Water and blood

After eating lunch, I was about to pick up my sword again when Norwin stopped me.

“What is it?”

“Leave the sword, today is your last training session, so there is only one thing I could teach you, the rest it would be field practice”

Norwin took out a rare stone, one that irradiated a very thin white light.

“This is a mana transmuter, so that means”

“Magic…”

“Exactly, I don’t know about your town but this place is very poor in collecting wizards or sorceress, everyone works their back off or fight using normal weapons but the ones who can use magic are rare in here, but something is telling me that you might have the proficiency to actually use magic”

I took the crystal and held it with my hand.

“Hold it thigh like if you want it to crush it”

I closed my hand with all my force and the stone started to move, when I stopped, water started to drop from the crystal and after a few seconds stopped.

“You have it! A good element, water”

“So… I can use magic?”

“Yeah, remember the feeling that you had right now and try to generate something”

I stand up and extended my hand, I try to remember the feeling from before, the crystal absorbing my mana, the flow of the water and the sensation of letting it out, when I opened my eyes, water was dropping from my hand and I felt a lot more tired, I dropped in my knees and started to take deep breaths.

“The crystal took a lot of your mana; this is something that you shouldn’t do a lot… this happened to me too the first time”

“You can control magic, Norwin?!”

“At the same level as you, but I don’t use it anymore, my magic is too offensive to be of help”

Norwin extended his hand and a magic circle appeared in front of him, covering his hand.

“Thunder”

After saying that, a lightning bolt was fired, leaving a burn mark on one tree.

“You never told me about it…”

“I didn’t have to”

“This is incredible… in my town, nobody can use magic, and… we thought it was only a myth…”

“Wait, really? But you know about the crystals”

“I like to read; I fantasize about this kind of stuff and I never thought it was possible…”

“Well, I cannot teach about using your magic powers since we are from different elements but I can lend you some books, you already know how to write and read don’t you?”

“I’m still struggling… speaking of… have you thought about what Elizabeth said?”

“Huh… take a sit, son”

We sit down in the grass while looking at the sky.

“Who would have thought that none other than my daughter wanted to be an adventurer too… It never crossed my mind, and while I am happy… I am sad as well…”

“I think I get the feeling”

“You don’t, I know what you are trying to do and I appreciate it, but you would never understand it if you don’t have a child yourself”

“Uh… yeah, you are right, sorry”

“Don’t worry about it, but I am giving it a lot of thought, I need to… but… looking at you right now… maybe is not a bad idea… one needs to let their children fly alone if not you become their burden… I need to do something before that and for that…”

“I am here, father…”

“Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth appeared with us with long staff almost on her side, I was confused when looking at her, she was even wearing some light armor and when Norwin stood up, he put his hands behind Elizabeth’s shoulders.

“This is the only test for her… don’t hold yourself, Ryuzaki, I cannot train my own daughter… but I can give her a condition, if she wins against you, she can go with you, but if she fails, she will stay”

“Don’t go easy on me, you understand? Ryuzaki Hikari, I Elizabeth Roselia challenged you to a duel”

Elizabeth pointed her finger at me and I was shocked, I was trying to speak up but I knew it was going to be all a waste of breath, I sigh and pick up my sword.

“With the sheath on, okay? I don’t wanna hurt you if I go with all”

“It’s okay, I’m doing the same by just holding a staff instead of my spear”

“So that’s your weapon…”

I made sure that the sheath was in its place and put myself in front of Elizabeth with some distance, Norwin sat down where he could see us better and he looked a bit sad.

“Begin!”

Elizabeth charged screaming at me, I blocked her first attack with the staff holding my sword in front of me but then she moved her staff, making me lose my sword.

“I told you to not go easy on me”

Elizabeth hit me with the staff in my chick and I look at her, instead of the usual look I gave her, I look at her with menace, she flinched a bit as she was preparing the next attack, she was aiming at my legs I jump but she stopped the staff at the middle, making the staff go up.

I hold the staff and put it down, she lost balance and at that moment I punch her in the face, she, I grabbed my sword and she was rubbing her chick, you would expect that she would cry or gave up but no, she gave my the same gaze I gave her.

The staff bounced my sword and with the momentum she spined to hit me in the back, I let out a groan while I got close to her, I swung my sword to her but she kept her distance, the moment I swung my sword, she would hit my hands and then my face.

I was bleeding at some point, but all she can do now it was taken steps back, it was at the moment where she took a bad step where I hit her staff and took it, leaving it in the ground behind me and going for a swing, hitting her at the side of her abdomen, she let out a painful scream.

I lifted my sword but she tackled me to the ground, I tried to move her and hit her with the sword but she held my hand with a lot of strength.

She then gave me a butting and after she could take my sword off, she threw it away, she started to punch me until I stopped her and hit her abdomen with my leg, I put myself on top of her and I was ready to punch her.

Her look was ready to take the punch while she was covering her face with her arms but I couldn’t do it.

“COME ON! HIT ME! COWARD! STUPID! I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO EASY ON ME SO HIT ME!”

I bit my lip and thought about a ton of things, but as I was taking a lot to do it she grabbed but she only lifted half of her body.

“This won’t be enough… Come on… I was trying really hard… I even did what you told me and told my dad… so please… please… Ryu… please…”

Elizabeth started crying in my shirt and she hugged me, only sobbing while her dad approached us.

“Thank you, Ryuzaki… I don’t know what would I have done if you keep going, I don’t even want to think about it… Elizabeth…”

I stood up and cleaned my blood from my nose and lips while Elizabeth looked at her dad.

“I’m sorry, honey… I needed to put you in this position but you demonstrate a lot of guts and you were really ready, you didn’t back off and you went to the end”

“But I didn’t… I don’t deserve it… dad…”

“Now you are talking like me, take the compliment, Elizabeth”

“Shut up”

Elizabeth laughed and her dad hugged her and lifted her.

“You really grow out a lot… Ryuzaki… I leave her at your charge, if something happens to her, I will never forgive you even if I consider you part of the family”

“I understand, sir, I will protect Elizabeth with my own life”

“That’s what a man should do, you grow up a lot in these two months, let’s go home and treat your wounds”

“Yes, sir!”

Norwin carried her daughter while I was walking holding my chin. A carriage passed really fast and the merchant was laughing when Norwin told him what just happened.

I look at Elizabeth’s face and hold her for a second

“Are you ok?”

“I should be asking that too, I’m okay, let’s rest, we can get our injuries heal ones we get home”

“Yeah…”

I lean my body against the carriage wood and look behind us, the training is over.