Junior Sorceress Melisa Blackflame, Part Four

{Isabella} 

As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Isabella and Armia collapsed onto the grass, their chests heaving with exertion.

They had been practicing their magical parries for hours, the air around them still crackling with residual energy.

"Ahhh, fuck," Isabella panted, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. "I think that's enough for today. Any more and I might actually die."

Armia nodded, clearly too exhausted to even form words. Instead, all she uttered was:

"Aaah," Armia hissed, her muscles clearly aching. 

For a moment, Isabella just stared at her. 

[... The dragon pushed me to my limits. I can't believe it,] she thought, a grudging respect for the darian's stamina and skill welling up inside her.

She wasn't that bad, all things considered.