Chapter 26: Too Strong

AELLARIA, TUESDAY, MERCHANTUS 17TH

Aellaria did not properly wake up until lunchtime the next day. She looked around and saw Seis, the third-year Geomantic healer. He wore beautiful white robes that comfortably hugged his large frame.

When Seis saw Aellaria stirring, he looked down at her. “Mana suffocation sure is a rocky road, ain’t it?”

Aellaria looked at Seis. “Soil, man?”

Seis performs a spell to check on Aellaria. “Hey, I knew you would be a satisfied customer. That's right, but I prefer ‘Seis’ as my moniker.”

Aellaria felt particularly spicy that day– her head pounding and stomach starving. “Has anyone told you how ridiculous that name is? It sounds like Size, like your weight.”

“People keep sayin’ it is weird, but you know, when people feel me soil them. They ain’t got a care in the world. They just feel better.” Seis said. “You’re good to go, by the way. Get some lunch.”

Aellaria realized that this man was doing everything on purpose—his silly name, his silly healing spells, calling it ‘soiling someone.’ Aellaria burst into a fit of childish giggles. There was almost a melody to her laugh, making her want to shout at herself. She left the infirmary as fast as possible.

***

Aellaria returned to her room. Her consciousness slipped into fulfilling a checklist. She opened the door, retrieving her hat, arcane focus, belt, and dimensional pocket, and replaced the lily in the brim. Aellaria then collected the locket from the floor and put it into the dimensional pocket.

Aellaria reached into her prepared potions and pulled out a stamina potion. Stamina potions could replace a meal. The tasteless brown liquid was unsatisfying, but her body needed the nutrients and energy it provided.

Finally, Aellaria took a shower and wrapped herself before walking toward Coach Tilly’s domain.

MARIN

Marin didn’t realize Aellaria had joined the class joggers until she was passed by the woman wearing the wide-brimmed hat. Both Syn and Terra came to the same realization, surprised that the woman who died the previous night was not only back in class but back in Tilly’s tile-paved lair.

Tilly ran alongside Aellaria, “You're late, fool.”

“I apologize. I was in the infirmary.”

Tilly let out a sadistic little series of grunts. “You can’t hide from me in the infirmary, you better beat half these girl’s laps, or I will spend all afternoon kicking your ass myself.”

“Yes, coach,” Aellaria said before picking up the pace even further to compensate for lost time in the workout.

When it was time for strength training, Aellaria didn’t take it easy. She was pushing her body with heavier weights with more extended sets. Marin said worriedly, “Aellaria, you died last night. Slow down.”

Aellaria just glared at Marin in response. Aellaria’s icy, cold eyes made Marin recoil. It seemed like Aellaria was an entirely different person. The child in the infirmary worried Marin, but this person with hostile eyes terrified her.

When it was time for the sparring, Aellaria was ruthless. The sparring wasn’t the dance they usually performed—a combination of workout for Aellaria and fair training for Marin. Marin went to start the familiar exchange, but this time, Aellaria went straight at her. Marin was caught off guard but quickly raised her arms. Aellaria jumped, and her shin connected with Marin’s head. The blow was only slightly blocked by Marin’s raised forearm.

Marin fell hard, dazed. “Wha- why?”

“Good shot, fool! I may have underestimated you!” Coach Tilly shouted.

“Get back up, Marin. This time, block, duck, or dodge.” Aellaria growled. Marin looked up at Aellaria, trying to shake the stars from her vision. She saw Aellaria’s hand pump open and closed. Her fist was shaking.

As soon as Marin stood and squared up, Aellaria dashed forward again. Aellaria appeared to be going for a thrust kick, so Marin prepared to dodge left and counter. However, at the last second, Aellaria pivoted on the foot she was meant to kick with and delivered another sweeping kick that hit both where Marin was and where she tried to dodge.

There was no cushion or half-block this time. Marin fell hard.

SYN

Aellaria looked over to Tilly, “I need a stronger opponent.”

Syn saw the third-year Aquamantic healer wearing white robes jogging forward to help Marin. Within moments, Marin was suspended in a water bubble and taken to the infirmary.

Tilly smirked. “Then we’ll get you one. Terra! Your services are needed.”

However, that wasn’t the only Pyromancer approaching Aellaria’s sparring space. Syn stormed over. “Aellaria, I saw that! What the fuck is wrong with you?! You coulda killed Marin with that kick!”

Aellaria looked up at the intimidating fire mage. “I know how strong I am.”

“You’re outta control. Back off, Terra. I’ll fight her.” Syn said. There was a manic bravado in her energy she couldn’t control. The passionless dispatching of Marin played over and over on repeat in her memories.

Tilly stepped up to the mat where the three women shared personal space—clearly enjoying the moment. “Now, this is why I love first-year students. So passionate and stupid. Syn, you don’t have a choice here. You aren’t fighting unless Aellaria challenges your rank.”

“I ain’t goin’ unless I get an apology for what she did to Marin.” Syn countered. “Marin needs to hear it too.”

Aellaria crossed her arms and glared at Syn. For a moment, Syn saw Aellaria’s eyes dart around the room. Syn read this as fear.

“You’re gon apologize now and explain your shit, or I’ll fuckin’ give you a reason to feel fear.” Syn threatened.

Tilly got ready to remind Syn of the rules, but Aellaria said, “Then I will make this simple, Syn. I challenge you for your rank.”

Aellaria walked to the proper ring at the center of the room and pulled herself upright. At this sight, the other women gathered around to watch. Syn jumped from the edge of the ring into the center, launching and landing with small explosions of fire.

“Alright, girls, wait for Ty to come back, and then you two can beat the shit out of each other,” Tilly said.

As Syn and Aellaria watched each other, ready to come to blows, a voice erupted from the crowd: Flair. “Is there trouble in paradise for the lesbians? That's a shame. You two were so cute together.”

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Neither Syn nor Aellaria responded.

Syn broke the silence between the two. “You’re sick, Aellaria. You shouldn’ta been here today.”

“I am sick,” Aellaria admitted. “The remedy is a cathartic release, and I am done pretending to be feeble.”

Syn sneered at Aellaria, “I ain't gonna go easy on you just ‘cause your head’s not on straight. I ain’t gonna hold back ‘cause you’re talentless, neither.” Syn just kept hearing the sound of Aellaria’s kick landing on Marin’s skull, and with each play, she got more and more enraged.

Once the healer arrived, Tilly marked the beginning of the fight. Aellaria stood still, watching for how Syn would start the duel. Syn immediately ran to close the distance, knowing her superior size and oppressive magical abilities would be enough to dominate Aellaria.

Aellaria held her ground until she saw Syn charging forward. Syn raised one hand to hold a wall of flame, and the other performed the runes necessary to cast the spell.

A chip of stone, no larger than a playing card, darted toward Syn, striking her in the hand as she was casting. The strike takes Syn by surprise, and she is now sprinting toward Aellaria with nothing but an open palm and a failed spell.

Aellaria threw a punch at Syn as the Pyromancer backpedaled. Syn reacted by pulling up a stream of fire to block, but Aellaria was not deterred. The punch broke through the flames and hit Syn square in the cheek. The flames weren’t hot enough to burn Aellaria for the brief contact.

Syn was pissed and tried to use her now broken hand to weave another spell, but it failed. Syn pushed forward to close the gap again and swiped for Aellaria.

Aellaria was faster than the large woman, however. She ducked so fast between Syn’s arms that Syn couldn’t even grab Aellaria’s hat. Aellaria delivered two quick jabs to Syn’s abs before sidestepping away.

Syn turned and punched with her bleeding right hand, but Aellaria cast a level one spell to block with a metallic floating disk the same size as Syn’s hand. Something gave in Syn’s wrist, and she howled in pain.

Aellaria used this distraction to kick at Syn’s legs, but the athletic woman’s center of gravity was too solid. It was like trying to kick the legs out from under a brick house, and Syn knew it.

This failure left Aellaria flat-footed. She hopped back as Syn stomped forward. The small hop bought her a second, but Syn simply raised the other foot.

“That won’t work on me. I. AM. TOO. FUCKIN’. STRONG.” With each word, Syn stomped where Aellaria was.

Luckily for Aellaria, each footfall was where she was and not where she would be. Aellaria read Syn’s emotions like an open book and would barely dive out of the way. With a final roll, she hopped up to her feet

Syn’s casting hand was broken, and the burly woman was not skilled enough to cast with her voice or mind.

Aellaria was out of mana from jettisoning a single rock and using a metal disk to block one attack. The two of them were both unable to cast.

Aellaria reached into her pouch, shaking a mana potion as she watched the fuming Syn. Syn was confused about why Aellaria would hurt Marin, but after being turned at every attack, the situation escalated just short of murderous intent.

Aellaria drank the potion as she watched Syn try to formulate a new plan. “What is that? Dragon’s breath? What are you planning!”

“Come at me and find out.” Aellaria bluffed.

Syn was smart enough to see through this. If Aellaria had told her to close the distance, it would have been best to press any advantage she had. However, Syn decided to play it safe. She used her functioning hand to cast the runes necessary to push flames at Aellaria. Flames roared forward, shooting fifteen feet away in a massive arc. Her control at this range was weak, and Aellaria backed further and further away from Syn’s arc of flame.

Syn walked forward slowly, using the arc of fire to try to corner Aellaria. She needed to move slowly, not because she was cautious, but to check where Aellaria was, continuously recasting the push flames spell.

Syn was worried that she might push the boundaries of lethality. For a split second, she dropped the channeling of her spell to make sure Aellaria wasn’t getting roasted—Aellaria dove from the corner and away from Syn again.

With this new space, Aellaria said, “You can’t touch me. I always know what you are slowly casting. I can read your punches with ease. Yield before I show you how weak you actually are.” As Aellaria talked, she reached down to where she had pulled the tile out earlier. She plucked out a chunk of stone and held it in her fist.

Syn was done talking. She ran at Aellaria, certain she could win if she just got her hands on the raven-haired woman.

Syn sprinted, raising her uninjured left hand to bring it down hard on Aellaria. Then, all of a sudden, her legs were out from under her, and she was falling. Syn was falling forward, and she tried to use explosive magic or her hands to catch herself, but the magic wouldn’t form with her broken hand, and it exploded in pain when she used the broken hand instead to catch herself.

Aellaria had lifted a single tile with all of the mana she could spare, and it was just high enough to trip Syn.

Aellaria swung with her stone-weighted hand, pressing firmly against Syn’s forehead. “You’re finished, child.”

“I ain’t done! I AIN’T DONE WITH YOU!” Syn shouted as she tried to grab forward with her left hand. Syn tried to grab Aellaria, but a powerful rock formation began growing around her arm and shoulder.

“Your friend just saved you a world of hurt. You are done, Syn. You got outclassed.” Coach Tilly said. “Ty! Syn needs a heal.” Coach Tilly shouted. “Congrats on your safety rank, Fool.”

Aellaria left the central fighting ring and stepped toward Terra. “It’s time to spar.” Said the new twenty-sixth-ranked in class.

TERRA

Most of the class watched the fight, thinking that Syn could have grabbed Aellaria at any moment, and the fight would’ve been over—everyone except for Terra.

Terra was in awe of Aellaria from the beginning of the fight. By now, everyone in the class knew that Aellaria was without magical talent, and Terra thought she was easily the weakest of the bunch. This fight changed her mind completely. Not only did Aellaria beat Syn without taking a single hit, but Terra caught that Aellaria did something unique. That first spell was the chip of rock that injured Syn’s hand. ‘She cast without signing. She cast without talking.’ Terra thought.

Terra watched in awe as Aellaria sauntered toward where they were meant to spar. Aellaria beat Syn, the biggest physical threat in class. Terra also knew that until she mastered mental casting. ‘She could be better than me.’