by Tom Early
Tyler looked like he was about to speak up, but I kept going.
“And you know what? I’m done putting you in situations that you don’t want to be in, situations that you get nothing out of. There’s no rule saying that I have to bring out my familiar in the Arena, so I’m not going to.”
Tyler hit me on the head. Hard.
“Ow! What the hell!”
He glared at me. “I came along here for you, you idiot! Follow that train of thought to the end, okay? There’s no way I’m abandoning you in a fight, not now, and not ever! If I’m helping you to succeed, if I’m keeping you safe, then there is nothing else I’d rather be doing more! I’m joining you in the Arena, and you’re stuck with me, dammit! If I’m scared, I’ll get over it! It’d take a hell of a lot more than that to make me give up on you in any way!”
“…Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh. C’mon, I think the Speaker’s about to call out the next match anyway.”
I gave Tyler my best apologetic look and he bumped his forehead into mine gently. I was hoping that meant he accepted the apology, because otherwise that was just weird. I held his hand, and we turned back to face the Arena.
The pedestal had risen out of the ground again, and the Speaker wasted no time in reading the scrolls.
“Would the team of Daven Ross and White Rose step into the Arena, please.”
“Would the team of Aria Tempestas and Kaede Hebi step into the Arena, please.”
A boy I hadn’t seen before, wearing gear similar to Tyler’s but with dozens of daggers strapped around his waist and chest, walked past us into the Arena from where he was sitting higher up. A girl with white hair (“Twinsies!” Sam whispered, elbowing me in the ribs) with flowers of all colors entwined in it stood up to our right, her white robe wrapped elegantly around her willowy frame. I didn’t see any weapons on her, but the smell of flowers was nearly overwhelming as she walked gracefully past us into the Arena.
Next to us, Aria stood up, smiled at the three of us and whispered “Wish me luck!”
She stepped around us to the Arena. We all gave her high fives as she passed, which she delicately returned. Kaede slithered by us as well, paying us no attention at all.
When the four of them had taken their places in the Arena, the Speaker vanished once again, and the circles went dark once more.
It happened almost too quickly to follow. One moment, all four of them were preparing to cast their spells, and Aria winked at us, not seeming to say anything. The next moment, Daven and White Rose were pinned to the ground as hurricane-force wind slammed into them from the sky, while Aria flew in lazy circles about fifty feet off the ground. Flares of blue shimmered into existence all over the two of them, as Kaede waited in the corner, untouched. Then Aria began her real incantation. The sky over the Arena, only over the Arena, began to darken rapidly as clouds formed out of nowhere. Aria’s words began to sound like the roll of thunder, endlessly beating at the horizon, and then she pointed at the two prone members of the other team. Lightning arced out of the sky, and two flares of red shot up simultaneously.
The match was over.
Sam turned towards me, her eyes wide. “Please tell me you know how to stop that, or we’re screwed.”
“Beyond taking her out faster than she takes us out, I have no idea.”
“We’re doomed,” Tyler added helpfully.
Aria just smiled at us as she came back up to sit next to us again.
Chapter Twenty-nine
The Speaker unfurled the scrolls once more, showing no hesitation as she read out the next two teams to eliminate each other.
“Would the team of Theo Pardus and Anthony Kaspar step into the Arena, please.”
The dark-skinned boy, Theo, and the small brown-haired boy, Anthony, whom Tyler and I had rescued on the night of the attack rose out of their seats to our right. Both of them looked stoic and determined. Theo’s eyes were glowing an eerie yellow, and his mouth was slightly parted, revealing a glistening set of sharp fangs. He was dressed only in the runed clothing we all had on. Anthony just looked incredibly focused, brushing his medium length brown hair out of his eyes as he stepped into the Arena alongside Theo. He was wearing a robe, but with a high collar instead of a hood. His hand was wrapped around something inside his collar, and he already seemed to be muttering something.
“Would the team of Feayr Hanson and Samantha Gray step into the Arena, please.”
Oh. Guess we’re up now as well, then. Sam, Tyler and I glanced at each other, trying to work out what strategy would be best against the two of them. We stood up, and walked to the edge of the Arena, Aria hurriedly whispering “Good luck!” behind us. Sam strode through the barrier confidently, blue light pulsing around her as she passed inside. Tyler looked at me trustingly as I put my hand in front of me and pushed. It was like putting my hand into water, and blue light rippled out from where I had made contact. I stepped through slowly as well, and Tyler followed immediately behind. The Speaker wordlessly pointed us towards our corner, and we stepped inside the circle. On the other side, Theo and Anthony did the same thing. Moments later, the Speaker and the pedestal vanished, and the circles went dark.
Almost immediately, Sam’s voice rang out in my head.
Fay, I’ve set up a Connection between the two of us, but I can’t include Tyler because he doesn’t have the magic to join from his side. Did you see these two fight? I saw Theo turn into a leopard, I think, except he was easily the size of a grizzly or larger. I think he’s some sort of were-creature, which means heavy head-on attacks.
Yeah, and I saw Anthony. He uses chess pieces on a board, and when they fall to the ground, they become life-size and fight. He’ll swarm us with pawns and the like, and I’m not sure what else that board can do. If you can, take him out first. Our Wards have handled worse than Theo can dish out, I’m sure.
Got it. Incoming!
The three of us ran out of the way as Theo sprinted towards us, ending in a running leap. His body twisted and lengthened in midair as a coating of spotted fur spread over his form, and a massive leopard sank its claws into the ground where we were just standing.
Anthony had pulled out his chessboard, and a handful of black pawns fell to the ground, armed swordsmen made entirely of obsidian springing forth and advancing lockstep down the middle of the Arena. Sam ran to the left, and the ercinee soared into existence beside her as she did her best to run around the pawns, surrounding herself with her spinning Minor Orbs as she went. There were seven of them now, moving almost too fast to be seen around her.
I turned back towards the were-leopard, who had turned to face us, growling loudly. Tyler stepped between me and it, swords drawn and pointed at Theo. I concentrated, and activated our Wards, the air around us cooling noticeably. I gathered more water from the atmosphere, and flung my right hand out behind me, cleaving the Arena in half with a wall of ice about five feet tall, stopping the pawns’ advance. As Theo continued to prowl in front of Tyler, I began to hang icy shards in the air around me, floating in the air as they waited for use.
“Tyler, don’t forget that you can rely on your Ward if you see an opportunity,” I muttered, keeping my eyes locked on the massive feline in front of us.
He nodded and kept his swords at the ready. Seconds later Theo pounced, raking his claws towards Tyler’s neck from his right. Tyler ducked as fast as he could, and the Ward didn’t react at all. He swept his swords up under Theo’s belly, and the leopard rolled to the side, sustaining only a gash on his left flank. Two glowing golden eyes surveyed us as Theo backed up several paces. I watched in alarm as the wound Tyler left closed up swiftly, leaving no trace in seconds, and leaving no blue flare.
“Fay? Any ideas on how to stop the regeneration?” Tyler asked, cautiously watching Theo as he began to circle us. There was a cracking noise behind me as the pawns began to break through my wall of ice. I threw back another layer, this time around seven feet high, using up several of my ice shards in the process.<
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“Yeah, actually. The cheating move Sam banned me from using in our practice fights should bypass that problem entirely. Just keep him from breaking my concentration for as long as you can.”
“Got it.” Tyler assumed a more aggressive stance, and took a swing at the giant leopard, forcing him back a little further. The leopard’s ears pricked as he heard our conversation, though, so I made one extra precaution, and layered the ground around me ten feet in every direction in slippery ice, which would hopefully keep Theo away. Tyler took another swing at it, and his Ward brought a shield of ice into existence as Theo swiped at his thigh.
I let out a breath, and worked my most basic power around Theo’s form. The air cooled rapidly, reaching freezing temperatures in seconds. A thin layer of frost formed on Theo’s fur, but he didn’t seem to notice as he tried to bite into Tyler’s shoulder, only to be repulsed by Tyler’s swords cutting into his muzzle. The temperature kept dropping, and now ice began to solidify around Theo’s legs. That wasn’t what I was aiming for, however, and I continued to drop the temperature, until the were-leopard began to shiver convulsively as the subzero temperature sank through his flesh.
Tyler took advantage of Theo’s distraction and attempted to plunge his swords deep into Theo’s side, and Theo only barely managed to bat the blades away. The were-leopard’s form was slowly radiating blue light as the cold did him the sort of damage that supernatural healing can’t fix. Theo could barely move, and a sharp pain erupted behind my eyes as the magic took its toll. The ground beneath Theo’s feet began to fracture as the stone compressed from the extreme cold. Tyler was only shivering, my magic flowing easily around him thanks to the familiar bond.
I kept lowering it, and as the blood started to flow freely from my nose, I felt my magic suddenly get cut off by an outside source as Theo’s body erupted in red light and he collapsed and disappeared.
I spun around immediately, and was faced by an icy wall that didn’t seem to be under attack at all. Tyler stepped back to my side, and I raised one hand and lowered it, collapsing the wall. On the other side, Sam was whirling and slashing furiously, her daggers and Minor Orbs pulverizing sections of the stony ivory-and-obsidian pawns that were continuously approaching her. Several blue flares were visible on her arms, and some blood was trickling down her sides.
As I watched, another pawn slashed at her arm, and only the tip connected before its entire arm was reduced to dust by the impact of Sam’s Orbs as they continued to whirl around her. Anthony himself was unharmed, a wave of chess pieces standing between him and Sam. The ercinee spiraled above the battlefield, doing little other than casting light down. As I watched, Anthony directed his two white knights forward, moving to either side of Sam and then charging at either side of her, lances pointed, and the pawns parted way as a rook piece prepared to charge directly at her.
I watched as Sam’s expression changed from intense focus to deep satisfaction in a split second. Just before the knights’ lances hit her, she spat out a word and vanished, reappearing directly behind the rook, her daggers swinging directly at Anthony’s shocked face. As Sam’s daggers struck into him, no line of blue appeared on his face, or any sign of a wound at all.
Instead, Anthony stumbled backwards as if he had been kicked up high in the chest. Anthony scrabbled desperately and pulled off his two queen pieces, slamming them into the dirt between him and Sam. They grew to full size instantly, regal figures wielding blades larger than even the Eriksson sisters had. As Anthony looked at Sam again, they sprang into action, along with the other pieces behind her. Sam was quickly surrounded.
Sam, do you want help? I sent through the Connection.
No, I want to be able to do this myself, thanks. Plus, I think I just figured out how to deal with it. Cover your eyes.
Sam ducked low to avoid the swipes of the pieces, and then used Blink Stride to teleport next to Anthony again. This time, she slashed at his arms and legs, intending to hobble him. Again, Anthony was simply blasted backwards as though he was hit in the chest. Above the battlefield, the ercinee suddenly seemed to flicker. I turned around quickly and spun Tyler around with me. I squeezed my eyes shut as everything went brilliant white. When I turned back around, blinking spots out of my vision, I saw the ercinee, still shining as radiant as the sun, and all of the chess pieces frozen solid as Anthony blinked sightlessly.
I was right, Sam’s voice echoed, these aren’t like summoned creatures. It’s still a game, and Anthony needs to see to move the pieces. I’m all good, just give me a second to figure out his stupid shield.
Check his neck, I added helpfully, that seems to be where the force is going.
Sam kicked him in the balls almost thoughtfully, and Tyler and I winced before relaxing as again, Anthony’s chest seemed to be the thing hit. As he stumbled back, Sam’s hand snapped out and grabbed at his collar, tearing it open. Hanging around his neck was another, normal sized chess piece, the white king, on a simple leather cord. It was glowing, and had several fractures running through it. Sam raised one eyebrow, and slashed her dagger through the cord, separating the king piece from Anthony. It shattered instantly, as did all of the other pieces. All of a sudden, Anthony’s form was covered in blue light that shifted into red almost immediately. Sam inspected the results of her actions, and smirked satisfactorily as Anthony let out a groan.
Seconds later, the Speaker reappeared in the center of the Arena, and her voice rang out.
“The winners of the match are Feayr Hanson, Samantha Gray, and Tyler Andrews!”
Sam ran over to us, and a round of mildly embarrassing cheering and high-fiving commenced. It was embarrassing because when I turned around to leave the Arena, it seriously looked like everyone was staring at us. We hurried back to our seats, where Aria gleefully high-fived the three of us as well, and then just… stared at me. And kept staring. It was creepy. Then, slowly, she reached out a hand towards my neck. I got a sudden chill. What if she was trying get rid of competition right here and now? What if her friendliness was all an act? Then, at the last second, her hand angled upwards, and wiped just beneath my nose, coming away red with the flakes of dried blood.
“You’ve, um, still got some left there,” Aria said shyly.
“Oh! Um, thanks! I’ll take care of- mmph.”
Tyler’s hand wrapped in a bit of cloth muffled me as he wiped the blood away. “Don’t worry, Fay, I got it,” he said. I blinked. What just happened? Behind me, Sam snickered.
Four more matches happened that day, though none of them involved us or Aria. First were the two redheaded singing twins, matched off against what looked an extremely slender young man with long brown hair, pointed ears and almond-shaped green eyes, and a young woman with similar features, both of them holding longbows loosely in one hand. The fight was quick. The singing twins blasted the battlefield with their dangerous chords, and although the elves (or at least I think they were elves) summoned forth arrows of fire, ice, and lightning and rained them down on them, they were swiftly beaten down.
The next fight involved a young man whose features were hidden under a shaped steel helmet and plated steel armor with a crimson cape streaming behind him, and with a gleaming sword held lightly at his side, teamed up with another, smaller boy with black hair, blue eyes, and sharp cheekbones, and who seemed to specialize in some form of telekinesis. They were pitted up against a tall girl with green eyes and tangled black hair, who summoned forth fire and darkness with her wand of birch, teamed up with what looked at first like a regular, if bulky, boy with square features and a muddy complexion. As he stepped into the Arena, however, he swelled to almost twice his original size, tusks sprouting from his mouth and his skin becoming leathery and gray.
“He’s a troll,” Aria told us as we gaped. “They’re pretty rare, and some of them are able to assume a human form.”
That fight was anything but quick. The armored boy summoned a white horse, and charged into combat with the troll, cantering around him with smal
l slashes inwards as he deftly avoided the troll’s massive hammer-like fists. The other boy, meanwhile, was desperately holding back the magical assault the tall girl was unleashing on both of them, gouts of fire and lines of shadow turned back by an invisible shield. Rocks and dirt were lifted into the air and flung unerringly at her whenever the black-haired boy had a chance to concentrate.
The fight ended once the knight had taken out the troll and attacked the girl as the black-haired boy held her still in midair, having won his battle as well. Just as she was about to be cut down, she shrieked out a final incantation, and the knight was blasted off his horse by an explosion of black fire, a red flare going up almost immediately. The smaller boy screamed as the knight fell, and ended up picking up the fallen boy’s sword to finish her off himself as he held her. Judging by the way the smaller boy ran over to the knight’s side after the fight, Tyler and I weren’t the only couple here.
The third fight was fast, but fascinating. It was another girl with flowers in her cherry-blossom colored hair, teamed up with what seemed to be a werewolf, judging by the way he shifted immediately upon entering the Arena. Instead of shifting into a giant wolf, however, he stayed in a bipedal form, a twisted thing with massive claws, arched back, canine muzzle, and dark gray fur.
They faced off against a normal looking boy with blonde hair and blue robes, and a girl whose form seemed to be comprised of solid thunderclouds, lighter wisps providing the barest outline of features. She was holding two crackling whips of lightning. The second the fight began, the flower haired girl plunged her hands into the ground, and green shoots forced themselves through the ground, unfurling and growing incredibly fast, until a forest had sprung up inside the Arena about twenty seconds later. The werewolf held off the lightning assault of the storm girl as his teammate summoned the forest, and the blue-robed boy surrounded himself in a protective orb of swirling water.
Once the forest had sprung up things changed rapidly, obscuring the battlefield from view save for the girl who summoned it. The flower-haired girl’s skin was tinted green, and gossamer wings forced their way through the clothing on her back. She placed one hand delicately on the bark of the nearest tree, and vanished. Groaning and creaking filled the miniature forest as the trees swayed left and right, and seconds later two twin red flares shot up, as the blue robed boy and the cloud girl were seemingly shot out of the trees at incredible speed. Once the Speaker declared the battle over, she bathed the Arena in silver light, and every trace of the forest disappeared.