18 Chapter 18: Chain of choices

"Rhynus. What kind of magic do you use?", Peter asked to his Guard Beetle.

"I can cover my skin with tree bark and make it explode on impact, my liege."

"I'll start with other things first.", the boy places three pots on his familiar front. The others were looking. "Here we have. Earth, water and this special one.", the third was a closed glass box with a leaf on its interior. "Read this and try to move the first pot."

"Okay, my liege.", he sat before the earth pot and read. "Rise.", the earth moved a little out of the pot and fell on the floor.

"Okay. That's good. Now this on the second.", the water started to revolve on a whirlpool. "And this last on the third.", the leaf floated and then started to being slashed till there was none to being seeing and before the Beetle could retrieve his hand from the box it vibrated and broke.

"I'm sorry, my liege. I'll take of this."

"Don't worry. This is perfect.", he spoke to his familiar. "You have the basics for Earth, intermediate for Water and your higher affinity is Wind with Thunder. This explains why your explosion attack is better than your defense."

"This is news to me, my liege. I've only used Wood this whole time."

"Lets reinforce your Wood element then. It'll be easy for the time being."

"What I need to do, my liege?"

"Your innate talent for Earth and Water must be nourished.", Peter explained. "So your Wood element will be enhanced too. But as I see Earth will be to troublesome and then leave us with Water training."

"What do I do, my liege?"

"You need to control water till you don't need to use this incantantion.", the boy passed only the water incantantion to the Beetle. "So just play with it till you can do it."

"Yes, my liege."

"And you?", Ellen said to Peter.

"I'll do the same with my greatest affinity.", he answered.

"Which is?", she asked.

"All of them."

"Stop this and speak what are you going to train."

"Earth.", he said and she was with doubt. "Familiars would have an easy time after I know better about the element they have affinity."

"Oh. So you are training Earth to help Rhynus."

"Yes. Training like this his Wood element will enhance faster."

"While you do this I'll train my spells with Felix, see ya."

"See you.", he smiled.

Rhynus used the incantantion and started move the water around him but till sometime then it stopped hitting the floow now wet. He did that inumerous times and with practice the time was increasing his understanding was on the same pace. But he couldn't achieve the freedom of incantantion which was the goal.

Peter was doing the same but he used a small version of Dragon Tongue. His broken magic circuits were another obstacle for him to control as they were a big thorn on he casting any spell. He was stuck on simple movements as Rhynus and his Dragon Tongue was liting his magic circuits forcing his mind on maintain connection with all his familiars much more difficult.

"This won't do, boss."

"That's the limit, boy."

"I need more time maybe a time off from the classes?", he said thinking out loud.

"Earth is a hard attribute to train but a great to master.", Ulisses told the boy. "It took me a couple years to be really good to use it in combat."

"You're suggesting me to use Water and progress Rhynus in the same way.", he was a little upset. "I know this is a good way too but I don't know if it will be sufficient for a Royal Guard Beetle Synchronized."

"Maybe a real experience?", Maece said it. "You're only having mock battles so far."

"It's too dangerous, young master. Don't be negligent on this."

"All of this is delaying even more my magic circuits study and preparation."

"Why do you need to do this, boy?"

"I've been asking me the same question, boss."

"To support more familiars as my circuits are designed and everybody else. A wizard can only maintain safe control of five or less familiars. With a modified one I think I can do it."

"So that's why you're having troubles with your magic?", Fridda asked and he looke at her fastly. "It was very obvious.", she looked at the others familiars. "For me at least.", and walked away.

"That's the problem on your Dragon Tongue stability, boss."

"You must cut down some of us to use your magic properly, boy."

"I agree, young master."

"NO.", he shouted. "I'm okay. You must think in a way to improve my magic against Gabe while this I'll overcome this on my own.", they went quietly.

Rhynus listened the conversation but didn't stop his training because he knew the outcome. He was with his master for a good time to know his ways by now. So he change his way to see magic as a tool to himself and instead he saw as a tool for his master which needed a little help. But this didn't make the change needed.

"I'm going to quit classes for this week. If till tomorrow we didn't show any progress we'll be going on mission and if that don't help either. At least we tried and we learned."

"There's one and a half day till the duel yet, boss."

"The mission time will consume this time probably.", he explained.

While this on Ellen's room.

"What are you doing, master?", Felix asked.

"Dragon Inscriptions on my body. They were used before the creation of the Dragon Tongue."

"And what they do?", he looked a little closer. "They pass a lot through your magical circuits, don't they?"

"This is the principle. When a Inscription is activated it uses the magic circuit to gather power and release the spell."

"Which spell are you putting on your body?", he thought a little. "They would help me in battle too?"

"Haste and Protection.", she said doing the tattoos with magic. "Your scales prevent the Inscriptions to gather magical power."

"This is my natural Protection."

"Why don't you make Rhynus a good example and train another affinity beyond your main?", she wasn't going to force him but she knew how to convince. "It'll make you stronger."

"Which I need to learn?"

"Wind. Try to remember how you fly and think how to use that in combat while NOT flying.", this made him a little confused but was easier to understand than Peter's methods.

"Okay?"

Ellen was doing temporary Inscriptions with her magic. On the back days the wizards would literally make real tattoos to use fast spells. The more common were Fireball and Haste. Wizards weren't too realiable on their familiars so they didn't raise them as well as nowadays and needed a fast reaction with their bodies. Which caused another problem when you rely too much on your familiar strength.

If you have a strong familiar it has two possibilities. The first and most common is that you need more time to improve your spells and usability. Second is that you have great potential but it'll explode exponential and not linear as the first possibility.

Back to the living room with Peter.

"Odin. Suggestions?"

"Master. With the way things are now the better is that you throw the battle.", the crow said.

"Ophichus? And without giving up this time."

"Rhynus is simple minded. Actual combat will improve much more than theorical application.", the snake replied.

"But he need the basics till there. So it's better to pass all his affinities before the mission after tomorrow."

"You are really going into a mission?", the snake was worried.

"Why not? I can't do anything above my rank either way.", he said.

"You are a false ranker as you are now, master. Your condition is worst than you think.", Ophichus said to him without restrains. "Your spells have a probability of failing like a hundred percent by now. Synchronization would kill you instantly while magic is doing slowly."

"What are you implying?"

"You are a suicide bomber. You want to show off on your death. That's what I mean. You don't look around you at least once. Don't think nothing about the others that really cares for you. Only opponents deserve a chance. I swear I want that Ellen could beat some sense on your head before it's too late. Master.", the snake stop talking.

"He's undoubtly right, master. You turn blind when you have an adversary on your front.", Odin completed.

"Boss?"

"Sir?"

"Boy?"

"Young master?"

"My liege?"

"Luke help?"

"Uuuuurrrrr."

The egg trembled.

"What?", he asked.

"You were pale for a moment. Are everything alright, young master?"

"It was nothing. I was thinking with myself for a moment.", he stuttered. "Rhynus, lets see the other elements basics as well."

"Peter?", Ellen left her room as she felt the egg. "Are you okay?"

Her appearance made him pass out of regretful choices he took it.