All such worries were put behind him as the mage took to the tower steps. Two matches had gone before his and Wendle’s. Now he had to duel his friend and one of them would end their run very early.
Grinning at Sebastian, Wendle greeted him at the base of the steps. As they walked up and up, the man couldn’t help talking to his opponent, “I’m kind of excited, Bas. Dueling a friend can be pretty fun.
“I’ll give it all I’ve got and no hard feelings for either of us, right? Win or lose we leave any bad feelings in the arena.”
The mage nodded and gave a slight smile. Though he didn’t really want to fight his friend, especially so early in the tournament, he had to remember that it was just a game. The problem for Wendle was that Sebastian wasn’t just fighting for himself. So many falcons’ futures rode on his performance. If he could go far enough, the mage would win respect for those of his kind, those weaker in magic.
While Isstmira’s words hadn’t hurt him, they were the words all mages fought to disprove. Just because their power was less, did not mean they had less value or skill. Their place on the battle field was still in a state of flux after one hundred fifty years. He was the one that had to show the world what a well trained battle mage could do in a wizards’ world.
With a sigh, Sebastian said to his friend while staring out the door to the duel rings, “Don’t hold back. You know that I won’t.”
The other man began to chuckle. “Don’t be so serious, Bas. I won’t hold back, but we can have fun. Can’t we?”
Without answering, the mage took his gear and stepped out onto the high stone wall.
Cheers came up as they spied the brown and black of the falcons on his back. Sebastian was a little surprised by the reaction still. There were too many voices for the handful of friends that had come to his duel. With the morning being so packed, the team had broken up to cover more ground and cheer their friends on as much as they could.
Glancing over to the packed seats on the walls around him, Sebastian waved to the crowd and received an even larger cheer. Trying not to shake his head in incredulity, the mage prepared his items: five wooden shafts, two more made of metal and Bairh’loore ready behind him if he needed it.
He knew that Wendle had seen his trick with the wooden shafts, but if the opening were there it might work again.
The judge of the match announced succinctly. “Wendle Targorad of Kardor versus Falcon Sebastian Trillon of Windmeer.”
His remaining words were nearly drowned out in the cheering from the stands, which was a feat with his magically augmented voice. Knowing the words anyway, both men prepared their defenses.
Wendle erected thick ice walls using water from several buckets brought to the edge of the ring for the wizard. He hadn’t used them the day before, so Sebastian knew that his friend was trying to change up his routine to get an edge. In contrast, the mage threw together his usual mage shields and waited for the next period to begin.
When the twenty seconds given this round ended, the two men began their two man war.
A war of wind was harder to inspire a crowd, but that was how it began. Wendle directed high end winds to batter the mage, who simply ignored it using his air shield spell. Air lances drove through the wind damaging the wizard’s ice walls. Several holes remained where the mage had pierced the ice, but the wizard was unharmed and fighting back still.
Using the wind to drive dozens of ice shards, Sebastian’s mage shields began to be tested. The winds drove the ice at such high speeds that he knew if a man were to be hit by them, they would flay him alive.
Three of the air spears with the wood shafts inside flew towards Wendle testing him, but the wizard met them with winds so strong that the weapons were cast aside landing in the Ponds arena below.
A horizontal tornado, brown with debris, hammered his frontal shield until it gave way under the assault. Sebastian countered with a ground quake. The thick stones of the wall rose and fell in a wave of power. Ice cracked and Wendle stumbled. In the momentary distraction, the mage sent the two pieces of metal in spears of air across the expanse. Driving through one ice wall, it crumbled but managed to drive both spears into the ground.
Looking relieved to have survived the attack, Wendle recast his wall spell and the broken ice began to reform as a powerful barrier between the two men. Unfortunately, as Sebastian grimly uttered his next spell, the wizard’s defenses would be too late.
“Dance lightning,” he spoke the two words letting the lightning lift from the ground through the wood spear that he held planted to the wall. The bright lights of the twisting lightning made him squint against the blinding trail. It leaped and danced along the wall striking ice and the two metal rods near the wizard’s feet.
Eyes opened wide as he saw the attack coming in that instant, Wendle opened his mouth as the lightning reentered the ground at his feet. A cry went up from the wizard and the watching crowd. No one could believe that a mage had just used such a complicated spell. Even fewer could believe how Wendle was launched into the air by the power of the spell. Landing twenty feet beyond the edge of his battle circle, Sebastian just hoped the power of the three wizards had kept his friend safe.
Hurrying across the wall, stumbling through the broken ice, Sebastian ran over to check on his friend.
Groaning, Wendle looked up at the mage and blinked. After a moment, Sebastian offered the man a hand up as he realized that he was simply stunned.
“You really don’t hold back do you?” the Kardorian chuckled as he stood up with a grunt of effort.
“You’re winner is Falcon Sebastian!”
The crowd cheered as the mage helped the fallen wizard back into the tower.
As the two men made their way into the first room, Sebastian used a last air spell to pull Bairh’loore to his hand. The spell was mostly missed as the crowds began watching the matches still raging below in the Ponds and Royal Gardens. Noise from both matches and cheers from the audiences went ignored as the two men made their way to the food waiting inside the tower. It had been a relatively brief match, but the energy used was still substantial and both of them were hungry.
“I did warn you that I couldn’t hold back, you know,” the mage finally answered his friend as he chewed on a sandwich.
Nodding, Wendle replied, “Your casting speed combined with how strong you make your attacks is quite amazing. I know people talk about your magical strength all the time, but what you actually do with it…” he shook his head in appreciation.
“I’m always surprised by the strength of those blue shields of yours as well. Have I been seeing your team of wizards using them also?”
Sebastian nodded. “They use them in different ways with other walls as they feel more comfortable. Magic can be used in so many different ways. I think people forget that when they talk about a battle mage’s magical strength.”
Yara and Katya entered as they were eating and his sister was the first to greet them. “Good work, Bas, and sorry, Wendle?”
The girl made the second half a question as she was unsure of how the man would take his loss.
Waving the apology off, Wendle smiled. “I can’t be angry losing to a friend, especially when I know I tried my best. Your brother is just a beast in the arena.” His expression changed to curiosity as he mused, “You know, they never talked about what will happen next round.”
One of the men working the serving table overheard the comment and answered, “All winners are to meet at two in the afternoon for a meeting to learn of the next match.” He smiled proving that the apprentice probably knew the answer to the third round and he intimated that as he leaned a little closer and spoke in a lower tone, “I hear that since they had such a large turn out for the tournament, that what they have in store is quite impressive.”
Wendle raised an eyebrow in mild curiosity and asked, “What could be more impressive than these battle arenas that they created? I will say that the tournament planners have come up with some interesting
ideas so far and have pushed the idea of wizard’s duels to a new level already.”
The young man shrugged, though Sebastian still thought that he might know the answer to Wendle’s question.
Finding their informant suddenly quite close mouthed, the four began to move their way to the stairs, when a young woman with silver hair came up from below. A small entourage accompanied the young woman. By description, Sebastian thought that it was the wizard from Malaiy that everyone had been talking about earlier.
“Good luck in your duel,” the mage said politely to the girl.
With silver blond hair, almond shaped green eyes and unblemished, alabaster skin, the woman was quite striking. The remainder of her group was tanner including a second wizard. He was first to speak as the woman in her light blue clothing looked at the mage unsmiling.
The male wizard was iron to her silver. With a beard and swept back black hair, his intense hawk eyed stare appeared ready to strike the mage. “The Lady Annalicia de Malef Eremia does not speak to commoners, mage.”
Katya bristled and burst out, “Then she’s pretty stupid, I think!”
Sebastian stared his sister to silence. Feeling the men of Malaiy readying for a fight, he noticed their tanned skins darkening even more at the girl’s outburst. Getting used to the need for diplomacy more and more, the mage simply replied, “Pardon her, though I still wish the lady well. As a competitor, I have heard good things about her so far. Perhaps we will meet in a later round and have a good battle for the people.”
The male wizard looked ready to speak up angrily, but Lady Annalicia answered for herself stopping his words, “I have heard of your battle as well. Apparently, you have won your second challenge just now. I will take your words of encouragement to heart, falcon. Would that Wizard Reynolvan had your fighting spirit, perhaps he would be less grouchy today. You see he lost in the sea yesterday.
“It is sad to say, since Malaiy is known as the Point of Taltan and is bordered by two seas. You would think a water wizard of such a country would last longer in a tournament, especially when they placed him in the sea for his start.
“I wish you well, falcon. Perhaps we shall meet later as you say,” the woman finished managing to both honor Sebastian while politely chastening her own countryman. She had never raised her voice. The tranquility of her demeanor made the mage believe that this woman was indeed highborn, a true lady, and yet Lady Annalicia was also a magic user.
Bowing his head slightly, Sebastian replied quietly, “Thank you, my lady. Good luck once again.”
Instead of heading down the stone stairs, the mage turned and led the others back to the stands.
“What are we doing?” Katya asked looking a bit frustrated.
Helping Yara and then Katya up the first steps to an empty row, Sebastian replied, “If she is as good as people say and not just a pretty face, then maybe I should see what everyone is talking about.”
Groaning, his little sister sat and made sure that everyone knew it was under protest just by her sulking.
Wendle sat with them as well and leaned closer to Sebastian to say quietly, “I hear that she beat an air wizard from New Harbor. He was supposed to be pretty good too. If she’s as good a wizard as she is beautiful, you would be wise to check out her skills.
“Now since I am out, maybe I can just get lucky and get a dance with her later. I have nothing left to lose.”
“She might if you dance with her; at least if there are no healers around. Do you remember poor Rilena?” Sebastian asked with a laugh. The wizard’s two left feet had never gotten any better despite Rilena and Ashleen’s continued attempts on their trip. The mage had healed more bruised toes and feet for the girls than he could remember.
Wincing at the mage’s words, Wendle looked ready to argue when Annalicia and her opponent made their way out onto the battlement to a chorus of cheers. Quickly sidetracked, the wizard decided to ignore Sebastian’s brutally true words and watched as the two prepared.
Like Wendle, the lady had several buckets of water standing ready behind her. Her fire wizard opponent prepared his defenses much the way Serrena originally would, the mage thought. Firewalls three deep but flat to his opponent were erected and ready, while the lady called on the wind in a whirling tornado encircling her battle ring. The high speed defense completely surrounded the woman and rose for more than twenty feet above the wall from what he could see thanks to the dust in the air.
The fire wizard looked at the tornado nervously. Such a magic draining spell used as a defense was rare to see in a duel. In the center of the spinning wall, Annalicia’s hair seemed to barely move in the calm within the storm. If her strength was great enough to withstand such a draining use of magic, then the woman was strong indeed or using a risky tactic that would require a short match.
The battle began and the fire wizard tested the wall with fireballs and streams of fire. Virtually unaffected by the man’s attacks, Lady Annalicia began her counter spells. Like a dancer, the beautiful woman not only used her arms and hands to gesture, but used her whole body to cast the spells.
The water rose from half the buckets and used the spinning speed of the wind to whip around the tornado towards the fire wizard. What should have been just a few gallons, seemed to expand into a flood writhing in the air. The first firewall shattered as the water rebounded into the air and became a liquid serpent.
A pair of fire dragons rose to snap at the serpent. More water rose from the buckets forming two more serpents. Striking at the fire dragons, the two elements fought for dominance. Steam rose from each strike. Fire dimmed as water sought to put out the flames.
The third serpent crushed the second firewall, while the other two kept the man’s attention diverted. When the third wall broke, the fire wizard was ready however. A fiery bull charged the snake snapping the spell as one dragon expired. Two more streams of flame struck the remaining serpents at their base as the bull charged forward towards the whirling tornado, but her defenses were shifting already.
Spinning even faster as the wind rose to a roar, the tornado rushed past the wizard causing her to stumble as it whipped past. The girl was so petite, no one could understand how the little wizard wasn’t bowled over with the move, but the tornado did her bidding without disruption. It caught the bull tightening its grip and ripping the construct to shreds. The two serpents were absorbed into the tornado with the remains of the buckets.
The last dragon flailed in the wind just a moment before being whisked into the tornado to be shredded into a flicker of flame before vanishing and the fire wizard screamed a last spell. A giant wall of flame rose up magnificently to counter the tornado. Swirling in reverse of the tornado, the fire served as a defense and attack.
Forgetting about the water within the swirling wind, Annalicia had not stopped her dance. Spinning with the tornado, a flood of water rushed around the giant firewall. Breaking into multiple streams of water, the serpents returned to strike at the unprotected man. He screamed again, but no spell would come swift enough as the water struck him forcefully. Five streams hit him so quickly, that their momentum drove the wizard from the ring and off of the wall.
Once more, the wizards protecting him were put to the test. Their spells saved him from certain death. In a crueler time, a fallen wizard might have been left to die, but every wizard was precious in Southwall. Their spell replaced the wizard on the wall as the wind and fire died.
“Your winner is Lady Annalicia from Malaiy!”
A cheer even larger than for the mage erupted from the stands. Sebastian couldn’t fault them for loving Annalicia more than him. It had been an impressive match and her flair for the dramatic between her dancing and spells was hard to ignore. Standing with the audience, the mage could see that he had his work cut out for him.
Round two had not only claimed Wendle, but Nara had a loss to one of the wizards from Grey Hall. The grey wizards as many called them, were a force to contend with in the ring. After a perfect fi
rst round, the Hedges and Two Houses arenas finally saw two of the six wizards from Grey Hall defeated, but those arenas had taken their toll on Southwall’s wizards as well.
The Hedges had started with ten nature wizards from the host country and only one made it way to the third round. The Two Houses had fared a little better. Nine of their wizards had been whittled down to three. Serrena had survived as well as Magnus representing White Hall, but they had been hard fought matches. Sebastian had a feeling that there would be no more easy wins from now on, if there ever had been.
Out of the original two hundred thirty four contestants, they had been whittled down to sixty. The winners and a couple selected favorites from extraordinary fights were all that remained. They all wondered how the tournament would go from there. With ten arenas and only sixty wizards, it meant fewer matches per arena if they kept all ten arenas running.
A wizard in the black and silver diplomat robes stepped up to a podium raised a few steps in the main administration building. All sixty wizards looked to the man on his raised podium to await the news. “Greetings contestants, I am sure that you are curious about the next round. You have all afternoon and evening to recuperate for a special round to be conducted outside the city tomorrow.
“The Hedges, Colonnades and Two Hills arenas will host round three and the duels will be switched up in a completely new way. Only fifteen matches consisting of groups of four will take place. Five matches on each field with four battle circles and competitors will reduce our field to just fifteen with only one lucky challenger allowed to return that fights the best according to your judges.”
The wizards began to talk and even shout at the official.
“Groups of four?” one man shouted. He was a foreigner by his dress, Sebastian thought. “How is that fair? Your wizards still outnumber those of us from farther away. How will we compete?”
Battle Mage: Winter's Edge Page 40