Reep was stressed. Not because she was anxious or worried but because Clammy was stressed. Apparently, the ex-princess had created a rather powerful spell that the powers above deemed too strong to be left alone. So, they took it under pretext of the System and locked the spell in question. Clammy still technically owned it, but she had to prove her case in the realm of the Divine.

Which was stressful. Hence Clammy’s stress, hence Reep’s stress.

For the past three weeks Bishop had been working with Clammy in helping her prepare… but the Drake didn’t know how to. Not really at least. Spell court was… unusual. Sadly, mages were secretive in nature, meaning that recounts for past trials were few and far between.

In the end, Reep didn’t know how much she was helping. Between training, sparring, and trying to create more Titan spells, the young [Archer] was doing everything she could. Which didn’t seem to be all that much. Not when compared to her teammate, at least.

Clammy assured her that was untrue, but Reep wanted to assist her in all her problems. Reep had been assisting with Eden, but she didn’t fully realize the extent of what her teammate had been going through. Since Esmel, Clammy had been struggling with her second diviner class, something in which Reep didn’t really help with.

Sure, she was a shoulder to cry on, held her hand through the roughest nightmares, and endured waking up under the weight of a large tree, but Reep never helped solve the issue. That was Bishop, a teacher rather than a teammate. So, Reep figured she should help with spell court… just, she didn’t know how.

But her presence was enough for Clammy.

Clammy was distraught more so than normal. She blamed it on Eden, which was somewhat the case, but her brother wasn’t the primary issue. She missed Max, plain and simple. Emi as well. Celenia also… But mainly Max. He had become something more than a friend to her, nothing romantic, but still something more than simple friends.

Family. Max was family.

So, Reep’s presence filled the void. Even if she didn’t want to believe it.

“What about Cral? Has he spoken to you since the colosseum?”

Bishop was referring to a private conversation Clammy was invited to after creating Dark Hole, the spell in question. She used the meeting to transport across the continent to reach Salae while under a space lock, however, something the God of War was impressed with.

“No. He only said he would be my defense sponsor. Nothing more.”

“Any hidden notes in that booklet he gave you?”

Clammy produced a small pad of tightly bound neat paper. Ever since she was given Dancing in Battle; A Guide to Understanding Battle Trances, she had kept the pages on her at all times. She had also read and reread the information several times to the point where she had the main passages memorized.

“No. At least, I don’t think so. If there is, I didn’t see it.”

Bishop tapped his fingers against the table, “Can I try again?”

Clammy sighed and slid the booklet over. Since being informed about the Divine guide book, the Drake had tried several times to read through its pages. Each was blank to his eyes, an effect he had only ever seen once before – with Reep’s Titan Gauntlet spell.

Bishop cursed after seeing that the blanking effect persisted, he slid the booklet back to Clammy who rolled her eyes.

“That really is… something… Maybe if I could see you practice-“

“No. We’ve tried that enough. It is pretty apparent that something stops me from training in the booklet when others are around. So, let’s just drop it, okay? Can we focus on the issue at hand?”

Bishop conceded and nodded, “I don’t know how else to help. I’ve exhausted every bit of information I could find. I am sorry.”

Clammy shook her head, “No, don’t be. Thanks Bishop. I mean it.”

The Drake put his hand on hers and patted softly, “It will be fine. Everything will be fine. Either you get your spell, or you don’t. There is no real penalty, only a slight hindrance.”

“Just make a new spell. One that’s stronger and use that as leverage to get the weaker one back.” Reep said with a shrug.

Bishop looked thoughtful, “That’s an idea. And it could work… Know any powerful spells that you could create within a day?”

Clammy chuckled a bit, “No. I didn’t even know Dark Hole was going to be as powerful as it was. I was only copying something Max had told me about months ago – well, after seeing Domic’s miniature sun spell. I could feel the gravity of the spell and it gave me some inspiration.”

Bishop looked thoughtful at this, but Reep had a question, “Why is the spell being taken away? Because it was too powerful? Why don’t the Gods just reduce the damage it can do through the System? Is that not common?”

“It is, which is why spell court events are so rare. There is another reason why the spell was locked, something the Gods don’t want to become rumors.” Bishop stood from his chair and began to leave, “I suspect it the spell was locked because Cazdis was the party at the receiving end of the spell. She is known to abuse her Divine powers to get what she wants.”

Clammy nodded at that before paling in remembrance. Cazdis, Goddess of Eldritch and the mother of the being she used Dark Hole to combat. A vile Goddess with a reason for a personal vendetta verses a tier one ex-princess.

Reep looked at her teammate’s stress and despair. She slowly got up and wrapped her arms around the young woman. Reep didn’t know why people felt comfort in hugs, but, in this moment, she felt it was the right thing to do.

A few minutes passed as Clammy realized who Reep was to her.

Family. Reep was family.

Who needed Eden? Who needed Salae. Clammy had ran away once already. There was no point in feeling sorry for herself.

“So… Want to spar?” Reep asked.

“Sure.”

Without Vel, Bishop, or Max around, the girls had to spar lightly… which meant fighting nearly full force. They had a fresh and potent supply of healing potions as well as Icarus on overwatch. If something were to happen, unless it was instantly fatal, they had enough in the way of precaution.

Reep started by summoning an electrical bow construct. Every day she created the same bow a hundred times over – each time slightly faster than the last. But now, in this friendly bout, she created it faster than she had ever done previous.

It was created with a spark, a single flicker of power and mana. It grew in her closed hand, forming a thin orange-yellow bar of lightning before curving slightly. At the tips of the bar a thin strand of mana jolted and jittered as they came together. When they did, the bow flourished with light and electricity carving details and textures into the handle and wings.

A single arrow formed after Reep drew the string tight. It formed between her fingers and aligned with her guiding thumb ready to be fired. Which she took advantage of. The arrow sped across the training room before breaking apart half way. It splintered and fractured turning into a volley of searing sparks and blinding light. It roared like a Dragon and looked like its breath.

Before the shower of glitter faded, Reep used its cover to launch more arrows. Each flew in a horizontal arc, covering the room in a blanket of deadly barbs. A spherical vortex appeared in the light show, pulling all particulates down and away as gravity magic washed over its user.

Clammy rotated a single arrow around herself, using its own momentum against its original caster. The arrow was launched back at Reep who pivoted back a single step and fired off an intercepting attack of her own.

The false arrow collided with the true arrow creating another hail of sparks and light. Another vortex was created, this time allowing Clammy enough time to reach her target.

She struck out with a heavy swing of a padded hammer, crashing into the stone ground. Cracks formed to which she pulled upon creating plenty of ammunition. Rocks flew like homing missiles; each being blocked or expertly dodged.

Reep’s increased Agility gave her a significant advantage when it came to speed and movement. However, Clammy’s magic put her on a timer. Eventually Reep would weigh too much to move properly, but she knew that spell had to ramp-up for a while.

Arrow after arrow intercepted small rocks, forcing Clammy to dodge and or create a gravity shield. Either way, the ex-princess had to spread her consciousness across to many active spells.

So, she cheated.

Battle Trances are and forever will be considered a significant advantage when it came to combat or multitasking. A proficient Trance user would be able to read a battle field in its entirety at all times. They quadruple their Stamina while using the least amount of Stamina required for their movements. In essence, Trances created a perfect combatant – something Clammy strived for.

Clammy’s breath started to mist out in blue-white exhale. Her lungs filled with mana and her joints loosened, and her muscles strained, but only to a certain extent. For a brief moment she saw an arrow pass through the covering lightshow and nearly land on target. The image was an after image – or rather, a future image.

Clammy had been struggling with this aspect of her magic since fighting the Vast Empire leader in the throne room of Salae. She could see a few seconds ahead when in battle, but the shift of time was jarring. Without being in a Trance, she knew she wouldn’t be able to process the information fast enough.

But that was what sparring was for, right?

The same arrow pierced through the cloud of sparks and light only to be stopped dead by a shift in gravity. Clammy slowly brough the arrow into her orbit before firing off to meet her teammate head on. She lowered her gravity while attracting herself and Reep together. The effect, while mana intensive, caused the two girls to accelerate towards each other at breakneck speeds.

Well, at least Clammy did. Reep fought off the combination effect the best she could, but in the end she was losing ground.

A hammer swing marked the true start of the training match. It came in quick and without focus, thus missing widely. But it didn’t need to land, in fact, the zoning capability was all Clammy needed. Gravity shifted again, this time removing the attraction between the two girls and reforming Reep to the orbit held arrow.

Again, for a brief moment, Clammy saw the immediate future. Reep dodged to the left – out of the way of the arrow and hammer swing. She fired three arrows of her own, each targeting Clammy’s feet. The first two hit, leaving wide wounds of paralyzing shock. Blood splattered across the stone floor and thus ending the duel.

Time reverted to the present and Clammy knew what she had to do. She shifted gravity, pulling the arrow hard to the left. The arrow twisted in midair, losing its straight flight before wobbling towards its target.

Three arrows formed on Reep’s bow just before the off center arrow slammed into her arm. The sudden impact caused the [Archer] to flinch and fire her assault incorrectly. The three arrows were flung across the room haphazardly and unimportantly.

Clammy didn’t lose the chance. She rocketed forward with a massive overhead strike. The bow construct was blown to bits as its owner gave up the weapon in avoidance of a broken bone.

Reep rolled away and created a pillar of lightning between herself and her teammate. The unstructured non-[Archer] ability would cost her a large chunk of mana, but she needed the space. The sudden and unprecedented attack seemed to clip Clammy’s hammer, sending shocks through the weapon and into the young woman’s flesh.

This activated Reep’s passive ability she received as a gift from Goddess Elrin – Eternal Conduit. The effect was as simple as it was elegant. Any attack Reep landed would apply a cripple and damage over time effect. In short amounts the passive ability would do very little, but when an arrow is stuck in someone’s shoulder or gut, the effect kept applying until the target is stationary or dead.

In Clammy’s case, her muscles jittered and ached for a few seconds.

Clammy saw the immediate future again. She shrugged off the annoying shocking effect before plunging forward past the just fading electrical pillar. Reep tries to summon a new bow but fails to do so before a hammer swing. The [Archer]’s half created construct blocks the blow, but not the next one – that one sends her sprawling across the training room and ending the duel.

Time returned to the [Diviner] and she did exactly as he future memory described – the path to victory. For just a brief moment she thought she remembered something. Cral, God of War, had shown her an overstuffed book and guide for Battle Trances. He took it away just as fast as he presented it, but Clammy distinctly remembered reading a few words.

Path of the Perceptive and Path of the Demolisher.

For some reason, Clammy finding the path to victory reminded her of the Path of the Perceptive. For that brief moment, she thought she understood something important. But, like snuffing a flame, the feeling died before it became something more. She knew, however, that she was on to something.

During this single heartbeat, Reep didn’t stand idle. She knew the final outcome of this battle not because she could see the future, but because of her days of combat experience. Not long ago did she rank second in her guard training unit, only behind a possible Vast Empire supporter and entitled [Lancer].

Reep knew her strengths as an [Archer] quite well. First and foremost being her range, secondly being high Agility. Both of which were key in battle against a mage and or melee fighter, both of which Clammy happened to be. So, Reep knew exactly when a battle was over, the moment she lost her range and couldn’t get it back.

Losing ground was a given in single duel, losing a bow and ground was a grave loss. Not being fast enough to create a new bow was the end.

But Reep didn’t want to lose. She worked harder than any other, she sweat more than anyone. She trained like a mad man for the sake of her own goal of reaching the Heavens. In this single heartbeat, Reep felt jealousy. She felt Clammy didn’t deserve to win this duel, she felt Clammy didn’t work hard enough. Not when it came to combat training, at least.

This new emotion erupted, fueling a hidden power Reep had only just come to learn about. The power of a Titan.

Clammy plunged forward through the fading pillar of electricity and with a massive overhead strike. The strike should have broken Reep’s half-created bow construct. Instead, the blow was parried by a world twisting gauntlet of lightning.

A wave of heart stopping energy blasted from Reep, causing Clammy to stagger back in panic. She had seen the future; this was not it. She clutched at her chest in exacerbated breaths, falling to her knees.

The lights of the training room smudged outwards, sheeting the entire stone chamber in thick mana as Icarus’s presence filled the room.

Reep kicked forward, aiming her gantlet for a decisive punch. The light mana formed into dull hooks, which raced to pull back the [Archer] before she could land the deadly hit. Reep whiplashed forward as her momentum ended suddenly.

The sudden intervention from the guardian of the mansion forced Reep’s adrenaline to a bare crawl. She took only a moment to collect herself, dispel her gauntlet, and remove herself from Icarus’s hooks. When she did, she saw the state Clammy was in.

Kneeling, the young ex-princess was defenseless. Her eyes had frosted over in a dull silver, the callsign for Divination magic. Clammy was having a vision, something which still eluded her direct control. Before today, however, she would have been confident in dispelling all sudden visions during combat.

But not all visions carried the same importance.

Guilt washed over Reep in this moment. She felt ashamed for using a technique Bishop had forbidden on her teammate without warning. She felt even more ashamed for not noticing the state her teammate was in. And she felt the most shame for feeling jealousy over her teammate’s training regimen. Reep knew Clammy was dealing with more important tasks than jogging or hitting a target dummy for hours on end.

Reep fell to her feet beside Clammy a moment later. Using Titan’s Gauntlet took everything she had and usually caused her to pass out. But there was no way she would faint here. Not now, not when Clammy was in such a state. So, Reep stayed awake through sheer will power.

At some point Icarus had materialized, handed Reep multiple potions, then berated the young woman for her recklessness. But, frankly, she didn’t hear any of his words. Instead she focused on the world itself.

Before this battle, Reep had failed to stay awake and truly see the effects of her gauntlet. This time, however, she was front and center for the show it created. The world twisted and bubbled, effects she didn’t know were possible. The image of rippling waves echoed across the training room. It was subtle and nearly nonexistent.

But Reep saw. And she memorized.

Clammy started coughing the moment her vision ended. This was now the second time she had entered a vision while in a Battle Trance. While the first time was for hours and this time was just a few seconds, the effects were still pronounced. Burning lungs mixed with a deadened throat. But none of that was on Clammy’s mind, her vision took precedence.

It scared her.

Even though it was a possibility of the future. A glimmer, a glimpse of what may become, just the opportunity sent a shiver down Clammy’s spine. But… at the same time, it opened up a world of potential. She now knew what was possible, she had seen the endgame of two kinds of magic - hers and her teammate’s.

The question now became, when did this future happen? Ten years? Fifty? One-hundred? One-thousand?

“What did you see?” Reep asked through a slated voice. Her eyes were dipping and heavy, but she fought to keep them open.

Clammy thought for only a moment before speaking, “The peach harvest is going to be bountiful this year for a small village north of Salae.”

It was a lie, but one Clammy was alright with telling her family member.