Is he messing with me? He checked my shield sigil. How is it he’s just noticing my attunement now?
I stood up. “I intend to prepare a broad variety of enchanted items to assist with my dueling capabilities, sir.”
“Enchanters are never successful duelists, Master Cadence, and even your family name won’t change that. You can go find another class.”
I didn’t move.
After a few moments of staring at me, he added, “I mean right now, Cadence.”
I glanced around. Roland had an expression that looked almost apologetic, which was more emotion than I usually saw him display.
Sera was clenching her jaw tightly. She looked like she was about ready to stand up and say something, but I didn’t want to rely on her to protect me here.
My right hand tightened into a fist, but I tried not to sound as angry as I felt.
I’d known that Enchanters would be looked down on by some; my father was clear enough proof of that. Valia had a militaristic culture, and I knew that attunements without direct combat applications were generally considered inferior. But somehow, I’d gotten the misconception that teachers would be impartial. That idealism being shattered this soon hit me harder than I would have expected. “I’d like to be given a fair chance to demonstrate that my plan will work, sir.”
He shook his head, and then leaned against his cane. “Fine, fine. I’ll let you stay if you can last ten seconds.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Ten seconds?”
“Ten.” He counted, raising his cane and pointing it at me. It wasn’t a dueling cane, but it was glowing.
Oh, resh.
I managed to rise and throw myself out of the way just before a globe of light appeared and exploded nearby. I caught a glance at the globe-shaped section that was missing from the bench where I had been sitting and quickly decided I didn’t feel like taking a direct hit, barrier or not.
Most of the students around me froze. A few had the presence of mind to move, and one of them even screamed. None were being particularly helpful.
I ran for the nearest isle, drawing my dueling cane as I moved. I didn’t have enough room to unsheathe my sword.
I felt, rather than saw, the next globe appearing in front of me, and kicked myself backward. The blast caught another student and hurled him outside of the stands. I landed on my rear, barely managing to retain my grip on my cane, and turned to see the smirking teacher already pointing his cane toward me again.
“Nine,” he said.
That was a lot longer than one second, but he hadn’t been playing fair from the beginning.
Fine. Screw fairness.
“Roland, Sera, suppressing fire!”
I shouted it, my voice commanding, but I didn’t expect it to accomplish anything aside from a distraction.
As I rolled to my feet, I caught sight of Roland drawing both canes and opening fire on the teacher in an instant.
Lord Teft spun, an incredulous expression on his face, and deflected both blasts with his cane. It was clearly some sort of magical focus — an ordinary cane would have shattered from the impact, and even a dueling cane couldn’t deflect projectiles without an active blade.
Roland didn’t pause his assault, and as he continued to unleash his blasts, I heard Sera speaking in a clear tone.
“Child of the goddess, I call upon your aid.
Rain frost from the skies in a Permafrost Cascade!”
The skies darkened as her words echoed in the air.
Dozens of spears of ice manifested in the air above Lord Teft, hovering in place for an instant before descending with artillery force.
Holy goddess.
Teft stepped backward, dancing around the first spears as they impacted with the stage, and then waved a hand. A wall of flame manifested in between him and the spears, melting the remaining projectiles as they descended.
I had no idea how she’d just pulled that off, but I wasn’t going to complain. While the students and teacher were distracted, I ran straight out of the stands toward the rest of the school.
I’d barely cleared the isle when Lord Teft appeared in front of me.
To my credit, I raised my cane quickly, even as questions raced through my mind.
What? Did he just teleport? Or—
Teft’s cane began to glow. I fired a blast from my own cane directly at it, connecting with the gathering energy, triggering an explosion that hurled the teacher back.
He recovered almost instantly, shaking his cane in the air.
“Eight,” he said menacingly, raising the cane again.
You have got to be kidding me.
The logical part of my mind told me to run in the face of such overwhelming opposition, but I was done running.
Or, more accurately, I was done running away.
I charged him, running my finger across the rune that triggered a blade to emerge from the cane.
Behind me, near the stands, I could hear the sounds of more explosions, more combat. Distantly, I was aware that meant someone else was still fighting back there, but I didn’t have time to evaluate that in any detail.
Teft seemed ready for the move, raising his cane into a high Verasian guard, as if he was holding a saber. Considering the magic I’d seen him perform, I had to assume that a strike from the cane that connected would be just as dangerous as a real sword would be, if not more so. I couldn’t afford to take a hit from that.
When I was almost in reach, I pressed the button to charge the blade of my weapon, feeling a sharp pull as the mana slid through my hand. I threw it at him.
Teft didn’t look surprised by the move, but he also didn’t avoid it completely. The blade glanced across the left side of his coat, revealing a hexagonal barrier that deflected it harmlessly to the ground.
By the time he had recovered, I’d already drawn the sword from my belt. The cane had been a good ranged weapon, but it had poor melee reach. With the sword, I could match his range, and I expected that the frost enchantments would lend it force.
I smiled, assumed a Tyrian low dueling stance, and addressed the teacher. “Seven.”
His eyes narrowed.
I lunged.
Teft deflected my strike to the left, then followed up with a sweep at my legs. A typical maneuver. I stepped forward and right, avoiding the swing, and kicked him in the leg.
He stumbled back, some of the kinetic energy carrying through the shield. I swung the blade again, this time at a downward angle toward his chest.
I never saw the explosion that hit me from behind.
I was on my face a moment later, then rolling to my feet a moment after that, swinging my blade upward and deflecting a cane-swipe aimed at my head. The weapons rang as they met in the air, and I saw a hint of frost creep down the tip of his cane as I pressed against the swing.
Frowning, Teft stepped backward, waving his cane in the air as if to warm it. The frost continued to creep up the weapon as I stood, resuming my previous combat stance.
Teft waved a hand over the cane, bathing it in a burst of flame. The frost melted away, leaving a shimmering cloud in the air. “Interesting,” he mumbled, shaking his head.
I lunged again, but he was ready this time. He sidestepped, slamming his cane into my left shoulder. My barrier kicked in and absorbed some of the impact, but I still felt a sharp surge of agony. Apparently, these defensive devices only offered partial protection.