The Orion Project (Rewrite) (indefinite hiatus)

Chapter 12

      Devon flexed his wrist, gazing at the target at the end of the training hall. Beads of sweat trickled down his face as he threw another blade of wind at it. It cleanly cut the target in two, as though it had been cut with a sword. It hit the ground with a 'thunk', Desir checked his handiwork.

"Tis not that bad at all Thorne. I am impressed that you have learned this so quickly. Using magic without an incantation is quite difficult to master." She said, picking up a piece of the target.

"I'm just doing my best ma'am. I'm not doing anything that special." Devon sighed.

"Do you not feel accomplished over this?" She questioned. He gave her a look like he had just been insulted.

"No, I'm really happy that I'm even doing this much. I'm just distracted is all." He said, gathering the air to his hand again.

"And what is distracting you?" Desir asked.

     Devon formed the wind into a crescent shape and threw it over hand like a frisbee. It destroyed another target and he wiped his brow. "I'm trying to clear the rift between Alyssa, Rose and Lucas. Eune won't talk to me about it and it's becoming a problem to the point that I have to step in almost every other day." He said. "Since our training exercise three months ago, it's just gotten worse."

Another target fell to the ground and Desir hummed in acknowledgment as she stopped him from throwing another. "Duel me." She said.

"W-What? Why?" He asked bewildered.

"Win, and you'll find out." She walked away from him and stopped in front of the targets. Devon glanced around, hoping someone would have joined their training, but to no avail.

He hesitantly brought up his guard, watching Desir with uncertainty. She stood with one arm behind her back and the other raised before her. A ball of ice formed in her hand with tendrils of ice connecting it to her wrist.

"Try to knock me down. That is your only concern in this duel." She let a small grin appear on her face, taunting him to make the first move. Devon threw his arms behind him, summoning two air blades to his hands. He threw one after the other, watching as they quickly neared his target.

Desir only sighed as a wall of ice protected her, the blades harmlessly glancing off it. "You must do more than that Thorne. Your enemy shall not allow you another chance. Use something with more power behind it." She shattered the wall without moving from her spot and sent her own attack his way. Spears of ice were sent hurtling at him and he quickly dodged most of them, and destroying the rest.

Devon created a small tornado in his hand, letting it gently touch the ground. It suddenly grew in size and speed as he pushed it towards her. He could feel his core pulsing, his magic reserves were low as he was not used to using the tornado after the air blades. It used up too much of his reserves and he could feel the exhaustion creep up on him.

"I'm not impressed child, you have yet to show me something new." Desir touched the ball of ice in her hand to the edge of the tornado and it froze instantly and crumbled before her. "I won't hold back on you any longer. Brace yourself Thorne."

     She raised her hand up into the air, the ball began spinning frantically in her palm. The room grew colder and colder, snow began to form and fall to the ground. The wind picked up until it was almost a full blown blizzard. Devon tried to shield his eyes from the icy cold and it started to nip at his skin. His hair whipped back and he could feel the cold at the base of his scalp.

"You better do something quick Thorne! Or else you will end up as an ice statue!" Desir shouted over the storm. It suddenly picked up and Devon could feel small icicles forming where his skin had cracked and began to bleed.

Think! How do I get out of this!?!? What can I do?! What can I do?!?! Wait! He awkwardly raised his arms into the air and shouted as loud as he could. "Spirits of this world! I call upon thee! Empower me and blow this blizzard away!"

A sudden warmth overtook him as the wind encircled him, creating a dome around him. He flexed his body and quickly got rid of the ice forming over his body. Power welled within him, it coursed through his veins, he could feel it in every breath, and he could see it in the air around him. He summoned one more air blade and threw it at her. It was three times the size of his usual blade and its arc was almost pointed.

     It cleaved its way through his dome, through her storm, and tossed her back into the wall. The blizzard died out and a light snow covered the ground. The strength Devon felt was yanked away from him and the exhaustion stormed over him like a Chimera barreling through a house. His vision flickered before he finally collapsed.

Desir strode over to him as though nothing had happened. She could see him passed out on the floor but did nothing. The events playing over in her mind kept her from calling for a medical team. Her initial shock of him practically tossing her across the room like a ball hurt her pride as a warlock ever so slightly.

      The hurt she felt was outweighed by the pride she felt towards Devon. He connected with the spirits as he had done so before, but by allowing them to enter him and enhance his power was a skill only experienced mages and academy students knew. He had unknowingly bonded with a spirit on his very first attempt and created such a powerful attack as a result.

"Just imagine what you will do in a year, no, six months. If all of you can do the same, well, I pity those you come across." She thought aloud. She shook her head, hailing a medical team to come pick him up.

...

        Devon awoke with a migraine assaulting his head. He covered his eyes as the nasty light in the medical wing blinded him for a brief moment. He groaned as he tried to sit up, only to find Desir pushing him back down.

"You need your rest Thorne. Opening up to the spirits as you did took a larger toll of you than what you are used to." She said gently. He could not refuse as he laid back down and closed his eyes again.

"I-I,what did I do?" He asked, keeping his eyes shut. He voice was raspy and he sounded out of breath.

"You did something only a fully realized mage or warlock could accomplish completely by accident. Had you been better prepared for that, you would not have blacked out and used up your magic reserves." Desir said.

"Wow, I guess I'm special, huh? Hehe." He chuckled into a coughing fit. "Ow, it hurts to laugh. Why does it hurt to laugh?" He asked himself. He opened his eyes and glanced over at her. She was tapping away at a tablet, not even acknowledging him.

"So, did I win?" He asked with a slight smile. She gave him a sidelong glance, smirking at him.

"We'll call it a tie this time. I want you to work on your connections with the spirits for a while. However, I will tell you since you impressed me today." She set down the tablet and gave him her full attention.

"What was the last thing you were thinking before you passed out?" She asked him.

"I...I was thinking that I threw my attack a little too high I guess?" He shrugged. Desir stood, shaking her head.

"What about your team? Were you thinking about them?" Desir walked to the end of his bed, placing a gentle hand on the edge of his bed.

"N-No, I guess I wasn't." He replied, eyeing her hand quizzically.

"Then I accomplished my goal. You just need to clear your head once in a while. It helps to distract your mind from its troubles to think clearly." She said, walking to the door.

     Devon sat up despite his body's cries of pain. He propped himself on his elbows and gave her an appreciative nod. "Thank you ma'am. I really appreciate it." He said. She smiled at him and opened the door.

"If you ever need anything, remember that you can come to me or Hydros to voice your concerns."

"Of course, thank you."

     Desir left the room, leaving Devon with his thoughts. He raised his hand, looking it over as pride swelled within him. He clenched his fist and laid back down.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a break once in a while." He said to himself as he drifted back into slumber.