The auditorium was at the very edge of campus, somewhat near a small lake. An overgrowth of plants and trees spread out from the forest behind the platform. A single pointed mountain lay in the distance almost directly behind the platform.
Eva took her seat in the stands. The weekend passed and there had been no sign of Arachne. So she sat without a spider clinging to her chest. Juliana sat to her side. There were far more seats than the thirty or so students who showed up.
Zoe Baxter appeared on stage like some sort of magician. She had a pointed silver dagger in her hand. With a wave, the lights on the platform brightened and the lights in the audience darkened. She tapped her throat and began speaking in a loud voice.
“Welcome to my seminar. Here you will learn to fight. We will perform mock battles and we will discuss survival techniques.” She scanned the crowd as if waiting for questions or objections. None came. “Tonight will be a bit different.
“The goal is to avoid my attacks,” she gestured to the large pile of silver marbles, “and to land a single strike on me. Any volunteers?”
A larger student, maybe a third or fourth year, stood up and got a bit of a reaction from Zoe. “Oh. Mr. Burnside. Have you learned from last year’s mistakes?”
The student climbed up on stage and rolled a palm sized red sphere in his hands. “I’ve given a lot of thought into what I did wrong. You’ll be the one on your back this time.”
If Eva hadn’t been watching Zoe closely, she might have missed the tiny sigh that escaped her lips. “Very well, Mr. Burnside. Let us begin.”
Zoe gripped her dagger and flicked her wrist. Six of the marbles floated off the top of the pile and launched themselves towards the student.
A massive ball of flame, about the size of a large beach ball, erupted from the red sphere. Eva felt the heat wash over her as it raced towards Zoe.
The marbles entered the flame but did not emerge from the other end.
A heap of marbles moved between the flame and Zoe. The ball of flame crashed against the makeshift wall. More than half of the marbles disappeared beneath the flame before the ball of fire dispersed.
The remaining marbles all launched themselves at Burnside. He tried to dive out of the way but a number clipped his back. He was carried backwards and landed in the pile of cushions at the end of the stage.
“That was a powerful attack, Mr. Burnside. Relying on a single large attack is not a valid option. If your opponent avoids or defends against it, you will lose. I believe you tried a similar strategy during your second year. I do not wish to see it again.
“You may take a seat, Mr. Burnside.”
After that, a number of veterans fought against her and, without exception, all wound up failing to strike at her.
As the number of willing participants started to dwindle, Zoe began to call out specific people.
“Miss Eva. You look eager to test your mettle.”
Eva was certain she looked nothing resembling eager. “So much for not participating right away,” Eva whispered to Juliana.
The blond just shrugged.
Eva pulled out her wooden wand and climbed upstage. She hadn’t practiced with the thing at all since she got it, and didn’t intend to actually use it. Holding it in her hand and waving it around should cover up her casting.
What she was going to cast was the bigger issue. Neither she nor her master used traditional magic much and neither had a proper education in it. But Eva didn’t have her vials or her daggers, nor any demons to come rescue her. Not that she would have used any of them in a little mock battle.
Stepping was the most normal magic she used. She could do simple light spells, but she wouldn’t be throwing around fireballs just now.
Her poor planning session ground to a stop as Zoe took up a stance. “Ready yourself,” she said.
Immediately a handful of the silver balls shot towards Eva. Several aimed at her face.
She stepped past them and immediately threw up her hand. A dark ring spread and enveloped the stage.
Her instructor slowly turned, unable to see in the darkness but obviously expecting an attack. Several marbles launched from the pile in seemingly random directions. More than a few were a bit too close for comfort for Eva.
Eva flashed a bright light just to the left of her instructor and stepped to her right. Her hand, already halfway through a punch when she came out of her step, froze in midair as she felt the cold flat of a blade on her neck.
The darkness dropped to reveal Zoe Baxter looking her usual proper self.
“You managed to avoid the projectiles and create a situation disadvantageous to myself. You pressed your advantage in an unexpected move with a physical attack. I can’t say I ever expected to be nearly punched.
