Page 22 of A Hunter for Luna

"You're really fast, Sofia," I said with a teasing smile. "But you're making it too obvious. I could dodge you in my sleep."

Sofia huffed a laugh, swiping at me again. "Maybe I want you to see me coming."

I spun away from her strike. "Ah, but where's the fun in that? Surprises are half the battle."

We continued our dance, my fan and her knife flashing in the sunlight. In the mirrors lining the walls, I caught glimpses of our reflection. Me, tall and athletic, dressed in a short tunic, arms and legs bare, my red hair up in a tight knot. Sofia, of average height and plump, in a sober brown dress and matching bodice.

Where I moved with practiced grace, Sofia stomped through the world with a determined solidity.

Did that determination come from being a ‘failed’ apprentice, or because of it? I knew that her position wasn’t a punishment, more of a break from her studies at Soulrider’s tower. Sofia didn’t seem to mind.

As if sensing my thoughts, Sofia grinned at me, panting. "You may be all fancy footwork, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve."

"Oh?" I paused and raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Sofia winked. "You'll see. When you least expect it. And now we are going to unexpectedly take a break."

I shook my head and turned to Rose, who was watching us with a bemused expression from her cushioned chair by the wall. "You should join us, Rose. You're terrible at fighting."

Rose’s delicate features didn’t change in the slightest as her hand moved from under her embroidery, the flash of a small throwing knife piercing my eyes as she threw it expertly. It whistled past my ear, embedding itself in the wooden panel between two mirrors with a satisfying thunk.

I laughed. "Point taken."

Rose smiled sweetly, her pale brown eyes twinkling with mischief. "Never underestimate a potential opponent, dear sister."

May you never have to kill, little sister.

Rose's quiet strength never ceased to amaze me. While I fought and wrestled with rage, Rose wielded kindness like a shield. Most everyone who knew her loved her.

“Since we have a clear floor, here, Rose, draw me the diagram I showed you yesterday,” Sofia said, pulling the knife from the wall.

Rose pulled chalk from her basket and started drawing. The diagram, large and intricate, grew in chalk and I moved to the wall to allow her to draw more easily. As she drew each symbol, Sofia had her pause and explain its significance.

Rose’s sunny curls bobbed as she worked.

“What ritual is this?” I asked.

"This ritual transports the person who drew it to the godplane. It’s used by powerful mages when they're ready to call a sigil and take up a Name. If the person does it successfully, they are a Sorcerer," Sofia said.

Rose’s nose wrinkled as she studied the complex patterns. I knew that wrinkle. My sister had no desire to be a Sorcerer, even if she had the natural talent and power.

As Rose continued to work, I asked, "Isn't that dangerous to practice? Could Rose accidentally take herself there by drawing it?"

Sofia chuckled. "No, it requires a tremendous amount of magic to energize. There's no way to cast it accidentally. And the diagram must be perfect. I still practice it regularly. I've only reached the godplane a few times myself. My diagrams were flawed in the beginning, and these days, I often simply lack the power to activate it. And I’ve never managed to summon a Name.”

She looked at my sister fondly. “But Rose will have the capacity to energize the diagram before too long, I believe. Calling a name isn’t on the horizon for many more years."

“It’s dangerous, isn’t it.” Rose looked up from her work.

“It can be, if the Name that comes to you is too powerful for you to control. That’s why you wait until you’ve achieved the fullness of your power and then call your Name.”

“So, you call, but the Name picks you?” I asked. “Moonshifter and Soulrider are Names, right?”

“Yes and yes. The simpler the Name, the greater the power it carries.”

“So someone whose Name is Creator would be really powerful? Are all names a description?”

Sofia shook her head. "Creator is a Name that you’d need the power of a god to contain.”

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