Jalen: Pisces the Dreamer (Trials of the Zodiac Book 1)

THE WOMAN OF THE MIST

The palace's opulent garden had transformed into a training ground, where the three of us—Balam, Kai, and I—engaged in combat, testing our skills.

Balam was a master of elusiveness and proved to be a formidable adversary. His acrobatics and unpredictable maneuvers made him hard to counter. I swung at him but missed expending energy I didn't have. His fast pivots and somersaults easily evaded my attempts to exploit openings.

Meanwhile, Kai adopted a different approach. His movements were driven by a strategy focused on defending his vital points while seeking vulnerabilities in my defenses. His quick lunges and timed retreats made for a deadly dance, each step a calculated play for an advantage.

I turned to him, hoping to catch him off guard with a kick, but a well-timed open-palmed strike found its mark. He was much stronger than me, the strongest of the Zodiacs. I only had a split second to raise my trident to block Balam's scythe from slashing me across the face. I rolled to my feet using the momentum from the strike and got back on my feet.

Circling one another in the villa's courtyard, we all had a ferocity in our eyes. The sands beneath my feet erupted suddenly, Kai's earth magic conjuring an explosion that shrouded the battlefield in a haze. I swung my trident in a wide arc, cutting through the displaced sand to create distance and regroup for a strategic advantage.

As the swirling sandstorm descended, I realized that danger loomed on multiple fronts. Balam's deadly scythe veered dangerously close, and I knew I had to act swiftly. Trying to use the chaos to my advantage, I reached out with my magic, drawing moisture from the air and condensing it into a swirling water column.

Simultaneously, another barrage of sand came hurtling toward me, a reminder of Kai's formidable presence in the battle. With Balam's scythe closing in, I had little room for hesitation. I summoned every ounce of my power and forced the water column toward Balam, aiming to divert his attack.

When the water column collided with the scythe, a torrent of sand and water exploded in all directions. The force of the impact sent me reeling backward, narrowly avoiding being knocked into a stone wall that confined the garden. With a desperate leap, I cleared Kai's charging form and landed in a defensive crouch, ready for the next onslaught.

In the blink of an eye, the dynamics of the battle underwent a dramatic transformation. Kai displayed surprising agility by running up a nearby wall, executing a somersault, and rushing me. His relentless charge resembled a bull charging a matador.

I promptly launched my trident forward. The weapon found its mark with uncanny precision, pinning Balam against the wall by his shirt. At that moment, the courtyard descended into an eerie stillness, a temporary lull amid our intense clashes.

However, my lapse in focus almost lost me the fight. Kai seized the opportunity to capitalize on my momentary distraction. His charge was brutal, rushing toward me like an unstoppable tidal wave. I reacted with fluid grace, sidestepping his attack to bring myself within striking range.

My fist grazed his chin without enough force to stop him. I was immediately back on the defensive, deftly evading his retaliatory strikes. He spun, leading with his elbow, forcing me to drop to my knees. I countered with a swift kick to his side as I rose back to my feet, but he pushed me back and summoned his shield in its elongated form, using it to knock me off balance.

Despite the situation, I couldn't help but wonder why I was the only one among the three who hadn't received a new form for my weapon. I might have been better equipped for this encounter if my pole had transformed into a rope or something other than a distance weapon.

Kai's mischievous grin faded as he swiftly seized my leg, executing a well-practiced throw that hurtled me through the air. I landed in a sprawled position, briefly disarmed but far from defeated.