Chp. 18: A Touch of Magic

Docking Bays

August 25, 2020

A few days have passed as it was currently morning at the docking bays. Some students were boarding onto some Airbuses for their departure to Vale for their recruitment and training for the UHL. Near one of the airbuses, Atar and Arslan were both saying their goodbyes as Arslan and the rest of Team ABRN were about to leave.

"So you made sure to put my number on your Scroll?" Arslan asked.

"First thing I did after I got it," Atar answered. "What about you?"

"Already on my Scroll," Arslan replied.

"So you'll call me when you get to Vale?" Atar asked.

"Yeah, just watch yourself with the artifacts," Arslan said.

"And you be careful out there," Atar said.

"I'm always alert whenever I'm out in the field," Arslan said.

"Still won't stop me from worrying," Atar said.

"Well, you worry too much," Arslan said.

"Someone has to," Atar replied.

"C'mon! Just kiss your boyfriend goodbye so we can go! We don't have all day!" Reese Chloris shouted to her team leader from the Airbus hatch door.

Atar and Arslan faced Reese with annoyance before facing each other again.

"That killed the mood," Atar said.

"But she's right. I do got to go," Arslan said.

"And I got to get to class anyway," Atar said.

"Wish me luck," Arslan said before pecking a kiss on Atar's cheek.

She picks up her bags before turning around and running to the Airbus and boarding inside it. A minute later the hatch door closes and the Airbus then takes off and starts to fly away. Atar watches the Airbus leave before turning around and starts to head to his class.

Arena

Later at night inside the arena, Siavash stood in the middle of the arena surrounded by dummies and targets, some of which were hanging from the ceiling.

"Remember what I had instructed you," Mitrandil said.

"Right," Siavash replied.

He raised his hands as one hand started to emit fire, and the other shot sparks of lightning from his fingertips. Siavash shot a blast of fire at a couple of targets, then shot a blast of lightning at another target. He then shot a ball of wind at three dummies as it formed a small cyclone in the middle of them, sucking the dummies in before tossing them away.

Siavash's hands started to emit a purple aura and shot a blast of magic at a target, which then emitted the same glow. He then motioned his hands at a couple of targets hanging from the ceiling, which the target that Siavash had previously flew up to the hanging targets and smashing them.

Out on the side of the arena, Samuel and Laura stood out on the side lines, watching Siavash using Mitrandil's magic to destroy the dummies and targets.

"His offense is destructive, yet controlled," Laura said.

"Let's see how he is on the defencive," Samuel said.

He walks over to the side to a .50 caliber machine gun, mounted onto a stand. He took a hold of the gun and cocked it while aiming the gun at his student.

"Siavash!" Samuel called out.

Siavash turns around to see Samuel behind the gun as he starts to open fire. Acting quickly, Siavash conjures a glyph in front of him which acts as a shield, protecting him. The bullets were deflecting off of the shield all over the place as Siavash took notice and smirked. He tilted the shield slightly as the bullets deflected off it as they shot towards a couple of dummies.

Laura ran around to the other side of the arena and up to another .50 caliber machine gun and aimed it at Siavash from behind.

"Siavash, behind you!" Mitrandil warned.

Just as Laura opened fire upon her target, Siavash turned around and conjured another shield, protecting him from Laura's shots. Siavash then shot streams of smoke from his hands and spun around a few times, engulfing him and his shields. The Whitlock stopped firing and tried to look through the smoke looking for their student. Siavash ran out of the smoke towards Laura and drew Simorgh Wings as the blade emitted a purple aura. He swung his sword forwards as a magic slash shot out from the blade and hurled towards Laura as she ducks down, while Siavash's attack cuts her gun in half.

The smoke clears as Samuel finally spots Siavash and then aims his gun at his student. Siavash turns around and conjures a glyph and hurls it towards Samuel as it spun around like a buzzsaw. Samuel jumps away to the side as the glyph slices the gun in half.

"Go ahead and finish this up, boy," Mitrandil said.

Siavash sheathed away his sword before raising his hands at some targets and dummies, and shot a couple of shockwaves out of his hands, knocking down the targets and dummies. He then shot a couple blasts of frost at a couple more targets, freezing them. Siavash then turns his attention to the last dummy as he shoots a small blast of fire which the dummy explodes upon being struck. He drops his hands to his sides as the Whitlocks approach him.

"You're starting to get the hang of this magic pretty quickly," Laura said.

"I know. Mitrandil said that it might happen the more we bond," Siavash said.

"We should get this place cleaned up before we join up with the others," Samuel said.

The tree looked around and saw that the arena was covered in small patches of fire, ashes, ice, and bits of the targets and dummies Siavash had destroyed.

"Right," Siavash said.

Mistral Swamp

Meanwhile out in the swamp, Amethyst was practicing magic with her new wand she had gotten from the cloaked stranger from a few days ago.

"Bombardo!" Amethyst spoke as she shot a blast of magic at a large rock, making it explode.

"Incendio!" she shoots a blast of fire at a nearby bush, setting it ablaze.

"Aguamenti!" Amethyst then shot a blast of water at the burning bush, putting out the fire she had made.

Suddenly, Amethyst heard wrestling coming from some bushes behind her as she backed away, while pointing her wand out.

"Who's there?" she asked

Someone then stepped out of the bushes to which Amethyst recognized as the cloaked stranger that gave her the wand.

"It's you again," she said.

"I see you're enjoying the wand I had given you," the stranger said.

"Who are you?" Amethyst asked.

"You can call me Lysander," the stranger introduced himself as Lysander answered.

"Why are you helping me? And why are you wanting me to keep this wand and your presence a secret?" Amethyst asked.

"I prefer to fight and aid from the shadows, then rise up out of the darkness when the time is right," Lysander answered.

"Why did you give me this wand?" Amethyst asked.

"I see massive potential in you. I see a drive for power for you to use to do what is truly right," Lysander answered.

"Potential?" Amethyst asked.

"Yes. I can show you if you wish," Lysander answered as he extended his hand. "Think of so many people you can save, liberate, and free with power like this. I will have so much to show you if you let me."

Amethyst looked down at Lysander's gloved hand and glanced up back at him.

Arena

Back inside the arena Siavash, Samuel, and Laura were all split off throughout the arena as they were cleaning up the arena. Siavash raised his hands at some debris as the debris rose up into the air. He then placed the debris into a large nearby dumpster.

"Siavash," Mitrandil spoke.

"Yes, Mitrandil?" Siavash responded.

"I had been starting to see into some of your memories in brief flashes, but some of them center around you and this friend David you had. Whatever happened to him?" Mitrandil asked.

Siavash paused upon being asked this question. After a minute of silence, he finally spoke.

"It's not something I like to talk about. But since you're going to end up finding out regardless if I tell you or not, I might as well tell you," Siavash answered.

"What happened?" Mitrandil asked.

"It all started after me and David unlocked our aura," Siavash began.