Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) Daniel Schinhofen (books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📖

in hindsight. If we face you again, we’ll be ready, but everyone you face next will be ready, too.”

“We know,” Yukiko replied as she went past him, going to Gregory. “Gregory deemed you a threat worthy of us using it.”

Klein looked at Gregory and bowed slightly. “We hadn’t thought you’d push through.”

“Hold still,” Klim told Klein as she touched his shoulder.

“Oh, please hold still,” Mindie told Gregory anxiously, staring at his abraded skin.

“My eyes first, please?” Gregory asked.

“Of course,” Mindie said.

“Winner is Aether’s Guard!” Yunlo announced as the healers checked on the injured magi. “There will be a pause between fights.”

The pain began to fade and Gregory sighed in relief. Blinking a few times, he got the grit out from the edges of his eyes. “Thank you. I had them closed tight, but it only mitigated it.”

“I’m glad you closed your eyes, or it would have been much worse and taxed me further,” Mindie said. “All done.”

“Thank you, again,” Gregory said. “Next time, I’ll have to go around the vortex.”

Mindie gave him a smile and went back to the tunnel. Gregory gave his wives an apologetic smile, then motioned to the academy box. In unison, the three of them bowed. Gregory grinned when he saw the Shining Light apprentices doing the same, having been waiting on them.

“Good luck with your other fights,” Gregory told Klein.

“Thank you. We hope to acquit ourselves better in those,” Klein replied, his slightly detached voice indicating his light meditation.

As a group, all six apprentices turned and bowed to Yunlo, then each other, before walking off the arena floor.

~*~*~

When they reached the stands, Dia was waiting for them with some jerky in hand. “Eat and relax for now. I’ll give you some more when you go to fight again, so you’ll have it for before your final match.”

“Thank you, Dia,” they said, taking the jerky and their seats.

“Why did you push through it?” Hao asked Gregory.

“Shortest distance, and I didn’t expect it to be quite that bad.”

“I’ve seen a dust devil peel paint from wagons,” Hao said, “but I suppose you know how that feels, now.”

“I do, Father,” Gregory said. “I’ll try not to experience it again.”

“You used the shuriken trick already?” Bishop asked. “Why against them?”

“Spatial magic,” Gregory explained. “Klein against just me, I can handle, but neither Jenn nor Yukiko is equipped to deal with suddenly-appearing swords. If I hadn’t charged, he would have gone for Jenn while the other two would have worked to keep Yukiko at bay. If they eliminated Jenn, they could have turned on Yukiko while Klein kept me busy long enough for them to manage it. I ruined that by charging and forcing Klein to try attacking me. That’s when their plan fell apart.”

“I see, and I believe you are correct in your assessment,” Bishop said. “You’ll not be able to use that again today, and maybe not for the rest of the tournament.”

“We are aware,” Jenn said. “The two we’re most worried about now are Swift Wind and Eternal Flame. They have a vast advantage in numbers. It’ll be harder to beat them. The fights will be longer with more chance of injury.”

“Yes. You won’t see them today, though, and possibly won’t tomorrow, either.”

“Agreed, Bishop,” Yukiko said. “Us, Swift Wind, Eternal Flame, Han Merchant Exchange, Yamato Shipping, and the Iron Hand are the most likely to be there for the last day, and only four of us can make it.”

“Concurred,” Bishop nodded.

“Just do your best,” Dia said. “That’s all the clan asks, but we are certain your best will see you win.”

“We always do our best,” Gregory said. “Oh, it looks like we get to see Yamato Shipping next.”

Chapter Sixty-seven

 

The White Eagle clan had only two apprentices to face them— a water magi and an earth magi. They weren’t prepared for Jenn. With the two magi focused on Gregory and Yukiko, Jenn infused her legs with aether and covered the distance to her opponents faster than they anticipated.

The exchange was quick and brutal. A single earth spike shot out at Jenn, but her mule kick shattered it. Her first strike took the earth magi in the gut, doubling him over. She spun to the right, the spear from the water magi missing her. Her hand came down hard and the spear shattered. Following up, her kick sent the water magi flying backward to land at Gregory’s feet. He tapped the man with his naginata as Jenn tapped the earth magi with her wakizashi.

That fight ended in even less time than it’d taken them to defeat the Shining Light clan. The audience had cheered, but it was decidedly lackluster compared to some of the other fights.

After helping the two magi back to their feet, Gregory and his wives bowed as they should before leaving the arena floor. They didn’t go far— just down to the preparation area under the arena where Hayworth and his clan were getting their things together.

“Couldn’t have given us another few minutes?” Hayworth asked jokingly.

“We didn’t know you’d need time,” Jenn replied. “After your last match, we figured you’d still be ready for a fight.”

“Well, I can’t argue that,” Hayworth admitted. “Not many of the other clans will be ready for all of us. Honestly, I’m sad we’re doing this. I would prefer even match-ups that would be a challenge.”

“Conflict is almost never fair,” Yukiko said. “You and the Eternal Flame have sheer numbers to swarm your opponents, if nothing else, though I wonder if the match-ups haven’t been slanted?”

“Because this fight and the next for you are against vastly inferior foes?” Hayworth asked. “Not that I have much room to speak.”

“While the Eternal Flame beat both the Han Merchant Exchange and Yamato Shipping,” Gregory said. “I don’t expect many to have unblemished