Defenses

Darren is falling into a grove with his studies, but his most taxing field is not martial arts with Volodar. Instead, it’s defensive magic, something Darren assumed would be easy. The instructor, Imryll, is a fair yet demanding teacher who wants Darren to stop relying upon his raw physical power. One day during class, she finds him ignoring the required reading and decides to correct his poor decision. Will he survive the personalized lesson without injury? Or will he suffer for ignoring his instructor’s demands?

Defenses

Imryll walked through the desks of her students, looking over their shoulders. When she came to Darren, she stopped and laid a hand on his back. “You have a great gift for magic, and Arlen has sung your praises with the healing arts.” She gripped his shoulder, adding, “But with a little more focus, you would be a better defensive spell caster.”

Darren sighed and turned to the correct page in the book.

She released her grip and resumed meandering through the classroom, addressing her pupils. “Despite requiring greater attention, it’s not impossible to excel in this field of magic. Remember, this specialty doesn’t require brute strength.”

“What’s more important than raw power? Maxwell asked.

“You should know that already,” the teacher said while walking to her desk. As she sat on the edge and looked over the class, she folded her arms across her chest. “Can anyone answer the question?”

“Subtlety,” Kira answered.

“That’s correct, Kira,” Imryll replied with a warm smile. “It’s like martial arts in that regard. Brute strength will always lose when it’s up against a mage that uses subtlety.”

“Then why can’t I ever defend myself against you and the other instructors?” Norry asked.

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