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

and thirty-three. This is the extent of the archive’s knowledge on ryuite.”

Gregory took the book from her with a smile. “Thank you, Murium.”

She bowed her head and went back to her seat.

Gregory went back to where the other two were and sat down. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

“We’ll do the same,” Yukiko said.

~*~*~

Gregory sat, looking into the distance, as he thought about what the book had on ryuite. It’s a gem, but also a metal, which makes no sense at all... it would explain the threads in the glove, and boots, and the gem in the naginata, though. This book has nothing to hint at why the gloves can help me deflect a fully enhanced blow...

“Greg?” Yukiko asked.

“Huh?”

“Were you able to learn anything?”

“Not a lot, honestly. It has two pages about what they know on ryuite which, besides describing it with a lot of extra words, isn’t much. Ryuite is a gem, which we’ve seen in the naginata and medallion, but it’s also a metal that can be thinned down and used as fine thread, like we see in my gloves and boots. As a metal, it glimmers with a multitude of colors, much like the gem does when it’s illuminated.”

“Maybe the archive will have something more?” Yukiko sighed. “This one didn’t have much more to go on, either. It’s a lot of debate and conjecture, and several different theories of the emblem are discussed. Nothing about the first known appearance of it or anything useful.”

“I feel like I hit a rock head-on,” Jenn sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Yeah, it was difficult to take,” Gregory said. “Should we go bathe early?”

“That… is not as exciting as it sounds anymore,” Yukiko started excitedly, but her happiness dropped after the first word.

“Segregated,” Jenn agreed with Yukiko. “We got used to the other just in time to leave it behind.”

“I’m glad and sad at the same time,” Gregory said as he stood up. “At least I won’t have any surprise bathers here.”

Yukiko giggled as she got to her feet. “As if you minded that much, dear one.”

“Didn’t mind them being there,” Gregory admitted. “The surprise was the part that I didn’t care for.”

“Well, maybe next time, we’ll warn you,” Jenn snickered.

“Are you done?” Murium called to them.

“Yes, Murium. Thank you,” Gregory said. “Did you want us to put them—?”

“No, it’s my job,” Murium cut him off before her cheeks reddened. “I mean… no thank you.”

“No apology needed,” Gregory said, bowing his head to her. “See you at dinner.”

“Yes,” Murium said softly, looking away from the three of them.

“She’s so soft-spoken and shy,” Jenn said as they walked down the hall.

“Yes, but that’s just who she is,” Yukiko said.

“Pettit, do you have a moment?” Bishop asked from near the front door.

“What do you need, Bishop?” Gregory inquired.

“I’d like to spar with you,” Bishop said. “It’s an hour before dinner, so there’s time unless you have something else to do.”

Gregory shook his head. “We were just going to bathe early. A match or two should be fine.”

“Would you spar with me?” Jenn asked Bishop.

“Hmm... yes. A single match before I fight him,” Bishop agreed. “I have the weapons outside already.”

The three of them followed Bishop out the door. Dia was sitting on the porch, smoking, and Gin sat beside her, sipping from a glass of wine.

“I’m looking forward to seeing this,” Gin said.

“Did you need both blades?” Inda asked from off the porch.

“Yes. I’m fighting Jenn first, as you thought,” Bishop replied. “Jenn, we’ll be using aether. I’ll temper my output down to your levels and only do what I could as an apprentice. That way, it’s a fair fight.”

“Thank you, Magus,” Jenn said as she went over and took the training wakizashi from Inda. “I look forward to learning from you.”

Bishop chuckled as she took the practice katana from Indara. “You say that now, but we’ll see how you feel in a few minutes.”

“I have a potion or two if things go badly,” Dia said, blowing a fast-moving smoke ring.

Gregory and Yukiko stood on the other half of the porch, watching as Jenn and Bishop moved to the wide-open area between the hedge and porch. Jenn and Bishop stretched a little before facing each other.

Inda stepped in between them. “Face the audience and bow,” she told them. She walked them through the bowing before stepping back and commanding them to fight.

Bishop shot forward, her sword blurring as she attacked. The clack-clack of the wooden training weapons echoed throughout the yard as Jenn deflected attack after attack, her brow creased in concentration.

“Good, good. You can do the bare minimum, at least. Now, let’s see if you can do more,” Bishop said blandly.

Jenn was focused only on the fight, but not only was she badly outclassed in skill, Bishop had a weapon with a longer reach than she did. With a growl of frustration, Jenn took a graze from the magus’ katana to get inside its reach. She didn’t go with the expected attack with her sword— instead, she kicked Bishop, her leg coated in blue flames when she did.

Bishop brought her own leg up, covered in aether from foot to thigh, and took the blow on the shin as she stepped in and shoulder-checked Jenn, staggering the smaller woman back.

“Good. The unexpected attack was the right call,” Bishop smiled. “Most would have been worried about deflecting an attack from your shorter blade in that moment. You have speed— use it. You aren’t going to overpower nor outlast me, which means you have to find a different way.”

Jenn leapt back, clearing over a dozen feet. She was breathing hard as she stared at Bishop. “How do I use my aether to go faster?”

“The process is the same