Chapter 29 NO ONE CALLS ME THIRD-RATE
"Ventus?" she questioned just as softly.
"A wind spell. It travels under the ground and then erupts around a specific location. Not even the Khukuri would've saved you." He was about to explain a bit more to her, but the black sorcerer began laughing. His voice was so arrogant, and his laugh wasn't much better. It still sounded like he was mocking them both.
"What a show," he said, still laughing a bit as the two of them got to their feet. "I must say, I wasn't expecting you to do that. Why didn't you just cast a protection spell? Instead you almost got both of you killed."
Magnus was about to retaliate with something witty, but he just clamped his mouth shut instead. He didn't want to give this jerk what he wanted. Besides, part of what he had said made sense. Casting a protection spell really would have been easier, not to mention a lot safer. To be honest, the thought had never even crossed his mind. Suppose I shoulda thought that through… I'm not usually that reckless.
"I guess you're not what I thought," the black sorcerer said rather smugly. "I should've expected such a careless move from a third-rate like you."
The second those words left that man's mouth, Xyra noticed a slight change in Magnus. His posture became rather rigid, and every bit of humor had drained from his face. One of his eyes twitched just slightly, but it was still noticeable. He clenched his hands tightly at his sides.
"Th…third-rate?" he questioned, his voice easily giving away how insulted he was. It was as if this was the first time he had ever been called that. It probably was. Anyone who knew him had witnessed his power. It was indeed an incredible thing.
Magnus growled a bit in irritation, tensing just about every muscle in his body. He lowered his head a bit, keeping his angry eyes on the black sorcerer.
"I'll show you," he stated in a dark voice, one laced with malice. "No one calls me third-rate." Right next to him appeared a floating sphere, and just by its color, they all knew what it was. The black sorcerer just laughed at him.
"A Ventus?" he asked. "Like that's anything to be proud of." He lost face a bit when another appeared. "Two…big deal." That wasn't all though. More and more of the Ventuses began appearing. Soon there were next to twenty of them floating around Magnus. The black sorcerer had completely lost his smirk. If anything, he seemed terrified.
"No one calls me third-rate," Magnus stated. All of his Ventuses shot down, sinking into the ground the second those words left his mouth.
The black sorcerer stood stock still, his eyes shifting everywhere. He knew that all twenty some spells were going to come at him. He just didn't know when or where. He had to be careful or he'd end up dead. A spell like that could easily tear someone apart. However, it did have one flaw. Every time one was about to surface, the ground within its range would turn black.
He looked down and watched as his shadow grew. He quickly jumped out of the way just as the spell rose up in a pillar of dark light. Unfortunately for him, when he touched down again, he quickly had to move. Another was surfacing. He wasn't going to get a break anytime soon from this. Until all twenty were gone, he had to keep moving.
Magnus and Xyra watched as the black sorcerer jumped around, doing his best to avoid everything that came at him. It was getting harder though. More and more Ventuses began coming up closer together, so one slip up would easily spell the end for him. He was dodging all of them though, much to Magnus's annoyance. As soon as the last one came up, the sorcerer made a dash towards the two of them. He was going towards Xyra. She quickly held her sword up in defense, but there wasn't a need.
The second the black sorcerer got close enough, Magnus set up a barrier that quickly repelled the man. However, he was soon back on his feet, charging yet again for Xyra. Magnus wasn't sure why, but he decided not to think about it and instead reset the barrier. The black sorcerer wasn't an idiot though. The second he came close enough, he turned, grabbed the hilt of a sword at his side, and drew it.
He leapt towards Magnus with the blade extended. He thrust it forward, aiming for the boy's head. His metal met nothing but air. His opponent had dodged at the last second, the blade only a few centimeters from his cheek. The black sorcerer suddenly felt petrified with fear. He was wide open, and by the look in Magnus's eyes, he knew he wasn't going to get off with a few scratches. The boy looked as unforgiving as the devil himself, his jade eyes just as angry as his scowl suggested. In that one moment, he represented the very beasts he hunted.
Magnus's hand extended, and he grabbed the sorcerer by the head, stopping him in his tracks. This was it. He knew what was about to happen to him. Despite his inferiority to this man, he was well aware of the spell that was about to be cast. There was no saving him. He wouldn't be shown the mercy he always refused to give.
"Incendia," Magnus hissed. In a second, flames exploded from his hand, completely consuming the black sorcerer. There wasn't even time for him to scream out in pain. The flames had taken him faster than the eye could see. His body still burned as Magnus tossed the mass of fire to the side. The boy just watched for a while before turning away from the now forming heap of ashes that had once been a sorcerer. He showed absolutely no remorse or shame as he began walking away, heading over to his companion.
Xyra stood in her place, her sword gripped tightly with two hands. She had just seen everything. She had watched the entire scene play out before her, and now her mind was reeling. Nothing seemed to add up here. Magnus, the always calm, always smiling sorcerer had just used his magic to completely destroy another human being. He didn't even seem to care that he had taken a life with his own two hands. W-what kind of a monster is he…?
"Xyra?" he asked her, snapping her out of her trance. When she saw that he was only a foot away, she jumped back. Her whole body began to shake as she kept her eyes on him, studying him as if she no longer trusted his actions. He couldn't help but frown at such a reaction. She radiated fear. He wasn't quite sure why, but she really was staring at him as if he could attack at any moment. What's with her? It's not like I'm a monster or anything.
"W-why?" she asked, her voice shaking. It sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
"Why what?"
"You killed him… You killed that man, and you don't even care." She let her sword drop, relaxing her arms. "How could you do that?"
"I'm not some third-rate pushover," he stated, his eyes harshening again. "He needed to understand that. I had to put him in his place."
"That's no excuse!" She wanted to say something else, but she stopped herself, taking a moment to recompose before continuing in a softer voice. "That was no reason to kill him."
"If I hadn't, he wouldn't have left us alone."
"But there had to be another way! Not everything has to be solved with someone dying! Have some compassion!"