Chapter 28: Flame Arc
The midday sun hung high over Eldwood, its light filtering through the chapel's stone walls, casting dappled shadows across the training yard.
A cool wind sliced through the air, rustling the leaves of the lone tree where Terya leaned, her blonde hair dancing, her leather vest unzipped just enough to catch Leon's eye.
Saria stood firm, her sword gripped loosely, her black ponytail still, her dark eyes fixed on Leon with unyielding expectation.
Leon stood in the yard's center, chest bare, sweat glistening on his skin, the smooth stone in his hand pulsing faintly with residual magic.
The bonds in his chest—Saria's fire, Terya's wind—thrummed in harmony, stronger after the night's intimacy, a living current beneath his skin.
"Focus," Saria said, her voice flat but commanding, her leather tunic creaking as she shifted her stance. "Start with a Flame Arc."
Leon nodded, his breath steadying, his grip tightening on the stone.
He pictured the fire, sharp and controlled, fueled by the memory of Saria's thighs against his face, her moans in the candlelit tower.
His arousal sparked, but he channeled it, his magic flaring.
He thrust his hand forward, and a slashing wave of fire roared out, striking a hay-stuffed dummy.
The straw exploded in a burst of flame, embers scattering across the yard, the air thick with the scent of charred grass.