Read Online Nature Mage by Duncan Pile - Free Book Online Page A

two friends walked on in thoughtful silence.
    Aside from a deer bursting out of the undergrowth in front of them, shocking the life out of the three young travellers and giving Jonn a good laugh, nothing eventful happened during the day. In the late afternoon, a movement in the treetops caused Gaspi to look up and see a couple of game birds in the higher branches. On instinct, he whipped out his slingshot and shot a stone right into the body of one of the unfortunate creatures, the other panicking noisily and making its getaway.
    “Nice one, Gasp!” Taurnil said with a grin as the plump body flopped to the soil, and for the remaining hours of the day it dangled from Gaspi’s backpack as they walked, promising more filling fare than dried old meat for their supper.
    They stopped for the night while there was still enough light to gather wood, and made camp in a copse of trees, where they would be out of sight of anyone roaming the plains at night. After setting Gaspi and Emea the task of starting the fire Jonn told Taurnil it was time for his training to begin, and went into the trees looking for a branch that would become Taurnil’s first staff. Returning with a leafy length of wood, freshly snapped from its trunk, Jonn sat down with his knife to whittle off the leaves and tiny branches, and square off the ends as much as possible.
    “Hey, Taurn!” he called when the wood was ready, and hoisted the new staff at him over the clearing. Catching it firmly, Taurnil stood up and twirled it experimentally, flipping it from hand to hand to get used to the weight. With Gaspi and Emea looking on curiously, Jonn began to show Taurnil the basics of martial combat.
    “Okay...the first thing is to get your balance,” Jonn said. “You’ll be leading from one foot like a swordsman, using the weight of your body to lend force to the staff. Are you right-handed?” Taurnil nodded. “Then lead with your left foot, and place your right hand above your left on the staff, your hands about eighteen inches from each other.”
    “That’s it! Perfect!” said Jonn as Taurnil shifted into position. “Now the staff is the most effective weapon for defence,” he instructed. “Its advantage is speed and reach. You can move it very fast and with great force without much effort, and you can use its length to get beyond the reach of a swordsman. You can use it to disarm an enemy. A quick smack to the opponent’s wrist will make them drop their weapon. Or you can use the end of the staff like a prod, driving into the face or belly while keeping your distance.”
    “The staff can also be used for attack, too,” Jonn added, starting to spin his own staff round his head, then bringing it round in a vicious sweep that would have brained any would-be attacker. Jonn slid gracefully from move to move, effortlessly maintaining perfect balance, continuing to talk as he demonstrated.
    “You can take out an opponent’s legs,” he said as he snapped out a brutal leg sweep. “Or the arms,” he added, swinging the staff down hard where his imaginary enemy’s torso would be. “Or you can go for the face,” he said, as he thrust the end of his staff at such an angle and speed that any opponent would be lucky to walk away with a face at all. He paused, frozen in position, then turned his head towards Taurnil. “I don’t want you trying to learn attacking moves just yet, Taurnil. The defensive discipline is good enough for now,” he said, as he straightened up. In the light of Jonn’s intense gaze and sudden seriousness, Taurnil didn’t argue.
    “Alright - get in position,” Jonn instructed. The second Taurnil had his feet set, Jonn rapped his staff against Taurnil’s wrist, making him drop the staff and jump back holding his arm, a look of injured pride on his face. Gaspi laughed out loud until Emea pinched him hard on the arm, and gave him a look that shut him up.
    “Don’t look hurt, Taurnil,” Jonn said. “An enemy won’t ask