Days of Dawn

Chapter 4: Battle Magic

What began as a simple test of ability became a full-fledged training session. Skrou and Orion danced around the delta, trading blows and volleys of dark and arcane magic. Caravanners along the southern road caught glimpses of orange and violet light with the occasional plume of smoke.

As the two sparring partners fought, Salus slowly circled their confined battlefield to examine this new spellsword. Sometimes he'd snap out advice for Orion to better his chances against the seasoned dragon magician.

In silent truth, Orion's latent magic was not only existent, but magnificent to behold. It was as if Salus were watching a toddler swing a war axe around for fun.

"Concentrate on the spells!" he barked, "A spellsword's magic flows through the weapons they wield! Leocast is your conduit, not just a slab of metal! Try to deflect Skrou's next attack instead of simply blocking it!"

As instructed, Orion stopped his usual parry and prepared for the hovering dragon's next attack. A bolt of flame covered Skrou's arm, snaked off, and launched at Orion.

"Divert flame!" Salus commanded.

Orion sliced Leocast upward and shouted, "Divert flame!"

While the language was clear, Orion had issue deciding whether to bounce the spell away or let it splash off his blade into nothing. The spell fizzled out before Orion could even manage to cast it, and he was forced to leap away when the attack exploded into the ground.

"Intent, you fool!" Salus rebuked, "If your spell lacks meaning, it does nothing!"

Orion leapt away from another shot with a heavy breath. He noticed through his exhausted gasping a single patch of grass within the scorched terrain that was fortunate enough to have been untouched.

Skrou's next spell barreled through the air.

He shrugged and struck out at the spot. "Divert flame!"

This time, Skrou's spell bounced off Leocast and effortlessly erupted that patch of grass, incinerating it in a fiery blaze.

"Good," eased Salus, "You can put some thought to your actions after all."

Skrou landed for a rest on what could be considered the unluckiest spit of land in Adria. The sweeping spikes and charred dirt of this delta now more resembled some inferno than a patch of grassland. The dragon allowed a smile. It had been a long time since he had an innocent sparring match.

Orion, heavy with sweat and madly panting, steadied on with his sword at the ready. He paused for a moment, seeing his opponent now standing on the ground.

"Well?" taunted Skrou, "Are you spent already, Heir of Theolos?"

Orion charged a violet aura around his sword and stabbed it into the ground, then silently pleaded, "Erupt beneath darkness."

Both Paladins perked when the aura around Leocast melted into the dirt. Orion yanked his sword out, but the attack he had planned didn't seem to occur. In fact, nothing happened.

Skrou took a step toward Orion to discuss what he was trying to do when the ground suddenly came up from beneath him! It blew the dragon high into the air where he unsteadily recovered.

Salus frowned as he examined the ground around them.

Every muscle in Orion froze. "Salus? A little help?"