Chapter 9 – Conflict

“Stop right there!” A voice rang across the central hall. Redius stopped in his tracks as the power of the voice was directed to him. It was a 3rd stage disciple magician.

Redius turned to face the on-comer. It was middle aged man, in his early 30s perhaps. Dark hair, a tall but wrinkled browed man who wore a black cloak. He stopped as he reached beside Phoebe.

“Uncle…” she said as she looked up at him.

“Phoebe are you okay?” He asked caringly. She was the beloved daughter of the head of the family, god only knows what would happen if harm came to her.

“I’m okay…” she replied and then looked at Redius with a smirk. Now that she had her uncle on her side, she had confidence.

Her uncle caught her glare and understood immediately that she wanted trouble with the young man.

“I am junior examiner of the magician’s guild, Srote Plenio. You will answer for your inappropriate conflict in the hall of the guild.” He said as he looked down upon Redius. It was the only reason he could get him on. Since Redius was actually a disciple magician and Phoebe was merely an apprentice. It placed the odds in Redius’ favour. He had to take him soon.

But who was Redius? A cold eyed genius with pride and a suppressed anger for the revenge of the families. Would he just go like that? Even if the person was way more powerful than Redius, he would not go easily. And here we have someone weaker than him in combat prowess.

Srote seeing Redius with no response made one of his own. He reached out his hand with gathered power upon it hoping to crush his will to succumb.

As his hands reached out to Redius and nearly upon contact, his pupils contract, he could suddenly feel a sense of danger. A killing intent. He immediately retracted his hands but it was too late, for when he did so, his hand was encased in ice. His looks of shock could not be covered as he once again gazed at Redius, now with a different light.

He had thought the killing intent was from someone else, since he sensed it dangerous so the person must be more powerful than him. But never did he expect a 1st stage disciple to be capable of making him feel danger. And to break his power and freeze his hand… Then his attention drew to his hand… ICE?!

Horror creeped up his mind once again. A rare elemental magician, and I’ve just managed to piss him off… what have I done… he thought as he looked over to his niece. What have you done…

But he could spare no time for thought as four ice lances were already headed his way. He immediately waved his hand and conjured an earth wall before him which stopped the lances in it’s tracks.

“Wait!...Wait!” he called desperately. But Redius did not care.

He moved quickly towards the uncovered side of the two, his speed fast to the eyes of the magicians. Because of Redius’ knight training, his body was that of a knight’s and obviously more adapted to fighting than a magician’s would.

Srote seeing that Redus was not about to stop, held his ground but he was weary because his niece could get hurt in the conflict.

“Freeze.” Redius muttered under his breath as he pointed his arm to the ground and the ground before him froze.

As expected of a 3rd stage disciple magician as Scote immediately summoned the earth to secure his own feet. But Phoebe was not so lucky. She let out a scream as she fell to the ground from the ice. Concerned, Srote turned around. The greatest mistake of a battle, to turn your back against your opponent.

This gave Redius a couple of seconds, it was enough as three ice walls formed around the earth wall forming a closed cubed around the two.

“Phoebe!” he shouted, afraid that something could have happen to her. But his view was obstructed, he clenched his teeth, he knew he had to win first. He returned his attention only to see death in the face.

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Of the three ice walls around him, ice spears began slowly forming out of the wall. And he knew once they formed, they would only have one destination, him. He tried to cast a spell to protect himself, but he was caught off guard when the ice on his hand suddenly grew larger spreading to his forearm. He recovered half a second later, but it was too late. The spears had already formed. He was as good as dead.

Just as the spears were about to fly towards him, three wave of fire of considerable heat erupted between the spears and Srote. The spears melted as they came in contact. Soon, after a few seconds the ice walls seemingly melted down as well.

An older man appeared this time, his face stern and angry with a slight expression of shock and dismay.

The people around who saw him bowed and greeted him.

“Assistant Head.”

“Assistant Head.”

They each said as he walked past.

Finally he stopped near the battle as he took a look at Phoebe on the ground, then at Srote and lastly a good long look at Redius whose expression had not changed. Silence followed.

Then what broke the silence was not a voice, but footsteps. They were from Redius as he broke eye contact with the elder and left the guild. Only this time he was not stopped. Just when he left, another man joined the assistant head. If 

Redius had seen him, he would have recognized him as the man who gave him the test, Jael.

“Clear this mess.” The assistant head said to no one in particular. But the guards hurriedly went to work. He then turned to the two battle tired people. “Scram. If I ever see you abusing your power again…” He left his sentence unfinished but Srote knew the consequence. He helped his niece up and left towards the inner part of the guild.

“If you cause trouble for the boy…” his voice said calmly which stopped Srote in his tracks. “Then your family will have the guild to deal with.” He finished. Sweat poured on Srote’s face as he realized the gravity of the situation. The magician’s guild, was ready to stand up to the family for a boy. Without any more thought he finally left.

“What do you think? Talented isn’t he?” Jael said as the two looked pass the front entrance to where the boy had been.

“Yes… far more than you think…” he replied, to which Jael didn’t quite understand but none the less it was good news for the guild.

As Jael left, the assist. Head was left staring. He was thinking about that fight, the way Redius made use of Srote’s wall, it wasn’t special. But it was a battle instinct, to use the surroundings to your advantage. In a real battle, saving power could mean life or death.

The wall Redius’ conjured had multiple uses, to surround him and send urgency because of his niece, to create the multiple spears and most of all, the hidden use. He dropped the temperature drastically inside the cube and through that extended his diatis and increased the ice on Srote’s hand. The degree of thinking and magic control was not of someone from the disciple class.

Then most of all, in the slight conflict between himself and Redius. Although his fire melted the spears, the walls also started melting, but not as fast. The walls were retracted into puddles of water on the ground to ensure much easier and faster conjuring if needed. Redius had planned it all, plus his entrance did not cause surprise. It meant that he knew he was coming.

The battle instinct…

‘What a monster…’ he thought to himself.