“Shouldn’t we be on the dais?” Finn asked, directing the question toward Kyyle.
Brutus shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Nefreet’s planning to choose the pairings at random. They’ll call you lot up when your names get drawn.”
Kyyle and Finn shared a look. For his part, Finn was hoping he didn’t get matched with the young earth mage. He didn’t look forward to the idea of trying to kill him. And he had come to learn that hesitation could be deadly in the duels. Many felt like he was playing a fast-paced and gruesome game of chess, with one wrong move deciding the fight.
“So, what’s the deal with the big disc of water?” Finn asked as he slumped down into the chair, trying to change the subject and drain some of the tension from the air. He could already feel the antsy, nervous energy that preceded a major event humming in his veins. The best strategy was to try to distract himself.
Brutus grinned. “You’ll see. Nefreet only pulls out all the stops for big competitions. It’s a bit too energy-intensive for just any ol’ duel.” He waved at the dais. “Although it looks like you won’t have to wait long to see it in action.”
Finn turned to see Nefreet taking the stage, Abbad at his side. At a gesture from the headmaster, the librarian went through his routine, a gust of wind soon blowing through the crowded courtyard. The chatter slowed as the mages felt the familiar breeze on their skin, all eyes turning to the platform.
“Hello, mages,” Nefreet greeted them.
“There is no sense beating around the bush. Today we will be conducting the semi-finals in our competition to choose a guild champion. The travelers and residents will each compete in their own elimination ladder. The travelers will go first.”
“The rules will be the same as our regular duels. The participants will be teleported to a random location. The winner will be whoever manages to secure the other player’s token and return first. Otherwise, anything goes.”
Nefreet motioned at a nearby mage, and the man stepped closer. Finn could see that he was holding a large velvet bag. “We will be hosting two matches initially, with the winners of each match going on to fight in a final elimination round,” Nefreet continued. “The initial pairings will be decided at random.
“With that out of the way, let’s select our first competitors.”
Nefreet dug into the sack beside him, and Finn held his breath, his hands clenching around the arm of his chair. The headmaster soon retrieved two glowing tokens. He turned to the crowd, announcing the first pairing. “Zane and Vanessa.”
Finn let out his breath in a whoosh, noting that Kyyle had done the same. The pair glanced at each other awkwardly. While they might have gotten out of going first, the initial match-up meant that they would be fighting each other next.
Well, damn, Finn thought to himself.
“This should be interesting,” Julia murmured, sliding into a chair beside Finn as she watched Zane and Vanessa both maneuver through the crowd to the stage.
Kyyle nodded. “It will be an even match given their spells and skill sets,” he murmured, swiping at the air. Finn observed the gesture, assuming that the youth was accessing the journal he kept on the other students. He couldn’t help but wonder what sort of notes Kyyle had on him.
Zane and Vanessa reached the podium a moment later. Zane wore simple cloth clothing, forgoing the typical robe. Oddly, he was equipped with only a single weapon, the massive two-handed hammer that he’d been lugging around for weeks. He barely looked like a mage. In contrast, Vanessa looked her part – dressed in flowing sapphire robes and carrying a staff adorned with a single, simple blue crystal at its peak.
The pair acknowledged one another but made no effort to speak or shake hands.
Nefreet handed each mage a token and then turned back to the crowd. “As one final note, these competitions will be carefully monitored using the scrying portal above me. This should give you all a chance to finally see the A-listers in action.”
The headmaster nodded at Lamia, who stood nearby. The mage’s hands twined through a complicated pattern, Finn’s brow furrowing as he tried to track the movements and read her lips. Given the complexity and length of the incantation, he was guessing it was a master-level spell at a minimum.
A moment later, a ball of liquid materialized in the air beside Lamia, its form shifting and shimmering as though it were alive. The globe reminded Finn of Daniel. Perhaps this was an infant water elemental?
At Lamia’s direction, the ball of moisture swept over to Vanessa and settled on her shoulder. Then Nefreet took a deep breath. “With all of our preparations out of the way. Let us begin the final elimination round of this competition!
“Zane. Vanessa. Good luck.”
At this final statement, the pair touched their tokens together and abruptly vanished in a rift of multi-colored energy.
Immediately, all eyes turned to the disc of water floating above the field. The screen remained placid for several long seconds before the liquid began to swirl and spin, vague colors soon materializing among the waters. Then, all at once, a scene popped into focus.
The elemental had lifted from Vanessa’s shoulder and was now floating above what appeared to be a mountaintop, recording the field below. Dark gray clouds lingered in the sky, and a faint smattering of snow drifted down on a flat plateau riddled with large rocks and patches of white.
Finn frowned in concentration, his nervousness forgotten as the analytical part of his brain kicked into overdrive. The field was compact, and he saw a sheer cliff edge on at least three sides. That meant Vanessa and Zane would be contained in this small, makeshift arena. The rocks strewn through the area also obscured line of sight. Notably, there were no environmental variables that would give one of the competitors an obvious advantage – at least not as far as Finn could see.
The elemental soon focused on the two contestants. They had been teleported in about 20 yards apart, their view of one another obscured by the massive boulders. Finn leaned forward as he watched their initial actions in this new arena.
Zane immediately started casting a spell, his fingers twining together. A moment later, his skin shimmered with a faint green light and then began to turn a solid, opaque gray, cracks forming in the once-normal flesh. It looked rougher and more durable than when Finn had watched Kyyle first cast the spell in Lamia’s class.
“Hmm, intermediate Stone Skin at least,” Kyyle observed. He noted Finn watching him and gestured at Zane. “That’s what’s letting him perform the full-body shift. Otherwise, he’d be limited to a single limb. It’s a powerful defensive spell, although it has limitations. For example, it dramatically increases the weight and density of the mage.”
Finn didn’t have long to ponder on that. Because what Vanessa did next was far more fascinating. As she completed her initial spell, something drifted away from her stomach, as though her skin had turned to liquid. The blob grew swiftly and suddenly diverged, transforming into an eerily similar clone of the water mage.
Both Kyyle and Finn just stared. What the hell was that?
Brutus laughed at their expressions. “Doppelganger spell. Water mages can specialize in illusions. This typically makes it more difficult for them to cast hard-hitting spells since they have to maintain the illusion, but it can sure make them a real pain in the ass to fight. Also, that spell may be quite effective with this layout.” His expression was thoughtful as he watched both contestants.
The pair started moving. Zane walked cautiously among the boulders, keeping his eyes peeled for an attack and holding his hammer at the ready.
For her part, Vanessa was less cautious. She shifted the channel for the Doppelganger to her staff as she cast Obscuring Mist. Finn recognized the gestures and incantation for that spell immediately – having studied the novice water spellbook. A thick mist soon rolled among the stones, further reducing visibility. At the same time, Vanessa gestured at her clone, sending it out among the boulders.
Zane slowed as he saw the thick vapo
r spreading, and he grimaced slightly. Finn could sympathize. Vanessa’s strategy was smart. She likely knew she was less resilient than Zane, and she didn’t know where he was yet. So, she was leaning into her advantage, further reducing visibility and trying to bait Zane into striking first to give away his position.
Vanessa suddenly stepped out from behind a boulder and Zane whirled. Moving with a speed and ferocity that left Finn stunned, the larger man sent his hammer hurtling through the air. Vanessa attempted to dodge, but it was far too late. The hammer smashed into her chest, and her body promptly exploded into globules of water that splashed against the ground. The hammer kept going, crashing into a boulder behind the clone, the force more than sufficient to crack the stone.
Zane didn’t hesitate as he saw the clone break apart. He immediately dashed forward. His stone feet thundered against the ground, causing the soil to split and crack from his weight – Finn noting that he was indeed slowed by his Stone Skin. At the same time, that appeared to have some advantages. It seemed that Zane was able to use the additional momentum to empower his hammer throw. That would help to explain the force of the blow, at least.
Meanwhile, Ice Bolts pelted Zane’s previous position. The water elemental’s view shifted, showing that Vanessa had climbed atop one of the boulders, using the height to maintain visibility on the field and shower Zane with projectiles.
At first, Finn thought Zane was just trying to dodge the missiles, likely unable to see Vanessa while standing in the mists. In contrast, his movements made him easy for Vanessa to spot, each step causing the vapor to swirl and contract. Although, if Zane was trying to avoid getting hit, he was doing a poor job of finding cover, the occasional stray bolt chipping away at the stone of his arms and legs.
Unless…
A smile tugged at the earth mage’s lips, and his fingers twined through a rapid series of gestures. His weapon came hurtling back toward him out of the mists. In a single fluid movement, he spun and threw the hammer again, the weapon making a beeline directly toward Vanessa. She just barely scrambled off the boulder in time, the hammer crashing against the stone and letting out a thunderclap.
“He baited Vanessa into firing to figure out her position,” Finn murmured.
“And found a creative use for the Pull spell,” Kyyle added distractedly, his hands typing at his console. He saw Finn glance at him and elaborated, “Earth mages can control gravity as well as the density of objects. This is how we summon earth spikes, for example. Pull is a journeyman-level utility spell. In this case, Zane is using it to retrieve his hammer.”
“Huh, that’s clever,” Finn replied, watching Zane. There was clearly a reason the man had made it this far.
Kyyle nodded. “The guy may be a dickhead, but he’s good,” he offered grudgingly. “Although, I don’t think it’s going to be enough…”
Finn could soon see what Kyyle meant.
Vanessa immediately reverted to a more defensive strategy. She summoned another clone, recast the mist, and then kept moving along the perimeter of the arena. She was waging a guerilla war against the earth mage. Her clone would pop out, reveal Zane’s position, and then she would pelt him with a few Ice Bolts. Her attacks did little damage, but they slowly whittled away at Zane’s health, carving off chunks of stone with each strike.
At the same time, Finn could see that the earth mage was becoming increasingly frustrated since he wasn’t able to easily pin down Vanessa. His frown had deepened, and he was actively grinding his teeth together, the reinforced bone throwing off sparks.
“Come out and fight me!” Zane roared. Vanessa didn’t respond or react, continuing her constant harassment.
What’s her plan? Finn thought to himself.
“He needs to drop the Stone Skin,” Kyyle murmured. Brutus just nodded in agreement.
When Kyyle saw Julia’s questioning glance, he elaborated. “Stone Skin has an active sustain cost by default. Instead of a static shield with its own health, it reduces incoming damage by a flat percentage. Zane then relies on his natural health regen to recover any damage that makes it past the shield. Think of it like a defensive spell with a natural channel, I guess. My guess is that Zane put a lot of points in Strength and Vitality to compensate for the increased weight and to improve his health regen.”
“Which means he’s burning a lot of mana, and his pool isn’t that large to begin with,” Finn said aloud. Suddenly, Vanessa’s plan clicked into place. She planned to wear Zane down so that he would remove his damage shield. That was why she was casting slowly and allowing her own mana to regenerate. She just needed to drag this out.
Zane seemed to realize the same thing, a grim expression settling across his face. “If you insist on hiding, I guess I’ll just have to bring the fight to you!”
He abruptly dismissed the Stone Skin, or at least part of the spell. He maintained the spell on his chest and arms, while the remainder of his body regained its normal fleshy appearance. Then he re-called his hammer.
What he did next was plain madness.
Zane ran up one boulder, leaped over the edge and raised his hammer high into the air. The combination of his enhanced weight, momentum, and natural strength caused the weapon to strike the ground with terrifying force. The blast sent out a shockwave of kinetic energy that caused the ground to break apart and crumble, lancing forward in a straight line. The force of the blow was so powerful that it physically shoved the mist aside, carving a furrow in the vapor. As the shockwave hit a boulder, it smashed through the stone, causing it to crumble and crack before exploding apart in a shower of fragments.
Vanessa was forced to leap from her latest perch, hitting the ground hard and a whoosh of air escaping her lungs. Shards of rock cut at her face and arms, leaving small trails of crimson in their wake. However, she recovered quickly, recasting Doppelganger and sliding behind another boulder, staying along the outskirts of the field.
Yet Zane wasn’t done. As the clone appeared, he repeated the same attack, smashing the ground repeatedly. Within the span of a few minutes, he had destroyed most of the boulders along the mountaintop and cleared a pocket amid Vanessa’s mist. He soon stood there, his chest heaving and a layer of dust now coating his skin.
A sudden, eerie quiet now lingered through the courtyard as the students watched this impressive display of raw power. “Holy shit, we were supposed to keep up with this?” one novice a few feet away from Finn muttered.
Finn was less impressed. Zane had let his anger get the better of him. Kyyle must have been thinking the same thing, shaking his head sadly. Even as they looked on, the pair saw Zane’s Stone Skin finally drop away as his mana bottomed out and he was forced to regen. That tantrum had likely spent most of his stamina as well.
Vanessa chose that moment to retaliate.
Ice Bolts sliced out of the mist, cutting bloody furrows in Zane’s skin as he attempted to dodge the projectiles. Then Vanessa appeared, stepping out of the mists. Zane smirked at her, tossing his hammer almost casually. Yet instead of destroying what he must have assumed was a clone, Vanessa dropped to the ground into a roll and came back to her feet, her eyes glowing with a cold blue light.
A smile tugged at Zane’s lips. He had found the real deal this time. Vanessa must have burned quite a bit of her own mana to maintain the illusions and constant barrage of Ice Bolts, finally forcing her to enter the fight personally. He rushed forward, his fingers twining through another series of gestures as he used his limited mana to recall his hammer.
The weapon came rushing back out of the mist and Vanessa side-stepped to avoid the returning blow, but the last-minute dodge put her off balance. Zane snatched the weapon from the air one-handed, rushing forward to capitalize on the water mage’s moment of weakness. His left hook hit her squarely in the jaw, sending her stumbling backward.
The crowd of mages cheered, thinking that Zane was regaining the upper hand. Although, a frown lingered on Finn’s brow. Something about that punch felt off, but he couldn�
�t quite place his finger on why.
Vanessa backpedaled quickly to avoid Zane’s follow-up swings, clutching her hand to her face, and her breathing ragged and panicked. Zane followed her, a mad grin painted on his face. The mists swirled around him with each swing of his hammer. Then Vanessa’s foot landed wrong on the broken and uneven ground, and she was sent stumbling, falling hard on her back.
Zane approached her with measured steps as she struggled to crawl backward. A triumphant smile tugged at his lips.
Then Finn saw it. As Vanessa let her hand drift away from her face, there was no blood or bruising on her cheek.
“Oh shit…” he muttered.
All at once, the ground below Zane turned a dark blue, an intricate series of patterns etched into the broken stone. A series of icy spears launched from the ground in a flurry, each lance nearly as thick as Zane’s forearm. They stabbed through his legs, arms, and torso as his body spasmed and jerked. Vanessa must have cast multiple Grasping Cold traps in the same location.
As the ice settled, Finn could see that Zane had barely managed to get off a Stone Skin, attempting to protect his legs. However, it hadn’t been nearly fast enough. Lances were now embedded in the partially transformed skin of his legs and his unprotected chest. Even worse, he was trapped in place, half-suspended in the air and his blood leaking from the many wounds, staining the ice a bright red.
Then the image of Vanessa on the ground broke apart into a puddle of water, the real Vanessa striding calmly out of the mists, an Ice Bolt spinning in the air beside her. Her expression was calm and measured as she met Zane’s angry and pain-filled eyes.
A swift gesture and the Ice Bolt embedded itself in the side of Zane’s head.
And the fight was over.
A hushed silence had descended over the courtyard in the final moments of the fight. However, the tension broke soon after Zane died as an astonished cheer rose into the air. Finn ignored the noise, replaying the fight in his head. Vanessa’s illusions were extraordinary. She had managed to make the clone react in an incredibly realistic manner. Not only that, but Finn’s thoughts kept returning to Zane’s punch.
Awaken Online: Ember (Tarot #1) Page 36
