they could. It was decided Tom and David were the fastest and so they where picked to go. Mary, Tom and Derrick did what they could to help. Mostly cleaning Lee''s wounds and giving the old wizard a sip of water every now and then.

    Before long the old man removed his hands from Peter and spoke the the students. ¡°I''ve done all I can. I believe his mana system will be fine. The black rose seems to have worked is keeping his mana system in the shape I put it. I have no mana left in either case. All we can do now for him is wait and hope. You kids did a great job. Thank you for saving my Lee.¡±

    Before they cold ask him any more questions he slumped over passed out. He''d used every bit of mana he could. As usual in such a situation, the wizard passes out with.

    They took him to his room and laid him on his bed. David and Tom came back with Lee''s parents who rushed to his side. Alura and a doctor came over as well. They had only ever see her at calm, mischievous or in David''s case, a brutal disciplinarian. For the first time they saw her look like a young, scared, unsure girl as she sat by Lee''s side.

    After examining the old wizard and the Peter and not knowing what to make of it besides saying they seemed stable the doctor focused on Lee''s wounds. Though they were serious, he told the group that with time to recover Lee should be fine.

    Mary looked at the doctor ¡°how much time?¡±

    ¡°He will probably get his energy and have his wounds healed in a few weeks. But his bones won''t heal for months of course.

    Mary couldn''t use healing magic and neither could any of the others. The only 3 people who could were Peter, the old wizard and Lee. None of them were in any position to do it and it was unknown when any would wake up.

    Mary turned to the group. ¡°What do we do?¡±

    Tom crossed him arms. ¡°We have no choice but to go back. We can''t wait around for them to wake up.¡±

    David was furious. ¡°You just want to leave them all here like this?¡±

    ¡°It''s the only option and it''s what they''d want us to do. If we aren''t there to fight it''s the same as a forfeit.¡± Amanda rubbed the back of her neck.

    ¡°We''ll take what we need for the trip and leave enough money here so Lee can travel back quickly if he wakes up in time. If he can''t we''ll just need to fight ourselves.¡± Derrick was straight into the point.

    After more talk it was decided there was no other option. Mary took 4 gold coins and left the last 10 for Lee. She told his parents anything he didn''t need they could keep. They started to refuse and it seemed impossible to accept such a large sum of money from a young girl. Mary in a tone she had used since she was young told them there would be no discussion on the matter and they could think of it an an apology for not being able to help Lee sooner.

    They students their things and after a last check on Peter, Lee and the old wizard went off to town to get a carriage. Mary was the last one standing in the door looking at Alura sitting over Lee, changing the wash cloth on his forehead. ¡°You can be with him for now, but don''t you think for a minute this means I''m letting you win.¡± It was whispered and couldn''t be heard by anyone else. She turned and left the doorway.

    Mary put her hand on the center of her chest as she walked behind her friends. For the first time today she allowed herself to let loose her feelings, now that all the needed task at hand were done. She silently cried, in her mind seeing the condition Lee was in and being forced to leave him like that. The pain in her chest only built as tears fell silently down her cheeks without her letting out a single sound.

    She got hurt worse than she realized today, she thought. Even if the bruise wasn''t on her body.

 Chapter 38: Traveling back

    The group of students sat in the carriage going back towards the school. It had been 2 days since they left Lee, Peter and the old man. Even though there was no other choice they still couldn''t help but feel regret.

    ¡°We should be at the school by tomorrow morning. I hope they won''t be too mad that we went off on our own.¡± Amanda couldn''t help but worry about the potential consequences. She needed to keep her position as a wizard to make money for her family since she didn''t come from a wealthy house like Tom, David and Mary.

    ¡°It''ll be fine. If anyone has anything to say about it I''ll just remind them they''re talking to Mary Saint Cloud of the Cloud house and her companions. They''ll have nothing to say after that.¡± Mary never had any friends growing up. It was still uncomfortable for her to use the word.

    ¡°We need to focus on what we can do and ignore the rest for now. It may sound heartless to say it but our minds can''t be on those we left behind or what may happen to any of us after the matches. We need to focus on the best way to win.¡± Tom Sky hated the way it sounded but too much of the talk the last few days had been about things that could not be helped. They needed to focus on the near future.

    ¡°He''s right. Without Lee it''s probably not possible to beat Valdimir. We probably should just concede that match and think about how best to win 3 of the other 4.¡± David couldn''t help but wonder if he''d get stuck with the duty of the sacrificial match to Vladimir.

    ¡°Planning and focusing is important but there are too many unknowns right now. It''s best just to get the the most rest we can and meditate. We''ll figure it out when we get there and have more details.¡± It was odd of Derrick to be one to not talk about scheming but they knew he was right. They wouldn''t know what was the best idea until they finally got to the school and saw the situation.

    *****

    Lee awoke with the sun light hitting his eyes through the window. At first he thought he was in his own bed or back at school. It wasn''t until a few moments passed he realized he was sleeping on a spar mat at the old man''s house. Quickly his hands moved to his body to find his injuries. It seems they were mostly healed. He tried to feel his mana but it was dim and small. He really had over done it.

    He got up and wondered to the open door and went down the stairs. He smelled food on the stove. His mother was cooking up some stew with a sad but focused looked on her face. She turned to the sound of foot steps that had just entered. She saw Lee standing by the door way looking a bit pale but otherwise healthy. She dropped the spoon she was mixing the stew with on the floor and ran over to him.

    ¡°Oh my baby boy! Mother is so glad you''re up! How are you feeling? Are you hungry or thirsty? You had me so worried. They said you were going to be okay but I wasn''t about to leave your side for a single second!¡± The hug was tight and made him realize he still had many bruises and sensitive spots on his body.

    ¡°I''m fine mom and thank you. I''m still pretty sore though. If you don''t mind could we stop the hugging please?¡± She quickly let go and took a few steps away now treating him like fragile glass they may fall apart and break at the slightest touch.

    ¡°I''m sorry. Go ahead and sit down. I''ll get you a bowl of stew and wake up everyone else. They''ll no doubt like to know you''re finally up.¡± She quickly got out another spoon, poured the stew in a bowl and put it in front of Lee. After he thanked her and begun to eat she quickly went to let everyone else know he was awake.

    The old man and Peter both came out to meet him. Peter looked in a good condition but the old man looked worn out. He had never seen him in such a state. ¡°Are you okay sir?¡± Lee asked. Suddenly a thought occurred to him he had forgotten about but remember now seeing Peter. ¡°My friends. Are they alright?¡±

    ¡°They''re fine my boy and there''s no need to worry about me. You''re the one who took quite a beating, and here I was thinking I taught you well enough how to handle yourself!¡± the old man joked. Lee knew when he did this it was often to change the conversation or hide his own discomfort.

    ¡°He''s just worn out is all Lee. Every time this old man starts to regain his mana he uses it to help heal you. You didn''t think all those wounds healed so quick by themselves did you Lee? Come on now. Slow witted students are one of my dislikes.¡± Peter knew the old man didn''t want him saying this but he felt Lee should know just how hard the old man pushed himself for Lee''s sake.

    The old man waved the comment aside before Lee could say anything. ¡°It isn''t important. It''s not like I have any impressive magic I need to do in the next few days. Pushing myself is fine, and frankly, this shows me it''s been too long since I did. Clearly I''ve grown a little lazy in my old age.¡± He walked over to Lee and put his hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°As it turns out, I just had a good nights sleep and so have a bit of spare mana right now. This will be the last healing you need physically but it''ll still be at least 2 days before you fully recover your mana. An injured body slows the process down as it needs to focus on healing itself and not generating mana. But you should know that of course.¡± The old man poured his mana into Lee and finished healing his wounds. He even had a little mana left after he was done.

    Lee looked over to Peter who seemed in good shape. ¡°If you don''t think it''s rude to ask, I¡¯m curious why Peter who seems to be okay didn''t use healing magic and instead you were the one who got continuously worn out.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to but the old man said I absolutely couldn''t. Since the moment I woke he''s told me to mediate and focus on my mana and that to use any of it too soon may destabilize what was just done.¡± Lee figured something like that may be the case. Something was a little different about Peter but Lee couldn''t figure out exactly what it was. It was as if his body and movement which had somehow unnoticeably been choppy and out of alignment were now as they should be.

    ¡°In any case Lee, speaking of your friends and what happened I have some news. I''m afraid you''ve been asleep for 2 days. The tournament will start in a mere 2 days more. I''m afraid they had to go on ahead without you. As for who those men that attacked you were... After I woke up I went to the area to have a look. There is no proof of it but I''ve strong reason to believe they were sent from the Star house. It seems they''re trying to ensure they win the match and use it as a sign of dominance in the Cloud area. They felt you would''ve gotten in their way would be my guess.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Lee clench his fist as he looked at his stew. Would they really go so far just to play their stupid power games? Did life really mean so little to them. He started to wonder if Mary''s Cloud house was the same and if she helped her own house use such methods.

    ¡°Well, they failed to take my life but it seems their plan ultimately worked. There''s no way I can make it back in time to fight,¡± He hated that the Star house which resorted to such tricks would get the best of him. He worried about his friends. If the Star house felt they were in jeopardy of losing to them what would they be willing to do?

    ¡°We need to get back as soon as possible! There''s no telling what they may do next if they''re willing to go this far.¡± Even as Lee said this he knew by the time he arrived the fight would be over and any damage they did would be done.

    ¡°I agree!¡± the old man spoke up. ¡°As it turns out, you can be back there in 2 days. I hate to ruin your chance for a family reunion, but you''d need to leave immediately to make it.¡±

    Peter was just as confused as Lee. ¡°How are we to make it back? It took us 3 days by carriage going as fast as we possibly could. There''s no way to do it any faster.¡±

    ¡°Sure there is Peter. I guess you still haven''t noticed yet as you haven''t tried to tap into your mana... why don''t you try now? I think it should be safe.¡±

    Peter wasn''t sure what the old man meant but he focused on his mana system and started to gather power within him. As he gathered more and more he started to notice something odd. It wasn''t as hard as it use to be. Even as he was approaching his limit. He kept gathering mana expecting to hit that wall but found himself going beyond it. He went further and gathered more and more.

    He felt power flow through his body the likes of which he''d never felt. His limbs tingled. Everything felt electric. He felt himself break through to the S level. He continued to gather mana, it felt like a flood of water going out through a broken dam. It finally started to slow.

    ¡°What just happened? I''ve grown much stronger all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°I''ve never seen it done before myself. When I fixed my own mana system I didn''t have a bunch of wasted effort built up like you. I''d say when I fixed your mana system you finally were able to achieve the gains of all your hard work. Don''t feel like it''s a gift. Everything you have is what you rightfully earned. From this point on your growth depends entirely on your own efforts.¡± The old men gave Peter a pat on the shoulder.

    Peter with his new power used the moment to try to measure where he stood against the old man. While his hand patting him on his back he tried to feel the mana within the old man''s body. It was mostly empty but he could feel how much should be there. At least he started to... It was a vast empty cave that just kept going deeper.

    ¡°Now now Peter, peeking without permission isn''t nice.¡± The old man took his hand off Peter''s back and gave him a smile. Peter was now sure of it. There was something beyond S rank that this old man had found. But how far did it go? Peter felt for a moment he had finally started to reach the peak but realized there was higher up the mountain to go; with clouds above blocking his view of the true height left to climb.

    Peter focused on the power in his own body. So this is the power those in the S class felt. Clearly their arrogance was well warranted. Just how many of his old selves would it take to defeat the current him? It seemed as if the difference between classes only grew with each rank up. This was clearly the biggest yet and by a wider margin than even he would have thought.

    The old wizard spoke to Peter which woke him from his own thoughts. ¡°In any case Peter, I know this is all a bit strange for you but you must get use to it quickly. You need to eat something now and get up your strength. I''m afraid it will fall on you and your new abilities on if Lee makes the tournament in time.¡±

    Lee was confused. ¡°Wait, so what? You want me to ride on his back or something?¡±

    The old man laughed. ¡°Think of it as student teacher bonding.¡±

    Neither Peter or Lee looked happy about the idea.

    *****

    The head of the Star House sat looking at the message in his hand. His minions had found the children but there has not been a letter since. It was already two day over due. He had nothing else he could conclude except that his men were dead. The only question is what could have happened?

    The uncertainty of the situation only grew. The plan he had been so sure of the last few months had only grown more and more questionable. With so many strange occurrences it couldn''t be a mere coincidence. He began to write at his desk. He needed to be sure everything went as he wanted. To make such a move against the Cloud house only to fail would lose far too much face.

    He would make sure everything went as he commanded and if anyone cried foul they''d be made to suffer.

    *****

    A day later the students arrived back at the school. To their surprise, they weren''t spotted until they were just about at the gates. Perhaps the net for their search had spread out so far that no one close to the town was looking. Soon they were brought before the headmaster and lectured sternly on the carelessness of their actions. They were told after the tournament certain privileges were to be revoked. It was all minor and expected.

    In the end not much could be done. They were the best hope of the Cloud house to defeat the plot of the Star house after all. The teachers saw to it they were fed and evaluated their current strength. To their surprise, each of them was now in the B rank. Some of them the very low end like Derrick and David. Mary was at the very highest end of B rank. They weren''t sure how they had become so strong in less than a year but it was a welcomed sight.

    Before long night came and then the day of the match finally arrived. It was only morning and they wouldn''t start until mid-day but the anticipation in the air. The students they were about to face would no doubt be arriving any minute. Mary stood by the window in her room looking for any sign of approach. ¡°I''m going to make you Star Bastards pay for what you did to Lee.¡± She whispered to the empty room. She would hold Vlad most responsible of all.

    *****

    Lee hung on to Peters back. For 2 days now Peter had used his new power with body enhancement along with wind magic to move at high speeds. He made sure to pace himself but even even with that he was surprised at the speed he could keep up.. Every 3 or 4 hours they would stop at a town to take a carriage for a while so that Peter could rest. Once the carriage made it to the next town over Peter would repeat the process of carrying Lee on his back again.

    At night instead of going to an inn they''d traveled by carriage and sleep while moving so that no time was lost. It was already the morning of the tournament and they still had a good amount of distance to cover.

    ¡°Do you think we''ll make it before it starts?¡± Lee''s found his position both uncomfortable and embarrassing and wanted this over soon equally for both reasons.

    ¡°All we need to do it make it before it''s over. Focus on conserving your mana. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°I''ve felt better to be honest, the traveling arrangements certainly aren''t helping.¡±

    Peter turned his head back a bit to face Lee. ¡°Well, you know whose to blame for your traveling conditions and not feeling at your best right?¡±

    ¡°That I do.¡± Lee would see to it that the Star house would regret it. As long as he made it in time that is.

 Write up - End of story

    So this will be just a write up on this story and some thoughts I had on it. I really hate to leave things unfinished but after months of lying to myself about how i will get back into it I just couldn''t keep doing it. I figured I owed it to everyone who read this and invested the time to give them an explaination.

    The main reason I stopped writing this story is because I just had to admit one simple truth. It wasn''t all that good. I could have kept it going and tried to make it better but as my first serious attempt I had to consider it a failure in epic story telling. There are a few things I liked about it but overall it had too many issues and i saw no way to bring it up to the quality I wanted it to be at.

    I have spent this time reading a lot of the really good stories on here trying to understand what made them so interesting and how i could use what i learned from theirs to fix mine. I didn''t see a way to do it and keep just about anything about this story the same. I wrote myself into a corner so to speak.

    So with that being said I decided to move on from this one and start fresh taking what I have learned from this story and the things I think I did well in it and try something new. With all that being said I don''t want to leave people hanging on the plot. I hate the whole ''just decide for yourself how it ends'' saying so i figured I''d give a quick run down.

    Lee and his friends would have won the tourny and gone on the the nationations. They would have lost in the final round to the sun house with Victoria narrowly beating Lee but it was really a 50/50 battle. Still it doesn''t matter much as it gives their school the prestege it needs.

    They find out there that Victoria is the desciple of one of the great wizards students and found the rest of them (4 in total... 1 died when the old wizard was betrayed by 2 of his other students. They were then sealed behind the barrier by that student who gave his life to use a forbidden technique.

    It was also during that betrayel that Lee''s teacher lost his arm.

    You find out Star house has been working with wizards behind the veil. Actually directly with the disciple of the main antognist. It becomes clear thay have been manipulated by the disciple under orders of his master to do many of the things they''ve done.

    Once they realized this, the disciple kills the patriarch of the house and a few other higher ups who didn''t know what was going on. Some of them of course did, and are brought in under new management.

    Eventually they find out about Lee being the disciple of the great wizard and set out to assassinate him in a bid to draw the old wizard out. Tom Sky dies during the fight to save Lee

    The barrier is sealed again but it is revealed nothing can stop it from completely collapsing as it was never meant to last forever and many of the evil wizards hench men along with his disciple are on this side already. It will only hold up 3 more years no matter what they do.

    They all go into training. Lee and Victoria go off for a bit (being the 2 characters already trained by the great wizard or one of his disciples) without much to learn at this point but to practice. The other 5 (Derrick, Mary, Alura, Amanda and David stay behind to be trained by the great wizard and his 4 original discples.

    Overall it would have been mostly a time skip here but Victoria is pulled out of her shell a bit. No, she never falls for Lee but she comes to think of him as a friend which she didn''t have any of growing up due to her position.

    During this time the evil wizard''s disciple works behind the scenes and even brings the demon continent in on his masters plan for a promise of getting part of the continent.

    Then we have the time skip of about 2 years. During this time i would have wrote about 5 or so chapters in a flash back about how the old wizard was betrayed. While I would have fleshed out the other characters more the main twist here would revolve around 3 characters. The typical hero disciple, the sketchy genius disciple and the weak looking shy bookworm disciple.

    The misdirection of course would (hopefully) lead the reader to believe it was the sketchy disciple as you see him fight and almost kill the ''hero'' disciple but take an injury in turn. The next scene would be the hero disciple running in injured with the almost dead bookworm disciple claiming it was sketchy disciple.

    The are both healed by the great wizard but it cost a lot of his mana, particularly for the practically dead bookworm disciple who lays passed out. Right as he finishes the hero disciple does a surprise attack attempting to take the old wizard''s life but it is dodged at the last second.

    However, the book worm disciple who he thought was passed out attacks him from behind as well and takes off his arm. Then the big reveal being that he was the mastermind of this set up all along (dun dun dun!) If you can''t tell, this would have been my favorite part of the story to write.

    It''s revealed that basically all the great wizard''s disciples were class A (except for hero and sketchy disciple who were class S); bookworm disciple was already entering class SS (the great wizard is at the top of class SSS btw during his peak btw) This would have been were the power levels were going in the end.

    Sketchy disciple comes back and sacrifices himself to proform a technique the old wizard developed. It was suppose to seal a wizard away but the evil disciple is able to counter it to a degree and instead it is spread out to seal about 1/3rd of the continent.

    During the 20+ years since, they were sealed, him and his cohort took over the 1/3rd of the continent behind the veil and installed a system giving them absolute control and sharing magical secrets to make their wizards stronger than those on the outside (of course they keep the best for themselves and their direct disciples).

    The veil comes down and the war begins. The demons invade one side and these new wizards attack the other. Clearly they are too strong for the ruling houses or government and soon take over the whole continent.

    The great wizard and all his disciples and the students are forced into hiding. (Peter Leaf is with them too, who gets pretty powerful in his own right). During the time Lee finally noticed Alura and she clearly makes her feelings known right before Mary was about to. Lee returns them and yes, eventually they do get busy

    After the war is over, they betray the demons and overpower them easily.

    The Star, Cloud and Sun houses are destroyed. The evil wizards heads the once thought lost Moon house (but only using the name for political reasons as it is one of the former big 4 houses).

    Eventually the old wizard needs to give his life after they are found to let the others get away. He is killed by the evil wizard along with his disciple and right hand man (hero disciple)

    After this we see Lee take more of a leadership role in the group.

    They fight back with gorilla tactics and using the underground resistance that has sprung up. (at this point River is low SS class, along with the 4 other of the old wizards disciples who while talented where never up to the same level as the other 3. Lee''s friends are all high S class and Peter is low SS class just below Lee and the 4 original disciples)

    They survive a few close calls but make some headway. In the end they figure out that while the other side has a lot more A class wizards than their own did (about 300 vs 80) The S class are only about 50 individuals.

    Now that the demons have been pushed back they realize they can perhaps swing things back into their favor targetting the elites in the evil wizard''s army. That is just what they decide to do and they make good headway.

    They know that once it''s figured out what they are doing this will be much harder so they split into teams and try to time their attacks to get as many as possible before they evil wizard gets word and changes tactics to match. They split into 4 teams with Lee, Alura and Peter forming 1 of them.

    They start their spree of counter attacks and in the span of a few days get ride of over half the enemy S class wizards.

    The evil wizard acts faster than they think and sets up ambushes for them. He was able to predict the move just as it''s about to happen and speeds up the response time more than they predicted.Stolen novel; please report.

    Lee is able to kill another targeted S class wizards but is soon surrounded by a number of A class and the direct disciple of the evil wizard. The numbers and skill of the disciple makes it difficult to fight their way out. Lee takes him on directly but he''s stronger than Lee.

    Before Peter and Alura can deal with all the other A ranks, Lee is put on his back, wounded and lacking mana. Alura takes a fatal hit to save Lee and knocks the disciple away temporarily. Peter is low on mana as well and he knows him and Lee can''t win. He heals Lee to stop him from bleeding to death and runs away after being forced to knock Lee out.

    Once they all regroup the news is all the other parties were ambushed as well. 2 of the other great wizard''s disciples died so Derrick and Victoria could escape (they become a couple btw).

    Overall they managed to kill nearly all the S class wizards not directly working under the antongist but that still leaves about 10 left which includes the main protagnist, his disciple and right hand man. The ones working directly under him are all at least in the SS tier.

    In the end they realize their current strength is not enough to deal with what they have yet to face, not to mention Lee is not in the right frame of mind blaming himself for Alura''s death.

    It is talked of between Peter and the 2 older disciples that in the end they have no other options than to try to train up Lee, Victoria, Mary, Derrick, David and Amanda to see if any of them are able to reach SSS tier.

    Peter decides to supervise the training of them and the other 2 disciples plan to go all over the continent to try to weed out any A ranks they can find. This is made a bit easier for them to do by themselves now as the power dynamic has changed a bit. Without S enemy class supervising every major city it''s possible to move more freely and the resistance is more bold. During this time David and Amanda finally get together.

    The evil wizard has a tentative rule of the area. If they get too many bad reports for a town he has decided the best thing is to have his top wizards move out in force and destroy the entire town to make an example.

    Eventually he discovers Lee''s hometown and decides to try to pull the group out from their hiding place by sending his men off to destory it. He announces the intention to do so before hand and usings his forces to keep anyone in the area from leaving.

    Lee and his friends have been training for about a year between all this and go out to try to save his home town even though they know it''s a trap.

    It''s worth noting that several of the enemy SS class wizards have been flushed out by this time and some others in the group have developed thier own personal reasons to fight those people in particular.

    Some of them killed their teachers (the disciples of the great wizard) as well as 2 of the other wizards who took the task of destorying the Cloud and Sun houses respectively. So as not to have other politically opposing powers.

    David, Amanda, Mary, Victoria and Derrick would all get their moments to shine in their own battles.

    The evil wizard and his right hand man along with a few others are delayed by arriving due to the 2 remaining original disciples of the old wizard. They use a the same forbidden spell they learned after studing this past year that was originally used to create the veil. It is only strong enough to keep them in place but also makes it impossible to attack them.

    It drains there life force but they hold it none the less.

    While this goes on we see the other group getting ready to destroy the town when Lee and his group arrive. He faces off vs the disciple of the the evil wizard who killed Alura while the others fight their own battles.

    Lee loses in terms of magic power but only barely. Both are now in the low SSS tier. Just as the finishing blow is about to land when both are tired. Lee has no Mana left and is more injured with the evil disciple having just a little mana left but enough for a few more spells.

    Lee at the last moment remembers Alura and then remembers a cheap trick Alura used the last time she was able to beat him in a sparring match. He realizes his back is against a bent branch and lets it go. It whips the disciple in the head and causes his spell to miss. Lee takes out a knife from his boot and stabs him in the heart killing him.

    The others are still alive but the fighting has clearly come to a halt. A few others got their vengence but not all of them. During all this time the town people have run away including Lee and Alura''s families.

    The evil wizard seeing his disciple killed goes berserk and starts to try to break through the veil with more ferver. He wasn''t fully giving it his all as he never believed these rift raft could possible beat this group led by his disciple.

    In the end one of the wizards stays behind to keep the veil up a bit longer and the other uses magic to travel on the wind to get the others away before the veil breaks knowing as exhausted as they are now they have no chance to win.

    In the end they escape and another disciple of the old man dies giving her life to let them get away.

    In a rage after seeing his disciple killed the evil wizard announces Lee and his group have 3 days to give themselves up or he will destroy every town in the continent until they are surrender or are handed over.

    After recoving the final disciple tell Lee of a way in which he can grow a bit stronger in a short amount of time. Lee being the strongest currently in the party and only having time to do this technique once he agrees to do it.

    The drawback is after the technique is used it only works for a short while and the cost may be his own life or his ability to do magic ever again. He agrees to take the risk and the old man''s disciple sits across from him as Lee meditates. He forcefully rearranges Lee''s Mana center not unlike what was done to Peter but in this case instead of fixing the issue he is causing a build up with the potential to explode but emite a lot of power.

    It is rather painful obviously.

    After 3 days they are done and Lee can feel magic ready to blow him apart from within him. He and his group go off to fight but the other disciple must stay behind having used all his mana to do this.

    Lee faces off with the evil wizard and releases his power. He feels like his body is about to blow apart but he is able to bring it under control. They begin the battle. Lee is stronger than he was but he still has a disadvantage.

    The others fight their own battles but it is clear they are inferior in strength. In the end in turns into a group battle of 6v6 with the right hand of the evil wizard being a strong SSS wizard in his own right tipping the scales.

    Derrick directs the fight as much as he can with Amanda/David working as a well oiled tandem (they get together finally by the way). Peter faces off with the wizard who killed his dear student David (Killing his students is his greatest dislike of all).

    Mary and Victoria (They are both low SSS at this point and tied for the next strongest are mainly fighting with the 2 wizards who destroyed their houses as well as trying to contain the right hand.

    In the end the group wins but it cost them. Peter loses a foot to save Derrick and Amanda gets his back burnt to save David which will leave her entire back scarred. In the end healing is done but they are completely out of mana.

    Lee fights well vs the evil wizard but he feels his mana center starting the clog and break down. Seeing the rest of the group unable to fight anymore he knows his lose means all their deaths.

    He fights on in a losing battle until his head is chopped off. The End.

    (Just kidding obviously)

    With no other option he goes for a suicide attack. He knows he will die but so will the evil wizard. The evil wizard seeing it wizard counter to kill Lee and avoid the attack. Lee adjust and changes the angle still intent on a suicide attack.

    The evil wizard tries evade and counter only to see Lee adjust again. A suicide attack against him with a lesser wizard would not have worked but he realizes Lee''s as he is now could kill him.

    Being too prideful to flee but to afraid to truly risk his life in a situation he didn''t have the advantage in (something he realizes now he has never done as he was always the most talented and brillant) he can''t fully commit to the counter in which he could also be killed or dodging completely and running away.

    Stuck between those 2 options Lee is able to land his blow and the wizard counter fails to instantly kill Lee.

    Even though Lee comes off a bit worse in the exchange Lee doesn''t hesitate and leaves himself wide open aiming to take his life in the next attack at the cost of his own. If the evil wizard attacked at the same time he probably would have killed him first but in fear he pulls away and to have the attack hit him without landing another on Lee.

    As the wizard dies Lee attempts to heal himself but his magic shuts down before he is even half way done and still bleeding out. He is healed but with a scar on where the attack landed as it had to heal naturally as no one had any mana left.

    Peter is now the headmaster of the school.

    Victoria and Derrick end up together and rebuilding the Sun house. Victoria is no longer standoffish and Derrick has found a place to put his stratedgic mind to use as the Sun house once again is the most powerful force in the continent soon after. They no longer have a policy of trying to control the other houses but work with them.

    Amanda and David retired to a small village and David finds the simple life treats him very well and doesn''t miss being a noble in the slightest. Amanda is still a bit shy but not nearly as much as she was.

    Lee''s magic center was completely destroyed but with the help of the last disciple of the old man it was able to be rebuilt (The disciple stayed on as a councillor in the house of Cloud). Lee has to start entirely over again and being so late in his life he will never reach the heights he did before he is happy as a mere B rank. He was able to fulfill his master''s wish and give his family the life he always wanted them to have. He saw to it Alura''s family and siblings were taken care of mostly due to the influence of Mary and the Cloud house.

    With the Cloud house being rebuilt many pressured Mary to wed someone with a stronger magic center as they believed it could effect the potential of any heirs. Mary informed them she appreciated their opinion but they could piss off. As head of the Cloud house she could do as she wanted. She finally managed to confess her feeling to Lee but not until nearly the end of their journal (Alura''s death complicated that). He doesn''t return her feelings at first as he is unsure about how he feels.

    Eventually when he sees how far she is willing to go for him he agrees to go out with her and ends up asking her to marry him no longer fearing it means he is somehow betraying Alura.

    The Cloud and Sun house go on to lead the continent to a lasting peace. The End.

    So there was my summed up outline. I hope that answers any questions you have and for fans of the story I''m sorry I couldn''t finish it for you. Thanks for reading though!