Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) by Daniel Schinhofen (motivational books to read txt) 📕

Yunlo’s head snapped to Gregory. “What?”

“There’s nothing in the rules against offering your opponent the chance to surrender,” Gregory said, his eyes still on the other apprentice. “When faced with a superior foe, it’s sometimes wiser to retreat and come back with greater numbers or allies.”

The apprentice blinked at Gregory before smiling. “As our teacher has shown us in tactics class. I will fight. I only ask that you do not maim me.”

“I never try to. We’re here to learn, not injure each other or hurt the empire.”

Yunlo was glaring at them both. “Are you done?”

“Yes, Grandmaster,” Gregory said, bowing to him. “I apologize, but I felt the need to try. My home is in the Saito province, so I feel some kinship for the clan.”

Yunlo snorted, then raised the glowing bronze disk to his mouth. “Aether’s Guard clan will fight Saito clan.” Lowering the disk, he looked at both apprentices. “You know the rules. Bow to the box.”

With their bowing done, Gregory triggered aether sight and foresight as soon as Yunlo’s hand went up. Seeing a minute into the future, Gregory turned both off and waited.

“Fight!” Yunlo commanded.

Gregory rushed his opponent, who raised the shield and sword he had with him. The contact was brief, but decisive. Gregory let the apprentice guide his weapon up and over his shoulder. As the magi stepped in to stab Gregory, he let go of his naginata and ducked, sweeping his leg out. With a startled sound, the other man lost his footing and, as he fell, dropped his sword. Gregory grabbed it out of the air and brought it over to tap the man’s neck.

“Break!” Yunlo shouted with a grimace. Raising the disk, he announced that Gregory was the winner.

Gregory stood up and offered his opponent a hand. “It was a good try.”

The magi snorted weakly as he got hauled to his feet. “No, it wasn’t. Thank you for being merciful. I know you could’ve done much worse to me.”

“I apologize,” Gregory said with an awkward smile. “I can’t recall your name.”

The other magi laughed once before he turned to bow to the box. “Fin Worrel, apprentice of Saito clan.”

“Is Fin okay?” Gregory asked as they both turned to bow to Yunlo.

“Is Gregory?”

“It’s fine with me,” Gregory grinned.

“Then, yes,” Fin replied as they bowed to each other. “Good luck tomorrow.”

“Thank you. I hope your clan finds more magi this year.”

“Me, too,” Fin chuckled. “Being a lone apprentice in this tournament is not fun, but we do as the clan wills.”

~*~*~

Gregory took his seat in the stands and Dia gave him a nod. “You gave him a chance to surrender?”

“I did. He thanked me but refused, then asked me not to maim him.”

“It was over with quickly and painlessly,” Dia smiled. “Many would see you going alone as foolish. What if he had an item or two that could have significantly harmed you? Our chances of you all taking the top spot would plummet sharply if that had happened.”

“I did worry a little about that,” Gregory admitted. “With Lightshield’s message and what I would do with it, I found it unlikely he would have sent the message if that had been the case. I also used everything I could to ensure that didn’t happen.”

“Good,” Bishop said. “Always do everything you can. Doing more doesn’t hurt, but a lack of doing might tip the scales the other way.”

“We’re glad you’re alright,” Jenn said.

“You did well in handling him,” Yukiko added. “The before and after talking was good. It showed you as reasonable to the crowd. They know you’re not like others who crush everyone without thought.”

The eleventh bell began to chime, and they stopped talking to focus on the arena. Yunlo stood there, waiting for the hour to finish. When the last notes died away, he raised the glowing circle to his mouth. “We pause now to announce the final eight in the novice tournament. Our fighters, like you, are present and waiting to hear who they will be facing this day.”

Two large banners, which had been securely tied up on either side of the arena, unrolled so everyone could clearly see the brackets. Gregory’s eyes darted to find his friends’ names. He was happy none of them faced each other in the first round, but their opponents were not going to be easy.

Nessa was pitted against Kyle Walun, and Gregory felt his gut tighten. Kyle had burned his opponents with the fire on his hands. Daciana had tricked and defeated him, but Nessa couldn’t do what Daciana had done.

The other side of the bracket held their other friends. Daciana would face Franklin Buddiz, pitting earth magi against each other. This match-up had a lot of people talking excitedly, especially since Daciana had pulled her trick with the flurry of earth balls against Novice Walun.

Victoria was matched up against Seymour Xandia. The brutal physical enhancement magi had badly beaten and almost maimed every opponent he’d faced after Daciana had beaten him.

That match-up made Gregory’s throat tighten, as he could only imagine what Xandia would do if he got his hands on Victoria. Jenn’s hand tightened on his knee for a second when she saw the same thing.

“It could be worse,” Yukiko said softly, “but it could have been better...” Seeing their expressions, she explained, “They don’t face each other, at least. Victoria’s fight worries me the most of the three, even with the secondary gifts their families gave them.”

“Still disappointing that any of them have to face him in the first round,” Gregory said. He looked at the last pairing and pursed his lips. “I don’t recall either of those names.”

“Neither of them was in the main arena on the first day, and each had a loss on that day,” Bishop said. “They won every