A cheer went up behind them in the battle circle. They all glanced in that direction before resuming their conversation.
"So I hear you helped Nayiri win that match," said Blaze. "Do you think you could help me?"
"Of course," said Alex.
Quest Offered: Help Blaze Frostmane (Reward: Unknown)
Quest Chain I: Help Blaze Frostmane win a match (+1,000 XP)
"What about you, Sorrow?"
The dark-eyed Sorrow lifted a shoulder in mute ambivalence.
Quest Offered: Help Sorrow (Reward: Unknown)
Quest Chain I: Help Sorrow win a match (+1,000 XP)
"Great," said Alex. "Tomorrow after breakfast we'll get started."
Chapter Seven
The next day, Alex and her merry band of misfits hiked to the pond for practice. Nayiri marched confidently to her target tree, flipping daggers idly in both hands. Her hair had been tamed into a knot at the back of her head while the rest cascaded down her neck. It was longer than Alex remembered, but maybe she'd never really seen it brushed.
She let Nayiri continue her work with the daggers, while she appraised the other three for ideas.
"Okay," said Alex. "One at a time, tell me what your strategy is when you step into the battle circle."
"Strategy?" asked Blaze. "Don't die?"
"Tell me about the spells you know," she said. "You always open with a nice fire bolt, which takes them down about five to ten percent, but then they close the distance and stab you with the pointy end."
"Yeah, that's pretty much it," said Blaze. "I know Fire Bolt and another one that's totally useless and a little bit embarrassing."
"Useless how?" she asked.
"It's called Fire Cascade, and it sheathes me in a shower of flame, which eventually leaves me naked when my clothes burn off," said Blaze.
"Well that's one good thing about the spell," said Sorrow drolly.
Alex tapped on her chin. "I'll have to think about that one. Why don't you practice your fire bolt, but shoot it into the pond. We don't need to start any wildfires."
While Blaze went off to the edge of the pond, Mancalf and Sorrow stared at her.
"Why the spiked mace, Mancalf?" asked Alex.
He held up the weapon as if he were wielding a toothpick. Brutal spikes stuck from the metal ball at the end of a long wooden shaft.
"It's what they gave me when I first joined Bravebear," said Mancalf.
Alex bit her lip. "When you fought last night, it was as if you were trying to smash fish in a pond. Every time you overextended, your opponent cut your side, or jabbed you in the arm."
The corners of Mancalf's lips curled downward while his shoulders sagged. "It feels weird using the mace."
"Weird how?"
"I don't know, like it's not solid enough," said Mancalf.
Alex scratched her forehead. "Have you ever used any other weapons in the battle circle?"
"Lots," he said. "They all turn out the same."
She sized him up. He was a mountain of a man even if he didn't hold himself that way.
"What about unarmed combat?" she asked.
His eyes widened with horror. "That sounds even worse. What do I do, just let them skewer me like a piece of meat?"
"See that big tree over there, not the one that Nayiri's using. I want you to try to push it over for ten seconds and then try to pull it out of the ground for ten seconds. Keep alternating between those two," she said.
With a heavy sigh, Mancalf trudged to the tree. She didn't wait to see how well her idea worked because Sorrow had disappeared. She found him by the pond, hands behind his head in the short grass, a bemused expression on his lips.
"Come on, Sorrow, it's your turn," said Alex.
"But you're ruining a perfectly good napping spot," he said.
She held out her hand to pull him up. "You can die every night if you prefer."
"Nothing excites me more than my own entrails," said Sorrow, rubbing his belly as if readying himself for a feast.
"Pull out your sword," she told him when he climbed to his feet without her help.
With limp exaggeration, Sorrow unsheathed his weapon and lazily pointed it at her. The tip wobbled drunkenly.
Alex swallowed her sigh, trying to find something usable in his posture. After a full minute of examination, she asked, "Is there anything you're particularly good at?"
He looked down his nose with his dark-ringed eyes as he held a hand to his chest. "I can find the good in anyone. At least before I try to chew it up and spit it out."
"Why don't you practice your sword swings while I help Blaze," said Alex.
"Whatever you say," he said, then leapt into a series of loose swings that looked like an elephant swinging its trunk. "Huzah! Take that, ruffian, I will cut you to the boner. Or bone your cut!"
Alex walked away from him shaking her head, finding Blaze at the water's edge. He was almost as bad as Sorrow, though he was at least attempting to follow her directions. Spits of flame shot from his hand, turning to steam when they hit the water. He looked like he was the world's most bored mage flicking water from his fingertips. This was turning out to be much harder than she'd thought. Nayiri had been a breeze, so she thought the others would be the same.
"You could at least try," she told him.
Blaze tilted his head at her while the flame shots grew slightly in intensity. The only reason she could tell he'd added a bit more oomph to them was the louder hiss of steam.
She was about to reprimand him when something about the way he shot the flame out reminded her of when he was cooking breakfast.
"Does fire hurt you?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Not particularly. I wouldn't be much of a fire mage if it did," he said.
"So that fire explosion spell doesn't damage you at all?" she asked.
"Not a hair," he said.
"See that small tree over there? Could you demonstrate your spell on it? Make sure you wrap your arms around the tree first," she said.
"But it'll burn off my clothes," he said.
"Then take them off," she said.
"You're kidding, right?"
She crossed her arms. "Not in the least bit. Off with your robes and hug that tree."
"If you wanted to get a peek, all you had to do was ask," he said.
She snapped her fingers and pointed at the tree like a teacher admonishing a student. He raised his hands into the air.
"Fine, fine!"
Blaze pulled off his robes, getting them tangled around his arms before throwing them into the grass, while keeping his front facing away. Nayiri put her fingers to her lips and whistled.
"Thanks, Nayiri," he said, looking over his shoulder. "I feel like an idiot."
"Just think how much of an idiot your opponent will feel when you beat them," said Alex.
"By getting naked?"
"If it makes you feel any better, you've got a cute butt," she said, for a NPC.
"It doesn't."
She snapped her fingers again. "Blaze. Tree. Spell."
The tree was larger than a sapling, the trunk slender and tall, and it leaned in the direction of the pond with a crown of leaves. Blaze looked like he was trying to put his arms around his date at the prom wearing barbed wire armor.
"It's a tree, just hug it," she yelled.
With a tiny shrug of his shoulders, Blaze wrapped his arms around the trunk. He took a big breath, then muttered an incantation, and his whole body turned to a conflagration. Flame licked up the sides of the tree, wilting the leaves until they were crisped. The fire was so large it made a whooshing sound as it pulled in the surrounding oxygen. When he released the spell, the tree snapped in half as the bottom disintegrated into ash, nearly braining Blaze as he scrambled out of the way.
When Blaze turned to them, using his cupped hands to hide his nakedness, there was complete and utter silence. Even Sorrow, who had been digging in the dirt with the tip of his sword, was staring at the naked mage.
/> "I knew it," he said, "you just wanted to see me naked. Get a good laugh."
"By the Holy Darkness, that was…that was frightening," said Mancalf.
"Completely," said Nayiri, nodding.
Sorrow turned to the others. "We should have brought the daily meat for roasting."
"Haha," said Blaze, angrily swiping his robes and tugging them over his head. "I knew I shouldn't have listened to her."
"Yes, you should have," said Alex, rushing to his side. "That was amazing. If you can get your hands on them, no one will be able to withstand you. Hell, I wouldn't want to fight you."
"Really? You're not just messing with me?"
She shook her head vehemently. "No. No way. On Merlin's honor."
"Who's Merlin?" he asked, screwing up his face.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "Work on your flame shots for the rest of the day. We don't have enough trees to practice that inferno of yours."
While Blaze returned to the pond, Alex found Mancalf again. He'd picked a tree that was as wide as a basketball. To her surprise, the roots had been partially pulled out. The whole trunk tilted to the side.
"I wasn't expecting you to actually pull it from the ground," said Alex.
"If I ever fight any trees in the circle, I'll win the slow, eventual battle," said Mancalf.
"Why don't you try punching the tree?" she said.
"With my fist? That'll hurt," he said.
She motioned with her hand. "Then slap it if you prefer."
Alex was expecting a ponderous blow, a swing like an axe handle coming down from above. But Mancalf's tree slap was anything but. His hand flashed out, lightning quick, popping the tree, exploding the loose bark along its girth.
A burgeoning excitement grew in her middle. "I think we've found your weapon."
"A slap?" asked Mancalf, holding up his hand as if it were separate from his body.
"Call it what you like, but I think those weapons have been holding you back," said Alex. "You're the world's biggest monk. Now keep slapping that tree, both hands."
Once everyone was practicing—though the term was only loosely applied to Sorrow, who looked like a bored kid waiting for the bus—Alex spent the next hour working on the Whip Tricks spell. She managed to increase it a couple of points even though it fizzled every time.
When the sun drifted towards the horizon, setting the grassy plains ablaze with oranges and reds, Alex and the other unranked made their way back to the camp for dinner before the battle circle. While no one looked confident about their contest, they didn't look like prisoners at their last meal like the previous nights. Alex counted that as a win. She would find out soon enough if her help had been worth it.
Chapter Eight
Nervous energy bounced through her fellow unranked as they marched to the battle circle. The clan children ran on bare feet, passing them like tiny banshees. Alex winked at a little girl with a dirt-smeared face carrying the imitation of a whip.
The approach of evening brought a cool breeze that invigorated Alex. Next to her, Nayiri flipped daggers with both hands, deftly catching them, while Mancalf seemed taller than Alex remembered.
Blaze muttered under his breath as they approached. It was only when they reached the back of the assembled crowd that Alex finally heard what he was saying.
"Do I take off my clothes before the match? Or do I let them burn off?"
"Blaze," said Alex, touching his shoulder to get his attention.
"What?" he said, flinching.
"Get a second set of robes. I'll throw them to you after the match," she said.
"Good idea!" he said, running back to their tents.
Alex found her customary barrel. Tormane glanced once in her direction after she ascended. He had a dry smirk on his lips, which suggested he was going to switch things up this evening, but she was ready for whatever he threw at her.
The first of her unranked friends to fight in the circle was Mancalf. He was paired against a veteran short sword and shield wielder named Grato.
After they bowed to Tormane and then each other, Grato called out, "Forget your weapon, ya big idiot?"
Mancalf stood with his arms relaxed at his sides. He looked more like he was standing in the rain than in the middle of a miniature fighting arena.
When he didn't answer, Grato shuffled forward, keeping his shield high and his short sword in a thrusting position. Closing the distance, Grato hesitated, unnerved by Mancalf's lack of reaction. But a few jeers from the crowd loosened his resolve and he pulled his arm back for a neck chop.
This was his mistake.
Alex heard the thunderclap of Mancalf's palm connecting with Grato's head before her eyes registered the motion. Grato's knees wobbled, then he collapsed into a heap, sword and shield landing unceremoniously at his feet.
Mancalf has knocked Grato unconscious!
Mancalf has defeated Grato!
Quest Completed: Help Mancalf win a match
You have gained experience: 1,000 XP
Quest Chain II: Help Mancalf reach novice rank (+1,000 XP)
You have gained a unique skill point: +1 Leadership
You have gained a unique skill point: +1 Mastermind
Alex was a little surprised about the double unique skill point improvement, especially because she didn't fully understand the difference between the two, but she figured she'd learn eventually.
With the match over, Mancalf wandered back into the crowd as if he were on a Sunday stroll. The only sign of emotion Alex got was when Mancalf winked at her.
The next few matches were uneventful, elites versus novices, which meant they were over quickly, neither side learning a single thing. But that didn't stop Tormane from showering praise on his elites for their easy victories.
It reminded her of when she played youth soccer in Kentucky. The good teams recruited the best players, so her teams were usually the mismatched left behinds. It was a miracle whenever they scored a goal, since they usually lost by ten or twenty goals.
When Nayiri's name was called, Alex found her palms sweaty. The petite dagger rogue practically skipped into the circle, making Alex both proud and worried about her confidence.
Her opponent was a heavyset woman who used a two-handed warhammer and wore loose boiled leather armor. The easy way that Elarma handled her massive weapon worried Alex. Nayiri wouldn't be able to take many hits.
Elarma wasted no time when the match started, rushing Nayiri with her warhammer raised. To Alex's surprise, the pale girl didn't throw her daggers, but waited until the last moment to roll past the heavy swing, slicing Elarma on the calf as she went past.
Seeing the nimble maneuver from Nayiri let Alex release the breath she'd been holding. Alex wiped her sweaty palms on the side of her leather armor.
Elarma charged Nayiri like an enraged bull, but Nayiri pulled the same trick. This time, her opponent came up limping, as the second cut had done enough to slow her.
Alex smirked as she watched Nayiri stand at the far end of the circle and throw deadly daggers at the slow-moving Elarma. Over the next minute, Nayiri bled her opponent from a distance. When it was finished, she hadn't taken a single point of damage.
A few matches later it was Sorrow's turn in the battle circle. He trudged into the middle, the tip of his sword dragging in the dirt. Not only did he look completely uninterested, but his opponent was Atticus Laine, the blond warrior with the hockey mullet.
"Back, foul ruffian, or I should get my blood all over you," said Sorrow, leaning on his sword like a cane while examining something in his palm.
"You need to bow to your battleleader," said Atticus, gesturing towards Tormane. "And then to me."
"Why?" asked Sorrow with a disinterested shrug. "You're going to murder me anyway."
"It's not murder, it's battle," said Atticus, an aggravated look on his face.
"To you," said Sorrow, knocking away a strand of wavy hair that had fallen into his face with a flick of his hand.
Alex half-hoped that his nonchalance was a trick like Mancalf's, but when the match actually began, Atticus drove his sword through Sorrow's chest, grinding it sideways for extra pain. When Atticus had the sword hilt deep, Sorrow gave him a peck on the cheek before collapsing in defeat.
"Can't win them all," Alex muttered to herself.
She had no idea how to help Sorrow since he didn't seem to care enough to try. It seemed all the NPCs had hidden talents except for him, or at least she hadn't found it yet.
But she had little time for pondering before she heard her name called.
Alex took her half of the circle, bowed to Tormane, and waited for her opponent.
"Cree Carrow," called out Tormane.
Alex recognized the woman's name even before she stepped into the circle. She used a long spear to devastating effect, keeping her opponents from reaching her with thrusting stabs. Alex was busy formulating her strategy when she heard a second name.
"Garret Longshanks," said Tormane.
The longsword and shield warrior was nimble for a big man, using his shield to stun his opponents before puncturing them with the tip of his sword.
Alex wasn't completely surprised by the second opponent, though the rest of the clan seemed unnerved by the change in tradition, glancing between themselves.
She caught a look from Nayiri, who appeared paler than normal at the odds, but while the result wasn't guaranteed, Alex felt comfortable against multiple opponents from her time in the Warped Forest.
The two faced her, sharing knowing glances, and gripped their weapons in anticipation.
"Begin!"
Cree circled to her left while Garret came from the right, staying crouched behind his tall shield so she couldn't attack his legs.
Alex shot Garret with a Cloud Taunt before making a whip attack against Cree, but she was ready with her long spear, using the shaft to deflect it. The two warriors collapsed on her position, hitting her three times—spear, spear, sword—before Alex managed to Misdirect an attack from Cree into Garret.
"What was that for?" asked Garrett.
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