Kaz stepped out into the open field. He had been feeling off all day. Something was different. His connection to the wind and the air around him. The squalls felt wavering around him and turbulent. He stood in the field looking at his open hands. He made a fist and turned his gaze towards the vast open nature before him. His eyes shut and he heard the low rumble. The growl in his soul from the tiger spirit residing as one with him.

His eyes suddenly shot open. He clapped his hands but there was nothing. A confused look took his face. There was no ripple. He couldn’t feel the vibration but he didn’t need to. The snapping of a twig and rustle of a branch caught the mage's attention.

He quickly looked to his left, to see that nothing was there. Only the chill of the cold breeze. Snow drifted downward, carried by the gusts. His eyes narrowed, something still felt off. He looked around, hiding the panic in his heart at his faltering magic.

The wind suddenly died. The snow it carried all drifted straight to the ground. A vacuum of wind appeared and sucked them into the woodline before two blades of wind erupted forth at Kaz.

His eyes widened. He stomped on the ground hoping that he'd propel himself backwards but there was nothing. He crossed his arms over his face as the blades tore into his arms. His feet slid backwards in the snow. His teeth clinched but his eyes peered through the gaps in his arms into the forest.

Two figures dashed forward, recklessly straight for him. He knew who they were and what time it was. The mages dashed out from the tree line, "Looks like you lost your touch brother!" One howled.

Kaz's eye twitched in anger and he only had one thing left to try. He reared his hand back like a tiger's claw to launch his own wind blade. He swung his arm but something in him caused his hand to slash downward. From it, the white tiger appeared behind him with a mighty roar creating a tornado of slashing wind that tore into the mages.

Training WC 350

The wind sent the two mages tumbling to the ground. Kaz looked at his hand and felt a heavy thud against his chest from his heartbeat. His blood raced through his veins. He could hear it now. The call of the wild. The roar of the tiger louder than ever, yet it was untamed. He saw the image of a white tiger prowling the forest. Circling around this battle with piercing blue eyes locked onto him.

The two mages groaned and stood to their feet. Kaz stepped back unsure of himself. His resolve wavering in the face of the unknown and what was happening with his magic. A cone of wind erupted from the forest line. Before he could react it smashed into his side. The wind tore bits of clothing and split open his flesh. Kaz jumped backward with the wind still engulfing him and crashed into a tree. He fell to his knee taking in a deep breath that was lost from the attack.

It had been a long time since he was a victim of a wind attack. Since he felt the sting of the cuts. Crimson ribbons were carried away by the wind trailing behind him as the attack died down. He braced himself on the tree. There were now three enemies in front of him. All ready for an attack. Grins lined their faces mixed with confusion. An arrogance came upon them as the strolled up to Kaz, who swung his hand again but no magic came out.

One of the mages kicked Kaz in the gut, dropping him to the ground but it was barely a wound. Unlike his brother's in the clan, he had been training to take more punishment. The mage gathered wind around him and readied a close-range attack on Kaz.

Kaz took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt the wind stirring aggressively over him. Just as the wind was forming a blade, Kaz felt a rush of wind in his arms. He thrust them upward. "Twin Cyclone," he roared as a blast of wind collided with theirs and sent them leaping back. One enemy cut across the face. The attack had less bite than before. It was weaker. The destructive impulse was gone from it.

Training wc 350

He stood up as the three mages readied for another strike. Kaz snorted from his nose. Steam came out from the hot air mixing with the cold outside. He regained his composure. Whatever was happening he had to deal with it now or they would kill him. Blood trickled down his arm from the cuts but they were meager. He stood ready to fight. The tiger roared in his soul as the urge to hunt nearly overtook him.

The three mage;s dashed forward. Kaz kicked behind him once more and this time it sent him soaring between them. He moved so fast he could barely keep track of them. The mage's stood stunned as Kaz rocketed by them, faster than they could detect. Kaz stumbled to regain his balance and fell to the ground, as he rolled he launched blade of wind at them.  The blade sliced into one of their backs. He was starting to understand. His offense had changed. The magic itself had changed. The winds blew in a new direction now.

The mage hollered as the blade struck him and he fell to one knee. Kaz rolled back to his feet as the other two charged. Fear was returning to their faces as Kaz regained his control. They leapt into the air.  Kaz felt the turbulent wind settle around him for a moment. He made a circle with his arms, "Roaring Whirlwind," he yelled as he launched his hands forward creating a tornado that struck them mid-air. They cast wind blades to block it but the attack pushed through.

The two mages landed back on their feet with fresh wounds. Kaz lunged forward in an instant, almost instinctive. He saw the white tiger charging alongside him. After he cast the spell he felt it returning to him quicker than before. Everything seemed faster and more chaotic than before. The lunge took him forward and he dodged around two of their wind blade attacks. It reminded him of when he hunted them down.

Kaz stopped between them and threw a hand at each one causing a burst of wind to explode at each one. The attack sent them falling to the ground. The first mage finally stood back up. Kaz recalled the strange sensation when he had slashed before. He made his clawed hand and slashed it downward once more. "Tiger's Devouring Wave," The tiger roared and a large explosion of wind overtook the area and ravaged the enemy wind mage.

Training WC 400
Total 1100
Roaring Whirlwind and Twin Cyclone Trained(900 wc with int reduction)

Amen'ra hadn't even clad in his signature armor when things went down. He meant to train some new spells he'd come across in his search for diverse uses of his solar magic and now he was in luck for a bit of practice. A young man having ran into town to ask for someone to assist in a fight that was going on not too far from where they were in a clearing, that was perfect for him to unleash his new power.

So with the speed of an athlete he was dashing through the area to find just where everything was going; guided by his ears rather than his eyes. The sounds of explosions hitting the earth and surrounding foliage was enough for him to pin point the location of the battle. It was clear as day to see that the trio of wind mages were jumping a single one and Amen'ra wouldn't allow such a thing.

It was either now or never, and he knew he would have to test this spell out for battle sooner or later. So with closed eyes he would slowly clasp his hands together as to not give away his location, allowing the ethernano to flow within him to help fuel the spell he'd been working on for quite some time. A red and gold magic seal of intricate runic language would take shape in front of his appendages, signalling the spell was done brewing. Seemingly in perfect timing as after the mans devastating spell one of the other mages had managed to stand once more.

Amen'ra opened his hands and prays that it all worked correctly as what looked to be tiny golden stars were floating in an intricate dance above his hands. The flaming sphere quickly rushing forward from out of the tree line to reach within the 15 meters he could push it to, quickly filling the 4 meter radius that it would affect. Of course the unsuspecting mage was only swatting at the burning orbs when they surrounded him unbeknownst of the impending explosion.

Well it made more like he was confused as to what was going on but just as quickly as he was surprised he was suddenly engulfed in the expanding orbs. The small balls of fire expanding to create one large fire ball that would quickly explode, a conflagration of orange and yellow roasting the mage who rolled around on barren earth, made that way from the attack. His hair and clothing had caught fire given the affects of the spell and he screamed for mercy, or as if it were some sort of vengeful god who'd punished him.

This new spell was the devastating power that came with solar magic but he knew he hadn't perfected it just yet as it's potency wasn't high enough just yet. Maybe another go at it on the mage would get rid of him and make sure that the spell was at the level it needed to be. So with his hands clapping again and his position given away the mage in question would begin to fuel his spell once more to prepare for a second onslaught to the man who laid screaming on the ground.

"Don't worry, i'm here to help as best I can."

Amen'ra explained as another mage seemingly came from the wood works to swipe at him with a staff, forcing him to unclasp his hands. So much for a second assault on the stunned and down mage.

Training Celestial Upheaval and Saintly lance

584/1400

she wants to

dance like uma thurman

bury me til i confess

♥ lauz

Lucky for himself he was perfectly fine dodging the wooden pole that had been swung at him, and even managed to leap backward clapping his hands again. This time he would have to activate the spell much faster than the slow learners pace he was comfortable with but that didn't bother him, he needed the experience. The same two magic seals sparking to life in front of him while in mid air and his hands opening just as quickly as they'd closed. He found that by pumping the ethernano within himself faster he could activate it faster and with the same level of control.

A grimace as sparks formed in mid air before him and swarmed the enemy mages area before exploding into a much quicker explosion. Amen'ra saw that releasing the control over his magic at a more unrestrained level the spell would flare up faster instead of the slow building orb of fire it had created the first time. Consuming his foe who was yelling for dear life and running for running for his life, now caught ablaze by solar retribution. Tripping over a tree root to plummet to the earth while rolling, another of his hidden allies coming to aid him.

"Celestial Upheaval! Can you endure?"

He teased, eyes fixed on the new target who was patting down his brethren and firing off his own counter spell. It was a pinpoint wind shot that struck Amen'ra square in the gut, knocking him backward and onto the ground hard. Rolling to a stop to look up at the man and groan in pain from the direct hit. It was a good effort but not enough to take him down for good. Clapping his hands together Amen'ra could see that the opposing force was ready and began to run in an angle around him, clearly attempting to dodge the straight forward attack expertly.

So they weren't completely useless, since they'd read his spell and its weaknesses early on. It was time for a new plan.

Amen'ra had been working on a second new spell that would work perfectly for an occasion like this and with one hand extended forward with an open palm, red and gold magic seals would form. Hovering calmly above his palm while he focused on the shape he wanted his magic to take. It was easy to create a ball of glowing fire but he needed to mold it with his minds eye into something more devastating, and surely enough the sphere would begin to slowly collapse. Shaping itself to a find point to become a spear of sunlight.

Naturally the opposing man was grinning and stopping in his sprint, attempting to pull off his own spell in enough time to counter it. Unfortunately for him he had underestimated the speed of the incoming attack as the sunlight javelin was already ready for activation. 4 feet in length and gripped in his strong fingers, Amen'ra lurched back and tossed it forward with an accuracy unmatched by most. While he was a bit off from his target he did manage to impale the mans leg with the weapon and cause him to yelp in agony.

On top of stabbing the man it caused the wound in the mans leg to burn with hellish pain, prompting him to kneel in agony. That was enough for Amen'ra to begin his plan to finish him off in one fell swoop. Activating the spell again with much more determination he would hold both hands out now and yell out ferociously "Behold, my 'Saintly lance'!"

His hands moving like a conductor now, both of them focusing their intent on the man two blazing poles would slowly form from the center of the glyphs and launch forward. They were a bit unstable and wobbly but they did manage to soar through the sky and nearly pierce their target before his charred friend was jumping to stand in the way. "Not good enough!" Amen'ra yelled before moving his hands away from each other, prompting the spears to curve around the new target.

Both men gasped in shocked before the spears returned together with Amen'ra's hands and struck through the chest of the first mage; but he wouldn't stop his spell just yet. This was another aspect he was working on, continuing the spell after it's first projectiles were used. Two more spears would begin to form much faster now and he would smirk to himself before they launched forward with improved speed and accuracy, their form much more stable than before.

Sometimes it took experience to get a spell down pact, and now was as good a time as any. The writhing flame spears would begin to chase down the man who was attempting to move back into the tree line to avoid them. Amen'ra hands intricately dancing to control the puppet like spell to hunt the man down within range. The first hole being punched into the upper thigh to slow him, forcing him to grunt out and fall to his knees before Amen'ra's final spear was cutting through his head. With the assault over and the sun mage panting from the exhilaration he would wipe his brow and move to join the other man.

Training Celestial Upheaval and Saintly lance

1460/1400

she wants to

dance like uma thurman

bury me til i confess

♥ lauz

Kaz stood up straight and shifted his gaze as stars appeared out of now where and shimmered around one of the mage's they swung their arm at them to dismiss them but instead the stats erupted. An intense fire covered the mage.

He shielded his eyes from the bright flash, still searching for the cause. Who else was here now, and what was their intention?

Soon after, there was another clap and light emitted from Then Kaz heard some reassuring words, "Thanks, there should be more hiding in the woods. They'll come from above." He yelled back. Kaz was relieved to have a potential ally and he knew the enemy's strategy well enough to prepare the man.

Wind gathered around Kaz once more. It was a fierce resolution now. The numbers were turning on his side. The man who appeared lit up the forest with light and fire, bathing the wind mage's in it.

Two more four more appeared in the trees above. Two at the new arrival and two at Kaz. They jumped down upon them with gritted teeth. They had to act fast before they lost their advantage entirely.

Kaz dashed off the ground and into the air. The movement was faster than the mages were coming at the ground. He passed them in mid-air. As soon as he was fully above them he swung his hand downward, "Tiger's devouring Wave," an 8-meter diameter whirlwind engulfed them. The fell towards the ground screaming while their ally was hunted by a spear of light.

Kaz wasn't aware of how far he leaped and how fast. His back slammed against a tree. "Ugh," he groaned and shook it off, grabbing the branch. He flipped himself to the top of it. There was a quick rustle in the trees. Kaz clapped his hands and the wind returned to him. Once again he could feel the vibrations of those around him. "Six more in the trees, We have to make our way towards town," he called down towards the man before facing another tree.

He balanced himself and felt the rush of the wild. A faint glimmer betrayed the hidden enemy. Kaz kicked behind himself and dashed forward 20 meters in less than a second. He appeared right above the man and sent a blade of wind, slicing the man's leg open.

WC 410
Total wc: 1500
Twin Cyclone: 450/450
Roaring Whirlwind 450/450
Tiger Devouring Claw 600/600

With the distance closed, Kaz watched the wind mage catch himself on a lower branch. He shot downward kicking of the wind once more. The evil mage created a gust of wind in front of them, this time it wasn't offensive. It was a wind barrier. The mage had returned to the roots of the magic out of fear and abandoned its true nature.

Before Kaz could ready another strike he felt a vibration in the wind. A being hovered above him like a bird ready to swoop down. He threw a slash at the mage below him. It hit the barrier with minimal damage. Kaz spun in the air to face the next attacker. The man held both his hand in front of him. Wind gathered in at a furious rate. This spell was going to be dangerous. The mage let loose a focused column of wind. Kaz kicked against the tree. His dash wasn't yet returned to him but he had to try anything. This time a more powerful gust left his feet. The burst of wind shattered the bark from the tree and sent splinters flying. Within a second, Kaz was thirty meters away, and closer towards town.

He was elated with the feeling of the wind rushing around him. He could hear the faint sounds of words in his mind. Like an echo from his soul. A familiar one. One that urge him to breath deep. To let loose the raw power within him. Kaz took a deep breath. Wind surged into his lungs. He felt a heavy flow of mana in his body and the building energy in is spirit.

A white tiger spirit appeared behind Kaz. Together they roared as one. A vacuum shell of wind sprang from Kaz and shot thirty meters straight at the mage that just lunched the cone. The evil mage crossed their arms to block the 2-meter diameter cone. The cone hit and erupted into an 8-meter diameter whirlwind that tore at the mage's body. The man had not expected it to be an explosion hidden with the attack. The blast knocked the man against the tree.

Wc 350
total WC 1850

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

Amen'ra replied, the man suggesting they try to get back to town being the best course of action. The man in question had managed to dispatch two of the men with a powerful blast of wind but Amen'ra couldn't keep this up without something to turn the tables. Lucky for him he'd managed to work on a sensory spell for moments like this. Now came the problem of using it in battle.

Concentrating his magic, the sun mage would close his eyes while raising his hand to the sky, summoning a gold and red magic seal hovering above his body. It was dangerous to do so during combat and he hoped no one would take advantage of his vulnerable state but surely enough it happened. Without hesitation one of the mages had slashed his back open with a crescent blade of wind launched from a few feet away and he winced, leaping to hide in the trees.

Groaning and feeling the blood trickling down his back, Amen'ra fired off a sphere of sunlight at the man to force him to keep his distance. Closing his eyes once more and concentrating the energy more precisely now, but faster than before. The glyph's reappeared above his raised hand and sure enough his eyes would be become seemingly replaced by golden fire; his vision now seeing in a temperature based spectrum. It was a bit blurry but the more he concentrated the magic the more it all cleared up.

Not that he'd wait around while doing this. The men still stood out to him against the cool trees but their shapes weren't refined enough to make out their movements and so he would follow, running along the mage he'd come to help. The entire time working to find the perfect magic balance to focus his vision and be of some use as he'd intended.

Firing off several orbs of fiery sunlight, he could see their bright orange color in his vision spectrum and it was almost blinding. If he haphazardly did this too close he'd likely blind himself, so instead he focused on differentiating the colors. The trees were blue meaning they obviously lacked heat, and the men were a mix of oranges and yellows while the sun shone red in the sky above. With a little more concentration maybe the blobs would actually have limbs or something?

Trailing close behind, Amen'ra would turn groan at his own failure and deactivate the spell only to try again. "Come on dammit, Solar Sight!" His voice rang out and with every ounce of control within his vessel he managed to activate the spell again to see almost as refined as he could with his normal eyes; but the blobs had their original shapes. Finally! Maintaining his focus on his sight the sun thrower would hold out a hand once more to summon a solar spear for an attack.

"Saintly lance!" He yelled out before turning to launch the spear at one of the speeding men, impaling him through the chest and sticking him to a tree. The heat slowly fading from his body indicated that the fight with him was done, but that wasn't the most interest sight he'd seen so far. That would go to the literal tornado that had sprouted behind the two thanks fully to the man he was helping, a powerful vortex of no color on his spectrum; purely wind. The only thing he'd seen was the body of the man who'd blocked the attack plastered on the tree like some sort of training dummy. Smirking to the man running alongside him, Amen'ra would nod and continue until the two of them reached the safety of the town.

Training Solar Sight
626/600

she wants to

dance like uma thurman

bury me til i confess

♥ lauz

Kaz dashed through the trees and leaped from branches. The man that had appeared sent blinding beams of light at the mages that gave chase. The two met alongside one another as they raced towards town. Blades of wind streaked through the air, splitting leaves and branches on its way to them. The blades missed them by feet and sometimes barely inches. 

The wind blades bore down on them with more ferocity, the further away the ran. The attacks cut at Kaz's clothes and stung his skin leaving trails of blood on the trees. His attention was taken by the man's complaint before his eyes flashed with a brilliant glow like fire. It seemed he could now sense the presence of the enemy in a similar way that Kaz did, perhaps. Then he released a brilliant beam of light that pierced through an enemy mage. One that Kaz felt no sympathy for. 

The man nodded towards him, and Kaz returned. His help was appreciated and he was a formidable mage. But there were still many on their trail. Kaz landed on a branch and spun around. As he faced the enemy he Thrust one hand downward to create yet another tornado of wind and looking to his side he thrust another hand that sent a blade of wind cutting a tree in half. The combined attacks toppled some thin trees and sent a mess of debris from branches and woodlands into the air between them and the enemy wind mages. 

Their heat signature would show a couple of them caught in the blast and held at bay. Taking advantage of the opening, Kaz pushed off the branch and propelled himself thirty meters forward in a second. He soared through the trees, this time in more control of the movement. The rapid movement was more clear to him now as he rushed through the skies. 

Finally, the two arrived in the city. The enemy forces no longer at their hills...for now. 

-exit-

WC 300
Total WC 2150

Spells trained
Twin Cyclone 450/450
Roaring Whirlwind 450/450
Tiger Devouring Wave 600/600
Ballet on the Sky 600/600

40% wordcount reduction from Int.