Victoria didn't waste any time. She dragged a wooden crate into the middle of the yard and set it down. "This is going to be our makeshift objective. Defend it at all costs. One attacks, one defends. The third will observe." Her eyes cut to me. "You're up first. Go defend,"
I groaned. No warmup? Just throw Luna against the mage straight away—why not? Not like I've ever fought a skilled mage before. I planted myself in front of the box anyway, sword ready, shoulders squared. Okay. Easy. Don't let him through. Block all his spells. I can do this.
The mage rolled his shoulders, his hood still casting his face in shadow. Staff twirling lazily, like this was a chore instead of combat. "Try not to make this too embarrassing," he said.
"Oh, please," I shot back. "You'll be lucky if you can scuff the paint."
"There's no paint," he said flatly.
I stomped my foot in frustration. "You know what I mean!"
Victoria ignored us both, stepping back to the edge. "Begin."
The mage moved first. Not a charge, not even a step, just a flick of his wrist. A crackle of lightning split the air, forcing me to twist aside. My boots skidded in the sand.
"Stay in front of it," Victoria barked.
"I know!" I snapped back, diving low as another bolt lanced toward me. My sword swung up instinctively, the steel ringing with the impact as it diverted the strike.
He didn't even pause. Another flick, another spell, this one a cutting gust that slammed into my ribs and shoved me back. I dug my heels in, lungs burning. Okay. Ow. New plan: stop tanking his magic with my body.
"Close the distance!" Victoria snapped.
I lunged forward, ignoring the sting in my ribs. He stepped smoothly to the side, staff sweeping in an arc. Another flash. Lightning screamed across the sand, smashing into the crate. The wood split with a sharp crack.
"Objective destroyed," He said calmly, lowering his staff.
I froze, sword still raised, mouth hanging open. Wait, what? Already?
Victoria's expression barely moved, but I could feel the disappointment radiating. "You didn't listen."
"I was trying to listen!" I threw my arms out. "He didn't even touch me, he just, zap! Boom! Done!"
He twirled his staff once, casual as a breeze. "That's the point."
"Switch," Victoria ordered. She didn't raise her voice, but there was no mistaking it for a suggestion.
I scowled, trudging away from the cracked box. "Fine. My turn to melt your smug face off."
He didn't react, just walked to the crate and stood in front of it, staff held loose at his side. His hood dipped slightly, as if this whole thing bored him.
"Oh, now you're pretending to be stoic? You're not fooling anyone," I muttered, tightening my grip on my sword hilt.
"Begin," Victoria said.
I shot forward, fast as I could, boots tearing furrows in the sand. The crate was mine. I'd cut him down, smash through his defenses, and...
A wall of shimmering air bloomed in front of me. My sword slammed into it, jarring my arms so hard I nearly dropped the blade.
"What the?!"
He murmured one word, staff humming. "Barrier."
I snarled and swung again. Sparks sprayed as steel met invisible force. I tried feinting left, then cutting in from the side, but another ripple of energy snapped into place. He wasn't even straining, just moving his staff in subtle gestures, guiding the magic like it was second nature.
"Luna, control your tempo!" Victoria snapped.
"I am controlling it!" I yelled, slamming the flat of my blade against the barrier. Nothing. Not even a crack. "This isn't fair! He's just—he's cheating!"
"Hardly," He flicked his wrist. The barrier pulsed. A shockwave kicked outward, knocking me back like a ragdoll. I hit the sand on my backside, sword bouncing out of reach.
The crate sat untouched behind him.
"Objective defended," The mage said, staff settling against his shoulder.
I lay there panting, face burning hotter than the lightning bolt earlier. My pride hurt worse than my ribs.
Victoria folded her arms. "Two failures. Do you see the problem?"
"Yes," I groaned, dragging myself upright. "The problem is you're making me do this dumb shit when my strength is fighting."
The mage's lips twitched, just barely, but enough that I caught it.
Victoria turned to the crate. "Enough. I'll switch with you."
My mouth fell open. "Wait, what? You?!"
She didn't answer. She strode to the crate, posture perfect, sword in hand. She looked calm. Too calm. Like she's about to carve me into sand herself if I blink wrong.
Victoria raised her sword in a slow, precise arc. "Observe."
The mage's staff twirled lazily. "Oh, this is going to be painful."
I shivered remembering our last duel. "Tell me about it."
Victoria moved like a predator. Every step, every swing, precise. No wasted motion. She didn't just step to the crate; she owned the space around it. In three clean strikes, she pushed the mage back, his barrier barely standing under the pressure. One more perfect thrust of her blade, and the chest was shielded from his magic, the attack nullified before it even landed.
This went on for a bit, the mage unable to even graze the objective.
Finally the mage relented. "I give up," his staff fell to his side.
"Done," she said, lowering her blade in response. Her chest heaved just slightly, though her expression didn't betray it. "Notice how I anticipate, react, and take initiative. You can do the same, but only if you think instead of forcing brute strength."
I scowled. "Uh... wow. Okay. Yeah. That's... that's unfairly fast."
The mage tilted his head, letting the hood fall back a little. "I might have underestimated her," he admitted, voice softer than usual. Then, almost like he realized it, he added, "I'm Kael, by the way. Don't want you calling me you for the next 2 months."
My jaw dropped. "Wait—you have a name? You didn't think I'd care?!"
Kael smirked faintly. "Apparently not. But now you know."
I muttered, fists flexing around my sword. "Great. Thanks. Really helps morale, Kael."
Victoria didn't flinch. "Luna, take note. Observing, adapting, and learning from failures is the fastest way to improve. You'll need to combine your speed and unpredictability with anticipation, not just raw energy."
I groaned, dropping to the ground, seated in a thinking position. Combine speed and unpredictability with anticipation... yeah, I'll just... figure that out while dodging lightning and holding a box intact.
Kael gave me a half-smile. "You'll get there. Just... maybe lose the theatrics?"
I tilted my head to the side. "Oh, the theatrics are non-negotiable."
By the time the sun had begun its slow slide toward the horizon, sweat soaked our clothes, and the sand was kicked into gritty clumps around us. The makeshift objectives, crates, markers, and whatever Victoria had dragged into the yard were battered, scuffed, and occasionally tipped over entirely.
I was panting, muscles screaming, sword slick in my grip. Kael leaned casually against a post, staff tucked under one arm, looking like he'd barely moved all day. Must be nice being a mage. I chose the wrong path.
Victoria didn't look any less composed than she had at sunrise. She surveyed the yard, eyes flicking to each of us in turn, expression unreadable. "Enough for today," she said, voice clipped. "Evaluate, reflect, and be ready to start fresh tomorrow."
I sank to the sand, finally letting myself exhale. "Fresh tomorrow?" I muttered, head spinning. I can barely stand straight today... tomorrow we do it all over again?
Kael chuckled, finally sheathing his staff. "You might actually enjoy it once you survive the first week. Maybe."
I gave him a half-laugh, half-groan. "I highly doubt that. But... maybe."
Victoria's gaze slid to me. "Luna, note your mistakes. You rush. You react too much instead of anticipating. You let frustration dictate your movement. Speed alone won't win fights; you need control and awareness."
I sighed, wiping sand and sweat from my face. "Yeah, yeah. Got it, boss."
Kael tilted his head, eyebrow quirked. "And don't forget... unpredictability is your strongest weapon. Combine that with thinking a step ahead, and maybe you'll survive my barriers next time."
"I'll survive you. Somehow. And maybe even make it look good."
Victoria's lips twitched, almost like she was about to laugh. "Tomorrow, we integrate offense and defense fully. You'll have to work as a team. No excuses. No solo heroics."
"Trust me, you'll get the hang of it. Eventually." Kael said as began to leave.
I shot him a look that promised revenge in the next drill, though part of me couldn't help thinking... maybe, just maybe, we could actually make this work. As a team.
The sun dipped below the walls of the academy, casting long shadows over the training yard. My muscles ached, my pride was bruised, and yet my heart raced with something I hadn't felt in a long time, pure excitement.
We've got a long way to go... but maybe we're not completely hopeless, I suppose.