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

as what you’ve been doing,” Bishop said. “It requires you to will it to happen. You don’t want more power— you want more speed, or a combination of both.”

Jenn nodded slowly. “Okay.”

Bishop smiled. “Now, try it again.”

Legs blazing blue, Jenn pushed off and was suddenly on Bishop. The clacking sound of their weapons was growing faster as they clashed. Bishop kicked out, and Jenn sprang back again.

“Good. Against others, they would have been hard-pressed to keep up with your speed. However, you had no power in those swings. You need to balance your will to do both equally, or split it as you wish. We’ll be working on that, but that is good enough for today.”

Jenn shifted into a defensive posture. “I’m not done yet.”

“You might not be, but I wish to fight him, and you’re in my way,” Bishop said simply before she was beside Jenn in a blink.

Jenn brought her sword down to deflect the strike from Bishop’s katana, but that was a feint. Bishop’s foot lashed out and Jenn went flying. Rolling, Jenn came back to her feet only to find Bishop on top of her already. Jenn did the best she could, but Bishop had her outclassed in every way and she knew it. She didn’t quit, though— she kept trying to find a way to win, right up until Bishop slammed the practice katana into her back.

“Stop,” Inda said quickly.

Coming to a sudden stop, Bishop knelt to check her. “Did I break anything?”

“No,” Jenn winced, “but it’s bruised.”

“Good. I made sure I used just enough aether to make you feel it.” Standing up, she helped Jenn to her feet. “You have a solid base. Training you will be enjoyable. Your control over how much aether you use is remarkable. I doubt anyone else in your class has the same control over theirs.”

“Thank you, Magus. I did my best to learn from Master Chen.”

“Half of learning is applying yourself, which you obviously did,” Bishop said. “I will thank him for making my task easier when I speak with him next. Also, you may call me Bishop. There is no need to use titles.”

“As you wish, Bishop. While you will be my instructor and are my senior in the clan, I also hope to be friends with you, much like Dia is with us.”

Bishop hesitated before she nodded. “Very well, Jenn.” She looked over her shoulder. “Now, Pettit, let’s see what you can do.”

Gregory stepped off the porch, collecting his practice naginata. “Thank you, Indara.”

“You are welcome. Make the master proud,” Indara said softly.

“The same rules apply, Pettit,” Bishop said, going back to where she’d started the previous fight. “I want to see what made you so formidable.”

“As you wish, Bishop,” Gregory said, moving to stand opposite her.

“Bow to the audience,” Inda began.

The moment Inda told them to fight, Bishop blurred forward, her blade slicing the air with a whistle. Gregory wasn’t there— he was already to the left of her katana and starting an attack of his own.

Bishop’s eyebrows went up, but she managed to abort her attack and pull her blade back to deflect Gregory’s. “Interesting.”

Gregory didn’t speak, letting the flow of combat find him. They clashed time and again, the naginata almost always in motion. Bishop had superior speed and strength, but she came to quickly realize that Gregory had perfect control over his weapon and knew how to use it.

Leaping back, she deflected a parting thrust from him. “Is that all foresight?” Bishop asked.

“No,” Gin chuckled. “Most of that is innate talent with the weapon. Did no one tell you he fought Egil Magi-killer to a standstill with a naginata?”

Bishop’s lips pursed. “Egil? Hmm... what weapon did Egil use?”

“The naginata,” Gin laughed.

Bishop’s face became a mask. “Did he, indeed? Well then, shall we see what Pettit can really do?”

Gregory hesitated when Bishop came in, as his foresight was uncertain about what would happen next. Pushing it away, he went with just raw ability against her. The next few seconds, Gregory was on his back foot, barely able to keep up with Bishop’s enhanced speed and strength.

“Sad,” Bishop said. “You’re still impressive with that weapon, but without your ability to see forward, you aren’t nearly as tough.”

Gregory grimaced and gritted his teeth when she grazed his arm. How can it be so easy to stop foresight? He lamented in his own head as the practice katana just missed his shin.

Time slowed to a crawl as Gregory shifted to block the next attack, but his mind raced ahead to what the next few likely scenarios would be. Foresight came back to him. It was still hazy, but with less fog, and there were two distinct options visible in it.

What felt like a soft kiss on his cheek told him that Darkness was helping him before her voice touched his ear, “Push more aether into it, dear one.”

Gregory did what she told him, dumping two, then three times the aether into his foresight. The fog vanished and the future opened up to him. With a feral grin, Gregory growled as time sped back up.

Bishop frowned when Gregory suddenly grinned like a hungry wolf and a growl left his lips. She had a brief second of wondering what he was going to do before she found herself suddenly being pushed back, hard.

Katana moving as fast as she could, she was barely able to stop Gregory from hitting her. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized that he’d overcome her ability to hold a meditative state. That realization shattered her meditation, and Gregory felt the draw on his aether slacken.

Bishop infused her skin to be armor and let him connect with her raised arm. The wooden naginata snapped over it and she slammed her katana into his chest, pulling back as