by Anthea Sharp
And my eyes couldn't pull away from Carpathian’s gaze.
Energy felt as if it was seeping out of me, first a little at a time, like a faucet dripping, but the longer he held on, the faucet allowed more water through. But it didn't just feel like my energy bar was waning, it felt as though my very life force was being sucked away.
Someone grabbed my arm and ripped it away.
"What are you doing, Jordy?" Elias's worried face broke the staring contest as well as the hold Carpathian had on my arm.
I swallowed, suddenly my mouth felt incredibly dry.
Elias shook his head, continued to hold my arm, and pulled me through the crowd, away from Carpathian, away from Skye.
Part of me wanted to go back, to get this fight over with, but another part of me felt weaker from the loss of whatever that was...
"You can't trust warlocks like him, Jordy. He's bad magic. Your kind and his kind don't mix." Elias eyed me. "I hope you didn't just make a deal with the devil."
I frowned. "Too late."
He blinked at me and shook his head. "After your match, you'll have to tell me what you've gotten yourself into."
I nodded and then stepped up to the ring. Across the way, I found my opponent. My frown deepened. "Is that Sasquach?"
Across from me stood a mountain of a man, hairy, but the slightest green tinge to his tan fur. Elias shook his head. "I think his avatar is something of a gorilla and ogre cross. But don't sweat it. This guy should be a cakewalk for you."
"Yeah."
Somehow, I doubted it.
Once the countdown ended, the announcer’s voice called out, “Let the battle begin.”
And the green gorilla bound its way to me, its knuckles dragging the ground and its fangs bared at me. I struck out my right arm and formed my electric shield just before the gorilla's claws scraped my arm. Electricity sizzled, and his green hair stood on end from the static of our touches. It jumped back, likely feeling the slightest jolt from the shield's defense as well. It shook it off and then began to circle me. I followed, spinning on my heel slowly with the animal, keeping the shield between us.
The lights overhead dimmed as I drew more energy from the electricity surrounding me. I bided my time while I charged both my shield and my energy. I still felt a little bit weak from the lifeforce that Carpathian had drained from me, but now as I sucked the electricity from the air, I began to feel stronger and better.
"Attack now, you ape! Don't let him draw more power or you’re dead!" someone yelled from the sidelines behind the monkey.
The gorilla rushed forward and crashed into me. My shield sent volts of electricity through the opponent's body, but it did nothing to stop the momentum and weight that he hammered me with. My shield arm slammed into my own body and I flew backward several feet, skidding along the concrete floor. Cheers went up from the crowd around me. Stars danced in my vision and blacked around the edges. But the worst part? The dazed monkey still sat on top of me, keeping me pinned to the floor under my shield arm.
Electricity still ran through the shield pinned between us, but every jolt now went through my body as well as his. My muscles spasmed, jerking of their own accord. My heart skipped beats. The pain was like a Charlie-horse cramp that seized up my whole body rather than just my leg in the middle of the night. And I knew my opponent's cramping was just as bad, if not worse, because he stiffened, and couldn't get off me if he wanted to. It was becoming harder to breathe under his weight.
The energy bar over his head was diminishing slowly, as was my own. The damage from my shield was slow and minimal, but overall, my energy was lower due to the ramming attack I'd just sustained. I needed to get him off me, but he weighed too much for me to use just brute strength.
If I wanted out of this situation, I needed to do something else, fast.
Mages used the power of nature in their magic, and I was an electricity master. I had mastered the combination of air and heat to create jolts of static and conquer lightning. I could use the other elements, but not as well as I could electricity. But this was a time when I needed to use my other talents.
I made a quick hand sign and sunk my fingers into the concrete beneath us and concentrated on the dirt underneath. From my thoughts and hand signs, the ground shook. It rumbled and then finally it undulated. The sudden tilting of our bodies allowed me to push the gorilla off me and scramble back to my feet.
Once the monkey was free of the constant shocks from my shield, it too began the work of standing. This was it. I had no more time to charge. I pulled my shield away, snagging what I could of the energy from that as well. I called the lightning into my hand, rushed forward, and shoved the biggest ball of energy I could muster into the monster's back.
The bar above the gorilla's head slipped down into the yellow zone... and then the red. But it wasn't finished yet.
I jumped back, readying myself for the attack that was sure to come. I pulled up my shield arm, but my forcefield came up the thinnest I'd ever seen. It wavered and then popped like a soap bubble.
I frowned. I needed a charge if I was going to even make an energy shield. The gorilla stood on wobbly legs, then let out a horrific roar. The scream recharged the monster and its HP rose back into the yellow zone.
I blinked. Unfair.
Then I began the hand signs and shoved my hands back down to the ground. All the stones and pebbles that were sitting on the concrete rose up and rushed toward the beast like a rain of bullets. Each hit sucked down the monster's energy. I hoped I had enough as it winced and then made a rush for me. That was the problem of pitting magic against brute strength. Brute strength always had a chance of getting in big hits while magic needed recharging if it was going to do more than suck down the energy of the opponent a little at a time.
I ran out of rocks.
And the monster was still coming.
I hammered my fist into the ground and asked for the bits of concrete that had cracked up with the undulating earthquake I'd created moments before to rise up, and I threw them at my opponent, too. The first bit of concrete crashed into the gorilla's fangs. The HP bar above its head began to flash red.
My opponent charged harder, faster.
But I clobbered him with another fist-sized piece of concrete. Right between the eyes. And it fell to its knees, before falling the rest of the way on its face. The bar over its head hit zero.
I breathed a sigh of relief and drew to my feet.
Around me were the cheers and moans of those who either bet against me or didn't. Elias stood in my corner, smiling and nodding his head. Then just past him, I caught a shock of pink hair and my heart leapt. Had Skye watched my battle? But when the crowd parted enough for me to see, her back was turned toward me. It was as if nothing pulled her gaze from the singular focus of her clan master.
Carpathian smiled, nodded my direction, and mouthed one word. "Tomorrow."
5
Though I stood amidst a cheering crowd with Elias patting me on the back, I watched Skye's pink hair, willing her to turn my direction. But Carpathian leaned forward, whispering in her ear, never breaking eye contact with me. I'd had enough. I pulled down my menu screen and hit log out. My breath came in pants and my heart continued to beat a mile a minute while I pulled my VR visor from my face. I ripped my gloves off and set them on the bedside table as well. The clock on the microwave in the dorm room said it was a little after 1 a.m.
My roommate lay in his bed across the room from me, the covers over his head. Whether he was in VR or just asleep, I couldn't tell for sure. I scrubbed my face with my bare hands and sat up. The smell of leather and sweat overpowered me. Ugh. Now I needed to go wash my face. I slipped into my flip-flops, grabbed a towel, and headed out of the room for the community bathroom.
I eyed myself in the mirror over the sink after washing my face. I looked haggard, drained, there were dark circles under my eyes, which I don't remember ever seeing on my face before. After drying with the towel, I headed back out
toward my room. The hallway was dark and quiet, but like all boys’ dorms, it smelled of sweat, stale beer, and the slightest sour twang of vomit. Even on a Thursday, like today, guys had probably stayed up to drink. It was typical behavior for a college freshman—stupid college freshmen, anyway.
Others spent their time actually studying, and others would sink into the worlds of VR. Like me, and even my roommate, Ken.
I snuck back into my room, trying to stay as quiet as possible. When I spent too much time in the half-asleep state of VR, I got restless when I logged out. I needed to take a walk. I slipped out of my flip-flops and into my runners. I needed to blow off some steam. I grabbed my hoody and pulled it over my head as I ducked out the door again.
Outside, the crisp autumn air rustled through the browns, oranges, and reds that were left of the leaves on the trees down in the quad between the dorms and the main campus. The pathways were well lit, and there were other students milling around this time of night.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and picked a playlist. I left the speaker on so that it played quietly in the night air rather than directly into earbuds and started to run. My feet beat the pavement in time with the fast-paced retro music I'd chosen. I ran past the quad to the duck pond area on campus. It wasn't as well-lit here as it was at other places, but the trail around the pond looped back to campus after meandering for about a mile and a half. Running through the shadows and watching the moonlight play on the water comforted me and reminded me of home.
Skye's parents had gotten a divorce after she left, but neither of them wanted to give up the house they’d lived in, in case Skye came home. She had no brothers or sisters. After the ugly battle that had ensued, Skye's mom had kept the house. She left the front porch light on and the living room light on every night. Half the time she sat by the window reading a book and often, she fell asleep there. I'd see her at night when I was running, just like I was now.
If Skye came home, would she be shocked to find out about her parents?
It wouldn't be quite the same home as the one she'd left. My heart wrung in my chest over that. I wanted things to be the same for her.
After two miles, my breathing became too labored and my chest ached. I'd run too hard for too long, I supposed. I slowed down, sucking in the cool air between my teeth, and started heading back for my dorm.
The breeze pulled at the sweat on the back of my neck and I pulled my hoodie up to keep from catching a chill. In the shadows between the last lamp that lit the path and the front of my dorm, a lone figure stood with a hoody pulled up over their head, hands in their pockets and pacing nearly frantic. I frowned and shut off my music.
As I drew closer, the person spotted me, stepped into the light of the walkway light and pulled their hood off. In a voice I would have recognized anywhere, she said, "Jordy."
I blinked. Froze mid-step. Nearly fell to my face on the walkway's blacktop. "Oh, my God. Skye."
Her eyes darted as she looked both ways and shushed me. Her gaze barely touched on mine as I searched her face. She shook her head. "Don't show up tomorrow."
I furrowed my brow, my heart still hammering in my chest. I wanted to pull her to me, to hug her, to know she was still the same person who disappeared three years ago. My throat felt tight. But she didn't look quite the same. She was thinner, her hair lighter colored than it used to be. There were bags under her eyes and dark circles... like I'd seen under my own eyes earlier. My hands fisted inside my hoody pocket. "I have to."
Her stormy blue eyes fixed on mine. "No, you don't. You don't ever have to log into Battle Mage again. You don't have to fight the opponent Carpathian is setting you up with."
"I have to help you."
She rolled those eyes. "I don't need your help. I made my own decisions. It’d be nice if you'd just respect them.”
I shook my head. "You know that's not right. What kind of relationship do you have with these people? You left your family. You dropped out of high school. You're saying these are your choices."
"Yes, I am." Her icy glare met mine and her jaw tensed.
I pulled my hands from my pockets and pulled back my hood. "You're not even eighteen yet."
She laughed and half-shrugged. "I will be in a week."
"Ten days."
"Are you saying you remember my birthday? What? Do you celebrate it every year?" The bitterness in her voice was palatable.
It stung. "I remember everything about you. And yes, I remember your birthday and think about you. Every year."
Her eyes grew wide for a moment in surprise. Her resolve wavered. Then the ice returned as she shook her head. "No matter. I warned you. I can't help you if you want to remain stupid. I don't want your help. I don't need your help. If you cared for me at all, you'd stay away."
My heart ached in my chest with every word she spoke in bitterness. She spun on her heel away from me. I reached out to grab her arm, but she yanked it away and glared at me even harder. Then she left, slipping into the shadows. I watched her go and it was hard. Icicles stabbed me in the heart because this time, I knew she was leaving of her own free will... wasn't she?
What if Carpathian really could control her outside of the game? What if he had some kind of real voodoo? I shook my head. I didn't believe in that kind of stuff. Maybe he was a drug dealer and had her drugged. That made more sense. Regardless, I refused to just let this go.
I called after her, though I couldn't see her anymore. "I'm going to be there, Skye. I don't know if it's really you talking or if someone put you up to this, but I'm not giving up on you."
6
Elias slapped me lightly on the cheeks. "Jordy, you need to focus."
I brought my gaze back to him as I stood in the corner of the fighting ring. He was right. I needed to stop looking for her in the crowd, it wasn't going to help me to be distracted by her... or whether she was there or not. I’d been distracted enough all day through my Friday classes. What I needed to focus on right now were the two men standing across the ring from me.
Carpathian whispered in the ear of a skinny kid in glasses, who didn't look like much. A wicked smile spread across the clan master's face. Looks could be deceiving. I knew that much for sure.
"He's a shifter. Super fast, really strong. Don't let his appearance fool you. He's a tiger." Elias slapped me on the shoulder. "You really shouldn't have gotten involved with his ilk. This is going to be your toughest match so far."
I swallowed. "Thanks for the encouragement."
He sighed. "Don't get down on yourself, kid. Believe you can do it. I need you to stay in my clan, as you up our rank."
I shook my head, knowing that Elias didn't mean it the way it sounded. "I feel so loved."
The countdown overhead began. 5... 4... 3...
"You've got this," Elias said as he backed away.
Somehow, I wasn't so sure.
The number hit one and a loud voice over the intercom commanded, "Let the battle begin."
The shifter across from me vibrated in my vision, shaking through its whole body the way a dog does when wet. And from head to tail it shifted into the tiger that Elias said he would. When it landed on all fours, it smiled at me, then rushed forward at a speed I couldn't follow and attacked my right arm with a quick swipe of its claw, and then jumped back.
It hit me before I could get my shield up. This demon-tiger had battled mages before. It knew that it needed to knock out the shield arm before I could get it started. No, it was worse than that. The tiger knew I was left-handed. Knew that my shield wouldn't be on my dominant arm. To make matters worse, its hit had knocked out a quarter of my damage points. I ignored the stinging pain in my arm, backed away, and immediately began to draw in current from my surroundings.
Without a shield to protect me, this fight just got much harder. The tiger coiled on its legs.
I needed to do something.
I bashed my hand into the ground and made the signs I needed. Just as the tiger leapt toward me, a wall of
concrete and dirt formed between us, ten feet high. The tiger hurled into the wall with a distinctive thud. I could only hope that it took some damage in the hit.
But the next moment, the tiger stood at the top of the wall, eyeing me. Freaking cats and their jumping abilities.
I wasn't drawing in current fast enough. I continued to make my hand signs. Yes, I'd need the other elements as much as possible if I was going to win this. Electricity was my talent and my most powerful weapon. But it was only as powerful as the power I could collect before discharge.
The tiger jumped down, landing on its feet and charging me. It swiped at my stomach, and I took the hit solidly on my side, even though I'd tried to jump away. The VR dulled the pain but didn't mute it completely. My side burned. My HP went into the yellow. Not good.
I made the last hand sign just as the tiger leapt toward me again. This time, I smacked it right in the face with a blast of fire. Its fur went up in flames, just like the wolf in the match I'd seen the day before. I started dancing backwards. I wasn't going to let my defenses down the way that other mage had. The fire began eating away at my opponent's HP. If I could just stay out of his reach while the fire ate at him, and while I continued to draw a charge, I might win this.
Then the shifter vibrated again, shaking off the fur and with it, the fire. He became a skinny looking kid once more, but the flames were gone. His HP was still in the green.
I cussed.
He laughed.
At least, I hoped he'd be as weak as he looked and this fight would become easier now that he was in human form.
He charged forward and punched me in the jaw.
I flew backward from the force of his strike. No luck. He was much stronger than he looked.
I reeled backward into the crowd. When I stepped outside of the circle, hands caught me and shoved me back into the ring. No out of bounds here, just the help of the crowd that wanted me to continue the fight.