Page 151 of Keldori By Daybreak

“I know that!” I bristled. “Besides, Orla’s mad at me.”

Ciarán stood and took a swig of Skal. “I can’t go back in time and tell you not to martyr yourself, and clearly you aren’t going to sleep. How about a lesson instead?”

I rolled my eyes and leaned against the rocky stream bank. I wasn’t in the mood for a lesson, but maybe keeping busy would be good for my stress levels. “Sure. Teach me.”

Dual single-handed scythes formed in Ciarán’s fists. He sliced them through the air, moving through the forms and stances of imaginary combat. The orange glow of the weapons shed with the movement, and when he came to a pause in his performance, Ciarán’s scythes were no longer made of glowing Skal, but metal.

He straightened up and held them out for me to see.

“Corporeal. I’ve told you before, not all Skal constructs glow. They take a stronger will to create and they cost more magick, but they last longer.”

I stood and took one of the scythes from Ciarán. Its handle was warm to the touch, but it didn’t burn me like usual Skal weapons would.

“Why bother with Skal weapons at all then?” I asked.

“The magick cost of creating a corporeal weapon is more than ten times that of a Skal replica. Not to mention the volatile nature of a Skal weapon burns anyone who isn’t the Magician behind its creation, which you know can be an advantage in a fight. That and most Magicians can hardly manage cheap tricks, let alone form anything corporeal.”

“And what? You’d like me to try?” I scoffed. “I only just figured out how to make anything other than a flail.”

“You know better than to underestimate yourself, Blue.” He stepped close and pressed his hand over my lower ribs where Kamryn’s dagger had cut me open. “Besides, it’s best you use as little magick as possible until the threat of volcanic explosion has passed. So, no. I’d like to teach you how to properly fight.”

“Fight—?”

His leg was suddenly behind me, and he knocked me backwards over his knee with an arm across my chest. I landed on my back in the pebbles along the stream bed, staring up at him still trying to process what had just happened.

“Yes. Fight.” He bent down and pressed his lips to the tip of my nose. Heat flushed my face. “If you get good enough at this, I’ll show you how to use the scythes. Now you try.”

He pulled me to my feet. I stared at his legs, trying to work out just what he’d done to topple me over so effortlessly.

“But how?” I asked.

He shook loose strands of hair out of his face. “Watch carefully.”

He went through the movement slower, showing me how he lined his leg up with mine to get the best leverage and then exactly where to push to get the take down. He lowered me more gently to the rocks this time.

“Who exactly am I supposed to use this against?” I asked, still on the ground. “Ferrin likes to turn into a giant bug monster with sword arms when he fights.”

“The guard who tried to kill you was just a man,” Ciarán said darkly. “I won’t always be nearby.”

“But you’ll probably be nearby.” I staggered back to my feet.

“I wasn’t last time.”

“And I was stabbed before I could fight back. I don’t think knowing this would’ve helped.”

“Try it, Blue.”

I lunged, placed my foot behind Ciarán’s leg, and swung my arm up to try to knock him over to no avail.

“Your leg needs to be closer to mine. It’s a lever. If the fulcrum is too far—”

“I know physics.” I shifted my leg closer, grabbed onto his far shoulder, and heaved.

He fell, but I got the sense it was because he allowed it to happen rather than because of any skill on my part.

“Good,” he lied. “Again.”

The movement got easier each time I tried it, and Ciarán started changing his stance, forcing me to feel out how to best position my own legs to gain leverage over him. When I took too long, he struck, throwing me to the pebbles.