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“You know about ift?” I say hesitantly

“Yes But I don’t care You don’t hold things back from friends”

I smile, then shyly shake his cool, wrinkled, welcome hand

Kernel is off by hi Juni’s position The rest of us are duelling, practising our skills, learning It’s difficult to define yourforce You can test yourself in certain ways on Earth, but you never kno far you can stretch until circumstances compel you to improvise

Sharmila told me that when Kernel first ca tree to establish his ical potential When his life caht free If he’d been of lesser potential, he’d have perished That’s a cruel way to test a person, but there’s no easy alternative Magic is part of a harsh universe Those ish to channel its power must accept that

Beranabus sends twin balls of fire shooting at Dervish and me I turn the ball aimed at me into an icy mist, but Dervish isn’t as swift He disperses the flae his beard and redden his cheeks and lips

“You’re slow,” Beranabus grunts while Dervish repairs the dae

“So are you!” Shary fro with surprise, and s in all directions

r />“That hurt,” Beranabus co the small of his back He bends to pick soot rid of our shoes—they hinder the flow of ic

“Be thankful I was not ai to kill,” Sharmila says coolly “We are all slower and weaker than before It is the penalty of old age No one can avoid it”

“I’ve done better than rowls

“But time catches up with us all eventually, even you”

Beranabus twists slowly left, then right, working the pain out of his back “I suppose you’re right,” he gru time I’m not as quick or powerful as I once was”

He waves a hand at Shars snap apart She collapses with a yelp of shock and pain

“But there’s life in the old dog yet,” Beranabus shouts triu to Share