Ariel's Will

"Think about it." he turned and walked toward the staircase leading up the mountain side. He was humming as if he was satisfied, as if we hadn't beaten each other up all day. When all of a sudden a crack resounded off the rock near my head. "And watch your back little one."

After Azriel walked out the door he headed off towards the library leaving the two of us alone for a brief moment to catch our breaths. It was the longest period I could remember since we started that I had gotten to stop and relax before he resumed with training.

"Cyrus? How long do you think the rest of our training will take? Or how hard will the next sessions get?"

Ariel and I both looked up at the setting sun, basking in its radiant heat. She hadn't realized that we had spent nearly the entire day fighting and was probably still winded from everything, but so was I.

The past two days were filled with very tough fights, which are supposed to challenge us both physically and mentally, as well as demonstrate a different skill, or show off our mastery over the techniques and maneuvers that had been taught to us before. It's strange that all of these fights had felt like one big puzzle that was always out of sight, yet no matter what it always seemed to work.

"Not too long now, just keep an open mind and an open heart" I placed my hand on top of her's which made her smile. We still hadn't completely grasped the concepts and techniques that we had learned thus far. It seemed that way though, with Ariel doing very well in her magic casting and sword techniques, whilst I would often find myself outpaced when facing off with Azriel. However, the more training we did the more his face showed signs of an impressed smirk.

"Even with an open mind, we are still having issues landing a hit, it's been over a year now and still can't lay a finger on him." Ariel's tone of voice made it clear that she was still very frustrated at this realization. But this was a challenge that was meant to test not just our skills, but our determination as well.

The girl was indeed very impressive with her use of elemental spells such as wind, water, and fire, it was almost like an art when watching her go. Even if I tried I wouldn't be able to repeat those spells or maintain control, she'd become quite a talented sorceress... although I don't doubt her current progress will stagnate any time soon.

However, I couldn't help but wonder what her level of prowess in combat would turn into. In all honesty, she already exceeded expectations as she's shown not only proficiency in melee weaponry and the application of spells to enhance or combine attacks and the use of other magic based abilities, but her talent in using dual elemental magics is rare.

Although it may seem like something simple enough to figure out, however the sheer intensity of combining two elements together and having them fuse to create an explosion is not only difficult to do but the amount of concentration and mastery is truly remarkable.

With enough training, the idea of such techniques would hopefully become easier and second nature to us. If not... it will still be an immense feat to pull off, especially considering there aren't many mages currently with that amount of skill at multiple elements, especially at her age.

The few that did had multiple generations of ancestors who were trained specifically to wield such powers, and here Ariel is already showing incredible potential for the arcane arts.

Unfortunately for Ariel though, she lacked a decent amount of experience against living creatures. Because of that her skills were mostly theoretical, but perhaps there is someone who can rectify that particular hole in her arsenal of techniques.

"This will be a tough challenge." Ariel was breathing hard but her words remained steady and calm. I took in a breath as the temperature rose rapidly before continuing. My throat burned slightly before the hot air finally flowed freely inside my lungs. I needed a moment of respite, a brief reprieve from the relentless heat, as the sweat poured off my skin in torrents. I looked at the landscape around me before sighing and returning my gaze back on the girl. She must have seen my reaction to the humidity levels because as soon as my attention was brought back her voice cut through my train of thoughts like a knife through butter.

"So how would you handle this, Mr. Chosen one?" Ariel placed one hand on her hip whilst placing another on her chin, waiting intently for a response.

"Okay... what if we use our newfound skills from our studies with Azriel on each other? The challenge will be the goal, to not get hit. Like tag, except the person tagged has to prevent being hit for 5 minutes, not just 10 seconds." As I explained my plan, I was able to see a grin beginning form on Ariel's face.

This idea was beginning to grow more and more appealing as time passed, but I would have to take every precaution and plan out as much of this as I possibly could before committing.

The moment my opponent's guard went down I would strike, not even daring to hesitate for an instant before delivering the death blow.

Azriel spoke up, interrupting our conversation. "There's a change of plans." Before we could even react to what he said, he was in front of us in the blink of an eye and grabbed us in order to teleport us to some forest. When I opened my eyes, I found ourselves standing inside a lush clearing within a forest. From a distance I could make out several mountains, a city far below, and above all, a massive tree towering far into the sky.

"Where are we Azriel?" I stared up at him with bewilderment evident on my face. However, he ignored the question and continued to explain the training regimen for the rest of the day.

"What's important right now is what you learn today, nothing else." He gave us an intense glare to ensure we understood him before explaining the plan in detail to us.

The purpose of bringing us here was to provide a new environment and challenge, not that our training sessions hadn't provided enough already... "The reason I have brought both of you here to for you two to hone some survival skills. Both of you lack the skill to be able to survive out in this harsh world due to your lackluster survival instinct. I will leave for three days, and the both of you need to survive on your own." His arms crossed over his chest.

His expression turned to a look of concern as he watched his students prepare themselves for this challenge ahead. His worry grew significantly over time. However, after a few minutes Azriel sighed softly under his breath as if trying to shake off his own fear of failure and begin preparing his students for whatever happened if they died on his watch. He loved Ariel and I dearly after all this training, he has grown to finally adore us.