In The End: Gargoyle Saga

Chapter 18: A Lesson Learned

Chapter 18 A Lesson Learned

Barging out of the ballroom, two Watchers, and Rowan, ran up behind me. 'I want to spar with you,' a girl with amazingly black curly hair asked. 'In magic. I'm a second year, I think I'm quite good.'

'Fine.' I was intrigued that they took my words seriously.

'I'm a second year,' the other girl piped up with a Scottish accent. 'I'd like to try my hand at a sword fight with you.'

I threw my head back and laughed. She wouldn't make it past the two-minute mark. 'Very well.' My tail twitched in anticipation of the fights ahead when Rowan came into view with a stern face. 'You are stopping my fun, aren't you?'

'Don't hurt them,' he hissed as I banked left and headed down the spiral staircase. The girls quickly followed and Rowan brought up the rear.

Reaching the end of the undercroft, I threw my sword down. 'Name?' I barked.

'Daisy,' the girl with the curly hair said. 'I'm from South Africa.'

'Don't care where you came from,' I spat. 'Give me your best shot.'

Rowan groaned and pulled the other girl away from us. 'At least give her the rules?'

'Rules?' I asked him.

'Yeah,' he rolled his eyes. 'How about, no killing each other?' The girl winced. 'Whoever is unconscious first or who forfeits loses.'

Sighing angrily, I nodded, 'Very well, get on with it. You, Daisy, can go first.'

The girl positioned herself several meters away from me. She stood, rooted to the ground and took a huge breath. Lifting her hands, they glowed purple and she shot some spell towards me. Raising my hand I deflected it and she quickly parried with another spell, which was weak. I let it hit me and my hand felt heavier. 'What pathetic spells are these?' I roared at her and stamping my foot, a spike of rock came up under her and she fell over. 'GIVE ME YOUR BEST SHOT!'

Scrambling to stand, she was on her knees when she threw two blasting spells at me. They hit me in the face but barely made a mark. She gasped, 'No way.'

'WEAK!' I screamed and hurled a similar explosion spell at her feet. It blasted her off balance and the pressure threw her backwards, about to hit Rowan and the other girl. I threw out a golden rope and caught her before she fell and walked towards her, pulling her upright. 'Your casting is quick but the power behind it is ludicrous.' She panted and as the ropes fell off her, they vanished. 'Have you had no training at all?'

'Some,' she admitted. 'Clearly not as much as you.' She frowned at me. 'How did you get strong and don't say practice,' she added. 'My tutors told me I had an aptitude for magic.'

I smirked. 'That may be so, but you are no match for a demon. I will give you some magic spells to drill. Meanwhile, learn from Etrician on how to fight, both in hand-to-hand combat and a weapon. If you can learn sword or bow and arrow that would be helpful-'

'Daggers,' she said proudly. 'I like dealing in daggers.'

'Speak to Eleanor about that.' She nodded thanked me and left.

The other girl stood and tapping her left hip, a sword was magically produced out of thin air. Rowan was impressed and stood back as the girl gripped her sword. It wasn't a katana, more like a sabre with a flashy gold and red hilt. She twisted the sword and it bulged out a little, turning into a... katana? 'Like my sword, do you?'

'It's interesting, I'll give you that,' I told her, folding my arms. 'I take it you have it imbued with magic that takes the form of your opponent's weapon?' she nodded. 'A nifty piece of magic.' I brought out my sword and placed it in front of me.