Once they finished their snack, they returned the teacups and tossed the empty cookie box. Before departing, Lie reminded Rion to keep up with his magic training, and then they were off on the road again.
This time, the path led them into a dense forest. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting patterns on the ground as they ventured deeper. The air was filled with the sounds of birds chirping, leaves rustling in the wind, and a creek flowing gently in the distance.
"Wow, what a pretty forest!" Rion marveled, turning his head in every direction as he walked.
Lie glanced at him. "Really?"
Rion eagerly nodded. "Yup! I mean, for what it's worth, I've never seen a forest before—at least, not that I can remember."
"Ah, That makes sense." Lie said, watching Rion with a smile.
They continued along the road. A few times, the path split into multiple directions, but thanks to the map Lie carried in her bag, they never lost their way. After a while of walking, they decided to take a short break beneath a large tree.
"How's your magic going?" Lie asked, leaning back against the trunk. "I'm assuming it's going well since I haven't heard you click your tongue yet."
Rion chuckled, glancing down at his wand. Now that they were resting, he'd stopped the magic flowing through it.
"Yeah, I'm getting the hang of it. It still takes a lot of focus, though. If I had to use it on the fly or in an actual fight… I highly doubt I'd be able to maintain it."
"Well, that's to be expected. It's not like you've ever been in a real fight before."
Rion sighed. "Well, when we get to Waneir, that'll change."
Lie was silent for a moment, then a smirk crossed her face. She stood up.
Rion blinked. "Oh, are we heading out?"
Lie shook her head. "No. Let's spar."
Rion froze as if he hadn't heard her correctly. "S-Spar? Me and you!?"
Lie nodded.
Rion hesitated for a moment, then lifted his wand up in front of him with a grin. "Well… why not?"
—
The two now stood about fifteen feet apart, with the large tree they had been resting under in the background, splitting the battlefield between them from a side view.
"Any rules?" Rion called out.
"Not really," Lie replied. "Just do your best to stay in the fight. I'll call the match when I think it's over—or you can if you want."
"Alright, sounds good to me!"
Lie steadied her stance and drew the short staff from her hip. It was about fifteen inches long, and its tip was shaped like a flat crown. She pointed it toward Rion, her expression calm and focused.
Rion mirrored her, raising his wand in front of his face. He made sure to channel magic into it in advance so he could attack as soon as the match began.
Lie took a deep breath, then began to count down.
"Five… four… three… one—"
"Uh, you skipped—"
"Begin!"
(And thus Rion's adventure continues…)