Ironhand had them bow to one another before he went back to stand with the others. “Fight.”
Foresight and resonance came back to Gregory in an instant. He attacked the general with all the skill he had; if Ruzi was Egil’s equal, Gregory knew he had to be the aggressor.
Ruzi’s shock was clear as Gregory pushed him back. He’d heard that Gregory was skilled, but he hadn’t fully believed the young magi was truly a worthy opponent— no magi had dedicated themselves to a weapon. That belief was shattered as he worked frantically to not lose right away.
“You’re skilled,” Ruzi grunted as he tried to find an opening to turn the tables.
Gregory didn’t answer the general; he just attacked faster. Ruzi’s grimace was clear to everyone, as was Gregory’s calm expression, since no one had sparring helms on. Knowing he had to take a risk, Ruzi started in on a kata that’d won him many duels. His jaw dropped when Gregory was in the perfect spot at the exact moment to not only stop his attack, but to counter it. The return thrust bruised the general’s ribs, staggering him backward.
“General Ruzi is defeated,” Ironhand said, the respect clear in his voice. “Zhu, you are up.”
The Hardened Fist grandmaster hefted his odachi onto his shoulder. “He’s skilled, but can he manage it against someone who can augment himself?”
Ruzi stepped back, his lips compressed. His pride was battered, as he’d never had a spar so one-sided in his life.
“Sir, might I check?” Mindie asked softly.
“I’m fine,” Ruzi growled, then winced. “But go ahead.”
Mindie quickly healed his bruised ribs. “He has bested Magi-killer, too, sir,” she whispered.
Ruzi grunted. “That wasn’t in Egil’s report. I’ll be having words with him.”
“Fight!” Ironhand’s command had both of them focus on the match.
Zhu blazed with aether as he charged Gregory. Gregory stayed still, barely moving. The fight was done in seconds. Zhu staggered back, grasping his neck and gagging for a long second before he spat to the side. “What in Aether’s name?”
“You gave up any chance to block with your attack, sir,” Gregory said simply. “I would’ve been hard-pressed to see your attack normally, but I already knew where it would be and how to get past it.”
Ironhand chuckled. “I’ve told you before, Zhu, you are too aggressive.”
Grimacing, the grandmaster bowed stiffly to Gregory. “I will do better if we fight in the future.”
“I will do my best to be a challenge if that day comes, sir.” Gregory bowed deeply to the older magi.
Ruzi stepped forward again. “I wish to fight you without your aether, Pettit. Your wife says you have sparred with Egil and won.”
“I have, sir. My first time facing him was as a novice in Armsmaster Watashi’s home. He also fought me during my week of training during my apprentice year. I won a spar back then.”
“You sparred him without aether?”
“Yes, sir. I want to improve my skill.”
“Perfect,” Ruzi said as he smiled. “Ironhand, adjudicate.”
“Yes, sir,” Ironhand said. There was a slight frown on his lips, as he was annoyed that he’d been shunted aside.
The pair bowed to each other, then clashed when Ironhand called them to begin. This time, the match took longer. Both of them smiled as the fight drew out. Ruzi felt his blood rush; he hadn’t had a challenge of this caliber since he’d last sparred with Egil.
In the end, Gregory won, bringing what would’ve been the cutting edge of his blade back against Ruzi’s knee.
Panting hard, Ruzi grinned. “That was much better. You’ve bested two armsmasters, Pettit. One more and you will be given the title, as well.”
“Thank you, sir,” Gregory chuckled. “I don’t think I’ll obtain the title. My job is to the empire, not to myself.”
“Few magi feel that way, and those that do are in my clan, Pettit. You turned us down, instead siding with our parent clan. Why?” Ironhand asked as Mindie checked on Ruzi.
“It’s where my heart belongs, sir,” Gregory said as he caught his breath. “Everything has been right for me since I accepted the elder’s offer.”
“He will be missed, even with as much he and I disagreed on his clinging to that old belief of his,” Ironhand shook his head. “That is not important. Now we fight.”
“I will adjudicate the last fight,” Zhu said. “Ironhand, go ahead.”
The elder suddenly had a sheathed katana in his hand. “I will not be as easy to defeat, Initiate.” He tied the sheath to the weapon before he moved forward.
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Gregory said, pulling on the aether in his ring.
The pair bowed as Zhu dictated. Having checked Gregory, Mindie stepped back to stand beside Ruzi again.
“Fight!” Zhu barked suddenly.
Gregory and Ironhand met in a rush as both attacked. Ironhand balanced strength and speed— he should’ve overpowered Gregory, but Gregory wasn’t where Ironhand thought he would be.
Gregory expended his aether faster than he wanted, as Ironhand was trying to lightly meditate to obscure the future. It still wasn’t as taxing as it’d been in the past, Gregory’s resonance making the future clearer for him.
Gregory was elusive, always shifting to the exact place he needed to dodge. Ironhand burned his aether freely, giving himself enough speed to deflect Gregory’s attacks. The fighters parried, blocked, and dodged each other’s attacks as if they were in a choreographed fight.
Zhu frowned; the spar was lasting longer than his, and he felt foolish for attempting to overpower the initiate. He briefly wondered if he could entice Pettit into another match after Ironhand. Most magi would if enough vela or aether-infusion herbs were offered.
The fight stretched out and Ironhand burned his aether rapidly, never having been pushed in a fight as hard as he was right now. Eyes narrow, he was unsure of what more he could do if he stayed limited down to a magus. The shock of him even contemplating breaking rules just to win snapped the meditation he’d been holding.
The end came suddenly after that moment. Gregory’s block stopped the descending katana cold before his foot caught Ironhand square in the balls. Ironhand grunted; he’d kept a light reinforcement over his body anytime he fought, but it’d been ages since someone had kicked him like that. That second of distraction was all Gregory needed to push the katana out, then triple jab Ironhand’s neck.
“Stop!” Zhu commanded. “Ironhand?”
“Yes. He would have gashed me by the third attack if I was only a magus. It’s been generations since someone kicked me in such a way.”
Gregory bowed, then dropped to his knees, breathing hard. “Thank you, sir, for the training…”
Mindie rushed forward with a vial in her hand. “Drink.”
Gregory did as she demanded, coughing at the flavor before giving her the vial back.
“Well, we can say he has skill with his weapon,” Zhu snorted. “Surprised he lasted as long as he did. Pity, though. I was going to ask for a rematch.”
“Sorry, sir,” Gregory apologized, getting back to his feet with Mindie’s help. “I had aether stored in my ring. I’ll have to refill it again.”
“We are done,” Ironhand said slowly. “Magus, take him and his horse back to his camp.”
“Yes, sir,” Mindie said.
Ruzi grunted. “When you see Egil after that, tell him to attend me.”
“Yes, sir,” Mindie bowed.
Gregory leaned on Mindie as he let his weapon go back into his ring. “Ride behind me?”
“Of course.”
~*~*~
As they rode slowly back to his camp, Gregory smiled at the feeling of Mindie pressed into his back, her arms around his waist while he held the reins. “Willof, can I have a little time with my wife as we ride back?”
“That should be fine,” Willof said, then he rode ahead of them.
“Are you being kept from us?” Gregory asked once Willof was farther away.
“They said I have to stay in Egil’s camp,” Mindie pouted. “I only had the one night with Yuki.”
“Pity,” Gregory sighed. “I could’ve used my healer to pamper me tonight.”
“I would have, too. Two senior magi and another armsmaster?” she murmured. “The rumors will definitely spread.”
“I know,” Gregory said. “I couldn’t just lay down though. My stubborn pride wouldn’t let me lose.”
“I’m just glad there were no accidents.”
“Me, too. I’m sure it would’ve been terrible if I’d injured one of them more than I had.”
“You weren’t worried about them hurting you?”
“With you there to help? Nope.”
His faith in her made her body sing, and she kissed the back of his neck. “Thank you, my heart.”
Gregory smiled. “I never fear when my dear healer is nearby. Jenn and Yuki are just as confident in you.”
“I know, and when you tell me, my body heats with joy.”
They rode in silence, and Gregory caught sight of the sneers that some of the other magi and guards threw their way.
“You’ll show them in the next two tests,” Mindie murmured. “You, Jenn, and Yuki will make them choke on their insults.”
“Not all of them are bad.” Gregory gave Farin a nod as the dual-magic magi waved to him. “Some are even friends.”
“A few, but yes, you’re right.”
“Drop me off, then go let Egil know that the general is mad with him,” Gregory chuckled.
“Egil will laugh that Ruzi challenged you, then again that you won.”
“Probably. It sounded like Ruzi didn’t know how much Egil and I had sparred.”
“He had no idea. I’m sure it’ll come out now.”
“Probably.”
Reaching the camp, Basal rushed out to take Legacy’s reins. “Sir, are you okay?”
“He had a tough day, but he did well,” Willof said, having been waiting for them. “I hate to say it, but you need to go, Mindie.”
“It’s fine. I know,” Mindie nodded. She gave Gregory a quick kiss on the cheek. “Rest and recover, dear one.”
“I will,” Gregory said. “I love you.”
“And I, you, my heart.” With one last, long look, she turned to go.
Davis was coming their way at a fast walk. “Sir, are you okay?”
“It was a trying day,” Gregory said wanly. “Let’s go sit, and I’ll explain.”
