Trial by Fire

Mar gripped the hilts of the twin short swords Soleli had given her, feeling the cold metal steady her focus as she stared him down. Soleli stood at ease a few feet away, casually inspecting her stance, his gaze both challenging and calculating.

"Today," Soleli said, his voice a low rumble, "we practice melee combat."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a weapon of his own—a large, wickedly sharp rapier with a perplexing arrangement of gears and tech embedded into the handle, casting faint glimmers of light. Mar narrowed her eyes, wondering just what kind of functions his weapon might have.

Soleli smirked as if reading her thoughts. "Don't worry, I won't use the…extra features of my weapon." His tone was light but firm. "This is all about technique."

Mar took a steadying breath, her shoulders relaxed yet alert. With a burst of movement, she lunged forward, her blades flashing with precision as she aimed her first strike at his side. Soleli moved almost lazily, effortlessly flicking his wrist to parry. The sound of metal on metal echoed sharply through the space. She twisted, using her momentum to shift her weight, then aimed her second blade low in a sweeping arc toward his leg. In a split second, he leapt, his body rotating above her as he floated mid-air, like he was immune to gravity itself.

He's in the air, she thought, eyes narrowing. He can't dodge. Seizing the chance, she lunged, her blades stretching upward to meet him as he descended. But to her surprise, he twisted his body mid-air, adjusting his posture to flatten against her attack. Her eyes widened as he suspended himself for a moment, defying the laws of nature, before delivering a powerful downward kick. The blow connected solidly with her shoulder, sending her skidding backward across the ground.

"Get up," Soleli said, his voice as unrelenting as his strikes. He watched her scramble to her feet, his gaze sharp. "Pick up your weapons."

Anger and determination flared in Mar's chest as she grabbed her short swords and faced him, drawing a deep breath to center herself. She could sense his respect growing, though he masked it under his hardened exterior. She had no intention of giving him anything less than her best.

"Again!" he barked.

She advanced with a different plan this time, charging with speed and precision, then hurling one of her short swords directly at his face. Soleli's eyes gleamed with approval as he effortlessly parried the blade. The sword veered off-course, clanging against the wall. She was already closing the gap, grabbing her second weapon and closing in to strike from his unguarded side. Her blade arced toward his torso, but he brought his rapier down just in time, their weapons locked together, neither one yielding an inch.

This time, Mar let her blade slide along his rapier in a controlled descent. Then, with the momentum of her advance, she spun around him, using her body's force to redirect her motion, her short sword slicing toward his back. Soleli didn't flinch; instead, he brought his arm up, catching her blade with the steel bracers on his forearm. With a sudden twist, he reversed her motion, countering her strike with his rapier. The thrust nearly struck her side, but she dived backward, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Now fully aware of his capabilities, Mar's mind raced with ideas, each blending into the next. He's got me on speed and strength, but if I can catch him off guard…

She darted sideways, feinting left, then rolling to her right. Her feet moved with newfound agility as she retrieved her second short sword, the weight familiar in her grip as she assumed her stance once more. She launched herself forward, ready to engage again—when a voice echoed across the training grounds, disrupting their spar.

"Soleli!" A figure approached briskly, his voice urgent.

Soleli straightened, turning to regard the newcomer with a questioning look.

"One of our rivals is moving in on our territory," the man said, a hint of strain evident in his voice.

A dark gleam sparked in Soleli's eyes as he turned back to Mar, considering her for a final, conclusive test. He seemed to weigh his words before speaking, as though measuring the path she was about to embark on.

"Well," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone, "it seems you're about to experience a trial by fire."

Without hesitation, he swept up his jacket, slipping it over his shoulders in a single, practiced motion. He gestured for her to follow him, his expression unreadable. "Keep up, and stay close. This is as real as it gets."

Mar took a steadying breath, anticipation crackling in the air. She felt her pulse race as she fell into step behind him. Whatever lay ahead, she was ready.

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit backroom of the depot, Lucien stood, transfixed by the small ball of flame hovering over his outstretched palm. His heart raced as he felt the raw, coursing energy of ether pulsing through his fingers, the fire flickering with a mesmerizing life of its own. Razor watched him closely, a hint of approval glinting in his cold gaze.

"Not bad," Razor muttered. "But don't get too comfortable. You've barely scratched the surface of what a Magus can do with an aether drive."

Lucien nodded, feeling both exhilarated and drained by the effort. This was his first tangible step into the world of Magia, and he was determined to master it.

Suddenly, Razor's stance shifted as he turned toward the door, as if sensing something. He straightened, a new edge of urgency in his gaze. "Looks like our time for theory has just run out," Razor said, his voice sharp. "Get ready; we've got a live-fire exercise."

Without another word, Razor motioned for Lucien to follow him. The thrill of the unknown pulled Lucien forward as they made their way out of the room, leaving the faint glow of the fireball to flicker in the darkness behind them.