LINEAGE

Chapter 7

The mid-morning sun beamed brightly upon Elianna as she stood upon the lush green grass in front of the garrison's headquarters building. The crisp air blew around her, carrying her silvery-white hair in the wind, a few strands falling upon her face. She stood poised, staring at her father, who stood several feet before her.

Lucian had a playful grin on his face as he twirled around the short wooden bat he was holding in his right hand. "Are you ready, Elianna?"

Elianna nodded determinedly, "I am."

"Good," Lucian said as he took a brown leatherbound ball out of his spatial ring and stopped swinging the bat around. "Remember. This is a movement and reaction drill. Amplify yourself with mana, just like I showed you."

"Got it."

Elianna watched her father unblinkingly, waiting for him to make his move. This was her final test to prove she could push mana through her body to make herself stronger and faster, and she didn't intend to lose.

Lucian tossed the ball into the air, and Elianna prepared herself. She felt the warm power of mana flowing inside her mana core and, just like her father showed her, pushed it out throughout her body through what he called mana channels and mana veins. He had told her that while the mana channels were like rivers that flowed out from her mana core throughout her body, the mana veins were like streams that flowed into the muscle,  allowing for augmentation. It was incredible, feeling the warmth of the pure mana expanding from her core and flowing through her entire body. She could feel herself becoming lighter, yet also stronger.

The ball began to fall, and Lucian swung his bat hard, striking it and sending it to Elianna's far left. Elianna's eyes tracked the ball's movement and dashed toward it at incredible speeds.

Amplifying her body with mana made her faster, so much faster that Elianna was able to shorten her one-mile run time significantly. She loved this feeling, the mana flowing through her body and the wind brushing against her skin as she ran.

Elianna quickly moved into the ball's path, watching it bounce off the ground. She swiftly picked it up with her bare hand, and with the mana flowing through her right arm, she threw it back toward her father.

The baseball flew rapidly through the air, directly toward Lucian. Lucian smiled, lifting the bat and getting ready to hit the ball again. "Good accuracy! Keep it up! Four more!"

Lucian struck the ball again, hitting it to Elianna's far right. Elianna burst to the right, stumbling a little but remaining on her feet. She stretched her right arm out and grabbed the ball just before it passed her. She slid to a stop, aimed, and threw the ball back toward her father.

Elianna watched the ball as Lucian hit it down the middle in a line drive. Elianna sped towards the ball as quickly as she could, determined not to let it get past her. She reached out and nearly had to jump to catch the ball at the last second. Skidding to a stop, she quickly turned and threw the ball back to her father.

This time, however, Elianna mentally scolded herself as she threw it too far to his right. She had nothing to worry about, though, as Lucian quickly adjusted and dashed toward the ball to hit it again.

"Don't get sloppy!" Lucian yelled, striking the ball again and hitting a grounder to Elianna's left. "Keep a clear mind and stay focused!"

Elianna nodded in response and burst toward the ball. She reached down and caught the ball swiftly before skidding to a halt. She twirled around, focused, and threw the ball back toward her father. Elianna smiled contently, seeing she was far more accurate on this throw than the previous one.

"Better!" Lucian called out and prepared to strike the ball again.

Lucian's eyes flicked to her right, and Elianna got ready, thinking that was where he was going to hit the ball. But to Elianna's surprise, Lucian hit the ball high, directly over Elianna's head.