That's So Wizard

Chapter 45 - Family Feud

Eldrian stood his ground as the only thing between the life of the man behind him and a brutal demise. He knew he was a criminal, and that he did terrible things and perhaps even deserved such a fate, but he couldn't sit idly by while his friend slit a man's throat. There was something off about her demeanour during the whole thing.

"Do you know how long I've had my dearest daughter train for a moment like this?" her mother spoke. "How skilled she's become, just so she can cut the man down? He'll pay. Know that, and get out of our way. Renatta has grown strong because of me."

Eldrian swallowed. "I can't do that. My conscience won't let it happen."

"Your conscience? What do you even know of the situation at hand?"

"Only a bit, but I have a feeling... There's something bothering me. Is that really why you trained Renatta, to help her?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think you only meant to turn her into a weapon of vengeance."

"How dare you!"

Renatta's mother, Lara Winds, widened her eyes with a piercing, furious stare. She squeezed together her teeth and swung the scimitar vertically downwards in the boy's direction. He hopped to the size just in time as he heard the steel cut through the air near his ear.

She acted quickly. Her body turned in a brief pirouette before the flat of her boot slammed against the concrete floor. Rings of burning flame travelled down her form almost as fast as Eldrian could blink, and before he knew it, the ground between his feet was smoking. It exploded, and a column of fire extended upwards from beneath him, and his staff flew from his hand to roll off to the side. Pillar of Flames!

Eldrian was fast as well. His body lifted upwards a second before it burst, and he raised his hands up for a spell of his own. At first, his fingers curled inwards as if to grab something not presently there, but he slashed his hands down, and as he did, a wave of water formed and followed with them. He released the wave downwards as he continued up. Hydro Burst!

When the water collided with the flames, the area around them exploded into a concealing cloud of steam. He used this to snatch back up his staff, and blink behind her. He conjured up two cyan bands of energy to wrap around her body while she tried to find him, and he did so just in time for the steam to disperse. Binding Bands!

"Release me!" she snapped.

Eldrian stood in a readied stance for a moment longer, but soon, he lowered his staff and focusing hand, so the bands disappeared. He then held his Staff of Lightning in both hands, and performed the ritual to disperse it slowly back into pocket space.

"Why did you surrender? You had me," she muttered.

"I did what I wanted to do," Eldrian replied. "I got the answer I needed."

"Answer?"

"You trained Renatta for years to be a weapon meant for revenge against the man who killed your husband. Maybe this did help her. You say she wants to kill this man. That it's her wish, and that maybe it'll even bring her delight. She's an amazing fighter. I know that, in a fight, she'll find the chance to strike. But the fact of the matter is that during all of this, she didn't even try to strike the man down!"

"Wh-What?"

"If she wanted to kill him, and had no doubt in her mind, she would have done it during our fight, especially when the steam covered us up. She didn't."

"That means nothing."

"It means everything, actually. So I'm not going to stand in your way anymore. As I said, I got my answer. You're free to do whatever you want now, Ren. I won't stop you."