In the early morning, when Xuan Xi opened her eyes, she realized that SigrdrÃfa was already awake, staring at her with a smile.
From downstairs came the rhythmic sound of a hammer striking metal, meaning Hellas was already working in the shop.
Xuan Xi sat up in bed, her hair a tangled mess, while a few strands stuck up at the back of Sige’s head too.
The two of them looked like a pair of startled kittens.
Hellas had already prepared breakfast, the familiar toast, jam, and bacon, along with a pot of steaming hot milk.
The bacon was fried crisp, nearly shattering at the slightest touch.
The three of them sat around the newly purchased solid wood dining table, enjoying their meal in warm harmony.
Xuan Xi picked a large slice of bacon, tucked it into her toast, and took a big bite.
“So, are you two heading out again today?” he asked, his gaze settling on Xuan Xi’s face.
“Yeah, going out with Sige to practice spells. It’s homework assigned by the school.” Xuan Xi tucked the bacon into her toast, took a big bite, and said through her mouthful.
Hellas nodded without asking when they’d return.
As he set down his milk, he simply said, “Go ahead, no need to rush back. Young people should be out exploring the world, especially with good friends.”
Xuan Xi looked at him.
His expression betrayed no particular emotion, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that when he said those words, there was something in his eyes she couldn’t quite name.
In the afternoon, the two set out from town, heading north along the gravel path.
Hellas stood at the entrance of the blacksmith shop, hammer in hand, watching them until they disappeared from sight before turning and heading back inside.
The wheat fields flanking the path had already been harvested, leaving only bare stubble, making the scene desolate.
Xuan Xi walked beside SigrdrÃfa, their hair carried by the wind and intertwining midair.
They walked shoulder to shoulder, and even through their winter clothes, they could feel each other’s warmth.
After about half an hour, an open field appeared ahead.
Wild grass covered the ground, and a small river ran along the western edge.
The water was cold, emitting a faint chill that rose in thin mist, perfectly suited to Xuan Xi’s element.
Xuan Xi stood by the river and took a deep breath.
The air carried the dampness of the water.
She looked up at the sky, where thick clouds pressed in from the north, blanketing everything in shadow.
Deep within the cloud layers, thunder rumbled, a low boom that rolled from far to near, a sign of heavy rain approaching.
The air suddenly grew heavy and humid.
The wind died, and the world fell silent.
This stillness felt unnatural, as if some pressure aura had forcibly smothered every sound in existence.
Xuan Xi could clearly feel the moisture in the air growing denser.
Every breath filled her lungs with dampness, like being licked all over by a dog’s tongue on a scorching summer day.
Her skin itched, her water spiritual energy responding to the airborne moisture like a lesser disciple finding a master to pledge allegiance to.
“Great spot, and this weather is perfect for the two of us to practice spells.” Xuan Xi spread her arms wide and tilted her head skyward, her ink-green hair swept up by the wind and streaming behind her.
“Come on, let the storm rage even fiercer!”
Her voice echoed across the field, startling several birds perched on the treetops.
SigrdrÃfa stood beside her, watching the churning clouds above, then glancing at the figure beside her with arms spread wide and a face full of fervor.
She couldn’t help but raise a hand to her forehead, her slender fingers rubbing her brow.
She let out a sigh that slowly dissipated into the cold air.
“What are you yelling about?” Her voice dripped with exasperation.
“Don’t you think it fits the moment?” Xuan Xi lowered her arms and curved her lips into a grin.
SigrdrÃfa didn’t respond.
She raised her right hand, and a ball of silver-white thunder light coalesced effortlessly at her fingertips.
Fine arcs of electricity leapt from fingertip to palm, crackling and popping.
The thunder element responded far more keenly than usual, surging up on its own without Sige needing to actively channel it.
“Lightning spells grow stronger during thunderstorms,” she said.
“You’re right. It is indeed good weather.”
“So does my water element.” Xuan Xi extended her hand, palm facing upward.
Water surged from her palm, condensing into a transparent orb above her hand in the blink of an eye, more than twice as fast as normal.
The moment the thought crossed her mind, the water sphere had already formed.
The water itself was also clearer and more translucent than before, gleaming with a pearl-like luster under the sky’s light.
She could feel the moisture in the air gravitating toward her uncontrollably, like lesser disciples flocking to a powerful master.
She tossed the water orb into the air.
It burst at its apex, scattering into countless fine droplets, like a tiny rain shower.
SigrdrÃfa didn’t dodge.
The droplets ran down her hair and dripped onto the ink-green silk scarf.
“Then let’s start training,” she said.
Thunder light reignited at her fingertips, the silver-white arcs dazzlingly bright.
A water orb also re-formed in Xuan Xi’s palm, flowing and churning ceaselessly.
The two stood in the withered yellow field, churning clouds and weaving lightning overhead, rustling dry grass and the flowing river beneath their feet.
Another thunderclap sounded in the distance, closer and more powerful than before.
It rattled the dead branches in the low thicket, snapping several rotten limbs that fell to the ground.
Thunder light and water orbs wove through the air above the clearing for an entire afternoon.
Xuan Xi retreated from the open field to the riverbank, alternating water blades between her hands while generating a water curtain to block SigrdrÃfa’s lightning strikes.
Water mist billowed behind her, attempting to obscure Sige’s vision.
SigrdrÃfa’s thunder light, however, could strike from every angle.
Silver-white arcs exploded midair, blasting crater after crater into the river’s surface.
The two fought for so long that Xuan Xi lost count of how many water spells she had cast, so long that SigrdrÃfa’s thunder light dimmed from blinding silver-white to a dull pale gray.
Only when both of their spiritual energy was nearly depleted did they finally stop.
Xuan Xi picked herself up off the ground.
Her clothes were covered in mud, her hair matted with dry grass and dead leaves.
Across the river, SigrdrÃfa wasn’t in much better shape, her long hair plastered to her face by rain, the silk scarf Xuan Xi had given her now removed, revealing her pale white neck.
Their gazes met, and Xuan Xi saw in those eyes the same expression she felt on her own face, refusal to admit defeat.
“One more round.” Xuan Xi said.
SigrdrÃfa nodded.
She raised her right hand, and thunder light flickered back to life at her fingertips.
This time, she didn’t hurl it outward.
Instead, she let it gather in her palm, silver-white arcs dancing between her fingers, growing denser, brighter, like a compressed sun radiating immense power.
Xuan Xi stared at that mass of thunder light, and a sudden idea struck her.