A Dance to Remember

The skies were clear as the sun hovered above the land. She stretched out her body across from Alejandro in the mansion’s unsavory tennis court. A dim aura enveloped her unassuming frame, exuding a strange ethereal power. Again, she wore a dress, something he noted since their second meeting. Her grin widened with anticipation as he gulped in a racked shudder.

“I don’t expect you to hold back,” Enne sang.

“Remember, we’re sparring,” he reminded.

“You know I’ve never done it with a wanderer,” she fidgeted playfully.

“I’m sure your brother can hear us.”

Mathias heard what she said, seeing the wanderer’s flushed face. Iscah stood beside him with equal disgust, watching from the relative safety of the rooftop. The maid informed him of the spar after overhearing their conversation the other night. Although he disapproved, he was curious about how the old wanderer held. It was also the first time he’d seen his sister display so much energy in front of anyone.

“I’m sure she’s just doing that to bother you,” the maid spoke.

“Well, it’s working,” he muttered. “My sister and the wanderer—At least this spar should be interesting.”

“Hopefully, she doesn’t destroy the garden.”

“Let’s hope those two keep out from there,” he glanced toward her, after seeing Enne’s aura expand.

“Let’s dance, shall we!” she smiled.

She postured herself in a scarecrow-like stance to everyone’s bewilderment. The ground beneath her shattered as she sprung toward him. Alejandro stumbled back, barely missing the motions of a powerful uppercut. She launched herself in the air, spiraling before looking upon him with a menacing grimace. Her speed proved more than he imagined when he froze, processing how to spar with her. He scrambled away when she dove toward him, leaving a small crater upon impact. His eyes searched around the rising dust cloud, finding a faint glow.

“Oh, I love the tempo!” she laughed before she burst through.

She continued her assault with fast kicking combinations in an unusual mantis-like stance. Her attacks were laced with mana, doing residual damage to him whenever she missed. The overwhelming show of force kept the wanderer from countering, feeling his skin burn. Her final overhead kick struck into the pavement, creating a fissure a few feet deep. It sent gusts blasting through while the ground rumbled. He parried away, thinking of a way to launch his own attack. However, the crafty woman left him with little chance to act.

Hell, I might have to take a hit, he thought as she closed in.

Enne slid through the smooth field, launching him with her powerful legs. She flipped over, landing on her feet, glimpsing his ascension. The painful pressure along his abdomen kept him from breathing while his body throttled upward. His sparring partner soon sprung after him.

“I wasn’t expecting you to just stand there,” she thought aloud.

The wanderer glimpsed the city’s boundaries and all its beauty before she sped past him. She flipped forward to deliver an overhead kick, to knock him down. Alejandro caught her ankle, baring the painful strike. Enne gleed in childish delight before he swung her downward, giving him an extra boost in the air.

“Woo!” she exclaimed.

Her crash landing was cushioned by mana coursing throughout the thick hedges beneath.

“Let’s do that again!”

Alejandro landed, being met with her curling right hook before he could act. He summoned his shield in time, bouncing her fist away. The wanderer pranced around, evading her successive sweeps. Enne spun onto her feet before launching a barrage of strikes he blocked off. The Elven belle was a formidable fighter. He caught one of her blows, pulling her forward to throw her into a chokehold, but he underestimated her playful approach.

“Keeping me close, are you?” she chuckled.

The back of her head slammed into his jaw, breaking his hold. He clenched his throbbing jaw, stumbling back as he tried to create distance between them. She swung around, launching another flurry of attacks. Her jovial smile deceived his senses as she closed in.

A barrier was erected before she landed a mana-infused punch. The barrier’s shimmering energy knocked her back with an equal amount of force. Alejandro returned a worn smile while watching her tumble toward the other side of the court. She regained her balance after landing on her feet, which dragged across the ruptured concrete. She stood tall, returning a smile over her panting.

“You’re a handful,” he said.

“Well, I have looks that kill,” she answered. “But, we’re just getting warmed up.”

She lowered her stance further than the mantis-stance she had before.

What the hell is she doing now? He winced.

Enne broke the concrete beneath her once more, kicking up pieces of concrete. She closed the gap between them before he could get a visual of her. Whipping silver hair fluttered against the air as her amorous eyes looked into his. The fleeting moment ended as he felt his body fly upward. He rebalanced himself while ascending, unable to see where she went.

“Behind you,” she spoke melodically.

How the hell did she get here so fast? His eye widened when he looked over his shoulder.

Her spinning kick sent him plummeting, giving him a small window to soften his inevitable crash landing. He realized she was using an excessive amount of mana through her attacks. She would tire herself out within a matter of minutes at her rate; All he needed to die is tire her out.

He summoned a small shield, bouncing him away from the cold concrete. She dove at the wanderer as he recovered. Another large deflective barrier was summoned while she wound up her mana-infused attack. She broke through with ease, slamming him away with a missed right hook. He violently tumbled toward the mansion’s walls, surprised by her ease of force. She caught up to him, taking his hand before they reached the wall.

Mathias released his breath upon watching them fly upward. They twirled around before stabilizing hundreds of feet in the air. She held onto him as they hovered for a moment; her heart fluttered to the beautiful scenery behind him.

“What a magical moment,” she whispered. “It’s like two dragons dancing.”

“Do they kill each other while mating?” he asked her in a daze.

“I don’t know, actually.”

“How comforting.”

“Indeed! Now, encore!”

Enne grabbed both his hands, spinning him toward the ground. She was enjoying the thrill, realizing he wasn’t trying to hit her. She let go, watching as the wanderer plummet. He recovered before landing, creating a gust that bounced him upward. Alejandro catapulted back, soon meeting at eye-level. Her eyes widened with excitement, blushing at the sight of his quick recovery.

“If you let something and it returns,” she teased. “Then it was meant to be!”

Alejandro summoned a mana disc above them, provoking her curiously. Stunned by her sudden stupor, he grabbed her by her arm, launching her into the mana ceiling before it sent her straight down. Enne landed in a crouched position, glimpsing beams of light falling upon her. Her clothes nearly withered from the acidic properties before she could escape. The floor suddenly razed as she launched herself against him.

I knew he was holding back, she grinned.

A sudden, powerful gust slammed her toward the hedges. After crashing into the thick edges, she collapsed onto the floor as the wanderer landed. Alejandro approached her, watching as she staggered to her feet. She leaned against the bush, impressed by his well thought out counter. Her excitability masked her exhaustion.

“You used radiation from the atmosphere?” she asked, meeting his tired nod. “Wow, I would’ve never thought about that.”

“I didn’t think about it until the last minute,” he admitted.

The mischievous woman looked him in the eyes, waiting for him to explain.

“As you said, you can use mana as long as you have the knowledge. So, I know there are radioactive particles high in the air. I could siphon the nearest particles into a disk and use it for the attack.”

“No way!”

“I think we can end it here.”

“N-no, no, no, no!” she passionately disagreed. “You and I are going all the way!”

Alejandro couldn’t hold his laughter after her strange phrasing. She laughed along with him while pointing her finger at him. They laughed boisterously before Enne called out to him. When he looked back, he saw her playful smile with a dot of green energy on her fingertip.

“BANG, BABY!”

A brilliant flash followed.

The concentrated, small orb of light knocked him away. Alejandro felt his energy slip as he ripped past the chain-link fence. He thought she didn’t have the energy to fight. The wanderer bounced along the grassy knoll before sliding on his back. He looked along his stomach to find a melding burn.

“Shit,” he seethed. “She used that information against me. I’ve gotta say, she’s a quick learner.”

Enne knew she reached her limit, but out of pride, she wanted to prove to him she was a worthy opponent. Although it was an assured victory, she felt guilty for manipulating him into her attack. She launched herself against a fence, readying her final attack.

“Now’s my queue,” she said.

She balanced herself, using a small amount of mana. The half-elf focused on the remaining mana summoning the Bad Touch. An overwhelming pain crawled along her chest while she took aim. She saw how winded he was as he stood. Though his age weighed against him, he had the experience to counter her insatiable vigor.

“May this arrow strike you with my love!” Enne shouted before letting go of the arrow.

Seeing that this was the final showdown of their chaotic dance, he summoned another barrier that rivaled the size of her arrow as it grew in mass. It struck it with a blinding light that shook the mansion grounds. The earthly glow captivated Mathias and Iscah as it took a while for it to subside. When the flash faded, the barrier Alejandro formed remained intact.

“N—No way!” Enne gasped with marked tiredness.

“And with this, I send my love?” the victorious wanderer responded.

The green mana barrier smashed into pieces before firing back at her. The wave of energy struck her before ceasing within seconds. Enne closed her eyes with an expression of solace.

I regret nothing, she uttered.

Enne wobbled before gently falling back onto the ground. Alejandro walked underneath her to catch her, awaiting the feather-like body to land in his arms. Her solemn expression remained as she slumbered from the exhaustion of their spar.

“You really gave it your all,” he commented.

Mathias and Iscah leaped from the roof of the mansion to check on them. He turned to them with Enne in arms, which the maid took her in her arms. He noted their indifference as they looked upon her.

“Looks like she’ll be out for the day,” Iscah sighed before walking inside.

“It isn’t often we meet someone as capable as you,” Mathias admitted as they saw them off. “I worried she would be too reckless, but I feel that perhaps with your guidance, she can wield her power more responsibly.”

“What are you getting at?” Alejandro asked.

“Don’t misunderstand me, wanderer. She’s absolutely reckless, but with someone of your caliber, could she then become a suited ruler.”

After Enne confided in him, he saw how he was undermining her wishes. It’s not what she wanted.

“If I may?”

“Go on.”

“I think she more than capable of leading, but it just isn’t what she wants.”

“Is that so? I heard you and her spent a little time after our argument.”

Alejandro didn’t answer.

“Don’t let her pull at your heartstrings, wanderer. I’m sure you saw how she was in your little spar. She hungers for blood, but somehow you see her as all-benevolent.”

“Let he without sin cast the first stone,” Alejandro responded.

“I’ll be seeing you at supper tonight.”

Alejandro was left to his thoughts as the Elven lord disappeared into the manor. Considering Enne would be out most of the day, he thought it would be an excellent time to visit town once again. The fight left him tired, but there was much his active mind wanted to know about the city of hope she often praised.

This spar was fun to write!
But, it also served as a demonstration of mana is used.
This pits the difference between wanderers and elves.
Knowledge is super important! ;3
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Feel free to leave a like and comment!
Thanks for reading!