Chapter 62: Folamis’ Training
The next morning, Tolu and the others were still discussing their plans when a servant came looking for them.
"Master Folami wants the four of you in the backyard."
Akin looked up from his breakfast.
"Now?"
"Yes."
Temi sighed.
"That doesn’t sound ominous at all."
Ore laughed quietly.
Tolu stood.
"Let’s go."
They followed the servant through the manor and out toward the rear courtyard.
The backyard was considerably larger than they had expected.
A broad stretch of packed earth extended behind the manor, surrounded by trees and low stone walls. There was enough space for several people to train without getting in one another’s way.
Folami was already there.
He stood in the middle of the training ground with his hands behind his back.
He wasn’t wearing anything particularly impressive.
Just simple clothes.
He looked relaxed.
Almost too relaxed.
Beside the wall were two reclining chairs.
A small table sat between them with a glass pitcher filled with what appeared to be fruit juice.
Tolu stopped.
"Why do you have chairs?"
Folami smiled.
"Because I’m going to be sitting."
Akin frowned.
"You’re not training with us?"
"I already did."
"When?"
"Before you arrived."
Akin looked at the empty yard.
"By yourself?"
"Yes."
Temi crossed her arms.
"So why did you call us?"
Folami pointed toward the center of the yard.
"Fight me."
The four stared at him.
Again.
Tolu sighed.
"We already did that."
"And?"
"You beat us."
"Correct."
"Very badly."
"Also correct."
Akin’s face tightened.
"We’ve trained since then."
"I know."
Folami gestured toward them.
"That’s why I want to see whether your training actually made you better."
Tolu exchanged glances with the others.
He stepped forward.
"All four?"
"All four."
They moved into position.
Tolu raised one hand.
Earth gathered beneath his feet.
Akin lowered his stance.
Cold mist began curling around his fingers.
Temi drew her two short flaming swords.
Ore nocked an arrow.
Folami walked casually toward them.
No aura.
No visible energy.
Nothing.
Tolu had learned enough by now to know that this was probably the most dangerous thing about him.
"Go."
Tolu moved first.
"Stone Spike!"
The ground erupted.
A jagged spear of earth shot toward Folami.
Folami stepped sideways.
The spike missed.
Akin attacked immediately.
"Ice Grip!"
A layer of frost raced across the ground toward Folami’s feet.
Folami jumped.
Temi came in from the side.
Her two flaming swords crossed toward his torso.
Folami twisted between them.
The blades passed harmlessly on either side.
Ore released her arrow.
Folami tilted his head.
The arrow sailed past his ear.
Tolu attacked again.
"Earth Shoot!"
Several stones tore themselves from the ground and shot toward Folami.
He moved.
Not quickly.
That was the irritating part.
He simply seemed to know where every attack was going before it happened.
One stone passed beside his shoulder.
Another went above his head.
A third flew beneath his arm.
He took another step.
Temi swung.
Folami ducked.
He placed two fingers against the flat of her sword and gently redirected it.
Temi’s momentum carried her forward.
She stumbled.
Akin tried to take advantage of the opening.
Folami shifted his body.
Akin’s attack missed.
Folami touched his shoulder.
Akin suddenly found himself falling forward.
He barely caught himself.
"What—"
Tolu attacked from behind.
Folami turned.
Their eyes met.
For a fraction of a second, Tolu thought he saw amusement in the older man’s eyes.
Then Folami moved.
Tolu felt his wrist being redirected.
His own momentum carried him past Folami.
Folami caught the back of his shirt and gave him a light push.
Tolu stumbled directly into Akin.
Both fell.
"Again."
Tolu groaned.
They got up.
Again.
This time they tried to coordinate.
Tolu attacked from the front.
Temi from the right.
Akin from the left.
Ore remained behind them.
It lasted less than ten seconds.
Folami slipped through their formation.
He redirected Tolu’s attack into Akin.
Akin stumbled into Temi.
Temi lost her footing.
Ore tried to shoot.
Folami kicked a loose stone.
The stone struck Ore’s arrow mid-flight.
The arrow changed direction.
Ore stared.
"Did you just—"
"Again."
They attacked.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Every attempt ended the same way.
Folami never appeared rushed.
He never appeared tired.
He barely seemed to exert himself.
At one point, Temi managed to get behind him.
She swung her sword.
Folami stepped backward without looking.
The blades missed him by inches.
He reached behind himself.
Caught her wrist.
And gently pulled.
Temi flew past him.
She landed on her feet, spun around, and stared.
"How?"
Folami smiled.
"Experience."
Akin charged.
Folami caught his arm.
Turned.
And suddenly Akin was lying flat on his back.
Tolu attacked.
Folami stepped around him.
Ore fired.
Folami ducked.
Temi came again.
He moved.
The four stumbled over one another.
Eventually they were standing there, breathing heavily.
Folami wasn’t even sweating.
He picked up his glass.
Took a sip.
Then looked at them.
"You’re improving."
Akin stared at him.
"That was your way of saying we’re improving?"
"Yes."
"You’re horrible at encouragement."
"I’m not here to encourage you."
Folami put the glass down.
"I’m here to make you stronger."
The four were silent.
He looked at each of them.
"You’ve learned your spells."
They nodded.
"You understand how to cast them."
Another nod.
"You can fight."
Akin nodded more slowly.
"You can even combine your attacks."
Tolu waited.
"But you’re still treating magic like a collection of separate actions."
Temi frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Folami pointed at Tolu.
"You cast Stone Grip."
Then Akin.
"You cast your ice spell."
Then Temi.
"You cast your fire ball."
Then Ore.
"And you create a wind blade."
He folded his arms.
"Every one of you waits for the spell to finish before beginning the next action."
Tolu thought about it.
"Isn’t that how we’re supposed to cast?"
"No."
Folami shook his head.
"That’s how beginners cast."
He walked toward Tolu.
"Your hand doesn’t stop existing because you moved your arm."
Tolu frowned.
"What?"
"Your magic shouldn’t either."
Folami pointed toward the ground.
"Pick up that stone."
Tolu looked down.
A small stone rested near his foot.
"With your hand?"
"No."
Tolu understood.
He extended his palm.
"Stone Grip."
The stone rose from the ground.
It floated beside his hand.
Folami nodded.
"Good."
"Now reshape it."
Tolu concentrated.
The stone slowly stretched.
Its rough surface compressed and elongated until it resembled a crude spike.
"Good."
Folami stepped back.
"Now move it."
Tolu pushed the stone forward.
It moved several feet before dropping.
Folami shook his head.
"Not like that."
Tolu frowned.
"Then how?"
"Don’t release it."
Tolu stared.
Folami pointed at the stone.
"Keep holding it."
Tolu tried.
He moved the stone.
It floated.
He moved it left.
Right.
Forward.
Backward.
His concentration strained.
"Now change its shape."
Tolu hesitated.
He attempted it.
The stone wobbled.
Its shape began changing.
Then collapsed.
He grimaced.
"Again."
Tolu picked it up.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Folami turned toward the others.
"You’ll do the same."
Temi raised an eyebrow.
"For hours?"
"Yes."
Akin groaned.
"Hours?"
"Yes."
Ore looked at the reclining chairs.
"You planned this."
Folami walked toward one of the chairs.
"I did."
He sat down.
Then picked up his juice.
"The objective is simple."
He pointed toward the training ground.
"Repeat your first-level spells until casting and movement become one continuous action."
Tolu looked at him.
"What are we trying to achieve?"
"Flow."
"Flow?"
"Your magic should stop feeling like a sequence of commands."
He leaned back.
"Right now, you think."
Cast.
Control.
Stop.
Cast.
Control.
Stop.
"I want you to reach the point where you don’t consciously separate those actions."
Tolu stared at the stone floating in front of him.
"Like moving a hand."
"Exactly."
Folami took another sip of his juice.
"When you reach that point, you’ll understand why your basic spells are called foundational."
He turned toward the manor.
"But before you start..."
The butler approached carrying a large tray.
Four bottles sat upon it.
The liquid inside shimmered faintly.
Folami pointed.
"Rejuvenating potions."
Akin looked at them.
"Those are expensive."
"Not anymore."
Folami gestured toward the bottles.
"Take one whenever your energy becomes low."
Temi picked one up.
"Whenever?"
"Whenever."
She looked suspicious.
"There’s no limit?"
"There’s a limit."
She relaxed.
"Which is?"
"Don’t die from drinking too much."
Temi stared.
Folami smiled.
"I’m joking."
Akin muttered.
"That wasn’t funny."
"It was a little funny."
Folami reclined.
"Begin."
---
The first hour passed quickly.
At least it felt that way.
Tolu began with a stone.
Stone Grip.
The stone rose.
He moved it forward.
It dropped.
Again.
Stone Grip.
Move.
Drop.
Again.
He reshaped it.
Move.
Drop.
Again.
Beside him, Akin was doing the same thing with pieces of ice.
Ore practiced controlling the movement of small objects while maintaining her concentration.
Temi’s fire behaved differently.
She struggled more than the others at first because fire refused to remain still.
She could produce it.
Shape it.
Launch it.
But keeping a small flame suspended while changing its shape required far more concentration than she expected.
"This is stupid," Temi muttered.
Folami drank his juice.
No response.
Temi looked toward him.
"Did you hear me?"
Folami took another sip.
"Sir."
Nothing.
"Master."
Nothing.
"Folami."
He turned the page of a book.
Temi’s eye twitched.
She returned to training.
---