TBATE| The Walking Catastrophe

Chapter 3 - Anticipation

"Ready?" Dad asked.

With no warning, I burst forwards, kicking up dust behind me and forming a spear of water using the moisture in the atmosphere.

I willed the spear to race behind my father as I dashed forwards in a two-pronged attack. Kastos ducked the overhead strike, but I grinned, throwing my right fist where I predicted his head to be.

However, in typical fashion, my father outclassed me utterly in the hand-to-hand department. The flat of his hand pushed my fist out of the way, and he stuck his foot behind me before giving me a good shove, tripping me to the floor.

Even worse, the spear that I had launched at him from behind, went hurtling towards me, and it seemed he had launched me in the direction of my own attack.

Having lost my footing, I wasn't able to dodge the spear, but I didn't need to. The spear collided with my stomach, however, instead of piercing me, it stopped just short and molded itself around my body, cushioning me as I fell face-first into the ground.

"Dead," my father said, holding his fist right above my head before backing off, hopping on the balls of his feet, and shaking his hands.

"Again," I growled as I got up to my feet.

I dashed forth again, compressing water into my palm and shooting it like a bullet at my father. As the water bullet hurtled right after him, he dodged it expertly, but I waved my hand once more, sending it after him once more.

He dipped, ducked, and dodged the relentless blasts of water, nearly moving as fluid as the liquid himself as he danced around the dirt arena.

"Your mana control is getting better," he quipped, effortlessly jumping over a stream of water that was nearly a foot in diameter.

Once again, he positioned himself to where the water began to head towards me after he dodged.

Reaching out my right hand, I let the blast of water circle around me before I launched it out of my left in a slingshot maneuver, several times faster than before.

My father grinned as he dove headfirst right into the attack. I watched with a dejected expression as the compressed blast of water, which should have been able to sheer through metal, was met with the famed ascender's fist.

My attack was utterly decimated, but mid-sprint, I reformed the water into a spear and sent it towards my father once again.

He ducked out of the way, keeping an eye on me and the lance at the same time when I suddenly dispersed my attack.

He was briefly surprised by this as he shot a glance to his left.

The droplets of water reformed right onto my fist that was right next to my father's ribs, however, unsurprisingly my attack was thwarted when my legs were kicked out from under me before I could even react.

My water fist attack was dispelled completely and I slammed into the dirt of the sparring arena rather ungracefully. Yet again, I groaned in pain but my father put his hand above my head, emitting a bright blue light.

The only ability my father had ever actually revealed, was an emblem he earned that allowed him to heal minor wounds with the help of water mana.

It was truly a rare sight to see a mage with so many different runes, only able to use one affinity, but I wasn't exactly much different, but for a completely dissimilar reason.

"You okay Aqua?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Y—Yeah," I replied, my voice muffled by the dirt of the arena's floor.