Sciro: Book One - The Mage World

EPISODE SEVEN

THE FIRST BATTLE - 2

Kane muttered under his breath, feeling the weight of his disadvantage.

"I'm at a good disadvantage." His voice was tight, almost defeated, as he kept his eyes on the swirling storm of stone conjured by Carass and his master.

From the sidelines, Aldine’s voice cut through his thoughts. "If you don't do something, then your Sciro is a goner." Her tone was steady, but the implication was clear.

Kane winced, clenching his fists by his sides. He felt powerless, and the realization only made his frustration grow. "Ugh. What do I even do... Reche can only defend himself because I don’t even know the source of my power."

He had only once seen the strange black swirl manifest back on Earth, but he still had no understanding of it. There was no knowing how it had appeared or what it was capable of. His only strategy now was to stall. To let Carass’s owner exhaust himself. But even that was a gamble, a dangerous one. What if Reche couldn't hold out long enough?

Reche hovered close, his wings fluttering rapidly as he struggled to evade the onslaught. A sharp stone clipped his right ear, and the creature let out a pained yelp, recoiling from the hit. Kane gritted his teeth, watching as his Sciro struggled. Reche was wounded, and it was all his fault. If only he had more control, more understanding of what he could do. His uselessness was hurting his companion.

Reche, despite his pain, darted toward Carass, lifting his injured ear as he tried to slap at the rival Sciro. The hit landed, making Carass flinch, the blow landing squarely on the antennae. The impact, while minor, forced Carass to stagger under the assault of the flying stones and rocks.

Kane watched in tense silence as Carass’s owner, the boy with the glowing green aura, clenched his fist. A swirl of green magic enveloped his hand, radiating power. Carass’s glowing gem-like eyes narrowed as he looked at Reche, and with a sweeping motion, he unleashed a storm of dust and rocks, hurtling toward Kane’s Sciro.

"Reche! Fly away, please!" Kane's voice was desperate, his heart hammering in his chest. Reche, wings flapping unsteadily due to his injured ear, managed to swerve out of the way just before the storm could engulf him.

As Reche flew closer to Kane, the boy whispered, voice laced with uncertainty. "Reche... do you have magic? Can you do anything on your own?" His Sciro glanced back at him and nodded, though it was clear he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Suddenly, Reche’s expression shifted, as if an idea had sparked. Without hesitation, he charged toward the swirling storm, his wounded ear batting at the stones with precision. Though each hit sent waves of pain through him, Reche continued to swat the stones out of their trajectory, sending them flying back toward Carass. It was working—at least temporarily. But this small victory wasn’t enough to win.

"I seriously should have not agreed to this battle," Kane muttered under his breath, despair creeping into his voice.

Then, Carass's owner, his expression full of confidence, raised his hand. "Okay. I think we should end this. Carass, let's combine our magic." His voice boomed, echoing through the battlefield.

Kane's heart sank. "Wait, what? He can do that? What does that even mean?" His eyes darted to Aldine, who remained standing behind him, watching the battle unfold.

She nodded, her tone calm but serious. "Sciros have magic too. When a Sciro master unlocks at least two spells, their Sciros can use a part of their own magic. Since all Sciros eventually evolve into magic dragons, their power is immense. Carass, being an earth dragon, makes it even worse. The boy's an earth mage, and they share the same attribute. It'll be harder to evade."