Pure Magic (Book One)

Chapter Five

The next day was similar to the last, but we made great progress. I rose up two ranks just from our training. We were beginning our next phase when Simeon came in and whispered something to Morgyn.

Morgyn nodded. "Right, break time," he nodded to me. I also nodded in response and stepped outside. I laid in the grass and gazed out into the vortex. It had become one of my favorite sights. The endless beauty of it's swirling, the quiet howls that accompanied it, and the various colors it changed to. I loved it all, and it gave me serenity during these stressful times. I thought back to what Morgyn had said about a dragon war. Casualties. I couldn't bear the thought, but I knew I needed to keep reminding myself of it in order to unleash my full potential. I didn't realize this would happen, but like Morgyn, I was happy I was in the right place at the right time. 

I laid there for a long time, just imagining what could happen, but in a sense of conditioning myself to be ready for various scenarios. I needed to be ready. 

"Tired?" I heard. I looked up and saw Morgyn standing over me, his hands on his hips and smiling.

"No," I smiled. "I find peace in this vortex."

Morgyn looked up. "Ah, yes. It is quite breathtaking."

I nodded. "Care to skywatch with me then?"

"Of course," he accepted with a smile. He laid beside me, and we just gazed up at the picture perfect scenery around us. We stayed like that for a long time before we decided to get back to training. We stood up together, and I was extra careful to not bump into him, since that seemed to be happening a lot.

Morgyn took one last look at the sky. “It really is breathtaking,” he smiled. “I haven’t stopped to look at it in a long time. So thank you.”

I smiled triumphantly. “It really is. And no need to thank me.”

Morgyn sighed a little. “I need to do some different training now.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Spellcaster combat.” He looked down at the ground. 

I nodded.  I understood why. “Alright,” I said simply.

He pulled me into a hug, and I yelped in surprise. We didn’t say a word. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tightly. It wasn’t desire or attraction. I could literally feel his fear, and I wanted to make it better. His heart was racing, his breaths short.

“Thank you,” he said in a near whisper.

I pulled away gently and looked into his eyes. “Morgyn, there’s  no need to thank me,” I said. “I just want all of this to end and put your mind at ease.”

He nodded and smiled warmly at me. I noticed his eyes were glassy, as if he had started to cry. “It will.”

I smiled. He was already trying to look on the bright side. I knew he was still really scared. Everyone was. We didn’t know what would happen from here on out. 

I realized that Morgyn was still gazing at me. I blushed and looked away.

“Right, sorry,” Morgyn also blushed. “Let’s train.” He walked away from me, but close enough to train me. I was actually feeling quite amused. There was something going on in his mind, and it wasn’t just about the dragons.

I ranked up even faster than I had earlier in the day. Combat training was my strong point. I became a Virtuoso, the same rank as Morgyn within a couple of hours.

“I think we are ready to duel,” Morgyn grinned mischievously. 

I laughed. “Shall we?”

Morgyn nodded approvingly. “Yes, let’s. This way.” He walked down a small set of stairs into a little indentation on the floor specifically for duels. I followed him. I was nervous, but confident.