Chapter 7: New Repetitions
In order to discuss how Jimmy could find the seals they called a temporary truce and headed to Jimmy's house. Rachel eyed Jimmy suspiciously. "Now, tell me how you did that. How did you know that seal was there." He answered her truthfully. "The air there smelt, or tasted, I'm not sure which, but it was bitter. Lately, if there is a spell or something magic, I can taste or smell it. When you came to me at lunch, it was sour. Simon's seal, that was bitter, like a bar of soap in your mouth. So to tell you the truth, there is no spell I can tell you to let you find them. I suck at magic."
Rachel looked flustered but she also looked like she had made up her mind about something. "Fine then. I wish to propose a trade. During this trade a temporary alliance will be in effect. The terms of the trade are in exchange for you finding the seals so I can remove them and help save the lives in the school I will, God knows why considering you're my enemy later on, help train you in magic. Do you accept?"
"Yes" Jimmy said quickly. "We'll start tomorrow after school and after we destroy those accursed seals." With that said Rachel grabbed her things and departed. As soon as Rachel was gone Saber smacked Jimmy in the back of the head. "What was that for?! I thought I did good." Saber gave him the look of a parent scolding a child. "You admitted your weakness, you told her an ability that could have given you an edge, and you didn't consider the consequences that could arise from an alliance in this war. Other than that, the deal is satisfactory. However I shall watch you more closely and your training shall increase in intensity. From now on all your exercises are doubled and I shall now meet you at school at the end of the day. End of discussion." Jimmy groaned and went to do his now 300 pushups and 500 sit-ups before bed.
The next day he was woken up an hour earlier so as to accommodate his new training regiment. His run was now a full hour and his sparring was now also an hour, after which he had thirty minutes to rest and prepare for school. While in the school Simon avoided Jimmy while Rachel acted as if she didn't even know him. As soon as school was over Rachel dragged Jimmy over the whole school to try to destroy all the seals only to find that the ones Rachel had previously destroyed were back. "It looks like there is a main seal somewhere that keeps replacing the ones we were destroying. The best we could do is slow the inevitable at this rate." Rachel sighed and looked over the campus. "So, what exactly will this spell do? If it gets completed that is." Jimmy asked.
"The first thing that will happen is the whole school will get covered in a barrier, nothing gets in, nothing gets out. The next thing is that it will start sapping the energy from people's souls. As the spell builds strength from the souls it will then turn the soul-less bodies into energy. Then it sends the energy to the caster or his servant leaving no evidence behind except some magical residue." Jimmy stared at her for a moment dumbstruck. How, how can he do this. Simon, you used to be one of my best friends. We were always a little different from everyone else. It must be fate. Fate bites. Rachel turned to Jimmy with a calm look on her face. "Well, lets get to teaching you magic."
"Lets try a simple wind spell. You see that can there?" Jimmy looked to where she was pointing and saw an empty knock off brand soda can. "Pip-soy?" Rachel smacked Jimmy. "Focus, the brand isn't important. Now, get an image of what you want to happen in your mind. Build up your mana. Say the spell, the let loose." Jimmy imagined a crescent of air slicing the can in half. It was vivid and clear. He began building up mana with it's purpose in mind, but it still felt like nothing more than a trickle and wouldn't build past a certain strength. "Aero!" Jimmy said and let loose with the spell. The result was a small breeze that knocked over the can. Rachel sighed, "That's the easiest spell I know, if you can't do that one then there's no helping you. Keep practicing that spell and don't get me until you can cut that can in two." With that said Rachel left.
Jimmy kept working on it until saber told him it was time for him to do his afternoon training. By that time he was sweating with the strain using magic put on the body, but he had managed to score the can a few times before he had to leave. His afternoon workout was a lap of his usual course trough the neighborhood. After the warm up he would learn more defensive moves before he would have to spar with saber. Every failure was met with a penalty, be it hitting the sandbag oh so many times, having the move that he failed performed on him till his aches remembered it, or just some monotonous task like running, push ups, or even some weightlifting.
At the end of the day Jimmy took a hot soak in the bath to soothe his dead muscles. At dinner he had trouble eating since his muscles were so fatigued that they shook the whole way from the plate to his mouth. 'Jimmy, let me help you. Saber this training is much to hard. No one can survive this." Karin said worried. Saber sighed at the sight, "Perhaps we should tone it down. This isn't the age that I'm from so-" She didn't get to finish before Jimmy cut her off. "No." He muttered. Saber looked at him with a confused look on her face while Karin seem absolutely shocked. "We should keep going at this pace. I feel like I was dragged through hell and back again, but with the people were going up against, and the fact that my magic sucks, I'll need every physical advantage that I can get. I finally understand just how much at risk my life is." The determination in Jimmy's eyes was strong. He wasn't going to give up. "I see. Be prepared for Niflheim again tomorrow then." Saber was pleased at his determination. For he could very well die without it. She thought morosely to herself. "Jimmy. What are you talking about? What do you mean by magic?" Karin asked. CRAP! Think of something quick. "I joined the cross county team. The guys said my magic feet sucked. Something about needing to train more and get them blessed."
The rest of the meal passed in silence since Karin was satisfied with that insane explanation while Saber just shrugged it off. Afterwards the went to bed. Jimmy had recently erected a quilt wall between Saber's bed and his bed down the middle of the room so that they could change without seeing each other. Saber didn't see the need for it but humored him this time. When Saber was assumedly asleep Jimmy pulled out his grandpa's book and found a spell that he wanted to learn. It was one that would materialize anything that he thought of. The book said that it was impractical and useless in a fight, but Jimmy was stubborn and decided to try to practice it.
He whispered "Trace on" and got the image all mapped out in is head in the different parts. First was a wire frame, the next image was the materials it was made of, then was the texture, finally was durability and age. Next he whispered "Materialize" to create the object in his mind. His mana still only came out in a trickle. He formed the wireframe from his mind but couldn't get any farther. He swore under his breath because the spell was bright. He stopped trying to do the spell which caused the wireframe to fade into non existence. When it was gone Saber had awoken. She briefly swept the room before going back to sleep. Jimmy would have to find another place and time to get extra practice in. As soon as his this thought entered his head he quit fighting sleep and was out before his head hit the pillow.
(Author's notes: Well, lets see, 3-4 reviews. I admit I'm not posting often, and I'm planning on going into the Marine Corps. But does no one want to tell me if this sucks, rocks, or just simply exists? Excuse me while I go cry. Also expect a new character to arrive in the next chap.)