Time lurched forward. Budakis jumped in and called the match while holding Brock’s arm high. The crowd erupted. The sound was deafening. Ashland ran in, kneeling next to Corbin. She rolled him onto his side as he coughed, spraying blood onto the dirt floor. She looked up at Brock.
“He bit the tip of his tongue off. I can heal him, but I can’t grow it back. He’ll never be the same.”
Brock shrugged. He thought he would feel satisfaction from beating his mean-spirited rival. Instead, he just felt numb.
Corbin’s body shuddered, indicating he had been healed. However, he still lay unconscious. Ashland patted his cheek. After a moment, he stirred. Corbin sat up, shaking the cobwebs from his head. Ashland offered to help him stand, but he pushed her away. Rising to his feet, he shoved Brock aside as he stumbled toward the changing room.
Budakis stepped close to Brock. “Let me look at that.” He grabbed the two pieces of the broken staff, inspecting the ends where it split. “I knew it. I’ve never seen a wooden sword snap a quarterstaff like that. Someone tampered with your staff, Brock.” He held an end up for Brock to see. “See how the outer part of the break is straight and clean and only the core is splintered?”
Budakis handed the two halves back to Brock and walked away. Brock stared at them, not sure what to think. He looked toward the cheering crowd, still feeling detached from the moment.
Brock knew he was victorious. He had beaten Corbin, whom he detested. He was advancing to the finals, but he felt no sense of accomplishment. Instead, he felt an overwhelming sense of dread as if his future had grown dark.
CHAPTER 81
Brock sat in the stands with his friends. Benny watched intently, trying to gauge how he should place his bets for today’s contest. He had already won big with the money he had placed on Brock and Cameron. His new goal was to pick all four finalists, so he watched the opening round closely to gauge the skill of each victor.
Brock’s heart wasn’t in it. He had felt off, distracted since his duel with Corbin. Something was bothering him, but he had no idea what it was.
Cam leaned close. “Who is she?”
Brock looked to where Cam pointed, seeing the red haired apprentice paladin. While Brock had healed her opponents numerous times, he had never seen her get a scratch.
“Her name is Tegan,” he replied. “She’s good. Fast, agile, and strong.”
Cam nodded as he watched her dance around her opponent. She landed numerous strikes that her foe tried in vain to counter. “She’s amazing.”
Tegan’s opponent became frustrated, leveling a wide-arcing blow at her hip. She leapt into the air, flipped over the strike, and landed to face his open backside. She jammed one of her swords into his exposed armpit, and he fell to one knee. The match was called, and a healer ran out. The crowd jumped to its feet, clapping and yelling.
Cameron stood, craning his neck to watch Tegan as she walked back to the bench. He was enthralled, watching her every move. Brock hadn’t ever seen him like this.
The round completed with eight apprentice-level combatants remaining. The adept-level fighters were up next.
Distracted, the round passed without Brock realizing it. At the following intermission, he decided to leave and get some air.
Making his way to the Main Hall, he stepped outside. He squinted in the bright light of the sun reflecting off the remaining snow. The banks, which had been as tall as Brock only weeks earlier, didn’t even reach his ankles. The air was cool but not cold. He strolled along a gravel path that crossed the lawn, lost in thought. After a bit, he headed back indoors, but he opted to head to his room rather than return to the Arena.
Their progress on the translation had been slow but steady. Brock and Benny now had the first two chapters translated. While they had to skip a few scattered words, the general message was clear.
Alone in his room, he focused on the book, translating one word at a time. The hours passed quickly as key details from the third chapter began to coalesce: details that changed everything.
The door to the room opened. Brock’s eyes lifted from the book to see Benny and Cam entering.
“What an awesome day!” Benny exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “You missed it, Brock. You totally missed it.”
Benny sat on the end of his bed. Cam sat across from him, a bemused look on his face.
“I put the money I won yesterday on that red-haired girl, Tegan, and on an adept named Goren. Guess what happened?” Benny was grinning, bouncing up and down.
“Um…they won?” Brock guessed.
“Yes! They won!” Benny shouted. “Tegan paid four to one, and the other paid two to one. I now have more than ten gold imperials! Ten!” He was so excited. “And, if the big lug over here,” Benny nodded toward Cam, “comes through tomorrow, I can win more from the bet I put on him to win it all.”
Brock smiled. Benny’s enthusiasm was contagious. His gaze shifted to Cam, who still had the odd look on his face.
Brock addressed his roommate. “What do you think, Cam? You saw these two fight, can you beat them?”
Cameron eyes blinked, refocusing. “What? Um…well, Goren is good. Classic longsword and shield fighter, about my size. His form is perfect. He knows what he’s doing, so it’ll be tough.”
Brock nodded. “What about the girl?”
Cameron smiled. “You saw her. She’s amazing. I don’t know if I can beat her, but I love to watch her fight. It’s like a beautiful song, so perfect that you don’t want it to end.”
Brock smiled. “I think you have a crush, Cam.”
Cam grinned, shrugging.
Benny laughed. “So, you like this girl, and your first time meeting her is in a duel in front of the whole Academy?”
Cameron shrugged again. “I have to get past Brock first, though.”
Brock snorted. “I just hope I can give them a bit of a show and not get killed in the process. I doubt I’ll get lucky enough to beat you, Cam.”
Cam’s response was another shrug. Benny changed the subject.
“Have you made any progress, Brock? Are you learning anything yet?” Benny nodded toward the book Brock was holding.
Brock nodded, pulling out his notes. “Yes. The third chapter gets into the actual application, explaining how Chaos works. As you had already determined, Chaos is a natural force that’s all around, we just can’t see it. In order to manipulate it, someone called an Arcanist gathers it and then channels it into a special rune. Apparently, the rune somehow gives the energy purpose, defining its effect.”
Benny nodded. “Okay. That makes sense. But how does this person gather the force in the first place? How is it channeled into the rune? How long does it last? How strong is the effect?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far. I hope we can get more answers from the book, though.” Brock paused, considering his next words. “I want to tell you guys something. It needs to stay between us. I need your word that it remains a secret.”
Benny looked toward Cam, who spoke first. “I promise, Brock.”
Benny nodded. “Me, too. You can trust us, Brock.”
Brock took a breath to ready himself. “I’ve done this before.” His finger tapped on the book in his lap.
Benny glanced down at the book, then up at Brock. “What do you mean?”
Brock sighed. “I mean that I’ve used Chaos before. I didn’t know what I was doing or how I made it happen. But, I’ve done it before, more than once.”
Benny pushed his spectacles up, staring intensely. “What happened?”
Brock glanced at Cameron before responding. “You know our catapult? How it launched the ball ten times further than everyone else? I think I did that. I think it was Chaos that made it happen.”
Benny was focused, his curiosity high. “What did you do, Brock? How do you think it happened?”
“I had carved a rune into the frame of the catapult.” Brock bent over and opened his desk drawer. He reached in and grab
bed a book, handing it to Benny. “The rune from the book cover. I carved it on a whim. The symbol caught my attention the first time I saw it. I knew it meant something. While I was alone with the catapult, I carved it. Then, after Corbin and Karl broke the record with their catapult launch, I did something. I was so…frustrated. You know that I loathe Corbin and how he hates me right back? I couldn’t let him win. I…did something; I’m still not sure what it was. Anyway, the rune began to glow for a bit before returning to normal. When we launched the ball…boom.” He made a motion with his hands flying up and apart.
Benny stared hard, turning this information over in his head before commenting.
“Now, the engineers have tried and tried, but they can’t reproduce the same result. That means there’s a limit to how long the effect lasts. There must be some way to set the level of effect as well.”
Brock shrugged. “I guess. I don’t know anything about that. I barely know what I described. I’m not even sure that I can do it again.”
Benny waved the comment off. “Oh, we’ll figure that out. We just need to experiment.” He tapped on the cover of the book in his hands. “Can you tell me what this symbol means?”
Brock nodded. “That was the first thing I tried to discover when this other information came to light. I found it right before you walked in.” He glanced at Cam, then back to Benny. “That symbol means Power.”
CHAPTER 82
Brock ignored the raucous crowd. Cameron stood across the circle from him with sword in hand and shield ready. The bell rang and the crowd’s noise filled the arena. The two roommates exchanged nods and stepped forward.
He let Cam take the offensive, swinging repeated strikes that were blocked by Brock’s new staff. The loud clacking of wood on wood sounded out in a steady beat. After a dozen of these exchanges, Cam changed tactics. A downward chop fell, which Brock dodged. Cam thrust his shield into Brock, knocking him back. Brock rolled with the hit and came to his feet a couple strides from his opponent.
Cam took two quick steps, closing the gap and swinging hard. Rather than blocking it, Brock ducked low and swung his staff at Cameron’s legs. The larger boy leapt in the air, but Brock nicked one heel, causing Cam to stumble backward when he landed. Sensing an opening, Brock attacked before Cam could regain his balance. Cam blocked the series of strikes, the attack pushing him backward a few steps. Realizing the opening had closed, Brock resumed a defensive stance.
Cam advanced, swinging a flurry of quick strokes that Brock blocked in rapid succession. Cam kicked his foot out to trip Brock, who spun away.
Pausing, they measured each other. They had sparred many times and knew the other’s tendencies. They clashed repeatedly, the exchange lasting far longer than either of them wanted. It left them both exhausted, causing one of them to make a mistake.
Cam came in hard, trying to end the fight. Brock ducked and rolled away from the strike, sweeping his staff low while Cam was over-extended. The staff struck hard behind Cam’s knee, causing him to fall backward. Sensing his opportunity, Brock closed for a killing blow. Cam rolled backward, coming to his knees and raising his shield just in time to block the strike. The swing deflected off the shield and left Brock exposed. Cam’s sword struck hard under Brock’s arm, causing him to arch his back and to fall to his knees as pain exploded in his side.
With one hand on the ground, Brock fought for air. Each breath felt like a dozen knives thrusting into his ribs. Budakis called the match. Brock heard the crowd, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to breathe and for it not to hurt so damn much.
Cam knelt next him. “You have some broken ribs, maybe more. I hit you pretty hard.”
Brock glanced up at Cam. “Thanks. I hadn’t noticed.”
Cam flashed a grin before stepping away.
Ashland slid into the spot Cam had just vacated.
“I’m here,” she said as she placed her hand on his cheek.
He gave a small nod. “Ready.”
A shock of ice cold made his body shake, driving the last of the wind from his lungs. Gasping to reclaim air, he thankfully realized it no longer hurt to breathe. A wave of immense hunger hit him.
“Thanks. What would I do without you?” Brock said between breaths.
Ashland smiled, pulling a hard roll from her pocket. “Most likely, you’d get yourself killed.”
He accepted the roll and her assistance as she helped him to his feet.
They walked to the side of the Arena as Vandermark quieted the crowd. He announced a short intermission before the next match, which would pit Cameron against Tegan. Brock glanced toward his roommate, sitting on the bench with his helmet off. Cam stared at his opponent. The grin on Cam’s face made Brock wonder who was in more trouble: Cam or Tegan.
. . .
The hot water felt wonderful, soothing Brock’s sore muscles. The steam rising from the pool filled his nostrils as his eyes closed in relaxation. That single bout with Cam wore on him more than his four bouts on the first day of the tournament.
The noise of the crowd carried through the changing room to the baths. Brock waited to see if Cam was advancing to the final round or was coming to join him. After a few minutes without Cam showing, he decided that his friend had won. Brock felt a twinge of guilt for not watching, but it soon passed. He had had enough of these senseless duels. Any bit of joy he used to get from sparring was now gone. All the same, he wished his friend the best of luck. If Cam wasn’t the best, then he was darn close.
Soaking in the bath alone, he enjoyed the serenity of the moment. With closed eyes, his mind drifted. A roar from the Arena brought him back to reality. With a sigh, he waded to the stairs to grab his towel. Once dressed, he emerged from the changing room to see how his friend fared.
As Cam came into Brock’s view, Goren swung a wide-sweeping strike. Cam’s shield knocked it aside, and his sword came around low to hit his opponent hard behind the leg. Goren dropped to one knee, and Cam smashed him on top of the head with his shield. Brock knew how that felt. Cam stood ready above Goren’s prone body and Budakis jumped in to call the match. The applause grew to a crescendo when Budakis held Cam’s hand high.
Brock smiled. He was happy for his friend. If anyone deserved the recognition, it was Cam. Not only was he physically gifted, he also worked harder at perfecting his skills than anyone Brock knew.
While the crowd watched the victor receiving his medal, Brock climbed the stairs to stand with Ashland. She flashed him a smile, putting her arm around his waist as he put his around her shoulder. Though it hurt when she squeezed him, he didn’t care.
Soon after, the crowd began to filter through the doors to fill the halls outside. Brock and Ashland followed along, holding hands to not become separated. He just wanted to spend some quiet time with her before joining his friends to celebrate Cameron’s victory.
CHAPTER 83
“It’s not working, Benny. I’m telling you I don’t feel it,” Brock complained.
Benny shook his head. “I know we’re close. I just know it.”
Brock sat, removing his water skin. “I need a break. My head’s still throbbing from last night.”
Benny flashed a grin. “The wine was good, right?”
As Brock drank from the skin, he nodded. Swallowing, he replaced the cap. “Too good. That’s the problem.” He rubbed his eyes. “Where did you get a whole cask anyway?”
Benny held up his hands. “I’m sorry, but I cannot divulge my sources. I’d hate to give a secret up so easily.”
“Well, it must have cost you plenty.”
Benny nodded. “Oh, it was expensive. But, I figured it was the least I could do after you and Cam helped me win all that gold.”
Brock chuckled when he thought about the prior evening. Benny had been more animated than ever as he raved about how they had helped him rake in the winnings. After opening the cask, it wasn’t long until half of their floor had joined them in the lounge for a cup or more.
He wasn’t quite s
ure why he had let Benny drag him out to the quarry behind the Foundry yard this morning. He would have gladly slept longer, feeling the lingering effects of too much wine. Thank Issal it was Seventh Day.
Taking a breath, Brock gathered the will to try again. He walked over to the solid steel pole wedged under the huge stone block. Gripping the pole, his fingers traced the rune of Power they had carved into it.
“Tell me how you expect this to work again,” he said to Benny.
Benny walked over, patting the pole with one hand. “It’s simple. From what I can tell, the way the rune worked with the catapult is that it somehow augmented the normal amount of energy released, resulting in an energy level many times higher than normal. Here, you have a strong lever wedged under an extremely heavy object. If you can somehow charge the symbol that’s engraved in the pole, the energy applied to the lever will be multiplied many times, which will allow us to lift the stone block.”
Brock nodded. “Okay. I think I got it that time. The last time, you spouted cryptic stuff like,” Brock’s voice took on a nasal quality, “the applied effect caused the potential energy to increase exponentially blah, blah, blah.”
Benny laughed. “That was close. You almost had it, but the terms aren’t important. What I need you to do now is make it happen.”
“That’s what I’m telling you. I’m not sure how it happened before.” Brock shrugged. “It just kind of happened.”
Benny shook his head. “Don’t give up, Brock. Think back to the last time it happened. Focus on what you did. Think about what you saw, what you heard, what you smelled, even what you felt.”
Brock nodded, thinking back to the situation. Corbin had just launched his catapult, breaking the school record. This was after he had tried to sabotage their catapult. Wait. Sabotage. Brock had left his staff in the changing room before breaking for lunch. He suddenly realized that Corbin had cut his staff. Corbin knew the staff would break when he had swung the heavy overhand blow.
The Buried Symbol (The Ruins of Issalia Book 1) Page 29
