12 The Night of Bloodshed (1/2)

Leo and Solomon dismounted the horse, when night started. They chose to camp one mile away from the road to avoid the attention of bandits. They lit a small lantern and ate a few rabbits that they dug from out of the ground with Solomon's earth magic.

Solomon drew a magic circle on Leo's neck and surprised him.

Leo said, ”It's so... warm! You're a fire mage too.”

”No,” Solomon said, ”Only earth. Out of the five elements in existence, I'm most proficient in Earth.”

”But that doesn't explain why you can use the fire element too...”

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”Well,” Solomon said, ”While the cycle of all the elements is still the same, the truth of the matter is that they're more connected than people realize. For example, what did your tutor teach you Leo, or did you go to a noble's school?”

”I had a tutor,” said Leo, ”he said, 'Water and fire counter each other, Wind and Earth beat each other. Void is the weakest and most unpredictable.”

”Well, the truth of the matter is,” said Solomon, ”My body's natural affinity for the elements leans towards the earth element, but I discovered a different system. I call earth ground. My system starts by training ground first.”

”Actually,” Solomon said, ”I discovered this system in a book called Musashi's book of five rings. First and foremost it's a book on strategy, but deep within, the principles can be applied to just about anything, like magic, or even life itself...”

Solomon said, ”For ground Musashi writes, 'As if it were a straight road mapped out on the ground, the first book is called the Ground book.'”

”For water Musashi writes, 'Second is the Water book. With water as the basis, the spirit becomes like water. Water adopts the shape of its receptacle, it is sometimes a trickle and sometimes a wild sea.'”

”For Fire Musashi writes, 'Third is the Fire book. This book is about fighting. The spirit of fire is fierce, whether the fire be small or big; and so it is with battles.'”

”For Wind Musashi writes, 'By Wind I mean old traditions, present-day traditions, and family traditions of strategy. Thus I clearly explain the strategies of the world. This is tradition. It is difficult to know yourself if you do not know others.'”

”Finally,” Solomon said, ”Musashi writes on the last and most powerful, the element of void. He states, 'Fifthly, the book of the Void. By void I mean that which has no beginning and no end. Attaining this principle means not attaining the principle. The Way of strategy is the Way of nature. When you appreciate the power of nature, knowing rhythm of any situation, you will be able to hit the enemy naturally and strike naturally. All this is the Way of the Void. I intend to show how to follow the true Way according to nature in the book of the Void.'”

”This is all so confusing,” said Leo, ”Actually If the Fire element is so fierce, why wasn't I burned by your magic circle?”

Solomon chuckled, ”Now you're getting into the rhythm of things! That's right, and that's the essence of the last and most mysterious element: void...”

”What do you mean?” said Leo.

”I mean this,” said Solomon while he stroked his white beard, ”Once one fully learns the way of the four elements, the magician can likewise depart from normal ways of using the four elements! When the way becomes void, the void becomes the way!”

”I still don't know what you mean old man!”