Magecrafter: Chapter 4
Author's Note: Wow, did you know that at the time I'm writting this paragraph, I've only recieved 1 review for this fic, and that that review was from over two months ago? If anyone is reading this, please review!!!
Another note: Yes, the Garden is still rooted to the ground. No, it is not floating, at least not now . . .
Yet another note: I will stop using the characters' last names from now on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. Well, I own a copy of the game, but not the franchise. Have you ever wondered how they came up with the franchise name? What were other candidates for the name? Last Legends? End Myths?
********************************************************************************************************
Chapter 4: Assessment
********************************************************************************************************
Xu tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator. She tried to calm her anxiety by letting the sound of the fountains wash away her thoughts. After trying this unsuccessfully for five minutes, she gave up and began pacing back and forth. Finally, the elevator decended, and those long-awaited doors opened. About a dozen students stepped out, and Xu squeezed herself in, along with other impatient people who were waiting with her.
As the elevator rose, so too did Xu's thoughts come bubbling up in her mind. She was deeply preoccupied with what she had witnessed earlier that day. How could a child unleash such a powerful and rare spell such as Apocalypse? No one in Balamb Garden knows that spell. Where could Nexis have learned it?
A sharp "ding" sound awoke Xu from her pondering. The elevator had stopped on the top floor. Xu stepped out and hastily entered Headmaster Cid's office.
"Hello, Xu," said Cid. "What is troubling you so much for you to rush into my office like so?"
"I've come to report about a strange incident that occured today during the magic stocking expedition," answered Xu, her mind racing to get her speech straight before the headmaster.
"Ah yes, how did that go?"
"We were attacked by a Behemoth and a couple of Grendels. But that is not what I wish to talk to you about."
"What could be more surprising than being attacked by such an unexpected threat?" asked Cid as he sat up, listening intently to what Xu had to say.
"When we were fighting the Behemoth, our newest student, Nexis, managed to cast an Apocalypse spell. I don't know how he did it, but there is really something strange about that kid."
"Apocalypse?" asked Cid in astonishment. "You mean that legendary spell that is said to be by far the most powerful spell in the world? I thought that was only a myth! No one in Balamb Garden has ever learned that spell, and I don't think anyone alive knows it either!"
"Nexis handled it pretty well for just a teenager," informed Xu. "He did lose consciousness after casting the spell, but he revived a few minutes later. He didn't seem too fatigued by his accomplishment. The other students also suffered some injuries, but a few Cure spells got them healed up."
"Just how powerful was his spell?"
"The spell left a crater about twenty feet wide and eight feet deep. There were no signs of the Behemoth's body."
"Impressive, although that doesn't sound as powerful as how the legends describe the spell. I would account for that by the fact that he's still quite young, and his magic is still not fully developed."
"You sure seem to be taking a great interest in this boy's skill," remarked Xu.
"Why shouldn't I be?" countered Cid. "If what you say is true, then Nexis could very well be one of the most powerful mages in the entire Garden!"
"Then what do you propose we do about it?"
"I think we should test him."
* * *
Nexis entered the cafeteria a few minutes before dinner. He felt slightly tired and very hungry. He snagged one of the few remaining hot dogs as well as a bowl of salad, then looked around for a place to sit. He found an empty table, but before he could begin eating, Frank, Francis, and Kenny came up and joined him.
"Nexis, how are you feeling?" asked Frank, rubbing his arm where the Grendel had slashed him earlier that day. His arm was bandaged, but nothing was broken.
"Yeah, you were great today!" shouted Francis.
"Was that really an Apocalypse spell that you cast?" inquired Kenny.
Nexis remained silent, a little disoriented by the sudden attention he was getting. "Look, I don't know how I did it," he finally answered. "I just felt a huge surge of magic within me. The next thing I knew was that I had called forth that energy to defeat the Behemoth."
"Wow, that's really cool!" encouraged Francis. "Wait till everyone hears about this!"
"Could you please keep this to yourselves?" suggested Nexis. "I don't understand what I did, and I don't want all the attention this would cause."
"Um, sure," said Frank. "We wouldn't want to do anything like that to you."
"Thanks," Nexis replied.
"We better go inform the others not to tell anyone about this," advised Kenny.
The four of them left their uneaten dinners at the table and set off to talk to the others. They found Araliss and Marian engaged in a conversation at another table. Nexis waited quietly as the others entered the discussion.
"It is said that the Apocalypse spell could only be drawn from an extremely powerful sorceror or sorceress," said Marian as she sipped her soda.
"And it is suppose to be powerful enough to destroy an entire city in just one casting," commented Araliss.
"Speaking of which," interrupted Kenny, "Could you girls keep the day's events a secret from the rest of the school?"
"Yeah, our boy Nexis here sure loves his privacy!" joked Francis.
"Oh, don't worry, we haven't told anyone yet," assured Araliss.
"But you better warn Amy quickly," said Marian. "You know how she likes to talk, especially with something this incredible."
The boys quickly dashed off after the warning. Luckily, they ran right into Amy, who was busy writting something on the clipboard she was carrying.
"Amy, we need to talk to you," said Frank as he tried to glance at her clipboard. "What are you working on anyway?"
"Oh, this?" said Amy. "I'm just finishing up the final draft of the petition for a new means of transportation between floors in the Garden."
"How many signatures have you gotten?" asked Francis, slightly amused and interested in her project.
"Let's see . . ." said Amy as she flipped through a small stack of papers. "I have about a hundred and forty-two signatures."
Francis, Frank and Kenny stood frozen for a minute, their faces in a mixture of shock and amazement. Nexis looked at them, puzzled over their expression, then turned to talk to Amy.
"Listen, about today, could you please keep it a secret?" asked Nexis.
"Keep what a secret?" replied Amy.
"You know, the whole Apocalypse business."
"Oh, that. Well, I did tell a few of my friends from another class."
"Could you please tell them to keep their mouths shut?" asked Nexis, knowing that if Amy's friends were anything like her, then this was a lost cause.
"I'll tell them, but I won't promise anything."
"Thank you."
Nexis shook his friends out of their stunned moment, then set off to find Ray and Joseph, the last of the students who witnessed what happened earlier that day. They found the two of them engaged in a game of cards at a table by themselves.
"What's this?" asked Nexis, with curiousity.
"That's Triple Triad," answered Kenny. "It's a very popular game among Garden residents."
"How do you play?" continued Nexis with intrigue.
"Basically, the game's played on a 3-by-3 field. Each card represents some sort of monster native to our world. Each card has four different power values, one for each side of the card. The object of the game is to capture your opponent's cards by playing cards with a larger power value next to it."
"I see. It sounds interesting."
Nexis and his friends stood silently, watching the game go on. Both Ray and Joseph were pretty good players. Ray had played defensively, using his Malboro and Turtapod cards to narrow the playing field. Joseph played his cards aggressively, going for Ray's weaker sides by using his Ruby Dragon card to just barely overtake Ray's Turtapod card. The game kept at a stalemate for a few minutes. Finally, Ray decided the game by playing a Leviathan on the middle space, taking two of Joseph's cards in one play. Joseph's remaining card was strong enough to take back one card, but he still lost. Ray happily took possession of Joseph's Ruby Dragon card.
"That's pretty good," remarked Francis as he applauded the winner. "Where'd you get that Leviathan card?"
"Oh, I won it off of a member of the CC group," said Ray.
"You mean you beat one of the CC group members?" exclaimed Kenny excitedly.
"Yup," answered Ray.
"Could I play some time?" asked Nexis.
"Sure," said Ray, eyeing Nexis' uneaten dinner. "But first, you'll need a deck. I think I'll give you a few cards in return for . . . your hot dog."
Nexis looked at his hot dog, decided that he could probably just grab a few more donuts the next morning, and handed his hot dog over to Ray.
"Finally!" Ray shouted as he began devouring his prize. "As promised, here you go!"
Ray reached into his pocket and gave Nexis seven cards. "You can only use five of them in a match," informed Ray. "Also, if you lose, your opponent gets to take one of your cards, so be careful with them!"
Nexis flipped through his new possessions. His cards were Gesper, Mesmerize, Anacondaur, Armadodo, Abyss Worm, Jelleye, and Imp. Smiling, he put them away in his pocket.
"Oh, by the way," said Frank. "Could you please not tell anyone about what happened during our class trip today?"
"Why?" asked Joseph.
"Nexis can't stand the attention," replied Frank, silently chuckling at his strange friend.
"It's not much of a reason, but we'll except it," said Ray.
"Look," explained Nexis. "I don't know how I did it, and I certainly don't want to be badgered by dozens of people about it. I don't want to be know for something I don't even understand."
"Okay, that's plausible enough," said Joseph, turning back to his cards. "Hey Ray, I challenge you again!"
* * *
After dinner, Nexis walked toward the library for a bit more reading. However, he was stopped by Xu, who happened to be looking for him.
"So, how are you feeling?" asked Xu. "Tired? Aching? Sleepy?"
"Actually, I feel fine," said Nexis. "Those Cure spells really did the trick."
"Then how do you feel about a little battle?" asked Xu.
"What do you mean?" questioned Nexis.
"Nexis, the Headmaster and I are really interested in your skills. We wish to test you on just what you are capable of."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Report to the training center in fifteen minutes. A SeeD member and I will be awaiting you there."
* * *
Nexis entered the training center in full uniform, his sword sheathed a this side. Inwardly, he was extremely nervous. He had already expended much energy earlier that day, and although the Cure spells had helpled him, he still wasn't sure that he was up to his full potential. Still thinking, he joined up with Xu and another man, dressed in a similar uniform.
"Nexis, this is Nida," said Xu. "He will assist you in case you fail."
"What will I be doing?" asked Nexis.
"You will be fighting a T-Rexaur, and a high-leveled one at that. It's not as powerful as a Behemoth, but it's still a dangerous foe."
Nexis squirmed within as he walked with Xu and Nida into the depths of the training center. He had read about the T-Rexaurs in the book he had borrowed earlier. T-Rexaurs were huge, fierce dinosaurs native to Balamb. They had high attack strength and even higher stamina.
The group entered a large room filled with vegetation. A loud roar shook the trees and grasses. Loud, pounding footsteps heralded the arrival of a large beast.
"Good luck," said Nida as he and Xu backed away.
Nexis looked up to see the towering T-Rexaur. His mind was frozen for a while as he stood terrorized by his foe. The T-Rexaur was about seventeen feet tall and six feet wide. It stood on legs the size of tree trunks. Its mouth was big enough to swallow Nexis whole. The creature let loose another roar before plunging its head forward at Nexis.
Nexis' brain clicked just in time for him to react and roll to his side, avoiding the blow. The T-Rexaur turned its head and stared down at his prey, sizing up its opponent. Nexis took the time to draw high-leveled Firaga spells from the target. He then ran forward and plunged his sword into the beast's right leg.
The T-Rexaur roared again, more out of annoyance than pain. It began thrashing wildly, its tail colliding with Nexis and sending him flying across the arena. Nexis struggled to get up and go in for another attack, but the T-Rexaur's constant thrashing movement made it a difficult target. Also, the lush vegetation presented an obstacle before him. Suddenly, an idea occured to Nexis.
"Firaga!" Nexis called out. A stream of fire poured forth from his hand. But instead of sending it straight at the T-Rexaur, Nexis merged it with his sword. The fire did not melt the steel blade, but rather, the flames wrapped around the weapon like a snake wraps around a branch. Nexis then used his flaming sword to cut down the plants surrounding the T-Rexaur.
The fire surrounded the dinosaur. The T-Rexaur stopped thrashing and began to look alarmed as the fire surrounded it. The flames, powered by the vegetation, scorched the beast and enraged its temper. Nexis began to draw Thundaga spells from the distraced beast. In fear, the T-Rexaur swung its gigantic tail around knocking down burning trees and blowing out some of the flames. With some of the fire gone, the beast once again focused upon Nexis.
"Thundaga!" Nexis shouted as he raised his sword up high. A brilliant flash of lightning shot out of the sword and flew straight toward his opponent. However, instead of colliding with it, the bolt began circling around the beast, emitting extremely bright flashes.
The lumbering T-Rexaur became dazed by the flashing electricity. Its fury at the intense lights blinding its eyes caused the beast to scream in rage. The T-Rexaur had lost all interest in Nexis and began flailing at the ring of lightning.
Nexis used this opening to charge for his final attack. He plunged his sword into the ground and held both his hands out in front of him. He turned to his left hand and said, "Firaga!" Turning to his right hand, he muttered, "Thundaga!" From his two hands sprang flames and lightning. The two merged together in between his hands and formed a large whip of lightning, wrapped in fire. Concentrating with all his might, Nexis commanded the whip to strike the T-Rexaur. The magic whip shot forward and blasted into the monster, knocking it down, dead.
Xu was amazed by what she had seen. Most people, when casting a spell, would simply launch it at their foe. For them, magic was a force that could be called upon but could not be completely controlled. But this young mage was bending and shaping his spells to his will, as if they were just clay in his hands. She knew that even the strongest SeeD members at Balamb Garden were not as skilled at crafting their magic like this boy.
"So, how did I do?" asked Nexis, his breath heavy and labored from his intense concentration and output.
"Good job, kid," said Nida. "You would be a welcome addition to the SeeD organization."
* * *
Later that night, Xu reported all that happened during the assessment to Headmaster Cid.
"What do you make of all this?" asked Xu.
"Hmmm . . ." pondered Cid. "From what you have told me, I have reason to believe that this Nexis Parallax is a Magecrafter."
"A what?" asked Xu in puzzlement.
"A Magecrafter," answered Cid. "They are a mythical group of fighters who could bend magic to their will. As you know, magic is a force that we could release to do our bidding. However, few among us could actually mold this force into exactly what we desire of it. A Magecrafter would be able to shape spells into exactly what they want. For example, they can merge spells together with one another, or with other objects, such as a weapon."
"Amazing . . ." said Xu. "What do you think we should do about this?"
"Watch the boy closely," instructed Cid.
********************************************************************************************************
End of Chapter 4
********************************************************************************************************
How do you like that? I think I answered some questions, but I believe I opened up many more questions as well. Oh well . . .
I suppose the plot is still a bit vague, but please, I'm working on it! I have finals for the next week, so don't expect me to post another chapter too soon.
PLEASE REVIEW!!! I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, and I would like your comments and suggestions. Also, critizism and flames will be accepted too!!!
Thank You!!!
Author's Note: Wow, did you know that at the time I'm writting this paragraph, I've only recieved 1 review for this fic, and that that review was from over two months ago? If anyone is reading this, please review!!!
Another note: Yes, the Garden is still rooted to the ground. No, it is not floating, at least not now . . .
Yet another note: I will stop using the characters' last names from now on.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. Well, I own a copy of the game, but not the franchise. Have you ever wondered how they came up with the franchise name? What were other candidates for the name? Last Legends? End Myths?
********************************************************************************************************
Chapter 4: Assessment
********************************************************************************************************
Xu tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator. She tried to calm her anxiety by letting the sound of the fountains wash away her thoughts. After trying this unsuccessfully for five minutes, she gave up and began pacing back and forth. Finally, the elevator decended, and those long-awaited doors opened. About a dozen students stepped out, and Xu squeezed herself in, along with other impatient people who were waiting with her.
As the elevator rose, so too did Xu's thoughts come bubbling up in her mind. She was deeply preoccupied with what she had witnessed earlier that day. How could a child unleash such a powerful and rare spell such as Apocalypse? No one in Balamb Garden knows that spell. Where could Nexis have learned it?
A sharp "ding" sound awoke Xu from her pondering. The elevator had stopped on the top floor. Xu stepped out and hastily entered Headmaster Cid's office.
"Hello, Xu," said Cid. "What is troubling you so much for you to rush into my office like so?"
"I've come to report about a strange incident that occured today during the magic stocking expedition," answered Xu, her mind racing to get her speech straight before the headmaster.
"Ah yes, how did that go?"
"We were attacked by a Behemoth and a couple of Grendels. But that is not what I wish to talk to you about."
"What could be more surprising than being attacked by such an unexpected threat?" asked Cid as he sat up, listening intently to what Xu had to say.
"When we were fighting the Behemoth, our newest student, Nexis, managed to cast an Apocalypse spell. I don't know how he did it, but there is really something strange about that kid."
"Apocalypse?" asked Cid in astonishment. "You mean that legendary spell that is said to be by far the most powerful spell in the world? I thought that was only a myth! No one in Balamb Garden has ever learned that spell, and I don't think anyone alive knows it either!"
"Nexis handled it pretty well for just a teenager," informed Xu. "He did lose consciousness after casting the spell, but he revived a few minutes later. He didn't seem too fatigued by his accomplishment. The other students also suffered some injuries, but a few Cure spells got them healed up."
"Just how powerful was his spell?"
"The spell left a crater about twenty feet wide and eight feet deep. There were no signs of the Behemoth's body."
"Impressive, although that doesn't sound as powerful as how the legends describe the spell. I would account for that by the fact that he's still quite young, and his magic is still not fully developed."
"You sure seem to be taking a great interest in this boy's skill," remarked Xu.
"Why shouldn't I be?" countered Cid. "If what you say is true, then Nexis could very well be one of the most powerful mages in the entire Garden!"
"Then what do you propose we do about it?"
"I think we should test him."
* * *
Nexis entered the cafeteria a few minutes before dinner. He felt slightly tired and very hungry. He snagged one of the few remaining hot dogs as well as a bowl of salad, then looked around for a place to sit. He found an empty table, but before he could begin eating, Frank, Francis, and Kenny came up and joined him.
"Nexis, how are you feeling?" asked Frank, rubbing his arm where the Grendel had slashed him earlier that day. His arm was bandaged, but nothing was broken.
"Yeah, you were great today!" shouted Francis.
"Was that really an Apocalypse spell that you cast?" inquired Kenny.
Nexis remained silent, a little disoriented by the sudden attention he was getting. "Look, I don't know how I did it," he finally answered. "I just felt a huge surge of magic within me. The next thing I knew was that I had called forth that energy to defeat the Behemoth."
"Wow, that's really cool!" encouraged Francis. "Wait till everyone hears about this!"
"Could you please keep this to yourselves?" suggested Nexis. "I don't understand what I did, and I don't want all the attention this would cause."
"Um, sure," said Frank. "We wouldn't want to do anything like that to you."
"Thanks," Nexis replied.
"We better go inform the others not to tell anyone about this," advised Kenny.
The four of them left their uneaten dinners at the table and set off to talk to the others. They found Araliss and Marian engaged in a conversation at another table. Nexis waited quietly as the others entered the discussion.
"It is said that the Apocalypse spell could only be drawn from an extremely powerful sorceror or sorceress," said Marian as she sipped her soda.
"And it is suppose to be powerful enough to destroy an entire city in just one casting," commented Araliss.
"Speaking of which," interrupted Kenny, "Could you girls keep the day's events a secret from the rest of the school?"
"Yeah, our boy Nexis here sure loves his privacy!" joked Francis.
"Oh, don't worry, we haven't told anyone yet," assured Araliss.
"But you better warn Amy quickly," said Marian. "You know how she likes to talk, especially with something this incredible."
The boys quickly dashed off after the warning. Luckily, they ran right into Amy, who was busy writting something on the clipboard she was carrying.
"Amy, we need to talk to you," said Frank as he tried to glance at her clipboard. "What are you working on anyway?"
"Oh, this?" said Amy. "I'm just finishing up the final draft of the petition for a new means of transportation between floors in the Garden."
"How many signatures have you gotten?" asked Francis, slightly amused and interested in her project.
"Let's see . . ." said Amy as she flipped through a small stack of papers. "I have about a hundred and forty-two signatures."
Francis, Frank and Kenny stood frozen for a minute, their faces in a mixture of shock and amazement. Nexis looked at them, puzzled over their expression, then turned to talk to Amy.
"Listen, about today, could you please keep it a secret?" asked Nexis.
"Keep what a secret?" replied Amy.
"You know, the whole Apocalypse business."
"Oh, that. Well, I did tell a few of my friends from another class."
"Could you please tell them to keep their mouths shut?" asked Nexis, knowing that if Amy's friends were anything like her, then this was a lost cause.
"I'll tell them, but I won't promise anything."
"Thank you."
Nexis shook his friends out of their stunned moment, then set off to find Ray and Joseph, the last of the students who witnessed what happened earlier that day. They found the two of them engaged in a game of cards at a table by themselves.
"What's this?" asked Nexis, with curiousity.
"That's Triple Triad," answered Kenny. "It's a very popular game among Garden residents."
"How do you play?" continued Nexis with intrigue.
"Basically, the game's played on a 3-by-3 field. Each card represents some sort of monster native to our world. Each card has four different power values, one for each side of the card. The object of the game is to capture your opponent's cards by playing cards with a larger power value next to it."
"I see. It sounds interesting."
Nexis and his friends stood silently, watching the game go on. Both Ray and Joseph were pretty good players. Ray had played defensively, using his Malboro and Turtapod cards to narrow the playing field. Joseph played his cards aggressively, going for Ray's weaker sides by using his Ruby Dragon card to just barely overtake Ray's Turtapod card. The game kept at a stalemate for a few minutes. Finally, Ray decided the game by playing a Leviathan on the middle space, taking two of Joseph's cards in one play. Joseph's remaining card was strong enough to take back one card, but he still lost. Ray happily took possession of Joseph's Ruby Dragon card.
"That's pretty good," remarked Francis as he applauded the winner. "Where'd you get that Leviathan card?"
"Oh, I won it off of a member of the CC group," said Ray.
"You mean you beat one of the CC group members?" exclaimed Kenny excitedly.
"Yup," answered Ray.
"Could I play some time?" asked Nexis.
"Sure," said Ray, eyeing Nexis' uneaten dinner. "But first, you'll need a deck. I think I'll give you a few cards in return for . . . your hot dog."
Nexis looked at his hot dog, decided that he could probably just grab a few more donuts the next morning, and handed his hot dog over to Ray.
"Finally!" Ray shouted as he began devouring his prize. "As promised, here you go!"
Ray reached into his pocket and gave Nexis seven cards. "You can only use five of them in a match," informed Ray. "Also, if you lose, your opponent gets to take one of your cards, so be careful with them!"
Nexis flipped through his new possessions. His cards were Gesper, Mesmerize, Anacondaur, Armadodo, Abyss Worm, Jelleye, and Imp. Smiling, he put them away in his pocket.
"Oh, by the way," said Frank. "Could you please not tell anyone about what happened during our class trip today?"
"Why?" asked Joseph.
"Nexis can't stand the attention," replied Frank, silently chuckling at his strange friend.
"It's not much of a reason, but we'll except it," said Ray.
"Look," explained Nexis. "I don't know how I did it, and I certainly don't want to be badgered by dozens of people about it. I don't want to be know for something I don't even understand."
"Okay, that's plausible enough," said Joseph, turning back to his cards. "Hey Ray, I challenge you again!"
* * *
After dinner, Nexis walked toward the library for a bit more reading. However, he was stopped by Xu, who happened to be looking for him.
"So, how are you feeling?" asked Xu. "Tired? Aching? Sleepy?"
"Actually, I feel fine," said Nexis. "Those Cure spells really did the trick."
"Then how do you feel about a little battle?" asked Xu.
"What do you mean?" questioned Nexis.
"Nexis, the Headmaster and I are really interested in your skills. We wish to test you on just what you are capable of."
"What do you want me to do?"
"Report to the training center in fifteen minutes. A SeeD member and I will be awaiting you there."
* * *
Nexis entered the training center in full uniform, his sword sheathed a this side. Inwardly, he was extremely nervous. He had already expended much energy earlier that day, and although the Cure spells had helpled him, he still wasn't sure that he was up to his full potential. Still thinking, he joined up with Xu and another man, dressed in a similar uniform.
"Nexis, this is Nida," said Xu. "He will assist you in case you fail."
"What will I be doing?" asked Nexis.
"You will be fighting a T-Rexaur, and a high-leveled one at that. It's not as powerful as a Behemoth, but it's still a dangerous foe."
Nexis squirmed within as he walked with Xu and Nida into the depths of the training center. He had read about the T-Rexaurs in the book he had borrowed earlier. T-Rexaurs were huge, fierce dinosaurs native to Balamb. They had high attack strength and even higher stamina.
The group entered a large room filled with vegetation. A loud roar shook the trees and grasses. Loud, pounding footsteps heralded the arrival of a large beast.
"Good luck," said Nida as he and Xu backed away.
Nexis looked up to see the towering T-Rexaur. His mind was frozen for a while as he stood terrorized by his foe. The T-Rexaur was about seventeen feet tall and six feet wide. It stood on legs the size of tree trunks. Its mouth was big enough to swallow Nexis whole. The creature let loose another roar before plunging its head forward at Nexis.
Nexis' brain clicked just in time for him to react and roll to his side, avoiding the blow. The T-Rexaur turned its head and stared down at his prey, sizing up its opponent. Nexis took the time to draw high-leveled Firaga spells from the target. He then ran forward and plunged his sword into the beast's right leg.
The T-Rexaur roared again, more out of annoyance than pain. It began thrashing wildly, its tail colliding with Nexis and sending him flying across the arena. Nexis struggled to get up and go in for another attack, but the T-Rexaur's constant thrashing movement made it a difficult target. Also, the lush vegetation presented an obstacle before him. Suddenly, an idea occured to Nexis.
"Firaga!" Nexis called out. A stream of fire poured forth from his hand. But instead of sending it straight at the T-Rexaur, Nexis merged it with his sword. The fire did not melt the steel blade, but rather, the flames wrapped around the weapon like a snake wraps around a branch. Nexis then used his flaming sword to cut down the plants surrounding the T-Rexaur.
The fire surrounded the dinosaur. The T-Rexaur stopped thrashing and began to look alarmed as the fire surrounded it. The flames, powered by the vegetation, scorched the beast and enraged its temper. Nexis began to draw Thundaga spells from the distraced beast. In fear, the T-Rexaur swung its gigantic tail around knocking down burning trees and blowing out some of the flames. With some of the fire gone, the beast once again focused upon Nexis.
"Thundaga!" Nexis shouted as he raised his sword up high. A brilliant flash of lightning shot out of the sword and flew straight toward his opponent. However, instead of colliding with it, the bolt began circling around the beast, emitting extremely bright flashes.
The lumbering T-Rexaur became dazed by the flashing electricity. Its fury at the intense lights blinding its eyes caused the beast to scream in rage. The T-Rexaur had lost all interest in Nexis and began flailing at the ring of lightning.
Nexis used this opening to charge for his final attack. He plunged his sword into the ground and held both his hands out in front of him. He turned to his left hand and said, "Firaga!" Turning to his right hand, he muttered, "Thundaga!" From his two hands sprang flames and lightning. The two merged together in between his hands and formed a large whip of lightning, wrapped in fire. Concentrating with all his might, Nexis commanded the whip to strike the T-Rexaur. The magic whip shot forward and blasted into the monster, knocking it down, dead.
Xu was amazed by what she had seen. Most people, when casting a spell, would simply launch it at their foe. For them, magic was a force that could be called upon but could not be completely controlled. But this young mage was bending and shaping his spells to his will, as if they were just clay in his hands. She knew that even the strongest SeeD members at Balamb Garden were not as skilled at crafting their magic like this boy.
"So, how did I do?" asked Nexis, his breath heavy and labored from his intense concentration and output.
"Good job, kid," said Nida. "You would be a welcome addition to the SeeD organization."
* * *
Later that night, Xu reported all that happened during the assessment to Headmaster Cid.
"What do you make of all this?" asked Xu.
"Hmmm . . ." pondered Cid. "From what you have told me, I have reason to believe that this Nexis Parallax is a Magecrafter."
"A what?" asked Xu in puzzlement.
"A Magecrafter," answered Cid. "They are a mythical group of fighters who could bend magic to their will. As you know, magic is a force that we could release to do our bidding. However, few among us could actually mold this force into exactly what we desire of it. A Magecrafter would be able to shape spells into exactly what they want. For example, they can merge spells together with one another, or with other objects, such as a weapon."
"Amazing . . ." said Xu. "What do you think we should do about this?"
"Watch the boy closely," instructed Cid.
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End of Chapter 4
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How do you like that? I think I answered some questions, but I believe I opened up many more questions as well. Oh well . . .
I suppose the plot is still a bit vague, but please, I'm working on it! I have finals for the next week, so don't expect me to post another chapter too soon.
PLEASE REVIEW!!! I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, and I would like your comments and suggestions. Also, critizism and flames will be accepted too!!!
Thank You!!!