The morning sun crept through the high, vaulted windows of the castle's main hall, painting the marble floors in streaks of gold. Rynhara stretched, her joints cracking as she prepared for yet another day of relentless training. Today, however, felt different. A subtle buzz in the air hinted at something more than the usual lectures and combat drills.
Kaelira, dressed in her newly issued combat maid uniform, approached with a sly grin. "Morning, Princess. Ready to get tossed around like a ragdoll again?"
"Funny, I thought that was your specialty," Rynhara retorted, sticking out her tongue.
Before Kaelira could respond, the massive double doors swung open, revealing Astraea and Selara. Behind them stood a tall, wiry man with flowing silver hair, dressed in long robes adorned with intricate runes. His sharp eyes scanned the room with an air of authority.
"Who's the Gandalf cosplayer?" Rynhara asked under her breath.
"That," Astraea said, smirking, "is your new magic instructor, Master Zarathen."
Zarathen stepped forward, his voice calm but commanding. "So, you're the Dragon Princess I've been told so much about. Let's see if the stories hold any merit."
Rynhara crossed her arms, narrowing her mismatched eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means," Zarathen said, conjuring a glowing orb in his hand, "that we're about to find out if you're as talented as your mother claims."
The orb floated toward Rynhara, stopping just before her chest. It pulsed with light, growing brighter as it scanned her mana.
"Fascinating," Zarathen murmured, his expression unreadable. "You possess a natural affinity for advanced elements: time, space, destruction,star and barriers, among others. A rare combination, even among dragons."
Rynhara puffed out her chest, grinning. "Rare, huh? Guess that makes me special."
"It also means your training will be exponentially more difficult," Zarathen added, snuffing out her moment of pride.
"Of course it does," Rynhara muttered.
Zarathen wasted no time. He led Rynhara to an open courtyard, its perimeter lined with ancient runes and glowing crystals. "Today, we focus on your basic magical control. No weapons—just raw mana."
"Finally," Kaelira quipped from the sidelines, "a chance to see her blow herself up."
Rynhara shot her a glare before turning to Zarathen. "Alright, what do I do?"
The instructor waved a hand, and several glowing targets appeared around the courtyard. "Hit them with a simple elemental spell. Start with wind."
"Simple," Rynhara repeated, holding out her hand. She focused, pulling mana from her core and shaping it into a gust of wind. A small tornado erupted from her palm, blasting a target into splinters.
"Too much force," Zarathen said, shaking his head. "Refine your control. Less power, more precision."
Rynhara tried again, this time creating a gentle breeze that knocked the target over without destroying it.
"Better," Zarathen said. "Now lightning."
Rynhara then put one foot forward and the other back as she stood in a horsemstance before putting her palms together and both her hands on her left hip. Inside her palms a raging storm of lightning was genebefore being compressed into a ball of lightning which she then fired as a beam at the target. The target , ground and te castle walls were destroyed as the beam eventually pierced the clouds before Rynhara promptly ended her attack.
"Impressive lightning magic your highness but do try not to destroy the training grounds once more. If you do that again your mother has told me to leave you in the demon continent for a week alone ." Zarathen said in a warning tone.
"U..understood."
The process repeated, with Rynhara alternating between frustration and small victories. By the time Zarathen introduced teleportation magic, she was drenched in sweat.
Meanwhile, the castle staff watched from a distance, murmuring among themselves.
"She's certainly determined," said a maid, polishing a brass candlestick. "Not many would push themselves so hard."
"She's tough, just like her mother." added a butler, straightening his coat, "But she's learning fast. A real chip off the same block."
"I heard she blasted one of the training dummies alongside the wall,ground and even part of the mountain yesterday," a cook chimed in. "Is that true?"
"Wouldn't surprise me," said a gardener, chuckling. "She's got her mother's lightning power—literally and figuratively."
As the afternoon wore on, Rynhara's progress became evident. Her spells grew more precise, her control over mana more natural.
Finally, Zarathen called for one last test. "Combine wind and lightning. Create a storm."
"A storm?" Rynhara asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that... overkill?"
"Focus," Zarathen said simply.
Taking a deep breath, Rynhara raised her hands. She summoned a gust of wind, then layered it with crackling arcs of electricity. The two elements swirled together, forming a miniature storm above her head.
"Now, release it," Zarathen commanded.
With a shout, Rynhara sent the storm hurtling toward a cluster of targets. The resulting explosion sent debris flying, leaving a smoking crater in the ground.
"Impressive," Zarathen said, nodding. "You've earned your first composite spell: Tempest Strike."
A familiar chime echoed in Rynhara's mind:
[Skill Acquired: Tempest Strike (Rank E)]
She grinned, wiping sweat from her brow. "I'll admit, that I am tired. "
Later that evening, Rynhara sat in her room, reviewing her new skills on her status screen. The words Tempest Strike stood out, a testament to her hard work.
Kaelira entered, balancing a tray of snacks. "You actually looked competent out there today."
"Don't sound so surprised," Rynhara said, smirking. "I told you I'm a quick learner. Besides whens the last time you've seen genius of this level "
Kaelira rolled her eyes but smiled. "Well, try not to blow up the castle tomorrow, okay?"
"No promises," Rynhara replied, laughing.
As the two shared a rare moment of peace, the moon rose high above the castle, casting its silver light on the path ahead—a path filled with challenges, triumphs, and plenty of chaos.