You may quit, but you will lose. If you step out off the stage, you lose. And if you come into contact with your opponent, then you lose,” Rik explained. “You both got that?” They nodded at Rik and then Mark stared at Daniel.
Daniel scanned the stage, his first thought had been the only trick Jac had taught him, but he couldn’t do that here. He couldn’t mix the Divides, he didn’t even know what it did. It could kill.
“He can go first, he’s a first year,” Mark said.
“Okay, Daniel, you will start, you get one move, and then it’s Mark’s go. Don’t forget to block, this class is about being able to defend against an attack as well. Start when you’re ready,” he said, “and guys, try not to scuff the floor, only just had it repainted.”
Daniel inhaled and looked out across the crowed. Behind Mark was Jasper and Carlie, he looked out further and could just about make Taner’s head popping up out of the crowd as if he’d been standing on his tiptoes. Daniel shook at the faintest echo of laughter, but then he gulped at the fear inside his throat.
Mark glared into Daniel’s eyes and then cracked his knuckles. Daniel took a slow deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them and flicked both of his wrists at once; a thread of gold shot free from his hands. There was a crackle and grey smoke appeared at the bottom of Mark’s pants with the smallest of flames. The class gasped, and then huffed in disappoint as Mark put the flames out.
“Really? That’s weak,” Mark grinned, rubbing his palms together.
Daniel didn’t see it coming, until his teeth started to clatter and the group began laughing at him. He was grounded by a small bump of ice going over his feet. It was Daniel’s go again, and all he wanted to do was break free from the ice around his feet.
“C’mon!” Mark groaned, his voice muffled in Daniel’s ears.
Daniel stroked his goose pimpled arms as he tried to keep from shivering. He closed his eyes, trying to string together something warm, something that would burn Mark. The more he thought about it the warmer he got. The hair on his body had matted and thickened in record time, with the ice crumbling at the long talons on his feet. Without realising it, he had taken the form of one of the carriage men, and he squawked in Mark’s face.
Mark fell to his knees, cupping his ears, while everyone else took several steps back and curled their heads into their abdomens, trying to cope with the ringing in their ears. Jasper stood still, his eyes glazed over staring at Mark.
“Stop!” Rik shouted. The room was quiet again and everyone started to stand ever-so slowly.
Daniel wriggled back into his human form, inhaling the process away. Mark was the last to stand, his legs quaking at the balls of his feet.
“Cheating,” Rik said, and glanced from Mark to Daniel and then to Jasper.
Mark started to snigger, “knew there was a rule against that .”
“No, not that. You, you cheated. Jasper fed some of his energy into you, that’s why the noise couldn’t pass his ears. Not until you took too much, trying to retaliate I suppose,” Rik explained, leaving everyone dumbfounded, especially Jasper who’d been none the wiser of what had happened.
Daniel couldn’t help smile, although it wasn’t one of the ideals he’d planned out for the lesson. It was better. Jasper and Mark were being laughed at while Daniel was praised for turning into a bird and then breaking from a double energy bound ice bond. It was a good first impression, if you discounted the weak fire summoning.
Chapter Thirteen
Daniel opened his bedroom door to the mess he’d left it in. The duvet was still on the floor and the sheet on the bed had come up. He stood at his door for a while, trying to figure out how, if he could, clean it, and it was freezing. And if he could, he wanted to make his bed. He flicked his wrists in imitation for what he’d seen Reuben do.
He managed to pull at
Daniel scanned the stage, his first thought had been the only trick Jac had taught him, but he couldn’t do that here. He couldn’t mix the Divides, he didn’t even know what it did. It could kill.
“He can go first, he’s a first year,” Mark said.
“Okay, Daniel, you will start, you get one move, and then it’s Mark’s go. Don’t forget to block, this class is about being able to defend against an attack as well. Start when you’re ready,” he said, “and guys, try not to scuff the floor, only just had it repainted.”
Daniel inhaled and looked out across the crowed. Behind Mark was Jasper and Carlie, he looked out further and could just about make Taner’s head popping up out of the crowd as if he’d been standing on his tiptoes. Daniel shook at the faintest echo of laughter, but then he gulped at the fear inside his throat.
Mark glared into Daniel’s eyes and then cracked his knuckles. Daniel took a slow deep breath and closed his eyes. He opened them and flicked both of his wrists at once; a thread of gold shot free from his hands. There was a crackle and grey smoke appeared at the bottom of Mark’s pants with the smallest of flames. The class gasped, and then huffed in disappoint as Mark put the flames out.
“Really? That’s weak,” Mark grinned, rubbing his palms together.
Daniel didn’t see it coming, until his teeth started to clatter and the group began laughing at him. He was grounded by a small bump of ice going over his feet. It was Daniel’s go again, and all he wanted to do was break free from the ice around his feet.
“C’mon!” Mark groaned, his voice muffled in Daniel’s ears.
Daniel stroked his goose pimpled arms as he tried to keep from shivering. He closed his eyes, trying to string together something warm, something that would burn Mark. The more he thought about it the warmer he got. The hair on his body had matted and thickened in record time, with the ice crumbling at the long talons on his feet. Without realising it, he had taken the form of one of the carriage men, and he squawked in Mark’s face.
Mark fell to his knees, cupping his ears, while everyone else took several steps back and curled their heads into their abdomens, trying to cope with the ringing in their ears. Jasper stood still, his eyes glazed over staring at Mark.
“Stop!” Rik shouted. The room was quiet again and everyone started to stand ever-so slowly.
Daniel wriggled back into his human form, inhaling the process away. Mark was the last to stand, his legs quaking at the balls of his feet.
“Cheating,” Rik said, and glanced from Mark to Daniel and then to Jasper.
Mark started to snigger, “knew there was a rule against that .”
“No, not that. You, you cheated. Jasper fed some of his energy into you, that’s why the noise couldn’t pass his ears. Not until you took too much, trying to retaliate I suppose,” Rik explained, leaving everyone dumbfounded, especially Jasper who’d been none the wiser of what had happened.
Daniel couldn’t help smile, although it wasn’t one of the ideals he’d planned out for the lesson. It was better. Jasper and Mark were being laughed at while Daniel was praised for turning into a bird and then breaking from a double energy bound ice bond. It was a good first impression, if you discounted the weak fire summoning.
Chapter Thirteen
Daniel opened his bedroom door to the mess he’d left it in. The duvet was still on the floor and the sheet on the bed had come up. He stood at his door for a while, trying to figure out how, if he could, clean it, and it was freezing. And if he could, he wanted to make his bed. He flicked his wrists in imitation for what he’d seen Reuben do.
He managed to pull at
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