ANOS

Roshan arrived at the family training grounds after walking through the long hallway. The De Arcadian training ground was a marvelous sight to behold, a combination of natural and architectural perfection. A powerful magical barrier, constructed by the top mages in the kingdom of Valoria, surrounded the grounds. The floor was made of frosted stones engraved with ancient runes. Statues of legendary De Arcadian warriors, each wielding a different form of ice magic, lined the perimeter, giving the area an air of timeless grandeur.

Adjacent to the combat arenas was the spellcasting range, a series of long, narrow lanes lined with targets of various sizes and shapes. These targets were enchanted to move unpredictably, providing a challenging practice environment for honing precision and control in spellcasting. At the far end of the range stood a towering ice wall, used for practicing high-power spells and defensive techniques.

To the east, various weapons crafted with ice magic were displayed, ranked from grade A to F according to their strengths. Roshan walked over to the weapons, his eyes carefully examining those ranked A. "These were the weakest weapons back then; too bad they're now classified as A." He picked up an ice sword. "This should be the strongest of all the weapons ranked A. Its effect is so ironic." He dropped the sword and turned to the statues, his eyes fixed on a specific one. It depicted his human friend from the past, wielding his famous ice spell, "The Ice Vortex."

"I can't understand why you turned your back on us and became the slaves of those damned dragons," Roshan muttered, forming a ball of ice in his hand and angrily throwing it at the statue. It crumbled into pieces, and Roshan whispered, "Arise." The statue returned to its original shape, as if it had never been shattered.

Suddenly, faint footsteps approached the training grounds. Roshan instantly turned to face the entrance. A brown-haired boy walked in, stopping just two inches away from Roshan. He stood at 5'7", three inches taller than Roshan. They stared at each other with expressionless faces before both burst out laughing.

"Long time no see, Anos," Roshan smiled, extending his hand. Anos slapped it away and went in for a hug. "You don't welcome a friend with a handshake," Anos said, smiling.

"Did the guards give you trouble on your way in?" Roshan asked, his eyes stern, implying that if they had, he would deal with them immediately. Anos noticed the look in Roshan's eyes and said, "No, they didn't really mind me. They only advised me to get a change of clothes before I walked in. I can never get used to the complex structure of this mansion."

Anos was a close friend of Roshan. They had been friends since Roshan was six years old, ten years ago. Although not a noble, Anos possessed high magical power and talent that placed him among the top three strongest rank E mages. He had lost both parents at a young age and had since wanted nothing more than to grow stronger to protect those he loved.

"Your childhood dream was to become a powerful mage, am I right?" Roshan asked.

"No, you're wrong. It wasn't my childhood dream; it's my only dream as long as I live. But how do I make that dream come true when I can't get into the mage academy?" Anos replied, frustration evident in his voice.

"Why don't we make a bet?" Roshan suggested.

"What bet?" Anos asked.

"We'll spar. If you can land a hit on me, I'll make sure you get enrolled in the magic academy with me tomorrow," Roshan proposed with a smug look.

"And if I lose?" Anos asked.

"You'll find out after the spar," Roshan replied.

"Okay, let's go," Anos agreed, steeling his resolve to win.

Anos attacked first, conjuring a fiery spear and throwing it towards Roshan. CRACK A sharp crack echoed as ice burst from the ground, defending Roshan from the incoming spear. FWOOSH Two fireballs surged from Anos' palms, hurtling towards the ice shield. BOOM The ice shattered on contact, but Roshan was nowhere to be seen.

"Huh? Where'd he go?" Anos muttered. "Argh!" He coughed and fell to the ground, punched in the back by Roshan.

"Sorry, Anos, I never learned to hold back," Roshan said, extending his hand to help Anos up.

"There's no greater pleasure than being bested by you," Anos said, getting to his feet. "I have to go now."

"Okay, see you later, Anos," Roshan waved.

After Anos left, Roshan's hand twisted and morphed into a sharp sword, similar to the one he had picked up earlier. The sword then separated from his hand, and his hand grew back to its original form. "You'll be needing this, Anos," Roshan said with a satisfied smile.