Chapter 19 - Learning Something New

SLAM!

“Ugh! T-that... was... an impressive counterattack.” General Mineheir coughed out as he got to his feet and dusted himself off.

Deathwalker and King Alfheim entered the courtyard right as Draconis slammed General Mineheir into the ground. The elven general had a huge grin on his face, clearly having fun sparing with the redheaded man.

Not too far from that fight, Frrsha and Prrsha were sparing. Their spar was just as brutal. It was just as evident the two ladies were enjoying themselves.

The king’s two advisors and Mrrsha were standing on the sidelines watching. Deathwalker and King Alfheim approached the spectators.

“Who is winning?” Deathwalker asked.

“Prrsha and Frrsha are evenly matched, so it is difficult to say. If I had to choose, I would say Prrsha.” Mrrsha replied.

“Yea! It’s so hot!” Garry chimed in mentally as he appeared from the shadows.

“Why are you over there?” Deathwalker asked.

Garry pointed one of his eyestalks at Advisor Mona. “It’s that fey woman. When she stares at me it is like she is looking through me. It’s super creepy!”

Deathwalker just shook his head and turned back to Mrrsha. “And what about my apprentice?”

Mrrsha and Garry chuckled.

Advisor Mona spoke up. “The red-haired one is mopping the floor with the blowhard youngling.”

“Youngling? Mineheir is 200 years old.” Advisor Nero countered.

The fey woman waved the elven advisor off. “It is odd though.”

“Odd?” King Alfheim asked.

“Yes. It is as if the red-haired brute is improving as the fight goes on. Almost like he is getting comfortable with his body, that or learning to fight as time passes.” Mona replied without taking her eyes off the scene.

Advisor Nero pipped up. “I do not agree with Mona’s theory your majesty. I believe the man is just toying with Mineheir, increasing the amount skill used as the fight goes on.”

Deathwalker chuckled as he reached out mentally. “You’re using him as a training dummy, aren’t you?”

Draconis gave the slightest of a shoulder shrug. He then sped up just enough to get inside the elf’s guard and elbow him in the solar plexus. “What? This is great practice. I am still not used to this form. I feel so small.”

“That’s what she said! Ha, ha, ha, ha!” Garry chimed in over the mental conversation.

“No, Garry, I said it, not one of the girls. Are you feeling alright?” Draconis mentally replied.

Stolen story; please report.

“No... it is a... oh never mind!” Garry said in exasperation before asking Deathwalker, “how do you not go crazy?”

“Huh?”

“No body but you get my references. How do you not get frustrated?” Garry replied.

“Oh that. Well, it is rather simple, that is why I have you buddy.” Deathwalker answered.

“Awe, boss!”

“Is that why you keep him around?” Prrsha mentally asked.

Frrsha used the momentary distraction to flip Prrsha. “You still are not used to speaking telepathically and doing other things sister.”

Prrsha growled, but otherwise did not respond beyond increasing the ferocity of her attacks. This caught the elven king’s notice.

“Your bodyguards are most impressive.” King Alfheim commented.

“Yes, they are quite fierce. Some of the most impressive specimens of beastkin I have ever seen.” Advisor Nero chimed in.

“They are not beastkin you blind oaf. They are shifters, powerful ones at that.” Advisor Mona chided.

Mrrsha immediately froze and Deathwalker tensed up. ‘Does she have some kind of skill like my Insight? She has to if she was able to identify their race.’

“Interesting.” Advisor Nero replied.

“Interesting indeed. They look just like beastkin.” King Alfheim said as he studied the two cat girls fighting.

“That is one of their forms. I usually do not share such information with others, but we are allies.” Deathwalker explained.

With her alpha sharing that tidbit, Mrrsha visibly relaxed. If her alpha was okay sharing that then she had nothing I concern herself with.

“I hope we can become close allies in the future. After all you will be marrying into my family.” King Alfheim grinned mischievously at Deathwalker.

Doing everything Deathwalker could to steer the conversation away from the subject of matrimony, he asked about elven magic. “From what I have heard most elves tend to have affinities with Water and Air, is that true?”

King Alfheim did not lose his smile. “Good attempt at changing the subject. To answer your question, most elves in the north are aligned with those affinities due to the Winter fey of our heritage. There are some wood elves down south that have more Earth and Fire affinities. They also have a higher disposition to nature than some of my people. We high elves tend to be even more magically inclined than some of our wood elf brethren.”

“I thought I saw General Mineheir using Fire magic.” Deathwalker commented.

“Yes, you did. Mineheir’s family are from the southern wood elf tribe with Summer fey heritage. Currently, he is limiting his magic to body strengthening and melee range to avoid damaging your manor courtyard.” King Alfheim explained.

It was Deathwalker’s turn to smile. “I had some runes carved into various locations throughout the grounds. As long as he does not use Grand Scale magic the courtyard should be fine.”

“Grand Scale magic?!” Advisor Nero exclaimed.

“How interesting.” Advisor Mona said as she shifted her attention from watching the fighting to scrutinizing the grounds.

“Such magical formations would have to be Grand Scale or be powered by a magic core.” Advisor Nero commented.

“It could be powered by a place of power.” Advisor Mona chimed in as she stared intently at Deathwalker.

Ignoring the fey’s glare, Deathwalker called out to General Mineheir. “By all means general, do not hold back.”

General Mineheir did not have to be told twice. He charged two Fireball spells, once in each hand. This was his signature move in battle. It was rare for someone to survive one fireball let alone two.

“BURN!” Mineheir yelled as he sent both attacks right at Draconis.

BOOM! BOOM!

“If you killed our host’s apprentice, I will be most upset with you Mineheir!” King Alfheim admonished.

“B-but... your majesty... the duke said it was okay.” Mineheir defended.

Advisor Mona cast a quick wind spell to clear the sparring area. She wanted to see what was left of the apprentice. As the dust and smoke cleared Draconis was standing there whole and undamaged.

Draconis used his hand to brush off some dust from his outfit. “Not bad, but you will have to do much better than that if you wish to defeat me.”

General Mineheir’s face went from shock to a wide grin. He covered his hands and feet in flames and charged. “With pleasure!”

Deathwalker knew the Red Dragon was immune to fire damage, but he would have to ask Draconis how he mitigated the blast damage from the two spells. The rest of his guests were far more phased by this outcome than the duke. King Alfheim was the first to speak up. “Was his survival his doing or the wards you have in place?”

“A bit of both.” Deathwalker replied.

“Most impressive on both counts.” Advisor Nero commented.

Advisor Mona did not say anything. She just filed that information away for later. It hand been several centuries since she had this much to report to her queen.