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

No one spoke up, so Paul nodded. “Get to it.”

~*~*~

“That was a long game. Ling did well,” Gregory said as they left the building. Stretching, he looked at the night sky and sighed. “Won’t be any training tonight.”

“It took longer than I thought it would... Ling understood more than I thought she did,” Jenn said. “Her use of the archers was perfect.”

“Clover is amusing,” Yukiko giggled. “Her encouraging Ling nearly made Magus Erichson rebuke her.”

“She means well,” Gregory chuckled, thinking about Clover’s antics.

“She just wanted Ling to feel better,” Jenn smiled. “Those two will make a good team when we have team games.”

“Yes, they will,” Yukiko agreed. “Reminds me some of Daciana and Nessa, honestly, but with less aggression and more unbridled cheer.”

Gregory laughed. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“Who do you think the cook will be tonight?” Jenn asked, looking up at the star-laden sky.

“I think Steva,” Yukiko replied. “Not that it matters. Dinner will be delicious, no matter who it is.”

Chapter Thirty-nine

Nearly a month passed by with a very broken routine— they were still able to study every morning and practice the Peaceful Fist every night, but their magic and combat training was hit and miss. It all came down to how long the games ran during class. The majority ended before dinner at the clan hall, allowing them to get training in, but occasionally, the game would run long. Those long games would have the entire class staying to watch, as Paul considered it educational for them.

The expanded Magi Squares were slowly becoming easier for them to complete, which gave them more time to read again. Daciana had been challenged twice during physical training, and won both times, which didn’t earn the three novices any new friends. Winning did earn Daciana some notice and invitations to talk with some clans, and an invitation for Nessa, as well.

It took Yukiko explaining the politics of the situation for Daciana to understand that, even if she never wanted to join those clans, it would still be good for her to visit and listen. It would buy time for them, and maybe even keep the other students from causing the novices so much trouble if they thought she was likely to join a clan with clout.

The physical training had gone back to no-aether sparring against their clan instructors, which lacked a lot of the flair the fights with the Hardened Fist had, but drilled the idea of basic teamwork into them better. They’d started to use single words or hand signals to relay basic ideas to each other.

~*~*~

Gregory frowned for a moment, then smiled when he realized where he was. “Hello, Darkness.”

“Dear one. It is good to speak with you again,” her liquid voice sounded happy. “You are all rank five this morning.”

“Thank you,” Gregory said, sitting up on the side of the bed closest to the pooled shadows. “I know you had to work to make it happen.”

“Yes, but for you, dear one, I would do nearly anything.”

“Except let me see you,” Gregory said with a smirk.

“You are still not ready, but you are growing quickly. It will still be years before you are truly ready, but that is almost no time at all.”

“It’s barely been over a year since this all started, and it feels like ages,” Gregory said softly. “So much has changed in that time...”

“Yes, and all for the better,” Darkness added. “Now, I know the questions burning in your mind but, before I answer them…” The bed flexed as Yukiko and Jenn appeared beside him on the bed. “There we are. One big, happy family.”

“Oh... we must have grown again. That’s good,” Yukiko smiled. “How are you, Darkness?”

“I am fine, Yuki. Thank you for asking. I was going to ask for that favor after I answered questions for our heart. Is that okay with you?”

“Oh, yes. It’s been a while since we did that, but I’m fine with it. Jenn?”

“Huh? Oh. Yes, that’s fine, Darkness.”

Gregory frowned, knowing he was missing something.

“You will find out shortly, dear one,” Darkness laughed. “The medallion… I know you have been wondering what you can do with it right now. Instead of letting you fumble around with it, I am going to show you the safe things you can use it for.”

The shadows pulled back slightly and a table appeared before them. The medallion from the temple rested on it, along with copies of their enchanted items. Disembodied hands of the darkest shadows lifted the medallion up and touched it to one of their armbands of shielding. A pulse of aether flashed between them— a bright blue arc that was there and gone in an instant.

“And it is fully charged,” Darkness said. “Just touch them and will it. The same goes for your aether storage items, including Jenn’s, but if you charge hers fully, it will have a clear impact on the aether in the medallion. I suggest only charging her ring as far as your earrings, Yuki.”

“Okay,” Yukiko replied.

“As for the items that recharge by pulling in ambient aether...” The medallion stayed in the air, and the table now held copies of the healing rings and the necklaces that let them go invisible. “This is a bit trickier, as you have to discharge some of the aether into the air. Focus on letting a tiny trickle of aether out, and only a tiny trickle. Have the items near it when you do.” A small burst of flame came from the medallion, and the sparks were quickly sucked into the items around it.

“And that’s the least it can do, isn’t it?” Gregory asked softly. “This was Aether’s medallion?”

“It was yours, yes. It is one of the reasons why the aether flame is seen as it is. As for your other question, Jenn,