up at the small sliver of grey sky that was visible between the towering rock walls, and could barely make out the tops of the trees that hugged the edges of the ravine. The group was

t her and then back, out of her reach. Selena swiped and suddenly the tip of her sword glowed and lengthened, catching the man across his chest. He howled in pain and confusion as Selena pressed the attack, her sword growing and shrinking as it pleased her. Bo took down his attackers just as an archer appeared at the lip of the ravine with a drawn bow. Before Wendy could think, the bow burst into flames and the archer jumped back out of her view. Wendy then saw a woman swearing in rage as her sword stuck to Selena's and Bo fighting with a man as big as he was. As she watched, a man emerged from around the corner with his eyes fixed on her. Wendy became suddenly terrified and raised her gloved hands, spreading her fingers wide. She drew in the magic of the area, felt it flow towards her, and then closed her hands and pulled them close to her chest, pulling the magic into her. Someone yelled her name, but she was too focused on her attacker to pay much attention. The last word of her chant left her lips, and the man froze and collapsed to the ground. Wendy's attention was drawn to a man who stood menacingly over Grey, holding a sword. With lightning-fast reflexes, Grey rolled out of harm's way as the man swung his weapon down towards him, lodging it into the ground. Grey sprang to his feet and tried another spell, but the man quickly turned to face him once again. Wendy was flustered, trying to push all her magic back out into the world, but it was slow and sluggish, seeping out of her like thick syrup. She watched in horror as the man swung his sword again at Grey, who barely managed to duck out of the way. In desperation, Grey drew a knife from his belt and plunged it into the man's stomach, causing him to fall to the ground. Waving her arms frantically, trying to speed up her magic, Wendy failed to notice the sudden silence that followed. Bo's voice broke the stillness as he asked, "Is that a victory dance?" Wendy froze, her face turning beet red. "Uh, no," she stammered, realizing that all the attackers had been killed or had fled. Grey's angry voice cut through the air, "Haven't you ever returned magic after absorbing it? Why did you draw so much? Haven't you ever done magic in the vicinity of other mages?" Tears welled up in Wendy's eyes as she struggled to explain what had happened. She had dueled and practiced with other students at the Collegium and knew how to control and limit herself when she needed more than the magic within her. Grey suddenly relented, "It doesn't matter. We're all fine." Selena approached them, prodding her sword ruefully. "She drew all the magic out of the inscriptions. You'll have to redo them, Dore." "I was going to do it anyway, Asme," Grey replied wearily, "Well, at least she'll be useful against other mages, that's for sure." Bo clapped a hand on Wendy's shoulder and laughed, "Looks like our prodigy is pretty power