While they were blinded, I took my chance. I didn’t want to do these initiates any lasting damage, so I kept my weapons sheathed. Instead of using the sword or the trident, I went in with bare hands and feet.
I went for the elf first. She was a good three inches taller than me, but her movements indicated someone who wasn’t very dexterous. I brought my weight close to the ground and swept her legs from under her with a low kick. She dropped straight down like a felled tree.
The human stumbled out of the cloud and looked at me with bloodshot eyes. I kicked him in his copious stomach, and he buckled over. As my elbow connected with the back of his head, he collapsed with a drawn out groan.
More Sandstorms hurtled toward me, ripping apart my Ash Cloud as they came. I threw myself to the ground and let the sand blast harmlessly over me, then scrambled back up into a crouch.
Two more of my opponents were closing in. Both were male—a squinting human with long, red hair and a dwarf with piercings through his nose, ears, and lips. The dwarf was swinging a club while the human had his hand out, ready to Augment.
Already close to the ground, I slammed my fist down, and a Ground Strike rippled away from me, more powerful than the one my opponents had used. It knocked both initiates off their feet, and the club flew from the dwarf’s hand.
The last two started closing in to protect their prone allies. I fired three Untamed Torches in their direction, deliberately aiming wide so that I would scare them but not hit them. As I’d expected, they weren’t used to fire magic, and they dashed away and stared nervously at the scorched ground where the flames had struck.
In the meantime, the dwarf had started getting back to his feet. I kicked his club away just as he was grabbing for it, but he snatched my leg instead. Muscular fingers closed around my ankle and twisted. Rather than resist, I went with the movement and kicked off with my other foot. I spun 360 degrees through the air, breaking his hold on me in the process, and lashed out with my foot. The kick collided with his face, and he took a step back, clutching his bloody nose. I landed, grabbed his other arm, twisted, and flung him over my shoulder. He was mostly made of muscle and was a hell of a weight to lift, but I was relying on balance rather than straight strength, and the move worked. He landed with a crash and lay clutching his back.
The ground rippled, and I was flung from my feet as a Ground Strike went past. I jumped back up and turned just in time to see the human swinging a two-handed sword at my legs. I jumped over the attack and punched his right arm as I landed. The nerve strike numbed that arm, leaving him with only one hand to manage the unwieldy weapon. Another blow sent it flying from his grip. I brought a knee up into his stomach, and he sank to the ground.
That left only two initiates, both women—gawky Choshi, the leader of the group, and a lizardwoman with yellow scales and a heavy quarterstaff. Seeing their companions so badly beaten had clearly made them cautious, as they stood back, watching to see what I would do next.
I decided to start by using their own tactics against them again, as well as taking a chance to test my new abilities. I slammed my fist down in a Ground Strike. A wave of earth rippled toward the initiates, and both jumped as it neared them. The lizardwoman was a little too slow and was knocked over, but Choshi landed beyond the wave, ready for more.
Digging further into my bag of non-lethal tricks, I called forth the power of Smothering Mist. It only took her three seconds to realize that she couldn’t wave it away and would have to move, but those three seconds were enough. I closed in, grabbed the spear from her hand, used it to trip her, and then placed the blade in the center of her chest. She smiled at me and nodded, relinquishing her place in the fight.
That left only the lizardwoman, who had got back to her feet and was coming at me with her quarterstaff. I called forth just enough Frozen Armor to cover my forearm and raised it to block the first blow. Most of the ice shattered beneath the strength of her hit, but it still took the momentum out of her swing, and I was able to seize the weapon. When she jerked sharply back, I let go, and she slammed her own weapon into her shoulder. She winced in pain and struggled to adjust her grip, but it was already too late. I kicked her legs out from under her, and she fell to the ground, the staff abandoned.
Slow clapping filled the air. I looked up to see Tahlis standing in the doorway of the temple.
I joined him in the doorway as the initiates struggled to their feet. I hadn’t wanted to act like a bully by beating them to a pulp, so I’d pulled a lot of my punches, but they were still sore and nursing bruises.
“Do you always get your guests to beat up your initiates?” I asked Tahlis.
“The ability to fight is everything in this valley, especially now.”
One by one, the initiates came to stand in front of us, heads bowed.
“Thank you, Swordslinger, for showing us how little we know,” Choshi said. “And thank you, Master, for allowing us to study with you
