《Relic of the Old Gods》 Chapter 1 ¡°A few drinks can help to clear the mind and settle the body. But a few more can help to wipe them both clean, completely. That is except for if you drink some of our Big Blue. One mug and I promise you, you won¡¯t even be able to remember your own name.¡± ---Corelis Blackwater, owner of the Blue Dragon Inn ¡°Wake up you lout!¡± the voice shouted. Fallon rolled to his side, opening his eyes slowly. He attempted to focus but the light caused pain to bounce around in his skull and he closed his eyes while making an audible grunt. Bootsteps came closer and sounded to Fallon like someone banging on a drum as hard as they could. ¡°Ah. It¡¯s YOU again.¡± Without another word, Fallon felt a boot smash into his stomach. ¡°I said it¡¯s time to wake up there drunky. You know the rules. No sleepin in the thoroughfare. Find an alley if you need to sleep it off.¡± Once again Fallon began to open his eyes, more slowly this time though. The first thing that came into view was a pair of boots that were tightly laced and looked like they were recently polished. Sturdy leather but made in a standard fashion that could be none other than belonging to a city guard. Fallon knew how the guards would treat drunks on the street so he pushed himself up a bit to at least show he was making some semblance of an effort, until he saw those same boots spin away and walk off toward his next victim. The next thing he noticed were the familiar blue cobblestones he had seen so many times before. While a random scattering of blue cobblestones were not entirely uncommon, this patch of them were all aligned together in a large circular pattern around the front door of the The Blue Dragon Inn. And that particular inn was a favorite haunt of Fallon¡¯s due to its more lively night time scene and that there was always someone who would be willing to put a wager on just about anything. Cringing, Fallon attempted to get himself into a seated position and barely succeeded in doing so due to the soreness in his ribs. The pain would fade, but for the time being it stung almost as much as his head did. Still, he tried to shake it off and take in all that was going on around him. He watched as the city guards continued their customary rounds and attempted to remove any of the drunks from the streets. Scurrying just behind them were a flock of children who idolized them, gesturing and marching as if they were part of the regiment right along with them. At various corners there were merchants setting up their wares for the day, setting up for the crowds that were sure to come. Within an hour, Fallon guessed, these streets would be packed so much that you would almost constantly be bumping into people while trying to traverse it. Fallon took a deep breath in through his nose, catching the hints of something cooking nearby. He could make out the scent of meat cooking, likely spiced sausage, known as kabota, that was a staple of the capital. On one hand it turned his stomach slightly to even think about food but he also knew he needed to get something into his body. He patted along his robes looking for his coin purse but was alarmed when he didn''t feel it in the normal spot. Panicked, he patted all along his body again, finding nothing. ¡°Hey there sleepyhead,¡± a feminine voice whispered from behind Fallon. Startled, he spun quickly to find an Elf nearly face to face with him. ¡°Smells like someone had quite the night. What were you doing, bathing in the cask of ale?¡± ¡°Sillenestra, what are you¡­¡± Fallon began, but Sillenestra¡¯s slender finger hit his lips, stopping him from continuing. ¡°Oh silly little human. You should know by now that my eyes and ears are everywhere in this town and I will always know what¡¯s going on with someone I care for.¡±She removed her finger from his lips, but didn¡¯t move back further from him. ¡°I have been meaning to ask you how in the world you ended up having so many connections throughout the city, but I think right now I should be asking some other questions. Like maybe what exactly happened to me last night? I seem to be missing all of my coin, a good chunk of my memory, and for some reason I woke up on the cobblestones to meet with the boots of a very disagreeable guard,¡± he responded, while pulling up his shirt to show where a small purple welt had begun to form. ¡°Guards¡­ what a bunch of power hungry little¡­.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not get sidetracked here. The little bit of bruising to my body is fine, but the ego and the pocket? Well those are a little harder to heal.¡± Chuckling, Sillenestra replied, ¡°Well, so I am told, you were betting a little wild but had a great run of luck at the Scarabs table last night. Good game, it is, as long as you can keep your wits about you. I guess you had your wits for quite a while, until someone swapped your normal ale for a mug of the Big Blue.¡± Sillenestra shook her head at that. ¡°Powerful stuff. Enough to knock a Dwarf for a loop. I¡¯m happy I happened to have a friend here, or else you may have ended up losing more than your purse last night. Though that part couldn¡¯t be helped, nor could we help the sleeping on the cobblestones thing. You humans weigh quite a bit and my friend isn''t exactly the strongest.¡± Sighing, Fallon looked directly into Sillenestra¡¯s green eyes that sparkled like an emerald in the sun. Her jet black hair along with her eyes stood in stark contrast against her pale skin, but it all stood out equally against her crimson robe with embossed gold trim and the golden emblem of a sword touched by flame. In the past he thought there might be some chance for them to be together, but the robe and its markings signified that she was training as a Mageblade. That status made her one of the rarest magic users in all of Althiear, with the ability to imbue weapons with magic, but it also came along with one major downfall - access to the magic depended upon the individual maintaining celibacy. ¡°Fallon? Are you there? Hello?¡± Sillenestra questioned. ¡°What?¡± Fallon looked back quizzically. ¡°I¡¯m right here, a foot in front of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m well aware of where you physically are. Mentally though it''s a little shaky. You were just standing there in front of me for a good twenty seconds, staring with this glassy look in your eyes. It was like you were here but you weren¡¯t. At one point I thought you might try and kiss me.¡± Blood flushed to Fallon¡¯s face quickly, in contrast to his own slightly tanned skin, blonde shaggy hair, and bright amber eyes. He turned quickly away in hopes of hiding his embarrassment, as well as to search for some semblance of a comeback. All he could come up with was a single statement, ¡°I just haven¡¯t been able to shake off last night¡¯s drinks and it''s making my brain all hazy. And hazy isn''t going to cut it with the upcoming tests at the Greyguard Towers. While I feel the magic, I just can''t seem to connect with it in the way that other people do.¡± ¡°So I have heard,¡± Sillenestra said matter of factly. She stepped to his side and looked off in the same direction as him. ¡°I know it may not mean much but being touched by magic and recognizing it is uncommon. I believe the census they pulled was one in a thousand people in the empire are sensitive to magical forces and even less are able to truly harness it. Everyone has their strengths. Perhaps yours aren''t within the arcane arts? Have you thought about looking into something more druidic? Perhaps necromantic? Unless of course you want to be one of the God¡¯s bootlickers who have to pray and worship every single day.¡± ¡°No, Sill.¡± Fallon responded, dropping the formality. ¡°I have tried just about every potential school of magic and even the ones involving clerical powers. I can do them all on a very basic level. I¡¯m at the top of my class in knowing the verbal components and the physical signs. I just can¡¯t push past and do anything of worth with specialization.¡± ¡°See, at least that''s something.¡± She paused before continuing, deep in thought. ¡°You know, it''s really quite unique to find someone who has an affinity for all realms of magic. Like not just the arcane, divine, or natural based. You can sense it all and can even do it all. People just don''t do that, Fallon. It really is extraordinary,¡±. ¡°Well that comes off as pretty rich, coming from the person who legitimately is part of the most rare and prestigious magical affinity.¡± Sillenestra didn¡¯t answer immediately, but instead stood in silence and took in the sights and sounds around her. Fallon had been the first person she met when entering the city of Straughthaven three years prior and they had become fast friends with their affinity for magic. It shook her to the core to see him not able to fulfill his dreams of becoming a mage and at times she felt guilty about being a Mageblade, though one did not get to choose their magical path unless they were gifted enough to have strengths in multiple schools. She knew he was unique, but he insisted that not being able to excel in any magic was a deathknell to his goals. Placing a hand on Fallon¡¯s shoulder, Sillenestra began, ¡°It will come. Just give it some time. Not everyone has things click right away but I¡¯m confident you''ll get there.¡± She paused, but eventually continued, ¡°And at least you know if you can¡¯t seem to make it work, you could always go back to the Scarabs again.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Smirking, Fallon rebutted, ¡°Just keep the Big Blue away from me and maybe you¡¯re right. I would make a world class Scarabs player. But if I am going to be able to see if I can make it as a mage, I should really get myself to the Greyguard Towers to study the duels today.¡± ¡°Or the bathhouse first,¡± Sillenensta responded while holding her nose. ¡°Ah yes, and I would be doing that using what funds, Sill? In case you have forgotten, I seem to be without some pretty important metals.¡± Smiling, Sillenestra reached into her cloak and pulled out a silver coin. ¡°This should be more than enough to get you a bath, get your clothes cleaned, and maybe get something in your stomach.¡± She placed the coin in his hand and before he said anything further finished with, ¡°You can just owe me one.¡± Then with a flourish of her robes she turned and rushed off away from Fallon. ¡°Peculiar,¡± Fallon said to himself while feeling the smooth metal in his hand. He thought about the many interactions with Sill and how she always seemed to be in the right place at the right time to help him. Even their first meeting in the city was one where she had saved him from humiliation. And every time she lent a hand she ended the conversation abruptly with the same words - you can just owe me one. ¡°I feel like I am going to end up in debt for all time at this rate,¡± he said to no one in particular, ¡°but I imagine that wouldn''t be the worst thing in the world.¡± ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sillenestra spun through streets and alleyways, moving with a singular purpose. She dodged in and out past moving carts, children playing, and the odd drunk who was still working off the previous night¡¯s booze. None were much of an obstacle at all under normal circumstances, but she also wouldn''t allow anything to get in her way of reporting back to her superiors. She sprinted at top speed through the remainder of the market area, ducking under a lesser known overpass until she reached an archway with a sunburst pattern carved into it. Before moving through, she took a look over her shoulder to see if she was being followed. When she was confident she was not, she moved just beyond the archway and pulled on a loose brick that shifted out slightly to reveal a small wooden lever. Ignoring the lever, she instead slid her hand into the gap a little further, letting her fingers feel along the edge until she felt a small depression in the stone. She pushed the depression slightly until it gave way and she heard an audible click in the distance down the dark passage. She moved the brick back to its original position before moving off into the darkness. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Greyguard Towers, located in the northern most reaches of the city of Orienthel, were three massive structures that lived up to their grey namesake. The structures themselves all spanned one hundred and fifty feet into the air while each sat on a perfectly square base and they sat in a perfect triangular formation. Most notably they all appeared as though they had been carved out of a single piece of stone, smooth all the way from the base all the way to the apex. However the differences in physicality came at the very top as one was rounded off in a semicircle, one was topped with a pyramid structure, and the final one ended in a triangular top. Aside from the physical aspects of the towers, each tower was utilized for a differing sphere of magic. The rounded apex building housed those whose pursuits veered toward the studies involving nature, mostly druids and those who had affinity for animals. The pyramid topped tower was for those who had interests in the divine and the damned, with the inhabitants mostly composed of paladins and clerics. Those interested in the arcane arts, mainly mages, took up residence in the triangular topped tower. Directly in the center of the three towers was a smaller triangular depression that was flanked by stone benches on all sides. The depression was more commonly called the ¡°proving grounds¡± to anyone who attended any of the three towers for tutelage. Once each week those aspiring to become full fledged magic users would duel one another under the supervision of at least two instructors of the Fifth Octant to attempt to prove their worth and earn a higher place in their class. Sixteen apprentices stood anxiously by the proving grounds, waiting for the signal to take their place within the triangle. Among them stood Fallon, freshly washed thanks to the coin from Sillenestra. He gazed over and took notice of the three instructors that had gathered today to witness the duels, two of the Fourth Octant from the nature tower, and one from the Third Octant of the mage tower. They talked among themselves for a few minutes before settling into place to oversee the duels. The two Fourth Octant members took their seats, while the highest ranking among them moved to the forefront of the crowd. ¡°Today¡¯s duels will follow the customary method. Since there are sixteen of you, you have been set into groups of four. The victor from each group will then duel again in a second round so that we may find the victor of the day,¡± explained the Third Octant mage. ¡°Physical combat is forbidden as this is a test of magical prowess only, though use of familiars or other conjured items are allowed and striking a familiar or summoned creature is perfectly acceptable. Disqualification will occur for anyone who does not abide by this, and depending on the severity of the offense could also mean expulsion from the apprentice program, or worse. For today¡¯s purposes, I, Silas Oakthorn of the Third Octant of the Arcane, will be the final judge on potential discrepancies within the battlefield.¡± Silas paused here to let his words sink in with the apprentices. None were too vexed by this statement though and most stood there looking simply bored or anxious. The speech the mage was giving was the same speech they gave every time, so while it may have had an impact the first time they heard it, it had now faded and just became a routine. The members of the current apprentice group also had never seen anything beyond an accidental slap or elbow and that didn''t even rise to the level of disqualification, making the words ring even more hollow. ¡°Once the duels begin, the anti-magic bubble will surround the proving grounds to protect all of those outside of the duels, and it will only be released once a victor has been decided. As you all know these battles are non-lethal thanks to our predecessors in the divine tower, though that does not mean they are painless,¡± Silas paused for a moment to add some gravity to his statement. He then continued, ¡°And please remember, with two rounds today you perhaps should not utilize all of your tricks in the first round as we all have our spell limits each day. It would be a shame to win the first round only to have nothing to show to the other victors in round two. After all, this is not just who can be the best once, but also who can strategize properly.¡± With a flourish, Silas turned and moved to the bench closest to the other observers for the day. He again turned back to the apprentices and surveyed the group in its entirety. When he had taken the full picture in, he raised his hands and chanted a few simple words while making the necessary hand gestures for his spell casting. Small wisps of blue, green, red, and yellow rose from his fingertips and formed into tiny orbs before floating to each one of the contestants. They came to rest in front of the individuals but remained suspended in the air. ¡°Your groupings are based on your orb color. We will go in order with the blue group first, then green, yellow, and finally red.¡± he said resolutely. ¡°Blue members, you have two minutes to make your final preparations and get into the proving grounds. As always, I wish you all luck, as it is time to prove your worth.¡± Red orb floating in front of him, Fallon made his way to one of the benches and watched as everyone else began to do the same. He scouted each person within his own group and noted that there were two aspiring druids and a mage in the making. Other groups were split up with differing configurations, though none of the apprentices had been able to figure out the rhyme or reason to it. ¡°Ello mate,¡± a tall slender boy with a shaved head and long crooked nose said, startling Fallon. ¡°Names Milo. Milo Ak¡¯Thurnen. Just started at this ¡®cadamey and I¡¯m wonderin¡¯ if you have any tips for this provin¡¯ grounds thing." ¡°Oh, hi there,¡± Fallon stammered. ¡°I, uh, I¡¯m Fallon. And yeah I can give you a few tips. But it¡¯s best to wait until they begin so I can explain things practically. Have a seat though, it will begin in a minute.¡± Milo complied, setting down a satchel that Fallon had not originally noticed. A yellow orb floated next to him though he seemed to pay it no mind. Instead he sat forward completely focused on the other competitors. As each person with a red orb made their way into the proving grounds he studied them intently. ¡°So where are you from then?¡± Fallon asked. ¡°Cheriskan. Countryside though. Beautiful rollin ¡®ills. Lotsa flowers and the like. ¡®Bout you?¡± ¡°That''s half a world away from here! I¡¯m from near here actually. Close enough to see the towers and always dream about being a part of things here. At least that part of my dream has come true.¡± ¡°While I coundn¡¯ see it, the towers is my dream too.¡± ¡°Something we have in common then. Both here to cast spells and become something more than we could be on our own.¡± ¡°Cheers to that mate,¡± Milo responded with a smile. ¡°¡®Eres to taking this place over.¡± Fallon returned the smile and nodded. One last person with a red orb was still hanging about speaking with one of the other mages. To Fallon it looked as though she was having a bit of an argument with the other mage but from the distance they were at he couldn¡¯t make out what they might be saying. He thought about casting something to listen in but thought better of it, knowing he may need every spell in his arsenal if he was to at least compete a bit this week. ¡°So ¡®ow does it all ¡®appen?¡± ¡°Okay, so once the last person is there in the grounds, one of the higher Octant members will activate the runes to seal them in. You will see a kind of shimmer in the air to enclose the grounds and keep the combatants from being able to cast initially. It''s all precautionary of course. I guess at one time they didn''t have that in place and someone got hit with a stray spell before it started,¡± Fallon explained. ¡°At the same time they activate another of the runes that make it so that no spells in there will be able to be lethal and release the spell hold so the fight may begin. I don¡¯t know how that one works beyond putting the person in a stasis bubble where they can¡¯t be affected.¡± ¡°Sounds powerful.¡± ¡°Whatever they did to make it happen like that is beyond powerful. From my understanding it took years to make and it has to be recharged. It¡¯s why they only hold these duels once a week. But enough about that. Look,¡± Fallon pointed to the area in front of them, ¡°the last of the red grouping is now in the proving grounds.¡± As the final red group member stepped into position, Silas stood. He then began again moving his fingers in a much more intricate pattern while slowly chanting. Along with his actions, one of the two other Octant members followed nearly the same pattern. Both continued for twenty seconds then simultaneously pushed their arms forward, and with that a shimmering aura descended around the proving grounds. ¡°And so it begins,¡± Fallon commented. Chapter 2 ¡°All magic extracts a price. Generally speaking it''s only that of your mana, which will recharge over time. But some of the arts require a touch of the gods to complete. The ones that are considered taboo will take a piece of your life force in exchange for power. Though I don¡¯t think the mage will know at the time exactly how much had been taken, nor how long until their debt may come due.¡± --- Cleric Esmerelda Evermoor, during her Faithday sermon ¡°Right there,¡± Fallon pointed excitedly, ¡°Did you see the mage moving his pinky finger slightly down just as his casting was nearing completion? That takes a lot of control to do. He was altering the element that he was planning to use, which while possible takes a lot of power and skill. Instead of working with lightning he moved it to be a fire spell!¡¯ Milo¡¯s jaw dropped as he watched in awe of the competitors battling it out. ¡°I mean I can see what you¡¯re talking ¡®bout but I n¡¯er seen it done so quick. How would you counter that?¡± ¡°You would need the same control and power. And you would need to recognize what is happening and be able to also shift your spell, and to do so in the appropriate timing too which could be a matter of split seconds. And that''s also the reason that you won¡¯t see many people even bothering to truly counter things. They will either go toe to toe and try to overpower each other or just dodge.¡± ¡°Right. Be dodgy. Or be so powerful you knock ¡®em right out!¡± Flexing his arms, Milo taunted, ¡°I can do power.¡± ¡°In the proving grounds, power isn''t something to fear.¡± ¡°So fear what ¡®den? The people that can counter?¡± Fallon looked Milo directly in the eye and resolutely said, ¡°No. Countering is a skillful act. Much more skillful than just trying to go punch for punch with someone or just jumping out of the way. But being able to counter the spell being thrown at you is only part one of what you would need to do. The other part is attacking quickly after countering. Someone who has the control needed to counter then immediately brace and throw an attack¡­ those are the people who are the true danger. And that right there is what makes the difference between a person who can cast spells and someone who is a true master of spell weaving.¡± ¡°So what would you do, Fallon?¡± Perplexed, Fallon looked right at Milo. ¡°What would I do? Honestly, Milo, I have to tell you I would fail.¡± ¡°Fail, what¡¯chu mean?¡± ¡°If we are just talking about stopping the opposing bolt of energy, then there are about fifteen different ways to deal with someone casting that. You could call up a wall of stone, cast an opposing bolt, shield yourself, or even use a simple spell to alter their hand. All of them would likely render their offensive spell useless or at least hamper it mightily. The trick is not overthinking it, picking one, and then executing it faster than they can finish their spell. Which is where I fail.¡± ¡°Stop doing that then,¡± Milo responded decisively. ¡°You make it sound so simple. Just stop overthinking¡­¡± ¡°Well, ¡®tis. All you need to do is focus on one. Stop trying to do ¡®tall.¡± Fallon sat quiet for a moment, thinking. His view on casting was always trying to be agile and having options. But that also often meant he would run into decision paralysis. He mulled it over in his head a few times before finally responding, ¡°You know what, I¡¯m going to try that. I¡¯m going to pick a single path and use it the whole duel today and see what happens. It can''t be worse than the past few times since every one of those was a last place finish. And before you ask I don''t just mean last in my group. I mean last. We are all placed in rankings based on how long we survive, the amount of damage dealt and stopped, and innovation we may use. I tend to be a quick target for others to gain points on.¡± Laughing, Milo responded, ¡°Stop doing that too then.¡± Despite lingering on the thought of how he came in last the previous battles, Milo¡¯s straightforward nature made him laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll try that too I guess, since today is the day to try a new theory.¡± ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sillenestra sat at the table in a dimly lit room. She was slightly tense, but she always felt a bit nervous while waiting for the master to arrive. She studied the wood grain in the table, then the flickering of the lamp light, and even the stone walls around her. When she thought that perhaps she had come too early and a well of panic began to arise, she heard the creak of the door as it opened from across the room. A robed figure entered, closing the door behind. The bulky figure slowly made its way across the room, setting a large orb onto the table. Before sitting the figure made a number of gestures and spoke cryptic words toward the orb, which lit up in a bright blue before fading back to show the proving grounds. ¡°The scrying orb, master?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± the figure said with a gravely male voice. ¡°It is the best way for us to observe while not being observed. Being a mage of considerable power has its benefits. As does having a mole within the Octants who helps us to bypass their scrying countermeasures.¡± ¡°That''s brilliant, master.¡± Sillenestra replied. ¡°Do not grovel,¡± the master countered commandingly. ¡°It does not suit you well.¡± Sillenestra bit her lip to keep from openly cursing. ¡°Yes, master,¡± is all she could muster back to him. The master sat watching the orb for a few moments before reopening the conversation. ¡°Were you able to meet with our acquaintance?¡± Nodding, Sillenestra responded, ¡°Yes, I was with him this morning. He is in my debt again, just as you planned. Everything continues to fall into place.¡± ¡°Perfect. Let us continue down this path, though I have many different avenues that we may follow. You will be instrumental in any of those paths that I choose to traverse. Make sure you are ready at any time.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± The man leaned forward slightly, his hood brushing back enough to reveal a wicked grin. ¡°For now, let us watch the remaining matches. It will be essential to know everyone''s strengths and weaknesses in battle. Especially as we hand pick those who will aid in our cause.¡± A shiver ran down Sillenestra¡¯s spine and she hid it as best she could. ¡ª---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Milo stepped into the proving grounds, a timid sluggishness to his movements, as he avoided making eye contact with any of his three opponents. Fallon had given him a quick rundown of each of them and their strengths and weaknesses before he was called into the grounds. There were a multitude of things to watch for, especially certain tendencies that each exhibited when casting, that he had been clued in to look for. But the most important part of the conversation to Milo was the information on how Fallon viewed magic and those that he would consider to be the most dangerous. The silly bugger hasn¡¯t actually seen someone use both power and control simultaneously in a way that matters yet. None of these filthy initiates have come close to understanding how to make magic work for you and not the other way around. Not even most of the oh so powerful Octant members truly understand using the magical webs correctly, they just go through the practiced motions and words. For this being the forefront school in magic, I thought they would have a clue what they were doing and I could at least learn something. What an embarrassment. I guess all of their knowledge was lost during the Shade Era, much like the rest of the world. Pity. It would have been enjoyable to at least find a challenge while I am here. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The area shimmered, signaling that the battle was about to commence. Milo shifted and pushed onto the balls of his feet, ready to move immediately when the command was given that would release them from their place. He felt the sheer power of the enchantments that kept the magic from being cast, as if it was a large wet blanket that was covering him totally and keeping all of his power beneath. The feeling was familiar to him from his training with a different master mage who had put him through a gauntlet of things, including being able to know how to recognize and overcome even the most subtle of magic dampening spells. This, however, was nowhere near subtle. Feeling the pressure easing, Milo began to slowly whisper the words to a spell to ramp up his power. He kept his hands hidden from view while he slowed the movement of his fingers to drag out the casting time, attempting to time it just right to complete it just after the enchantment officially dropped. He finally looked up as the blanket was almost removed and scanned for the person that Fallon had said was the best of the group - the frail middle aged man with a bald spot, brown eyes, and a scar across his cheek. You¡¯re mine. As the magical protections dropped everyone began to put their initial casts in place. A caster with an affinity for nature began to weave a spell to pull small chunks of stone from the ground and put it into orbit around him as a layer of protection. One that was from the clerical school was casting a spell to ask the gods for additional physical power. That is all but the bald man with the scar. He attempted to move his body but it was stuck in place. ¡°Far too slow, and you''re far too ugly to continue,¡± a voice said in his head. ¡°But for now my little puppet, you will just stand there and await your fate. Now sit, dog.¡± The mage sat down as quickly as he could, but did so in the position that a dog would take when told to sit. A gasp ran through the crowd that was watching the event, most of which weren¡¯t sure what was happening but they knew it was unprecedented. Usually the spectacle would begin about fifteen seconds in but this had taken almost not time at all. And the action was so out of the ordinary that the other competitors also seemed to pause and consider what they were seeing. That slight pause was enough for Milo to complete the final needed components to his second cast. He pressed his hand down to the ground and a circular ring of deep purple light enveloped it. Small runes formed within the circle and as he pulled his hand away, a creature seemed to climb into existence from another dimension. The creature, while not large in stature, had wickedly sharp teeth and claws, leathery wings, and a tail that ended in a deep black spike. It smiled a devilish grin, then licked its tongue against its teeth. All the while Milo continued to cast another spell as everyone in the crowd looked on in shock. The clerical apprentice sneered after he finished his cast and realized that a demon was now in play. ¡°You dare to summon an imp into this realm of existence?!¡± he screamed while pointing directly toward Milo. ¡°No, fool,¡± Milo began, ¡°I dare to summon three.¡± With the final hand movements he clapped his hands together then slammed them both to the ground. As they struck, the same purple rings formed and the deep purple light and runes began to form. Milo¡¯s muscles tensed as he held his arms in place and when he looked up toward the cleric it was with a hint of euphoria in his eyes. He laughed as he moved his hands slowly away from the circles, drawing the imps from the dark void beneath. ¡°You¡¯re mad!¡± the cleric screamed back. ¡°This is absolute madness.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even begun to show you madness, you filthy swine,¡± Milo responded. He then switched and began to speak in a different tongue to the demonic creatures. The speech was short but what was said was clear enough to the imps, who shot off toward the cleric. They quickly weaved in and out along their way, as the cleric pushed back on his heels and readied himself for the attack. All the while the crowd and the final competitor stared in silence at the events that were unfolding in front of them. Not one of them had ever seen a competitor use demonic magic while in the proving grounds and this newcomer had not only used it but looked to be more than just a simple apprentice. The sheer power to do everything he was doing was almost unheard of amongst many levels of the Octant. Even the mages presiding over the day''s battles found themselves surprised by the actions. Each second that passed where his opponents were held in check was another that Mlo used to his advantage. With one person completely under his control and the other busy trying to fend off the imps, he turned his attention to the mage who was standing with his mouth completely agape. Milo began another cast though this one was slow and methodical. He watched the eyes of his prey as he focused his casting, green eyes that were transfixed on the imps tearing into the cleric. Those same eyes that showed exactly what he was looking for, which was the thread of fear. When Milo found that fear, his own eyes widened in anticipation and a mischievous grin plastered itself to his face. He continued his long spellcasting, each moment building more pleasure within him with the knowledge that his masterpiece of a spell was being unleashed. And it was even more of a rush for him knowing that the poor mage in training wasn''t even aware enough to see it coming. And then, twenty long seconds after he had begun, the spell was complete and released into the proving grounds. The spellcasting ending didn¡¯t create any colors or shapes in the air, nor did it make a sound. But when the spell was completed, the nature mage¡¯s attention was suddenly pulled away from the other competitors and instead his head swung from right to left and there was a hint of panic in his motions. He immediately began a low level cast and within a few seconds a gust of air shot out from his hand. He did so again and again in different directions and each time he did so it was becoming more sloppy and haphazard. Then he suddenly began to scream and swung his arms wildly through the air, though none of the spectators were able to see any kind of threat near him. Meanwhile, Milo strode over to the mage who was frozen in place and sat down on the ground, cross legged, next to him. He sighed and admired his work. The nature mage was quite literally fighting against his own worst nightmare, which to Milo appeared like some version of a swarm of giant wasp like things.The cleric was taking slash after slash from the imps, though he was able to dole out a kick or two. Unfortunately for him, the demon¡¯s harassment was fast and targeted and each one was continually slowing down any spellcasting he could perform. To add to his difficulties, he was unarmed otherwise, per the battle grounds rules. And the last apprentice was sitting there, still held in check by Milo¡¯s command spell that would continue to be in place for another minute. ¡°Isn¡¯t this just the most beautiful site?¡± he said, with no hint of an accent at all. ¡°Each of you is able to first hand witness what true power actually looks like. It¡¯s not the nonsense that the Octant tries to push off as power. But real true demonic energy.¡± Turning to the mage, he could see fear touch his eyes. Milo¡¯s voice turned to a whisper as he began, ¡°Eyes show so much. Your eyes, for example, show me that you fear what I might do right now. But don¡¯t fret. I don¡¯t plan on doing anything terrible to you. In fact I have a message from Al¡¯Rok Thorin for you and she was very explicit in her command to not harm you more than necessary.¡± He paused and watched the mage¡¯s eyes shift to recognition, then to an even deeper fear. When he saw that the name had hit its mark, he spoke again, ¡°Continue to keep your end of the bargain and your family will remain safe. Otherwise we may need to pay them a visit and allow them to also witness some shows of power. Though unlike here in the proving grounds, the power does have a tendency to do more than just cause mental or physical anguish. I hope you understand my meaning.¡± With his message delivered, Milo now waited. The druid had lasted longer than he believed against the nightmarish barrage, but was now crying within a stasis bubble. The cleric showed the signs of damage all across his face and arms from the bites and slashes of the imps and was continuing to become more and more sluggish in his motions. It was only a matter of a short time until he would also end up in a stasis bubble. ¡°The cleric will fall soon.¡± he lamented out loud. ¡°He underperformed my expectations. He should have at least been able to dispatch one of the three imps. Perhaps two if he got lucky. Though it was inevitable that he too would lose this battle.¡± Milo took in the final sights of the proving grounds and looked out at the shocked faces of those in attendance witnessing his glorious battle. He noticed that the Octant members were the only ones who seemed extremely flustered by all of this as they were arguing amongst themselves in what he could only draw conjecture on. And then his eyes locked on to those bright amber ones from the intriguing mage that would be fighting in the next battles. Fallon sees it. He keeps scanning across the battlefield and he seems to be able to see or sense where my lines of magic are. He is the only one in the crowd acting that way. And though he may not have put it all together yet, he looks to be someone who actually understands that magic is something of being a puppeteer. That¡­ that is truly astounding given the lack of talent I have seen here otherwise. Perhaps my time here will not be a complete waste. This is¡­ useful. The tendrils of magic to the mage gave the slightest tug, signaling to Milo that his spell would soon fade. He turned back to the man and said, ¡°Stand up, now.¡± The man¡¯s body obeyed the command, standing up without having any control over his own body. Despite what the mage had said to him, he still feared what may happen next. He had just watched the mage soundly beat two of the better apprentices with very little effort, and he also knew this was a disciple of Al¡¯Rok Thorin, a person who was not known for her mercy. ¡°I am truly sorry for this San¡¯Daleb. But there is no way you would be able to convince people you were able to defeat me by throwing your magic against mine. So it is time for me to accidentally take a loss here.¡± Milo strode next to him and continued, ¡°Being that I am new and all, I can feign ignorance about the process.¡± As the last words slid from his lips, he let go of his control and backhanded the mage with all his strength. San¡¯Daleb¡¯s head snapped to the side and propelled his body with it.. His ears immediately screamed with a loud pitched sound and his vision swam as he felt his body falling to the ground. Even with his vision slightly off, he still caught a glimpse of a self satisfied grin from the competitor who had just struck him as he was falling to the ground. And then the world went black.