Nathan groaned, his hand flying to his bruised back and the various other wounds across his body. "A sparring match? Right now? Are you serious?"

  Hammond laughed, waving his hand dismissively of the idea. "Not immediately. Get some rest first. Then you two can have your training session. A good idea overall, as a Spellbreaker needs to remain sharp, but breaks are just as, if not more important."

  Nathan and Leonard agreed to Hammond’s teachings as Leyra approached, tilting her head curiously. "And where exactly are we supposed to rest?"

  Before anyone could answer, Sahra re emerged from the airship, her face smudged with grease and her overalls covered in oil stains. She unequipped some goggles that she clearly found somewhere inside the airship, glanced at the elaborate watch on her wrist, turning a small knob to activate a series of spinning gears. "No problem! We should be ready to go in like… five minutes," she said with a self-satisfied grin.

  Leyra blinked, astonished. "You got the ship ready that fast? I thought this would take hours!"

  "Not to brag," Sahra began, clearly about to brag, "but all of us were top-of-the-line Magitechnicians back in Principium. Finn was right; this thing’s basically just a big boat. One of the Boost Rune circles keeps us up, and by exponentially increasing its power output relative to the propulsion rune, we ensure that aviation is easily achieved. It’s simple, really!"

  Leonard’s face twisted in confusion. "By doing what now?"

  Hammond chuckled. "I believe she’s saying that we can fly. Like an airship should?"

  "Oh. Right. Obviously," Leonard said, quickly straightening up. "I’ll leave all of that to you guys."

  "Of course," Sahra said smugly, crossing her arms. "You can come aboard already. There’s more than enough space for all of us. If anything, this thing’s oversized for our small group."

  The group began boarding the airship, their footsteps echoing on the metal ramp. Hammond lingered for a moment, placing a hand on Leonard and Nathan’s shoulders as they climbed. "You two did spectacularly today. I’m very proud of you."

  Nathan’s face lit up with a rare full on smile, while Leonard puffed out his chest. "Of course! We’re your prized students, after all, aren’t we?"

  Leyra walked beside them, her expression softening as she took in the moment. "I already noticed while we were imprisoned together," she said, glancing back toward the Magitechnicians who were filing into the airship. "But those Magitechnicians are something else. Their talk was much more than just empty words."

  As the group settled into the airship, a sense of relief washed over them. “Finally, a place we can call home again.” Nathan quietly said to himself.

  Leonard agreed. “Yeah, and it’s not just some place. It needs a name, and I got just the right one.”

  Leyra, surprised and unsettled, spoke up:”Don’t call it ‘Super Destroyer’ or something stupid like that, I won’t accept it!”

  Leonard seemed upset at the notion. “Not to fret, Leyra. I will get the perfect name. Let's see” He said, as they arrived on the bridge of the floating ship. Leonard looked around: A huge half circle of windows allowed sight of 180 degrees around them, while golden metal and wooden floors gave the room a certain sense of grace. “I've got it. Folks, this airship shall carry the fine name Principessa!”

  Darmas thought about it for a second, as Finn intervened happily: “Yeah, I love it!” Darmas, looking at Finn, then nodded while closing his eyes. “I like it, too.” Sahra on the other hand said “Isn’t that a little short? I had hoped for something more elaborate. But oh well, as long as everyone’s happy with it I don’t mind a compromise!”

  Leyra, seemingly surprised, let her gaze wander towards Leonard who was standing proud at the approval of the group. “I apologize, that name is great! Let us make sure to treat our princess right, everyone!”

  The entire crew cheered, some of them standing next to them while others could only be heard echoing as their heads were stuck inside small crevices to get the ship up and running.

  “Then it is settled - Principessa’s supplies should last for another one or two days I reckon, so tomorrow we ought to gather food and water. Hope you’re all fine with hunting!” Hammond exclaims.

  Darmas, standing infront of the steering wheel while looking at the bridge’s many levers and buttons, speaks up: “Sure, I could go for a barbecue instead of stale bread. Hey Sahra, how long until we can start?”

  Sahra, her head stuck in a crevice underneath the bridge’s controls, connected a cable to another as suddenly blue light flowed through the massive ball of cords. “Like, 3 seconds! Just need to inject some mana to jumpstart it.”

  Finn smiled. “Great, I checked the Manacrystal before and it’s properly set up. Let’s get this thing moving!” And with the pull of a lever to the back of the room, the entire aircraft began moving forwards. Slowly at first, until Darmas pushed another lever slowly, which made it increase its speed more and more, until they began flying through the sky like a cruiseship through calm water.

  Sahra started talking into a microphone, which reinforced her voice across the entire aircraft in a coarse way: “Welcome aboard the Principessa, this is your Aeronautic Technician Sahra speaking. If you look to your left, you can see us leaving Avisia behind as some guards angrily shout at us. If you look to your right, you can see us leaving the forest behind and might be able to spot Prin Peaks which we will fly over.

  Nathan, holding his hands over his ears because of the volume, asked: ”Fly over? What’s behind the mountain, anyway?”

  “A good question, young Breaker! The Silex desert behind it should have plenty of food on its border, sporting exotic creatures that make for fantastic meals! The close-by towns should also be accepting of our travels, usually being situated close to oases. We will arrive in about one day, so please get some rest in one of the cabins if you can, the Magitechnicians will ensure you get there safe and sound!”

  Finn intervened, “That does include you, missy. We’ll work in shifts I assume? Only really need three people up here at a time for such a simple route.”

  Darmas nodded, gesturing out of the door of the Bridge toward Sahra and Finn, who walked off. “It’s fine Finn. Me and two of the others will handle the first, everyone else can rest up like Sahra said. Once we get some supplies we'll head to a contact in Glarea. Town should be fine with us using an Airship, them mostly being rebels and allies of them."

  Sahra sighed in relief as she rushed out the door: “Neat, I’ll look if this thing’s got a comfortable bathtub, I could really use one after all of this!”

  Two more plain looking Magitechnicians nodded, seemingly not the biggest fans of the distribution of shifts but agreeing to it nonetheless.

  Nathan looked at Darmas, confused by the prospect. "There is a village that would aid us? Shouldn't Kazzorak prevent something like that?"

  One of the Magitechnicians manning the ship with curly brown hair hidden away in part by a hat and wearing blue and brown overalls replied. "Not really, the town's too far out for them to care. They don't really provide anything, no weapons, no machines, no magitech. At least it seems that way from the outside".

  Leonard smiled, happy about the words of the curly haired man. "Maybe we can recruit some of them, I bet they'll join us once they see what we've got!" The sun slowly settled down as the day neared its end. Leonard, Leyra and Nathan walked through the corridors of Principessa as they discovered a room with two beds. “Perfect, this will be our sleeping quarter, Nath!”

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Leyra clasped her staff, and spoke to them: “Alright, have a good night you two. I’m looking forward to your sparring match tomorrow!”

  Leonard threw her a smile and a thumbs up, as Nathan replied “You, too. See you tomorrow!” as they went into their cabin. Leyra walked past it, presumably doing the same.

  Hammond went a different way. Following a staircase, he discovered a prison room. “Perfect” he said, as he reached into his pocket and threw the portable prison into the closed bars and threw a magical blast at it.

  With a blue explosion of mist, Zeke appeared in the cell, still beaten up and without the shackles that encased his hands before, but seemingly alive — and very angry.

  “Welcome aboard your new cabin. You only saw prison cells from the outside, so… How do you like to be behind bars for once?” Hammond told him.

  “Did you just get me out of your portable prison to mock me? I have nothing to say to you, Baharor scum.” Zeke replies, spitting to the right on the ground.

  “Oh, but I believe you do.” A female voice said. Leyra emerged down the stairs toward the cell, to the surprise of Hammond. “What are you doing here, Leyra?”

  “Two things, really. For one, I just wanted to look around the place and get a feel for the airship. It’s so spacious! Sahra was right, we’re criminally understaffed.” She smiled, then

  turning her gaze toward Zeke as her positive expression changed, becoming much more serious, “But I also figured you’d put Zeke somewhere. I have something to ask him. Where is Zaldimar?”

  As she asked this, Leyra closed the door behind her, making sure no one gets to hear what is going to be said next.

  Night gave way to dawn as the airship cruised smoothly toward Prin Peak, the towering mountain now visible on the horizon. Inside the massive vessel, Nathan, Leonard and Hammond stood in awe of the sparring hall they had stumbled into. It was like a miniature colosseum—a rectangular room with high walls, elevated seating, and a central ring perfect for combat.

  "This place is insane," Nathan muttered, turning in circles to take it all in.

  Leonard smirked, arms crossed. "Sahra wasn’t kidding when she said this thing had plenty of room. A ship this size could hold an army."

  Nathan let out a low whistle and turned to face his friend. "You’re serious about this sparring match, aren’t you?"

  Leonard cracked his knuckles, the sound echoing through the empty space. "Dead serious. Give it everything you’ve got, Nathan. Hold nothing back."

  Nathan hesitated before nodding. "Alright. I’ll try my best."

  Hammond clapped his hands, signaling the start of the match. "Let’s see what you boys have learned!"

  The two dashed at each other, fists raised, and the fight began in earnest.

  Moments later, Leyra and Sahra entered the sparring hall, both pausing to watch as Nathan and Leonard exchanged blows at lightning speed.

  "You’re not a fighter," Leyra said, glancing at Sahra. "Why’d you want to watch?"

  Sahra grinned. "I used to go to Arcanist tournaments for fun. Watching fights like this was my favorite hobby. I’m glad I can get some entertainment on this trip."

  The two women took seats next to Hammond in the front row, just as Leonard dodged Nathan’s gut punch and countered with a flurry of his own strikes. Their gloves glowed faintly with energy, flashing brighter whenever they increased the speed or power of their attacks.

  Sahra leaned forward, captivated. "This is incredible. I’ve never seen Spellbreakers in action before. How’s it different from Arcanist combat?"

  Hammond chuckled, stroking his beard. "Well, Arcanists rely almost entirely on their artifacts. They’re usually ranged fighters or wield small, precise tools for trickery. Spellbreakers, on the other hand, strengthen both body and mind. We don’t master a single artifact like an Arcanist does—we absorb their power, becoming more versatile and stronger with time."

  In the ring, Leonard suddenly dashed backward, slamming his fist into the ground. A cluster of icy spikes erupted between him and Nathan, forcing the latter to adjust. Nathan leapt onto the spikes, using them as a springboard to close the distance, and hurled a volley of fireballs. Leonard countered with a burst of blue energy, dispersing the flames.

  "Spellbreakers grow stronger by absorbing more artifacts," Hammond continued. "Meanwhile, most Arcanists are limited by the number of powerful artifacts they can carry. That’s why Kazzorak fears Spellbreaking—it disrupts their entire way of waging war."

  Leyra crossed her arms. "Still, Arcanists aren’t weak. It’s just a different kind of magic."

  "True," Hammond agreed, but Leonard interrupted from the ring.

  "Yeah, but if I broke your staff, it’s over immediately!" Leonard grinned as he launched a heavy kick toward Nathan, sending him flying across the ring. “Not that I’d do that, why would I weaken our forces? I haven’t seen you fight yet, but I assume you’re passable.”

  Leyra’s eyes narrowed. "Passable, is that right? Maybe you and I should fight for those glasses instead, Leonard. Let’s see if you can even get close to my staff!"

  Nathan, recovering his stance, frowned. "Uh, are we just ignoring me now?"

  Leonard turned to Leyra, his cocky grin widening. "Fine. If I beat Nathan, you’re next!"

  Before he could finish, Nathan took advantage of his distraction, dashed towards Leonard and landed a powerful blow to his ribs, knocking the wind out of him.

  "Focus, Leonard," Nathan said firmly, stepping back to let his opponent recover. "And don’t worry—I’ll give you a fair shot at the glasses, too, Leyra."

  Hammond turned to her, saying “You three are right, I wasn’t including everyone. Very well, let’s move on!”

  The match continued, the two exchanging punches and blocks in a furious dance. Leyra and Sahra watched in fascination. Hammond, observing the fight with a satisfied smile, leaned back in his seat. "They’ve come so far in such a short time. But I think I know who takes this one."

  As if on cue, Leonard caught Nathan’s leg with an icy chain spell, freezing him in place. With a triumphant yell, he tackled Nathan to the ground, pinning him. Leonard raised his fist for the final blow but stopped inches from Nathan’s face, panting heavily.

  "I win, Nathan," he said between breaths.

  Nathan groaned but managed a smile. "Good fight, Leo. You got me."

  Leonard stood and offered his hand, pulling Nathan to his feet. He turned to Leyra, pointing a finger of his still glowing gauntlet at her. "Your turn, Miss Arcanist!"

  Leyra smirked and gracefully leapt out of her seat to the opposite side of the arena, her staff glowing faintly with magic as well as her necklace guiding her with a calm but powerful breeze. "Ready when you are."

  Nathan and Sahra settled into their seats, Nathan nursing his sore arm. "Think Leonard has a chance?" Sahra asked.

  Nathan shook his head. "He’s tough, but Leyra’s fresh, and I assume she’s got range on him…” As he said that, he spotted small crackles of lightning emitting from her staff and remembered that at one point in his fight against Barry, he heard a loud explosion. His eyes widened, saying “Wait…That wasn’t Hammond, was it? I’ve only ever seen him use wind magic. If that’s the case, then the winner is clearly—”

  Hammond raised his hand, and yelled "Begin!", interrupting Nathan’s muttering.

  Leonard dashed forward, using the speed boost from the artifact Invisible. Leyra countered with a gust of wind, propelling herself forward as she swung her staff in a wide arc. The lightning-infused blow connected with Leonard’s face effortlessly, sending him flying across the arena. He hit the ground hard, his skin blackened by the shock and his hair standing on end.

  Leyra twirled her staff, the glow fading as she walked away, winking at him. "You can keep the glasses, Mister Breaker."

  Hammond chuckled as he walked over to Leonard, who groaned and sat up. "Want to absorb the artifact now, or are you calling it a day?"

  Leonard waved him off, not able to say aloud what he thought: The only thing I want right now is a bath and a break, honestly.