Val took the last sip out of his coffee cup, then cleared the table and stood up. "You know how a sorcerer's duel works, correct?".

"Yeah -- a defense spell is placed on each sorcerer, the duel begins, and the one who manages to break the spell on the other is the winner", Adrien replied.

In the center of the room, Val cast a spell to set the boundary of their dueling arena. He placed the protective spells on both of them, and while Adrien went to retrieve the viper staff, Val magicked up one for himself: this one had its head carved in the shape of a rising wave, lined with turquoise and aquamarine.