Gregory looked away from her, his cheeks heating. “Yeah, that was a bit strong, but I wasn’t wrong.”
“Not wrong at all,” Bishop agreed. “I still remember your first use of aether. Fighting a bane wolf shortly after you touched aether for the first time? Not a whelp, either, but a fully-grown bane wolf... and all you got for your troubles were scars and your friend that lost two fingers.”
I should look into what it would take for Gunnar to regrow those… Gregory thought to himself.
“When I got back here, what did I hear? That you nearly repeated being the champion, only to be defeated by your fellow clanmate. I also heard how my clan is all but embroiled in a feud with the Eternal Flame, all because the grandson of Shun was beaten by you and your wives repeatedly.”
“He’s a spoiled child who doesn’t know how to accept defeat,” Gregory snorted.
Bishop laughed and shrugged. “So many in power are. Ah, well, it does seem that my beloved clan will be climbing in prestige again. For that, you’ll have my thanks. You three have helped the clan’s name begin to spread again… long dismissed and nearly forgotten, but now, rising back to its rightful place. Tell me, why did you three choose this clan?”
Gregory hesitated as he considered his words. Bishop waited, watching him with interest. “Honestly, it was just Yuki and I, at first. We wanted a clan that would let us stay together even into our adept and magus years. Jenn joined us just before we joined the clan, and she became a friend, and then more. Now, we’re hoping all three of us can stay together.”
Bishop’s lips pursed and she looked into the distance. “That will be problematic. Very few postings have room for three adepts or magus-tier magi. Two is more doable, but even that is difficult.”
“We worry that will be the case.”
“It’s still years away, and Lightshield is wise,” Bishop said softly. “I’m sure if you tell him, he’ll try to do what he can. Especially for you.” She said the last word with weight as she stared at him.
He did his best to keep impassive, but he knew he failed.
“You brought two talented friends with you into the clan, one of which became a champion of the novice year, not to mention the three novices who are hard at work training to also join the clan. I do feel a little bad for Victoria,” Bishop said as if she’d meant nothing more.
“Why?” Gregory asked.
“Because the poor girl is distinctly interested in you, and here you are with two wives already. Ah, well, it’ll be good for her. She’ll learn early that life is painful, and anyone trying to tell you different has ulterior motives.”
“Oh? But I’ve barely spoken with her.”
“Hmm... maybe she has a soft spot for the injured ones?” Bishop shrugged. “Your wife, Jenn— how would you rate her fighting ability and her control over her magic?”
“She’s possibly the best fighter from our class,” Gregory said. “As for her magic, Master Chen would be able to speak to that better, but she was able to use her aether sparingly and in pieces when needed, not just flooding herself the entire time.”
Bishop smiled. “She’ll be a good student then. Good. Is there anything else, Pettit?”
“No, Bishop. I just wanted to ask about my mother.”
“I am sorry I can’t recall more of her,” Bishop said. “She would be proud of you. You did as she said and you wished. You’re a magi, even if your road is filled with hardships.”
“Hard paths make the best magi,” Gregory said as he rose to his feet. “A wise woman told me that, and I believe it. Now, to survive and become stronger.”
Bishop’s smile was real as she opened her book back up. “I’m glad you took the words to heart. Have a good evening.”
“Have a good evening, Bishop.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Gregory was still thinking about his talk with Bishop when he made it to the clan archive. Jenn and Yukiko were seated at a table, looking over a book, and Murium was sitting in the far corner of the room with a book on her lap.
Going over to his wives, Gregory spoke softly, “What did you find?”
“This is a book on the symbol of the temple,” Yukiko replied. “It’s been linked to a few ancient temples scattered around the known world. The myth says that Aether himself built them from the bedrock of the earth. They appear to be unchanged, even by earth magi of the elder tier.”
“The author of this book links the different images to the three paths,” Jenn said. “The brain, of course, denotes the mind while the flexing arm stands for the body path. The author is debating on whether or not the lotus flower represents the spirit path. The flower is unlike any other in the world, showing a strange amount of petals, but with the definition of the other two, the author hypothesizes that the flower should exist, as well.”
“But it is the spirit path, right?” Gregory asked.
“Yes,” Yukiko nodded. “Remember how it’s always the spirit path that people seem to be able to combine with another? Note that the flower is in the middle of the image, between the other two.”
Gregory considered the idea for a few moments. “You think it was placed deliberately there to show that it can combine with either of them?”
“I don’t know, but I feel like it is,” Yukiko replied.
“The author suggests that this image is why the empire believes in the three paths,” Jenn said.
“I can see where that theory would come from,” Gregory said slowly, “but if that’s known, why does the academy push us toward one path or another? Why not have all the novices try to walk spirit and another path?”
“Because those in power don’t like threats to themselves,” Yukiko answered him.
Gregory thought about what he’d seen so far since leaving Alturis and nodded. “Yeah... if people like Nick are the norm for the ‘powerful,’ I can see how that would be.”
“Very few magi have managed to combine paths, as it is,” Jenn added. “Why waste even a second of training on what is likely a futile gesture when you can push them to excel on a single path?”
“There is that, as well,” Yukiko agreed.
“Yet here we are, walking…” Jenn trailed off, glancing at Murium, who was still reading. “Doing what we are.”
“Yes, but we know why we can,” Yukiko said. “Yet another thing to talk to Darkness about.”
“Next time we grow, I hope to be able to ask her about that, and about Dia walking both paths,” Gregory said, before he added a little belatedly, “and about my gloves and boots, too.”
“Yes, that’s something else that’s important,” Yukiko nodded.
“They blunt a physical enhancement magi’s attacks,” Jenn said. “I’d been wondering how you’d done that until you told me about the gloves.”
“They stopped Nick’s fire from burning my hands, too,” Gregory added with another glance toward Murium, who was clearly absorbed in her book. “It might have to do with the ryuite in them. Is this all she had for us?”
“We only asked her for this to start with,” Yukiko said. “I want to draw the image from the medallion before I ask about it.”
“That makes sense,” Gregory admitted. “I’m going to ask if she has anything on ryuite.”
They both nodded and went back to their book as Gregory went over to Murium.
“Murium?”
The archivist looked up at him, blinking slowly. “Yes?”
“Are there any books on ryuite in the collection?”
Murium stared at him for a long moment before setting her book aside. “Yes, there is something. Give me a moment, please.”
Gregory stepped aside and waited. Murium moved slowly as she walked to the middle of the room and closed her eyes. She spun in a lazy circle, mumbling under her breath as she did. Without warning, her eyes snapped open and she moved to the bookshelf. She stood on her toes and reached up, bringing down a thick book. Nodding, a smile grew as she walked it over to Gregory.
“Ryuite
is on page one-hundred and thirty-three. This is the extent of the archive’s knowledge on ryuite.”
Gregory took the book from her with a smile. “Thank you, Murium.”
She bowed her head and went back to her seat.
Gregory went back to where the other two were and sat down. “I’ll let you know what I find.”
“We’ll do the same,” Yukiko said.
~*~*~
Gregory sat, looking into the distance, as he thought about what the book had on ryuite. It’s a gem, but also a metal, which makes no sense at all... it would explain the threads in the glove, and boots, and the gem in the naginata, though. This book has nothing to hint at why the gloves can help me deflect a fully enhanced blow...
“Greg?” Yukiko asked.
“Huh?”
“Were you able to learn anything?”
“Not a lot, honestly. It has two pages about what they know on ryuite which, besides describing it with a lot of extra words, isn’t much. Ryuite is a gem, which we’ve seen in the naginata and medallion, but it’s also a metal that can be thinned down and used as fine thread, like we see in my gloves and boots. As a metal, it glimmers with a multitude of colors, much like the gem does when it’s illuminated.”
“Maybe the archive will have something more?” Yukiko sighed. “This one didn’t have much more to go on, either. It’s a lot of debate and conjecture, and several different theories of the emblem are discussed. Nothing about the first known appearance of it or anything useful.”
“I feel like I hit a rock head-on,” Jenn sighed, rubbing her forehead.
“Yeah, it was difficult to take,” Gregory said. “Should we go bathe early?”
“That… is not as exciting as it sounds anymore,” Yukiko started excitedly, but her happiness dropped after the first word.
“Segregated,” Jenn agreed with Yukiko. “We got used to the other just in time to leave it behind.”
“I’m glad and sad at the same time,” Gregory said as he stood up. “At least I won’t have any surprise bathers here.”
Yukiko giggled as she got to her feet. “As if you minded that much, dear one.”
“Didn’t mind them being there,” Gregory admitted. “The surprise was the part that I didn’t care for.”
“Well, maybe next time, we’ll warn you,” Jenn snickered.
“Are you done?” Murium called to them.
“Yes, Murium. Thank you,” Gregory said. “Did you want us to put them—?”
“No, it’s my job,” Murium cut him off before her cheeks reddened. “I mean… no thank you.”
“No apology needed,” Gregory said, bowing his head to her. “See you at dinner.”
“Yes,” Murium said softly, looking away from the three of them.
“She’s so soft-spoken and shy,” Jenn said as they walked down the hall.
“Yes, but that’s just who she is,” Yukiko said.
“Pettit, do you have a moment?” Bishop asked from near the front door.
“What do you need, Bishop?” Gregory inquired.
“I’d like to spar with you,” Bishop said. “It’s an hour before dinner, so there’s time unless you have something else to do.”
Gregory shook his head. “We were just going to bathe early. A match or two should be fine.”
“Would you spar with me?” Jenn asked Bishop.
“Hmm... yes. A single match before I fight him,” Bishop agreed. “I have the weapons outside already.”
The three of them followed Bishop out the door. Dia was sitting on the porch, smoking, and Gin sat beside her, sipping from a glass of wine.
“I’m looking forward to seeing this,” Gin said.
“Did you need both blades?” Inda asked from off the porch.
“Yes. I’m fighting Jenn first, as you thought,” Bishop replied. “Jenn, we’ll be using aether. I’ll temper my output down to your levels and only do what I could as an apprentice. That way, it’s a fair fight.”
“Thank you, Magus,” Jenn said as she went over and took the training wakizashi from Inda. “I look forward to learning from you.”
Bishop chuckled as she took the practice katana from Indara. “You say that now, but we’ll see how you feel in a few minutes.”
“I have a potion or two if things go badly,” Dia said, blowing a fast-moving smoke ring.
Gregory and Yukiko stood on the other half of the porch, watching as Jenn and Bishop moved to the wide-open area between the hedge and porch. Jenn and Bishop stretched a little before facing each other.
Inda stepped in between them. “Face the audience and bow,” she told them. She walked them through the bowing before stepping back and commanding them to fight.
Bishop shot forward, her sword blurring as she attacked. The clack-clack of the wooden training weapons echoed throughout the yard as Jenn deflected attack after attack, her brow creased in concentration.
“Good, good. You can do the bare minimum, at least. Now, let’s see if you can do more,” Bishop said blandly.
Jenn was focused only on the fight, but not only was she badly outclassed in skill, Bishop had a weapon with a longer reach than she did. With a growl of frustration, Jenn took a graze from the magus’ katana to get inside its reach. She didn’t go with the expected attack with her sword— instead, she kicked Bishop, her leg coated in blue flames when she did.
Bishop brought her own leg up, covered in aether from foot to thigh, and took the blow on the shin as she stepped in and shoulder-checked Jenn, staggering the smaller woman back.
“Good. The unexpected attack was the right call,” Bishop smiled. “Most would have been worried about deflecting an attack from your shorter blade in that moment. You have speed— use it. You aren’t going to overpower nor outlast me, which means you have to find a different way.”
Jenn leapt back, clearing over a dozen feet. She was breathing hard as she stared at Bishop. “How do I use my aether to go faster?”
“The process is the same 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.”
Magi's Path (Aether's Revival Book 3) Page 20