Mark of the Ranger

XXXVII. Gentleman's Dispute

Once the smoke cleared, Jeff wiped the dust from the rock off of his eyes. He hadn't expected the headmaster to have a mage at his disposal, especially not an Aeromancer. Jeff turned to the crowd of shocked non-slaves. "Go onto the ships! I'll deal with this one," he called out to them, pointing to the Aeromancer. Oscar, who was with the crowd, organized the people evenly onto the ships before boarding one himself. Jeff, now having no other concerns, directed all of his attention to the villain that stood before him.

The Aeromancer, who had introduced himself as Rayjay before attempting to kill him, thrust a hand out, and a blast of wind blew across Jeff's face. Jeff rotted himself into the ground, encasing his feet in heavy stone. Rayjay lowered his hand for a second, and Jeff threw a rock from the wall of the island at him face. The rock shattered against Rayjay, who had shielded himself with wind. Rayjay put his hands up, and a twister began to form around him. The twister picked up sand, turning the beach into a sandstorm. However, Jeff had control over all things of the earth and stone, and he compressed the sand into sandstone, dropping it on Rayjay's head. Rayjay shielded himself again with the wind.

Jeff commanded the stone behind him to break apart into many pieces, and he thrust his hands forward, creating a rock slide. Rayjay thrust his hand down, flying high above the earthy attack. Jeff gritted his teeth in frustration, then stomped the ground. He did not stomp the ground because he really wanted that rock slide to hit, but he instead did it to summon a large stone, three times his own size, from the earth, so that he could throw it at Rayjay. He commanded the stone, with a flick of the wrist, to fly forth at his aerial adversary. The Aeromancer, occupied with staying afly, was hit by the rock. He fell down to the ground, and Jeff chuckled loudly at his pain.

"How rude," Rayjay muttered smugly, then used some of his mana on healing his broken bones. Mana was not only used as fuel for magic, but also could boost the body's functions, such as healing or even stopping aging. This was often a waste of magic if you were a mage, however, as you didn't have a staff to draw power from. Jeff, with his mind's grip, began to pull the rock wall forth. He meant to pull it down on Rayjay, without the flight-able foe able to notice. The rock wall began to budge, and Jeff's mana was fading fast. He was using so much power on the rock wall that he might lose it! Still, Jeff didn't have time to restore his magic, only time to bring the rock wall down. He couldn't afford to stop and eat some earth crystals or drink some pure mana, because any second not bringing down the wall was a second longer that this fight would go on.

Finally, the rock wall broke free from its roots in the sand, and fell right on Rayjay. The Aeromancer cried out for a split second before he disappeared under the rock. Jeff paused for a second to make sure Rayjay was defeated, then turned to one of the ships and began to walk towards it. On his sixth step toward the vessel, however, a great wind blew the rock wall off of Rayjay, and to the other side of the island. Rayjay stood where the rock wall was, greedily guzzling a canister of pure mana. Jeff realized that if he was to defeat this Aeromancer, he was to do the same.

Jeff drank three canisters and ate five earth crystals. He realized that the pure mana went to the Aeromancer, in case something like this, especially at this level, happened. He then commanded a rock to come from the sand, catapulting him forward, towards the Aeromancer. The Aeromancer tried to stop Jeff with the power of wind, but Jeff turned himself into pure iron, resisting the force of the wind. He slammed into his enemy with a wham! He turned back into flesh and kicked at Rayjay, who deflected it. Jeff tackled him to the ground, and they wrestled, wind and stone surrounding them in a storm.

Jeff threw Rayjay up into the air, then sent a giant rock towards him. Rayjay stopped it with the wind and sent it back. Jeff turned into iron, which the stone shattered against. Rayjay landed, and Jeff slammed his two fists on the ground. A great line of stone, appearing like a small mountain ridge, rose from the ground, spanning from Jeff to Rayjay, at an alarming speed. Rayjay was thrown back into his home turf again, in which he rocketed towards Jeff with more speed than sound.

Jeff tried to turn into iron, but his adversary was just too fast. He felt a rib break with the force, but continued to fight, disregaring his pain by turning his nerves into stone. He punched Rayjay again, but Rayjay dodged it and knocked him to the ground. Jeff shifted, turning onto his back. Rayjay smiled like a madman, preparing a needle of wind to liquefy his innards, regardless of iron skin. Disgusting. Jeff thought crazily, reaching for an idea. Suddenly, one hit him. He brought the sand into a dome covering he and his foe, then turned into into sandstone.

Jeff punched, once, twice, three times. Each time, he was dead on his target--the solar plexus of his enemy. He kicked with great force, sending Rayjay flying and breaking the sandstone dome. He brought all the rocks will all the strength he could muster onto Rayjay to make a tomb. He then gathered up many tons of sand, using the dregs of his mana, and turned it to sandstone. He dropped the giant pillar onto his enemy for a final blow, then passed out, having run our of mana.