Selena alighted on the ship, staggering as her feet touched the deck. Scarcely seconds after the archon began his assault on every one of my friends, she'd fled toward us, finding refuge from the battle beneath my wards.
"Gods, that was exhausting," she mumbled, slumping against the railing. "I've never cast so many spells in my life. I felt like a first-level student all over again."
I winced in sympathy, remembering my own struggles with magic in the beginning. How many times had I cast a waterball before I finally got it right? It had to have been hundreds, and that was off just a first-level soul.
"You did well," I said, giving her a hug. "You held on for so long."
"I'm just glad you showed up when you did. But I'll not pretend we were winning. That arbiter seems more concerned with enjoying himself on a mortal world than accomplishing his mission. If he took it seriously, I might not have lasted five minutes, even with Arboreal World supporting all of my spells."
